It’s December and, for many, it’s the craziest time of the year! But we here at the Bitchery hope you all have a great holiday, whatever you celebrate, and that you find some time to treat yourself with a good book and some quiet reading time. And sorry not sorry if your TBR gets a few more additions before 2016 is over!
Sarah: I am reading Essentialism by Greg Mckeown ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), which I’ve seen recommended across several Twitter communities I follow.
I’m also reading A Book Dragon by Donn Kushner ( A ), a YA fantasy from 1991 about Nonesuch who guards a book of hours through history. It’s very quiet and almost meditative and I’m enjoying it so much.
The only problem is that my used copy is in print, and that print is small, so I can’t read it before bed or at the end of the day or I’ll get a headache from trying to focus on it.
Carrie: Alexander Hamilton by Chernow ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst ( A | BN | K | G | AB )!
Elyse: I’m reading In the Barren Ground by Loreth Anne White and loving it. It’s a murder mystery set north of the arctic circle in Canada and it has a female police detective and a hint of the supernatural. I really like mysteries set in extreme or isolated locations
Sarah: Adds to the menace! Like, when the place you live is actively or passively trying to kill you, it adds a layer.
Redheadedgirl: I just started the sequel to How Not to Fall. Ummmm right, it’s How Not To Let Go ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
I also reread a bunch of Dragonriders of Pern ( A | K | G | AB | Scribd ) books, because comfort reads. Anne, you were good at many things. Continuity was not one of them.
And I just finished Mogul ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), the last (sob!) book in Joanna Shupe’s knickerbocker series.
Amanda: I have two library books out that I’m excited about getting to. A Murder in Time is a time traveling adventure with an FBI agent who finds herself back in 19th century England and, on a whim, I grabbed Delicious! by Ruth Reichl ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) because it sounded light and fun.
After those, I have some great books waiting for me on my Kindle, like Moonshadow by Thea Harrison ( A | BN | K | AB ) and the manga Everyone’s Getting Married ( A | BN | K | G | AB ), which has been recommended to me a ton.
What books have you read this month? Any standouts for the end of the year? Any books that just frustrated the hell out of you? Let us know!
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. Thanks for being a part of another year of SBTB and hopefully, you’ve found some great books to read!
I had probably my worst reading month all year. Between Thanksgiving, decluttering, constant migraines, and almost always preferring to watch tv or a movie to reading this month I made only a small dent in my TBR list. The books I did manage to read were all library books with two exceptions and one of those exceptions was an arc that was only available for 45 days. Here’s what I did read:
A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn- I got an arc of this from Penguin’s First to Read program. This is the second in the Veronica Speedwell mystery series and I enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoyed the first book in the series. In this one Veronica is asked to help a man accused of killing his mistress by finding the real murderer. The pacing was a little slow in parts, but I love Veronica and Stoker. I would have liked to have seen a little more romance between the two, but what was there was great.
Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh- I loved Naasir and Andromeda. This was another excellent addition to this series.
Bossman by Vi Keeland- This was the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be the last. I really liked the chemistry between the hero and heroine in the book. There was great banter, sexual tension, and emotional heft. I got this as an ebook through my library, but I have Stuck-Up Suit written by her and Penelope Ward sitting on my kindle along with Worth the Fight which I picked up for free at some point. I need to check them out soon.
Fatal Frost by Karen MacInerney- This was my Prime lending library monthly read. This is the second in a series of cozy small town mysteries. It was a decent well-written read, but nothing spectacular.
The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare- For some reason I thought this series was a trilogy so this was the final book. It wasn’t and going in expecting an ending may have hindered my enjoyment of it. I felt like there wasn’t enough progress in the overall story arc in the series. It wasn’t bad just not eventful enough.
The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman- I felt like this one was better than the first in the series, even though I enjoyed that one as well. I think that’s probably since the majority of the world-building had already been established. It’s always nice to see a competent female heroine in action-packed fantasy books.
Turbo 23 by Janet Evanovich- I’m not sure why I’ve stuck with this series. This one didn’t annoy me like some of the more recent additions to the series, but it didn’t recapture the charm and humor of the earliest books either.
The Earl by Katharine Ashe- This is the first full-length book I’ve read by Ashe. I know I’ve read a novella by her in an anthology, but it didn’t really make a big impression on me one way or another. This book definitely made an impression. I loved the hero and heroine. The pacing was a little uneven and there are secrets being kept by the heroine, but overall it was a lovely story. I have at least four books sitting on my kindle by her that have now been bumped closer to the top of my TBR pile.
A Reluctant Betrothal by Amanda Weaver- This one was okay, but my least favorite in the series. The conflict felt way too drawn out.
Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz- This is another ebook I picked up from my library. I’ve heard so much about this author, but none of her books before this series seemed like my kind of thing. I adored this book. It was sexy and had great banter, wonderful chemistry, and fun characters. It was very low conflict which worked with my reading mood at that moment. I’m definitely checking out the other two books in this series and then I’ll reconsider checking out some of her earlier works.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware- I’m not really used to mysteries using first-person narrative so that took an adjustment for me. I liked it, but I was never completely caught up in it like I am in the best mysteries.
