I’ve been reading mysteries for longer than about any other genre, and I don’t remember being taken by many (if any) of the covers of the books I read as a teen.

There were the silver Agatha Christie books with different highlight colors for each series, and there were the pulp James Bond covers I discovered, but not much else stands out. The first mystery cover I clearly remember being taken by was CS Harris’s What Angels Fear. And some of my favorite series have gorgeous covers (you’ll see a couple below).

This is the genre that has the most variety in covers. There are some illustrated covers, some that focus on the text, some that are seemingly simple yet striking, and others that are simply beautiful.

 

Lily Adler Mysteries by Katharine Schellman

The Body in the Garden (2020)
Silence in the Library (2021)
Death at the Manor (2022)
Murder at Midnight (2023)

Cover design by Nicole Lecht

Published by Crooked Lane Books (The Quick Brown Fox & Company)

I discovered this series and then quickly devoured all four books.

As with many of the other series I especially like, each book has a similar design but a different primary color.

Once you look more closely you see elements of the design change on each cover, in this case different botanical elements giving you a sense of the different seasons.

They seem deceptively simple, yet are quite lovely.

A Fatal Illusion (2023) by Anna Lee Huber

Cover art by Larry Rostant

Published by Berkley (Penguin)

Every book in this series has a lovely cover that reminds you of a painting, which matches perfectly Lady Darby, who is a portrait artist.

Like most of the other covers, there are two primary shades–a background shade and strong share for the main character’s dress.

For this book, I really like the red and blue contrast, with that peculiar shade of blue you get as evening falls.

Lady Darby: The Anatomist’s Wife (2012), Mortal Arts (2013), A Grave Matter (2014), A Study in Death (2015), A Pressing Engagement (2016), As Death Draws Near (2016), A Brush with Shadows (2018), An Artless Demise (2019), A Stroke of Malice (2020), A Wicked Conceit (2021), A Perilous Perspective (2022), A Fatal Illusion (2023)

The Price of Lemon Cake (2023) by Jennifer Ashley

Cover design by Kim Killion

Published by JA / AG Publishing (Self-Published)

Although the series is published by Berkley, the novellas–such as this one–are self-published.

The Berkeley covers (which I do like) all have a woman on a staircase in period dress. The novellas all are food still-lifes.

A still life doesn’t necessarily say mystery, but it does say food and kitchen, and for a self-published book I think it’s quite lovely.

Kat Holloway: A Soupçon of Poison (2015), Death Below Stairs (2018), Scandal Above Stairs (2018), Death in Kew Gardens (2019), Murder in the East End (2020), Death at the Crystal Palace (2021), The Secret of Bow Lane (2022), The Price of Lemon Cake (2023)

A Sinister Revenge (2023) by Deanna Raybourn

Cover design & illustration by Leo Nickolls

Published by Berkley (Penguin)

I adore these covers.

More silhouettes (I hope they never go out of fashion), and that gorgeous embossed design.

The sepia tones here are plainer than other covers, but I don’t find it a bad thing, just a little different, and the sepia tones really seem perfect for the modern reading thinking back on that era.

Veronica Speedwell: A Curious Beginning (2015), A Perilous Undertaking (2017), A Treacherous Curse (2018), A Dangerous Collaboration (2019), A Murderous Relation (2020), An Unexpected Peril (2021), An Impossible Impostor (2022)

A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder (2023) by Dianne Freeman

Published by Kensington Books

No artist credited.

I really do enjoy these covers. They’re fun and swirly and twisty and colorful.

I just wish the publisher had credited the artist.

A Countess of Harleigh Mystery: A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder (2018), A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder (2019), A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (2020), A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder (2021), A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder (2022), A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder (2023)

A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons (2022) by Kate Khavari

Cover design by Nicole Lecht

Published by Crooked Lane Books (The Quick Brown Fox & Company)

This is such a pretty cover, with the flowers and the vial of (presumably) poison, and that border that subtly signifies “historical mystery”.

It’s lush, with deep colors, and immediately drew my eye.

I just wish I’d liked the story as much as I liked the cover.

Saffron Everleigh series

The Deadliest Fall (2023) by Charlie Cochrane

Cover art: L.C. Chase

Published by Riptide Publishing

Yes, I know. Another monochrome cover with silhouettes.

What can I say? I know what I like, and I am loving this trend.

There is again that shade of blue that says, “evening” and even “inky shadows”.

Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club (2020) The Man Who Died Twice (2021), The Bullet That Missed (2022), The Last Devil to Die (2023)

Cover design by Richard Bravery, Hand lettering by Joel Holland

Published by Viking (Penguin Books)

These are relatively simple covers, but I really like that simplicity.

They remind me of some book series my parents had on their bookshelves, but I can’t at all remember anything about those books except bold text on a beige/tan background.

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies (2022) by Misha Popp

Cover design by Trish Cramblet

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (The Quick Brown Fox & Company)

I wasn’t sure how I initially felt about this cover, but I found that it stuck with me as time passed, and that it was recognizable at a quick glance.

I feel like the knife is a bit over the top, but I suppose they needed some way to emphasize murder part of the mystery.

Pies Before Guys series

Mystery on the Menu: A Three-Course Collection of Cozy Mysteries (2023) by Nicole Kimberling

Cover Art by Amber Whitney of Unicorn Empire

Published by One Block Empire (Blind Eye Books)

I feel like the lemon slice is the focal point that tells you one of the characters works in food service. Where else, besides restaurants, do you really see lemon slices?

Oddly, the bloody knife isn’t immediately noticeable, as it’s directly below the red strawberries.

Kensington Books: 1
One Block Empire: 1
Riptide Publishing: 1
Self-Published: 1
Berkley: 2
Viking: 4
Crooked Lane Books: 6

The Books of 2023: Yearly Reading Roundup

Many dedicated romance readers–particularly Old Skool Romance Readers, hate the trend of illustrated covers.

I kinda love them. Almost as much as I hate clinch covers. (I’m not meaning to yuck anyone’s yum, I just do not like to look at click covers, old or new.)

The drawback is, of course, that you can’t tell the level of spice/heat in a book with an illustrated cover. If a cover has a naked or mostly naked model, you know there is going to be boinking. But you can’t easily tell with illustrated covers, unless you know the author’s reputation.

