Tag Archives: books

January Reading Wrap-Up

I started out my reading year strong with a whole bunch of compelling reads and a much more prolific reading month than I’d expected. I managed to kick off my Top 10 2021 TBR/5-star predictions list with my first 5-star read of 2021; caught up on several books that I’d meant to pick up as 2020 was winding down; and finished 2 NetGalley eARCs from my list. Let’s check out some stats and reviews:

Total books read: 10

ARCs: 2

#readmyowndamnbooks: 7

Such a Fun AgeFirst Comes Like by Alisha RaiA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasHeadliners by Lucy ParkerA Rogue of One's Own by Evie DunmoreWhite Ivy by Susie YangDo You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa DareThe Russian Cage by Charlaine HarrisThe Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle EvansDon't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans (5 stars) – My first 5-star read of 2021! I picked up this short story collection after I saw that it was highly recommended by Roxane Gay, one of my favorite writers, and found it to be fantastically, skillfully crafted throughout. The stories in this collection are all very distinct, although many of them focus on themes of racism and all contain extremely compelling characters. It’s difficult to choose favorites within the collection, but if I had to choose, I’d highlight “Happily Ever After,” which focuses on a woman working in the gift shop of a Titanic replica museum; “Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain,” which follows a reluctant guest at a wedding that gets unexpectedly derailed; and of course the title novella, “The Office of Historical Corrections,” which discusses misinformation and racism throughout American history. I can’t recommend this one highly enough; any short story fans should immediately pick it up.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (re-read) (4.5 stars) – I kicked off my intended re-read of the ACOTAR series in January, and ended up enjoying the first book even more this time around.

White Ivy by Susie Yang (4 stars) – This was a fantastic debut novel. I loved its twists, its “unlikable” main character, and its smart subversions of expectations. We’re following Ivy, who is taught to steal by her grandmother at a young age, and who falls for the golden boy at school, Gideon, who’s from an old money New England family. We then flash forward to an adult Ivy determined to make an adult Gideon fall for her–and to become a part of the world he represents. I was hooked early on by the premise and the compelling style, and this book continually surprised me.

A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore (4 stars) – The second book in Dunmore’s League of Extraordinary Women historical romance series, which revolves around a group of suffragist friends fighting for womens’ rights in late 1800s England. I continue to love Dunmore’s writing style and her passionate activist female protagonists, and I really liked the relationship dynamic between suffragist leader Lucie and rake/poet/war veteran Tristan in this book. I can’t wait for the next book in September, which is set to focus on banking heiress Hattie and shady businessman Lucian Blackstone.

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane (4 stars) – Mhairi McFarlane is becoming one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Both books of hers that I’ve read have been extremely well-written and contain a lot of heart; her main characters are so lovable and are dealing with a lot. In this one, protagonist Georgina gets unfairly fired from her waitressing job and walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her on the same day. She’s facing a lot of judgment from her family, who feel that at 30 she should be further along in her career and/or romantic life, and she falls into a new job at a bar that turns out to be co-owned by her high school boyfriend, whom she’s really never stopped carrying a torch for. It’s a sweet romance that’s also really a story about Georgie finding herself and standing up for herself, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai (4 stars) – You can read my full review for this fun contemporary romance featuring a beauty YouTuber and great family and friendship dynamics here. (I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (4 stars) – It took me a little while to fully get into this story, but once I was past the first big twist, I was hooked and couldn’t stop reading until I’d finished it. I can see this making a really great movie someday; the dialogue felt very authentic, and it had thoughtful discussions and portrayal of racism throughout.

Headliners by Lucy Parker (4 stars) – Another great installment in Parker’s London Celebrities series; I liked this one just as much as the only other book in the series I’ve read, The Austen Playbook. Parker is great at setting up chemistry, and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic was very well done. Sabrina and Nick, rival TV presenters, are forced to work together due to a company merger and for the sake of ratings, and hijinks quickly ensue. Their relationship evolution is well-paced and believable, and I liked both of them more and more as they began to fall for each other. I’m looking forward to going back and reading the first few books in this series, since I sort of skipped to the fourth and fifth, and I hope that even more books come out in future.

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare (3.5 stars) – A historical romance with a bit of mystery, featuring a diplomat/spy marquess and a young woman with an undeservedly bad reputation. I loved the premise of this book, which involves the protagonists attempting to discover the identity of a pair of mystery lovers at a country retreat to prevent being forced into an engagement for the sake of propriety, and I overall did like both main characters as well. However, the plot stagnated for a good portion of the book, and I didn’t love it quite as much as some of Dare’s other works.

