Hey hello! Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re kicking off June:
Lara: I’m currently reading Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s women’s fiction, which is an unusual choice for me, but the premise had me curious. So far it’s compelling enough for me to make time to read, but not enough to make me sacrifice sleep. Will report back!
Claudia: Lara, I just started Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews!! I hope I get at least the same enjoyment as you did. So far so good.
Lara: I really hope you like it! I’m a sucker for (most) Mimi Matthews romances and this one really worked for me.
Sarah: I’m reading Atonement Sky, ( A | BN | K | AB ) Nalini Singh’s July Psy-Changeling book. It is fueling a desire to re-read the whole series. Again.
Elyse: I’m reading Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier.
Shana: I just finished A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I loved it, but I thought the romance was a teensy tiny part of the book. Now I’m reading All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens ( A | BN ) and the hero is obsessed with the heroine in the BEST way. He has it bad, and I love every second of his misery.
Sarah: Am I nearly done with Slave to Sensation ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and contemplating the next one? Yes. Do I have many other things to read? Also, yes.
Tara: I started reading Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma Alban yesterday and am enjoying it so far.
Carrie: I just finished One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s tough but necessary. I don’t like telling people “you have to read this!” Because it’s not my job to tell you what to read. But everyone should read this.
Susan: I’m just finishing up the latest volume of I Was Reincarnated as the Villainess in an Otome Game but the Boys Love Me Anyway! ( A | BN | K | AB ) and it should not be my jam as much as it is.
The protagonist tries to save her own life by preventing the other characters’ childhood trauma, but unfortunately that was load-bearing trauma, and now EVERYONE is obsessed with her. Her friends are at war for her attention. People are being disappeared for bullying her. Heavily implied that her entire staff are murderers. What is happening?! I am confused and delighted.
So, whatcha reading? Tell us in the comments!
I just reread all of the Anne of Green Gables books. If you can, watch the current anime, Anne Shirley. It is so satisfying for me; a faithful adaptation of my favourite childhood books. I regularly get choked up and usually watch every episode with a stupid grin on my face.
I’m looking for a really nice edition of Anne of Green Gables to buy for my little granddaughter. My mother gave me a box set of the first three books for Christmas when I was nine. I read them to my son when he was small (he really enjoyed them) and I would like to continue the tradition. Any suggestions of a good gift edition would be appreciated.
I just listened to “An Academic Affair” by Jodi McAlister and really enjoyed it. It took me a minute to get into, and I wasn’t sure what to expect with a story based on two academics, but was pleasantly surprised. Enemies to lovers, fake marriage, feminist tones. I enjoyed the audiobook and think I’ll pick up the book to read as well. I enjoyed her recent Marry Me Juliet series, particularly the last book in that series.
I’m dealing with some exhausting work situations so went back hunting for some re-reads that I’ve enjoyed previously. I ended up with Jennifer Esteps’ Elemental Assassin series and plowed the first 7 books. Just as enjoyable as previous reads (Thank you Jennifer if you read this!)
I just started That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey- enjoying so far but early days and I’m not sure I’m in the mood to keep going right now so might put it aside for a minute. It’s a me thing not the book though from what I’ve read so far.
Last one is the going back into the fantasy realm with Robin Hobb and The Assassin’s Apprentice. It’s been forever since I’ve read this series and suspect I haven’t finished all of them. It’s a bit chilly at home and I’m hoping tomorrow’s plans can just be lazing on the couch and getting stuck back in in between catching up on washing.
I don’t know if I want to read Soulgazer, but that cover is gorgeous. So, my reading struggle continues.Somewhat of a rant ahead.
I finished THE STONE WITCH OF FLORENCE by Anna Rasche which had some promise, but ended up being a bit of a mixed bag. I think it is being marketed as romantasy (at least by the cover if not the actual back cover copy) but is definitely not. The love story in it isn’t very integral to the plot and it’s more something that contributes to the heroine’s overall growth than an emotionally engaging romance. I’ll just leave it at that to avoid spoilers. It’s set in medieval Italy during the Great Plague and it centers around a woman who is being called back to Florence after being exiled many years ago as a witch. She has the ability to heal people with gemstones and now someone important is desperate enough to ask for her assistance. The Plague is definitely mentioned in grim ways at times which I felt was appropriate but read carefully if that’s something that could upset you.
So why such a mixed bag? The writer is a gem historian and there were some fascinating details and descriptions woven into the book combined with fairly awkward dialogue (you don’t have to write ‘uh’ and ‘um’ into dialogue to make it sound realistic 🙁 ) and plotting that got worse as the book went along. People were always conveniently where they needed to be to overhear what they needed to overhear or see what they needed to see. Also lots of exclamation points which I accept is a more modern convention in writing. Thanks, I hate it. Also, also very awkward use of Italian which I accept is a me thing and not going to bother most people. I don’t so much fault the author as the copyeditor on that one since this is published by a major publisher. Don’t just look at a word in italics and assume it must be a real Italian word, google it for heaven’s sake. Yes, I am a grammar/language bitch and I accept this about myself.
I am glad I read it b/c it did feel like the author was trying to do something a little different than a lot of what I see out right now. I might read something by her again if I could get it from the library but I wouldn’t rush out to buy something.
After that, I quickly DNFed fairly recently published highly regarded books that I wanted to like but I found one twee and pretentious and the other one filled with people who had no boundaries or sense. I’m on the verge of DNFing and an 80s book that doesn’t not have either of those problems but does have waaaaaaaaay too much villain POV (multiple gross villains!) and that unpleasant 80s rapey vibe is emanating from every single male character. Except the hero, so. . . yay? We also haven’t seen inside his POV so maybe that’s a fun surprise for later (sarcasm very much intended).
In short, I am a book grouch lately. Thank goodness for WAR AND PEACE (lots of melodrama and excitement in the last few chapters) and the Sister Frevisse mysteries. I’m still chugging along on them and finding them consistent and entertaining, which is what I want right now.
@Francesca: I was going to recommend my three-volume hardcover ANNE OF GREEN GABLES set from Avenel Publishing, but when I pulled them off the shelf, I saw they were copywritten in 1985 and had the address label inside for the first house my husband and I lived in together (almost 40 years ago). The first volume has ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, ANNE OF AVONLEA, and ANNE’S HOUSE OF DREAMS; The second volume has ANNE OF THE ISLAND, CHRONICLES OF AVONLEA, and FURTHER CHRONICLES OF AVONLEA; the third volume is called DAYS OF DREAMS AND LAUGHTER and features THE STORY GIRL, THE GOLDEN ROAD, and KILMENY OF THE ORCHARD. It’s a nice set, and I read all the books to my daughters when they were children, but I’m sure there are newer editions available. However, thank you for a chance to open those books and scroll through them again.
