It’s time for everyone’s favorite post!
We want to hear about all your reading woes and accomplishments, the good and the bad. It’s a weird time and we’re so grateful for this community of readers.
Aarya: I’m basking in a Susanna Kearsley post-reading glow. I first read her last year. The experience was so perfect that I did what any reasonable reader would do: 1) refuse to read another book in the fear that I would run out of them and 2) carefully acquire/hoard her backlist when they went on sale. I finally gave into temptation last week (if a pandemic isn’t a break-emergency-glass-if-necessary event, then I don’t know what is) and read The Winter Sea ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ). It’s an achingly beautiful book, and it broke me into a million pieces. Now I’m pining sadly at my self-inflicted refusal to read more of her backlist.
I’m also in the middle of KJ Charles’s Slippery Creatures (out May 13) and am enjoying myself immensely. It’s the first book in a post-WWI m/m romantic trilogy (HEA after three books). So far, the book has all my favorite things: adventure, intrigue, twists, spies, bookstores, more twists, a hero who is not as he seems, and even more twists meriting a third mention. It’s all wrapped up with a witty and perfectly paced bow, as is KJ Charles’s MO. I’m not done yet, but I don’t anticipate changing my recommendation.
This has been an excellent reading week for me!
Shana: I’m flitting between several books and haven’t been able to settle into one. I’ve just managed an entire lovely chapter of Passing Strange by Ellen Klages, which is a good sign. Please tell me nothing terrible happens in this book.
AJ: I’m reading Slippery Creatures too! Second time through for me, I’ll be sharing my thoughts at length soon. I also just read Charles’ Think of England for the first time and was delighted. Daniel and Archie are such great opposites! I’ve told this story before but I described it to my roomie as “Wayne from Letterkenny falls in love with Daxy.”
What can I say, it’s a KJ Charles kind of month for me.
Lara: It’s a re-reading week for me and I’m loving Amanda Bouchet’s A Promise of Fire – it’s giving me everything I need at the minute!
Catherine: I just finished Recipe for Persuasion, ( A | BN | K | AB ) which left me a bit traumatised (it is many things, but not a light romantic comedy), and am now a few chapters into The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer, ( A | BN | K | AB ) which I’m enjoying a lot. It’s set in an alternate version of New York’s gilded age and the heroine is a stage magician who may actually be a real magician. I have no idea where it’s going, but I’m loving it so far.
Sarah: Thanks to TOR’s free offer, I’ve been reading Murderbot all this week. *chef’s kiss* Perfection.
The novel is out today. I will probably have to buy it.
In unrelated news, I have library books out and my libraries have been closed since early March. Are they now my books by common law? Are these books now married to me? I’m not saying it’s a problem. Just wondering.
Aarya: I’d be happy to conduct a wedding via zoom if I get the go-ahead from your library.
Sarah: Ha!
Claudia: I was looking for a low-stress book and after reading Kiki’s review First Comes Scandal leap-frogged others in my TBR. So far so good, especially because I was coming out a bit of a disappointment with a book I had been looking forward to read.
Tara: I finally got a digital copy of The Vagina Bible from my library. Now I feel silly for not just buying it already, since it’s one that I can tell I want to own and I’m only 15% in. I’ve been following Jen Gunter online for a while now and have found many of her articles helpful, so I love getting such a comprehensive book.
In audio I’m listening to Flavor of the Month by Georgia Beers, ( A | BN ) which is a second chance f/f romance. It’s also about returning home to a small town after getting knocked down in the big city by a terrible ex-girlfriend. So far I’m enjoying it. There’s pie and great characters and a gentle humour. I’m just hoping the ex-girlfriend doesn’t try to come back, because I’m not into that.
Sarah: I LOVE THE VAGINA BIBLE. So much.
Tara: I can’t wait for the menopause book she’s writing, since I’m having the “am I having night sweats because of perimenopause or because of COVID anxiety?” conversation with myself on the regular lately
Carrie: I am reading Huntress by Malinda Lo and Bronze Gods by A.A. Aguirre. ( A | BN | K | AB ) Reviews pending, I like them both! Huntress has a lovely f/f romance set in a fantasy world and I am HERE FOR IT.
Elyse: I’m torn between what to read next, Laura Purcell’s House of Whispers or something happier? I’m eyeing up From Alaska with Love.
Shana: Huntress is SO good, Carrie. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
Aarya: I’m updating to reveal my public shame. I’m on my fifth Susanna Kearsley book since The Winter Sea. Restraint, 0. Good Book Noise, 6. This has been quite A Week.
EllenM: Like a lot of people, I’ve been having a little bit of trouble focusing on reading so I’ve been going back to some tried-and-true authors & genres…I just devoured the first Guild Hunter book by Nalini Singh (which I got in our SBTB holiday book exchange!!) ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and it’s kind of fun to track the similarities and differences in style and tone between this series and Psy-Changeling!
I’m also currently reading Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ) for the first time because at times like these, the sheer predictability of historical romance is incredibly comforting. Enjoying it a lot so far!
Sneezy: I just finished A Touch of Stone and Snow by Milla Vane, ( A | BN | K | AB ) the second book in A Gathering of Dragons. Aaaand I LOVE IT!!!!!