The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris (3.5 stars) – This is the third book in Harris’s Gunnie Rose series, which is a unique combination of alternate history, fantasy, and Western . Set in the 1930s, the U.S. has been fractured into pieces, with East Coast Brittania realigning with England, the South becoming independent Dixie, Texas and Oklahoma forming Texoma, where our protagonist Lizbeth Rose lives, and California and Oregon becoming the Holy Russian Empire, ruled over by the escaped royal Romanov family. In The Russian Cage, we’re finally getting a glimpse of the mysterious Holy Russian Empire (HRE) when Lizbeth rushes there to help her love interest, Eli, who’s been imprisoned under murky circumstances. Lizbeth remains a pragmatic, antisocial, capable main character who you can’t help but like and root for; I loved that we got a lot more interaction between her and her younger sister in this installment. I continue to be fascinated by Harris’s worldbuilding and the sharp contrasts between the places we visit in each book. I did, however, feel that the writing in this one wasn’t as strong as in some of Harris’s previous books, and the ending left me wondering where the plot will be going in future books. I received an eARC of The Russian Cage from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Most Anticipated 2021 Book Releases, Part 2

As expected, almost immediately after I posted Part 1 of my most anticipated books of 2021, I started finding out about more and more amazing new book releases that are coming this year. Like my last post, these are from a variety of genres and they encompass both authors I’ve loved in the past and new-to-me authors, books I know a lot about and books I know almost nothing about. Hopefully you find some intriguing new reads on this list; I can’t wait until they are released and I can actually pick them up!

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (Wayfarers, #4)

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers (anticipated release 2/16/21) – the fourth (and I think final) book in Chambers’s Wayfarers series, this was an automatic pre-order for me. The first book in this series, A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, is one of my all-time favorite science fiction reads, so even though I was a bit underwhelmed by the third book in the series, I can’t wait to return to this universe.

Goodreads synopsis: With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop. At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through. When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other

 

The Memory Theater

The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck (anticipated release 2/16/21) – This book sounds really strange, fantastical, and unique; I haven’t heard very much about it, but I’m intrigued.

Goodreads synopsis: In a world just parallel to ours exists a mystical realm known only as the Gardens. It is a place where feasts never end, games of croquet have devastating consequences, and teenagers are punished for growing up. For a select group of Masters, it’s a decadent paradise where time stands still. For those who serve them, however, it’s a slow torture where their lives can be ended in a blink. In a bid to escape before their youth betrays them, Dora and Thistle–best friends and confidants–set out on a remarkable journey through time and space. Traveling between their world and ours, they hunt the one person who can grant them freedom. Along the way they encounter a mysterious traveler who trades in favors and never forgets debts, a crossroads at the center of the universe, our own world on the brink of war, and a traveling troupe of actors with the ability to unlock the fabric of reality.

 

Honey Girl

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers (anticipated release 2/23/21) – This contemporary romance debut has been getting a lot of buzz (so much so that I ended up pre-ordering it), and I’m always looking for new romance authors to pick up.

Goodreads synopsis: With her newly completed PhD in astronomy in hand, twenty-eight-year-old Grace Porter goes on a girls’ trip to Vegas to celebrate. She’s a straight A, work-through-the-summer certified high achiever. She is not the kind of person who goes to Vegas and gets drunkenly married to a woman whose name she doesn’t know…until she does exactly that. This one moment of departure from her stern ex-military father’s plans for her life has Grace wondering why she doesn’t feel more fulfilled from completing her degree. Staggering under the weight of her father’s expectations, a struggling job market and feelings of burnout, Grace flees her home in Portland for a summer in New York with the wife she barely knows. In New York, she’s able to ignore all the annoying questions about her future plans and falls hard for her creative and beautiful wife, Yuki Yamamoto. But when reality comes crashing in, Grace must face what she’s been running from all along—the fears that make us human, the family scars that need to heal and the longing for connection, especially when navigating the messiness of adulthood.

Klara and the Sun

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (anticipated release 3/2/21) – Ishiguro wrote one of my favorite books of a few years ago, Never Let Me Go, and his lyrical writing style never disappoints. I still have several of his backlist titles on my TBR, but this new release sounds like it returns to the themes of Never Let Me Go and I’m thinking I’ll need to prioritize it.

Goodreads synopsis: Klara and the Sun, the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

 

Just Last Night

Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane (anticipated release 5/4/21) – I’ve rapidly become a huge fan of McFarlane after loving If I Never Met You, and I’m currently reading another one of hers, Don’t You Forget About Me. I love her writing style and well-developed, lovable protagonists, and I’m really interested in the somewhat vague synopsis of this one because it sounds like it could go in a lot of different directions.

Goodreads synopsis: Eve, Justin, Susie, and Ed have been friends since they were teenagers. Now in their thirties, the four are as close as ever, Thursday night bar trivia is sacred, and Eve is still secretly in love with Ed. Maybe she should have moved on by now, but she can’t stop thinking about what could have been. And she knows Ed still thinks about it, too. But then, in an instant, their lives are changed forever. In the aftermath, Eve’s world is upended. As stunning secrets are revealed, she begins to wonder if she really knew her friends as well as she thought. And when someone from the past comes back into her life, Eve’s future veers in a surprising new direction… They say every love story starts with a single moment. What if it was just last night?

