We’re approaching the end of August! Here’s what we’re reading right now:
Lara: I’m reading an interesting one at the moment: The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s set in 1951 and is a spy romance. Some of the characters are very “jolly hockey sticks” and “hooray Henry” but our central couple are very engaging and enjoyable to read. Definitely going to wrangle my thoughts on it into a review.
Carrie: I’m reading Dead Collections by Issaac Fellman, ( A | BN | K | AB ) about a vampire archivist who falls for a widow who is donating her late wife’s papers. Just started it it.
Claudia: I just finished Brown Eyed Earl by Jenny Holiday ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s the third installment of Earls Trip. I believe we reviewed the first book in the series.
Sarah: I am in an Amanda Quick rereadapalooza. I read Ravished, ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and am now reading Wicked Widow. ( A | BN | K | AB )
Any Quick recs are most welcome if anyone wants to share their favorite.
Carrie: Not a book, but I’m finally binging Hannibal and it certainly is a thing.
Elyse: I just started The Faerie Handmaid by Louisa Morgan. There’s a lot of Arthurian fantasy out this year.
Susan: I’m reading Another Typical Fantasy Romance by Wolhet, and god it is laser targeted at me specifically. The love interest is a huge scary guy who is absolutely smitten with his tiny scheming wife.
That is literally the title, which I hope gives you an idea of the tone.
Shana: I just started Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke and Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman ( A | BN ) which are two books several people in my life have begged me to read. So far I’m finding Yesteryear slightly more entertaining. But I’m only at the beginning.
Whatcha reading? Let us know in the comments!
Looking back at the last Whatcha Reading I realized I completely forgot reading THE PARADISE PROBLEM by Christina Lauren. That was the problem, it was forgettable. Two people who married in college for convenience reasons are (surprise!) still married. The rich hero begs/bribes the heroine to go w/him to a very fancy destination wedding on a private island and keep up the charade. This was. . . fine. There have been some Christina Lauren books I’ve really liked, but this one I had to push myself to finish. I didn’t like some of the choices the characters made and it felt a bit thin. I could picture this as an enjoyable two hour or less Netflix rom com you watch on a lazy afternoon while doing something else. It almost felt like it was written w/that end goal in mind. It also had some weirdly specific echoes to some earlier Jennifer Cruisie novels (Cinderella Deal and Bet Me). Not in a way that felt like plagiarism at all (just broad ideas/characters, not details or word choices), but it just kept reminding me of books I liked better and should go back and reread.
I’m almost done w/another Avery Ames mystery and they continue to be just the right level of mildly entertaining I’m looking for. Maybe that’s not fair to be more harsher on romance than mystery, but I look for emotional engagement w/romances and this last one just didn’t have it.
@Sarah
I’ve read and enjoyed quite a bit of Quick, but nothing stands out for me as a must-read book. However, I absolutely loathed Rendezvous. The hero is so condescending and nasty to the heroine. one minute he’s full of contempt, the next he’s just got to have her right now. And she. Just. Eats it up.
There’s an old comic strip called Krazy Kat that sums up the dynamic. Ignatz mouse hits her with a brick; K.K. clasps her hands, makes heart eyes, and sighs, “ohhh, Ignatz. . . ” cuz she looooves him. It’s so gross.
Wooow, it sure is the end of August isn’t it. I’ve picked up a new kitten who is running me & the big cat ragged and I feel like I’ve been in a reading slump (the baby is currently bouncing around the sofa as I write this while my big boy flops stubbornly in the hallway). But:
Started LONE WOMEN by Victor LaValle, a Black woman-centric Western/horror(?) novel. I don’t know if I’ll continue with it; I’m finding the writing style to be kind of cheesy for how dead-serious the story is meant to be. For reference, the first scene involves Adelaide burning down her family home with her parents’ murdered bodies inside.
I’m about 1/3 of the way through MERCURY PICTURES PRESENTS by Anthony Marra. Historical about a second-rate movie studio at the start of WWII who are trying to use their status as underdogs to sneak meaningful statements past the censors in Washington. Really, it’s more about the people at the studio–Art Feldman who started the company is a successful Jewish immigrant who hasn’t been able to contact his family in the Old Country (of Prussia–no, Poland–no, it’s Germany now) since Hitler invaded; Maria Lagana, his right-hand woman, escaped fascist Italy as a child after seeing her defense attorney father locked up for defying the regime; now their adopted country is shutting down the ‘UnAmerican’ values it views in the arts. The writing style is funny, sharp, poignant; I could copy and paste whole pages for quotes. I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time.
