Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! We’re wrapping up June with our second Whatcha Reading post of the month.
Lara: After a string of DNFs, I’ve resorted to an author I can trust and so far it’s solid: The Last Close Call by Laura Griffin. ( A | BN | K ) Her work isn’t going to give me Good Book Noise but I can relax into this book and trust her to deliver a good story.
Claudia: I just finished We Could Be So Good and it’s a lovely book! Just right for Pride Month as well.
Sarah: I am listening to two different books – An Impossible Imposter, aka yes I’m still listening to the Speedwell books, and also Better Living Through Birding, ( A | BN | K ) a nonfiction by Christian Cooper. You might recognize his name as he was the Black man birding in Central Park who had the police called on him because he was…looking at birds.
So far it’s insightful and lovely, and since I already use the Merlin app from Cornell to identify the birds in my yard by sound (and it’s nearly the same birds every time but do I use sound ID to figure out who is chatting? Yes I do) I figure binoculars and bird watching are probably the next stage of my journey.
Elyse: I just started The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O’Keefe ( A | BN | K ) last night. I need a good space opera as a palate cleanser.
Amanda: I’m reading that one right now too!
Elyse: Twinsies!
Shana: I am continuing my Rebecca Roanhorse audiobook party, and now listening to Fevered Star. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I’m totally sucked in so far. I’m also reading Return to Hummingbird Way by Reese Ryan. This book is super popular at my library, it felt like winning the lottery when my hold came in. So far it’s entertaining. The beauty queen heroine is described as sounding exactly like Whitley from A Different World. Honestly her personality overlaps too, although I don’t remember Whitley getting caught checking out the crotch bulge of a hot dude.
So whatcha reading? Tell us in the comments!
Whitley and Dwayne Wayne are one of my all time favorite couples. Much of my catnip comes from shipping them at a very formative age. I may have to read the Reese Ryan for that alone.
I’m holding strong with only short stories for fiction, but I really liked THE SHALLOWS: WHAT THE INTERNET IS DOING TO OUR BRAINS by Nicholas Carr. This edition was 10 + years old, so a lot of the information might be dated. I still enjoyed his general overview of the topic, starting all the way back from the dawn of writing as a form of communication.
Also, I need to give a shout out to the person who recommended the Screen Zen app. I’m pretty sure that was here at Smart Bitches. I’ve tried a lot of different productivity apps. This one works the best for me for curbing my impulse to check my phone constantly without being so draconian that it becomes unworkable.
Part One
TANGLED WITH YOU is the 10th book in J. Kenner’s long-running Stark Security series of romantic-suspense books. The book is a novella and is published through the 1001 Dark Nights franchise. It’s also, I believe, Kenner’s first m/m romance. Like most of the 1001 Dark Nights offerings, TANGLED WITH YOU is meant as an introduction to a series for new readers and catching up with characters from previous books for established readers. MCs Oliver and Trevor, who have appeared as supporting characters in previous Stark Security books, work in various security capacities and have been friends for a while. Trevor is gay, Oliver has always been straight—but when Oliver finally admits he feels attracted to Trevor, the guys don’t waste time; until suddenly Oliver’s former fiancée is kidnapped, and it’s all hands on deck to try to locate her before the clock runs out. The guys have to put their burgeoning feelings on the back-burner while trying to find the missing woman. Like most romance novellas, TANGLED WITH YOU really concentrates the action and emotion, and you have to be able to hand-wave the relative ease with which the missing woman and her kidnapper are located, but if you’d like to dip your toe into the Stark Security world, this wouldn’t be a bad place to start; just be prepared for a lot of characters (some the MCs of previous books, some obviously being set-up for their own future stories), some danger banging, and a rapidly accelerated timeline from first kiss to “I love you/let’s move in together.” Recommended.
THE BEST MEN (published in 2022), by Sarina Bowen & Lauren Blakely, is a light-hearted opposites-attract m/m rom-com which starts when buttoned-down trader Mark, divorced with a young daughter, and outgoing Asher, a former professional soccer player turned photographer, are tasked with arranging the Miami wedding of Mark’s sister to Asher’s best friend. (There was a free prequel novella titled SUPER HOT WINGMAN, which provided the basic set-up of the story, but I’m not sure if it’s still available—however, you can read THE BEST MEN without having read the prequel: everything you need to know is covered in the first couple of chapters.) Mark is openly bi and Asher is openly gay, so this is not an “awakening” story; instead, the focus is how two people, who don’t appear compatible in the abstract, discover attraction and compatibility when they have to work together. Bowen & Blakely develop some strong sexual tension between the two MCs, along with nicely evoking the Miami vibe. And unlike the books Blakely co-wrote with K.D. Casey, where it was fairly obvious who wrote what part of each story, Bowen’s and Blakely’s styles merge pretty seamlessly. Recommended.
I hadn’t read anything by Briar Prescott but I’d seen her books recommended in several places, so I grabbed her 2020 m/m romance, RARE—a second-chance romance with the first half set in 2009 and the second half set in 2019. Alex is a self-indulgent and bratty 19-year-old sent to perform community service in an animal sanctuary in Oregon. There he meets straight-laced 18-year-old Nate who has dreams of becoming a vet. As the weeks go by, Alex and Nate grow closer, but Nate is keeping a secret. Even after Nate and Alex begin a tentative relationship, Nate does not share the reason why he disappears for days or why his mother is so smotheringly protective of him. Prescott really leans into the cynical-experience versus idealistic-innocence dynamic of the couple in the first half of the book. Surprisingly, it is the quiet Nate who ends the couple’s nascent love affair; and it is another decade before the two meet again. The twist as to why Nate decided to break up with Alex all those years ago (and it’s impact on any relationship the couple decide to have going forward) is interesting and not something I’ve read in a romance before.
If the ending felt a little too fluffy—heart-eyes! puppies! father-son reconciliation—the book serves to highlight a very discriminatory public health practice. RARE is something of a polemic wrapped around a love story—but a well done one at that. Recommended.