Sorrowland

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon (anticipated release 5/4/21) – I was really blown away by the resonance of Solomon’s The Deep and An Unkindness of Ghosts, and I’m very interested to pick up anything from fae moving forward.

Goodreads synopsis: Vern – seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised – flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins, and plans to raise them far from the influence of the outside world. But even in the forest, Vern is a hunted woman. Forced to fight back against the community that refuses to let her go, she unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of, her body wracked by inexplicable and uncanny changes. To understand her metamorphosis and to protect her small family, Vern has to face the past, and more troublingly, the future – outside the woods. Finding the truth will mean uncovering the secrets of the compound she fled but also the violent history in America that produced it.

 

The Ones We're Meant to Find

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He (anticipated release 5/4/21) – This book sounds absolutely fascinating. Very cool premise and a gorgeous cover.

Goodreads synopsis: Cee awoke on an abandoned island three years ago. With no idea of how she was marooned, she only has a rickety house, an old android, and a single memory: she has a sister, and Cee needs to find her. STEM prodigy Kasey wants escape from the science and home she once trusted. The eco-city—Earth’s last unpolluted place—is meant to be sanctuary for those commited to planetary protection, but it’s populated by people willing to do anything for refuge, even lie. Now, she’ll have to decide if she’s ready to use science to help humanity, even though it failed the people who mattered most.

 

Switch

Switch by A.S. King (anticipated release 5/11/21) – King wrote one of my all-time favorite YA books, I Crawl Through It, and I’ve been kicking myself for not picking up more from her yet. I love how weird this book sounds, particularly as the surrealism of I Crawl Through It was one of my favorite parts.

Goodreads synopsis: Tru Beck is a teenage girl from Pennsylvania who lives in a world that has become trapped in a fold in time and space, where “real” time has stopped but humanity continues to mark artificial time based on a website called N3WCLOCK.com. Tru lives in a house that has a switch at its center. No one knows what the switch controls, but her father continually builds larger and larger boxes around the switch (Tru lives in Box #7). Tru leaves the box through a Tru-shaped hole to go to school, where she pays no attention to the new “Solution Time” curriculum. In fact, the only interesting thing that’s ever happened to Tru at school is when she discovers (on her first try) that she can throw a javelin farther than any human has ever thrown anything before in human history.

 

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall (anticipated release 5/18/21) – I’m so happy to see that Alexis Hall has a new book coming out, since Boyfriend Material was my favorite romance of 2020. This sounds really cute, and is one of many baking contest-related contemporary romances coming out in 2021 for some reason (I guess because of the popularity of The Great British Baking Show?).

Goodreads synopsis: Following the recipe is the key to a successful bake. Rosaline Palmer has always lived by those rules—well, except for when she dropped out of college to raise her daughter, Amelie. Now, with a paycheck as useful as greaseproof paper and a house crumbling faster than biscuits in tea, she’s teetering on the edge of financial disaster. But where there’s a whisk there’s a way . . . and Rosaline has just landed a spot on the nation’s most beloved baking show. Winning the prize money would give her daughter the life she deserves—and Rosaline is determined to stick to the instructions. However, more than collapsing trifles stand between Rosaline and sweet, sweet victory.  Suave, well-educated, and parent-approved Alain Pope knows all the right moves to sweep her off her feet, but it’s shy electrician Harry Dobson who makes Rosaline question her long-held beliefs—about herself, her family, and her desires. Rosaline fears falling for Harry is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Yet as the competition—and the ovens—heat up, Rosaline starts to realize the most delicious bakes come from the heart.

 

Talk Bookish to Me: A Novel

Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley (anticipated release 5/25/21) – I love that there’s a book coming out with a bookstagrammer main character. I can’t not read this one.

Goodreads synopsis: Kara Sullivan’s life is full of love—albeit fictional. As a bestselling romance novelist and influential Bookstagrammer, she’s fine with getting her happily-ever-after fix between the covers of a book. But right now? Not only is Kara’s best friend getting married next week—which means big wedding stress—but the deadline for her next novel is looming, and she hasn’t written a single word. The last thing she needs is for her infuriating first love, Ryan Thompson, to suddenly appear in the wedding party. But Ryan’s unexpected arrival sparks a creative awakening in Kara that inspires the steamy historical romance she desperately needs to deliver. With her wedding duties intensifying, her deadline getting closer by the second and her bills not paying themselves, Kara knows there’s only one way for her to finish her book and to give her characters the ever-after they deserve. But can she embrace the unlikely, ruggedly handsome muse—who pushes every one of her buttons—to save the wedding, her career and, just maybe, write her own happy ending?