Also, I need to finish The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel A. van der Kolk ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) lickity split before it goes back to the library, but all my brain wants to do is slide off it to look for happy juice. BLARG.
Susan: I’ve just started KJ Charles’ Slippery Creatures and officially declared Will Darling to be my favourite from the first paragraph, so that’s how I’m doing.
What have you been reading? Clearly KJ Charles is at the top of our lists!
:::yawns, stretches, and saunters in:::
After this many weeks in my house, I am basically kitty now.
Let’ see, we start off with A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones. It’s a nice little mystery that kicks off a nice start to a new mystery series. I did have a small laugh at a callback to the Charley Davidson series that took place about halfway through the book (it was highlighted, so I am clearly not the only reader that caught it, it wasn’t particularly subtle). It was funny in parts, I very much enjoyed the relationship between Sunshine and her daughter, and there’s an interesting overarching mystery that I imagined will unfold over the course of the series. I saw one review compare the relationship between Sunshine and Auri to Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, and hoo boy, I was literally reading Sunshine’s dialogue and hearing Lauren Graham in my head. Enjoyed it. I tried to follow that up with a historical romance that’s been sitting on my Kindle for about 2 years, and I DNFed it about 50% of the way in. I can’t really think of anything in it that was working for me. Then I read Starbreaker by Amanda Bouchet. I enjoy Tess and Shade, it’s got great supporting characters, the conflict was nice, and Bonk continues to be amazing. If you can have a space cat in your book, have a space cat in your book. And now we’re at now, in which I just started Butterfly Bayou by Lexi Blake. I saw the review here, and the things that they said worked about the book are entirely all of my catnip, so I’m reading it and am really enjoying it. Otis forever. Until next time, wear the mask and drink your water.
KJ Charles is about the only fairly new (to me) author I’ve been able to read lately. I think I’m just anxious enough that I don’t quite trust unfamiliar authors or books, so I’m mostly rereading, such as Jana de Leon’s Mudbug series. But even after a few KJ Charles, I trust her and love the books. However, I’m limiting my purchasing to one every week or so, since freelance writing income is down. My library won’t let me recommend any more books for a while, and besides they often take months to purchase them.
I do have The Flatshare from the library on my Kindle. We’ll see if I can get past my general suspicion of new authors since that book was so well reviewed here.
Reading Scot and Bothered. Recently finished A Walk Along the Beach and What You Wish For.
Oo! Oo! I *love* KJ Charles.
I’ve sent in a guest review of “Slippery Creatures” about a week ago (I had an ARC), but I haven’t seen it anywhere here. (I put it on Goodreads, but I prefer the marking system on SMTB by a long way.
I’ll send in another email.
It’s not my favourite KJC book, but that’s largely because it’s using a genre that doesn’t happen to be my jam.
The Mystery of the Bones: Snow & Winter #4. C.S. Poe (4/5) Antique dealer Sebastian and detective Calvin solve another crime together
The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard Charlie Cochet (3/5) Shifters, Prince Owin is a bratty ocelot shifter and is sent on a quest with his bodyguard Grimmwolf (who is a wolf shifter)
The Art of Love Suzette D Harrison (4/5) depression era historical. Ava is trying to keep an art studio going, Chase is a bootlegger. His business is putting her in danger.
Kinky boys series K.M. Neuhold, Nora Phoenix (4/5) Centers around actors in a new porn studio what will focus on kink
This weekend Im reading through Neuhold/Phoenix’s Ballsy Boys series. I don’t like them as much as Kinky boys but Im going to keep going
I took advantage of the Tor giveaway, and grabbed all 4 Murderbot novellas. They were great, I plan to continue with the novel at some point
I got excited when I saw that KJ Charles was doing a giveaway of her backlist items…then realized I already own all her books, so I’m excited for someone else to win!
Add me to the Murderbot love. I’d read all the novellas through my library and decided to splurge and buy the novel. Finished it yesterday and it was so so good.
Have made peace with the fact that I’m just not able to read much right now. Am reserving my reading energy for favorite authors and retellings. Am looking forward to the new KJ Charles.
Yay to the return of Leverage! (Dare I hope Christian Kane grows his hair out again?)
Yesterday I spent a lovely coffee break with Pico Iyer’s THE ART OF STILLNESS…it’s a TED Talk transcript, but lyrical and useful for our current situation (and highly recommended for Leonard Cohen buffs).
A lot of the Bitchery will be interested in Joseph Brennan’s anthology QUEERBAITING AND FANDOM: TEASING FANS THROUGH HOMOEROTIC POSSIBILITIES. Case studies include Harry Potter, Supernatural, Sherlock, and Harry Potter, among others. (I’m stunned no one wrote about House, since I found the House/Wilson relationship to have some of the most brazen examples back in the day.) It’s a bit jargony here and there (mostly in the intro and first chapter), but it’s always compelling reading (the analysis of Nick Jonas’s career arc is fascinating), introducing me to terms (HoYay!) and shows (there was a Dawson’s Creek spinoff set in an all-male prep school, starring Ian Somerhalder?!) I didn’t know. Brennan sounds like an awesome potential guest for the SBTB podcast: who couldn’t love someone who dedicates the book to his husband by saying “We’re canon, baby!” ?
