Random (but not really)

Thursday, December 29, 2022

The Books of 2022: Romance, Comics, and Audio Books

I once again read a lot of romances, however, more than half the romances I read were rereads, and they don’t count in the end-of-the-year roundup. Which I means I read some disappointing new-to-me romances (just over 20% of the romances I read had a rating lower than 7, and the new-to-me reads had an average rating of 6.8). Luckily, there were only three books that I disliked (though now I come back to it, I want to rate one of the books lower than the 4 I gave it).

All of which is to say I didn’t read a lot of new romances I loved.

Which is why I’m adding audio books and comics to this post, as I only read one stand-out comic. I did listen to 33 audio books, but the way I listen to audio books means they are almost entirely books I’ve read before. Plus, I did a complete re-listen to several series, to get caught up so I could read forward (Rivers of London, Jane Yellowrock, which were 24 books for both series).

Romance

~ 8.5/10 ~

Agents of WinterAgents of Winter (2022) (The Agency)
by Ada Maria Soto
[LGBT]

 

His Quiet Agent is a comfort read for me. One character is ace, the other is demi, so there is absolutely no boinking, and although the author didn’t do it on purpose, both characters are neurodiverse.

Since His Quiet Agent was published in 2017, and the story snippet set after in 2018, I was assuming there wouldn’t me another story.

I was delighted to be wrong.

To be clear, neither this nor the first book is an easy read, as Arthur deals with a death in the first book, and then his first Christmas after than death in the second, and Martin’s past is a nightmare, yet I find the story as a whole is incredibly comforting.

“I’m sorry, which one is B-837?”

“Romantic or sexual involvement with another agency employee or contractor.”

“I… um…” Arthur felt his cheeks flush and didn’t know what to say. It had never crossed his mind to fill out the “Fucking Form” as it was referred to by the crasser employees. His and Martin’s relationship had slid from friendship into something deeper and intertwined so smoothly that there was never a date he could point to on a calendar and say ‘Yes, here is where our relationship began and I will put that into box 14A.’

“So, who is this Arthur?”

“My friend.”

“Don’t lie to your lawyer.”

“He-” Is the name I put on form B-837. “Is someone who accepts me exactly as I am and has my heart for it.”


~ 8/10 ~

Always Only YouAlways Only You (2020) (Bergman Brothers)
by Chloe Liese
[Contemporary *]

 

This was another recommendation—the female lead has ASD and rheumatoid arthritis, and is the grump in the grumpy-sunshine trope.

The psychologist said I’d have been diagnosed sooner if not for my fantastic ability to follow rules, copy behaviors, and pretend I was “normal.” Everyone hits a breaking point, the shrink said. It was only a matter of time before I’d have to stop pretending and get honest about my neurological difference.

 

I like my books. They’re one of the most vital tools in my arsenal for navigating human behavior, to explore my feelings about the parts of life that most confuse me. Books help me feel a bit more connected to a world that often is hard to make sense of. Books are patient with me. They don’t laugh at me instead of with me. They don’t ask why I’m “always” frowning, or why I can’t sit still. Books welcome me— weirdness and all— and take me exactly as I am.


 

An Agreement with the SoldierAn Agreement with the Soldier (2021) (Necessary Arrangements)
by Sadie Bosque
[Historical *]

 

This isn’t a light story. It’s about grief and PTSD and addresses both in a realistic way, which means that falling in love with the heroine doesn’t fix he hero’s problems.

But the heroine has a loving and protected family, and the hero eventually finds other former soldiers who can support him, so things are ok in the end (this is a romance of course) but in a realistic way, which I very much appreciated.


 

Husband MaterialHusband Material (2022) (London Calling)
by Alexis Hall
[LGBT]

 

I love Alexis Hall’s writing.

All of it, in all the genres I’ve read.

However, being with a major publisher means said publisher tries to categorize his books into existing pigeonholes—and they simply don’t fit neatly.

Parts of this book are hilarious, but that doesn’t make the story a romantic comedy. It just means the humor and the silliness offset the darkness.

Luc is much better than he was in the previous book, but it is still a work in progress.

“But what if knowing it’ll make him feel better makes me feel worse?”

“Then maybe you need to revisit the does-he-have-power-over-you question.”

Oh. Right. My shoulders drooped. I was supposed to be… not like this anymore. “Why do people keep having power over me?”

There is a fair amount of darkness in this story, but it is offset by the humor.

Oliver took a deep breath. “You are not that kind of person. You just worry you might be every time somebody likes you.” That was at once reassuring and embarrassing.

“Stop knowing me,” I whined.

Which brings me to an aside, you’ll notice Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble is not on this list. Was it a bad book? No. But it was sure as hell NOT a romantic comedy, and despite the content warnings, I was not prepared for just how dark things got.

So, I’ll keep reading and recommending Alexis Hall, but also keep in mind that major publishers are going to shoehorn books into a category whether they fit or not.


  • LGBT: 2
  • Historical: 1

Graphic Novels

~ 8.5/10 ~

Valor WandsValor: Wands (2018)
by Isabelle Melançon, Megan Lavey-Heaton Editors
[Fantasy, Graphic Novel, YA]

 

My comic / graphic novel reading has been lax this year. I have them lined up, but since reading them requires (finding and) putting on reading glasses, I keep putting it off.


This is a lovely collection of short stories in the vein of folk and fairy tales.

Valor Wands Valor Wands


Audio Books

~ 8.5/10 ~

Rivers of London by by Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
[Fantasy, Mystery, Supernatural]
False Value, Audio Edition (2020), Amongst Our Weapons, Audio Edition (2022)

False Value Amongst Our Weapons

I’d say I’m not sure why I hadn’t listened to the audio version of False Value, except that it was published in 2020, so I know precisely what happened.

Even if I didn’t adore Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s narration, I’d still want to listen to these books, because they are generally so fast-paced I miss a lot my first read-through.

I looked up. The ceiling was a bog-standard suspended tile affair useful for covering up ducts, cables and xenomorph infiltrations.
False Value

Not the snark though. I almost always catch the snark.

(A) dozen or more kids were playing amongst the ruins.

“God, I hope they’ve had their tetanus jabs,” said Danni as we watched a pair of boys sled down a rubble heap on a piece of rusty corrugated iron.

“Don’t be such a mitherer,” said Brook. “If you don’t bloody your knees when you’re a kiddie, what kind of a childhood would that be?”

“One without septicemia?”
 — Amongst Our Weapons

Although he is not publishing one book a year, I am completely fine with that. I’d rather a book that takes longer than expected but is the book the author wanted, than a book the author shoves out because it was due.

The Books of 2022: Yearly Reading Roundup
The Books of 2022: Romance Covers

* boinking

Written by Michelle at 4:28 pm    

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Wednesday, December 28, 2022

The Books of 2022: Fantasy

For ages, Fantasy was the primary genre I read. I’d occasionally go on a mystery binge, but fantasy was always a close second. Primarily because I wanted my escapism to have nothing to do with the “real world” and fantasy is always perfect for that.

Then 2016 happened and I started reading more and more romance, because knowing everything would turn out ok in the end became paramount. I’ve been reading more fantasy in the past couple years, but mostly as a secondary to romance or mystery, because I really want my escapism to have nothing to do with the real world, but having a happy ending is still most important.

So much of the fantay I loved this year had romance as a secondary theme–or was part of a series I’ve been reading for several years now.

We’ll see what happens next year.

 

~ 9/10 ~

 

BlitzBlitz (2022) (The Checquy Files)
by Daniel O’Malley
[Mystery, Supernatural]

 

It came as a complete surprise that a third Checquy Files book was being published. It was four years between The Rook and it’s follow-up, and it’s been six years since Stiletto, so I honestly wasn’t expecting another book.

This was the best kind of surprise.

Although Myfanwy and Odette make appearances, they are not the main characters. This book is split between several members of the Checquy during the bombing of London (hence the name) and a modern timeline following Lyn, who comes into her powers as an adult.

“Help!” screamed Georgina. “Help!”

Lyn shot her a startled glance. After their torturous silence, the girl’s scream was shocking, but of course it made perfect sense.

Absolutely, let’s make this someone else’s problem!

Be aware, Lyn’s part of the first half of the book is somewhat slow. I found it fascinating (we don’t learn a ton about The Estate in the first two books) and here we got the process of the Checquy finding an adult powered individual, bring them in, and training them. The second half of the book, however, takes off and never slows down.


~ 8.5/10 ~

 

The Hourglass ThroneThe Hourglass Throne (2022) (The Tarot Sequence)
by K.D. Edwards
[LGBT, Supernatural]

 

I picked up The Last Sun soon after it came out, but the thumbnail cover made me think sword & sorcery, so I put off reading it, until I realized it was set in the modern world (guy in the background with a gun was the big hint there). I devoured it and the sequel, and then waited impatiently for the sequel. Luckily KD Edwards was sharing lots of tidbits and short stories in the interim.

Somehow, I managed to fail to preorder (I know, I know, and I have no idea how that happened) so when I realized it was out I got it and immediately read it.

The banter in this series is the best.

“You keep asking me if this is what it’s going to be like,” I said. “I have literally shared every moment of my existence with you. When did you see me sneak away and have different life experiences?”

This book ends Rune’s story arc, but the next book continues with a different character, and I can’t wait for it! (I’ll try super hard to remember to pre-order this one.)


 

Pack of LiesPack of Lies (2022) (Monster Hunt)
by Charlie Adhara
[LGBT, Romance*, Supernatural]

 

This is a spin-off of the Big Bad Wolf series, following Eli, a character who appeared in several of those books.

He had plenty of experience with criminal investigations. Nearly always from the other side of things, but still. Surely that still counted for something.

Since it’s a new series, with a new love interest, we meet Julian, and actor who is taking a break, and trying to deal with the unexpected death of his brother.


 

Posthumous EducationPosthumous Education (2022) (Fred, the Vampire Accountant)
by Drew Hayes
[Supernatural]

 

This is a self-published series that is up to book eight and remains a delight.

“Holy shit, who skinned Oscar the Grouch?”

To my near-shock, Deborah actually appeared a bit frightened by the suggestion. “Perish the thought. I avoid those things whenever possible. Some of us still remember the feral ones that used to roam wild.”

Both Krystal and I stared at the intruding vampire, but it was my wife who found her voice first. “I really hate that I’m not sure if you’re screwing with us or not.”

It is the story of Fred, the vampire accountant, who wears sweater vests and glasses (even though he no longer needs them). He is staid and boring and is happy that way, but events keep pushing him past his comfort zone and it’s fun and also really lovely.


 

Paranormal Bromance Paranormal Bromance (2014)
by Carrie Vaughn
[Novella, Supernatural]

 

This novella is set in the world of Kitty the Werewolf, and is about three Gen Xers who were attacked and turned.

