December 2024 Reading Update
Jan. 4th, 2025 12:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaI worked only night shifts this month, had a lot of down time, and was very productive, bookwise. Not in any other way.
Currently Reading:
Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland
I...I'm working on it, I promise.
New Reads:
These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs
5/5. Really good worldbuilding, a distinct and interesting cast of characters, and a plot that will keep you turning the page.
It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian
4/5. Fun, but not my favorite of this author's work. I li
The Earl's Dilemma by Emily Martin
4/5. Annoying body betrayal, and the heroine's self-hatred because of her being red-headed is comical, but the actual romance is otherwise fun and it has a good grovel.
Scandal by Amanda Quick
5/5. Huge caveat for the racism. Otherwise it is unfortunately targeted directly at me. The domineering hero who cannot stop giving the heroine everything she wants...I love to see an Alphahole humbled.
Her Bridegroom, Bought and Paid For by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. The only thing that keeps it from being 5/5 is that it needs a better grovel. This is a common complaint I have with this author, to be honest.
Mistress by Amanda Quick
4/5. It's very much like the first one I read, minus the racism, and I still like it. Quick writes these unconventional, independent heroines who her heroes become obsessed with, and I love it.
The Marquess Wins a Wife by Aydra Richards
5/5. An actual enemies-to-lovers, with a slow burn, meaningful apologies on both sides, and child characters that are not annoying.
The Favorite by Alice Coldbreath
2/5. My least favorite Coldbreath. It feels like the MC gets off on being mean to her--his teasing never feels playful and their romance never feels substantial. And despite the premise being that they're adopting a child, the child and the implications of motherhood get barely any screentime.
Providence Girls by Morgan Dante
3/5. Very heavy on vibes, very light on plot and relationship development. Combined with the purple prose, it feels very distant from the characters.
Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell
5/5. Never read a Western, have always assumed I wouldn't like them, but this is stellar. Two ordinary people slowly fall in love as they build a life together. There's a lot of drama, but it feels good.
The Unlovely Bride by Alice Coldbreath
5/5. Maybe my number one romance of the year. This is the perfect Coldbreath, and after multiple installments of Lenora being a completely shallow character, I was so glad to see her get her own in this book. The romance feels substantial, and I love that Lenora's beauty (or lack thereof) isn't really a conflict between her and Orde.
An Inconvenient Vow by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. Kudos to Coldbreath for actually playing with the sexual dynamic here. It's refreshing to see an inexperienced man with an experienced woman, and I wish the book had gone further with it into some actual femdom or at least let the heroine be more experienced. I appreciate that Jeffrey is just a weird dude.
The Consolation Prize by Alice Coldbreath
5/5. I really felt for Una here, and it was very satisfying to see her get her romance with someone who wouldn't take advantage of her position and her desperation.
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
3/5. One of those books where I recognize the craft but didn't actually enjoy it. It's very ambiguous and literary; skillfully constructed, didn't really move me.
Ravished by Amanda Quick
5/5. Another charming Quick romance with a domineering guy who discovers his love interest is not scared of him and cannot be convinced to do anything except exactly what she wants. Probably have to marry her just to keep her alive, bud! Good luck.
Seduction by Amanda Quick
4/5. Julian is a little high-handed for my tastes--he needed to make a better apology than he did, I think.
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
3/5 Has interesting ideas, but but it drags on more than a book of this length should, and the protagonist is not compelling enough to carry it. I wish the book spent less time on Asuka's neuroses.
The Sword of Kaigan by M.L. Wang
4/5. The worldbuilding is very interesting in this one, if a bit heavy-handed in some of the delivery, and it takes a nuanced and adult approach that I found refreshing. My only complaint is that it feels like an unfinished novel--like it needed to have a bit lopped off the end or added on to satisfy.
Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune by Rory Muir
3/5. A little dry, but it's a factual account of the lives of younger sons during the 18th century. I will say it feels like the author's treatment of India is very lacking. At least mention all the imperialism, bro.