It’s the sign of a good writer that they can take two of my least favorite tropes and still produce an entertaining and engaging romance. Such is the case with Ainsley Booth’s THE NANNY GOAL (the fourth book in her Off the Ice series of hockey romances) which features both the employer-nanny and the best-friend’s-younger-sister tropes. Under normal circumstances, I would not seek out romances featuring these tropes, but Ainsley Booth is a favorite writer, and I’m a bit of a completist with favorite writers. In THE NANNY GOAL, professional hockey player (and single dad) Alexei and his best-friend’s younger sister Emery (who is a supporting character in THE REBOUND PLAN, the previous book in the series) had an interrupted hook-up a few years before—and now, through a series of only-in-romance-novels situations, Alexei finds himself in need of a nanny just as Emery finds herself in need of a job. As usual, Booth’s writing is brisk and sexy. I liked the chemistry between the MCs and how Emery finally found the strength to confront her dismissive family. My main issue with THE NANNY GOAL was that of Alexei’s little girl: she’s supposed to be about two but she acts, comprehends, and talks like a much older child, I would place her developmental level somewhere around four years old, so some of the interactions between her and Emery just didn’t ring true. But that’s a small quibble. As long as you’re able to suspend disbelief that a millionaire hocky player couldn’t find a nanny on short notice, THE NANNY GOAL is a worthwhile read. Recommended.
One of the best books I’ve read this year is Sasha Avice’s WE WERE NEVER LOVERS in which one of the MCs wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of the prior two years and is utterly baffled to discover that the other MC (with whom he has a long, complicated, and antagonistic relationship) is somehow now his best friend (and possibly more). So when I saw that Nicky James’s FORGETFUL HEARTS (published in 2020 and part of her Hometown Jasper series) had essentially the same set-up, I had to read it. In FORGETFUL HEARTS, Shay wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of the previous six months. He is astonished to discover that during that time, he has grown close to Josiah, publisher of the town newspaper and (in Shay’s mind) the reason Shay’s brother left Jasper 20 years ago. But if Shay is to get to the bottom of what (or who) caused his injuries, he knows he’ll have to team up with Josiah, the only person who believes Shay’s plunge from a cliff was not an accident. There’s no doubt that WE WERE NEVER LOVERS is far superior to FORGETFUL HEARTS—especially because in WWNL, the non-amnesiac partner is always mindful of rushing things with the MC with amnesia, whereas Josiah never gives Shay the space or time he needs to adjust to a new reality. In fact, some of the ways Josiah pushes himself on the clearly apprehensive Shay feel uncomfortably like non-consent. Another thing I found puzzling about FORGETFUL HEARTS is how quickly Shay’s injuries are hand-waved away. Despite long descriptions of the extent of Shay’s injuries, particularly to his hands, within a few days of his fall, Shay is released from the hospital and very little is further said about his condition. Plus, the suspense plot, such as it is, is resolved off-page with little involvement from Shay & Josiah. On the other hand, the books does have some entertaining elements: Josiah’s stoner staff member; a local “witch” who reads a skeptical Shay’s fortune with surprising accuracy; and the undercurrent running between the local sheriff and Shay’s brother (who are the MCs of a later book). I think if I hadn’t read WE WERE NEVER LOVERS earlier this year, I would have possibly enjoyed FORGETFUL HEARTS more than I did. A lukewarm recommendation from me for this one.
I was interested in one of the subplots of FORGETFUL HEARTS—that of Tomi (Shay’s brother) and Winston (the town sheriff): they are, in turn, the MCs of CONCEALED HEARTS, the next book in the Hometown Jasper series. Tomi and Winston are both older (late-thirties and early-forties, respectively) are both deeply, deeply closeted. It’s an interesting take on m/m romance: two older men, both aware they are gay, but neither of them (for a variety of reasons, explored in some depth in the course of the book) ready to emerge from the closet. I found the book very nuanced in its approach to being closeted. Neither Tomi nor Winston thinks keeping their sexuality a secret is ideal but neither can get their minds around being open about their sexuality. Tomi and Winston keep their relationship under wraps, with Tomi visiting town during the summer and staying in an isolated cabin where Winston visits him in the evening. It takes a number of situations (including inadvertent discovery by a neighbor and—cw/tw—a gay teen who is being bullied and abused) to bring the guys to the point where they are ready to come out. I liked CONCEALED HEARTS a little more than I liked FORGETFUL HEARTS: it’s a brisk read that provides a different perspective on the reasons people stay in the closet. Recommended.
When BENEATH THE INDIGO SKY by new-to-me-writer Rayne Hawthorne popped up on my recommendations, I was immediately interested because of its lovely cover art and its hurt/comfort vibe. It is beautifully written and uber melancholy, but the plot is somewhat predictable and a slight paranormal element is never explained or resolved. In a small Alaskan town, mechanic Jayce is paralyzed by grief, having lost his twin brother in a car accident. Then Jayce encounters town outcast, Namid, who was found alone with no memory of his past and taken in years ago by the local undertaker (who appears to be the only kind person in the entire town). Namid is something of an empath and is often overwhelmed by the feelings he senses in others. There’s mutual pining between Jayce and Namid, both of whom are essentially closeted in their small and not very friendly town (cw/tw: Namid is attacked by two men in what is clearly a “gay bashing” incident). Eventually (and it takes them far too long, imho) Jayce & Namid, along with Namid’s “adopted” father, decide to move to a larger, more welcoming place. BENEATH THE INDIGO SKY is an exercise in lovely writing and sad, lonely characters. There is a nice found family component to the story, but Namid’s origins and background are never explained, and I found that a bit of a letdown. I recommend BENEATH THE INDIGO SKY for its lush, descriptive writing, but if you’re looking for a dynamic plot, you’re not going to find it here
I liked THE PAPER BOYS by DP Clarence and ASUNDER by Kerstin Hall. I don’t remember much about them, the first is m/m contemporary that’s like a nicer but less constructed Alexis Hall and the other was a fantasy novel that I *think* constitutes a m/f romantic element but wasn’t really 100% resolved. I was happy with the ending and I decided it’s gonna be a HEA but strictly speaking that’s a matter of faith, not canon. I thought they were good when I read them, and that they haven’t stuck with me is more about me than them.
Obviously the big news remains COPPER SCRIPT by KJ. Charles which is thoroughly delightful and everything I wanted. A bit like Jackdaw in some superficial ways but the characters are very different and there is not the angsty past to deal with. I just… idk why or how KJ Charles knows exactly what it is I would enjoy reading better than I do, but I am deeply grateful that she has decided to write it for me.
In the middle of ADVOCATE by Daniel M Ford, third in a fun fantasy series that should definitely be read in order.
I wanted to report back that
I read the sheep murder mystery, THREE BAGS FULL which was discussed on this site and it was … idk, really, what I think of it. At first I found it cute but not stupid which is a hard balance to pull off. I was surprisingly pleased for a lot of it, got a bit bored in the middle when there were sort of metaphysical digressions but still, overall impressed. I hated the ending, though, which, in a murder mystery. I’m not mad I read it, because I was definitely curious and now I know, but it was not satisfying.
Gotta go hover on fringes of protests because I want to be counted but really cannot do crowds. Hang in there everyone.
