Top Ten Books on My Winter TBR

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's time for planning another season of reading! I read most of the books on my Fall TBR list; I'm still finishing Only Love Today, and there are two still on hold that I'm carrying over to my winter list. Here are ten of the books I plan to read this winter!

1. As You Wish by Cary Elwes
I'm not personally a diehard fan of The Princess Bride, but I've heard this recommended a number of times (especially the audiobook), and it sounds like a fun read. Those are always a good thing to reach for in the depths of winter!

2. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
I still haven't read this! I've heard nothing but rave reviews about this narrative nonfiction since it came out in 2018. After going on a Holly Jackson thriller kick recently, I want to mix it up with some compelling true crime.

3. Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
This is what my online book club is reading to discuss in February. I hadn't heard of it before, so I'm interested to see what it's about!

4. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
This one has popped up on so many "best of" lists, and I've lost count of the number of times I've heard it recommended at this point. It's not the kind of book I'd typically pick up on my own, but it sounds like that's also the case for a lot of people who have ended up loving it, so I'm excited to check it out.

5. I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong
I saw this on a bookstore shelf recently and was reminded how interested I was in reading it. I deeply appreciated Yong's reporting on COVID in 2020 and 2021, and I'm interested to learn from him about the world of microbes.

6. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
There was such hype around this one after it came out in 2022, and after a few years it still seems to be quite popular and well recommended, so I'm going to give it a shot this winter.

7. Nothing to Fear by Julie McFadden
This is a carryover from my fall list that I'm still looking forward to reading.

8. The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff
Anytime I get in conversation with someone about how much I love the musical Come From Away, it reminds me that there are several 9/11 books that I still want to read. This one seems to be most frequently recommended, so I'm going to start here.

9. Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie
Y'all, I've been working my way through Agatha Christie's books for years now, and while I still have her nonfiction and the ones she wrote under a pseudonym, this will be the last of her mystery novels to read. It's been quite an adventure!

10. Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD
This was on my fall list, and when I got the audiobook it said it was abridged, so I now have a hold on the hard copy, which is going to take a while!

What do you plan to read this winter?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Hazeldine: Volume One, The Bad Guys in The One?!, Demon Copperhead, and Something Wild & Wonderful
Five years ago I was reading: The Next Evangelicalism, The Watsons Go to Birmingham, and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Ten years ago I was reading: Lamb and One Hundred Names

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

It was another good reading month! Here's what I've been reading this past month, not including another one of the Usborne Puzzle Adventures books from my childhood that I've been working my way through.

It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian: This was a delightful Regency-era M/M open door romance. All the characters felt authentic, as did the relationships between them. The audiobook narrator was excellent. I genuinely enjoyed this read.

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram: I really love this book, and I enjoyed the read more on rereading it. Khorram captures so many things in this book, from the day-to-day reality of living with (medicated) depression to the complicated experience of seeing your grandparents in person for the first time as a teenager and trying to figure out where you fit into their culture.

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger: I wanted to like this more, and I liked it enough to finish it, but it wasn't really my cup of tea. Everyone has a heart of gold and talent oozing out their ears, and pursuing whatever you want — including women who have told you no — is both encouraged and rewarded. I can see why folks have enjoyed this one, but it wasn't for me.

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun: This is everything you could want in a queer romance plus everything you want in a holiday special. It's a second-chance romance wrapped in a side-plot fake-dating trope, with a realistic handling of mental health challenges and family trauma. The Portland setting, clearly written by a local, was the final touch that made this a delight to read.

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie: This book was a wild ride! I didn't know what to expect, and I think it's fair to say that this one is unlike Christie's other mysteries in many ways, so I really didn't know where it was going. I found the ending quite satisfying, even if not all of my lingering questions were completely addressed.

The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts: I definitely would have loved this book as a kid: the supernatural elements, the air of mystery, the precocious girl considered strange by others who's trying to piece things together to get answers and find connection, the adult character who takes the kid as seriously as another adult. It was an engaging read that didn't quite stick the landing.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger: This is not a graphic novel, but my 9-year-old was willing to read it with me, making this our first possible gateway book into reading standard chapter books together. It deals with the concerns of 6th graders — being seen as uncool, figuring out who like-likes whom, navigating the pressures of school culture — with an engaging through-line of trying to figure out if Origami Yoda is truly dispensing priceless wisdom or if he's just a hoax propagated by the deeply socially awkward kid who carries him around on his finger.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson: Jackson had me guessing and trying to fit all the pieces together up until the reveal. I am more than willing to overlook the elements that didn't work for me in this one, as the main mystery/thriller plot kept me hooked the entire time.