Nicky James’s NOT WHAT IT SEEMS (published in 2021) is an m/m romantic-suspense story where the suspense elements outweighed the romantic ones. Cyrus is a by-the-book psychiatrist who is called in to evaluate the mental health of a murder suspect. When Cyrus meets the patient, he’s shocked to discover the man is River, with whom Cyrus had a brief but very intense hook-up with a couple of months prior. Before long, Cyrus is convinced that River is innocent and being set-up. Cyrus then transgresses his own (and his profession’s) code of ethics by helping River escape and then restarting a sexual relationship with him as they search for the actual killer. NOT WHAT IT SEEMS has a propulsive plot that kept me turning the pages; and, even though I figured out who the villain had to be, I still wanted to know the how and the why. I found the romance (age-gap, opposites attract) to be less successful: Cyrus comes across as terribly needy and emotionally immature for a man in his mid-40s—particularly for someone in his field; despite the book’s HEA, I’m not sure how long the far more devil-may-care River will be able to reassure him. I recommend NOT WHAT IT SEEMS for its galloping suspense plot, you just have to accept the romance as part of the ride.
Part Two
I started out being a little irritated with Lauren, the heroine of ON THE LINE by new-to-me author Julia Connors. Lauren is a wife and mother who discovers, after her husband’s death in a skiing accident, that the wealthy lifestyle they were living was a mirage funded by borrowed money, mortgaged homes, and cashed-out retirement funds. I wanted Lauren to have asked more questions about how her husband—a retired professional skier—found the money for their lavish home and constant travel. But once I got over my annoyance with Lauren for never questioning the source of her husband’s supposed wealth, I enjoyed this story of a young widow who starts over by moving to Boston and reconnecting with Jameson, her late husband’s agent, someone with whom she has “history” which gradually unfolds during the story. I liked the second half of the book more than the first—especially as revelations about Lauren’s late husband force her to readjust her memories of him. There’s nothing ground-breaking in this book, but if you’re looking for a solid read to while away a few hours, ON THE LINE would not be a bad choice.
I grabbed new-to-me author Lia Riley’s VIRGIN TERRITORY (2018) on a whim: it has an arresting cover and features a underrepresented trope: a virgin hero. Margot is a yoga instructor still coming to grips with the slut-shaming she endured as a teenager when she lost her virginity to a classmate she thought liked her but who then blabbed to all his buddies (cw/tw: flashbacks); she is also being stalked by an ex (more cw/tw) who doesn’t accept their break-up. Patrick is a professional hockey goalie; he’s a good player but allows himself to be goaded to anger by opposing players. His coach recommends yoga as a way for Patrick to maintain focus and calmness. Patrick begins yoga lessons with Margot, and their attraction sparks immediately—but there are obstacles: Patrick is Margot’s client, he’s also a virgin, plus he’s being distracted by an ongoing lawsuit. While VIRGIN TERRITORY is definitely not an inspirational romance (there’s plenty of hot sexy-times even before Patrick loses his V-card), the book has quite strong spiritual elements: Margot seeks serenity with various forms of yoga and meditation, and Patrick (who briefly considered entering the priesthood) is a practicing Catholic. These things are not window dressing, they play a significant role in how the MCs think of themselves and interact with others. Much like ON THE LINE, VIRGIN TERRITORY is not a particularly memorable book, but it’s a worthwhile way to spend some reading time. Recommended.
Natasha Anders wrote one of my all-time angsty favorites, THE UNWANTED WIFE, but much of the rest of her work just hasn’t done it for me. Her prose tends to be clunky, adverb heavy, and full of multiple dependent clauses; and her plots lean toward melodrama which is only exacerbated by characters with whiplash-inducing inconsistencies. That being said, I decided to give her latest, DON’T PRETEND I’M YOURS, a try because it features one of my favorite and most angsty sub-tropes of fake relationship: only one partner knows the relationship is fake, the other thinks they are in a true love match. The heroine of DPIY marries a man who works for her grandfather: she thinks he loves her, but on her wedding day discovers that he’s marrying her more from a sense of obligation to her grandfather, and that he really thinks of her as spoiled and empty-headed. The story would have been engaging if the MCs had been consistently written, being true to the personality traits Anders describes them having. But both MC kept changing attitudes and ideas (sometimes in mid-sentence!), and I lost confidence in Anders having control of her characters or her plot. The nugget of a decent angsty story is buried in DON’T PRETEND I’M YOURS, but Anders desperately needs a good editor to prune excess and smooth the storyline. I can’t recommend DON’T PRETEND I’M YOURS, and I’ll just return to my umpteenth reread of THE UNWANTED WIFE instead.
@Jill Q. — I loved Whitley and Dwayne too, along with Fran and Maxwell on THE NANNY. I keep meaning to go back and rewatch both shows.
Lots of books waiting on my TBR pile, including CAPTURE THE SUN by Jessie Mihalik; THE DECOY GIRLFRIEND by Lillie Vale; and A PSALM FOR THE WILD-BUILT by Becky Chambers.
I also want to go back and finish out some series that I have started, like the London Celebrities series by Lucy Parker.
Happy weekend, Smart B’s!
Continuing with our family book bingo, I read HAPPY GO LUCKY by David Sedaris (counted for Book of Essays or Poems category) and A LINE TO KILL by Anthony Horowitz (Crime Fiction category). If you like David Sedaris, this was another strong offering, which I enjoyed. I’ve read his stuff for a long time, and it is really interesting to see how his perspective has shifted with age, and yet in some ways he is exactly the same. While my family is very different that his, I also am one of six kids, so some of his stories really resonate with me.
I wanted a straightforward, Agatha Christie-esque mystery, which is what Anthony Horowitz consistently delivers. I enjoyed his other books more than this one (I especially liked the two that had books within the books – two mysteries for the price of one!) but this was solid.
Dying to read ONLY GOOD ENEMIES by Jennifer Estep (for Space Opera category) and THE MIDSUMMER BRIDE BY Kati Wilde (Fantasy Romance category) when they both come out in July. Looking for a Book Written by an Athlete, a Steampunk Book (think I’ve read most of them?), and a Novel that started as Fanfiction. Recommendations welcome. As you can see, the categories are all over the place.
Hope you are all happy and healthy and ready to do some Summer Reading!