I started a YA with, naturally, a romance subplot, but I bounced off it hard. I just wanted a fun steampunk romp with a kickass heroine! But…The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross started off with a heroine that has anger issues and magic healing factor kicking said ass, namely of a creep who pushed too far on a girl he thought couldn’t fight back, and I was so here for it. Then the Love Interest and Friends showed up waving massive Love Interest flags, and a) I realized I just don’t have tolerance for loudly announced Love Interests when the book isn’t in the Romance genre, and b) said Love Interest does something (involving magic/psychic powers) that was extremely boundary-violating towards the heroine, but no one seemed to even notice how gross and disturbing it was and the heroine herself smiled and thanked him(???). And I tried to keep reading but I couldn’t get over it, so when I put the book down, I just decided not to keep going.
I’m also reading Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki, a literal memoir of a geisha (geiko) who wanted to set the record straight as to what they do and how they learn their art. If you’re interested in that topic, it’s fascinating. (The part that made it click for me was when she compared geiko to opera singers or prima ballerinas, that of course there’s rumors of sex work and even patrons that probably are sleeping with the stars, but no one would say that’s the ‘point’ of their work.) For obvious real-life reasons, there’s trigger warnings on this one for death including of children and sexual assault.
My propensity for reading multiple books at the same time has bitten me in the butt big time. I started Emily Henry’s unfortunately titled GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE (I cannot hear the words big and beautiful together in sentence without my teeth grinding) as a patio read. Then, having finally figured out the Libby thing, my reserve for Beth O’Leary’s SWEPT AWAY came up. Normally it’s easy. Kindle in bed. Physical book on the couch/patio. Except… They keep getting in the way of each other. I want eyes in the back of my head so I can read them at the same time.
Previously, I had a small Annika Martin binge on the Kindle. I don’t know why. The billionaire trope is not lately my jam, but there I was credulity stretched at the idea of an entire friend group meeting extremely rich men who know of but don’t know each other. What are the odds…
Looking over the past three weeks, I had meant to read things other than the dark romances that had been entertaining me, but completely failed. Bad decisions were made.
Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson Book 11) by Patricia Briggs
Mercy and friends defend their territory against supernatural threats. It’s a good addition to the series, but it’s book 11, so it’s not the place to start.
Reckless in Texas (Texas Rodeo Book 1) by Kari Lynn Dell (KU)
Enjoyable. A small family rodeo company needs an extra set of hands for the last couple of events of the season. There’s attraction between the daughter and they guy they hire, but also complications since he’s planning to leave at the end of his contract. (For the bingo card: First book in a series, Western, sports (rodeo), small town, scene or plot with inclement weather, August publication date)
Kodiak’s Claim (Kodiak Point Book 1) by Eve Langlais (The first one is free)
Bear shifter romance. I’d read more in the series. (For the bingo card: First book in a series, paranormal romance, small town, July publication date)
Burned Dreams: A Forbidden Mafia Bodyguard Romance (Perfectly Imperfect Book 7) by Neva Altaj (KU)
Eh, not as good as the other books in the series. I’d skipped this one off because Bodyguard isn’t my preferred trope, but decided to read it for completion. It was fine, and I’m not sorry I picked it up, it just wasn’t my thing. Other elements: revenge, abusive spouse, death of spouse, cheating. (For the bingo card: Spies/Assassins, July publication date)
NERO: Alliance Series Book One by S.J. Tilly (KU)
– Chance encounter entangles a barrista and a mobster
KING: Alliance Series Book Two by S.J. Tilly (KU)
– The plot summary is wild for this one and I don’t think I can do it justice. He’s the brother-in-law of her ex that she didn’t realize was married.
DOM: Alliance Series Book Three by S.J. Tilly (KU)
– King’s half-sister and a manipulative mobster from a different town who needs an alliance with her family.
HANS: Alliance Series Book Four by S.J. Tilly (KU)
– Woman obsesses over her mysterious hot neighbor, who has also been secretly obsessing over her.
Look, these are dark mafia romances. I’m old enough that my first romances were swiping my mom’s Kathleen Woodiwiss, so a little dubious consent doesn’t generally phase me, but even I was starting to get concerned. These guys are less “protective” and more “possessive”. On the plus side, the author has a dark sense of humor that makes me giggle. There’s also an element of “WTF?” to these. Like,
Book 2 — Dude’s thought process: “I’m kind of into the idea of exhibitionism, but I’d have to shoot anyone who saw my wife having sex, fortunately I’m in the mafia and I have to shoot a lot of guys, so we can just have sex in front of someone who I’m going to shoot anyway.” Also, dude, I know that you hate human trafficking, but you blackmailed chicky into marrying you, so apparently it’s only bad when other people do it. Or maybe you just hate it when it’s mass produced, but artisanal human trafficking is OK?
Book 3 — Drugs her so that she’ll go along with the surprise Vegas wedding, drugs her so he can give her a tattoo, messes with her birth control. Girl, I understand that dude is sexy and intimidating, but blink twice if you need help.
Book 4 — Dude is basically a serial killer that targets human traffickers. Actually, he might be the least objectionable of our heroes.
(For the bingo card: Class differences for 1, 2 and 4, Spies/Assassins for book 4, March, May, September, and December publication dates)
Mr. Sin: Book One of the Sin Series by S.J. Tilly (KU)
– Workplace romance elements
Sin Too: Book Two of the Sin Series by S.J. Tilly (KU)
– Bodyguard elements
Miss Sin: Book Three of the Sin Series by S.J. Tilly (KU)
– FBI agent brother of book one’s heroine meets a young woman who is trying to live more assertively.
I decided to see if the author managed to soften some of the rougher edges of the Alliance books with a different series. These are centered on a reformed mafia family with a hotel empire. So, it still has the possessiveness and dubious consent bits, but the shootings are mostly in self-defense. Mostly. Also, just because the MMC works for the FBI, it’s still stalking. I’m looking at you Book 3. What’s the rating for “if this isn’t your thing, this book isn’t going to change your mind”? And yet I read all of them. You don’t need to judge me. I already know I like trashy books.
(For the bingo card: Book 2 has inclement weather; March, April, and October publication dates, respectively)
Ruthless Creatures: A Queens and Monsters Novel by J.T. Geissinger (KU)
Jilted art teacher with sassy best friend (book 2) gets involved with a mysterious man. One of the reviews mentioned that the first few chapters setup some mafia suspense plot and then there was a whole bunch of erotica before the plot wrapped up in the last bit. They weren’t wrong, there’s a lot of sex. Overall, I was entertained, and honestly the writing was better and funnier than I expected.
(For the bingo card: First book in a series, Cover without people, Left at the altar (debatable), Spies/assassins, January publication date.)
Liars Like Us: Morally Gray Book 1 by J.T. Geissinger (KU)
The setup is marriage of convenience with a bookstore owner and an obsessive billionaire. One of the weird things about reading all these dark romance books right back to back is that it starts to shift my perception of normal. So, when this book made me go “wait, this guy has gone too far”, it was kind of a relief to realize that I still had some lines that I didn’t want crossed. If you also go for chessmasters and manipulative bastards, you might find something appealing here.
