Whatcha Reading already?! I thought we did one of these just last week.
Most of you all know the drill by now. Sound off in the comments about what you’ve been reading lately!
Aarya: I recently finished Kit Rocha’s Deal with the Devil (out July 28) ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and enjoyed it. Sexy, exhilarating sci-fi road trip romance between two sets of found families (aka found family squared. They merge into a bigger found family and it’s so satisfying). I will say, it’s super weird to be reading dystopian fiction when our own reality is… * gestures at everything on fire. * There were some worldbuilding details that hit too close to home, and I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Still, it’s a hell lot of fun and I’m already shipping the couples of future books in the series.
I also started Mina V. Esguerra’s So Forward. It’s an ice hockey player heroine/ice skater bi hero romance set in Manila. I’m trying desperately to savor it. I loved, loved, loved Kiss and Cry and the events of So Forward take place simultaneously to Kiss and Cry (Colin is Calinda’s brother). Fingers crossed that it lives up to ridiculously high expectations.
Elyse: I haven’t been able to focus on reading lately which bums me out. I have been knitting a lot and I’m loving 52 Weeks of Socks which I got when we first started quarantine. Socks are my favorite thing to knit and the book is huge and easy to read.
I’m including the link because I think you can only get it direct from them or through a yarn store.
It’s 52 patterns so the book is actually really reasonably priced since I usually pay around $3-5 for an individual pattern and I like how big the charts are.
Claudia: I recently resumed a knitting UFO but I’m getting upset I can’t remember the pattern right (pattern long misplaced) and it’s getting wonkier by the minute. I am thinking of unraveling it all, it will be just as therapeutic.
As for reading, I just finished Two Rogues Make a Right and I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit. The two heroes are in a sort of their own shelter-in-place orders and that was very relatable. I was surprised to enjoy it as much as I did since friends to lovers isn’t among my favorite tropes but I did, I had a smile on my face most of the time. CW: one of the main characters is seriously ill.
Elyse: I found that one really soothing as well, Claudia.
Shana: I loved it too, Claudia.
Also, that Mina Esguerra book sounds amazing, Aarya. Bi rep makes me happy.
Anyway, I just started reading Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s about a Senator who meets a lawyer who just moved to L.A. and they start to fall for each other before figuring out who the other is. I had to force myself to put it down and go to sleep last night, which is a good sign.
Catherine: You can do that? An inability to put down the book and go to sleep is the number one reason I am perpetually tired by day…
I’ve just finished The Devil of Downtown by Joanna Shupe, ( A | BN | K | AB ) which I thoroughly enjoyed. Mulligan was so much fun in the previous book, and he lived up to my hopes in this one. And I’m just about to start The Lyon Sleeps Tonight, which I bought without so much as clicking on the blurb purely for the tag line ‘Sometimes love is just a whim away’. You’re welcome for the earworm. I shall report back on whether this was a wise decision…
Shana: Catherine, if it helps, I didn’t manage to actually push the book out of my hand until an hour after my bedtime.
Catherine: It’s good to know we aren’t alone…
EllenM: I’m reading Lord of the Last Heartbeat by May Peterson and enjoying it a lot so far. Incredibly atmospheric, queer beauty and the beast vibes!!
I also just read volume 1 of Knight of the Ice by Yayoi Ogawa ( A | BN | K | AB )and it might be my new favorite manga?! professional skating, otaku culture, fish out of water, rom-com—plus the characters are wonderful!!
Carrie: I’m really excited because in a few days I get to go up in a hot air balloon! To celebrate I’m reading Falling Upward by Richard Holmes which is about the early days of ballooning (non-fiction). I expect a more placid experience than the one had by the passengers of “The Giant,” a massive balloon (200 feet tall!) that on crash landing managed to nearly be hit by a train.
Tara: I’m reading Entangled by Melissa Brayden. It’s an f/f enemies-to-lovers romance between a vineyard owner and the manager of a new chain hotel manager. So far, I like the characters and the banter is great, but the vineyard owner doesn’t actually know that she’s going to hate her new crush yet. I’m expecting drama any minute now.