Sunset in Central Park by Sarah Morgan- I finally enrolled in Harlequin rewards and got a lot of points from all the books I bought during their big $1.99 sale. This was one of the free books I got with my points (along with seven other books and I wonder why my TBR list keeps going up). It was fine. I liked Frankie and Matt, but despite all the talk about their chemistry, I never really felt the chemistry.
Currently I am reading Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan (another free one from Harlequin rewards). I started it yesterday and I’ve read four pages. Yep, I’m doing good. I may have to check out Essentialism for a future read as well.
This month I discovered a new favorite author, yay! It’s been awhile since that’s happened, at least with an author who has an extensive backlist, and I am thankful. I needed it.
– “Assassin’s Apprentice” / “Royal Assassin” / “Assassin’s Quest” / “Ship of Magic” by Robin Hobb – Mix her deft characterization and grounded worldbuilding with my apparent need for epic fantasy and you’ve got my new favorite author! I also love that she writes loosely connected trilogies in one fantasy world. Kinda like Gail Carriger, actually. Plus, dragons!
– “What We See When We Read” by Peter Mendelsund – Read this, you guys! Mendelsund is the associate art director at Alfred A. Knopf (side note: it was only recently that I learned it wasn’t pronounced “Noff”) and it shows here. A mixture of sketches and writing, this book had me saying, “YES! EXACTLY!” I will say the “we” is misleading. Not everyone sees or associates images when they read and he doesn’t address this.
– “The Headmaster” by Tiffany Reisz – Loved the sexy, spooky, “Ghost and Mrs. Muir” of it all. Thought the romance itself was a little rushed but everything else was great.
– “Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write About Leaving Men for Women” edited by Candace Walsh & Laura Andre – essays by women who came into and/or accepted their sexualities later in life. Really good, exactly what it says on the tin. As someone who knew they were bisexual by age 11 and started coming out at 18, I was expecting some, “and then I realized I was bisexual!” stories and there weren’t, really. And some essays used “on the fence”, which made my skin crawl, as that phrase was thrown at me a lot when I started coming out in 2003 (by others in the LGBTQ community, mostly), but hey, every has their own experience and has the right to be honest about it.
– “In A Dark, Dark Wood” by Ruth Ware – This was marketed as “the next Girl On A Train!!” and it is not. It’s 90% a closed room mystery with an unreliable narrator and I enjoyed it a lot. I hear it’s being made into a movie and I CAN SEE IT. Also, a great book to read when it’s snowy and cold!
– “Eileen” by Ottessa Moshfegh – Are you looking for an angry woman character? Then this is the book for you! Eileen is angry and depressed and then she meets someone and her who life changes. Very Patricia Highsmith, basically “Strangers on a Train” if the strangers were women and the train was Massachusetts in December.
– “The Golden Compass” by Phillip Pullman – You guys… So, I tried to read this when it came out when I was a kid and I didn’t finish it. I read it now and…I couldn’t connect with it. I recognize that it’s written well, but I felt nothing for Lyra or Roger or Mrs. Coulter. Also, years ago, somebody told me it was basically The Divine Comedy and, reading it, all I could think was, “oh yes. I see it.” :-/ :-/
Currently Reading
– “The Mad Ship” by Robin Hobb – OH HECK YES, I AM!
– “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer (audiobook) – Potawatomi and a professor of biology, Kimmerer combines memoir, history, myth, and science in an almost poetic way. This is a great book and even if plants aren’t your thing, this book is worth your time. Kimmerer narrates the audiobook and she is perfect at it.
I’m not reading anything at the moment because school is, as ever, strangling nearly every bit of joy out of my life. I am watching a Kdrama, though, which is almost as good? Maybe? The Lonely Shining Goblin (or Goblin: the Great and Lonely God, depending on who you ask) is great–full of immortal dudes being terrible roommates, being terrible at being smooth, and being really entertaining. The heroine (one of them at least) is really young, but the show doesn’t forget that and addresses it, so I’m tentatively hopeful. It’s shot so beautifully though!
I usually read cookbooks this time of year, which is pretty stupid since I always make, more or less, the same menu for Christmas. Since I got a Sou Vide this month, most of my free time has been spent watching videos and reading about it.
Prompted by the podcast discussion about that episode of Poldark, I dug out my copy of Whitney, My Love – first edition. I’m not going to rant for three pages here, but, nowadays, there is no way I would finish that book.
To get the taste of that out of my mouth, I reread my favourite book of all time: The God Beneath the Sea by Leon Garfield and Edward Blishen. Odd coincidence @KateB, Philip Pullman cites this book as one of his inspirations. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best book in the history of the universe and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. It’s a retelling of Greek myths. The prose is lush and violent and disquieting and the illustrations are evocative and potent. I read it for the first time when I was ten, spent an hour consumed with cold chills and the realization that this was what a book could be and have not changed my opinion in over forty years.