(For the bingo card: First book in a series, class differences, May publication date)
Fall Into You: Morally Gray Book 2 by J.T. Geissinger (KU)
Business woman has hot one night stand with sexy stranger in a bar who turns out to be her new boss. This one was fine, but annoying in places. Look, when someone tells you “no, I’m not interested in a relationship”, they can do that, even if you think that it’s for bad reasons. I came away from this book feeling the friction between “don’t give up on them even when it is hard” and “respect their choices”. Structurally, the ending felt rushed and the epilog covers a lot of ground that could have been worked into the narrative.
His Tesoro: An Arranged Marriage Age Gap Mafia Romance (Empire of Royals Book 1) by Emilia Rossi (KU)
Shoutout for disability representation. The bratva princess FMC has a joint condition that means she needs mobility aids like a rollator or wheelchair. I think that the author is trying to make the mob boss MMC model appropriate responses to her disability, which is good. Plus, he’ll shoot a guy’s kneecaps off for implying that she’s not perfect.
(For the bingo card: First book in a series, cover without people, June publication)
Highly recommend Robert Jackson Bennett’s first two books in newish mystery series, THE TAINTED CUP, and A DROP OF CORRUPTION. Really well written, well-developed, vivid characters, and good paced, satisfying mysteries. The world building has lovecraftian undertones, which really worked here. Give yourself time to get used to the technology and bureaucracy- both are handled well, but take a beat to wrap your head around. I think I heard about these books here- thank you, thank you!
WE SOLVE MURDERS by Richard Osman was not as good as Thursday Night Murder Club books, but it got me through a plane ride, so there’s that.
On vacation, so thanks for all the recommendations. Hope all of you are well!
The Good:
NOT SAFE FOR WORK by Nisha J Tuli was a fun read centered on a STEM MCs. It has some triggery stuff (racism, sexual harassment) but the love story is great.
SPELLS FREEDOM by Elaine Weiss about how Civil Rights protesters were educated and trained. Very well written even if it does lose a little bit of focus in the middle.
ALONG CAME AMOR by Alexis Daria was a 536 page romance that held my attention for every single page. FMC’s one night stand ends up being the best man to her maid of honor at a destination wedding. In the process, a lot of growth happens. Great character development and growth along with a fantastic romance. Well plotted also!
ON HER TERMS by Amy Spalding is a queer romance with so much heart. Great writing, well drawn characters and lots of brunches!
The meh/dnf
LOVE IN FOCUS by Lyla Lee may be a great romance but I couldn’t get past the biphobia. Blech.
Currently Reading:
A Shipwreck in Fiji by Nilima Rao which is the second book set in Fiji in the early 20th century featuring a very awesome but slightly disgraced detective. So so good.
A Rare Find by Johanna Lowell is a lovely queer romance set in Victorian England.
Next up: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Slow Burn by Josie Silver
Happy Reading everyone! Happy Pride!
Over the past three weeks ~
— The Raven Scholar (Eternal Path Trilogy Book 1) by Antonia Hodgson was a noteworthy fantasy; the author built an impressive world and also managed to surprise me a couple of times. The book is also impressive in length, 643 pages. I would happily read the next volume, but I’m guessing it won’t come out for a year or so. An emperor’s 24 year term is coming to a close, and seven individuals are competing to replace him. This book has fairytale segments and footnotes, a bit of romance, fighting, death, magic, and eight godlike animals.
— enjoyed Way of the Wolf (Magnetic Magic Book 1) by Lindsay Buroker which is a contemporary urban fantasy featuring a heroine in her forties who has been suppressing her werewolf shift for some twenty plus years. She works as an apartment manager/handy person and is carrying a toilet when the book starts.
— also enjoyed A Girl Called Foote by A.E. Walnofer which is a historical romance featuring the daughter of a farmer who needs to go into service (i.e., work as a maid) when her family’s circumstances change. The male lead is a baronet whose mother employs her. We meet both characters as children though they do not meet until they are young adults. Some of the story is farfetched, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and could see reading more by this author.
— read Alien Lord’s Captive (Warriors of the Lathar Book 1) by Mina Carter which is a science fiction romance and first in a series of twenty books. The female lead is one of a number of women captured when her base is attacked by aliens, one of whom is the male lead. I finished the book but don’t have any plans to read on.
— quite enjoyed the historical romance Copper Script by KJ Charles. It is set in post WWI London and features a police detective and a graphologist (someone who analyzes handwriting).
— read Heart Fire by Rose Laura Mackie which is a science fiction romance. The female lead, a healer, is from a planet without men; the male lead, a warrior in charge of security, is from a matriarchal planet where women are powerful but few. The two planets jointly agree to send people to colonize a distant planet; however, not everyone is pleased with this decision.
— Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea was the rare book group book that I actually enjoyed even though it did have some sober subject matter and scenes. The main leads were two young American women working on (and driving) a Clubmobile during WWII serving coffee and donuts to troops in Europe near the front. The book is based to a large extent on the experiences of the author’s mother who did this work.
— enjoyed Words On Candy Hearts by Augusta Reilly, a contemporary romance which begins with the male lead (unwilling heir to a billionaire father) finding the female lead sleeping off too much liquor in his (unlocked and looks like her) car. Her fiance just cancelled their wedding due to her gaining fifteen pounds; his fiancee left him a couple of years earlier after refusing to sign a prenuptial agreement. This was written by a comedian and was pretty entertaining albeit farfetched.
— A Conspiracy of Whispers by Ada Harper was an enjoyable science fiction romance; it featured a female agent/assassin and the man she is sent to kill. The woman is one of the rare women in her country who is able to reproduce; she has been hiding that ability by using suppressants to avoid being incarcerated and forced to breed. Her target belongs to a similarly small male group who is able to procreate though he is from an empire with different mores.
— enjoyed Pieces of Home by Becca Neil which is a contemporary romance between two men. The story begins with a short scene in which an eight year old is walking home from school. Fifteen years have passed when the second lead (who suffered a serious injury some years earlier) finds a young man near death on the beach near his cliffside home. Road closures in the area means that medical assistance is not accessible, so the second man brings the other to his home. The young man is suffering from both physical and mental trauma and is selectively mute. The romance between the characters is VERY slow building. I would also say that consent is a huge (HUGE) part of this lengthy book.
— Quite enjoyed The Healers’ Road by S.E. Robertson which is described as a slice of life fantasy. It features a man and woman from two different countries and backgrounds (language, wealth, and religion) who are assigned to work together as healers traveling with a caravan. They get off to a bad start but slowly grow to accept each other.
— Enjoyed the science fiction romance Granola Bars and Spaceships by Geneva Vand. The story begins when a man on his way home from work hears noise coming from an empty store. He leaves some granola bars thinking there might be an animal or homeless person hiding there. Ultimately, he discovers an alien.
— Studious by Leslie McAdam was a pleasant read about a nerdy bookkeeper and a lawyer. The former asks the latter for help with his dating life.
@Kathryn — Aw, thanks so much! I appreciate all the nice words about my books. Glad you are enjoying them for a second time. 🙂
FYI, most of the Elemental Assassin books are now in Kindle Unlimited, if you want to re-read them that way or have that reading service.
I’ve been reading some romantasy books lately, including SHIELD OF SPARROWS by Devney Perry. Right now, I am reading THE GAMES GODS PLAY by Abigail Owen. I love books that feature mythology/gods/goddesses/creature.
