Whatcha Reading? June 2016 Edition

Book with a field and a road on the pages against a blue cloudy skyIt’s time! It’s time for our monthly thread where we discuss what we’re reading, and then turn around and buy more books because everyone is reading something really interesting and we want to read that, too.

Have I mentioned how glad I am that I’m not alone with this habit? REALLY GLAD.

Let’s get started!

Sarah: I am reading Diablo Lake: Moonstruck by Lauren Dane ( A | BN | K | G | AB ). WITCHES FINALLY letting myself read WITCHES.

Redheadedgirl: I just finished The Hamilton Affair ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), which was good but kind of disjointed.

Sarah: Also, I’m re-listening to The Power of Habit ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) again to get ready to listen to the sequel Better Faster Smarter or some combination of those three.

Redheadedgirl: And I’m reading Woodiwiss’ Shanna ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), which Avon mailed to me as a rerelease.

Elyse: I am currently reading Make Me Love You by Johanna Lindsey ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and Torn by Cynthia Eden ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).

I’m listening to Rook by Daniel O’Malley on audio ( A | K | G | AB | Au ).

Oh Shanna. So much crazysauce

Amanda: About to start the behemoth ARC I have of Shadow Rider by Christine Feehan ( A | BN | K | G | AB )! Plus I’ve been in the mood for some nonfiction and I’ve had Quiet ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) for ages. It’s about time I crack that puppy open.

Redheadedgirl: And I need to troll through NetGalley and load up the kindle.

A Gentleman Never Tells
A | BN | K | AB
Elyse: Oh and I have the new Eloisa James queued up for a binge read this Sunday!

Sarah: Oh – Adam is reading Rook, too. I read Carrie’s review of the sequel (coming next week) and gave it to him as a gift. He’s really liking it.

Quiet is going to blow your mind, Amanda.

Amanda: I’m so looking forward to it!

Sarah: It taught me so much about myself, and as a parent, it was invaluable.

Breath of Earth
A | BN | K | AB
Carrie: I’m reading  All the Light We Cannot See ( A | BN | K | G | AB )for the book club I lead in Sacramento (Arden Dimick Library! Come on by, Sacramento area Bitches! 10:30AM Sat June 25!) and Breath of Earth by Beth Cato – alternate history of San Francisco with magic and international politics.

Elyse: How is Breath of Earth, Carrie? It’s on my TBR.

Carrie:  I just started it – it’s good but not gripping, I think because I’m stressed out with first world problems and can’t concentrate. It’s very ethnically diverse, which I like.

Seriously – I have no actual problems but suddenly I have like 5000 balls in the air, how did this happen?

Elyse: Life, man.

Carrie: Happy busy life! A little too busy!

So, what are you reading this month? Do you also have too many balls in the air? Or are they all in your books (ba-dum-bum)? Please share with us what you’re reading, and what you recommend!


By request, since we can’t link to every book you mention in the comments, here are bookstore links that help support the site with your purchases. If you use them, that’s so great of you, and if you’d prefer not to, that’s cool too. Thank you so much for hanging out with us, and hopefully you found something good to read!

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Comments are Closed

  1. CelineB says:

    I have to second the love for Quiet. I’ve had a deal with a lot of people who think that being an introvert is something that needs to be fixed and Quiet really helped me realize that is not true.

    I had my best reading month in a long time. I read so many books that I loved. Here’s the list:

    All I Am by Nicole Helm- The hero, Wes, is a virgin veteran with PTSD and severe anxiety issues that go back to childhood who now makes organic dog treats (he’s also bearded, grumpy, wears flannel, rescues animals, and is dealing with a lingering injury). The heroine, Cara, has a bit of a reputation for being a good-time girl; she’s seen as fun, but she doesn’t do serious relationships and she flits from job to job. In reality, she’s afraid of letting people down or things not going well so she purposely doesn’t try for anything harder or deeper. They meet at a farmer’s market (actually meet again, it’s a small town so they were at least aware of each other growing up) and eventually the heroine goes to work for the hero. They end up helping each other with their issues in a realistic way with some freak-outs and set-backs along the way. It manages to deal with some serious issues without being overly angsty. I loved this book so much! Wes is my new favorite book boyfriend.

    Appealed; Sustained; Sidebarred all by Emma Chase- I bought Overruled on audio a long time ago and hated the narrator so I didn’t get far (one chapter maybe). Scribd had Appealed on audio with a different narrator and I needed to use up my credits before my subscription ended so I decided to try it. It definitely lived up to the hype. It combined a friends to lovers and enemies to lovers plot so well. I then went to read Sustained which I had bought on sale a long time ago and just adored Chelsea and Jake. Luckily, my local library got all the ebooks in the series while I was reading Sustained so I was able to get and read Sidebarred, the followup novella, right after. All of the books so far have great dialogue and characters. I also have Overruled from the library so I can read it instead d of listening to it. It’s up next on my reading list.

    A Court of Mist and Thorns by Sarah J. Maas- I liked this one better than the first in the series. The progression of the story and of Feyre’s character was handled really well.

    Only Beloved by Mary Balogh- Really sweet, light romance and a great end to the series

    A Grave Matter by Anna Lee Huber- Another solid entry in this series

    A Duchess in Name by Amanda Weaver- An American heiress (although raised mainly in England) and an impoverished Earl (heir to a Dukedom) marry to save the hero’s family. The plot mainly hinges on a misunderstanding between the hero and heroine, but I enjoyed the characters enough that it didn’t bother me.