After that, I started reading Percy Jackson and, so far, I’m really enjoying it.
On an unrelated note, I would like to see a discussion about changing tastes in romance here sometime. I loved Whitney, My Love when I first read it, but now I find McNaught’s stuff to be total dreck. There was a time when I used to foam at the mouth for the next Bertrice Small, but she went from grab it the second it’s released to pick it up second hand or from the library to meh for me. Some of it, I know, is an increased lack of tolerance for rapey A-hole heros and Mary Sue heroines, but I’d be curious to know who else has gone through this.
In order to meet my 2016 reading goal, I have to read 16 books this month. Right now I’m working my way through a large stack of library books.
So far, I’ve read:
Certain Dark Things, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. A few years back, I was looking for books with non-“we clearly started with Dracula (the movie version)” type vampires, but didn’t find much, so I jumped when I heard about this book. I liked it, but would have preferred less vampire gang wars, personally.
Monstress Vol 1:Awakenings, by Marjorie Liu. Looking forward to volume 2.
Ghost Talkers, by Mary Robinette Kowal. Sad, but I enjoyed it.
Everfair, by Nisi Shawl. Interesting read.
The Girls, by Emma Cline. This was kinda a *shrug* of a book. I’m not sure why the author included the present day bits at all and the stuff taking place in the past didn’t have any surprises.
Shadowshaper, by Daniel José Older. I loved the world building, but I only liked the book overall.
Currently, I’m reading The Traitor Baru Cormorant, by Seth Dickinson, which I like, but is taking me too long to read for some reason. I may just renew it and move on to something else.
I’m also listening to The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renee Ahdieh, but something about the narrator is bugging me, so I’m probably going to borrow it in paper at a later date.
Haha, I always want to comment on this thread, but by the time I get here there are a million comments and I feel intimidated. Yay for waking up early on a Saturday.
I’ve been in a bit of reading funk lately and I’m trying to pull myself out of it. Does anyone else feel like the internet has been bad for their reading attention span? I was never one to finish every book, but now I find myself giving up really quickly if a book doesn’t immediately grab me b/c there’s always “something else out there.”
The last book I finished and really enjoyed was “Act Like It” by Lucy Parker, so thank you for all the recommendations here for that book.
I tried to read “The Hating Game” by Sally Thorne and I just couldn’t. I don’t want to get too much into spoiler territory, but I’ll just say that I didn’t really like how either of the two main characters treated a third character. It just felt mean to me. By the end, it didn’t feel like either character had to learn or change, just clear up some misunderstandings. So disappointed after all the buzz.
Because of my reading funk, I reread (I almost never reread) “Get Lucky” by Suzanne Brockman, one of my favorite category romances of all time. It was definitely dated (almost no one has a cell phone and it takes forever to find information on people), but I could still read it and enjoy it in an afternoon. I don’t read much Brockmann or romantic suspense anymore, but I might give one of her books a try again.
I’m listening to “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo on audiobook and I’m enjoying it but only really half listening.
In a effort to “break the funk” I’ve checked out a ton of library books and I’m hoping the due dates will push me to read. The only one that’s really grabbing me is “Lullaby Town” by Robert Crais. It’s kind of a macho noir book set in LA, but Crais is also kind of funny in a sarcastic way and I enjoy that when I’m in the right mood. It’s written in the early 90s, so there is a nostalgia factor as well.
I’m reading the first in Chesapeake series by La Nora and enjoying it, but it’s not super grabbing me. When I love her trilogies, I really love them, so I’m hoping I’ll get hooked in soon.
I’m also reading Tabula Rasa by Ruth Downie in the Medicus series and it’s really dragging. I think I need a break from this series or switch back to audio for a while. I just feel a bit burnt out by it.
I wish I had more to gush about, but one of my New Year’s resolutions is to work on the (virtual) TBR pile so hopefully I’ll be here again next month.
I just finished Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan, and I’m now reading Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck. I’m also hoping to read The Trouble with Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis before Christmas.
I’m also looking forward to getting my hands on the books that I requested for Christmas, including some Black Widow comics.
Happy holidays to all!
Finally got _The Blockade_ by Jean Johnson, so I of course read the first two books in the trilogy before devouring the third book.
This month has so far been one for revisiting old favorites. Like the _Borderlands_ books by Lorna Freeman. There were only three books published, but there was talk about more on the author’s website, but they never materializes, which is a pity, because the books are brilliant ant the third one ends with a big cliffhanger. And after the third book was published, the author just – seemed to disappear. And nobody seems to know what happened to her. Did the publisher drop her? Is she suffering from a horrible case of writer’s block? Did she get abducted by aliens?
Oh well, I’m also rereading some of Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books – currently I’m enjoying _Exile’s Honor_.
I’m reading Ina Garten’s new one, Cooking for Jeffrey. I love pretty cookbooks, and find them comforting and the ultimate in eye candy.I could look at her desserts all day and just…gaze!
I’m eager for the new Sophie Kinsella and the next in the Worth series from Courtney Milan.
