We’re wrapping up January with our second Whatcha Reading! Let’s talk books!
Carrie: Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez. ( A | BN | K ) So far I love it, but I’m only about a third of the way through.
Elyse: I’m reading Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. ( A | BN | K )
Sarah: I re-read Written in Red ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au ) and Lake Silence to ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) prepare for Crowbones, which I’m starting next. I’m so excited. SO EXCITED.
Sneezy: Re-reading Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins. Her books never shy from real adversity, but somehow they’re all a goddamn warm hug. It’s exactly what I need right now.
Shana: I love Forbidden!
I’ve been reading David Chang’s cookbook Cooking at Home ( A | BN | K ) and now I have an enormous crush on him. I also just started Silk & Steel: A Queer Speculative Adventure Anthology and I’m enjoying the short stories so far.
Carrie: I am reading a ridiculous romance by Josie Watts called Fish Out of Water, ( A ) it is not great and yet I’m enjoying every minute of it. I’ve been reading a lot of high-falutin’ stuff and this is like eating one of those little mints after a heavy meal.
EllenM: So I’ve been reading an indie erotic fantasy romance called Velvet by Lisette Marshall where a spunky, smart princess hooks up with a her father’s remote, sexy spymaster. so far it reads like some kind of smutty fanfic fever dream?? The plot has some VERY obvious plausibility issues but it’s so clearly all just scaffolding for various Sex Scenarios that I don’t think I even care?? I can’t tell if I love this book or hate it.
Claudia: Honestly, that sounds awesome, LOL. I’m still struggling with finding a book I like and feel like highlighting here…
Catherine: I’ve just embarked on a reread of The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker because my copy of The Hidden Palace has just arrived and I wanted to make sure I remembered everything going in to the sequel. Such beautiful, vivid writing – and such a gorgeous book, too (I have the lovely hardcover with the indigo page edges). I am very hungry to get to the sequel, though!
Carrie: Catherine, I also just had my Hidden Palace hold come in – and I’ve been staring at it thinking, “I should really re-read Golem and Djinni first!”
Catherine: Dooooo iiiiiiiiit!
It’s such an amazing story. And I haven’t even been to New York – I bet it’s even better if you know the neighbourhoods.
Susan: My copy of The Grand Master of Demonic Cultivation( A | BN ) arrived, so I’m back on my roller coaster of feelings.
Am I ready for how it goes from hilarious to emotionally devastating? Absolutely not.
So whatcha reading? Let us know in the comments!
I’ve mostly been reading non-romance so far this year (highly recommend PIRANESI; liked TROUBLE THE SAINTS; OUR SPOONS CAME FROM WOOLWORTHS made me want to read everything by Barbara Comyns; MIGRATIONS had some issues in the way it approached mass extinctions but the actual story made me bawl my eyes out) but I did get to some romances this last week:
THE WORST GUY was a lot of fun, until the resolution was too much of a Grand Gesture to be enjoyable in what had until then been a story with somewhat real people, repeated frantic hatesex aside. I followed it with THE EX TALK, which had the exact same issue, but with the tone being slightly toned down overall it worked better. I also felt like the parental issues were handled more deftly, but that’s also the difference between conflicts between essentially well-meaning characters and having a parent who’s a narcissistic sociopath. Ending on a downer, WEATHER GIRL handled depression, both the heroine’s and her mother’s, so clunkily that it really took me out of the story. I guess I just want more low-key reactions to… all of everything. It may be time to dust off my Carla Kellys and Mary Baloghs.
I did try some historicals but stalled 50-70 pages in on all of them. It’s been literal years since I genuinely loved a newly published historical romance, which makes me really sad. I can only reread Patricia Gaffney, Rose Lerner and Meredith Duran so many times, you know?
Recently finished THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS by M. R. Carey. I’m not a huge fan of zombie stories because so many of them are barely disguised “permission to slaughter The Other” fantasies, but I was assured (mostly correctly) that this one doesn’t go that way.
Currently reading THE HIGHLAND DRAGON’S LADY by Isabel Cooper, which is less kilts and surprise-I’m-a-dragon, more late Gilded Age ghost hunters. It’s not as heavy on the romance as some people would probably like, but I keep thinking “I don’t care about your boner, get back to the investigation,” which is consistent with my profound lack of interest in the male POV at this point rather than an indication it’s poorly done. Cooper’s characters tend to work together solving whole-book crises, and I endorse that relationship dynamic.
Ive thoroughly enjoyed the Judge Dee vampire series by Lavie Tidhar. I believe the third novella Judge Dee and the Poisoner of Montmartre is available at tor.com for free. These are not romance . More of a vampire judge who travels with his human servant. Fun and quirky.
I haven’t read anything new lately, mostly re-reads of stuff I’ve read more than once. Not a great time of year for me, late partner’s birthday is tomorrow and to top it off, my daughter is isolating pending a covid test result (she’s been ill all week, with a stomach bug at the beginning of the week and covid symptoms since Wednesday).
The one thing I was looking forward to was this year’s Open Novella Contest on Wattpad. I’ve entered the last two years and got to the long list each time. However, this year they added a clause that effectively means that the winners have to GIVE UP their rights to their work and now I feel I can’t participate in principle. It stinks and I’m not happy
Talia Hibbert – Untouchable
I liked this a lot. Enjoyed the characters both on their own and together, thought they faced reasonable challenges, and the kids weren’t overwhelmingly Plot Moppety. I also appreciated that the heroine was religious without it being A Thing. So often it seems like there’s a strict binary in fiction between totally agnostic or Bible-quoting headers inspirational, and so it was surprisingly refreshing to see religiosity as just one part of a character’s life.
Terry Pratchett – Soul Music
Due to space constraints my Discworlds have unfortunately all been in a box in my closet since I moved in 2020. I’m mulling giving them up so I decided to pop open the box and do a reread, and Soul Music was the first one I grabbed. It was fun, though it reminded me that I like the Watch books better. I’m sure there’s some things that landed with me better 20 years ago than they did this time around, but Pratchett’s never a bad bet.
