It’s that time, everyone! Time to tell us Whatcha Reading!
This is the last Whatcha Reading of the year. Thank you all for another amazing year and for being part of this great community. I’m sure our TBR piles have ended a little (or perhaps a lot) heavier than when we started in January.
See you in 2023!
…
Lara: I’m trying to push the reset button on my reading so I’m giving short stories a go. I’m loving P.D. James’ The Mistletoe Murder. ( A | BN | K ) Cosy, short, but still kind of chilling.
Shana: Ooh that sounds great, Lara! I’m halfway into Season of Love by Helena Greer and I love it.
Elyse: I just finished a Very Merry Bromance which I really enjoyed. The hero has a Maine Coon named Pickle who takes epically horrible dumps. It does have a LOT of family trauma in it though, so don’t go in expecting a cozy Christmas book.
Then I started The Plight Before Christmas by Kate Stewart. ( A ) The heroine’s brother unknowingly invited her ex from college (as in he didn’t know they dated) to the family cabin for Christmas and this was the guy who broke her heart.
Clearly I’m in a Christmas mood, I guess.
Sarah: Yes, Shana! I am so happy.
Shana: I love it so much, it’s like it was written precisely with all my needs in mind! I was saving it until closer to Christmas, and now I wish I’d read it earlier.
Thanks for the suggestion and ARC!
Tara: I still can’t believe there aren’t more lesbian lumberjacks in sapphic romances.
Sarah: Massive missed opportunity , isn’t it?
I’m reading the second in the Greer Hogan mysteries, Shadow in the Glass. ( A | BN | K ) I was having some festive insomnia and the first book kept me company until I could get back to sleep. Wilbur, by virtue of kneading my hair and rubbing his gums on my phone, also approves of this decision.
And my vacation reading is Rest is Resistance by Trisha Hersey.
Tara: Yessss! I’m so glad you’re reading that, Sarah. That gave me one of my most profound reading experiences
So whatcha reading? What books are rounding out your end of the year?
I’m reading Truly Madly by stephen Galloway – it’s all about the relationship that Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier had. I’m a huge GWTW fan so yeah that’s why I picked itup
Let’s see, I read WELL TRAVELED another Ren Faire rom com by Jen DeLuca, which was cute but a little disappointing. I like her style of heroine-centric romance and I don’t need a lot of hero focus, but I felt like the heroine and hero barely had a any time together before they got *together*. The fact that he was a good looking flirt was doing a lot of the work here. And when the hero tells the heroine “you’re special to me” I thought, “why? Do you know her any better than any of your hookups? I’ve barely seen you interact” Overall, DeLuca’s a good writer and I like her characters and style, but I saw on twitter (pre-Elon explosion, I think) that she was working on a secret new project and I’m definitely keen to read that. I’ll still read any Ren Faire romances she writes, but I’m not going to rush out for them.
I liked THE DO-OVER by Lynn Painter. A YA about a girl trapped in a time loop on Valentine’s Day. This was her Valentine’s Day were everything was supposed to go right with her new boyfriend and of course, everything goes wrong. I love time loop stories and this one did not disappoint. It was definitely a little bit more simple and light hearted than some of the more existential time loop stories (nothing like RUSSIAN DOLL or even the darker parts of GROUNDHOG DAY) but it still had the fun of a “good girl” running amok when she just can’t take any more and a few nice little twists at the end. I wouldn’t put it quite in my “top tier rom com YA” (Jenny Han, Becky Albertalli, and Rachel Lynn Solomon to name a few) but it was up there and personally, I liked this better than the adult books I’ve tried by the same author.
And of course how could I forget SHIPWRECKED by Olivia Dade. I really, really have loved this whole series that I feel is mostly fueled by Olivia Dade’s spite by how badly GAME OF THRONES ended. I say that with mad respect, not trying to shame or scold her at all, b/c man did it end badly. I don’t usually like celebrity romance stories b/c there’s often a lot of stuff about social media or wealth and neither of them are the focus here, thank goodness. Just two adults who are kind and good at their core and have to figure stuff out. I’m not sure I buy that hero and heroine would be able to have their own TV plot line for years that never gets tied into the other characters on GATE OF THE GODS (our GAME OF THRONES stand-in) but I decided to just go along for the ride and I loved it, of course. There were a couple of times the characters were very happy together mid-book and I thought “maybe I should just stop the book here, so I don’t have to navigate the angst that must be ahead” (I’m a big baby when it comes to angsty things!) but I pressed on and every time Dade skillfully navigated those waters. I feel like she does a great job of making her characters flawed but likable and fleshed out and her drama never feels cheap or manipulative. Can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.
