So many words. So little time.
Tag: reading
This was a decent writing week, although I didn’t get any fiction writing done. (I did a bit of work on the new project, though.) I wrote two book reviews, The Curse of Penryth Hall, by Jess Armstrong, and This Cursed Light, by Emily Thiede. I enjoyed both reads, but This Cursed Light was really good! I also wrote my November reading post, and my Best Books I Read in November post.
Happy writing!
In November, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 188 books read. Of those, some were just meh read, some were solid, and some were fantastic.
This Cursed Light, by Emily Thiede, was a fantastic end to this duology. I love the society and culture, the main characters, the dialogue…everything. And the ending totally made me cry, which isn’t a common thing.
Shards of Glass, by Michelle Sagara. I love this world and the main series, but I’m really enjoying these spin-offs and the new characters, too. A really well done fantasy setting.
And a re-read of one of my favorites, gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson. I discovered Southern fiction the first time I read this novel—and fell in love with the genre. The author completely captures the flavor of life in a small Southern town, and you should absolutely read this. Plus, she captivated me from the very first line…”There are gods in Alabama…”
Books Read in November: 17
Books Read for the Year: 188/200
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Echo Island, by Jared C. Wilson (TBR). I wasn’t too impressed with this, honestly. An okay read, but that’s it.
The Dead Don’t Dance, by Charles Martin (audio, TBR). Awesome, just like everything else by this author.
The Iron Queen, by Julie Kagawa (re-read). Loved it, again.
Need, by Carrie Jones (re-read). This was an underwhelming re-read, but I think I’ll give the second one a try and see if it gets better.
Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater (re-read). This re-read was as good as I remembered it.
Dancing on the Head of a Pin, by Robert Benson (TBR). This was an interesting glimpse into a writer’s life.
English Lessons, by Andrea Lucado (TBR). I really enjoyed this narrative nonfiction read!
Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis (TBR). I really enjoyed this re-telling of a myth!
For Review:
The Fiction Writer, by Jillian Cantor. This was a little too meta for me, and the MC kept doing phenomenally stupid things.
Shards of Glass, by Michelle Sagara. I love this series of books, and I was excited to read this one, even if it wasn’t about Kaylin. Another excellent adventure that kept me glued to the page!
The Curse of Penryth Hall, by Jess Armstrong (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this quite a bit. Ruby was a lot of fun to read, and I liked the setting and everything going on in the novel at all times. I never figured out who the killer was, either.
This Cursed Light, by Emily Thiede (review forthcoming). I loved this! Alessa and Dante! They have the best relationship, and I loved how they both grow and change during this story.
Our Cursed Love, by Julie Abe (review forthcoming). I really enjoyed this romance/fantasy/hidden-world-of-magic read.
Just Because:
Spirit of the Wood, by Kristen Britain (TBR). I really enjoy everything in this series.
On Writing, by Stephen King (re-read). I’m not sure how many times I’ve read this, but I still love it.
Dirty Thirty, by Janet Evanovich. Man. Talk about a cliffhanger ending!
gods in Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson. this is probably one of my top ten favorite books of all time… and it was just as good on this read. This is the book in which I discovered Southern fiction was a thing.
Left Unfinished:
Plot Twist, by Erin LaRosa. I’m not into frivolous and obsessed-with-what-people-think-of-them main characters. This is the second one of LaRosa’s books I’ve DNFed, so I probably should just accept that no matter how appealing her books sound, they’re just not a good fit for me.
Artifacts of an Ex, by Jennifer Chen. I completely appreciated the MC’s obsession with planning, but wasn’t a fan of her careless and juvenile behavior.
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord, by Celeste Connally. Look, if I’ve read a third of the book and the MC says she doesn’t care about the ton and societal expectations but that’s all she can think about, and if all the male characters seem to be either foolish, demeaning, or borderline evil, well, I have no interest in finishing reading
This Spells Love, by Kat Robb. I liked the idea of this, but Gemma moping around and feeling sorry for herself—and repeatedly getting drunk—just didn’t do it for me. People like that annoy me, so I didn’t want to spend any more time with her.
