Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror is a 2004 novel by Gregory Maguire that retells the Snow White fairy tale in Renaissance Italy. It features the historical Borgia family, with Lucrezia Borgia as the "evil queen". The story follows Bianca de Nevada, a young girl whose life is upended by the Borgias, and reimagines the classic tale with historical and political intrigue, darker themes, and a focus on the cultural and artistic backdrop of the era. William Morrow published the book in September 2004 and republished it on February 3, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

The year is 1502, and seven-year-old Bianca de Nevada lives perched high above the rolling hills and valleys of Tuscany and Umbria at Montefiore, the farm of her beloved father, Don Vincente. But one day a noble entourage makes its way up the winding slopes to the farm— and the world comes to Montefiore. In the presence of Cesare Borgia and his sister, the lovely and vain Lucrezia—decadent children of a wicked pope—no one can claim innocence for very long. When Borgia sends Don Vincente on a years-long quest, he leaves Bianca under the care—so to speak—of Lucrezia. She plots a dire fate for the young girl in the woods below the farm, but in the dark forest salvation can be found as well. . . .

A lyrical work of stunning creative vision, Mirror Mirror gives fresh life to the classic story of Snow White—and has a truth and beauty all its own.

The writing style of this book is bizarre. I was expecting a traditional Borgia historical fiction novel but what I got was something else. I cannot even describe it because I don’t know what I just read. There was some hope that the plot would pick up speed but it didn't. It was boring. Most of the online reviews are positive but I did not understand why. Am I missing something? Suffice to say I didn't enjoy the book. No rating.

The Twin Sister

I selected The Twin Sister for the Key Word Reading Challenge. This psychological thriller is author Yvette Davies debut novel. Let me tell you right off the bat that this psychological thriller is a must read. The book was published in October 2025 and her second book will be published in 2026.

The story opens with a car crash. The police assume that Cate, Beth's identical twin sister, was inside the car involved in the accident. Cate died along with Cate's husband Giles and two of her three children. However, Beth was in a separate car with Cate's son Ted and Cate's purse was in that car too because Cate was going to be driving in this car. A last minute decision to travel in the car with Giles and her kids put her in the accident. Since Cate was wearing Beth's sweater and had Beth's phone in the sweater pocket, the police thought that Beth had died. Without even thinking, Beth assumed Cate's life. Cate was married to a wealthy man, wore designer clothes and owned a multi-million dollar house. The lifestyle was too good to pass up and after ten years of trying for a baby with husband David, Beth now has the chance to be a mother to her nephew Ted. The mistaken identity creates an opportunity for Beth to have a better life.

Beth's marriage had been in a shambles. She and David had been unhappy and David dealt with it by getting a girlfriend. Interspersed with funeral planning were snippets of Cate and Beth as children as well as David’s life with Adriana. Beth found out that she really didn't know her sister well. Cate too was having an affair with the gardener and had other household help. Beth's biggest issue was assuming Cate's personality. They were very different people but some of Cate's acquaintances figured it all out. 

There's was a lot of action and many twists in the plot. All of them were shocking which, of course, kept me reading. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

5 out of 5 stars.

The House of Lies

As soon as I heard about this book I immediately pre-ordered a copy. The author's Alardyce House series was incredibly good. The prospect of reading another story about this family was too good to be true. The book was published on February 6, 2026.

The publisher's summary:  

For generations, the Alardyce family have lived under the shadow of a curse. Some say it died with Robert Alardyce - the ruthless patriarch whose name was whispered in fear - but others know darkness like his never truly fades.

Decades later, Alardyce House stands empty, its secrets lost behind its walls. Until Kate Alardyce - Robert’s sharp and ambitious great-granddaughter - decides it’s time to reclaim her family’s legacy. And Kate always gets what she wants...

As the family gathers, old secrets resurface, loyalties fracture and the air thickens with menace. When Kate's cousin, Cameron Alardyce walks through the door, his resemblance to Robert sends a chill through them all…and it isn’t long before history begins to repeat itself.

But is the infamous curse really to blame… or is someone alive, watching, and ready to make the Alardyces pay in blood?