Best of wishes to everyone and anyone celebrating over the next week or so and may your new year be filled with good reading!
I just finished Ilona Andrews’s latest Innkeeper book, Sweep of the Heart, and LOVED it. (Basically, they’re hosting an intergalactic version of The Bachelor in their inn this time round!) It was exactly the joyful escape I needed.
Season’s greetings, everyone!
If Christmas romances have taught me anything, it’s that every Christmas tree farm is on the verge of financial ruin and only with the help of potential love interests will the farm be saved and true love emerge triumphant. Although different in plot and style from Claire Kingsley’s HOW THE GRUMP SAVED CHRISTMAS, I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH (group-written by J.E. Birk, Rachel Ember, and Leslie McAdam) follows that same template to a T. In I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH, three former college roommates (two bi, one gay—each of whom is in love with the other two, while none of whom has any idea the others feel the same way) reunite to help one of them save his family’s Christmas tree farm. The farmhouse is being renovated and there is–gasp!–only one bed (although, thankfully, it’s a king-size one). Considering that the book has three authors, the writing is pretty seamless (although I’m guessing the farm animals, particularly a bad-tempered goat, are Ember’s creation—she always does a great job incorporating animals into her stories). I like that the book is not all sweetness and light: all three MCs struggle with different aspects of their lives, and there are some realistic personality conflicts; plus each of them has to figure out how being in a poly-am relationship is going to work. Key quote: “If you’re going to give part of yourself to someone, they have to fill you back up, or you’ll be full of holes.” A nice MMM Christmas bon-bon. Recommended. (As a side note: if you go searching for this book, be aware that the actual title is ILYBSM: A HOLIDAY M/M/M ROMANCE, I drove myself crazy trying to find it in the Kindle Store by searching for I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH paired with any of the three writers. The only reason I eventually located the book was that it popped up on my kindle recommendations.)
Caitlin Crews’s latest HP, THE CHRISTMAS HE CLAIMED THE SECRETARY, is a Cinderella story where both MCs know the fantasy is fake, and the heroine is decidedly ambivalent about her situation, fake or not. Tiziano Accadi is one of a long line of Crews heroes who are deceptively indolent but have hidden depths (sometimes hidden even from themselves); he’s fabulously wealthy, but his annoyingly straight-laced older brother is determined to marry him off to an appropriate heiress. Annie Meeks has put her dreams of being an artist on hold and is working in a secretarial capacity at Accadi Industries so she can pay off an enormous debt racked up in her name by her feckless sister. When Annie and Tiziano literally crash into each other in a stairwell, interest is sparked, and Tiziano sees a way to wriggle out of the arranged marriage: he’ll suddenly fall in love with a secretary! In a meta moment, when Tiziano first explains his idea to Annie, she replies, “Sounds to me that you’ve been reading too much Mills and Boon. It’s made you silly in the head.” But, eventually, with the promise of her sister’s debt being eradicated, Annie accepts Tiziano’s offer—and so begins the angsty heartache as Annie must reconcile her fake position with her emerging feelings for Tiziano. Crews—who always enjoys reframing the tropes—touches on themes of real versus fake, what makes fake look real, and how reality sometimes has to be twisted into fantasy to make it seem more real. That’s a lot of metaphysics for an HP, but Crews is up to the challenge. Oh, there’s also a love story buried within all that meta stuff, lol. Recommended, especially for HP aficionados.
Jackie Ashenden’s latest HP, THE MAID THE GREEK MARRIED, is about a man (widowed for the past ten years) who spontaneously offers to marry a woman who has lived in indentured servitude in a Russian oligarch’s compound since being kidnapped as a young child. The themes in the book are rather dark, especially for an HP, including trafficking, exploitation, and achieving justice for those who appear beyond the reach of judicial means. There’s also a lot of hand-waving to basic logistical questions: what language are the characters conversing in (the hero is Greek, the heroine has been raised to speak Russian but eventually starts working in France), how does the undocumented heroine (who doesn’t even know her own real name) get identification papers, and how does someone who has been received extremely limited schooling suddenly have the ability to read an entire library’s worth of books? (And, again, in what language are these books written?) If these questions will bother you, THE MAID THE GREEK MARRIED will not be for you. But if you want a Jackie Ashenden sexy angst-fest of an HP, you’ve come to the right place. Make you decision to read (or not) accordingly.
