Finished reading on Kimberly Hirsh

Thu, 28 May 2026 18:52:24 -0400

Finished reading: The Lost World A Novel by Michael Crichton 📚

It’s fascinating to me that Crichton wrote this at Spielberg’s behest, but the movie is so very different from this. Only a few scenes and characters from this are in it.

Thu, 21 May 2026 17:23:40 -0400

Finished reading: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 📚

A great time and at its most interesting in the places where the movie departed from it.

Mon, 11 May 2026 08:35:07 -0400

Finished reading: The Long Game by Rachel Reid 📚

Like literally everyone, I adore Ilya Rozanov. Depression rep here really resonated with me.

Sat, 09 May 2026 18:36:55 -0400

Finished reading: Role Model by Rachel Reid 📚

Wed, 06 May 2026 23:30:54 -0400

Finished reading: Common Goal by Rachel Reid 📚

Tue, 05 May 2026 03:19:20 -0400

Finished reading: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Four: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan 📚

Tue, 05 May 2026 03:18:32 -0400

Finished reading: Sundust by Zeke Peña 📚

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:37:55 -0400

Finished reading: Tough Guy by Rachel Reid 📚

Sun, 03 May 2026 23:45:49 -0400

Finished reading: The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 📚

🎧 Read by Stephen Fry as part of Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection. Doyle is phoning it in here. We get a softer Holmes, who will let people get away with crime if he decides that’s what’s just.

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 21:05:30 -0400

Finished reading: Sweet Starfire by Jayne Ann Krentz 📚

Sci-fi romance. 😍

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:08:50 -0400

Finished reading: Fireworks by Matthew Burgess 📚

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:40:40 -0400

Finished reading: Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian 📚

This book is about the queer subtext and text in every Star Trek, the found family in Farscape and Firefly, the excruciating emotional pain of anxiety and physical pain of migraines, and the joy of finding a couple people you can let your guard down around. I loved it. Bless Cat Sebastian.

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 20:41:17 -0400

Finished reading: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley 📚

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 22:35:04 -0400

Finished reading: Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:27:21 -0400

Finished reading: Haiku, Ew! Celebrating the Disgusting Side of Nature by Lynn Brunelle 📚

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:24:58 -0400

Finished reading: Stalactite & Stalagmite A Big Tale from a Little Cave by Drew Beckmeyer 📚

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:24:28 -0400

Finished reading: Our Lake by Angie Kang 📚

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:24:03 -0400

Finished reading: Every Monday Mabel - (Caldecott Honor) by Jashar Awan 📚

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:20:52 -0400

Finished reading: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Three: The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan 📚

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:03:06 -0400

Finished reading: When a Villain Calls by TJ Sky 📚

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:40:07 -0400

Finished reading: Wild Pitch by Cat Giraldo 📚

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:27:27 -0400

Finished reading: The Devil’s Delilah by Loretta Chase 📚

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:14:12 -0400

Finished reading: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Two: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan 📚

Another one I read with my kid.

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:38:13 -0400

Finished reading: Sincerely, Your Inconvenient Wife by Julia Wolf 📚

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 23:41:55 -0400

Finished reading: Dear Grumpy Boss by Julia Wolf 📚

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:49:00 -0400

Finished reading: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 📚

Well. This was not what I expected. Heathcliff isn’t the ghost, the ghost is barely on page, and Heathcliff and Catherine have minimal time on-page together. Still a compelling read if, like me, you’re comfortable with the 19th century language and writing style.

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 02:11:00 -0400

Finished reading: Viscount Vagabond by Loretta Chase 📚

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:07:00 -0400

Finished reading: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 📚

Read it aloud to my kid. I read it once about 15 years ago. Super fun.

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 03:54:00 -0400

Finished reading: A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught 📚

Brilliant and old school.

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 06:47:00 -0400

Finished reading: Bet me by Jennifer Crusie 📚

Brilliant. Perfect banter, achingly romantic. I miss the way we talked in 2004.

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 03:02:00 -0400

Finished reading: Soulless by Gail Carriger 📚🎧

Been listening to this audiobook for literal years. It wasn’t as steampunk as I thought it would be. I was pleasantly surprised by how much romance it incorporated.📚

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 10:48:03 -0400

Finished reading: Texas! Chase by Sandra Brown 📚

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:19:14 -0400

Finished reading: Texas! Lucky by Sandra Brown 📚

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 05:34:23 -0400

Finished reading: Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl 📚

Excellent contemporary cowboy romance.

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 17:43:16 -0400

Finished reading: Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens 📚

A classic historical romance. I liked the way this one tests the couple by having them get frustrated because they’re each scared the other will get physically hurt and neither is willing to stop putting themselves at risk to protect the other.

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:23:10 -0400

Finished reading: Love in 280 Characters or Less by Ravynn K. Stringfield 📚

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:45:05 -0400

Finished reading: Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones by Ngozi Ukazu 📚

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:13:01 -0400

Finished reading: Check, Please! Book 1: # Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu 📚

This is very cute and I’m glad I was able to read it in book format. I’m curious how the experience was different as a webcomic.

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 17:37:00 -0400

Finished reading: Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun 📚

I didn’t sob like with Here We Go Again but I teared up much more frequently. I really love Alison Cochrun’s books.

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:13:08 -0400

Finished reading: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn 📚

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:38:18 -0400

Finished reading: Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon 📚

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 02:09:37 -0400

Finished reading: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 📚

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 03:16:30 -0400

Finished reading: Three Hard Lessons by Nikki Sloane 📚

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 17:38:36 -0400

Finished reading: Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 📚

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 08:54:27 -0400

Finished reading: Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie 📚

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 18:50:27 -0400

Finished reading: Call the Bee Doctor! by Sandra Markle 📚

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 18:09:02 -0400

Finished reading: Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 📚

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 03:50:19 -0400

Finished reading: Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin 📚

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 19:23:03 -0400

Finished reading: I Will by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:59:08 -0400

Finished reading: The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky 📚

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 05:59:26 -0400

Finished reading: After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian 📚

Cat Sebastian’s work unfailingly delights me and makes me feel like there’s somebody out there as awkward as me, somebody who feels things as deeply as I do. I’m so glad I read this book.

