Books I read in 2024, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Other Genres, Fiction—Everything Else.
(RR) means re-read
(P) means read on paper
(A) means listened to it on audio
Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America, Amy Butcher
Oof. I should have checked content warnings on this one before I read it. Still would have read it probably but would have been able to armor myself a bit first. I picked it up during a time I’d read a couple other books about long haul trucking then it sat on my Kindle for a while so I’d forgotten anything I knew about it other than the trucking part. I’m glad I finally read it but it had some tough spots for me emotionally.
The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, Thad Carhart (P)
I picked this up at the library on a whim while looking for another book I needed to meet a StoryGraph challenge. I don’t play piano and have spent only a handful of days in Paris, but I found this charming and interesting nonetheless.
The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband, David Finch
This has been on my virtual TBR pile for literally years; finally circled back around and found a library I have access to with the ebook. The emphasis here is on memoir, and I think I was originally hoping for more an actual guide to best practices. That’s on me.
98% Funky Stuff: My Life in Music, Maceo Parker (P)
I happened to pick this up at the library when I was looking for a book to meet a challenge I’m doing on StoryGraph. I appreciated learning about times and people I hadn’t really been exposed to. Wish there’d been more emotion in the stories (but maybe that was just a mismatch between my style of relating and the author’s).
The Protest Singer, Alec Wilkinson (P)
Just the right amount of information. Scary to think that if the US election this fall goes to the GOP, we might see a revival of the House Un-American Activities Committee like the one Mr. Seeger was called in front of.
Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Loved how direct this is and how good the ideas are.
Extra Focus: The Quick Start Guide to Adult ADHD, Jesse J. Anderson
I found it quite appropriate that it took me a long time to finish this rather short book because a) I got distracted by other books and b) two separate times it disappeared from my Kindle because I failed to notice that my library loan period had expired before I connected to wifi and I had to get back on the hold list. Some of this was stuff I already knew, of course, but there were a few moments when I felt really validated about why I struggle to do things sometimes.
Polysecure, Jessica Fern
A friend recommended this as a better polyam book than More Than Two (which I struggled mightily to finish). They were right. Think this is helpful even for monoam folks because it lays out attachment theory in an understandable way before getting into the polyam applications of it.
I Love Myself When I Am Laughing … And Then Again When I Am Mean & Impressive: A Zora Neale Hurston Reader, Zora Neal Hurston, edited by Alice Walker
I am glad there was some context provided to help me understand the original works. I could have done with a glossary, too, for some of the vernacular.
Pushed Out, Ryanne Pilgeram
Found this very interesting, as it’s about development in a town I drive past regularly here in the Idaho panhandle, and I am myself an “amenity migrant” (though I hadn’t heard that term before I read this book). Appreciated learning more about the history of this area, too. It’s written by an academic, so it has that type of structure, which I’m not used to reading, but it was not at all jargon-y or impenetrable the way some academic texts I’ve read before have been.
Naked at Our Age, Joan Price (P)
Bought this in paper because I wanted to support the local business I stopped in at on a trip. It turned out to be really good. I liked the mix of personal stories and advice from professionals. I liked the breadth of topics covered. I might need to read the author’s earlier book, too.
Men Explain Things to Me, Rebecca Solnit
As with most collections, some of the essays resonated more for me than others. Glad I read it despite the sometimes challenging material.
Redirect, Timothy D. Wilson
Often this was a slog for me. Same points made repeatedly (though about different programs/approaches). I was looking for more practical advice on how to use the story editing technique in my own life.
More Than Two, Franklin Veaux and Eve Rickert
As I’ve widened my social circle in retirement, I’ve met some people who are poly. Picked up this book to get more insight into that style of relationship. I found it slow going to read, then found some postings online about abuse allegations against the male co-author, so put it down for quite a while. Finally decided to finish it because it seems to be a foundational text in the area.
Ingredients: The Strange Chemistry of What We Put in Us and on Us, George Zaidan
Don’t ignore the chemistry part of the subtitle; if that science is not your thing, some of this book will be a challenge. Also don’t miss reading the footnotes, as some of them are rather entertaining. I learned a few things about science and headlines but not much about what to do about my diet, which I guess wasn’t what this book was about necessarily.
Fix Her Up, Tessa Bailey
A contemporary romance that worked for me pretty darn well.
Never Seduce a Scot, Maya Banks
A quick enjoyable read despite a few upsetting moments. Ended rather abruptly.
Educating Caroline, Patricia Cabot
Finding comfort in historical romance now. This is a good one.
Her Soldier, Silke Campion
Felt very much like being dropped into the middle of something and not given enough information to get oriented. Some lack of explicit consent at least early in the story.
A Proposal They Can’t Refuse , Natalie Caña
I pretty much put the other books I was reading on hold to finish this one, so that’s a good indication of how much I liked it.
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, KJ Charles
Mmm, yes.
Any Old Diamonds, KJ Charles
This went some places I didn’t expect. I liked it.
A Night to Surrender, Tessa Dare
Enjoyable, though some things didn’t click for me.
Top Priority, Cara Dee
Unlike the previous two erotic shorts I read, this one seemed like a complete story to me. I liked it so much I’m thinking I’ll continue the series.
Bringing Down the Duke, Evie Dunmore
I think this is a good historical romance, though some of the elements may be too realistic for me at this particular time in my life.
Preferential Treatment , Heather Guerre
This was on my TBR for ages but none of the libraries I have access to had it, so I kept putting it off because there are plenty of other books I can check out. Finally bought it so I could complete a challenge on StoryGraph and wow was it worth it. Right up my alley, this one.
Dragon Bound, Thea Harrison
Sometimes a plot is just so out there that it just busts right through my tendency to question every little thing. I sped through this and added the rest of the series to my TBR.
Storm’s Heart, Thea Harrison
Enjoyed this almost as much as the first book in the series. Read the teaser for the next one that was included and not as sure about that but will probably pick it up at some point.
The Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon, Sarah Hawley
This one grabbed me from the start. Enough fantasy so I didn’t question things but real stakes.
A Little Kissing Between Friends, Chencia C. Higgins
Had a struggle getting into this one and wasn’t sure it was for me … I couldn’t keep the characters straight (one has three names she’s called), I don’t know the slang, I’m just not cool enough. But I persevered and it turned out fine, along with giving me a peek into a part of the world I don’t see in my regular life.
The Beast of Beswick, Amalie Howard
I appreciate being able to escape into a historical even when maybe the history parts aren’t quite accurate. I’ve put the next book on my TBR as I’m curious to see how it meshes with this one.
Krampusnacht, Imani Joy
Super quickie that I wished for more of.
Flowers from the Storm, Laura Kinsale
For me, this had too much frustration and deceit.
Suddenly You, Lisa Kleypas (RR)
Picked this for a re-reading challenge because it came up in another context, and I was about to put it on my “to read” list when I noticed I’d already read it, but that was back in 2007 so I remembered pretty much nothing about it. It grabbed me again. I feel like I probably felt more empathy for one of the secondary characters this time through, but can’t confirm since my notes from 2007 don’t address that situation.
Chasing Cassandra, Lisa Kleypas
One of those books that made me pretty much ignore the other books I was reading. Lisa Kleypas is good at writing romance novels. (Where’s that t-shirt?)
Set on You, Amy Lea
Took me a while to finish this, which is a me problem, not the book’s fault. Contemporaries are harder for me, and this is one, and some of the content was uncomfortable for me (body issue stuff).
Dare to Love a Duke, Eva Leigh
Heroine had a job unlike in any other historical I’ve read. Ending stretched my credulity a bit.
Stolen Desire, Robin Lovett
More than once I had to stop and ask myself “what the heck are you reading here?” I always kept going, though.
A Rogue by Any Other Name, Sara MacLean
Liked this so much that I neglected my other books in progress until I was done.
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover, Sarah MacLean
I raced through the first three-quarters of this then stalled out, and I’m not sure why. Maybe because as I got closer to the end, I couldn’t see how things could be wrapped up in the pages remaining, and indeed they weren’t. The HEA is there, yes, but some big questions remain. Perhaps those will be touched on in later books in the series.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, Sangu Mandanna
This grabbed me from the start and I pretty much abandoned my other reads in progress until I finished. It’s cozy and the magic feels believable.
The Duke Who Didn’t, Courtney Milan
Glad to read a historical that wasn’t all white folks. The plot and characters worked for me, and I loved the afterword which added context from the author’s research.
Her Night With the Duke, Diana Quincy
Loved this. Did not see how the hero and heroine were going to make it work (though knowing they would made that bearable to read). Wanted more of the world so started re-reading the second book in the series (which I read first) pretty much right away.
The Viscount Made Me Do It, Diana Quincy (RR)
This held up for me on a re-read.
The Marquess Makes His Move, Diana Quincy
Figured I might as well finish the series, though now I’m sad I’ve finished the series because I really like it.
The Duke Gets Desperate, Diana Quincy
Continuing to enjoy Diana Quincy books.
Snowbound Princess, Adaline Raine
This had enough editing issues that my brain got distracted regularly. Things like MMC removes his boots in one scene, then makes several trips out to the car in the snowy driveway without putting them back on. Things like sentences that didn’t quite make sense. The setup seemed a bit sketchy, too … letting yourself into someone’s house with a key you haven’t used in years when you know someone is home who doesn’t know you’re coming (and whom you haven’t interacted with in years) seems wrong to me.
Plush, Alexis Ray
If you’re looking for a short erotica which is a main course of vanilla sex with a small side order of BDSM, this is probably for you. It wasn’t for me, as I was filled with questions this short story didn’t have time to answer.
Every Last Breath, Juno Rushdan
If this weren’t for a reading challenge, I probably would have abandoned it, as it is not for me, being too heavy on the suspense/thrills/violence and too light on the romance for my tastes.
The Kingmaker, Kennedy Ryan
Read this for a StoryGraph challenge. Wish I’d known how it ended (spoiler in content warnings over on StoryGraph). Guess that’s on me for not doing more research, but it came from source that generally doesn’t recommend books with that sort of ending, so I let my guard down. The story is good, though too rooted in current events for me to fully enjoy (current events are pretty depressing, and I prefer not to deal with them in my pleasure reads).
Queen Move, Kennedy Ryan
Took me a long while to get through this book, and I’m not sure why. Maybe if I hadn’t skipped the second in the series? It’s not a bad book, just not for me at this time.
Joy of the Season, Heather Scarlett
A Hallmark Christmas movie in novella form. Perfectly good if that’s what you’re in the mood for, and I was.
We Could Be So Good, Cat Sebastian
I’m not sure if I’ve read 1950s historical romance before, much less a gay. I liked this one.
You Should Be So Lucky, Cat Sebastian
I want more of this series. Acknowledges the climate these gay men have to live in but doesn’t let that dampen the sweetness and kindness and caring of the main characters’ relationship.
Repeat, Kylie Scott
Contemporary romance is not my go to, but this one worked pretty well for me.
The Devil of Downtown, Joanna Shupe
This felt so familiar to me that I thought I’d already read it. Checked my ebook purchase and library loan history and didn’t find any evidence of that, so kept going. Several chapters in it started to feel less familiar, so I’m guessing I read/heard a preview of a few chapters somewhere. I did like the story, no surprise since I enjoyed the earlier books in the series.
Omega’s Fate, Rosa Swann and Wolf Specter
My first toe dip into the omegaverse (I think this is the omegaverse??). This didn’t sell me on it, seemed like a book that was written quickly as a teaser with KU in mind.
An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good, Helene Thurston
Picked this based on the title from a list of books that would meet the requirements for a reading challenge. Wasn’t quite prepared for what the “no good” involved but did like the stories.
All Systems Red, Artificial Condition,
Rouge Protocol, Exit Strategy, Network Effect, Martha Wells (RR)
Time for these comfort re-reads. (Didn’t quite read them back to back to back but close enough to group them this way here.)
Just Past Two, Elia Winters
At first, this read sort of clunky to me, with awkward narration, but that faded as the action heated up.
Lovers at the Museum, Isabel Allende
Loved this magical realism short story.
Cut and Thirst, Margaret Atwood
Some entertaining moments but in the end this story was not for me.
Melissa (previously published as GEORGE), Alex Gino
This is exactly the sort of book MAGAts are challenging in Idaho libraries. I’m sure none of them have read it. I of course liked it a lot. There were some uncomfortable parts, in the way that middle school can be uncomfortable, but they rang true.
When We Were Friends, Jane Green
I kept waiting for things to go wrong in this but when they did I was more annoyed than shocked.
Natural Selection, Elin Hilderbrand
This short story worked pretty well for me. Left feeling hopeful, not annoyed or sad as often happens to me with non-romance fiction.
Sunshine Nails, Mai Nguyen
I liked it for the look into a part of the world I wouldn’t otherwise see from that angle.
Children of the Whales, Vol. 1, Abi Umeda (P)
I believe this is the first manga I’ve read. I knew from the Japanese quilting magazines I perused back in the day how to read “back to front” and right to left otherwise I might have been more confused. I don’t think I’m going to check the other volumes out of the library; it wasn’t a bad story, just not for me, I think.
Books I read in 2023, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Other Genres, Fiction—Everything Else.
(RR) means re-read
(P) means read on paper
(A) means listened to it on audio
Beyond Magenta, Susan Kuklin
Given the persecution of trans youth by the GOP, it felt important to read about some of them in their own words in this book.
The Magic of Pockets, Jess Driscoll
I have some sewing experience, so some of this was information I’d already been exposed to, but that’s fine. I liked the variety of ideas here, both for altering garments and making external pockets, as in pouches and bags.
The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls, Mona Eltahawy
Thought provoking.
A Libertarian Walks into a Bear, Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling
There are a fair few libertarians around me, so I picked this up. Some of it felt super familiar, even though this is set in New Hampshire and I’m all the way across the country.
Niksen, Annette Lavrisjen
I wish I’d read this one in paper, as I have the idea that the illustrations would have been even more charming in color (my Kindle is old and doesn’t do color). The non-illustration content seemed not as helpful as I’d hoped … maybe because I’m already pretty good at doing nothing. There were a couple of nuggets but overall I was left unsatisfied.
Chef’s Kiss, TJ Alexander (P)
Really liked the inclusiveness of this. Didn’t like the work stress the characters were under but that’s realistic.
Sweep of the Heart, Ilona Andrews
I liked being back in this world.
More Than a Mistress, Mary Balogh
Entertaining.
Written in the Stars, Alexandria Bellefleur
Yes, more like this please.
The Fiancee Farce, Alexandra Bellefleur
Loved this. I cut my romance reading teeth on marriage in name only books so the fake fiancee trope is a deep groove in my brain, and this contemporary version just delighted me.
The Viscount’s Secret, Emma Brady
This novella could have been a delightful treat except the version I have on my Kindle has so many editing/proofreading issues that I kept getting distracted by those instead of rolling along with the story.
Band Sinister, KJ Charles
I didn’t remember much about this book by the time I started reading it, so as I began, I was confused about who the main characters were going to be or if this was even a romance. I was still enjoying it even before I figured it out, and continued to enjoy it. I’m just sorry it’s a standalone.
Georgie, All Along, Kate Clayborn
This felt realistic to me, which is saying a lot for a contemporary, as those usually give my brain problems in that area.
American Star, Jackie Collins
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a Jackie Collins before. This could be (maybe was?) a mini-series, with the long time line, many characters, and wild plot points.
How the Dukes Stole Christmas, Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, Joanna Shupe
Liked the small connection between the stories. One of these would definitely have been better as a full length novel, as there was not near enough time for grovelling on the part of the hero.
Her Virgin Duke, Nicola Davidson
So wish this had been a full novel because I really enjoyed it.
Rogue Royal, Elouise East
No idea how long this had been languishing on my Kindle. Since I didn’t remember getting it or anything about it, I was surprised by some things in the world of this novel.
The Earl’s Christmas Pearl, Megan Frampton
Short yet didn’t feel incomplete. I do want to know more about this couple … maybe they show up as secondary characters in another book in the series?
Earls Prize Curves, Jemma Frost
A quick cozy read. Just what I needed.
Permanent Ink, Avon Gale & Piper Vaughan
Yes. Age gap is not a trope I usually like but it worked for me here.
Talk Dirty to Me, London Hale
More reading for the Fated Mates challenge on StoryGraph. This author’s tagline is “just the right side of wrong”, and yeah, that fits. I chose this particular book for the challenge since it seemed to have the most distance from where I draw that line. It was fine but I think my tastes are just changing and erotica doesn’t hit the way it used to.
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, Adriana Herrera
A refreshing historical romance.
Her Night with Santa, Adriana Herrera
Don’t let Santa in the title fool you; this is not a kids’ book. I liked the world building here enough to want to read full length books in the series.
Get a Life Chloe Brown, Talia Hibbert (P)
Appreciated that the struggles here for both the main characters felt realistic and were woven into the romance plot so skillfully.
Solid Soul, Brenda Jackson
The writing style didn’t engage me overmuch but I liked the story.
