It’s Whatcha Reading time! This is where we talk about the books we’ve read in the past month, whether they’re good, bad, or just meh. It’s an expensive post and pretty damaging to the ol’ book budget, but it’s oh so much fun.
Besides, who doesn’t love talking about books?
Redheadedgirl: You literally caught me between books. I just finished Goodnight From London ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
I’m making my way through A History of the Swedish People (all that stuff that happened between Vikings and IKEA). ( A | BN )
And I’m about to start Offstage and On by Melissa Hayden, upon recommendations from our lovely commentariat.
(NB: Offstage and On is mostly out of print.)
Carrie: I am reading The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis. It’s a steampunk that so far avoids cliche – I just started it but am already loving it.
Elyse: I just finished The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick ( A | BN | K | AB ). It’s a romantic mystery set in 1930’s Hollywood and the heroine is a gossip reporter. It’s really low on violence and gore so it would be a good fit for readers who want romantic suspense without the creepy-factor.
Amanda: I just finished some meh books. But I have Anna Kendrick’s Scrappy Little Nobody ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) on audio from my library.
To actually read, I’m thinking an erotic contemporary. My choices are the new Tessa Bailey – Disorderly Conduct ( A | BN | K | G | AB ). Yay! Or some books I took a chance on getting for my Kindle – Mister Romance by Leisa Rayven and SOLD by Gisele St. Claire ( A ).
Sarah: I am about to finish And It Came to Pass by Laura Stone ( A | BN | K | AB ), whom I met at RT. She told me about her podcast about being a former Mormon, Oh My Heck, and I followed a link to this book. It’s a contemporary about two young Mormon men on their mission in Barcelona, and their struggle to reconcile their faith, which is openly and fiercely anti LGBTQIA+ and their growing attraction to and love for one another.
Tell us what you’ve read this month! And don’t skimp on the details regarding your hits and misses!
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, thank you so much, and if you’d prefer not to, no worries. Thanks for being a part of SBTB and hopefully, you’ve found some great books to read!
I’ve been doing more rereading this month and boy, I’ve forgotten how relaxing it can be!
Faves
– FINGERSMITH by Sarah Waters (reread) – I picked this up again because I watched THE HANDMAIDEN and good news! Both are excellent!
– SWORDSPOINT (reread) / THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD by Ellen Kushner – So, my book wheelhouse: bisexual characters, scheming, murderous nobles, queer girls who love books and swords? It’s all here!
– KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by David Grann – by the author of THE LOST CITY OF Z, this details the out of this world true crime case of the orchestrated murders of members of the Osage tribe in the 1920’s, and the brand new FBI’s involvement.
– KATHERINE by Anya Seton (reread) – oh the Plantagenets, how I adore you!
– THE OBELISK GATE by N. K. Jemisin – heartbreaking and painful but the world is fascinating and I can’t wait for Book 3!
Good
– THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD by Douglas Preston – detailing the search for a “lost Mayan city”, the book also covers uproar in the academic community as well as a deadly disease that ravaged the explorers, including the author.
– KON-TIKI: ACROSS THE PACIFIC BY RAFT by Thor Heyerdahl – in 1947, a bunch of Norwegian anthropologists build a raft to prove people moved from South America to the Pacific Islands. They were wrong, but the journey is fascinating.
– MORTAL SINS: SEX, CRIME, AND THE ERA OF CATHOLIC SCANDAL by Michael D’Antonio – I watched THE KEEPERS and needed more context. This is a tough read.
– THE VERY FIRST DAMNED THING / JUST ONE DAMNED THING AFTER ANOTHER / A SYMPHONY OF ECHOS / WHEN A CHILD IS BORN / A SECOND CHANCE by Jodi Taylor -these are fun and wacky and so fast it’s almost hard to keep track of everyone and everything. Oh! And the short stories are available for free on Audible!
– A RED HERRING WITHOUT MUSTARD / I AM HALF-SICK OF SHADOWS / SPEAKING FROM AMONG THE BONES by Alan Bradley – I love the voices of these books but the mysteries are increasingly easy to solve.
Currently Reading
– MAYA TO AZTEC: ANCIENT MESOAMERICA REVEALED by Edwin Barnhart – a Great Courses audio course, this is giving me some great history about something I know very little about.
– THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE by Simone St. James (audio) (reread) – oh boy, the audiobook is just as creepy as the book!
– THE FALL OF KINGS by Ellen Kushner & Delia Sherman – I don’t know what to expect with this one since reviews say the vibe is different from the rest of the series, but I love the other two so much so, I’m ready!
This month I decided to use radical acceptance when it comes to my tbr list/pile. No matter how hard I work to get it down, I always end up adding more than I finish. This month I definitely added more than I read since my local e-library added so many good things. Then Amazon sent me an email offering me a free month of Kindle Unlimited and since I had just thought that my Prime wish list had gotten long, I took them up on it so I’ll be concentrating on reading as many KU books as I can in the next month. Here’s what I’ve read in the last month:
Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne- This was by far my favorite read this month. I’m sure if I really analyzed it, I would find issues with it, but it left me with such a warm and fuzzy feeling after I read it that I don’t want to do that. I loved the pairing of the perky heroine and uptight business hero.The book was super low-conflict even with the extreme differences between the heroine’s perky personality and the hero’s uptight workaholic personality. It was exactly what I needed when I read it.
Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren- I read this one right after Walk of Shame and I didn’t like it quite as much as that one, but it was also pretty great. Wonderful banter and a great love/hate dynamic. It also reminded me how much I like workplace romances and need to seek out more of them.
Theresa Romain- I won a copy of Passion Favors the Bold by Theresa Romain from a giveaway on her Facebook page, so I made a point to read my backlog of her books as well. This is when I discovered that I seem to be in a historical specific reading slump. Passion Favors the Bold was a really lovely romance. Both of the characters were well-written and the romance was very sweet. The only small problem I had with the book is that I would have liked the treasure hunting (they’re looking for stolen coins) to have been more front and center. I also read Fortune Favors the Wicked, the first book in the series, and while it isn’t strictly necessary to read this one before the second, I think it adds to the enjoyment of the second book. It took me forever to get through due to my slump, but it was enjoyable. It has a blind hero and courtesan heroine, both of whom were well-developed and interesting. A Gentleman’s Game was also slow-going for me, but I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline about taking horses to a race. Probably my favorite, because I love a good friends-to-lovers story, was her novella, My Scandalous Duke. The hero and heroine had been friends since childhood, but the hero was blind to his feelings for the heroine. I think the main similarity and one of the reasons I like Romain’s books so much is that the heroes pay attention to the heroine’s likes and needs then make a point to see them met. There’s a lot of giving as a form of love language in them where the hero really pays attention to what the heroine likes and needs then finds a way to give it to her. That’s definitely my catnip.
Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop- I read about a third of this about a month ago before I had to return it to the library. This time around, it went a lot faster. I think I was expecting something a little more dramatic since this is the final book dealing with this group of others, but I still really enjoyed it.
Roman by Sawyer Bennett- This was one of my favorites of this series. I loved the hero and heroine and their romance was a lot of fun with just a tiny bit of conflict. The secondary romance with the heroine’s father and her boss was also fun.
Twist by Kylie Scott- I just finished this minutes ago. It was enjoyable, but nothing particularly special.
Next up is Buns by Alice Clayton.
I just finished Living to See You by Bee Johnstone on a recommendation from DA. It’s a World War II story and the writing style is very old fashioned – probably not to the taste of most people today – but it had one of the sweetest romances I’d read in years. I needed that since I was just diagnosed with breast cancer (again).
Currently reading Susan Howatch’s The Wheel of Fortune, which is her take on the same Plantagenets as in Katherine. I love big, family sagas with hundreds of characters and plots and revenge, etc. so I’m really enjoying it.
Mostly rereads for me this month, since I decided I needed to revisit The Dark Tower series before the movie came out.
I’ve read:
The Gunslinger – One of the earliest Stephen King books I ever read. Has really pretty pictures.
The Drawing of the Three – Probably the best book in the series. Good art.
The Waste Land – Story is good, art is pretty good, but artist clearly never read the character descriptions.
Wizard and Glass – This one drags for me. The art is awful.
Every Heart a Doorway – Still a great book.
Down Among the Sticks and Bones – I enjoyed this, but rereading EHaD right before meant I pretty much knew the general outline of Jack & Jill’s story. Also, the narrative got a bit repetitive about the bad parenting for my taste.
I’m currently reading The Wind Through the Keyhole – The one DT book I haven’t read before. King seems to suck at telling compelling story within a stories. Also, no art. I feel ripped off.
I recently finished New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 1: Squirrel Power by Ryan North and Erica Henderson.
If you’re looking for a light, fun comic or a comic for a younger reader, you might want to check out Squirrel Girl. I enjoyed it, although it was a little too cutesy for me at times.
Next up, I’m going to read some Captain America, Flash, Arrow, James Bond, and other comics/graphic novels on my TBR pile. I also want to check out The Hundredth Queen by Emily King.
June hasn’t been the best reading my month. I did read WIRES and NERVE , the graphic novel by Marissa Meyer which was excellent because Marissa Meyer.
I’m also reading a nonfiction book on superstitions which is interesting.
The other better books I’ve read/attempted to read this month haven’t been as good. I tried to finish WALLED CITY by Ryan Graudin which is really dark and not something I was in the mood for so I dropped it. I also went to Barnes and Noble where a brand new author was signing a book called WHEN IT RAINS , so I bought it without a thought. Unfortunately, it’s also poorly written , but since the author signed it for me I will read and review it. Not to mention it does have potential, it just needed a few more edits .
This month I found myself several times reading two books of a trilogy without feeling the urge to start the third book (possibly because, in a couple of cases, I accidentally started the books out of order so already knew the backstory of the characters in the unread book):
Melanie Harlow’s AFTER WE FALL and IF YOU WERE MINE were very good (especially AFTER WE FALL). I like both her writing style and the fact that her heroines are strong, professional women. Lots of “competence porn” where jobs and careers are concerned. This was the trilogy where I accidentally skipped the first book–and so much of those characters’ story was included in the subsequent two books, I’d almost feel it was “going through the motions” to read that book.