Title: The Fiction Writer
Author: Jillian Cantor
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Last night I dreamt I went to Malibu again…
The once-rising literary star Olivia Fitzgerald is down on her luck. Her most recent novel—a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca—was a flop, her boyfriend of nine years just dumped her and she’s battling a bad case of writer’s block. So when her agent calls her with a high-paying ghostwriting opportunity, Olivia is all too willing to sign the NDA.
At first, the write-for-hire job seems too good to be true. All she has to do is interview Henry “Ash” Asherwood, a reclusive mega billionaire, twice named People’s Sexiest Man Alive, who wants her help in writing a book that reveals a shocking secret about his late grandmother and Daphne du Maurier. But when Olivia arrives at his Malibu estate, nothing is as it seems. The more Olivia digs into his grandmother’s past, the more questions she has—and before she knows it, she’s trapped in a gothic mystery of her own.
This book was a little too meta for me. A re-telling of Rebecca about the initial telling of Rebecca—with questions about who told Rebecca first—and an extra helping of Rebecca thrown in for good measure. It just ended up being confusing. It was a quick read, so I kept reading, but Olivia wasn’t the brightest light, continually putting herself in chancy situations and letting people use and abuse her. So, an interesting concept, but in the end, not a good fit for me.
Jillian Cantor is a bestselling author. The Fiction Writer is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Shards of Glass
Author: Michelle Sagara
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5
The Academia, once an elite proving ground for the rulers of the world, has been frozen for centuries. Now its strange slumber has ended, and a new Chancellor, an orange-eyed dragon, has reopened its lecture halls and readied its dorms. In order to thrive once more, however, the Academia needs fresh blood—new students with a passion and talent for learning.
One such student, Robin, has the perfect recruit in his friend Raven, an orphan who lives in the dangerous Warrens. Robin grew up in the Warrens, and he wouldn’t have made it if not for Raven. He knows she’ll be safe at the Academia, where her unusual gifts can be appreciated.
But when students start turning up dead, the campus threatens to collapse completely. Raven and Robin will not let that happen to their new home…if they can survive long enough to figure out who—or what—is trying to kill them.
This is another excellent read in the Chronicles of Elantra series. I do love Kaylin and the other main characters, but I really enjoyed this read as well. This world is so well-done and vibrant, it’s fascinating to read about. I highly recommend this! I binged it in two days.
Michelle Sagara lives in Toronto. Shards of Glass is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Plot Twist
Author: Erin La Rosa
Genre: Romance
Rating: DNF
Romance author Sophie Lyon’s ironic secret just went viral: she’s never been in love. Though her debut novel made readers swoon, Sophie’s having trouble getting her new characters to happily-ever-after, and she blames it on her own uninspired love life. With a manuscript deadline looming, Sophie makes an ambitious plan to overcome her writer’s block: reunite with her exes to learn why she’s never fallen in love—and document it all for her millions of new online followers. Which also means facing her ex-girlfriend Carla, the one person Sophie could have loved.
Luckily, Sophie’s reclusive landlord, Dash Montrose—a former teen heartthrob—has social media all figured out and offers to help. But he doesn’t mention that he’s an anonymous online crafter, a hobby that helps him maintain his sobriety. No one knows about his complicated relationship with alcohol and he intends to keep it that way. His family is Hollywood royalty, so Dash has to steer clear of scandal.
As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover a heat between them that rivals Dash’s pottery kiln. But Sophie needs to figure out who she is outside her relationships, and Dash isn’t sure he’s stable enough for the commitment she deserves. So Sophie suggests what any good romance author would: a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Surely a casual relationship won’t cause any trouble…
I’m not into frivolous and obsessed-with-what-people-think-of-them main characters. This is the second one of LaRosa’s books I’ve DNFed, so I probably should just accept that no matter how appealing her books sound, they’re just not a good fit for me.
Erin La Rosa lives in L.A. Plot Twist is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing/Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Never Wager with a Wallflower
Author: Virginia Heath
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Miss Venus Merriwell has been waiting for her prince to come since the tender age of fourteen. She wants a man who is a selfless academic like her, and free from all the wretched vices her gambler father enjoyed far too much before he left the Merriwell sisters practically destitute. Unfortunately, after a slew of romantic disappointments, there is still no sign of that prince at twenty-three and the only one true love of her life is the bursting-at-the-seams orphanage in Covent Garden that she works tirelessly for. An orphanage that desperately needs to expand into the empty building next door.
