Octavia Books

The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk

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The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk
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This was my first Olga Tokarczuk, and I’m still not sure what to make of it: a slow, coiling narrative set in the early 1900s follows a group of men thrown together in a sanitarium to cure their tuberculosis. At turns creepy (the gothic of the subtitle refers to mysterious disappearances, and talking walls, which are glossed over for most of the book), and philosophical (the characters spend their time getting high on a mysterious drink and setting the world to rights, mainly at the expense of women), there’s plenty to get your teeth into, and even a twist at the end. Intriguing.

The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk, (List Price: $30, Riverhead Books, 9780593712948, October 2024)

Reviewed by Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel

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Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
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It would be easy to use boxing similes or metaphors to describe how good this book is (as many a blurb has already done), but to me Headshot is a stunning cubist novel, weaving in and out of the minds of eight young women in a boxing tournament in Reno. In prose as taut as their muscles, we are shown almost simultaneously the fighters’ pasts, presents, and futures, via subtle commentary on social expectations, childhood, and how to hit the person in front of you. Rita Bullwinkel has written a book on boxing as vital as Bryce Courtney or Norman Mailer, because it’s not (just) about the boxing, but about who and what and how to be. Headshot‘s fractured viewpoint reflects and refracts the characters making the fights themselves almost incidental, leaving a short, sharp novel of brutal beauty.

Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, (List Price: $28, Viking, 9780593654101, March 2024)

Reviewed by Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi

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Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi
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Little Shrew is a quiet and sweet story of life and friends told in three chapters. Its quietness makes it a great bedtime story or a lovely moment to sit and ponder.

Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi, (List Price: $19.99, Kids Can Press, 9781525313035, June 2024)

Reviewed by Judith Lafitte, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Finding the Way to Faraway Valley by Cecilia Heikkila

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Finding the Way to Faraway Valley by Cecilia Heikkila
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A lovely story of a grandfather and his grandson who go searching for Faraway Valley; a place that his grandfather visited when he was younger. This is a sensitive story of the connection they share in order to find this most amazing location.

Finding the Way to Faraway Valley by Cecilia Heikkila, (List Price: $17.95, Floris Books, 9781782508540, May 2024)

Reviewed by Judith Lafitte, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie

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The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie
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For anyone who wants to experience the mystery and suspense of an escape room, this book is for them. I was on the edge of my seat rooting for the “Deltas” to figure out clues as they frantically searched for a treasure in the funhouse.

The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie, (List Price: $16.99, Sourcebooks Young Readers, 9781728259536, April 2024)

Reviewed by Judith Lafitte, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith, Jr.

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How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith, Jr.
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A truer than most story written in verse like it should be. Tony relates how he became the first person in his family to become openly gay and a university graduate. It is a moving story of his trials and tribulations.

How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith, Jr., (List Price: $19.99, Katherine Tegen Books, 9780063296008, February 2024)

Reviewed by Judith Lafitte, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana

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