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 13:52:56 -0400

Finished reading: Golemcrafters by Emi Watanabe Cohen 📚

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 18:27:46 -0400

Finished reading: Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid 📚

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:30:23 -0400

Finished reading: Game Changer by Rachel Reid 📚

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 08:56:42 -0400

Finished reading: Run Posy Run by Cate C. Wells 📚

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:41:58 -0400

Finished reading: Dream A Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 📚

If your public library, like mine, is having a delay in ordering new books due to the closure of Baker and Taylor, may I suggest checking out an author’s backlist? Susan Elizabeth Phillips would be a great choice.

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 05:29:52 -0400

Finished reading: The Magpie Lord by Kj Charles 📚

KJ Charles’s writing is so reliably delightful.

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 22:17:24 -0400

Finished reading: Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase 📚

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 21:46:17 -0400

💬📚 “…I feel like both her confidante and her baby…” Eve Chase, Black Rabbit Hall

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:03:36 -0400

Finished reading: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas 📚

So far I’ve liked each book in this series better than the last.

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:54:29 -0400

Finished reading: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher 📚

Why is fungus so goth? I don’t know but it is and it’s excellent. A very different take on gothic fungus from Mexican Gothic.

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 02:24:19 -0400

Finished reading: Again The Magic by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 21:54:36 -0400

Finished reading: I Must Say by Martin Short 📚🎧

Martin Short is a delight and listening to him read his memoir is wonderful.

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 05:49:21 -0400

Finished reading: The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker 📚

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 20:56:14 -0400

Finished reading: Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto 📚

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 17:43:24 -0400

Finished reading: The Death of Jane Lawrence: A Novel by Caitlin Starling 📚

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 18:40:48 -0400

Finished reading: A Court of Mist and Fury (a Court of Thorns and Roses, 2) by Sarah J. Maas 📚

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 21:49:41 -0400

Finished reading: The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang 📚🎧

I love what I know of Esmé Weijun Wang, as a teacher, writer, and fellow traveler through the wilds of chronic illness. She reads the audiobook and her sweet voice lends such warmth to her beautiful essays.

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 23:51:28 -0400

Finished reading: The Cloisters by Katy Hays 📚

This is on the list of key titles for gothic fiction at NoveList Plus. It definitely skews more dark academia than traditional Gothic. More ambition and dangerous thirsd for knowledge than dread and family secrets.

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 10:41:51 -0400

Finished reading: All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles 📚

Listen, I already knew KJ Charles was great because I read most of her Society of Gentlemen series and loved it. But after reading this bit of gothic perfection, I want us to become best friends.

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 16:56:36 -0400

Finished reading: Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 09:09:00 -0400

Finished reading: Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One by Kristen Arnett 📚

There are some authors whose writing (and fine, online presence) makes yyou want to be friends with them. For me, Kristen Arnett is one of those writers. Maybe someday.

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 23:30:06 -0400

Finished reading: With Teeth by Kristen Arnett 📚

Kristen Arnett’s books are sad, funny, and ultimately hopeful. I don’t often miss the Florida of my early childhood, but when I read her work, I do. I tore through this one in one day.

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 01:09:58 -0400

Finished reading: Home for the Challah Days by Jennifer Wilck 📚

Sweet, like an apple dipped in honey. A Hallmark movie if Hallmark made Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur movies.

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:18:45 -0400

Finished reading: When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 08:32:54 -0400

Finished reading: The Border of Paradise by Esmé Weijun Wang 📚🎧

Esmé Weijun Wang writes beautiful prose. This book is intense and upsetting; over and over again I found myself sympathizing with a character only to be appalled by then when perspective shifted away from them and to someone else. Read the NPR review before picking this one up.

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 10:24:27 -0400

Finished reading: Lady Sophia’s Lover by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 19:07:22 -0400

Finished reading: Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Somehow both low-conflict and high-angst.

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:31:52 -0400

Finished reading: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 📚

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 16:15:01 -0400

Finished reading: The Season by Sarah MacLean 📚

I just love Sarah MacLean so much.

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:54:55 -0400

Finished reading: Waking Up With the Duke by Lorraine Heath 📚

So great.

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 12:46:12 -0400

Finished reading: Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman by Lorraine Heath 📚

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 09:48:10 -0400

Finished reading: Passions of a Wicked Earl by Lorraine Heath 📚

Lorraine Heath is just so reliably excellent.

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 07:52:12 -0400

Finished reading: The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio 📚

I’m very obsessed with this Día de Muertos picture book with an Own Voices illustrator. So much of the storytelling is in the images and it’s a gorgeous collaboration. Highly recommend for reading around Día de Muertos or anytime. 💀

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 22:21:16 -0400

Finished reading: Vanish by Sophie Jordan 📚

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 22:54:51 -0400

Finished reading: Storm Front by Jim Butcher 📚🎧

James Marsters reads the audiobook and he’s great.

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 18:48:13 -0400

Finished reading: Protecting What’s His by Tessa Bailey 📚

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 10:22:26 -0400

Finished reading: The Last Wicked Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath 📚

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 08:33:38 -0400

Finished reading: Midnight Pleasures With a Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath 📚

This is an absolutely bananas book. A great ride.

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:27:05 -0400

Finished reading: Stranger in My Arms by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 23:17:42 -0400

Finished reading: Because You’re Mine by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:17:47 -0400

Finished reading: Somewhere I’ll Find You by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 08:52:49 -0400

Finished reading: The Bladesmith Queen by Sarah MacLean 📚

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:34:38 -0400

Finished reading: Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath 📚

Lorraine Heath is so good at the job.

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 16:08:43 -0400

Finished reading: A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen 📚

This companion-sequel to A Fate Inked in Blood spends the first third or so revisiting the first book but picks up in the middle third and is gripping and full of revelations for the last third. I highly recommend the duology.

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 22:22:06 -0400

Finished reading: These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean 📚

I will follow Sarah MacLean anywhere, from Whitechapel to Narragansett Bay. If you like family narratives with a strong romantic thread, read this book.

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 21:33:57 -0400

Finished reading: Three Simple Rules by Nikki Sloane 📚🎧

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:52:39 -0400

Finished reading: The Rose & the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh 📚

Another excellent book!

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 20:10:14 -0400

Finished reading: Managed by Kristen Callihan 📚🎧

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 19:45:33 -0400

Finished reading: The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh 📚

So great.

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 01:04:10 -0400

Finished reading: To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai 📚

Super cute and fun!

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 12:54:12 -0400

Finished reading: Once Upon You and Me by Timothy Janovsky 📚

Another delight from Timothy Janovsky. Full review coming soon!