The Family, run at the time by an okay guy named Arturo, offered to help us adapt to our new nocturnal lives. We could have stayed with him and others of his Family in his underground compound, worked for him, and he’d have looked after us and made sure we were fed. That sounded too much like moving back home, so the three of us found a basement apartment and decided to fend for ourselves.

It’s delightful.


 

A Restless TruthA Restless Truth (2022) (Last Binding)
by Freya Marske
[LGBT, Mystery, Romance*]

 

This is the sequel to A Marvellous Light and we shift from Robin to his sister Maud, who has gone to American to warn Elizabeth Navenby of possible danger, and then to act as her escort when she decides to return to England.

On the ship back she meets Violet, who has unexpectedly become an heiress, and also Lord Hawthorn, who her brother met previously.

“Companionship,” said Mrs. Bernard. “Surely.”

“I prefer my peace and quiet,” said Hawthorn.

“Someone to manage your household for you.”

“I am self-managing, ma’am.” An ironic bow of his head. “And I employ an excellent housekeeper.”

“What about children, my lord?” Violet asked sweetly. “The continuation of your ancient line? Don’t you want a young future earl of your own, to dandle on your knee?”

“I have cousins,” said Hawthorn, exactly as one flattened a fly with a newspaper.


 

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a DemonThat Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (2021) (Mead Mishaps)
by Kimberly Lemming
[Romance*]

 

This is exactly what the title says.

It is a delightful romp.


~ 8/10 ~

 

Amongst Our WeaponsAmongst Our Weapons (2022) (Rivers of London)
by Ben Aaronovitch
[Mystery, Supernatural]

 

Ben Aaronovitch has slowed down publishing the novels in this series, but has been writing comics and novellas, which I am 100% ok with. Yes, I want more Peter Grant stories, but I want the best Rivers of London books, and if he needs more time to get the story right, and if he has other stories in the world that want out, I’m great with that.

The Peter Grant books are police procedurals, but Peter is so snarky, the police bits always make me giggle.

Or, more precisely, we pried them out of their reluctant fingers by promising that everything that needed logging or signing would be logged and signed, and that the chain of custody would be maintained yea, even unto the end of days, or the first court appearance— whichever came first.

One thing I will continue to note is that Ben Aaronovitch does something I’ve just started to see in fiction—and he does it consistently.

a hefty-looking white woman with sharp blue eyes

He was a white man, looked to be in his fifties, with thinning brown hair cut short, regular features, pale gray eyes

Phillip was a young-looking forty-year-old white man with black hair and light brown eyes.

She was a tall, hippy white woman

It turned out to be a white woman in late middle age

typical London office jockeys, mostly white, mostly from affluent suburbs

The nervous young white man with floppy hair who served as receptionist

a small white woman in a gray zip-up hoody.

a teenaged white girl dressed incongruously in a blue knit twinset and pearls and a blond pageboy wig.

Part of the reason it works so well is because Peter is police, and so he naturally notes these things, but I am delighted to see it happening more and more.


 

Deadbeat DruidDeadbeat Druid (2022) (Adam Binder)
by David R. Slayton
[LGBT, Supernatural]

 

This book finishes the story arc begun in White Trash Warlock, and although I would like more stories about Adam, I’ll be ok if things end here with him. But I really do want more stories from this world.

“It’s more like webbing,” he said.

“Spiders?” Adam asked. He’d read enough fantasy novels that he did not want to confront anything that could throw webs across an entire landscape. The only question was if millions of little ones would be worse than several giant ones.

There is absolutely no good answer to this question.


 

Human EnoughHuman Enough (2019)
by ES Yu
[LGBT, Romance, Supernatural]

 

This came up as a recommendation several times, for several reasons: autistic character, ace character, vampires.

Noah always felt somewhat bad for lying about his “girlfriend” to his coworkers. It wasn’t that he was afraid of people knowing he was dating a guy; he just didn’t want anyone getting too interested in his dating life and finding out he was dating a vampire.

In part, this was a case of the cover working against the book—it didn’t feel like the description, so I kept skipping past it.

That was a mistake, it was a lovely


 

Reflection of a CurseReflection of a Curse (2022) (Romancing a Curse)
by Lissa Kasey
[LGBT, Romance*, Supernatural]

 

I picked up a first book in this series, Recipe for a Curse, for free last winter, and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was somewhat surprising because it was set in “real time” and COVID was as much of the plot as were the fantasy elements.

This book goes a step further: one of the main characters has long COVID—and long term health damage from it—be because he had refused to take the danger seriously.

I have a lot of anger towards COVID deniers and anti-vaxxers, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, and by how much sympathy I had for Brand.

He hated, and envied, his old self all at the same time. Years of good health with little work to maintain it. He had hardly ever gotten a cold.

But I believed his repentance, and that made all the difference.


 

Proper ScoundrelsProper Scoundrels (2021) (Roaring Twenties Magic)
by Allie Therin
[Historical, LGBT, Romance*]

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Magic in Manhattan series, so of course I was hesitant to read a spin-off series, partially because I’m ridiculous like that, and partially because I didn’t think I was that interested in the characters in this book.

I was wrong. There are two characters who have been damaged—Wesley by the war, Sebastian by his time enscrolled. Sebastian wants desperately to make up for terrible things he was forced to do.

Maybe he couldn’t ever fully atone for the things he’d done to Arthur Kenzie and Rory Brodigan, but he could at least make sure that Arthur’s aristocratic friend wasn’t in any danger after Arthur and Rory had stayed in the Kensington house in the spring.

Wesley came off as an ass in the first series, but I quickly came to like him here.

“The tea is cold.”

“Is it, my lord?” Ned said, not looking at him.

“Yes it is,” Wesley said, with an edge. “The tea is cold and the toast is burnt and the fire unbanked and I don’t have my newspaper.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, my lord. Perhaps we’re all a bit distracted on account of little Elsie being so upset.”

No one whose staff can sass them like that can be horrible.


 

SnuffSnuff (2011) (Discworld)
by Terry Pratchett
[Fantasy]

 

I know, I know.

But after Sir Terry was diagnosed and then died, I drug my feet reading his final books, because I knew they were his final books.

Snuff is the last Sam Vimes book, and as The Watch has always been my favorite story arc, I was even more reluctant to read it.

“Well, you’ve got your new country boots, haven’t you? Treading in cow poo is what they’re for.”

Sam Vimes watched his son’s face glow with impossible pleasure as his mother went on. “Your grandfather always told me that if I saw a big pile of muck in a field I should kick it around a bit so as to spread it evenly, because that way all the grass will grow properly.” She smiled at Vimes’s expression and said, “Well, it’s true, dear. A lot of farming is about manure.”

But I did read it, and now I’m sitting on his final book, utterly failing to read it.


 

ProsperityProsperity (2018) (Prosperity)
by Alexis Hall
[LGBT, Steampunk]

 

This is an earlier Alexis Hall, and I was not surprised to find delightful banter.

I was surprised to find it wasn’t a romance, and the way that even in of his earlier books, voices and personalities come through so clearly.

I reckon living itself is a filched business.

This book is queer, but it isn’t a romance, so be aware of that going on. However, it doesn’t end badly, so you can safely read it without fear a main character is going die in the last pages.


 

In addition to reading books where fantasy was the secondary genre, I read several books that were part of a long-running series, and although I didn’t dislike them, they felt weaker than earlier books. Whether this was part of a pandemic slump a lot of authors had, or because those authors have gotten a little tired of their characters or their stories, I don’t know. I do know, however, that the series where the authors have also been writing spin-offs or taking an extra-long time between books have remained extremely enjoyable. So that’s some food for thought for you.

  • Supernatural: 9
  • LGBT: 8
  • Romance: 7
  • Mystery: 2
  • Historical: 1

The Books of 2022: Yearly Reading Roundup
The Books of 2022: Fantasy Covers

* boinking

Written by Michelle at 2:12 pm    

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Tuesday, December 27, 2022

The Books of 2022: Non-Fiction

I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, but I generally read some. However, from 2016 to last year I read almost none. So, I am pleased to note I read several excellent non-fiction books this year (and most of them were NOT about pandemics).

Mind you, I’m not berating myself for not reading non-fiction. Reading is my happy place, and I try to place no restrictions upon myself–I read what makes me happy, and if something doesn’t make me happy, I don’t read it. The belief you should only read “good” or “important” books is stupid and harmful.

Reading should never be a chore, it should be a joy.

And with that, these are the excellent non-fiction books I read in the past year.

~ 9/10 ~

No Mans LandNo Man’s Land: The Trailblazing Women Who Ran Britain’s Most Extraordinary Military Hospital During World War I (2020)
by Wendy Moore
[History, War, Women]

Until coming across the Scottish Women’s Hospital in a romance I was reading, I had no idea there were women run hospitals during the Great War. Wanting to learn more, I then discovered there was an official military hospital run entirely by women during that war.

This book tells the story of Louisa Garrett Anderson and Flora Murray, the suffragettes who founded and ran the Endell Street hospital—and worked to change medicine.

In a joint research paper published in The Lancet, charting their efforts to tackle septic wounds in one thousand patients in the first six months at Endell Street, they concluded that standard antiseptics were virtually useless. 59 They had slightly more success with three new approaches: Eusol (Edinburgh University Solution of Lime, a combination of bleach powder and boric acid first trialed in 1915), salicylic acid paste (a derivative of aspirin), and washing the wound with a salt solution.


~ 8.5/10 ~

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha ChristieA is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie (2015)
by Kathryn Harkup
[Literature, Medicine, Science, Women]

This opens with a brief explanation of how Agatha Christie became so conversant in poisons, and then looks at the poisons used in her books (and sometimes the crimes that may have served as ideas for her stories) as well as fun details such as Scheele’s green,

The great popularity of the colours red and green in Victorian England meant that arsenic was used to dye almost anything and everything, from wallpapers and clothes to toys and even food, such as sweets and cake icing.


Pale Rider The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the WorldPale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (2017)
by Laura Spinney
[History, Medicine, War]

This seems to be the last book I’ll read for a while on the 1918 flu. Published in 2017, looks at everything from the history of the flu up to the most recent (as of 2017) research.

As with all the books I read about the 1918 flu, it’s disconcerting to read about what scientists thought would happen if another pandemic appeared in the world.

Information and engagement are not the same thing, however. Even when people have the information they need to contain the disease, they do not necessarily act on it.


~ 8/10 ~


An Ugly TruthAn Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination (2021)
by Sheera Frenkel, Cecilia Kang
[Technology]

It’s not that I need convinced that Facebook is hugely problematic and out only for the almighty dollar.

I just like seeing just how terrible things are, I guess.