I also have some older books waiting on my TBR pule, including HUNTED by Megan Spooner.
My weather has gone from cool/rainy to rainy/steamy. Blech. I am counting down the days until fall and football weather. LOL.
Just finished A HOPE DIVIDED by Alyssa Cole. Apparently I squeed so much about AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION that my son hunted down the other two in the series and got them for me for my birthday. Somehow I didn’t get into A HOPE DIVIDED as much as I did UNION and I couldn’t really tell you why, especially because Marlie and Ewan are two of my favorite character tropes, the smart scientifically-minded girl and the logical, emotionally constipated boy who is head-over-heels for her but can’t express his feelings. I think it may be that the ending was wrapped up a little too fast and easily – the journey should have taken longer, especially with Ewan wounded and danger everywhere. But I did enjoy it overall nonetheless.
Next up in my scouring of the bookshelves is LOVE AND THE SINGLE HEIRESS by Jaqui D’Alessandro. Jaqui was not only a friend of mine at one time but also one of the authors I have most enjoyed, so I have a feeling this one will probably end up back on the keeper shelf.
End of HALF A SOUL by Olivia Atwater (gaslamp fantasy romance; FMC has limited emotions & filter because a fairy stole half her soul, MMC is an abrasive but secretly sensitive sorcerer). Enjoyed it. The fairy stuff is more prominent in this part; their funhouse mirror reflection of English culture is delightful, enhanced by their undercurrent of alien menace.
More of THE SPRING OF MY LIFE by Kobayashi Issa (interleaved prose and haiku from 1819), translated by Sam Hamill and THE ADVENTURES OF TOM BOMBADIL by J. R. R. Tolkien (poetry collection; reread).
ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells (first book of The Murderbot Diaries). Enjoyed it but don’t (yet?) feel the passion for MB that others do. I plan to read the next one.
CEMETERY WORLD by Clifford Simak (science fiction). Centuries after a war drove humanity to the stars, the rich use Earth as a cemetery. An artist, an ancient robot, a sentient art machine, and a treasure-seeking student visit the wilds outside the groomed tombs and find still-active machines, humans who never left, and stranger things. Promising ingredients, disappointing book.
Start of HOW TO TAME A WILD ROGUE by Julie Anne Long, which got a good review here. A privateer with a rough past encounters an aristocratic woman escaping thru a window and they take shelter from the oncoming storm at an unusual boarding house (apparently the setting for all the books in the series, of which this is no. 6). Reading the adventure-tinged opening, I forgot that the review said it’s mostly a bunch of conversations in a single building. So it’s not quite what I sought in the moment, but otherwise it’s good so far. It spends more time on other residents of the house than I expected, which took some getting used to.
On a recent road trip to Yosemite I listened to KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE by Deanna Raybourn and it made the miles fly right by. Being a woman of a certain age myself, I’d say Deanna totally hit the nail on the head about how older women are underestimated and marginalized and I was all in on their unapologetic rage.
After finally reading and loving LOUDER THAN LOVE by Jessica Topper, I was in the mood for another retired rock star romance and decided to dig out DUET by Julie Kriss, which has been languishing on my TBR mountain. I loved it also – I’m pretty much always in the mood for rock star romances, especially if they are older, wiser, and tempered by their experiences.
I’m currently reading I THINK I’M IN LOVE WITH AN ALIEN by Ann Aguirre which is releasing on Tuesday, June 17. If you enjoyed STRANGE LOVE, you’ll probably love this also. It’s a warm, cozy, hug of a book, with found family themes and an FMC who self-describes as gray ace on the sexuality spectrum.
Well, I went crazy with the free single dad books yesterday and I am now finishing SKATE THE LINE by SJ Sylvis. This is single dad hockey star and nanny. Nanny/boss is not one of my favorite tropes though this one is done nicely. He has had to fire too many nannies who wanted into his bed; she has been stalking and injured by a previous client. Little trust on either side. The kiddo is well done, too. So I recommend.
Also read THAT”S AMORE and BASIL both by Maya Alden who I continue to love. That’s Amore is an arranged marriage that he is not all in on, she leaves, he realizes he wants her back, he grovels some. Could have used more cowbell. She not quite as heartrending and perfect as some of Ms Alden’s h’s which is fine. In Basil, he is tech bro and she runs a holistic shop. His friends make fun of her and he does not object. She leaves, cue grovel. I enjoyed both.
FINDING FOREVER by Natasha Anders is an unexpected baby story. Her evil step-father is trying to push him into marrying her sister. She tells him about the baby and they marry. He has to come to terms with marriage and his family. She is just thrilled to be free of her family. Also enjoyed.
THE CEO CAN DROP DEAD by Moira Moore. Not a romance though every billionaire/secretary thing you have ever seen is in it. I think it was recommended her. I certainly recommend.
EASY FORTURE by Kristen Proby. I generally like her work but this just did not do it for me. Two “enemies” sent off on a road trip by a will. Seemed a little contrived, starting with being sent to a BNB with only one bed?! Did not enjoy but YMMV.
DYING TO MEET YOU by Sarina Bowen. Murder mystery, set in Maine. Someone kills her annoying ex and she is a suspect. Nicely done, I enjoy her writing. I gotta say I like her hockey romances better but this was not bad at all.
Lessons in Heartbreak by Karla Sorensen
It looks like this is the start of a new series, and I was pretty psyched about it, since I really like Sorensen’s other stuff. Buttoned up librarian Ruby makes a coffee date with an escort in hopes of improving her social skills and confidence when interacting with men. Before the escort arrives, she is approached by Griffin, a pro athlete whom she knew as a kid and mistakes him for the escort. Griffin is hiding out in town to avoid a PR issue. He ends up offering to help Ruby when the actual escort turns out to be kind of a loser, and the MCs’ growing friendship follows a delightful path until Griffin discovers the true source of Ruby’s uncertainty, (CW: Discussion of serious, permanent health issues) I felt that the health thing was important and well-handled by the author, but it kind of derailed some of the other plot strands that I was really invested in. There was a pretty radical tonal difference between the beginning and end of the book. Also the way the predictable third act breakup was handled annoyed me, as did the extraneous double epilogues. What started out as a fresh, original take on a sports adjacent romance devolved into what felt like a string of cliches awash in gratuitous misery. (Also the grammar went to hell when the sexin’ started. Embarrassingly so.) I will not reread, but will buy future books in the series. A clear case of YMMV.
Jilted by Vi Keeland
The latest by Keeland is higher on the banter scale and lower on the angst scale than some of the author’s previous work. Overall, it is a solid addition to Keeland’s catalog. Sloane writes for a bridal magazine and is feeling jaded since she was essentially left at the altar by her ex. She meets Wilder while covering a wedding, and the attraction is immediate and mutual, if somewhat reluctant on Sloane’s part. Wilder, on the other hand, launches a very hot pursuit indeed. This couple was great fun to spend time with through a series of weddings, intermittent meetings and long distance interactions. Supporting characters were excellent, especially Sloane’s very NY family and Wilder’s teen brother. New readers might find this a good starting place to sample the author’s work. Recommended.
