Everything I read in October was in the 4-star range, which meant that didn’t read anything I disliked and would recommend all of these to readers in different moods.

Stats

Total books read: 11

#readmyowndamnbooks: 6

Retellings: 3

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (4.5 stars) – Ali Hazelwood continues to refuse to let me down with her STEM-centric contemporary romance novels. I really enjoyed the central romance, fake-dating plot, and the arc the heroine goes through with her interpersonal relationships and career.

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison (4 stars) – I continue to devour Rachel Harrison’s catalog, and by finishing Black Sheep, I think I have unfortunately caught up with all of her published works. The strengths of her most recent release, for me, were in her well-developed and “unlikable” main character, grabbing premise, and extremely satisfying ending.

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall (4 stars) -I had a lot of fun reading this historical fantasy Sapphic romance featuring curses from vengeful goddesses, fairy shenanigans, a standoffish and smirking duke’s daughter love interest, and a cast of characters defying societal expectations in various ways. Possibly my favorite aspect of this book is that it’s narrated hilariously by Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which adds another dimension to the plot. It’s a creative and entertaining yet romantic addition to Alexis Hall’s catalog.

Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business by Roxane Gay (4 stars) – I’ve been a huge fan of Roxane Gay and her writing for many years. Rather than a collection of new essays, Opinions is a collection of already-published writing on a variety of topics, so it’s only reasonable that I liked some a lot more than others. I preferred Gay’s writings on current events and cultural criticism to the celebrity interviews and book reviews, which weren’t as impactful for me.

Beast in Shining Armor by Cassandra Gannon (4 stars) – I’m absolutely loving Gannon’s series of fantasy romance fairytale retellings, and I think they deserve a lot more attention and popularity. This unconventional Beauty and the Beast retelling also involves a labyrinth and fight to the death to claim a crown, with a great enemies-to-lovers romance along the way.

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (4 stars) – This was powerful and so heartbreaking to read; I wanted to give Britney a hug within the first chapter.

The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste (4 stars) – This was my second book from this author this year, and I enjoyed the everyday horror evoked by the Rust Belt setting and misogyny of Cleveland. I did find the ending to be a bit unsatisfying and anticlimactic after a lot of really fascinating buildup, but I’ll continue to revisit this author.

Doppelganger by Naomi Klein (4 stars) – This was a thoughtful and somewhat meandering nonfiction book built on the premise of the public’s conflation of the author Naomi Klein with another cultural figure, Naomi Wolf, whose views evolved to become that of Klein’s polar opposite. It was interesting and endlessly self-reflective while discussing a lot of current events and topics from a broader viewpoint.

The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy by Megan Bannen (4 stars) – I think my expectations for this one were a bit out of line with what it ended up being, which resulted in some disappointment despite an overall enjoyable read. I was expecting more of a dark fantasy with some romance, but this is much more of a romantic comedy with fantasy elements.

Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding (4 stars) -This was a very fun contemporary romance retelling of Emma set on the Upper East Side and featuring almond dad Mr. Woodhouse, art history grad student Emma, and environmental VC founder Knightley. I heard about it on the Make Out Already podcast and am so glad I picked it up; I believe this is my third Austen retelling this year and it did not disappoint. Certain plot elements remain faithful to the original while others change in a way that aligns with the modern setting.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (4 stars) – This novella retelling of Sleeping Beauty is, in my opinion, much sweeter and less dark than its predecessor Nettle & Bone, but equally well-crafted. I enjoy a fairytale retelling that subverts expectations, and that’s exactly what this is; we also get discussions about different types of fairies, what it means to do the right thing, and inner versus outer beauty. Great for a readathon.

I had 2 reading goals for August: to catch up on NetGalley eARCs and also to catch up on Book of the Month picks. I met my goal by finishing 2 of each, setting myself up a little better for the next few months. (I also accepted 2 new NetGalley eARCs, which kind of negates my progress, and I still do need to read 7 more Book of the Month books by the end of the year to accomplish their reading challenge.)

Stats

Total books read: 8

#readmyowndamnbooks: 3

ARCs: 2

BOTM picks: 2

Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman (4 stars) – I loved this fascinating and informative deep dive into the corrupt world of cryptocurrency. Ben McKenzie, an actor who you might remember from The O.C. and Gotham, co-writes and narrates the audiobook, and he addresses very early on that while you might think he’s an odd choice to tell these stories, he has good reasons: he has a degree in economics, he’s a dad looking out for the financial future of his kids, and he’s disgusted by his fellow celebrities shilling for crypto and NFTs with no regard for the financial well-being of their fans. His takes are thoughtful and often funny, and concepts I’d previously had difficulty understanding were explained clearly and succinctly. (He taught me what a blockchain was in a few sentences!) If you’re looking for a great and topical nonfiction, or an absorbing audiobook, I strongly recommend this one.