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 00:00:39 -0400

Finished reading: Idol by Kristen Callihan 📚🎧

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 12:24:36 -0400

Finished reading: Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren 📚

A super cute Tangled retelling!

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 15:10:18 -0400

Finished reading: A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera 📚

I love this book. Full review soon!

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 01:37:24 -0400

Finished reading: Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey 📚

A fascinating book about what our ghosts say about us.

Fri, 30 May 2025 08:05:28 -0400

Finished reading: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera 📚

Another re-read. I basically cried through the last two chapters.

Sun, 25 May 2025 14:43:24 -0400

Finished reading: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera 📚

This is a re-read. It’s a testament to Adriana Herrera’s work that even though it’s only six months since I originally read it, I found this riveting and didn’t want to skip or skim at all.

Sat, 24 May 2025 22:53:05 -0400

Finished reading: Firelight by Sophie Jordan 📚

Fri, 16 May 2025 02:43:00 -0400

Finished reading: Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova 📚

This is such a perfect move of Disney’s The Little Mermaid to contemporary romance. There is so much perfection to be had here, such magic work taking movie moments and making them part of our world. If you’re an Ariel person, you should read it.

Wed, 14 May 2025 11:46:00 -0400

Finished reading: By the Book by Jasmine Guillory 📚

A sweet Beauty and the Beast retelling.

Fri, 09 May 2025 17:45:57 -0400

Finished reading: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy 📚

Super cute modern Cinderella retelling.

Tue, 06 May 2025 21:08:03 -0400

Finished reading: Deep Blue (Survival Instincts, #0.5) by Adriana Anders 📚

Mon, 05 May 2025 04:19:35 -0400

Finished reading: Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath 📚

Fri, 02 May 2025 17:22:48 -0400

Finished reading: In Bed With the Devil by Lorraine Heath 📚

Lorraine Heath is great at her job.

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 18:10:53 -0400

Finished reading: Born In Ice by Nora Roberts 📚

This one made me a little weepy.

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:11:24 -0400

Finished reading: Oathbound by Tracy Deonn 📚

Ugh so good, Tracy Deonn is so wonderful and I hate that I have to wait a long time for the next book in the Legendborn Cycle and I also know writers need time to do their work. Probably will do a full series re-read ahead of the next.

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:57:23 -0400

Finished reading: Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe 📚

A gorgeous picture book biography.

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:48:20 -0400

Finished reading: Born in Fire by Nora Roberts 📚

Technically I read this in the binding of the Irish Born trilogy that has all 3 books, but I’m giving myself credit for each individual book as I finish it. La Nora writes such a moving story.

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:05:39 -0400

Finished reading: Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome 📚

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:00:54 -0400

Finished reading: Thank You, Omu! (Caldecott Honor Book) by Oge Mora 📚

A lovely picture book about generosity with super cool cut paper mixed media illustrations!

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 13:57:09 -0400

Finished reading: Shadow’s Heart by Kresley Cole 📚

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 14:56:53 -0400

Finished reading: What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long 📚

Oh wow. I love both main characters in this one. The heroine is so tired of being seen as a reliable dog geyser person. The hero is deliberately prickly and mysterious. I love them.

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 13:48:10 -0400

Finished reading: The Secret Garden by Mariah Marsden and Hanna Luechtefeld 📚

The Secret Garden is one of my favorite books from childhood and this is an excellent graphic novel adaptation that captures its magic beautifully.

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 17:24:53 -0400

Finished reading: I Kissed an Earl by Julie Anne Long 📚

A headstrong lady! Shipboard romance! As always, Julie Anne Long does the job.

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 12:06:20 -0400

Finished reading: How to Tell When We Will Die by Johanna Hedva 📚

This book challenged me. I don’t know the last time I had to look up several new-to-me words in a book, but we’re talking decades. This book was full of essays that resonated deeply with my own experiences and others that were like a window into a completely different world. I’m so glad I read it.

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:55:30 -0400

Finished reading: Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson 📚

A great picture book about the Children’s Crusade in Birmingham in 1963, perfect model of how kids can make a difference.

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:29:35 -0400

Finished reading: The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander 📚

A gorgeous picture book poem.

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 23:38:15 -0400

Finished reading: Since the Surrender by Julie Anne Long 📚

Julie Anne Long is really good at the job. Lots of yearning in this one, in the best way.

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:58:45 -0400

Finished reading: How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis 📚

Super fun but also upsetting because of the social commentary middle book in a space heist romance trilogy.

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:45:55 -0400

Finished reading: Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas 📚

A great graphic novel!

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 03:15:06 -0400

Finished reading: Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long 📚

So great. Julie Anne Long is excellent both at the plot level and at the prose level.

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:36:33 -0400

Finished reading: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman 📚

As great as everyone says. It’s striking how much chronic illness and grad school prepped me for accepting rather than struggling with the ideas here. This is a perfect book to read when you’re in your 40s.

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:40:39 -0400

Finished reading: The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long 📚

A book with an awesome heroine and a delightful hero. Julie Anne Long is new to me and seems bound to become one of my favorite historic romance authors.

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 21:14:52 -0400

Finished reading: Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis 📚

The first novella in a series of three. At first I thought it might not be the right moment for me to read this, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The payoff is great.

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 05:21:21 -0400

Finished reading: Dark Russian Angel by Odette Stone 📚

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 20:53:52 -0400

Finished reading: Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell 📚

I really enjoyed this! Sad boys falling in love in space.

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 09:58:13 -0400

Finished reading: Whiteout by Adriana Anders 📚

Like if The Thing, that Antarctica episode of The X-Files, and a Michael Crichton book all had a baby with a romance novel. So, you know, pretty great.

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 06:18:30 -0400

Finished reading: The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath 📚

A wild premise deftly handled.

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 08:48:10 -0400

Finished reading: Falling Into Bed with a Duke by Lorraine Heath 📚

Lorraine Heath knows the job. Minerva Dodger is a delightful heroine.

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 19:09:10 -0400

Finished reading: Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes 📚

A very useful and straightforward book about romance novel structure.

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:51:43 -0400

Finished reading: The Heroine’s Journey: For Readers, Writers, and Fans of Pop Culture by Gail Carriger 📚

This is a great book about story structure that helped me understand, among other things, why Jean-Luc Picard is my favorite Star Trek captain.