But to be fair, there are plenty of books with high heat/spice that don’t have hot/spicy covers. And I am always going to be a sucker for a pretty book cover.

 

Four Walls and a Heart (2023) by Celia Lake

Cover design by Augusta Scarlett

Self-Published

I’ve read several books by this author–related and intertwined romantic fantasies, and although I love the world-building and the setting (late Victorian and early Edwardian eras) the writing … well, it feels like it was dictated and then published without editing, which I find extremely frustrating to read.

But I want to note this cover, which I really love. It’s set during the Mahdist War, and one of the characters was severely injured–which is made clear on the cover.

Of course there are silhouettes, and a two color scheme, which I liked.

And of course this is self-published and the author made sure to get a good cover that represented the characters.

Just wished the book had held up to the cover for me.

Bergman Brothers by Chloe Liese

Only When It’s Us (2020)
Ever After Always  (2021)

Cover Art by Jennie Rose Denton of Lamplight Creative

Self-Published

This series has been picked up by Berkley and is getting all new covers, and, to be honest, I really really prefer these covers she commissioned when she self-published them. Here, on the cover of Ever After Always, Freya is clearly curvaceous AND confident enough to wear a bikini.

I also like the solid color backgrounds that make the characters the focal point.

The new covers are illustrated clinch covers and nowhere near as interesting.

Bergman Brothers: Only When It’s Us (2020), Always Only You (2020), Ever After Always  (2021)

Donut Fall in Love (2021) by Jackie Lau

Cover illustration & design by Vi-An Nguyen

Published by Jove Books (Berkley)

Honestly, I just think this is a cute cover.

The Holiday Trap (2022) by Roan Parrish

Cover illustration by Kristen Solecki

Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca

I hadn’t realized until I put this post together that these two covers used the same shade of blue.

As is the theme for many of the other covers I loved this year, it has a solid background and a relatively simply design.

I like the arrows, signifying the house switching the main characters do. I suppose the felt they had to use evergreens to signify Christmas, but that makes it hard to guess the second location is New Orleans.

Overall I find it pleasing.

Gouda Friends (2022) by Cathy Yardley

Cover design & illustration by Philip Pascuzzo

Published by Montlake

Cheese DOES in fact play a major part in this story, being both the reason Tam leaves her ex and the impetus for helping her get a new job.

My only ding is that I totally didn’t expect the amount of boinking this book had. The cover feels far more light-hearted than super-sexy.

Ponto Beach Reunion

Role Playing (2023)

by Cathy Yardley

Cover illustration by Leni Kauffman

Published by Montlake

Montlake is Amazon’s publishing wing, so I wonder if she had more say than she would with other publishers.

I hope so, because I really like everything this cover is doing. I love the moon as the “O”. The cuddling is adorable as is the look he is giving her, and the mini-figs on the table are marvelous.

Also, her comfy sweats and slouchy socks!

Teacher of the Year (2023) by M.A. Wardell

Design & cover illustration by Myriam Strasbourg

Self-Published

I’ll be honest, the reason this cover made the list is solely because it’s a self-published book and she clearly went out of her way to have a cover that matched both the characters and the tone of the story–pastel and sweet.

And like all the other books on this list it’s got a solid background, emphasizing the characters.

Teachers in Love

Jove Books: 1
Sourcebooks Casablanca: 1
Montlake: 2
Self-Published : 4

The Books of 2023: Yearly Reading Roundup

I have gone whole years without reading a science fiction book, but in the past couple years I’ve read multiple SF books.

Of course, 93% of those have been Murderbot reads, listens, and rereads. (I just calculated; I’ve read 30 SF books since 2020, and all but two of them were Murderbot.)

The other two books were Claire O’Dell’s Janet Watson series.

 

The Hound of Justice (2019) by Claire O’Dell

Cover design by Richard L. Aquan. Cover illustration by Chris McGrath

Published by Harper Voyager (Harper Collins)

This cover has the same feel as A Study in Honor. Everything is soft edged and you can’t clearly see what is happening, but the two women are clearly in a fight or flight situation. Even more importantly, both models match how the women are described in the book, and Sara looks pretty much how I’d have expected her to in that situation.

The cover gives you the sci-fi / mystery feel of the book, which is how I ended up reading the first book, wanting to see if the book read how it felt.

I fear that there shan’t be another book in this series, since it’s been four years, but the stories were interesting, even if they were SF bordering on dystopia.

The Janet Watson Chronicles: A Study in Honor (2018), The Hound of Justice (2019)

System Collapse (2023) by Martha Wells

Cover art by Jaime Jones

Published by Tordotcom (Macmillan)

There is nothing exceptional about this cover, except you know at a glance: MURDERBOT!

These covers don’t really give you the complete feel of the story–there is no sense of the humor and the snark–but you do get the sense of action and adventure.

Mostly I’m just pleased that after the series blew up they didn’t try to change the covers to something more… blockbustery.

The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red (2017), Artificial Condition (2018), Rogue Protocol (2018), Exit Strategy (2018), Network Effect (2020), Fugitive Telemetry (2021), Compulsory (2023), System Collapse (2023)

The Books of 2023: Yearly Reading Roundup

It’s time for the yearly reading roundup, and a hell of a year it’s been.

Just as I was starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel of my mental health struggles, it all blew up again.

The good news is I wasn’t starting from the sub-basement and my absolute worst, where I was at a couple years ago.

So my reading has once again been erratic. Which is totally fine, because we do what we need to get through rough times.

And it’s not like a reread of the Murderbot series isn’t enjoyable, after all.

And I’ve still managed to read about 30 books published this year, almost as many published in 2022, and only a handful of those I’d read before. So it wasn’t all rereads! (Just 60% rereads.)

I want to note there are books that I was not in the right frame of mind for, and might love on a second, later, read. Essentially, remember the ratings are how I felt about a book when I finished it; I’ve written reviews that were essentially, “I can see why this is a classic, but the whole thing made me feel sad and icky.) It’s one of the reasons I rate a book every time I read it; my rating often changes (sometimes dramatically) on a later reading.

The round-up will start (of course) with book covers, and end with my love of statistics.