@Big K: you may have read both of these, but GAME CHANGER by Rachel Reid started as Captain America/Bucky Barnes fanfic, and THROWN OFF THE ICE by Taylor Fitzpatrick was also part of a trove of stories Fitzpatrick had on AO. In fact, I believe all of Fitzpatrick’s published work started out on fanfic sites.
Checking them out now, Triple D! Thank you!
@Jennifer Estep, bump that Becky Chambers to the top of the pile. A PSALM FOR THE WILD BUILT has so much reading joy in 147 pages. It will lift your soul.
Me? Let’s start with THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN by SUSANNA HOFFS. Yes, that Susanna Hoffs. How did the iconic Bangles lead singer come to write a romance? Sounds like a great interview question for, say, a podcast. HINT, HINT. Any way the MC, Jane Start is a one hit wonder. Ten years ago she covered a song written by a Prince/Bowie/Banksy type superstar that, along with the video, launched a skyrocket career that promptly fizzled. She’s broke, blocked and living with her parents having recently discovered her longtime partner has been cheating on her. This is the story of how she finds her way back to her true self and the artist she wants to be. Along the way she impulsivley snogs an Oxford professor as they fly over the Atlantic; reconnects with the enigmantic/bizarre singer who gave her career it’s start; becomes a better friend while making new friends. It’s all informed by an insider’s knowledge of the music industry. There are also little love stories going on in the background of Jane’s life. All are delightful. One of which will break your heart. *You’re going to want to have a notepad with you as there is an epic playlist going on. Flirting and seduction by song are a thing in this book and it works. Here’s hoping Susanna’s writing career is as epic as her musical one.
Just finished (literally, put book down, started the coffee pot and logged on to talk about) THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT from the always delightful Christina Lauren. This is the unplanned sequel to THE SOULMATE EQUATION following Jess’s romance writer best friend Felicity “Fizzy” Chen. The writers have said this is their love letter to romance fans and fandom im general, and it is. They say in the afteward that they think it’s the best book they’ve ever written, and they aren’t wrong. Fizzy realizes in the middle of a commencement speech that she has lost the joy she’s telling the graduates to seek. It doesn’t help that her belief in love has been shaken by the discovery that the man she’s been dating is married (Not a spoiler, it happened in the first book. No, you don’t have to read it to enjoy this, but why wouldn’t you? It’s delightful. And, yes, Jess and River put in aeveral appearances. Honestly he is the funniest unsocialble grump on the planet). Connor is a documentary producer who’s just been told his network is changing direction, and he takes the producer position on a reality show or loses his job. A new job would more than likely take him out of San Diego and away from his daughter; something he dreads. Being a good & present dad is important to him. Inspiration sparks when he sees a blurb about the gazillion dollars that GeneticAlly is being sold for: A dating show where the contestants all take the DNADuo blood test, but no one knows the results until the final show. Having discovered that his exes’ favorite author is the beautiful woman he recently locked eyes with in a bar, and she’s single, a germ of an idea fledges. Full disclosure: reality shows that don’t involve baking are anathema to me. Especially “dating” shows. I would never watch this show, but oh, how I LOVED reading about it.
Late night Kindle reading is Lucy Score’s second Knockemout book THINGS WE HIDE FORM THE LIGHT. As we know from the first book, Nash is recovering (badly) from gunshot wounds that nearly ended his life. PTSD is thick on the ground. While everyone is aware that his normal charm and good nature are absent, the self-doubt, sleeples nights and panic attacks have been well hidden. Enter Lina, his brother’s one time college girlfriend and “insurance investigator”. She’s moved into the apartment next door. She’s in your face, and way too perceptive. She’s also got secrets of her own. I’m a third of the way in and enjoying the hell out of it. Where has this writer been all my life.
Over the past two weeks ~
— Witch King by Martha Wells. If you are acquainted with the author’s Murderbot stories, be aware that this book is fantasy and quite dissimilar. I have a lot of admiration for the author’s ability to build this complex world and to go back and forth between two timelines, and I was sufficiently intrigued to read to the end; however, I doubt that this is a book I will reread.
— Trans Galactic Insurance: Adventures of a Jump Space Accountant by Andrew Moriarty proved to be an enjoyable science fiction work with a very naive hero. Were the sequels to magically land on my Kindle, I would happily read on.
— a very enjoyable fantasy which I enthusiastically recommend, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath: The First Book of Nampeshiweisit by Moniquill Blackgoose. I will happily read on when the opportunity exists. The main character is a young indigenous woman and the story is set in the latter 1800s. The author is also indigenous. I was trying to describe the book to my husband and told him I saw commonalities with these books:
*The Temeraire books by Naomi Novik in the way that newborn dragons bond to a person.
*The Others books by Anne Bishop as the reader recognizes the place (North America) but realizes that its history (here settled by Norsemen) differs significantly from our own.
*The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison for the unfamiliar names (such as Nampeshiweisit, Anequs, and –dottir), method of governance (jarl and thanes), and steampunk elements (though they are far more developed in this book).
— a contemporary male/male romance that included dragon shifters ~ Strike a Fire (New World Order Book 1) by Avtor Kirjanik. I enjoyed this book, but it’s part one of a series that has not had a follow-up since 2018.
— This month’s book group choice was a reread for me, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I liked it more on this second read but still not quite as much as I like The Martian.
— read a short science fiction romance that was a Cinderella type story with an android as one of the leads. I enjoyed Once upon a Dance by Kim Fielding but had hoped for more.
— started and finished (late!) a very enjoyable contemporary romance, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler. This book involved a road trip of two acquaintances after a cancelled flight. One of them is carrying some ashes of a deceased friend that she hopes to bring to an old love of said friend. There was great banter in this book and some funny situations which had me laughing aloud. A second storyline followed the WWII era romance of two women in Key West, a military nurse and a pigeoneer.
— a picture book that proved to be a very quick read, Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall. It was the story of the author’s grandparents who met and married while being held in an American incarceration camp for Japanese Americans during WWII.
— a nonfiction book that I read for artistic inspiration, How to Be a Rule-Breaking Letterer: A Guide to Making Perfectly Imperfect Art by Huyen Dinh. It was a pleasant affirming book and very pink!
— I also started a number of books that I put aside and read a host of book samples.
Oooh, I’m also listening to An Impossible Imposter! I started it based on a recommendation here. Loving the series.