Hana Khan Carries On, Uzma Jalaluddin
Given that I live near many white Christian nationalists, some parts of this were very uncomfortable to read since they hit too close to home. I wish I hadn’t read the blurb I did before I picked this up, as it took away some of the sense of discovery for me as the plot unfolded.
Something About You, Julie James
Based on the blurb, it seemed this wasn’t something I’d like, but I did.
Hold, Claire Kent
Bit too brutal for me. The short length and happy ended helped.
Adam and Eva, Sandra Kitt
Part of my effort to read more books with non-white leads. This particular one didn’t click for me, but I’m still in my reading slump so it’s not the book’s fault.
Marrying Winterborne, Lisa Kleypas
This flouts romance conventions, which I appreciated. Especially because I knew things would work out okay.
A Countess for Christmas, Anthea Lawson
Short and sweet.
Butterfly Swords, Jeannie Lin
Read this for the atypical setting for a historical romance.
Running Scared, Elizabeth Lowell
More suspense and violence in this one than I generally like in my reading life but I found many of the characters engaging.
Heartbreaker, Sarah MacLean
Enjoyed this more than the first in the series.
Knockout, Sarah MacLean
This author continues to hold my interest. I liked the afterword explaining how the characters and events in the book tie into actual history.
Stealing Midnight, Tracy MacNish (P)
Check your content warnings on this one before reading, folks, if you’re a sensitive soul like me.
Her Best Worst Mistake, Sarah Mayberry
This was one of those “I’m not sure how this is going to work out” ones for me. But of course it did. I liked it a lot.
The Governess Affair, Courtney Milan
I found this backstory to the Brothers Sinister series delightful. Given how my brain works, I’d forgotten I’d read the first few books in that series until maybe ¾ of the way through but it didn’t matter.
A Kiss for Midwinter, Courtney Milan
Another enjoyable novella that fits into the Brothers Sinister series.
Her Perfect Affair, Priscilla Oliveras
This is subtitled “a feel-good multicultural romance”, but I did not feel good for a lot of it. Too much uncertainty and stress.
The Companion, EE Ottoman
This felt cozy. I admit I was confused about the genders of the characters but that’s a me problem, not the book’s.
Ain’t She Sweet, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
I knew going in that this has some uncomfortable subject matter, so I was wary, but wow did I get pulled in.
The Viscount Made Me Do It, Diana Quincy
Unlike the last two books I read, this one grabbed me much more strongly and I finished it pretty quickly and want to read more in the series.
Her Halloween Treat, Tiffany Reisz
Just what I needed. I’ve seen this recommended a lot but kept putting off reading it because it’s not in any library I have access to and I never remembered to buy it around Halloween time. But I wanted something fun and decided to just buy it, and I’m glad I did. It’s not super tied to Halloween, so that wasn’t an issue at all reading it in March.
Hot Ice, Nora Roberts
All the smoking definitely dates this one. Don’t think I’ve ever read a book set in Madagascar before.
The Dating Playbook, Farrah Rochon
This didn’t play out exactly like I thought it would early on, though still satisfying.
Compromised into a Scandalous Marriage, Lydia San Andres
I had to read this on my tablet because Hoopla, and even though the print was small and the navigation was awkward, I enjoyed the story enough to put up with that.
Lead, Kylie Scott
The first in the series wasn’t quite for me, but I gave the second a chance because it had a different trope. It was a better fit, so I figured I’d finish the series. One down, one to go. I still don’t quite click with these for some reason though I can see the appeal.
His Little Saloon Girl, Amelia Smarts
Not really my thing, but a quick read.
Passion, Lisa Valdez
Another book that didn’t work as well for me as I’d hoped. Maybe my tastes are changing; maybe I’m in a funk. This started with a bang, and then banged again and again to the point where I was craving exposition. The ending felt rushed to me. All that said, I might read the next book in the series because I did like the writing, if not the plotting.
Gaywyck, Vincent Virga
If I hadn’t been reading this for a podcast challenge, and if I hadn’t had to buy it, I might not have finished it. Gothic is not my jam. Age gap when there are no vampires/immortals involved is not my jam. I’d also say look at content warnings on StoryGraph before you decide to read this.
All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rouge Protocol, Exit Strategy, and Fugitive Telemetry, Martha Wells
Another re-read of these favorites of mine.
Network Effect, Martha Wells (RR)
A comfort re-read of this favorite of mine.
System Collapse, Martha Wells
I was so excited for this new Murderbot book, maybe too much so, as for the first two thirds of the book it was not grabbing me. I’d sort of forgotten where the story left off and there wasn’t a “previously on” section to remind me, and there was an important chunk of the story left unexplained until well into this installment. But at some point, things clicked for me, and I felt immersed in the world again and was rooting for the characters and excited to see what comes next.
Fake It ‘Til You Bake It, Jamie Wesley
A contemporary romance that worked for me.
The Wolf and the Dove, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
If I hadn’t been reading this for a challenge, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. These old historicals are rife with stuff I don’t want to read about. This one also had some plot points that were too far for me to stretch my credulity.
Hidden, Rebecca Zanetti
Another one I didn’t think would be for me, but it held my attention.
The Maze, Catherine Coulter
Another not my cup of tea book I read for a challenge on StoryGraph. This was easier for me to take than The Face of Deception, maybe because the heroine seemed to have more agency.
The Regional Office is Under Attack, Manual Gonzales
I think this is a good book but for someone else. Or maybe for me at a different time in my life. Now, I found it melancholy and somewhat confusing to follow.
The Face of Deception, Iris Johansen
If I weren’t reading this for a StoryGraph challenge, I probably would have DNFed it because it’s not my type of book at all. Too much violence, too much tension.
So Happy for You, Celia Laskey
This was weird for me. The horror was both too unbelievable and too close to reality at different times.
Emma: A Modern Retelling, Alexander McCall Smith
Someday I may read the original Emma (I tried, and I’ll probably try again someday), but for now this will have to do.
Books I read in 2022, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Other Genres, Fiction—Everything Else.
(RR) means re-read
(P) means read on paper
(A) means listened to it on audio
I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy
I’m the wrong age to have known this author for her work as an actress so had no image of her to contrast with the reality behind the scenes. There’s a lot of content to warm about in this one. I wished for more followup on a couple of the events but I’m sure it’s hard to know what to cover when there’s so much material.
You Don’t Look Like Anyone I Know, Heather Sellers
This was a tough read for me at times. Glad I picked it up despite that.
Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, Maya Washington
As an alum of Michigan State and a person who’s watched a fair few Minnesota Vikings games, I appreciated this biography of a man who played football in both places so I could learn some of the history I hadn’t been exposed to before. Also as an alum of MSU, I wish the title had been “On the Banks of the Red Cedar” because I have a deep groove in my brain from singing that opening line to the fight song so many times as a student. I’d like to track down the documentary film that covers this same ground.
The Vagina Bible, Dr. Jen Gunter
This is comprehensive. I consider myself pretty informed about women’s health thanks to a mom who let me read her copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves pretty young. Still I learned some things from this book and have made one change in my daily routine and am considering another.
Powder Days, Heather Hansman This collection of meditations on ski bums and the ski industry sort of bummed me out. I missed the golden age of skiing and ski bumming, which is okay for me since I don’t have the drive that classic ski bums do and due to circumstances I can afford to participate in the sport that’s out of reach of a lot of people now that small ski hills are disappearing.
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America, Ijeoma Oluo
I learned some things from this. I am not as hopeful as the author that we as a country can change.
Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff, Matt Paxton
I have stuff from several households and several generations, including my own, that I know I can’t take with me the next time I move. I don’t know that I’m going to take much from this book, though, as the key to his method is telling your stories to someone outside the immediate family, which I don’t see as practical for me. Unless I count writing journal entries about the stories and posting them online, which I don’t think he had in mind.
Whiteout, Adriana Anders
More suspense than I usually go for in my reading. Definitely could have done without the epilogue.
The Sweetest Fix, Tessa Bailey
Wow, this book. There I was, reading along, enjoying the story and only occasionally being distracted by word choices/possible typos. Then unexpectedly I was crying. Not just weeping, but puffy-eyed crying. Sad tears, then happy ones. I don’t know why this one grabbed me so hard, but it did.
A Matter of Class, Mary Balogh
This was charming in a way I didn’t expect.
A Treasure Worth Seeking, Sandra Brown
Oh my. This is an older book, and it shows. Consent is not great though not completely ignored. I kept thinking/hoping that the crime that brings the main characters together would be resolved differently than it was. Some words stuck out to me, as if the author had recently helped a teen study for the SAT, very vocabulary word of the day. I got rather distracted by the details of a plane flight. Yes, things were different in the 90s but I don’t remember passengers being allowed to sleep laying down across three seats during landing.
Not If I Save You First, Ally Carter
I have a bad habit of putting books on my library hold list and then forgetting anything I knew about them by the time it’s my turn to check them out. Thus I found myself surprised that this was both young adult and suspense … I was expecting romance, because that’s what I tend to put on my hold list, and there is a touch of that here but it’s definitely not the focus. It’s a good book just not in my wheelhouse/comfort zone.
The A.I. Who Loved Me, Alyssa Cole
I loved this so much. It reminded me of the Murderbot series in some ways, and was even funnier. I hope there are more books coming about the characters in this one.
Captain of All Pleasures, Kresley Cole
I forgot I was reading this one and started two other books before I remembered. Not sure why it didn’t hold my interest, as it’s got a spunky heroine, and I usually like that.
Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade
I know just enough about fanfic and cosplay to understand the setting here. I appreciated the way this addressed fat shaming and learning disabilities.
All the Feels, Olivia Dade
Not so much a sequel to Spoiler Alert as an overlap with it. I liked it just as well.
You Had Me at Hola, Alexis Daria
I liked the layering of the second chance romance in the tv show the two main characters were making alongside their off-screen romance.
The Black Lyon, Jude Deveraux
This hero is definitely not for me.
Bombshell, Jody Gehrman
I came across this when searching for another book with the same title. It was fun quick read.
Mangos and Mistletoe, Adriana Herrera
Quick cute romance set against a cooking competition show backdrop.
The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang
Yes. Just yes.
The Bride Test, Helen Hoang
I practically inhaled this, feeling fortunate I could get more Helen Hoang so soon after I finished The Kiss Quotient.
The Heart Principle, Helen Hoang
This was harder to read than the previous two in this series, probably because some of it hit too close to home for me. I’m still glad I read it.
Merrily Ever After, Jenny Holiday
I had a problem with the backstory in this one that colored my feelings about the whole read. Since I jumped into this series midstream, perhaps the issue that bothered me was explained in an earlier book. Regardless, the main storyline here is not my favorite trope.
Fifty Shades of Grey, E.L. James
I only read this finally because it was one of the books selected for discussion on Season 3 of the Fated Mates podcast. I knew it was problematic. Now I’ve seen it for myself. I’ve read enough good BDSM fiction written by folks who are in lifestyle to feel concerned about folks who only read this series and think that’s how it works in real life.
Midnight, Beverly Jenkins
There is an afterword with notes about the research the author did on the history of Black people in this time period, which I appreciated. It’s a fine romance as well, and fairly low angst for the setting, which I also appreciated.
Beautiful Bastard, Christina Lauren
Like 50 Shades, this is a Twilight fanfic that was rewritten for publication. Also like that book, it has a power differential problem. If you can get past that, there are some hot scenes here.
Dating You / Hating You, Christina Lauren
Had to put this one down for a while because the workplace stuff was too stressful. And I haven’t worked in years.
The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren
I liked this better than the first book I read from this author duo. Way better. I cried happy tears during the epilogue.
Brazen and the Beast, Sarah MacLean
I would have sworn I’d read this before, but I think I just have heard it mentioned enough on the Fated Mates podcast that it just felt like I knew it well enough to have read it (and I did read the next installment so did know the main characters here from that). I really liked this one.
Brazen and the Beast, Sarah MacLean (A)(RR)
I needed to listen to an audiobook for a challenge on StoryGraph, and this was one of the options. Since I’d enjoyed the ebook of this title and my library had the audio, I chose this to listen to. It was well done, but since I didn’t have enough driving to do, I had to listen to some parts out of the car, and that leads to me being distracted by other things and not paying attention and having to rewind sometimes.
Bombshell, Sarah MacLean
I had trouble focusing on this due to my confusion about whether I’d read it before, which I don’t think I could have given the publication date and how relatively recently I’ve found the author. That’s not the book’s fault, it’s my brain’s.
Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire
I really liked the premise and most of the execution. It did get a little dark for me, though.
Down Among the Sticks and Bones, Seanan McGuire
Though it was dark, I enjoyed learning the backstory of two of the characters from the first book in the series.
Beneath the Sugar Sky, Seanan McGuire
Nonsense worlds can be hard for me but I did my best to roll with it. I really liked seeing what happened after the events of the first book, even if some of the twists made my brain hurt.
In an Absent Dream, Seanan McGuire
This installment of the series felt sadder to me than the others.
Come Tumbling Down, Seanan McGuire
More horror and less humanity than I would have liked but that’s how it goes sometimes. I’m still going to continue with the series.
Where the Drowned Girls Go, Seanan McGuire
Set in the rival school to the one the previous books have been centered around, so that was interesting.
A Kingdom of Dreams, Judith McNaught
A problematic premise for me, but that’s not super unusual in a romance of this vintage.
Until You, Judith McNaught
Some delightful tropes here.
Polaris Rising, Jesse Mihalik
Just what I needed. Escapist sci-fi with some sexy times.
Aurora Blazing, Jessie Mihalik
Loved it. It had been a while since I read the first one in the series but I fell right back in to this space opera.
Chaos Reigning, Jessie Mihalik
I just want more of this world. Alas, there is no more, at least not in this series.
The Tourist Attraction, Sarah Morgenthaler
This lived up to its illustrated cover: a sweet, low-steam romance. As a person living in a mountain town with a fair bit of tourism, this probably hit me differently than most readers.
Morning Glory Milking Farm, C.M. Nascosta
This is a weird one. That’s not bad, just I found myself tilting my head in puzzlement a lot until I got into the world of this story … he’s a what? she’s doing what for work? … that sort of thing.
Everything I Left Unsaid, M. O’Keefe
Disappointed this is a cliffhanger. Again, maybe I should go for spoilers so I know what I’m getting into.
Fire on the Ice, Tamsen Parker
I think it’s okay that I jumped in at book four of this series, though it also felt like jumping into the relationship between the two main characters, as they’d already met and had a bit of intimate history before this opens.
Ravished, Amanda Quick
Liked that this had a feistier heroine than the title and cover and historical setting led me to expect.
The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, Julia Quinn
Eh. Not really for me at this time in my life. Too much pining. Too obnoxious of a hero.
Serving Pleasure, Alisha Rai
Another recommendation from Fated Mates that I’m glad I read.
The Siren, Tiffany Reisz
This didn’t turn out the way I thought it would. I was left unsettled. That’s not what I was looking for at this time in the world. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad book, just not right for me especially now.
Bleake’s Geek and Geek Chic, Lesli Richardson
I feel like it’s been a while since I read any paranormal and Bleake’s Geek had been on my Kindle waiting for me. The world just clicked for me and I finished that first book and got the second in the series right after and read it, too.
Governor, Lesli Richardson
This had some really delicious scenes in it. Also helped me see a different relationship style than I have or want.
The Bittersweet Bride, Vanessa Riley
I didn’t see how this one was going to resolve though I was confident it would eventually.
Theirs for the Night, Katee Robert
This is a teaser for the 6 book series. If all you want is a short steamy read, this fits the bill. If you want a complete story, you’ll need to buy the series (how much of it I do not know). I’m undecided whether I will do that.
The Boyfriend Project, Farrah Rochon
Love a STEM heroine. Wrapped up too quickly for me, but that’s often the case and probably a me problem rather than a book problem.
Lick, Kylie Scott
I can see the appeal of this book but it’s not quite for me, as I don’t think anyone should be getting married at 21, much less when black out drunk.
Play, Kylie Scott
The setting in Portland with mentions of places in Idaho and western Washington gave me a sense of familiarity.
Unmasked by the Marquess, Cat Sebastian
Liked this historical with a twist one doesn’t often see. Couldn’t figure out how it would work out.
The Rogue of Fifth Avenue, Joanna Shupe
This series comes up a lot in the Fated Mates podcast, so I picked up this first one. I liked it, though wasn’t quite able to suspend disbelief about some of the plot points.
The Prince of Broadway, Joanna Shupe
I didn’t realize before I started reading that the timeline here overlaps with the first book. These women’s parents sure have a lot to deal with at the same time. As with the first one, I had some trouble believing some of the plot points, though it was easier this time as the world and the characters’ reactions were consistent with that first book. I did enjoy it overall and will read the third one at some point.
The Billionaire’s Bargain, Naima Simone
The premise requires a fairly big suspension of disbelief. There are some awful people in this book, including a hero I found manipulative and who didn’t have to do enough grovelling for my taste. I’m undecided if I want to read the others in the series.