Kill Joy by Holly Jackson: This prequel to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is essentially Pip's origin story: why she thought she might be capable of reaching a different conclusion about a murder than the police did, and why she decided to make that her senior capstone project. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I'd listened to it right after the original trilogy, but it was a fun, quick listen, and I'm glad I picked it up.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Hazeldine: Volume One, The Bad Guys in The One?!, Demon Copperhead, and Something Wild & Wonderful
Five years ago I was reading: The Next Evangelicalism, The Watsons Go to Birmingham, and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Ten years ago I was reading: Lamb and One Hundred Names

Best of the Bunch (November 2024)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in November.

Of the 11 books I read this month, I had four 5-star reads:

She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh

It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

So many great reads this month! One was a reread, and while I super enjoyed both queer romances, I'm going to give this month's crown to the one that took me by surprise with how well done it was.

I really, really enjoyed She Come By It Natural, more than I expected. Originally published as a series of articles, this book (narrated on audio by the author) is not just a review of the life, career, and music of Dolly Parton but also an exploration of how these things speak to broader historical trends in women's rights, country music, and culture more broadly. Smarsh weaves in the life stories of her grandmother, her mother, and herself to compare and contrast with Parton, but — as you would expect from magazine writing — all of it is done concisely, with a light touch, so it doesn't become a full-fledged memoir or biography, even of Parton herself. She displays a balanced appreciation for Parton that doesn't shy away from critiquing Parton's more cringeworthy moments. Whether or not you agree with Parton's decisions — about her appearance, her career, and her music — you will understand them better, and what they can convey about the lives of other women who don't have Parton's platform, after reading this book.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Hazeldine: Volume One, The Bad Guys in The One?!, The Haunting of Hill House, and True Biz
Five years ago I was reading: The Next Evangelicalism, Airships, and Demon Lord of Karanda
Ten years ago I was reading: Like Water for Chocolate, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Dreams of Joy

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What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

I had many good reads this month, from a variety of genres! Here's what I've been reading this past month. Not included are the Usborne Puzzle Adventures books from my childhood that I've been working my way through.

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour: This story was like a train wreck I couldn't look away from. It was a painfully cringy look at both startup culture and what it can be like to be the lone person of color in a workplace making ham-fisted efforts to be inclusive. The plot became less coherent as the story went on and I disliked many of the characters' decisions, but the book is still worth a read for the very real problems it spotlights.

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki: This is a genre-bending, heartwarming story centering four women's stories: A violinist bargaining for her soul, a transgender runaway seeking a safe haven, a spaceship captain bringing her family to Earth to keep them safe, and a luthier trying to find her path after only the men in her family were considered worthy of apprenticeship. I found this to be an engaging reading/listening experience and enjoyed the way that Aoki cleverly solved some of the characters' most complex challenges, as well as the "found family" feel it had.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: This was my October Best of the Bunch. It's always nice to read something that lives up to the hype. Be prepared to laugh and cry if you pick this one up.

Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie: This had a clever premise and a fairly satisfying conclusion. As with most Christie novels, I was not able to arrive at the solution on my own, even though the pieces were all there in retrospect. Aside from the unfortunate marks of its time (related to both adoption and a biracial character), this book is a solid Christie mystery.

Excuse Me, Sir!: Memoir of a Butch by Shaley Howard: This is primarily a memoir of Howard's experience using alcohol and opioids to deal with the pain of being closeted for much of her life and having an emotionally volatile mother. Unfortunately the writing isn't super strong (and the book badly needs a copyedit), which is not to say that her personal story isn't important or that her trajectory of healing isn't worth honoring, but I don't feel a strong drive to recommend this memoir over others that deal with similar topics and have more polished writing.

Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain by Shankar Vedantam: I liked the premise of this nonfiction work: Not all delusions are harmful. While truth, logic, and rationality are certainly important, we are still emotional creatures, and sometimes believing things that aren't empirically true makes for happier lives, better mental health, and stronger social connections. I found this book to be strangely uplifting in its emphasis on health and happiness over being on constant guard to ensure that everything you believe is literally true.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune: I felt roughly the same about this sequel as I did about the original, though for different reasons. I enjoyed spending time in this world with these characters again, but some of the larger themes/arcs didn't work for me that well.

She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh: I really, really enjoyed this book, more than I expected. Originally published as a series of articles, this book (narrated on audio by the author) is not just a review of the life, career, and music of Dolly Parton but also an exploration of how these things speak to broader historical trends in women's rights, country music, and culture more broadly.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Hazeldine: Volume One, Dawn of the Underlord, and Once There Were Wolves
Five years ago I was reading: The Next Evangelicalism, Girt, and Demon Lord of Karanda
Ten years ago I was reading: And the Mountains Echoed, Cordelia's Honor, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Best of the Bunch (October 2024)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in October.

Of the 10 books I read this month, I had just one 5-star read, so that's my Best of the Bunch!

A Man Called Ove has sold me on Backman. He is a master of the craft. Ove seems supremely unlikable as a character when the book opens, but as you slowly get his backstory amid his current plans to take his own life, it's clear that he's a good-hearted man with a strict set of principles who has become increasingly overwhelmed by the world and the life circumstances in which he finds himself. Past incidents are sometimes referenced multiple times throughout the book with slightly more context each time, so what seems to be an absurd feud over a car turns out to be a manifestation of grief from a man whose generation wasn't taught to talk about their feelings. Sparked by the incessant meddling of Ove's new neighbors, a kind of found family forms in the community where Ove lives, with Ove in the center against his grumpy will. (Be aware that Ove's internal judgments of others, especially near the beginning, can be quite harsh and based in ugly stereotypes.)

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Hazeldine: Volume One and Cultish
Five years ago I was reading: King of the Murgos, More Than Two, and Whistling Vivaldi
Ten years ago I was reading: Breath, Eyes, Memory, Cordelia's Honor, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

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What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

It's been another good reading month! Not only am I back to my regular reading cadence, but I also read a number of excellent and thought-provoking books, both fiction and nonfiction. Here's what I've been reading!

The Feather Thief by Kirk W. Johnson: This was a well-constructed work of nonfiction about a topic I knew nothing about. Johnson does a masterful job of concisely laying out the history leading up to the theft; since the thief had already been identified and confessed at the time he learned about the theft, the suspense comes from his efforts to find and recover the stolen feathers.

I'll Have What He's Having by Adib Khorram: This was my September Best of the Bunch. I really enjoyed this adult romance with two men trying to navigate real-life challenges and figure out what they each want and deserve.

The Mandalorian: The Rescue by the Walt Disney Company: This book my 9-year-old and I read was basically one story line from The Mandalorian told through freeze frames of the show with some sound effects and speech bubbles. Whole pages just had closeup shots of people's faces or various details in the scene, and you were apparently supposed to be able to figure out what was happening just from that. I wasn't impressed.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty: This was undoubtedly longer than it needed to be, but I enjoyed it. Moriarty uses the stories of multiple passengers (and one flight attendant) receiving predictions of their age and cause of death to explore a range of ideas, from the credibility of fortune tellers to the ways that single events can change one's life trajectory. I liked this much better than Moriarty's last couple books and am very glad I picked this up.

Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference by Cordelia Fine: Fine is thorough in showing the issues with just about every type of research purportedly finding differences between women and men in skills, abilities, interests, and even brain structure. You don't have to know how to read academic research; she's compiled work from a variety of sources and made it accessible with the clearest examples and analogies. Published in 2010, it does feel a bit outdated and is not inclusive of trans and non-binary individuals, though it's well done within its narrow focus.

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson: This was an exhaustive look at the many areas of life — work, relationships, politics, and more — where the impulse for self-justification has major effects. Their plentiful examples were a good balance of research studies, real-life events, and imagined scenarios that clearly demonstrated their points. I only wish the chapter on psychology (and its sarcastic jabs at clinical psychologists who aren't researchers) hadn't so clearly revealed the authors' own self-justification bias.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers: I can definitely see why this is a modern classic and an award winner, though personally I found the reading experience just OK. The same formatting choices and ambiguity that makes this perfect for a young adult classroom kept me feeling distant from the protagonist and his story.