I’m reading a book that was recently recommended too, SHIP WRECKED by Olivia Dade. I had mixed feelings about the hero for the first third of the book or so, but he’s grown on me.
After a minor re-reading binge of Loretta Chase’s Dressmakers and Carsingtons (where I stalled on book 4, NOT QUITE A LADY, because I wasn’t in the mood for the pain woven throughout), I had a bit of a flail, not knowing what I wanted and not wanting everything I tried. For the pure heck of it, I got the ebook of a book I read many, many years ago (so many years, you don’t even want to know), A BIRD IN THE TREE, by Elizabeth Goudge. The book is 85 years old, set in the late summer of 1938 when everyone kind of knows war is coming. The characters are all members of or connected to the Eliot family who have a house in Hampshire, England, called Damerosehay — A BIRD IN THE TREE is the first of three — the other two are PILGRIM’S INN and THE HEART OF THE FAMILY. I’m reading PILGRIM’S INN, which is set in 1946, after the war is over but the effects are still being felt.
Goudge was a clergyman’s daughter and a devout Christian, so that’s woven through all her work. It’s gently done and reads as if this is her truth, not as if she’s trying to convince anyone this is the one true way. There’s a kind of soft assumption that people will agree with her.
I don’t know that I would read her if I were just discovering her now, but I read her in my teens and I loved her then, so there’s some nostalgia in play here. Also, although everything is not sunshine and roses, the book and the two that follow it aren’t angsty. I’ve got some stuff going on, so I want to read engaging but not demanding or angsty things, and these are fitting the bill.
DNF’d: Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea: I thought this book would be interesting. It is not. The story is limply told and the writing is amateurish.
Book I Can’t Finish Through No Fault Of Its Own, I Just Have The Attention Span Of A Magpie: Chef’s Choice by TJ Alexander. Good but not great.
Finished and Recommended:
A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao: A great protagonist, a good mystery and excellent social commentary.
The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu: Both a great fantasy-adventure novel and an exploration of power. Very well done. A quick read at 500 pages.
Still Reading:
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel: On the way to being a five star read for me. It’s not a quick read but it is worth every minute. Gorgeous prose.
Next on the TBR:
The Late Mrs. Willoughby by Claudia Gray
Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie: I read very few books about parent-adult child relationships but this book looked too good to pass up. Bonus points that it is set in Oakland, CA.
Fin
After bingeing a re-read of Beverly Jenkins’ Blessing Series, my reading brain has decided that only contemporaries will do for now. I have some great SF/F lined up, including my SBTB-squee inspired purchase of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, but I can’t settle down with any of them. (I also need to stop compulsively reading about the Titan disaster.)
I read Abby Jimenez’s Yours Truly, which has one of the best cinnamon roll heroes I’ve ever met in Jacob. This my first time reading her books, and I promptly checked two more out of the library.
I am currently reading Uzma Jalaluddin’s Much Ado About Nada and really enjoying it, though I did read the last chapter and epilogue because I couldn’t stand not knowing what was really going on with the h/h.
I have three books I want to read coming due at the library next Tuesday, so I have a hard choice: The Bandit Queens, Hijab Butch Blues, or The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. I’m also hoping my SF/F stall wears off by Tuesday, when Connie Willis’ new book The Road to Roswell is released.
I think this is what I read since last time, LOL…
BLACK FLAGGED by Emma Jaye is part of the multi author Lights Out m/m Formula One racing series. This is a bodyguard romance with a little suspense, and has some overlap with Ms Jaye’s darker mercenaries series. The driver whose team hires the bodyguard has made a reputation for himself in the other books as being somewhat insufferable, so I was curious to see what his story was. I think Ms Jaye does a good job of it, and enjoyed her spin on things, and her approach to the F1 universe.
I read THE UNHONEYMOONERS by Christina Lauren for the current Kindle Challenge, and while I quite enjoyed say, the first two thirds, maybe?, the main characters’ siblings’ relationship implodes and wipes out quite a lot in its wake. While they eventually find their way clear of it, it kind of ruined the joy of it for me, and I’m kind of leery of trying more of their writing. (Plus, some weird glitch meant that the read didn’t even register for the challenge so ♀️)
Next, I happily binged the m/m HOCKEY EVER AFTER series by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James, and thoroughly enjoyed them. WINGING IT (Gabriel Martin and Dante Baltierra are on the same team, same line; opposites attract, little bit of age gap), SCORING POSITION (Ryan Wright and Nikolai Kirschbaum, teammates to friends to more), UNRIVALED (Grady Armstrong and Max Lockhart, a delicious rivals to lovers), plus the WINGING IT HOLIDAY SPECIAL were just the delight I needed.
And a couple ARCs for soon to release books:
ROOKIE MISTAKES by Beth Laycock is also part of the Lights Out F1 series, and is a veteran driver who gets tasked with providing a driving experience for some VIP guests, and meets a nice guy who isn’t a racing fan but ends up becoming one. A really lovely regular guy-celebrity story.
And Brigham Vaughn’s THE HUSBAND GAME, which kicks off her #RelationshipGoals series. It’s an excellently written, very satisfying oops-we-woke-up-married-and-need-to-stay-that-way-for-REASONS, opposites attract, m/m hockey romance with some deft handling of eating disorders and familial trauma.
Toronto Fisher Cats captain Dustin Fowler and former figure skater Charlie Monaghan attend the NHL awards in Las Vegas and wake up not only with a hangover, but surprise! A husband….
I loved it, and can’t wait for more!
Having just finished K.D. Edward’s Tarot Sequence fantasy trilogy (THE LAST SUN, THE HANGED MAN and THE HOURGLASS THRONE), I am here to report that they are well worth reading. The world building is complex, the characters are intriguing and all the different ways in which love can be displayed and in which relationships (familial, romantic, friendly) can evolve makes it an unusual type of fantasy series, in my experience.
I finished Abby Jiminez’s YOURS TRULY this morning and I really enjoyed it. I liked both main characters, Jacob and Briana, and in particular thought that way that Jacob’s personality was described, and the underpinnings of it, was so well done. And some of the banter was just first class. Very enjoyable, and one of my favorit6 romances for this year so far. After reading the book in HC from the library I purchased the audiobook b/c I want to listen to it as well and the wait was multiple months at the 4 different library systems I have cards with and I just don’t want to wait that long to have these characters enter my brain thru my ears as well as my eyes!