The Chosen and the Beautiful

The Chosen and the Beautiful by (anticipated release 6/1/21) – Super interested to see how this take on The Great Gatsby plays out; it sounds really fantastic.

Goodreads synopsis: Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society—she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She’s also queer, Asian, adopted, and treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her. But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how.

 

Witches Get Stitches (Stay a Spell, #3)

Witches Get Stitches by Juliette Cross (anticipated release 7/20/21) – This is the third book in Cross’s newest paranormal romance series that focuses on witch sisters charged with protecting New Orleans, and returns to the witch/werewolf dynamic after the last book featured a witch and a vampire.

Goodreads synopsis: Violet Savoie has a plan. A dream, rather. To open her own tattoo shop, which caters to supernaturals in need of permanent charms. As a powerful Seer, she has the potent magic to cast every kind of spell. Except the kind to give werewolves control over their beastly side. And her business partner Nico needs help in the worst kind of way. Nico Cruz has a secret. A motive, rather. To subtly stalk and seduce Violet until she finally recognizes they are fated to be together. Ever since their heated encounter in Austin on New Year’s Eve two years earlier, he’s been dying to get his hands—and his tongue—back on her body. He knows a woman like Violet can’t be courted in the usual way. Luckily, Nico has no scruples about misbehaving to get what he wants. But when his former pack roams into town, and an old friend is far too interested in Violet, his focus shifts to the threat venturing into his territory. Nico may come across as the quiet, broody one, but the intruders are about to regret stepping foot in New Orleans. And when Violet goes missing, no charm or spell can keep Nico’s wolf at bay.

 

Half Sick of Shadows

Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian (anticipated release 7/20/21) – Not exactly my typical genre, but this feminist retelling of Arthurian mythology sounds really appealing.

Goodreads synopsis: Everyone knows the legend. Of Arthur, destined to be a king. Of the beautiful Guinevere, who will betray him with his most loyal knight, Lancelot. Of the bitter sorceress, Morgana, who will turn against them all. But Elaine alone carries the burden of knowing what is to come–for Elaine of Shalott is cursed to see the future. On the mystical isle of Avalon, Elaine runs free and learns of the ancient prophecies surrounding her and her friends–countless possibilities, almost all of them tragic. When their future comes to claim them, Elaine, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Morgana accompany Arthur to take his throne in stifling Camelot, where magic is outlawed, the rules of society chain them, and enemies are everywhere. Yet the most dangerous threats may come from within their own circle. As visions are fulfilled and an inevitable fate closes in, Elaine must decide how far she will go to change fate–and what she is willing to sacrifice along the way

 

All's Well

All’s Well by Mona Awad (anticipated release 8/3/21) – Since Awad’s Bunny is my NEW FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME, I’m obviously going to pick up anything she comes out with in the future. I think I’ll need to do a Shakespeare refresher before picking this one up, though, as I hate missing references.

Goodreads synopsis: Miranda Fitch’s life is a waking nightmare. The accident that ended her burgeoning acting career left her with excruciating, chronic back pain, a failed marriage, and a deepening dependence on painkillers. And now she’s on the verge of losing her job as a college theater director. Determined to put on Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well, the play that promised, and cost, her everything, she faces a mutinous cast hellbent on staging Macbeth instead. Miranda sees her chance at redemption slip through her fingers. That’s when she meets three strange benefactors who have an eerie knowledge of Miranda’s past and a tantalizing promise for her future: one where the show goes on, her rebellious students get what’s coming to them, and the invisible, doubted pain that’s kept her from the spotlight is made known. With prose Margaret Atwood has described as “no punches pulled, no hilarities dodged…genius,” Mona Awad has concocted her most potent, subversive novel yet. All’s Well is the story of a woman at her breaking point and a formidable, piercingly funny indictment of our collective refusal to witness and believe female pain.

 

Battle Royal

Battle Royal by Lucy Parker (anticipated release 8/17/21) – Lucy Parker is one of the great romance authors i discovered in 2020, and I’ve really been enjoying her London Celebrities series. But now she’s starting a new series, and this one also focuses on a baking competition (again, apparently a theme in 2021) and sounds really fun.

Goodreads synopsis: Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, colorful creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere, the hottest pastry chef in London. When her glittery unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has managed to use her fame to help fulfill her dream of opening a bakery, Sugar Fair. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers…and a princess. Dominic is His Majesty the King’s favorite baker, the go-to for sweet-toothed A-List celebrities, and a veritable British institution. He’s brilliant, talented, hard-working. And an icy, starchy grouch. Learning that the irksome Sylvie will be joining him on the Operation Cake judging panel is enough to make the famously dour baker even more grim. Her fantastical baking is only slightly more troublesome than the fact that he can’t stop thinking about her pink-streaked hair and irrepressible dimple. When Dominic and Sylvie learn they will be fighting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to bake a cake for the upcoming wedding of Princess Rose, the flour begins to fly as they’re both determined to come out on top. The bride adores Sylvie’s quirky style. The palace wants Dominic’s classic perfection. In this royal battle, can there be room for two?