Jessica by Bryce Courtenay: The writing kept me engaged in this long story of a young Australian woman's life, though the bleakness got to be too much. I don't regret reading this, but it was a bit too much of a soap opera for me to recommend widely.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Project Hail Mary, A Place to Hang the Moon, The Bad Guys in the Baddest Day Ever, and The Residue Years
Five years ago I was reading: Possession, An Untamed State, More Than Two, and Whistling Vivaldi
Ten years ago I was reading: Sister Outsider and Walk Two Moons

Best of the Bunch (September 2024)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in September.

Of the eight books I read this month, I had two 5-star reads:

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

I'll Have What He's Having by Adib Khorram

These were both very good for different reasons! Because my 9-year-old and I read the graphic novel Nimona over the span of a few weeks, I feel less confident in my 5-star rating (though very interested in rereading it on my own now). And I'm always happy to hype Adib Khorram, one of my favorite authors who is not well known enough!

At this point I will read anything Adib Khorram writes, and I'm not surprised that his first adult romance novel, I'll Have What He's Having, was as good or better than his young adult books. While he draws on some romance tropes to structure his novel, everything in between was authentic (and spicy!). Although there were a few too many sex scenes for my personal taste, I greatly appreciated how Khorram showed two men navigating real-life conversations about sex, including testing and protection, consent, and preparation and supplies for anal sex. It was lovely to see Farzan and David's romance add depth to the already full lives they each had, including close familial relationships and lifelong friendships. I love a book where there are no villains, just a lot of people doing their best in their own way. I will continue to look forward to reading whatever Khorram writes next!

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Project Hail Mary, Clap When You Land, and Wherever Is Your Heart
Five years ago I was reading: Possession, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages, God Land, and Whistling Vivaldi
Ten years ago I was reading: I Am Malala, Family Matters, and The Road

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Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's time for planning another season of reading! I read everything on my Summer TBR list. Here are ten books I plan to read this fall. After going hard on queer love stories in the summer, I need a different mix of books in my life, so I have a split of fiction and nonfiction.

1. Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour
This is what my online book club is discussing in October. I am... not really a fan of satire, so I don't have super high hopes for this one, but maybe it will surprise me, and I'm sure it will be interesting to discuss!

2. Excuse Me, Sir! by Shaley Howard
Earlier this year I read an article by Howard and was reminded I'd seen her memoir around, as she's a local author. Not too long ago I had a lovely conversation with a friend who's also a more masc queer woman about our experiences getting comfortable with our preferred gender expressions, and I'm excited to see what Howard has to say about her own experience.

3. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Y'all, I still haven't read this book, despite it being on every list ever and being a movie and everything. This season is the time to finally check it out.

4. Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
I love a good psychological deep dive! Yes, please explain to me all the weird ways my brain works and what I can do to be a better human in the world.

5. Monster by Walter Dean Myers
At this point I think this young adult book from 1999 can be considered a modern classic. I did not read it in school, but I'd like to read it now.

6. My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
My own year has been kind of a mess, so I definitely chose the next few reads from the "sounds uplifting" tag on my might-want-to-read list. The other tags on this book inform me I may have chosen yet another queer romance, but at least I gave myself some variety this season!

7. Nothing to Fear by Julie McFadden
Here's another kind of nonfiction I love! I have a feeling that I probably heard McFadden on a podcast and that's how I got interested in her book on demystifying death. I think hospice is awesome and that the folks who work in it have a lot to share with the rest of us, so I'm excited to pick this one up.

8. Only Love Today by Rachel Mary Stafford
It appears this book of daily inspiration may be more heavily Christian than I realized when several Goodreads friends recommended it, but I'm cool with occasionally dipping my toe back into the world of Christian books as long as they don't come with a lot of cringy, narrow-minded assumptions. We shall see where this one falls!

9. Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune
I'm pretty sure I first heard about this from a Goodreads ad, but I immediately knew from the title and cover that it was a sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea and went and put a hold on it. I don't plan to reread the first book, so hopefully it's the kind of sequel that gives you some time to get re-oriented to the world.

10. Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD
This book pops back up on my radar on a regular basis, and I've now had it on my "priority read" shelf for quite a while, so I'm finally going to read it this fall!