My appetite for angst is limited, but I will say that I very much enjoyed Ari Baran’s male/male hockey romance GAME MISCONDUCT, which measures pretty high on the angst-o-meter. I listened to it on audiobook from the library. At the beginning I was very unsure as to whether Baran could redeem what seemed like a transactional sexual relationship based on mutual dislike/violence. But she did, and it was a great journey. Mike, one of the main characters, who is pretty young, did a massive amount of growing up over the course of a year-long set of interactions that develop into a relationship with an older player, Danny. Danny has his own issues, but it’s his mentoring of Mike, a young player on a competing team, that is the spark that makes Mike see that he can evolve into a better version of himself.
Another book that I’d like to commend to the Bitchery is Dan Clay’s BECOMING A QUEEN. It’s a YA/new adult novel about a boy who is a senior in high school who realizes that dressing in drag helps him to cope with some really tough stuff that’s happening in his life. There is a romance with a lovely boy who accepts his desire to dress in drag, after another boyfriend breaks up with him over it. There are some dark moments in this book as is often the case in books that realistically portray teens’ lives. As the parent of three kids around that age I am so very aware of how difficult that journey is. That said, there is joy, beauty, growth and love as well. If only the rabid book banners would actually read these types of books and think about the wide variety of lived experiences of young people and how to support their journey to adulthood.
And finally a “thank you” to those of you who recommended of Ada Marie Soto’s HIS QUIET AGENT and AGENTS IN WINTER. I found those both affecting. They’re such quiet books, and I was surprised by how much the characters got under my skin. The story about the blossoming of love between two kind, shy and aromantic men turned out to be very memorable.
@Big K, have you read Beth Ciotta’s steampunk trilogy (Tje Glorious Victorious Darcys)
Or Cherie Priest, Jim Butcher, Katie MacAlister?
@Kareni: I just bought the audio version of TO SHAPE A DRAGON’S BREATH and am delighted that you recommend it. The opportunity to hear indigenous words was too good to miss. As usual, your other reads sound like my catnip, especially TRANS GALACTIC INSURANCE. Off to investigate. Thanks!
BIG STONE GAP by Adriana Trigiani for bookclub: I loved the secondary characters and had to keep reminding myself the setting was 1976 (no talk of depression or mental health then). But Ave Maria? Nuh-uh. One of my aunts could/would not let go of a painful past (real and imagined) and harbored grudges like a champ. No thanks.
THE POSTCARD by Anne Berest: Contemporary non-fiction that reads like fiction about the arrival of an old postcard bearing only the names of four French family members who died in the Holocaust. Daughter and granddaughter combine their resources and research to understand what happened. Heartbreaking and highly recommended.
KINDRED by Octavia Butler (audio edition): As one reviewer said, “This book should be read by anyone who thinks that slavery really wasn’t so bad after all or that the past is past.” That the narrator is a contemporary Black woman pulled into 1800s Maryland to, she eventually learns, rescue a white, slave-owning ancestor, makes the telling very personal. Powerful, harrowing. Do not look away. Highest recomendation.
ALEXANDRA PETRI’S US HISTORY by Alexandra Petri: I loved the writing, the way the author’s mind works, and she is clearly much more knowledgeable than I could ever be about anything. And yet, the book just didn’t reach me, perhaps a hangover from the other, heavier stories I’d just read.
Listening to Remarkably Bright Creatures. The bored, rich guy voice of the octopus is hilarious. Love his sections and love watching these lives start to converge.
I usually have something nonfic going along with novels, and I mostly tend to listen to audiobooks for nonfiction. So I just finished ONCE UPON A TOME by Oliver Darkshire which is a memoir/humorous essays about the rare book industry based out of one of the oldest antiquarian dealers in London. It was very charming and fun, and the author does a great job narrating his book (which sometimes isn’t the case).
As it’s actually been harder for me to stick with any novels lately, I’ve been reading my go to alternative for the past twenty plus years: fanfic. When I find amazing authors I enjoy reading fic without ever having seen the show (or other media), so I’ve been binging on Stargate Atlantis and 9-1-1 fics which have been fun.
Usually after a fic binge I can slowly get back to books too; I do still read fanfic all the time too but at a slower pace mixed with all my other reading. Also I just managed to get KU again for 3 months free which is nice (all I do is wait around for deals in KU and then run them into the ground because I’m cheap).
I also read ONCE UPON A TOME by Oliver Darkshire recently, enjoyed it. Other noteworthy recent reads:
A TASTE OF GOLD AND IRON by Alexandra Rowland, M/M fantasy, which a lot of people love and so did I, though I did wish for a little *more* – it ends right after ‘okay we’re gonna make this work’ and I wanted to see that. If I can’t have more of this book, I want a sequel. 🙂
ALL THE RIGHT NOTES by Dominic Lim, M/M contemporary, delivered real feelings in a story about a music and the one who got away.
And I also read ONCE UPON A DANCE by Kim Fielding, M/M SF retelling of Cinderella which I found wholly satisfying.
SPEAR by Nicola Griffith is a complete squealing ‘go read this now’ recommendation, featuring a female Peretur as a semi-immortal warrior during the reign of King Arthur.
THE ART OF HUSBANDRY by Jay Hogan, M/M contemporary set on New Zealand’s South Island, is a solid book delivering a strong sense of place and Big Changes in Not Much Time. I tend to prefer to see MCs do the work on the page, vs All This to Establish Romance and then skip forward months to show that it’s working, but Hogan remains an auto-buy for me.
Thus, highlights from 2023 reading journal entries 157-180. 🙂
correcting error above which I’m blaming on hyperactive site refresh:
— delivered real feelings in a story about a *musician* —
Translation State by Anne Leckie — audiobook rendition by the outstanding Adjoa Andoh! I’m loving it, having to slow down because I don’t want it to end. Tightly plotted and twisty enough that I back up often to catch it all. Andoh’s narration is incredibly evocative; the images in my head are richer than ever.