Science Fiction Covers
Romance Covers
Mystery Covers
Fantasy Covers

Science Fiction
Audio
Romance
Mystery
Fantasy
Final Roundup

The links on this post will be updated as the posts are published.

Previous Years

The Books of 2022
The Books of 2021
The Books of 2020
The Books of 2019
The Books of 2018
The Books of 2017
The Books of 2016
The Books of 2015
The Books of 2014
The Books of 2013
The Books of 2012
The Books of 2011
The Books of 2010
The Books of 2009
The Books of 2008

November was a mix of reading new releases (FIVE! FIVE new releases!) and rereads (relistens, mostly) with almost no backlist first reads.

I (like everyone else) was impatiently awaiting the new Murderbot story by Martha Wells and it did not disappoint. It’s set immediately after Network Effect so lots of Murderbot and ART.

I was also very excited about the conclusion to Freya Marske‘s conclusion to the Last Binding trilogy. I knew it was going to be about Lord Hawthorn, and we knew Alston had tragedy in his history, with the death of his twin and the loss of his magic, but he was such an arrogant ass in previous books, I was worried about him being sympathetic. I needn’t have worried–it was marvelous.

I’m all caught up on the Lily Adler series, so sadly I must wait for a new entry, but I do have another entry in Morgan Stang’s Lamplight Murder Mystery, which is a silly gaslamp/steampunk series.

I was disappointed by the two new mysteries. I have been tepid about the  Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries, and was glad I borrowed it from the library.

I had high hopes for the latest Caribbean Kitchen Mystery, but either I utterly failed to focus or the story needed tightened–particularly the ending, which felt as if part of the resolution was left hanging. I’ll read the next one (if there is one) but I probably won’t pre-order and might wait for a price drop.

After finishing my listen of Patricia Briggs’ Alpha & Omega series (I didn’t like Wild Sign any better the second time around) I started a relisten of Robert B. Parker‘s Spenser series, which is fun, especially since I’m skipping the books I don’t care much about. I love the look back at the 70s and 80s I’ve been getting, especially as Spenser pays attention to details. (Acid washed jeans!)

I can’t believe it’s December and the year is almost over. It’s been a long, rough several months, but I’m pushing through, and remain glad I have the escape of lovely stories.

Mystery

• Murder at Midnight (2023) Katharine Schellman (Lily Adler) 8.5/10
• Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal (2023) Raquel V. Reyes (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery) 6/10
• Murder and Mamon (2023) Mia P. Manansala (A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery) 5/10

Fantasy

• Last Binding by Freya Marske: A Restless Truth (2022) 5/10, A Power Unbound (2023) 8.5/10
• Murder at Spindle Manor (2022) Morgan Stang (Lamplight Murder Mysteries) 8/10

Romance

• A Kiss for Midwinter (2012) Courtney Milan (Brothers Sinister) 9/10
• Served Hot (2015) Annabeth Albert (Portland Heat) 5.5/10

Science Fiction

• System Collapse (2023) Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries) 8.5/10

Audio Books

• Spenser series by Robert B. Parker narrated by Michael Prichard: Mortal Stakes, Audio Book (1975/2009) 8/10, Promised Land, Audio Book (1976) 8/10, The Judas Goat, Audio Book (1978) 7.5/10, Looking for Rachel Wallace, Audio Book (1980) 8/10, Early Autumn. Audio Book (1981) 8/10, A Savage Place, Audio Book (1981) 8.5/10, The Widening Gyre, Audio Book (1983) 8/10, Valediction, Audio Book (1984) 7/10, Ceremony, Audio Book (1982) 6/10
• Wild Sign, Audio Book (2021) Patricia Briggs narrated by Holter Graham 5/10

I listened to a lot of audio books this month–they keep my brain busy while I do boring things like cleaning, or  exercising. And when it’s a good book, I’ll exercise just a little longer to finish a section.

Additionally, I read 5 (FIVE) new books! Two of which were published in October! Yes, they were novellas, but that makes it even better, because I adore well-written shorter fiction. (and by well written I don’t mean just out-takes from a series, but stories that stand on their own. So kudos to Ian Rankin writing and excellent stand-alone novella.

PLUS, I discovered a new series, Katharine Schellman’s Lily Adler Mysteries, which have all kinds of representation and are fun reads (plus good mysteries).

Unbeknownst to me, a new Rivers of London novella came out rencetly–thanks to Tania for both telling me about it AND getting it for me. Winter’s Gifts is about FBI agent Kimberly Reynolds, not Peter Grant, and I was wondering if I wanted to spent time with her.

SPOILER: I did.

Couple of rereads, as I flailed around trying to figure out what I was in the mood for, but I didn’t much seem to be in the mood for those books either.

Ah well, can’t win ’em all.

Mystery

• Lily Adler Mysteries by Katharine Schellman
  The Body in the Garden (2020) 8/10, Silence in the Library (2021) 9/10, Death at the Manor (2022) 8/10
• The Rise: A Short Story (2023) Ian Rankin 8/10
• Naked Once More (1989) Elizabeth Peters (Jacqueline Kirby) 8/10
• The Price of Lemon Cake (2023) Jennifer Ashley (Below Stairs Mysteries Novella / Kat Holloway) 7.5/10

Romance

• Ever After Always (2021) Chloe Liese (Bergman Brothers) 8.5/10
• Role Playing (2023) Cathy Yardley 8/10
• Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure (2019) Courtney Milan (The Worth Saga) 7/10
• Finders Keepers (2018) N.R. Walker 6/10

Fantasy

• Winter’s Gifts (2023) Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London) 8/10
• Four Walls and a Heart (2023) Celia Lake (Charms of Albion) 5/10

Audio Books

• Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs narrated by Holter Graham
  Fair Game, Audio Book (2012) 9/10, Dead Heat, Audio Book (2015) 8.5/10, Burn Bright, Audio Book (2018) 7.5/10
• The Thursday Murder Club, Audio Book (2020) Richard Osman narrated by Lesley Manville (Thursday Murder Club) 9/10
• A Murderous Relation, Audio Edition (2020) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Angele Masters (Veronica Speedwell) 7.5/10

The only good thing about a cold is that I spend more time on the sofa, reading.

Despite my mental state, I managed to read a bunch of new-to-me books, as well as five books that had been published in 2022 or 2023.