Her Baseborn Bridegroom by Alice Coldbreath
3/5. Meh. Not a convincing romance, the hero is really boring and the heroine feels like she has one personality trait total.
An Ill-Made Match by Alice Coldbreath
2/5. What do Roland and Eden see in each other? The romance feels like authorial fiat, with no part of it appearing on the page for the reader to enjoy: they're just in love now, apparently. And Eden gets character assassinated here--just once I want to see a solemn, driven young woman get to keep her personality when she falls in love.
A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath
5/5. I so enjoyed this. It's a joy to watch these two ordinary people fall in love as they go about their daily lives.
A Contracted Spouse for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath
5/5. What a book. I love that Theo is a truly eccentric, unconventional woman--she's a male impersonator!--who is allowed to be, without having to make corrections to get her happy ending. I love the way Clem support her wholeheartedly. I went out and ordered a physical copy from the UK.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
4/5. Kondo has some weird ideas about weight loss and fat people, which I did not like, but otherwise I think it's a beautiful approach to living and to owning stuff.
The King in Red by Ava Hall
2/5. The "eldritch monster" is barely a monster, the plot is thinner than rice paper, and most of the story is just boring info dumps and crinegey dialogue, with a side of boring dream sequences. You're telling me the FC wants to give up her entire life to live in this guy's nothing dimension because they had like, two good sexual encounters? No.
The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter Vol. 5 by Kazuki Irodori
5/5. Finally Kondou to coming around to his own feelings. Can't wait to see how it all shakes out!
The Day of the Duchess by Sarah McLean
2/5. Meeeh. I'm sick of histroms that pretend the legal ramifications of women being literal property can be overcome by love and I'm sick of stories where women who have any desire besides wife and mother turn out to forgo them to be a wife and mother. This is just Devil In Spring 2! Why even bother with the whole "I want to own my business" if you're not going to do anything with it? And this book seems to think that wanting to fuck and being in love are the same thing, and they just aren't.
My Darling Mr. Darling by Aydra Richards
3/5. Meh. I think it makes terrible use of the premise by having Violet already out of danger by the time John enters the field. And I think it pays lip service to Violet's trauma and then doesn't do anything interesting with it. And I think it's another "sexual attraction is romance" story where the author hasn't bothered to convince us these people like each other. Also, Grey is deeply annoying.
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
5/5. A charming fantasy with older protagonists and enough plot to keep it moving. I really enjoyed it.
Bride of the Tornado by James Kennedy
2/5. A book that contains a lot of stuff but no clear purpose. This is ambiguity seemingly for the sake of ambiguity, which doesn't lead to anything or do anything interesting with its themes.
Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven
2/5. He doesn't even give her head! The porn is boring, the plot is barely existent, and worst of all, the romance is tedious. Everything about this feels generic. Also, the FC refers to other women as "females".
A Lady Awakened by Cecelia Grant
5/5. i was prepared to not like this, but it absolutely came through for me. It feels very different to other romances I've read. Martha is self-righteous and sharp; her love interest is a wastrel; most of the sex is profoundly unsexy; and yet this is one of the most romantic books I've ever read.
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
4/5. A really fascinating concept, where the memories of an entire society are held by one member, and the drowned fetuses of slaves have become mermaids. The first half is much better than the back half; ironically I think the romance makes it a much weaker story.
We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2022 edited by Naomi Kanakia
4/5. Fun, though fewer of the stories stuck with me than in earlier installments.
Projections by S.E. Porter
5/5. I love this morally ambiguous bi protag, I love the weird magic system, and I love the weird frog love interest.
The Dragon and His Prince by R Phoenix & Adara Wolf
5/5. Is this a book about a fucked up guy dubconning another guy with his aphrodisiac semen? Yes. Yes, it is. 5 stars.
Omega Captive of the Alpha Dragon by Wendy Rathbone
3/5. The 'inner dragon' is so cringe. The romance is so bland. If you're going to write a dystopian world where omegas are literally property, please, commit to it.