Tangled Lies, Anne Stuart (P)
The 80s were a different time. So jarring to have a hero who smokes. I wish I’d kept track of the books I read for fun in college; this wouldn’t have been one of them since it came out after I was no longer living with the roommate who brought bags of romances from home, but would still be interesting to look some of those up again and see how they hit now.
Ravishing the Heiress, Sherry Thomas
Parts of this were bleak. Parts were infuriating. Parts were sweet. Parts were hot. I liked it.
The Hating Game, Sally Thorne
I somehow missed this when it was new. Really liked it. Takes tropes and uses them so skillfully and entertainingly I didn’t have any brain cells wandering off to nitpick details as I so often do.
My Butt As A Slightly Frustrating But Ultimately Rewarding And Meditative Daily Routine, Chuck Tingle
My first Chuck Tingle, purchased because the title made me laugh when I saw it in my Twitter feed amongst all the Wordle grids.
A Heart of Blood and Ashes, Milla Vane
I had trouble getting into this one, with all the world building in the early chapters. I eventually got my bearings and enjoyed the story.
Tied Score, Elia Winters
I wanted more of this when I was done. It was a good BDSM palate cleanser after Fifty Shades. These main characters don’t have a huge power differential. These main characters educate themselves using good resources.
Get a Grip, L. A. Witt
Finished this m/m before Romancelandia Twitter blew up with discussion of why so many m/m are written by white women. I enjoyed the book enough that I’ll probably pick up other in the series (this is #19; surely some of the others have different types of pairings).
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
I’d never read this classic before. At first, some of the language and phrasing seemed odd to my modern eyes but eventually I stopped noticing and focused on the story.
You Should See Me in a Crown, Leah Johnson
At first I thought I was too old to be reading this, high school being more than four decades in my past. By the end I was feeling okay about that.
Books I read in 2021, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance, Erotica, Science Fiction, and Fantasy, Fiction—Everything Else.
(RR) means re-read
(P) means read on paper
(A) means listened to it on audio
Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast (P)
This had some funny moments, and some touching ones, and a lot that hit a bit too close to home for me, having dealt with cleaning out parents’ houses and trying to get them into the right care situations.
Passing for Human, Liana Finck (P)
Thought this was very clever.
Sous Chef, Michael Gibny
I keep reading books about chefs. I guess because it’s food adjacent, and I like food. This one was nicely organized and took the time to add a whole glossary of terms that might not be familiar to a read who hadn’t worked in a kitchen (or read a bunch of books about chefs).
Jew(ish): A primer, A memoir, A manual, A plea, Matt Greene
I had to read this when I saw all the one star reviews from Trump supporters. I might have gotten more out of this if I were more up on British politics but still feel reading this broadened my understanding of Jewish-ness.
What I Hate From A to Z, Roz Chast (P)
I liked studying the drawings for little details.
Evicted, Matthew Desmond
This was hard to read. That the U.S. is so screwed up when it comes to housing was not a surprise but hearing the personal stories of some of those being screwed over really makes that clear in a way that statistics don’t. I’m glad the author offered some possible solutions but despair that we’ll be able to implement them given the state of politics in this country.
The Art of Skiing: Vintage Posters from the Golden Age of Winter Sport, Jenny de Gex (P)
I appreciated the words that went with all the pictures here; learned some early European ski history I hadn’t been exposed to before. Was tickled to see one of the posters we have a reproduction of in here, plus a more modern take on it.
Inheriting Clutter, Julie Hall
Given that Mr. K and I have only one living parent between us, and we’ve already cleaned out her house so are down to her assisted living apartment and one storage unit, I’m not sure why I felt compelled to read this, but I did. It made me feel good about how well my brother and I worked through my mom’s house/estate; we didn’t have any of the conflicts or problems the book describes. It also had a good reminder that it’s best to give away things while you’re still alive (if you’re not still enjoying them yourself, of course).
Ballerina , Deirdre Kelly
I recognized some of the names from my ballet period in my youth, but sure hadn’t heard many of these stories before, especially about the early eras of ballet.
Tree of Treasures, Bonnie Mackay (P)
I picked this up off the sale table in the gift shop at The Henry Ford. It’s a book I wish I’d written, with stories about some of the ornaments on the author’s Christmas tree. I have written in my journal about a few ornaments, but so many I don’t even recall their origin stories.
This is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World, Kerri Majors
I am not the target audience for this book. I can see how it would be a good resource if I were.
Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch
This was interesting. I’m still not sure where I’d put myself in the taxonomy of internet users the author sets out. Not quite Old Internet Person but not Full Internet Person, either. I did learn to my surprise that my use ellipses in texts marks me as old. I mean, I knew I was old, but didn’t think the ellipses were a giveaway to that.
The Deep Dark, Gregg Olsen
One of the stops on our grand tour of Idaho was the museum in Wallace, where there was a model of the Sunshine Mine that piqued my interest, so I picked up this book to read more about the mine and the tragic fire there. I appreciated the view into the Idaho Panhandle in the early 1970s. Some of the mining stuff confused me; I can see why the model was built to help the jury in the trial it was used during understand the layout. Even though I knew how the story would turn out, I was still engrossed by its unfolding in this volume.
The Library Book, Susan Orlean
It took me a while to get through this for some reason I can’t put my finger on.
Organizing Your Craft Space, Jo Packham (P)
I can’t say that I got any actionable ideas from this but I very much enjoyed peeking into other people’s craft rooms (and chuckling at what the author called “a large amount of fabric” in the quilting chapter).
Quilts: Their Story and How to Make Them, Marie Webster, additional material by Rosalind Webster Perry(P)
I picked up this 1990 edition of this classic quilting book from a little free library. Given it was first published in 1915, there is definitely some problematic content (stereotypes, etc.) but overall it was an interesting read. Very light on the “how to make them” part, but there are plenty of other sources for that now.
Asking for Trouble, Tessa Bailey
The first of the “Books That Blooded Us” from Fated Mates season two that I did not like and probably would have stopped reading if not for wanting to know what happened before I listened to the podcast. Cops are hard to read about especially now. The sex/character development balance was out of whack for me, and some plot points made no sense whatsoever.
Texas! Chase, Sandra Brown (A)
I had to do this one on audio because that’s the only format my library had. I think listening to it (on normal speed) gave me too much time to ponder the hard to believe plot points and troubling behavior of some of the characters.
The Marriage Code, Brooke Burroughs
Cute romance. Liked the setting and the angst seemed realistic.
No Judgments, Meg Cabot
It seems odd to say that a novel set during a hurricane felt comforting, but it did.
No Offense, Meg Cabot
I liked No Judgments so well, I grabbed this sequel from the library as soon as I could. It was equally cozy.
Managed, Kristen Callihan
Some of this plot was ridiculous but I liked the characters so much it didn’t matter.
Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase
Worked for me. Great heroine. Angsty hero but for reasons that made sense.
The Heir Affair, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
It had been a while since I read the first book, so I’d forgotten some of what went on there that was rather important in this one. This took some turns that I didn’t expect, and like the first one, made me cry at least once. I was a bit disappointed that one of the main villians didn’t get his come uppance, but that’s how real life goes, too.
The Player, Kresley Cole
Pure fantasy, paranormal in contemporary clothing. Some content was a little difficult for me despite that.
Sweet Ruin, Kresley Cole
This book takes the series to places it hasn’t been before and makes the stage larger. I appreciated that there were still some characters and settings I was familiar with to help me integrate these new ones.
Shadow’s Claim, Kresley Cole
This world is so big I’m starting to feel overwhelmed.
Shadow’s Seduction, Kresley Cole
This was a continuation of the last book, so most of the settings felt familiar. Love that there is finally a same sex pairing. Don’t love that the author had to self-publish it.
Wicked Abyss, Kresley Cole
I’m hoping that when this series wraps up this installment will make more sense in the larger story arc.
Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie (RR)
The first chapter or so was hard for me to get through (I didn’t remember enough from my first read in 2006 to know it the discomfort of seeing a heroine so down on herself for her weight would pass. Once I got into it, I ignored the other books I was reading so I could finish this one because it was so fun and funny.
Taking the Heat, Victoria Dahl
The setting (Jackson, Wyoming) held some interest for me since I’ve spent some time there (and my town seems to be moving in that direction).
Maid for Love, Marie Force
Some stuff here seemed too good to be true but I rolled with it anyway because why not enjoy good things like happy endings.
The Secret, Julie Garwood
Another historical that probably bears little resemblance to reality but I’m okay with that.
Ransom, Julie Garwood
Surprised that secondary couple didn’t get their own book (at least I don’t think they did, as the next in the series isn’t them). Also surprised by how the sister storyline resolved.
The Bride, Julie Garwood
I have no idea how historically accurate this is to what was going on in the Scottish Highlands in medieval times but it was an enjoyable read with a sassy heroine.
Glitterland, Alexis Hall
I believed the angst. I wondered if the older hero was in good enough working order.
Waiting for the Flood, Alexis Hall
What a sweet novella.
For Real, Alexis Hall
I wish I had waited to read this installment, let some time pass between the first book’s age difference couple and this one’s as, BDSM notwithstanding, the dynamic seemed very similar. I still enjoyed it.
Waking Up With the Duke, Lorraine Heath
Liked this enough that I might need to read the first two books in this series now. I can see where the premise could be a stopper but it’s one of those you just need to shrug and say okay this is happening and we’re gonna go with it.
Indigo, Beverly Jenkins
I didn’t realize before I started reading this that it’s set in southeast Michigan, so that was a nice surprise since I know those places. Granted, I don’t know them as they were in pre-Civil War times, but still, nice. There are some disturbing events in this one that felt authentic; knowing there would be at least a happy for now ending made those easier to take.
Secrets of a Summer Night, Lisa Kleypas
Realistic for the time period? I have no idea. Enjoyed it anyway.
Then Came You, Lisa Kleypas (RR)
More re-reading here too; this time to refresh myself on the world before I read the next in the series so I’ll be able to better enjoy the Fated Mates podcast about it.
Dreaming of You, Lisa Kleypas (RR)
I remembered rather little of this book, which wasn’t bad since I got to enjoy it almost as a new read.
The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal
This is one of those books I feel like I should have been more engaged with than I was.
Devil’s Bride, Stephanie Laurens
Another enjoyable feisty heroine historical from the Fated Mates season two list.
Gentle Rouge, Johanna Lindsey
Read this one out of series order so I could listen to the Fated Mates podcast episode about it. I can see why it made the list of “books that blooded us”.
Daring and the Duke, Sarah MacLean
A fitting end to the series, and I loved the epilogue.
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, Sarah MacLean
I appreciate a feisty heroine and this book has a good one.
The Arrow: A Highland Guard Novel, Monica McCarty
This is the only one of this series that I’ve read (did this based on a podcast recommendation), so maybe that’s why this felt a little flat to me. I’m also not sure I’m on board with the guardian/ward pairing.
Fashionably Dead, Robyn Peterman
Don’t remember how/when/why I put this on my Kindle. Started reading it during one of those times when I couldn’t turn on wifi lest the library police take back my overdue ebooks, so I was trolling through my “Later” collection and found it. It’s almost all first person narration, which is not my favorite, yet I was pretty sucked into it and finished it pretty quickly. I’m sure many would consider the heroine a Mary Sue but I’ve gotten less and less concerned about that sort of thing. Why shouldn’t a female heroine get to have powers and do all the things? It’s fun.
Nobody’s Baby But Mine, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
This feels like a book I shouldn’t have liked (relationship based on deception, yelling, violence) but I did like it.
Hate to Want You, Alisha Rai
This was so good. Made me cry happy tears. Definitely want to hear more about this couple.
Beauty and the Mustache, Penny Reid
Hit one of my hot buttons and used “clean” to mean tested negative for STIs. Thought the plot was going to take one turn but it didn’t go that way, so that added interest.
Born in Ice, Nora Roberts
Such a cozy romance, albeit with a glam interlude.
Long Shot, Kennedy Ryan
I’m pretty sure I put this on my TBR list due to one of the Fated Mates interstitial episodes. I didn’t remember anything about it when my hold came up at the library, so was taken aback by the challenging (for me, anyway) content.
Idlewild, Jude Sierra
Thought I’d get more of a buzz from knowing the Detroit metro area setting. Got a little tell-y for me in a few places.
Priest: A Love Story, Sierra Simone
Oof. I can see why this book upsets so many people. I was okay with it.
Three Little Mistakes, Nikki Sloane
This was one of those “not quite for me” books. The heroine was too young and too rich for me to relate. The connection between the hero and the heroine felt underdeveloped to me.
Silver in the Wood, Emily Tesh
Reading this felt like a dream: sometimes wonderful, sometimes grim.
Drowned Country, Emily Tesh
Just as good as the first book, including the surprises in the plot.
Delicious, Sherry Thomas
Stretches credulity at some points but I liked how it turned out.
Not Quite a Husband, Sherry Thomas
Not quite a sequel to the earlier Marsden book. Enjoyable nonetheless.
The Not-Outcast, Tijan
Almost gave up on this one, the very last I got through the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. The female half of the first person narrator duo has some sensory processing issues that definitely come through in how she tells the story and at first that made me feel very jangly. I got through it eventually.
Dark Lover, J.R. Ward (RR)
I was way into this book around a decade ago (edit: oops, more like a decade and half). Now, not as much. There was a preview of the 19th in the series in the back of this one (do e-books have backs?) that had a line that annoyed the heck out of me. Don’t think I’ll be picking up the series again where I left off, though I might re-read the 2nd book if I come across it when I’m going through boxes of books that never got unpacked from the move, as I remember carrying that one around as a comfort read the summer my dad was dying.
The Future of Work: Compulsory, Martha Wells
A very short story from Wired magazine that I’m putting here so I’ll remember I read it. Or rather, will be reminded I read it when I look it up.
All Systems Red, Martha Wells (RR)
Artificial Condition, Martha Wells (RR)
Re-reading the series before I read the new installment. Still love Murderbot.
Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory, Martha Wells
This short that I somehow missed until now is not from Murderbot’s point of view, so that was interesting to see them from the outside.
Rouge Protocol, Martha Wells (RR)
Exit Strategy, Martha Wells (RR)
Network Effect, Martha Wells (RR)
More re-reading.
Fugitive Telemetry, Martha Wells
I was so excited to get a new Murderbot book that I failed to notice/realize that it’s not a continuation of the story after Network Effect … not part of The Murderbot Diaries series but listed as a Standalone Murderbot Novel in the “Also by Martha Wells” list at the back of the book. I mean, I still love Murderbot and really liked this book, but I kept hoping to see some hint of what happened to a character I liked from the last installment. Since I didn’t realize this one was set between Network Effect and Exit Strategy, I didn’t realize that character wasn’t in Murderbot’s life yet.
Poorly Drawn Lines, Reza Farazmand (P)
Some of the comics (and essays) were funny. Some were poignant. One (or two) I want to get a print of and hang on my wall where I can see it every day.
The Book of Longings, Sue Monk Kidd
The power in this snuck up on me as I read.
Alphabet Weekends, Elizabeth Noble
Of the three interwoven stories here, I liked one (the most romance-y one), wished one had gone in a slightly different direction (the one with the older heroine), and did not like the third (the one that was the least resolved at the end).
Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid
Of the books I’ve read so far in 2021, this is my favorite. I wanted to hug some characters and punch others, which means they got to me.
How to Pronounce Knife, Souvankham Thammavongsa
Reading this was like looking at someone else’s photo album. The stories were interesting but I wanted more.
Books I read in 2020, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Race, Gender, and Politics, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance, Erotica, Science Fiction, and Fantasy, Fiction—Everything Else.
(RR) means re-read
(P) means read on paper
(A) means listened to it on audio
The Rose Hotel, Rahimeh Andalibian
This was hard to read. Not because of how it was written (though a time or two I did lose track of when things happened as the telling jumps back and forth in time) but because the events were so painful … and I wasn’t even living them like the author and her family did. I very much appreciated the look into a part of the world I will never experience.
Solutions and Other Problems, Allie Brosh (P)
Her earlier book is on my five-star list, so I went ahead and bought the hardcover of this one. It made me laugh so hard I cried so many times.
Hyperbole and a Half, Allie Brosh (RR)
Still funny after all these years.
Dirt, Bill Buford
I would have like this better if the author were single, because I kept getting annoyed at how little engagement he seemed to have in raising his young twin sons, instead leaving them with his wife in NYC during the week while he worked at a restaurant in Washington DC; at least when they got to France he’d come home at night and did seem to spend at least a little time with boys. I would love for his wife to write a book about this time in their lives. I was also distracted by wondering how these adventures were funded … was the book advance so large as to allow them to afford to keep a place in NYC while they also paid for a place in France? All that said, the cooking and food parts were interesting; I’ve experimented with changing the way I crack eggs as a result, and I might very well read other things from this author.
In the Shadow of the Valley, Bobi Conn
Another hard for me to read memoir. They get written by the survivors, the ones who don’t get completely ground down by their circumstances, so that gives just enough hope that I don’t feel completely wrecked after I’m done.