For those who like dark–and I do mean dark–Adriana Anders’s UNDER HER SKIN and BY HER TOUCH are well-written books with interesting plots about damaged people finding love. However, I think both of them should come with trigger warnings–especially the first, which involves a terribly abusive ex. Both books involve tattoo removal as a key plot point. The third book in the trilogy involves a woman who escapes a religious cult where she has been branded (ugh!). It might be good, but there’s only so much damage I can take in my romance reading.
Sarina Bowen’s COMING IN FROM THE COLD and FALLING FROM THE SKY were both good books involving winter sports athletes (one a downhill skier, the other a snowboarder). SKY features a hero in a wheelchair and doesn’t shy away from how the “sex stuff” gets accomplished. This is a trilogy where I’m interested in reading the third book–even if it does include one of my least favorite tropes: the heroine is “forbidden” because she’s the sister of the hero’s best friend. (Could we have a show of hands of those who have dated, even married, friends of our brothers without angst or trouble? I’m sure it’s a common event to meet someone through a family connection and no one gets all bent out of shape about it!)
Delphine Dryden’s THE THEORY OF ATTRACTION was an interesting blend of chick-lit and bdsm. I thought the heroine moved too quickly to accommodate the hero’s dom/sub sexual scenarios, but the romance was quite sweet nonetheless. I do think the book will struggle to please different readers. Those who like lighter fare may be put off by some of the rather extreme d/s games that go on; while those who enjoy bdsm books may find the story a little too quirky.
I read Linda Howard’s HEARTBREAKER about ranchers in Florida. It was pretty run-of-the-mill with lots of “telling not showing” and a heroine who will not tell the hero about her abusive ex. Why? Why?
I also started but dnf Lori Foster’s RUN THE RISK because the hero and heroine both made me want to toss the book across the room. The book–about an undercover cop and a suspect’s sister–appeared to be my catnip, but, honey, was I wrong! I’m all for the right type of alpha hero and I don’t mind a little subterfuge–but the heroine has to be smart too. In this book, the hero barges his way into the heroine’s apartment, basically stalking her and not taking “No” for an answer–and the heroine not only allows it, but revels in it. I wanted to scream at Foster that just because the reader knows the hero is a good guy doesn’t mean the heroine does and she should treat the hero with the same level of suspicion any woman would extend to a stranger trying to get into her life.
And I finished off the month with several books by one of my new favorite authors, Julianna Keyes: GOING THE DISTANCE, JUST ONCE, and MY ROOMMATE’S EX. All of these romances are about people trying to reconcile their pasts (family dysfunction, criminal activity, general unfairness) with their present circumstances and what they want from their futures. One of the things I love about Keyes’s books is she doesn’t sugar-coat the past and she doesn’t say that everything will be perfect in the future. What she does show is that a love between well-intentioned people committed to making each other happy can help mitigate the effects of past damage and give optimism for the future.
I keep promising myself I will read something that isn’t romance, but then world stuff happens and romance is my happy place. I loved Off Base by Annabeth Albert so much that I’ve been making quick work of her back catalog. I’ve made it through the Portland Heat novellas, Status Update, and Treble Maker. I’ve got holds on a few others from my library that I’m looking forward to.
I’m still suffering the effects of ye olde book slump after reading Sarah J. Maas ACOTAR series last month so I haven’t read much so far.
Nalini Singh’s Shield of Winter- this was a re-read and I liked less than the first time. I think it suffers from the fact that it came after the sublime perfection that was Heart of Obsidian.
Sophie Jordan’s While You Were Sleeping. I gave this a C-. It was pretty forgettable and I just couldn’t suspend disbelief to that level. A shopgirl accepted as the betrothed of a duke and no one bats an eye. Preposterous.
Vi Keeland’s The Baller. Solid B. I was turned off by the Ex’s POV coming out of nowhere. Maybe it was sequel bait but the author spent more time developing her character than the heroines.
Jill Sorenson’s The Edge of Night C+ and Against The Wall B. The first book’s secondary love story completely hijacked the main story. The second book is the continuance of the secondary romance began in Edge of Night. The hero, who was Mexican American (yay for diversity) made the book for me. The love story was too much of a slow burn for me though.
Nalini Singh’s Silver Silence B+. The first part felt too much like been there, done that. Psy that can’t break Silence due to to deadly abilities, Alpha with a heart of gold and terrible scars from his past. This read like Slave to Sensation with bears instead of cats. The second part saved the day. I loved it and I wish Singh had gone with that conflict and expanded it. I’m hoping she goes a different route with the next book and stops rehashing the same tired tropes because Trinity is supposed to be a new beginning.
Magic for Nothing by Seanan McGuire: Very enjoyable. Antimony is a great character.
White Hot (or Hidden Legacy 2) by Ilona Andrews: This series is right up there with Kate Danield.