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
5/5. A really good sci-fi take on Sherlock Holmes, where our Watson is actually an interesting character in his own right. Perfectly paced, deftly plotted.
The Necromancer's Light by Tavia Lark
3/5. Generic, bland, and the leads have no chemistry. I was actively rooting for them to not hook up.
The Senator's Wife by Jen Lyon
5/5. A slow burn romance between two women from different spheres of society. It feels very real and grounded.
Rereads:
Once a Rake by Eileen Dreyer
4/5. I think it's the best of the Drake's Rake novels, though I think my enjoyment of these is mostly nostalgia. I think this installment has the most engaging romance and the most likeable hero.
Emily Fox-Seton by Frances Hodges Bennett
2/5. Nothing wrong with romances about ordinary people, but the narrator of this one has a contempt for all the characters involved that makes it borderline unreadable. Also, racism!
His Forsaken Bride by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. Still like it, still wish Oswald was honest with Fenella in it or offered a real apology.
A Bride for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. Has a scene that made me cry every time, which makes up for the otherwise lackluster relationship development. I do think Nye kind of sucks but I like Mina.
The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh
5/5. The sex in this romance is terrible, but I think that's actually a plus, because it means all the non-sex parts are quite good. I like our hero, who is truly damaged and has to actually reconcile with his loved ones instead of just blustering through on personality.
A Promise of Spring by Mary Balogh
5/5. It's a breath of fresh air--I love the age gap, I love Peregrine himself who feels like an antidote to all the broody hypermasculine heroes, and the romance is very sweet.
Wed by Proxy by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. It's fine. It's a good introduction to the series, but I think Coldbreath has written better.
SVSSS Vol. 2 by MXTX
5/5. Continues to be one of my fave books ever.
SVSSS Vol. 3 by MXTX
5/5. Continues to be one of the best books ever.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
5/5. Very suspenseful.
SVSSS Vol. 4 by MXTX
5/5. BINGY.
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
5/5. My annual Christmas read. I think Death's conversation with Susan at the climax of this book is perhaps the most impactful a book has ever been on me.
Currently Reading:
Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland
I...I'm working on it, I promise.
New Reads:
These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs
5/5. Really good worldbuilding, a distinct and interesting cast of characters, and a plot that will keep you turning the page.
It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian
4/5. Fun, but not my favorite of this author's work. I li
The Earl's Dilemma by Emily Martin
4/5. Annoying body betrayal, and the heroine's self-hatred because of her being red-headed is comical, but the actual romance is otherwise fun and it has a good grovel.
Scandal by Amanda Quick
5/5. Huge caveat for the racism. Otherwise it is unfortunately targeted directly at me. The domineering hero who cannot stop giving the heroine everything she wants...I love to see an Alphahole humbled.
Her Bridegroom, Bought and Paid For by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. The only thing that keeps it from being 5/5 is that it needs a better grovel. This is a common complaint I have with this author, to be honest.
Mistress by Amanda Quick
4/5. It's very much like the first one I read, minus the racism, and I still like it. Quick writes these unconventional, independent heroines who her heroes become obsessed with, and I love it.
The Marquess Wins a Wife by Aydra Richards
5/5. An actual enemies-to-lovers, with a slow burn, meaningful apologies on both sides, and child characters that are not annoying.
The Favorite by Alice Coldbreath
2/5. My least favorite Coldbreath. It feels like the MC gets off on being mean to her--his teasing never feels playful and their romance never feels substantial. And despite the premise being that they're adopting a child, the child and the implications of motherhood get barely any screentime.
Providence Girls by Morgan Dante
3/5. Very heavy on vibes, very light on plot and relationship development. Combined with the purple prose, it feels very distant from the characters.
Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell
5/5. Never read a Western, have always assumed I wouldn't like them, but this is stellar. Two ordinary people slowly fall in love as they build a life together. There's a lot of drama, but it feels good.
