Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re kicking off August: Sarah: I’m reading Stone and Sky, the new Peter Grant book in audio because Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s narration is top-tier for me. And I’m reading The Seven O’Clock Club, which is set within a grief therapy group Amanda: I’m reading The Assassin and the Libertine on Kindle, which reimagines the French Revolution with vampires. I like it so far, but it feels like a very … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? August 2025, Part One →
RECOMMENDED: The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken is $3.99! (Or free with KU!) This was my one pick for hilarious reading in our Ready Set Go. I also gave this an A-. Seriously, it’s so much fun:
The Blacksmith Queen is a bloody, feminist romp that exudes girl power in all forms, and I’m envious of its fantasy girl squad.
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The Lady Gets Lucky by Joanna Shupe is $1.99! This was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet and is the second book in the Fifth Avenue Rebels. For the most part, I love Shupe’s pairings, but a lot of the secondary characters, usually parents, are just awful people and can make for a frustrating read.
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This Rec League was sent in by Anne: I’ve been re-reading Susanna Kearsley’s books about the Jacobites was reminded about how very unlucky the Stuarts were in their efforts to regain the throne in England. I am interested in books about what might have happened in the Stuarts were successful or if Queen Anne had named her half-brother as her successor instead of her German cousin. On a similar note, I’m also interested in books … Continue reading The Rec League: Alternate History →
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher is $2.99! This was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet. Kingfisher is a bit of an auto-buy around you. Did any of you pick this one up?
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PamG is a long time fan of Smart Bitches Trashy Books. A former library worker at her alma mater (hs), she is now retired and devoting her time to reading and occasionally commenting on same. She also enjoys memorizing songs and poetry, spontaneously bursting into song, playing with the Merlin app on her phone, and writing the occasional poem. … I can’t even count the number of times I’ve begun a sentence with “I don’t … Continue reading When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa →
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton is $1.99! This is book three in the Dangerous Damsels series. I reviewed the first book and found it a little too silly for my tastes, but it’s a good book for turning your brain off.
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RECOMMENDED: Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday is $3.99! This is a standalone historical romance and was described as Ted Lasso meets Bridgerton for a 19th century spin on The Hangover. We ran a guest review of this one and it earned a B+.
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What a fever dream of a book, I tell ya hwat. To shelve it into a category, this is a dark fairytale (Beauty and the Beast) romance with dystopian elements. Set in a sort of futuristic Silicon Valley, four families run the world’s most prominent social media conglomerates. Those conglomerates are run on different gemstones, with each family having an affinity for specific stones (garnets, diamonds, etc.). Their company’s power (I think? I’m honestly still … Continue reading One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti →
Ed note: I’ve embedded a few TikTok videos in this post, which autoplay for NO GOOD REASON but the audio should be off. … Hi again Smart Bitches! Amy Zed here with an extra special Q & A. Today I’m chatting with viral Booktoker and author Liz Shipton. We’re going to get into some fun stuff—including magical parts, and we’ll dive into more serious subjects, too—like how Liz’s upcoming urban fantasy romance tackles AI’s impact … Continue reading Q&Z: Liz Shipton and Amy Zed →