Maya: After a weekend of books that didn’t work for me and DNFs, I’m reading A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories by Robin McKinley, ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Scribd ) which Sneezy recommended because I mentioned that what got me out of my last book reading slump was reading all the Murderbot novellas (short stories FTW!). I’m loving this collection of short stories so far! And also my copy of A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane ( A | BN | K | AB ) just came in from my library so I look forward to joining the SBTB Squee Club soon!
Lara: I just finished rereading The Weaver Takes a Wife by Sherri Cobb South ( A | BN | K | AB ) and it was just as charming as it was the first time around.
So tell us, whatcha reading?
I really liked the first half of Abby Jimenez’s “The Happy Ever After Playlist”, but the second half of it didn’t work for me. It started off with an unlikely event causing a connection between a woman dealing with a heartbreaking loss and a rock star on the rise. They meet cute over phone calls and texts and fall instantly in love when they finally meet in person. That part was a little hard to swallow, but it worked. The second half of the book took a strange turn that had me skipping to the epilogue because I didn’t like the manufactured drama. I would recommend the book for the first half alone, but I would suggest waiting for it to go on sale to buy it because of the second half.
@Aarya, I just checked out “Deal With the Devil”, and you forgot to mention an important point, that it’s “A Mercenary Librarians Novel”! Sold!
I somehow had never finished the last 2 books in Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series, so I read Duke of Pleasure and really loved it, and now I’m starting Duke of Desire. Although I dislike that the cover does not look anything like the description of the hero.
I am struggling with “A Modest Independence” and not really feeling it. I feel badly, because I have been the biggest Mimi Matthews fan, talking her up everywhere, and autobuying all her books. But this one I am not actually hating it, it’s just very slow going.
But the real highlight of my month was a book that is not a romance, although it does have a love story: “Simon the Fiddler” by Paulette Jiles. Read it, you won’t be sorry! I finished it several days ago and the characters are still living in my head, and the setting, in post-Civil War Texas, was so vivid and all new to me. The MC is an itinerant musician, and I’m going to say something spoilerish, so skip the rest of this comment if you don’t want to know.
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OK, as I mentioned there is a love story. Because we are romance readers I know we are leery of a non-romance book where something horrible may happen and the MCs may not end up together, or someone could even die! Don’t be afraid to pick up this book, because there IS an HEA. The hero sees the heroine briefly at the beginning, immediately decides this is the woman for him, and spends half the book trying to get back to her. When they do reunite, it’s very gratifying, and although they go through some trials and tribulations, they do end up together.
Mixed month for reading.
The Murderbot novel, Network Effect, was as excellent as reported here. Sure hope there will be more.
After last month’s Annabeth Albert kick, I started her series about game designers, but after I read Status Update, the others vanished from my library’s E-book collection. Status Update was sweet, M/M, dealt with being closeted for career/family/religion reasons.
Just for something different, read Wicked Beat from Olivia Cunning’s Sinners on Tour series. Really liked the hero, Eric, who felt very ADHD (although that was never said), but was a bit bored by the many, many lengthy sex scenes, so gave up on the series.
Started reading the latest story coming out in serial on Ilona Andrews website, the Aurelia Ryder story Blood Heir. It’s engaging, but suffers a bit from the need to make the new heroine Even More Extra Super than the previous heroine, Kate Daniels. Have a bad feeling they are going for the same overkill with the love interest, alas. Also read Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews via my library– world building was interesting, but was not convinced by the instalove, and I am very tired of authors trying to convince me that in alternative worlds I should be OK with “good” characters owning other people. So overall, a fail.
Does anyone know if Anna Zabo is still writing? Their web page has no updates. I read and enjoyed Daily Grind (M/M, coffee shop owner and tech CEO in Pittsburgh), Due Diligence (M/M, two software engineers, Pittsburgh and Seattle, TW for antisemitism, racism, and homophobia by the villains, and a very painful if realistic lack of consequences), and Takeover (M/M software engineer and CEO, Pittsburgh, some BDSM). Fun to read a different setting (Pittsburgh), and the very supportive gay community of friends followed through the series. I have 1 book left in the series, and then may have to try their other series.
