Tag: wrap-up

Orilium Spring Equinox (aka April) Reading Wrap-Up

~ EMM ~ 1 Comment

April turned out to be a BIG reading month. I finished SEVEN books and (temporarily?) DNFed one!

Orilium Spring Equinox Reading

Here’s a recap of everything I read in April:

  • It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey — I really enjoyed this cute rom com set in the Pacific Northwest.
  • The Homecoming War by Addie Woolridge — If you need a book for an ambitious bookworm tween or teen in your life, get them this one. It’s so adorable that I wanted to hug the book when I was done.
  • The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett — I love a good Sherlock / Watson character dynamic, and this one was perfect, especially because the super smart and slightly unhinged detective is a woman. Bonus points for really cool world-building, an engaging mystery plot, and great ensemble cast. I’ll definitely be reading more by this author.
  • Unclaimed by Courtney Milan — I really liked the premise of this book, so I skipped book one and jumped straight to book two. I know I’ll eventually go back and read the others because I love Courtney Milan’s books, and this one (as expected) did not disappoint.
  • Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong — This one, on the other hand, surprised me in a good way. I wasn’t expecting much from it because I haven’t read anything else by this author, and I found myself eager to get back to it. That may have had something to do with the audiobook narrator being very good, but I liked this enough that I think I’ll read the next one when it comes out.
  • A Game of Hearts and Heists by Ruby Roe — If you want more spicy lesbian romance in your life, definitely do not skip this series. I wasn’t quite buying the “enemies” part of the enemies to lovers trope, but found the world-building intriguing.
  • End Credits by Patty Lin — I listened to this one on audiobook (read by the author) because a friend recommended it. I found the parts about connecting with your creativity and pursing the things you’re passionate about to be really good.
  • A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen — I stalled out at about halfway through this one after hitting over half the boxes on my bingo card. I’m counting it for the readathon, but I’m not sure if I’m going to finish it. I think I’m just not that into Vikings? Possibly, the problem started when the heroine doesn’t tell the hero what really happened on her wedding night, even though the oath she had to swear had a loophole big enough to sail one of those drakkars through. When she didn’t spot that immediately, I kinda lost interest in her as a character.

If you’ve read A Fate Inked in Blood and think I should keep going, definitely let me know. I am willing to be convinced.

I’m really hoping now that Fairyloot has spun off a Romantasy specific subscription box the adult selections will be a little less romance heavy. This is such a weird thing for me to say, given that I really enjoy sci-fi and fantasy with romance. But, their romance-heavy fantasy selections all seem to feel just a smidge above YA to me. The ones that are actually adult (The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, Babel, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride, Emily Wilde, Spells for Forgetting, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, etc.) are the ones I’ve enjoyed the most.

March Reading Wrap-up

~ EMM

I didn’t realize until I started writing this post how many of the books I read in March were actually audiobooks. Out of the six books I finished, only two of them were in print (both ebooks). The other four were all audiobooks!

What I read in March:

  • Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton — As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve been slowly getting more and more into running. For most of my life, I’ve been a competitive swimmer, but we don’t have a lap pool where I live. We do have some excellent trails to run on. I’ve been finding books like this one to be really helpful to me as I attempt to learn how to train myself to build my endurance and speed. This one was especially good for better understanding how to improve my mindset around running. I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed it.
  • Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott — I listened to this on audiobook as well, and the narrator was great. This book is pretty dense on the world-building and politics, which is exactly the type of thing I appreciate in epic fantasy and sci-fi. It’s supposed to be a sort of Alexander the Great retelling (in space and gender swapped), but I don’t really remember that much about that bit of history, so I’m pretty sure that any of the cool connections made between history and this retelling were lost on me. I wasn’t reading it for that, anyway, so it didn’t matter to me. I did love the ensemble cast and am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series (or listening to it on audiobook).
  • Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree — This was pretty much what I expected it to be. Cozy fantasy. Not a lot of plot or character development. Just characters that you grow to love doing things that are (mostly) domestic in a D&D-like fantasy world. Glad I read it, but I think I probably should have saved it for a time when I was really craving a chill fantasy read. Instead, I read this at the same time as the next book (a murder mystery), and found myself gravitating more to that one.
  • Sense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price — Another one I listened to on audiobook. This was another solid Austen re-telling and murder mystery. Though, if you know the original story, it’s somewhat obvious which characters you should trust vs. not. And since I’ve always been more of an Elinor than a Marianne, I was predictably annoyed by Marianne’s actions and her stupid infatuation, which is exactly as it should be. Basically, if you love Austen and cozy mystery, you should definitely be reading this series.
  • The Bomber Mafia by Malcom Gladwell — I wasn’t planning on reading this book, but it was available on audiobook (so many audiobooks in March!) and was something both me and my husband could agree on for a long car trip. This book was actually produced as an audiobook before being turned into text, so the audiobook contains snippets of interviews from history and from present day. Listening to it was kind of like listening to an episode of This American Life. I enjoyed the deep-dive into a bit of history that we only covered at a high level in school. The narrative sparked lots of discussion and maybe even planted a few seeds for future space opera novel plotting.
  • That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming — This was a fun read, and I enjoyed it. I don’t have too much to say about it beyond that. Just be aware, even though the setting is semi-medieval (like Bookshops & Bonedust), the language is really modern. So, if that’s going to bug you, then you may want to skip this book. I didn’t mind it. In fact, I thought the set-up in the first couple of chapters was a nice twist on what you usually see in these types of stories. I’m curious to see how the writing and the world progress over the course of the series.

I’m ending the month with two — no, technically, three — books in progress. One is a contemporary romance (ebook), another is a Fairyloot hardcover (fantasy) that I’m listening to on audiobook, and the third (the one I almost forgot) is the Fairyloot hardcover (also fantasy) that I started reading in January and set aside (because, hardcover). It’s really too bad that I’m enjoying the Fairyloot selections so much, because I really REALLY don’t like reading hardcover books.

In-progress: Faebound, Immortal Longings, and It Happened One Summer

Anyway, none of these books are going to count for the Orilium Spring Equinox readathon. I think I’m still going to try to finish reading at least the audiobook (Immortal Longings) and the ebook (It Happened One Summer) before the end of April. I’m far enough along in both that I don’t think it will prevent me from finishing the other books on my April TBR.

Given how long it’s taking me to make progress on physical books, I think I may start off April with A Fate Inked in Blood, which I have in hardcover (another Fairyloot selection). If I want to finish it before the end of the month, I should probably get started on it right away. Besides, that’s the one I get to use my book bingo card for, which will make it extra exciting! 🙂

February 2024 Reading Wrap-Up

~ EMM

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it turned out to be a big month for reading (at least for me). I finished five books!

What I read in February:

  • Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher — This one took me a little while to get into, but once I got through all the backstory stuff and the characters started off on their adventure, I really enjoyed it.
  • Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett — Emily Wilde is exactly the sort of cozy fantasy that I love. This second book in the series had a solid mystery plot in addition to the usual exploration of fairy lore that results in an adventure. Emily Wilde (the main character) reminds me a lot of Veronica Speedwell in Deanna Raybourn’s Victorian cozy mystery series. The two characters have a lot in common, including their relationships with their much more domestically inclined partners.
  • The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi — I listed to this on audiobook, which I think worked really well for the sort of dream-like, lyrical storytelling in this book. This is definitely one of those books that delivers on the vibes. Creepy, possibly sentient house? Check. Unreliable narrators? Check. Characters who are so into folklore that they have nearly made themselves otherworldly? Check. Family mysteries and drama? Check. If that sort of thing is your jam, and you haven’t read this book yet, definitely check it out. But note, I think the less you know about the story going into it, the better.
  • The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation by Cory Doctorow — Well, if you think you’re already frustrated with tech monopolies, this lays everything out in a way that will have you wanting to delete your Facebook account even more than you already do. Not to mention the effect it will have on how you feel about your phone, computer, internet browser, and operating system. Upside is, there are some suggested solutions. I may be pessimistic about the chances we’ll be able to change anything, but I think this is a good read, especially for an election year.
  • Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett — I’ve really enjoyed this author’s other mystery series, and had been meaning to check this one out for a while. It did not disappoint. This was a solid mystery with good twists that kept me turning pages and thinking about the story and characters long after I put it down. I was really excited to see that she has another mystery coming out at the end of April, and I can’t wait to pick it up!

