Happy New Year! It’s our first Whatcha Reading of 2025. Here’s how we’re kicking things off:
Sarah: I received an absurd number of recommendations from the podcast community. I am currently reading AJ Sherwood’s The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA. ( A ) I love competent, organized characters who are valued for their competence and organization. A true catnip of mine
Shana: I’m reading Ten Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall ( A | BN | K ) and it’s making me laugh.
Elyse: I just started The Sinners All Bow on audio. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I loved the narrator and author’s podcast Tenfold More Wicked before it retired so I’m already very familiar with her voice. The book is historical true crime about the murder that inspired The Scarlet Letter.
Carrie: I’m about halfway through The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap ( A | BN | K | AB ) and enjoying it’s gothic mix of history, horror, thriller, and romance.
Tara: I started Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow ( A | BN | K | AB ) last night and it’s really fun so far.
Amanda: On audio for my stitch along, I’m listening to The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. ( A | BN | K | AB )
I was also highly motivated to grab Bass Ackwards by Eris Adderly after a cryptic and enthusiastic recommendation from a colleague (Hi, Jane!). I was advised to keep an open mind and not look up too much stuff!
Whatcha reading right now? Let us know in the comments!
Gosh, I wish I had something exciting to report for the beginning of the year, but I think I got too focused on my reading challenges for 2025 (I’ve been known to get a little overly enthusiastic for goal setting) and was forcing myself to finish things that I didn’t like “b/c it will help tick off a box for the challenge.”
I’m trying to loosen up a bit and I’m really enjoying HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS by Jodi McAllister. I usually don’t like romances that center on reality TV shows or that feature Covid but I feel like this romance is really trying to say something interesting about reality TV and how it reflects and distorts our world. I am also intrigued by the other characters that are being set up with their stories. Besides, it’s fun to read a romance set in contemporary Australia, something I don’t see often (outside of Harlequin).
The only other thing I’m enjoying is YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID (on audio) by K.T. Nguyen, definitely not a romance and really read allllllll the content warnings for this one. It’s a ‘domestic thriller’ with a very dark side. Our protagonist is Anh Lee is the daughter of a Vietnamese refugee who has grown up with a lot of trauma. Her mother has passed away and Anh Lee’s grip on reality has started to slip. Horrible things are happening and Anh Lee has been having blackouts and missing time. Are they connected? This is my first recommendation from Book Riot’s tailored book recommendations (all I wanted for Christmas this year and my husband came through) that I’m really trying out. I said I liked the complex female characters of domestic thrillers but was often disappointed by silly plot twists. This one is good so far and I alternate between wanting to gobble it down and needing to take a break b/c it’s so intense. Also it’s set in the Virginia suburbs of DC and the writer has that rich, very intense world down.
I have a literal pile of Christmas books to read this weekend and I am so excited!
I have not read much the last couple of weeks. The holidays were even more nuts than usual, so not as much downtime as expected.
Reread FOOL ME ONCE by Katee Robert, which is hot and sweet — I love a grumpy heroine who falls for a charmer who gets and appreciates her.
THE CATCHING KIND by Bria Quinlan had a good premise — author and professional athlete fake dating to benefit both of their careers. The characters were also well developed and the chemistry between them was there. It did not stick the landing for me, though. In part this was because there was not enough time seeing them together after they admitted their feelings. I also think this felt like a sexy book, but we never got that on page. For many, this might be a plus, but it felt censored to me. It kept me feeling like the relationship was not real, though I have never felt that way about any ace romances. It was a bait and switch in my romance brain, so it bugged me.
Last I finally finished the second Sandman Slim book by Richard Kadrey. These remind me of the Dresden books by Jim Butcher. There’s a lot of action, but things don’t really progress. As long as you understand that, they are entertaining, and chock full of quips. To a fault, sometimes!
Have a great weekend, and a safe, healthy, New Year of reading to all!
I am sort of in the middle of A LOVE SONG FOR RICKI WILDE by Tia Williams. I say sort of because I put it down a week ago and I haven’t really wanted to pick it up again. The FMC leaves her wealthy southern family to start a floral shop in Harlem (#floralshopromance). The MMC is a former sharecropper and musician who escaped to Harlem decades ago, yet is somehow still a young man. So there’s clearly some magic going on here somewhere. So many appealing elements! It’s me. I’m the problem, it’s me.
I’m nearly done with BET ON IT by Jodie Slaughter. The MCs have such great chemistry in this one. Aja moved from D.C. to the tiny town of Greenbelt, South Carolina a year ago for her mental health. Walker left Greenbelt for his own mental health many years ago, but is temporary back in his home town to take care of his beloved grandmother while she heals from an injury. Yet they’re clearly destined for each other! What ever will they do? I’m enjoyed how well plotted this book is. All the action makes sense and the conflict feels organic.
Over the holiday break one of my author newsletters recommended some Dramione (Draco/Hermione) fanfics at AO3 and I fell headlong into MANACLED by Senlinyu. Normally these days I find the real world too disturbing to read dark romances, horror, or dystopians, yet I could not put this work down or look away, even though it’s probably the darkest fiction I’ve ever read. If you are intrigued and want to give it a try, all I can say is heed the content warnings! Violence, torture, rape, abuse of all kinds – it’s all there in extremely graphic detail. Voldomort wins, Harry and pretty much everyone else in the Order of the Phoenix dies, and the author was further inspired by The Handmaid’s Tale. I think that pretty much sums it up. As for whether it’s a romance, I can’t even begin to answer that question.
I then read THE MAN WHO LIVED by SebastianL, a Drarry (Draco/Harry) fanfic that had CWs for racism, homophobia and suicide but was still considerably lighter and brighter than Manacled and in the end is definitely a rather sweet romance between those two erstwhile adversaries, Harry and Draco.
Years ago, I’d read THE POLITICIAN’S WIFE by pir8fancier (yet another really good Dramione fic, definitely romance), and I was surprised and impressed with the quality of the writing and storytelling in all three of these works. Highly recommend all of them, just take those CWs and TWs seriously!
Finally I finished off my holiday reading with THE CHRISTMAS I FOUND YOU by Sarah Morgenthaler. This was a bittersweet, angsty, yet ultimately very satisfying romance between two strong and resolute MCs, both pushed almost to their breaking point, who still manage to form a family and find love and hope with each other and with the MMC’s adorable and very sick 4 YO daughter.
I want to check out SLOW HORSES by Mick Herron. Some friends recommended the Apple show to me, and it is fabulous, so now I want to see how it compares to the book.
Lots of other books waiting on my TBR pile, including AN EASY DEATH by Charlaine Harris; INTO THE FIRE by Gregg Hurwitz; and A SORCERESS COMES TO CALL by T. Kingfisher.
