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 just finished and loved Gina Schock’s MADE IN HOLLYWOOD, the Go-Go’s drummer’s photobook memoir. The decades of candid Polaroids are intriguing, but the accompanying texts are what makes it. Schock is both candid and good-natured about all sorts of topics, and there are lots of brief guest essays included (all of the original Go-Go’s contribute, plus there are some very fun and seemingly incongruous contributors I won’t spoil here).
It has been a bit of a slow reading month for me–I came down with COVID which I would have thought meant I could get a ton of reading done while I was isolating, but instead I felt so crappy that all I wanted to do was sleep and watch bad tv. Even after three vaccine shots, that virus is no joke. I’m much better now, still dealing with some lingering headaches that are affecting my reading, but not nearly as much. I did gift myself Kindle Unlimited and borrowed THE WORST GUY by Kate Canterbary after hearing so much about it here. This was an interesting book for me. For about the first 25% I thought I would DNF because I could not handle the narrative style and I really didn’t find much to like about either of the two main characters. But by the end I was totally invested and rooting hard for them to figure their stuff out. I shed actual tears during one of the emotional scenes near the end. Seems that this author has a huge backlist so I will definitely check out more of her books now that I know I can get used to the writing style. Then I started the next book in my epic Kate Daniels read, book #7 in the series, but my tired brain couldn’t handle the stress of the fate of the world hanging in the balance, so I put it on hold to do some rereads. Next up for me is LORD OF STARIEL on KU, and I am also planning to reread some of my favorite Immortals After Dark books in preparation for MUNRO releasing (hopefully!) this week. Stay healthy out there, Smart Bitches!