The Pale-Faced Lie: A True Story, David Crow
Another book that was hard to read not because of the writing but the subject matter.
A Life in Stitches, Rachael Herron
This was so good. So sad at times, true, but a good kind of sad, if that makes sense.
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, Samantha Irby
I’m making myself a note to re-read this sometime when the country is less fraught (please let there be a time when the country is less fraught), because I feel like my background level of anxiety was too high to enjoy the humor in this volume of essays. I did enjoy reading them, and found a fair bit I could relate to (I think it helped that I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago so had some familiarity with the places). I’ll look for other books by this author, though might wait until I’m in a better headspace for them.
High Achiever, Tiffany Jenkins
A quick read. I couldn’t help but wonder how her story of addiction and jail time would have come out if she were not white. The author doesn’t seem to reflect on that at all, nor does she share some parts of her recovery that I think would have added to the depth of this memoir.
If I Live Until Morning: A True Story of Adventure, Tragedy, and Transformation, Jean Muenchrath
This could have benefited from tighter editing and proofreading. Still, it’s a compelling life story. For me, it was something of an exercise in not judging, and trying to understand why the author made some of the decisions she did. I appreciated that opportunity. By the end of the book I was moved to tears. I bumped my rating up to compensate for those who bumped theirs down due to their dislike of non-Christian spirituality.
My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me, Jason Rosenthal
I wasn’t familiar with the author’s wife’s work, so I didn’t have any pre-existing connection to this story. Since the book starts by saying his wife died of cancer, I don’t feel it’s a spoiler to mention it here as part of saying I was most engaged in this memoir while his wife was still a part of it. I do wonder how this story would have played out if they had made a different choice early on in their marriage when they decided to not take a particular risk. The part of the book after her death didn’t have what I was looking for … it seemed too much at a distance, too light on details to be engaging.
Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, Sarah Smarsh
My family had its struggles so some of this felt very relatable. I appreciated the author’s insight into the American Dream.
Dear Girls, Ali Wong
I watched at least one of the author’s comedy specials, so wasn’t surprised by the frank language. I didn’t find it as funny on the page as on the screen but did enjoy her reminiscences especially about her time studying abroad.
White Fragility, Robin J. DiAngelo
I know there’s been pushback against this book recently. I was already reading it when I saw some of those articles/posts and was finding some valuable insights, so kept on and finished. I don’t think it should be the only book on racism one reads. I do think it could be a good entry point to the subject for some white folks. Unfortunately, the ones who most need to upgrade their understanding are super resistant to this information. I don’t know how to solve that.
Stamped from the Beginning, Ibram X. Kendi
I took my time with this one; there’s a lot to absorb here. I might need to read it again. It’s written by an academic but never got mired in academic language, which I very much appreciated. I also appreciated the nuanced assessments of historical figures.
The Color of Compromise, Jemar Tisby
Very good historical survey of the history of racism in the US and discussion of how churches and religious leaders took actions (or failed to take them) that got us to where we are now. I liked that the book concluded with suggestions for actions from very small to very large.
Palaces for the People, Eric Klinenberg
Makes a great case for the importance of social infrastructure. I wish I felt more hopeful that things will improve in those areas in the US but seems we’re moving in the wrong direction in most cases.
Algorithms of Oppression, Safiya Umoja Noble
I struggled reading this and almost gave up more than once. I’m interested in the topic but the writing about it here was dense with what I’m thinking is academia-ese, and that’s not a language I am fluent in. Sentences like “The language and terminologies used to describe results on the Internet in commercial search engines often obscure the fact that commodified forms of representation are being transacted on the web and that these commercial transactions are not random or without meaning as simply popular websites.” made my head hurt trying to figure out what the point was.
The Exceptional Negro: Racism, White Privilege, and the Lie of Respectability Politics, Traci D. O’Neal
This book draws on prior works in the field and goes on to expand upon them. The author shares some personal stories of her experiences with racism which I found to be a very valuable addition to the text. I also liked that she gives some actions to consider taking, both for Black families and white people who want to be allies. Disclosure: Growing up, I was friends with the author; we were in the same high school graduating class and though our paths diverged after that, we are still in touch on social media to this day.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, Caroline Criado Perez
This looked intimidatingly long on my e-reader compared to things I’ve been reading lately, but turned out a lot of those pages were footnotes and index so I did manage to finish it before my library loan expired. Reading it made me angry that we still have so far to go towards gender equity. This is well researched (hence all the footnotes) and provides examples from various countries, not all majority white, which I appreciated. I didn’t appreciate that there was no mention of transgender, intersex, or non-binary people; perhaps the author found them inconvenient in the way she asserts many researchers find women inconvenient for their studies and thus excluded them (if they thought of them in the first place).
It’s Worth It: How to Talk to Your Right-Wing Relatives, Friends, and Neighbors, Egberto Willies
I’m not familiar with this author’s blog or radio show; if I were I might have been less distracted by some of the phrasing and word choices, as I think many of those might just be the author’s “voice” rather than a lack of editing. I don’t feel like this book was helpful for me in talking to my neighbors, as most of them appear to be in the category where the only way to get through to them is to discredit the sources they trust on faith, and the examples given are about talking to folks who favorably respond to facts. That’s not the book’s fault. I almost stopped reading right then when the distinction was make between those two mindsets, but I’m glad I didn’t as some of the content about progressive goals was affirming for me to read.
Project 333, Courtney Carver
For a book about paring your wardrobe to 33 items (including pairs of shoes!) for 3 months, this has a lot of non-wardrobe content.
Holy Sh*t, Melissa Mohr
In this history of swearing through the ages, it was interesting to see what things that would be obscene now were unremarkable in earlier periods.
Living with Lead: An Environmental History of Idaho’s Coeur D’Alenes, 1885-2011, Bradley D. Snow
I want to learn more about the history of this part of the country I’ve chosen to live in, so grabbed this doctoral dissertation turned into a book about the mining district that’s a couple hours from my house. It’s well researched, for sure. I didn’t find it as engaging as some nonfiction (Mary Roach’s books come to mind) but that’s to be expected given its back story as an academic paper.
Sweep in Peace, Ilona Andrews
I’m really liking this series.
One Fell Sweep, Ilona Andrews
I couldn’t wait to read this installment after finishing the previous one. It did not disappoint. Sure, it stretches credulity at times, but since there’s magic involved, I can handle that better than when very improbable/very coincidental things happen in stories set entirely in our reality.
Sweep of the Blade, Ilona Andrews
On a real Ilona Andrews kick here. This book in the Innkeeper Chronicles has barely any inn in it at all, and that was just fine with me, as I liked learning more about this main character and love her spunky halfling daughter. After I finished, I almost immediately went back to re-read some favorite scenes.
Sweep with Me, Ilona Andrews
It was nice to be back in this world, though since this is a novella, it was too short a visit.
Burn for Me, Ilona Andrews
Another Ilona Andrews series I didn’t come upon until now. I liked this one, too.
White Hot, Ilona Andrews
Reading this was something like watching a Marvel movie, just with more sex. It’s cartoony enough to be escapist, which is what I need now.
Wildfire, Ilona Andrews
I devoured this one in big chunks. Not everything gets resolved in this installment but neither does it end on a cliffhanger, so I was fine with that. I didn’t appreciate a small spoiler for the next book in the preview for the book after that which was included in the version I read; wish I’d skipped that bit but it’s not this book’s fault.
Diamond Fire, Ilona Andrews
I didn’t read anything about this before I picked it up, so didn’t realize the main character in this novella is different than the earlier novels in the series. That was fine but makes this more YA than the other books.
Sapphire Flames, Ilona Andrews
Picking up three years after the novella that preceded it in the series, this has the same heroine. She’s now in her early 20s rather than late teens so this installment has more adult content (not as much as the first books in the series, though). The plot hit some very similar beats to some of the earlier books, which I think means I need to take a break from this series, which is convenient as the next book isn’t even due out until late this summer.
Emerald Blaze, Ilona Andrews
I tore through this one. I’m liking the new heroine now more than I did when she first took over.
Iron and Magic, Ilona Andrews
This side series is as enjoyable as the main one in the Kate Daniels world.
Magic Shifts, Ilona Andrews
It’s been over two years since I dipped into this world; I felt like I mostly remembered what was going on. Lots of peril but set in a world different enough from our reality that I could read it without feeling stressed. This particular installment didn’t advance the overall plot lines of the series a whole lot but that’s okay; that’s to be expected in a longer series like this one.
Magic Stars, Ilona Andrews
I might have enjoyed this more if I better remembered what happened in the full length book that preceded this in the series.
Magic Binds, Ilona Andrews
Rather grim, despite there being a celebratory event at the end.
Isn’t It Bromantic?, Lauren Baratz-Logsted
I don’t remember when or why I put this on my Kindle, or why I thought it was a good idea to get book two of a series I haven’t read book one of, but here we are. Maybe if I had read the first book, I’d have a better understanding of why the hero has married someone he seems to not know very well, which I found annoying as a plot device. If you don’t know what music someone likes, you haven’t dated them long enough to get married is my position. Both hero and heroine do unlikable things. It’s told first person from the hero’s perspective in an easy, breezy, jokey style which is not for me. On the plus side, the copy editing was pretty darn good.
Next in Line for Love, Harper Bliss
I read this around the same time as Heartland, which is maybe why I found the characters somewhat annoying, as they were doing rich people stuff that poor people can’t do or suffer consequences if they do.
The Ladies’ Room, Carolyn Brown
I want to say this is low angst, but there are definitely events that happen that aren’t. Still, the overall feel is warm and nice and cozy and I just dove in and paddled around in that pool ’til I’d finished the book.
Maid for the Billionaire, Ruth Cardello
I read this because it was free. It did not sell me on reading the rest of the series.
The Royal We, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
This made me cry more than once, both happy and sad tears.
A Hunger Like No Other, Kresley Cole (P, RR)
I was inspired to re-read this due to finding the Fated Mates podcast.
No Rest for the Wicked, Kresley Cole (P, RR)
Continuing my re-read of the series. It’s been enough time that I don’t remember all of the plot lines. In my first read, I didn’t like the heroine so much. I didn’t feel that this time.
Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night, Kresley Cole (P, RR)
Still re-reading the series, still being surprised by plot twists I’d forgotten.
Dark Needs at Night’s Edge, Kresley Cole (P, RR)
My attitude regarding the plot on this re-read: Sure, why not. That could happen.
Dark Desires After Dusk, Kresley Cole (P, RR)
It’s been almost 12 years since I read this the first time, so I don’t remember if the next book has the update that would have been in the epilogue I was wishing for about this couple.
Kiss of a Demon King, Kresley Cole (P, RR)
Zipping along through my re-read of this series. There’s a scene that hints that the hero is homophobic; I’m not sure I read it that way the first time through or if I read it right this time or if I’m just hyper sensitive now.
Playing Easy to Get, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jaid Black, and Kresley Cole (P, RR)
Looking back at my notes from the first time I read this in 2007, I see my opinions have changed. The Kresley Cole story is still my favorite, but the Kenyon has moved into second place thanks to the premise of the Jaid Black story being even more objectionable to me now that I’ve learned more about consent over the years. The novella length meant needed worldbuilding was left out of Black’s story that might have redeemed it somewhat but I’m skeptical enough that I’m not planning to look into other books in that series.
The Warlord Wants Forever, Kresley Cole (RR)
Okay, yes, this story is included in Playing Easy to Get, which I did just read, but that was the original version. This version is the “remastered” one, in which some sections were changed. I felt I should read this while the old one was still fresh in my mind. The events are the same, just a few have a different flavor now. The most striking was the first time the main characters have PIV sex; that’s changed to be much less brutal. This is now marketed as the first book in the Immortals After Dark series, which I don’t love because the novella length doesn’t allow for enough worldbuilding in my estimation. I think reading it after the first book like I did originally is the way to go.
Deep Kiss of Winter, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter (P, RR)
Re-read so it would be fresh when I listen to the Fated Mates episode that discusses the first novella. The second story made me wonder if I should try one of the full length books in that series, which somehow I haven’t done in the almost nine years since I read this the first time.
Pleasure of a Dark Prince, Kresley Cole (P, RR)
This one felt like a bit of a slog to me during parts of the plot … so much of that tedium could have been avoided.
Demon from the Dark, Kresley Cole (P, RR)
Ah, the darkness really descends in this one. This re-read didn’t make me like it any better. Still two (or is it three?) more books to go in this arc.
Dreams of a Dark Warrior, Kresley Cole (P, RR)
The Fated Mates podcasters call this arc of books in the Immortals After Dark series “Torture Island”, and that’s apt. Lots of darkness here.
Lothaire, Kresley Cole (RR)
I’d forgotten I’d read this one before; looking back at what I wrote after my first read, I apparently liked this more than average. This time, I liked it less. Yes, it’s set in a different world, but the power differential between the hero (who has been and might still be a villain) and the heroine is quite large, and that bothered me.
MacRieve, Kresely Cole
Sigh. Another very young heroine and very old hero with no real attempt to address that power differential. Another hero who has some serious mental health issues that have gone unaddressed for far too long (are there psychotherapists in the Lore? they need them). The heroine had a big dream she was about to accomplish before she met the hero, and while this was given a few mentions, it was never wrapped up in a way that gave me closure. Overall, I was not charmed, but I’ll probably finish the series just so I can know what they’re talking about on the Fated Mates podcast that I’m catching up with.
Dark Skye, Kresley Cole (A)
I can’t remember the last time I did an audio book (I couldn’t get an ebook of this one from the library). My current lifestyle with very little driving isn’t as conducive to them so it took me a while to get through this. I was happy to see the strong pushback against slut shaming in here.
The Professional, Kresley Cole
I really don’t know about this one. The hero is super “alpha”.
The Master, Kresley Cole
Given that the hero of this one is the brother of the one from the first in the series and they come from the same world, it’s not surprising that they share some of the same controlling tendencies. I did like this one better.
A Roll of the Dice, Tymber Dalton
This is a nice, fairly low angst story about a couple entering their empty nest years and figuring out what comes next. Spoiler alert: it’s BDSM. I liked that this seemed realistic.
The Governess Game, Tessa Dare
I picked this up based on a mention in the Fated Mates podcast, but wonder if I got the wrong governess title as plot point mentioned in the recommendation was absent from this book. No matter; I enjoyed this one enough I’m going to look for the others in the series (this was book 2).
The Duchess Deal, Tessa Dare
I read this one out of order, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable.
The Wallflower Wager, Tessa Dare
Another fun read in this series. Well, mostly fun. There is some backstory that made me feel icky.
Imperfect Chemistry, Mary Frame
I appreciated that the heroine appears to be on the autism spectrum, though this is never called out or discussed explicitly; I wish it had been. I think this is a “not for me” book; it was pleasant enough, and I finished it, but I don’t think I have it in me to connect with college age characters.
Shades of Wicked, Jeaniene Frost
It might have been better for me to re-read at least some of the Night Huntress series before I read this, as when the characters from that showed up here, I got only faint glimmers of recognition.
The Wedding Date, Jasmine Guillory
A rare contemporary that didn’t have me frustrated by thinking “who acts this way in real life”. Sure, there was some non-communication and lack of communication that was frustrating, but that’s part of how these things work, and there’s plenty of that going on in the real world, too.
The First Girl Child, Amy Harmon
I think this was well written, but it left me feeling sad.
Dread Nation, Justina Ireland
My experience of reading this certainly didn’t support my theory that I don’t have it in me to engage with new adult heroines anymore. I engaged to the point I pretty much abandoned my usual practice of having two or three books going at once … the others stalled so I could spend all my reading time with this one. It’s a dark tale, not my usual fare, but I liked it so much.
Deathless Divide, Justina Ireland
So good.
Forbidden, Beverly Jenkins
Well written historical centering Black characters. Does follow the not unusual plot device where a lot of things happen all at once right near the end of the book which is not my favorite but I coped.
Through the Storm, Beverly Jenkins
Picked this one up based on a mention in the author’s notes that followed the text of her Forbidden that I finished recently. I may have learned more about this period of U.S. history (end of the Civil War and Reconstruction) from this romance novel than I did in school.
Sins of a Wicked Duke, Sophie Jordan
I’m getting lots of recommendations from the Fated Mates podcast, which I’m slowly catching up on as I re-read the Immortals After Dark series. This was one of those recommendations, and I enjoyed it. Yes, when examined in the cold light of time to write something about it, I can see it has problems, but at the time I was reading it, I didn’t notice them, I just enjoyed the story.
Shades of Milk and Honey, Mary Robinette Kowal
I’ve followed the author on Twitter for quite a while and figured it was past time I should read some of her work. This is Jane Austen-esque but with domestic magic. I found it charming.
Glamour in Glass, Mary Robinette Kowal
I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first in the series, probably because of the shift in focus from family/personal matters that the first book had.
Without a Summer, Mary Robinette Kowal
If I’d read this at a less fraught time (meaning not in the midst of a pandemic), I might have enjoyed it more. It wasn’t escapist enough for me right now, though it is well researched and well written. It continues the movement that took place in the previous book in the series away from domesticity and toward involvement in violent events in the larger society. Right now, I’d rather be immersed in personal drama and the arcane details of the type of magic that exists in this fictional world.