I guess my top new read of late, although “new” is a stretch, is the rerelease of Alexis Hall’s PANSIES. Although it’s not one of my favorites of his, it was a surprisingly enjoyable reread for me. I think the bullying aspect was easier for me second time around (bullying is generally a hard no from me). So much so I doubt there would have been a second time around if not for the extras. Which aren’t all that exciting or anything, in a way the author notes are kind of distracting from the story, I get why some people don’t like them. But I find process fascinating, I really like his voice even when the comments aren’t insightful into process, plus I think that bit of distance helped me like this more as a story.
Mostly though I too have fallen down the AO3 youcouldmakealife verse. I had been meaning to get around to it for ages, but hearing there was more Mike and Liam out there proved irresistible. I really like the YOU COULD MAKE A LIFE books, don’t get me wrong, but THROWN OFF THE ICE is, shockingly for me, my runaway favorite. It’s not a happy ending, and is full of angst, which are two things I tend to avoid, as are age difference and bratting. I honestly can’t explain why I find Mike and Liam such a compelling pair but I adore them, and they are real to me in in a way that’s also unusual to me. Generally even books I really like I immediately forget, which is an obstacle with Taylor Fitzpatrick in particular because of the insane multiplicity of nicknames in hockey. I am constantly like wait who is this, which one is that, my brain refuses to except that David and Daniel are different names, which is 100% a me problem but is a real ongoing problem nevertheless. Any hint of Mike and/or Liam though? Not only recognizable but instant serotonin, which makes zero sense but here we are.
@Jennifer Estep -The Slow Horses books are wonderful. I highly recommend them. You can check out Dear Author for reviews of some of them. I would suggest to start at the beginning and progress!
@Amanda: I love BASS-ACKARDS! It’s one of the very few books where, as soon as I finished it, I went right back to page one and started reading it again. It’s also one of the even rarer books that, after reading it on KU, I purchased my own copy because I liked it so much. Yes, the setup is definitely “woman has sex with her boss in a quid-pro-quo situation”, but Adderly does a great job with developing that premise into a true love story. I’m pretty sure BASS-ACKWARDS was on my list of favorite books of the year in whatever year I read it (2022? 2023?). Highly recommended.
@kkw: did you read Fitzpatrick’s FOLLOW THE NORTH STAR on AO3? There’s lots of Mike & Liam in that one (even though they’re supporting characters in the story). I especially like that we see things from Liam’s POV which doesn’t happen until the end of THROWN OFF THE ICE (one of my all-time favorite love stories, although, as you note, not a romance because no HEA, although you could argue that the entire book is the MCs’ HFN). I’m generally not one to read much on AO3, but for Fitzpatrick I’ll make an exception. I’m loving her on-going STILL ALWAYS IN TANDEM (featuring Georgie & Robbie, supporting characters from the Between the Teeth trilogy), but I’m worried that she’s setting us up for a THROWN OFF THE ICE type ending. But still I read on….
Cate C. Wells does some very interesting things in THE WILD WOLF’S REJECTED MATE, the latest book in her Five Packs series of shifter romances. Whether Wells had planned this all along or if she’s just retconning, it hardly matters, but with WILD WOLF, we look at the characters, dynamics, and events in the previous Five Packs books with new eyes. I really don’t think you can read WILD WOLF as a stand-alone; it requires knowledge of all that has come before it. Annie, the heroine of WILD WOLF, is one of the four unattached females who are sharing a cabin at the start of THE TYRANT ALPHAS REJECTED MATE. Justus, from the Last Pack, is her fated mate, but after a brief, painful mating, they separate for five years (during which time, all of the events of the prior Five Packs books take place). Annie suffers from crushing, debilitating anxiety (“I’m a possum in a wolf’s world” and “I’m a half-dozen coping mechanisms in a trench coat” she says of herself) as a result of a childhood trauma (she has learned how to “live around” horrific events), and some of her inner-monologue is hard to read (cw/tw: please be cautious about reading if anxiety/trauma are triggers for you). When Annie and Justus finally do reunite, Annie is surprised by Justus’s insistence that “Alpha” as a concept does not actually exist in the wolf world and is just a human construct imposed on shifters. As Justus tells his packmates when they insist on calling him Alpha, “You don’t need an alpha to tell you what to do. You need common sense, so some of you are out of luck, but that doesn’t mean I need to step into the breach.” As a result of Justus’s interpretation of pack dynamics, we are forced to view all of the previous books in a new light—especially the role of the alpha in the packs. I enjoyed this outing into the world of the Five Packs, particularly a long midsection where Annie goes to stay with Justus and observes the many ways his pack differs from her own. An interesting book from a writer who is always finding new things to inject into romance. Recommended.
Briar Prescott usually writes high-angst books (including 2023’s AND THEN YOU, one of my favorite reads of last year), so the rather fluffy and low-key tone of THE CHRISTMAS SWITCH is quite a change of pace for her. In THE CHRISTMAS SWITCH, Josh & Gabe have been antagonists and rivals since their early teens. A decade on, they find themselves both working as interns at a prestigious law firm and both angling for the one open position available. As the extremely serious and dedicated Gabe and the much more laid-back Josh work together to decorate for the office Christmas party (sniping at each other the entire time), an electrical shock involving the Christmas lights leads them to a Freaky Friday situation where they are suddenly inhabiting each other’s bodies, leading to situations where they have to pretend to be the other and, thereby, see each other in a different light. If I have a complaint about THE CHRISTMAS SWITCH, it’s that I don’t think Prescott takes full advantage of the circumstances in which she places her characters. There are so many situations that could have been mined for either more comedy or more emotion or both—particularly when Josh (pretending to be “Gabe”) has to accompany Gabe (pretending to be “Josh”) to spend the Christmas holidays with Gabe’s big and boisterous family. I also think there wasn’t enough of the story told from Gabe’s perspective. Josh’s awareness and understanding grows a lot during the time he inhabits Gabe’s body, but we never really discover if Gabe undergoes a similar epiphany. But quibbles aside—and even if the Christmas season is now over—if you’re looking for a smoothly-written, unassuming Christmas romance with just a touch of the paranormal, look no further than THE CHRISTMAS SWITCH. Recommended.