Overall, a solid reading month. Lots of good books, with one stand-out fave (Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands) and zero duds. Here’s hoping that March will bring more of the same!

January 2024 Reading Wrap-up

~ EMM ~ 2 Comments

We’re already more than a week into February, and I’m just wrapping up my January reading because I’ve been busy getting book two in my Mage Lore series published. Now that it’s out, I have a bit of a break, and I’m frantically trying to catch up on things like blog posts and house cleaning and errands, etc. But you don’t want to hear about that. You want to hear about what I read in January. 🙂

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Technically, I finished reading Kushiel’s Dart on the 4th of February, but I read almost all of it in January, and I don’t want to save it for next month’s update. I really enjoyed this book, despite the length. I think, if you can get past the content warnings (there are a lot), and you like Game of Thrones style fantasy novels (low on magic, minus the dragons, but with all the political maneuverings, warring houses, and complex web of character relationships), then you will probably also like this series. I thought I would be put off by the indentured servant / pleasure from pain stuff, but it’s pretty sparing on the page (except in specific cases where it’s relevant to the plot or character development), and I think it’s handled a LOT better than in Game of Thrones (the show). I especially liked the Sherlock / Moriarty vibes I got from the final chapter, which definitely made me want to read the next book.

The very first book I finished this year was Yellowface by R. F. Kuang. It was painful to listen to (audiobook), but in a very compelling way, if that makes any sense. The painful comes from the fact that main (POV) character is irredeemably terrible and the all the awful publishing stories are like non-fiction with the serial numbers scraped off. Reading this book is like if the Michael Jackson eating popcorn meme was watching a car wreak. It definitely deserves the hype.

After I finished Yellowface, I listened to Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis on audiobook. To say this was “good” feels a little strange. This book is a collection of speeches, so it is a little dated in some places. But for the most part, it’s also very frustrating how little has changed (and how some things have actually gotten a lot worse). I found it really helpful in filling in gaps in my education on these issues, and it gave me lots to think about, plus several more topics to add to my non-fiction reading list.

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I started but didn’t finish reading Faebound before the end of the month, mostly because my days (when I would be reading a hardcover) were pretty focused on editing my book. Now that it’s out, I have a bit of a break while I decide which of my many in-progress projects I want to focus on next. And I plan to finish reading this book during my break.

As for what’s on my Kindle, after finishing Kushiel’s Dart, I needed something else to read before bed. So went back to Nettle & Bone, which I’d started but only read about a chapter in before it was due back to the library. I am determined to finish reading it before it’s due back again.

In addition to those two books, I’m working on what else I want to add to my February TBR. There will definitely be a mystery novel (for my Adventure in Aeldia February prompt), plus whichever book we select for our Camp Book Club buddy read, and at least one more Fairyloot hardcover.

What’s on your TBR for February?

December Reading Wrap-Up and 2023 Reading Stats

~ EMM

Happy New Year!

It’s the first day of the New Year. I’ve created a new Goodreads goal for the New Year. 52 books. Same as it is every year.

But before I dive into my first book of the year, I wanted to take a minute to recap what I read in December and do a little looking back on my year in reading.

what I read in December

Let’s start with what I read in December.

  • System Collapse by Martha Wells — I listened to this on audiobook, which didn’t work well for me. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I’d read it on Kindle.
  • Full Moon Over Freedcom by Angelina M. Lopez — This contemporary romance with a hint of supernatural was possibly even better than the first in the series. Excited to hear when/if there will be another one in this series, especially because I suspect the sister who is the chef is up next.
  • Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price — This was even better than I hoped it would be. Solid mystery. Good romance. Great retelling.
  • A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone — I liked this one even more than the first book in this series and can’t stop recommending them to everyone I know who likes contemporary romance.
  • Paladin’s Hope by T. Kingfisher — I really like the world-building in this series. They solve the mystery pretty early in this one and most of the rest of the book is an exciting escape/survival sequence with a whole lot of fallout to work through after the bad guy is eliminated.
  • Paladin’s Faith by T. Kingfisher — This one was more like a quest than a mystery novel, which I think is important to know going in. If you’re expecting a mystery, you’re going to be disappointed. But I read this series because I love the characters and the world-building, so I really liked this a lot.

Now, how about some 2023 reading stats?

I read a total of 70 books in 2023!