Since last time ~
— California Dreamin’: Cass Elliot, Before the Mamas & the Papas by Pénélope Bagieu; this is a graphic novel that I read as part of my library summer reading challenge. I enjoyed the book and now I’d like to listen to some music by the Mamas & the Papas!
— for artistic inspiration, I recently finished Freehand: Sketching Tips and Tricks Drawn from Art by Helen Birch which I found enjoyable.
— Love Him Free (On The Market Book 1) by E.M. Lindsey; this is a contemporary romance featuring two men. I enjoyed it.
— Dear Edward: A Novel by Ann Napolitano; this is about the sole survivor of a plane crash. The author told a compelling story, and I recommend it.
— A Primate’s Memoir: A Neuroscientist’s Unconventional Life Among the Baboons by Robert M. Sapolsky for my book group. It was, at times, funny and sad and disgusting and heartwrenching. It was eminently readable and left me with absolutely no desire to ever go to Africa. I would happily read more by this author. As a side benefit, this meets the last of my summer reading challenges which was to read a book in the Dewey decimal 500s.
— My Ideal Bookshelf with art by Jane Mount and edited by Thessaly La Force. I quite enjoyed this book.
— Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer; I quite enjoyed this young adult novel which was a spin-off of an award winning short story.
— Penric’s Mission by Lois McMaster Bujold; I finished this novella with a happy sigh! I then went on to read Penric’s Fox, Mira’s Last Dance, and the Prisoner of Limnos.
— Smoke Bitten (A Mercy Thompson Novel Book 12) by Patricia Briggs which I enjoyed even though I admit to preferring the author’s Alpha and Omega series. This is a series best read in order.
— Repeat by Kylie Scott; this is a contemporary romance with a heroine who has amnesia. I enjoyed it.
— Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall; this book had some truly funny dialogue and I laughed a lot. The language is also very British. I could see rereading this.
— For artistic inspiration, I enjoyed reading/admiring Draw Your Day: An Inspiring Guide to Keeping a Sketch Journal by Samantha Dion Baker.
Happy reading all!
I’ve been trying to read some cozy mysteries, but several of them started too slow or just didn’t engage me for whatever reason. But I did enjoy Baking Bad,by Kim M. Watt which has two small dragons helping two ladies of a certain age figure out who gave the vicar a poisoned cupcake.
I also broke down and read Ilona Andrews’s Clean Sweep, even though I’m not reading much paranormal these days, because of the recommendations here. And it totally grabbed me, so thanks!
@FashionablyEvil the fat shaming did not sit well with me either. I think I’m over the sort of “heroine’s body acceptance journey comes through the hero telling her she’s beautiful” arc. The comments Cassandra got from her chaperone reminded me a lot of my best friend’s mother making terrible comments about my best friend’s weight, even in front of other people. I’d like to see books doing a better job with heroines confronting their family members for policing their bodies, rather than body acceptance because the hero wants to bone them regardless. (That also would have given Cassandra a more interesting character arc.)
:::grapevines in to Sleep At Night, because ho boy, Natalie Maines had time for her ex:::
Yes, I’ve been listening to The Chicks, who hasn’t?