Since our last installment, I’ve started two new series – the Electra McDonnell series by Ashley Weaver. Starting with A PECULIAR COMBINATION. Someone recommended this last time round, and I have really enjoyed the first and second THE KEY TO DECEIT. On the waiting list for the most recent book at my library. These are great summer reads, I’m enjoying the reluctant attraction between the leads. Passed on the recommendation to my MIL.
I also started The Regency Faerie Tales by Olivia Atwater. HALF A SOUL had a good level of tension/dislike growing into mutual attraction into a sweet romance. There was growth and change in the main characters. With the second book, TEN THOUSAND STITCHES, I found it harder to connect to the characters. They felt a little flat and though they grew, they didn’t have a lot of self-insight. I’ll definitely go on to read the 3rd book. I’m a sucker for historical fantasy.
I’m in the midst of reading two other books – BEAR WITH ME NOW by Katie Shepherd. This was a random pick up off the new book shelf at the library. The MMC is a workaholic with a lot of complicated grief about his mom’s death 3 years prior. He appears to have just completed a psych hold and his sister has brought him to a very swanky “natural” rehab. The FMC is the Jill of all grub work at the rehab and saves the MMC from a bear. The FMC has had a lot of trouble meeting any of her goals in life and keeps hitting hurdles. I imagine/hope there’s a lot of emotional growth ahead. Not sure if I’ll be able to keep going on their journey with them.
I started T.A. White’s Aileen Travers series – SHADOW’S MESSENGER is the first book. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Columbus OH where the book is set so it’s cool to know the setting. It feels a little different from the other paranormals I’ve read, and I’m finding that to be refreshing.
I’m still working on the audiobooks for the Veronica Speedwell series. I’m not good at sitting still so it should be easy for me to find time to listen while gardening or cross stitching. But I’m also pretty keen on having quiet in my brain and focusing on what’s in front of me. I also recommended these to my MIL, who’s a reader and knitter so she’s gonna check them out.
Ali Hazelwood’s LOVE, THEORETICALLY was terrific. I love her STEM-related romances, and this third full-length was at least as good as her second and that’s saying a lot. It’s the story of a people-pleasing (and date-for-hire) scientist scrambling to keep her head above water who interviews for a job with a faculty that includes the experimental physicist who tanked her mentor’s career and who undermined the whole field of theoretical physics. So very enemies-to-lovers. Great characters.
What is is about the feel of Sarina Bowen’s books that automatically gives me that Good Book Feeling? That the characters are flawed but so relatably human and decent people? Anyway, GOOD AS GOLD gave me that feeling. It’s about two old friends who have a long-standing crush that after some life traumas come back together and the guy agrees to help the woman have a longed-for baby before her biological clock runs out.
I got that from Julie Kriss’s REVERB, too. Another great series. REVERB is the final Road King’s book and tells the long hinted-at tale of what really happens between the guitarist and the journalist who has been thwarted at every turn as she tries to write about their tour.
Matthew Norman’s CHARM CITY ROCKS did, too, and was so amusingly written I kept quoting it to my husband. It’s the story about a mid-life music teacher who meets the rock drummer he’s admired since they both were young.
Annabel Monaghan’s SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER didn’t quite have the kick as MEET ME AT THE LAKE by Carly Fortune, which has a slightly similar plot (early loves meet up again years later) or her previous one, NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT, but was still very good.
Kate Bromley’s CIAO FOR NOW was both an interesting view of fashion design, Italy, and a good enemies-to-lovers story.
Charish Reid MICKEY CHAMBERS SHAKES IT UP was also good–here an adjunct professor with a chronic illness has to deal with dwindling class assignments and takes a job in a bar owned by a grumpy widower.
These are the highlights of my recent reads.
@Darlynne: I look forward to hearing your thoughts on To Shape a Dragon’s Breath which I found excellent. In comparison, TRANS GALACTIC INSURANCE was a much lighter read.
@Big K: If a steampunk element is sufficient, you might take a look at To Shape a Dragon’s Breath.
I’m about 3/4 done with Undertaking Love by Megan Montgomery, which I bought when I was only 1/2 done with the first book, Morgue to Love. This one is an enemies to lovers story, and they’re both lusting so hard that if they don’t have sex soon, I’m going to combust while reading! Judging by the last book, when they finally do, it’s going to melt my Kindle. Next up for me is Thorns, by Ellen Mint–the next to last book in her Coven of Desire series that started with Ink.
I finally got through A Spark of White Fire. I think Aarya was the one to recommend it here. My loan on the audiobok had run out and I was dragging my feet to finish it because I knew something terrible was going to happen near the end of the first book to make the MC be at a different perspective in the second book. It is a very good book and I’m learning a lot but my angst-tolerance level is very near zero. I have the second book on my wishlist.
I’m currently listening to Eclipse the Moon and am breezing through it.
I had 4 pre-orders on my list for June and they did not disappoint! The most recent two were CAPTURE THE SUN by Jessie Mihalik, which brings the Starlight’s Shadow trilogy to an end , and MAGIC CLAIMS by Ilona Andrews. CAPTURE THE SUN is Lexi the thief’s book and we get a little more background on why she has perennially sticky fingers. I still like book one in the series best, HUNT THE STARS, because of all the new and fun world building, but CAPTURE THE SUN has an excellent, adrenaline-filled final battle and a (mostly) satisfying ending. This is theoretically the last book in the series, but I’m holding out hope for a sequel featuring a certain prince.
MAGIC CLAIMS is a full on novel that takes place after the novella MAGIC TIDES. Where MAGIC TIDES starts Kate and Curran on the path out of their attempt at obscurity, MAGIC CLAIMS shows how it’s going to happen. There are the usual ridiculous and powerful creatures, shape-shifters, blood, gore, and magic alongside a new(ish) cast of characters, including 8-year-old plot moppet Conlan. (Aside – Can you call a child that turns into a 6 foot lion and performs blood magic a plot moppet? But he did start everything rolling in MAGIC TIDES and he is apparently the reason Kate and Curran hid themselves in Wilmington.) But at the end of the day, who doesn’t want a book with shape-shifting dire wolves and ice age elves?