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto (4 stars) – Second chance romance is very hit-or-miss for me, so it’s not a trope I typically gravitate toward without good reason. I was hearing fantastic early buzz about Julie Soto’s debut novel, however, and ended up loving it. It’s yet another contemporary romance based on Reylo fanfic (I seriously cannot believe how many there are; it’s not my preferred ship, but I’ve ended up reading several just based on synopsis) and does a great job establishing the initial relationship between the main characters through flashback so that the reader doesn’t feel out of the loop during the book’s current storyline. It’s well-written with fleshed-out characters and so much angst; even knowing that there was a guaranteed HEA, I was getting so nervous during the read. I’ll absolutely pick up more from this author; she managed to really stress me out, which means I cared about the characters and storyline. I received an eARC of Forget Me Not from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste (4 stars) – I love a good feminist retelling of a classic story, and the inclusion of fantasy elements and the 1960s San Francisco setting brought even more interest to this read. It’s definitely slower paced, but I loved Kiste’s writing, and found her reinterpretation of the heroines of Dracula and Jane Eyre fascinating. I did, however, find myself wanting to yell USE YOUR VAMPIRE POWERS at the book multiple times per chapter, as the main character could be more passive than I’d have liked. It’s a great fall read if you’re looking for something thematic but not necessarily terrifying, and with well-realized themes.

The Pain Gap: How Sexism and Racism in Healthcare Kill Women by Anushay Hossein (4 stars) – As a healthcare provider, there’s always more to learn, and when I saw this book recommended on Bookstagram, I thought it would be an important read. Hossein goes into several different topics, including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s health; pregnancy and maternal healthcare and how it fails women, particularly women of color; and healthcare professionals’ dismissal of women’s pain and health concerns. I didn’t feel like it necessarily introduced me to much new information, but it covers important topics in a well-informed and interesting way, and I’d recommend it.

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey (3.5 stars) – I’ve been enjoying Tessa Bailey’s Napa Valley-set contemporary romance duology, A Vine Mess, quite a bit, even if I did prefer the first book Secretly Yours to its sequel, Unfortunately Yours. The story centers around a marriage of convenience between Natalie, who was fired from her high-powered job and needs a husband to claim her trust fund, and August, an ex-Navy SEAL who is failing miserably at winemaking as he attempts to honor his friend who passed away by making his dream vineyard a reality. I tend to really enjoy fake dating tropes and the hijinks that ensue, even if I wasn’t completely sold on the main characters; they just weren’t as well-rounded as others of Bailey’s have been for me. I also enjoyed the wine-centric setting; I’ve never been to Napa but have always wanted to go. I received an eARC of Unfortunately Yours from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall (3 stars) – Not one of my favorites from Alexis Hall, but I still had some fun with this light, silly, queer historical romance featuring a grumpy duke falling for the twin brother of the woman he’s intending to marry.

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner (3 stars) – This F/F historical fantasy had a lot of promise, but its mystery lost a lot of this intrigue due to its dearth of characters and, therefore, the minimal suspects in its central murder. It also took place over too short a period of time; I needed more time to establish the relationship between the main character and love interest for their story to be fully realized.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2 stars) – I know I’m in the minority on this one, but I had a lot of issues with this book. The writing style relies heavily on the omniscient narrator telling us facts rather than demonstrating anything via the actions of characters, and the characters themselves are completely one-dimensional. As a woman in STEM myself I was hoping to really enjoy this one, but I had so many issues with the portrayal of the main character and the trite way this book deals with serious societal issues. Everything in this book is oversimplified, and I don’t like books that seem to feel they have to spoon-feed you issues. I wish the author had a bit more faith in her readers to understand nuance, as the story very much needed it. 

May was full of reading highs (and one significant low), and I did a bunch of travel reading while on my recent trip to Italy. Finding three books within the 5-star range is a pretty great feeling; I also picked up a very disappointing new release from a favorite author for a book club I’ve joined. Let’s get into it!