Welp, since we last had this party, I followed Home Before Dark with one of the loves of my life, Harry Dresden, and his new book, Peace Talks, written by one Jim Butcher. While I greatly enjoyed it, and I love Harry’s voice (although I’m kind of starting to wish that he would get some of his horniness under better control, dudes, I swear), it was half a book. If I didn’t know that Battle Ground, basically the second half, was coming out in September, I would have been PISSED. We’re not talking dangling plot threads so much as dangling plot fringe (thanks, folks, I’ll be here all night). Still enjoyed it, still worthwhile, still half a book. I then decided I needed Squatch Murder in my life and read Devolution by Max Brooks. It was basically sold to me by Rachel Hawkins by her assuring me that it was chock-full of murderous Squatches. And so it was, although admittedly, it took a bit to get going. Having actually experienced a natural disaster, I was pretty impressed with how well Brooks understood how we civilians handle the aftermath of natural disaster. I’m passing to my nephew next, partly because he’ll enjoy and partly because it will drive my sister nuts, and if I can’t troll her once in awhile, then what it life? Then, because I was apparently on a tear of reading fantasy written by dudes (this is probably more books written by guys than I normally read in a year), I went with Burn by Patrick Ness. I pretty much loved that one. It was well-paced, I enjoyed the characters, the world-building made sense, I did not see the big twist coming, and oh, yeah. SNARKY DRAGON. I love a snarky dragon. There was some really intelligent stuff in that book, and I liked what seemed to be some setup for continuing the story. Which brings us to literal now, in which I’m reading a Touch of Stone and Snow by Milla Vane, and I pretty much love it. It’s not quite as angsty as its predecessor (still has its moments), and I love the world-building beyond reason. Also, KITTY. There is literally a snow cat that will devour your enemies and then give you cuddles. Also, as a cat owner, trust me, he’s written as a cat, with all that implies, including the imperious looks and tendency to whack you with his tail to make a point. I like the hero in this one, Aerax, much more than I liked Maddek (that was a character that greatly benefited from development), and man, can Vane write a heroine. So, yeah, enjoying it. So, until next time, troll your sister by giving your nephew violent adult-y fare to read. I assure you, it’s hilarious.
If people like the Dresden series by Jim Butcher, and you like fantasy/sci fi, his Codex Alera series (six really consistent books featuring the same crew of characters, though focused on different ones at different points) is AMAZING. Much better than Dresden, because still has excellent characters, but the plot is really tight and clever and builds over all six books. Each book also has some form of resolution, too, which I loved. The villains were also some of my favorite characters, which is really a huge bonus. While I read a bunch of the Dresden books, I got sick of how they didn’t get anywhere. It made me sad for Harry. His life blows (or it did when I stopped reading).
Anyone who likes fantasy should read Codex Alera.
My daughter brought back some books I hadn’t seen in years, and I wound up reading, in order, about 8 of the later collections by Lynn Johnson of her For Better or Worse comic strips. I had a wonderful time reading them and I really appreciate the inclusive society she depicts and the realistic problems her characters face
I also read Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber. I really liked it, but halfway through it suddenly occurred to me that I knew the author’s name. I checked my bookshelves and discovered I had the first 3 books in a series about Lucy Valentine she wrote years ago. Lucy is able to find lost objects and finally finds her value to her family business of matching people with their true loves. I had been unable to find the last 2 those years ago and I had forgotten them. I reread the first 3 while waiting for the last two to come by mail order. Great series and great standalone book
@MaryK, I highly recommend THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS, by Karen Lord. It’s an SF road trip book with a smart but somewhat impulsive heroine and a hero that’s basically Mr. Spock. Yes, it kind of is a romance, but with a Spock-like hero, you know there won’t be a ton of emotionality, and it’s definitely not grim.
MURDER IN DEEP REGRET by Anne Cleeland – Book 11 is far past the point where the plot could make sense to anyone who hasn’t been following the Doyle & Acton series. My rating reflects my love of the characters and the fact that this mystery seemed more tightly-plotted than recent offerings. However, I am concerned that 1) too many people are aware of Acton’s activities and 2) there is still too great a gap between Doyle’s lawful good and Acton’s lawful evil alignments. I don’t want this to be resolved with the revelation that Acton was acting as a secret undercover double-double-agent all along, but I do want it to be addressed because it undermines my faith in their relationship. [A-]
THE WAR PRIEST by Ann Aguirre – I really wanted to love this story in which a sunshine kitty chases a grumpy monk bear, and I did love the protagonists and their interactions. It’s just the world they’re moving around in that didn’t thrill me. (Caveat: this is book 5 in a series, and I hadn’t read the earlier books. But I thought Aguirre did an excellent job summarizing the action in the series thus far.) Plus, the heroine’s a singer, and that vocation never appeals to me. Monk = YES! Singer…meh. [B+]
REBORN YESTERDAY by Tessa Bailey – Twee fated mates vampire romance. Fortunately, I’m down for that, but there’s really nothing new here…and the supposedly badass assassin who is being set up as the heroine for the second book gives me a serious case of eyeroll. Dressing badass is a fashion statement; being badass is something else entirely. [B+]
THE RAKESS by Scarlett Peckham – Peckham writes historicals with an appreciation for history, and I was delighted by the conclusion’s tribute to Wollstonecraft. Unfortunately, I was hoping for a sex-positive genderswap of the rake trope, and instead I got sex as self-punishment. The storyline was unrelentingly depressing, the messaging overwhelmed the romance, and what would have been a social and genre manifesto 30 years ago feels like preaching to a choir now. [C+]
Not romance:
ME AND WHITE SUPREMACY by Layla Saad – I would recommend this prompt for self-examination to every white person whose knee-jerk response is “I am not a racist,” with the caveat that there’s a catch-22 in the book’s premise, whereby any criticisms I have about the book can be answered with “you’re being racist” (made explicit on day 6, “You and White Exceptionalism”).