Loretta Chase – Ten Things I Hate About the Duke
Every so often I test my Duke fatigue and…well, turns out I’m still tired of Rakish Dukes. I love a good historical but the whole spunky bluestocking/wicked but ultimately reformable duke premise does wear thin. That said, this book was perfectly fine, a C or B for me, but I probably won’t remember it two weeks from now. Also it was my first Loretta Chase and I’m guessing not a great place to start, as it seemed to reference characters from many other series. In any case, I think I’ll have to take a little break from historicals unless they are queer, non-Western, etc.
I am reading a lot of short stories and nonfiction but they aren’t exactly “for fun” so I’ll leave them off here. I did read HER PRETEND CHRISTMAS DATE by Jackie Lau and ACCIDENTALLY ENGAGED by Farah Herron. They both were contemporary fake dating stories (kind of) and had delicious food descriptions and were Canadian, which I didn’t plan but was a fun coincidence. Unfortunately, they both fell a bit flat for me. In both books, when the characters slept together I kind of lost interest and had a hard time finishing them.
That’s definitely a me thing because both books were good. Maybe i just grew up on too much X-FILES and MOONLIGHTING, but to me if the characters sleep together and already like each other on a fundamental level (even if they’re not sure they’re committed or in love yet) I just don’t find the story to have enough believable conflict for me to keep reading. It’s like it says “oh that’s the end. How nice” and wanders off to think about other things.
This is why I’ll read about just anything tagged slow burn 🙂
Midway through a backlist glom of Maisey Yates’s Copper Ridge series of contemporary cowboy romances, plus two books in on two different Amelia Wilde trilogies and awaiting the future publication of the third book in each, so not a lot of completed books/series to write about, but here goes:
HEARTSCAPE was the first book I’d read by Garrett Leigh and I felt it got much better as it went along. Like a number of other m/m romances in the Vino & Veritas series from Sarina Bowen’s Heart Eyes Press, HEARTSCAPE relies on the “one MC needs a place to stay and moves in with the other MC/allowing forced-proximity takes its course” plot device: Jax (a nature photographer) loses his bed and his clothes when a fire destroys the hostel where he was staying (fortunately, his cameras and other equipment were at his workplace). Tanner, who manages the V&V wine bar, is prevailed upon to offer Jax a place to stay, and there is an immediate attraction between the two men (both are bi). Each man has experienced trauma in his past (cw/tw: major physical injury, controlling/mentally-abusive former spouse, feeling responsible for another’s death, anxiety, depression, suicide ideation) and has unaddressed/unresolved mental-health issues as a result. I liked that both men realize they are not in the best frames of mind to pursue a relationship until they work on resolving their issues (key quote later in the book: “He hasn’t fixed me, and he never will, but he’s made me want to fix myself….”). Initially, I had a problem differentiating between the narrative voices; I often had to flip to the start of a chapter to figure out if it was being narrated by Jax or Tanner (even though Jax, being English, should definitely have a different verbal style than Vermont-born-and-bred Tanner). As the book continued, however, the MCs’ individual voices became clearer. Another positive to the storyline was that the guys’ relationship was still a work-in-progress as the book ended; everything was not wrapped up in a neat bow on the last page. Recommended, especially if you like a writer who can really bring the downbeat backstories.
I liked HEARTSCAPE enough to try some other Garrett Leigh titles. I read the three books in her Blue Boys Studio series (BULLET, BONES, and BOLD), which feature MCs who work in the gay porn industry. (In some ways, these books reminded me of the Market Garden books, co-written by L.A. Witt & Aleksandr Vionov, in that both series are interconnected m/m stories about men who are employed in some form of sex work.) Leigh neither glamorizes nor demonizes porn, but what she does show is that the mindset required for filming sex acts is vastly different from what happens sexually between people when cameras and props are not in the frame. In BULLET, a popular “top” at the studio, agrees to “bottom” on film for a vast sum of money—enough to get free of his alcoholic, compulsive gambler mother’s mountain of debt and expand his motorcycle repair business. The existential turmoil created by this decision lasts throughout most of the book. Leigh really piles it on the MC In BONES: his parents have recently divorced, he’s having a toxic (and, in some ways, non-consensual) relationship with the man who runs the studio, and then he’s diagnosed with testicular cancer. He falls for a BMX biker who is also a testicular cancer survivor. In BOLD, two men grow closer as they prepare to film a scene together—but their storyline is frequently interrupted by unresolved plot points from the prior two books and another one featuring the new owners of the studio. I felt that all three books suffered from being of novella length—the stories felt truncated, ending rather abruptly—and from each being told entirely from only one MC’s POV, so that the other MCs remained somewhat out-of-focus.
Giana Darling’s Dark Dream duet, DANGEROUS TEMPTATION & BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE, is a guardian-ward romance that is part of the multi-author Midnight Dynasty universe featuring two rival families—the Constantines and the Morellis—who love and hate each other in equal measure. In DANGEROUS TEMPTATION, Tiernan Morelli becomes the guardian of 17-year-old Bianca Belcante (she’s the product of an affair between her mother and the Constantine patriarch). There is initially antagonism between Tiernan and Bianca, but it eventually evolves into attraction, although Bianca is at first unaware that she is being used by Tiernan to exact revenge on the Constantines. (I love it when a book can expose me to new-to-me subject matter and in DANGEROUS TEMPTATION I learned about Hungarian-Indian artist Amrita Sher-Gil, who worked in the early 20th century. I fell down a rabbit hole there.) In BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE, both Tiernan and Bianca, in different ways, must face the truth of their parentages and confront both the Morelli and Constantine families. Key quote: “That was the problem for people who created monsters, it was only a matter of time before they turned on their creators.” I liked these books, but BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE especially was full of sloppy errors (for example, using the word “artificial” when “superficial” was clearly called for, and using “penultimate” to mean an extreme version of “intense”—no, no, no); plus, be warned, the 17-year-old heroine has full-on, penetrative sex with the 30-year-old hero on several occasions before she turns 18 (not an uncommon scenario in dark romance, but I know the underaged element will be a hard no for some readers). If you’re not sure this duet would be your cuppa, the first few chapters of DANGEROUS TEMPTATION are available as a free novella titled BAD DREAM.
I’m reading CHASING THE SHADOWS by Maria V. Snyder, which is the second book in her Sentinels of the Galaxy YA sci-fi series. I really like the worldbuilding in this series.
Up next, I want to keep reading through some action-adventure books/series, including THE NOWHERE MAN by Gregg Hurwitz and ON TARGET by Mark Greaney.