In anticipation of spooky season I’m about 3/4 through A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER by Roger Zelazny, about a group of witches all working towards a mysterious ritual that will take place on All Hallows’ Eve, told through the eyes of one of their familiars. There’s enough blood and violence to warn about it, but most of it takes place off screen with dry humor. A bit like if Terry Pratchett wrote a horror novel.
Have bounced off several romances. Started OUTCROSSING by Celia Lake, a 1920’s fantasy romance, but again, I don’t care for the writing style. It might just be me at this point; we’ll try again some other month.
@Lara, I am also reading THE OXFORD GUIDE TO SCANDALS AND LIES by Kate Westbury. I love the setting and really like that our main characters still have to study and follow through on other commitments (like actually having to write a news story when someone infiltrates a newspaper), in addition to their spying activities.
Earlier this week I read EVERY VERSION OF YOU by Natalie Messier, and could not put it into my eyeballs fast enough. The main character has been in love with her best friend since college, but he’s married to someone else. She also isn’t happy in her job or generally. When she dies early in the book, she’s given the chance to go back to her college years and she’s determined to get the guy. But does she actually want him? Loved it.
I am also listening to the PARISIAN HEIST by Jo Piazza. Dual timeline with an art heist. I love a good heist! The audiobook narrators (Brittany Pressley and Allyson Ryan) are giving a great performance.
Hello, hello! Good morning, SBTB!
I have had a weird mishmash of vacation with family, moving college age children, and work over the last month. The resultant emotional exhaustion (granted, it’s all good stuff, just tiring) has made my reading erratic. I am going to try and chill out this weekend and treat Monday like “Back to School” and get into some better routines. This loop of too tired to read, not happy because I’m not reading needs to end.
That being said, there has been SOME good reading.
Books that I really enjoyed include
I COULD WRITE A BOOK (M/M contemporary featuring a writer) by Andie Eliot. Well written and very sweet.
HOW TO FAKE IT IN SOCIETY by K.J. Charles (historical M/M) KJC continues to deliver some of the best romances around — this one, as has already been reported here, is not to be missed. Tradesman comes into money and a conman guides him through the transition. Fun, sassy, good discussions of art and clothing, great primary and secondary characters and emotional development for all. If you haven’t read any KJC recently, rectify that immediately.
A TRADE OF BLOOD by Robert Jackson Bennett — murder mystery in a Lovecraftian world, solved once more by Ana and Din. Creepy as hell, but very human. I don’t think I could handle these as movies, but they really work for me as books. Classic Holmes/Watson dynamic, but the addition of the biological manipulation/worldbuilding mixes it all up to create something truly unique. I would read these books in order, but you don’t have to. Each mystery stands on its own.
Books that were interesting and that others might really love:
THE GIRL WITH A THOUSAND FACES by Sunyi Dean. I picked this up because I was fascinated by the settings (WWII and 1970’s Kowloon) and the main character’s job of ghost whisperer for the local triad (ghosts are real and cause lots of challenges in this world). I really liked those parts of the book. Unfortunately, a lot of the book was not about her life in Kowloon working with the triad and handling ghosts, but the backstory that got her there, which was slower and kind of a bummer. So, instead of a crime/ghost action book, it was more a surviving war book. It was interesting and well-written, but ultimately a slog for me. YMMV.
BOX OFFICE POISON: HOLLYWOOD’S STORY IN A CENTURY OF FLOPS by Tim Robey. This non-fiction book is a good one to fill in around your other reading. It is very segmented, yet it all holds together to map how movie making, especially of blockbusters, has evolved over the decades.
Have a great weekend and happy reading to all!
Woof. August came and WENT, didn’t it? And yet somehow still not soon enough.