 

Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women, #3)

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (anticipated release 9/2/21) – Dunmore is one of my favorite historical romance writers; I love her almost Austen-esque style. I’ve read the first two books in this series that focuses on a group of women fighting for the right to vote in England, and I cannot wait for the third.

Goodreads synopsis: London banking heiress Hattie Greenfield wanted “just” three things in life:

1. Acclaim as an artist.
2. A noble cause.
3. Marriage to a young lord who puts the gentle in gentleman.

Why then does this Oxford scholar find herself at the altar with the darkly attractive financier Lucian Blackstone, whose murky past and ruthless business practices strike fear in the hearts of Britain’s peerage? Trust Hattie to take an invigorating little adventure too far. Now she’s stuck with a churlish Scot who just might be the end of her ambitions….When the daughter of his business rival all but falls into his lap, Lucian sees opportunity. As a self-made man, he has vast wealth but holds little power, and Hattie might be the key to finally setting long-harbored political plans in motion. Driven by an old revenge, he has no room for his new wife’s apprehensions or romantic notions, bewitching as he finds her. But a sudden journey to Scotland paints everything in a different light. Hattie slowly sees the real Lucian and realizes she could win everything—as long as she is prepared to lose her heart.

 

Did any of these books make your TBR for 2021? Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: First Comes Like by Alisha Rai

First Comes Like (Modern Love, #3)

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai (Modern Love #3)

Genre: contemporary romance

Release date: 2/16/21

Rating: 4 stars

First Comes Like is a book I’ve been anxiously awaiting for a very long time. We first meet its protagonist Jia in Rai’s Forbidden Hearts series as the younger sister of past protagonist Sadia who’s determined to forge her own path by leaving medical school to dedicate herself to her true passion. Jia is a beauty influencer with a YouTube channel and a large dedicated fanbase–she’s passionate about makeup and skincare, and dreams of one day owning her own makeup company. She’s a creative and charismatic character, and I’m so glad that she finally got her own story, after being featured as a side character in not only the Forbidden Hearts series but also the first two books of the Modern Love series. Although I’m fairly terrible at makeup, I enjoy watching beauty Youtubers, and I thought it was so much fun to have one as the main character in a romance novel–we get to see behind the scenes of what Jia’s process is like and watch her struggle with a creative rut and fears that she’s out of touch as an “older” influencer, and also see what some of her past content has looked like.

Like the previous two books in Rai’s Modern Love series, First Comes Like deals with a modern dating conundrum–catfishing. (The Right Swipe was focused around ghosting, while Girl Gone Viral featured, well, going viral.) Jia thinks she’s been talking to famous Indian actor Dev through his verified account, but when she finally tries to meet him in person, she realizes that he has no idea who she is–she’s never actually spoken with him in the first place. Nevertheless, Dev is intrigued by Jia, and after a rocky start the two begin a whirlwind and very sweet fake relationship that quickly turns into real feelings.

Everything I love about Alisha Rai was present in First Comes Like: a badass female protagonist, a strong friendship group that supports one another, complex and interesting family dynamics. I did find Jia a more compelling character than Dev, who has a quieter and less forceful personality, but I really liked their interactions and their eventual HEA. This is a great series that contemporary romance fans absolutely need to check out if they haven’t already, and I can’t wait to see what Alisha Rai comes out with next.

 

I received an eARC of First Comes Like from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bout of Books Updates (Days 5-7) and Wrap-Up!

That’s a wrap on another round of Bout of Books! Here are my stats for the last 3 days of the readathon, as well as my overall stats and thoughts.

Bout of Books updates for Days 5-7:

Headliners (London Celebrities, #5)A Court of Mist and FuryWhite Ivy

Day 5

Pages read: 50 pages of A Court of Mist and Fury, 4 hours of Headliners (audiobook)

Books started: A Court of Mist and Fury (re-read)

Books finished: None

Day 6

Pages read: 1 hour of Headliners (audiobook), 150 pages of A Court of Mist and Fury, 27 pages of White Ivy

Books started: None

Books finished: Headliners

Day 7

Pages read: 62 pages of A Court of Mist and Fury, 50 pages of White Ivy,

Books started: None

Books finished: None

 

And here are my stats for the readathon as a whole:

Total pages read: 872 pages; 6.5 hours of audiobook time

Books started, but not finished: A Court of Mist and Fury, A Rogue of One’s Own, White Ivy

A Court of Mist and FuryA Rogue of One's Own (A League of Extraordinary Women, #2)White Ivy

Books finished: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Headliners

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasHeadliners (London Celebrities, #5)

I’m definitely happy with my overall reading productivity during Bout of Books. I may have only finished 2 books, but I made significant progress on 3 others and managed a very respectable final page count. I’m actually about to start another readathon just as this one wraps up, but since it’s hosted on Bookstagram I’m not sure that I’ll be posting regular updates here as well. But I’m hoping to make progress on the 3 books I started but didn’t finish during Bout of Books!