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:06:01 -0400

Finished reading: A Duke Worth Falling For by Sarah MacLean 📚

I love Sarah MacLean so much.

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:52:43 -0400

Finished reading: The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa 📚

Cute rom-com with a heroine who has put walls around her heart and has to learn when to open the gate and let someone in.

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 14:02:33 -0400

Finished reading: To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins 📚

Another awesome heroine.

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 19:50:35 -0400

Finished reading: Anything You Want by Derek Sivers 📚

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:26:13 -0400

Finished reading: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott 📚

A classic for a reason.

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:23:05 -0400

Finished reading: Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins 📚

I loved the heroine in this one. Spring is a tough rancher who has been cut off from her feelings for years, except for the feelings she has for horses.

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 11:56:08 -0400

Finished reading: Rebel by Beverly Jenkins 📚

Ms. Bev knows her business and does it well.

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 00:04:34 -0400

Finished reading: After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez 📚

So great. It made me cry. Jeremiah, the hero book, is a phenomenal example of an engaged scholar.

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 01:05:16 -0400

Finished reading: Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli 📚

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 22:39:19 -0400

Finished reading: A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles 📚

A Tory pursuing seditionists for the Home Office and a radical pamphleteer fall in love in Regency England and it’s just as perfect as you’d expect. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 15:22:15 -0400

Finished reading: A Fashionable Indulgence by KJ Charles 📚

Just excellent.

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 21:36:28 -0400

Finished reading: On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder 📚

This was a good book to read today, full of helpful ideas. Reading notes coming soon. Highly recommend.

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 01:15:08 -0400

Finished reading: The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh by KJ Charles 📚

A fun short story. A hot 🔥🔥🔥.

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:27:35 -0400

Finished reading: Priest by Sierra Simone 📚

Y’all, this is both explicit and taboo. Content warning for suicide (one of the MC’s siblings, before the book takes place but the MC finding her is mentioned). A VERY hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 17:22:50 -0400

Finished reading: Dark Lover by J.R. Ward 📚

Listened to the audiobook. This one is very much of its time (2005).

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:16:02 -0400

Finished reading: How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks 📚

The pacing in this is wild, and by wild I mean slow. But it was interesting enough to keep me reading.

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 21:34:56 -0400

Finished reading: Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat 📚

This book is well-written and compelling. It’s also intense and full of potentially triggering moments. I recommend perusing the full Does the Dog Die? page for it before reading.

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 19:27:48 -0400

Finished reading: The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson 📚

I loved this! A woman who has to learn to let love in, a man who is patient enough to wait for her to do so, a coven of friends, political machinations, and magic. Chef kiss! 🔥🔥🔥

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 23:59:51 -0400

Finished reading: Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli 📚

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:57:39 -0400

Finished reading: A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen 📚

Viking fantasy romance/romantasy. Not exactly a cliffhanger but not NOT a cliffhanger, either. Highly recommend. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Sat, 14 Dec 2024 15:21:10 -0400

Finished reading: Bull Moon Rising by Ruby Dixon 📚

I really enjoyed this, mostly for the fantasy and emotional stuff. Love a nerdy heroine and a bull-headed hero (literally, in this case). The uniquely minotaurish monster romance bits were not the main source of its appeal for me. Definitely a very hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥. Not for the faint of heart.

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:53:55 -0400

Finished reading: Swordcrossed by Freya Marske 📚

Lovely! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 01:25:00 -0400

Finished reading: A Touch of Stone and Snow by Milla Vane 📚

I might love this even more than A Heart of Blood and Ashes. A mild 🔥🔥🔥🔥.

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 15:57:53 -0400

Finished reading: A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane 📚

So, so good. I’m so happy to have found my fantasy romance sweet spot. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 18:59:32 -0400

Finished reading: The Beast of Blackmoor by Milla Vane 📚

Milla Vane asks, “What if grimdark, but romance?” and I answer, “Yes please!” So great. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:38:34 -0400

Finished reading: Killer Underwear Invasion! How to Spot Fake News, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories by Elise Gravel 📚

This is a great book, aimed at kids. I’m definitely going to order it for our library. I might try to write a full review later.

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:34:41 -0400

Finished reading: Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 📚

Most of this book is set in the Smoky Mountains near Asheville and I just kept thinking about all the aftermath of Hurricane Helene up there. This book was published in 1997.

🔥🔥🔥

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 09:51:43 -0400

Finished reading: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera 📚

I love Adriana Herrera’s Las Leonas series so much. This is a very hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥. Paris, Scotland, an awesome woman running a business and taking care of her sister. Top notch. Highly recommend.

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 00:14:55 -0400

Finished reading: Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White by Melissa Sweet 📚

White wrote the first novels I remember reading: Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan. This children’s biography had me tearing up several times. Highly recommend.

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:29:02 -0400

Finished reading: Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 📚

🔥🔥🔥

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 18:35:44 -0400

Finished reading: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase 📚

The. Best. 🔥🔥🔥

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 01:24:22 -0400

Finished reading: Captives of the Night by Loretta Chase 📚

So good. Loretta Chase knows the job. 🔥🔥🔥

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 06:22:37 -0400

Finished reading: The Truth About Him by M. O’Keefe 📚

🔥🔥🔥🔥

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 06:21:55 -0400

Finished reading: Everything I Left Unsaid by M. O’Keefe 📚

🔥🔥🔥🔥

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 20:01:39 -0400

Finished reading: You Had Me at Happy Hour by Timothy Janovsky 📚

Of course Timothy Janovsky can write a book that has incredible mental illness & neurodiversity rep, is adorable, and scorches, all at the same time. A very hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥, almost 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 22:53:53 -0400

Finished reading: The Pairing by Casey McQuiston 📚

I love it. I’m a sucker for a second-chance romance. Casey McQuiston always does a great job. This book made me want to eat and travel and love with my whole heart. 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 08:38:13 -0400

Finished reading: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins 📚

This is a modern gothic. I bounced off of it in print but audio worked beautifully for me, as there are different perspectives and time periods, plus documentary-style bits. Highly recommend.

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 08:59:07 -0400

Finished reading: The Lion’s Daughter by Loretta Chase 📚

An older book by a luminary of the genre. I love when romance includes a lot of adventure and boy does this ever. 🔥🔥🔥

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 10:15:53 -0400

Finished reading: If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens 📚

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 13:09:36 -0400

Finished reading: Operation: Cover-Up by Tate Godwin 📚

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:02:35 -0400

Finished reading: Hungry Bones by Louise Hung 📚

Full review coming soon!