I’m also debating whether I want to binge out the new season of OZARK or wait until the other half of the final season is available.
A’s: Just read Cat Sebastian’s second Page/Sommers book. It’s maybe not perfect but I don’t see how? If you want a queer Agatha Christie novel with sex instead of conservative government apologism, which I very much do, it’s delightful.
Not romance but also fantastic if you like extremely extremely bleak detective stories, like kinda the opposite of The Missing Page only the establishment still sucks, I had somehow missed Jean Claude Izzo’s Marseille novels. Fantastic highly recommend but like, the kind of bleak that should come with a caution warning.
B’s probably: The Flatshare, If This Gets Out, and Witch, Please were all painfully unrealistic in their attempts to be feel good, but quite readable in the moment. I at least cared enough to get mad about things. The Flatshare’s main problem was a mc who was emotionally abused, and was more of a thought exercise than a character. Also, like most epistolary novels the mcs wind up sounding the same, but this wasn’t purely epistolary and they at least start off delightfully distinct. If This Gets Out is fairly adorable, and I say this as someone who does not enjoy YA. I had difficulty telling the characters apart as they were both (understandably) mainly just anxious pining lust all the time, and the ending was definitely wish fulfillment. Witch, Please was definitely the worst of them for me, probably more of a C or even D but I have worked in too many bakeries to be able to cope with bakery romances and am aware it’s entirely my problem. Why don’t I stop reading them? Mainly tho Aguirre seemed too hung up on family dynamics and weird asides about aging to write a convincing romance.
C’s: Jeremiah by Jayce Ellis was decent, I’ll read more of hers. A Stitch in Time was fine, probably won’t continue series but might get desperate enough. Just Drive was…fine. Whatever.
D’s: The Upside of Falling (but I really don’t like YA, it wasn’t terrrrrrible it was just unconvincing and I really don’t care about teenage angst that’s sure enough going to be magically healed when the plot dictates it’s time) and The Maid, which was like a dumber The Mysterious Incident of The Dog in the Nighttime which I wouldn’t have thought possible.
DNF: Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick started off incredibly promising but turned out to be one of those rom coms where endlessly humiliating the lead is meant to provide humor and I just couldn’t.
After a rather long string of mediocre books, I finally have a good book hangover courtesy of THE KING OF FAERIE, the fourth and (almost) final book of the Stariel series by AJ Lancaster. Happily, the author is hard at work on a book featuring two of my favorite side characters, so we aren’t totally done with this world yet. Hooray!
I would heartily recommend this series to anyone and everyone. It’s firmly in the fantasy genre, but at the heart of the series is a sweet romance between a cinnamon roll Fae prince initially pretending to be mortal, and an intelligent, determined, no-nonsense mortal woman who unexpectedly inherits the lordship of a crossover Fae/mortal land with a sentient awareness.
Hey, Smart B’s! Hope you are all hanging in there!
I’ve had a meh couple of weeks, reading-wise, so not much to recommend. In all four books, though they were all very different, I didn’t really believe that the main characters fell in love, so while they were all readable, none of them did it for me.
THE WORST GUY by Kate Canterbary, M/F contemporary – I actually found the descriptions of life as a surgeon realistic and interesting (not that I would know, but it rang true for me). I think the book needed more time where the characters were navigating their day to day lives together for me to believe that their love would work? The heroine, in particular, was dealing with a LOT (CW for eating disorder, recovering from bulimia, and a host of other related issues) and I needed more time with them together, not on vacation, but on a regular day. Also, why were they SO ANGRY with each other up front? Didn’t really ring true for me. But, well written, and it might be just what you feel like reading.
A MOST UNUSUAL DUKE by Susanna Allen, M/F regency historical with shapeshifters. I love this idea, esp. with the Regent being a bear shifter and all, but I didn’t quite buy it. More time on how the shapeshifters fit into the world and shapeshifter society. Also, felt like they decided to love each other because? To be fair though, I started skimming at one point, so maybe I was not giving the book enough attention.
CHAOS REIGNING by Jessie Mihalik, M/F Sci Fi – Loved the plot, but it was all plot. We were told what each character (esp. heroine) was like, and then they didn’t really evolve or become real to me over the course of the book, so I didn’t really believe or understand why they loved each other. I liked the way science and strategy were used, but I just needed more character development. Felt like an old school sci fi with romance interjected – again, readable, and may be just what you are in the mood for, but I wanted more falling in love.
THE BACHELOR BARGAIN by Maddison Michaels, M/F Historical (Victorian?) – Hard for me to believe that a pretty conventional Duke’s daughter (she had a limp from a badly broken leg in her childhood) and a bastard who ran the underworld were going to really connect. I mean, he killed people on page pretty frequently. She may have had a sword in her cane, but I just don’t buy it. I either needed her to be way much more outside of society, or him to be shown as much more in society and not a gangster anymore. I also don’t buy that he was going to the aristocracy’s fancy parties, no matter how much money he had. Maybe in twenty years, but not while he was still in the thick of his criminal enterprises. Again, maybe I am in a contrary mood, and there was lots to like here, but overall, not quite there for me.
Looking forward to digging into all of your recommendations! It’s cold here, so I’m hoping to spend the weekend skating, knitting, and reading (mostly reading) and I hope you are all enjoying your own winter activities!
@DiscoDollyDeb, please try Angels in the City by Garrett Leigh. I think you’ll enjoy it. Not super angsty, but satisfyingly emotional.
@JenM, I didn’t know there would be another book in the Stariel world! Thank you for the heads up.I agree with you about the series, it’s so much fun and each book gets better.
Some winners this year so far:
Audiobook of WHITE TRASH WARLOCK (Adam Binder #1) David R. Slayton, narrated by Michael Axtell. This book kind of defies genre labeling- it’s fantasy (as in magic and other races-elves,gnomes–are real) set in a modern urban world, but not really urban fantasy. It’s MC is gay, but that’s not the focus of the book. There are some hints of a romantic relationship, but again, not the focus. Unusual hero and great world-building. I loved it.
The first two books in Harper Fox’s Tyack and Frayne series, ONCE UPON A HAUNTED MOOR and TINSEL FISH (available on Audible Plus). These are novella length mysteries with a paranormal twist. Intriguing and well narrated.