Sigh, Harry Potter twice…coffee didn’t kick in after all. Sorry, folks. I assure you the series wasn’t mentioned THAT much…
I finally finished and published a fanfiction story for the first time so there’s been a lot of, er, anxiety rereading alternating with vanity rereading of my own story as I perpetually refresh the Ao3 page in the hopes of more comments and kudos? How long does this stage last?
Aside from embarrassing authorial obsession, I just finished TJ Klune’s A House on the Cerulean Sea, which was super cute. I’m not sure the love story clicked with me exactly, but the found familial bromance where the protagonist grew to love all the kids ABSOLUTELY clicked.
Currently reading Deadlands: Boneyard by Seanan McGuire. I gather it’s a licensed novel in the universe of the Deadlands RPG, but so far it’s pretty pure McGuire and I’m not having any trouble with not knowing anything about the Deadlands world beyond what I’m given in the book. A travelling carnival goes to a creepy small town that I’m getting strong fae vibes from.
It’s been hard to read, to no one’s surprise. But in April I read:
EXCUSE ME (Liana Finck), which is a series of mostly 1 panel comics about modern life as a single woman.
THE THING ABOUT LUCK: A middle grade book about Japanese immigrants who work the wheat fields + coming of age story for the MC.
NEW YEAR, SAME TRASH by Samantha Irby. Always fun. I’ve been reading her newsletter, too.
ANTS AMONG ELEPHANTS (Sujatha Gidla) was devastating and difficult but I loved it. Memoir focuses on a family of Untouchables.
WRONG TO NEED YOU (Alisha Rai): I know I’m super late to this series but wow.
THE GARDNER HEIST (Ulrich Boser): so cool to see folks who love art and are trying to figure out this art heist.
Currently reading: LOVE LETTERING (loving it!!!), and LOOK HOW HAPPY I’M MAKING YOU (on motherhood).
@trix omggg that book sounds amazing and HARD SAME on House/Wilson. As a devoted shipper in 2009, it felt earnest on Egan’s episodes, mocking on others, nonexistent on Shore’s and that’s fascinating.
I remember the show runners made a very big deal about House likely “ending up with any of these 3 people” and then they rode off into the sunset.
I’m looking for the book right now.
@CLAUDIA (the other one): I admit I couldn’t study the minutiae of the series enough to track the approach of each writer (the medical stuff always made me a hit-and-miss viewer, especially once my dad got sick near the end of the run), but that’s really interesting! I still hope Wilson somehow got a kinder end than they planned, enjoying his sunset to this day. I finished the book last night, and aside from an abrupt jump into the notes (no real conclusion), I loved it. Sadly, it’s priced like the academic tome it technically is (weird, since it’s a paperback with no photos or illustrations). I managed to convince a nearby library to order it…you might also have luck getting an interlibrary loan from a college, or maybe it’s on EBSCO or some other academic database some libraries let patrons access…
Comfort re-reads of MANY early Amanda Quick and Julia Quinn paperbacks. I think five so far, all brought up from the basement book storage. They’re scattered all over the house and I just pick up whichever one is at hand, open to a random page, and read a couple chapters. Nothing linear about it. When it’s like the fifth or tenth re-read of a book, start to finish really doesn’t matter.
I listened to the audiobook of The Black House by Peter May (first in a murder mystery series set in Scottish Hebrides, or some such remote and very cold Scottish islands). Wow. DARK. CW for everything, but especially bad things happening to children. But also very compelling — excellent narration, I thought, and extremely atmospheric and immersive look at insularity of life on tiny island (good and bad). The good and bad characters were very complex. I have the second on hold for streaming audio.
Started audiobook of Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, having seen it rec’d by so many literary-reading friends. It’s the first experimental book I’ve liked in a looong time. There are 160 or so different people voicing characters — Nick Offerman of Parks and Rec is one of the main narrators, as is David Sedaris — sometimes I find myself thinking, “wait, was that Brad Pitt’s voice? Was that Nancy Pearl’s voice?” but mostly I’m just paying attention quietly to the story. It was good while cleaning up the kitchen last night.
Next up: audiobooks of second in Charlaine Harris’s new “Gunnie Rose” series, A LONGER FALL, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. I also have a goal of flipping thru and recycling a giant stack of magazines.
Having some trouble reading. Many of my comfort reads are not doing it right now. I did manage to reread Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Memory of Morning by Susan Sizemore, Trade Me by Courtney Milan, UnderCurrents by Nora Roberts. What they have in common seems to be engaging and fairly stable main characters, lots of nature and or science, and a meditative quality to the writing. I love the heroine’s relationship with the forest, the river, and, especially, with her best friend in Uprooted. The heroine in Memory of Morning is so focused as she pursues becoming a naval surgeon and yet so interested in family and fashion. Trade Me, I really love the parents. Undercurrents, well, she is a landscaper so lots of plants. And strong survivorship in so many of the characters. I could use some good examples of strong survivorship right now.