NATURAL DISASTER, co-written by Skye Warren & Amelia Wilde, is the second of their Deserted Island romantic-suspense trilogy. NATURAL DISASTER cannot be read as a standalone, you have to read FORCE OF NATURE first, wherein Carter and June, stranded on an isolated island after Carter’s plane was sabotaged, met Theo—the island’s sole permanent inhabitant—and faster than you can say “MMF”, the three were menaging all over the place—including plenty of danger-banging as the bad guys (who were determined to make sure undercover spy Carter never completed his mission) kidnap June. In NATURAL DISASTER, Carter & Theo take off after the kidnappers to rescue June. After they rescue her, there’s more danger-banging, in which June, luxuriating in her place between two smoking hot men, muses, “Maybe you only become a goddess at the most unlikely times,” while Carter justifies his somewhat cruel behavior with, “We love anything that abates our sins, the more painful the better.” Another cliffhanger ending…and all that’s left is to wait for the final book of the trilogy to appear in 2023.
I’m plugging away at many books but I’ve only managed to finish one since last time. The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer was delightful. I do not read holiday romances. They’re just not my thing. But I thought I would try something different this year. This one is a Hanukkah romance about a rabbi’s daughter with chronic illness who is a secret Christmas aficionado/writer of Christmas romance and her old summer-camp enemy who is now a fancy party planner trying to put on a high class Matzah Ball. At times this verged on campy with wacky hijinks, and while I thought the ending was satisfying I did kind of think that the heroine’s chronic illness and her Christmas fixation were just kind of…dropped, like they were somehow “solved” by her romantic life, but overall I really had fun with this one.
See you all in 2023, bitches! May there be many good reads ahead for all.
I just finished Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. I do love the series but I feel like it needs me to be smarter than I am. My memory is just not good enough to remember who everyone is especially when they keep changing. I am just enjoying being along for the ride even if I don’t understand what is happening any more than Nona does. It’s utterly charming and engaging. There remains no sex, and no hea or even hfn, which, fine, it’s SF/F not romance but “lesbian necromancers in space” is surely going to make people (and by people for a change I mean not just me although definitely also me) joyously anticipate sexy times? I remain very invested in a love story here and I am not giving up on it, but the books are seriously great even without providing any of the sex/romance that is my primary directive.
I had to dnf a lot recently so I don’t have many other recs. Part of it was trying things I wasn’t sure I would like and fair enough I didn’t. But there were several I expected to enjoy (looking at you Dash of Salt and Pepper) that were supposed to be funny but actually just mean and/or stupid. Very disappointing.
So mostly I have been rereading the KJ Charles holiday novella and associated books for reassurance.
I can also sort of recommend Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English books, which I am rapidly making my way through. It’s a contemporary gay detective series that supposedly has a romance element, but they must have been published just before the boom in popularity of queer romance, because they feel really dated. Like the idea of a gay protagonist is clearly a big deal here. The love interest is a self-hating homophobe, and absolutely no one seems aware of the existence or possibility of bisexuals. There’s a bit of an old fashioned hard boiled vibe to the books which is fun, but it’s really hard to have that flavor in particular without all the toxic masculinity and racism and sexism, even though the author is clearly trying. I wish (of course I do) that there was more sex, but they are far more satisfying to me than Josh Lanyon’s other completely cozy mysteries.
Lots of books/genres waiting on my TBR pile, including DARK HORSE by Michelle Diener (which I have seen so many recommendations for here on SB).
I want to keep reading through the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz and the Gray Man series by Mark Greaney.
I also want to read DEFENDING THE GALAXY and finish the Sentinels of the Galaxy series by Maria V. Snyder. I’m bad about reading book #1 in a series, buying more books in a series, and then getting distracted by a shiny book #1 in another series. LOL.
Happy Holidays! 🙂
The only book I’ve managed to read this month is Pratchett’s Hogfather. I pulled the Dean Koontz “evil Santa” books out of the moving box while I was retrieving something else, but they’ll go back unread because I’m all festived out. (Possibly related to “the holidays” beginning after Labor Day, but who can say?)
In other media, I watched Penelope, starring Christina Ricci as a cursed heiress, Catherine O’Hara as her loving but dysfunctional mother, and James McAvoy’s “laughing through my pain” sad-poet face in the role of lovable rogue unqualified to break the curse. Peter Dinklage was in it once again selling the “I’m a jerk, but I have a conscience, dammit” thing, and also possibly the only time I’ve ever liked Reese Witherspoon in anything! It was the right balance of fun and touching, so it goes on my short list of Rom-Coms I Don’t Despise with Every Fiber of My Being.