Give the Devil his Due by Steve Hockensmith: Not a romance, but a good mystery series, particularly if you like Tarot.
Last First Snow by Max Gladstone: I enjoy this series, but it isn’t light reading. However, Elaine Kavarian is the baddest of asses, and points for having an older heroine (she’s 57).
Going Wild by Gretchen Galway: I love some humor with my romance.
It Takes Two to Tangle by Theresa Romain: I love this author’s style of writing on so many levels.
Thaw by Elyse Springer: There was something endearing about this novel.
Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson: Interesting, upsetting though in terms of mental health challenges being portrayed. I loved the sense of fandom being a thing to celebrate.
Someone Like You by Lauren Layne: Enjoyable but can I share a pet peeve? When guys are squicked out by periods. If I recall this happened twice in this novel, two different dudes, two different sort of cringes to mentions of periods. Um, fellows? Periods. Happen. So shutty.
Echo of Silence by Nalini Singh: <3
The Theory of Attraction by Elphine Dryden: I was really enjoying it but may DNF because the hero is hinting at his need for control and there have been times when the heroine feels a sense of trepidation mixed with desire and hey, you do you, but that's just not my cup of mulled wine.
Lots of audiobook re "reads" to help cope with stress/insomnia: Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice.
I also read: Act Like it by Lucy Parker: Loved it!
I’m in the middle is getting ready for a wedding (bridesmaid duties) but I didn’t want to miss (!) so I’ll say my favorites for this month are “Always and Forever Lara Jean” by Jenny Han and “The Thing About Love” by Julie James.
Best read of the month is Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. It absolutely deserves its Pulitzer. It’s very readable and I learned a lot. If you liked Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed you should take a look.
I’ve also been re-reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books and finding them fascinating. As a kid I was all “Laura and family have adventures” and now I’m more “look at all this WORK” with sides of watching the undertones of the relationships. There’s definitely some racism flinches for the modern reader, especially when they’re living in Indian Territory, but it hasn’t outweighed the rest for me.
Not a noteworthy month for romance overall, but I picked up Shira Glassman’s novella Knit One, Girl Two after the mention here and enjoyed it. A fun F/F story with indie dyer yarn porn.
I’ve not been much in the mood to read lately, but I’m hoping “Silver Silence” gets me back in the groove since I love that series so much.
I did consume the new Mariana Zapata in one sitting, which is called “Dear Aaron.” The ending was super abrupt (which is weird considering it’s nearly 500 pages), but was still extremely enjoyable. It’s a solid B+ that I would recommend, though it’s not as good as “Winnipeg” or “Wait for It.” Viva la slow burn!
I also hate read “Raid” by Kristen Ashley. I’d somehow avoided her super over the top alphaholes up this point, but this hero was a bridge too far. He was abusive and I kept reading to see if someone would ever really call him out on it. Spoilers: not so much. :/
I’ve read An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles, and it made me SO HAPPY you guys, because one of the heroes, Mark, is an atheist and that isn’t called into question. So rare. Like an inspirational for atheists like me? I actually have problems with the way religion is depicted in that series– in particular, it’s yet another historical in which no one goes to church ever. One of the heroes of the previous volume, Clem, is of Indian descent, and when someone calls him a heathen he protests that he’s good Church of England, but he doesn’t visibly standardized. And the only clergy in the series are respectively a crude, drunken blackmailing ex-parson and a couple of brutal cult leaders. I admit this somewhat tarnishes how thrilled I am to see my own lack of religion represented, but still…
Right now I’m reading Meaty, by Samantha Irby which has been on my to-read list for years since I like her blog. So far it’s great.
This has been a meh month otherwise. I liked The Strongest Shape by Tessa Cardenas (a ménage story) but it mostly made me want to go back and read similar books I liked better.
A Duke to Remember was good, but I felt let down by the ending.
I started Size Matters by Allison Bliss but couldn’t get past the self-loathing and body shaming from the fat heroine. Plus the hero was as ass. Any recommendations for books with fabulous fat ladies?
Better luck next month.
I finally got my hands on White Hot by Ilona Andrews and inhaled it. Wildfire, the final book (although I have hopes that they will continue to write in this world) is being released next month on my birthday. It’s the perfect present. Needless to say, my plans for the day include a comfy chair out on my deck, and that book. It makes me happy just thinking about it.
It seems like I’ve been in a paranormal mood, so I also read the first 2 books in Devon Monk’s new UF series Ordinary Magic. They were enjoyable with decent world building involving a small town on the Oregon coast called Ordinary, where gods lay down their magic and go on vacation as normal humans.
I also just finished Julianna Keyes’ new book, My Roommate’s Girl. It was very good, although darker and more meaty than what I was expecting. I haven’t tried her adult romances, but I love her NA ones. They are all about choices, past, present, and future, and how you can change your path if you really want to.
Finally, to mix up my reading a bit, I try to read at least one non-fiction book each month. I just started The Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg, and so far, so good.
@Francesca — I’m very sorry to hear that, and I wish you a full and speedy recovery.