PROPER SCOUNDRELS by Allie Therin on audio, narrated by Joel Leslie Froomkin. Better even than the Magic in Manhattan series (which are very good), but you need some familiarity with the world and the characters to get the most out of it.
PALADIN’S STRENGTH reread. I love these characters so much. Tried the next paladin book, apparently I’m not ready for a new main character, might reread Swordheart or Clockwork Boys instead.
MOONSTRUCK comics by Grace Ellis vol 1, 2, 3 through hoopla. I agree with the SBTB review, the plot is a bit confusing; went in with that expectation and just enjoyed the artwork and humor. Chet the centaur is a really fun character.
WEBTOON series – SUITOR ARMOR is back with a bang for season 2. Gorgeous art, romance, magic, personal growth and epic save-the-world stakes, the characters feel like living breathing flawed humans. I paid to unlock all three available episodes after the season premiere because holy cliffhanger. The story arc is in a good place now. Content warning for violence and gore and precious cinnamon rolls suffering in the second half of season 1 and all of season 2 so far. I trust the author to handle it sensitively. CURSED PRINCESS CLUB continues strong, building up to the series finale. NOTHING SPECIAL still on hiatus, I trust the author to deliver a truly stunning finale when she is ready. NOMADS is a newer series with magic, adventure and cute cats, feels like YA or even middle grade so far, great sense of humor. THE MOTH PRINCE also newer, m/m slow burn, beautiful art and fantasy worldbuilding.
I just finished THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman, and I loved it. It has a professionally competent heroine who is 50 (!!), funny moments, and a charming hero. I really appreciated that the heroine’s move home to work for a former college friend was not prompted by a cheating husband (as is usually the case in books where the female lead is over 35). I am not a huge fan of snow—I like it in limited amounts over short periods of time—but the love of deep snow and outdoor activities in Michigan that the author conveys made me want to bundle up and go play in the snow. I would classify this as women’s fiction with romantic elements. There are some serious undertones, such as ageism and grief over suicide and accidental death (in the past).
I also reread the entire MURDERBOT DIARIES series by Martha Wells—for the third time.
I am galloping through Rachel Grant’s Evidence series, reading in book order (always), but not series order – I started with her Fiona Carver series, then read my way through her Flashpoint series. I think of the Fiona Carver series as my favorite, but suspect that is only because I read them first. The female leads are friendly, smart, and brave professional women who emotionally support other women in the series and take no sh*t from the men in their lives. The author’s writing gives such a sense of place, I felt chilly when a book was set in Alaska and sweaty when set in the Middle East. Great fun reading to start my year.
Currently reading “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” after picking it up on sale through this site! I’ve been reading more slowly than usual, but I’m really enjoying this book; the magical realism and atmosphere are incredibly charming.
Getting negativity out of the way: I read “First Become Ashes” by KM Szpara and it was just incredibly bad on such a number of levels. I admit I picked this up because of morbid curiosity about what the author of Docile was up to, but I just don’t understand the prestige book deals and blurbs from NK Jemisin. This deals with sexual assault so insensitively you’d be hard-pressed to get away with posting it as anonymous E-rated fanfic.
Anyway! Moving on. I loved “The Gentle Art of Fortune-Hunting” by KJ Charles. Liked that this one featured some strong supporting characters whose arcs don’t involve a secondary romance; I think some authors feel too tempted to pair everybody up.
“A Highland Hogmanay” by Meg Mardell was a fun F/F historical novella about an Indian-English heiress whose extended family is only interested in her money and a Scottish woman who’s the property manager for a castle. She thinks the heiress is interested in buying it; the heiress thinks she’s being invited on a vacation by another rich woman and jumps at the opportunity to get away from her relatives. A lot of novellas have pacing problems and this one had a pretty bad example with one of the heroines getting over an unresolved relationship with her ex in the course of one scene/one conversation, but otherwise it flowed pretty well and I had a good time.
Finished the latest Veronica Speedwell, AN UNEXPECTED PERIL wherein Stoker makes a most romantic and heartfelt declaration, even though Veronica has roped him into another dangerous investigation.
Currently I have Nora Robert’s THE BECOMING in my lap, Kristen Callihan’s DEAR ENEMY on the Kindle for bedtime reading and NEON GODS in the one deck circle. It’s supposed to snow tonight so I anticipate a lazy day of reading and cookie baking tomorrow.
:::dances in to “Surface Pressure” from Encanto:::
I’m completely in love with the line “Was Hercules ever like ‘yo I don’t wanna fight Cerberus'”. Let’s see, reading has been a bit on the slow side, because there was a conference and the prep took some serious time, but my session went well, so there’s that. Anyhow, I read Any Sign of Life by Rae Carson. Live look at my brain: “Hey, you know what would be a great brain break from the pandemic surge? Reading this book about a flu pandemic that kills off most of the world’s population inside of 6 days!” Me: “Uh…okay, seems like a weird way to cope, but…”. And so I did. It had more of a science fiction bent to it (picture me making the “ALIENS” gesture from the guy in the meme), and please believe that I googled to make sure that the dog on the cover lives, because I can take the bodies piling up, but NOTHING BETTER HAPPEN TO THE SHELTIE (and yes, the dog is fine). It reminded me in parts of The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (first two books were great, the 3rd one was SUCH a letdown), but let’s all hope it stays good. Then, because going to see the new Scream (SO FUN YOU GUYS), I fired up My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, because YAY SLASHER TIME. That said, trigger and content warnings galore. There is an on-page, if not particularly graphic, suicide attempt, animal deaths all over the place (and they get squishy), allusions to the main character’s father abusing her, a gross guy that is probably filming women without their knowledge, racial violence that seems mostly aimed at Native Americans, and honestly, I probably still didn’t get them all. All I’m saying is proceed with caution. And yes, even with all these factors, because I like a spot of horror and again, I’m in a slashy mood. I enjoy the protagonist’s encyclopedic knowledge of horror cinema and tropes, and smile when she makes a reference that I get (again, several Scream references, and I am all over that). All that said, I should probably find something lighter to read next, because balance. So until next time, never say “I’ll be right back” because you won’t be.
Hopefully coming out of my reading slump. I recently listened to MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW by Waubgeshig Rice, which was billed as post-apoc horror but is really more of a thriller. Good atmosphere and mounting dread but the characters are one-dimensional.