    Marrying Winterbourne by Lisa Kleypas- I loved Helen and Rhys. The conflict was low, but my love for the writing and these characters made up for it.

    Level Up by Cathy Yardley- This novella has already gotten a lot of buzz on here and it definitely lives up to it. We really need more romances where the heroine’s job, especially when it’s one that’s in a typically male-dominated field, are an integral part of the story.

    The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig- Three stories about three generations of two families. It takes place in I believe 1892, 1920, and 1944 in New York City. Well-written (I wouldn’t have guessed it was written by three different authors if I didn’t know going in) and I enjoyed the three different time periods, but I think it was pretty obvious how the stories connected.

    Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld- I usually avoid Pride and Prejudice retellings, but I’d heard good things about this one so I decided to try it. I liked it and the way the story was updated but it dragged in places. I would say it’s pleasant and well-written, but still rather forgettable.

    Currently I’m reading An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. It’s one I’ve planned to read for a long time and checked out from the library several times, but for one reason or another, not actually cracked open until now.

  2. Kate says:

    Oh, “Rook”! I need to reread it STAT so I can finally crack open “Stiletto”. My reading month has not been as full as last month, but I did get some fantastic reads in there.

    Faves

    – “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Saenz (audio read by Hamilton himself, Lin-Manuel Miranda!!) – I don’t want to say much about this because the title kinda sets up the premise, but omg omg omg omg, LISTEN TO THIS AUDIOBOOK

    – “Eve’s Hollywood” by Eve Babitz – collection of long form pieces about Babitz’s life growing up in Hollywood. Sharp, but bubbly and gossipy all the same. I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did, but I really did.

    – “The Gilda Stories” by Jewelle Gomez – a classic of lesbian African American lit, this burrowed itself into me so deep, I dreamt about it for days.

    – “The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial” by Maggie Nelson – not an easy read, but really really good.

    Currently Reading

    – “Just Three Words” by Melissa Brayden (audio) – I love Brayden’s f/f romances so muuuch

    – “Borderline” by Mishell Baker – just started this but omg, an urban fantasy with a heroine who is physically disabled and is actively working on her mental health? Yes, please!

    – “Wylding Hall” by Elizabeth Hand – a gothic mystery about a 70’s folk band who is working on a new album in a creeeeeeepy house? Seriously awesome.

  3. Francesca says:

    I was at an anime convention, followed by a comic con the next week during the past month. I’m currently reading the manga Emma by Kaoru Mori. It’s beautifully draw and extremely sweet. I also picked up and read Bitch Planet vol. 1, which was every bit as awesome as I had been led to believe.

    I recently finished Rose Lerner’s In for a Penny and really enjoyed it. I’ve been incredibly sour on historicals lately – tired of anachronistic, so-called witty banter and sick to death of having anvils dropped on my head. Over the past year, I tried books highly recommended here by three authors beloved by this community. One left me saying, “Meh!” One was a DNF and I actively disliked the third, so finding Rose Lerner was such a treat. There are several more of her books waiting on my tablet now.

    I’m currently reading Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. I loved Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. This one, not quite so much, but I admire her courage and honesty about dealing with mental illness and I have laughed quite a bit throughout.

  4. Another Kate says:

    Now that my semester is done and I am on summer “holidays” (i.e. working full-time but no papers to write), I have more reading time. Some of my recent reads:

    – When Breath Becomes Air (Paul Kalanithi) – an amazing memoir written as the author was dying. Everyone should read this one (but have a tissue handy).

    – A binge-read through L.M. Montgomery’s Emily books (Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, Emily’s Quest). It has been over a decade since I last read these ones so it was fun to visit with beloved characters again.

    – Sustained (Emma Chase) – I couldn’t put this one down and am on the waiting list at the library for the others in the series.

    – some early Eloisa James (Potent Pleasures, Midnight Pleasures, Enchanting Pleasures) – a good read but not as good as her later books. Every single character suffers from the lack of the ability to communicate, but still well written as they are by Eloisa James.

    – River of Destiny (Barbara Erskine) – she does romantic suspense with a dash of paranormal thrown in – two genres I don’t normally go for, but as neither is over the top and her books are well-written, I enjoy them. I gave up on her as an author about 15 years ago after reading a book of hers that seriously creeped me out, but my sister recently convinced me to give her another try and I really enjoyed this one.

    – I’m currently reading The Heart Goes Last (Margaret Atwood).

    Plus some genre romances that were forgettable and not worth mentioning…

  5. I’ve mostly been comfort reading Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series (in order 7-14, 1-5, Allegiance of Honour, 5-6), in between trying some new-to-me reads. I really really really loved AoH.

    Rebekah Weatherspoon’s So Right was quite delightful, I can’t wait for the story to continue.

    Serenity Woods’ Three Wise Men trilogy was a warm fuzzy comfort read at first introduction. Nice-guy heroes (genuinely kind, decent guys though rich), single mom heroines, plot moppets. New Zealand. Hit the spot for me.

    Then, I had a few days when romance wasn’t doing it for me so I comfort read me some Judy Blume. (Just as Long as We’re Together and Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson) Funny how I appreciate Judy Blume even more as an adult than I did as a tween/teen.