Left of Forever by Tarah Dewitt
If you could distill the very finest essence of a second chance romance, the result would be Left of Forever. Add in epistolary elements, a road trip, and a soupcon of humor, and you have a witty, original love story. DeWitt takes a familiar trope, twists the tale, and suddenly you find yourself some place you’ve never been before. This novel starts with a slow burn, but–oh myyy–it is hot! I loved this book through tears and laughter with my whole heart. It is the best book I’ve read this year, and I want to accost strangers on the street to tell them about it. Heartily recommend.
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
I enjoyed this latest offering from Hazelwood. The narrator is Maya, younger sister of Eli Killgore, MMC from Not in Love. The object of Maya’s affection is Conor Harkness, her brother’s closed off, workaholic business partner and best friend. Reunited for Eli and Rue’s wedding in Italy, Maya and Conor hammer out their complicated relationship among a small group of friends. The obvious complication is the fifteen year gap in their ages, but nothing about their relationship is that simple. The wedding adventure is punctuated by a string of short flashbacks that illuminate their history. I’m not crazy about stories that center an age gap, nor do I like flashbacks, but I loved this subtle exploration of the problematic nature of Maya and Eli’s relationship. Their romance is slow burn, but extremely intense. Once the passion erupts (hur), the pages practically ignite. Definitely recommended.
The Windham Ducal Duet by Grace Burrowes
This volume contains two novellas about the Windham family. One story focuses on Percival and Esther Windham’s meeting and courtship; the other portrays a rough patch in their marriage and the discovery and adoption of Percy’s two illegitimate children. Overall, these were brief, pleasant palate cleansers to read between more intense novels. Great for fans of Burrowes and straightforward, low stakes Regency romances.
From Now On by C. W. Farnsworth
I enjoyed the first two books in the Holt Hockey series and very much looked forward to the final book. However, I have to say it didn’t grab me the way I hoped it would. For one thing, there was no actual hockey. The season is over, championship won, and senior year is winding down. I like a little sport in my sports romance. The first third of the book consisted of a whole lot of first person internal monologue and not a lot of interaction between the two main characters. There’s a lot of will-they or won’t-they back and forth, and that really slows the pace of Hunter and Eve’s romance. The impact of their relationship is also diluted by the page space given to the other two couples, and I had a hard time staying engaged with Hunter and Eve’s developing feelings for one another. I also thought the story dragged on a bit at the end, and the effort to tie up every loose end was extremely noticeable. I generally love found and extended families, but juggling connections between six people and their kin was a bit much for one book to carry. I can’t imagine what it would be like for someone who hadn’t read the two earlier books. I would definitely recommend the first two books, and I suspect that the third would work better if read immediately after the others.
Homemaker by Ruthie Knox & Annie Mare
I really loved me some Ruthie Knox back in the day, so I decided to check out this mystery collaboration by Knox and Mare. I finished it at ~6 am, tired but satisfied. I would not call this a cozy mystery precisely, because there is considerable dissection of womens’ lives imbedded in the story, and not just the benign parts. Much of it resonated with me on a personal level. The missing woman central to the mystery is clearly in jeopardy, and there is a thread of impending menace woven through the plot. Prairie deals with moral dilemmas and consequences for difficult choices as well as sparse but effective scenes of anger and impending violence–no on page gore though. This is a very domestic sort of mystery but not in a soothing way.. Prairie Nightingale is a great character and the community she lives in is beautifully drawn both as a community and as a collection of unique individuals. There is a romantic interest, though this is definitely not a romance. Prairie’s potential crush, Foster, is a very appealing character, though he’s also kind of a unicorn in the man-herd. Together they are a delight. I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series. Recommended, for the excellent writing, subtle humor, and honest depiction of the way good people enable bad actions and hard choices define good people.
The Heir by Grace Burrowes
I read this as the first book in a boxed set, and now I’m afraid to read the next one. The Heir is the first in the Windham series and was published in 2010. As I started reading, I enjoyed spending time with characters from the more recent Windham Brides series. The heir of the title is Gayle Windham, Earl of Westhaven, who is courting his young, secretive housekeeper, Anna Seaton. I had two problems with this book. The first is the horrible anachronism and research fails. References to “muffins” with berries in them or a servant “steppin’ and fetchin’ “ were too egregious to tolerate. I’ve seen that second phrase before; it always makes me cringe. The second issue occurred around midway through the book, when the villain was introduced amid an intolerable torrent of fat shaming that continued until he sidled off the page. I read a popular work of lit fic with a fat main character that offended the hell out of me in 2000, so there’s no way I would have found this characterization acceptable in 2010. So, no excuses. I had some other minor gripes, but I can’t separate them from the s&fin’ or the fat phobia.
Trade Me & Year of the Crocodile
by Courtney Milan Reread
I believe Trade Me was Milan’s first foray into contemporary romance. It came out in 2015, so it’s been a decade since I read it. I remember it as being angsty and political. It is both, as well as funny, extremely moving, and one of the most intriguing takes on a Cinderella story that I’ve ever read. The love story between Blake Reynolds and Tina Chen is full of obstacles and pining, not to mention some delicious sarcasm, but the explicit scenes are limited and neither florid nor crude. Emotion takes center stage in this romance. I also particularly liked the complex portrayals of Blake and Tina’s families. While technology has not precisely followed the predicted path, discussions of classism, racism, and immigration issues hold up well but hit differently after the ten years of wrenching history since the novel’s release. There’s a kind of authenticity to this story that I am better able to appreciate now. The electronic devices may be clunky, but the romance still feels tender and poignant. Recommended.
YotC is a short story in which the parents meet for the first time. It’s very short and very funny. Also recommended.
The Soldier by Grace Burrowes
The second Windham series book deals with Devlin St. Just, the eldest and illegitimate Windham brother. Having a title bestowed upon him does not reconcile St. Just to rustication in Yorkshire, However, there are compensations. One is Winnie, the six year old urchin who declares herself the new Earl of Helmsley; the other is Emmie Farnum, the baker who lives next door to the new minted earl. Though still sprinkled with research glitches, at least this book does not rely on offensive cliches to identify a villain. (There is no villain, just a lot of bro hugs to endure.) There’s also some philosophical maunderings and quite a bit of navel gazing. Overall, I felt the book was ok, but the pace was slow, and the BIG SECRET was wicked obvious very early on. While I like these big family stories, this specimen is too generically bland for my taste.
Clockwork Boys & The Wonder Engine (Clocktaur War duology) by T Kingfisher
This pair of fantasies is set in the world of the Rat God and the Saint of Steel. Clocktaur War precedes these series, but all work well as standalones. I am sorry I waited so long to read them. I think Kingfisher is the queen of the pre-industrial fantasy road trip, and I love what she does with the little pod of Slate, Caliban, Brenner, Learned Edmond, and eventually Grimehug the Gnole. I am, however, taking a brief break mid-Wonder Engine due to my need for a different intensity level. I don’t read horror, so all my familiarity is with Kingfisher’s fantasy, and I would recommend it to anyone who digs Pratchett or Bujold. There are similarities in religious and ethical viewpoints as well as in satirical humor. Also, they share the common touch that makes their gloriously flawed characters so appealing.