First and best, I am continuing to enjoy Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series, repeatedly forcing Michael to listen to passages that especially amuse me. I mean, how can you not take delight in this?

(Person), being a professional to his bones, has insisted on being buried naked. He knows that any self-respecting murderer would leave as few clues in the grave as possible.

I was also delighted by The Bookshop and the Barbarian by Morgan Stang, which had a similar feel to Legends and Lattes, despite being a different book, and in fact this book all but name-checks it.

The other book I want to mention is the first of Chloe Liese ‘s Bergman Brother’s series. I picked up and read the second book, Always Only You, because it had a female protagonist with ASD, and enjoyed it, but put off reading other books in the series, for no reason other than Michelle Brain. This book’s main male character has severe hearing loss, and I was done for after reading the opening notes.

This story also includes a main character who is late-deafened. As of this book’s revision, expansion, and republication on August 21, 2021, its portrayal has been informed by the consulted experience and critique of a late-deafened authenticity reader. I hope I have given these subjects the respect, care, and sensitivity they deserve.

She rewrote much of the book to make the Deaf representation better.

That is amazing and I will now set out to read everything she has written, because of it.

There were lots of rereads as well. I’m rereading Freya Marske‘s Last Binding series as I wait for the third book to come out (November! — I just realized THREE books I’m impatiently waiting for come out within a week of each other: A Power Unbound (The Last Binding), Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery), and System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries) (MURDERBOT!))

So September was a decent reading month, although I could really have done without the cold.

Fantasy

• The Bookshop and the Barbarian (2023) Morgan Stang 9/10
• A Marvellous Light (2021) Freya Marske (The Last Binding) 8.5/10
• Occult Crimes Unit Investigation by Justin Gustainis: Evil Dark (2012) 8/10, Known Devil (2014) 8/10

Romance

• Only When It’s Us (2020) Chloe Liese (Bergman Brothers) 8/10
• Donut Fall in Love (2021) Jackie Lau 7.5/10
• His Grandfather’s Watch (2012) N.R. Walker 7/10
• Gouda Friends (2022) Cathy Yardley (Ponto Beach Reunion) 7/10

Mystery

• Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: The Man Who Died Twice (2021) 9/10, The Bullet That Missed (2022) 9/10
• Murder Most Actual (2021) Alexis Hall 8/10
• Jacqueline Kirby by Elizabeth Peters: The Seventh Sinner (1972) 7.5/10, The Murders of Richard III (1974) 7/10, Die for Love (1984) 7/10
• A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons (2022) Kate Khavari (Saffron Everleigh) 6.5/10
• The Body in the Back Garden (2023) Mark Waddell 6/10

Audio Book

• Shifting Shadows: Stories from the World of Mercy Thompson, Audio Book (2014) Patricia Briggs narrated by Lorelei King and Alexander Cendese 8/10
• Alpha & Omega by Patricia Briggs narrated by Holter Graham: Cry Wolf, Audio Book (2009) 8/10, Hunting Ground, Audio Book (2009) 8/10
• The Phoenix Illusion, Audio Edition (2018) Lisa Shearin narrated by Johanna Parker (SPI Files) 7/10

Life is still ridiculous, but I did take a bit of time off to hike–and to read.

I’ve had trouble focusing–not a tremendous surprise–so I’ll need to go back and reread the new releases I’d been waiting for at some point when I’m a little less distracted. In other words, take those ratings of 7 with a grain of salt–I need a book to draw me in and not let go, and that these books didn’t do that is on me, not necessarily them.

There were some very good stories however. I finally got around to reading Richard Osman‘s Thursday Murder Club, which I loved.

Tania got me the Murderbot short story, Compulsory, which I didn’t even know was being published, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next story that comes out this fall. (MURDERBOT!)

Although it didn’t pull me in, I still enjoyed Anna Lee Huber‘s most recent Lady Darby book. It’s comforting to drop into familiar places with known characters.

To keep me moving, I’ve been listening to a lot of audio books.

I just finished the last recorded SPI Files book, (She self-published the next two stories, so no audio version) and had to struggle to figure out what I wanted to listen to next.  (We merged my parent’s audible account with ours, so when I browsed today, I kept seeing books my parents listened to, which was weird.)

Other than that, lots of rereading. Favorites, to pull me out of my own head and allow me to escape.

Mystery

• The Thursday Murder Club (2020) Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club) 9/10
• Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2011) Josh Lanyon 9/10
• A Fatal Illusion (2023) Anna Lee Huber (Lady Darby) 8/10
• Against the Currant t (2023) Olivia Matthews (Spice Isle Bakery) 5/10

Fantasy

• Child of a Rainless Year (2005) Jane Lindskold 9/10
• Hard Spell (2011) Justin Gustainis (Occult Crimes Unit Investigation) 8/10
• A Queer Trade  (2016) K.J. Charles (Rag and Bone)  7.5/10
• That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human (2023) Kimberly Lemming (Mead Mishaps) 7/10
• Once a Rogue (2023) Allie Therin (Roaring Twenties Magic) 7/10

Romance

• Lancaster Stories by C.S. Poe: Kneading You (2016) 7.5/10, Joy (2017) 9/10
• Garnet Run by Roan Parrish: Better Than People (2020) 8/10, Best Laid Plans (2021) 8/10, The Pride of Garnet Run  (2022) 7/10
• Teacher of the Year (2023) M.A. Wardell (Teachers in Love) 6.5/10

Science Fiction

• Compulsory (2023) Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries) 8.5/10

Audio Books

• A Dangerous Collaboration, Audio Book (2019) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Angèle Masters (Veronica Speedwell) 8/10
• SPI Files by Lisa Shearin narrated by Johanna Parker: The Grendel Affair, Audio Book (2014) 8/10, The Dragon Conspiracy, Audio Book (2015) 8/10, The Brimstone Deception, Audio Book (2016) 8.5/10, The Ghoul Vendetta, Audio Book (2017) 8/10

The past two months have been hellish.

To sum up: my mother died unexpectedly and my brother and I have been dealing with all the things.

So I read nothing by comfort reads for several weeks, and have been slowly reading some of the new releases I had been looking forward to.

