#i just finished Sonali Dev's book

[littlemyinvadeshighbury]

I think Emma, in any form or adaptation, is about growth, but not necessarily growing up. It's about learning to let loose while also learning that you can't always have control over a situation. You don't have to always be more uptight but you can't stay free falling without touching the problems you're causing. But like that just me prolly bc I'm literally odd

[stpauligirl]

7 & 39 and would also love a book rec if you please

7. a book you did not finish

Already answered here, so I'll give you #8 instead: a book you finished in one sitting

Sonali Dev has a series where she re-tells Jane Austen novels with a modern Indian-American twist. I believe I have finished each of them in one sitting, or very close.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors

Recipe for Persuasion

Incense and Sensibility

The Emma Project

39. a book featuring your favourite character

Well, the 4-book series I mentioned above of course!

And also Taliesen, which is book 1 of Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle series. It is a telling of the Arthurian legend that focuses on the ancestry of Merlin. I read it as a teenager and it made me absolutely obsessed with King Arthur.

A recommendation just for you

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine you will like an author’s second book as much as the first. Not a problem here. I was enraptured.

Also The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

[austennerdita2533]

Last Book I...

Tagged by the lovely @galvanizedfriend

Bought: Book Lovers by Emily Henry (I have literally been counting down until release day. I am OBSESSED.)

Borrowed: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (One of my weirder selections, I know, but sometimes I get in the mood to try something different.)

Was gifted: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Gave to someone else: I just gave one of my friends an entire box of books because she needed a pick-me-up. She loved Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly and The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Started: Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese (An ARC which is a fictional reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”) but I’m gonna start Book Lovers by Emily Henry ASAP.

Finished: The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater 

Gave 5 stars: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Gave 2 stars: The Emma Project (The Rajes #4) by Sonali Dev

Didn’t finish: The Eyes of God (The Bronze Knight #1) by John Marco (My brother is so excited for me to read this series but I keep procrastinating.)

Tagging @eleanor-tilney, @renee561 @frazzledsoul @amandakc only if you want, friends! xx

[unimportant-ramblings]

1-20

Anon said go crazy we stan

1. Book you've reread the most times?

I should be cool and arty here but the answer is Twilight <3

2. Top five books of all time?

Good question man fuck okay as of this moment, knowing this definitely has some recency bias as well as some cringe

a) Pride and Prejudice

b) Finishing The Hat by Stephen Sondheim

c) Little Women

d) The Sleeping Dictionary by Sujata Massey (what if memoirs from a geisha was good?)

e) fucking ...... Midnight Sun tbqh like yeah maybe I'm cringe but!

3. Favorite genre?

I'll read anything but I read a lot of sci fi, historical romance, and performing arts history

4. What sections of the bookstore do you browse?

Sale 😎😎😎

5. Where do you buy books?

Tbh I don't buy many books? I use the library for almost everything I read, both physically and digitally. I like being able to read as much as I want without having to budget, or picking up a book and having the freedom of just taking it back without the feeling of "but you paid $25 dollars for this :///"

When I do buy books, I shop at the local children's book store for my niblings, I use Libro.fm for any audiobooks I want to own that they have (use libro whenever you can! Support local book stores and you own the book outright!) and I use the Canadian chain Indigo because that's where people get me gift cards from

6. What books have you read in the last month.

These are my books for May thus far

A Load of Hooey by Bob Odenkirk (audiobook, short humor stories!)

The Break by Katherena Vermette (audiobook; intergenerational trauma of indigenous Canadian women ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare (paperback, second major publication of Reylo fanfiction ⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Just like Heaven by Julia Quinn (audiobook Bridgerton sidequest ⭐⭐⭐)

There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura ( audiobook women experienced burnout, goes job hunting ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Pride and Prejudice and other Spices by Sonali Dev (audiobook finally a good modern p&p ⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (graphic novel about female werewolves!)

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer (reread, audio, regrettably ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

7. Is there a series/book that got you into reading?

Probably a series of unfortunate events

8. What is the first book you remember reading to yourself?

I really have no clear idea, must have been a comic of some kind!

9. When do you tend to read most?

Because I do most of my reading through audiobooks, almost perpetually. I read a lot when I'm on walks!

10. Do you have a guilty fav?

Like I joke that Twilight is a guilty pleasure and it definitely was at one point, but when something brings you as much joy as Twilight and the surrounding fandom gives to me, it can no longer be classified as a guilty pleasure. I think the crown of thorns and roses books are at a similar level for me now, like not only will i read the next book Sarah j Maas writes in the series but I find myself kind of craving the next one like a sugar fix, even if it doesn't give me any sustenance. I spend a large amount of time frustrated with the book and then I'll cry over the ending. I guess I'm not that guilty about any of the books I read anymore Life's too short for finding guilt and things that genuinely make you happy?

11. Nonfiction books do you like if any?

Fucking love me some nonfiction books! One of the best nonfiction books I read last year was called A Mad Love: An Introduction to Opera by Vivien Schweitzer, cannot recommend it enough if you'd like to get into opera. Stephen sondheim's incredible books on lyrics Finishing The Hat and Look I Made A Hat are both perfect. Last year I read Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad, highly recommend, it's about cancer and being terminally/chronically ill, beautifully written. Oh and Catch And Kill by Ronan Farrow, and the audiobook is narrated by him as well. Nonfiction is good!

12. You enjoy any compulsory high school reading?

Well! I really enjoyed all the plays we had to read, and for the most part I don't think they were bad, but I also did not read them when I was supposed to. So it's a mixed bag

13. Do you have a goodreads?

You think I could read all these books and remember them without a goodreads?

14. Do you ever mark/slash dog ear books you own?

Sometimes! But I'm much more likely to take a picture of something I read.

15. Recommend and review a book.

In addition to the non fiction books above and the children's lit in my other post, the best thriller I read recently was The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I like thrillers in theory but I often don't end up actually liking them much as I want to. Either they are way too intense for my tastes, verging on horror (and I cannot deal with reading the death of a child so that greatly limits the titles I read) or they are tame, like all this mystery and I guessed the end immediately, and it's boring! With The Plot it was the perfect balance. I did guessed the ending early on, but watching it play out was, frankly, thrilling. It was almost a Greek tragedy, the way the end was inevitable. I also really enjoyed the focus on the publishing industry and the nature of story. Really good and a fairly quick read!

16. How many books have you read this year?

I've read 50 books as of this moment!

17. Top five children's books?

Answered!

18. Like historical books? Which time period?

Yes I like historical books!! I prefer my romances to be sent in Regency and I usually don't enjoy books centered around either world war but I'm not overly picky!

19. Most disliked popular book?

I no longer know if these are popular with the youths but they were popular when I read every single one of the Red Queen young adult books and hated every single minute of it I don't understand why they were so popular, they were billed as these young adult game of thrones and they were as shallow as a puddle

20. What are things you look for in books?

Answered!

Thanks for the ask!!!!!

[welllpthisishappening]

Welllp This is...Books. Lots and Lots of Books

That gif is something of a lie. Some of these books were not great. But! Some of them were very good! And some of them were marketed weird — seriously, what does qualify as YA — and some of them I read in, like, six hours and some of them I raged about for six hours after I finished them.

Or: 2020!Laura reverted to 2004!Laura and read just a lot of books and then her husband got her a Kindle and she read even more books and has thoughts on most of those books that she is now going to share with the internet while also making absurd category names. Note that these are only books I read for the first time this year. So, the list is missing some of the stuff I used as coping devices. ALSO SOME SPOILERS AHEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

FAVORITE BOOKS THAT MADE A SHITTY YEAR SLIGHTLY BETTER AND ALSO LIKELY MADE ME SWOON A BIT

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he's not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.

— I kid you not, I had to do a lap around the apartment after reading the second book in this series. Why didn’t I read this before? Why isn’t there more fic? Why I am constantly falling for dark-haired sad dudes in love with their wives??? I cannot rec this series enough. It’s got world building and found families, and that dark-haired sad dude, and magic and lore and banter, and it’s so good and I don’t understand why it was marketed as YA. The literary world is weird, guys.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (and the Heroes of Olympus) by Rick Riordan

Accompany the son of the sea god Poseidon and his other demigod friends as they go on a series of quests that will have them facing monsters, gods, and conniving figures from Greek mythology. Do they have what it takes to save the Olympians from an ancient enemy?