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Monaghan is a new author to me, and I adored Nora. She is stoical, funny, and brutally honest about her abysmal marriage to a self-absorbed buttmunch ex. I’m a sucker for novels about writerly people, and I love me some celebrity romance as well, but Nora’s voice really made this story shine. Through Nora, we get to know her kids, Arthur and Bernadette (no plot moppets here), and Leo Vance, the actor who plays her husband in the fictionalized version of her marriage and divorce. Nora is a character who keeps calm, carries on, and even triumphs in the midst of grief. Though the sex is not explicit, there is no lack of chemistry, and the emotional romance is the heart of this story. Cheerfully recommended.
If You Can’t Take the Heat by Geraldine DeRuiter
Part foodie memoir, part family reminiscence, part feminist analysis, this nonfiction offering is also funny as hell. DeRuiter’s observations are honest, gritty, and sharply defined. I’m generally a desultory reader of nonfiction, but I gobbled up this book. If this sounds appealing, but you’re unfamiliar with DeRuiter as a writer, check out her blog The Everywhereist or search on her name + bros + lecce for the most searingly hilarious restaurant review evah. Her pomposity pricking prose certainly hooked me in.
I have had a bit of trouble finishing books – been kind of distracted too much I guess and there were a few that didn’t totally grab me. I’ve also been reading a lot on Josh Lanyon’s Patreon, which is fun as you get like a chapter a week of a story – and then the last one finished with a chapter a day and that meant I couldn’t wait to get back from work in the evening and read the new chapter. It is kind of addictive! Otherwise, I have read:
DELICIUOS – MM/MMM short story collection. As usual with these, there are some better and some less great stories, though there wasn’t much that I did really not like. Most of it is food-themed, so there is definitely some “deliciuos” rading in that sense. One story just ended abruptly, it felt more like the start of a longer story. As usual with short stories, there’s a lot of insta-love/insta-lust, and at least one story felt like only insta-lust, but not showing the characters actually falling in love. I Iike that writer usually, but this story didn’t do it for me at all, it was too much of enemies to lusting for each other. The highlight for me was Jax Calders’ story of two New Zealand sheep farmers falling in love with each other without quite realising. So many feelings!
SOMEBODY KILLED HIS EDITOR – Josh Lanyon. M/M mystery. I love Josh Lanyon, and I bought this because her latest Patreon story was adjacent to this and Holmes and Moriarity showed up as side characters in it, so I got curious. However, this one felt hard to get into. 1st person POV isn’t much my jam, and the story just felt slow and some things that I guess are supposed to be funny didn’t ping with me, like the whole “pink ladies” and sending up chick lit thing. One the one hadn I’m curious how it continues, on the other hand I’m not sure this series is quite for me. Maybe I’ll wait til the other books are on sale…
LUCKY BREAK – A.M. Arthur. M/M romance featuring cowboys. Saw this on sale, looked interesting. It’s part of a series, can be read on it’s own, though it got me half-way curious to read the other books too. It has a slow-burn and a ton of feels and had me in tears a few times. Check the CW/TW though, both characters have past trauma, and they both do not like talking about it. They slowly learn to open up about their pasts to each other which is good, and both characters know the other is holding back on telling everything. I didn’t find it as bad as other books where people don’t talk to each other, but there were moments where I’d wished they’d talked about things maybe more/earlier. There’s also a lot of internal dialogue due to all this. So YMMV vary with this, for me it felt ok. There’s also a strong found family element in this.
COPPER SCRIPT – KJ Charles. M/M historical with mystery element. I’m only about half way through and loving it. What can I say? It’s KJ Charles and it’s the kind of story only she could come up with in my mind. On her blog she explained how this book came about, which is kind of hilarious. Also, nice slow-burn, which I love, opposites attract and a little enemies-to lovers. Not big enemies, but they do not like each other much in the beginning.
SONG OF THE LIONESS – Book 1 Graphic Novel adapted by Vita Ayala and Sam Beck. Tamora Pierce’s Alanna / Song of the Lioness books are being turned into graphic novels. Of course I had to get this one as I adored these books as a teen, and I still love them. They were my original ticket to Bad Decisions Book Club. The book is beautiful and I like the drawing style, so I can’t wait for the next one! That one will be more interesing I think in terms of how they show some of the stuff that happens. And yes, it made me dive back into the novels too – of course I had to!
I’ve actually been reading quite a lot, which is nice because I was concerned about a possible slump. But I was able to find some baller-ass reads, which has helped stave it off.
Let’s see, it jumped off with Royal Gambit by Daniel O’Malley, the next one in his Checquy series. Always very fun, given that we’re basically dealing with MI6 if it was populated by the X-Men, and the humor remains very arch and very British. That’s always enjoyable, she says in “watches a fair amount of British TV”. Then I went into Circle of Days by Ken Follett, which is his imagining of the building of Stonehenge. I always like his takes on historical fiction, and he’s really good at bad guys that you know are going to get theirs and it will feel CATHARTIC. Which brings us to now, in which I’m fully into King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby. This man knows the South (as he should, he’s a Southern dude), and is masterful at painting a full sensory picture of what living here is like. Also, this book is INTENSE. It’s honestly quite hard to put down, which is one my highest compliments. So on that note, I think we all know that history has its eyes on us this weekend. In whatever way works for you, make it count.
Is there some issue with the comments? Only nine comments are showing on the page for this post (with the last one timestamped on 6/14 at 10:54 am). The main site page says that there should be 20 comments for this post.
Strangely, when I posted the above post all of the missing comments showed up.
My most notable read was RULES FOR RUIN by Mimi Matthews. I loved it! I was a bit doubtful when I saw the plot synopsis, it seemed not in her usual style, but my worries were for naught. It may be my new favorite of her books.
Aside from that, I read a couple of old books; a Signet Regency by Marjorie Farrell, HEARTLESS LORD HARRY. It was OK but not compared to Farrell’s best book(imo) RED, RED ROSE, which I highly recommend. Also another M.C. Beaton/Marion Chesney mystery, HASTY DEATH. It’s lightweight stuff, and it doesn’t matter if there are holes in the plot, it’s all in good fun.
I’ve read two Kit Oliver books based on recommendations here since last we chatted. LIGHT UP THE LAMP is a hockey m/m second-chance romance, with a problematic parent, and CATTLE STOP is an enemies-to-lovers m/m ranch romance with a problematic parent. Both featured the last minute plane ride to confess LOVE!!! I don’t know which I preferred; they were both fun. I’m reading another one now. Does anyone know how I can purchase her books without using Amazon?
Read TRUE PRETENSES by Rose Lerner and greatly enjoyed it. MMC is Jewish in the Regency era and this is presented in what seems like a fairly realistic way. I wish there was a sequel where the brothers of the two leads hooked up, since the end of the book seemed to be heading that way.