The only thing I’ve read this month that wasn’t for work was Before the Reign by Molly Jameson. It’s book four in the Royal Romances and this one’s about the Prince of Wales, the reckless and impulsive Jamie. He’s trying to avoid responsiblity, especially the Swedish princess his parents want him to marry, so he runs off to Provence and goes into hiding and of course, romances a tourist…who’s in disguise! Sexy fun.https://www.amazon.com/Before-Reign-Royal-Romances-Book-ebook/dp/B01N56YUXJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481983980&sr=8-1&keywords=before+the+reign
I just finished The Crown, by Kiera Cass. I highly recommend it if you liked the earlier novels in the Selection series. It gets really rushed at the end – I wish she’d taken maybe 10-20 more pages to develop that ending more. I still liked it a lot, though.
I’m reading The Shadow Queen, by CJ Redwine, with The Glittering Court & a few other YAs on deck. I’ve been saving Trade Me by Courtney Milan as my “grades are in! yay!” reward (COME ON, TUESDAY.). I’ll probably also reread a few Mercedes Lackey selections from my comfort shelf, maybe some Jacqueline Carey.
It’s the most wonderful tiiiiiime of the yeeeear! (The time when I get to read guilt-free!)
Pardon my French but there’s a shit-load of free ebooks over on Amazon that have suddenly come up, ranging from historical romance, gothic, generational saga to fantasy and horror. I’ve been gorging myself for the past two days. I just can’t/don’t wanna say no. It’s a good thing these are all ebooks or else I would seriously be worried about my TBR mountain toppling over and burying me alive.
I’m currently reading something outside of my comfort zone (paranormal romance, just like my mom lol): contemporary romance!
“Truth or Beard” by Penny Reid is about a fresh-out-of-college calculus teacher, Jessica James, who visits her hometown in Tennessee on Halloween to find she still has a hero-worship crush on one of the 6 Winston brothers, Beau, who just happens to have a not-so-sweet identical twin, Duane.
The way Jessica describes her emotions and how her body reacts to seeing the twins and all the inner conflicts that come with revisiting a long time childhood crush are hilarious and relatable, even the bits we’d never admit to anyone but the pages of our diaries. The Kindle version is FREE until further notice (I want to say until the end of the month but I’m not sure). I’ve been laughing and squeeing throughout my reading, and I’m only on chapter 3!
The semester is over and the pleasure reading was REAL!!!
I read over three books this month, and it’s because I finished and submitted my paper early, and then opened my book with my middle finger high in the air. Four weeks of FREEEEEEDOM!
Okay, now that that’s out of my system. In the CD player in the car is Hidden Figures by Margo Lee Shetterly. The stories of the ladies of West Computing and what would later becoming NASA are great, but some of the science is flying above my head (pun not intended, but now that I see it, I’m very proud of myself). I’m allowing myself to read His Road Home by Anna Richland once a week on Sundays (I try to stretch out novellas, and yes, I know it’s weird), and it’s just a beautifully told story. Just this morning, I finished The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, which I liked, but maybe not quite as much as I wanted to, but as romantic comedies go, it was pretty well done. Last week I read Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which had amazing world-building, but some issues with pacing, but still, the WORLD-BUILDING. Then it was A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray, which, you want world-building? How about world-building on multiple worlds? The Firebird trilogy is definitely an experience. I also wrapped Midnight Star by Marie Lu, the final book in The Young Elites series; it seems to have been my month for trilogy finales. It was quite well-done, and if you know anything about the main character, you know that it really ended the only way it could have. I appreciated that the villain was pretty up-front about her rage and her desire for power, and the ending really didn’t soften that. We wind up my month with Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. I really enjoyed it, and again, world-building for days.
:::looks at what she’s spent the month reading, and does a quick bit of armchair psychoanalysis:::
A lot of fantasy and a lot of world-building. I wonder if I’m reacting to everything being on fire…probably.
Anyhoo…next in the pile is Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick, because she’s wonderful and I love her and again, everything is on fire. And I can always use a laugh.
I’m in a reading funk as well. I’m working my way through John Connolly’s Charlie Parker series (they’re crime-supernatural-horror books) which are bleak enough to match the winter landscape outside. Once I’m through with those, I don’t know what to pick up next. Illona Andrews’ latest Innkeeper book doesn’t show up until the twentieth.
I finished reading the Vatican Princess by C.W. Gortner. It is historical fiction about Lucrezia Borgias. It was so interesting and he really made her a sympathetic character. Trigger warning because the book does deal with really dark themes and there is one scene in particular that I had a hard time getting through.
Also read:
-The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling). I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. Not super scary but still an interesting mystery.
-The Body in the Tower by YS Lee. This is book 2 in the YA Agency series set in Victorian England with a half Chinese half Irish female protagonist. Mary works undercover as an agent for mrs scrimshaw academy for girls. I enjoyed the first book and liked the second even better. Can’t wait to read the final two. I love Mary and the unique spin on women during this time period.
-The Rose and the Dagger the sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn. I loved the ending to this series and can’t wait for her next book in may-a retelling of Mulan.