A Shock for Master Angus, Clair de Lune
Another BDSM novel that was mostly about not particularly kinky sex. The ending didn’t resonate with me at all, either.
The Rouge Not Taken, Sarah MacLean
I liked it, especially the first two thirds when the heroine was on the road, sometimes with, sometimes without the hero. I plan to read the next one in the series.
A Scot in the Dark, Sarah MacLean
At least this one had the hero being dumb instead of the heroine, I guess. Didn’t enjoy as much as the first one but still enough to want to continue the series.
The Day of the Duchess, Sarah MacLean
I wished for fewer flashbacks (or at least chronological flashbacks) as I sometimes had trouble figuring out where in time we were. I liked many of the supporting characters. Found the repeated communication breakdowns between the main characters frustrating; I’m sure I was meant to but it just wasn’t what I was in the mood for. I usually like epilogues but this one stretched my credulity too far. There is one very lovely scene in an unusual setting, and I’m glad I read the book for that alone.
Wicked and the Wallflower, Sarah MacLean
There is a fair bit of backstory here, yet I still wanted more, the better to understand how the hero got where he was and how the heroine developed her skill. I’m not sure I completely bought the heroine’s transformation or the ultimate resolution … not sure how that would work in that society and wished for more elaboration on that.
Middlegame, Seanan McGuire
I almost stopped reading this when the first chapter was titled “Book VII: The End” but then I remembered Star Wars and kept going, all the way to the actual end. It took me a while; time travel is not my favorite thing, and I was often not clear on what was going on, but every so often I’d find a passage that resonated—like “People who say ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’ don’t understand how words can be stones, hard and sharp-edged and dangerous and capable of doing so much more harm than anything physical.”—and persist.
Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuitson
I almost stopped reading this, as it gave me anxiety for the main characters and made me sad thinking about the country we could have had. In the end, I persisted and am glad I did.
The Duchess War, Courtney Milan
This had a different rhythm to the plot than I was expecting, and I liked it.
The Heiress Effect, Courtney Milan
This is a perfectly satisfying romance that also managed to surprise me a few times. I liked it a lot.
The Countess Conspiracy, Courtney Milan
I enjoyed this installment in the series, but wanted more. More exploration of the events during the heroine’s earlier marriage and discussion of how those will affect the main couple going forward. More elaboration of the heroine’s relationship with her mother. I did like that the heroine’s problems weren’t all magically fixed by the love of a good man.
Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir
It’s dark. It’s got some interesting characters. Even after nearly 500 pages, I don’t have a great sense of what’s going on in this world or why the activity that makes up most of the book was set up the way it was. I was very disappointed at what happened to the character I found to be the most interesting, which I suppose is a sign the writing does have power, if I was affected enough to be mad about what happened.
Club de Fleurs: Jenna, Rose Nikol
I got this because it’s from the same publisher as my favorite BDSM author , Tymber Dalton. I did not like this book nearly as well as any I’ve read from Ms. Dalton. It seems to be trying to represent the real world but presents characters doing things that don’t seem to be realistic and definitely in some cases things that would be irresponsible in the real world but letting those go by uncommented on. Now, maybe I am just ignorant. Perhaps there really is a country-wide network of BSDM clubs (light on BDSM, heavy on not particularly kinky sex) that have a coordinated ban list and security teams that can provide 24/7 surveillance of women (without their knowledge, I might add).
Double Up, Vanessa North
I know so little about about wakeboarding that some of the sports stuff in here went over my head; I just couldn’t visualize it. But that didn’t really matter because I enjoyed the characters and the relationships.
Rough Road, Vanessa North
Enjoyed the first book enough to read this second one soon after.
Roller Girl, Vanessa North
Figured I might as well complete the series. I like how inclusive the whole series is, though wonder if she’ll ever write a fourth book with a hetero couple. I suppose that’s been done enough.
Riot Baby, Tochi Onyebuchi
Sometimes enough time passes between when I put a title on my wishlist and when I read it that I forget anything I knew about it and thus end up having no idea what sort of thing I’m getting into. This was that way for me, and it took while for me to understand I wasn’t quite in our world anymore.
The Craft of Love, EE Ottoman
A sweet novella with a quilting heroine and a hero of a type that’s way underrepresented in romance. It was was right up my alley (someday I’ll quilt again).
Shield of Winter, Nalini Singh
Somehow it’s been years since I read a book in this series. It wasn’t because I’d stopped liking them or because I’d caught up and had to wait for the next one. I don’t know what happened. Regardless, I’m back to the series and enjoyed this one. Unfortunately, I think there are only a couple more to read.
Shards of Hope, Nalini Singh
This did make me feel hopeful. Much needed right now.
The Red Scot, Twyla Turner
I like curvy heroines (this one is a size 16, I believe, which is still smaller than the average woman but bigger than most romance leads). I like diversity. This book had both. I do not like sloppy copy editing (such as many many extraneous commas and some synonym errors) or heroines who deal with trauma by not going to therapy but staying stuck in fear for over a decade. This book had those, too, plus some internalized misogyny in the bargain.
The Weight of It All, N.R. Walker
Some good stuff in here. The angst seemed realistic, too.
All Systems Red, Martha Wells
This was so good. It’s a novella yet it felt complete. The main character is both recognizable and not of the world I know. I was hooked early on, with lines like “It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering…”
Artificial Condition, Martha Wells
The continuing adventures of Murderbot. Just as enjoyable a read as the first one.
Rouge Protocol, Martha Wells
Still enjoying reading these novellas. This one seemed slightly less standalone than the previous ones. It ends at a logical place, but with less wrapped up than I’d hoped.
Exit Strategy, Martha Wells
Nicely wrapped up the story begun in the previous installment in the Murderbot series. I’m looking forward to reading the new one when I get to the top of the library hold list.
Network Effect, Martha Wells
This latest installment in the Murderbot series is a full novel rather than the novellas that made up the earlier offerings. It doesn’t feel padded at all unlike some series where the books get longer but the stories aren’t really bigger. I enjoyed this a lot and stayed up late to finish it. I’m already excited to read what comes next, though I’m not sure that book has even been announced yet.
The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker
I think this was well written, and I appreciated the telling of this story from another perspective, but I needed to read it in sections with breaks in between to read lighter things because I found it grindingly depressing for most of the story.
Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown
This felt real to me though it was fiction. I so want to know how the main character made out later in her life.
This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
It’s no secret that time travel plots often make my head hurt, but I went ahead and picked this up anyway due to some reason I no longer remember (a great review in a magazine maybe) and am so glad I did. It feels like one of those books that either grabs you or doesn’t, and it grabbed me. I didn’t understand a lot about how things work in this world, but instead of frustrating me, I embraced the mystery.
Girl, Woman, Other, Berndardine Evaristo
I had a false start with this book a while back, when I just couldn’t concentrate on keeping track of the characters and the unorthodox writing style rankled (these are both me problems, I know). But I gave it another go and was in a better state of mind to receive it and ended up enjoying it. I still think I missed some connections between characters but overall I enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of so many women who led different lives from mine.
Cleanness, Garth Greenwell
Reading this was like having dream; the images were sometimes disturbing, sometimes mundane, and the plot was indistinct.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman
I wasn’t sure about this at first but ended up really liking it. There’s some stuff in it that was hard for me to read and some stuff I identified strongly with. I’m glad I stuck with it instead of stopping when it wasn’t the light/funny/quirky book I’d expected based on some blurbs I’d read.
A Single Swallow, Zhang Ling, translated by Shelly Bryant
If this had been written differently, I think the subject matter might have caused me to put the book aside; there is some tough stuff in here (it’s set in China during WWII). It’s told with enough distance that I could and did keep reading.
The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
I think this is well written and well edited. I didn’t tug at my emotions the way I think it might have if I’d read it before The Silence of the Girls.
Dear Edward, Ann Napolitano
This made me cry and also feel oddly hopeful. It also sent me down a rabbit hole of reading about Air France 447 which I’m not sure was the best choice I could have made after I finished the book around 3 a.m.
The Last Bathing Beauty, Amy Sue Nathan
I liked the “Catskills of the Midwest” setting in Michigan (even though when I lived in that state, I spent very little time exploring this part of it). There are definitely echoes of Dirty Dancing. Some of the plot was predictable, but there were a few turns that took me by surprise. I felt sad for the main character at times but the way the story was told, splitting between her at 18 in 1951 and her in her 80s, I didn’t get swamped by it.
Optimists Die First, Susin Nielsen
This felt similar to Dear Edward in that it has young characters faced with tragedy. I didn’t find it quite as moving or absorbing, though.
Idaho, Emily Ruskovich
I recognized the places in this book; I travel through them myself. The author gets the setting just right. The story is unsettling and jumps back and forth in time which didn’t bother me as much as that device usually does.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Catherynne M. Valente
I read someone describe this as a cross between Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth, both of which I enjoyed greatly when I was younger. I didn’t enjoy this greatly. Perhaps I am too old and impatient now for such whimsy and meandering and nonsense. I hope not. I hope it’s just that this particular whimsy and meandering wasn’t a good fit for me at the time I read it.
Nothing to See Here, Kevin Wilson
I loved this book so much I read nothing but it until I finished (I usually have three, sometimes four, books going at once).
(A) means I listened to it.
(RR) means I re-read it.
(P) means I read it on paper.
I link titles to Powell’s Books if they carry them. I will often link to an edition other than the one I read. If Powell’s doesn’t have it, I will link to Amazon. These are not affiliate links.
I also log my reading on StoryGraph. I’m KarenD there. Feel free to friend (or follow) me. Once in a while I add spoilers to my reviews there in addition to what I write on this page (using spoiler tags there, of course).
January 1, 2025 to Now: (latest finished on top)
The Love Hypothesis, Ali Hazelwood
I really liked this one, with one blip: the main character used “clean” to mean “tested negative for STIs”, which grates on me, as it tends to be what men who call women “feeemales” tend to say and implies anyone with an infection is “dirty”, adding to stigma.
You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, Ada Limón (editor)
I don’t read much poetry. It doesn’t tend to click with me for some reason. But I value poetry and other art, and felt sad that so many of the writers in this book were supported by grants from organizations that are being attacked or dismantled by the fascists who have taken over so much of my country. The introductions for some of the poets were longer than the poems in this collection, which I think hindered me from getting into the poetry itself. I connected most with Staircase by Jason Schneiderman, which speaks to the current horrors and reads more like a mini-essay to me than a poem. I Am Learning to Find the Horizons of Peace by Prageeta Sharma also spoke to me; the language was accessible and also beautiful.
All I Can Handle: Raising Three Daughters with Autism, Kim Stagliano
Wish I’d noticed that the foreword is by Jenny McCarthy before I bought this (for 6.25 cents) at the used book sale. Early in the text, the author states she’s not against vaccines, but then shortly thereafter shows she is a best a vaccine skeptic, if not a full anti-vaxxer. I almost DNFd this right there. But I kept going, thinking maybe she’d be the exception to my experience with anti-vax folks in my local community, that she might explain why she felt that way in a way that made sense. She did not, despite having several sections devoted to the subject, including praising Andrew Wakefield and scoffing at herd immunity. Yet she also said she and her husband voted for Obama, so she’s not entirely irredeemable. Vaccines aside, the structure and flow of this memoir did not click with me. It wasn’t chronological, so I got lost in time at times. Read more like a collection of essays rather than a coherent whole. I realize she can tell her story however she wants; for me, all the jumping around wasn’t effective.
Sailing for Dummies, JJ Fetter and Peter Isler (P)
I generally avoid “dummies” books because I’m trying to get ableist words out of my vocabulary, but I do want to learn more about sailing and this book was in the house, so here we are. I read a bit most nights and got through it in a couple months. A lot of the sailing words still haven’t clicked for me, and a lot of these chapters don’t apply to what I’m doing (not racing, not windsurfing, not taking children on the water, etc.) I learned a few things, though.
Fangirl Down, Tessa Bailey
Loved this one. Made only two notes about things I thought should have been tweaked, a really low number for me. Was pleasantly surprised about a major plot point that I thought would go differently.
Careless Whispers, Synthia Williams
So many of the folks in this book need therapy.
My Inconvenient Duke, Loretta Chase
I didn’t read the first two in this series, but maybe I should have since I felt like I was missing some context and understanding who the characters were.
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care Ashley, Herring Blake
Really liked this. It wasn’t all comfortable to read but so much rang so true to me.
The Worst Best Man, Mia Sosa
A lot to like here, but I got taken out of the story at times by things like how much stuff both of them had taken with them on a day trip. I realize that’s my brain but surprised an editor didn’t question it.
The Hidden Moon, Jeannie Lin
Nice to read a historical romance set somewhere other than England.
The Heartbreak Years, Minda Honey
I appreciate memoirs for letting me peek into lives that are different from mine. I really appreciated this one for some insights that are making me think about power and patriarchy and upward mobility and the system we live in in the U.S.
The Romantic Agenda, Claire Kann
This had some unexpected turns. I enjoyed it.
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, India Holton
It took a long time for me to get through this book. For the first 2/3rds of it, I’d read a bit then stop because it was too wacky to fit my mood, not the sort of thing I could escape into. I would have stopped entirely if I didn’t already have the second book in paper, an impulse purchase to support a local bookstore. Then at some point it grew on me, or maybe my mood shifted, and the last several chapters flew by.
No Limits, Ivy Nelson (P)
This is two novellas stitched into one book. The balance of plot/steam/character development was a bit off for me (I would have liked less plot and more character development). Still enjoyable enough that I finished it quickly.
Fangirl, Rainbow Rowell (P)
This hardcover showed up in my house somehow (Mr. K read it first). For a YA novel, it worked pretty well for me. The ending left a lot of things hanging, but that’s just how it goes with most fiction.
For the Love of April French, Penny Aimes
I got this just because it’s on a list of 50 romance novels to read to explore the genre and wow, I loved it. Early on there were a couple of word choices that tugged my brain out of the story (“court shoes” meaning low cut pumps in the British sense but spoken by an American character, and a man to boot, was one of them) but soon enough I was invested in the characters and their relationship and ignoring my other books in progress to read more.
Acoustics, London Price
Finally pulled this out of the TBR folder on my Kindle. It’s good enough that I’d read the next in the series, but it seems the ebooks aren’t around anymore, so that’s sad.
Quilter’s Knot, Arlene Sachitano (P)
The quilting parts of the story were solid. I was less impressed by the murder mystery bits and all the details about what they ate and what they wore. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I’d read the first book in the series before this one so I’d have better understood the animosity between the main character and the main suspect. (Bought on vacation in Sunriver, OR several years back.)
No Ordinary Duchess, Elizabeth Hoyt
Liked this twist on a historical plot. Might need to take a break from this time period for a while, as the whole “oh no what if society finds out” followed by society finding out and nothing really serious seeming to happen is wearying.
Meet Me by the Fountain, Alexandra Lange
Liked this history of malls in America. I’d been to a few of the iconic ones mentioned, though what I consider my coming of age mall was not among the featured developments.
The Roommate, Rosie Danan
This felt like it was hedging its bets: sex work positive but not so much that the MMC was still performing. Distractions for my neurospicy brain: wearily used where warily would have been more appropriate, toeing on one’s shoes instead of toeing them off, stairwell used where railing would have fit better.
Impact, Nikki Markham
While I’m all for F/F BDSM romance, this one was not for me. My brain got distracted by things such as which POV am I in right now, do people really wander into the backrooms of clubs to find BDSM scenes going on without any prior knowledge, the logistics of pulling on a leash attached to a collar of someone performing oral sex (is the attachment point in back or front? etc.), how do you consume fries and a milkshake while walking and also carrying a BDSM toy bag, and are kids really calling it a strap rather than a strap-on.
Play Like a Feminist, Shira Chess
This has some good nuggets in it. Some of it went over my head as I’m not steeped in academia and some of the language felt very academic/opaque to me. I might try re-reading when I’m in a different state of mind.
Birding with Benefits, Sarah T. Dubb
Liked the older main characters (they are of course not as old as I am). Didn’t feel like I was asked too many too many suspensions of my disbelief.
Any Duke in Storm, Amalie Howard
This is the historical that it took me a while to finish while I was zooming through two contemporaries. I’m not sure why it didn’t grab me, as it has so many elements I like. Might just be where my brain is at right now.
Beach Read, Emily Henry
I seem to be developing more of a taste for contemporary romance, as I started and finished this while a historical was languishing in progress on my Kindle. I can see why this one was so popular.
Like Lovers Do, Tracey Livesay
Raced through this to start, then had to put it down fairly near the end because I just couldn’t with the MCs doing a couple of dumb things that seemed out of character. Turned out okay when I got back to it.
Her Naughty Holiday, Tiffany Reisz
Started this one on audio as it was the only format I could find in any of the libraries I have access to, but that didn’t work for me so bought the ebook and raced through it.