“Illuminations” by T. Kingfisher, this released unexpectedly a few days ago. It’s the coziest of her books, even more than her children’s series. Just exactly the warm hug of a story I needed.
“You must feed your heart,” said Uncle Alfonso. “With beautiful things and places you have never seen and books that bring you joy. Then your heart will grow back and you can paint again.”
Webtoon series:
Seven Days in Silverglen – cozy fantasy f/f slow burn fake dating between a shy gorgon and a sunshiney dryad – binged all 40 episodes in one day and loved it, looks like there will be many more weekly updates. – from the creator of Always Human and Aerial Magic, which are both great. Always Human is a sci-fi college setting f/f romance. Aerial Magic a cozy fantasy coming of age with romantic elements and found family, super comforting for me, though the story is not likely to be continued. There’s no cliffhangers but no clear ending either.
Happy holidays to everyone celebrating this week! I’m about 60% through “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee. It’s good, but so far not packing quite as much emotional punch as I was told to expect. I just paused to read the Christmas Poirot book.
“The Soldier’s Scoundrel” by Cat Sebastian: M/m historical. Jack Turner runs a business as a kind of “fixer” solving problems mostly for upper-class women. When army veteran Oliver Rivington finds out his sister paid for Jack’s services, he strongly disapproves of his business and tries to stop Jack from interfering in another couple’s marriage. Sebastian always writes really great opposites-attract, class-differences romances and I loved this one. If you liked “Kit Webb,” you should read this next.
“Masters in this Hall” by KJ Charles: M/m historical holiday novella. John Garland was recently fired from his job as a hotel detective after failing to prevent a heist, and he thinks the man responsibility, Barnaby Littumer, is about to strike again at a high-society Christmas party thrown by John’s wealthy uncle. This is set in the same world at KJC’s Lilywhite Boys books, but I hadn’t read those and thought it worked fine as a standalone. Very fun mystery, good novella pacing for the romance. A Christmas novella for people who don’t want too much Christmas cheer.
“Legends and Lattes” by Travis Baldree: I wasn’t sure how much I would like this “cozy fantasy” about an orc who gives up her life as an adventurer to open a coffee shop, because I haven’t had the best luck with low-drama, low-angst stories lately. I think this worked for me because I knew what to expect going into it and could enjoy the chill vibes and fantasy setting (as opposed to romances that seem to promise high stakes and don’t deliver). The romance is a minor element of this book but it’s cute and I liked the characters. However, one of the things I like about Dungeons & Dragons is that there’s a ton of lore, and characters can be really informed by their religion, culture, and use of magic, and there was none of that feel to this book. Obviously the author couldn’t use the actual D&D lore, but there are books that succeed in having the “cozy” tone while still feeling like they take place in another world (like Becky Chambers), and I wanted more of that here.
“The Woman in Cabin 10” by Ruth Ware: Travel journalist Laura Blacklock is assigned to cover exclusive luxury cruise, but witnesses something horrible on the first night. She’s sure she saw a woman she met briefly being thrown over the side, but none of the passengers or crew are missing. When I read Ware’s book “One by One,” I thought it was well-written and entertaining but the plot was too easy to predict. I didn’t have that problem with this book. The suspense and plot twist were really satisfying. A fun read.
“Anya’s Ghost” by Vera Brosgol: YA graphic novel about a teen girl who falls down a well and befriends a ghost named Emily. Emily helps Anya to improve in school and get close to her crush, but she might actually have darker motives. I’ve been picking up more graphic novels lately and a lot of the ones my library has are YA. I don’t really read YA, I can enjoy a young adult graphic novel because the art often has more universal appeal than prose aimed at younger readers. This book was definitely a little young for me and focused on having a positive message for teens, but I did like the art and think young girls with more macabre tastes would really enjoy it.
“Fly by Night” by Tara O’Connor: This was another YA graphic novel, about a girl whose twin sister goes missing; trying to investigate, she gets involved in a group her sister was part of aiming to stop a pipeline from running through nearby woods and ends up encountering a cryptid. This was a more successful one for me, not perfect but felt like it had more depth of story.
“Girls Can Kiss Now” by Jill Gutowitz: Book of essays that blend analysis of pop culture with memoir. Some of it did resonate with me; some of it is pretty silly, like when she tries to justify speculation about celebrities’ sexuality as being okay when she does it or when she says there aren’t many famous lesbian comedians (this especially annoyed me because imo stand-up comedy has more visible non-femme lesbians than most forms of media, and I really did not get the vibe that butch women factor into Gutowitz’s analysis at all).