Like many others, I enjoyed COPPER SCRIPT, especially its ACAB tone and ending. A lot of Charles’ mysteries wind up being somewhat or very supernatural and I was relieved that this one mostly wasn’t, despite the lead who can diagnose personality problems via handwriting. I also liked that the leads’ first meeting was made less sexy by the fact that one of them had grown a large mustache as a bet.
I’m listening to the LONG LIVE EVIL audiobook. I read the paper version when it came out–can’t believe it was only a few months ago! It feels like it’s really settled into my psyche. The narrator does a good job with the huge variety of accents.
I’ve been struggling to find enough books to use up my credits on Everand, so any recommendations there would be welcome!
@Michael I ~ you are not alone as I had the same issue yesterday and have had it previously as well. It seems to happen most often for me when there are more than ten comments. Sometimes, but not always, I can get the missing comments to show up by clearing my history.
@KD, I don’t know your tastes, but here are some things I’ve been reading or on my TBR list on Everand:
LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS-hard to summarize but the MC is a trans teenage runaway and there are extra terrestrials involved, running a donut shop in Southern California.
SPYMISTRESS-biography of one of the leading female spies of World War II.
They have a half a dozen ALYSSA COLE books, mostly novellas that were originally in anthologies.
A bunch of old D.E. STEVENSON books, these are my comfort reads.
THE CHOCOLATIER’S WIFE- a sweet romantasy that I really enjoyed.
A good selection of MIRANDA NEVILLE historical romances-all of her books are excellent. Likewise, a good selection of LIZ CARLYLE books. People forget about her because she retired from writing, but she wrote a lot of great books.
@KD ~ I spent a few minutes browsing on Everand and can recommend these books:
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
The Martian and also Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Linesman by S.K. Dunstall
Written in Red: A Novel of the Others by Anne Bishop
The Touchstone series by Andrea K. Höst (the first one is FREE on Amazon)
I’m still struggling to find things to read. I keep checking out books and losing interest or finding the writing annoying. So I’ll just list a few things I’ve enjoyed since I last posted.
UNDER LOCK & SKELETON KEY (Secret Staircase mystery 1)by Gigi Pandian is a fun locked room cozy. The sleuth is Tempest Raj, a stage magician whose father runs a construction company specializing in building secret staircases, hidden rooms and such. Looking forward to reading more of these.
BIG BAD WOOL by Leonie Swann is another mystery investigated by the sheep from THREE BAGS FULL. I enjoyed the company of the sheep and their different way of understanding the world. This one involves a potential werewolf in France.
THE LAST GUY YOU KISS by Carla De Guzman. I normally don’t like cartoon covers, but the cover of this looked liked the cover of a children’s book, with a round faced couple who looked like kids. Weird for a romance, but strangely endearing to this former children’s librarian. This is set in the Philippines and I appreciated how the constant code switching into whole phrases in the local language (Tagalog? she just has a note at the beginning stating she deliberately did not include a Filipino glossary)made me feel like I was really there, listening to people talk. And not understanding what the hell they were saying, which was atmospheric but sometimes frustrating. The FMC is a curvy floral designer who has never had a boyfriend and is a bit insecure about it, so it was nice to see her get a guy who both likes her and thinks she is extremely sexy.
THE SPELLSHOP by Sarah Beth Durst is a charming cozy fantasy. I liked Caz, the ambulatory sentient spider plant, who is the FMC’s assistant/friend. I liked the fact that the FMC has blue skin and other people on the island have horns, antlers or bat wings, but this is just how they are and no time is spent categorizing them into different types. Sometimes the whole “so-and-so is a elf/vampire/whatever and they all have this set of personality traits” gets tiresome. I liked Kiela, her love of books and her determination, and the way she accidentally acquires friends and community.
THE ORB OF CAIRADO, a novella by Katherine Addison set in the same world as THE GOBLIN EMPEROR but not connected to her other books in that world. The main character is a disgraced historian trying to restore his reputation. There’s a mystery but also a focus on how the character’s life is shaped by prejudice (in this book, class prejudice but it’s racism in The Goblin Emperor, and homophobia and racism in the Cemetaries of Amalo series.) I love the world she’s built and hope she will continue to set stories there.
It looks like I haven’t posted in like a month and a half, so here’s some of what I’ve read since my last WAYR.
Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel (for the re-read a childhood favorite – Read Harder challenge)
5.0 stars – Just as delightful as I’d remembered. I’m so glad that I grew up with this lovely book about friendship. Lovely to revisit my childhood friends and discover they’re still as wonderful as I’d remembered. More poignant now that I know the author came out as gay a few years after writing it and then died from something AIDS related in the late 80s.
Copper Script by KJ Charles – mm historical romantic suspense
4.5 stars – I loved the main couple and the 1920s London setting. It didn’t quite have the emotional heft of my very favorite KJ Charles romances, but I gobbled it up in two sittings. Really wonderful.
Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen
4.5 stars? I enjoyed reading this although I’m still not entirely sure how to rate it. I put it on my library wait-list immediately after reading an interview with the author because it sounded intriguing. And it was. The premise is that people from the past have returned to the present day – Harriet Tubman’s put together a band and wants to make a hip hop album to reach the young people. That’s the whole plot. It’s narrated by Darnell, the queer, Black Grammy winning producer (who hasn’t had a hit in more than a decade) as he produces the album, gets a history lesson, and finds unexpected healing and acceptance.
I still don’t know how to evaluate it. Some parts felt a little heavy handed, especially the parts involving Darnell’s past, and I’m not sure the plot completely held together. But it was compulsively readable as well as funny and moving. And I learned a lot about Harriet Tubman’s life and the Underground Railroad and abolitionists.
Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction edited by Joshua Whitehead.
4 stars – Like all anthologies, I liked some stories better than others but I really enjoyed the overall experience. Most stories have a futuristic or post apocalyptic setting with more of a hopeful than dystopian feel.
Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa
4.0 stars – Engaging coming of age story about a bi 18 year old rising star college soccer / football player. I really resonated with Gabi’s bi awakening.
The romance didn’t work quite as well for me – we only get Gabi’s pov and his love interest Vale doesn’t have a lot of character development. And he puts up with a lot as Gabi figures out his sexuality and grapples with whether or not to come out. Gabi reads like a believable 18 year old – which made me put down the book a few times in frustration. Definitely read the sample first.
Very late to this party, but wanted to reinforce @PamG’s review/recommendation of HOMEMAKER by Ruthie Knox & Annie Mare. Not exactly a mystery, nor a romance, and definitely not cosy, its slipperiness in categorization is what makes it such a brilliant book. For me the book was about finding one’s way in the world despite external expectations and social constructs and doing one’s best to make the world a better place for those attempting to negotiate such a flawed universe.
@SB Sarah: I continue to experience the issue that @Michael l mentioned above. The main page showed thirty comments when I logged on but, on attempting to read the post, only 28 are visible.
Stumbled across a new anthology of MM novellas (with one MMM, if memory serves) centered around food, called DELICIOUS. Authors include Annabeth Albert, Beth Bolden, Jax Calder, Collette Davison, Lane Hayes, EM Lindsey, Charlie Novak. it’s rare that I only have one DNF in an anthology, but most of the stories in this one were entertaining.