32% of them were books I’d consider to be a romance (the primary plot arc was romance with a happily ever after or happy for now ending). That’s down a little from 38% last year and 34% the year before that, but it’s still pretty similar year over year.

26% of what I read was non-fiction vs. 74% fiction. This is a decent increase (~10%) in non-fiction for me. That said, all but one of the non-fiction books I read were either self-help, business, writing craft, or memoir. The one general non-fiction book I read was about Italian witchcraft, which could also probably be categorized as memoir. (I point this out because reading more general non-fiction is going to show up as one of my 2024 reading goals.)

88% of what I read was categorized as adult fiction vs. 12% young adult (and no middle grade). This unsurprising and pretty similar to the past few years.

Probably the thing that changed the most year over year was the format of the books I read. This year, only 61% of the books I read were ebooks. 15% were in print and 24% on audiobook. Last year, 92% of what I read were ebooks! That was really high, but the average over the past few years has been around 85%, so this year is still a big shift away from ebooks for me.

Overall genre breakdown was pretty similar to the last few years.

  • Sci-Fi/Fantasy – 47%
  • Self-Help/Business – 18%
  • General/Contemporary Fiction – 11%
  • Historical 8%
  • Mystery – 7%
  • Memoir/Biography 7%

However, the genre breakdown is a little misleading because there were a couple of books that I categorized as historical fiction, but their main plot was a mystery. Similarly, all but one of the eight contemporary novels I read were contemporary romance. I don’t really read contemporary unless it’s romance, just like I don’t really read historical unless it’s a mystery or a romance.

Also, I lump fantasy and science fiction together, but really, most of what I read is fantasy (29 fantasy vs. 5 science fiction). And only about a third of those were romances (11 of those 34 books). I’m beginning to think that it’s a bit odd that most of the romance I read is contemporary or historical, and yet, I write fantasy and sci-fi romance. Most of the SFF romances I read in 2023 (7 of the 11) were either Fairyloot hardcovers or small town witch books (contemporary fantasy).

Page count is another of the many other things I track in my reading spreadsheet. I don’t normally pay much attention to it, but I’ve been thinking about how it doesn’t feel like I’ve been reading a lot of long books (over 500 pages). So I wanted to check my numbers. As it turns out, I read more this year (6) than I have in previous years (3-4). Not that 6 is very many. Especially when there are so many tomes I want to read but keep putting off because of their intimidating size.

That’s probably enough hinting at my 2024 reading goals, and definitely enough of a 2023 recap. If there’s a specific reading stat that I didn’t mention, but that you’re curious about, let me know. I probably am keeping track of it and can respond in the comments.

Now, onward to 2024! Reading goals and January TBR coming soon…

November Reading Wrap-Up

~ EMM

November turned out to be a pretty good reading month, considering the fact that I spent the majority of my time writing. I finished five books and got caught up on my Adventure in Aeldia prompts!

What I read in November:

  • A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli — This was a cute romance that I enjoyed. I kind of forgot most of this almost immediately after reading it, so it didn’t stick with me, but I would definitely read more by this author.
  • Bone Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie — I liked this YA fantasy more than I thought I would. The world-building and characters were really good, but I don’t really feel compelled to continue with the series.
  • The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten — Another book that I liked a lot more than I thought I would. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m usually don’t go for the death magic stuff, but the characters hooked me in the first few chapters. I don’t feel like I need to add this to my “keepers” shelf, but I might read the next one in the series when it comes out.
  • Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World by Lauren Fleshman — This was my surprise favorite of the month. I listened to this as an audiobook and really loved it. There’s more here than just a running memoir. It’s part girls-and-women-in-sport manifesto with facts and anecdotes that made me cry on several occasions. I came to the sport of running post-college, but I competed in other sports all the way through college. Even though much of this is running-specific, a lot of what she’s discussing applies to other sports as well.
  • Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend — Another read that pleasantly surprised me. I was checking this one out on a friend’s recommendation as a potential gift for my niece. These days I find it hard to genuinely enjoy middle-grade and YA with younger protagonists and/or themes, but this book absolutely charmed me. I really liked it a lot, and I can’t wait to see if my niece loves it as well.