The task of deciding what Facebook would and would not allow on its platform fell to a group of employees who had loosely assumed roles of content moderators, and they sketched out early ideas that essentially boiled down to “If something makes you feel bad in your gut, take it down.” These guidelines were passed along in emails or in shared bits of advice in the office cafeteria. There were lists of previous examples of items Facebook had removed, but without any explanation or context behind those decisions. It was, at best, ad hoc.


Monster, She WroteMonster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction (2019)
by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson
[History, Literature, Women]

I do not read horror, because I do not like to be scared. Luckily, this look at women in speculative fiction is not scary at all. Unless you’re talking about the misogyny that kept (and still tries to keep) women writers on the romance and women’s fiction shelves and out of science fiction (and fantasy).

The pulps, along with dime-store paperbacks also made from cheap paper, got fiction into the hands of a wider audience because they were so affordable. But the transitory nature of that low-cost material meant that unknown numbers of those stories were lost forever as the paper they were printed on decomposed to nothing…

…All of which helps explain the accepted wisdom that few women wrote speculative fiction in the early 1900s and that, instead, the lineage starts in the 1960s and 1970s with writers like Ursula Le Guin and Joanna Russ.


Women Warriors An Unexpected HistoryWomen Warriors: An Unexpected History (2019)
by Pamela D. Toler
[History, War, Women]

I picked this up after reading a lackluster book about women in World War One. Although I wanted a much longer book, covering more women, this was still an excellent (and at times snarky) look not just at women who have gone to war, but why parts of American society are so opposed to the idea.

“The horror of women in body bags is not a horror of a dead woman. It’s that the woman was a warrior, that she is not a victim. American culture does not want to accept that women can be both warriors and mothers. . . . To accept women as warriors means a challenge to patriarchy at its most fundamental level.”


We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation (2021)
by Eric Garcia
[Health]

When parents make autistic kids not flap anymore or boys wear jeans instead of dresses, they replace the child that exists with the one they wished existed.

 

 

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Identity, and the Meaning of Sex (2020)
by Angela Chen
[LGBT]

The label of asexual should be value neutral. It should indicate little more than sexual orientation. Instead, asexual implies a slew of other, negative associations: passionless, uptight, boring, robotic, cold, prude, frigid, lacking, broken. These, especially broken, are the words aces use again and again to describe how we are perceived and made to feel.


As noted, I read non-fiction across a variety of subjects this year, so here’s how the subjects tumbled out.

  • Health: 1
  • History: 4
  • LGBT: 1
  • Literature: 2
  • Medicine: 2
  • Science: 1
  • Technology: 1
  • War: 3
  • Women: 4

I’m glad to be reading more non-fiction, because I like learning stuff, and it also means my brain is doing a little better than it has been.

The Books of 2022: Yearly Reading Roundup
The Books of 2022: Non-Fiction Book Covers

Written by Michelle at 9:51 pm    

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Thursday, December 22, 2022

The Books of 2022: Fantasy Covers

I’ve been a fantasy reader since the 90s. I read it when I was younger, but never particularly sought it out until I was in college, and then it became my primary genre for half a decade.

Which means I had books with some amazing covers, but there was still a fair amount of sexist crap, and only very rarely would I see a book cover with a woman in reasonable armor. I bought Mercedes Lackey‘s By the Sword without even reading the description because I immediately feel in love with the cover.

 

The Hourglass ThroneThe Hourglass Throne (2022) K.D. Edwards (The Tarot Sequence)
Publisher: Pyr
Cover illustration Micah Epstein. Cover design by Jennifer Do
Urban, LGBT

 

Book three here, and each cover is clearly part of the same series. (The Last Sun, The Hanged Man)

This is my favorite cover of the series so far. Rune looks broody, while the sands passing through his fingers clearly reference the title.

Although all three books have the same illustrator, each new cover (IMO) is better than the previous.


WitchmarkWitchmark (2018) C.L. Polk (The Kingston Cycle)
Publisher: Tor
Cover design by Will Staehle
Historical, LGBT *

 

The cover of this book immediately drew my attention and I wanted to read it before I knew anything about the story.

The color is amazing, and the silhouettes evoke the sense of the magic in the story.

It’s gorgeous. I love it.


A Restless TruthA Restless Truth (2022) Freya Marske (Last Binding)
Publisher: Tor
Cover art and design by Will Staehle
Historical, LGBT *

 

Although I far prefer the color scheme of the first book, A Marvellous Light, this cover is clearly part of the same series. And the different colors draw your attention to the fact this second book is about different characters.

I really adore covers with silhouettes.

I want to point out that A Marvellous Light and Witchmark (above) have the same designer, but I would never have guessed that from just looking at them


Amongst Our WeaponsAmongst Our Weapons (2022) Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London)
Publisher: DAW
Jacket map illustration Stephen Walter. Jacket design Tomas Almeida. Jacket hand lettering Patrick Knowles.
Urban

 

I love all the covers in this series (except for the weird version the first American book had).

The map of London, the little drawings representing events in the story, it’s all wonderful, and quite unlike anything else.


Mead Mishaps by Kimberly Lemming: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (2021) and That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf (2022)
self-published
Cover art: Kimberly Lemming (?)
Romance *

 

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf Mistlefoe

A self-published series, and one (as best I can tell) for which she created her own covers.

To be honest, the covers are what initially drew my attention to the first book, and after reading the title I just had to know more.

You totally know what you’re getting from the titles, yet the cover and title are so over-the top you have to wonder if it will be as fun as everything suggests.

It is.

And me note again that I am pretty sure she created her own covers.


The Wisteria Society of Lady ScoundrelsThe Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (2021) India Holton (Dangerous Damsels)
Publisher: Berkley
Cover art by Dawn Cooper
Historical 8

 

This cover is so so so very pretty.

I adore the preparing to pace-off for a duel position of the two main characters. It is quite clear that although this may be an historical, she is clearly not taking anyone’s shit.


Proper ScoundrelsProper Scoundrels (2021) Allie Therin (Roaring Twenties Magic)
Publisher: Carina Press
No cover artist mentioned or easily found.
Historical, LGBT *

 

This is a spin-off from the Magic in Manhattan series, and like that series this cover clearly gives you the time and place of the story, with the canes and the hats and the art deco flourishes, and the giant clock tower in the background.

And the red is a perfect eye-catching shade without making me think immediately of blood.


Pack of LiesPack of Lies (2022) Charlie Adhara (Monster Hunt)
Publisher: Carina
No cover artist mentioned or easily found.
Supernatural, LGBT *

 

This is a spin-off from the Big Bad Wolf series.

This is thematically quite different from the covers in the first series, but the blue-greys are very similar (especially to the first book,

I adore that the werewolf paws appear on all the covers, but those paw prints (along with the titles) are the only hints you’ve picked up a werewolf book. I mean, I love a good shifter story, but so many covers are extremely unsubtle about it.

I also love the snow-covered buildings and the giant moon. They’re eerie and beautiful at the same time.


BlitzBlitz (2022) Daniel O’Malley (The Checquy Files)
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Cover design by Lucy Kim
Mystery, Urban

 

All the books in this series feature a fancy coat of arms with unexpected bits in the center: bunny, castle, tentacle creature, teapot. Although those are references from the first story, it works well to keep continuity from book to book.

Initially I thought this cover had deviated significantly from the previous books, but after finishing the book, I realized it didn’t. It’s simply that the powers Myfanwy and Felicity have are quiet, internal ones, while the powers Lyn manifests are not quiet. Plus the second story line takes place during the bombing of London, so this cover does call for a lot more noise.

Plus, all the lightening is really very pretty.


HeartwoodHeartwood (2021) A.M. Rose (Daydream, Colorado)
self-published
Cover designed by BCJ Art & Design
Supernatural, LGBT *

 

All the covers in the series and bright and colorful and although they are busy, that matches the feel of the stories for me. Each cover is different, but very obviously part of the series. Daydream, Blindspot, Mischief

And yes, I generally don’t like busy covers, but self-published books are always graded on a curve, and they have done the work to make the cover art cohesive across the series.

Daydream is my favorite cover in the series, because the predomination of blues and whites feel calming, and the whole thing is something I might hang up near my desk to enjoy.


 

Deadbeat DruidDeadbeat Druid (2022) David R. Slayton  (Adam Binder)
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Cover design by Sarah Riedlinger
LGBT, Urban

 

This is the third book in the series and all the covers clearly belong together. Nothing flashy here, but I like the starkness, and the monochromatic themes of each book. (White Trash Warlock, Trailer Park Trickster)

Nothing fancy, yet eye catching never-the-less.


Bee Cave MagicBee Cave Magic (2020) Kelly Fox
self-published
Cover art: Kelly Fox
LGBT, Supernatural *

 

Considering the author made her own cover art, I’m pretty impressed.

To be truly honest, this book gives you no indication of what is happening (fated mates shifter romance with boinking) but it’s pretty, and there are no ridiculously air-brushed people. So even if it doesn’t especially match the story, it also doesn’t make me cringe or cover my eyes.


Mysterious Charm by Celia Lake: Outcrossing (2018), Goblin Fruit (2019), Magician’s Hoard (2019), Wards of the Roses (2019), In the Cards (2019)
self-published
Cover design by Augusta Scarlett
Historical, Romance *

 

OutcrossingGoblin FruitMagicians Hoard

This is another self-published author who got an actual artist to create her covers. They’re lovely, they give you a sense of time in how the silhouettes are dressed, and there is clearly a sense of magic in the swirl of stars (sparkles?) that appears on each cover.

Wards of the RosesIn the Cards

This series as a whole is extremely well done—and doubly so for a self-published series.


Prosperity series by Alexis Hall : Prosperity (2018),  Liberty & Other Stories (2018)
self-published
Cover art: Simoné
LGBT, Steampunk *

Prosperity Liberty & Other Stories

These are slightly older books, and self-published. However, note he paid an artist to create his covers.

They are evocative of the sense of the book: steampunk and a main character who is a bit of a charlatan.


Of Claws and FangsOf Claws and Fangs (2022) Faith Hunter (Jane Yellowrock)
Publisher: Ace
Cover art by Cliff Nielsen
Supernatural

 

I really like how the cover features three cats and zero humans. The stories are from both series, but of course Beast belongs on the top (“Beast is best hunter.”)

And the subtle bat piping design along the left side ties the book into Jane books (although both series have piping down the side).


Posthumous EducationPosthumous Education (2022) Drew Hayes (Fred, the Vampire Accountant)
self-published
Supernatural

 

I adore these covers almost as much as I adore the book. The first seemed ridiculous, but the fit the series so well I now love them all.


 

  • Ace (Penguin): 1
  • Berkley (Penguin): 1
  • Blackstone (small press): 1
  • Carina (Harper Collins): 2
  • DAW (Astra House): 1
  • Little, Brown & Co (Hachette): 1
  • Pyr (Start Publishing): 1
  • self-published: 8
  • Tor (Macmillan): 2

 

Self-published books are the clear winner here, which, for anyone who was reading self-published books a decade ago, is frankly amazing. I love that authors are hiring artists to create their self-published books (in some cases, the author themself) because it makes great books a great deal easier to recommend when the characters don’t live in the uncanny valley, the fonts are legible, and the use of photohop to piece together disparate elements isn’t glaring.

