Mt TBR Report: September 2020
Oct. 3rd, 2020 07:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calissaA busy month, but my reading seemed to bounce back somewhat in spite of that.
Mt TBR @ 1 January 2020: 427
Mt TBR @ 31 August 2020: 425
Mt TBR @ 30 September 2020: 426
123. Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings. Fairytale fantasy novella. A young lady in a rural Australian town goes searching for clues about the disappearance of her father and brothers. Delightfully atmospheric, with a very poetical turn of phrase. I loved seeing scraps of fairytales and folklore be twisted into something new and Australian flavoured. The structure was also clever, involving one overarching story containing several other stories which can be read discretely, though as they are all set in the same region we also get to see how they influence the overarching story in subtle ways.
124. Pestilence by Laura Thalassa. First book in the Four Horsemen series. Post-apocalyptic paranormal romance. The Four Horsemen have come to Earth, spreading death and destruction in their wake. As Pestilence comes to her hometown, Sara makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect her loved ones: she attempts to assassinate him. I do love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, but this one didn't quite work for me. Pestilence is so alien, the power imbalance so pronounced, and the enmity between them so strong to begin with that I had trouble swallowing the redemption, though the story makes a valiant effort to sell it.
125. The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare. Historical f/m romance. First book in the Girl Meets Duke series. In need of reimbursement for her work on his ex-fiancee's wedding dress, a seamstress confronts a jilted duke... who decides she'll make the perfect replacement bride. There was a great deal of joy in this book. There are some elements of Beauty and the Beast here, as Ash has returned from the war with facial scarring and the marriage of convenience simulates forced proximity. There are also some elements of a superhero narrative, as Ash spends his evenings stalking the streets and beating up criminals. A fun story, but also sweet and thoughtful.
126. A is for Arsenic: The poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup. Non-fiction. An examination of fourteen of the poisons used in Christie's novels, detailing the origin and history of the poison, how it affects the body, known cures, real-life cases and how they were used in the novels. Utterly fascinating.
127. Exhalation by Ted Chiang. Science fiction collection. Very much preoccupied with ideas rather than characters, though Chiang shows a reasonable variety of styles. He also continues to show a preoccupation with how humans interact with technology... or at the very least, continues a long tradition of using technology to examine wider problems faced by humanity. I read this collection with a friend, tackling one story a week, and there was always plenty to chew over.
128. The Sugared Game by KJ Charles. Historical m/m romance. Second in the Will Darling trilogy. After a strange night out at a shady nightclub, Will crosses paths with both Kim and the criminal organisation Zodiac. Another delightful instalment in the series. Kim continues to be a trainwreck and Will is also a bit high-handed in places. The plot was pacey with some good set pieces and twists. I lived for the f/f romance playing out subtly in the background.
129. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. Reread. Book club pick. Just as wonderous the second time around.
130. Showtime by Narrelle M Harris. A collection of four short fantasy/horror stories. Some different takes on the usual ghosts, vampires and zombies, incorporating some distinctly Australian elements and the horror of the domestic.
131. Fence, Vol. 4 by C.S. Pacat. Contemporary graphic novel. The Kings Row team have their first match and learn that fencing as a team sport is very different to fencing solo. Again, I loved to see the team start to pull together. It was also nice to see some development with Seji--to see him realise he has some developing to do and to get a hint of a dark backstory.
132. The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare. Historical f/m romance. Third in the Girl Meets Duke series. When Lady Penelope is given an ultimatum to rehome her menagerie or return to her ancestral home, she finds an unlikely ally in the handsome gentleman who has moved in next door. These two were adorable. Penny might have a generous and loving heart, but she also has a backbone and a genuine disregard for what others think of her. Gabriel is a vengeful soul and does a delightful (if misguided) job of employing that vengeance on Penny's behalf. Penny's backstory was perhaps a little late in emerging, but I appreciated seeing the influence of the #MeToo movement. Overall, another charming addition to a wonderful series.
133. Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha. Post-apocalyptic f/m romance. The captain of a rogue team of supersoldiers is blackmailed into kidnapping an information broker/underground librarian in order to keep his team alive. Set in the same world as the author's other series, but stands alone well. Plenty of action and a great cast of characters. It felt a little long to me, but the plot turns make it work.
134. Crux by Moira Rogers. Paranormal romance. First in the Southern Arcana series. On the run from a deranged stalker, Mackenzie finds help and more in Jackson, a private investigator... and spellcaster. Moira Rogers is another pseudonym Kit Rocha used for some of their earlier work and it shows. It is not nearly as polished and the redemption of key bad guys/antiheros rather less convincing. (I'll probably still read the rest of the series, though).
135. Claiming T-Mo by Eugen Bacon. Science fiction. Follows three generations of women and their relationship to the title character. Definitely at the literary end of the scale, it had a unique voice and made some thoughtful explorations of feminism and toxic masculinity. However, overall I didn't quite follow what it was trying to do.
136. Lies by Kylie Scott. Contemporary romance thriller. When Betty's apartment explodes as she's in the process of leaving her boring fiance, she discovers he's actually a spy and his work is putting her in danger. I was a bit confused by the tone of this book. It wasn't quite funny enough to be a romantic comedy but too ridiculous to take seriously as a romantic thriller. Nor was I convinced that the trust issues in the relationship were sufficiently addressed. A bit disappointing, on the whole.
The Sugared Game by KJ Charles
Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik
Claiming T-Mo by Eugen Bacon
A is for Arsenic: The poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup
Pestilence by Laura Thalassa
The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare
A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole
Lies by Kylie Scott
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
Mt TBR Status
Mt TBR @ 1 January 2020: 427
Mt TBR @ 31 August 2020: 425
Mt TBR @ 30 September 2020: 426
Books Read
123. Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings. Fairytale fantasy novella. A young lady in a rural Australian town goes searching for clues about the disappearance of her father and brothers. Delightfully atmospheric, with a very poetical turn of phrase. I loved seeing scraps of fairytales and folklore be twisted into something new and Australian flavoured. The structure was also clever, involving one overarching story containing several other stories which can be read discretely, though as they are all set in the same region we also get to see how they influence the overarching story in subtle ways.
124. Pestilence by Laura Thalassa. First book in the Four Horsemen series. Post-apocalyptic paranormal romance. The Four Horsemen have come to Earth, spreading death and destruction in their wake. As Pestilence comes to her hometown, Sara makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect her loved ones: she attempts to assassinate him. I do love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, but this one didn't quite work for me. Pestilence is so alien, the power imbalance so pronounced, and the enmity between them so strong to begin with that I had trouble swallowing the redemption, though the story makes a valiant effort to sell it.
125. The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare. Historical f/m romance. First book in the Girl Meets Duke series. In need of reimbursement for her work on his ex-fiancee's wedding dress, a seamstress confronts a jilted duke... who decides she'll make the perfect replacement bride. There was a great deal of joy in this book. There are some elements of Beauty and the Beast here, as Ash has returned from the war with facial scarring and the marriage of convenience simulates forced proximity. There are also some elements of a superhero narrative, as Ash spends his evenings stalking the streets and beating up criminals. A fun story, but also sweet and thoughtful.
126. A is for Arsenic: The poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup. Non-fiction. An examination of fourteen of the poisons used in Christie's novels, detailing the origin and history of the poison, how it affects the body, known cures, real-life cases and how they were used in the novels. Utterly fascinating.
127. Exhalation by Ted Chiang. Science fiction collection. Very much preoccupied with ideas rather than characters, though Chiang shows a reasonable variety of styles. He also continues to show a preoccupation with how humans interact with technology... or at the very least, continues a long tradition of using technology to examine wider problems faced by humanity. I read this collection with a friend, tackling one story a week, and there was always plenty to chew over.