Fantasy

A Matter of Magic (1988) Patricia C. Wrede (Mairelon the Magician) 9/10

Cecelia and Kate series by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (1988) 8/10, The Grand Tour: Or, The Purloined Coronation Regalia (2004) 8/10, The Mislaid Magician: or Ten Years After (2006) 8/10

Supernatural Fantasy

Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara
The Wolf at Bay (2019) 8.5/10, Thrown to the Wolves (2019) 9/10, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing(2020) 10/10, Cry Wolf(2021) 10/10

Mystery

Mystery on the Menu: A Three-Course Collection of Cozy Mysteries (2023) Nicole Kimberling 8.5/10
The Deadliest Fall (2023) Charlie Cochrane 7/10
A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder (2023) Dianne Freeman (Countess of Harleigh 7.5/10

Romance

Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut (2018) R. Cooper 10/10

Science Fiction

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
All Systems Red (2017) 9.5/10, Artificial Condition (2018) 9.5/10, Rogue Protocol (2018) 10/10, Exit Strategy(2018) 10/10, Network Effect (2020) 10/10, Fugitive Telemetry (2021) 9.5/10

Audio

Small Vices, Audio Book (1997) Robert B. Parker narrated by Burt Reynolds (Spenser) 10/10
Blitz, Audio Book(2022) Daniel O’Malley narrated by Moira Quirk (The Rook Files) 10/10
A Treacherous Curse, Audio Book (2018) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Angèle Masters (Veronica Speedwell) 8/10
Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka narrated by Gildart Jackson
Veiled, Audio Book (2015) 7/10, Burned, Audio Book (2016) 5/10

It’s Pride Month! Of course I think you should celebrate by reading queer books!

Here are some recommendations across several genres, and I went ahead and noted when a book had explicit sexual content (if that’s something you’d prefer to avoid). There are multiple cozy mysteries, lots of fantasies, and even some low- or no-spice romances, so you should be able to find a book that might appeal!

Several authors are quite prolific, so I’ve (mostly) listed the books / series I thought might be good starting points, but if you click through to an author page, there are plenty of other books (as well as my reviews) available to peruse.

Additionally, I’ve been working on updating my book pages, and now have a section for queer books! There you can peruse all the authors I’ve read and reviewed, and find lists of their books and series.

I’m still trying to rebuild my book database, but since I’ve forgotten most of what I knew about building databases, that is a bit of a slog. In the meantime, I do have a spreadsheet you can view! One tab is for mental health, neurodiversity, and ace rep. The other tab I started after listening to a Book Riot: When in Romance episode on heroines in STEM (I’m added to the list they shared).

Mystery

• Lindenshaw Mysteries by Charlie Cochrane
• The Best Corpse for the Job (2014), Jury of One (2016), Two Feet Under (2018), Old Sins (2019), A Carriage of Misjustice (2020), Lock, Stock and Peril (2022)
• MM | Mystery, Cozy, Amateur Sleuth + Cop | Queer author

• Grasmere Cottage Mystery series by Dahlia Donovan
• Dead in the Garden (2018), Dead in the Pond (2018), Dead in the Shop (2018)
• MM | Mystery, Cozy, Amateur Sleuth | Queer author

• Secrets and Scrabble series by Josh Lanyon
• Murder at Pirate’s Cove (2020), Secret at Skull House (2020), Mystery at the Masquerade (2021), Scandal at the Salty Dog (2021), Lament at Loon Landing (2023), Body at Buccaneer’s Bay (2021)
• MM | Mystery, Cozy, Amateur Sleuth + Cop

• Mystery on the Menu: A Three-Course Collection of Cozy Mysteries (2023) Nicole Kimberling
• MM | Mystery, Amateur Sleuth+ Cop | Explicit sexual content | Queer author

• Snow & Winter series by C.S. Poe
• The Mystery of Nevermore (2016), The Mystery of the Curiosities (2017), The Mystery of the Moving Image (2018), The Mystery of the Bones (2019), Interlude: Snow & Winter Collection Volume One (2021), The Mystery of the Spirits (2021)
• MM | Mystery, Amateur Sleuth + Cop | Explicit sexual content

• Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2011) Josh Lanyon
• MM | Mystery | Explicit sexual content

• Murder Most Actual (2021) Alexis Hall
• FF | Mystery | Queer author

Historical Mystery

• Dead Dead Girls (2021) Nekesa Afia (Harlem Renaissance Mystery)
• FF | Mystery, Historical (post WWI)

• Pentecost and Parker by Stephen Spotswood
• Fortune Favors the Dead (2020), Murder Under Her Skin (2021)
• Bisexual heroine | Mystery, PI, Historical (post WWII)

• Page & Sommers series Hither, Page (2019), The Missing Page (2022) Cat Sebastian
• MM | Mystery, Historical (post WWII), Romance, Amateur Sleuth + Spy | Explicit sexual content

• The Will Darling Adventures by K.J. Charles
• Slippery Creatures (2020), The Sugared Game (2020), Subtle Blood (2021)
• MM | Mystery, Historical (post WWI), Amateur Sleuth + Spy | Explicit sexual content

• The Lords of Bucknall Club by J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry
• A Case for Christmas (2021), A Sanctuary for Soulden (2021)
• MM | Mystery, Alternate History (Napoleonic Era), Romance | Explicit sexual content

Fantasy / Historical Fantasy

• An Island For Two (2022) Ophelia Silk
• FF, Ace | Fantasy, Romance

• Legends & Lattes (2022) Travis Baldree
• FF | Fantasy

• Last Binding by Freya Marske
• A Marvellous Light (2021), A Restless Truth (2022)
• MM / FF | Historical Fantasy (pre-WWI), Romance | Explicit sexual content

• Montague Siblings by Mackenzi Lee
• The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (2017), The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky (2019), The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (2018), The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks (2021)
• MM | Historical Fantasy (1700s), YA

• Magic in Manhattan by Allie Therin
• Spellbound (2019), Starcrossed (2020), Wonderstruck (2021)
• MM | Historical Fantasy (post WWI), Romance | Explicit sexual content

• The Kingston Cycle by C.L. Polk
• Witchmark (2018)
• MM | Fantasy, Mystery | Queer author

• Paladin’s Hope (2021) T. Kingfisher (The Saint of Steel)
• MM | Fantasy, Romance | Explicit sexual content