Am starting Walk on Earth a Stranger by RaeCarson. This is the first in a YA fantasy trilogy about the Gold Rush that I am excited to start. After that are Mary Roach’s Grunt and Sarah Vowell’s The Wordy Shipmates from the library.
Just read “Stay” by Allie Larkin after randomly grabbing it off a library shelf, and really recommend it! The short version is woman adopts dog after being crushed by man she loves marries her best friend, and woman meets cute vet. There’s so much more to it than that–about growing into adulthood after losing your mother, about how we care for ourselves and others, about the little shared artifacts and rituals that bind us together (like Boston CDs and photo booth strips). And there’s a great dog and some great sexytimes. Strong recommend!
I’m also reading “The Joy of Living,” because man could I ever use some inner peace right now, and working my way through the Pink Carnation series.
@KateB: I just added so many of those books to my TBR!
I’ve been on a re-read binge because I’m so picky about the books I read, and I haven’t found any good new-to-me authors lately. I’m in a bit of a reading slump, I guess.
I did read The Trouble with Mistletoe, which I thought was cute. Initially I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but I was completely hooked by the end. I’ll probably end up reading the rest of the series. 🙂 I also read Beyond Band of Brothers, a memoir from Dick Winters, one of the commanders of E Company during WWII. I love the mini-series, so this was totally indulgent for me. 🙂
Mogul isn’t available yet at my library, but I’ll read that as soon as it is.
– I know that my favorite read of the month was Alexis Hall’s Looking for Group, because I turned around and re-read it the next day. I learned of it from Romance Novels for Feminists, which has a better review than I could give, so check that out.
Our protagonist, Drew, is a college kid and dedicated gamer who joins a new online guild. He’s quickly smitten with one of the other players, a lovely and charming elven healer, even knowing that they could be different in real life (spoiler alert: they are, and they aren’t). Matters of “real life” and “online life” end up central to the story, unsurprisingly.
Detailed gaming sessions are a big part of the storyline, so if you don’t game at all, check out the sample. I adored this book and want everyone to read it, but it’s probably too much a love letter to gamers for some. (There’s also a glossary at the back.)
– I also loved Becky Chambers’ A Closed and Common Orbit, her semi-sequel to The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. The viewpoint characters in ACaCO are minor characters from TLWtaSAP, but there’s minimal intersection with the first book. The plot is a bit tighter and more eventful in this one, but it’s still a story about found family and kindness. Chambers gets some comparisons to Firefly and to fanfiction, sometimes positive and sometimes not.
– Isabel Yap has a series of five magical girl stories, collectively called Hurricane Heels, newly up at The Book Smugglers, or you can buy the collection at sundry retailers. Each story is from the viewpoint of one of the girls, lots of inner life in a time of change.
– I happened across Carla Kelly’s The Admiral’s Penniless Bride and loved it most of the way through, just following the leads around watching them communicate. Various aspects of class are an unusual backdrop. The ending went off the rails for me, but still recommended.
I have so many books out of the library right now (what was I thinking? It’s holiday season, you dolt! Do you really think you’ll read ten books by New Year’s Day?), I doubt I’ll get through the pile before their due dates–thank God for on-line renewal. The three that I’m reading right now are:
NINE WOMEN, ONE DRESS by Jane L. Rosen: how the fashion season’s latest incarnation of “the little black dress” affects the lives of nine women who come in contact with it. Definitely chick-lit (nttawwt), but well-written with some charming (and not so charming) characters. And as my grandmother used to insist, every woman needs a black cocktail dress and a string of pearls in her wardrobe.
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M. R. Carey: Post-apocalyptic zombie story which does an amazing job of getting into the head of a young girl who cannot articulate how she knows she is not being treated fairly by those who have charge of her. Gives new meaning to the phrase, flesh-eating virus.
THE PRINCESS DIARIST by Carrie Fisher: Fisher looks back on the making of the first Star Wars movies (how could that have been 40 years ago?) and quotes from the diaries she kept at the time.
@Amanda. I really enjoyed A Murder in Time, despite my general skepticism of time travel stories, the mystery was very good.
I read Mary Balogh”s Christmas Gifts, to get me in the Christmas mood, an anthology of 3 of her older novellas – all good, especially The Porcelain Madonna.
Radio Silence by Alyssa Cole was good, especially the romance, she writes great characters and dialogue. What didn’t really work for me was the post-apocalypse part. I may read the others in the trilogy to see where she goes with that.
I enjoyed Make Mine a Marine by Candace Havens. The conflicts and romance worked well for a category length.
And am really enjoying The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter, it’s a mystery/adventure novel set in 1830’s India with a young British ensign who’s in way over his head and a mysterious older ex-Company man who knows India well as they look for a missing author. Gives you a real perspective on those who went to India to make their fortunes during this time period and how often horrible the British were to the native populations. The author is also a British historian so I’m hoping she got a lot of the facts right!
Amanda, I really liked A Murder in Time. Fun take on historical romance.