Although I’ve been waiting for another Wild Ones novel from Rachel Ember, I somehow missed her THREE LESSONS when it was released earlier last year (the copyright page shows publication dates of 2021 and 2024, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before). THREE LESSONS is a novella set in the same world as Ember’s Wild Ones series of cowboy romances, but it can easily be read as a standalone. In THREE LESSONS, Reed, a famous Hollywood actor, has been cast in a movie that requires him to ride horses. He’s never ridden a horse before and is, in fact, scared of them. Someone suggests he connect with Bo Bailey (a well-known “horse whisperer” and a recurring character in the Wild Ones universe). However, Bo and his partner Dylan are out of town, so instead Reed finds himself taking riding lessons from Luke, a mechanic who works part-time at Bo’s ranch. The story itself follows some predictable beats: Reed first sees Luke, likes what he sees, and thinks to himself, “Cowboy kink was so universal, he wasn’t sure it actually qualified as kink.” Luke & Reed are attracted to each other, but Luke was burned in the past by a relationship with a closeted actor. Reed has car trouble and finds himself having to stay overnight in Luke’s apartment which has (all together now) only one bed. I didn’t mind the predictability or the hand-waving required to enjoy the story (wouldn’t a big Hollywood star have access to private horse-riding lessons; wouldn’t he also have a P.A. to handle pesky problems like a flat tire?). I appreciated reading a romance with MCs in their forties, and THREE LESSONS has some really nice scenes, like Luke showing Reed how to stay on a horse’s back while in water or Reed teaching Luke to dance. A pleasant romance, especially if you’re looking for something short & sweet. Recommended.
HNY Bitchery. Let’s hope, eh?
No five-star reads yet this year, although I very much enjoyed DUKE, ACTUALLY by JENNY HOLIDAY as part of my seasonal fare. It follows up A PRINCESS FOR CHRISTMAS which was just OK. I knew it was ‘Hallmark with sex’ going in but it was a bit too much suspension of disbelief for me. Duke, Actually however, was a more realistic storyline and I was already invested in the characters after book one. Both M/F contemporary.
I am currently halfway through GOALTENDER INTERFERENCE by ARI BARAN and loving it. A deep, warm, soulful story. Some Bad Decisions are being made and I suspect it will be five stars. M/M hockey.
Otherwise I’ve been comfort reading LISA KLEYPAS (Wallflowers) and MARY BALOGH (Huxtables) historicals which are hitting the spot.
Happy reading, all.
PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke
I’m still thinking about this a week after reading it. I think what makes Piranesi (the man) so compelling for such a gentle character is that he is utterly himself. He is caring, gentle, a bit naive but knows at his core what he is. I’m looking forward to re-reading this book at a slower pace.
I’M AFRAID YOU’VE GOT DRAGONS by Peter S. Beagle
I know many people are excited about this long-awaited book but I wish Peter Beagle took more time to get this book in better shape. It has heart and charm but it is also kind of a mess. The characterisation is incoherent at times, subplots are taken up and dropped, pivotal events happen but seem to have little emotional impact on the characters. I hope his next book is better than this.
Oh, I am enjoying Vanessa Kelly’s “Murder in Highbury” which offers a lovely return to Emma’s world. I’m on book two of Rosalie Oak’s Matronly Misadventures, with whatn looks to be a slow burn second chance romance along with the historical fantasy. I’m holding off on diving into book four of Jennifer Estep’s Galactic Bond books after inhaling the first three. I know that I’ll need a treat next week as work is hectic.
I started the new year re-reading a book I listed as one of my 2024 favorites, KEEP THE SEASON BRIGHT by Ashley Herring Blake. As @NomadiCat said in a comment posted Jan. 2 (for books on sale), “Blake excels at making deeply flawed people relatable, vulnerable, and likeable,” and all of those qualities apply to Blake’s most recent romance, too. Liked this one so much I even bought the special edition from Illumicrate/Afterlight Romance (thanks for that referral, SBTB!)
Also read a few more holiday-themed short pieces. Most were so-so, but I appreciated the Kindle “You may also like” that led me to the “Matzo Ballers Hanukkah Romance” series (4 books so far) with each book focused on one member of the self-named “Jew Crew,” a group of eight NYC-based friends who all worked on the same Israeli kibbutz for a year, and now meet up for an annual Hanukkah harbor cruise.
Book 1, THE HANUKKAH HOOK-UP, by Jessica Topper, focuses on Nora, an HR/events specialist, and her romance with Alex— who she thinks is one of her company’s employees from a suburban office, but who turns out to be the guy assigned to lead a merger that could result in layoffs at Nora’s company. The plot includes corporate intrigue, family traditions, lots of Yiddish terminology, and excellent banter between the MCs. This story is probably too spicy for a Hallmark holiday movie, but I think Lifetime should consider it.
Book 2, THE DREIDEL DO-OVER, by Amanda Usen, takes place at the same time (and starts on the same harbor cruise) as Book 1, but focuses on Talia, a chef/caterer, and Asher, a bar owner/mixologist. They meet while working at the Hanukkah party on the boat, experience insta-lust, and then quickly recognize each other as past BFFs who went to the same Jewish summer camp as kids but fell out of touch. While I liked these characters, the plot seemed a bit too simple, with some “how important is your Jewish heritage to you?” dilemmas that seemed to be resolved too quickly.
Haven’t yet read the next two entries in the series, by the same two authors, but I’ll probably pick them up eventually. Since the “crew” has eight members, I assume more books will be forthcoming.
Best non-holiday-themed read was LOSER OF THE YEAR by Carrie Byrd, a book that has been mentioned favorably by others at SBTB and has been on my TBR for a while. I thought it was a little melodramatic in a few places, but that didn’t seem out of place given that the narrator, Mattie, is a 38-year-old self-described failed actor. Mattie has retreated to her childhood home in Pennsylvania after a divorce and is trying to start over as a theater instructor at a Catholic girls’ high school, despite being Jewish and a lesbian, which doesn’t fit the school’s “morality clause.”
Mattie clashes almost immediately with the charismatic soccer coach, Jillian, and then it’s an antagonists-to-friends-to-more story, with several interesting twists and a lot of examination of religion-based homophobia. Generally, I’m in agreement with the reasons for the “A” grade assigned by Tara Scott in her August 2024 SBTB review.
Also finished the first book of the “When in Rome” series by Sarah Adams. I’ve enjoyed some of Adams’ other books (THE CHEAT SHEET and THE RULE BOOK) and was pleased when the first in this series, WHEN IN ROME, was on sale last month (because I like to read contemporary series books in order when possible and I’ve had the second book on my Kindle for a while).
The Rome of the books is Rome, Kentucky (a not-fictional location), where pop star Amelia finds herself stranded after her car breaks down as she’s trying to escape from work-related burnout. The car lands in the front yard of Noah’s house–he’s the grumpy owner of Rome’s pie store, and also a good guy who reluctantly gives Amelia a place to stay while her car is repaired.
I didn’t like this story quite as much as other Adams books I’ve read–the slow burn seemed dragged out at times, with a bit too much repetitious circling back to reasons Noah was grumpy and hesitant about starting a relationship with a celebrity singer. But I liked the characters, including Noah’s three sisters and other zany residents of small-town Rome.