— Straight up, how did you guys cope with Percy and Annabeth when you were kids reading this? I would have been OBSESSED. Quarantine felt like the perfect time to finally read all of these books, and I know it’s sacrilegious to like Heroes of Olympus, but I might have liked parts of that series more? Just because it felt like they were older and I was super into Percabeth being properly in love. Also, now I get why everyone was so upset about the movies. Fair.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

— Yet another YA series that I will admit to loving this year. Started off a little slow, but once the world building really got underway —and it gets underway — I was hooked. If I had read this at an age-appropriate time I would have been super in love Captain Carswell Thorne. I was still kind of in love with Captan Carswell Thorne. So it should come as no surprise that Cress was my favorite of the series, but I enjoyed the whole thing, really.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.As a huntsman of the Church, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. But when Lou pulls a wicked stunt, the two are forced into an impossible situation—marriage.Lou, unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, must make a choice. And love makes fools of us all.

— YO. Y O. THIS WAS SO GOOD. World building! Magic! Marriage of convenience! Well-written enemies to lovers! As soon as I finished this, I bought the sequel. And then got upset the third book in the series isn’t out yet! That’s a frustrating theme for me this year.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan

The Wheatons are infamous among the east coast elite for their lack of impulse control, except for their daughter Clara. She's the consummate socialite: over-achieving, well-mannered, predictable. But every Wheaton has their weakness. When Clara's childhood crush invites her to move cross-country, the offer is too much to resist. Unfortunately, it's also too good to be true.

After a bait-and-switch, Clara finds herself sharing a lease with a charming stranger. Josh might be a bit too perceptive—not to mention handsome—for comfort, but there's a good chance he and Clara could have survived sharing a summer sublet if she hadn't looked him up on the Internet...

Once she learns how Josh has made a name for himself, Clara realizes living with him might make her the Wheaton's most scandalous story yet. His professional prowess inspires her to take tackling the stigma against female desire into her own hands. They may not agree on much, but Josh and Clara both believe women deserve better sex. What they decide to do about it will change both of their lives, and if they're lucky, they'll help everyone else get lucky too.

— I LOVED IT. L O V E D. As I told Justin “there was more porn than I was expecting,” in that porn and the adult film industry was a legitimate plot point and not just a part of Josh’s character, but it was incredibly well written and interesting and I cared about the plot. Sometimes I also wanted to shake Clara, but that was kind of the point.

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. But in the eyes of her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, she can do no wrong. He would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn't know he's arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door...

As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he's forced to share his space with the owner's beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life.

As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game.

— More well-written enemies to lovers! It’s possible! Seriously, the banter was so good. The kissing was even better. Ridiculous and interfering family is one of my favorite things, and this had it in SPADES. It also made me want to eat samosas, which is kind of my base setting, but I really wanted Indian food whenever I was reading this. Also, the end scene was so goddamn cute I cannot believe it actually happened.

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

— The one that got away is one of my favorite tropes, and this modern version of Persuasion did it so well. Everyone was annoying, but in an almost understandable way that made me ache and I just wanted them TO KISS. And then they did kiss! And it was so good! Plus, at the risk of being a little self-indulgent, it was kind of Out of the Frying Pan esque and I liked that a lot. If there is a downside: it’s how quickly the relationship starts up again, like zero to 60 in two seconds flat, and that there were a lot of POVs. Which wouldn’t have been an issue if they’d been labeled, or weren’t bouncing around the timeline randomly. Sometimes I’d have to be like—wait, who’s talking about what?

Chef Ashna Raje desperately needs a new strategy. How else can she save her beloved restaurant and prove to her estranged, overachieving mother that she isn't a complete screw up? When she's asked to join the cast of Cooking with the Stars, the latest hit reality show teaming chefs with celebrities, it seems like just the leap of faith she needs to put her restaurant back on the map. She's a chef, what's the worst that could happen?Rico Silva, that's what.Being paired with a celebrity who was her first love, the man who ghosted her at the worst possible time in her life, only proves what Ashna has always believed: leaps of faith are a recipe for disaster.FIFA winning soccer star Rico Silva isn't too happy to be paired up with Ashna either. Losing Ashna years ago almost destroyed him. The only silver lining to this bizarre situation is that he can finally prove to Ashna that he's definitely over her.But when their catastrophic first meeting goes viral, social media becomes obsessed with their chemistry. The competition on the show is fierce...and so is the simmering desire between Ashna and Rico. Every minute they spend together rekindles feelings that pull them toward their disastrous past. Will letting go again be another recipe for heartbreak—or a recipe for persuasion...?

The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting

Lilah isn't sure what hurt worse: the day Ethan left her to focus on his hockey career or the day he came back eight years later. He might think they can pick up just where they left off, but she's no longer that same girl and never wants to be again.

Just when Lilah might finally be ready to let Ethan in, though, she finds out their reunion might have nothing to do with love and everything to do with improving his game. But Ethan's already lost her once, and even if it costs him his career, he'll do anything to keep from losing her again.

— HOCKEY ROM COM. HOCKEY. ROM. COM. Apparently this lady is regarded as the queen of “hockey romance,” which I kind of take offense to, but will give a pass on because this was a very cute book and everyone was cute in it and I was only marginally frustrated by those same people being idiots. As is required by rom coms. Hockey, or otherwise.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Fall in love, break the curse. It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom. A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

— Beauty and the Beast AU!!! Fantasy! Magic! Romance! I loved this, even when Rhen was being a whiny idiot. But he was also cursed, so like—fair. This dives into the politics of a cursed kingdom, puts a fun spin on the original fairy tale and also has a sequel. Which I read, and possibly enjoyed more. Only to realize the third book isn’t published yet, and then got annoyed by that.

QUESTIONABLY-GOOD FREE FANTASY BOOKS ON AMAZON

The Silver and Orchids Collection by Shari L Tapscott

What happens when a feisty adventuress, a lord looking to make his own way in the world, and a handsome sea captain set out to find Kalae’s rarest and most valuable flower?

Trouble—and lots of it.

— Snarky flirting! Adventure! Sword fights! Listen, this is not prize-winning fiction, but Lucia is a fun heroine, the rest of her adventure-seeking friends are an absolute delight and you don’t have to think too much while reading it. All four books wrap up their individual storylines, but help set up the next one and while the ending felt a little forced (and way too quick) I didn’t hate it enough to throw the Kindle across the room.

Forest of Firelight by Shari L. Tapscsott

After the sudden death of her brother, Princess Amalia is charged with what feels like an impossible task—she must choose the next king. Youthful thoughts of love are pushed aside as she accepts her fate, setting upon a quest throughout the kingdom to find a man worthy of her father’s throne.

Little does Amalia know, someone has already set his sights on her.

Rhys is a man of secrets, and his mission is simple: befriend the princess of Renove. Coax her to trust him, convince her to follow him.

Betray her when it’s time.

All goes according to plan until Rhys meets the princess. Amalia is a disaster. Never has he met someone so drawn to trouble. Never has he met someone so irritatingly likable.

He’s not allowed to fall for her.

She could never entrust him with a crown.

But, unbeknownst to them, their unlikely partnership might be the key to saving their entire world from a darkness that’s slowly creeping from the wounded earth that separates one kingdom from the next.

— FORBIDDEN LOVE! It’s good! Real good! I read this whole series (or the three books in it, so far) in a questionably short amount of time. Again, not the deepest story, and Amalia is occasionally frustratingly dumb. While Rhys is also sort of all-knowing in that fantasy hero sort of way? Y’know what I mean? Still, they banter very well, and eventually kiss even better.

LESS GOOD FANTASY BOOKS THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE JUST BEEN AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON AMAZON

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia's family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess—a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She's endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn't always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

— I wanted to love this series. So much so that I read the whole thing. All three books. And I’m still not sure why. The world building, maybe. Which was very good, and the politics actually kept me interested, but every single character was the absolute worst and I kind of wanted them all to die. That’s not even an exaggeration. Spoiler, they didn’t all die. I was only marginally disappointed.

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

When the ruthless Pirate King learns of a legendary treasure map hidden on an enemy ship, his daughter, Alosa, knows that there's only one pirate for the job—herself. Leaving behind her beloved ship and crew, Alosa deliberately facilitates her own kidnapping to ensure her passage on the enemy ship. After all, who's going to suspect a seventeen-year-old girl locked in a cell?Then she meets the (surprisingly perceptive and unfairly attractive) first mate, Riden, who is charged with finding out all her secrets. Now it's down to a battle of wits and will... Can Alosa find the map and escape before Riden figures out her plan?

— Alosa was kind of the worst? Like, STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER who had to keep reminding you how strong she was because she would kill anyone, and had an all female pirate crew. And the whole time I was just like, ok...cool. Still, I read the sequel too and that was slightly better.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King.