Disability Visibility, edited by Alice Wong
Appreciated the exposure to viewpoints I don’t often come across.
Give Me Butterflies, Jillian Meadows
Coincidentally, this had some echoes of a couple of the themes in the previous book I finished (Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating). I liked this better. So much better I neglected my other reading in progress until I finished it.
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, Christina Lauren
This was fine. If I’d checked the tropes ahead of time I might have skipped it, but that’s a me problem. Did appreciate the inclusion in the epilogue. Didn’t even notice the “politics” that some negative reviews mentioned.
The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Grey, Oscar Wilde with Nicholas Frankel
A genre challenge on StoryGraph gave me the nudge to finally read this classic. I was glad for the foreword to give me context, though it was also chilling … how long before we’re living in the 1890s again, with people going to jail for creating homoerotic content (and this is very mild compared to some of the modern erotic I’ve read).
The Truth About Him, M. O’Keefe
I was so frustrated that the first book was a cliffhanger that it took me years to read this second one (waited until I found it at a library on ebook). Still not a world I like to spend time in … too gritty, too many MC members, too much pain and violence … but now I know how it ends.
Weird Fucks, Lynne Tillman (P)
Picked this up on a whim at a bookstore in Seattle that I happened upon when I was in town for a class. The weird part for me was how unsexy the sex was in this. I think it’s a “not for me” book.
The Highwayman, Kerrigan Byrne
This is from 2015, which doesn’t seem like that long ago, so I wasn’t prepared for some of the content in this one the way I would have been with an older historical romance. I would say I should have checked the content warnings before I read it, but I’d have probably gone ahead anyway.
What Every Senior Should Eat, Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing (P)
Reading this is the book equivalent of flipping through reels on Facebook. Lots and lots of bite sized pieces of information with not much support for how factual anything is or how the recommendations might interact with each other. The items are at least roughly organized by theme at least, but that means some things are mentioned several times in several places. There’s no attempt made to tie things up into overall recommendations.
Boyfriend Material, Alexis Hall
This was so good. I pretty much ignored my other books in progress while I read this one. I laughed more than once and smiled a lot, and the angst and misunderstandings seemed realistic for the modern setting.
Getting Rid of It: Eliminate the Clutter in Your Life, Betsy Talbot, Warren Talbot
There were a few good nuggets in here, but it isn’t something I’ll come back to when I’m ready to declutter for real, I don’t think. The repeated ads for their website/course were annoying.
Honeytrap, Aster Glen Gray
This had been on my TBR for a while but no library I have access to now had it. Finally bought it and so glad I did. I never quite knew where this was headed, and I liked that.
Gray Hair Don’t Care, Karen Booth
Liked this one, with its older main characters and fairly low angst. Looking at the highlights and notes I made on my device, there was a refreshing lack of plot points and details that took me out of the story.
You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince, Timothy Janovsky
Main character was very unsympathetic to start, to the point where I considered giving up and picking a different book for the challenge I read this for. Glad I persevered.
An Extraordinary Union, Alyssa Cole
Took me a while to get through this because I kept having thoughts about how the white men in power in the US now would love to go back to these times. It’s a good book, just a bit out of my comfort zone (and it’s important to read out of that zone sometimes).
Goodbye Junie Moon, June Collins
It took me a while to get into the rhythm of this book, which starts out near the end of the time period in the author’s life that this covers, then alternates between flashbacks to her childhood/early adulthood in Australia and her time in Asia during the Vietnam war era. Both of those parts were interesting just my brain had trouble with them being interspersed. I realize not all brains work the way mine does.
Kiss the Girl, Zoraida Cordova
A Little Mermaid retelling set in the modern day music industry. A few details distracted me from fully sinking into the plot at points but mostly I just enjoyed the ride (though I had to close the book for a bit when the villain showed up).
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents, Lindsay C. Gibson (P)
Another lens to look at myself through. I think I’m going to need to re-read this to absorb more of the concepts here. Given that both my parents are gone, sections of this aren’t as relevant to me as they would have been earlier but there’s still a lot of food for thought and maybe action here.
Marriage & Masti, Nisha Sharma
Liked this one a lot. Even though it was third in a series I hadn’t read the first two of, I never felt lost or confused.
Rules for Ghosting, Shelly Jay Shore
Loved this. Made me cry. Made me smile.
Books I read in 2018, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Erotica, Fiction—Everything Else.
(RR) means re-read
(P) means read on paper
(A) means listened to it on audio
There Are Worse Things I Could Do, Adrienne Barbeau
I enjoyed reading this much more than I expected to.
Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir, Cinelle Barnes
This memoir sometimes made me very uncomfortable. I wanted more of it, to understand how the author got from the events described in the story to where she is now.
You’ve Been So Lucky Already: A Memoir, Alethea Black
I loved this so much I chose to read it instead of sleep one night, and sleep is one of my favorite things. I wasn’t always clear on where in time the story was, but the rhythms the words made in my head were so great that I didn’t mind. I didn’t always agree with the author’s choices but her writing helped me understand why she went the way she did on some things.
Florencia: An Accidental Story, Douglas Bowman and John Mullen
I usually prefer third person narration, but when it’s a memoir and the people writing it are referring to themselves in the third person, I find it odd and off putting. Why distance themselves from the telling that way? The editing was also very distracting, with commas used in ways that should not be. Such as this sentence: “The sandy excuse for a road was uneven with exaggerated, furrows, and paths, undetectable and unmarked.” It was disappointing to only see one photo in here, when a lot of the book covered the efforts to assemble a team to document the experience in photo and video. The Amazon reviews for this are stellar. I’m not sure I read the same book. What these guys facilitated was great; the book telling about it is not.
Feast: True Love in and out of the Kitchen, Hannah Howard
Even when I wasn’t agreeing with or even understanding the author’s choices, I loved reading this memoir. There’s a rhythm to the writing that connected with me, a song being sung in my head as I read. There’s a lot going on here; some it felt very familiar to me, some of it very foreign.
A River in Darkness, Masaji Ishikawa, translated by Risa Kobayashi and Martin Brown
This was just grindingly sad. Not surprising given the subject matter.
Sweet Baby Lover, Jule Kucera
I have such mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it were touching. Parts of it were gross. Parts of it were super frustrating.
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Jenny Lawson
I don’t read her blog and almost gave up on this book early on, as it seemed so frenetic and performance-like, as if the author was very concerned about looking wacky. I pushed on and did get some laughs out of it, so that’s good.
Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life, Michael Lewis
I failed to notice before I downloaded this that it’s a essentially a short story. Not being a parent or part of any sports team more serious than intramural softball for one year in college, I had trouble relating, and this was too short a work to be able to give me the context I needed to really understand. It helped not at all that the photo captions were grouped together at the end and it turned out none had any particular connection to the story.
Not Tonight Josephine: A Road Trip Through Small Town America, George Mahood
A travel memoir written a few decades after the trip was taken. I’ve been to some of the towns they went to so those bits were interesting to me. I wish they’d done less beer drinking and more exploring (and hadn’t called Detroit a shithole), but they were 20-something dudes so I guess that’s to be expected. I found this a pleasant enough read that I might look into some of his other books.
The Tenth Island: Finding Joy, Beauty, and Unexpected Love in the Azores, Diana Marcum
I didn’t know anything about the Azores before I read this, and now I know a little, so that’s good. I wish there would have been a more cohesive story here, a better focus.
The Art of Trapeze: One Woman’s Journey of Soaring, Surrendering, and Awakening, Molly McCord
I liked the sections covering her time in Paris. I didn’t like the numerous flashbacks to other times in her life; I didn’t feel those were incorporated well. I really didn’t like the whole end section of new age philosophy. The trapeze metaphor that pops up periodically didn’t work for me, either.
Out of the Shoebox: An Autobiographical Mystery, Yaron Reshef
The story of a family in four parts. I felt they could have been stitched together better (though in the afterward, the author explains his reasoning behind putting the two middle sections where he did, which I appreciated). As a non-Jewish reader, I wished for more explanation of the Jewish terms (my Kindle dictionary was not much help).
Never Stop Walking: A Memoir of Finding Home Across the World, Christina Rickardsson, translated by Tara F. Chace
A powerful memoir by a woman who grew up in poverty in Brazil and was adopted by a Swedish couple. I wonder how many similar memoirs we’ll see in future from children separated from their parents at the U.S. border in recent months.
Confessions of a Funeral Director, Caleb Wilde
I didn’t read the blog that was the genesis of this book, though I think I did hear the author on NPR once. I cried more than once reading this. I got uncomfortable with the religiosity in it more than once.
The Couple, Mr. & Mrs. K
I came across this old paperback, the account of a couple who did a two-week course of sex therapy with Masters & Johnson, and breezed through it over a couple of days. It’s a document of its time (published in the early 1970s): sex workers are called whores, and one of the solutions to the couples’ problems is that the wife should not talk so much. It also has some inaccurate information about body parts (hint: the vagina is not the same as the vulva).
…But I’m Not a Racist: Tools for Well-Meaning Whites , Kathy Obear
Some good food for thought here, but too many links to the author’s website for information that I felt could/should have been in the text.
The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life, Anu Partenen
This book made me feel I was meant to be Finnish. I would so fit in in a land that leans toward pessimism and understands that government provided health care, day care, schooling, and other social services are a source of individual freedom and independence, not a detriment to it. I’m sad that our country is going in a different direction right now, consolidating power and money and opportunity in the hands of a few.
From Mountains to Skyscrapers: The Journey of the Iu Mien, David Saechao
I got this book to learn about a people and a culture I hadn’t been exposed to, and I did get that, though in a rather dry, not very engaging format. The author has obviously done a lot of research and connects with this story on a personal level; I just didn’t connect with how he tells it. There are some editing errors that distracted me further (“whom” instead of “who” and similar substitutions, some missing words).
A Touch of Midnight, Lara Adrian
I don’t remember why I stopped reading this series, or why I waited this long to read this novella which is a prequel to books I read quite a while back. It was like visiting an old neighborhood, familiar yet no longer a place I quite understood. I don’t think this stands alone, as it’s too short for much world building. I had some quibbles with a few things but again, maybe that’s due to it being too short to explain the things that bothered me (like what “delivery room” means in the context of a library building and if it’s where packages are received, why it’s decorated with elaborate murals).
Edge of Dawn, Lara Adrian
Having dipped back into the world of the Midnight Breed with the prequel novella, I picked up this 11th in the series, which features a female lead, the now-adult version of a character that was a child when she first showed up in the books. I didn’t feel the same spark with this as I did with the earlier books. Maybe it’s me.
The Thrill of It All, Lauren Blakely
Oh joy, a cliffhanger. I stopped reading this several chapters in, left it for months, and came back to it to find it hadn’t improved in the interim. Things happen that make no sense (unless you’re in a melodrama).
Love at Furst Sight, Terry Bolryder
Pleasant enough. Had some quibbles with language (when don’t I?) like “deadlocks” instead of “deadbolts”.
The Year We Hid Away, Sarina Bowen
It was okay.
Thin Love, Eden Butler
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
I don’t know if I was just in the right mood or what, but I liked this book more than other romances I’ve read recently, even though there’s a lot of unhealthy behavior. I even cried a few times.
Homeward Bound, Golden Czermak
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
This was a slog. So much so I finally gave up and didn’t finish. I found a secondary character more interesting than the two leads. The world building left key questions unanswered (such as, if it’s so easy to defeat vampires with light, why not got directly to that instead of messing around with hand to hand combat first). The sex scenes were not sexy. Witness this sentence from when two characters got together: “As he continued to press on, the exhilaration of the night became too hard and she overflowed onto the covers.” She what? Peed? Squirted? Something else?
Born of Persuasion, Jessica Dotta
I’m not sure about this one. Overall I think it was well written, yet the ending is unsatisfying. Throughout, there’s lots of foreshadowing, but not all the things foreshadowed happen in this first book in the series. At the end of the copy I read, there’s a teaser for the next book; in that, there’s a framing device that I really wish had been in this book.
Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride, Eli Easton
This was a fun read. There was some peril but it felt like it was of the melodrama variety so I didn’t feel too stressed about it.
Losing an Edge, Catherine Gayle
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
Didn’t realize until I finished this that it’s book 13 in a series (or maybe book 8; Amazon and Goodreads differ); didn’t feel that way reading it.
A Thousand Letters, Staci Hart
Not my kind of book. Wanted to shake both of the main characters many times. Yes, they’re young, but not so young they should still be acting the way they are.
The Prince & The Player, Tia Louise
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
This was ridiculous, and not in a good way. Not really a complete story, either, though not a crazy cliffhanger like some series resort to.
TRUTHS: Art of Eros Series Book 1, Kenzie Macallan
Maybe too much description of hotel suites and meals; that space could have been used to further develop the main relationship, which felt rushed to me, especially with everything else going on in the story. There were some distracting editing issues; perhaps these have been corrected in later versions.
Addicted to You, Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie
I started this, then put it aside for a while, then picked it back up and got sucked in. Still over dramatic for my taste as New Adult often seems to be.
Delicate Ink, Carrie Ann Ryan
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
There were things I really liked about this; the kink was handled well though it wasn’t a part of the story for long. There were things I didn’t; many subplots—some that seemed like they belonged in other books entirely—and some unnecessary drama. I liked it enough that I might check out more of the series.
Incandescent, River Savage
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
Set in and around a motorcycle club that’s evolved beyond their criminal past; I think how they did that would have made a more compelling story than the one the book tells. This has an alternating first person narrative that misses showing some scenes and instead tells about them after the fact (not always doing them justice).
His, Jenika Snow
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
This has a content warning up front. If this story had been written with better developed characters, it could have lived up to that warning, but it did not. There are creepy, awful situations here, but the writing didn’t make me feel or believe them.
The Birthday Surprise, Amelia Stone
Not a whole book but a short story sent out by the author to her mailing list. I liked it.
Crazy in Love, Amelia Stone
This is a side story to the author’s book Desire; now I want to go back and re-read that one to see how this fits in. The shorter length of this one leaves less time for character and relationship development, and I found I missed that compared to Desire. It’s still good, I just wish there were more of it. Being me, of course I have a some nits to pick with a couple of plot points, including wondering why the main character doesn’t have a credit card to use for a hotel room. Yet to balance that, there was a bit of explanation provided for something I would have otherwise questioned that made me quite happy.
Birthday Party in Paradise, Amelia Stone
This year’s short story sent out by the author to her mailing list. As with last year’s (which I read earlier this year just to be confusing), I liked it.
Lover’s Game, Amelia Stone
The best of this author’s books so far (and I think the longest, which may be related). Of course I had a few quibbles as I read because I’m me, but I pretty much forgot those when the ending made me cry in a good way.
Better When It Hurts, Sky Warren
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
Too bleak for me. Also explained things that didn’t need it and failed to explain some things that did.
Friends with Partial Benefits, Luke Young
This book has been on my Kindle for years; I think I got it for free, and that’s good, because it’s not a great book. There is a lot of telling rather than showing, some consent violations, and some misogyny thrown in for seasoning. There were a few scenes that worked for me, so that’s something. And now I can delete it from my Kindle, so that’s something, too.
Friends With Full Benefits, Luke Young
Why did I read another installment of the series I didn’t like the first one of? Well, I thought it might get better, and it was already on my Kindle. It didn’t get better. I wish I’d read the note I wrote on Goodreads about this one back in February of 2015, when I started and then abandoned it: “I gave up on this fairly early in. I didn’t read the first book in the series, so perhaps that’s why I felt no connection to any of the characters in the first few chapters. This reads like a porn movie, complete with stilted language and unrealistic events, but I didn’t find it hot, so I’m out.”
Friends With More Benefits, Luke Young
Okay, now this was really dumb for me to read. Yes, this third book in the series was already on my Kindle, but I should have deleted it when book 2 was no better than book 1.
Girl on a Wire, Gwenda Bond
I really liked this, with the exception of one plot point. I understand why it was done the way it was but wish it could have been less dramatic. But the setting and the characters and the magic and the mystery all worked for me other than that.
The Storyteller’s Secret, Sejal Badani
I guessed the secret fairly early on. That didn’t prevent me from reading the rest of the book or weeping my way through the conclusion.
Suburban Holidays, Patrick Cleary
I don’t remember the last time I read any plays; this collection of holiday-themed ones is fun. I did find myself getting distracted by wondering how some parts of these were staged.
Miramont’s Ghost, Elizabeth Hall
I rather wish I had read spoilers for this, as then I wouldn’t have put myself through reading this tale. There were parts I liked, mostly the settings, and the protagonist as a young girl, but overall there was so much angst and abuse for so little payoff.
So Over You, Gwen Hayes
This is a tough one. A lot of it is fun teen romance/angst stuff. Then there’s the root of the heroine’s issues, and that’s no fun whatsoever. Might even be triggering to some. (I read this in the So Totally collection.)
Totally Tubular, Gwen Hayes
Time travel and teens? Probably not the book for me. I did enjoy reading it, though, up until the end, when I wanted more of an explanation. I pretty much always want more of an explanation, though. (I read this in the So Totally collection.)