I’m about a third of the way into the second book of the series, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. This one centers on Noah’s youngest sister, Annie, and her fake dating romance with Will, who is Amelia’s bodyguard. Annie is in her late 20s and wants to find a life partner but thinks she is a “bad date” and doesn’t like that her older siblings treat her as kid who can’t stand up for herself. Will is a “player” and thrill-seeker who doesn’t want a serious relationship but agrees to be Annie’s dating tutor (at Amelia’s request) because he’s bored with life in Rome, KY.
As with the first book, I’m slightly annoyed by story-building that seems to rely on unneeded repetition of character traits, but I like the banter that’s starting to emerge between Annie and Will (and I usually like the fake dating trope), so I’ll stick with this one. Unsure if I’ll proceed immediately to the 3rd book that was just released (BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL)–I guess that will be a report for the next WAYR.
2025 reading is off to a good start.
First there was THE UNDERMINING OF TWYLA AND FRANK, book two of Hart and Mercy from Megan Bannen. It was just the sort of low angst entertainment I needed after the craziness of the holidays. The middle-aged protagonists have been neighbors, friends and then partners in the Tanrian Rangers for decades. It isn’t until a rival for Twyla’s attention, a professor from the state college who comes to help out with a unique new find in Tanria, the former home/prison of the Old Gods, that their relationship takes a turn. The find? Dragons. Glitter-spitting golden retriever descendants of the extinct fearsome fighting dragons of old. These books have been delightful and quirky. The characters are always respectful and kind to each other. Watching Frank wrestle with the change in the status quo while wrestling with the dragon hatchling that has attached itself to his chest was vastly entertaining.
This morning I finished Jessica Joyce’s YOU WITH A VIEW. What a wonderful read. High school rivals who reconnect when the FMC discovers a secret stash of photos in her late Grandmother’s belongings. We start with a popular trope these days: Noelle is at a very low point. The photography career she wanted didn’t pan out (although, she took one person’s opinion WAAAAY to much to heart), the job she did have laid her off, so she’s had to move back into her parents’ house sharing space with her mother’s Peloton, and she is deeply grieving the loss of her grandmother (been there). To top it all off, there’s the “30 Under 30 To Watch” spread in Forbes featuring her high school nemesis. The one who she competed with on every level. The discovery of a stash featuring her grandmother and a man who was not her grandfather and a letter about an aborted elopement leads to a Tic Toc post that garners millions of views and thousands of comments including one that says “That’s my grandfather.” And so begins a journey and a romance. She sets up a meeting with the commenter, only to find it is Theo, who has outperformed her in every possible way since high school. His grandfather, Paul, is charming and kind and open to sharing this unknown part of her grandmother’s life. This leads to a road trip where Theo and Paul accompany her on the honeymoon road trip that the couple had planned all those decades ago. As Noelle reconnects with her art, posting their journey through National Parks of the West and Southwest, she finds Theo more and more compelling. Theo’s life is not as perfect as it looks from the outside. His father is an overbearing presence in his life and the multimillion-dollar travel business he started is changing in ways he can’t agree with. Enemies to lovers. Forced proximity. Road trip. Trust issues. Hot romance. It was all so well done, but the way she addressed the grief issue was just so spot on. Insightful and sympathetic. Most of all, no one ever said the words “Shouldn’t you be over this by now?” Can not recommend this book enough.
I can’t believe it’s already time for WAYR, LOL.
This year’s standouts set a high bar…
GOALTENDER INTERFERENCE is the fourth in Ari Baran’s Penalty Box series. Goalie Aiden Campbell has just retired. Captain Matt Safaryan is starting to realize that his body isn’t cooperating as readily and that the eighty plus games of the season are becoming a bit of a grind. When they reconnect by chance, it marks a turning point for both of them.
Ari Baran’s writing is so encompassing. I am just in awe of how ably Aiden and Matt and their friends and families and teams are brought to life, and how real it feels to get inside their heads and hearts a little bit. My heart is so full of emotions, with understanding and warmth and compassion and pain for these two and their not straight road to happiness, seeing how much wrestling there is to recognizing their issues and the love and determination and sometimes sheer fortune that helps them find themselves and well deserved joy. An absolute keeper.
I especially loved how real it felt to see their struggles, some of their internal landscape, and how satisfying it is to see them find hope in the process. A beautiful read. And I’m excited that Ari Baran has posted some 50K+ prequel on their site; I’m saving that for later!
RECKLESS HEARTS is the second in Jax Calder’s Rainbow Redemption series and stands alone well (I read it without having read the first). It’s a best friend’s sibling, second-chance, celebrity, secret relationship story that will break readers’ hearts and then put the pieces back together again.
Marcus Johnson and Sebastian Kleggs first meet when Marcus and Saskia, Seb’s older sister, are among the “it” crowd at university. Seb’s crush is unrequited until one night during a party, their decision to spend a little time together results in the best time either has ever had.
Jax Calder’s characters feel deeply and so relatably, as they explore the gamut of emotions from playful attraction to warm affection to towering passion to heartbreaking despair. And the most agonizing is witnessing the pain they suffer that they can see bearing down on them yet are not in a position to deflect. So good.
TAKEN BY STORM is the first in Mari Carr’s series about the seven Storm brothers. The eldest, Levi, has worked hard and played hard his whole life in Gracemont. He loves his family and community, and when he literally catches Kasi Mills when she collapses from exhaustion at her family’s farm stand, he realizes that he likely loves Kasi too.
Mari Carr starts this series with a bang. She balances Kasi and Levi’s years-long-crush-turns-requited, age gap, insta-love story with a family’s journey with grief and life in the aftermath of loss. Their families play a crucial role in their lives and their story, and Taken By Storm is a warm and joyful and life-affirming read. Levi’s steady passion and enormous heart are the stuff of dreams, and he and Kasi are a stellar start to this family’s series. Can’t wait for more!
SECRET SPARK is the first in Kelly Farmer’s Vector City Supers trilogy. Barista Sadie Eagan has been saving for a coffeehouse of her own. When she meets new neighbor Joan Malone, she knows there is more to this intriguing woman than meets the eye. But her assumption that Joan is one of the city’s superheroes is a little off the mark…
Kelly Farmer’s secret identity story is a page turner. Joan’s growing feelings for Sadie are all too real and she wants nothing more than to reveal her secrets to this woman who’s captured her heart. For her part, Sadie knows Joan is keeping some secrets; she just doesn’t know what they are. Loved this entertaining setting and the themes of good and evil and being our true selves. Can’t wait for more in the series!
COLD AS ICE is the second in Beth Bolden’s Portland Evergreens m/m hockey series. Elliott Jones has wanted teammate Malcolm McCoy for more than a year. Mal is a couple years ahead of him, a good player and hard worker, and seemingly impervious to Elliott‘s flirting. Elliott’s easygoing vibe often puts him at odds with Mal’s style. When their coach requests that Mal tutor Elliott, Elliott has a chance to see that determined focus up close, and he really wants it to get even more personal.