2) Marry him.

3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King's power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she's going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra's not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

— I cannot explain this book any way except to tell you it is so weird. Like, sometimes I remember I read this and all I can think is: why did this book happen? It felt like it started in the middle of the story, which is not a knock on the story itself, but mostly on the world building. Which was lacking to say the least. Also the resolution was super rushed and even more weird and I was like—why does he like her??? I still don’t know, honestly.

The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne

Engagement season is in the air. Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie "Leo" Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, has only one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin?

But when Leo's childhood friend and first love, Elliot, returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one who got away, the boy Leo's family deemed to be unsuitable for marriage. Now he's the biggest catch of the season and he seems determined to make Leo's life miserable. But old habits die hard, and as Leo navigates the glittering balls of the Valg Season, she finds herself falling for her first love in a game of love, lies, and past regrets.

— Another book whose lack of world building hurt it. Stuff just happened, and we were expected to understand it and be into it and I was neither. I had no reason to care about anyone in this book, especially Elliot who seemed like an asshole.

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian's heart to the Sea Queen and or remain a human forever.The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it's his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she's more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind's greatest enemy?

— This book did not go the way I thought it was going to. Not a bad thing, but also not the best and the ending was...bleh. The middle, though? That was legit, and the action was good. I am always a fan of sword fights. Still, there was something that left me waiting for the final push towards great and it just never really came.

ROM-COMS WITH ONLY PASSABLY FRUSTRATING PLOTS AND GOOD KISSING

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe's mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can't resist—it is chocolate cake, after all.

Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble—not just some privileged white politician, as she assumed him to be. Because of Max's high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?

— It was cute. Max was occasionally an idiot. The kissing was legit. Most of their problems could have very easily been solved, but that’s kind of this genre’s schtick.

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

A wedding planner left at the altar? Yeah, the irony isn't lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina's offered an opportunity that could change her life. There's just one hitch... she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials. Marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he'll be working with his brother's whip-smart, stunning—absolutely off-limits—ex-fiancée. And she loathes him.If they can nail their presentation without killing each other, they'll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina's ready to dish out a little payback of her own.Soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn't interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again...

— Once you got past the hooking up with your ex’s brother thing, it was cute. Max was endearing in an earnest sort of way, even when Lina was STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER in a cliche sort of way. More solid kissing. Side note, why are so many rom com dudes named Max? Does it sound hip? Passably cool, but also approachable? Discuss. 

Not that Kind of Guy by Andie J. Christopher

State attorney Bridget Nolan is successful in all aspects of her life—except romance. After breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, she's been slow to reenter the dating scene. To be honest, she has more important things to do like putting bad guys behind bars. But with her brother's wedding right around the corner, she suddenly needs a date and fast. Lucky for Bridget, the legal intern is almost done with his program.

Matt Kido is dumbstruck by Bridget—total love at first sight—but there's one problem. She's totally off-limits while she's his boss. But the moment he no longer reports to her, Matt asks her on a date. An impulsive decision takes them to Las Vegas where, as the saying goes, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Unless you put a ring on it.

— Having written the “wake up in Vegas married” trope before, I know it’s difficult to do right. Consent’s a thing, y’know? And stuff gets dicy with forgotten memories, and all that, but mostly what kept me from truly loving this book was the intern thing. Don’t date your interns guys, it’s weird and off-putting. Literally if he’d just been a junior partner, or a visiting partner or something else I would have been all in.

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

Kailyn Flowers was always calm, rational, and controlled—until she ended up sprawled all over Daxton Hughes, the former actor she totally crushed on as a teenager. Then she did the unthinkable: She became a mortifying fangirl in five seconds flat, which may or may not have included professing her undying love. And oddly, he didn't run away. In fact, their meet cute led to a friendship she never saw coming. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming, either...Now Dax needs her help. As guardian to his thirteen-year-old sister, he's in way over his head. And though Kailyn hasn't forgiven Dax, she isn't heartless enough to make him fend for himself, either. Soon their friendly meetings turn into flirty dinner dates, and Kailyn can feel their chemistry is as explosive as ever. But how can she possibly let down her guard again to a guy who has heartbreak written all over him?

— Once again here for the one that got away trope, even if this comes with dead parents and some sad storylines. It still managed to be cute. Everyone was cute in it. Occasionally Daxton was a dick. As rom com male leads are apt to be.

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it's real?When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex's pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.Jamie Carter doesn't believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It's the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there's a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend...

— FAKE DATING THAT LEADS TO REAL FEELINGS. The ex-boyfriend was an assssss, the fake boyfriend was charming, everything was good AND THEN WE GOT TO THE END. Which felt more than a little rushed, unexpected and not really in line with the rest of the book?? Give ‘em a slightly better, in-character ending, and I would have been sold.

BOOKS THAT I WAS LIKE...EH, OK

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

— I think this book was too smart for me. The prose was gorgeous, and the whole thing was very pretty and I definitely swooned when Marco said he wished for Celia. And yet. By the end I was like...eh, ok. Maybe it was the timeline? Jumping around, or how little dialogue there was. I wanted to like it all so badly, and I’m just not sure I did.

Acting on Impulse by Mia Sosa

After a very public breakup with a media-hungry politician, fitness trainer Tori Alvarez escapes to Aruba for rest, relaxation, and copious amounts of sex on the beach—the cocktail, that is. She vows to keep her vacation a man-free zone but when a cute guy is seated next to her on the plane, Tori can't resist a little harmless flirting.Hollywood heartthrob Carter Stone underwent a dramatic physical transformation for his latest role and it's clear his stunning seat mate doesn't recognize the man beneath the shaggy beard and extra lean frame. Now Carter needs help rebuilding his buff physique and Tori is perfect for the job. It doesn't hurt that she makes his pulse pound in more ways than one.Sparks are flying, until a pesky paparazzo reveals Carter's identity. Tori is hurt and pissed. She wants nothing to do with another man in the limelight, but she's still got to whip him into shape. Can Carter convince Tori he's worth the threat to her privacy that comes with dating a famous actor, or will Tori chisel him down to nothing before he even gets the chance?

— Dudes have gotta stop lying about who they are. It’s not a great trope. Other than that, the kissing was good. The romance was like...eh. I honestly don’t remember much else.

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world's biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he's the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it's possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason... and whether "once in a lifetime" can come around twice.

— This book was...weird. The early romance was wonderful and delightful, but then shit hit the fan and Sam and Tate are adults and...weird. Like, I cannot come up with another word for it. Also, they didn’t really talk much? As adults? Working on the same movie set? W e i r d.

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

Fixie Farr has always lived by her father’s motto: “Family first.” And since her dad passed away, leaving his charming housewares store in the hands of his wife and children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn’t take care of her father’s legacy, who will?

It’s simply not in Fixie’s nature to say no to people. So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, she not only agrees—she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, an investment manager, scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. Fixie laughs it off—she’d never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she?

But then Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life, and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie’s buttons. As always, she wants nothing for herself—but she’d love Seb to give Ryan a job. No sooner has Seb agreed than the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOUs between Seb and Fixie—from small favors to life-changing moments—ensues. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Does she have the courage to take a stand? Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants?

— Let’s be upfront, I’ve read a lot of Sophie Kinsella in my life, and more often than not I enjoy what she writes. I mostly did here. It was a book. With obvious rom com problems, that could have very easily been solved, but it wasn’t horrible. So, that was good, I guess.

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

Maddie and Theo have two things in common:

1. Alexa is their best friend

2. They hate each other

After an "oops, we made a mistake" night together, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa's wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they're comfortable with. Underneath the sharp barbs they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won't fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn't looking, agreeing they would end it once the wedding is over. When it's suddenly pushed up and they only have a few months left of secret rendezvouses, they find themselves regretting that the end is near. Two people this different can't possibly have a connection other than the purely physical, right?

But as with any engagement with a nemesis, there are unspoken rules that must be abided by. First and foremost, don't fall in love.

— Eh, this book happened. I still have no idea why they couldn’t be together from the get. Obstacles for the sake of plot, I guess. Also political side stories? I don’t know, guys.

WEIRD POST-ENDING FEELINGS WERE INDUCED

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

— Listen, I enjoyed this a lot. For the most part. It was funny, and introspective in a way that didn’t make me want to gag too much, and I wanted to defend January’s love of love with everything in me. But, then it—ended. And it was like...all tied up with this nice little ribbon and happily ever after, and I was like...oh, ok. Part of me that it was glad it ended like that, mostly because of who I am as a person, but the rest of me was also confused that after everything January and Augustus had been through and how messy their lives were it could just get all wrapped up in this HEA.