    I was in the right mood to reread Dorothy L. Sayers’ The Nine Tailors, and the mystery was just a well crafted as I remembered, and the bell-ringing just as beyond my understanding as before. But somewhat more understandable than the cricket in Murder Must Advertise. 😉

    I read the new Sarah Morgan novella, and an older Sarah Morgan Harlequin Presents.

    I tried first pages of several books and put them down because I wasn’t in the right mood for them. I read about 30% of one that should’ve been catnip to me, and I just totally, don’t-force-it, fer reals, wasn’t in the right mood. *sigh*

    I’m thinking, now that I’m done with the Psy-Changeling reread (unless I cycle back in?), I could read Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels trilogy. (I’ve been warned that it’s dark, and to not read that one later novella that ruins the HEA for the trilogy. Duly noted.)

    And yay, the new Alisha Rai duology awaits!

  6. I’ve been reading a lot of comics/graphic novels lately. Up next are some Rocket Raccoon comics by Skottie Young.

    I’m also looking forward to Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan and Mercury Striking by Rebecca Zanetti.

    Also, I meant to post on the audiobook thread earlier this week, but I want to recommend narrator Lauren Fortgang. She’s the narrator for my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and many other books, including books by Victoria Dahl, Shannon Stacey, and Leigh Bardugo.

  7. Virginia E says:

    I’m reading some of my old books, Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Pollifax series. They are a blend of mystery and espionage. When the series started in the early 1970’s, Emily was a proper widowed grandmother who grew geraniums on the fire escape and volunteered with all the right organizations. When she realizes that she’s bored to the point of depression, her doctor suggests she do something she always wanted to do. So, Emily goes to the CIA headquarters in Langley, VA and volunteers to be a spy. Due to some timely miscommunication, Emily gets offered a courier job. Things don’t go as planned, but the bad guys never expected a garden club grandma. The series is a bit dated, being Cold War and pre-personal electronics. If you’re old enough to remember “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena”, she wishes she could be Emily Pollifax.

  8. K.N.O'Rear says:

    This month has been a little slow. I read Barefoot with a Bodyguard and for my Rita review and absolutely loved it!

    I also read The Grimoire for the Green Witch, which is basically a beginner’s Book of Shadows, because I was curious about it and found it really interesting .

    Lastly, I’m in the middle of reading a Science Fiction book called the Time Salvager. It is a slower read for me, but the world building and the author’s approach to time traveler is really good.

  9. Lostshadows says:

    I’m having a pretty good month for a change.

    Uprooted, by Naomi Novik. I loved this book. The only downside was I hadn’t read the description closely enough to realize there wasn’t actually a dragon in it. 🙁 Guess I’ll have to read her other books for those.

    Call of the Jersey Devil, by Voltaire. Candide was better. 😉 Seriously, it had it’s scary and funny moments, but it was pretty forgettable. He’s a much better song writer. (Hums BRAINS!)

    Reread The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, because I finally got round to getting hold of book 2. It held up pretty well.

    Grunt:The Curious Science of Humans at War, by Mary Roach. Hilarious as always.

    Started and finished Rise of the Spider Goddess, by Jim C. Hines yesterday. Hopefully, the worst book I read this year, but very funny and insightful on why it’s so bad.

    Listened to The Murder at the Vicarage and The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie. Both were pretty good. TMAaS showed its age a bit more, since I had to consult a dictionary to fully understand the solution.

    Just started Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. Very funny so far.

    In the middle of If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino. I liked the start, but the second person POV got distracting fast, when it became clear that You, the reader, was definitely male. I have mentally redubbed it You, Bob, the reader with terrible taste and very bad luck with books anyway. It’s helped. My other issue might be a translation issue, or could turn out to be deliberate, but all the books he starts reading really feel like they were written by the same person.

    I’m also, sort of, listening to The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson. However, my new window fan turned out to be way louder than my tablet’s speakers, so I may just return it.

  10. I’m reading Sofia Khan is Not Obliged…which I bought after seeing the review on Smart Bitches.

    Before that I read The Vintage Guide to Love and Romance by Kirsty Greenwood, which I LOVED. It’s British chick lit and very funny. Definitely recommend.

    And before that, I read Courtney Milan’s Her Every Wish, which was really good, too.

  11. pamelia says:

    I’m currently reading “Allegiance of Honor” –so far so good.
    I recently read and LOVED 2 historicals:
    “Marrying Winterborne” by Lisa Kleypas which might replace Tempt Me at Twilight as my fave Kleypas.
    and
    “Duke of Sin” by Elizabeth Hoyt — holy crap! do I love Val!! I hear he was partly modeled on T Hid’s Loki which I believe although he has a healthy dose of Justin from These Old Shades IMO.
    I also read “Protecting His Own” by Cherise Sinclair — really good addition to the Shadowlands series.
    “Idol” by Kristen Callahan was really good — fun and quirky and rock-star licious.
    I’m not sure what to read next. My TBR is huge which often sends me back to re-reads of Kristen Ashley and Nora Roberts.
    I might read “Ten Thousand Lies” by Kelli Jean — I liked the first in the series, but her NOLA’s Own series was crackalicious.
    OR I might read “Eidelon” by Grace Draven — depends on the mood I guess!

