Amanda
I probably should have read [b:The Austen Playbook 42279630 The Austen Playbook (London Celebrities, #4) Lucy Parker https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1550200262l/42279630.SY75.jpg 63884092] before this one, since it follows pretty directly after that and deals with the fallout from a pretty major plot point in that book, but reading them out of order is on me, whoops. I just love Lucy Parker's writing - it's so smooth and easy to read, and she's so good at banter between characters. This wasn't my favorite of this series (I think that'll always be [b:Act Like It 25750546 Act Like It (London Celebrities, #1) Lucy Parker https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1437804753l/25750546.SY75.jpg 45592892]), but I really enjoyed this one, even missing some of the context.(2021 Summer Romance Bingo: cover has snow on it, would also work for reporter.)
[b:A Room with a View 3087 A Room with a View E.M. Forster https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388781285l/3087.SY75.jpg 4574872] is one of my favorite books of all time (so much so that my cats are named Lucy and Charlotte), so maybe my expectations were too high for this, especially since I very much enjoyed the [b:Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy 40534004 Crazy Rich Asians Trilogy (Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, Rich People Problems) Kevin Kwan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529076340l/40534004.SX50.jpg 62927792] and find Kevin Kwan's writing style almost compulsively readable - I didn't much care for this book but there was no way I wasn't going to finish it, if that makes sense. I don't know where the issue is exactly here, but I just don't think this story translated well to the modern-day setting at ALL. A lot of the characterization was really flat for me, and I think that's the biggest issue, since it definitely affects the plot. Lucie is supposed to be super old-money and insecure because she never felt good enough for the white side of her family, but I didn't think that conflict was ever all that well-developed, and certainly not enough for it to explain her actions here. George is barely even a character besides being hot and not talking a lot, and Kwan changes the role of his father (his mother in this version) so there's not that early connection with Lucie and yes, Cecil is the Worst, but I don't think there's enough development of the connection between Lucie and George to make them make sense. Also, imagine caring about the Social Register in 2018! Or thinking Odessa was “central Texas,” like I get that you want the new-money background for Cecil but please look at a map, if he grew up in Odessa why is his family trying to get into a swanky country club in Houston? Also, how do you not have the skinny-dipping scene?Things that I did like - Lucie's mom was delightful, Freddie was delightfully terrible, Cecil was at least as insufferable as in the original, I really want to visit Capri now. I don't think I recommend this - read A Room With a View instead, like I'm going to (for the dozenth time) now.
Very hard to read, but better than I thought it would be. Loved the different dynamics between Lia and all her family members. Also the Elijah thing.
Fun and a pretty quick read - though probably not all that interesting unless you like crosswords, obviously. Luckily, I do, and I enjoyed the author's journey through the history of puzzles. I would've liked a little less focus on the New York Times crossword puzzle; while it's still clearly the most prominent, I think there's a lot more interesting (and certainly more inclusive) work being done in the indie-puzzle world. There are brief mentions of that, and a good section dealing with several of the more recent racial/gender controversies in the NYT puzzle, but I would've loved longer interviews with people like Ben Tausig or the editors of the Inkubator. Overall, though, I really did enjoy this and the epilogue about a crossword cruise is hilarious!
I am so behind on my reviews, but this was such a good book! I'm shelving as ‘fantasy,' but it's really more of an alternate history of the American West after a plague kills 90% of the population and women's fertility becomes all-important. I wish the rest of the gang were a little better-differentiated but I'm not going to complain too hard about a book that's as much fun as this one - content warnings for violence and probably several other things, so it's not all fluff, but it was a compelling read, so much so that I had to consciously make myself put it down so I wouldn't read it in one sitting. Also, almost everyone in the gang (besides Ada, it seems) is some variety of LGBT/non-binary and it's amazing.
