Bayou Bytes Blog

As you might expect, we're starting October off with an eerie novel. The Death of Jane Lawrence is a brand new novel from Caitlin Starling, who you might remember is the author of The Luminous Dead (a novel that I am aggressively recommending to this day). I really enjoy Starling's writing style, as well as the way she builds suspense, so if you're in the mood for a dark thriller, this could be the book for you.  When Jane's foster father accepts a position in another town, she decides the most practical option is to stay behind and marry. She pursues the local physician, Dr. Lawrence. An awkward and introverted man, he accepts Jane's proposition, with the added condition that she must never spend the night at his out of town estate. Though she initially agrees, an unfortunate carriage accident deposits her on his doorstep in the midst of a terrible storm.  The man she finds in the darkened estate is very different from the one she married, haunted and terrified b...

       The beginning of the popularity of the Internet as we  vaguely remember  it: dial-up, cherished cassette tapes, and grunge. It’s the 90’s after all in Matthew Bogart and Jesse Holden’s Young Adult  g raphic  n ovel, Incredible Doom.          As the chapters alternate, so do the POVs. There’s only child Allison,  who’s been forced to be a magician’s assistant for her controlling dad.  Then there’s Richard,  a   new kid in town, struggling to make friends.  Both teens find  solace in the Bullet in Board System (BBS) , a virtual community before the World Wide Web was a thing.  At the time, members joined up with  their local BBS to avoid International-calling fees.   Its local option led   to  Allison meet ing  Samir, and Richard meet ing  Tina, his  defense against bullies.        The authors paint their realistic story ...

 Nella has been the only Black employee at Wagner Books for two years. She's been working as an editor's assistant, and though it's hard navigating the all-white company, she's determined to one day be a Black editor so she can help publish Black stories.  But once a new Black woman is hired, Nella hopes she may have a new ally. Hazel just moved into town, but she is cool, collected, and immediately endears herself to all her new coworkers.   But just as Nella starts a budding friendship with Hazel, an anonymous note appears on her desk.   LEAVE WAGNER  Is a white coworker finally revealing a grudge against her? Is her boss displeased with her work? Or...is Hazel trying to replace Nella as the only Black employee? Nella's world is shaken as she tries to discover who's trying to oust her from her dream career.  This is largely realistic fiction, but I would recommend this book for readers who want a touch of sci fi or thriller. Just as I thought I ...

 Evelyn Caldwell has just won an award for her groundbreaking clone research. She would be more excited about it if her husband (Nathan) hadn't stolen that research and cloned her in secret to create Martine. Programmed to be the perfect hostess and soft-spoken wife, Martine is everything Evelyn never was.   But when Nathan winds up dead, Evelyn and Martine must team up to make sure he won't be missed.   This book is a science fiction thriller. If you're looking for fast-paced adventure, this one won't be for you. Told from Evelyn's perspective as she struggles to process her husband's betrayal and her unnerving new partnership with Martine, The Echo Wife is much more of a slow burn. It deals with betrayal and abuse, and it gently touches on ethical questions like the personhood of clones. This is a pretty dark tale, but it's absolutely gripping.  When I first picked up this book, I had no idea what to expect. But the synopsis and cover were creepy enough ...

Courtesy of sarahaddisonallen.com Books that randomly appear.  An apple tree that promises to show you the most important moment in your life.  Promises that cannot be broken.  Women whose emotions can leave tangible traces on objects. A lone peach tree that guards an untimely end. Alligators with secrets. Families whose magical tendencies are the talk of the town.  Seven books, seven different sets of magic, hopes, dreams, and perseverance to overcome obstacles grace the novels written by American author, Sarah Addison Allen.  With five stand-alone books ( The Sugar Queen (2008), The Girl Who Chased the Moon (2010), The Peach Keeper (2011), and Lost Lake (2014)), and a budding series stemming from her debut novel ( Garden Spells (2007) and First Frost  (Jan. 2015)), Allen has managed to infuse magic and mysticism in her novels about everyday people and the lives they lead.  However, these are not fantasy novels.  They are novels about lif...