I’ve been working through Bec McMaster’s steampunk series. This series really works for me. Currently reading Forged by Desire.
On audio, I’m listening to First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost. Another author that never lets me down.
I love this thread!!! So many books I’ve been eying were mentioned above – thanks for all the recommendations, Bitchery.
I just finished A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and picked up the sequel, A Court of Mist and Fury. I loved the first one, but it gave me many emotions I wasn’t quite expecting – not all of them happy, but all intense. It’s been a while since a book surprised me and made me feel things to that degree (lol, sad but true). Maas was not afraid to take risks with her YA heroine, which I appreciated, and I love a good retelling. Bonus points if it’s two (Beauty & the Beast and the Ballad of Tam Lin). I’m looking forward to the sequel.
I also decided to re-read the Abhorsen series by Garth Nix in preparation to read Goldenhand, his newest addition. I LOVE these books, Lirael especially, and highly recommend them for anyone in search of a gutsy, unique fantasy tale. Strong heroines and epic magic abound. I guess I’ve been in a mood for that lately. Escapism…
Happy holidays, all!!!
I’m rereading Ilona Andrews’ Edge series in preparation for rereading their first two Sweep books before the new book comes out. Fun books. I’m two-thirds through “The Queen of Blood” and loving it; one-quarter through “Someone to Love” and not sure if I’ll make it to one-half as it just isn’t grabbing me like The Survivors series did (like a chew toy in a territory’s mouth); I’ve started “Cinnamon and Gunpowder” and am enjoying the heck out of Vivienne Lorrant’s “Earl Is on Fire” (great series). I also enjoyed Elizabeth Hoyt’s latest Maiden Lane, “Duke of Pleasure.” I also finished her “Serpent Prince” and “To Seduce a Sinner”. Hmm, seem to be on an historical kick.
I’m also wandering down the rabbit hole of great book memories as prep for Book Riot’s Retro Rereads in 2017. I’m choosing my favorite books from the last 50 years that I have never forgotten and that had a significant impact on my reading or life. Curating my reading memories down to 12 books is bittersweet, as so many of my earlier memories are of passing books among friends and family.
Well, my TBR has grown by leaps and bounds (thanks, Bitches) but I seem to have been doing more re-reading recently. Just finished rereading two Susanna Kearsley, The Winter Sea and The Shadowy Horses, and Nora Roberts” Donavan Legacy series. Also reread Elin Hildebrand’s Blue Bistro which I love for the restaurant porn though I am not totally behind the romance. Also Mercedes Lackey’s The Fairy Godmother – also a little iffy on how the romance works but love the fairy tale aspect of it.
Now ones were Allson Leigh’s Mergers and Matrimony. Loved that the main characters were mature and that the heroine was a hugely competent businesswoman holding her own in international negotiations. Also read Jenna & Jonah’s Fauxmance which was cute and did have Shakespeare.
I am now about 2/3 of the way through Amanda Bouchet’s A Promise of Fire (which I read about several times on this site). I had some huge initial issues with the initial abduction and insta-lust. I did, however, persevere and I think that they are not completely inappropriate given the world of the story and the back story.
Now, off to add everyone else’s books to my TBR.
In response to Francesca: Whitney, My Love was a favorite of mine in high school. I came across my old paperback in a box, a couple years ago, and can I just say that from the perspective of 40-something me, that book sucks? No teenage girl should have ever read it. I’m so glad the romance genre has evolved.
“Trigger Warning” by Neil Gaiman. Creepy and twisty – I love his short stories.
Christmas holidays started for me on December 5, and I’ve spent a week and a half reading!
Two books that tell the story about Chanie Wenjack, an 11-year-old boy who died 50 years ago when he ran away from his Indian Residential School and tried to walk 600km home are “must reads” for Canadians – Wenjack by Joseph Boyden and Secret Path by Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire (I’ve reviewed both of them on my blog).
Angel Catbird, a graphic novel by Margaret Atwood that I was looking forward to was a huge disappointment.
I can’t remember if I mentioned Dust or Ashes, a poetry collection by Alyda Faber (one of my professors) last month, but it is fabulous!
Act Like It by Lucy Parker (read based on SBTB recommendations) – I enjoyed it but it probably won’t be on my re-read list.
Charlie All Night by Jennifer Crusie – I enjoy her writing, so this was a nice easy read for me.
Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars by Cody Gary – ditto on the nice easy read.
Nuts by Alice Clayton – Only OK for me – I probably won’t follow up with the rest of the series.
I won a $20 Amazon gift card back in October and used it this week to load up my Kindle with titles that I’d wish-listed but were not available through Overdrive – I look forward to working my way through these over the rest of the holidays!
My reading drought has finally ended. Theresa Romain’s Fortune Favors the Wicked helped me get my mojo back, and that was followed by Beverly Jenkins’ Forbidden. Now I’m devouring The Young Blood, by Erin Satie. Its tightly wound, pragmatic heroine’s awakening to the possibilities of life and love have kept me up late the last two nights. Good times have returned!