• The Affair of the Mysterious Letter (2019) Alexis Hall
• Trans character | Fantasy | Queer author

Supernatural Fantasy

• The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020) TJ Klune
• MM | Fantasy | Queer author

• The Tarot Sequence by K.D. Edwards
• The Last Sun (2018), The Hanged Man (2019), The Hourglass Throne (2022)
• MM | Fantasy | Sexual content | Queer author

• Adam Binder series by David R. Slayton
• White Trash Warlock (2020), Trailer Park Trickster (2021), Deadbeat Druid (2022)
• MM | Fantasy | Queer author

• Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara
• The Wolf at the Door (2018), The Wolf at Bay (2018), Thrown to the Wolves (2019), Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (2010), Cry Wolf (2021)
• MM | Fantasy, Mystery, Law Enforcement | Explicit sexual content

• Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector (2018)
• Nicole Kimberling
• MM | Fantasy, Mystery, Law Enforcement | Explicit sexual content | Queer author

• Human Enough (2019) ES Yu
• MM | Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Law Enforcement

• Shadow Police by Paul Cornell
• London Falling  (2014), The Severed Streets (2015), Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? (2016)
• Queer character in ensemble | Fantasy, Mystery, Horror, Law Enforcement

• Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies (2022) Misha Popp
• Bisexual heroine | Fantasy, Mystery

Romance

• London Calling series by Alexis Hall
• Boyfriend Material (2020), Husband Material (2022)
• MM | Romance | Queer author

• Waiting for the Flood (2018) Alexis Hall (Spires)
• MM | Romance | Queer author

• Aidan Wayne: stand-alone romances
• Loud and Clear (2016), Play It Again (2019), Not So Cookie Cutter (2019)
• MM, Ace, Disability rep | Romance | Queer author

• Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut (2018) R. Cooper
• MM | Romance | Queer author

• The Agency series by Ada Maria Soto
• His Quiet Agent (2017), Merlin in the Library (2018), Agents of Winter (2022)
• MM, Ace | Romance

• N.R. Walker: stand-alone romances
• Galaxies and Oceans (2018), Upside Down (2019)
• MM, Ace | Romance | Explicit sexual content

• American Dreamer (2019) Adriana Herrera (Dreamers)
• MM | Romance | Explicit sexual content

• The Charm Offensive (2021) Alison Cochrun
• MM, Ace | Romance | Explicit sexual content

• Perfect Rhythm (2017) Jae
• FF, Ace | Romance | Explicit sexual content | Queer author

• The Heartbreak Bakery (2021) A.R. Capetta
• Trans/NB Character | Romance, Fantasy, YA | Queer author

• The Love Study (2020) Kris Ripper
• NB, Bisexual | Romance | Sexual content | Queer author

Historical Romance

• Feminine Pursuits by Olivia Waite
• The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics (2019), The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows (2020)
• FF | Historical (1816), Romance | Explicit sexual content

• Band Sinister (2018) K.J. Charles
• MM | Historical (early 1800s), Romance | Explicit sexual content

Comics

• Mooncakes (2019) Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu
• FF | Fantasy, YA, Comic

• Heathen by Adriana Herrera
• Heathen Volume 1 (2017), Heathen: Volume 2 (2019), Heathen, Volume 3 (2020)
• FF | Historical Fantasy, Comic

• Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
• # Hockey (2018), Sticks & Scones (2020)
• MM | Romance, Comic

Science Fiction

• The Janet Watson Chronicles by Claire O’Dell
• A Study in Honor (2018), The Hound of Justice (2019)
• FF | Science Fiction, Mystery

• The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
• All Systems Red (2017), Artificial Condition (2018), Rogue Protocol (2018), Exit Strategy (2018), Network Effect (2020), Fugitive Telemetry (2021)
• NB, Ace, Aro | Science Fiction

Fiction

• Last Night at the Telegraph Club (2021) Malinda Lo
• FF | Historical (1954), YA | Queer author

• The Boy in the Red Dress (2020) Kristin Lambert
• Queer | Historical (1930), YA

A majority of rereads again this month, however, I did read some new books, finishing up Charlie Cochrane‘s Cambridge Fellows series, and the most recent Secrets and Scrabble book, which although just published, comes before the 7th book, which was published last fall.

I’ve also moved onto books in the Alex Verus series I hadn’t read before–although honestly I remember little of the books I had read.

Many of my rereads were Ace romances, including Loud and Clear, Blank Spaces, Three Stupid Weddings,  An Island For Two, and The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter. Several of the others were romances with toxic families, including Family Man and Bee Cave Magic or romances with differently-abled or neurodivergent characters, like Loud and Clear, It Takes Two to Tumble, and The Lawrence Browne Affair, which all drew my back for different reasons.

Also, after reading several mysteries that were not what I was hoping them to be, I reread the Page & Sommers series and restarted the Big Bad Wolf series.

Mystery

• Page & Sommers by Cat Sebastian
  Hither, Page (2019) 8.5/10, The Missing Page (2022) 9/10
• Cambridge Fellows by Charlie Cochrane
  Lessons for Suspicious Minds (2013) 7/10, Lessons for Idle Tongues (2015) 5.5/10, Lessons for Sleeping Dogs (2015) 6/10
• Lament at Loon Landing (2023) Josh Lanyon (Secrets and Scrabble) 6/10

Fantasy

• The Wolf at the Door (2018) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf) 8.5/10
• An Island For Two (2022) Ophelia Silk 7/10

Romance

• Loud and Clear (2016) Aidan Wayne 9.5/10
• It Takes Two to Tumble (2017) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks) 9/10
• And Everything Nice (2016) Ada Maria Soto 9/10
• Love, Marriage, and a Baby Carriage (2016) C.S. Poe 9/10



• Blank Spaces (2016) Cass Lennox (Toronto Connections) 8.5/10
• The Lawrence Browne Affair (2017) Cat Sebastian (The Turners) 8.5/10
• Family Man (2013) Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton 8/10
• Bee Cave Magic (2020) Kelly Fox 8/10
• Three Stupid Weddings (2018) Ann Gallagher 7.5/10
• The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter (2019) K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) 7.5/10
• Team Phison (2017) Chace Verity 7/10
• Saying The Right Thing (2017) Aidan Wayne 6/10
• Medium, Sweet, Extra Shot of Geek (2019) R. Cooper 6/10

Audio Book

• A Perilous Undertaking, Audio Book (2017) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Angèle Masters (Veronica Speedwell) 8/10
• Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka narrated by Gildart Jackson
  Taken (2014) 7/10, Chosen (2014) 8/10, Hidden (2014) 7/10

The latest episode of Book Riot’s SFF Yeah discussed Characters Who Make Us Feel Seen, and I decided to wander down the path of what fictional characters am I most like?