Stats

Total books read: 11

2023 releases: 7

#readmyowndamnbooks: 5

Book of the Month picks: 1

Pride and Prejudice retellings: 2

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (5 stars) – It’s unusual to find one 5-star book from an author within any given time period, but with Yellowface, R.F. Kuang has become the only author I can think of in recent memory that I’ve read two 5-star reads from within 2 months. Yellowface is sharp, satirical, and acerbic, and skewers racism, particularly the insidious kind, the publishing industry, and public discourse. While extremely clever, it also manages to be very readable and fast-paced. I also really appreciated the various nods and references to different aspects of the book world as well as winks to the discourse that surrounded her previous novel Babel. Highly, highly recommend.

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (5 stars) – A classic that took me far too long to actually pick up; I was prompted by finding the gorgeous new Penguin Clothbound Classics edition while I was in Rome. I found the reading beautiful, thought-provoking, and inspirational.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (4.5 stars) – I don’t read much YA anymore, but every now and then a synopsis hooks me. Divine Rivals was one of the books I read during my trip to Italy, and I ended up loving it. Rival journalists are competing with each other for a permanent job against the backdrop of a magical war between previously long-dormant gods; Iris is struggling to make ends meet with a brother off to war and an alcoholic mother, while her nemesis Roman chafes against the wishes of his strict nouveau riche family. The two form an unexpected connection through letters that Iris thinks she’s sending to her brother, but which are somehow delivered to Roman instead, and their competition and companionship fuels the plot. I found it a creative fantasy story with a retro feel and excellent character dynamics, and I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Just As You Are by Camille Kellogg (4 stars) – I read this book during a trip to Italy at the point where I was solo traveling, so I was very glad to have a book to be absorbed in. Just As You Are is a queer contemporary retelling of Pride & Prejudice set at the offices of Nether Fields, an online magazine that Liz (and Jane, and Lydia, and Katie/Kitty) works at, but which was recently bought by Bailey and Daria (Bingley & Darcy), two wealthy financiers, and much drama ensues. The writing is engaging and helped keep me going through a long initial travel day and also a good amount of wandering. It manages to be cute without being saccharine, and retells the story faithfully but with new breath.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennett by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick (4 stars) – If you’ve watched The Lizzie Bennett Diaries on YouTube, this is the perfect companion novel. (If you haven’t, and you’re a Pride & Prejudice fan, go watch them right now, you’re welcome.) This captures the tone of the web series perfectly while providing more context and scenes that weren’t on camera, while still reminding me of my favorite parts of the digital version. It was a very fun audiobook listen that pulled me away from a listening slump.

Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid by Thor Hanson (4 stars) – This nonfiction book had a much different focus than most works about climate change: it discusses adaptations and evolution by animals to climate change in real time. I found the writing engaging and interesting, although I don’t know that it was very memorable.

A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (4 stars) – This was an interesting Southern Gothic horror audiobook I listened to during my Italy trip, and it did definitely creep me out enough that I had to stop listening to it at night. At times certain elements felt a bit disparate, but it was certainly creative, and I’ll continue to check out more from Kingfisher.

Everything for You by Chloe Liese (3.5 stars) – I dove back into Chloe Liese’s Bergman Brothers series in April, which convinced me to pick up another book in the series via audio while I was traveling. The Ted Lasso vibes are strong in this M/M romance featuring professional soccer players who drive each other crazy; it was an enjoyable read if not my favorite in the series.

Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby (3.5 stars) – I always enjoy listening to Samantha Irby’s essay collections; they’re easy listens that often make me laugh. My library hold came in for this one earlier than expected, and it was an entertaining and propelling read.

Grim and Bear It by Juliette Cross (3.5 stars) – This was, unfortunately, the final book in Cross’s Savoie Sisters series, and, even more unfortunately, may have been my least favorite in the series. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a fun read, but it didn’t quite have the charm and relationship development as the rest of the series, possibly because they were trying to wrap things up with every character who had previously appeared in the series as well as the featured couple. Luckily, Cross recently announced that she’ll be developing a new series featuring the next generation of witches, vampires, werewolves, and Grims in the family, so we have that to look forward to.

Happy Place by Emily Henry (2 stars) – I was not only disappointed by this newest release from the author of my favorite romance of 2022, I was honestly offended by it. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but I’d warn readers that I found the message Henry sends with this one ends up feeling quite misogynistic, regardless of whether or not that was her intent. It was also her least-developed romance both emotionally and intellectually; I never felt that the reader was given any reason to root for the main couple beyond surface-level chemistry. This was the pick for my book club for May, and not one of us enjoyed it. I’d recommend that readers give one of her other books a re-read or pick up something from another author and skip this one (and that’s something I very rarely say).