In fact, across genres, just over a quarter of the covers I especially liked were from self-published authors, and nearly another quarter were from small / independent publishers.

As for imprints, Berkley far and away had the greatest number of good covers (13%) which is what I’ve noticed in other years. So once again, whomever is charge of book covers at Berkley: you’re doing a fantastic job.

 

That’s it for my favorite covers of the year. I’ll be back with the books I loved after Christmas.

The Books of 2022: Yearly Reading Roundup

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Wednesday, December 21, 2022

The Books of 2022: Mystery Covers

I’ve been reading mysteries longer than any other genre, although unlike fantasy, mysteries rarely have covers that will enrage me with how awful they are (yes, I’m still looking at you Avon). But that doesn’t mean I don’t have preferences.

One trend I tend to dislike are the super twee covers of many cozies. You know the ones I mean, where it looks like the cat or dog is the one solving the mystery, and their titles are always horrible puns. I just can’t take those books seriously. I mean, I’m possibly missing some great books, but I find the idea of non-fantasy crime-solving animals incredibly off-putting. (However, give me an actual talking dog or cat and I’m all in.)

So here are the mystery covers I particularly liked this year.

 

The Missing PageThe Missing Page (2022) Cat Sebastian (Page & Sommers)
self-published
Cover by Bran at Crowglass Designs
Historical, LGBT *

 

Usually, Cat Sebastian’s covers are not for me. The covers for this series, however, I really like. It’s possible the switch from live models is due to these books being outside her regular genre (primarily a mystery instead of primarily a romance). Whatever it is, looking at these covers makes me want to read the series again.

This cover has many of the same elements as the cover for cover for Hither, Page, except the dark and light colors are switched top and bottom. The fonts, layout, art design, and even colors are the same or similar, clearly tying the two books together as part of a series.

I particularly love the simplicity of the drawings, which feel stark and a bit foreboding–a perfect mood for a murder mystery, but not so foreboding you don’t know things are going to work out in the end.

 

The Lords of Bucknall Club by J.A. Rock & Lisa Henry: A Case for Christmas (2021),  A Sanctuary for Soulden (2021)
self-published
Cover art by Mitxeran
Historical, LGBT *

A Case for Christmas A Sanctuary for Soulden

More self-published books with excellent covers.

The style of dress makes it immediately apparent these are historicals, and the details place them in the early 1800s.

I particularly like the contract between the characters on A Sanctuary for Soulden. You can clearly see a class difference between the two as well as a personality difference (neat as a pin versus a tiny bit wrinkled) and the doctor’s bag emphasizes those differences.

 

Purloined PoinsettiaPurloined Poinsettia (2022) Dahlia Donovan (Motts Cold Case Mystery)
Publisher: Tangled Tree Publishing
Cover designer: BookSmith Designs
Cozy, LGBT

 

They do a very good job tying the covers of this series (Poisoned Primrose, Pierced Peony, Pickled Petunia) together, as well as hinting this series and her London Podcast series are in the same world.

I very much like the simplicity of the drawings with the flowers and complimentary color schemes that pull everything together. And they are pulling no punches with the cat, making it clear he’s a (furless) Sphinx.

Plus the little pineapples are perfect.

 

The Mystery of the SpiritsThe Mystery of the Spirits (2021) C.S. Poe (Snow & Winter)
Publisher: Emporium Press
Cover art by Reese Dante
LGBT *

 

Although I have never felt like the cover model looks like Sebastian, all the covers are monochrome and the exposure is blown out — precisely how the world looks to Sebastian, which is a detail I very much appreciate every time I see it.

It lets the design of the colors be both simple, and very obviously part of the same series (while always giving you that detail about Sebastian’s visual issues).

 

Lady Odelias SecretLady Odelia’s Secret (2022) Jane Steen (Lady Helena Investigates)
Publisher: Aspidistra Press
No cover artist mentioned or easily found.
Historical

 

I love the silhouette trend—especially for historicals.

I’m sure they’re common partially as they would be less expensive than a live model shoot (as opposed to using stock images which so very many small press books do), but it also draws my eye to the cut of the characters clothes, helping to place it in history.

And it contains many details from the previous book, Lady Helena Investigates, such as the border, and a single background building.

The title font should differently have a much greater contrast to the background (since it’s not especially legible as a thumbnail) but that’s one of the things I’m willing to let slide on books put out by small presses.

 

Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking (2022) Raquel V. Reyes (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery)
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Cover illustration by Joe Burleson
Culinary

 

Admittedly, I don’t like this cover as much as that of her first book, Mango, Mambo, and Murder, but it does follow the theme of the first book —- and does give you a couple things from the plot (ie the pumpkins).

This is just on the edge of being too busy for me, but the blue calms it down enough for me not to find it overwhelming.

 

Renovated to Death (2022) Frank Anthony Polito
Publisher: Kensington
No cover artist given or easily found
LGBT

 

I really liked the action in the cover. I just wish I’d liked the contents even half as much.

 

The Vanishing TypeThe Vanishing Type (2022) Ellery Adams (Secret, Book, & Scone Society)
Publisher: Kensington
From the dedication: To my favorite book designers and book cover designers: Hugh Thomson William Morris Margaret Strong Elbert Hubbard Mr. Boddington’s Studio (Rebecca Schmidt Ruebensaal) Coralie Bickford-Smith Hülya Özdemir
Literary

 

This is another cover that is on the border of being too busy—the lack of people and the slightly overexposed background help.

This is another series where I strongly prefer the earlier books in the series, which were a little less busy and a little more monochromatic (The Secret, Book, & Scone Society, The Whispered Word, The Book of Candlelight, Ink and Shadows, The Vanishing Type).

 

Murder Under Her SkinMurder Under Her Skin (2021) Stephen Spotswood (Pentecost and Parker)
Publisher: Doubleday
Cover illustration Rui Ricardo. Folio Art
Historical, LGBT

 

The design changed quite a bit from the previous book (Fortune Favors the Dead)—keeping only the authors name and colors consistent. But I did quickly recognize it as a sequel.

I don’t love this as much as the cover of the previous book, but there is plenty here to like. Your eye is drawn to the red at the center, and once you notice it, the woman’s outlines with her tattoos is a lovely touch.

It’s a nice cover, however, I’ll note a lot of the detail is lost in the thumbnail.

 

The Secret of Bow LaneThe Secret of Bow Lane (2022) Ashley Gardner (Kat Holloway)
Publisher: Berkley
Cover art by Larry Rostant
Historical

 

This is another cover that doesn’t do anything particularly outstanding, but it does match the previous books, especially the detail of the stairs.

Additionally, the locations have slowly shifted away from the house and out into the world–which matches the journey Kat has been making about her own circumstances as well as her relationship with her love interest. It’s subtle, but it is giving you a bit of Kat’s arc over the course of the series.

I know not everyone agrees, but if there is going to be a photograph I really prefer not seeing facial details—probably why I love the silhouette covers so much.

 

A Perilous PerspectiveA Perilous Perspective (2022) Anna Lee Huber (Lady Darby Mystery)
Publisher: Berkley
Cover art by Larry Rostant
Historical

 

These covers always feel like small portraits; perfect since Lady Darby is a portrait painter.

And again, I prefer not to see the facial features of the cover models, because inevitably they feel wrong to me. (CS Harris’s Why Kings Confess was the worst for this.)

 

Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries by Mia P. Manansala
Homicide and Halo-Halo (2022), Blackmail and Bibingka (2022)
Publisher: Berkley
Cover design and illustration by Vi-An Nguyen
Cozy, Culinary

Homicide and Halo-Halo Blackmail and Bibingka

I love the bold colors and designs of these covers.

 

A Brides Guide to Marriage and MurderA Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder (2022) Dianne Freeman (Countess of Harleigh Mystery)
Publisher: Kensington
No cover artist given or easily found.
Cozy, Historical

 

Although the font choice is harder to read than one might prefer, it’s not impossible, and it matches the rest of the series, as well as (to be honest) the tone of the books (trying just a tiny bit too hard to be fancy enough to fit in).

The drawn characters and background are lighthearted enough to show you this is a cozy mystery—there may be murder but it won’t be guts and gore and horror.

I also like that she always stands on her own—she is clearly linked to the male character here but isn’t swooning or requiring him for support, which tells you something else important about the book.

 

An Impossible ImpostorAn Impossible Impostor (2022) Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell)
Publisher: Berkley
Book design by Kristin del Rosario
Historical

 

I utterly adore these covers.

They look like nothing else, and are clearly are part of the same series: A Perilous Undertaking, A Treacherous Curse, A Dangerous Collaboration, A Murderous Relation, An Unexpected Peril

They are beautiful and immediately draw attention to themselves without the details becoming overwhelming.

They are lovely and some of my favorite covers going right now.

 

Here is the breakdown of the publishers.

Berkley is far and away the winner here, with about 30% of the covers, while self-published and Kensington each had about 20%. However, I choose to ding Kensington for not crediting their cover artists.

 

The Books of 2022: Yearly Reading Roundup

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Tuesday, December 20, 2022

The Books of 2022: Romance Covers

I am positive I have a very different take on romance covers than most romance readers.

I absolutely hate the clinch covers.

HATE THEM.

I hate the shirtless men, the utterly ridiculous muscles, the air-brushed perfection, I hate it all. If I was still reading primarily paper books I almost certainly would not pick up one of those books to even consider, I find those covers so off-putting. Luckily, I read primarily ebooks, so I don’t have to be bothered too much with covers I hate, since I don’t have to look at them unless I want to.

Which leads me to another point: As someone who primarily reads ebooks, I don’t care for the super busy covers with lots of detail, because I don’t see most of the detail, and it mostly looks like clutter. So to get my attention a book needs to look good as a thumbnail, since that’s what I’m going to see.

All these covers I particularly liked? Look good as thumbnails.

However, I will note a major issues with these covers: several of these covers are for stories that had a great deal of darkness to them. The bright and colorful covers give you no clue as to what you are actually going to find inside,

 

Agents of WinterAgents of Winter (2022) Ada Maria Soto (The Agency)
Publisher: Rookery Publishing
No cover artist given, but have a suspicion the cover was created by the author.
LGBT

As much as I adore the first book in this series, His Quiet Agent  I don’t care for the cover. It’s not offensive, there’s nothing wrong with it, I just don’t find it interesting. And really, considering she treated the whole thing as an exercise in self-publishing, that’s totally fine.

But this cover is pretty.