I haven’t been reading much except for Mile High by Liz Tomford (KU)
A Daddy for Kinkmas by Reese Morrison
Its a combo Christmas/Hanukkah BDSM romance between 2 trans neurodivergent men. I love Reese’s stories. Its long, 450 pages. But I really enjoyed it
I also just finished Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews & loved it. No surprise, since I love everything by this particular dynamic duo, but there are degrees of bookish love, so if the 3rd Edge book is 4 twinklers SOTH is a whopping ten.
Before & after that I was trapped in a loop of new books I had to put on pause interspersed with fondly recalled rereads (lots of Sarina Bowen’s Ivy Years). Frustrating when you want something to just carry you away.
Happily, I am now reading Katherine Center’s Happiness for Beginners for the first time. So far it’s not grabbing me like The Bodyguard, but it’s still a worthwhile read with an intriguing if somewhat whiny narrator, and is in no danger of being paused. Lest you consider this damning with faint praise, I strongly dislike survivalist crap, so, yeah, I really am being won over by Center’s imperfect characters and perfect moments of kindness.
I also read ILYBSM. Everything about it strained credulity, but it was cute. While I probably won’t read it, I’m rooting for Doug the very very hot firefighter and his HEA, which is what the next book will be about.
I’m pretty sure I read it before the previous WAYR, but Rhythm, the latest Road Kings book by Julie Kriss met my expectations – which were high because I’ve been anticipating it since book 1. I’m excited for Stone’s story even though he sounds like he’d be hard to get along with in real life, ha.
I haven’t read the oft mentioned Morning Glory Milking Farm, but I did read the similarly monster-y Deceived by the Gargoyles by Lillian Lark and then worked backwards to read the rest set in the same universe. Entranced by the Basilisks comes out Dec 30th and I’m looking forward to it.
Oh yeah, and I meant to say, I love Penelope! Such a cute film.
So, I’ve been in a brutal reading slump for what has felt like forever. Even beloved authors have been leaving me cold. I’ve DNF’ed more books in the last two months than in the last few years. I’ve even put off reading some new releases that I had been looking forward to because I was worried the slump would infect my enjoyment thereof.
I finally pulled out Sharon Shinn’s The Shuddering City. Woohoo — slump finally broken! It might not be a perfect book, but it was perfect for me. Such a lovely story and so well written. I’ve always adored Sharon Shinn’s work (since Archangel was published decades ago) and have periodically wondered why she doesn’t seem to be as well known/popular as I think she deserves… All the love for her right now!!
Just binged and enjoyed Jeffe Kennedy’s new series set in the Thirteen Kingdoms — HEIRS OF MAGIC (two novellas and four books).
Now digging into a very big TBR pile, starting with DRAMA King (which is off to a great start), SEASON OF LOVE, SWEEP OF THE HEART, WINTER’S ORBIT, and another by Penny Reid, FOLK AROUND AND FIND OUT. It’s going to be a lovely holiday.
Queued up for January: KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, DANCE WITH THE DEVIL, A MARVELOUS LIGHT, DELILAH GREEN DOESN’T CARE.
THE CIPHER by Isabella Maldonado, the first in the Nina Guerrera series, was good. Nina was the survivor of a serial killer attack 11 years ago, now she’s an FBI agent on the case for the same killer. Not an easy read, but satisfying to see how Nina finds her way.
Louise Penny’s A WORLD OF CURIOSITIES was her usual awesome, I’m willing to go with flawless. Here we learn the origin story for Gamache and Jean Guy. I absolutely hate the Amazon Prime series: if you’re going to change everything, why choose that series? OTOH, the tie-in to the barbaric mission schools and missing Indigenous men, women and children to Three Pines is difficult and timely.
THE UNKINDEST TIDE and FULL OF BRIARS in the Toby Daye series by Seanan McGuire were both excellent. The first was almost permanently heartbreaking; the second was a novella about Toby’s squire Quentin and his royal family.
Shout out to DiscoDollyDeb for recommending Kate Canterbary’s THE WORST GUY. I loved every word and moment in this book, definitely the best enemies-to-lovers I’ve read, plus excellent banter. Now I need more.
HE GETS THAT FROM ME by Jacqueline Friedland was a book club read about a gay couple who arrange for a surrogate and she gives birth to twin boys. Ten years later, issues arise and things get ugly. One of our clubs members was a surrogate a few years ago and her take on the book ranged from WTF to WTAF. Her retelling was much more interesting frankly. It’s not a bad book, but serious flaws made it something I would not recommend.