Currently reading OUT OF CHARACTER by Annabeth Albert, the second new adult M/M in her duology about a Magic the Gathering-type playgroup. I like how she gets the culture exactly right.
Since last time, primarily rereads ~
— continued my Michelle Diener reread with Dark Minds (Class 5 Series Book 3), Dark Matters (Class 5 Series Book 4), and Dark Ambitions: A Class 5 Novella. I enjoyed revisiting these science fiction romances. I recently learned that the author is working on a new book in the series which is happy news.
— also reread the science fiction Linesman, Alliance, and Confluence all by S.K. Dunstall. These are among my favorite books.
— the contemporary romance Sure Shot: A Hockey Romance by Sarina Bowen which I enjoyed.
— reread portions of The Bridge Ladies: A Memoir by Betsy Lerner for my local book group. I’d discussed the book with my distant book group earlier in the month. It was interesting to see how the different groups felt about the book; several attendees loved it.
— another reread of Stray (Touchstone Book 1) by Andrea K. Höst; I enjoyed it once again. The book is FREE to Kindle readers.
— and numerous Kindle book samples.
@Heather M I love the idea of “Duke Fatigue” as a syndrome in romancelandia.
I continue to pursue my goal of reading all the Poirot novels. I’m currently almost done with Appointment with Death.
I haven’t been watching all of the Suchet adaptations as I read, but did watch Dumb Witness. While I like the book better, even the first few minutes are worth watching, because the “actor” playing the dog is so adorable. https://youtu.be/gm9DMT3jh2Y
Will definitely check out Cat Sebastian’s latest series, since it’s Christie-inspired!
@Mamselli, have you tried Sherry Thomas? I’m a big fan of both Gaffney and Duran, and I’ve loved all her romances. Another recommendation is for Judith Ivory. She stopped writing romance years and years ago, to my great sorrow, but Duran and Thomas between the two of them remind me of her, in different ways. Ivory writes very unusual heroes and heroines — one of her heroes is a rat catcher, and one of her heroines is a courtesan — and she writes them beautifully.
Read my way through all of Murderbot at the end of December — I know, I know, so behind the curve on this one — and now understand why people love Murderbot so.
For some reason, I decided to start a reading log, just to see how many books and novellas I read in a year. As of today, I’ve finished 13, one of which was started at the very end of December. (It was a re-read of Sea of Thunder by Evan Thomas, about the Battle of Leyte Gulf and four of the men who were involved, two on each side.)
I read and so loved the most recent Paladin book, Paladin’s Hope. They can be really stressful and scary, but also lovely.
Right now, I’m re-reading Murder of Crows, the second of Anne Bishop’s The Others series. I’m finding it so very, very satisfying to watch arrogant people, who think the rules don’t apply to them, learn the hard way that yes, the rules really do apply to you and by the way, you’re about to die painfully for breaking them.
I’m not sure what’s up next. I have more books than I know what to do with and I keep buying more. (I know, first world problems…)
I downloaded a few of the free novellas from the Your Book Boyfriend Facebook group someone here had recommended. Just as a warning, mostly these tie in somehow with other books by the authors, and though you can read them as standalone (at least those I read), you’re clearly being tempted to buy the other books too… some of the novellas advertise the other books, some don’t.
UNTIL HIS SOUL AWAKENS – Kiki Clark/E.M. Lindsey – yes, I followed up and bought the first book in this new series (Scythe) as well, UNTIL HIS LAST GOODBYE. M/M romance, fantasy, and it’s a kind of bonkers premise – Reapers who fall in love with mortals. But anyway, I enjoyed these two, mostly because they delivered on the feelings, and that’s what I wanted here. Some drama, some great side characters.
THE PLAYER – Lily Morton. This was a super cute friends-to-lovers M/M – basically everybody around them has their numer, only they can’t see it. Also some good snark! Max from After Felix (and a few other books from the Morton-verse where gets a mention) turns up as the neighbour of one MC. Reads well as a standalone.
THE CRUSH – Briar Prescott. Cute – the MCs see each other on the train every other day.
LUMBERJACK UNDER THE TREE – Keira Andrews. Set on the Christmas tree farm from Santa Daddy – and also same story universe as Merry Cherry Christmas, but these are all perfec as standalones. Anyway, this was also lovely, M/M second chance, forced proximity, holiday setting. All the feels.
MISCONDUCT – Lynn van Dorn. I chose this one because it sounded kinda fun from the blurb. It’s a work-place romance and there are some things that in reality one should raise an eyebrow at (or question it’s reality at all), but I kind of zoned that out and it had me laughing out loud at the snarky banter. Maxie is one sassy character!
Apart from these, I read these books:
THE NEXT COMPETITOR – Keira Andrews. Completing the round of her figure skating romances. This is an older one that she has reworked/updated. Again (at least to me as an amateur) a good look into the world of figure skating, and a good story.
THE MISSING PAGE – Cat Sebastian. Another favourite author, and I enjoyed it very much. I love that she doesn’t get her MC’s into danger or threatening a break-up or other things that may happen in second books or romantic suspense. Yes, I definitely suspected the wrong person, but I felt at the end, the resolution made sense.
SINGLE MALT/CASK STRENGTH/BARREL PROOF – Layla Reyne. I had eyed this series before, and finally went and got it after it was recommended here again. But I know now why I didn’t buy it at first, as it had those elements that I’m not overly fond of, as in getting the MC’s in constant danger, as well as in the end getting the little girl in danger. Also, the raging jealousy dramarama is not my thing, or danger sex or almost-danger sex, as well as Aidan’s super-rich family background, and of course we can just organise a boat to race to Cuba… That’s just too many things that to me are not realistic or a bit too much. I actually liked the two MCs together best in the first book when they’re in Texas, investigating, hacking (Jamie in Sonic the Hedgehog-mode *g*), cooking…
Non-romance
THE MANGLE STREET MURDERS – M.R.C. Kasasian Victorian murder mystery, one of my street library finds. I haven’t quite finished, I will finish it because I need to know how it ends, but I am not loving it. The premise sounded great – woman in her early 20s goes to live with her eccentric guardian who is a well-known and successful private (eh, personal!) detective after her father has died. The father was a doctor and she accompanied him on postings in India and assisted him. So she’s not a squeamish miss, she’s clever and I like her voice (it’s all written from her POV). BUT – I do not like the detective character. His eccentricity grates, he’s a chauvinist (of course that was the attitude then, but still…) and he thinks he’s always right. What really got me though is that he practically paid and coached a witness for a trial because he’s so convinced that he’s right anyway and that the trial just has to go that way. I really can’t see how this one is going to end, so that keeps me reading, but I won’t be reading any more books in this series.