I love the deep blue, and even knowing Christmas lights make everything 100% prettier, it’s still lovely.

And if you read the first book, you know there is a significant amount of darkness is Martin’s life, but that Arthur manages to help keep some of that darkness at bay, which is something else the cover is showing you.


Always Only YouAlways Only You (2020) Chloe Liese (Bergman Brothers)
self-published
Cover art by Jennie Rose Denton
Sports *

Female romantic lead with a cane.

On the cover.


An Agreement with the SoldierAn Agreement with the Soldier (2021) Sadie Bosque (Necessary Arrangements)
self-published
Cover art by Sadie Bosque
Historical *

This is a nice cover that wouldn’t garner much attention from me, except it’s self-published and she did the art herself and it is better than some “professionally” created covers.

Major kudos due here.

Additionally, the room she is in front of / looking into, is dark, which gives you a hint about some of the darkness in the story: she loses a sibling in war, and he has severe PTSD from that same war. It’s pretty, but it’s not hiding the darkness.


Husband MaterialHusband Material (2022) Alexis Hall (London Calling)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Cover design and illustration by Elizabeth Turner Stokes
LGBT

I love Luc. He is such a mess.

This is clearly a call back to the previous book, Boyfriend Material and I love it just as much as the first. I think it’s the combination of all the straight lines and right angles and Luc slouching.


Delilah Green Doesnt CareDelilah Green Doesn’t Care (2022) Ashley Herring Blake (Bright Falls)
Publisher: Berkley
Cover art by Leni Kauffman
LGBT *

The tattoos. The just barely holding hands.

The purple!

Quibble: There are some dark currents in this book, including the repercussions of having lost one’s parents as a child, and completely and utterly toxic parental figures.


A Marriage of EqualsA Marriage of Equals (2021) Elizabeth Rolls
Publisher: Mills & Boon
No cover artist given, but this is a Harlequin imprint
Historical *

There is something about the way she is staring directly at the camera that I find incredibly compelling.

So it’s less the design and layout here, and mostly and selecting an amazing picture.


Dearest Milton JamesDearest Milton James (2021) N.R. Walker
Publisher: BlueHeart Press
Cover artist: N.R. Walker & Sam York
LGBT *

Very simple, but shows you the heart of the story—the lost letters.


Lifes Too ShortLife’s Too Short (2021) Abby Jimenez (The Friend Zone)
Publisher: Forever
Cover design Sarah Congden
*

I know a lot of people don’t like illustrated / cartoon covers.

Those people are wrong.

The bright yellow background draws your eye and the distance between the two characters on the cover shows you precisely how far apart the world views of the two characters are.

Quibble: there is a far amount of darkness in this book: grief, addiction, serious illness, which you don’t at all pick up from the cover.


Paris Daillencourt Is About to CrumbleParis Daillencourt Is About to Crumble (2022) Alexis Hall (Winner Bakes All)
Publisher: Forever
Cover design and illustration by Elizabeth Turner Stokes
LGBT

Major quibble: this cover is it is so very bright and cheerful, it really doesn’t give you a hint as to how very dark and difficult parts of this book are: anxiety and a mental illness spiral, parental abandonment, racism. Although we get a happy ending, most of the book is not bright and cheerful. It makes this cover a bit of false advertising.


The Love HypothesisThe Love Hypothesis (2021) Ali Hazelwood
Publisher: Berkley
Cover illustration by lilithsaur Book
*

I love all the science about this cover, even if the awkward kiss is super awkward and I don’t like looking at it.


You’ll note there is an even split between independent / self published books and books from major publishers.

Do I hold the former to a lower standard? Yeah. I do. But I think in a lot of cases those covers are just as good if not better than what I see from the big publishers.

The Books of 2022: Yearly Reading Roundup

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Monday, December 19, 2022

The Books of 2022: Non-Fiction Book Covers

We’re starting with non-fiction not only because I have fewer covers in the category, but because I am less likely to read non-fiction in the coming days.

In some ways non-fiction covers are more difficult to judge because they need to reflect their subject. That said, I have read some non-fiction this year with singularly unappealing covers.

An Ugly TruthAn Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination (2021) Sheera Frenkel, Cecilia Kang
Publisher: Harper Collins.
Cover design by Nico Taylor

The expected here would probably be to go with the Facebook logo. But Zuckerberg isn’t simply the face of the company–he is the company, as this book lays out. So the sketch of half his face, with the only color fading tons of Facebook blue, is very eye catching and also very much reflected in the contents of the book.


Women Warriors An Unexpected HistoryWomen Warriors: An Unexpected History (2019) Pamela D. Toler
Publisher: Beacon Press.
Cover art: Jo Anne Davies for Artful Doodlers, based on woodblock print of Tomoe Gozen by Toyohara Chikanobu

The cover is relatively simple, divided into three sections, with a print of woman in battle. But that portrays precisely the contents of the book. (If only the contents had been as good as the cover.)


Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine (2021) Olivia Campbell
Publisher: Park Row
No artist or photograph information given, but this was published “by arrangement with Harlequin” and they are crap at crediting cover artists.

This is another eye-catching cover, giving you precisely the contents of the book.

And again, I wish I’d like the book itself as much as the contents.


A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha ChristieA is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie (2015) by Kathryn Harkup
Publisher: Bloomsbury Sigma
No cover artist listed or readily found.

I love the art deco look of this book, which matches the time Christie when Christie started writing. And the single color is Paris green, which is a perfect touch.


No Mans LandNo Man’s Land: The Trailblazing Women Who Ran Britain’s Most Extraordinary Military Hospital During World War I (2020) Wendy Moore.
Publisher: Basic Books.
Cover design by Ann Kirchner

This is another cover I really liked, and I think I prefer the grayscale to the sepia of the other book on a similar subject.

I also like the use of white space, which to me reflects much about the subject, from the outfits the women wore to the lack of modern knowledge about female doctors in the Great War.

For those who use eReaders, there are pictures in the back that shouldn’t be missed.


Monster, She WroteMonster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction  (2019) Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson.
Publisher: Quirk Books.
Illustrations by Natalya Balnova

Is the color Paris green? Possibly. I think I’ll assume it is and that someone was being very clever.


We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation (2021) Eric Garcia
Publisher: Mariner Books
Cover design by Pete Garceau

I live the simpleness of the cover. It’s text, with a mosaic motif, and it got my attention among a lot of covers I found busy, directed towards parents, or just uninteresting.


Basic Books (Hachette Book Group): 1
Beacon Press (Independent): 1
Bloomsbury Sigma (Bloomsbury): 1
Harper Collins : 1
Mariner Books (Harper Collins): 1
Park Row (Harper Collins): 1
Quirk Books (Independent): 1

No standouts here, aside from the fact there are three Harper Collins imprints.

The Books of 2022: Yearly Reading Roundup

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The Books of 2022: Yearly Reading Roundup

Impossible ImposterIt’s time for my yearly roundup of the books I’ve read!

I read way less than in the previous two years (by 75 to 100 books), however, that is still more than any year prior to 2020. So, this possibly means I’m getting back into pre-pandemic reading routines.

As usual, there will be multiple posts, divided into two sections: first section will be book covers I love.

WitchmarkIt feels like the list of covers is larger than previous years, which is a good thing. I’ll note the artist / illustrator when I know who it was, as well the publisher, as I think it’s interesting to note when a certain publisher seems to do a good job.

There weren’t any books by major publishers I truly hated this year, which is a vast improvement! But then I didn’t read many paranormal or m/f romances this year, so not many Avon books, and Avon generally leads my worst-of list.

Fantasy covers I loved
Mystery covers I loved
Romance covers I loved
Non-fiction covers I loved

Written by Michelle at 2:25 pm    

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Thursday, December 30, 2021

The Books of 2021: Wrap Up

Favorite Covers: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Favorite Mysteries
Favorite Romances
Favorite Fantasies
The Rest
Books that got me through the year

 

First

My Favorite Books

 

Top of the list? Murderbot!

All Systems RedThe Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

All Systems Red (2017) 9/10, Artificial Condition (2018) 8.5/10, Rogue Protocol (2018) 8.5/10, Exit Strategy (2018) 8.5/10, Network Effect (2020) 9/10, Fugitive Telemetry (2021) 9/10

Science Fiction

I generally dislike SF, so I put off reading this series. But when I was in desperate need of a distraction, Murderbot was the perfect fix.


A Ladys Guide to Etiquette and MurderA Countess of Harleigh Mystery by Dianne Freeman

A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder (2018) 7.5/10, A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder (2019) 8.5/10, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (2020) 8/10, A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder (2021) 8/10

Historical Mystery, Cozy

I have always loved historical mysteries–even though the first “historicals” I read were actually Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. This series is a cozy historical series with a female lead, who does NOT go running into danger, but instead tries to be safe and do the sensible thing, but events overtake her.

I am really looking forward to the next book when it comes out.


The Charm Offensive

The Charm Offensive (2021) Alison Cochrun 9/10

Contemporary Romance, LGBT

Initially I didn’t even think I wanted to read this book, but by chapter two I was sucked in and in love with both characters.

I loved how Dev worked to keep Charlie calm and able to get through the day, but even more I loved how Charlie saw how hard Dev was working, and wanted to appreciate him.


A Marvellous LightA Marvellous Light (2021) Freya Marske (The Last Binding) 9/10

Fantasy, Historical, Mystery, LGBT

This is the first book in a new series, and it was full of things I absolutely adored.

It’s historical, with great fantasy world-building, and a side of mystery. And the two characters (eventually) talked about what they were reacting to.


Second

Publisher / Cover Roundup

An Unexpected Peril

Here are all the publishers who had more than a single cover I loved.

Berkley – 9 (Penguin)
self – 8
Kensington – 5
Carina – 3 (Harlequin)
Tangled Tree Publishing – 3 (Hot Tree)
Emporium Press – 2
Forever – 2 (Grand Central Publishing)

 

Although it was close thing, An Unexpected Peril (2021) Deanna Raybourn was my favorite cover, but as a whole, the mystery category had many many to choose from.


Third

I Read a LOT of Books

As I mentioned earlier, 2021 was a terrible year for me, so I went to my favorite form of escapism: reading.

This is the most books I have every read in a single year, since I started keeping track (2003).

Total Books Read: 335
Total Pages Read: 82788
Total Hours Listened: 7 days, 4 hrs, and 12 mins
Average days per book: 5.56
Average pages per day: 123

 

Genre

As you can see, an overwhelming majority of the books I loved were in the romance category. That is, of course, because a romance has an HEA, and those HEAs got me through the year.

Unfortunately for me, that means half the books I read had explicit sex scenes, so that was a downside.

But I did read my FIRST BOOK EVER with a chapter heading for aces!

Content disclaimer This chapter includes a sex scene. If you’d rather not read sexually explicit content, please skip ahead to chapter 23.