I finally got Six of Crows from the library. At first I was really frustrated by all the POVs but I grew to like each character. That means I spent the rest of the book afraid one of them were going to die.
I got the ARC of My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella. Romance takes a back burner in this book. Mostly it revolves around Katie finding her way and learning that things may not be as perfect as they seem. I really loved it.
I’ve also recently read The Invisible Library and the second book, The Masked City. Love these! I nearly stopped reading The Invisible Library because I was bored, but I’m glad I stuck with it. And, uh, more dragons please!
I reread Spotless by Camilla Monk and the second book in the series. I can not RAVE about these books enough! I love them. I read them for the first time in August and reread them this past week. That’s saying something about these books. The third book in the series is out but I hear that it has a cliffhanger, so I’m waiting to read it.
And I’m currently reading, No Woman Left Behind by Julie Moffett. This is like the 7th or 8th book in the series? I think? Super fun to read.
Update from response #5: Okay, I’ve given up on The Traitor Baru Cormorant for now.
I just read, After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall, by Nancy Kress (it’s only 189 pages) while procrastinating about shoveling the snow. Not a cheery book, but the ending is hopeful, even if the message is a bit obvious.
Starting Codex Born, by Jim C. Hines *sighs* when I get back in.
Struggling pretty hard right now so mixed in rereading favorites to make it through. Reread the entire Jane yellowrock series by faith hunter and it is still superb. New stuff read the wall ofcwinnipeg and me
Which was pretty good and second book in VIP series managed which wss also great.xxoo
I’m gonna sound like a huge kissass because I’m reading a lot of stuff recommended here.
I finished Smut which I enjoyed a lot esp since I usually don’t do much contemporary and I downloaded Trade Me after the Ragey Heroines thread.
Have been nibbling away at BJ Novak’s One More Thing which is a collection of short stories and vignettes. There’s some absolutely hilarious stuff in there.
I have some Carla Kelly on my Kindle (again, from an earlier thread here) and have been saving the new Louise Penny mystery/police procedural for an after-Christmas treat.
Elyse, is In Barren Ground a romance? I’m sticking to romance for the foreseeable future because the world.
You people make me look like a beachcomber, reading-wise. At present, I have only 3 books going: The Burning Page, Genevieve Cogman’s third Invisible Libray book (love these!), Updraft by Joan Wilde (sp?) and Kameron Hurley’s essay collection, The Geek Feminist Revolution, which includes her prize-winning essay We Have Always Fought. It’s great and gives you pointers to dozens of other good books.
To chime in on the Bitches above, I adored Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, and Lyra Silvertongue is one of my favorite characters ever. Not to give too big a spoiler, in many ways the books are a response to Milton’s Paradise Lost, and I love Pullman’s view that people don’t fall down from the innocence of childhood but rise up to the fullness of adulthood, in which sexuality plays a large part. I also recently enjoyed Becky Chambers’ A Closed and Common Orbit. Though I slightly prefer her first novel, Orbit shows her inventiveness, inclusivity and generous heart, which I love.
As to mysteries, my favorite author (Barbara Merton/Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters) died relatively recently and I need suggestions of new authors/books. What I loved about Michaels/Peters was, more or less in order, her sense of humor, feminism, use of historical background and excellent grammar. (I’m a copy-editor and spelling and grammar errors throw me right out of a story.) I’ve read some newer mysteries, but don’t find that anyone quite hits the good spots as well, so would welcome recommendations. Meanwhile, happy holidays to all!
Had some highs and one serious low this month. I’ve finally retired in full, so I will have more time to read…I hope. I also write fanfiction, so that and the cats take some of my free time up!
Just finished Moonshadow by Thea Harrison, her new sub-series in the Elder Races universe. I had to take a day off after reading it, it was so good. It was a 5 out of 5 rating for me. Strong, snarky heroine in love with a strong, frustrated hero, interesting secondary characters, and then there was Robin. Poor, dear, abused Robin. Yes, the Robin from Shakespeare. Love, love, love this book! I eagerly await the second in the series, hoping that it will be Gawain or Rhys up for hero status. And I want MORE about Morgan. I suspect there is more pain behind his loyalty to the Queen of the Light Side.
Picked up the Harlequin Christmas Romance magazine which, while a little high price-wise, had three good stories in it. The feature on shooting the cover shot was extremely interesting.
Here’s the fail for the month: The Spinster and the Earl by Beverly Adam. It wound up a DNF (Did Not Finish) for me for so many reasons. Primarily, the writer (she’s not eligible for author in my opinion) didn’t do her homework. Writing the story before doing the research is only acceptable if you go back and fix the mistakes. Adam messed up on so many aspects that even this American caught them. It was free and it still wasn’t worth the price. I tend to not read reviews on Amazon or Goodreads before I buy a book, with a few exceptions, usually only dip into yours and Dear Author’s reviews. I wish I had made an exception in this case.
Also this month, Cordina’s Crown Jewels by Nora Roberts. I love Roberts, but this series never did it for me. I admit that royalty in contemporary romance stories has never been my cup of tea, so that might be part of the problem. Still, it was a decent 3.5 out of 5 read. I doubt that I would recommend it to anyone.