I just read “Silent Defender” by Nikki Worrell about a deaf professional hockey player. I didn’t care for her style of writing, but I probably would have liked it if it was written in third person.
Let’s try this again. Posted like an hour ago and it disappeared. If this shows up twice, my apologies. Stupid technology. Fire BAD!
So much reading since the last Whatcha post. The GBPL coughed up five must reads at one time, all new, all nonrenewable. YIKES!
Started with The Thing About Love, of course. Summer never really starts until there’s a new Julie James book. READ THIS BOOK!!
Then, in no particular order:
JAK’s latest The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Fun, although it lacked the sense of time and place. Still JAK, so still time well spent.
Kylie Scott’s Twist was really disappointing.
Finally got my hands on Thea Harrison’s Moonshadow. Why? Why did I let this drift off the priority read list? It was wonderful.
Goodnight From London totally nailed the sense of time and place. Was it just me, or did the style seem a little journalistic? RHG? It’s appropriate as this is the story of a young journalist sent to London to cover the war in the the early 40’s, before America joined. Recommended.
Kresley Cole’s latest Wicked Abyss was full of demon kings, dark fae, revenge, reincarnation, betrayal. What’s not to love?
THANK YOU SMART BITCHES for the copy of “The Romance Readers Guide To Life! People really do win SBTB giveaways. This was completely engaging. The story of two sisters: one quiet and cautious, the other bold and impetuous. Their story is juxtaposed with the old skool pirate romance that the quiet one liberated from the library of the eldery woman she read to as a child. “You’re not old enough for that one.” How many of us started our romance addiction that way? READ THIS BOOK!!!
Finished Sophie Jaff’s Love is Red yesterday. Still digesting. Trying to decide if I want to continue the trilogy, not because it wasn’t good, it was, but it’s also creepy. I don’t read a lot of creepy.
Started Written in Red this morning and ended up reading way longer than planned. Now I’m behind on my morning. Laundry must wait as I am off to the Chicago Scots Highland Games. Men in kilts, pasties, bagpipes, caber tossing (by men in kilts, it’s a rule). Enjoy your weekend!
My best books are The Ringmaster’s Wife by Kristy Cambron, With You Always by Jody Hedlund and SweetBriar Cottage by Denise Hunter.
I’m still working on whittling down my TBR folder by reading at least one book/month from that folder. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, starting and then not continuing with many of the romance books in that folder — probably more a function of my mood than the quality of the books. A friend was raving about Louise Penny’s mysteries and I was surprised to discover that I owned the first 5 — purchased on sale in April 2015. I started book 1 just before Memorial Day and really enjoyed it. I just finished book 7 and am going to purchase book 8 (even though it is not on sale) because I’ve been enjoying the characters so much. The books are set in the Province of Quebec and most of the action takes place in a small village near the Vermont/Canadian border. If only the village existed, I would want to move there — and I don’t speak French! I already own book 9 (also bought on sale). Then, I think I will try Daughter of Sky by Michelle Diener (also in my TBR folder) because the setting sounds interesting.
First, I’ll get the nonfiction out of the way: I reread “Goddesses, whores, wives, and slaves: women in classical antiquity” and “Dinner with Persephone: travels in Greece” (ca.1992), and all I can say is, being a Greek woman sucks, and has for like 3500 years. Hopefully it’s gotten better in the last 25 years.
Then, I was in a reading slump AND a stitching slump, so I started a new sampler, and that sent me off to reread “Pride and prejudice” plus two of my favorite P&P spin-offs: “The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy” by Mary Street, and “The Darcys give a ball: a gentle joke, Jane Austen style” by Elizabeth Newark. And since this post is all about spending money TO PLEASE OURSELVES, and since I know there are some cross-stitchers on this site, let me tell you about my sampler. In case some of you haven’t run across them, The Stitching Parlor has published five P&P-themed “house” samplers, each centered around one of the houses in the book. So the one I just started is called “The Daughters of Longbourn.” The others are “A Ball at Netherfield,” “Mr. Collins humble abode,” “Rosings,” and finally “Mr. and Mrs. Darcy of Pemberley.” You can see them at http://www.thestitchingparlorinc.com.
Right now I have Rebecca Traister’s All the Single Ladies out from the library and I’m enjoying that. I just finished a re-read of Mary Balogh’s The Double Wager and it was everything that I remembered but a bit more in a disappointing way (wow, old skool Regencies had a lot of really odd tropes like heavy-lidded heroes who do nothing but indulgently observe and enable).
I just started Kristen Proby’s Blush for Me which is absolutely cute so far. I read the first in the series and really liked it. Next up is Theresa Romain’s Passion Favors the Bold which I’m eagerly anticipating because I really liked the first in this series. Pretty much everything she’s written has been fabulous!
I’ve been reading constipated for the last month, just finally started reading again. My latest highs and lows?