  12. Andrea D says:

    I was so sad to hear about Lois Duncan’s death. I was reminded of how much I loved The Third Eye when I was young. In my pre-romance reading days, that was one of the books that fed my taste for romance. I’ve been rereading that one and some of her other books I don’t think I had read before. It’s kind of funny, because she apparently updated a bunch of them a few years ago, so there are some mentions of cell phones and other technology that weren’t around back in the 70’s and 80’s. But there are also noticeable spots where the dated nature of the books remains (ie. a story that blows up would go viral on the internet nowadays, not just be on the front page of the newspaper, and if you wanted information you’d probably google it).

  13. DonnaMarie says:

    It’s finish up a series week around here. League of Dragons the last book in Naomi Novik’s Tremeraire novels. So sad to be seeing this one over. So many series just go on and on without reason, it’s hard to let the good ones go. Also a long delayed reading of Of Noble Family by Mary Robinette Kowal.

    Next up is, with much trepidation, Foreevermore. It’s the last book in Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London series, but the last installment was very disappointing. I’m hoping for a return to form.

  14. Hannah says:

    I read The Siren by Kiera Cass a couple of weeks ago and now am listening to Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist while I pack up and prepare for my family’s move to NC. Recently I’ve mostly read memoirs which are my reading comfort food, because packing and moving, even when it’s going well, is so stressful!

  15. Lace says:

    The book I was happiest to encounter this month was Lisa Sandlin’s The Do-Right, a small press debut mystery. I happened across the short story about the characters in the collection USA Noir and immediately had to see if Sandlin had written more.

    The Do-Right is set in 1973, and its viewpoint characters are a new private eye in Texas oil country, and the newly released ex-con he hires as his secretary. From the moment I encountered the secretary, Delpha Wade, I wanted to follow her around and learn more about her. Honestly, the plot of the novel gets to be overly circular, but I was reading it for the characters.

    (USA Noir is a best-of collection from the Akashic Noir series. It has some good-to-excellent stories, and a frustrating run of small-time losers who kill a woman in their life because she’s annoying him/he’s bored, and then we’re supposed to feel for him in the wreck of his life, or relate to his cleverness in not getting caught.)

    The first three compilations of the graphic novel The Wicked + The Divine were a fun read. Once every 90 years, 12 young people incarnate as gods from various mythos, gifted with superpowers and fated to die within two years. Some of the artistic choices they use to depict the characters are clever, much of the art is beautiful, and the exploration of modern pop culture and media con culture is often canny. I’m not much of a comics/graphic novels reader, but I’m glad I got enough nudges toward this series.

    Vivian Vande Velde’s Cloaked in Red is a collection of 8 stories taking Little Red Riding Hood in many different directions. Appears to be available through Kindle Unlimited right now, a quick read if you’re interested in fairy tale interpretations.

    Finally, my win some/lose some experience with Ruthie Knox continues with her Camelot series. Read the first novella, How to Misbehave, and loved Amber and Tony’s story.

    Had previously read Along Came Trouble and was meh about it – the hero is too prone to unilateral bossiness, and the heroine is too prone to justifying it. Tried to read Flirting with Disaster now, and gave up when the hero does something completely unacceptable to a supporting character for minimal reasons, and the heroine and the book don’t much question it.

    And then we were back with Amber and Tony in the final novella, Making It Last, at a tough, tough patch in their lives and needing to reconnect. And this one worked for me, and engaged with real life at a level that’s rare in romance. Not perfect, but satisfying. So I guess I keep reading Ruthie Knox if she can pull this off some of the time.

  16. Linda says:

    I have discovered the joy of romance novels again after a few months of not feeling it and tindering sadly. Who needs real life boys anyway.

    I just finished The Ghost (which was quite lovely and a nice change from regencies, although I wish the heroine was more of a badass spy instead of depicted as constantly in over her head), Marrying Winterbourne (lest I forget that Kleypas is the queen, although I wish the discrimination against the Welsh had been explored more) and A Talent For Trickery (I loved the heroine so much and the complicated relationship she had with her terrible dead father).

    I also read The Duke of Sin because I thought it would be two Machiavellian people outsmarting each other while living in the same house, but it wasn’t really. (Although if you have any recommendations of books along those lines I’m here for it.) What it was, was Old Skool adjacent crazysauce. (If you’ve been missing books with crazy cults and a hero who strips naked before stabbing a man to death.) I was actually fine with that, although I wish Hoyt hadn’t given the Indian plot moppet that Horrible “Foreign” Accent That White People Think All Brown People Have. (An “accent” that’s basically just a bunch of grammatical mistakes that make absolutely no sense if you consider the speaker’s native language. Pro Tip: dropped plurals are actually a Chinese thing because there are no plurals in the language.)

    Currently reading The Marriage Act, which I’m withholding judgement on, but I think the editors at Carina Press usually do a good job with their book selection. (Although part of me was really annoyed this month when I got an email from them about Pride, but the only books they promoted in their email were M/M romance novels. Ugh lesbian erasure.)

  17. Mara says:

    I’ve been tearing through and loving Mariana Zapata’s backlist after reading and loving “The Wall of Winnipeg and Me.” Sadly, I only have one book left now that I haven’t read from her (“Kulti”)… what will I do??? I’d say “Winnipeg” is the best of the lot, but I would say “Rhythm, Chord, and Malykhin” is right behind it. None of them have been bad yet– to the contrary, I think all of them have had something special or different about them, which I really appreciate from any genre fiction author. Though I think someone needs to have an intervention with her about her titles. Yeah…

    Up next are my RITA review reads and “Stiletto” by Daniel O’Malley, at long last!