HITTING JUST A BIT TOO CLOSE TO HOME

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Marcus Caster-Rupp has a secret. The world may know him as Aeneas, star of the biggest show on television, but fanfiction readers call him something else: Book!AeneasWouldNever. Marcus gets out his frustrations with the show through anonymous stories about the internet's favorite couple, Aeneas and Lavinia. But if anyone discovered his online persona, he'd be finished in Hollywood.April Whittier has secrets of her own. A hardcore Lavinia fan, she's long hidden her fanfic and cosplay hobbies from her "real life"—but not anymore. When she dares to post her latest costume creation on Twitter, her plus-size take goes viral. And when Marcus asks her out to spite her internet critics, truth officially becomes stranger than fanfiction. On their date, Marcus quickly realizes he wants more from April than a one-time publicity stunt. But when he discovers she's Unapologetic Lavinia Stan, his closest fandom friend, he has one more huge secret to keep from her.With love and Marcus's career on the line, can the two of them stop hiding once and for all, or will a match made in fandom end up prematurely cancelled?

— Here for plus-size heroines who get the guy and don’t have their (entire) storyline defined by their looks. Less here for the weird fandom culture, the ensuing second-hand embarrassment that came from that and the thankfulness that both Colin O’Donoghue and Bob Morley appear to be happily married so it seems very unlikely they’re writing fic about their characters under pseudonyms. Stop using Ao3 in actual published stories 2k4ever.

RAGE-INDUCING BOOKS OF ABSOLUTE FURY

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Kristen Peterson doesn't do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don't get her. She's also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen — especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he'd be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it's harder and harder to keep him at arm's length.The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass.

— LISTEN THERE ARE SPOILERS HERE, BUT I FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEM BECAUSE THIS BOOK IS A SECRET GUT PUNCH AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE. Not only is infertility, like, the defining theme of this book, but the BEST FRIEND DIES. Just—dies. It’s horrible. Absolutely God awful depressing. And for a second he looks like he won’t, and it’ll be fine, but then it is not and he’s just D E A D. I know, I know that sets up the sequel, but this was so goddamn heavy in an unsuspecting way that I have absolutely no intention of reading the next one.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

— FUCK THIS BOOK. And fuck Simon, specifically. Oh, you have a sad story? Cool, you’re still a dick. He was a dick. Listen, I know enemies to lovers is a hard trope to write, but it’s even harder to accept when those enemies just announce I LIKED YOU THE WHOLE TIME and then everyone starts ripping off their clothes. No, it’s dumb. I hate it. Apparently there’s a sequel to this book. Maybe that’s better.

Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting

Blaire Calloway has planned every Instagram-worthy moment of her cupcake and cocktails shop launch down to the tiniest detail. What she didn't plan on? Ronan Knight and his old-school sports bar next door opening on the very same day. He may be super swoony, but Blaire hasn't spent years obsessing over buttercream and bourbon to have him ruin her chance at success.From axe throwing (his place) to frosting contests (hers), Blaire and Ronan are constantly trying to one-up each other in a battle to win new customers. But with every clash, there's also an undeniable chemistry. When an even bigger threat to their business comes to town, they're forced to call a temporary time-out on their own war and work together. And the more time Blaire spends getting to know the real Ronan, the more she wonders if it's possible to have her cupcake and eat it too.

— Listen, I wanted to like this one. There were plenty other Helena Hunting books on this list, so like—I don’t hate her. I just hate poorly executed enemies to lovers plot lines. Give me at least one moment where they are interested in each other aside from just being attracted to each other. Also: Stop Having Dudes Be Dicks Because Of Their Sad Backstory 2k4ever.

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

You always remember your first love... don't you?If there's anything worse than being fired from the worst restaurant in town, it's coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else. Reeling from the humiliation of a double dumping in one day, Georgina takes the next job that comes her way—bartender in a newly opened pub. There's only one problem: it's run by the guy she fell in love with years ago. And—make that two problems—he doesn't remember her. At all. But she has fabulous friends and her signature hot pink fur coat... what more could a girl really need?Lucas McCarthy has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man, but he's also turned into an actual grown-up, with a thriving business and a dog along the way. Crossing paths with him again throws Georgina's rocky present into sharp relief—and brings a secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows what happened twelve years ago, and why she's allowed the memories to chase her ever since. But maybe it's not too late for the truth... or a second chance with the one that got away?

— HE WAS JUST PRETENDING NOT TO REMEMBER HER THE WHOLE TIME???? WHAT?? WHY??? D U M B. Dumb boys are dumb.

Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher

Jack Nolan is a gentleman, a journalist, and unlucky in love. His viral success has pigeon-holed him as the how-to guy for a buzzy, internet media company instead of covering hard-hitting politics. Fed up with his fluffy articles and the app-based dating scene as well, he strikes a deal with his boss to write a final piece de resistance: How to Lose a Girl. Easier said than done when the girl he meets is Hannah Mayfield, and he's not sure he wants her to dump him.

Hannah is an extremely successful event planner who's focused on climbing the career ladder. Her firm is one of the most prestigious in the city, and she's determined to secure her next promotion. But Hannah has a bit of an image problem. She needs to show her boss that she has range, including planning dreaded, romantic weddings. Enter Jack. He's the perfect man to date for a couple weeks to prove to her boss that she's not scared of feelings.

Before Jack and Hannah know it, their fake relationship starts to feel all too real—and neither of them can stand to lose each other.

— This is actually the prequel to Not That Kind of Guy and I honestly can’t believe I read that after hating this book so much. They were awful to each other! Their whole relationship was based on lies! Mean lies! Horrible lies! Don’t lie to your significant other!

[annerbhp]

hi! this is a bit random, but what are your opinions on pride and prejudice?

I love Pride and Prejudice in all its iterations. I have probably read at least 50 published P&P variations/retelling and such. In fact, I just finished Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev this weekend! I love all the movies/series too. And the fic! And possibly the greatest re-make of all time: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. (Which has its own amazing amount of fic.)

I think the ultimate magic is that first read/watch (which for me was the 1995 miniseries version), where you just LOATHE Darcy all the way through and the proposal is like OMG WTF, and then the slow magic of you having to completely reconsider every single thing you though and the way you took every scene, and then an immediate rewatch/reread reveals how DIFFERENT everything is with your knowledge of Darcy’s feelings. It’s just...magical. Also, I appreciate Lizzie and her pert opinions, and her being wrong about things but amending them, and Darcy truly taking himself to task and making real change, not so he can have Lizzie, but because it’s the man he wants to be. Just....yes. And I love anything where glances and hand holding and standing near each other is the height of emotional tension.

Two of my fave fics: Miss de Bourgh in Bath and The Part of Her Hair

I am Joining All My Thoughts to You by tosca1390  (P&P, Lizzy/Darcy) “You are pretty, my Lizzy, but you must not be so quick to speak your mind!” Great little snippet of Lizzy and Darcy during their engagement

My fave published P&P spin offs:

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman Trilogy (An Assembly Such As This, Duty and Desire, and These Three Remain) by Pamela Aidan Great retelling of Pride and Prejudice from the point of view of Darcy. Really great look into his motivations, his misinterpretations of Lizzie’s behavior, and his character development. (Not to mention that the vague promise of a fourth book dealing with Miss Darcy’s future made me so excited, even though it has yet to materialize.) The second book wanders a bit from the traditional scope of P&P, but explains Darcy’s change of heart rather well.

Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife and Darcy & Elizabeth by Linda Bedroll A big warning up front, this is the Pride & Prejudice for those who don’t mind a little marital romping. Or rather a heck of a lot of romping. Basically anywhere Elizabeth and Darcy can get away with it, and even some places they probably shouldn’t be able to but do anyway. The book swerves into melodrama and cliché at points (particularly the second book), but I love it too much to care. Here is an Elizabeth still sparkling with wit, a Darcy fighting darker elements of his personality, and an evolving marriage with all the bumps and moments of adoration you would expect without the romantic lobotomy so often seemingly required in this genre. I enjoy both of these and re-read quite often, but I get that these are not to everyone’s taste.

Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride by Helen Halstead This novel is chock full of the unspoken, the restrained, the misunderstandings, and the wit that I so love about the original. This is not the book with steamy sex scenes, but rather titillating scenes of the most treacherous ground ever—the drawing room. I particularly love the evolution of the other characters around the main couple as well, particularly Georgiana and Kitty. They traverse their own romantic grounds and entangle themselves in real, heartfelt situations that feel true to their characters. If you only give one Pride & Prejudice sequel a chance, make it this one.

The Last Man in World by Abigail Reynolds I know, I know. I basically couldn’t even finish a lot of Abigail Reynolds’ other Pemberley Variations, as she calls them, but this one out of the bunch I actually quite enjoyed. It is still a bit overly melodramatic at points, the characters a bit two-dimensional, but my major complaint about her other books, the hyper-sexualization of the two unmarried characters, is not a problem since they are married from the very beginning. It’s not perfect, but it’s an enjoyable read. Think of this as my indulgent pick. Angst and misunderstandings, oh my!

There is so much more, including Lizzie Bennet Diaries fic recs, but I will leave it here for now. :)

[ellanainthetardis]

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev My rating: 1 of 5 stars I finished it but it was a real struggle. Good things: the diverse cast, the social issues raised, and the cast of sisters and cousins who were all very amazing. It's also cool to have a gender reversal for a P&P retelling. Bad things: where do I start? I didn't care for either MC basically... I liked the background cast better. Also there were so many characters and I get this is a "family" series but there was far too much backstory for every single character crammed in there. It was a lot of telling instead of showing, a lot of info dumping. Also the whole "wanted to say" thing was annoying as hell. It's fine if you do it once but when it happens 10 times per chapter in EVERY conversation it just gets confusing and annoying. Either don't use a dialogue format for what "you want to say but don't" or just don't use a paraphrase or something because UGH. But the thing that made me really hate the book if I have to be honest - because the core story wasn't that bad truly - was Trisha's relationship with her family and most of all her parents. That was soooo toxic. Every time she was with her father or her father was mentioned I kept thinking "why are you bothering? get out, get out, get out! They don't want you then you're better off removing yourself from the whole thing". It was just so so unhealthy and it never gets resolved! (view spoiler)[ apparently according to the mother since he's not a child molester that makes him the best dad EVER (hide spoiler)] I get there is trauma involved here and some abusive dynamics are very subtle to see when you're trapped in them but honestly it was just so so awful to read... I was hoping her dad would get what was coming to him or they would have a real talk about how much of an asshole he was but NOPE. This ruined it for me. They treated that woman like shit, as if she had done nothing right in her life when she is a successful neurosurgeon... It was just too much and I WISH someone would have made them see. Instead it's all fine because it's "family" and it's "normal". Well... No, it's not. Needless to say I won't be picking up the sequels. View all my reviews

[perspicaciouslynameless]

Books I Read in 2020

Normally I just post a list, but this time there are charts and graphs! Full list below the cut.

Overall statistics by genre:

The funniest part of this is the difference between the number of days it took me to read a romance book compared to a sci-fi/fantasy book, which, in fairness, was largely due to one book that I started in October 2019 and finished in April 2020.

Rating and count of books by genre:

Unfortunately for the non-fiction genre, I only read one book and the final chapter pissed me off.

Ratings over time:

These seem to be indicating that I either got nicer in my ratings or got better at picking books I would like. The different sizes are for page count.

Publication date compared to date I finished reading the book:

This excludes the three books published prior to 2000, which make the graph impossible to read. For the curious, the books in question are Persuasion, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Castle in the Air.

Content:

For this I’ll note that the broad categories of queer, POC, and disabled characters are because 1) I don’t know how to manage the one-to-many relationships between books and character classifications in my spreadsheet and 2) sometimes authors don’t use labels. I might try to do something about this next year, and suggestions are welcome.

The labels that are too small to read are as follows:

Setting: historical fantasy, sci-fi time travel

Location: Africa (a fictional country therein, not the entire continent), South Korea, Nigeria, Singapore, Wales

Pairings: M/M/F, M/M/F/F

Authors, series, etc.:

This is a lot more useful when you can use the dashboard interactively, unfortunately.

My reading habits:

The labels that are too small are:

Format read: physical book

Re-read: re-read

Type: short story, anthology

And finally, a kind of useless Gantt chart:

This was a pretty decent reading year, overall. I think my goal next year will be to be more deliberate about my book choices, and also try to finish anything I own that I haven’t read yet. Which is a pretty intimidating book list, actually :/

If anyone wants to do a buddy read, I would be down for it, so please lmk!

Full list:

The One For You, by Roni Loren

Here There Be Gerblins, by The McElroys

Murder on the Rockport Limited!, by The McElroys

Casting Lacey, by Elle  Spencer

A Delicate Deception, by Cat Sebastian

Meet Cute, by Helena Hunting

How Not To Fall, by Emily Foster

The Wedding Party, by Jasmine Guillory

Royal Holiday, by Jasmine Guillory

Syncopation, by Anna Zabo

Reverb, by Anna Zabo

The Doctor's Secret, by Heidi Cullinan

The Doctor's Date, by Heidi Cullinan

The Doctor's Orders, by Heidi Cullinan

A Private Gentleman, by Heidi Cullinan

Where Nerves End, by L.A. Witt

Unexpected, by Kelly Rimmer

Unspoken, by Kelly Rimmer

Twice in a Blue Moon, by Christina Lauren

Counterpoint, by Anna Zabo

Dating You / Hating You, by Christina Lauren

The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky, by Mackenzi Lee

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, by Sonali Dev

The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary

Don't You Forget About Me, by Mhairi McFarlane

Eyes Like Those, by Melissa Brayden

Hearts Like Hers, by Melissa Brayden

Outside the Lines, by Anna Zabo

Love Lettering, by Kate Clayborn

Sparks Like Ours, by Melissa Brayden

Love Like This, by Melissa Brayden

The Friend Zone, by Abby Jimenez

Undone, by Kelly Rimmer

Just Business, by Anna Zabo

Operatic, by Kyo Maclear

Due Diligence, by Anna Zabo

Waiting in the Wings, by Melissa Brayden

Unfit to Print, by K.J. Charles

Love and Other Words, by Christina Lauren

Kiss the Girl, by Melissa Brayden

Takeover, by Anna Zabo

Just Three Words, by Melissa Brayden

Daily Grind, by Anna Zabo

The Thing Around Your Neck, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Worst Best Man, by Mia Sosa

Ready or Not, by Melissa Brayden

Radiance, by Grace Draven

Breaking Character, by Lee Winter

American Dreamer, by Adriana Herrera

Bringing Down the Duke, by Evie Dunmore

Chasing Cassandra, by Lisa Kleypas

If I Never Met You, by Mhairi McFarlane

In for a Penny, by Rose Lerner

The Calculating Stars, by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Fated Sky, by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Lady Astronaut of Mars, by Mary Robinette Kowal