 

Author

As a reader of SFF, every couple years a guy complains that there aren’t any good female authors. (Seriously, I’ve been ranting about this since 2005.) So I started keeping track of the sex of the authors I’ve been reading.

As I have every year since 2012, the majority of the books I read this year were written by women, and when you take pseudonyms into account, more than three quarters of the books I read this year were written by women.

Why do I take pseudonyms into account? Because in genres like fantasy and mystery, women frequently take male pseudonyms or use their initials instead of a first name, to hide their gender. So I track those numbers as well: 7% of all the books I’ve read since 2003 have been written by women (overtly or subtly) hiding they are women.

 

 

Characters

 

With a couple of exceptions (Terry Pratchett, Robert B Parker, Ben Aaronovitch, FREX) I tend to prefer books written by women–and when reading primarily SFF, I tend prefer female leads; mostly because there is less blatant sexism and misogyny.

However, as is obvious from my love of SFF, I like reading about experience that are not my own, and so I started seeking out books by and about POC, as well as books set in places unfamiliar to me.

When I started reading romance, I discovered that many of the best books were sexually explicit, which sometimes gives me a feeling of dysphoria, plus, sex scenes are just boring. I soon discovered that MM romance was much easier for me to read, since I don’t feel as if I should be inserting myself into the story, so I also started reading a lot of LGBT stories–not just romances, but across all genres.

What this chart is showing is that I read a LOT of MM stories, and I still have work to do in reading more stories with POC representation.

 

Format

 

I read almost exclusive ebooks at this point, with the exceptions being cookbooks and comics. Since I have barely cooked or baked this year, all the paper books were comics.

And as you can see, almost half the books I read were rereads.

You can see here what years I’ve struggled with my mental health, by the percent of rereads in a year.

 

Fourth

Random bits and pieces

Country of Origin

 

Every once in awhile I come across a genre book / series that is translated into English, and I adore these books, since they (especially mysteries) give a completely different view of another country. And books written in English but set in a country that is not the US or Great Britain are also lovely.

I do need to branch out more, but at least it’s not all US & UK authors.

 

Ratings:

 

This is unsurprising, since I had so many rereads this year. What I did find interesting (and don’t have a way to track, is that some of the comforting rereads were ones I hadn’t rated above a 7 1/2. However, something about the story settled my mind and emotions.

For example, Dahlia Donovan’s Sin Bin series pulled me in and stuck in my brain, even if I didn’t always like the characters, or the trope wasn’t my thing. But for the most part I picked up books I loved, or was pretty certain I was going to love, to read this year.

 

And that’s a wrap for 2021. Any books I read in the next couple days will be shoehorned into 2022, just to make things easier.

I hope y’all read some amazing books this year, and I hope that the next year will be one that requires less comfort and more adventure.

Written by Michelle at 6:00 am    

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Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Comfort Reads of 2021

This year was awful for me.

Really awful.

So I did a lot of rereading of books of favorites, or books that brought me comfort and allowed me a distraction from reality. And those two are not always the same thing. Some distracting books are not comforting, but none of the books have a cliff-hanger ending, and to me, all of the endings are satisfying.

This list is going to be a lot of books. But I read a stupidly large number of books this year, so this is kind of a drop in the bucket.

Small VicesI’m not even going to try to tell you what makes these books so good, just that each and every one of these served to pull me out of my own head when I desperately needed it. In fact, the first book I reached for after my father died was Robert Parker’s Small Vices, and the only reason the Miss Marple series didn’t make the list is because I had just finished rereading that entire series at the end of 2020

I do, however, want to note that several authors made this list in multiple genres, including C.S. Poe, who wrote books I adore in all three of my escapism genres. The others are Nicole Kimberling, Cat Sebastian, Aidan Wayne.

Fantasy

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 (2020)

Supernatural Mystery, Romance, LGBT

 

The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred the Vampire Accountant

Fred, the Vampire Accountant series by Drew Hayes:

The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (2014), Undeath and Taxes (2015), Bloody Acquisitions (2016), Deadly Assessments (2018), Undeading Bells (2019)

Supernatural Mystery

 

Offbeat Crimes series* by Angel Martinez

Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters (2016), The Pill Bugs of Time (2016), Skim Blood and Savage Verse (2017), Feral Dust Bunnies (2017), Jackalopes and Woofen-Poofs  (2017), All the World’s an Undead Stage (2018); Brandywine Investigations*: Open for Business (2016), Family Matters (2018); Uncommonly Tidy Poltergeists* (2017)

Supernatural Mystery, Romance, LGBT

 

London Falling

Shadow Police series by Paul Cornell

London Falling (2012), The Severed Streets (2014), Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? (2016)

Supernatural Mystery

 

C.S. Poe

Love, Marriage, and a Baby Carriage* (2016)

Supernatural Romance, LGBT, Short story

 

Nicole Kimberling

Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector* (2018)

Supernatural Mystery, Romance, LGBT

 

The House in the Cerulean SeaT.J. Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020)

Fantasy, LGBT

 

Aidan Wayne

Making Love (2017)

Supernatural Romance, LGBT, novella

 

Audio

Daniel O’Malley The Rook, Audio Edition (2012) narrated by Susan Duerden

Stiletto, Audio Edition (2016) narrated by Moira Quirk

Urban Fantasy

 

Mystery

Cut to the QuickJulian Kestrel Mysteries by Kate Ross

Cut to the Quick (1993), A Broken Vessel (1994), Whom the Gods Love (1995), The Devil in Music (1997)

Historical Mystery

 

Regency London series by Michelle Diener

The Emperor’s Conspiracy (2012), Banquet of Lies (2013), A Dangerous Madness (2014)

Historical Mystery, Romance

 

Cat Sebastian Hither, Page* (2019)

Historical Mystery, Romance, LGBT

 

C.S. Poe Southernmost Murder* (2018)

Contemporary Mystery, Romance, LGBT

 

Come Unto These Yellow SandsJosh Lanyon Come Unto These Yellow Sands* (2017)

Contemporary Mystery, LGBT

 

Nicole Kimberling

The Bellingham Mystery Series Volume 1* (2015), The Bellingham Mystery Series Volume 2* (2015)

Contemporary Mystery, Romance, LGBT

 

Grasmere Cottage Mysteries (2018) by Dahlia Donovan

Dead in the Garden, Dead in the Pond, Dead in the Shop

Contemporary Mystery, Cozy, LGBT

 

Robert B. Parker Small Vices (1998) (Spenser)

Mystery, PI

Romance

Shores of DesireLescaut Quartet* by Tracy Grant

Dark Angel (1994), Shores of Desire (1997)

Historical Romance, MF, Mystery

 

The Turner series* by Cat Sebastian

The Lawrence Browne Affair (2017), The Ruin of a Rake (2017);
It Takes Two to Tumble* (2017) (Seducing the Sedgwicks)

Historical Romance, MM, LGBT

 

Sins of the Cities series* by KJ Charles

An Unseen Attraction (2017), An Unnatural Vice (2017);
Band Sinister* (2018)

Historical Romance, MM, LGBT

 

Georgette Heyer These Old Shades (1926)

Historical Romance

 

Better Than PeopleGarnet Run series* by Roan Parrish

Better Than People (2020), Best Laid Plans (2021); Riven*: Riven (2018), Rend  (2018); The Remaking of Corbin Wale* (2017)

Contemporary Romance, MM, LGBT

 

Frozen Hearts series* by Annabeth Albert

Arctic Sun (2019), Arctic Wild (2019), Arctic Heat (2019)

Contemporary Romance, MM, LGBT

 

Talia Hibbert *

Ravenswood: A Girl Like Her (2018), Damaged Goods (2018), Untouchable (2018), That Kind of Guy (2019);
Undone by the Ex-Con (2018), Work for It (2019)

Contemporary Romance, LGBT

 

C.S. Poe

Kneading You* (2016), Joy (2017), The Color of You* (2017)

Contemporary Romance, MM, LGBT, novellas

 

Galaxies and OceansN.R. Walker

Galaxies and Oceans* (2018), Upside Down (2019)

Contemporary Romance, MM, LGBT

 

R. Cooper

Hottie Scotty and Mr. Porter* (2017), For Better or Worse* (2017), Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut (2018)

Contemporary Romance, MM, LGBT

 

Layla Reyne

Dine with Me* (2019)

Contemporary Romance, MM, LGBT

 

Aidan Wayne

Loud and Clear (2016), Play It Again (2019)

Contemporary Romance, MM, LGBT

Blank Spaces
Cass Lennox

Blank Spaces* (2016)

Contemporary Romance, MM, Mystery, LGBT

 

Alexis Hall

Waiting for the Flood (2018) (Spires)

Contemporary Romance, MM,  LGBT, novella

 

Ada Maria Soto

And Everything Nice (2016)

Contemporary Romance, MM, LGBT, short story

 

* Boinking Books

Written by Michelle at 6:00 am    

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Tuesday, December 28, 2021

The Books of 2021: Everything Else

Science Fiction

All Systems RedThe Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

All Systems Red (2017) 9/10, Artificial Condition (2018) 8.5/10, Rogue Protocol (2018) 8.5/10, Exit Strategy (2018) 8.5/10, Network Effect (2020) 9/10, Fugitive Telemetry (2021) 9/10

Late to the game, I know. But in my defense, I tend to dislike science fiction, with just a handful of exceptions.

This is one of those exceptions.

I mean, this is the opening paragraph of the first novella.

I COULD HAVE BECOME a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don’t know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.

And it just gets better from there. I still have the latest book to read, but that’s I’ve been taking my time and savoring the stories.

 

Audio

Tales from the FollyTales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection (2020) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by: the author, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Ben Elliot, Felix Grainger, Sam Peter Jackson, Alex Kingston, Shvorne Marks, and Penelope Rawlins 8.5/10

Fantasy, Anthology

Despite there being other narrators besides Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, this was a great collection. Because of course we do get some Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, but we also get other narrators for other characters (such as Abigail).

I’ve always found Toby a pretty reliable magic detector. I’ve actually done controlled laboratory experiments that indicate that he can detect magical activity up to ten metres away, although false positives can be generated by cats, other dogs and the remote possibility of a sausage.

But most of all, Peter.

 

Murderbot Audio Editions: All Systems Red, (2017), Artificial Condition, Audio Edition (2018), Rogue Protocol, Audio Edition (2018), Martha Wells narrated by Kevin R. Free

Although the voice doesn’t quite match what I heard in my head, it is still very good.

When constructs were first developed, they were originally supposed to have a pre-sentient level of intelligence, like the dumber variety of bot. But you can’t put something as dumb as a hauler bot in charge of security for anything without spending even more money for expensive company-employed human supervisors. So they made us smarter. The anxiety and depression were side effects.