I also just finished FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros. Many thanks to @FashionablyEvil and @Kareni for mentioning this one on the last Whatcha Reading. This is a loooooong book. I haven’t had the patience for a 500+ page book in a while, but this one definitely moves along. The story line does not make sense in the classic “making sense” sense. There are an awful lot of people in their 20s dying for absolutely no reason. But if you can set that aside, there be dragons! And hot romance. So, definitely a win. I liked it so much that I returned my library copy and bought it outright because I know I’m going to reread it.
@Musical Trees: Happy to hear that you also enjoyed FOURTH WING. I look forward to book two!
@Darlynne: I will be very interested to hear your thoughts on TO SHAPE A DRAGON’S BREATH. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. TRANS GALACTIC INSURANCE is a much lighter read.
@Big K: TO SHAPE A DRAGON’S BREATH has a definite steampunk element; you may wish to take a look.
@Musical Trees—I am so glad you liked THE FOURTH WING! I just finished it today and it FLEW (ha!) by. If Sarah J. Maas plus Eragon with a touch of Hunger Games or Scholomance sounds like your cup of tea, I would definitely recommend. It’s super brisk so the world building never feels like an info dump, although there are some details I feel could be helpfully expanded upon. It’s also pretty steamy. In any case: dragons! sex! political intrigue! It has it all!
I also enjoyed India Holton’s new book THE SECRET SERVICE OF TEA AND TREASON. Like the others in the series, it’s swashbuckling and literary fun, although there are some dark bits of the heroine’s (Alice’s) past that are alluded to but not really satisfactorily explained. I really liked the hero, Daniel, too.
Finally read Sherry Thomas’s A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN which had been on my TBR forever! It was great—loved Charlotte and Watson and am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.
Up next: Cat Sebastian’s new book, WE COULD BE SO GOOD.
I keep mentioning that I DNF so rarely, but recently I have had so many DNFs – maybe I am changing my reading ways.
Excellent:
THE TYRANT ALPHA’S REJECTED MATE by Cate C. Wells (Paranomal m/f): First in the Five Packs series, this was a re-read because I convinced my sister-in-law to give the series a try and told her I wanted to read along with her if she did. I loved it just as much the second time as I did the first (maybe more?). The hero clearly grows through the book, the pack history and dynamics are fascinating, the world building so different from a lot of the rest of Romancelandia (when is the last time you read about a hero worried about his energy bill and energy efficient appliances because said hero is not rich), and the writing so good. CW: Sexual assault, violence toward children (all in the backstory)
Very Good:
None
Good:
None
Meh:
HER ALPHA MARINE by Karen Anders (Category – romantic suspense, m/f): There were so so so so many problems with this book (for one, the entire plot, two, the TSTL heroine, three, the villain), but there were flashes of brightness – the yearning the hero felt for the heroine, a hot showering scene at a waterfall deep in the jungle and the way their conflicting life goals were wrapped up at the end. CW: Torture
NOBLE INTENTIONS by Katie MacAlister (Historical – m/f): a very weird mix of a romp/rom-com and suspense/mystery. The hero is a controlled, ordered person and his world is thrown into disarray by the heroine and her various projects, schemes and ideas. I think I got this from a Rec League here at some point, maybe? The heroine is well-meaning with a kind heart, but clumsy and prone to blurt out whatever she is thinking at the moment. Society thinks the hero had a hand in the death of his first wife. The heroine is very clear-eyed that he has emotionally shut himself off due to his first marriage and refuses to be deterred. But there is so much weirdness between the parts played for laughs and the very serious backstory. I wanted to like it, but meh. CW: Violence against a child
The Bad:
See DNF
DNF:
TWO DAUNTLESS HEARTS by Elle James (Category – romantic suspense, m/f): I noped right out of there as the heroine bush pilot described the work of two particular missionaries as something like “doing good work, but especially great was bringing Christianity to the natives.” To the natives! WTF. Just no.
I’m still desperately trying to catch up on Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. The 30th !! book is due out in November and when I started trying to catch up I was at least 5 books behind. I’m currently on Rafael, which is #28. I struggled with the previous 3 because they were kind of a slog, but this one is shorter so it’s moving faster. This series is definitely not what it used to be. She’s traded plot for tedious length and relationship carp. Which isn’t always a bad thing… but there are not really compelling plots or mysteries anymore. But I can’t stop! I have Smolder waiting for me and then that’s done. I’m still waiting for the library to get Mary Balogh’s newest, Remember Me, but they seem to be in limbo?! I really don’t want the expense but if it’s not there by the time I’m done with my current book, I might just use my credit card points and just get half off the ridiculous kindle price.
It’s been a busy couple of week for this one, because travel and newsletters and conferencing oh my. But things should simmer down a bit this week.
Let’s see, after that EXCELLENT S.A. Cosby book, you know, you have to follow up with another heavy hitter or risk book hangover. Which brought me to Zero Days by Ruth Ware. SO GOOD. Intense and suspenseful, and I enjoyed the fact that the protagonist was using her very specific skills (“pen” or “penetration” testing, which is basically when you crime your way into places so that you can then tell the folks that hired you where the holes in their security are and recommend how to plug them) to both keep herself alive and also deal with the fact that she was being framed for her husband’s death. I really liked that she wasn’t superhuman. Yes, she’s got this skill set and is uniquely equipped for this, she’s also being hamstrung by a near-paralyzing sense of grief for the husband she greatly loved, and she also gets badly hurt during her investigation, which means there are also physical limitations on her, which added stakes to the whole thing. Super good. Then I went back to my slasher fun with You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron. Really good book, with some sharp trope work involving how people of color and LGBTQ people get treated in horror fiction, particularly the slashers. There was also an effective supernatural thread running through it that gave some Cabin In the Woods vibes (one of my favorite horror movies). I was still feeling murder-y, so I poked my head into The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. It was throwing me a lot of British murder TV vibes, both in the structure of the mystery and multiple red herrings. I enjoyed the humor throughout it, and was surprisingly moved by some of the commentary on aging and grief. I also, just for giggles, paged my way Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Chosen Ones Vol. 1. It was okay. The first story, featuring am indigenous Slayer and the creation of the Sunnydale Hellmouth, was definitely the best of the lot. It was a mixed bag. I really would love a decent anthology of Slayer stories, but when we do get them, they seem to have a pretty significant variance in quality. Which brings us to right now, in which I’m reading Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman. I am in exactly the right headspace for this one, given that I got to see Stevie Nicks live last month, and just past Thursday, I saw Garbage (joyful and amazing and the most fun you can have with clothes on) and can verify that Shirley Manson remains a goddess. Basically, I am LIVING on Lady Rock Legend Energy, and this book is about a romance between a music teacher and a former drummer for a famous rock band. They’re brought together by a scheme that could only be concocted by a loving 18 year old son that just ate some weed gummy bears by accident, decides to get his sweet but possibly lonely dad a date with a rock legend, and our musician is reminded of how much she has always enjoyed playing music as a result of their actions. So far, very fun and funny, and like I said, LADY ROCK LEGEND ENERGY, which I am very here for. I always would be, but particularly so right now. So until next time as Shirley would say, make the beats go harder.