Let’s see. I can’t really say I’m reading anything QUICKLY, between work and the fact that Moonlight Peaks has absolutely taken ownership of my brain. But I did read Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas. Very fun, very clever, adored the supporting cast of characters. Some characters from some of her Ravenels books found their way in here as well, and it’s always seeing some of those folks. We love interconnections. Then I was at the library printing something and idly wandered over to the New Book section and ended up leaving with Kiss Marry Kill by Cara Tanamachi. Again, clever and fun, although I allow that sometimes I just really wanted the main character to use some common sense and not go barreling hell or high water into the fangs of the serial killer. That said, she wasn’t written as stupid, but reckless and arguably on the immature side. Since I think that characterization was deliberate, I was able to live with it (if I didn’t think the author was actually writing her that way on purpose and allowing the other characters to comment on how reckless her behavior was, I think it would have driven me insane). I finished it at about 2 am this morning, and haven’t chosen me next book yet, but I’m looking lustfully at the new Michael Connelly that I got approved for literally yesterday. So until next time, may you not be reckless about serial killers.
I just finished Paul Gallico’s MRS HARRIS GOES TO NEW YORK, a sort of sequel to the Paris book. Bought it as a collection of them both for a dollar at a used book store. Different writing style and voice as you would expect, but she gets herself into many a problem so I had to find out how it ended. (Like i didn’t know.) Then I found out there are two more in the series and that Gallico wrote THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. Wow.
Now I’ve just started THEO OF GOLDEN.
Over the past two weeks ~
— enjoyed Love Galaxy: The Imperial Broadcasts, Book 1 by Sierra Branham which I’d describe as a romantic science fiction with a mystery element; it had a twist that surprised me. This is the author’s debut book, and I look forward to reading on. This is a new book though so book two is likely some time away. A woman from a backwards planet, a garbage collector with a prison past who is a self taught engineer, finds herself on a galactic dating show where twin heirs of the Empress (brother and sister) will each find a bride.
— reread Stray then continued on and happily reread Lab Rat One, Caszandra, Gratuitous Epilogue, and Snow Day all by Andrea K Höst. Stray is FREE for Kindle readers.
— enjoyed My Kind of Guy by Sarina Bowen which is a contemporary romance. It features a professional hockey player who was a rising star a couple of years ago but who has been in a slump. The other lead is a single parent, part owner of a gay sports bar, who was robbed/traumatized/lost most of his financial resources a year ago. They meet when the latter is tending bar.
— My next batch of bookmarks is going to be snail themed. I read Snails Are Just My Speed! by Kevin McCloskey which is a short non-fiction children’s book. It seems ironic to say that it was a quick read!
— For my book group, I read Little by Edward Carey which is a fictionalized story of the life of Marie Grosholtz who became Madame Tussaud of wax museum fame; much of her life through her thirties was spent in revolutionary era France. I was looking forward to our discussion of the book and then became sick… drats.
— found The Shop on Hidden Lane (Psychic Dogs Book 1) by Jayne Ann Krentz to be an enjoyable contemporary romance with paranormal elements. I don’t expect to reread it but could read the next book in the series which I’ve heard might have more of the psychic dogs of the series name.
— enjoyed Unrequited by Jesse H Reign. This is a romance that takes place primarily during the lead characters’ college years when they are roommates and then some eight or so years later in the present day. The focal character, who is gay, develops feelings for his roommate. There is a companion book that is told from the other lead character’s point of view. Evidently, the author has the characters make some different choices in that book.
— happily reread JFH: Justin F**king Halstead by GiGi DeGraham. It’s a contemporary romance featuring two college students who become friends and then more. Both are well known on campus — one is a talented football player; the other suffered a brutal attack the prior year. A lot of attention in the story is paid to dealing with trauma and recovery.
— If you are a fan of the J.D. Robb ..in Death series, you might enjoy this cookbook that I read, The In Death Cookbook: To-Die-For Recipes from the World of J. D. Robb by Theresa Carle-Sanders. Each recipe is preceded by an excerpt from one of the books that inspired said recipe.
— enjoyed Always Remember, a regency era historical romance by Mary Balogh. The male lead is a widow with a young child; he is illegitimate but was raised with his father’s legitimate children. The female lead is the sister of a Duke. As the result of a childhood illness, she spends the majority of her time in a wheeled chair.