I had an extremely hard time coming up with SFF characters, because I very feel rarely like the characters you find in SFF books. There might be bits and pieces that fit perfectly, but as a whole? Not so much.

Mysteries were even harder, because although I am ridiculously curious, I am anxious, so I couldn’t sneak into a house where people were sleeping or walk into a situation and confront people.

I had a far easier time with characters from romance novels, probably because I read a lot of books with broken or struggling characters. I’ve read many books in recent years that have resonated deeply with me–far more than any other genre.

So here are some characters who make me feel seen.

Murderbot, from the Murderbot series by Martha Wells.

Obviously not the murdering parts, but often something Murderbot says will hit me like a punch.

“Why don’t you want us to look at you?”

My jaw was so tight it triggered a performance reliability alert in my feed. I said, “You don’t need to look at me. I’m not a sexbot.”

Murderbot exists to protect people, to help people, but it doesn’t want to have to directly deal with people, and it really doesn’t want to have to make conversation.

I didn’t want to be stuck in a chair within easy unwanted talking range.

Interacting meant talking, and eye contact. I could already feel my performance capacity dropping.

Murderbot also loves comfort reading / watching.

(T)here wasn’t time to start anything new before we reached the station. (Being interrupted isn’t nearly as annoying when I already know the story.)

The first book, All Systems Red, might only have 150 pages, but I have 60 passages highlighted.

(If I got angry at myself for being angry I would be angry constantly and I wouldn’t have time to think about anything else.) (Wait, I think I am angry constantly. That might explain a lot.)

Discworld by Terry Pratchett

I decided there had to be at least one character in Discworld who I felt like. I came up with two: The DEATH OF RATS and The Librarian.

The Librarian has a strong sense of justice and a love of books, is typically misunderstood, and is fine with who he is and resists any attempts to change him into a human.

The Librarian rolled his eyes. It was strange, he felt, that so-called intelligent dogs, horses and dolphins never had any difficulty indicating to humans the vital news of the moment, e.g., that the three children were lost in the cave, or the train was about to take the line leading to the bridge that had been washed away or similar, while he, only a handful of chromosomes away from wearing a vest, found it difficult to persuade the average human to come in out of the rain. You just couldn’t talk to some people.

The DEATH OF RATS is often silly, coming up with ridiculous ideas.

NO, YOU CAN’T RIDE A CAT. WHO EVER HEARD OF THE DEATH OF RATS RIDING A CAT? THE DEATH OF RATS WOULD RIDE SOME KIND OF DOG.

Neither is a main character, but both make themselves felt when around, and both enjoy what they do.

Cooper Dayton from the Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara

I’m not brave and would make a terrible secret agent, but things Cooper says and thinks are things that have gone through my mind repeatedly.

Cooper wondered who he’d be without any of the negative experiences of his life. Was it even worth asking?

“I’m sorry,” Cooper blurted. His heart was beating hard, but fuck it, what were they here for if not this?

Park looked at him. He had that same odd look on his face he’d had when they first got to Jagger Valley that looked so much like nerves, but a little hopeful, too. “For what?”

“Everything. Well, for earlier, and for being, you know, me.” Cooper laughed awkwardly.

“What the hell, Dayton,” Park said, sounding angry. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”

(Both quotes from The Wolf at Bay.)

I try to hear Park being angry when I find myself apologizing for being me.

the frustration that came from relearning what he could and couldn’t do for the second time in less than two years threatened to tip him over the edge from restlessness into depression.

Not two right on top of one another, but I’ve had a life-altering injury, and I know how much hard work it takes to come back from that, and to learn the new ways your body works (or doesn’t).

Sam from Play It Again by Aidan Wayne

With Sam, we get closer to things that mirror my life–and not just working at an IT help desk.

(W)ith his job being IT, there were often good reasons he came home having exhausted his social-skill quota for the day and was only up to playing some games or reading a book before crashing. Books and video games also didn’t yell at you, or snidely act as though you were a waste of space.

(T)alking on the phone gave him enough anxiety as it was. Never knowing whether a call might turn nasty made him dread it every time he was given a ring.

To be clear, I love helping people and working help desk type positions when the users were polite and nice, but even a single rude or horrible person can ruin my day and send my thoughts spiraling.

I’m a vegetarian. I don’t mind if other people aren’t of course, it’s not my job to regulate, but it’s my own difference I’m making, yeah? I’m a gentle soul, really. I can’t even squash bugs; I try to catch them and take them outside. No reason to harm a spider if there isn’t need, after all. And they’re such good bugs, spiders are. I mean arachnids. And sorry, there I seem to have gone off on a tangent.

I feel like this is something I may actually have said, right down to the spider tangent.

People in general made Sam nervous, but he’d mentioned a few times how he was “slightly bothered” by crowds especially, particularly noisy ones. He’d said it in the same offhand way Sam used to downplay all the things that made him unhappy or caused him distress.

Fred the Vampire Accountant series by Drew Hayes

Like Discworld, I thought through the characters in the Fred the Vampire Accountant series to see if anything clicked, and decided I am most like Alfred and Charlotte.

Charlotte because she likes taking care of people and is also extremely protective of those who living within her, and Alfred because he’s kind and as much of a pacifist as he can be. Also, he frequently misses social cues.

Zach from That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert (Ravenswood)

Zach has learned to recognize the ways he puts others first–even to doing things he didn’t like.

In truth, Zach was a messy fucker who resented his own compulsion to fill in other people’s gaps but couldn’t make himself stop.

What he did feel was a familiar tug in his chest, that nagging pull he always experienced when faced with someone who needed something. It was an urgent whisper he couldn’t ignore: You’re the only one people can rely on. That makes it your duty to help.