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 04:15:28 -0400

Finished reading: Knockout by Sarah MacLean 📚

Another extra hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥.

Bless Sarah MacLean for giving us a short, round, dark-haired, brilliant, weird heroine who fears she’s too much and a man who can never get enough of her.

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 19:55:17 -0400

Finished reading: Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean 📚

Whoo. This is a hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥 on the romance.io scale. Romance is unmatched and so is Sarah MacLean.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 22:50:48 -0400

Finished reading: Bombshell by Sarah MacLean 📚

Sarah MacLean is just so good. This is like… A 3.5 on the romance.io scale? The language is slightly (but only slightly) euphemistic; it’s pretty clear exactly what’s happening where.

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 22:13:38 -0400

Finished reading: Love, Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas 📚

This has a steam rating of 🔥🔥🔥.

A very early Kleypas. Be warned: the hero is a Confederate veteran. Apparently, he opposed slavery but fought for the Confederacy anyway.

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 20:32:02 -0400

Finished reading: When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman 📚

Full review forthcoming.

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 08:31:49 -0400

Finished reading: When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein 📚

Super cute, very hot. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 on the romance.io scale.

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 07:26:50 -0400

Finished reading: This Will Be Fun by E B Asher 📚

Full review forthcoming.

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 15:24:46 -0400

Finished reading: Indigo by Beverly Jenkins 📚

This is so good. I learned more about abolitionism from this romance novel in a more engaging way than any history class I’ve taken would be able to achieve. Highly recommend.

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 14:23:12 -0400

Finished reading: Hers for the Weekend by Helena Greer 📚

Loved it! This releases August 27. Expect a full review soon!

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 16:43:02 -0400

Finished reading: Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey 📚

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 14:55:58 -0400

Finished reading: The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler 📚

Read this to prepare for collaborating with teachers at work who want support finding books to work into our literacy curriculum. It’s especially interesting as someone who started her teaching career in the era of No Child Left Behind.

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 21:30:08 -0400

Finished reading: Tender Rebel by Johanna Lindsey 📚

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 11:32:32 -0400

Finished reading: Love Only Once by Johanna Lindsey 📚

Sat, 20 Jul 2024 15:50:46 -0400

Finished reading: Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean 📚

If you want to see Sarah MacLean do a magic trick and turn the villain of two books into the hero of the third, read the Bareknuckle Bastards series.

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 17:23:38 -0400

Finished reading: Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean 📚

Sarah MacLean is just the best.

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 23:16:41 -0400

Finished reading: Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean 📚

I love this one. The hero is so dreamy.

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 14:04:21 -0400

Finished reading: The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean 📚

This one made me cry. I just really love a second chance.

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:45:27 -0400

Finished reading: A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean 📚

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:45:18 -0400

Finished reading: The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean 📚

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 20:19:15 -0400

Finished reading: The Price of Pleasure by Kresley Cole 📚

This one made me smile at the end.

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 20:51:32 -0400

Finished reading: The Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole 📚

I do love a sailor heroine.

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:39:30 -0400

Finished reading: If You Desire by Kresley Cole 📚

Somehow forgot to post this when I finished it. It was my favorite of the MacCarrick Brothers trilogy.

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 22:08:53 -0400

Finished reading: If You Deceive by Kresley Cole 📚

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 15:53:40 -0400

Finished reading: If You Dare by Kresley Cole 📚

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 04:15:11 -0400

Finished reading: The Devil of Downtown by Joanna Shupe 📚

Another excellent Gilded Age historical romance.

Fri, 31 May 2024 18:20:48 -0400

Finished reading: Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun 📚

This made me bawl. I love a childhood best friends to enemies to lovers story, and this one is about English teachers and their mentor English teacher and love through decades.

Tue, 28 May 2024 13:38:22 -0400

Finished reading: The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe 📚

I loved it. A delightful heroine, a debutante with dreams of owning a women-only casino. The bitter casino owner she’s chosen to mentor her. Excellent stuff.

Tue, 28 May 2024 01:23:05 -0400

Finished reading: The Essential X-Men Volume 3 by Chris Claremont 📚

Read as single issues and only the Uncanny X-Men books, not the annuals, but this is the easiest way to track reading the comics.

Sat, 25 May 2024 01:09:00 -0400

Finished reading: The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe 📚

Gilded Age New York, a hotshot lawyer, and a responsible eldest daughter who finds her responsibility chafing. What’s not to love?

Wed, 22 May 2024 12:58:37 -0400

Finished reading: The Essential X-Men Volume 2 by Chris Claremont 📚

Again, read as single issues in Marvel Unlimited, but this is the best way to track. It’s a powerhouse of a run with both Dark Phoenix and Days of Future Past in it.

Wed, 22 May 2024 07:50:40 -0400

Finished reading: Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean 📚

This has my favorite of Sarah MacLean’s heroes. Give me a guy who is clever and made his own way over a titled rogue any day. (But I like to read about titled rogues, too.)

Sun, 19 May 2024 20:51:58 -0400

Finished reading: Essential X-Men - Volume 1

I read these as single issues in Marvel Unlimited, but this is the easiest way to track them.

Thu, 16 May 2024 20:51:58 -0400

Finished reading: No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean 📚

I love every Sarah MacLean heroine.

Tue, 14 May 2024 18:31:10 -0400

Finished reading: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean 📚

Lady Phillipa Marbury is a refreshing take on a bluestocking.

Sat, 11 May 2024 21:55:42 -0400

Finished reading: A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean 📚

I do love a good 19th Century casino. Thank goodness for the romance-guaranteed happily ever after, because there was a lot of this book that made me sad when the two main characters had huge misunderstandings.

Thu, 09 May 2024 19:28:34 -0400

Finished reading: Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart by Sarah MacLean 📚

Yes, I finished this less than 36 hours after I finished the last one.

Wed, 08 May 2024 09:20:27 -0400

Finished reading: Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean 📚

I love the heroine in this so much. Big eldest daughter, have-to-hold-it-together energy, and I’m so happy the hero is ready and willing to act as a partner and show her that just because she can do everything alone, that doesn’t mean she should have to.

Sun, 05 May 2024 10:12:36 -0400

Finished reading: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean 📚

My first MacLeaniverse adventure and, of course, I loved it.

