Review: The First Witch of Boston

The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I picked up The First Witch of Boston for the historical story, and that was ultimately the part I found most satisfying. Knowing that Maggie and Thomas were based on real people made the story especially interesting to me, and I enjoyed the connections to seventeenth-century New England history. I was also satisfied with the ending.

Unfortunately, the book contains far more explicit sexual content than I expected or needed. I'm certainly not opposed to romance or a well-written love scene, but this went well beyond that for me. At times, the very detailed sex scenes seemed to overwhelm the historical narrative rather than enhance the relationship or the story. There was a fascinating historical novel underneath it all, and I wish the author had trusted that story a little more.

I also found the repeated references to Anne Hutchinson somewhat odd. Bringing Hutchinson into the story once or twice made sense as another example of a woman who challenged the religious and social expectations of Puritan Massachusetts. But the novel returned to her so frequently that I began wondering why other women and other examples from the period weren't used to provide a broader historical context.

Overall, I appreciated the underlying history and enjoyed the conclusion, but the excessive sexual content and somewhat narrow historical framing kept this from being as good a read for me as it could have been.

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Review: The Lottery : Short Story

The Lottery : Short Story by Ashley Grey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A very quick dystopian horror short that felt like a cross between Logan’s Run and Carrie. The atmosphere is tense and disorienting, but the story leans heavily on ambiguity; I was never sure whether the horror was meant to be real or imagined by Alex, the central figure. Dystopian fiction isn’t usually my lane, and this one didn’t quite land for me, though at only 11 pages, it was a fast read.

And to be fair, when I purchased this book (it was free, actually), I wasn't paying attention and thought it was the Shirley Jackson story.

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Review: Villa Coco

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer returns with a charming tale of Geoffrey, a young American archivist who accepts what he believes will be a simple short‑term job in Italy: cataloging the artwork of his employer, the Baronessa at Villa Coco. Geoffrey arrives expecting the elegance of an Italian country estate, but quickly discovers the villa is a near‑dilapidated rural property filled with Italian‑speaking staff, eccentric locals, and a 92‑year‑old spinstress with a flair for dramatic stories and odd rituals.

Upon his arrival, the Baronessa immediately renames Geoffrey “Giovedì,” and he soon learns that nearly everyone in the household has been given a new identity by the mistress of the estate. If that weren’t odd enough, the sewer is overflowing, the cars don’t work, and an elderly woman in town spends her days shouting at passing drivers.

It becomes clear that Geoffrey has been hired less as an archivist than as a companion, assistant, and occasional co‑conspirator. The constant comings and goings of colorful friends, family, and staff keep Villa Coco in a state of laughter, chaos, and half‑told tales of wild capers. Romance unexpectedly blooms with the Baronessa’s cousin, though even that relationship is not quite what it seems. Mysteries swirl through the summer — missing items, strange stories, and something decidedly off about the artwork he was meant to catalog.

As the season winds down and Giovedì’s contract nears its end, he faces unexpected life choices. The mysteries of the summer unravel in surprising ways, leaving him and the reader with a gentle, humorous, and quietly satisfying conclusion.

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