I have been recuperating from my Booster Vaccine so really enjoyed the last week of reading. Loved THE WORST GUY by Kate Canterbary in her Walsh Family Universe. Loved Elise Faber’s BOLDLY – a Hockey Romance where the Hero (who lost his leg from knee down as a result of a bad bodycheck) is out of rehab and starting a new career and finding romance. Absolutely adored the first collaboration between Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely THE BEST MEN a light steamy M/M romance. Enjoyed Lucy Score’s – THINGS WE NEVER GOT OVER. I am currently halfway through Sophie Penhaligon’s SAFETY IN NUMBERS. Intriguing romance with STEM Heroine who is struggling with creating a new ‘normal life’ after a life altering accident that left her with aphasia (damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension). Readers on Goodreads seem to either love or hate this one. I am enjoying it more than I thought I would, based on some of the negative reviews. The Hero is a bit of a jackass to others, but he of course has ‘reasons’ and these two wounded characters seem to be able to see and understand each other in ways other people don’t. I love how he ‘gets’ the Heroine at her core and he has the ability to be his gentle, caring, compassionate self with her. At this point, their romance is just heating up and I am looking forward to seeing how this one ends, but I am firmly in B or 4 star rating at this point in the story.
I’m 3 for 3 for this WAYR. I’ve finished 3 good books in the past couple weeks.
The Missing Page (Page & Sommers #2) by Cat Sebastian – mm post WWII romance
A-
Like Midge and kkw, I just loved this queer cozy mystery / romance. It’s mostly stand alone (but the first one is so good, you should read it first).
Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall – mm historical romance
B+
Despite a slow start, I truly enjoyed this very silly, campy send up and queering of Regency romance tropes. The author describes it like this on GR: “a big gay regency romp about a overly dramatic beautiful rainbow sunshine unicorn + a overly dramatic demisexual grumpy duke, going on a cross-country chase.” and that about sums it up.
It’s a romance novel written about characters who read A LOT of romance novels and I think it will chiefly appeal to avid fans of Regency romances who also aware of the limitations of the genre and enjoy camp / have a silly sense of humor. There’s a botched proposal, a run-away would-be fiancé, a cross-country chase, a duel, inns with only one bed, picnics, etc. And the MC is a haughty duke who’s afraid of bees.
I suspect this will be a polarizing book – I’m not sure what readers who discovered him through his most recent bestsellers will think of it. And I’m also not sure what some trad Regency fans will think either.
Once I got into it, I loved it. And I really, really loved the demi rep (speaking as a demisexual, bi-romantic cis woman).
Also, thanks to some sort of library magic, I got to read it a few days before it’s officially released. Yay me.
Kynship (The Way of Thorn and Thunder #1) by Daniel Heath Justice – SSF
B+
Engrossing, epic fantasy set in a world inspired by 18th C North America, from a Native American (Cherokee) point of view, with engaging characters (including queer characters) and plenty of adventure, wonder and intrigue. Like the best fantasies, it references real world issues (specifically colonization and the Cherokee Trail of Tears) but it’s also an engaging story and world that stands on its own.
There were a few things that took me out of the story – there are a lot of POV characters and I got lost a few times. I also wanted more character development for the two main protagonists. And the pacing was a little weird. But all of those things are pretty typical of this genre and mostly I just enjoyed the ride. So far there’s no romance.
I got this book, the first in the trilogy, from my library and started panicking when I saw that they don’t have the 2nd and 3rd books! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS! But the books are still in print and it looks like the complete collection (The Way of Thorn and Thunder: The Kynship Chronicles) is also available as an ebook. So crisis is averted.
Honestly, I started off the new year reading a couple of Amish romances because one of the members in my FB book group mentioned her mom loves them and was asking for recommendations.
I found one (or two) that looked interesting-ish and tried them out. Were they fast, easy reads? Yes. Did I hate them? Yes. Did it kind of burn out my reading for the rest of the month? Also yes.
(They were “Plain Perfect” and “Plain Pursuit” by Beth Wiseman.)
@cleo – thanks for that review of Something Fabulous, I can barely wait!!! From what you wrote and what I’ve heard so far, this is going to be so up my street in every possible way. Regency romance was for years the only kind of romance I’d read – until it fizzled a bit because I felt like it was just too many dukes, debutantes and whatever, and I got into M/M. So it should be all I want. But I agree, it may not be for all who loved Hall’s more recent books.
I finished two series recently (AJ Lancaster’s Stariel and KJ Charles’s Sins of the Cities and started what is the first in another series, although only book one is out so far (A PECULIAR COMBINATION)
Really enjoyed the Stariel books, especially THE KING OF FAERIE. I agree with JenM’s synopsis but could have done with fewer uses of the phrase “make an honest woman out of her.”
There’s something about KJ Charles that pretty much always works for me—I loved the overarching plot of the series (there’s a missing heir and someone pulling strings in the background with deadly results). All of the characters form a great ensemble. Also, AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION features a neurodivergent hero and AN UNSUITABLE HEIR has a non-binary lead if you’re looking for either of those things in your reading!
Not sure what I’m going to try next—I have one of Milla Vane’s books but it’s not pulling me in. Maybe time to see if there are new books from authors I like but haven’t read in a while (e.g., Rose Lerner and Theresa Romain.)
Just finished DAVID by Grace Burrowes, which partially turned out to be a rumination on sex work and sex workers, albeit from a strangely male POV? The hero owns a brothel and hires the heroine to be the madam, and also to some extent his mistress. She doesn’t want to be his mistress, really, having been forced into being a previous character’s mistress by financial necessity, but his attitude is just a bewildered, “If you spread your legs for him, why won’t you do it for me?” kind of attitude. He does gradually come to an awareness of the fact that most of his “employees” are not doing this because they enjoy it but because it’s the only life available to them, and does make a concerted effort to find them respectable positions when they can no longer work for various reasons, but I would have liked to see him realize and acknowledge the untenable positions he puts the heroine in by virtue of the power imbalance. Likewise I would have liked to see more of what the heroine’s day to day work involved besides just missing the hero.