What do you plan to read this fall?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Project Hail Mary, The Sittaford Mystery, and Our Favorite Songs
Five years ago I was reading: Possession, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, and Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
Ten years ago I was reading: The Souls of Black Folk, Family Matters, and More Than Serving Tea

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

After my reading got kickstarted again last month from a bout of COVID, I've been back to my regular reading rhythm. Here's what I've finished in the past month!

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour: This was an excellent depiction of shock and grief following a trauma that's not revealed until later in the book. The alternating past and present timelines kept me reading, and the plot twist was well earned.

How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly: This was my Best of the Bunch for August. I adore Anita Kelly's writing, and this was no exception. This was a solid romance between two characters with realistic chemistry, a great depiction of an aroace spectrum character, and excellent side plots as well.

Ace Voices: What it Means to Be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi or Grey-Ace by Eris Young: Young could have compiled a book of full interviews, one for each chapter, but they decided to cut them up into quotations and organize them by theme. This could have been fine, but they didn't do nearly enough to narratively synthesize the interview parts with research and their own experience to do each theme justice. I liked some of what they had to say, but overall it was too stream-of-consciousness and the editing too sloppy for my taste.

Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw: This was a great deep dive on the topic of bisexuality, covering a broad range of areas. It's well researched and includes both reasons for despair and reasons for hope, the combination of which will hopefully spur readers to fighting for a more just world.

The Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes: This was fine, a graphic memoir I read in under an hour. I think I went in expecting something different, like "Here are the experiences that solidified my gay identity for me," with some being serious and some being funny. Instead it was more like, "Here is a series of times that I came out as gay and then immediately went back to dating guys," with some unexpected mental health elements (eating disorder, panic attacks) interspersed.

The Little Book of Living Small by Laura Fenton: This was a practical guide to living in small spaces, with a collection of case studies (complete with photographs) followed by tips and tricks for every area of the house. It leans a little too hard on the assumption that you could live in a bigger place but are living in a smaller space and can use the extra money to have everything customized for your space, but the variety of options showcased in this book will likely give you at least a few ideas even if you don't have a lot to spare.

You Don't Have a Shot by Racquel Marie: This was a great enemies-to-lovers queer YA romance. What I especially loved was that it's our first-person narrator who's the self-centered, arrogant one when the book opens, and we get to see her transformation alongside getting a better understanding of why she is the way she is. Oh, and yes to alloromantic ace rep!

Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie: Christie's thrillers are never her best work; this is a middle-of-the-pack one, all things considered. The premise is pretty great and there were several satisfying twists, but the middle part of the book has the main character doing basically nothing but hanging around and occasionally having some conversations. So it was rather uneven and not something I'd particularly recommend.

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson: It's hard to put into words what made this book so good, but my kiddo and I both loved it. It's funny and devastating and action-packed and symbolic and queer and beautifully illustrated as well as being well paced. I would definitely read this again to dig into everything I missed the first time around.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Codependent No More and How the Word Is Passed
Five years ago I was reading: Possession, Everyday Bias, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, and Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
Ten years ago I was reading: The Fire Next Time, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, and Sister Citizen

Best of the Bunch (August 2024)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in August.

Of the 10 books I read this month, I had one 5-star read, so that's my Best of the Bunch!

I adore Anita Kelly's writing. How You Get the Girl is probably my favorite of their three full-length novels set in the same universe. As with all of their books, we get the perspectives of both people, so we see how they interpret and misinterpret and second-guess each other's words and actions, both worried about being too vulnerable and leaning in too hard. Julie was my favorite character, not surprisingly; Kelly spoke to my heart through giving us a character who has no idea what identity label to claim because she so rarely gets crushes on anyone and has even less experience acting on them. Unlike the romances I want to chuck against a wall where we're just supposed to root for two characters to get together because they're the main characters, Kelly gives us solid dialogue, with flirting, inside jokes, vulnerability, and sweetness. We actually get to see Julie and Elle develop a friendship over time in a realistic way. All of the side plots are great as well, which isn't always the case. I highly recommend this on audio and kind of wish I'd read the first two this way; maybe I'll go back and revisit them one of these days.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Detransition, Baby and How the Word Is Passed
Five years ago I was reading: How to Be a Perfect Stranger, The Smart Girl's Guide to Polyamory, and The Book of Unknown Americans
Ten years ago I was reading: Totto-Chan, White Teeth, and Someone Knows My Name

