It’s the first Friday of 2024(!) and you know what that means. Let’s talk about what we’re reading!
I was trying and failing to find a quick and dirty solution to offload my Goodreads reading list, and the thought occurred to me… A photo would count, right? So here they are, minus DIVINE RIVALS, because it messed up the grid (LOL, hello, OCD). It looks like 72 books read for 2023; 78 if you include the books that I worked on/wrote. None so bad, but alas, short of my goal of 80.
It’s copyedits week for A VERY BAD THING. It’s a lot of fun to get back into this book, especially seeing it for the first time from an outside perspective. I am a bit in love with my CE, too. She’s smart, and she gets what I’m trying to do. Huzzah!
I am deep into a few “work” books this week, which I refer to the books I’m either interviewing the artist or blurbing. Such a terrible job I have, having to read.
Allison Brennan has a new PI series that you are going to love, the first being YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME. And Jayne Ann Krentz has a new book out Tuesday called THE NIGHT ISLAND, which is the second in her The Lost Night Files series. We’re going to be chatting on Tuesday night live at the Poisoned Pen, too!
I started my slow read of Wolf Hall, and I was admittedly surprised—it’s in present tense! I don’t know of many historical done this way, it engaged me immediately.
I also devoured the most delightful Bridgerton-adjacent Queen Charlotte this week. I must say, this show was, for me, perfect. The treatment of mental illness was incredibly touching, showing the sacrifices of true love. Even the back and forth time switches, which I normally find a bit hectic, worked. The acting, and the costuming, and the entire plot—everything was just great. And Brimsley made me smile, every time he came on the screen. Really great show. I recommend you watch with the audio closed captioning on. It adds an extra layer to the story, as if the screenplay is being read aloud whilst the show plays out.
I read Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I watched the movie a few months ago and finally read the book. The book was better than the movie and it was a lot of fun.
I just finished The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent...holy crap is this book good! It is a little violent. One reviewer said it's like Hunger Games but with vampires. If you liked Hunger Games, I would think you could handle this book. It's very fast paced, lots of action, a little romance and the twist at the end....loved it!!
Allison Brennan is one of my go to authors....I love her. Can't wait for her new book!
Ive been reading Jayne Ann Krentz since i was in high school...she was writing Harlequin Romances back then...also can't wait for her new book!
I watched Queen Charlotte when it first came out. I also have watched the regular Bridgerton...which is good. Queen Charlotte is SO MUCH BETTER!!
I finished Patrick Larismont’s The Maple and the Blue, and Meg Gardiner’s The Memory Collector. I had to take a break to breathe after The Memory Collector - it is awe inspiring! Busy with James Holland’s Normandy ‘44, an excellent piece on the collective of everything that went into preparing for D-Day and beyond.
I’m on the downhill side of my holiday break, squeezed in a trip to see my mom. Itching to get back to work and into writing. Reading the second in an espionage thriller series (THE DARK SHAH), and enjoying extra naps.
You have my sympathy for such a hard job of discussing books. Lucky Lady.
Like Amy, I finished THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT by Carissa Broadbent. I loved it and agree that it's Hunger Games with more violence. Definitely an adult book I wouldn't let my 13-year-old read, but at it's core it's a story of love, found family, and betrayal.
I also read WRITING DOWN THE BONES--FREEING THE WRITER WITHIN. It's a collection of essays by writing teacher Natalie Goldberg. I liked it, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for in a writing book. An unexpected and nice Christmas gift from a loving family member.
I'm still reading THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY by Gail Carriger. This is the writing book I didn't know I needed. It talks about the difference in story structure between the journey of a hero and a heroine, and it has nothing to do with biological parts. A male protag can take a heroine's journey while a female can mosey down a hero's path. Most of my favorite reads are the heroine's journey. (Looking at you FOURTH WING, HARRY POTTER, and TWILIGHT--I'm a Twihard so don't come at me. You'll never change my mind.) Although, I'm about halfway through the book, I highly recommend it.
I’m really looking forward to Allison’s new series! It sounds amazing and the cover for the first book is AMAZING. Currently reading Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I really like her last two The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Velvet is The Night. Not to sure about Nitrate yet..
Queen Charlotte, I found absolutely stunning, last year when I watched it. I did not expect to be walloped with emotion the way that I was by that show and am still not over it!
I have too many books going right now and I'm kind of annoying myself. A couple fiction, two craft, and a book on tech. TOO MUCH. But the pacing of the Wolf Hall and War & Peace reads both make me feel like I can not worry about those too much, it's such a small part of my day. And both have been simply wonderful. Cromwell is a character I have *loathed* in anything I read or watch set in that time, so to find myself not feeling that way right now is fascinating.
Today I decided (unpopular opinion, sadly) that my time with the Empyrean series is over (for now? forever?) - Iron Flame has felt like a slog and I'm not even 100 pages in and I was unfortunately not enough invested in FW to keep pushing, right now. I'm not a person who typically quits books, but I think I can learn to be a person who sets them down perhaps with the openness that I might one day pick it back up -- or not.