Moving on to THE PRINCESS BEARD by Delilah Dawson; hilarity, hopefully, will ensue.
@Mamselli: I’m with @Katy Kingston and am ALWAYS ready to recommend Sherry Thomas, but you might want to look at Elise Marion. She’s a relative newcomer with a totally fresh perspective. Her historicals are multi-cultural and a lot of fun.
Zipping through a lot of different audio books and loving them all: Jenny Holiday’s DUKE, ACTUALLY, A PRINCESS FOR CHRISTMAS, and MERMAID INN. At the moment I’m enjoying Lisa Kleypas’s IT HAPPENED ONE AUTUMN, which I somehow never read, and Nan Reinhardt’s A SMALL TOWN CHRISTMAS. Someone moved the holidays up this year, so they slipped by before I was quite ready!
THE LOVE ACT by Zara Bell – fake dating a celebrity in London romance, currently available via Kindle Unlimited. I started this with no expectations, quickly ramped up to “OMG, this could be a 4-star read,” and then ended the book feeling hollow. There’s too much going on (positive and neg) for me to comment on it all here, but my core problem is that the romantic relationship didn’t progress in stages, it went through seismic shifts. I can’t help but compare the book negatively to Lucy Parker’s Act Like It, where we are shown interactions that change opinions and move Richard and Lainie’s relationship forward organically. But I also need to confess that the heroine’s backstory paired with the hero’s current career trajectory trapped me in a kind of anticipatory dread for a plot development that never happened, so my enjoyment of THE LOVE ACT might have been overshadowed by my own tendency to read speculatively/analytically. Basically, I want as many people as possible to read it and come back in the next WAYR to tell me if it’s me or if it’s the book.
My KU subscription was extended for 3 months, so basically I’m reading everything available there that looks interesting.
All the mentions of THE WORST GUY caused me to investigate Kate Canterbary, but I decided to try her Walsh family series first. I’m now on the second one and they are super addictive. I will definitely continue them, only the MCs are such workaholics, it’s exhausting! Since my usual reading is historicals, I’m just not used to that level of career dedication.
I read the 3rd book in Michelle Diener’s Rising Wave fantasy series, THE THREADBARE QUEEN. My main complaint is that the MCs spent most of the book apart(she gets kidnapped). But it reminded me of how much I enjoy the series overall, so I reread the first two books THE RISING WAVE and THE TURNCOAT KING. It’s set in a low-tech world, and battles take place with swords and bows and arrows, on horseback. The heroine has some special powers which stigmatize her as being a witch, and the hero is the leader of a rebellion.
I read 4 out of 5 books in Claire Delacroix’s Champions of Saint Euphemia medieval romance series. It’s set during the Crusades, so I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out! The author did her history homework, and there was a sensitive depiction of a Muslim heroine, another heroine who was a sex worker, and another heroine who was a servant(the maid of the heroine in Book 1). I only DNF’d Book 3 because the hero didn’t appeal to me(too young). The settings move from Palestine, to Venice, to France, to England and Scotland.
I’m now reading GOING BALLISTIC by Dorothy Grant, which is sci-fi adventure, the heroine is an interplanetary pilot, and so far, so good, but no romance in it yet.
Today was a day of major house cleaning and organizing – it feels nice to have less clutter and more clean!
So many books since the last time I posted.
Excellent:
None
Very Good:
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas: Books 1 and 2 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) fantasy new adult/adult romance – I hardcore loved the Throne of Glass series, and while I inhaled these books, Throne of Glass still takes first place in my heart.
A Court of Silver Flames: ACOTAR Book #4, A sort of spin-off to the first three books series, this, at times, was a hard read due to the self-doubt and self-hatred of the prickly heroine. But I loved the new characters introduced and the main romance was hot, powerful, and strong. Most important, one of the things I liked least about the first 3.1 books was the fact they were in first person. This book is in third person and while mostly focused on the heroine, allows us to see things from the hero’s prospective as well. On the other hand, I did not like one of the secondary plots at all as I thought several of the characters acted very very disappointingly out of character.
Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas: In this small town contemporary, the hero is suddenly thrust into a parental role when he gains custody of his niece after his sister dies in a car crash. The heroine is a relative newcomer to the area and owner of the town’s toy store. She is also healing after losing her husband of one year. Loved this sweet and sexy story, but I would issue the warning that the hero’s actions at the beginning and middle of the book could be viewed as emotional cheating on his current girlfriend. I do not plan to continue the series as I think elements of magical realism are introduced and that does not tend to be my jam.
A Gift for Guile by Alissa Johnson: Second in the Thief Takers series, this historical romance between a former thief and con woman (all while she was a child/teen under the direction of her criminal mastermind father) trying to make good and a somewhat uptight, very upstanding private investigator hero. They have a history (see book 1) and this was a strong story of emotional growth, acceptance, self-knowledge, and adventure.
Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis: Third in the contemporary Cedar Ridge series set at and around a family-owned ski resort, this entry followed the wayward brother of the two earlier heros who had left town after an emotional fight with his twin, joined the Army, and hadn’t come back in years. The heroine has lost almost everything in her recent divorce and is trying to get back on her feet. In places sweet and in places hot, this was a fun way to end the series.
Good:
Not a Creature was Purring by Krista Davis: Fifth in the Paws and Claws cozy mystery series centered in the pet-friendly resort town of Wagtail, don’t read this series for the mysteries which are meh at best. Instead, read for the yummy food and the cozy rhythms of running a cat and dog focused bed and breakfast and all the small town characters.
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas: Book 3 in ACOTAR – I thought this was the weakest of all the books I have read of hers – it was very unevenly paced and I was surprised towards the end when I realized a lot was going to be wrapped up in a short amount of time. In addition, I thought the characterizations were inconsistent.
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas: Book 3.1 in ACOTAR – a Winter Solstice holiday-themed update on the first 3 books – nothing earth-shattering here, but a cozy read in the middle of winter.
Meh:
Bad:
There’s Something About Christmas by Debbie Macomber: A reporter heroine is forced to work with the pilot/small business owner hero to report on a fruit cake story – there was no point during this entire book that I could figure out why the two of them liked each other.