Regency Fire by Bridget Barton. Oh, I so wanted to love this book. All I can say is that it was free over at Amazon. The cover is gorgeous, but the content was not. A new Duke, an old family feud, a plan for revenge that wrecks the heroine’s pending marriage. For me, I need to be able to root for the hero and the heroine. And if one of them starts out bad, I need to see a redemption. Didn’t really get that here, not was their any reason that the heroine would be attracted to the hero. Plus the author needed to do some basic research. If I could pick out glaring mistakes, you know how bad it was. It was the longest novella that I ever read. Poorly edited as well, which hurt my proof-reader heart. 2 out of 5 for this one.
Her Wicked Ways by Darcy Burke, the first in her Secrets & Scandals series. Lady Miranda was sent to the countryside for being incorrigible by her family. She winds up helping at an orphanage and falling in love with Montgomery Foxcroft, the man who runs it. He needs a wealthy wife, but thinks she is out of his league. After all, what father would approve a marriage to him? Loved this one. Miranda is redeemed, but isn’t made into a goody-goody. 4.5 out of 5.
Followed that with His Wicked Heart by Darcy Burke, the story of Miranda’s brother Jasper, the heir. This wasn’t as good a read, but still intriguing. He’s made a deal with his father, allow Miranda marry her Foxcroft, and Jasper will marry within a specified time to a suitable woman. Then he meets Olivia West, daughter of a courtesan. Definitely NOT suitable! 3.5 out of 5.
Brighton Belle by Sara Sheridan. Another case of not judging a book by its cover, which was beautiful. This is a mystery, the start of the Mirabelle Bevan series, set in 1951 England. They are still struggling to recover from WWII, but former Intelligence employee Mirabelle is surviving, working for a Debt Collection Agency in Brighton, still grieving for her married lover who died just as he was planning a divorce from his wife. For me, I like my mysteries a bit less obvious. The author not only telegraphed the villains and the reasons for their crimes, but blared them out with a megaphone. Very disappointed in this one. 3 out of 3.
Needing something to clean my reading palate, I opted for an older Nora Roberts, First Impressions. Grouchy hero and perky heroine live next to each other, both working on their respective properties to renovate. His because he needed something to do after a horrendous ending to his marriage. She because she was home after four years and wanted to turn the family house into a combination Civil War Museum and Antiques Shop. No mysteries, no crimes, just a lovely growth of love and friendship between the couple. 4.5 out of 5.
Mrs. Sherlock Holmes by Brad Ricca was a library book that looked interesting. The subtitle gives the basics: The True Story of New York City’s Greatest Female Detective and the 1917 Missing Girl Case That Captivated a Nation. Set in Harlem, it recounts the story of the Ruth Cruger case and the story of the woman who managed to do what the police couldn’t…discover what happened to her and where she was. Mrs. Grace Humiston was a society woman who became a lawyer for immigrants needing help navigating the legal circus that was New York. She became a top-notch detective in order to help her clients, especially when the police didn’t care. Humiston was the first female U.S. District Attorney in history as well as the first female consulting detective to the New York Police Department. A great read for anyone who like true crime, biography, or Ann Rule books. Some jumping around, but intriguing. 4.5 out of 5.
Currently reading Forgive Me by Daniel Palmer, a thriller that may have some romance as well. I honestly picked it up by mistake. The box store’s sticker covered enough of the first name that I thought it was Diana Palmer, getting back into larger books. Looks good so far. Family mysteries, missing girls, a female private detective and a male U. S. Marshal working together to solve the mystery. Yep, looks like something I’ll enjoy!
It should’ve been “nor was there any reason”, not “not was their any reason”. I wish we had an edit function on these posts when my typing is going faster than my brain!
This past month, I renewed my membership in the Bad Decisions Book Club by staying up way too late to finish D. D. Ayres latest, Physical Forces. I don’t regularly read contemporary romantic suspense, but I gobble up her K-9 Rescue books like my Poodles gobble their peanut butter biscuits. I’m now reading Never Deceive a Duke by Liz Carlyle which was on sale and recommended here. The hero and heroine are both soooo damaged and there is a bit of a spy story with an operative working in the Duke’s household. Good stuff in an older book I missed. Before that, it was My Fair Duchess by Megan Frampton. I’m enjoying the Dukes Behaving Badly series, but Why Do Dukes Fall in Love remains my favorite, so far. Next up will be The Dukes of Vauxhall anthology with stories from some of my favorite authors, unless Buns by Alice Clayton gets delivered to my Kindle by the library e-fairies first.
I’m still reeling from Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Fate, so I haven’t read too many books this month.
Currently I’m reading THE PREY OF GODS by Nicky Drayden it’s absolutely fantastic. It’s definitely the most diverse and interesting scifi/fantasy I’ve read in a while. Set in South Africa, it features queer teens, a dolphin and crab having sex (yes, really), a murderous demigod who works at a nail salon and is struggling to pay her rent, and a politician who wants to moonlight as a crossdressing pop diva. There’s worldbuilding, humour, and so much heart.
Next up on the list: RAVEN STRATAGEM, THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST’S DAUGHTER, and THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE.
My reading this month was mostly academic journal articles but I am diving into some Kristen Ashley which I haven’t read yet. I started with the first in the HOney series since it was on sale, and now I am reading Rock Chick.