— very much enjoyed my reread of His Road Home by Anna Richland which is a contemporary (~ 2014) romance novella. A medic in Afghanistan invents a fiancée (a woman who graduated from his small town highschool) and digitally creates a photo of them together in order to not offend a warlord who is offering his daughter in marriage. The medic is severely injured (double amputation) and is flown back to the US, and the photo is published nationwide. His ‘fiancée’ goes to visit him in the hospital and a friendship/relationship develops.
Quickly rereading The Clocktaur War duology and Swordheart by T Kingfisher in preparation for Daggerbound coming out on Tuesday. I am SEATED.
The best thing I have reread recently is T Kingfisher, I have been plowing through SWORDHEART and the SAINT OF STEEL books in anticipation of the new release. It’s not that I had forgotten how much I like them – I find her writing pretty unforgettable – it’s just hard to contain so much joy.
I also reread CL Clark’s THE UNBROKEN in anticipation of finally getting my hold in on the sequel. That one I had forgotten how much I liked, or more likely I simply enjoy a reread more than a first read, because I don’t handle stress or suspense or tension well, so it’s far more pleasant to read about a fantasy empire knowing that the politics are going to work for me, for a change. I love fantasy novels, but even as a child I didn’t understand why we were supposed to root for Aragorn, for example. No kings – and no empresses either. Fuck pray for rain – be the rain.
In newer book news, I recommend SOON BY YOU by Dahlia Adler, although it is contemporary, m/f, and religious which generally I find unenticing, unconvincing, and extremely off-putting, respectively. For anyone who likes those elements, go read it immediately. Even if you don’t ordinarily like those things, this book is fun and funny, smart, sexy, appealing, and deeply kind. It’s competently written and structured, which might sound like faint praise but I consider exceptional. I did think at one point that there was going to be some good asexual rep but alas that fell apart (and unconvincingly imo). Instead there was a lot of hot sex and yearning though so – something about swings and roundabouts.
No one needs my recommendation at this point to decide if they like Sierra Simone. DEVIL is very Sierra Simone, only more so. And it’s got all the same not for me elements (contemporary m/f & religious) which it overcomes imo less successfully than SOON BY YOU, but it still very much maintained my interest. I do actually think it’s part of a teacher’s job not to fuck their students, and the student being the aggressor doesn’t change that, so it drove me nuts the way it kept getting framed as her being punished/fired/etc for accepting the pomegranates he left her, like nope, that’s not where the boundary is lady, do you really not get that? The pomegranate isn’t some forbidden fruit it’s a red fucking herring. And there was so much whatabouting worse sexual misconduct, but again, just… don’t fuck around with your students. Don’t. Not even when they’re coercing you, not even if you think you might like it. It’s not complicated! And look, the hero is canonically a sociopath, I have zero respect for him either, but the heroine’s whole personality is victim. Her relentless abdication of agency is excruciating. Presumably reads differently if you have any personal context for religious expectations, or sexual shame, or any interest in sainthood. But I don’t, so it’s the typical baffled fascination I always feel to her blend of dubcon and angsty religiosity, only this one is ratcheted up a bunch. I had fun with it, but I expect mileage to vary even more wildly than usual with this one. I’m off to try to find @DDD’s take on it, which is bound to be on the site somewhere!
Finally, I enjoyed reading FAN SERVICE by Rosie Dana, speaking of implausible heroes who wouldn’t be for me even if they were convincing, and heroines who make incomprehensible choices. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the others I have mentioned, even though this one isn’t religious, because it’s all about RPF which is apparently even more off putting to me. It’s a good ride though, and if you actually enjoy a celebrity romance I feel like this is one of the better ones I have come across.
THE CAPTAIN’S MIDWINTER BRIDE by Liana De La Rosa was the only thing I read that I would attach a warning to, and that’s just about managing expectations. KJ Charles recommended it, and it’s a historical about an older couple, so I expected it to be good (although it’s m/f so at least I wasn’t expecting it to be thrilling, lol). I found it stiff, dull, standard at best. And listen, I love romance novels, a standard romance novel is still very worth reading imo, but if I am expecting something special or unusual and instead it’s vaguely tedious, my assessment of the book really suffers.