Okay I just literally wrote 75% of this post and the internet ate it. I was happily typing away, hopefully being witty, humorous and leading you lovely folks away from bad books, or at least walking towards the trashy books with open eyes, when the swirling icon at the top of the page came and all my words disappeared. I wanted to cry, not that it takes much these days. SO here I am, smartly typing it all again into a word document so I can cut and paste.
BTW I am the hater on The Study in Charlotte a previous poster mentioned. I am glad that someone liked it! I think my bigger issue is not necessarily with that book, but the entire YA genre in general. I especially hate that they have such great covers, I am always getting drawn in and then finding out it is YA.
Polaris Rising by Jesse Mihalik: I liked it, it had a Star Wars vibe that I liked (who didn’t want to be Princess Leia), but I did doubt that the heroine could have survived 2 years without her family finding her. I also had issues with why she and the hero loved each other, lusted sure, but loved?
Warrior by Zoe Archer: I really wanted to love this book. I liked the Blades of the Rose intrigue, the former military hero and the setting in Mongolia. However it was a slow start for me, I just could not let go and get into it. It is the start of a series and I think that I might skip ahead to the one with the African American inventor, who seems awesome (plus people of color in historicals that are brilliant and free should be 100% encouraged).
Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare: DNF, could not stand the heroine, not sure why anyone would be interested in her.
The Rake by Suzanne Enoch: I read the third in this series (Lessons in Love) and really liked it. This is the first one and I just did not care for the hero. I am not a fan of the reformed rake trope, I mean like some magical woman will stop him from being a manwhore!
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. I should have DNFed this one, I kept reading hoping that it would get better, spoiler alert, it doesn’t. I just couldn’t root for Evvie, she was whiny and, annoying and I hate baseball and when the hero is a professional baseball player you can’t get away from it.
To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt: First in the Legend of the Four Soldiers, did not like it. The heroine was prissy and the hero one dimensional. Plus it read very old skool in places, I had some huge consent issues the heroine tells the hero no during a sex scene and he completely ignores her. The old she said no, but she means yes BS.
No 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall: Not a romance, but a challenge book from my library’s summer reading program. I liked it. It is set in Africa and is about a woman detective. It is more like a collection of short stories, there is no major overarching mystery that is being solved. It is kind of like reading a meandering river, I enjoyed it, but was not captivated. There are books in the series and I doubt I will read any more.
Alien Abduction Bundle by Eve Langlais: These are the first three books in her Alien Abduction series. They are all pretty interchangeable, except the third book has a threesome. The heroes are alpha male aliens who by some accident end up with human females who they don’t really want. The women all seem to have body image issues and despite being abrasive and not liking their abductors tend to bone them as often as possible. Let’s face it, they are plot light, trashy fluff, but I did not think about Corona the whole time I was reading them and I laughed more than a few times.
Rules of Attraction by Christina Dodd: I am just not sure why I am reading this series (Governess Brides). I like that the women are independent, but the guys are all dicks, and the hero in this book is a major dick. I have no idea why the heroine loves him. There are some funny old ladies and a tapestry that provides an interesting side story.
An Accidental Goddess by Linnea Sinclair: I enjoyed this book, it read like a weird episode of Star Trek TNG and there was something about it that felt very 1990’s. The end felt a little too pat for me, like wow this book is getting long we better wrap everything up.