2020: Reading Year in Review (with Stats!)

Total books read: 109

Total pages read: 38,257

Average rating: 3.9 stars

Shortest book read: Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole (106 pages)

Longest book read: Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas (803 pages)

Average book length: 350 pages

Author breakdown by gender:

 

Adult vs. YA:

 

Genre:

 

Format:

 

Release Year:

 

 

Longest books read in 2020:

Crescent City 799 pages
Passage 780 pages
Possession 555 pages
Middlegame 528 pages
Serpent & Dove 513 pages
Aurora Burning 512 pages

Romance Reads on my 2021 TBR!

In 2020, I read more romance than I think I ever have in previous years; the promise of an HEA (happily ever after) was something that was much-needed last year for me and for many readers who found ourselves turning to the romance genre. As I’ve been thinking about my reading going into 2021, I’ve been thinking a lot about what romance books I’m interested in picking up and focusing on this year, particularly since I discovered so many great new-to-me books and authors in 2020. To help myself keep track of all the awesome-sounding romance books on my radar to pick up this year, I figured I’d go ahead and organize them for myself here. It’s a mixture of 2021 releases and backlist titles, because as I discover more new-to-me romance authors I generally also start looking into their backlists.

Romance authors I can’t wait to read more from:

Mhairi McFarlane (I loved If I Never Met You)

Don't You Forget About MeJust Last Night

Lucy Parker (after I read The Austen Playbook, I want to read all of the books in her London Celebrities series)

Act Like It (London Celebrities, #1)Headliners (London Celebrities, #5)

Tessa Dare (tied for my most-read author of 2020!)

The Bride Bet (Girl Meets Duke, #4)Do You Want to Start a Scandal (Spindle Cove, #5; Castles Ever After, #4)A Week to Be Wicked (Spindle Cove, #2)

Evie Dunmore (Bringing Down the Duke was the first historical romance I really liked, and got me on board with the subgenre)

A Rogue of One's Own (A League of Extraordinary Women, #2)Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women, #3)

Previously read and loved romance authors who have new books coming out in 2021:

Alisha Rai (Modern Love and Forbidden Hearts series), Sally Thorne (The Hating Game), Casey McQuiston (Red, White, and Royal Blue), Emily Henry (Beach Read), Talia Hibbert (Take a Hint, Dani Brown), Juliette Cross (Wolf Gone Wild)

First Comes Like (Modern Love, #3)Second First ImpressionsOne Last StopPeople We Meet on VacationAct Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters, #3)Witches Get Stitches (Stay a Spell, #3)

Historical romance authors I really want to get into in 2021:

I’ve heard really good things about Courtney Milan, Sarah MacLean, and Stacy Reid.

The Duchess War (Brothers Sinister, #1)Wicked and the Wallflower (The Bareknuckle Bastards, #1)My Darling Duke (Sinful Wallflowers, #1)

Backlist romance reads I’m intrigued by:

The Simple Wild (Wild, #1)Fables & Other Lies

2021 releases from new-to-me authors:

Talk Bookish to Me: A NovelSweethand (Island Bites, #1)Honey Girl

 

What romance reads are on your TBR for 2021?

Bout of Books Updates: Days 1-4

Updates for the first 4 days of the Bout of Books readathon! I’ve managed to make progress on 4 different books, although I’ve only finished one so far (a re-read of a past favorite). I always find readathons help with my reading productivity, especially at the beginning of the year, by making me track my reading and keep myself accountable. Also, like I anticipated, I’ve sort of thrown out my TBR and have just been picking up what I’m in the mood for.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)Headliners (London Celebrities, #5)A Rogue of One's Own (A League of Extraordinary Women, #2)White Ivy

Here are my reading stats for the first 4 days:

Day 1

Pages read: 148 pages of A Court of Thorns and Roses; 1 hour of Headliners (audiobook)

Books started: A Court of Thorns and Roses (re-read)

Books finished: None

Day 2

Pages read: 160 pages of A Court of Thorns and Roses; 1.5 hours of Headliners (audio)

Books started: None

Books finished: None

Day 3

Pages read: 108 pages of A Court of Thorns and Roses, 26 pages of A Rogue of One’s Own

Books started: A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore

Books finished: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Day 4

Pages read: 23 pages of White Ivy, 68 pages of A Rogue of One’s Own

Books started: White Ivy by Susie Yang

Books finished: None

 

Favorite Books of 2020! (In Every Category I Could Think of!)