I also read the third in Maggie Fenton’s Regency Romp trilogy which I loved – The Alabaster Hip. I love the whole series – they make me laugh (like Rock Chick is making me laugh). The women are freaking great, and the writing is well done. I think she is better known for her steampunk series but I really love this trilogy. And no, it isn’t realistic – if I think the women are great you can pretty much guess that there are anachronisms. But seriously I think she is wonderful.
Given the stressful state of the world and the discomfort of humid summer days sans A/C, my reading has been in the soothing vein:
Katarina Bivald’s The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
Charlie Lovett’s THe Lost Book of the Grail
and two by Elizabeth Cadell – The Fledgling and Canary Yellow
I read two Tor.com novellas. Both are beginning to series, but one felt more incomplete than the other. I absolutely adored Martha Wells’ “All Systems Red” about the snarky self-named “Murderbot” that just wants to binge media, but her human clients keep getting into problems. I wish Emma Newman’s gaslamp “Brother’s Ruin” had just been a novel, because I liked the worldbuilding and setup, but the pacing felt a mess.
I finished Nalini Singh’s Silver Silence and loved the introduction to the bear clan. Also finished Renee Patrick’s second Lillian Frost & Edith Head mystery “Dangerous to Know”.
Reading now: Seanan McGuire’s “Down Among the Sticks and Bones” from the library. I was surprised how much I enjoyed “Every Heart a Doorway” so I was really looking forward to this followup/prequel. I’m also trying to read Victoria Schwab’s “This Savage Song” before the sequel arrives.
I’m partway into Naomi Mitchison’s Travel Light, a fantasy story that starts out with the princess being cast out, taken to live with bears by her shape-shifting nursemaid, then going off to live with dragons as she grows older… It’s been great so far and as a bonus the bio on Mitchison is completely fascinating. She was a contemporary of Tolkien, published over 70 books, was an early activist for birth control, and world traveler who lived to be 101.
I also LOVED Catherynne Valente’s The Refrigerator Monologues. It’s told from the perspectives of the various wives/girlfriends/villainesses of comic book universes who had their stories (and lives) crushed to further the male leads stories. They make up the Hell Hath Club. I’ve been describing it as cathartic rage for fans of female characters in comics, and despite the dark subject matter it’s very funny.
Francesca just sending thoughts of a full recovery.
I also totally one clicked on the 1940s sweet romance.
My favorites so far this month are White Hot, been waiting and not disappointed, and Yes Please by Amy Poehler on audible.
I liked Dear Aaron and agree that the ending was too abrupt.
@Francesca: I’m so sorry to hear that. Kick cancer’s ass – we are all cheering you on. And of course, if you need book recommendations, email me any time.
Ah, it feels like summer. Too hot, too humid, but I did see U2 this week, and the six hour drive down to see them meant I read the whole time (I let the husband drive, he can’t read in a car and I can).
True story, I always have to check my post from the previous month to see where I left off. Nerd alert, yo.
I read The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli, which I enjoyed, but maybe not as much as I enjoyed Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda. Though, to be honest, Simon was hard to top. I did really enjoy one part where a guy tells the main character that she’s “gorgeous for a big girl” and she tells him to f&*% himself. I also read a Tor.com novella, The Litany of Earth by Ruthanna Emrys, and quite enjoyed it (I’m now somewhat interested in Winter Tide, where I wasn’t before, Lovecraft-type stories are not typically my thing). Then it was Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray, which was fantastic and I need more. Gray is doing some seriously good stuff in the science fiction genre right now. I read My Fair Duchess by Megan Frampton, which I enjoyed quite a bit (those letters tho). I decided to go with some mystery in my life, and read The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda, and got nothing done for about three days. I also finished Mr. President by Katy Evans, and am a little surprised that I finished it, since I found the sex scenes entirely overblown and the main character was SUCH a drip. I hated being in her head, and have no desire to track down the sequels. After that it was Come Sundown by Nora Roberts, and I quite enjoyed it. I teared up quite a few times in it, which I was bit surprised at myself about, since Nora doesn’t normally make me cry. After that it was time to drive 6 hours to and from a concert, and I read Magic for Nothing by Seanan Mcguire for that. Antimony was awesome, and it was interesting seeing Verity through her eyes, and how Verity’s actions have put her family in the crosshairs of the Covenant of St. George. During the past week, there was also a reread of The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling, since I was using one of the stories (The Wizard and the Hopping Pot) for my first storytelling performance (which was this past Tuesday at my sister’s Harry Potter camp that she is running for the week at the charter school she works at). Now I’m reading The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi, and am thoroughly enjoying it. I tend to have a really hard time with space opera, but Scalzi is great at make the world-building and the scientific stuff not completely overwhelming for me, and he’s great at humor. There are also some Dune/Game of Thrones style political machinations at work in the book, and I love that stuff (it helps me not focus on what a shitshow the current political climate is).