I enjoyed the first half of the story but it lacked the suspense and tension of the previous Alardyce novels. Kate wants to make a movie about the family, which is why she invited her cousins to the house. Lucy, Cameron, Simon, Harry and Jenna became reacquainted with each other and with Kate during this weekend. There were special family dinners, tours of the house as well as tours of the local village. The first third of the book was devoted to introducing the idea of the film to the cousins and convincing them to not only agree to the film but also to be a part of it. Kate wanted Cameron to play the role of the evil Robert Alardyce. Cameron looks exactly like a painting of Robert which hangs in the dining room. Robert’s eyes are dark, like evil lurking within them. With some prompting by Kate, Cameron easily becomes angry and impulsive like his doppelganger. Kate obviously inherited a dark side too. She knows how to manipulate people and events in order to get her way. 

At the halfway point I realized there wouldn't be any action. The book is solely about the reunion of the cousins. Most of the book is dialogue between them on mundane topics. There is alot of discussion concerning the Alardyce curse. It really is the Alardyce mental illness that seems to always skip a generation. 

I am not sure whether attempting to replay family events is sufficient to make a good psychological thriller. Kate's idea that the Robert painting can come to real life is loony. It's not plausible. It might work in a cozy mystery but not a psychological thriller. Another thing, Alardyce House seems to be haunted. Sightings of serial killer Edward Alardyce have been seen in the house. It would have been interesting if the ghost was also a serial killer as Edward was. I am not sure whether this fifth installment of the Alardyce House series was meant to merely bridge the gap from Victorian England to the present for future installments or to present a new mystery for us to resolve. Either way, The House of Lies falls short.

2.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Midnight

I bought an ecopy of this book last year, thinking I could use it for the Color Coded Reading Challenge. Can midnight be a black shade?  I didn't get around to reading it until this week. It's awful I hate to say. If I hadn't read the publisher's summary before beginning this read, I would have no idea what it is about. 

The publisher's summary:

In the frigid summers of the Antarctic continent, the sun never sets, and Olivia Campbell has long dreamed of spending a sunlit night in this beautiful, remote place. So when her boyfriend—a high-powered art dealer with a taste for the finer things in life—decides to stage an ostentatious, career-making auction aboard a luxury cruise liner to Antarctica, Olivia can hardly believe her luck. That is, until the ship sets sail and her boyfriend is nowhere to be found, and she is left to manage both the auction and her own creeping fear of the open ocean entirely alone. And as though that weren’t enough, the first bodies turn up soon after. 

It seems like a terrible accident. This is the Drake Passage, after all, one of the most notorious bodies of water on the planet, and there are always risks in such extreme conditions. But as the situation deteriorates, it soon becomes clear that there is real danger on board—and that the closest help is hundreds of miles away. With tensions rising and temperatures plummeting, Olivia wonders whether she’s booked a fabulous adventure . . . or a one-way ticket to her own destruction.

The dialogue between the characters seemed to take precedence over plot action. Nothing really happened during the first half of the story. Also, Olivia is not an interesting character. She has PTSD from being on a ship years earlier with her father, who died on the trip. This could have been better written into her character but it wasn't. So why bring it up? As for the pace, I did not see any pace; just character dialogue that did not even move the plot.

The setting descriptions were spot on. I loved reading about Antarctica. I also enjoyed the cruise ship descriptions, including the activities onboard. Another aspect of the book that I liked was seeing how the art market works. It was informative. 

This book fell short. I don't know why I didn't DNF it. As for the rating, I am giving it a 1.7, one of the lowest ratings I have ever given a book. 

2026 Key Word Reading Challenge

I love the Key Word challenge and have been participating for years. I am rejoining again in 2026.  The challenge is once again being hosted by the ladies at the Chapter Adventure blog. The requirements are easy. Read one book each month where the title of the book contains one of the key words for that month. You can track your progress through the Goodreads challenge group or on Storygraph! In addition, you can post your book review each month on social media using the hashtag #motifreadingchallenge⁠ and tag @chapter_adventure on Instagram.