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman

Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Best Life, by Ali Wong

Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston

Teach Me, by Olivia Dade

Girl Gone Viral, by Alisha Rai

The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright, by Tessa Dare

The Craft of Love, by EE Ottoman

First Grave on the Right, by Darynda Jones

You Deserve Each Other, by Sarah Hogle

His at Night, by Sherry Thomas

A Kiss at Midnight, by Eloisa James

Temporary Wife Temptation, by Jayci Lee

A Girl Like Her, by Talia Hibbert

Damaged Goods, by Talia Hibbert

Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo

Beach Read, by Emily Henry

Persuasion, by Jane Austen

Recipe for Persuasion, by Sonali Dev

The Empress of Salt and Fortune, by Nghi Vo

The Trouble with Hating You, by Sajni Patel

Something to Talk About, by Meryl Wilsner

Ghosting: A Love Story, by Tash Skilton

Say Yes to the Duke, by Eloisa James

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, by Cho Nam-Joo

Take a Hint, Dani Brown, by Talia Hibbert

Party of Two, by Jasmine Guillory

The Doctor's Discretion, by EE Ottoman

Rival Princes, by Jaxon Knight

Undue Influence: A Persuasion Retelling, by Jenny Holiday

Beyond Shame, by Kit Rocha

Beyond Control, by Kit Rocha

Beyond Pain, by Kit Rocha

Last Tang Standing, by Lauren Ho

Beyond Temptation, by Kit Rocha

Beyond Jealousy, by Kit Rocha

Beyond Solitude, by Kit Rocha

Beyond Addiction, by Kit Rocha

Beyond Possession, by Kit Rocha

Beyond Innocence, by Kit Rocha

The Deal, by Elle Kennedy

Two Rogues Make a Right, by Cat Sebastian

Beyond Ruin, by Kit Rocha

Beyond Ecstasy, by Kit Rocha

Beyond Surrender, by Kit Rocha

The A.I. Who Loved Me, by Alyssa Cole

Beyond Forever, by Kit Rocha

Let It Shine, by Alyssa Cole

Let Us Dream, by Alyssa Cole

Beyond Doubt, by Kit Rocha

Boyfriend Material, by Alexis Hall

Proper English, by K.J. Charles

The Takeover Effect, by Nisha Sharma

The Legal Affair, by Nisha Sharma

Ashwin, by Kit Rocha

Deacon, by Kit Rocha

Ivan, by Kit Rocha

The House in the Cerulean Sea, by T.J. Klune

The Duke Who Didn't, by Courtney Milan

I Wish You Were Mine, by Lauren Layne

Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones

Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir

Castle in the Air, by Diana Wynne Jones

Untouchable, by Talia Hibbert

Think of England, by K.J. Charles

Harrow the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir

Glitterland, by Alexis Hall

Deal with the Devil, by Kit Rocha

Xeni, by Rebekah Weatherspoon

This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

How to Catch a Queen, by Alyssa Cole

Spoiler Alert, by Olivia Dade

Fortune Favors the Dead, by Stephen Spotswood

The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin

Ties That Tether, by Jane Igharo

Written in the Stars, by Alexandria Bellefleur

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, by Nghi Vo

The Obelisk Gate, by N.K. Jemisin

That Kind of Guy, by Talia Hibbert

[ladyherenya]

Books read in January

I know January was, like, three years ago but I have finally finished reviewing what I read.

Favourite cover: Passage, somewhat unexpectedly.

Reread: Beguilement (The Sharing Knife) by Lois McMaster Bujold.

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing and Dreamwidth.)

*

The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold: I read the first two books, Beguilement and Legacy, all the way back in 2011. There were things I liked about them, but I was frustrated by how quickly the romance developed and how much it was the focus. So instead of the third book, I read Bujold’s other series instead. But given how much I love some of those books and that I've found most of them worth rereading, I decided to give this series another go.

Passage (narrated by Bernadette Dunne): I’m glad I read this. Fawn and Dag have left behind their respective communities and seek passage on a flatboat heading down the Grace River. I think this story’s strength is in how it is about journeys, family and community, and in the steady way it develops its themes. There’s the physical journey downriver, but the characters all have their own personal journeys.

Horizon (narrated by Bernadette Dunne): This is my favourite in the quartet. I really like the way it pulls together and builds upon the themes and ideas raised in the preceding books. More family, more discoveries about Lakewalker healing, more communication and teamwork and relationships between farmers and Lakewalkers -- and more danger, which illustrates exactly why such things are desperately needed. Dag gets an opportunity to be an apprentice again, not just to be the one teaching and leading others. And while the beginning feels very Dag-focused, Fawn and the other farmers get their chance to shine.

(Then I reread Beguilement. An oddly structured story. It begins with the high stakes, all danger and drama, before things become very personal and domestic. But I like it, and I appreciate it more now that I understand more of what this story is doing and where it is going.)

Starsight by Brandon Sanderson: Sequel to Skyward. Fun and satisfying, but initially reading it took some effort. I like the characters but I’m not super invested, I like the setting but I don’t want so much detail, and the training/battle sequences are too long. But I pushed through because I knew that the plot developments and twists would make it worthwhile. Usually I care more about Sanderson’s characters and their worlds they inhabit. That may be that fantasy worlds often appeal to me more than dystopian sci-fi ones, but I also suspect Sanderson’s Cosmere stories allow him to play more to his strengths as a writer.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev: I enjoyed the way this plays around with Pride and Prejudice. Trisha Raje, a neurosurgeon, is part of a large family but otherwise she’s more like Mr Darcy than Elizabeth Bennet. DJ Caine has spent his savings on his sister’s medical bills; he doesn’t like Trisha but he’s depending upon her as his sister’s doctor, and upon her family for catering work. The main beats of the romance aren’t surprising, but there’s still a lot to give this story suspense. This is an interesting exploration of complicated cultural identities and family relationships. And the descriptions of food are wonderful.

Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer:  After moving again, Steph befriends a classmate, draws an unexpected amount of attention with a hacking prank, discovers one of her online friends is an AI and learns more about why she and her mother are in hiding. I read this because “AI makes online friends” is my thing. I wasn’t expecting it to be so gripping! Nor hit the level of suspense I’m comfortable with -- as Steph’s circumstances become scarier, the more her friends support her. I like the portrayal of an online community, and how interconnected and simultaneously important Steph’s online and offline worlds are. A delight. Recommended.

“Cat Pictures Please” by Naomi Kritzer: After I finished Catfishing on CatNet, I realised that the author had written this award-winning story, which I’d heard of but never gotten around to reading. I think I would have liked it more if I had read it first, because what I liked most is the AI who just wants to help people (but doesn’t always know how to do that), which Catfishing on CatNet also has, except with more depth and more friendship.

The Me I Used to Be by Jennifer Ryan: I discovered this because I've read other books by another author with the same name. The plot sounded interesting -- after serving time for a crime she didn't commit, a woman returns home to her family -- but the way it was written just didn't appeal to me and I don't care enough to analyse why. Unfinished, 38% read.

Because Internet: understanding the new rules of language by Gretchen McCulloch: Fascinating and entertaining. I’ve a tendency to read non-fiction in a very piecemeal fashion but I read this one in a day. It was informative when it came to things I didn’t know, and unexpectedly validating when it came to the aspects of internet culture I’ve experienced. (I particularly enjoyed the chapter on “Internet People”.) It’s one thing to know what sorts of things people do or say, and another to understand why that happens. I had a lot of oh moments, and it really clarified that we play around with language online in order to convey non-verbal information.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson: There are things I liked about this. Much of the story takes place in libraries, and Elisabeth has a special connection to them (The whole idea of growing up in a library is appealing). I enjoyed Elisabeth’s interactions with the other characters -- or, more accurately, their interactions with her. But the pacing was odd, some of the worldbuilding could have been explored more satisfactorily, and I was largely indifferent to the action sequences. I don’t know if this is due to weaknesses in the narrative or just my personal tastes; I suspect it’s a bit of both.

[escapingtheconstrictingboxes]

Bookish Questions Tag

All the thanks to the lovely @wingsofanillyrian ​ 

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest? 

Oh god. I moved this year so there’s no shelf that I have my books on but when I was younger, I used to read some sort of fairy series. Oh my god they were the best at the time. Also, Enid Blyton’s short stories were the frickin bomb when I was a kid. Those two series have probably been on my shelf the longest. (I realise it says books but shhhhh.) 

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next? 

Current read: Empire of Storms by Sarah J.Maas (no idea when i’m gonna finish it. Hopefully soon.) Last read: Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev Next read: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J.Maas 

3. Which book does everyone else like and you hated? 

I don’t know, actually. Can’t think of any. I can however think of some the other way around. 

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? 

Literally most books on my TBR list. 

5. Which book are you saving for ”retirement”?

I have no clue what this question is asking me. I’m a very oblivious person. 6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end? 

Wait till the end! 

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside? 

I like reading them sometimes. Other times, not so much. 8. Which book character would you switch places with? 

I don’t like this question! I can’t even pick!  Cassian maybe? Because I get to be Commander of a whole goddamn army! And I get Nesta in the end. I’m pretty happy. 

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)? 

ACOTAR’s Feylin frickle frackle scene was read at school, guys. I feel like that’s the only time I can remember right now. Alsooooo, ACOMAF’s inn scene was also read at school. 

10. Name a book that you acquired in some interesting way: 

Hmm, it’s not interesting but it is a miracle. I picked up Eragon by Christopher Paolini at a store that was selling it for two dollars and oh my god I’m so glad I got that book. I love that series! 

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person? Not really. And I mean, they’re boooks. They’re miiiine.  

12. Which book has been with you to the most places? 

The books I mentioned in the first question have been with me in every house I’ve traveled to. So technically those ones.  

13. Any ”required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later? None that I can remember. And I’m still in high school. 

14. What’s the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book? 

I found someone’s receipt with a phone number on it. T hat was slightly strange. 

15. Used or new? 

I mosty have used books except from the ones from my childhood I insisted my parents buy for me. And I get most of my books from the library now. Except for the Maas books. Those ones I must buy.  

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses? 

I’ve ever actually read any of his books.  

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the books?

No, I don’t think so.  

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid? 

I don’t know what a celluloid is! 

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question? 