Beth Bolden’s writing just gets better and better, and Mal and Elliott’s transition from grudging line mates to study partners to more is a real pleasure to read. Their friends and teammates provide real support, the sports environment is well portrayed, and I cannot wait for more in this series and universe. I loved the first as well (MELTING THE ICE).
Hope you’re all starting this reading year off with great reads as well!
My first book of the year was ALEXIS HALL’s Something Extraordinary which was a Five Star Read that had me cackling with laughter and sighing at the romance. I can’t recommend it enough.
That has led to a bit of a book hangover and I haven’t latched on to anything else yet.
I’m about done with Bitter Waters, a novella by Vivian Shaw. I discovered her 3-book series via a discount on the 2nd book. I was hooked from the start, by the exciting adventures of Dr. Greta Helsing (yes, descended from THAT Van Helsing, but they dropped the “Van.”) She’s a medical doctor who took over her dad’s practice of exclusively treating what humans regard as “monsters,” but don’t believe actually exist. Greta’s patients are vampires, weres, ghouls, wights, mummies, and all kinds of things that go bump in the night–and day. The first book is Strange Practice, which introduces her world. The second is Dreadful Company, and the third is Grave Importance. The stories are adventurous, with lots of “British-isms,” like Greta bonding with a vampire who is guarding her as a prisoner, over their mutual knowledge of the old BBC TV show, The Prisoner. Greta has a very closed door romance with a very old vampyre–indeed they get married in the third book. Shaw is such a great writer that I even care about all of the side characters! There is a final (I hope not!) book coming out in May. I’ll get it ASAP, and prob reread the other books, to get me back in the mood. Yes, they’re that good.
Happy New Year everyone! I’ll start off with the books I enjoyed
System Collapse by Martha Wells
I re-read all of the Murderbot books prior to reading System Collapse, because it had been a minute since I read them. I really love Murderbot! During the whole stressful holiday season (not my favorite season ☹️) all I wanted to do was channel my inner Murderbot and sink into my media (books, not TV or movies), but unfortunately that was not an option. But I loved System Collapse! Getting deeper into Murderbot’s mind and it’s deepening emotional life and understanding of itself was so enjoyable. And the story was fun too, lots of action and snarky asides, particularly from all the iterations of ART. Five stars! Though I must confess I still struggle with wanting to refer to Murderbot with male pronouns, even though I know that it is not gendered and has no desire to be gendered. I apparently persist in thinking that providing security services is a male-oriented job, even though I know better Also, Murderbot is so much a person that it feels mean to refer to it as “it,” as though it was a couch or vehicle or table saw or some other inanimate thing.
Paladin’s Faith by T Kingfisher
I loved this book, even though there were no gnoles and no Zale (at least I think that is their name, the lawyer from the White Rat who featured strongly in Swordheart. I would totally read a series featuring Zale and Brindle, just in case T Kingfisher reads this, hint hint ). But Paladin’s Faith was a great story, lots of banter – snarky and otherwise – and good characters. Another commenter here had said that this book ended on a cliffhanger, and boy does it and it’s a doozy! But as I neared the end of the book I had to read the ending, something I haven’t done in years, just to make sure that I could handle what was coming. I trust T Kingfisher to not leave her characters in permanent despair, but it was stressing me out so bad that I had to check! Five stars, and I cannot wait for the next book!
Now on to the less enjoyed . . .
A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane
This was a re-read that I’m pretty sure I loved the first time around, but actually DNF’d at 62% on my kindle this time around. I guess I just got kind of bored? disinterested? annoyed by Maddek? maybe all three? But I stopped reading, and doubt I will pick it up again. I like Yvenne and the fact that even though she has no experience with the outside world due to being imprisoned from birth by her evil father, she isn’t timid and “missish” and horrified by the real world. She is smart and strong and brave. But Maddek and his refusal to understand/accept that there are different cultures and different ways of thinking about the world made me crazy. Yes, I get that you believe your culture’s way of life is the best and your people are the best and the rest of the world are a bunch of liars and cheats, but maybe give Yvenne the benefit of the doubt and watch her actions and listen to her words to see if maybe you can believe her? I just got fed up with his refusal to even try to think Yvenne was being truthful, even when it was proved to him to his face. He wasn’t quite an alpha-hole, but was definitely alpha-hole adjacent. And it just felt like the story was dragging, bogged down in road-trip details. It didn’t quite show every meal cooked, campsite set up and taken down, and every trail break, but it kind of seemed that way. I also couldn’t tell how much time had passed between when Yvenne and Maddek first met and made their deal to when I stopped reading, which probably contributed to my boredom. But I doubt I will resume reading, and will definitely not seek out the next books. Five stars for Yvenne, but maybe one and a half or two for the rest of the book.
Next up is a re-read of Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty, in preparation for reading Chaos Terminal, the next book in the Midsolar Murders series. This is sci-fi not a romance, though there is the possibility of a romantic relationship for Mallory, we’ll see how that progresses.
Until next time, stay safe and happy reading!
@DangerNoodle
Ack! Wrong “its” ☹️ Thank you autocorrect /s
Why is it that I can proofread several times and still miss an obvious error until I post it and it’s too late? SMH ♀️
Happy new year, y’all. I’m hating the cold and the dark yet find myself grateful that that’s all we’re dealing with in New England. Time to grit our teeth and carry on, I guess. Thank god for books.
Under Italian Skies by Nicky Pellegrino
Another item from one of Jo Walton’s reading lists, Under Italian Skies definitely appealed to my love of travelicious novels. This particular story was perhaps more women’s fiction than romance, since the central couple don’t meet in person until the final chapter. However, Stella and Leo swap homes in an early chapter and correspond throughout the book. Stella’s sojourn in Italy, brings her new experiences and an expanding circle of new, mostly women friends. The primary POV is Stella’s, but the ongoing email exchange between her and Leo reveals two kind and warm hearted individuals who are easy for the reader to root for. This relatively short book rejoices in a leisurely pace and is recommended as an excellent choice in difficult times.
A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss
I eeny-meeny-minied through a bunch of Bayliss’s work on my Kindle to choose my second book by Bayliss, and it did not disappoint. I didn’t tend to seek out holiday romances in the past, so I haven’t much basis for comparison, but it seems like my favorites seem to be by British authors these days. This particular book is as much women’s fiction as it is a romance, with all the spice concentrated in the food porn. yet the slow burn is real. You have your tiny seaside town, a refugee (FMC) from a bad breakup combined with a work crisis, and a grumpy local (MMC) with a heart of gold. Two things elevate this beyond cliche: the details that make the story down-to-earth yet unique and the really exceptional writing. This book is worth reading for the ex’s comeuppance alone. Definitely recommend.