I guess it just gives me more time to finish these three other NF books, ha!
Finished Toxic Prey by John Sandford and The Silver Mark by Sarah Painter last night. I have a little bit of a book hangover. I’m restarting Heartless for a book club, but I’m not loving it. After reading the comments I’m going to look up Serpent and the Wings of Night.
So many books! I am reading ARCs of THE FURY by Alex Michelides, TRAPPED IN YOSEMITE by Dana Mentink, ONE WRONG WORD by Hank Phillippi Ryan and COLD THREAT by Nancy Mehl.
I read Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I watched the movie a few months ago and finally read the book. The book was better than the movie and it was a lot of fun.
I just finished The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent...holy crap is this book good! It is a little violent. One reviewer said it's like Hunger Games but with vampires. If you liked Hunger Games, I would think you could handle this book. It's very fast paced, lots of action, a little romance and the twist at the end....loved it!!
Allison Brennan is one of my go to authors....I love her. Can't wait for her new book!
Ive been reading Jayne Ann Krentz since i was in high school...she was writing Harlequin Romances back then...also can't wait for her new book!
I watched Queen Charlotte when it first came out. I also have watched the regular Bridgerton...which is good. Queen Charlotte is SO MUCH BETTER!!
I finished Patrick Larismont’s The Maple and the Blue, and Meg Gardiner’s The Memory Collector. I had to take a break to breathe after The Memory Collector - it is awe inspiring! Busy with James Holland’s Normandy ‘44, an excellent piece on the collective of everything that went into preparing for D-Day and beyond.
I found you can export your Goodreads books into an excel file.
I’m on the downhill side of my holiday break, squeezed in a trip to see my mom. Itching to get back to work and into writing. Reading the second in an espionage thriller series (THE DARK SHAH), and enjoying extra naps.
You have my sympathy for such a hard job of discussing books. Lucky Lady.
Like Amy, I finished THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT by Carissa Broadbent. I loved it and agree that it's Hunger Games with more violence. Definitely an adult book I wouldn't let my 13-year-old read, but at it's core it's a story of love, found family, and betrayal.
I also read WRITING DOWN THE BONES--FREEING THE WRITER WITHIN. It's a collection of essays by writing teacher Natalie Goldberg. I liked it, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for in a writing book. An unexpected and nice Christmas gift from a loving family member.
I'm still reading THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY by Gail Carriger. This is the writing book I didn't know I needed. It talks about the difference in story structure between the journey of a hero and a heroine, and it has nothing to do with biological parts. A male protag can take a heroine's journey while a female can mosey down a hero's path. Most of my favorite reads are the heroine's journey. (Looking at you FOURTH WING, HARRY POTTER, and TWILIGHT--I'm a Twihard so don't come at me. You'll never change my mind.) Although, I'm about halfway through the book, I highly recommend it.
I picked up on Meg Gardiner when Stephen King recommended her writing. She's an inspiring author!
I’m really looking forward to Allison’s new series! It sounds amazing and the cover for the first book is AMAZING. Currently reading Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I really like her last two The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Velvet is The Night. Not to sure about Nitrate yet..
Queen Charlotte, I found absolutely stunning, last year when I watched it. I did not expect to be walloped with emotion the way that I was by that show and am still not over it!
I have too many books going right now and I'm kind of annoying myself. A couple fiction, two craft, and a book on tech. TOO MUCH. But the pacing of the Wolf Hall and War & Peace reads both make me feel like I can not worry about those too much, it's such a small part of my day. And both have been simply wonderful. Cromwell is a character I have *loathed* in anything I read or watch set in that time, so to find myself not feeling that way right now is fascinating.
Today I decided (unpopular opinion, sadly) that my time with the Empyrean series is over (for now? forever?) - Iron Flame has felt like a slog and I'm not even 100 pages in and I was unfortunately not enough invested in FW to keep pushing, right now. I'm not a person who typically quits books, but I think I can learn to be a person who sets them down perhaps with the openness that I might one day pick it back up -- or not.
I guess it just gives me more time to finish these three other NF books, ha!
Loved Queen Charlotte!
Shutter by Ramona Emerson
The Prophecy of Wind by Joss Walker and R.L. Perez
Oracle by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Smolder by Laurell K. Hamilton
The Good House by Tananarive Due
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Finished Toxic Prey by John Sandford and The Silver Mark by Sarah Painter last night. I have a little bit of a book hangover. I’m restarting Heartless for a book club, but I’m not loving it. After reading the comments I’m going to look up Serpent and the Wings of Night.
So many books! I am reading ARCs of THE FURY by Alex Michelides, TRAPPED IN YOSEMITE by Dana Mentink, ONE WRONG WORD by Hank Phillippi Ryan and COLD THREAT by Nancy Mehl.