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 a pretty good reading month, mostly due to Anita Kelly. Here's what I read this past month.

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself by Melody Beattie: It was interesting to read this classic self-help book, and I think it could be a good starting point for folks to recognize patterns in their life, but Beattie unfortunately cites minimal research and is skeptical about therapy, centering instead her own personal experience and going all in on twelve-step programs.

The Bad Guys in Superbad by Aaron Blabey: This kept my 8-year-old very engaged and entertained. I liked the league of female superheroes in this one. The plot was silly but not terrible.

How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith: This is an incredibly important book that goes beyond sharing historical information about slavery in the United States to look at the ways we talk — or don't — about that history. I'm glad this book has gotten as much buzz as it has, and I'm glad I finally took the time to read it.

Our Favorite Songs by Anita Kelly: I love Anita Kelly's Moonlighters novellas and can't believe it took me so long to read their second one! I enjoyed this M/M romance set during a rare Portland snowstorm that had an enemies-to-lovers vibe without ever getting too deep into "enemies" territory.

The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie: This was a pretty classic Christie, with all the usual misdirection and suspense. I liked the unique setup for this one and the mystery surrounding some of the characters. Not a favorite, but it was enjoyable to listen to.

Wherever Is Your Heart by Anita Kelly: I loved this. How often do you get to see two women in their 50s in a love story? I didn't want this to end, and also just getting a glimpse of this one momentous day in their lives was perfect.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo: Inspired by a real-life plane crash in November 2001, Acevedo has written a story set in the present day about a plane traveling between New York City and the Dominican Republic whose crash upends the lives of two teenage girls, one in each place. I enjoyed it, but I think Acevedeo's novels-in-verse leave me wanting more when they privilege language/poetry over plot and character development.

The Bad Guys in The Big Bad Wolf by Aaron Blabey: This felt like a middle-of-the-series book, where the characters spend a lot of time planning something and we don't get to see it to fruition during this book. Through a highly convenient plot device, the characters get reset to where they were a couple books ago, and we get to go from there into the next book.

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly: This was a very sweet queer romance, as all of Kelly's are. The main characters are contestants on a cooking reality show, so their budding relationship is complicated by the fact that they're in competition with each other, as well as that either of them could get sent home at any time. I'm not sure I buy their long-term compatibility, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie: This kept me entertained, but Christie's thrillers are never her best works. I enjoyed trying to puzzle out the mystery, and I found the last piece of the solution satisfying, but there was far too much reliance on disguises and mistaken identities and the like not to stretch credulity. Definitely a middle-of-the-pack Christie.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Burnout, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide, and Creepers Crashed My Party
Five years ago I was reading: Special Topics in Calamity Physics and The Bluest Eye
Ten years ago I was reading: Roots and The Big Sleep

Best of the Bunch (September 2023)

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

It was a slightly better reading month this month than the past few, with a couple of 4.5-star reads and one 5-star read out of the 7 books I read. The 5-star read is my Best of the Bunch!

I love Anita Kelly's Moonlighters novellas and can't believe it took me so long to read their second one! As with the first one, Our Favorite Songs revolves primarily around a single night at this fictional Portland (OR) karaoke bar, but with characters who have enough history and chemistry to jump-start something longer-term than a one-night stand. Kelly writes authentic dialogue with alternating perspective chapters that give you a sympathetic view into both characters' perspectives. I enjoyed this M/M romance set during a rare Portland snowstorm that had an enemies-to-lovers vibe without ever getting too deep into "enemies" territory. I've already started the third and final Moonlighters novella!

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: The Disordered Cosmos, Matrix, and Zombies Ate My Homework
Five years ago I was reading: The Amber Spyglass and The Secret Place
Ten years ago I was reading: Room and The Righteous Mind

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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 another seasonal check-in! I finished nine of the ten books on my Summer TBR and I'm in the middle of the tenth now, so this is a totally fresh list going into fall!

1. Cultish by Amanda Montell
I've been interested in this exploration of cult-like groups every time I've heard about it since it came out in 2021, so I'm going to finally prioritize reading it this fall.

2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
I'm very excited to fulfill a long-time dream to see Kingsolver in person when she comes here on her book tour next month. I don't think my hold on this book will come through before then, but I still want to read it, as it's received all kinds of praise. I'm glad that I read David Copperfield years ago so that I can recognize the parallels (one of the reasons I read classics!), though I hear it stands well on its own regardless.

3. Hazeldine, Volume One by Angie Bee
I don't know much about this one, but my best friend was at a friend's book signing when she saw Bee there doing a signing as well and thought I might like this queer Western story. I'm interested to give it a try!

4. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
This is another one I've heard about repeatedly since it came out in 2021, and I can always use another mystery/thriller to pull me in.

5. Our Favorite Songs by Anita Kelly
I keep saying that I want to read the next Moonlighters novella. Now is the time!

6. A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
Middle grade? Uplifting? That is what I need in my life right now.

7. Polysecure by Jessica Fern
This book has only been out for three years, but at this point it kind of feels like every other polyamorous person has read this book about attachment, trauma, and relationships. I've been on the holds list for a while now and should get to listen to it this fall.

8. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I was meh about Weir's first blockbuster, The Martian, but I keep hearing about this one from all corners. I've been working through some slower books lately so I'd love to read something faster paced, which I think this one is.

9. The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
In my quest to read Christie's complete works, I've finished off all the works with recurring characters and am now on to her standalones. This is the first one!

10. This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan
I was just telling someone the other day about this book about the power of fandoms, but I still haven't actually read it! It sounds both interesting and fun, so I want to pick it up this fall.