Fri, 03 May 2024 22:47:09 -0400

Finished reading: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo 📚

So great. I loved it so much. More later.

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 12:34:45 -0400

Finished reading: The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky 📚

Whew! Timothy Janovsky wasn’t kidding when he said this was his steamiest book yet! Grief and heartbreak serve as the flashpoint for this sizzling romance set against a Supermarket Sweep-style game show.

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:17:06 -0400

Finished reading: You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian 📚

Full review coming soon but y’all, this is so great. It’s out May 7. Olivia Waite says if you only read one romance this spring, it should be this one, and she’s right.

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 16:20:08 -0400

Finished reading: The Witch Queen of Halloween by Kresley Cole 📚

This is a super fun romance novella, inspired by horror movies. Might become an annual Halloween re-read for me.

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 12:48:36 -0400

Finished reading: The Player by Kresley Cole 📚

A con artist falling in love with her tech billionaire mark? Sign me up.

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 17:09:21 -0400

Finished reading: The Master by Kresley Cole 📚

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:09:27 -0400

Finished reading: The Professional by Kresley Cole 📚

I finished this in just a couple of days. Definitely read the info on the author’s website before picking this one up.

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 03:21:30 -0400

Finished reading: Munro by Kresley Cole 📚

The heroine in this one is a time-traveling Transylvanian knife-throwing carnie so, you know, she’s awesome.

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 08:50:31 -0400

Finished reading: Wicked Abyss by Kresley Cole 📚

This is a banger of a Beauty and the Beast retelling, with an ending I radically prefer to the Disney version. Highly recommend.

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:13:27 -0400

Finished reading: Shadow’s Seduction by Kresley Cole 📚

It took me a long time to get into this one and it’s not as strong as a lot of the other Immortals After Dark books, but I still ended up liking it.

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 05:04:03 -0400

Finished reading: Shadow’s Claim by Kresley Cole 📚

I really liked this one, the way the main characters interact with each other is both sweet and hot. I’ve only got 4 books left before I’m caught up on the Immortals After Dark series.

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 05:46:24 -0400

Finished reading: Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole 📚

“She’d thought there was no greater connection than destiny decreeing them joined. But there was—the choice they’d made to love each other.”

Loved it.

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 14:27:23 -0400

Finished reading: Dark Skye by Kresley Cole 📚

Other people seem to hate this one but I like it pretty well. Lanthe and Thronos’s story is epic, spanning years and continents. Lives ruined. Blood shed. Worth a try if you’re making your way through Immortals After Dark.

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:20:54 -0400

Finished reading: Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas 📚

A lovely historical about an author and a publisher who fall in lust and then love. Her body is described as voluptuous, bountiful, abundant, generous. It’s clear that these are attractive things for her to be. Quite spicy. Content warning: miscarriage.

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:48:35 -0400

Finished reading: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang 📚

A lovely romance novel with an autistic heroine. I highlighted a lot.

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 23:55:54 -0400

Finished reading: Matilda by Roald Dahl 📚

We went to see Matilda the Musical and I loved it. I’d watched the Netflix movie of the musical and years ago the movie with Mara Wilson, but I’d never actually read the book. It’s a lovely book but I think the musical is even better.

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 21:46:38 -0400

Finished reading: MacRieve by Kresley Cole 📚

This one is beautifully done as always. There’s a traumatic backstory of childhood sexual abuse for the hero and the way it impacts his relationship with the protagonist broke my heart. But of course there’s a happy ending because romance. ♥️

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 20:58:38 -0400

Finished reading: Lothaire by Kresley Cole 📚

Of course if you’re reading Immortals After Dark you must read this one. You simply must.

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:10:45 -0400

Finished reading: Preferential Treatment by Heather Guerre 📚

Read this billionaire romance because it’s the next Fated Mates read along. It’s very well done & deflates the billionaire fantasy without taking all of the fun out of it. Definitely check the content warnings before reading.

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 05:55:16 -0400

Finished reading: Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole 📚

This one took me a little while to get into but once I was in, I couldn’t put it down.

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 23:39:22 -0400

Finished reading: Demon From the Dark by Kresley Cole 📚

I really enjoyed this one and tore through it. Give me a sad, traumatized couple of people who find a new family in each other and I’m happy. 😍

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 23:22:06 -0400

Finished reading: Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole 📚

I really liked, maybe even loved this one. The back half is all adventure, super cinematic.

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 19:00:50 -0400

Finished reading: “Untouchable” in Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole 📚

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 12:44:13 -0400

Finished reading: You’re Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to a Coffee Shop by John Scalzi 📚

This was a re-read. A bit of a time capsule from the web of 2005-2007, a web I greatly miss.

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 23:13:05 -0400

Finished reading: Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole 📚

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 23:13:04 -0400

Finished reading: Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole 📚

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 14:18:20 -0400

Finished reading: Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole 📚

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ I tore through this one so fast. I think it might partly be because the heroine is a PhD candidate.

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:25:50 -0400

Finished reading: Dark Needs at Night’s Edge by Kresley Cole 📚

My favorite Immortals After Dark book so far. A burlesque dancer becomes a ballerina, ends up a ghost, and falls in love with a vampire who is trapped in the New Orleans Gothic manor that she haunts. 🌹👻🩰

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 13:47:58 -0400

Finished reading: Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night by Kresley Cole 📚

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ as always. Werewolves continue to not be my thing but I love witches.

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 11:16:08 -0400

Finished reading: No Rest For The Wicked by Kresley Cole 📚

Listen, all these Immortals After Dark books are 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️, okay? That’s just what’s up. I like this one better than the one that came before it, definitely more my vibe.

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:22:52 -0400

Finished reading: A Hunger Like No other by Kresley Cole 📚

Incredibly high spice level, all the chili pepper emoji 🌶️! A Valkyrie/vampire hybrid and a werewolf (there wolf) fall in love. I’m reading this as I listen along to the first season of Fated Mates.

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:19:47 -0400

Finished reading: The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung 📚

A 2024 Caldecott Honor winner.

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:18:59 -0400

Finished reading: Two New Years by Richard Ho 📚

Winner of the 2024 Sydney Taylor book award.

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 19:04:37 -0400

Finished reading: Nacho y Lolita/Nacho and Lolita by Pam Muñoz Ryan 📚

Pam Muñoz Ryan won the Children’s Literature Legacy Award. This was where NoveList Plus recommended starting with her work.