A Christmas Bride/Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh
This pair of historical holiday romances was surprisingly satisfying. Christmas Bride seemed like a departure for Balogh. Her FMC was a mature widow who danced on the borders of impropriety, while her MMC was very much a solid citizen, his life rooted in work and family. Helena and Edgar’s relationship begins with a bang–literally–which was quite different from Balogh’s more recent books. This is not an author I expect to start with a one nighter. I especially loved Helena’s edgy and independent approach to life even in the face of her past sins and her own emotional damage. She is one of Balogh’s most vivid heroines. Christmas Beau, on the other hand is a little more conventional in its tale of revenge and seduction. It’s a well constructed story of a Marquess in pursuit of the widow who jilted him in their youth, focused very strongly on the Christmas season. both stories are well written, but if I were grading these, the first one would definitely get the better grade by at least a full star or fork or whatever measure.
Rootbound by Tarah DeWitt
I loved Savor It by this author, but the other two titles I tried were both DNFs, not because of quality or content issues but mostly because the characters just tap danced on my last frazzled nerve. I am delighted to report that Rootbound may have surpassed Savor It on my personal hit parade. Tait Logan is a respected photographer who is estranged from her father’s family and whose abandonment issues are exacerbated by the sudden end of her marriage. Returning to Logan’s Range for a photography assignment was never in her life plan, but doing so not only reunited her with family but also introduced the superlative Henry Marcum into her life. I adored Tait and Henry as well as every other character at Logan’s Range. I loved the way the author unraveled the past in separate layers and slowly revealed the flawed but always sympathetic humanity of this family. The relationships, the humor, and the loving sense of place all contributed to an outstanding read, destined for multiple rereads.
Way of the Wolf by Lindsay Buroker
The first book of Buroker’s new Magnetic Magic series is a shifter/urban fantasy set in Seattle. It should appeal to readers of her Death before Dragons series, as it has an independent, working class FMC, a mysterious, powerful MMC, lots of coffee and meat references, magical artifacts, quippy banter, and an impending power struggle. There’s lots of action and little personal angst which works for me as a comfort read in the short term, but often causes me to lose interest in a longer series. While this book is not a cliffhanger, there are a number of niggling loose ends. Of course, I’ve already ordered the next in the series.
Love, Lists & Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
This book grabbed me from the first page. Jo, the FMC, is a stewardess on a private superyacht. As the clock ticks towards her thirtieth birthday, she aspires to complete her 30 before 30 bucket list despite struggling with grief for the death of her eleven year old nephew and coping with a surprise visit from her teen nieces. Enter Alex, in roles from hot kissable stranger to Hot Dad neighbor to Hot Yacht Chef. While there is no lack of chemistry between Jo and Alex, this is not a spicy romance. Dealing with grief, ticking off list items, and herding teen girls keeps them too busy and too uncertain to dive into instalust, but the feels are real, and I am here for it.
The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer
This hilarious adventure was well worth a 2025 reread. Set in the Georgian era, this historical novel is a delightful dual love story that affectionately satirizes conventional notions of the romantic. Eighteen year old Eustacie flees the very notion of a marriage of
convenience with her cousin Tristam, a staid old fellow of thirty-one. Little does she expect her flight to lead her into a real romantic adventure involving smugglers, a lost heir, new friends, and a missing ring. Both Eustacie and Tristam do indeed find true love–just not with each other. I was in my teens or twenties when I first read this, and it fascinates me how, over *mumble* decades, I went from seeing this as Eustacie and Ludovic’s story to being totally absorbed by Tristam and Sarah’s subtle and slyly humorous interactions. Sarah is one of my favorite Heyer heroines, and I am dazzled by the way Heyer’s elegant prose renders this very chaste romance so utterly appealing.
Happy New Year everyone,
EXPOSED (VIP Book 4) by Kristen Callihan: Contemporary rockstar romance, with a coworkers/antagonists to lovers vibe. I really enjoyed it, but it’s probably not the best place to start the series.
THE ALPHA OF BLEAKE ISLE (Dragonkin Book 1) by Kathryn Moon: Perfectly fine fantasy historical, shapeshifter romance thing. (Kindle Unlimited)
A GENTLEMAN IN SEARCH OF A WIFE (The Lord Julian Mysteries Book 5) by Grace Burrowes: The library hold finally came through for this one (insert party emoji). I’ve really enjoyed this mystery series so far. The stakes are a little higher in this one as he’s looking for a missing woman. She’s been missing for years, but why is her husband just now starting a serious search?
I also read the The MacTavish Stolen Brides Series by Ariana Fraser (and Ann Harrington for the 5th book) which are all available on Kindle Unlimited. The series consists of: RELENTLESS – AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE SCOTTISH MAFIA ROMANCE, ILLICIT – A DARK SCOTTISH MAFIA ROMANCE, DEPRAVED – A DARK SCOTTISH MAFIA ROMANCE, AUCTIONED – A DARK SCOTTISH MAFIA ROMANCE, and CAPTIVATED – A DARK SCOTTISH MAFIA ROMANCE. And the prequel book, PERILOUS – A DARK COLLEGE MAFIA ROMANCE (The Ares Academy book 3) by Ariana Fraser. I’ll admit that these are more on the “trashy romance” side of things, and do pay attention to the content warnings particularly for Auctioned, but I found them to be like popcorn and I just kept going. Also, they really really deserve a better editor. The Kindle edition had spots where the text randomly changed color, missing words, and misspelled character names (Tasgall became Taskall several times). That being said, for the amount of terrible things going on, they were actually rather funny with so much Scottish and Gaelic slang (with translation notes), a goat that wreaks havoc on the billionaire’s expensive furnishings, and chapter headings like “In which we were incorrect. THIS is the worst wedding ever.”
Still working through the MIDLIFE IN GRETNA GREEN books by Linzi Day while my KU discount lasts. Even though I found this series via the r/CozyFantasy sub, it’s really not cozy–gaslighting, r***, mental illness and violent death have all shown up so far. And, like many KU series, it could really use some editing. I like the main characters and the premise though so will keep going for now. Romance wasn’t much of a key element til book 4 when things suddenly warmed up.
Also rereading SWEEP IN PEACE by Ilona Andrews via the graphic audio.
Honestly, I haven’t read anything. At all. (Unless you count doomscrolling on my phone. I know.) I’m so tired and distracted and my attention span is just not there for reading. At this point I’m wishing Cat Sebastian would hurry up with “Starshipped”, or that C.S. Poe would finish and publish “Hudson River Homicides” – those are the only things that could hold my interest and re-engage my brain right now.