Considering how much I adored [b:Well Met 43189874 Well Met (Well Met, #1) Jen DeLuca https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548353675l/43189874.SY75.jpg 67013218], this was something of a letdown. I didn't feel like there was sufficient groveling for the yearlong catfishing by Daniel, and Stacey forgave him way too easily for what most people would consider a pretty big betrayal - again with female characters basically gaslighting themselves into being okay with completely unacceptable actions by their love interests (looking at you [b:The Boyfriend Project 52211784 The Boyfriend Project (The Boyfriend Project, #1) Farrah Rochon https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570712674l/52211784.SY75.jpg 73615834]), and seriously, y'all deserve better! Daniel was very underwritten as a character as well, probably because he wasn't really on the page all that much, certainly not enough for Stacey's decision at the end to make sense - you have a degree in fashion merchandising and some talent as a stylist and you quit your job to manage merch for a Ren Faire touring act? I understand wanting to get out of town, but that is a Choice. I liked Stacey and it was fun to return to this setting, but this wasn't quite what I was hoping for, unfortunately.(Review edited 5/21/21 - why did I give this three stars in the first place? Definitely a two-star situation.)
Quick read and hilarious - kind of wish I'd listened to it instead of read, but Fisher's voice is so strong and distinctive either way.
The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess
A little dated in some of the writing, but the workouts and eating advice is definitely solid - love a fitness book for women that's like “okay but you should probably be eating MORE.”
Probably my favorite of this series so far, though I want to finish (and reread Learn My Lesson) before making that call. Dark and angsty and (of course) kinky as hell.
DNF @ 33% or so - was reading this for “work rivals” on 2022 romance bingo. Read some reviews here and apparently this is more women's fiction than romance, and also the characters aren't really rivals. Wasn't loving it regardless, what with the cardboard cutout characters (seriously, every man at the MC's office besides the love interest is cartoonishly awful). DNFing and moving on.
3.5, rounding up. Longer review to follow, but fascinating and very enjoyable, even though this isn't my usual type of book.
“I engineered a monster, cloned its brain from a human psychic, sent it to New York, and killed half of the city.” Really.
I can appreciate the work here and what a big deal it was for comics 30 years ago, but now ... meh. And the whole falling in love with someone who TRIED TO RAPE YOU thing? I know it's not the first or last time that trope will be used, but it's disgusting every time. Could've done without the excerpts from the pirate horror comic as well. Again, this is well done and definitely a comic landmark but it just left me cold.
I really didn't care for the choice to use dialect for one of the characters, and the book touched on a little bit of Nice White Lady syndrome. It wasn't as bad about that as I feared it might be at the beginning, though. The dialect, though. Man.
3.5, rounding down because I'm not a fan of first-person in romance, especially when the MC keeps referring to her “lady parts” or “girl parts” in her internal monologue. Like, you're not 12 and neither is the reader, and if we can have detailed descriptions of the lead dude's junk, let's stop with the cutesy talk, please.
Anyway. I wasn't sure I was going to like this at first, what with the alternating first-person and just how much of a jerk the hero was in the beginning, but once it got past that, it grew on me nicely and I learned some interesting things about apples. I might go back and read the rest of this series, because I really do like the setting, and most of the other potential leads mentioned in the story don't seem like they'd start off as grumpy as Griff.
(2019 summer romance bingo: “wine and spirits”; don't think it'd fit any other square except HEA.)
(3.5, rounding up.) I love a good slow burn, but holy cow, this was glacial. I think I was at something like 65% of the way through before they kissed? I did enjoy both MC's journeys - Agatha letting go of her old life in London and Penelope finally starting to live for herself. I also learned some history in this! Most of the time, Regency romances just use that era as a setting to mean “empire dresses and lots of balls and The Season” (which is not a complaint, I love that stuff too), but this has no one with a title (except the villain) and actual political persecution, which is much more in line with most people's experiences during this time. Don't get me wrong, “realism” in any historical romance isn't a thing, but a perspective that's focused on working-class people is absolutely refreshing.
(Side note: this cover is the most awkward thing I've ever seen. The models don't even appear to be in the same room, let alone sitting on the same piece of furniture. Neither model looks overcome by passion, more like they're fighting to not sneeze, and they're both probably twenty years younger and quite a bit thinner than the descriptions of the characters they're supposed to be representing. I ‘m all about a cover with real people, but ... if you don't want to use models who are accurate to the characters, that's not saying much great about whoever's doing the selection here.)