It’s been a pretty good month for me reading wise. So far I’ve read Ilona Andrews’ White Hot, which was great but I knew it would be. I also read Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give, which wrecked me emotionally. Sarah Dessen’s latest YA romance Once and For All, which I thought would be a light, beach read after my previous read but actually ended up having heavy subject matters as well. I’m now doing a reread of my fave Dessen novels because I need to give my mind a break.
Sending good thoughts your way, Francesca.
— In my re(re)-read of Anne Bishop’s the Others series, I finished her Murder of Crows plus Marked In Flesh both of which I enjoyed once again.
— I also read Half by Eli Lang which was a pleasant male/male paranormal romance. I don’t think it’s a book I’ll be re-reading though.
— Storm Season (Accidental Roots Book 1) by Elle Keaton — a male/male romance. I enjoyed this so much that I bought the follow on book.
— Moving in Rhythm by Dev Bentham — enjoyable male/male contemporary romance
— The Clockwork Heart by Kim Fielding — short romance novella about a man and a clockwork golem. I enjoyed this.
— A Shift in the Water (Elemental Shifter Book 1) by Patricia D. Eddy — pleasant urban fantasy but not likely a book I’ll re-read.
— Rayzor’s One (Alien Bounty Hunters Book 1) by Michele Mills — science fiction romance; not stellar (a pun!)
— Takoda and Horse (The Good Fight) by Andrew Grey — very short work
— Tremolo: A Verismo Short Story by E.M. Lindsey — I have another book by this author that I’m looking forward to reading.
— A Most Unusual Courtship (The Mage and the Leathersmith) by Nancy M. Griffis; I’d be interested in reading more by this author.
— Flashbulb (Flight HA1710 Book 3) by Clare London. I enjoyed this male/male romance and will likely re-read it at some point. It deals with two men who survive a plane crash.
— Laura Florand’s contemporary romance Trust Me (Paris Nights). While this is third in a series, it stands alone well. The heroine is a survivor of a terror attack — which does not seem as fictional an event these days as one would wish.
— Half-Blood Dragon: Book One of the Dragon Born Trilogy by K.N. Lee. This was an enjoyable fantasy except for two facts — first, it ends with a definite cliffhanger and second, some of the language doesn’t seem to fit the setting (for example, use of the word okay).
— Fabricating Jada by Vanessa Marie. This was a pleasant read; it’s a new adult romance.
— re-read, with pleasure, Pretty Face (London Celebrities) by Lucy Parker and Oracle’s Moon (Elder Races Book 4) by Thea Harrison.
— For my book group: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. My, what a surfeit of semi-colons! What the book lacks, however, is chapters, and even page breaks were in short supply. At one point, I checked and there were some forty pages plus between page breaks. I would read along and be thinking, “My kingdom for a page break!” This was a dense read with multiple story lines and points of view. I don’t regret reading it, but I was happy to be done.
— a re-read of Ruth’s Bonded (Ruth & Gron Book 1) by V.C. Lancaster and the sequel (a new read for me), Gron’s Fated (Ruth & Gron Book 2). These are categorized as science fiction romances and were entertaining reads.
— Nathan Burgoine’s novella In Memoriam which I enjoyed quite a bit. It’s a short male/male romance that I’ll be re-reading.
— Sarina Bowen’s contemporary romance Shooting For the Stars which I enjoyed.
— a fantasy book that had some unique world building: Silver Blood (Series of Blood Book 1) by Emma Hamm
— Just finished the cyborg romance (yes, that appears to be a genre!) ~ Peyton 313 (Cyborgs- Mankind Redefined) by Donna McDonald. It was a pleasant read even though the heroine spent a lot of time crying and repenting her prior actions.
— a re-read of Dark Horse (Class 5 Series Book 1) by Michelle Diener
— read and re-read Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata which is a new book by a favorite author. I enjoyed it even though it’s not my favorite of her books. It’s an epistolary novel in that the main characters are emailing/instant messaging for the first half of the book; they do not talk or see each other until well into the second half.
— The Japanese Lover: A Novel by Isabel Allende for my book group. This was a fairly easy book to read, and I finished it over the course of several days. It touched on a host of topics ~ the holocaust, the incarceration during World War 2 of Japanese Americans, child pornography, infidelity, and incest to name a few. The storyline was interesting, but I was left feeling unmoved — and I’m a person who could be compelled by another author to cry over the death of a goldfish! I don’t regret reading it, but it’s not a book I’d recommend.
— The Ribs and Thigh Bones of Desire: A Novel by Sandra Hutchison. This caught my attention because of its unusual title which, it turns out, comes from a Virginia Woolf quote. I enjoyed this (though it did have challenging content) and would happily read more by this author. It is fiction rather than romance.
— read and enjoyed Kristen Callihan’s contemporary romance The Hot Shot. It’s book four in a series but can stand alone well.
— Just finished the male/male contemporary romance Wake Up Call by JL Merrow which I enjoyed.
@Francesca – My thoughts for you as you beat cancer! And, I haven’t read “Wheel of Fortune” yet but I have read “Penmerric” and I just loved the boy so subtle Plantagenet allusions.