  18. Leah H says:

    Oooh, so many good recs. Now I need to go back to my L.M. Montgomery Emily books and Mrs. Polifax–yay!

    I’ve recently finished Deception Island by Brynn Kelly, a debut romantic suspense that had me at French Foreign Legion and sharks. But do be aware there’s also some really dark subject matter.

    Also read an advance copy of Four Letter Word by J. Daniels. So flippin’ fun.

    And I’m about 40 pages in on American Lion, the Andrew Jackson bio. It’s been on my TBR list for a while, but now that I’ve read through a few Hamilton books (Duel and Burr by Gore Vidal), I’m ready to move on a little bit.

  19. Kareni says:

    I read and enjoyed quite a few books over the past month.

    — The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata. The hero of this book was so utterly unappealing for the first third of the book that I’m impressed that the author was able to make me like him by the end.
    — Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin by Mariana Zapata
    — Listen To Me: A Fusion Novel by Kristen Proby
    — a re-read of Addicted to You (One Night of Passion Book 1) by Beth Kery
    — Night Study by Maria V. Snyder. I’d definitely recommend beginning with the first book in the series, Poison Study.
    — the contemporary romance The CEO Buys In (Wager of Hearts Book 1) by Nancy Herkness
    — a re-read of the historical romance His at Night by Sherry Thomas
    — the historical romance The Marquess of Cake (Redcakes Book 1) by Heather Hiestand; I enjoyed it though it was not without issues. I’m not sure if it was a formatting issue, but every so often the scene would change from one paragraph to the next with no warning. Also, sometimes the dialgoue seemed anachronistic. One aspect of the book that I enjoyed was that the hero was hypoglycemic in an era where that was unrecognized.
    — a re-read of A Gift of Gold which is a historical romance novella by Mary Balogh
    — two linked male/male erotic novellas by Amy Lane that feature the same characters: Shirt and Phonebook. (Both are free to Kindle readers)

    — Sonata for a Scoundrel by Anthea Lawson. This is a historical romance that I found while shelving as a volunteer at the library. [The danger/downside of volunteering is that one ends up taking many books home; the upside is that one can read the blurbs without having one’s wages docked.]
    — the new adult contemporary romance Jockblocked: A Novel (Gridiron Book 2) by Jen Frederick. It’s evidently the second in a series, but I found it to stand alone well.
    — re-read Marie Force’s Fatal Affair: Book One of the Fatal Series as well as the prequel to the series One Night With You. These are romance suspense. One Night With You is currently free to Kindle readers.
    — the prequel short story Girl From Above 0.5 (Prequel): Falling (The 1000 Revolution) by Pippa DaCosta after hearing a very good review. I was left somewhat under-impressed. I do have the fist book in the series and might continue on to see if I like that one more. The series was likened to Firefly. Girl From Above 0.5 is also currently free to Kindle readers.
    — I finished Nora Roberts’ latest book The Obsession; I enjoyed it, if one can say that about a book featuring serial killers. I figured out the current day killer’s identity about halfway through the book, so I was pleased with myself.
    — the contemporary romance Built: A Saints of Denver Novel by Jay Crownover.
    — the illustrated account Something New: Tales from a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley. I’ve read several other books by this author/illustrator and enjoyed them all. Having recently attended my nephew’s wedding (and having heard some tales of the associated angst), this was a timely read.

    — a re-read of Oracle’s Moon (A Novel of the Elder Races) by Thea Harrison
    — re-read an old favorite: Yesterday’s Son (Star Trek: The Original Series Book 11) by A. C. Crispin and the sequel Time For Yesterday
    — also re-read The Pandora Principle (Star Trek: The Original Series) by Carolyn Clowes
    — Zero Sum Game (Russell’s Attic) by SL Huang. It is science fiction and features a heroine who is decidedly gifted in math but whose morals are questionable. Be warned that there is a lot of killing in this book. This is the first book in a series, and I’d read more.
    — a children’s book The Mermaid and the Major: The True Story of the Submarine by Francisco Melendez
    — for my book group: The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan. It was an educational read, and I’m learned a lot about a time and a situation about which I knew little.

  20. Katie Lynn says:

    @ Mara- Kulti is one of my favorites of Zapata, definitely worth a read. I think it’s better than Winnipeg, but YMMV.

    I’ve been trying to read new releases as they land on my kindle. This week’s, *Bittersweet* by Sarina Bowen (grumpy farmer and perky chef who used to hook up in college) and *Signs of Attraction* by Laura Brown were both winners, I will definitely be reading them again. *Signs* in particular was interesting, as the heroine is Hard of Hearing/Deaf and the hero is Deaf and there is a lot of things about Deaf culture written in, it’s fascinating (the author is Hard of Hearing, so she probably knows what she’s talking about, and it falls in line from what I know from the local school for the deaf in the area).

    I also read *Idol* by Kristen Callihan last week, which was okay for me. I enjoyed the book very much when the couple was in rural NC, but not so much once they went on the road.

    *Beta Test* by Annabeth Albert (mm, road trip with coworkers who don’t like each other) was a great read, I was smiling like a loon and probably looked crazy while reading it.

  21. Jennifer says:

    Another decent reading month…no DNFs!

    Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James — I adored the lawyer heroine and ended up liking the arrogant movie star hero more than I expected. The audio narrator was fabulous!

    Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews — Second in the Edge series. Features William, a wolf changeling who stole the first book (for me, at least) and a kick-ass heroine who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.

    Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh — The development of Imogen was wonderful and I loved the gender switch with the heroine being the one with the dark past rather than the hero (who was adorable). Can’t wait to get the last book in the series from the library.

    Truth or Beard by Penny Reid — Hilarious contemporary between a teacher with a dream of traveling and the car mechanic who has always loved her. I adored the importance of family (his and hers) to the plot.

    Forevermore by Kristen Callihan — Conclusion to the Darkest London series. I enjoyed seeing Sin and Layla finally get their happy ending. There was a lot going on and I did feel like the romance was shafted.

    Short Stay by Heidi Cullinan — A fun follow-up to Elijah and Baz from “Lonely Hearts”.

    How the Duke Was Won by Lenora Bell — Decent debut that had an unrealistic plot, but fascinating characters. I will try this author again.

    The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior by Jennifer McQuiston — I was disappointed by the heroine who I loved in the prequel, but found annoying in this book. The hero was decent and the setting was different. I also thought there were too many Big Misunderstands.

    I’m currently reading Fate’s Edge by Ilona Andrews and Once She Was Tempted by Anne Barton.

  22. Gloriamarie Amalfitano says:

    I am reading two books. A novel and a non-fiction.

    Novel: Obsidian Book 1 of the Dragon Kings, dragon shapeshifters by Kimberly Loth

    Non-Fiction: DBT Skills Training Manual, 2nd edition by Marsha M. Linehan

  23. JenM says:

    The best book I’ve read recently was a nonfiction called The Year of Living Danishly, in which British journalist Helen Russell moves to rural Denmark for a year when her husband gets a job at Lego. I didn’t even know that Lego was a Danish company LOL. Anyway, since she’s there for a year anyway, she decides to investigate why the Danes have been scoring at the top of the UN’s Happiness survey for the last few years. Her look at Danish life is eye-opening, her writing is laugh out loud funny and she made me want to immediately move to Denmark. It’s also a lesson for those who think that Socialism is a dirty word. She doesn’t shy away from the problems in Danish society (alcoholism, high divorce rate, violence) but I thought she did a great job in presenting both the good and the bad evenhandedly.

    Aside from that foray into nonfic, most of my romance reading has been good but not great. A few standouts were The Duke of Olympia Meets His Match by Juliana Gray (older main characters for the win!), Sidebarred by Emma Chase (a great close to a fun series), Sweet as Sin and Make Me Sin by J.T. Geissinger (angsty rock stars), and Lola and the Boy Next Door, YA by Stephanie Perkins that was just adorable.

  24. Jas says:

    I have torn through Lauren Gilley’s Dartmoor series. If you like MC books I wholeheartedly recommend these. I had some airplane time this month and fully intended to clear some titles from my kindle that have been languishing forever but ended up buying the series and spinoff books and ignoring everything else.

  25. Janet K from YYC says:

    This month, I am on a binge-read of Kristen Ashley. I have read many of her books but there are lots of titles left to enjoy. Have been reading Unfinished Heroes series (Deacon just landed in my library account. I’m on a longer waiting list for Sebring). Liked, but didn’t love, the books. Just finished The Gamble and will re-read Sweet Dreams (only one in the series I read previously). Loved it, though these Colorado Mountain Men (and women) must have terrible constipation. I mean, really? Haven’t these people ever heard of a vegetable? I think there was an early reference to peas and cream (one of the first dinners that the heroine cooks for the hero). Fish pie (consisting mostly of potatoes and cheese sauce), burgers, mac ‘n cheese, pigs in blankets, mud pie, pizza, nachos, steak, and more steak anyone?!? It’s hard to imagine how these macho men stay in such great shape on this diet let alone don’t keel over from heart failure!

  26. Liz says:

    I read a lot this month (as usual) but can hardly remember anything. That kind of month, or those sorts of books, sadly.

    One highlight was The Raven King, the conclusion to Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Boys series. It was not my favorite book in the series but a very satisfying ending. I read the books as they came out. My teenager devoured all four in about a week this month.

    Just finished an old Loretta Chase book, Don’t Tempt Me, last night. This might have been an Amazon sale recently. I don’t know but I just found it on my Kindle app and realized I’d never read it. It’s like finding an open bag of M&Ms I forgot about in the cupboard. Loretta Chase always does it for me.

    I have been listening to the audio version of Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James. Halfway through and I’m about to delete it. Seriously, the story is driving me nuts and I usually like Eloisa James, but I’m so not spending any more time with these characters.

  27. EC Spurlock says:

    As previously mentioned I’ve been doing a lot of rereading to sort the keepers from the non-keepers. Took Mary Balough’s Slightly Tempted on the plane with me to CT and OMG I forgot how good she is and how much plot she manages to shoehorn in so very effectively. Definite keeper. And I need to find the rest of that series (I only have two, this one and Freya’s book.)