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 19:02:51 -0400

Finished reading: Fox Has a Problem by Corey R. Tabor 📚

Reading my way through this year’s American Library Association Youth Media Award winners. This won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book. It’s super cute.

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 22:40:49 -0400

Finished reading: Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas 📚

A sizzling historical that has two refreshing leads: she’s a writer, not a bluestocking. He is a gambling club owner, not a duke.

Sat, 03 Feb 2024 20:25:46 -0400

Finished reading: Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas 📚

Classic 90s pre-Victorian historical, medium spice level.

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 22:38:25 -0400

Finished reading: The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun 📚

Lovely! What if the dude who was producing The Bachelor fell in love with the bachelor? This book is all kinds of sweet and affirming, with great queer, neurodivergence, race, and mental illness rep.

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 19:35:25 -0400

Finished reading: New Adult by Timothy Janovsky 📚

Like if 13 Going on 30 was instead 23 Going on 30. Timothy Janovsky’s characters make me so happy, they’re so heart-full. Also lots of good stuff about keeping comedy in its proper place in your life rather than letting it become an all-consuming obsession.

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 05:12:11 -0400

Finished reading: A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña 📚

A lovely, slightly spicy romance. This one resonates a lot because one of the main characters is an oldest sibling who feels responsible for everything.

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 23:31:49 -0400

Finished reading: A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña 📚

Super sweet and a little steamy romance.

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 07:46:35 -0400

Finished reading: In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae 📚

Highest of recommendations here. This book is a cute romance but it’s also healing to read.

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 20:27:13 -0400

Finished reading: Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn K. Stringfield 📚

Full review coming later, but I loved this confection of a YA romance from Ravynn K. Stringfield, my creative nonfiction for academics teacher. A Francophile Black American girl falling in love with Paris and a cute Parisian. Highly recommend.

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 21:24:12 -0400

Finished reading: The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond 📚

I thought this was going to be a romance book with a heist, but I was mistaken. It’s a heist book with a romance! It’s beautifully done. Full review coming soon. The Frame-Up releases February 13. Pre-order it now!

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 16:30:46 -0400

Finished reading: Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky 📚

Another delightful romance given to us by Timothy Janovsky, whose little details feel so calculated to please me. This time: The Great Movie Ride (RIP) figures in a key scene.

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 21:11:07 -0400

Finished reading: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert 📚

I’m late to this party but happy to finally be here. As sweet and hot as the romance here is, it’s the portrayal of fibromyalgia that makes my heart sing.

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 12:11:29 -0400

Finished reading: For Never & Always by Helena Greer 📚

I love it so much. Finished it in under 48 hours. Helena Greer has given us a lovely place in Carrigan’s Christmasland and a host of delightful people to populate it. I keep seeing different bits of myself in each of her characters and it makes me happy. Highly recommend.

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 18:36:54 -0400

Finished reading: How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow 📚

Lovely and sweet. Made me cry when the main character’s mom really shows up for her. Also kinda makes me want to travel to DC.

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 21:40:39 -0400

Finished reading: Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun 📚

This one was so lovely it made me cry. I can’t even sum up. Go read the description if it sounds good to you, try it out. Highly recommend.

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 19:21:32 -0400

Finished reading: You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky 📚

Oh my goodness I love it. Matthew Prince starts out as a spoiled party boy but Janovsky slowly pulled the onion layers back until I loved him. And his love interest Hector is wonderful. Highly recommend.

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:45:57 -0400

Finished reading: In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae 📚

A lovely place-based friends-to-lovers second chance. As often happens, the third act breakup made me want to yell at the main character but the book had me happy-teary by the end.

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:06:13 -0400

Finished reading: Eight Kisses by Mindy Klasky 📚

Eight Hanukkah romance stories. I read one each night. My favorites are the one with the Frisky Bean coffee shop and the one with empty nesters reconnecting.

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 08:19:02 -0400

Finished reading: Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur 📚

The first holiday rom-com of a month where I hope to read many. Elle is an astrologer who dreams of a big love. Darcy is an actuary who’s terrified of having one. This book’s heat level is sensual, a couple explicit scenes. A lovely book but I wish the third act break-up had been resolved more quickly so I could’ve had more joyous reunion time.

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 17:06:20 -0400

Finished reading: Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado 📚

A bunch of excellent and chilling stories. Horror and make it literary. Uncertainty that is maddening but then that’s kind of the point.

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 15:18:45 -0400

Finished reading: Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad) by Tracy Dennis-Tiwary 📚

A helpful framing of normal, baseline anxiety as a source of information that can spur us to creativity and action.

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 21:13:22 -0400

Finished reading: The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish 📚

A 17th Century bit of philosophical fantastical adventure.

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 19:53:39 -0400

Finished reading: The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas 📚

Great all the way through but extra compelling for the last third. Like Mexican Gothic, it uses Gothic tropes of a spooky house and a mysterious husband to interrogate colonialism in Mexico. Highly recommend.

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 19:16:47 -0400

Finished reading: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 📚

Keeping this Gothic train rolling. This one is excellent, of course.

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 00:32:20 -0400

Finished reading: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James 📚

Another Gothic. Governesses, am I right?

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 03:47:28 -0400

Finished reading: “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe 📚

Making my pivot to Gothic now that it’s October. (I skipped my usual campus novels in September and stuck with romance.)

This one’s a classic, of course. But I like “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Masque of the Red Death” better.

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 04:06:13 -0400

Finished reading: We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian 📚

I loved it so much, finished it in under 48 hours. “Newsies for shippers” is an apt description. I love people being sweet on each other and making happiness when they feared it just wasn’t out there for them.

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 19:15:14 -0400

Finished reading: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera 📚

So good! Manuela is going to marry a wealthy man, for the good of her family. But first, she’s going to spend six weeks in Paris, having Sapphic adventures.

As with all the best romances, this book is about two people who make each other grow as much as it’s about falling in love.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Hotter than steamy, very explicit.

Highly recommend.

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 19:23:12 -0400

Finished reading: From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper 📚

Loved it even more than Payback’s A Witch. Full review coming later this week.

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:46:52 -0400

Finished reading: Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper 📚

It’s a witchy romance between two bi women and it has a punny title. What’s not to love? Moderately steamy.