Overall, lots of good reads in November. Here’s hoping that December is just as good (or even better)! Now I have a long travel day ahead of me. Time to pop in my headphones and listen to some Murderbot, but I’ll be back tomorrow with more… Until then, happy reading!

October Reading Recap

~ EMM

And now for the update you’ve all been waiting for (hahaha)! Did I read everything on my October TBR? Did I finish the TWO hardcover books I have in progress? Read on to find out…

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What’s missing from this picture? That’s right. The Foxglove King and Bone Crier’s Moon. I didn’t finish them in October.

Here’s what I did finish reading:

  • Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh — I LOVED this book. This was one of those books that was so very ME that I could barely put it down and kept thinking about it long after it was over. Definitely going on my favorites shelf!
  • Starter Villain by John Scalzi — A fast fun read that I really enjoyed.
  • A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher — A cute young adult book. Not really for me, but probably awesome for a young reader who likes fantasy where the kid has to save the world.
  • Choosing to Run by Des Linden — I picked this up because I’ve been pretty obsessed with running for the past couple years (#RunStreak day 724 today) and found this very inspiring. I’m not planning on running marathons anytime soon, but I got my first taste of half-marathon racing this year, and I’ll definitely be doing that again. In the meantime, I did my first cross country race in October, and I have a 10k race coming up this weekend.
  • The Lover by Silvia Moreno-Garcia — A short read that delivered with a good spooky season atmosphere.
  • A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli — A really cute contemporary romance. I was a little frustrated with the obligatory romance break-up beat at the three-quarters mark. The reason for the separation made sense in retrospect, but in the moment it felt like something that could have been solved with a conversation.

Currently Reading

I am about halfway through The Foxglove King and only about twenty percent into Bone Crier’s Moon. I was really hoping to finish at least one of these before the end of the weekend, but that didn’t happen. I’m really getting into The Foxglove King, though. If I was reading it on my e-reader I’d probably be done by now. My plan is to finish both of these by the end of this week because I don’t want to start another hardcover until I at least finish the one I’m currently reading.

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I’ve already been over these in a previous post, so I won’t go through them all again. But there is one new one on here. I agreed to read Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K. J. Parker as my buddy read this month. So that got added to the stack. I still feel like this is a very ambitious list of books to finish before the end of the month, though.

September Wrap-Up

~ EMM ~ 1 Comment

September was a busy month for me with not a lot of reading.

I spent the first half of the month occupied with the Writing Excuses cruise to Alaska. First packing and prepping, then going on the actual cruise (which was great!), and then recovering and catching up on all the annoying life stuff I’d neglected while I’d been away. Not to mention, as soon as I got home, I had to scramble to get Poison of Power finished and published. Which it is now! So check it out if you’re curious about my new secondary world fantasy series. 🙂

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I finished ONE book in September. Jade City by Fonda Lee. It was excellent, and I really enjoyed it, and now I want to binge the rest of the series while the first book is still fresh in my head.

I started reading The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten, but I didn’t finish it. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but it sort of grew on me the more I read. I’m past the evaluation point (25%) and am pretty sure that I’ll actually finish it now that I have a little more time for reading.

In-Progress

Aside from The Foxglove King, I’ve started reading A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher and Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh.

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I’m working on a whole post on my end of the year reading plans, so right now all I’ll say is that if I want to keep up with my Adventure in Aeldia plans (aka my only 2023 reading goal), I need to read Bone Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie this month. So that’s next up as soon as I finish a couple of my in-progress books. I may even try to grab a copy of it on audiobook so I can alternate between reading the hardcover and listening while I’m doing chores and stuff around the house.

Orilium Readathon Grades (aka Reading Wrap-Up)

~ EMM

Well, here we are. Halfway through September, and I have yet to post my readathon wrap-up. Partly that is because I was gone for the first week of September, and I’m only now kind of back into my normal(ish) routine.

But also (and it pains me to write this) for the first time in the history of my participation in the Magical Readathons, I did not finish all my classes (prompts). I’m pretty bummed about it.

If you remember from my TBR post, I had six books I needed to read, plus one bonus book for the Impling quest. I ended up reading only three books, and I did not get an Impling. Womp womp.

Here’s what I read (vs. didn’t get to):

I started with the books for Psionics & Divination, and I finished both of them pretty early on in the month. Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake was a very satisfying end to the Three Dark Crowns series that made me regret waiting so long to read it.