Quick comment….in the midst of holiday craziness, I read Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh….and I adored It! Stayed up way too late but worth it….probably one of the best Christmas rom come I have ever read.
I just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, and loved it. It is not a romance, though there are relationships in the book they are not the main plot lines. (CW/TW for death of an adult child) Tova, one of our main characters, is still grieving after the loss of her son, and is working at an aquarium as a way to keep busy and keep her mind occupied. Our other main character is an octopus named Marcellus, and a lot of the story is told from his perspective. I just loved him and his feelings about us humans and our various foibles. This is a very sweet story, no huge drama occurs, just people living their lives and trying to figure things out. Very much recommend! My only issue with the writing is the author’s use of the word “inscrutable” on the very last page of the book. I do not think it means what she thinks it means . . .
I’m still reading the Carbon Chronicles by Chloe Garner, now on book 2 of 4. These are sci-fi not romances, though there is the start of a relationship now. We’ll see how it develops. So far I’m enjoying them, I have all four from my KU membership so if the quality drops off I don’t have anything invested 😉 (did I mention it was a free KU trial?)
Happy celebrations to all, and all the good books in the new year!
Wildfire by Ilona Andrews.
-I traveled home for Christmas and loaded my kindle with a holiday tbr of sorts. Then I finished White Hot by Ilona Andrews on the plane and that TBR crashed and burned because I needed to start Wildfire immediately.
Here in the UK we are just coming up to the transition from Christmas Eve into Christmas Day, so I wish all you Smart Bitches a very Happy Christmas and/or Happy Holidays/Hannukah, whichever is your preference. I know some of you are dealing with the monster storm and severe cold weather, so I hope you are all safe and warm.
Just one book to recommend (I have read loads but my brain has shut down for the season): Homecoming King by Penny Reid (currently on offer for 99p on Amazon UK).
I wasn’t sure about it at first, read a few chapters and thought I might not carry on but then it hooked me in. The M is a successful football player and the F is an artistic/crafty bartender getting over a devastating divorce who had a childhood crush on Our Hero. A fake marriage ensues for reasons. Then it turns into a very sweet (and hot) romance, with some strong and likeable supporting characters who will get their own stories in forthcoming books. I thoroughly enjoyed it, lolling about in bed (it’s winter, I’m allowed…) for far too long utterly immersed. It’s fairly low angst, there is a con-artist ex-husband who makes an appearance so that might be a content warning but we get to our warm and lovely HEA, so all is well.
I’m off to fill my head with lightweight holiday romances for the duration. HNY all. See you on the other side.
When I calculated what date WAYR would land on for the second half of December, I thought I would be too busy baking, cooking, and going to my sister-in-law’s to post on Christmas Eve. Well joke is on me because a nasty stomach virus is ripping through our house. First my 23 month-old, then me and now my 3 year-old. So no cooking, baking or visiting today. Not how I wanted to spend Christmas – hopefully, tomorrow is better (and my husband/Daddy and Mimi – my mom who lives with us – stay virus free).
My list is short
Excellent:
Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer: I absolutely adored this country house/small village mystery with strange things happening at the manor. The villagers think it is haunted. Characters are not who they seem. And even though I figured out the villain about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through the book is was still a great romp getting to the end.
Very Good:
None
Good:
Play Dead by David Rosenfelt: Number six in the Andy Carpenter legal thriller/mystery series – these books follow a very very specific formula: self-deprecating defense attorney narrator, a constant cast of sidekicks, and always a big conspiracy and frame up of the narrator’s client. Either you like the formula or not, I do (although I am not sure why). CW for references to animal abuse.
Meh:
None
The Bad:
None
@Anne If you enjoyed Penny Reid’s Homecoming King, by all means indulge in Drama King, the next in the series. I just finished it this morning and rate it as Wonderful.
All of the books I had on hold at the library came in at once, so I’m in a rush to finish before they come due. Right now I’m in the middle of Niall Williams’ THIS IS HAPPINESS, about a village in Ireland preparing to have electricity installed, a teenage boy living with his grandparents after the death of his mother, and a man who’s returned to try to make up for breaking Annie Mooney’s heart decades earlier. Slow paced but lovely.
Just finished Emily Henry’s BOOK LOVERS and returned it to the library. Not perfect, but it’s been a long time since I laughed out loud quite so much at a book.
