The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 5

By Beth Brower, published 2021

Well we are up to almost 250 pages here, though I will allow an author writing a cozy series to dwell on Christmas, I suppose. 

Emma starts with celebrating Guy Fawkes Day; continues with assisting a memorial for a dead sweet pea (yes, the flower); tries to map the movements of the neighborhood ghost; is roped into pretending to be married to the confidence man, Jack; and has a delightful Christmas with her male bffs. One of them finds one of her father’s books which he annotated that was sold to pay for Emma’s education, which is the sweetest gift.  

The coziness is almost overwhelming here, but the series continues to be fun. 

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 6

By Beth Brower, published 2022

The 250-page trend continues, and it’s another charming entry into the series. 

Emma turns 21 and is officially owner of Lapis Lazuli house and what little money remains to her, and is encouraged by her banker to find employment. Her adventures in the neighborhood continue, with her falling into a fountain, dramatically failing at her first job attempt, and Emma finally moves into the beginning of a romantic relationship with one of her bffs. 

We keep learning more about all the characters which is fun (except for her increasingly unhinged cousin Archibald). The romantic interest has been present under the surface for a while, so it makes sense, but I do wonder how the author plans to keep this up if there are going to be 20+ volumes of this story? One assumes this relationship won’t last the whole time, or else that something will drive them apart and maybe they will get back together at the end. Personally, I hope she does not end up with this character, but I can see why Emma is attracted to him.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 7

By Beth Brower, published 2023

After making a move to start a romantic relationship, Emma and her boyfriend? beau? paramour?—I’m not sure what to call him—are unable to have a private define-the-relationship conversation for the first two weeks of this installment. This is a trope I find irritating. It was fine when they were prevented from having a conversation for a few days, but it dragged on for too long.

This volume just breaks 300 pages, and I miss the days of the short sweet novellas. 

Emma’s scrapes and shenanigans continue: her Aunt Eugenia comes to stay and nearly destroys everything (metaphorically); her three bffs get in a bar fight; the parents of an enemy die and said enemy Victoria moves to the neighborhood; Emma accidentally forces one of her bffs to say publicly he is her guardian until her marriage; and Emma’s cousin Arabella is only the second prettiest girl at the ball—shocking scenes. 

Reading these really close together has sort of worn the shine off a bit for me, but I’m still enjoying the story. Some people like to devour an entire series, but I actually usually prefer to space them out a bit, and this method of reading them all in a row confirms my preferred habits. I raced through these because of a complicated library holds timing adventure. Only one more to go until I am caught up with the author’s output and must wait like the rest of the world for future installments!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 2

By Beth Brower, published 2019

In talking with my mother about this series and why it works for some people but doesn’t for others, we think it is because it sits at the intersection of historical fiction and fantasy: it is set in a real place and time (London, 1883), but the setting is not quite real (a fictional neighborhood with quirky characters, a neighborhood ghost, the protagonist’s close friendship with three single men, copious cozy stops for tea, etc.). It appeals to readers who like books and who don’t mind flights of fancy. But readers who prefer serious grounded storytelling may bounce off this series. 

I thought the second installment was a bit stronger than the first: Emma has established herself in the neighborhood and we have met many of the main players, and her adventures have begun. If you don’t care for the series at this stage, there’s no point in going further. 

Emma gets to know her tenant, the photographer Mr. Pierce, a bit better and they jointly temporarily adopt a cat, Tybalt, to catch the mice in their house; Emma accidentally reads the private journal of a neighboring duke (who happens to be young, handsome, and who verbally spars with Emma); she adores the poetic sermons of the neighborhood vicar, Hawkes; and she joins a confidence man on an adventure to recover a beloved copy of Jane Eyre.

Light, delightful, good bedtime reading. Excellent as summer reading when it’s a zillion degrees outside. I recommend the audio books. 

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 3

By Beth Brower, published 2020

We march on…Emma continues her scrapes and adventures and enjoys a neighborhood scavenger hunt for tickets to see Julius Caesar (resulting in a horrible accident for her loathsome cousin Archibald); rents studio space to her tenant, increasing their contact; discusses Ralph Waldo Emerson with said tenant; and becomes a mascot for a group of young men who call themselves The Reprobates Ten. She is also conscripted by her imperious Aunt Eugenia to assist in attracting a suitably rich and titled husband for her daughter (Emma’s cousin), the golden Arabella.

This book was 200-something pages, so it is a bit longer, but still fun and charming. I read these in such quick succession (due to a complicated library holds situation/ game) that it’s hard to review them individually. 

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 4

By Beth Brower, published 2021

We finally learn more about Emma’s first love, Maxwell, as she attends his burial (he died in war in Afghanistan three years before the story begins, but his body has just now been brought back). Emma finally really grieves his loss, and I found that portion of the book a little more grounded and touching than other sections of the book. 

Emma also has various shenanigans (including pretending to be a dancing girl at a nightclub and tea with a woman who has decided she no longer wishes to speak), and firmly cements her place in the bffs-four: Lion, Islington, Pierce, and Hawkes. 

At just over 200 pages, this felt like a perfect length for the two months described (each Volume covers two months of Emma’s life), and is maybe my favorite installment so far. I hope that novellas and short stories will make a comeback in general, as I appreciate the compact format.

The Silver Chair

By C.S. Lewis, published 1953

We return to Narnia with Eustace and a schoolmate of his, Jill. They arrive in Aslan’s Country and are sent on a quest to find the lost prince of Narnia, Rilian. 

Jill and Eustace almost immediately behave poorly and don’t follow instructions well, so the quest becomes a bit more complicated right away (unfortunately relatable). To their credit, however, they don’t give up. 

This is the last of the direct sequel Narnia books, and a fun adventure story. This one also feels like it could be well adapted into a movie. I know the early 2000’s Narnia movies got mixed reviews (Dawn Treader was legitimately a mess), but it’s too bad we didn’t get this one because I think it would have been fun and as a more straightforward story lends itself well to the screen. 

Puddleglum the marshwiggle is a delightful addition to Narnia as the Eeyore of the story, who nevertheless proves to be worth his weight in gold. Perseverance and keeping sense of your core identity are important lessons of this book, and ones I still need to hear as an adult!

Most memorable quote: “Many sink down and few return to the sunlit lands.”

Country People

By Daniel Mason, published 2026

“‘I think,’ he said, ‘Vermont is a little different.’

“‘Okay, said Kate. ‘But you know what I am saying. Rural people. Farming people. Country people. It does seem hard to write about the topic when you haven’t lived in the country yourself.’”

The Krzelewski-Petrosian family moves from California to rural Vermont when Kate takes a one-year teaching job at a college, and Miles plans to continue work on a long-protracted dissertation on Russian peasant (country) life.

The family settles in to their new rural life and meets a colorful cast of characters, a completely different landscape, and Miles tries to work on his dissertation. But the writing seems less urgent than exploring their new home. Kate slips easily into academic life, Wesley and Olive make friends at school and seem to be adjusting well, and Miles tries to find his place. 

Having recently read North Woods by the same author, I expected a slightly quirky, offbeat story, and Mason delivered. I preferred this more straightforward story, and there is still room for the occasional diversion via characters telling stories (reminiscent in some ways to The Pickwick Papers). This was a funny, meandering look into a family’s life for a year, and an enjoyable romp through the countryside and a collection of offbeat characters in a small town whose quirkiness is treated with affection rather than scorn.

This feels like it straddles the line of reality and unreality, and that might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I found it fun and an easy read, and funnier than I expected. Miles seems like he would be a fun hang.