Trail of Thread, Linda Hubalek
I never connected with any of the characters, despite quilting being mentioned regularly.
Yellow Crocus, Laila Ibrahim
This is a novel, not an academic treatise. So the slavery here is somewhat romanticized, with a heroine who is a proxy for the well-meaning white reader.
Go: A Coming of Age Novel, Kazuki Kaneshiro, translated by Takami Nieda
The best part of this for me was the view into the racism in Japanese culture. It dovetailed with A River in Darkness for me, but was emotionally easier to read as I knew it was fiction.
Ticker, Lisa Mantchev
Like The Thrill of It All, I took a break reading this for quite some time, but unlike it, this one did grab me more the second go round.
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
Why did I wait so long to read this? I loved it. It’s strange in just the right way for me.
Nightblade, Garrett Robinson
I would have loved this book as a kid. As a grownup, I like it fine but wish for more adult themes. It’s not a standalone … one needs to read on in the series to (I assume) get the answers to some mysteries that remain at the end of this volume.
Mystic, Garrett Robinson
I hoped the plot would advance more in this second installment of the series and that we’d learn much more about the mysterious dagger the protagonist carries.
Fatal Puzzle, Catherine Shepherd, translated by Julia Knobloch
I wanted more loose ends tied up here. I have questions that the author doesn’t seem to have considered.
The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter: The Complete Collection, Jennifer Malone Wright
This was not good. There was clunky dialog, characters that weren’t engaging, plot that made no sense, and so on.
Books I read in 2019, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance, Erotica, and Urban Fantasy, Fiction—Everything Else.
(RR) means re-read
(P) means read on paper
(A) means listened to it on audio
Saturday Night Widows, Becky Aikman
I somehow thought this was fiction when I started reading. It is not. When I realized it was a true story, I wondered about how the author had gotten permission from the other ladies to share their stories after the fact. Some Googling after I finished leads me to believe the group was formed with writing a book about it in mind from the start, which is not my favorite sort of thing to read. I had some trouble keeping track of which woman was which, whether because none were especially relatable to me or something else, I’m not sure.
The Size of Everything, Erin Cole and Jenna McCarthy
This memoir can be very hard to read … not because of the writing, but because so many adults failed these children. Kudos to Erin Cole for surviving and eventually thriving as an adult herself.
The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing, & Coming Out, William Dameron
The catfishing mentioned in the subtitle was a very minor part of this book; I would have liked to hear more. There’s a lot of pain to go around here.
Don’t Go There: From Chernobyl to North Korea, Adam Fletcher
I spent much of this book annoyed by the author, an annoyance born of envy, as I wished I’d been able to support myself running websites and being able to take so many trips when I was his age instead of having an office job with never enough vacation days. By the end, he seemed more mature and annoyed me less.
The Secret Race, Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle
I’m not a bike racing fan, but still felt reading this was a good use of my time to learn how screwed up things were (are?) in that world.
Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom, Ken Ilgunas
I read memoirs to see into other people’s lives. I am too attached to creature comforts and too scared to be people like this author. Could this author have done what he did if he were a woman? Probably not, given how the world works right now.
To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History, Lawrence Levy
This is a business memoir which would not seem to be the kind of thing that would make me cry, yet there I was, weeping away at a particularly momentous time in Pixar’s history.
Future Perfect: A Skeptic’s Search for an Honest Mystic, Victoria Loustalot
I admit I got this mainly because I saw a review from a Trump supporter who was offended by it. I connected strongly with parts of this memoir. As I read about the author’s explorations and interviews with psychics and mystics and others, interspersed with tales of her love life, I came across a few ideas that struck me as worth further contemplation. It’s a shame that the Trump supporter who wrote that review I saw didn’t finish the book, because there are some thoughts on empathy here that that person could benefit from if they were able to open their heart and mind.
The Egg and I, Betty MacDonald
I read this whole book without realizing this is where Ma and Pa Kettle come from. Not that I have much to do with Ma and Pa Kettle but those characters were something I remember older relatives talking about when I was young. This book hasn’t necessarily aged well, what with the casual racism, but it was still interesting to see the life of a farm wife in the 1920s.
Rock Needs River: A Memoir About a Very Open Adoption, Vanessa McGrady
There is a lot of backstory before the adoption of the subtitle happens. I would really like the biological parents to write their side of this story, too; there are bits of it here, but filtered through the author’s privilege. I hope the author’s relationship with her daughter goes better than any of her relationships with men did.
Hippie Woman Wild: A Memoir of Life & Love on an Oregon Commune, Carol Schlanger
The version I read had enough proofreading errors that I found them distracting enough to mention here. I was in grade school when my mom went through her “hippie” period; we never lived on a commune but did go to a cooperative school where there were no classes or much adult supervision, so some of this book did resonate with me more than it might have otherwise. I very much appreciated the afterword with updates on many of the people in the story.
Man Fast: A Memoir , Natasha Scripture
There are some nuggets here that made me think. That she worked remotely through her adventures made it seem less self-indulgent than similar quests I’ve read about.
A Well-Read Woman: The Life, Loves, and Legacy of Ruth Rappaport, Kate Stewart
It took me a while to get through this … I would have thought the story of a woman who escaped Nazi Germany as teen and worked in Vietnam during the war (among other things) would be more exciting in the telling. Maybe because the author never met the subject there was some distance there?
Prognosis: A Memoir of My Brain, Sarah Vallance
No sugar coating here in this telling of the author’s path back from a traumatic brain injury. There is an event here that was upsetting to me as a dog lover (the author is also a dog lover) but I kept reading.
The Warner Boys: Our Family’s Story of Autism and Hope, Curt Warner and Ana Warner and Dave Boling
Conversational. Can’t imagine some of the things this family went through, and they had more resources than many families do.
Educated: A Memoir, Tara Westover
This was powerful and heartbreaking. Living as I do in the mountains of Idaho, with Redoubters and other survivalists rearing their ugly heads in some of our local Facebook groups, this resonated even deeper than it might otherwise.
The Boy Between Worlds: A Biography, Annejet van der Zilj, translated by Kristen Gehrman
Note that the photo section in the middle of the book contains spoilers for later events in this true story. I found this well written and well researched and I learned some things about WWII.
The Sadist, the Hitman and the Murder of Jane Bashara, George Hunter and Lynn Rosenthal
I guess my reading of the Swedish true crime book led this one to show up on my recommendation list. Even though this crime took place in metro Detroit when I was living there, I don’t remember hearing anything about it. Guess it wasn’t on NPR. A sad and infuriating story. There’s some repetition in the telling here that detracts from the unfolding of the tale.
The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator, Joakim Palmkvist, translated by Agnes Broomé
I appreciated the detail about how the Swedish justice system works. I didn’t appreciate the repetition of some parts of the story; they didn’t seem to add to the dramatic effect but rather made me feel the author didn’t trust the reader to remember things. I am confused by the author’s bio, which says he’s living under a protected identity, yet has a photo and lists the city where he lives. How does that work?
Fate’s Edge, Ilona Andrews
I enjoyed returning to this world. I had sort of forgotten who some of these characters were, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the story. I had a few plot quibbles, but when don’t I.
Steel’s Edge, Ilona Andrews
Figured I’d go ahead and read the last in this series while the world was fresh in my mind. I liked it.
Clean Sweep, Ilona Andrews
Just picked up this series from a favorite author. I liked it. I did spend most of the book thinking one of the heroes was married (having confused him for another character) and therefore not a possibility for a romantic interest (barring discussion of polyamory, of which there was none).
Throttle Me, Chelle Bliss
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
I could have sworn I read a later book in the series that this book kicks off, but remembered nothing about these characters from that book, so that was confusing. Apparently there are two series about siblings running a tattoo shop, and the other one was also in this same collection.
Broken Toy, Tymber Dalton
This BDSM series is so much more realistic and so much healthier for all the characters involved than 50 Shades.
A Clean Sweep, Tymber Dalton
It amused me that this installment of a favorite series had pretty much the same title as the book I’d just read (Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews). This is the rare book that kept me up late reading. I liked the setup more than the main relationship, probably because the former hit close to home while the latter did not.
Rest for the Wicked, Cate Dean
The Girl, Lola St. Vil
Twin Souls, K. A. Poe
Darkangel, Christina Pope
I read these as part of the Paranormal 13 collection, which I’m slowly working my way through. I decided I needed to get these logged before I forgot what I thought about them, but too late; they’ve already slipped from my memory, which seems odd, as when I got to the book about the mermaids that seemed familiar … I looked back at my logs and found I’d read it on its own in 2014. So maybe my shorter term memory is failing, which is a scary thought. So I’m getting these titles in here now, and maybe I’ll go back and refresh my memory and make comments later but probably not. I do intend to get the rest of the books into the log in a more timely manner.
Wolves, C. Gockel
I liked the human main characters, could have done with a bit more world building on the non-human side of things, and somehow missed the “Part 1” in the subtitle and so was frustrated by the non-ending. It was this that made me decide to not continue reading the Paranormal 13 collection; too many cliffhangers.
Blood Bond: 1
Blood Bond: 2
Blood Bond: 3, Helen Hardt
Read these in the Unchained: Blood Bond Saga, Part 1 collection. It’s my fault for not researching this better before I read it: it’s a serial, not a series. The same things happen over and over and the main plot barely moves forward. Numerous hints are dropped about ominous goings on but none of them really pay off in the course of these three installments. The hero is traumatized and deals with that in the least productive way possible, hurting other people along the way. The heroine is apparently under the influence of forces beyond her control because no reasonable woman I know would invite the hero into her life in the way she does. I don’t plan to read on.
The Mistress of Pemberley: An Erotic Pride & Prejudice Sequel, Delaney Jane, Chera Zade, and A Lady
I found myself wishing these authors had left Jane Austen’s characters alone. Sure, write a kinky erotic novel set in Victorian England, but make up your own characters.
I Think I Might Love You, Christina C. Jones
Picked this up because I’m trying to expand my horizons when it come to authors. This was a quick fun read.
Storm, Nina Levine
(read as part of the Tasted and Tempted collection)
Having read two now, I’ve decided that MC novels are not for me. Especially not ones like this, where the MC guys kill folks with no legal repercussions and treat their women in ways I don’t care to see. This particular one did some stuff at the end that I found manipulative to the reader.
Rescue Me,
Going Commando,
From Ashes,
Shattered Pieces,
Inked in Vegas,
Flash Me, K. M. Neuhold
Read all of these in March as parts of the Heathens Ink Box Set. Note that in the box set, there are extras which are not placed in chronological order, so some contain spoilers for books one won’t have read yet if one is just reading the box set in the order in which it’s presented. The world of Heathens Ink is very inclusive, though if you like female characters alongside the gay male ones, there are very few of those. The editing here could be way better; there are lots of stray commas, missing commas, unnecessary apostrophes, homonym errors (breaks vs. brakes, for instance), and some logic problems (such as a character who doesn’t know another’s last name despite having spent a fair bit of time reading his Facebook posts). I can’t say these were pleasant reads, as there’s a fair bit of hard content (a mass shooting, a suicide attempt, kids kicked out of their homes for being gay/trans/pregnant), but they are good enough that I did finish reading the whole box set. I’m undecided about seeking out more from the author; I’m feeling some ick about a straight woman writing gay male romance. Of course writers can create characters that aren’t like them, but this series gave me some whiffs of fetishization of the gay male, and that doesn’t feel good. Quite possibly this is a me problem, not a content problem, but there it is.
A Mate for the Beta, E. A. Price
A lot packed into this novella between the romance and the murder mystery. Neither is really given enough space to unfold at a realistic pace, but that’s not unusual for this type of fiction.
In the Unlikely Event, L.J. Shen
I couldn’t really find a way into this. I liked some of the quirkiness of how it was written, but the characters and the plot were just not something I could connect with.
The Birthday Bitch, Amelia Stone
The 2019 story the author sent out as a birthday present to her mailing list. Fun, light, good read.
Twice the Growl, Milly Taiden
Quick read. Could have used more world building and character development. Some quirks of phrasing that struck me as odd: “chunk of hair”, “swallowed a gulp”, “sucked down a gulp”, “air tripped in her chest”.
Best Bondage Erotica, edited by Alison Tyler (P)
I didn’t feel especially engaged by any of the stories; maybe I need I need to be invested in a relationship between characters first and there wasn’t a chance to do that with the length of these offerings.
The King, J. R. Ward
Every so often I’ll go back to this series and find that it hasn’t gone back to the simpler stories I appreciated in the earlier days. Now there are so many subplots competing with each other that I have trouble focusing on any of them. I did enjoy seeing the changes in the structure of vampire government in this one, so that’s something.
Miss Dalrymple’s Virtue, Margaret Westhaven (P)
This 1988 Harlequin Regency Romance came to me courtesy of cleaning out a relative’s library. There was something comforting about knowing pretty much how it would unfold, with no tedious sex scenes to get through.
A Transcontinental Affair: A Novel, Jodi Daynard
(I appreciate when a book reminds me in the title if it’s fiction or non-.) I chose this based on the outraged reviews by some narrow-minded folks on Amazon; generally if it upsets bigots, it’s a book for me, and that was indeed true in this case. I’m not sure how realistic the ending was but it gave me happy thoughts and I need those so I’m good with it.
The Frame-Up, Meghan Scott Miller
I was on board with female geek lead character. Wish it hadn’t been first person narration. Wish there hadn’t been a couple of huge coincidences to move the plot forward. Yet I enjoyed reading it enough that I’m considering getting the sequel when it comes out in July.
Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
I liked this a lot. I didn’t like everything that happened, probably because I liked the main character so much that I felt bad when things didn’t work out for her the way I wanted. The ending left me with hope, though, which I much appreciated.
I’m Fine and Neither Are You, Camille Pagán
Seemed realistic. Having worked in Ann Arbor for a while (though A2 is not named), there was a familiarity to the setting I found comfortable.
The Vine Witch, Luanne G. Smith
Really enjoyed this one: the setting, the characters, the world building, the magic. It felt complete, not begging for a sequel, but I’m glad there is one coming (not ’til June 2020, which seems a long way away).
Randomize, Andy Weir
The Last Conversation, Paul Tremblay
You Have Arrived at Your Destination, Amor Towles
Emergency Skin, N.K. Jemison
Summer Frost, Blake Crouch
Ark, Veronica Roth
Read these bundled together as the Forward collection. I should have written about them as I finished them as now they’re all jumbled in my head.
Books I read in 2017, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—History, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Paranormal, Romance, Erotica, Fiction—Everything Else.
(RR) means re-read
(P) means read on paper
(A) means listened to it on audio
(BC) means read for a book club
Asses & Angels, Gail Black
This autobiography of a woman born in the 40s was a challenging read in many ways due to the subject matter, yet I’m very glad I read it, even though it made me miss my mom.
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, Allie Brosh
A lot of my reading is done in bed at night before sleeping, but this book wasn’t really suitable for that, what with the way it made me laugh so hard I was shaking and crying and disturbing my husband. I found it super funny, obviously, and also super relatable. Her coping mechanisms and rules for the world aren’t the same as mine, but I recognize the approach on a deep level. This book grew out of a blog, and like many blogs, it jumps from funny to serious, from current events in the author’s life to reminiscences of her childhood; that might cause some to rate it lower for lack of cohesion, but not me. The material on depression is a much a part of the author’s story as the dog tales.
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes and Joe Layden
Reading this was comforting, just like watching the movie.
Looking Back on Schweitzer: The Story of Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Jack Fowler as told to Ross Woodward
I’ve been wanting to read this book since I first heard about it, but it’s out of print and there didn’t seem to be an easy way to get a copy. Then Mr. K met a guy on a lift who had one, and a season later, ran into him again, and that guy had scanned the book and made a PDF, which I what I read. It was so great to learn about the early days of the place where we now live, to see places mentioned that still exist and some that are long gone. Our condo is mentioned in the book, which gave me a little thrill.
Tears of the Silenced, Misty Griffin
The author and her sister suffered horrific abuse as children. I commend her for finding her way out. I wish she’d had a better editor for this book to make the telling even more powerful.
Restless: Memoir of an Incurable Traveler, Heather Hackett
A view into travel before the internet was everywhere. I appreciated that the author is honest about challenges she faced and consequences of decisions she made. I was confused by the jumping around in time during the second part of the book. I would have loved to hear more about how things went when she and her partner got back home.
I Can Start Broken, Francis Morley
I appreciate the author’s positive attitude. I didn’t appreciate the way this book turned into a religious tract. Rather than finding that inspirational, I found it to be the opposite.
Dear Bob and Sue, Matt Smith and Karen Smith The format is a bit cutesy, but the quest is interesting, and I got some ideas about places I might want to visit. It’s a lot about the couple’s relationship, approach to following rules (or not following them), and opinions about others’ behavior, and they don’t always come off as sympathetic characters
Chickens, Mules, and Two Old Fools, Victoria Tweed
I liked this better than the last “British couple moves to Spain” book I read, but not sure I’ll continue with the series.