For Galahad Sinclair, gambling isn’t just his life, it’s in his blood. He grew up and learned the trade at his grandfather’s knee in a tavern on the far away banks of the Hudson in New York. But when fate took all that away and dragged him across the sea to London, it made sense to set up shop here. He’s spent five years making a success out of his gaming hall in the sleazy docks of the East End. Enough that he can finally afford to buy the pleasure palace of his dreams—and where better than in the capital’s sinful heart, Covent Garden? The only fly in his ointment is the perfect building he’s just bought to put it in also happens to be right next door to the orphanage run by his cousin’s wife’s youngest sister. A pious, disapproving and unsettling siren he has avoided like the plague since she flattened him five years ago.
While Venus and Galahad lock horns over practically everything, and while her malevolent orphans do their darndest to sabotage his lifelong dream, can either of them take the ultimate gamble—and learn to love thy neighbor?
I really enjoyed the other two books in this series, and this was a solid read, too. Venus is pretty judgmental and narrow-minded when it comes to Gal, even blaming him for things that are not his fault. I didn’t care for that aspect of her personality, or her blindness about men, which seemed almost willful. I liked Gal a lot, and I enjoyed watching the two of them change a bit as they got to know each other. This was a fun read.
Virginia Heath is an award-winning author. Never Wager with a Wallflower is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Swarm
Author: Jennifer Lyle
Genre: YA
Rating: 3.2 out of 5
Sixteen year-old Shur is one of the first to see the creatures. While staring out the window in history class, she spots one floating over the soccer field. It looks like a monarch butterfly—but it’s huge. Within minutes, her classmates’ phones are buzzing with emergency alerts. These things are everywhere, and though nobody’s exactly sure why the alerts are telling them to take cover, Shur knows it can’t be good. It’s only when she’s left school and headed home that she what the creatures do: they attack.
By the time Shur, her two brothers, and their two best friends make it back to her house, it’s clear the five of them must survive whatever comes next on their own.
As the “butterflies”—new hybrid creatures thought to be created by climate change—multiply and swarm outside, anxiety-prone Shur focuses on what she can control: boarding up windows, stocking food, and preparing a shelter in the basement. They lose internet and power while vigilantes create terror outside. Meanwhile the creatures begin to fulfill their ultimate purpose: multiplying via parasitic load, and before long, the butterflies aren’t the only thing trying to get in. To protect her family and survive the invasions, Shur must find the strength to protect their sanctuary at any cost.
This was an okay read, but some of it was far-fetched to me. And I’m not talking about the giant killer butterflies. I am talking about this group of survivors not thinking it important to cover the upstairs windows with more than curtains, or them basically sending out an invitation telling people where they are—after witnessing a group of thugs shooting up the street randomly. I mean, really? Those things were enough to detract from any enjoyment I might have had in the story itself, because blatant stupidity isn’t something I enjoy in other people, so why would I want to read about it?
Jennifer Lyle’s debut novel is Swarm.
(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)
In October, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 171 books read. Most of those were solid reads, but a few of them were really good.
The Iron Daughter, by Julie Kagawa. This is a re-read of this series for me (Well, a re-read of the original books with Meghan and Ash anyway.). I love these characters and this world, and if you haven’t read them, you should. Actually, anything by Julie Kagawa is a pretty solid bet.
Send Down the Rain, by Charles Martin. Yes, another Charles Martin book is one of my best reads for the month. I can’t help it. He’s phenomenal, and he has an extensive backlist that I haven’t read yet. Also, his newest book, The Last Exchange, by Charles Martin, is very highly recommended—and not on his backlist, as it just came out in October. Go read it. And anything else by him.
The Unmaking of June Farrow, by Adrienne Young. This wasn’t quite what I expected, but I loved it. I’ve read all of her novels and loved them all, and this is another great read. The time travel aspect might mess with your mind a little bit, but you’ll be fine.
Books Read in October: 17
Books Read for the Year: 171/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Iron Daughter, by Julie Kagawa (re-read). Still loving these characters.