What do you plan to read this fall?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Dead and the Dark, A Queer History of the United States, and Zombies Ate My Homework
Five years ago I was reading: The Subtle Knife, Kindred, House of Leaves, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Ten years ago I was reading: How to Be a Woman

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 OK reading month, with mostly 3- and 4-star reads. Here's what I read this past month.

McDonald's: Behind the Arches by John F. Love: This history of McDonald's certainly comes across with some bias in favor of McDonald's, but at the same time the author doesn't shy away from airing the dirty laundry of behind-the-scenes conflicts and close calls. There are some elements that make the book feel dated, but on the whole, I found it an enjoyable and interesting read.

What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harris: This was fine, but it felt a little bit like a paint-by-numbers coming-of-age story, and I had a hard time finding the main character's voice to be authentic. I think there are definitely people who would find a valuable mirror in this book, but I'm not sure that I'd recommend it broadly.

The Bad Guys in Do-You-Think-He-Saurus?! by Aaron Blabey: This one had some funny moments but didn't have much in the way of a compelling plot. Mostly it was just a bunch of silliness played for laughs, which is fine, but the series feels like it's being stretched a bit thin.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain: This was a sweet story of an older man learning to open up and build community after keeping to himself for decades. Although Albert's search for his long-ago love is the catalyst for the plot, that becomes almost incidental as the search draws Albert out into the greater community around him. I found it an uplifting read.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters: This book actually provides some valuable intra-trans community conversation, but it's unfortunately wrapped in the kind of pretentious literary fiction I can't stand, with self-destructive, self-obsessed characters who are all terrible to each other.

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H.: Although it took me a bit to get into Lamya's writing style, I ended up really liking the way this book was structured, with each area of Lamya's own life finding reflection in a figure from the Quran. I'm glad this was recommended to me, and it's a valuable addition to the diverse queer stories out there.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: The Dead and the Dark, Platonic, and Zombies Ate My Homework
Five years ago I was reading: The Subtle Knife, Kindred, House of Leaves, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Ten years ago I was reading: How to Be a Woman

Best of the Bunch (August 2023)

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

I had another mediocre reading month. Once again, I read 7 books and had just one 5-star read, so that's my Best of the Bunch!

Sorted was an incredibly accessible and readable memoir about Bird's experience growing up and coming out as a trans man. He mentions near the end that he decided to focus his platform on educating cis people about trans issues, and I think (from my perspective as a cis person with many beloved trans people in my everyday life) he does an excellent job of telling his story in a way that is both educational to cis people and validating for other trans people. For example, in talking about the years when he doubled down on presenting as feminine, he both makes it clear to cis people that his trans identity isn't invalidated by this phase of his life and validates trans people that they can still be trans even if they spent a long time being unsure about their gender or aggressively buying into the stereotypical gender expression of their assigned gender. It's really well done, and I'd recommend it to cis and trans folks alike.

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: Ella Minnow Pea, She Who Became the Sun, and I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
Five years ago I was reading: Kaffir Boy and Talking Across the Divide
Ten years ago I was reading: A Moveable Feast and How to Be a Woman

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Ten Books with Water in the Title

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

This week's theme is "Water"! I decided to go with books I've read that have water of some kind in the title :)

1. The Color of Water by James McBride

2. A Fish Out of Water by Helen Marion Palmer

3. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

4. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

5. Mink River by Brian Doyle

6. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

7. The Unmapped Sea by Maryrose Wood

8. Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle

9. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

10. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

What "water" books have you read?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: How to Read Now and I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
Five years ago I was reading: Kaffir Boy and Ancillary Justice
Ten years ago I was reading: Paper Towns

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 a decent reading month, though with only a few stand-outs. Here's what I read this past month.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley: This was fine if a bit predictable. I finally started to get invested in the story about halfway through, primarily because Patrick stopped being quite so self-absorbed, but I still didn't love it.

Parker Pyne Investigates by Agatha Christie: I hadn't heard of Parker Pyne before embarking on reading all of Christie's works, and with good reason — these stories aren't her finest work. A few of them had clever twists that I enjoyed, but mostly they dealt in tropes, and the titular character's solutions were generally reached less by deduction than by stereotype and prejudice.

The Bad Guys in Intergalactic Gas by Aaron Blabey: This one was fairly entertaining and had fewer of the annoying tropes from the previous two books. I liked how Mr. Wolf and Mr. Piranha were willing to sacrifice themselves and then got a chance to be heroes at long last after all.

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc: I appreciated everything Leduc shared in this book about her personal experience as a someone with cerebral palsy, as well as the broader disability justice content. Unfortunately, she chose to narrowly focus the book's primary theme around fairy tales, and that aspect could have been covered in an article but was incredibly repetitive in book form.

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz: I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the first one but it was still engaging and well plotted. I think another one in this format would stretch credulity, but I'd probably read it anyway!

Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place by Jackson Bird: This was an incredibly accessible and readable memoir about Bird's experience growing up and coming out as a trans man. I think he does an excellent job of telling his story in a way that is both educational to cis people and validating for other trans people.

The Bad Guys in Alien vs Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey: This was one of the better ones in the series so far. High stakes, silly jokes, a twisty-turny plot. My 8-year-old was willingly reading entire chapters at a time on their own.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: An American Marriage, How to Read Now, 50 Women Every Christian Should Know, and Wayside School Is Falling Down
Five years ago I was reading: The End of Your Life Book Club and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Ten years ago I was reading: The Age of Innocence and The Unbearable Lightness of Being