Because: Murderbot

 

Comics

Lady Mechanika Vol 6

Lady Mechanika: Sangre (2020) by Joe Benitez, M.M. Chen, Brian Ching, Martin Montiel 8/10

Steampunk

I love the story, but I also utterly adore the art.

Lady Mechanika Vol 6


Written by Michelle at 6:00 am    

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Monday, December 27, 2021

The Books of 2021: Mysteries

I read a lot of mysteries this year. Even more surprising, I read a lot of newly released mysteries.

 

Madison Square MurdersMadison Square Murders (2021) C.S. Poe (Memento Mori) 8.5/10

Police, LGBT

This is a new series in the same setting as the Snow & Winter series, with minor overlapping characters. Everett Larkin works on the NYC Cold Case Squad. He is an excellent detective, but an accident when he was a teenager changed his brain so that the past remains emotionally present for him. Forever.

If you know your romance tropes, this one is definintely grumpy/sunshine.

“Perhaps I’ve caught you at a bad time,” Joe suggested.

“You haven’t, I assure you.

One thing I struggled with was that the marriage of the main character was falling apart throughout the book. Which is rough going. Also, lots of triggers here for all kinds of dark things.

Yet, I did like it and can’t wait for the next one.


An Elderly Lady Is Up to No GoodAn Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good (2018) Helene Tursten translated by Marlaine Delargy 8.5/10

Contemporary

This book! Elderly woman kills people who annoy her!

(S)he had learned that it was smart not to reveal that all her senses were in full working order; instead, she allowed people to act in accordance with their own preconceptions.

Seriously. It’s about an old woman killing people who annoy her. You either want to read it based upon that, or there is no way you’ll ever read it.


Murder Most ActualMurder Most Actual (2021) Alexis Hall  8/10

Cozy, LGBT

Alexis Hall + Clue + Everyone is snowed in.

“Belloc’s an ass,” declared the colonel.

The door burst open.

“Oh, is he?” demanded Belloc, who Liza would have bet money had been waiting outside for the perfect moment to make a big entrance. “But I wonder, would the great Colonel Coleman have the courage to say this to Belloc’s face?”

The colonel stared at him. “You’re an ass.”

This is very much over-the-top, and very much delightful.


Mango Mambo and MurderMango, Mambo, and Murder (2021) Raquel V. Reyes (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery) 8/10

Cozy, Food

Miriam Quiñones-Smith has finished her PhD in food anthropology, but instead of becoming an author or education, she has moved back to Miami, where her husband was able to find a better paying job closer to support from his family.

“I’m a food anthropologist.”

“You dig up old food?” Ileana asked.

“No, I … I …” I’d never had it put that way before.

Although this is a murder mystery, it is also about Miriam finding her place in the world, both as a mother and daughter, and a woman whose life plans were upended and she has to decide who she wants to become.

Also, I now really wish there was a Cuban restaurant anywhere near me.


Arsenic and AdoboArsenic and Adobo (2021) Mia P. Manansala (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen) 8/10

Cozy, Food

Lila Macapagal has returned home both to reset her life after discovering her ex-fianace cheated, and also to help try to save the family restaurant.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been stared down by an elderly Asian woman, but It. Is. Terrifying. Don’t be fooled by the cute florals and jaunty visors— these women will end you, wielding nothing but their sharp tongues, bony elbows, and collapsible shopping carts.

Then (because this is a cozy) murder happens. Lots and lots of food described in loving detail here.


Poisoned PrimroseMotts Cold Case Mystery by Dahlia Donovan

Poisoned Primrose (2020) 8/10, Pierced Peony (2021) 8/10, Pickled Petunia (2021) 7.5/10

Cozy, LGBT

Despite her mother’s unhappiness about it, Motts moved to the cottage she inherited from her aunt and is making a go of living on her own for the first time. Being autistic and ace is complicated, but she has family and friends who love and look out for her.

“Hello. Please go away.”

“I brought a sack of chips and a chocolate bar.”

“Well, fine. Come in.”

Motts definitely does not search out crimes to investigate, and doesn’t particularly want to get involved, but when the situations are somewhat forced upon her, she becomes fascinated by the puzzles.


Model Citizen
Haven Investigations by Lissa Kasey

Model Citizen (2015) 8/10, Model Bodyguard (2016) 8.5/10, Model Investigator (2017) 9/10, Model Exposure (2017) 9/10

PI, LGBT, Romance, Boinking

There are books you love the entire time you’re reading them, and you finish that last page with happy sigh.

Then there are the books that you keep thinking about, weeks and months after you finished them. This series is in the latter category.

There is a lot of sex in this series. So it is definitely not for everyone. But it had plot twists that kept me guessing, and the characters just stuck with me, both the things they went through and survived, but also the way they learned to lean on each other and their found family for support.

This four-book PI series was full of twists and turns and unexpected routes.

It has tons of trigger warnings, but what I loved best was that the mental health aspects (which were many) were dealt with so well.

“You know that little questionnaire you get every time you go in? You’re supposed to answer that honestly, not mark what you think you should feel.”

I had thought it was just me. That it was my place to fix what was wrong with me. That I’d been given help and it was my fault it wasn’t working because I wasn’t trying hard enough.

After his brother’s death by suicide, Oliver took over the PI firm, putting his (very successful) modeling career on hold. But he is barely keeping his head above water, so one of his brother’s friends calls in another to help Oliver out.

This series has a LOT of sex, so it won’t be for a lot of people, but I really liked both the characters and the mystery.


A Ladys Guide to Etiquette and MurderA Countess of Harleigh Mystery by Dianne Freeman

A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder (2019) 8.5/10, A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (2020) 8/10, A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder (2021) 8/10

Historical, Cozy

Frances Wynn, Countess of Harleigh has finally ended her mourning. However, since she was the spouse with the money, her in-laws don’t want her to leave, since she is all that is keeping the estates afloat.

“And how clever of you to have your own money.”

I chuckled. “The credit goes to my father. He set up this account although the Wynn family resented it at the time. They were rather offended at the idea of a wife having independent means— not the English way, you know.”

But when it begins to look like her husband’s death was not accidental, she is drawn into a mystery.

There is a delightful amount banter.

“I confess I had no idea what you were trying to tell me. Fortunately, your sister did.”

“I shall have to brush up on my skills,” he said with a sigh. “Or we could devise signals.”

I widened my eyes. “Or we could just speak to each other?”

“Well, if you insist on taking the easy route.”

And one of the things I especially like is that she doesn’t stumble blindly into situations but instead tries her best to keep out of danger.


Murder Most FairMurder Most Fair (2021) Anna Lee Huber (Verity Kent) 8.5/10

Historical

This is the best book in this series in a while. A lot of the things that were bugging me are starting to slowly get resolved.

“(W)ell, I thought I was managing it. Until clearly I wasn’t.”

Don’t start here is you have not read the series, but if you start to wonder if you should keep going once you’re in the series, the answer is yes.


Death at the Crystal PalaceDeath at the Crystal Palace (2021) Jennifer Ashley (A Below Stairs Mystery Book) 8/10

Historical, Cozy

Kat is a cook who has befriended the lady of the house, and so is far more involved in the lives of her betters than is necessarily good for her. But it is out of wanting to help those in need, rather than an overwhelming curiosity.

I was the same person, and yet in this dress and hat with a young man to handle the tickets for me, I suddenly deserved the conductor’s politeness. It made one think.

I’m very much enjoying this series.


Subtle Blood
Subtle Blood (2021) KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures) 8/10

Historical, LGBT, Romance, Boinking

Third book (and perhaps last?) of the series.

Will Darling came back from the War and struggled until meeting an uncle he didn’t know he had. When the uncle dies, leaving his bookstore to Will, he is inadvertently drawn into intrigue, and meets Kim, who has wealth and a name, and initially never tells Will the truth about anything.

It’s also (as are all KJ Charles books) full of wonderful dialog.

“You can’t expect me to take your word for things when I could work myself into a frenzy about them instead.”

This is not the place to start, but there are only two prior books, so it’s easy to get caught up, and then you can enjoy the intrigue and adventure.


Written by Michelle at 6:00 am    

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Sunday, December 26, 2021

The Books of 2021: Fantasies

Several of these are also romances, because as said before, I needed happy endings and HEAs.

A Marvellous LightA Marvellous Light (2021) Freya Marske (The Last Binding) 9/10

Historical, Mystery, LGBT, Boinking

Robin accidentally ends up as the magical liaison to the prime minister when the previous liaison disappears.

This is a problem because (like most of the public) Robin was unaware that magic was real.

Robin had never tried to deliberately clear his mind. He had the absurd image of taking a broom to waves on a seashore, trying to sweep the water back out across the stones.

I am very fond of historical LGBT romances, since the setting gives the characters a reason not to discuss their feelings (what with it leading to pillory (or worse) if discovered) and this does that well, along with interesting world building, and a good mystery.

It’s not action/adventure and a bit slower in places, but that was just fine with me.


Paladin's GraceThe Saint of Steel series by T. KingfisherPaladin’s Grace (2020) 8.5/10, Paladin’s Strength (2021) 8.5/10, Paladin’s Hope (2021) 8/10

Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Boinking

This series is about paladins to a dead god, who were taken in by the Temple of the White Rat–at least those who survived their god’s death were.

Paladins were never a class I had any interest in, however, she has created a group of delightful ones.

“Istvhan, you ever kill someone with an ice swan?” he whispered.

“I clubbed someone unconscious with a frozen goose once. That’s similar?”

The Bishop suffered a mysterious coughing fit.

“No, you had to use the goose as a bludgeon, didn’t you? For the swan, I figure you’d snap the head off and try to stab with the neck.”

“Hmmm…” Istvhan eyed the ice sculpture speculatively. “It’s pretty big. And not well balanced.”

“I figure you’d have to go two-handed with it.”

“I think I’d grab one of the candelabras instead. Some of those are nice and heavy.”

“Far too unwieldy. I could take you apart with the ice swan while you were still trying to get the candelabra off the ground.”

This series is fun–although I felt like the third book was the weakest in the series. But despite that, start with Paladin’s Grace and read forward, because even her weakest book in the series was quite good.


WonderstruckWonderstruck (2021) Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan) 8/10

Historical, LGBT, Boinking

Third book in the series closes the story arc. Rory is struggling now the antique shop is gone, and they still haven’t found the man murdering for magic.

One of the things I particularly like about Rory and Arthur is that neither wants to take advantage of the other, which leads to a lot of misunderstandings, but they are the normal kinds of misunderstandings.

“We don’t owe our hearts to people who hurt us, even if they’re our blood.”

This is one of the many books I loved this year that was set in the Interwar period, when so much of the world was changing.


The Noblemans Guide to Scandal and ShipwrecksThe Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks (2021) Mackenzi Lee (Montague Siblings) 8/10

Historical, YA

The third (and seemingly final) book in the series, it can stand on its own, but is more poignant seeing Monty and Felicity twenty years later.