A DUKE IN SHINING ARMOUR, by LORETTA CHASE, was a delight. A runaway bride, ‘rescued’ by the best friend of her intended Duke who tries to return her safely to said Duke. Adventures ensue. It’s Loretta Chase, so pretty much guaranteed quality. I loved the characters and have ordered the next in the series. Because I don’t have enough books…
I’ve also been on an S M LAVIOLETTE (aka Minerva Spencer) binge, five in a row(!): MELISSA AND THE VICAR, JOSS AND THE COUNTESS, HUGO AND THE MAIDEN, THE BASTARD, HER BEAST. I guess these would fall into the erotic romance category and she doesn’t disappoint. But it’s never just a sexfest; the stories are all intricate and obviously very well researched. In her author’s notes, S M says that she tends to over-research and ends up cutting large swathes in the editing because they are too detailed and I can see that tendency throughout. However, the characters are compelling and, although no angels, they have an honour code. I discovered the author a couple of years ago when I read HIS VALET and was hooked. Since then I have come back to her writing when I need some ‘adult entertainment’…
I needed some contemporary light relief after all that historical angst, so read THE EMPIRE STATE SERIES by LOUISE BAY. Anna, a London resident visiting a friend in New York, meets Ethan. A one-night stand turns into a week and then more. An easy read, low angst, a lot of sex (almost too much, getting a bit repetitive by the end of the third book) but kept me entertained for a few hours which was exactly what I wanted.
THE BEST MEN by SARINA BOWEN and LAUREN BLAKELY is a joy. An M/M, enemies to lovers, single dad, forced proximity, family wedding delight. All the tropes, all the emotions, all the heat. Loved it.
I have enjoyed REBECCA ZANETTI’s Deep Ops series and picked up book five, UNFORGIVEN, expecting the same comforting mix of hunky operatives and clever women all mixed up in a twisty adventure. This book is Jethro (the British ex MI6 agent, now consulting as a professor in the US) and Gemma, who with her young daughter, is on the run from an abusive husband. And yes, it is reliably entertaining but OMG the author really needed a Brit to copy read her British (ie: lead) character’s speech patterns. Absolutely appalling mix ups of how we use the words ‘bloke’, ‘chap’ and ‘mate’ and there was even a ‘blighter’ thrown in (just to take us back to the 40s!). It’s a shame that such a simple oversight can just ruin a reading experience. I see this too often when a non-Brit writes a Brit character and it drives me nuts. Surely it can’t be that hard to find someone, even if you are self publishing?
Rant over. Look forward to reading everyone’s recs.
Robin Ince’s Bibliomaniac: An Obsessive’s Tour of the Bookshops of Britain, which I think other smart bitches might enjoy. Ince’s reading tastes are not generally mine, but it’s fun to read about the book-obsessed people he meets.
Nicola Upson’s An Expert in Murder, the first of her Tey series. I’d read several of the later ones, but not this one. It’s good – interesting stuff about 1930s theatre.
Celia Lake’s Upon a Summer’s Day. I like the way in which Lake is gradually unfolding the role of the land in these novels. I do wish Gabe would occasionally do something wrong or thoughtless though.
Pansy’s Her Associate Members. I’m a Pansy addict. This one is particularly good on women getting stuff done, with only nominal nods to male oversight.
I am reading the new Celia Lake novels (Upon a Summer’s Day, Nocturnal Quarry, etc) and also rereading all the previous novels that involve these characters. It’s been utterly delightful.
@FashionablyEvil: I found “The Fourth Wing” also reminded me of the Dragonriders of Pern series (classic) in a number of ways. I was really loving it until there was a change in the POV at one point that kind of threw me out of the story. (I don’t think that counts as a spoiler.)
Thank you, @kareni and @flchen1! I don’t know the Tarot Sequence, will check it out. Big fan of Jim Butcher’s fantasy series, but haven’t read the steampunk book. His urban fantasy started well, but never went anywhere, so I gave up. Will check out other authors – I think I read some Cherie Priest, but other two are new to me. 🙂
I was listening to Emily Henry’s The Happy Place but I’m calling it now as I don’t think I’ll continue. This book does not benefit from only being told from the heroines pov (and I generally don’t mind that). I’m just finding the hero insufferable and not even getting glimpses of him in the past are helping me like him.
SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN, Lisa See, historical fiction, mid-1800’s rural China. I just finished it last night and I have so many feelings about it. Firstly just on the level of writing historical fiction, writing fiction at all, it’s masterful. The setting is so immersive it’s claustrophobic at times. The characters are flawed and layered and dynamic and brave and messy and loving and shortsighted and just so real. I wouldn’t categorize it as a romance, but it’s absolutely a love story–often a heartbreaking one–between two women, both in the romantic and platonic sense. The MC’s fate as a girl in a middling farmer’s household is changed when the adult women in her life arrange a laotong relationship for her–a female friendship intended to be as close and important as marriage, based around the characteristics of their birth dates and the size of their bound feet. The MC Lily’s position in life rises, gaining her a fortunate marriage to a well connected family, but she realizes too late that her laotong Snow Flower’s life is on a downward spiral instead. They communicate back and forth in nu shu, the secret writing system invented by women to record their stories and thoughts. Misfortune, disease, war, and eventually sheer human foibles eke away at their lifelong friendship. I will warn that this includes graphic depictions of abuse, injury, disease, miscarriages, and death, including of children.