After finishing that, I moved on to The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler, which I enjoyed, even though it is a polemic (and I don’t usually like polemics). I thought a lot of the discussions about consciousness were very interesting, and it made me want to throw specific passages at my tech-geek friends just to hear what they had to say about it. Instead, I recommended the book to several of them and am hoping they read it so I can hear their thoughts.

Then, I started both Jade City by Fonda Lee and A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin. The later was a MUCH faster read, so I finished it first. Unfortunately, I had an advanced review copy, and realized after reading it that I really wished I’d read the final version. It’s one of those books that (for me) was a delight to read but didn’t stick around in my brain very long. So, I’m thinking I may get the final version and re-read it at some point.

As for the rest, I am still reading Jade City (and very much enjoying it). I only read the first chapter of Shanghai Immortal, and I never started The Daughter of Doctor Moreau (or Partners in Crime, which was the book I picked for the Impling quest).

I haven’t had much time to read in the past few weeks for a variety of reasons that mostly boil down to falling back into bad social media scrolling habits that I thought I’d broken earlier this year. Apparently, you have to be ever vigilant with that stuff. Annoying.

Even more annoying is that I didn’t even manage to hit my Goodreads reading goal for the year! I’m at 51 books read, total. ONE book shy of my goal! *shakes fist at self for time wasted on the internet*

Oh well. I can still finish my Adventure in Aelida challenge, and maybe bust a few more books off my Fairyloot hardcover backlog in the process. And I’m pretty confident that I can finish at least one book between now and the end of the year. 🙂

If I can just remember how to focus again, we’ll be all good!

What I’ve been reading

~ EMM

In my last inbox/outbox post, I was surprised to learn that I’d nearly hit my Goodreads annual reading goal of 52 books, and it wasn’t quite mid-year. Well, now July has ended, and I still haven’t hit my goal. So, I guess you could say that my pace of reading has slowed down a bit.

When last we checked in, I was at 42 books read. I am now up to 48 books read.Which means, assuming I can manage my August Orilium Autumn Equinox TBR, I should definitely surpass the 52 book mark this month.

Here’s what I’ve read since my last update.

Witch King by Martha Wells took me an unexpectedly long time to finish. It was a true epic fantasy novel, and as such, dense with world-building that made me have to slow my reading pace. I didn’t mind, though, because I really loved the characters.

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco also took me a long time to finish, but for almost the opposite reason. In this case, I found that I didn’t like the main character, and I felt like the author was holding back explaining the world (maybe in an attempt to add tension?), and that just didn’t work for me. I liked the book enough to finish it, but probably won’t be reading the rest of the series. (Unfortunate, because I really wanted to like it!)

I listened to You Will Find Your People by Lane Moore on audiobook. The subtitle for this book is “How to Make Meaningful Friendships as an Adult,” and though I got a lot out of this one, it’s a little light on the “how to” part promised in the subtitle. That said, there’s a lot of good stuff in here about friendships that really resonated with me, so much so that I may eventually buy a copy for reference when this comes out in paperback.

I finally read A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell #8) by Deanna Raybourn. This was another fun addition to the series. The mystery plot in this one was well done and kept me on my toes with interesting twists through the end.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton was a weird but entertaining read. If you can get past the flying houses, this is a very good historical romance featuring high society not-so-secret pirates (who fly houses and steal from their peers?). The humor is very dry and very self-aware, which was a delight. And Ned (the hero) was giving me excellent Flynn Rider vibes. I guess the takeaway is, just don’t ask too many questions or press too hard on that whole pirate thing. If you like historical romance and can take the somewhat nonsensical world-building at face value, then you will probably enjoy this book.

Speaking of pirates, my favorite book I read this month was The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it was exactly the “getting the band back together” and “one last job” sort of adventure that I love, with added bonus points for the middle-aged pirate captain / mom. Blame it on Sarah Connor, but I’m kind of a sucker for the badass mom kicking ass to protect the ones she loves. For more like this, see also a book I read and loved earlier this year, The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliot, and also the Queens of Renthia series by Sarah Beth Durst. (Note: I say this as a happily childless person.)

Now, I’m off to tackle that Orilium TBR. As the Wisteria Society would say, “Tally ho.” Or as Veronica would say, “Excelsior!”