Here to Stay by Debra Webb. Another “okay” read for me. I can see Webb’s talent, but her books and stories just don’t seem to connect with me.
Public Secrets by Nora Roberts. River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz. Oh, yeah! Both of these hit just the right buttons for me and both were rated 5 out of 5.
River Road reminded me just why Krentz became one of my absolute favorite writers. I read the Harmony series and, mostly, love them. But it has gotten a bit rote for her, I think. River Road, a standalone, is stellar! Mystery and romance and teen crushes that grew up and predators and villains who might not be as villainous as once believed.
Public Secrets was unlike any Roberts book that I’ve read. The romance isn’t the focus, the life of the heroine is. Abused, growing up with a rock legend, a tragic ending to a botched kidnapping, drug and alcohol abuse. She has it all in this one. We watch the heroine grow, but also the members of the band. Magnificent!
Village Affairs by Cassandra Chan was my only mystery book for the month. The second in a series, it is set in the years between World War I and World War II, that magic time when the whole world was changing. If you’re a fan of period mysteries or cozies, this is the book for you.
Overall, a great reading month. I’m starting Zoe Archer and Nico Rosso’s Ether Chronicles next, starting with Skies of Fire.
I finished Moonshadow by Thea Harrison. The Elder Races, English branch. Other than that just some Mary Balogh re-reads.
I finally finished WOLF BY WOLF by Ryan Graudin not that it was bad, I really enjoyed it and fully intend to read the sequel, but the writing style is quite strange, it works but it takes some getting use to. The book is also alternate history where the nazis won WWII , so the subject matter is also quite heavy.
After that I read THE HIGHLANDER’s BRIDE by Amanda Forrester. It was a pretty by the numbers medieval historical/bodyguard crush/ forbidden love story, but the characters were super likable and the hero and the heroine had a really sweet relationship. There was an realistic depiction of a baby as well. The ending was tied up a little too nicely, but otherwise I really enjoyed and finished it in less than a week.
Lastly, I just started LAST CALL AT THE NIGHSHADE LOUNGE by Paul Krueger and skimmed a reference book about fantasy writing. The former is a ton of silly fun and the reference book is super informative.
Amanda (and other Murder in Time lovers): Twist in Time is due out April 11–YEAH!!
Vicki, have you read Kearsley’s Firebird? The hero is the grown-up young boy from The Shadowy Horses.
I loved the Philip Pullman books, but I listened to the audio. They’re unfortunately not available here in the U.S. I first got them thru the library, then ordered them from amazon.uk. They’re done like a radio play with an ensemble of actors, and they’re outstanding!
I listened to Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman. It’s been described as a cross between Georgette Heyer and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Lady Helen Wrexall discovers that she’s a demon-slayer, to be trained by the tall, dark, handsome (and scandalous) Lord Carston. But things go REALLY BADLY during her presentation ball. This audio was done by Fiona Hardingdham-just excellent! This got me thru round trip Ohio-NC during which my father dropped dead, so…
I also quite liked Secrets in the Mist by Anna Lee Huber. A departure from her Lady Darby series, this is “A Gothic Myths Novel” and is labeled Book 1. It’s also described as in the tradition of Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt. It takes place in the fen country of England, with the smugglers and the myth of the “Lantern Men”. I’m anxiously waiting both Book 2 AND the next Lady Darby!
@KateB I agree about The Golden Compass. I read it, thought it was okay, but didn’t have the slightest interest in reading the sequel. Such a huge difference from when I read the first Harry Potter book.
@Francesca Yes! My tastes in books have definitely changed over the years. I read Whitney, My Love and absolutely LOVED it. Then I went back a few years ago to reread, triggered by an article I read somewhere, and couldn’t make it through the book. What I rated a 5 out of 5 in the 1980s would’ve been a DNF now. I avoided romance books when I was young, not really starting until I was in high school. Even then, my taste was more mystery or adventure with just a dollop of romance (Emily Loring). Then I started reading Georgette Heyer and Glenna Finley, falling in love with them both. Kinda funny as I always tended to read about male partners in crime and wanting focus on their friendship (Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, George Bagby and Inspector Schmidt). I think that might be a great topic to explore here.
I think romances were appealing to me more this month due to what is happening in the real world. If I can’t get happiness in the real world, I will find it in books.
Oh, I forgot to mention 17 Carnations by Andrew Morton. This is an in-depth look at the relationship between Prince Edward, later Duke of Windsor after jumping the royal ship for American divorcee Wallis Simpson, and Nazi Germany. It is a well-rounded book, showing how many in Great Britain were sympathetic to the Nazi cause or unwilling to confront Hitler or desperate to avoid another slaughter of the best and brightest as happened in World War I.
Since I love science fiction and fantasy, I’ve actually subscribed to both The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and Asimov’s Science Fiction. I’ve also picked up scads of science fiction collections at my library’s book sales. For just $1 each!!