Also just finished a short story by Edith Wharton, AFTERWARDS. It’s about an American couple who buy a house in the English countryside and look forward to meeting a true English ghost. When the ghost shows up, however, it has serious consequences for them in ways they could not have foreseen. And the wife discovers that one may never truly know one’s spouse.
UNCOMMON CHARMS by Emily Bergslien and Kat Weaver was another short story with ghosts. Beautiful cover and interesting young characters. On the one hand, it’s short so aspects of the book/characters felt unfinished. OTOH, overall it felt complete as is and I don’t know that I feel the need to return to the world.
THE WISTERIA SOCIETY OF LADY SCOUNDRELS and THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEWOMEN WITCHES by India Holton. These are bright, breezy fun. At times I found it wearing and thought Holton was trying too hard to make every single conversation oh so very witty, and the satire of oh so proper Victorian ladyhood was at times a bit strained, but she hit the mark more often than she missed. For example, I liked the scene where the heroine steals the hero’s briefcase. When he stops her, she told him she did it for the orphans. Asked if she would take the briefcase to the orphans right away, she replies that she will not. “I’m taking it home, selling its contents, and adding the income to my estate. It will support my general affluence and prestige, which in turn will lend weight to my opinion abut the plight of orphans.” “I see. So by contributing to your personal wealth I am helping the poor.” “Exactly.” Humor is very personal, but this appealed to mine.
Not so much romance, although I’ve been plowing through Grace Burrowes True Gentlemen series. That makes it sound like it’s been an effort to read them, but I’ve actually enjoyed the books so far. Mostly about a semi-impoverished earl who needs to marry well – meaning rich – to bring his estate to solvency and his 8 siblings (now where have we read these tropes before?). Despite the well-traveled paths the characters/plots go down, I find myself turning to them between the heavier reading.
TBR from the library: GROUNDSKEEPING by Lee Cole, LESS IS LOST by Andrew Sean Greer, THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS by Pip Williams, JUNIPER & THORN by Ava Reid, and MY GOVERNMENT MEANS TO KILL ME by Rasheed Newson. I’ve learned that if I see a recommendation online or in a review, I need to immediately put a library hold on the book or I’ll forget it. Then what happens, as mentioned above, is that they come in together and the stack at my bedside threatens severe bodily harm when it falls.
I am on my holiday break, and I am making bad sleeping decisions, which means I’m reading. Also, I finished Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and am now about to finish Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, because the brain still wants to Hulk Smash.
Let’s see, I blew through Harlan Coben’s Don’t Let Go in just a couple days. His books are just so damn competent, and I find them comforting in that way. This one was about a man that was still trying to figure out the disappearance of his high school girlfriend, which happened around the time that his twin brother and brother’s girlfriend were killed. I had a feeling about who did what, but what was most interesting was the motivations behind certain actions and having to question what we really know about the people we love. Then I read Blood of Troy by Claire Andrews, the sequel to Daughter of Sparta. I’m a sucker for a mythology retelling, and this one gave a really nice twist on The Iliad. Several of the Greek gods are, as usual, vicious assholes, and the main character’s absolute disdain for their bullshit is fun. Which brings us to now, in which I’m reading an ARC of Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas. I’m having a good time with it. Great world-building, the characters are fun, and why yes, Thomas’s writing style and ear for realistic and funny dialogue translates nicely to middle grade. My only gripe is that it’s only 227 pages long, and I want more time in this world, but I also understand, this is written for the middle grade set, and that is a lovely length for that age group. So until next time, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a quiet and bright New Year.
I read the last chapter of Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews (I kept up with there serial) and plan to read it from start to finish sometime in the next two weeks. I want to find the little changes, if any, that were made.
For my commute, I DNFd Two Wrongs Make a Right and barely finished That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon. Since then, I’ve been tearing through the rest of Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians and Ice Home Series. My library has all of them, including the latest one coming out this week. I love my library. I appreciate the range of personalities and how each person deals with the challenges they face.
Finished Archangel’s Resurrection. Nalini Singh’s style doesn’t always suit me but I always gain something (insight on people, motives, etc) from her stories.
Over the past two weeks ~
— I quite enjoyed the contemporary male/male holiday romance, Christmas Wish List (Hartbridge Christmas Series Book 2) by N.R. Walker.
— The contemporary romance Switched by N.R. Walker was a reread featuring a man who was switched at birth and his best friend. I enjoyed this again.
— a novella by the author which also featured two friends falling in love: Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker. This was enjoyable but will likely not be a reread.