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What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

Well, it took getting COVID for the first time in four and a half years to finally tick up my reading count and get me back on track toward my Goodreads goal! Plus before that, I was spending a good amount of time in the car and got through some shorter audiobooks in that time. Here's everything I've read in the past month.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey: This quiet, lyrical book about the world of snails was a nice meditation on life, with the information on snails told alongside the author's own experiences with debilitating illness that led her to have occasion to observe a snail at close quarters over a long period of time. It wasn't exactly life-changing to read, but it was a nice chance to slow down and focus on one topic minutely, gaining a greater appreciation for this particular creature.

Crooked House by Agatha Christie: This one had an unexpected but satisfying ending. I can't say I liked the experience of reading it, only because Christie did such a good job of creating a tense, stifled atmosphere in the house where the story takes place that it was almost stressful to read. But well done on Christie's part, indeed!

Endless Night by Agatha Christie: While I will give Christie credit for writing something a bit different than her usual fare (kind of), there was a lot to put this low down on my list of Christie reads: The plot was predictable, there were clues shoehorned in that didn't make sense, the book relies heavily on the use of an ethnic slur, and the ending seemed out of character with the rest of the plot. Some people love this, but it wasn't for me.

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar: This was about average as far as the romance, but I liked the side plots about cultural appropriation, coming out to family, and bullying at school, as well as the sister and friend relationships. Bonus points for being the first YA romance I've read set in Ireland between two queer girls of color. Come for the romance but stay for the bigger themes about belonging, identity, and culture.

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki: I found this engaging despite the elements of magical realism, which aren't usually my jam. There were a number of powerful themes throughout the book, like the way that someone's life narrative can influence other people's lives, even if that narrative isn't entirely accurate. While a little too philosophical and fantastical to be a favorite for me, I did enjoy this read.

Loving Someone with Borderline Personality Disorder: How to Keep Out-of-Control Emotions from Destroying Your Relationship by Shari Y. Manning: This was a reread, and this remains an incredibly helpful book. My caveats from my prior read still stand, but I'm glad to have this resource to return to.

They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie: Thrillers are definitely not Christie's strong suit, but this one was enjoyable nonetheless, especially with Emilia Fox's always excellent audiobook narration. Although it wasn't a puzzle mystery, Christie brings that same cleverness to inventing ingenuous ways for her characters to get out of seemingly impossible scrapes. Unfortunately, there were aspects of the plot that didn't hang together, but it wasn't the worst of Christie's thriller/spy books.

Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele: This is, actually, not a graphic history of anything. This is an introduction to queer theory where every section is a couple of paragraphs and an illustration. I think the goal was to make it fun and easy to read, but the end result is both dry and oversimplified. It's a shame, because I think a graphic format could have worked for an intro to queer theory.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: What the Fireflies Knew, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, The Bad Guys in Do-You-Think-He-Saurus?!, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: Severance, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, and Guardians of the West
Ten years ago I was reading: The Cross in the Closet, Geek Love, and Someone Knows My Name

Best of the Bunch (July 2024)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in July.

Of the five books I read this month, I didn't have any 5-star or 4.5-star reads. I did have three 4-star reads to choose between:

To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Crooked House by Agatha Christie

Quite a varied selection! They were all enjoyable for different reasons, so I'll go with the one I'd recommend most broadly as my Best of the Bunch.

The two words that come to mind first for this middle grade epistolary novel are "sweet" and "madcap." In To Night Owl From Dogfish, two girls from opposite coasts try to break up their dads' new relationship after being sent to the same summer camp, but things quickly go off the rails on all fronts. It's a big-hearted story about family, love, theater, summer camp, and second chances that asks you not to take its plot too seriously while taking its themes very seriously. I predicted several of the plot twists from a mile away but it didn't lessen the enjoyment. This was an excellent summer read, and I'd definitely recommend it.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Moonflower Murders, Sorted, The Bad Guys in Aliens vs Bad Guys, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: Getting the Love You Want and White Fragility
Ten years ago I was reading: A Suitable Boy, Half of a Yellow Sun, and Someone Knows My Name

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What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

It was another light reading month for me, though I did finish two chapter books with my older kid this time. Looking forward to when my life settles down a bit and I can get back to more regular reading!