I’m doing my 2020 yearly wrap-up a bit differently this year! In addition to my yearly stats, (which will be in an upcoming blog post) I wanted to do a post talking about my favorites of the year in a bunch of different categories, so that I don’t leave out any great books in my yearly wrap-up. I actually tried to look for a book tag to do but couldn’t find one that really worked for me, so I just made up categories based on things I wanted to talk about. Let’s do it!

Top Ten Favorite Books of 2020:

10. The Seas by Samantha Hunt – beautifully written fabulist fiction with lots of ocean/mermaid imagery

9. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead – impactful and devastating, with a twist that absolutely gutted me

8. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke – a strange and wonderfully creative short fantastical novel

7. Melmoth by Sarah Perry – a surprising and gorgeously written favorite with shades of historical fiction and mythology

6. Passage by Connie Willis – I sobbed through the last 300 or so pages of this book, so there was no way it wouldn’t make this list

5. Kindred by Octavia Butler – another classic from the queen of science fiction that I’m so glad to have finally read

4. Possession by A.S. Byatt – impressive and complex, containing letters and poetry from fictional 19th-century writers

3. Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente – the last book I read this year that also became a new favorite from an already favorite author

2. In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado – devastating and gorgeously written memoir told in so many different ways

  1. Bunny by Mona Awad (AKA my new favorite book of all time!)

 

Favorite short story collections of 2020:

What Shines from ItThe Other World, It Whispers

Both What Shines From It by Sara Rauch and The Other World, It Whispers by Stephanie Victoire were absolutely gorgeously written, and I’d happily read more collections from both authors.

Favorite contemporary romance reads of 2020:

This was really difficult, so I chose 5. To be fair, I did read a lot of contemporary romance in 2020, so there were a lot to choose from; there are still several excellent ones I had to leave off this list so that I could narrow it down a bit.

Boyfriend MaterialIf I Never Met YouGirl Gone Viral (Modern Love, #2)Beach ReadThe Worst Best Man

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall, If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane, Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai, Beach Read by Emily Henry, and The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa

Favorite UF/PNR of 2020:

Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy, #5)Wolf Gone Wild (Stay A Spell #1)

Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews (the second book in a stellar fantasy romance series) and Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross (PNR featuring a romance between a werewolf and a witch set in New Orleans).

Favorite historical romance of 2020:

The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke, #2)When a Scot Ties the Knot (Castles Ever After, #3)

Tessa Dare was such a great find for me in 2020. Her funny yet emotionally impactful historical romance was really the perfect thing to start reading this spring. My favorites of hers this year were The Governess Game, which featured a really fun couple, and When a Scot Ties the Knot, which was hilarious and had a fantastic premise.

Favorite debut novels:

LusterQueenieCatherine House

I read some really great debuts in 2020, but at the top of the list were definitely Luster by Raven Leilani, Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams, and Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas.

Favorite YA:

Landscape with Invisible HandCome Tumbling Down (Wayward Children, #5)The Wicker King (The Wicker King, #1)

Sort of a weird year for me in terms of YA–I think I read less YA this year than I ever have, and I didn’t necessarily find any new all-time favorites. I did, however, read two YA novellas that I thought were great (Landscape with Invisible Hand, which was impactful and hilarious and really isn’t being talked about enough, and Come Tumbling Down, the most recent entry in the Wayward Children series) and a YA novel from an author that I’m really excited to read more from (The Wicker King by K. Ancrum).

Favorite nonfiction:

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African ChildhoodIn the Dream House

Trevor Noah’s book (and its audio narration!) were FANTASTIC, and I cannot stop raving about In the Dream House, which was one of my favorites of the year.

Most disappointing reads of 2020:

Normal PeopleLittle EyesThe RegretsFollowers

These were books that, for whatever reason, I really thought I’d love and that had 5-star potential based on their authors/synopses, but that I ended up really not enjoying nearly as much as I thought I would.

Most surprising reads of 2020:

An American MarriageChosen Ones (The Chosen Ones, #1)

These 2 books were surprising to me for very different reasons–An American Marriage because I don’t normally gravitate towards literary fiction focused on marriages but ended up loving it, and Chosen Ones because it had some really crazy plot twists.

New-to-me authors I discovered in 2020 and can’t wait to read more from:

If I Never Met YouThe Austen Playbook (London Celebrities, #4)The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke, #1)

Mhairi McFarlane, Lucy Parker, Tessa Dare: These are all romance authors that have a bunch of other books out that I’ve got my eye on to pick up in 2021. I’ll definitely be picking up at least 1 book from each of these authors this year–probably more!