A Beautiful Work in Progress, Mirna Valeria
As a fat girl myself and one who used to run, though not the long distances the author does, there were parts of this I could relate to. I found the timeline confusing, though, almost as if the chapters were written independently of each other and not edited to make a cohesive whole.
Selling Sex in the Silver Valley, Heather Branstetter (P)
Interesting, well-researched book covering a part of North Idaho history I knew nothing about. Only a few spots where if I’d been the editor, I would have suggested changes (and picky as I am, that’s saying something).
The Age of Daredevils, Michael Clarkson
It took me almost forever to finish this, as I never really got engaged by it and kept putting it aside. With “daredevils” in the title and the Niagara Falls setting, I expected much more excitement in the pages. There was some, sure, but the way those events were written about and the long interludes of family history unrelated to the Falls that came between them made the whole thing go flat for me.
Climb to Conquer, Peter Shelton (P)
There are some interesting parts to this unit’s story and the stories of what some of their number did after the war, but they’re buried here among unnecessary details and description.
Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior, Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman (P)
I had to check Goodreads to make sure I hadn’t already read this, so familiar did it seem. I can only guess that I skimmed whole sections of it at Mom’s house at one point. The examples were interesting, though I’m not sure I learned any great techniques for avoiding the sway.
Crafty Girls Talk, Jennifer Forest
I didn’t recognize any of the women interviewed (I think they’re mostly in Australia), and there weren’t enough pictures of their crafts to draw me in. Had to take breaks and read other things as the stories got repetitive.
Inner Skiing, Timothy Gallway and Bob Kreigel (P)
Picked this up from a Little Free Library and got way more good information than I expected. Time will tell if it helps my skiing, but it’s already helped me understand why I never quite connected with doing positive affirmations.
Meditation for Beginners, Emily Hoskins
If you’ve never heard of meditation before and don’t mind poor editing, this is the book for you. It was not the book for me, with gems like “Meditation is not something that you should never give up on.”
Habit Stacking for Cleaning and Organizing, B.J. Knights
This is not a good book, so I’m glad to see it seems to have disappeared from Amazon (link above is to Goodreads). This is one of those books that appears to have been written quickly as part of a “let’s see if I can get some money off suckers at Amazon” effort and sort of reads like a high school research paper from a C student. There really isn’t much information on habit stacking, and the last few chapters read like they’re from another hastily written book about minimalism. I’m glad I got this one for free.
Curran POV Collection, Gordon Andrews
Stumbled across the link to this on Goodreads and so glad I did. I loved the different perspective on scenes I’d already read from another character’s viewpoint.
Magic Burns, Ilona Andrews
The hunch I had after I read the first one seems to be playing out the way I thought, but there were some other surprises in this installment. There’s still a lot more gore than I’d like, but thus goes urban fantasy I suppose.
Magic Bites, Ilona Andrews
This was on my to-read list for so long. It’s good, though more gory than my personal taste. I will probably read more in the series to see if my hunch about what’s going to happen with one of the major characters pans out.
Magic Mourns, Ilona Andrews (RR)
Read this originally as part of a collection, but at the time I didn’t have the background I do now from reading full length novels in the same world.
Magic Strikes, Ilona Andrews
Other series would have rushed the pairing that seems to be going to happen here but with this, it’s three books in and still unfolding.
Magic Bleeds, Ilona Andrews
This installment somehow seemed less grim than earlier ones, despite the continued violence and death and such.
Magic Slays, Ilona Andrews
Feels like a transitional book in the series, which is fine; I still enjoyed reading it.
Magic Rises, Ilona Andrews
This one made me cry at certain points. I questioned some plot points, sure, but it still got to me, and moved the main relationship forward.
Magic Breaks, Ilona Andrews
The previous six books have been leading up to something that happened in this one, and it was less than I hoped for.
Hoofin’ It, R.J. Blain (BC)
I was surprised by how fun this was to read what with all the violence. I guess it helped that it was set in a fantastical world.
Tangled, Phoenix C. Brown
On the plus side, despite it being short, it’s a complete story, with a real resolution. On the minus, there is so much plot and drama and action packed in here that there’s no time for much character development or explanations of the sometimes over the top plot points. Couple those drawbacks with a female/female relationship being described as a “lifestyle” and some editing errors and I was left unsatisfied.
Inked, Karen Chance, Marjorie M. Liu, Yasmine Galenorn, and Eileen Wilks
Four paranormal stories here, all of them solid, and all tied into the theme of the collection. I connected the least with Galenorn’s story. Liu’s surprised me the most as the plot turns on a device I often find problematic, but here it worked for me.
Pinch Me, Tymber Dalton
Amnesia as a plot device is not my favorite thing; still, it was very nice to revisit a favorite series with these new characters.
Legally Yours, Nicole French
You know what’s worse than a short novel that ends in a cliffhanger? A long novel that ends in a cliffhanger.
If You Were Mine, Melanie Harlow
I liked the premise. I liked that it was set in metro Detroit and no one got shot. I got tired of the push/pull between the two main characters.
With a Twist, Staci Hart
I liked the ballet parts the best. The romance was too slow to start for my taste.
Possession, Jessica Hawkins
A combination of 50 Shades of Grey and Indecent Proposal, with maybe a hint of Pretty Woman thrown in, too. I wasn’t able to put aside my disbelief and enjoy this, and wasn’t drawn in enough to want to read the next book in the series.
Christmas Lights: A Collection of Inspiring Christmas Novellas, Vikki Kestell, April Hayman, Cathe Swanson, and Chautona Havig
Due to the length of this collection, I finished it after Christmas, which is okay. It’s disappeared off of Amazon now, which is odd. There was some good variety in these tales; not all were heavy handed with the religious aspect.
Frigid, J. Lynn and Jennifer L. Armentrout
You know what I’d like in a romantic thriller set at a ski resort? Some skiing. But no, I got one night at a lodge and then a comically dramatic saboteur.
Boundary Born, Melissa F. Olson
Still love this series. Flirts with Mary Sue-ness but stays on the right side of that line for me. I’m sad there aren’t any more but hope I’ll like the author’s other series as well.
Dead Spots, Melissa F. Olson
I really enjoyed the other series I read from this author so picked up this first book in her earlier series to try. I didn’t like this one as well, though I probably will continue the series to see how it develops.
Trail of Dead, Melissa F. Olson
I’m still not liking this series as well as the first one I read from the author. Will keep reading, though, as I’m curious how things will pan out for the main character.
Hunters’s Trail, Melissa F. Olson
Not sure if this was a better book than the previous or I was just in a better frame of mind for it, but liked this best of the three. Was definitely surprised by a couple turns the story took, which is always a good thing.
Truth or Beard, Penny Reid
I liked this enough to finish it, though I wish the consent and ex-girlfriend issues had been dealt with differently.
One More Time, Amelia Stone
The First Time, Amelia Stone
Moments in Time, Amelia Stone
I read this whole three-book (so far) series back to back. They’re all quick, comfy reads with enough heat to keep things interesting. There is some conflict and angst at time, sure; fortunately it’s of the “this could happen in real life” variety and not the “oh my these characters are being so unrealistically dumb” variety. I appreciate that not all the heroines are tall and slim and lovely and porcelain pale. I also appreciate that the writing style and editing rarely interrupt the flow of my reading, which often happens when I pick up short romances. The third installment is a series of vignettes with characters from the previous books; it’s like hanging out with old friends, in a good way.
Time After Time, Amelia Stone
A quick mostly fun read that fits like a puzzle piece into the other books in the series (which I may have to re-read now that I have this section of the big picture). I appreciated that the sexy times didn’t skip over consent and contraception.
Desire, Amelia Stone
My favorite of this author’s books I’ve read so far. There’s a lot to like here, including the way she acknowledges overdone romance tropes while still using them effectively and a little dose of science about eye color to geek out on. As is almost always the case for me and my overactive brain, I had a few quibbles with things, like the over the top blind date who is mercifully not around long, and an engineer who says it’s hard to find music to listen to in his car because it’s old and has a cassette player—surely this smart dude could have discovered the existence of cassette adapters (we have one for our old truck). But all my quibbles were minor and didn’t take me out of the story for long.
Fate of Perfection, K. F. Breene
Set in a dystopian future that doesn’t seem that far fetched at this point in U.S. history, so not as escapist as I was hoping for. This clearly sets up the next book but didn’t feel unfinished.
The Marvelous Misadventures of Ingrid Winter, J. S. Drangsholt, translated by Tara F. Chace
This made me anxious almost the whole way through. Perhaps it was meant to. A quick read, maybe because I wanted to get done and stop feeling anxious.
Palm Trees in the Snow ,Luz Gabás, translated by Noel Hughes
I had a hard time paying attention to this one, kept mixing up the characters, kept losing interest in the mystery.
A Small Revolution, Jimin Han
I don’t know what to say about this one. I think it’s well written but I didn’t like reading it. Too much tension for me and an ending that left me sad and unsatisfied.
A Beautiful Poison, Lydia Kang
This historical murder mystery was engaging and seemed to be well researched, and succeeded in the neat trick of keeping me interested even though none of the characters were entirely sympathetic.
The Shelf Life of Happiness, David Machado translated by Hillary Locke
This has some similarities with A Small Revolution, with the narrator addressing a person who is not there and the overall dark tone. Ending was not what I was hoping for.
The Unremembered Girl, Eliza Maxwell
The characters and situations in this one stuck with me between reading sessions. There were some twists I definitely did not see coming.
The Great Passage, Shion Miura, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter
A sweet, quiet book; even when there is drama and sadness, it feels restrained. I feel like I’d have enjoyed it more if I knew Japanese, but there was a lot to appreciate here even though I am pretty much monolingual.
The Strange Year of Vanessa M., Filipa Foncesa Silva, translated by Mark Ayton
Strange? I’m not so sure about that, but my standards may not be typical. The ending was too pat for me.
The Rescue Team, Billi Tiner
Not sure how I got this kids’ book on my Kindle. It was fine. There are some tense situations that didn’t feel tense for the most part. I did get a bit weepy at one point, because I am a big softy when it comes to animals.
Code Name Verity, Elizabeth E. Wein
This is young adult fiction that doesn’t read like it’s for young adults. Sadder than I expected, of the weeping at the breakfast table over my Kindle variety, though why I thought a novel set in World War II would not be, I’m not sure.
Books I read in 2016, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Paranormal, Romance, Erotica, Fiction—Everything Else.
(RR) means re-read
Dog Medicine: How My Dog Saved Me From Myself, Julie Barton
Honest story about depression and a dog. Some weepy bits.
How to Lose Your Wife to Another Woman, James Chapman
This is fascinating in a trainwrecky sort of way. It’s a husband’s story of a marriage falling apart purportedly due to the wife being gay but there were definitely other issues at play. I was surprised that the author included so much of his own drug use and homophobia and social awkwardness.
How We Sleep at Night, Sara Cunningham
I was interested in how a conservative Christian parent came around to accept her gay son. I don’t feel like I got that understanding.
The Last Englishman: A Thru-Hiking Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail, Keith Foskett
Found it refreshing that he hiked without all the elaborate planning ahead for food and supplies I’ve come to expect from thru-hike books.
The Naked Unicyclist, Cary Gray
I was expecting something more linear than what I got. There are flashbacks and tangents and some sections that seemed like they were still in draft form.
Diary of a Shanghai Showgirl, Amelia Kallman
Could have used more/better editing, as in the sentence describing a building in Shanghai that had six commas when two would have sufficed or the it’s/its and other homonym errors scattered about. Could have also used less self-congratulatory language in some spots, or maybe that’s just my cranky side coming out, as I have a bad reaction to people who brag about being VIPs. It does shed some light on doing business in China, at least from this one couple’s perspective.
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, David Miller
I keep reading these thru-hiking books; not sure if I’m trying to talk myself into or out of doing one myself.
The Dumbest Kid in Gifted Class, Dan Ryckert
The blurb for this informed me that the author is well known in some circles, but I don’t travel in those circles, so had no context for this autobiography. Some of the pranks described made my stomach hurt. The guy can write, though, no doubt about that.
Torn Trousers: A True Story of Courage and Adventure, Andrew St. Pierre White and Gywnn White
As much about workplace conflicts as anything. I was hoping for more adventure than that.
Diary of a Hoarder’s Daughter, Izabelle Winter
This appears to be another blog-to-book conversion, and suffers from the typical problem of not enough editing and additional writing done to turn blog posts into a cohesive, non-repetitive, complete book. That said, the subject matter is interesting and the emotions described are raw and honest.
The Cozy Life: Rediscover the Joy of the Simple Things Through the Danish Concept of Hygge, Pia Edberg
I’d managed to not know about the Danish concept of hygge before I found this book. I’m not entirely sure I get the concept entirely after reading it, but I’m intrigued enough to learn more.
Ice and Bone: Tracking an Alaskan Serial Killer , Monte Francis
Well researched. Some upsetting content for sure, given the subject matter.
Cut from the Same Cloth, Kathleen Baldwin
Fun, light historical romance with some intrigue thrown in.
Keegan’s Bride, Kathleen Ball
This is book two of a series; I haven’t read book one, but I didn’t feel hampered by that. A pleasant read though does have some frustrating miscommunication. Didn’t stick with me after I read it.
Christmas in the Country, Jill Barry
I don’t know if I’ve ever read a romance set in this time period (1925). This was actually two romances in one, though the second was not as developed, which worked fine in the context of the story. Very cozy read for the holiday season.
A Christmas Code, Jacki Delecki
I didn’t read the first book in this series, but started with this novella, which is the second. I don’t feel like I missed too much. This was a quick read, verging on too quick, as a lot happens and there’s not as much time for character development as I’d like (maybe that’s where reading the first book would come in).
CADE (Le Beau Brothers, Book 1), V. A. Dold
On Amazon, this is subtitled “New Orleans Billionaire Wolf Shifters with plus sized BBWfor mates”, which should have warned me. But I’d just been in New Orleans and was hoping for some nice spice here, but I got too much Mary Sue and too much drama and gratuitous vampires and wonder if maybe I’ve lost my taste for paranormal romance.
Dead Witch Walking, Kim Harrison (RR)
I needed some comfort, so re-read this old favorite.
Dirty, Lucia Jordan
Contemporary BDSM romance on a film set. The BDSM is bad, with poor negotiation upfront and renegotiating midscene. The editing/proofreading is not great. This is one of those incomplete serial novels, which didn’t even annoy me in this case because I don’t care what happens next.
The Deal (Off Campus Book 1), Elle Kennedy
An okay read. Probably would have grabbed me more if I were closer in age to the characters.
30 Days, K. Larsen
Hello, cliffhanger. I’m very tired of cliffhangers in romance novelettes.
Boundary Crossed, Melissa F. Olson
Loved this. Sure, maybe there is a whiff of Mary Sue around the heroine, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this new world one bit.
Boundary Lines, Melissa F. Olson
Still enjoying this series. There was one really big coincidence in the plot that just made me go whoa and the big bad here was a bit much to take but still, enjoyed and will read the next one.
Zane, Jo Raven
Tyler, Jo Raven
Asher, Jo Raven
I read all three of these only because I got them as a virtual box set and felt like I needed to finish the whole set before I opined on them. Now that I have, I can say I found the heros and heroines too young for the things they were doing, the plots filled with too much drama and angst, and the sex scenes not filled with enough hotness (though given the ages of the characters, I’m just as glad about that).
Harmony Black, Craig Schaefer
Witchcraft paranormal which I picked up because it’s set in Detroit and Michigan.
Ghost Gifts, Laura Spinella
The paranormal aspects of this were stronger than the romance elements.
A Real Cowboy Never Says No, Stephanie Rowe
Since Wyoming is practically next door to me now, I figured this would be a good one to read. Liked it enough that I might continue the series one day.
The Last Woman Standing, Thelma Adams
Liked that this historical novel was told from the point of view of one of the women, not the more famous lawmen involved.
The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland, Rebekah Crane
Really liked this YA novel. Perhaps the ending was too neat, but I didn’t care; I felt good after finishing this.
Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
I know this is a modern classic. I know a lot of my friends like this series. I thought it was just okay, very slow to unfold. I did like it enough to finish it, so that’s something. Maybe I’ll try again when I’m in a different emotional state.
Mistletoe at Moonglow, Deborah Garner
Picked this up because it’s set in Montana (one of my neighboring states), and I was looking for a pleasant holiday read. I got that from this. I wished for a less abrupt ending, but that happens with novellas sometimes. There are some cookie recipes in the back of the book that made me want to try them.
The Eagle Tree, Ned Hayes
Autistic hero that read as believable to me. Ending wasn’t what I thought it would be, and I like that in a book.
Daughter of Sand and Stone, Libbie Hawker
I wasn’t familiar with the historical figure this was based on. Enjoyed the strong heroine, and the unexpected ending.
A House for Happy Mothers, Amulya Malladi
Appreciated this window into a situation I’ll never experience.
Out of Sorts, Aurélie Valognes, translated by Wendeline A. Hardenberg
Unlikable hero, somewhat confusing timeline.
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