@DiscoDollyDeb, I think Three Lessons was originally released a few years back as part of a huge m/m Prolific Works promotion called Your Book Boyfriend’s Boyfriend. I think many of the authors have since released their stories individually.
@DangerNoodle (glorious username, btw), I struggled for the longest time with Murderbot’s pronouns because the one thing it would appreciate very much is not being considered an object. And, at least in the English I grew up with, referring to a person as “it” is considered an overt insult.
(But I’ve seen at least one comment — probably on reddit — where a reader was essentially self-praising because they thought of Murderbot as “she,” and I just wanted to snark back that you’re not being progressive when you’re missing the point entirely.)
Thanks to the comments so far, I’ve popped BASS ACKWARDS into my KU reading list and queued up for YOU WITH A VIEW at my library. While I hope to get my own post together this weekend, I have three months of good intentions and no WAYR posts in m immediate past, so a sincere thank you to those who take the time to articulate their reading.
I’ve finished two books so far in 2025 – two very buzzy sapphic romances that I wanted to like more than I actually did. They were both solid Bs for me, but neither completely worked for me.
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake – ff contemp – 4/5 stars
Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous by Mae Marvel – ff contemp – 4/5 stars
@DDD yup, last WAYR I think you mentioned FOLLOW THE NORTH STAR specifically and that was the impetus for me to flip from oh I know Taylor Fitzpatrick has more stuff on AO3 that’s a great thing to hold in reserve for particularly bad times, to wait there is more Mike and Liam give me now. I have now worked my way through all her series this past week, except THROW UP YOUR FISTS which is my plan for this evening, so. Yeah.
I await the conclusion of all the unfinished arcs, especially George and Robbie, with a strange blend of hopeful dread.
@MEB, @Jennifer Estep love Slow Horses so much! They’re all good: book, TV, and audiobook versions (and I rarely like TV and almost never audiobooks). I am going to check out the dear author reviews! Iirc KJ Charles’s reviews of them on Goodreads is what started me down that road.
Over the past two weeks ~
— quite enjoyed Letters to Half Moon Street by Sarah Wallace which is a historical epistolary novel set in England in the early 1800s. It is an England with magic and where sexuality is of no regard. The main character is a reserved young man who is new to London; he frequently corresponds with his sister and with a gentleman who befriends him. The book is not at all explicit; it is currently FREE to US Kindle readers. I look forward to reading on in the series.
— enjoyed Christmas Kitsch by Amy Lane which is about a young man who is kicked out of his home when he is seen kissing his good friend after his Thanksgiving return from a struggling first term at university. I liked the relationship between the two male friends who become lovers and the relationships each had with others.
— enjoyed Rest And Be Thankful by Joanna Chambers which is a contemporary romance novella set in Scotland. It features a young man who is facing challenges starting his business and a local business man/artist with whom he has clashed.
— enjoyed browsing through Mindful Sketching: A Drawing Book for Adults by Peggy Dean.
— was up until one in the morning as I kept one more chaptering until I finished The Cardturner: A Novel About Imperfect Partners and Infinite Possibilities by Louis Sachar, author of Holes. This is a young adult novel about a seventeen year old who is asked/forced by his (hoping for an inheritance) mother to drive his wealthy great-uncle to competitive bridge events. The great-uncle is blind, so the young man serves as both his driver and his cardturner. The book contains a LOT of bridge, but since I played the game as a teen and in college, I enjoyed that aspect. The book does deal with some heavy topics such as domestic abuse and suicide; it has a touch of romance and also a bit of the paranormal. I enjoyed it.
— For my online book group, I read The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. I wouldn’t say that I liked this book, but I’m not sorry to have read it. It was interesting that the author was a character in the book and that her bookstore played a major role. We had a good discussion.
— Like I Pictured (Heather Bay) by Charlie Novak was a pleasant romance novella featuring a photographer and an author who meet after the first takes a picture of the second at a fantasy convention. They spend months emailing before meeting again in person.
— enjoyed rereading The Book of Firsts and the sequel Four Kings (A Very Secret Garden 1 and 2) by Karan K. Anders; they comprise a reverse harem story featuring young adults in a very exclusive high school and in their first year of college.
— reread a few old favorites/comfort reads namely Stray, Lab Rat One, Caszandra, and Gratuitous Epilogue (Touchstone series 1-4) all by Andrea K Höst. Stray is FREE for Kindle readers.
I realized this morning how much I love reading all the recommendations and finding others with common reading tastes but I never take the time to share my favourites . Here’s to changing that in 2025! What I really enjoyed over the past few weeks: Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens. (That led to reading Just Haven’t Met You Yet by the same author and me putting several more of her books on hold at the library.) The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck by Kylie Scott, Reckless Hearts by Jax Calder (flew through this one on the day it was released). I started lots of other books but I need to be immediately swept up by what I’m reading or else I’ll spiral into the depths from what is happening in the real world.
@Jill Q.: Thank you for recommending THE CARDTURNER!
First up, the really good
SORCERY AND SMALL MAGICS (WILDERSONGS TRILOGY) BY Maiga Doocy. This is a debut novel and I found it to be excellent. I am usually not fan of the whole “magic school” setting because I find them much too YA for my taste. But this story was a surprising exception. The two school rivals are Leo and Sebastian. They are polar opposites in both character and background and they seem to be each others nemesis but when a spell goes awry they have to road trip together to fix the problem asap or they would both be in hot water. It was absolutely lovely and I recommend it whole heartedly.
TWISTED SHADOWS (SUGAR AND VICE #2) BY Allie Therin. Another m/m with magic that is a bit gloomy and gritty but nevertheless fascinating. There is an overall story arc centered around the empath community and the hate mongering surrounding their existence. The two main characters are an empath that has shown up at too many murder scenes and “The Dead Man” who is employed as a secret weapon against empaths. Nice world building even with lots of people to hate thrown in.
FREDERICA BY Georgette Heyer. Many of Heyer’s books had the audible versions on sale recently and I bought quite a few. This one was hilarious and quite nicely done on the narration. It was right up there in humor with THE TALISMAN RING and THE UNKNOWN AJAX. I cannot believe how well these books hold up to todays stories. If you haven’t read her I envy you the experience of reading them for the first time.
Now the not so good:
DIVINE RIVALS BY Rebecca Ross. People seemed to have gone ga-ga for this so I picked up a copy and found it to be a little ‘gimmicky’ maybe? This is a world of magic which is needed to explain the magic typewriter and lack of technology. This reads like a book from World War I but with monsters playing the role of the bad guy. The story took forever to get going and had an abrupt cliffhanger ending. I didn’t care enough for it to get the next book. Anybody else?