3.5, rounding up. The premise here is ridiculous, but Romance Reasons!! I enjoyed this and I'm absolutely reading the next one.
(Not really a romance, but there is a romance in it, so let's call it that as well.)
Oh my god, this book was so funny and sweet and gentle and just perfect. There's not a ton of conflict, just Linus breaking down his own walls and discovering where he's meant to be. Found-family isn't always my thing, but I just loved all the children in the house - I would try to pick out a favorite (and I will confess an extra soft spot for Theodore and Chauncey), but they were all realistic characters and easily distinguished from each other. This book deals with some heavy things - CWs here there are descriptions of child abuse in the past (though not detailed), and some verbal attacks on magical people from the villagers - but the tone is consistently hopeful and optimistic. I never doubted for a second that things would work out for the best, which is a nice feeling to have in the middle of, you know, everything.
I love Jane Austen and all, but this one is just kind of weird. I don't really care for any of the characters; the Crawfords are entirely unsuitable, considering what happens (kind of abruptly) in the last few chapters, but at least they have some personality. I don't know if Edmund is meant to be Mr. Collins Light, but he really is. Also, he and Fanny are cousins, which is still pretty gross.
I think I'm suffering a slight book hangover after loving [b:Xeni 53133786 Xeni (Loose Ends #2) Rebekah Weatherspoon https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570276619l/53133786.SX50_SY75.jpg 73607459] as much as I did, because this was just a little bit of a letdown - I still enjoyed it, but the pacing was somewhat off for me, with the slowish burn of the romance and then everything happening with Reid's job and the scandal in the last 50 or so pages. I loved Meg and her journey as a character from being somewhat passive and avoiding conflict to learning how to fight in a productive way. Since this is entirely from Meg's POV (and first-person), so Reid is a little less developed as a character for me, though that late reveal does clarify things a little. The writing was overall excellent, and I also loved how much attention was paid to Meg's friendships and the relationships between the female characters as well (actually, now that I think about it, Reid is really the only significant male character, which is not a complaint). This book (combined with [a:Ruby Lang 13495728 Ruby Lang https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1493417079p2/13495728.jpg]'s Uptown trilogy) really made me want to visit New York again. Maybe someday that'll be possible.Edited to add that I really appreciated that Meg had cramps in this book - I know romance novels are fantasy but that little note of realism was well-done and uncommon. More of it please!(2020 summer romance bingo: dad jokes. Would work for set on island or ice cream as well)
Fascinating and infuriating - I can't wait to read [b:Catch and Kill 46650277 Catch and Kill Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators Ronan Farrow https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570798239l/46650277.SY75.jpg 72177046] to see how it compares, with two publications pursuing the same story and sources at the same time. This was very well-written and easy to follow, even with two authors and the sort of strange third-person storytelling format they devised to make it clear who was doing what when. (I can't think of a better way to do this, honestly; an authorial “we” would get very confusing very quickly, so I'm not criticizing here, just noting that this took some getting used to.) I'm not sure I can say I really enjoyed this book, since it's in large part a litany of what one very powerful man got away with doing to women for decades, and the herculean efforts it took reporters at the biggest newspaper in the world to finally bring him to some semblance of justice. I'm glad I read it, though, and it's definitely worth the time. The latter part loses a bit of focus as it moves from the Weinstein investigation and fallout to the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings nearly a year later. These authors didn't break that story, so it loses some of the immediacy of the rest of the book, and it's really compressed into a couple of chapters. I understand why it's there, but the Weinstein sections are stronger by far. I did like the epilogue/final chapter, however, which brings together a lot of the women who have spoken out about harassment to discuss the fallout and what comes next.
Four stars because I wish it had been longer - loved the growth both characters showed and the author's clear knowledge of and affection for Harlem!
I learned so much from this book! It was engaging and fun, just like the authors' blog and podcast, and witty without being mean. I think a lot of the references would probably be lost on non-Drag Race fans, but everyone should be watching Drag Race anyway, so start there and then read this book.