DNF:
The English Duke by Karen Ranney: This one made me so angry because it had a lot of my catnip – a reclusive, grumpy, intellectual hero with wounds to both his body and spirit and a misunderstood, highly intelligent heroine. However, at about the halfway point there is sex that I would say at best is dub-con and at worst non-con (the hero has had too much to drink AND has taken serious pain medication for his physical wounds and is in no place to consent – the heroine knows he has been drinking and should make the reasonable assumption that he may be medicated – the hero keeps asking “Are you real?” which should set off enough alarm bells that she should call a halt (she came to his room)). At that point, I asked myself if I really wanted to read a romance with this as a central plot point and the answer was no, so I was done.
Had some great finds at Goodwill and ended up with Chosen for His Desert Throne by Caitlin Crews. Volunteer doc is forgotten in the royal dungeon and, when discovered, ends up marrying the King to make him look good. Love flares, she deals with daddy issues with his help, he is finally able to believe in love. My big problem is that she really wanted to escape from medicine – well, I can kind of understand it in these pandemic times but not really. I love what I do. Still, that is unlikely to bother anyone else and I did enjoy the book.
Also scored Crowned for My Royal Baby by Maisey Yates. Your basic secret baby, alpha-royal-ahole, all the angst story but nicely done. Also enjoyed and motivations were understood and growth was achieved along with an HEA so would also recommend.
I really liked The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Susan Mallery. Heroine is dumped after more than a decade of marriage and loses her job in the winery run by her MIL. More women’s fiction than romance though it is a romance. One of my BFFs is married to a man who makes wine that some of you drink so it was fun to see the winery stuff well done.
Cora Seaton’s Brides of Chance Creek series, with the general sending military men to help out on his ranch (and marry his daughters). They were decent stories but I stopped half-way through. Though that might have been about the time Omicron hit the local schools and, thus, the peds clinic where I am working and I may have just burned out a bit.
Luckily, I then stumbled into The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary and it brought me back to life. Loved it!
Now just finished reading Stealing Embers by Julie Hall, YA fantasy with angels, fallen angels, half angels. I often enjoy YA and this one did pull me along though. But it seemed too young to me and some of the stuff didn’t make as much sense as I wanted. So am not planning to read the next 2 in the series. Also, trigger warning for my claustrophobia- had to skip a few pages.
Started Let It Be Me by Kait Nolan based on older woman/younger man. Could not get into it. Plus her older woman was barely mid-30s. Sorry, I have kids older than that.
I love january because life slows down just a little and I can carve out some time to chill in front of the fire and catch up on all those books I have been meaning to read forever. And I was very very lucky,,,,4 great reads in a row!
Just haven’t met you yet Sophie cousens…British rom com on isle of jersey. Sweet story and even if occasionally a bit far fetched, it was just what I was in the mood for after a hectic holiday
Homecoming king penny Reid . I love Penny Reid…an auto buy for me and this didn’t disappoint.
Life’s too short by Abby jiminez, I lost my husband to a terminal illness a few years ago so the fact that the protagonist was dealing with the possibility she might have a terminal illness made this particularly poignant for me.
The love hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. One of my favorite tropes…fake relationship…with the added fun of being aware it’s a rom com trope. Loved it was about scientists and some insight into the world of academia.
Been a long time since I had such a run of good reads, woo hoo!
Don’t generally double post but wanted to add two things.
@BigK The Worst Guy? Their anger at each other was totally understandable. He used staples on a face! WTF! We are talking major scarring and need for major reconstruction. He’d have done better to just leave it open! OTOH, as a trauma surgeon, aka God’s gift to the world, he felt he had to make rapid decisions and stop all the bleeding ASAP and staples fit the bill. So they would need reconstruction and maybe never be 100%? At least they’d be alive. I have seen this scenario play out. Very realistic.
Which leads me to the point where I sat down after posting to finish reading Hot Christmas by Fern Fraser and almost ended up throwing my kindle across the room. Plot – EMT/chopper pilot in very rural NY and new OB in town. They have to fly in so she can deliver a 34 week premie and then are snowed in. No big, just put the mom and baby in bed together and wonder off to have hot sex! No, no, no. 34-weekers often do well but they need monitoring, and help with feeding, and help maintaining temp. Why didn’t they bring a nurse, someone who knew something about babies? And, new OB in town and he is pressuring her to take a big chunk of time off with little notice so she can go away with him for Christmas? Not happening in real life. ANd if he is that ignorant of and careless about her profession after working in that rural area as long as he has, he is going to be a horrible husband for her. ARRGGGHHHH!
@DiscoDollyDeb – I recommend the Lucky series from Leigh and her two novels in the Porthkennack series. If you haven’t read that series I highly recommend – Tribute Act by Joanna Chambers is one of my favourite rereads.
@Carrie G & @Deborah T: thank you both for your Garrett Leigh recommendations. I’ve added ANGELS IN THE CITY and the Lucky series to my tbr. And I see that all of the books are available through Kindle Unlimited—yay!
Highly recommend-
The Siren of Sussex Mimi Matthews – Unexpected and riveting. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
The Wedding Ringer Kerry Rea – Wow! This really surprised me. The handling of the MC depression and anxiety was spot on. I loved that she took the trope of “fiance caught with best friend” and dug in to reality how badly that would damage a person. The triggering situation was really a side note to the growth and healing of the MC. Loved it!
The Ex Hex Erin Sterling – I don’t have a love for paranormal or supernatural tropes. Decided to give this a chance after reading so many positive reviews. Very entertaining!
First Love, Take Two Sajni Patel – Loved her first book and this continued her winning streak. The next book is high on my anticipated list.
Love at First Spite Anna E. Collins – Funny and entertaining.
DNF –
The Worst Best Man Mia Sosa – I’ve tried to read this twice. So many good reviews but it just doesn’t work for me.
The Bachelor Bargain Maddison Michaels – The premise sounded interesting but the execution is terrible.
Fiction and a non-fiction –
The Lincoln Highway Amor Towles – Don’t let the size of this book put you off. You won’t be able to put it down. Absolutely riveting!
Useful Delusions Shankar Vendantam – The author does the Hidden Brain podcast which I enjoy. Learning about self deception. Fascinating and well written.
@SB Sarah, I’m eager to hear your thoughts on Crowbones!