Vados by Celia Kyle: Just skip it, it was short, there was a whole backstory between the fish alien and the human biologist heroine that was never flushed out and yawn, just not worth it.
Mercenary Abduction by Eve Langlais: Hey in for dime, in for a dollar. It was just like the first three, but I thought the hero was funnier. Don’t judge me!
Tamed by the Beast, Mated to the Viken, His Virgin Princess and His Cyborg Beast by Grace Goodwin: So I have an alien romance on hold at the library and I guess I have been trying to read something like that book. These are all part of the Interstellar Brides Program books, which is a concept that I like, kind of like a Sci Fy mail order bride thing. All the couples are MEANT for each other, it gets a little repetitive and honestly they read more like erotica than romance. There is LOTS of sex, threesomes, foursomes etc, basically if you have an orifice it should be filled with a penis in these books. Oddly the alien heroes never mind sharing or who is fathering the children, odd that. Premise is good, but kinda disappointing in the end.
Slightly Married by Mary Balogh: I love her, I just do. Reading her books is like cuddling up with a good cup of tea and a warm blanket. I don’t even like the Bedwyns, who honestly seem like assholes, but I liked this book.
The Wedding Journey by Carla Kelly: I love her too. I was reading some of the comments on another post about non-traditional romantic heroes. The post was talking about how there were rarely heroes that were slight or build or average height etc. The hero in this book absolutely fits that bill. He is a doctor in the Napoleonic Wars and painfully shy and red headed. I adored him. I am so sick of the 6.5 foot build like a Viking hero, who BTW never seems to work out to get that musculature. More romance with normal guys!
Mackenzie Family Christmas by Jennifer Ashley: It was okay, this book kinda catches up with all the Mackenzie brothers and their wives at Christmas. I liked some of the books in the series a lot (Ian and Julian) and others I really did not care for (Hart and Mac), as this book touched on every one it was very average for me. I guess if you love the Mackenzies, go for it, otherwise skip.
Jam Session by Joyce Goldstein: This is a cookbook, about Jam…. and jelly….. And chutney. Most summers I love to put up preserves, but can not get started this year. I hoped that one of the recipes would get me motivated, but none did. It does have a good section on water bath preserving if you need a primer on that.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness: I enjoyed the first half of this book, the parts with the Bodleian, where the hero and heroine were courting. I loved the witch, vampire and demon yoga class, but it was a miss for me in the end. It read a lot like Outlander to me, another series I am conflicted about. I did put the rest of the Trilogy on my Overdrive wish list, but I think it is going to be a while before I want to go back to that world.
An Affair with a Spare by Shana Galen: I started this series (Survivors) around the time I had finished Mary Balogh’s Survivors Club books, as they are similar in premise, but these are not Baloghs…. Some are better than others: I liked Jasper’s and Neil’s stories, but this was a miss for me. Again it is a about a reformed rake where the heroine’s magical pussy ruins him for all other women and makes him faithful, yack.
The Haunting of Maddy Claire by Simone St James: This really is a ghost story with a romance sub-plot. Set in the 1920’s after WWI with a temp agency heroine taking a job with some ghost hunters. I liked it, a lot. I loved the time period (there are some mentions of the 1918 flu pandemic, but not so much that it bothered me), I am so sick of regencies or WWII being the only historical periods that are represented in romance in any numbers. CW there is the rape of a young girl in the plot so beware. I added more by this author to my wish list and can’t wait to try them.
How the Dukes Stole Christmas anthology: There are 4 short stories by different authors all at Christmas time and all with Dukes. It took me away from the now, but none were great.
Christmas Cookie Jar Cookbook by Gooseberry Patch: I was in a Christmas mood I guess earlier this month. I love baking Christmas Cookies and I found some good ideas for new ones to try. My daughter’s and I love to bake together (ages 5 and 7) so we will test drive some of my selections next week before online school starts.
London’s Perfect Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch: Second in the Lessons in Love series. I liked the heroine, the hero is a rake and you know how I feel about reformed rakes. However she does imprison him, which was a twist I was not expecting and there are cheeky orphans.
Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase: The third book about the Carsington brothers. I did feel that the heroine was not worried enough about her run away daughter and as a mother that really bugged me, but I liked the hero, not as good as the other two in this series, but amusing.
The Official Chronicles of Narnia Cookbook by Douglas Greshem: I am still reading this one, some of the recipes seem like they would be fun for a Narnia themed party, but they are heavy on the butter and not really to my taste for everyday cooking.
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty: I am only 6 chapters in and I am struggling. I like Nahia’s chapters, but Ali’s are seriously dragging for me. I know this series is highly recommended so I will keep pushing on, but I am not sure if I can keep going.
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore: I thought this book was charming. I identified with the heroine and loved all the story with woman’s rights. I will be looking for the next in the series, although I think it involved a rake, being reformed…..
Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon: There were a lot of plot elements that just did not make sense to me and characters acting in ways I did not understand. That being said I was entertained and NyKyrian is a very tragic/wounded hero which is trope I love.
Marry in Haste by Annie Grace: I like a good marriage of convenience story and since this is the first in the marriage of convenience series it should be a good fit right? I did not like how the hero responded to finding out the heroine was not a virgin, but not bad, not great, but not bad.
The Reluctant Highlander by Amanda Scott: DNF, this is set in the 1400’s Scotland and the language is very archaic and it got in the way of the storytelling for me. Plus I read 25% of the book before I tapped out and like NOTHING happened. I was so bored. Life’s too short to read boring books.
To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt: The second in the Four Soldiers series. I liked it way better than To Taste Temptation. I am unsure how I feel about the hero, he is a rake that the heroine has loved from afar for years and offers for him after he is jilted at the altar. Although I am not a rake girl for some reason I found him less annoying and his reform made more sense, he also did not make a fuss about his wife not being a virgin, god knows he wasn’t.
Attraction by Penny Reid: I hated the hero. The billionaire, frat boy falling for his geeky chem lab partner does not track for me. He is a manwhore. Plus the book is really short, novella length and leaves off right in the middle of the story. Now I have to decide if I can stomach the hero more and find out what happens…..
I read to my girls every night before bed, and they are old enough that we can read chapter books now, although with my 5 year old I need to make sure the story is compelling and the chapters are short, otherwise she talks or wanders off. We just finished The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (hence the Narnia Cookbook earlier). I have not read this book for years and never aloud and it is fantastic. Read it yourself, read it to your little ones, everyone needs some Deep Narnian Magic in their lives.
Be safe everyone! To Deb, and all the teachers out there, you are in such a rough spot and my heart goes out to you, Both my parents were teachers (English and Math) and I am so glad they are retired and not having to face classroom after classroom of kids who are not wearing masks, or not wearing masks properly day in and day out.
@Qualisign, I’m sending positive thoughts for you and your husband.
Coming in a bit late but here goes. I read a lot of Jill Shalvis this month because I find when I can’t focus her books go down like potato chips. I finished the Lucky Harbor series and found I really enjoyed the last three here (IT’S IN HIS KISS, HE’S SO FINE, and ONCE IN A LIFETIME). The friendship between the three main male characters was done well, and I appreciate men being emotionally vulnerable with each other. The first two had premises that were a bit hard to buy, but I especially liked the hero in ONCE IN A LIFETIME – single dad to a teenage son, hasn’t been in his life much previously due to previous time in the navy/job on an oil rig, is now trying to build a relationship. The crazy grandma character that’s played for laughs gets to be a little much in this one, but at least she gets her love story/happy ending too.
Also read the next few in the Heartbreaker Bay series by Shalvis – ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE and CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE. Overall I haven’t enjoyed this series as much as Lucky Harbor but I couldn’t quite pinpoint why. The characters just don’t stick with me as much – case in point, I really had to think to remember the main characters and plot of CHASING CHRISTMAS EVE.
I also finished the Brides Quartet by Nora Roberts, even after really not liking the second one. The last two (SAVOR THE MOMENT and HAPPY EVER AFTER) were better, though not as good as the first, and if you’re not into all the wedding details they start to drag on a bit.