I think Aelin Galanthynius made me hungry for chocolate cake a couple times.  

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take? 

I normally just go through the library and pick up whatever I like. Otherwise, goodreads.  

Tagging: @fiery-feyre ​ @dr-woodsprite ​ @birdiethebibliophile ​ @deziremyacotar ​ @darlingfireheart ​ And literally anybody else who wants to do th.is tag! Just tag me because these are really cool questions.

[herwitchinesss]

soooo many books I’ve been waiting ages for were released today 😓 I picked three to start with & all are #ownvoices & by WoC- the other releases I’ll grab once I’ve finished Sonali Dev, Helen Hoang & Maya Montayne’s books first! So far, this ones very cute & light & perfect for me right now- neck & head keep going numb & then heating with pain so I’m trying very hard to just relax. Another appointment tomorrow + more imaging but on the exact area most of the things seem to be stemming from on my neck/back of the head + then I’m HOME for at least a week 😭💗🥰 I have missed @le_ajohnster so much 😭😭😭 (& our cats ofc) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxLWysUnT_e/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2i0uvp97248w

[percysmarguerite]

i was tagged by @onceupon-a-decembr to do this lovely catchup tag, thank you darling :)

last song - one day more from les mis

last movie - my mom and I rewatched Bride and Prejudice like two days ago :)

currently reading - i just finished Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev and it was so, so good!! I think I’m going to read her novel A Change of Heart next; it’s the only other book of hers my library has an ebook of and I adore her writing so much, I cannot wait for Incense and Sensibility to come out

currently watching - i watch the bad batch when it comes out with my brother and i try to keep up with hsmtmts but other than that i’m honestly not really doing the whole tv thing rn

currently craving - the cookies we made tonight but since its like 1am rn im gonna just go to bed instead knowing that they’ll be there in the morning

i know this seems so lazy but im so tired so if you want to say that i tagged you then i 100% did!! i haven’t been on here as much lately and i miss all y’all <3

[rebeccaheyman]

reading + listening 9.7.20

It’s been a minute since my last bona fide review roundup, in part because our week of vacation was followed by a week of long-overdue family visits (after all parties clocked negative covid tests), and in part because I hit a reading slump. Or rather, my version of a slump: a couple DNF aBooks in a row, plus an imbalance of reading and listening. I’ve pulled myself out of the lull, but the list below reflects my relative floundering for the past two weeks. Le sigh.

You Have a Match (Emma Lord), eBook, ARC (pub date Jan 2021). NetGalley review:

I absolutely loved TWEET CUTE and was eager to see how Lord would follow-up such a sparkling debut. YOU HAVE A MATCH brings the same timely, fresh, emotionally immediate storytelling as TC, albeit with slightly less humor and slightly more pathos. The concept takes a little more oomph to get off the ground (Leo's ambiguous ancestry leads to the DNA test that yields a secret sister result for protagonist Abby, and all relevant parties end up at the same summer camp together), and at times the narrative posturing becomes quite literally acrobatic (climbing trees, falling in ditches). Still, I happily suspend my disbelief for the sake of Lord's smart, authentic-feeling characters. In what might be a hallmark of her work, there's a consistent social media presence (IG, as opposed to TC's reliance on Twitter and an in-world messaging app). My dearest wish is that Lord's future work will not consistently rely on these trappings, which will sadly not age well; her storytelling chops are more timeless than the contemporary technologies featured in these narratives.

Muse (Brittany Cavallaro), eBook, ARC (pub date Feb 2021). NetGalley review:

I want to start by noting my excitement for this book -- and really, anything Brittany Cavallaro writes. I loved the Charlotte Holmes series and was eager to explore this new direction for Cavallaro's work. But for me, MUSE felt like it was always starting -- the action always rising, world always building, characters always establishing their identities. I didn't feel especially close to Claire, whose powers are somewhat ambiguous until they crystallize, very momentarily, in Act III. Part of the trouble, for me, is the intensive brain exercise required at the book's outset, to both visualize and conceptualize this version of America--a monarchy ruled by generations of King Washingtons. Ultimately, the story's setting (St. Cloud, along the Mississippi River) could be any imagined place; that this is a re-envisioned version of 1890s America has nothing to do with the political intrigues that drive the plot forward. I longed to spend less energy on parsing the intersections of real and imagined Americanism, and more time exploring Claire's power, her relationships to Beatrix and Remy, and the political machinations and intrigues in St. Cloud.

If my reading of MUSE is correct, then the second installment in the duology should be a runaway train of action, smart plotting, and feminist agendas -- in short, a book I very much look forward to reading. What I appreciated most in this first half of the story is what I've come to expect from Cavallaro generally: snappy, smart prose and strong women helming the narrative. It wasn't enough to make me love this read, but it's absolutely enough to keep me invested in the story's (eventual) conclusion.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January (Alix Harrow), aBook. May I confess that while this book came highly recommended from an extremely trusted reader-friend, I DNF’d my first attempt with the eBook back in November 2019? I couldn’t tell you what about me + this book didn’t jive last year, but a title this decorated and adored isn’t one I’ll easily give up on. I circled back around to it with the aBook (brilliantly narrated by January LaVoy), and while I can’t say this will rank among my favorites in the genre, it’s a solidly inventive, beautifully written narrative. In theme and structure, it’s awfully close to THE STARLESS SEA, which for me was a better book overall (one of the best of the year, actually). Something about the way the eponymous January too frequently claims “if I had only known what would happen next, I wouldn’t have done x” turned me off; this character seems to have a habit of being so caught up in her emotions that she doesn’t see obviously awful things about to happen. The antagonistic forces felt overdone and a little silly at times, and the mastermind reveal is too obvious by half. For all the flaws in TEN THOUSAND DOORS, the writing is solid enough that I’m absolutely planning to read Harrow’s next, The Once and Future Witches, out next month. 

The Marriage Clock (Zara Raheem), aBook. THE MARRIAGE CLOCK appealed to me in part because its narrator, Ariana Delawari, is a joy (she was absolutely brilliant on THE WRATH AND THE DAWN duology), and in part because I’m a sucker for Desi-focused narratives; I just love reading about these big, close-knit families with a strong focus on culture and family devotion -- not to mention the food and fashion. Suffice it to say, I was predisposed to enjoy THE MARRIAGE CLOCK... and it was... just okay. The book tries to build a story of self-actualization on a foundation of anecdotal montage -- essentially, the first two thirds of the book are about bearing witness to a series of bad first dates and getting commentary on the sorry state of modern romance. The story definitely improves once Leila goes overseas to attend a wedding, but I confess by then I felt obligated to finish simply based on time invested. The book’s conclusion, which I won’t spoil here, would have felt more satisfactory if Leila’s behavior and attitudes hadn’t been so childish throughout. Bottom line: If you can watch early seasons of Sex In The City without wanting to shove Carrie Bradshaw into oncoming traffic, you’ll probably really like THE MARRIAGE CLOCK. But if you’re looking for a more mature, nuanced Desi romance with lots of heart, consider my personal fav, THE BOLLYWOOD AFFAIR (Sonali Dev).

Smooth Talking Stranger (Lisa Kleypas), aBook. This was my first contemporary romance from Lisa Kleypas, which came highly recommended by another trusted reader-friend. The opening salvo didn’t draw me in as quickly as some of Kleypas’s historical romances, but I stuck with it because of the personal rec and Brittany Pressley’s easy-to-listen-to narration. The story is enjoyable enough, despite an underlying “mystery” that lacks real intrigue. All in all, it seems like fairly average contemporary romance... right up until the emotional gut-punch leaves you wrecked at the end of Act III. I couldn’t tell you why -- because again, nothing super special about our MCs or the plot -- but this novel had me crying all kinds of tears by the end. A strange, and strangely satisfying listen, but not necessarily one I’d recommend.

Just Like Heaven (Julia Quinn), aBook. I’ve been meaning to read a Julia Quinn for awhile; she’s a prolific heavy-hitter in the genre, and frankly it feels negligent not to have read her yet. I’ve hesitated, in part, because of purportedly questionable content in one of Quinn’s early titles, THE DUKE AND I. Reading reviews of that novel red-flagged Quinn’s entire catalogue for me (yes, it’s that bad). After reading plenty of reviews for JUST LIKE HEAVEN, I was pretty certain the egregious violations THE DUKE AND I weren’t being repeated, and the allure of Rosalyn Landor’s narration confirmed my choice. Long and short verdict: Meh. While I found our hero and heroine passably tolerable, there’s not much plot here. Instead, there’s an almost obsessive focus on one character’s recovery from an infection (gross), and when that chicken stops laying eggs, we’re asked to care about a quasi-farcical string quartet our other MC is forced to play in. The secondary characters introduced as potential leads for the rest of the quartet were either too stupid or too annoying for me to care about. If you’re hankering for historical romance, pass this over and just reread Tessa Dare for the millionth time (when will I start taking my own advice?).