The Unlovely Bride by Alice Coldbreath
5/5. Maybe my number one romance of the year. This is the perfect Coldbreath, and after multiple installments of Lenora being a completely shallow character, I was so glad to see her get her own in this book. The romance feels substantial, and I love that Lenora's beauty (or lack thereof) isn't really a conflict between her and Orde.
An Inconvenient Vow by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. Kudos to Coldbreath for actually playing with the sexual dynamic here. It's refreshing to see an inexperienced man with an experienced woman, and I wish the book had gone further with it into some actual femdom or at least let the heroine be more experienced. I appreciate that Jeffrey is just a weird dude.
The Consolation Prize by Alice Coldbreath
5/5. I really felt for Una here, and it was very satisfying to see her get her romance with someone who wouldn't take advantage of her position and her desperation.
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
3/5. One of those books where I recognize the craft but didn't actually enjoy it. It's very ambiguous and literary; skillfully constructed, didn't really move me.
Ravished by Amanda Quick
5/5. Another charming Quick romance with a domineering guy who discovers his love interest is not scared of him and cannot be convinced to do anything except exactly what she wants. Probably have to marry her just to keep her alive, bud! Good luck.
Seduction by Amanda Quick
4/5. Julian is a little high-handed for my tastes--he needed to make a better apology than he did, I think.
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
3/5 Has interesting ideas, but but it drags on more than a book of this length should, and the protagonist is not compelling enough to carry it. I wish the book spent less time on Asuka's neuroses.
The Sword of Kaigan by M.L. Wang
4/5. The worldbuilding is very interesting in this one, if a bit heavy-handed in some of the delivery, and it takes a nuanced and adult approach that I found refreshing. My only complaint is that it feels like an unfinished novel--like it needed to have a bit lopped off the end or added on to satisfy.
Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune by Rory Muir
3/5. A little dry, but it's a factual account of the lives of younger sons during the 18th century. I will say it feels like the author's treatment of India is very lacking. At least mention all the imperialism, bro.
Her Baseborn Bridegroom by Alice Coldbreath
3/5. Meh. Not a convincing romance, the hero is really boring and the heroine feels like she has one personality trait total.
An Ill-Made Match by Alice Coldbreath
2/5. What do Roland and Eden see in each other? The romance feels like authorial fiat, with no part of it appearing on the page for the reader to enjoy: they're just in love now, apparently. And Eden gets character assassinated here--just once I want to see a solemn, driven young woman get to keep her personality when she falls in love.
A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath
5/5. I so enjoyed this. It's a joy to watch these two ordinary people fall in love as they go about their daily lives.
A Contracted Spouse for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath
5/5. What a book. I love that Theo is a truly eccentric, unconventional woman--she's a male impersonator!--who is allowed to be, without having to make corrections to get her happy ending. I love the way Clem support her wholeheartedly. I went out and ordered a physical copy from the UK.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
4/5. Kondo has some weird ideas about weight loss and fat people, which I did not like, but otherwise I think it's a beautiful approach to living and to owning stuff.
The King in Red by Ava Hall
2/5. The "eldritch monster" is barely a monster, the plot is thinner than rice paper, and most of the story is just boring info dumps and crinegey dialogue, with a side of boring dream sequences. You're telling me the FC wants to give up her entire life to live in this guy's nothing dimension because they had like, two good sexual encounters? No.
The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter Vol. 5 by Kazuki Irodori
5/5. Finally Kondou to coming around to his own feelings. Can't wait to see how it all shakes out!
The Day of the Duchess by Sarah McLean
2/5. Meeeh. I'm sick of histroms that pretend the legal ramifications of women being literal property can be overcome by love and I'm sick of stories where women who have any desire besides wife and mother turn out to forgo them to be a wife and mother. This is just Devil In Spring 2! Why even bother with the whole "I want to own my business" if you're not going to do anything with it? And this book seems to think that wanting to fuck and being in love are the same thing, and they just aren't.
My Darling Mr. Darling by Aydra Richards
3/5. Meh. I think it makes terrible use of the premise by having Violet already out of danger by the time John enters the field. And I think it pays lip service to Violet's trauma and then doesn't do anything interesting with it. And I think it's another "sexual attraction is romance" story where the author hasn't bothered to convince us these people like each other. Also, Grey is deeply annoying.