    Also reading an old Gordy Dickson that I bought back in the 70’s and somehow never read. It’s called The Dragon and the George and is kind of a weird read. It’s about a Medieval history professor whose girlfriend gets sent to some Medieval-ish alternate universe by the mad scientist type that she is TAing for, so he makes said scientist send him to the same place to rescue her, only when he gets there he somehow ends up in the body of a dragon. It’s supposed to be standard High Fantasy but our hero occasionally breaks into infodumps of why various tropes are scientifically accurate/inaccurate. Also, yes there is misogyny but it takes a strange form — the women are all badasses and somehow this is supposed to be FUNNY. Also, we are more than halfway through the book, it’s been about three weeks book-time, and our hero, aside from initially setting out in that direction, has done nothing about rescuing his girlfriend. WTF? At this point I’m still reading out of a kind of morbid fascination to see if she’s still alive when he remembers to rescue her. Or whether she takes a lesson from the other badass ladies and clocks him with a pike when he does.

  28. Heather S says:

    The dreaded reading slump is still going strong here. Hoping that will change as my summer classes wrap up for a couple of weeks before I start a new class in July. I have been reading some comics, though – back issues of IDW’s Star Trek series, the first issue of Satellite Falling (lesbian bounty hunter who left Earth to forget her dead lover, and now catches alien criminals), and Another Castle. Also have plans to reread vols 1-4 of Ms Marvel before the first tpb of the reboot comes out.

  29. Crystal says:

    God, I love this thread. I don’t know why, but I find the reading opinions of complete strangers really gratifying. I’m weird.

    So let’s see, this month…has been super busy, but the reading has still been a thing.

    I’m currently reading The Fireman by Joe Hill. Hill’s family tree is no longer anything resembling a secret, although at this point, he’s so good he’s more than earned the right to only have that mentioned in passing. I loved the hell out of NOS4A2 (Vic McQueen forever), and The Fireman also has a strong, complex female protagonist, although strong in a very different way. It’s more that she’s empathetic and wants to help however possible, and is focused on protecting herself and her baby. The titular character has only shown up sporadically so for me, so he mostly still has the English and mysterious thing working for him but the reader doesn’t know a lot else about him at this point (I do like that he makes a compelling case for how the English are the best at swearing). So far, I love it, but I’m taking my time. It’s a book where you voluntarily take your time, because you’re wanting it to not be over that quickly.

    As for the other stuff I read this month, there was Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt (so good, but SO insane, but in a compulsively readable way), Fatal Frenzy by Marie Force (eh, I liked some parts and had some pretty hefty problems with others, and that is a discussion for another day ;)), The Only Thing Worse Than Me by Lily Anderson (it was a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing set in a school for intellectually gifted kids and it was quite funny if you have any geek tendencies), Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (our book club pick for the month of May since it was Mental Health Awareness Month, and it was wrenching, he based it on his own son’s experiences with schizophrenia), and the HAMILTOME (I know it’s called Hamilton: The Revolution, but HAMILTOME is really fun to type, and I cried during the section explained the background behind “It’s Quiet Uptown”, I came away with huge crushes on Lin-Manuel Miranda and Daveed Diggs, and was quite tickled by the instances where Miranda’s annotation referenced Harry Potter in some way). Wasn’t a bad month.

  30. SB Sarah says:

    @Crystal: You’re not weird at all – I love it, every month!

    @JenM: I LOVED The Year of Living Danishly. I couldn’t stop talking about it after I read it, especially the way in which health coverage, a focus on NOT working all the time, family leave for both parents, and subsidized education changes the way people live and look at the world. I still think about it – I’m so glad you enjoyed it too!

  31. Susan says:

    I’ve had a good reading/listening month, but the only romance was Kearsley’s Named of the Dragon. I liked it but, tbh, literally forgot everything about it within days. It’s only been about 10 days since I finished it, and only remembered it when I looked at my list.

    Everything else has been SFF, and I’ve had better luck there. My listens have included Anne McCaffrey’s Harper Hall books. This trilogy was my entryway to Pern all those years ago and I’ve always had a soft spot for it.

    Also, someone recommended Fledgling as a re-entry point to the Liaden books to me, so I listened to it and am now about halfway through Saltation, the next book in the arc. I’m too lazy to go back and check who that kind person was, but I’m grateful for the rec.

    My weekend plans included listening to the final Temeraire book, but I’m having problems downloading the darn thing. I have the ebook, but really wanted to listen to it first. I guess I’m going to have to put on pants so I can drive somewhere with a better connection. Oh, the aggravation and frustration.

    Yes–Mrs. Pollifax. I read all the books back in the day and still remember them more clearly than the aforementioned NOTD. Oddly, one scene where Mrs. P was seated on an airplane next to a very mod woman wearing white lipstick is crystal clear. I guess the lipstick really made an impression on me, although nobody would probably think twice about it now.

  32. Susan says:

    Oh, I haven’t read it yet, but did download Rosie Claverly’s (hope I spelled that right) latest book. There was a long wait for this one, and I was afraid the author had gotten too busy to continue with the series. (These are the books about the agoraphobic computer genius and her assistant/love interest.) I’m really looking forward to starting this.

  33. LauraL says:

    I’m currently reading The Art of Sinning by Sabrina Jeffries, the first of The Sinful Suitors series. I realized I hadn’t read the first book, so I am enjoying Yvette and Jeremy’s story this weekend, and Damber is a fun secondary character.

    I read Gambled Away the day it came out. The stories by Rose Lerner and Molly O’Keefe were my favorites. Rival Forces by D.D. Ayres was this month’s suspense read and it did not disappoint. Three words – Hawaiian Muscle Dance.