Signs and Secrets of the Messiah, by Jason Sobel (spiritual). Fascinating read, although a bit over my head in places.
This Outside Life, by Laurie Ostby Kehler (spiritual). I loved reading about all these different places.
Taste of Darkness, by Maria V. Snyder (TBR). Loved this wrap-up to this trilogy.
Send Down the Rain, by Charles Martin (TBR, audio). I loved this!
The Lost Bookshop, by Evie Woods (TBR). I do like a good magical realism book, and this one qualified.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, by Robert Dugoni (TBR). This was sometimes good, sometimes frustrating (Sam’s mom’s single-mindedness), and sometimes magical.
After Death, by Dean Koontz (TBR). This was a little terrifying.
For Review:
The Hurricane Wars, by Thea Guanzon. The first…third or so of this was so plainly a Reylo fanfic that it grated on me (down to the character descriptions), but I was intrigued enough by the world to keep reading—and I’m happy to say it improved.
The Unmaking of June Farrow, by Adrienne Young. This was a fantastic read! I was just as confused as the MC for most of the novel, which made everything that much more believable!
Unholy Terrors, by Lyndall Clipstone. This was a very atmospheric read, but I frequently felt like the characters were going around in circles. I wanted to know more about the culture and the peoples, but sadly, that was not to be.
Highlands Christmas – Wishes Come True, by Amy Quick Parrish. This was a novella, so at least it was a very quick read. Other than that…although the setting was cool, I feel like this was just a meh read.
The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch, by Jacqueline Firkins. I loved the friendship triangle in this book. I found the small town setting with somehow an almost-unlimited dating pool a bit farfetched. I didn’t like that it made it seem like Eliot was the one with all the issues, while Imogen was a doormat/opportunity for sex for 17 different men—and that wasn’t treated as much of an issue.
When I’m Dead, by Hannah Morrissey. I DNFed the first book in this series, so I’m not sure why I read this one. It was solidly written, but it just felt like the setting was so dark, and I didn’t much care for the two MCs.
Swarm, by Jennifer Lyle (review forthcoming). Another meh read filled with actions that didn’t make much sense.
Never Wager with a Wallflower, by Virginia Heath. This was a cute wrap-up to a trilogy I enjoyed, although I thought Venus was so focused on blaming Gal she couldn’t see that some things just weren’t his fault.
Just Because:
Life, by Lisa Harper (devotional. Loved this!
Left Unfinished:
The Mis-Arrangement of Sana Saeed, by Noreen Mughees. I like reading books set in cultures different from my own, but I do not like getting thrown into strange languages and customs with almost zero clarification. This made me put the book down.
Love Interest, by Clare Gilmore. I made it three pages before Casey annoyed me so much by being critical, judgmental, and condescending that I stopped reading immediately.
Silent City, by Sarah Davis-Goff. I hadn’t read the first one, but that wasn’t what made me put this down. After 10%, the choppy, messy writing style just didn’t work for me.
Sisters Under the Rising Sun, by Heather Morris. I love World War II historical fiction, but the first 5% of this did not work for me. It felt completely chaotic and jumbled together, and I just didn’t care to read more.
The Fatal Folio, by Elizabeth Penney. This was the first of this series I’d picked up, and it sounds perfect for me: books and a cozy mystery? I read about 20% of it, but I just wasn’t interested in the characters enough to keep reading.
The Boy from the Sea, by H.L. Macfarlane. I just couldn’t deal with Grace’s obsessions with Lir. Stalker much? If I don’t like the characters, I don’t bother reading more, and I didn’t like Grace.
What the River Knows, by Isabel Ibañez. This sounds like it would be right up my alley, but it felt slow and almost juvenile in the beginning, and Inez, is so naive and even childish as to be annoying. I just couldn’t connect with her, so I lost interest.
The Future, by Naomi Alderman. I just cannot read about characters I don’t like, and this selfish, self-absorbed group were too much.
The Porcelain Maker, by Sarah Freethy. This sounded so good—and might have been. But, when I had to put if down for 24 hours due to life being busy, I wasn’t looking forward to picking it up. and was just sort of blah about it, so it obviously wasn’t holding my attention.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 