Fable (hard cover) + Namesake (eBook ARC, pub date March 2021). Instagram mini-review of FABLE here. NetGalley review of NAMESAKE here. Adrienne Young is brilliant, full stop. I loved her previous duology -- SKY IN THE DEEP and THE GIRL THE SEA GAVE BACK -- and the Fable cycle does not disappoint. Strong, subtle characterizations; rich settings and evocative description; just enough mystical magic to make the world sparkle, but not enough to undermine the essential humanity of the story’s heart; and love of every stripe -- familial, romantic, friend, self -- driving the plot forward... could you even really ask for more? I devoured both halves of this gorgeous whole in a single weekend and I know you’ll love them both. Buy Fable ASAP and pre-order Namesake so Adrienne Young knows we know we don’t deserve her.

That’s it for me! On my radar this week:

Luster (Raven Leilani), aBook

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics (Olivia Waite), aBook

Lady Derring Takes a Lover (Julie Anne Long), aBook

The Smash-Up (Ali Benjamin), eBook ARC

The Heiress (Molly Greeley), eBook ARC

We Can Only Save Ourselves (Alison Wisdom), eBook ARC

Plus, the continuing saga, Will I ever finish WHEN WE WERE MAGIC? Stay tuned, and happy reading! 

[marascout]

What I Read in 2017

Just a round up of what I read, with the only caveat being that I decided I was going to read 90% female writers. Here’s the list, in no particular order:

The Bollywood Bride, by Sonali Dev -- It’s Sonali Dev, so it’s lush and sweet and makes you really want Indian food.

A Bollywood Affair, by Sonali Dev -- See above, but with wedding preparation fun.

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly -- Fascinating and important, do I really need to summarize?

Nice Dragons Finish Last, by Rachel Aaron

One Good Dragon Deserves Another, by Rachel Aaron

No Good Dragon Goes Unpunished, by Rachel Aaron -- Guys, these three books are like EVERYTHING I love in a story. Okay, so there’s no werewolves, but DRAGONS. And dragon politics, and magic, and cute mages, and seers, and Amelia the lush, and BOB. OMGoddess BOB. And Julius is the single most adorable cinnamon roll dragon I’ve ever encountered. I listened to these on audible and Vikas Adam is a FANTASTIC narrator. (Okay, he can’t pronounce Himalayan, but that’s only come up once.) I own the fourth book, but I'm going to wait a while, space out the awesome. (and wait impatiently for @fearsomebeastie to catch up with the series)

The Duke and the Domina, by Jenn Leblanc -- Okay, but not awesome

Bollywood and the Beast, by Suleikha Snyder -- Beauty and the beast, with Bollywood and a m/m subplot. What’s not to love?

Forbidden, by Beverly Jenkins -- Eddy is a feisty, badass heroine and I love her. 

Breathless, by Beverly Jenkins -- Honestly, the last 25% of this one was a slog. Good, but none of the complications were up to Miss Bev’s usual quality

My Fair Concubine, by Jeannie Lin -- Super fun! My Fair Lady, in Tang Dynasty China! Classic grumpy, stoic hero with the burden of responsibility and honor. Also, LI BAI SHEN. Can he have his own book? Do I have to learn about Tang Dynasty theater and write it myself? Because I WILL.

Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman -- Well, duh.

Re-Reads: 

Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert -- When you feel like you’ll never do anything artistic again, spend a few hours with Liz Gilbert and you can take on the world.

All the Single Ladies, by Rebecca Traister -- Super fascinating information and stories about the unmarried women changing the landscape of the country. 

Born With Teeth, by Kate Mulgrew -- Kate Mulgrew is a badass, that is all.

DNFs:

Hate to Want You, by Alisha Rai -- I wanted to love this one, but I just don’t buy the forbidden love thing in a modern setting where you can just go to a different town and do whatever the fuck you want. I’m not going to even attempt the sequel, thought the cover dude is quite yummy.

The Hundredth Queen, by Emily R. King -- Apparently I can’t stand first person present, especially when combined with some  really annoying YA tropes

A Change of Heart, by Sonali Dev -- I adore Sonali Dev, but this one was too dark, and it made me kind of never want to go back to the Bollywood Affair, knowing what happens after. Less black market organ trading in my romances, please.

[afoolsingenuity]

Sunday Summary // 05.02.2017

Welcome to February guys. It is now three weeks until my birthday. I feel like I should maybe do something special for my birthday on my blog but I don’t know what. I mean, I know that my blogoversary comes a little over a week later and I feel like I should do something significant to mark it. I shall go into planning for it, I think.

On to my week, it has been a strange one. Work has been a bit dramatic, we’re moving office this year to a couple of miles further away, I’m not thrilled about it as it doubles my travel costs, but I accept it. We knew we would be combining with another office but what we didn’t know is they were closing two of the offices in the Midlands and combining them all into this new office. The staff at our other two sites have been notified of this and it means there is the chance a lot of people will be leaving over the next couple of months. There will be a high turnover during the move and we’re worried the accounts team at one of our other offices will leave, which leaves more work for me (yep, more work!). Add into that we’ve had system issues at work which have led me to have to pick up some extra work already and I’ve finished the week feeling exhausted. We’ll wait and see how it goes, I’m thinking in terms of worst-case scenarios anyway. Must think positive.

Also, I had plans to go out for cocktails on Friday, which I did. They were delicious cocktails. I was sat there enjoying myself, it was busy at the bar and I was quite warm and felt my head go fuzzy. I intended to go get some air and full on fainted when I got up. Nothing like fainting in a public place to brighten up your day. It was so embarrassing and I ended up going home by half past ten and I can’t even claim it was because I drank too much. Honestly, like I need help in making a spectacle of myself. Luckily, my friends are very good and got me home okay but let me tell you I felt rough afterwards. It’s been a few years since I last fainted in public and not something I want to repeat. I think I may just be overtired and was just too warm but we shall see. If it happens again a trip to the doctor may be necessary. Honestly, this is why I can’t do nice things.

So, yeah, it’s been an interesting week. I plan to spend the day curled up at home today and watching lots on TV. I’ve got myself Groundhog Day to watch since I missed watching it on the 2nd of this month. I also told my brother I’d watch the first season of Breaking Bad (I know, how haven’t I watched that yet?). I am basically hiding away for the day.

What I’ve Been Reading

I began reading Nice Dragons Finish Last at the beginning of this week and it was amazing! So good, I cannot wait to continue on with the series. It will be absolutely amazing. I then I had a couple of disappointing reads in the form of One Snowy Night (it just felt unnecessary and rushed, I have higher hopes for book #3) and Our Own Private Universe (it was well written and had an important story in it but it was a bit too immature for my tastes). It’s okay, though, my reading week was redeemed in the form of Love the One You’re With. Lauren Layne makes everything better.

New To Me

Well, I didn’t mean to buy any books but then I saw Sonali Dev’s most recent release going cheap for Kindle (which doesn’t always happen) so immediately bought that. I love Sonali Dev’s books a lot. And then I saw Winner’s Kiss going cheap and I wanted to complete my Kindle collection as I loved that series and will reread. As fro Star Touched Queen? It was under £2 and considering that book isn’t out here so you have to order a hardcopy from the US I figured how could I not? They are all Kindle purchases. I feel like that makes it okay.

I also borrowed one more book from the library. I loved Ancillary Justice so I wanted to have the next book to hand to read ASAP (you know, after all those other books I’ve said the same thing about).

And I went a bit crazy with NetGalley and publisher emails but I want to read all these books. I am so excited for The Upside of Unrequited, I’ve been wanting to read that for a while. Letters to the Lost sounds like an interesting YA read and I’m hoping I’ll enjoy it. I’ve got the first two books in the Darling, VT series by Donna Alward so I was unlikely to turn down the third (look at for a review tomorrow on the first one). As for Caitlin Moran’s Moranifesto? I so want to read that, I loved How To Be A Woman and wanted to read this for a while. Also, she’s from Wolverhampton, the woman is basically local to me. Have to support her for that reason alone.

Anyway, that is my week, I’m off to rest up now. How has your week been? If anyone can beat me with a fainting in a public place story please do! And let me know about your interesting reads fo the week.

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