    Best of My Love, last of Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series, was a must read this month. The “fake-dating” story of Aiden and Shelby put two unlikely leftovers together. I enjoyed seeing all the residents from previous books and loved the margarita party vs. the poker party at the end! Three Little Words remains my favorite of the series.

    Up next is either The All-Star Antes Up by Nancy Herkness or Magnate by Joanna Shupe. Time for a rich guy book without a duke!

  34. Algae says:

    I listened to The Nightingale in the last month and that book gutted me to the point that I’m still doing some light reading until I’ve recovered from it. I cried buckets. I finished listening to it a work during lunch and I was pretty useless the rest of the afternoon.

    Since then, it’s been mostly old favorites, like Bujold’s A Civil Campaign, Anne of the Island (I needed to see Anne realize she loved Gilbert!), Romancing Mr Bridgerton, and some Kindle books I picked up for cheap or free that don’t really require any thinking.

    I just got Stiletto from the library, so that’s next on my list. I also started a MOOC on Statistics, so I’ll be reading OpenIntro Statistics.

  35. marion says:

    I am reading League of Dragons, the last Temeraire book. I love this series, such a comfort read for me.

  36. Karin says:

    I also read “Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged” because of the SBTB rec, and I adored the hero. Even though first person POV is not my favorite, I enjoyed it. It seems like there will be a sequel, which I won’t be able to resist.
    I have been working my way through Paula Marshall’s backlist-she wrote M&B/Signet Regencies back in the day. The latest one I read was “The Devil and Drusilla”. She has a unique voice and and I don’t know how I missed her the first time around. I recommend starting with “Hester Waring’s Marriage” but everything she wrote was good.
    I am now reading “Zemindar” which is more of a saga than a romance, although there is a love story with an HEA in there. It’s 800 pages of British India in the Victorian era, with the Siege of Lucknow taking up a big chunk of the middle of the book.
    And I am excited that one of Donna Thorland’s books, “Mistress Firebrand” is on sale for $1.99! They are usually quite pricey so I snapped it up, the only one I haven’t read yet.

  37. Judy W. says:

    @CelineB I feel like your reading buddy. I too read and loved both Court of Thorn and Roses and Court of Mist and Fury. I also liked the second one the best because who doesn’t root for the bad boy to be the hero? I also finished Elibigle the retelling of Pride and Prejudice and found I liked it very well. I too finished and liked Marrying Winterbourne by Kleypas. I have the Amanda Weaver book as well (A Duchess in Name) but haven’t started it yet. I also read “Redemption” and “Absolution” by Susannah Sandlin which I think are on Kindle unlimited. I liked the second one much better. I also read the Jane Eyre retelling of Jane Steele and thought it was a little hard to swallow. *Five* bodies? really? I also finished the Molly Harper “The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire” and her writing was funny as usual but this one didn’t punch my buttons as much as some of the other in this series.
    @Mara . Thanks for the heads up on the Marianna Zapata because I loved the Wall of Winnipeg and also bought Kulti. I didn’t care for it as much because of the Constant use of “I could care less” instead of “couldn’t care Less”. She must have used that phrase twenty times and I cringed at each one. Also the over use of “Big Girl Panties” drove me bonkers. I for some reason never saw Rhythm, Chord and Malykhin until you pointed it out so I snatched it up. Thanks for the hot tip!

  38. Kari says:

    I just finished Calling me home by Julie Kibler. And it was wonderful. It was a sad, beautiful story of starcrossed lovers and friendship. It’s probably the most romantic book I’ve read in ages, and it lingered with me for days after finishing. Which is definetely a good sign. Though it was times when I was sat on the train trying to hide that I was crying.

  39. Anne says:

    I finally read The Undoing by Shelly Laurenston in late May. Then, after the podcast interview with Laurenston, I felt the need to re-read both The Unleashing and The Undoing. I will be waiting anxiously for book 3 and I hope that there are many more in this series.

    I read two books by Jennifer Robson about WWI and its aftermath: Somewhere in France and After the War is Over. I actually liked the second book better, although both were excellent. There seem to be more WWI books and I find the period interesting and a nice change from Regency and Georgian historicals.

    Currently reading Only Beloved by Mary Balogh. Next up is My American Duchess by Eloisa James. Both appeared in the mail last week through Paperback Swap, so I need to read and pass them along. I have been looking forward to reading both books, so it was a pleasant surprise to receive them within the same week.

    Like Karin, I downloaded Donna Thorland’s Mistress Firebrand. I love her books, but they are usually very expensive. Although I don’t usually try to “theme or seasonally read” I am saving it for 4th of July weekend, since I will have a block of time to devote to it and enjoy it!

  40. Anne says:

    I forgot to include this in my previous post. I saw Crystal’s comment about her book club selection for May, which was Mental Health Awareness month.

    I used to work in public mental health (I’m not a clinician, I worked in policy) and would be interested in recs for books that deal with mental health issues (both fiction and non-fiction). I think from other things that I’ve read that perhaps others would find this interesting/helpful too. When the subject is badly handled, it can throw me right out of the story.

    I’ve read and really enjoyed The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie (although I think he is somewhere on the autism spectrum and also traumatized from his years in the asylum). I know that there have been others that I thought were good, but I can’t remember the names.

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