UNSUNG HERO by Suzanne Brockmann was an old romantic suspense, the first in her Troubleshooters series. I’ve read a much later one in this series (they’re standalone), and picked this one up from the library. Injured military hero on leave has to stop a terrorist plot in his hometown, also reconnects with his teenage crush. There’s a parallel love story going on between his niece and a shy nerdy boy who wants her to be his comic book heroine muse. The terrorist plot storyline was pretty far-fetched, but I appreciated that the main female character was a doctor who actually seemed to care about her work (hello competence porn), and the secondary love story was very sweet. Some parts of the story didn’t totally age well, but hey, it’s about 20 years old at this point. If you’re a fan of Nora Roberts suspense this one would probably hold up.
And finally, with much anticipation I picked up Nora Roberts’ newest, HIDEAWAY, and while enjoyable in that typical Roberts’ suspense kind of way, it wasn’t my favorite. I definitely got vibes of an oldie but goodie of hers, PUBLIC SECRETS, but without all the bonkers-ness of that one. Would recommend HIDEAWAY, but only from the library.
Since the last WR, I finished The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and WOW, was that book good but also heavy stuff. Gave it to my teenager to read and discuss. I also read Daring and the Duke by Sarah Maclean, which I had been highly anticipating. Very good, and a satisfying resolution to a series I have thoroughly enjoyed. This past week I read The Guest List by Lucy Foley. Definitely NOT a romance. It was a fast-paced, tense, “locked-room” mystery set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. The ending had me a little bit like…wait, WTF?…but overall I enjoyed it and it was certainly fun to read and try and figure out what was going on.
I’m reading ‘Color Of You’ by C.S. Poe. M/M/ small town, protagonist is fresh from New York and has arrived to be a music teacher at the local school, meets the handsome proprietor of the local apple orchard. Also, it’s Christmastime.
It’s ADORABLE.
This needs to be a Netflix Original Movie STAT!!!
Starting to enter my annual burnout mode that accompanies too many summer reading programs, so I’ve gone heavy on the manga and comics. I found Kousuke Oono’s first WAY OF THE HOUSE HUSBAND volume amusing, but one might be enough…it’s basically just (admittedly funny) gags, but no real arc or steady plot. I just wanted more! Atsuko Yusen’s DEKOBOKO SUGAR DAYS didn’t resonate as much with me as I hoped, mostly because the sex scene has too much “I’m welcoming the pain because I love him” for my taste (a yaoi staple to be sure, but it’s not a sketchy power thing here, more a reflection of inexperienced and overeager young guys, which also troubled me).
I finally read Tee Franklin’s BINGO LOVE…the HEA wasn’t as fluffy as I’d hoped, but it’s worthwhile. I’m glad I read the expanded “Jackpot Edition” on Hoopla, since the bonus material is excellent (one husband’s starcrossed gay affair, Alyssa Cole’s first comic, and an intriguing preview of a futuristic sequel involving a granddaughter are just some highlights).
I won Amy Stanley’s STRANGER IN THE SHOGUN’S CITY, a reconstruction of the life of a woman named Tsuneno. She endures several marriages in her rural hometown before deciding to move to Edo (Heian-era Tokyo) against all odds and conventions. It’s not an easy read much of the time (CW for sexual assault and pervasive description of sexism), but the setting and description of daily life are very evocative. The ending feels anticlimactic, but at least her story survived…
STRANGER IN THE SHOGUN’S CITY is not manga or a graphic novel, I realize I didn’t mention that…
I’m listening to BLANCHE AMONG THE TALENTED TENTH by Barbara Neely, and it’s fabulous, second in the series. I listened to the first one, BLANCHE ON THE LAM, earlier in July. So good in audiobook – the narrator is passionate for her character, and hearing it in her voice, not my own voice in my head, is extremely immersive. The story itself is not quite a traditional cozy mystery (takes a long time to get to the bodies and for the narrator to realize there’s a **murder**), but the main character is one of the most compelling I’ve ever encountered.
I’m also reading LOVE LETTERING by Kate Claybourn in paper, and it is so beautiful, but 2020 has knocked me so hard that I’m not reading books much, just listening. I must stop doom scrolling and read more.