— The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen which I quite enjoyed. I think that several here might like it, too. It is a mix of fantasy and romance, and it has epistolary content which is a plus for me. It also has a lot of dead bodies.
— enjoyed a reread of a science fiction favorite ~ Linesman (A Linesman Novel Book 1) by S. K. Dunstall.
— the young adult graphic novel Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu was an enjoyable read.
Happy reading all!
Happy Christmas everyone!
Not much to report here…
Finished the HEART2HEART Anthology 6, which was mostly good. Though I could have done without the story where one MC was a hitman and self-professed psychopath – can’t think there’s a HEA in htere!
Finally got into KJ Charles’ A Charm of Magpies series, so far read THE MAGPIE LORD and A CASE OF POSSESSION and enjoyed them a lot, so I will be curling up on the sofa with the next one then! Magic and fantasy is admittedly not so much my jam, but of course KJ Charles makes it enjoyable!
Reread Roan Parrish’s Middle of Somewhere, a m/m contemporary romance with the very familiar trope of a big sweetheart and a smaller neurotic self identified misfit. It is not something that would usually appeal to me – I’m mostly a fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal/espionage or mystery reader but these 2 characters were very engaging. They both dealt with trauma but their approach and the impact on their personalities was very different. Somehow, that ultimately made them fit together well. There is frank discussion of the trauma (homophobia, bashing, death of family members, cheating) and a lot of sex -more variety than is typical but it served the story. The end takes place at Christmas time and it is lovely.
* Penny Reid’s DRAMA KING has one of the best male MCs ever. I totally fell for Cyrus and he made this book so delightful. Penny Reid at her best.
* Tarah Dewitt’s FUNNY FEELING is rich and nuanced and made me feel everything the two characters felt, both their personal discomforts and their feelings for each other. Very much a deep dive and highly recommended if you’re ready for that. It’s a m/f romance about an up and coming stand-up comic and her friend/manager, a single father former stand-up and current comedy writer whose delightful daughter is Deaf. Lots going on with these characters and I loved it.
* Listened to the third B.K. Borison, IN THE WEEDS, and love the community and like the characters. This time it’s a baker and an ex-cop now high school Spanish teacher who both have bad dating histories and decide she will coach him on dating techniques while he will show her there are decent men in the world. Borison’s work is quietly interesting.
* THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV isn’t a romance but is similar to DAISY JONES AND THE SIX in that it’s a history of a musical group, here a duo of an English white musician with a live-wire Black singer/performer who have a brief time together. It’s all about the mis-match in lives and careers and the racial undertones and open confrontations of the era. Fascinating and sometimes hard to listen to. All the events are viewed through the duo’s biographer, who is also the posthumous daughter of the duo’s drummer, who died during a racial altercation that occurs during a label showcase.
* Listened to Julie Kriss’s Road Kings novels, DUET, RIFF, and RHYTHM, and now I’m anxious for Stone’s story. I’m a sucker for rock star romances (an online music community has been a huge part of my life) and these are special ones with fascinating characters and depiction of musicians and life on the road. Thanks to people here for recommending this series
I read more (another rock star romance series that was much less notable) but these are the ones I wanted to share with you all.
Right now I’m starting listening to Mia Vincy’s A SCANDALOUS KIND OF DUKE and reading Hannah Bonam-Young’s f/f holiday romance novella SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
@ Kareni
I love the Linesman books! So underrated.
Currently reading The Gravity of Us by Britainy Cherry! It’s really good. Also working through Cora Riley’s back list. Finished Claire Contreras mafia series. She’s such a great writer. Waiting on the final installment that releases January.
@Michelle,
I agree! If you have something similarly underrated to recommend, I am listening.
I read some novellas from the Duke in a Box anthology. A lot of good authors in this collection, so you certainly can’t go wrong for .99! Plus two steamy novellas by Anna Campbell, The Worst Lord in London and The Trouble With Earls. I always love Campbell’s Christmas novellas, so although these were not Christmas-themed they didn’t disappoint.
Someone at WAYR mentioned The Match by Harlen Coben, and when I checked out the blurb, it says it’s set in the Ramapo Mountains of NJ. That’s where I grew up, so although I don’t read suspense much, I picked up the first book in the series, The Boy From The Woods. And I have to say it’s freaking me out a little bit, because I’m sure the fictional town in the book is based mainly on my hometown. Or if not my town, a neighboring town, because it’s so specific, there are only 2 or 3 places it could possibly be. My identity is so tied to where I grew up that I feel like someone would feel if they read a fictionalized version of themselves in a book.