UGH. I recognize that pull, and how hard it is to stop doing things you don’t want to solely to please those around you. It’s ridiculously hard to say no when you’ve said yes for so long.

(H)e’d made himself a promise, recently. One designed to break his habit of handing out Yeses he didn’t mean.

That is a far harder thing to do than you’d think–people assume you’ll do as they ask, and get mad when you don’t, so you have to come up with reasons and excuses, which is exhausting.

Ruth from A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert (Ravenswood)

Like Zach, Ruth makes me feel seen.

She wasn’t graceful. She was, in fact, the opposite of graceful. He worried for her safety once every five seconds at least. When she poured half of the hot water onto the counter, he was only surprised that she didn’t scald herself in the process.

She rolled her eyes and picked up the mugs. He deftly took them from her and carried them into the living room, as if she wasn’t capable of handling it herself. True, she usually spilled tea everywhere. But her balance would never get better if she didn’t practice.

Spoiler: practice doesn’t help.

Ruth disliked phone calls—it was hard to really hear someone’s words, when you couldn’t see their face

Ruth realised that she was rubbing her own hands—wringing them, people said—and made herself stop, even though the action was calming.

It’s so affirming to see someone else deal with things I thought were my own quirks.

Now she didn’t know if she should laugh or gasp. She compromised by choking on her own spit.

Yes, I’ve done that too.

Clem from An Unseen Attraction by K.J. Charles (Sins of the Cities)

I have reread this book multiple times and have more than 80 highlights, mostly of Clem.

Look me in the eyes, boy! had been a constant refrain at school, but they said the eyes were the windows to the soul, and Clem didn’t feel comfortable peering into people’s windows.

Rowley had thought at first the beast had no name; it had taken him a while to understand that it had a perfectly good, descriptive name to which it was as likely to answer as any other, and that name was Cat. There was something terribly Clem about that.

I annoyed a friend as a kid, because I didn’t give my stuffed animals “real” names.

“But, but—” Clem flailed a hand. Mark snatched his pint out of the way.

There is a reason people do not set their drinks near me.

He’d spent his life carefully not looking into an abyss of rage like the pit of hellfire he’d so often been told awaited pagans, because if he ever really looked, he feared he might be angry forever.

Jordan from Upside Down by N.R. Walker

Jordan is another character that makes me feel seen on multiple levels.

My phone beeped in my hand and I tripped over my own feet, almost falling to the ground but catching myself just in time. “Motherfucker.”

I mean.

Geek also probably fits, though mostly for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I mean, the other Star Treks are fine and I don’t disparage anyone for liking them—Janeway and Picard are credible—but I just prefer Sisko as my captain,

“There has to be a reason you picked Sisko.”

He smiled at me and seemed to relax before launching into a spiel on consistency and compassion and how Sisko’s being a father in the show made him more relatable.

The only way that would have been better was if Garak had also been brought up.

“Good afternoon,” he said, grinning as I walked up to take my seat.

“Top of the day to you, kind sir,” I replied, for no other reason than I’m an idiot.

Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. I do that all the time.

“We had the early learning kids in today. That’s always fun, if not rather loud, but I like reading to them. I make it exciting and interactive so they all think books and reading time is amazing, so I’m like a superhero to them. And being a superhero to a bunch of three-year-olds is a civic responsibility I take very seriously.”

I love finding a book that a kid loves almost as much as I love making them enthusiastic about things and pointing out wonders they might not have noticed.

Bonus Quotes

Some passages floor me every time I read them.

“You’ve been through a lot today,” he said. “There’s no need to diminish it.”

“Yeah, but if I don’t diminish things I have to face them at their normal size, and that’s horrible.”

— Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

(H)e’d effectively removed the stressor I carried with me every minute: the fear that if I had to choose, I would choose wrong and something terrible would happen.

— Rend by Roan Parrish

It would be nice to believe in something like God. To believe some higher power with a greater purpose was concealed behind the violence and chaos.

—Come Unto These Yellow Sands by Josh Lanyon

This is the story of my life: standing on the edges of things and worrying, when I’m supposed to just walk through them.

— Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall

“I’m more interested in someone’s excitement over something they have just discovered, than someone’s smug, pompous insistence that there is a right and a wrong way to learn to love something.”

— Hottie Scotty and Mr. Porter by R. Cooper

I keep having thoughts I didn’t authorise.

— Work for It by Talia Hibbert

Not that we had a lot of rain. But excluding the first two years of the pandemic, my April reading was about average for me.

April is a rough month for me, so it was almost all rereads. Which is fine, as I like dropping into stories and worlds where I’d been happy before.

Does not, however, do anything for my insanely large TBR.

Interestingly (to me), the books I gravitated towards this month weren’t (for the most parts) highly rated favorites, but instead were stories that hit a specific mood. Lots of cozy mysteries, but also romances that leaned heavily towards normal, every day people finding love and acceptance.

So don’t think that an average rating means those books aren’t worth reading–instead see them as stories that might have some flaws, but got the feelings of comfort and self-acceptance just right.

Mystery

• Sins of the Cities by K.J. Charles
  An Unseen Attraction (2017) 9/10, An Unnatural Vice (2017) 8/10
• Gethsemane Brown by Alexia Gordon
  Murder in G Major (2016) 8/10, Death in D Minor (2917) 8/10, Killing in C Sharp (2018) 8/10, Fatality in F (2019) 8/10, Execution in E (2020) 7.5/10
• Paper Cuts (2023) Ellery Adams (A Secret, Book, and Scone Society) 6/10

Romance

• Agents of Winter (2022) Ada Maria Soto (The Agency) 8.5/10
• Color of You (2017) C.S. Poe (A Lancaster Story) 8/10
• Not So Cookie Cutter (2019) Aidan Wayne 8/10
• Candy Hearts (2020) Erin McLellan (So Over the Holidays) 7.5/10
• Vincent’s Thanksgiving Date (2014) R. Cooper 7/10

Fantasy

• Making Love (2017) Aidan Wayne 7.5/10
• Gumption & Gumshoes (2013) Alex Kidwell 7/10

Audio Books

• Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka narrated by Gildart Jackson
  Fated, Audio Edition (2012/2013) 7.5/10, Cursed, Audio Edition (2014) 7.5/10