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 11:36:23 -0400

Finished reading: Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander 📚

This book is super queer and super cute. Simone’s a chef. Ray’s a kitchen manager. They take a long time to get together but once they do, it’s 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. Warning: Transphobia & a relatedly garbage workplace.

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 21:18:08 -0400

Finished reading: Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel 📚

Gorgeous prose in this book that’s like if The Lion in Winter was mostly a romance between Richard and Philip. Recommend!

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:38:38 -0400

Finished reading: The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes 📚

This one didn’t click with me right away, but that was about me and what else I’ve read recently, not about the book. It’s beautiful and sweet with a bit of spice, too.

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 21:19:11 -0400

Finished reading: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune 📚

Listened to the audiobook. I understand why so much of the beginning of this book had to establish for us the dreariness of Linus Baker’s life. I didn’t really get into it until he arrived at the eponymous house. And from then on it made my heart sing.

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 02:08:57 -0400

Finished reading: The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest 📚

Adorable romance about a publishing assistant who starts an email friendship with the author of her favorite book, then he unknowingly moves into her apartment building. I love stories about book people. Highly recommend.

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 07:14:49 -0400

Finished reading: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett 📚

Lovely! A scholar of faerie lore travels to a frozen Scandinavian town to research for her book and along the way, her annoyingly wonderful colleague decides to join her. Brilliant use of both academia and faerie stuff in this one. Highly recommend.

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 20:54:41 -0400

Finished reading: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 📚

Listened to the audiobook. Super adorable. Super hot. Super made me teary with it’s AU 2016 election that a woman won. Highly recommend.

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:20:42 -0400

Finished reading: Nimona by ND Stevenson 📚

Weird I waited so long to read it. A lot going on here and I’m always delighted by the way ND Stevenson’s art reminds me of Quentin Blake’s.

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 22:48:45 -0400

Finished reading: Ana María and The Fox by Liana De la Rosa 📚

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 01:58:25 -0400

Finished reading: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna 📚

What a sweet, cozy cup of tea of a book. This one made me so happy. And for the first time in a while, I feel like writing a full review. Stay tuned.

Sat, 08 Jul 2023 14:22:57 -0400

Finished reading: Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin 📚

Another sweet romance set in the Toronto Muslim community from Uzma Jalaluddin. This one has Shop Around the Corner/She Loves Me/You’ve Got Mail vibes. It includes a community dealing with racial hatred and coming through in a joyous way. Highly recommend.

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 20:11:56 -0400

Finished reading: You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi 📚

I read this start-to-finish in about 8 hours. It’s a romance that illuminates grief and what can come after. It made me cry. It made me hungry. Highly recommend.

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 10:44:11 -0400

Finished reading: Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin 📚

This is a beautiful homage to Pride & Prejudice, as well as to the Toronto Muslim community. A sweet love story with beautiful language. And so much tasty-sounding food and drink! Highly recommend.

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 09:41:13 -0400

Finished reading: The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller 📚

This is a lovely romance set in Gilded Age New York, where a scandalous society widow and a famous inventor fall in love as they try to exorcise a ghost from the Gothic mansion she just bought. Content warning: spousal abuse, neglectful parents, bad treatment in a mental health facility.

Sat, 03 Jun 2023 17:54:12 -0400

Finished reading: Wyngraf #1

The first issue of a cozy fantasy magazine. Full of lovely stories I very much enjoyed. Mother-daughter dragon calming, fairy diplomacy, what happens 20 years after you save the world, and more. Highly recommend.

Tue, 30 May 2023 16:35:08 -0400

Finished reading: Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo 📚

Gorgeous graphic version of the Darkling’s origin story.

Sat, 20 May 2023 20:44:38 -0400

Finished reading: Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale 📚

A sweet historical romance involving a Quaker and a rakish Duke.

Wed, 03 May 2023 02:02:02 -0400

Finished reading: Mr. & Mrs. Witch by Gwenda Bond 📚

Loved it. Scorchingly hot, fun secret agent hijinks. Highly recommend.

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 14:24:31 -0400

Finished reading: Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett 📚

My first finished Discworld. Reading Piers Anthony feels like coming home (miss me with your takes on him, please, I know his flaws). Reading Terry Pratchett feels like visiting a treasured friend. A lot of fun here.

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 20:04:49 -0400

Finished reading: A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow 📚

This one took me a little while to get into but once I was in, I was all in. Super fun while also dealing with all the ways our stories can be garbage. Highly recommend.

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 04:52:49 -0400

Finished reading: Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill 📚

I want to write a long response to this one but don’t have time today. It’s less about art-making than I expected. It’s also excellent.

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 13:42:37 -0400

Finished reading: Never Say You Can’t Survive by Charlie Jane Anders 📚

I love this so much! Charlie Jane Anders says to invent imaginary friends to hang out with and write about them, which inspired me to write stories about characters friends and I invented a while back and now almost 10K words later I feel capable of writing fiction again. Highly recommend.

Sat, 25 Mar 2023 14:59:05 -0400

Finished reading: Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn 📚

I might love this even more than Legendborn, which I didn’t think was possible. Tracy Deonn goes broader and deeper and is my hero.

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 02:18:40 -0400

Finished reading: Amsterdam: A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto 📚

This has been a great read while wandering Amsterdam. I have a much better understanding of the significance and uniqueness of the city, and have been able to attach more meaning to particular places, than I would have if I hadn’t read it. Highly recommend.

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 20:46:52 -0400

Finished reading: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers 📚

Happy to have read it. Turns out vibes are enough when you’ve got charming characters.

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 13:10:36 -0400

Finished reading: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 📚

This one took me a while to get into. Before giving up, I hunted down a review. The review indicated that there was more to this than vestibules, halls, statues, and tides, so I stuck with it. I’m glad I did.

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 18:17:55 -0400

Finished reading: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 📚

I’m extremely late to this one. It’s excellent, of course. I love the way Angie Thomas shows that even in the face of tragedy and appalling oppression, there’s room for joy.

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 19:50:08 -0400

Finished reading: Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo 📚

I love it so much. I left the hardcover at home but bought the ebook to read while I’m traveling, which meant I could highlight without feeling weird about it and I highlighted a ton of stuff.

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 07:23:55 -0400

Finished reading: The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie 📚

Poirot’s first case. A bit of homage to Doyle at the start, then on to the modes that come to define Christie’s work: a rogue’s gallery & a drawing room reveal.

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 20:00:11 -0400

Finished reading: Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur 📚