TICKET OUT BY Michelle Diener. I adore Diener and her Class 5 series as well as her Turncoat king series so I grabbed this up with hopeful glee. Turned out, not so much. The heroine is a 1960’s (all this throwback stuff ala Kristin Hannah) traffic warden in London. Writing tickets all day and suffering the rage induced vitrol of the ticket recipients makes for a crap job. The heroine plugs along until she finds a body in an illegally parked car and meets a London detective meant to be the love interest. This heroine was just too boring. She solved nothing and the story only progressed because she was in the right place, right time to witness something by accident. I might try the next one just to give it another chance but this was just too bland for me.
@Kareni, my pleasure! Such a quirky book but so enjoyable. Louis Sachar is such an interesting author.
Kristin Hannah’s THE WOMEN was my favourite recent read. It’s a fictionalized account of women nurses in the Vietnam War, focusing on a patriotic good girl whose brother had shipped off and died. The first part of the book, during the war, was exceptionally gripping. The return part was difficult to read in a different way and I have to say I really didn’t like the way romance played out in the main character’s life, and how the latter part felt somewhat more like reportage, but the subject and women’s friendships overrode my objections. Obviously, all the content warnings.
Speaking of fictionalized real life, I also got a lot (plus another broken heart) out of Sophie Kinsella’s WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?, a novella based on her lived experience with a malignant brain tumour. Very well done and it felt complete despite its short length.
In between other books I binged the rest of J. Saman’s UNDENIABLY series, including UNDENIABLY FORBIDDEN, UNDENIABLY INFATUATED, and UNDENIABLY MARRIED. Of them the latter two were my favourites, though I also liked the first.
My B/B+ reads:
Lorraine Heath – A TEMPEST OF DESIRE – Heath is reliably entering and this unique story line won me over: the traumatized survivor of a train wreck finds a woman on the beach of the island where he’s been hiding away only to learn she’s a courtesan he has met and been attracted to and that she arrived on the beach after nearly drowning in a solo balloon wreck.
Elizabeth Hoyt’s DUKE OF SIN (I think it was a rec from someone here??) grew on me as I read it. I’m glad I didn’t DNF when the FMC’s attraction to the evil duke seemed superficial
Isabel Ibañez’s WHERE THE LIBRARY HIDES is the continuation of WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS, A YA historical fantasy all about tracking stolen Egyptian artifacts and bits of arcane knowledge. Cleopatra!
Also the next in the Allie Beckstrom series, MAGIC AT THE GATE.
I also made my way through Erin Morgenstern’s THE STARLESS SEA, and it was one of those reads that alternately annoyed and delighted me. It was been on my TBR pile for years. Because I loved THE NIGHT CIRCUS so much I bought this in hardcover on release but just now managed to work up the reading energy to read it, and it did require that. There’s lots of great stuff in this but maybe too much and maybe too all over the place?
> AJ Sherwood’s The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA
@SBSarah I misread the name as “Ross Perot” and was so confused I didn’t even process the “Supernat PA” — and once I did I was even more confused! Then my brain finally got its act together.
So that’s how my reading is going.
@Deborah
I totally agree with you! I too grew up with the rule that calling a person “it” was very insulting, and would possibly get you in trouble with your mom And patting yourself on the back for referring to Murderbot with feminine pronouns is just *facepalm*
(And thank you for the compliment on my user name )
@Jill Q. – I also was very obsessed with finishing my 2024 reading challenges last month and haven’t read much this month.
I feel like I’m still finding my reading rhythm. I’m looking forward to my new challenges (I’m doing Laura Sackton’s Queer Your Year challenge and probably Book Riot’s Read Harder challenge) but I don’t have a good sense of the challenges yet and am feeling a little bit at loose ends. It’s not bad, just a lot less focused than I was in Nov and Dec.
What a year.
“But Crystal, it’s only 11 days in!”
Yeah, and it’s exhausting.
In between making myself feel somewhat better by donating money to causes related to the LA fires, I polished off the Emily Wilde series with Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. This one did not have as many of my beloved footnotes, but I enjoyed Emily’s finally being able to spend some significant time in Faerie and with its residents. She is such an inquisitive character, and her somewhat begrudging care for her friends is sweet. Also, I love the cat. Then I busted out a library book, and read It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant. This involves a very stressed out and overworked single mother that feels compelled to solve a mystery at her daughter’s elementary school after being pressured into being the “head of DEI” for the school’s PTA. The plot is a bit bonkers, which is acknowledged in the story, and the story has a lot of focus on the micro- and macro-aggressions that the character and her daughter face as Black people in a very white environment, as well as the very understandable struggles and feelings she experiences as a single mom. It was fun, and quite funny in several parts. Which brings us to now, in which I’m reading My Inconvenient Duke by Loretta Chase. This may be a weird thing to say, but I am SO GLAD that Chase’s publisher hasn’t tried to make her go to an illustrated over. A Chase book that doesn’t involve a beautiful woman in a gorgeous Regency gown would feel wrong. At any rate, it’s funny and clever, and I enjoy the banter and interplay between the leads. I also really enjoy the fact that it spends some time showing the leads learning to be a couple and how to make the compromises that are integral to a lasting love. Anyone who has ever been married or in love knows that it just doesn’t end at the HEA, even though that’s where the books normally end. There’s always work involved, and I like that this one is giving us some of that.
So until next time, I am going to echo what I saw someone say on Instagram: “Action is the antidote to despair.” Take care of your brains, turn off the news when it gets too much, and do what you can, without beating yourself up for what you can’t.
@Crystal: your last paragraph is perfect! Thank you.
Currently apartment hunting to move next month (ACK!) and thus also trying to plan, get rid of things, etcetera, which all cuts into reading time.
Thanks to recommendations here, I read DREADFUL by Caitlin Rozakis and TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES by Julie Leong. I had to skip to the end of DREADFUL because up until the end prospects looked terrible for the main character and his allies, so be forewarned if you are feeling anxious currently. Despite the billing as cozy, TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES also felt tense to me as Tao is trying to hide through most of the book. I enjoyed it, but it was less relaxing than I had hoped.
I started SPEAK NOT: EMPIRE, IDENTITY AND THE POLITICS OF LANGUAGE by James Griffiths which focuses on the struggles to keep the Welsh, Hawaiian and Cantonese languages alive. He writes about some other languages also and the ways in which language extinction is not the result of natural selection but the product of deliberate policies by governments (often colonizers), backed by the homogenizing effects of globalization (also in no way a neutral process). So far it is interesting, but I’ve had to put it aside for a bit due to the extra-tiny font.
Currently reading instead THE MAKING OF ASIAN AMERICA by Erika Lee, another recommendation from here. Lots of history I did not know, much of which is depressing.
Even when I have little to report myself, it’s always fun to hear what everyone else is reading and maybe get some recommendations. Glad to have this community, especially at such a grim time.