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
5/5. A charming fantasy with older protagonists and enough plot to keep it moving. I really enjoyed it.
Bride of the Tornado by James Kennedy
2/5. A book that contains a lot of stuff but no clear purpose. This is ambiguity seemingly for the sake of ambiguity, which doesn't lead to anything or do anything interesting with its themes.
Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven
2/5. He doesn't even give her head! The porn is boring, the plot is barely existent, and worst of all, the romance is tedious. Everything about this feels generic. Also, the FC refers to other women as "females".
A Lady Awakened by Cecelia Grant
5/5. i was prepared to not like this, but it absolutely came through for me. It feels very different to other romances I've read. Martha is self-righteous and sharp; her love interest is a wastrel; most of the sex is profoundly unsexy; and yet this is one of the most romantic books I've ever read.
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
4/5. A really fascinating concept, where the memories of an entire society are held by one member, and the drowned fetuses of slaves have become mermaids. The first half is much better than the back half; ironically I think the romance makes it a much weaker story.
We're Here: The Best Queer Speculative Fiction 2022 edited by Naomi Kanakia
4/5. Fun, though fewer of the stories stuck with me than in earlier installments.
Projections by S.E. Porter
5/5. I love this morally ambiguous bi protag, I love the weird magic system, and I love the weird frog love interest.
The Dragon and His Prince by R Phoenix & Adara Wolf
5/5. Is this a book about a fucked up guy dubconning another guy with his aphrodisiac semen? Yes. Yes, it is. 5 stars.
Omega Captive of the Alpha Dragon by Wendy Rathbone
3/5. The 'inner dragon' is so cringe. The romance is so bland. If you're going to write a dystopian world where omegas are literally property, please, commit to it.
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
5/5. A really good sci-fi take on Sherlock Holmes, where our Watson is actually an interesting character in his own right. Perfectly paced, deftly plotted.
The Necromancer's Light by Tavia Lark
3/5. Generic, bland, and the leads have no chemistry. I was actively rooting for them to not hook up.
The Senator's Wife by Jen Lyon
5/5. A slow burn romance between two women from different spheres of society. It feels very real and grounded.
Rereads:
Once a Rake by Eileen Dreyer
4/5. I think it's the best of the Drake's Rake novels, though I think my enjoyment of these is mostly nostalgia. I think this installment has the most engaging romance and the most likeable hero.
Emily Fox-Seton by Frances Hodges Bennett
2/5. Nothing wrong with romances about ordinary people, but the narrator of this one has a contempt for all the characters involved that makes it borderline unreadable. Also, racism!
His Forsaken Bride by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. Still like it, still wish Oswald was honest with Fenella in it or offered a real apology.
A Bride for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. Has a scene that made me cry every time, which makes up for the otherwise lackluster relationship development. I do think Nye kind of sucks but I like Mina.
The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh
5/5. The sex in this romance is terrible, but I think that's actually a plus, because it means all the non-sex parts are quite good. I like our hero, who is truly damaged and has to actually reconcile with his loved ones instead of just blustering through on personality.
A Promise of Spring by Mary Balogh
5/5. It's a breath of fresh air--I love the age gap, I love Peregrine himself who feels like an antidote to all the broody hypermasculine heroes, and the romance is very sweet.
Wed by Proxy by Alice Coldbreath
4/5. It's fine. It's a good introduction to the series, but I think Coldbreath has written better.
SVSSS Vol. 2 by MXTX
5/5. Continues to be one of my fave books ever.
SVSSS Vol. 3 by MXTX
5/5. Continues to be one of the best books ever.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie
5/5. Very suspenseful.
SVSSS Vol. 4 by MXTX
5/5. BINGY.
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
5/5. My annual Christmas read. I think Death's conversation with Susan at the climax of this book is perhaps the most impactful a book has ever been on me.