Favorite covers of books I read in 2020:

The SeasCatherine HouseThe Other World, It WhispersHouse of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)

Most-read authors of 2020:

  1. Tessa Dare (tie!) – 5 books

The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke, #1)The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke, #2)The Wallflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke, #3)When a Scot Ties the Knot (Castles Ever After, #3)Say Yes to the Marquess (Castles Ever After, #2)

  1. Alyssa Cole – (tie!) 5 books

When No One is WatchingLet It ShineLet Us DreamOnce Ghosted, Twice Shy (Reluctant Royals, #2.5)The A.I. Who Loved Me

And then I read 2 books each from 10 other authors! I was actually really surprised by this stat. I think I just assumed that I only read one book per author, for the most part, but there were SO MANY 2-book authors. Several of these were due to re-reads, which makes more sense when I think about it.

Mona Awad:

Bunny13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl

Seanan McGuire:

Middlegame (Middlegame, #1)Come Tumbling Down (Wayward Children, #5)

Ilona Andrews:

Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy, #4)Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy, #5)

Juliette Cross:

Wolf Gone Wild (Stay A Spell #1)Don't Hex and Drive (Stay a Spell #2)

Silvia Moreno-Garcia:

The Beautiful OnesMexican Gothic

Rainbow Rowell:

Carry On (Simon Snow, #1)Wayward Son (Simon Snow, #2)

Eva Chase:

Wicked Wonderland (The Looking-Glass Curse #1)Wrathful Wonderland (The Looking-Glass Curse #2)

Eva Leigh:

My Fake Rake (Union of the Rakes, #1)Would I Lie to the Duke (Union of the Rakes, #2)

Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff:

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1)Aurora Burning (The Aurora Cycle, #2)

Sarah J. Maas:

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)A Court of Frost and Starlight

 

What were some of your favorite reads of 2020? Let me know in the comments!

Bout of Books TBR!

It’s a bit last minute, but I’m planning on joining in on this round of the Bout of Books readathon!

The Bout of Books readathon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It’s a weeklong readathon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 4th and runs through Sunday, January 10th in YOUR time zone. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are reading sprints, Twitter chats, and exclusive Instagram challenges, but they’re all completely optional. For all Bout of Books 30 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

I usually do kick off my reading year with Bout of Books, but I’ve been reluctant to post a TBR since I’m trying to avoid TBRs altogether in January and instead focus on mood-reading. I do, however, still really want to participate in the readathon, as it always help me be more productive with my reading to start the year off, so here are the two books I’m currently reading (and will probably read more from during the week?): From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (fantasy romance) and Headliners by Lucy Parker (contemporary romance, audiobook).

From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash, #1)Headliners (London Celebrities, #5)

And here are a few books that I’m sort of maybe feeling like starting soonish, but I’m definitely not committing to:

The Office of Historical Corrections: A Novella and StoriesA Rogue of One's Own (A League of Extraordinary Women, #2)A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans (short story collection), A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore (historical romance), A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (fantasy romance; re-read).

 

Anyone else planning on participating in Bout of Books or any other readathons to kick off 2021? Let me know in the comments!

2021 Reading Goals

Last year, I set reading goals for myself that were intentional as well as accessible, so I’m going to try to do that in 2021 as well. Let’s get started!

Read all of the books on my Top 10 TBR for 2021/5-Star predictions list.

I tried to be thoughtful in curating this list and included books in a lot of different genres and formats; I’m hoping that the variety will help make it easier for me to stick to this stack despite my mood-reading tendencies.

Shorter backlist novels I’m intrigued by:

The Stone GodsHow the Blessed LiveAll the Birds, Singing

Short story collections:

What is Not Yours is Not YoursThe Office of Historical Corrections: A Novella and Stories

Critically acclaimed books I keep meaning to read:

Fates and FuriesThe Vanishing Half

YA:

When the Moon Was Ours

Longer books:

Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)Plain Bad Heroines

 

Read a classic or modern classic. I didn’t read any classics at all in 2020; I actually started Anna Karenina and was really enjoying it before lockdown started in my area, but then I abandoned it due to stress and a need for more comforting reads. I’d really like to read at least one classic in 2021 (and modern classics would count too!) although I’m not yet sure which one I’m gravitating towards.

Read some lesser-known or independently published books. This sort of goes along with my selections for my Top 10 TBR for the year. I do like to keep up with new releases, and to a certain degree I can also get caught up in the hype with popular books. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I also want to make sure that I’m picking up plenty of less popular or less talked-about titles as well.

Re-read the Court of Thorns and Roses series. I’m not going to lie, this is probably my favorite ongoing series. I have re-read the first three books in the past, but not for quite awhile, and with book 4 finally coming out in Feb, I’m thinking that I’ll either want to do a re-read of the series in the lead-up to the newest book’s release or after I read the newest book when I’ll likely be in a book hangover and wanting more from that world.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3)A ​Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4)

In the past, I’ve almost felt guilty about doing re-reads when I have so many books on my TBR shelf, but in the last two years I started forcing myself to abandon the guilt and go back to enjoying re-reads the way I did when I was younger. I want to keep doing that in 2021–if I’m in the mood for a re-read, I should just do it.

 
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