Dog Man: The Scarlet Shredder by Dav Pilkey: This was fine. I'm never going to say no to a book that my 9-year-old will voluntarily read independently. Plotwise, like some of the previous books, it's a weird mashup of silly jokes, heartfelt life lessons, action sequences, and social commentary mainly aimed at adults, among other things.

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed: This was overall good. I definitely highlighted a lot of individual lines and passages. I appreciated Strayed's balance of compassion and tough love, and I didn't mind all of the memoir-ish stories, even if they didn't always seem fully relevant. It didn't really move me emotionally as much as I expected, but I think it was a good collection of advice on the whole.

To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer: The two words that come to mind first for this middle grade epistolary novel are "sweet" and "madcap." Two girls from opposite coasts try to break up their dads' new relationship after being sent to the same summer camp, but things quickly go off the rails on all fronts. It's a big-hearted story about family, love, theater, summer camp, and second chances that asks you not to take its plot too seriously while taking its themes very seriously.

Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers by Dav Pilkey: We started with number five in this series due to it being available at the library, but it didn't seem to matter much and we were already familiar with the characters from the Dog Man series. Like many of the later Dog Man books, this one tried to be entertaining while delivering Big Life Lessons, and it didn't quite stick the landing, but it was fine.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Parker Pyne Investigates, The Guncle, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: There Are No Children Here
Ten years ago I was reading: A Suitable Boy, The Virgin Suicides, and Love in the Time of Cholera

Best of the Bunch (June 2024)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in June.

Of the four books I read this month, I had one 5-star read, which is my Best of the Bunch!

I'd heard the author of Setting Boundaries that Stick on several podcasts before picking up her book so I already knew I liked her approach, but I greatly appreciated this book. As the subtitle says, this goes beyond giving you the words to set boundaries with other people or within yourself; Shore uses neurobiology to help you develop practices that will engage with the "lower" parts of the brain so that you can feel safe and grounded enough to keep your prefrontal cortex online in order to be able to ask for what you want and protect yourself emotionally regardless of other people's decisions or emotions. I listened to this on audio but I'd like to get it in print so I can more easily go through the many exercises Shore lays out in this book. I believe a lot more communication would be productive if everyone read this book!

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Magpie Murders, Mistakes Were Made, The Bad Guys in Attack of the Zittens, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: Jellicoe Road and Water for Elephants
Ten years ago I was reading: A Suitable Boy, The Namesake, and Love in the Time of Cholera

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Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's time for planning another season of reading! I read everything on my Spring TBR list except for Tiny Beautiful Things, which I'm currently reading. Here are ten books I plan to read this summer. In honor of Pride month I went hard on the "queer" tag on my Goodreads list of books to read!

1. Ace Voices by Eris Young
I love that this collection uses interviews to attempt to showcase the diversity within the ace community.

2. Bi by Julia Shaw
I love a good nonfiction deep dive, and this one came recommended from a bi friend at work.

3. Crooked House by Agatha Christie
I'm still chugging along on my goal to read Agatha Christie's complete works!

4. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar
A queer YA romance by a Bangladeshi author set in Ireland? Yes please!

5. How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly
I am an Anita Kelly completionist at this point, and I was very excited to see they had a new book out!

6. Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker and Jules Scheele
I'm interested to read this short, illustrated guide to "the histories of queer thought and LGBTQ+ action."

7. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
This book has been on my priority read list for quite a while, and with a lot of transition happening in my life right now, having a book about slowing down and diving deep into a moment seems like a good dea.

8. The Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes
I've read several great graphic memoirs, and this one looks especially fun and relatable.

9. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
I can't believe I haven't read any more Nina LaCour since I adored Everything Leads to You. This one is her most well known, and I'm excited to give it a shot.

10. You Don't Have a Shot by Racquel Marie
I really loved Marie's Ophelia After All last year, and I've been meaning to pick up another one of her books. This one came out last year and looks great!

What do you plan to read this summer?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories, Nabokov's Favorite Word Is Mauve, The Bad Guys in the Furball Strikes Back, and McDonald's
Five years ago I was reading: The Warmth of Other Suns and Water for Elephants
Ten years ago I was reading: A Suitable Boy and Island Beneath the Sea