128. The Sugared Game by KJ Charles. Historical m/m romance. Second in the Will Darling trilogy. After a strange night out at a shady nightclub, Will crosses paths with both Kim and the criminal organisation Zodiac. Another delightful instalment in the series. Kim continues to be a trainwreck and Will is also a bit high-handed in places. The plot was pacey with some good set pieces and twists. I lived for the f/f romance playing out subtly in the background.
129. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. Reread. Book club pick. Just as wonderous the second time around.
130. Showtime by Narrelle M Harris. A collection of four short fantasy/horror stories. Some different takes on the usual ghosts, vampires and zombies, incorporating some distinctly Australian elements and the horror of the domestic.
131. Fence, Vol. 4 by C.S. Pacat. Contemporary graphic novel. The Kings Row team have their first match and learn that fencing as a team sport is very different to fencing solo. Again, I loved to see the team start to pull together. It was also nice to see some development with Seji--to see him realise he has some developing to do and to get a hint of a dark backstory.
132. The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare. Historical f/m romance. Third in the Girl Meets Duke series. When Lady Penelope is given an ultimatum to rehome her menagerie or return to her ancestral home, she finds an unlikely ally in the handsome gentleman who has moved in next door. These two were adorable. Penny might have a generous and loving heart, but she also has a backbone and a genuine disregard for what others think of her. Gabriel is a vengeful soul and does a delightful (if misguided) job of employing that vengeance on Penny's behalf. Penny's backstory was perhaps a little late in emerging, but I appreciated seeing the influence of the #MeToo movement. Overall, another charming addition to a wonderful series.
133. Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha. Post-apocalyptic f/m romance. The captain of a rogue team of supersoldiers is blackmailed into kidnapping an information broker/underground librarian in order to keep his team alive. Set in the same world as the author's other series, but stands alone well. Plenty of action and a great cast of characters. It felt a little long to me, but the plot turns make it work.
134. Crux by Moira Rogers. Paranormal romance. First in the Southern Arcana series. On the run from a deranged stalker, Mackenzie finds help and more in Jackson, a private investigator... and spellcaster. Moira Rogers is another pseudonym Kit Rocha used for some of their earlier work and it shows. It is not nearly as polished and the redemption of key bad guys/antiheros rather less convincing. (I'll probably still read the rest of the series, though).
135. Claiming T-Mo by Eugen Bacon. Science fiction. Follows three generations of women and their relationship to the title character. Definitely at the literary end of the scale, it had a unique voice and made some thoughtful explorations of feminism and toxic masculinity. However, overall I didn't quite follow what it was trying to do.
136. Lies by Kylie Scott. Contemporary romance thriller. When Betty's apartment explodes as she's in the process of leaving her boring fiance, she discovers he's actually a spy and his work is putting her in danger. I was a bit confused by the tone of this book. It wasn't quite funny enough to be a romantic comedy but too ridiculous to take seriously as a romantic thriller. Nor was I convinced that the trust issues in the relationship were sufficiently addressed. A bit disappointing, on the whole.
Books Acquired
Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik
Claiming T-Mo by Eugen Bacon
Pestilence by Laura Thalassa
The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani
A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
no subject
Date: 2020-10-03 10:33 am (UTC)The Tessa Dare series sounds fun. Would you recommend?
Also, you have acquired A Wrinkle in Time!!! I read that a lot as a child. Have you read it before?
no subject
Date: 2020-10-04 04:47 am (UTC)I would recommend the Tessa Dare. The series has managed a good balance between fun, serious and sweet. Unfortunately, it appears the last book has been delayed somewhat and won't be out until next year. But at least romance series are easier on the memory.
I've not read A Wrinkle in Time before. It seemed like an oversight in my SFF education, so I picked up a copy on audio.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-04 08:21 am (UTC)And oooh, I do hope you like A Wrinkle in Time. That said, I wonder whether it will fully translate into audio, as I recall some lovely drawings of the explanation of the tesseract. Perhaps they are online somewhere...