It’s also about grief and guilt and mental illness and love.

“God, is this going to take years?”

“It’s going to take your whole life,” Felicity says. “But it doesn’t have to be the defining element of it.

Although you can read this as a stand-alone, the previous two books are very good, and well worth reading, and I highly recommend them. Just be aware that if you start with the first book, Monty is complicated, and it took quite a while for me to warm up to him.


What Abigail Did That SummerWhat Abigail Did That Summer (2021) Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London) 8.5/10

Supernatural Mystery, YA

This book is set at the time as Foxglove Summer. Abigail speaks to foxes and wants more than anything to learn magic.

This could be read as a stand-alone I believe, because Abigail is only peripheral to the River of London novels, although she does have her own place in the comics and short stories.

The fox is sitting in my lap and still nuzzling my chin, which is beginning to vex me so I tell it to stop.

“Don’t you like that?” says the fox. The voice is slightly wheezy and pitched high. I suspect this is a vixen. “In training they said it promoted co-operation in humans.”

If you’ve not read any of the books in the Rivers of London series, this might be a good place to dip a toe in and see if you like it. That said, my favorite way to enjoy this series is listening to Kobna Holdbrook-Smith be Peter Grant.


Out of House and HomeOut of House and Home (2021) Drew Hayes (Fred the Vampire Accountant) 8/10

Supernatural

The seventh Fred book find Fred & Crystal married and back home. Except that the invading vampire clan wants Fred gone, and is willing to burn down Charlotte to do it.

This series remains delightful. I mean…

With a quick recovery, Amy turned hard on the steering bars of her goat, setting a good angle on the goal and whipping her crosse forward.

You shouldn’t start here, but all the books are available and on Hoopla if not at your library.


Cry Wolf
Cry Wolf (2021) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf) 8/10

Supernatural, LGBT, Boinking

The fifth book in the Big Bad Wolf series. Part of the story is wedding planning, part of the story is Eli wanting Cooper to solve a mystery for him.

Also, this book has one of the best disclaimers I’ve read in ages.

Any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental. Though if you do know of a criminal plot involving werewolves that has taken place at any of these locales, that is a coincidence I would love to know about.

Don’t start here. Start at the first book, A Wolf at the Door (which is available on Hoopla) because the character arcs are really wonderful.


White Trash WarlockWhite Trash Warlock (2020) David R. Slayton (Adam Binder) 8/10

Supernatural, LGBT

I love the world building here, as it’s not like anything else I’ve read before (though there are bits and pieces that remind me of other magic systems). I also love that the story doesn’t shy away from showing real poverty–the kind with beat up trailers and broken windows covered with cardboard and tape and the cheapest foods at the store.

The parking meters had mouths where their coin slots should be. They undulated like hungry snakes, begging for coins. “How many of you can do that?” he asked. He fed the meter a few quarters. Contented, it tried to lick his face before closing its eyes and drifting to sleep like a cat in the sun.

The second book came out this year, however, I am very angry at it, because it ended on a big cliffhanger. Yet, I’m still planning on buying the third book as soon as it comes out.


Recipe for a CurseRecipe for a Curse (2021) Lissa Kasey (Romancing a Curse) 8/10

Supernatural, LGBT, Boinking

I actually got this free, and was expecting a mediocre short story. Instead a got a novella with marvelous world-building and complex characters.

Also, one of the main characters is a chef, so lots of food and cooking.

People didn’t like to think their quiet towns or pockets of wealth housed those with food insecurity, but I’d found that it was a reality everywhere. Even in upstate New York, buried in a small tourist area with large plots of land.

This is a pandemic story, which not everyone might be ready for, but I thought it was very well done.


Written by Michelle at 6:00 am    

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Thursday, December 23, 2021

The Books of 2021: Romances

I read a lot of romance this year, because I desperately needed the HEA to help me escape reality. Although I did nothing but reread for seemingly four months, I did squeeze in some new and new-to-me books.

 

The Charm Offensive

The Charm Offensive (2021) Alison Cochrun  9/10

Contemporary, LGBT, Closed Door

I initially didn’t want to read this. I mean: reality TV dating show? Ew.

But It kept popping up as something I’d like, and so I decided to borrow it from the library. Then I all but devoured it in one sitting when it came in. Now I own it and have been holding off rereading, because it’s only been, like a month.

Charlie is a disaster. A famous disaster. After getting fired from the company he founded, he is in desperate need of an image rehabilitation.

Dev wants to call bullshit. A reputation of being difficult isn’t enough to blacklist you from any industry when you’re as white and male and traditionally handsome as Charlie, not to mention a certifiable genius.

And for some reason his PA and best friend thinks a reality dating show will do the trick.

“I have only drunkenly proposed to you twice, and I assumed you rejected my offers of a marriage of convenience because you intend to fall madly in love with a former Miss Alabama.”

“That… will not happen.”

“Because there is no former Miss Alabama on this season? Seems unlikely.”

This book ends up dealing with so many important subjects, from asexuality to mental health to casual homophobia and just how awful the TV industry can be.

It’s sweet, it’s affirming, and it was one of my favorite books of the year.

 

Best Laid PlansGarnet Run series by Roan Parrish : Best Laid Plans (2021) 8/10, The Lights on Knockbridge Lane (2021) 8/10

Contemporary, LGBT, Boinking

When I read Better than People last year, it was just what I needed. So I had high hopes for the rest of the series.

Best Laid Plans is Jack’s brother)’s romance. Charlie gave up his dreams to raise Jack after their parents died, and he ended up making a small success of the family business and generally being nearly everyone’s favorite person.

Rye is a mess, and when he inherits a house from a grandfather he never knew, he packs everything up and moves to Garnet Run. This does not seem to be a good decision.

“You need any help with…” Charlie gestured at the hardware equivalent to marshmallows, cheese, and spaghetti before him.

Like all Roan Parrish books, this is a good deal of focus on mental health, with it being treated as something that is simply a part of being alive. Although it can be read as a stand alone, the glimpses of Charlie you got in Jack’s book make the story all more poignant. It’s really just lovely.

The third book, The Lights on Knockbridge Lane is good, but wasn’t quite as good as the two stories that went before for. Neither character appeared in the earlier books–although characters from previous books did appear in this story.

This story also had a slightly different feel from the previous books in the series. Although Wes did have his own issues, most of the focus of the story was on Adam and Gus (his daughter) and how Gus wheedles her way into Wes’ house to see his exciting pets.

The kid parts were well done, which is always a plus, and Adam was written like a real parent, rather than someone with an adorable plot moppet.

It was a good story, I just didn’t love it as much as the previous two books.

 

Rosaline Palmer Takes the CakeRosaline Palmer Takes the Cake (2021) Alexis Hall (Winner Bakes All) 8/10

Contemporary, LGBT, Mostly Closed Door

Another story with a single parent, Rosaline has been (mostly) making ends meet but she wants more, and hopes that winning THE big baking show will give her the push she needs to escape her current job and be more.

“I don’t want to be famous. I just want… enough money to pay for some things and enough people to think I’m good at baking that I might be able to get a slightly better job.”

“Truly. Yours is a hubris of Homeric proportions.”

As one expects with Alexis Hall, so tropes are subverted and things don’t go at all as you’d think they would.

Also, as one expects with Alexis Hall, there are complicated friendships and parental relationships, and things aren’t perfect, but that’s kinda lovely because life isn’t perfect.

Additionally, he was spot-on writing Amelie. I actually love kids in stories, except that so many people just get them wrong, with the kid sounding both too old and too young for their stated age. This story felt like he’d actually spent time around 8-year olds.

 

Sweetest in the GaleSweetest in the Gale (2020) Olivia Dade (There’s Something About Marysburg) 8/10

Contemporary, Boinking

This is three novellas, all set in the town of Marysburg: “Sweetest in the Gale”, “Unraveled”, “Cover Me”

Although these are romances, they are also about the struggles of life, including grief, and dealing with a health crisis while not having insurance.

Which is a lot, but it’s well done and lovely.

Why couldn’t he seem to feel the same about his own fracture, his own pain? Why couldn’t he greet his own healing with uncomplicated relief?

So although two of the stories covered deep and painful subjects, it was done with care and concern, and ended up being soothing.

 

Grumpy Bear (2021) Slade James (Bear Camp) 8/10

Contemporary, LGBT, Boinking

This story ended up being a surprise.

I was pretty sure that I had no interest in reading a story set in a men’s gay nudist camp that seems to be a good deal about casual sex, but yet–it was actually sweet, and one of the characters read as demi-sexual. So there is a lot of the two getting to know each other–including a discussions about science fiction.

He was just… hugging me like he’d been missing me for ages. And I thought it, I sent it out to him with my mind and my body, without saying a word, I’ve missed you too.

It was much sweeter than I was expecting it to be, and quite enjoyable. (Even with the boinking)

 

The Queer Principles of Kit WebbThe Queer Principles of Kit Webb (2021) Cat Sebastian  8/10

Historical, LGBT, Boinking

I tend to be hit and miss with Cat Sebastian stories–I love some and others don’t work for me at all.

This is one of the stories that worked.

After retiring from being a highway man and instead running a coffee shop, Kit is not pleased when a young nobleman wants him to help in a heist.

Of the young lord’s father.

One of the things I liked about this story were the little details that Percy noticed about Kit.

This time part of the web caught in Kit’s hair— which, given the state of Kit’s hair, was hardly surprising— and Kit carefully disentangled it. Then he murmured something that looked awfully like “beg pardon” to the spider.

There was a mystery as to what Percy’s father had been doing, and there was a lot of strategy and planning for the heist, which I enjoyed. Because who doesn’t love a good heist story?

 

The Gentle Art of Fortune HuntingThe Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (2021) K.J. Charles 8/10

Historical, LGBT, Boinking

Robin Loxleigh and his sister Marianne have come to London to seek their fortunes through marriage. But the young woman Robin has set his eye on has a protective uncle who seems to see through Robin and doesn’t trust him in the slightest.

“Wins fifty or sixty pounds a night.”

“That’s not huge.” It was vast amounts by normal standards, of course, entire sections of the annual accounts to John Hartlebury the prudent brewer, but mere tokens to a gaming baronet.

“It’s not breaking the bank, no. It’s the kind of money you can win at a gaming hell without attracting too much attention. The question is how many gaming hells he’s winning sixty pounds a night at, and how often.”

I don’t like enemies-to-lovers, so that made the story much harder for me to get into, but I did adore how much Robin and Marianne obviously cared for each other–and would do absolutely anything for each other, including give up their own happiness.

Not that there was anything wrong with Hart, but how Robin and Marianne would manage their own happiness as they tried to move beyond what they were was my favorite part of the story.

Written by Michelle at 6:00 am    

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