Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.28.26)

Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Historical Romance • 2010

Short synopsis: After fleeing London’s marriage-minded society, the irresistibly eligible Lord Nicholas St. John is drawn into Lady Isabel Townsend’s desperate scheme to protect her brother’s inheritance—and into a dangerous romance neither can resist.

I first read this book quite a while ago, and I’m on a mission to reread all of Sarah MacLean’s books since she’s my #1 historical romance author. This one was just as delightful as the first time around, and it had been so long since I had read it that I didn’t remember anything. It’s fun when that happens! (Or maybe concerning about my memory. Either or.) Here’s a really funny thing that happened while I was reading, though: In the story, Isabel realizes she needs to sell these “marbles” that have been in her family for a long time because she needs money. I spent far too long thinking that they are the kind of marbles you play with, and I was really confused. I’m picturing this small bag of tiny marbles and I didn’t understand why a) they were so damn valuable and b) it would take someone weeks to assess their worth. No, no. Marbles as in sculptures. It made so much more sense. The more you know!

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune (★★★★☆ 1/2)

Audiobook • Libby • Fantasy • 2025

Short synopsis: A spine-tingling thriller about a 10-year-old girl with an impossible power, her father, and an unlikely stranger, who come together to confront the dangerous forces that want her at all costs.

I am three for three on TJ Klune books. So far, I have loved everything he’s written (that I’ve read, of course, as I am not yet a completionist!), and this book is no exception. This novel is about Nate, a guy who lost his job and wants to spend some time at his family’s abandoned cabin to lick his wounds and figure out what’s next for him. The problem is, when he arrives, he finds out his cabin is occupied by a surly man named Alex and a precocious young girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Why are they there, and what would happen to them if they left? I adored Nate and Alex and Art so, so much. They were all so wonderfully complex and different and so fun to root for. I was here for every moment of this adventure, even when things seemed impossibly dire. I didn’t care for the epilogue, which is why I gave this book 4.5 stars. I find most epilogues unnecessary, and I think the novel would have had such a stronger ending without it.

And Now Back to You by B.K. Borison (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Target) • Contemporary Romance • 2026

Short synopsis: When radio meteorologist Jackson and journalist Delilah are forced to team up to cover a historic snowstorm, their clash of personalities gives way to an unexpected friendship—and a chemistry neither can ignore.

I think we have a pattern here with B.K. Borison books. Her first book in a series is always excellent (Lovelight Farms, First-Time Caller), which makes me so excited to check out the next book in the series. But then the second one is always a dud (looking at you, In the Weeds). This book was so bland with one very dull MMC and one manic-pixie dreamgirl of a FMC. I just didn’t care about them, nor did I find their romance all that exciting. And, as always, I think any romance over 400 pages is too long, and this one was around 470 pages, which is TOO GODDAMN LONG. There were so many unnecessary side plots, along with a dramatic moment that felt forced and gratuitous. And don’t even get me started on the grand gesture at the end, which I could see from a mile away. I literally muttered to myself, “Oh, he’s going to do XYZ thing, isn’t he?” And sure enough, he did. I didn’t hate this book and I can understand why many people love it. But I just need more from my romances these days, and this one failed to deliver.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.21.26)

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yaisawa (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Contemporary Fiction • 2010

Short synopsis: After her boyfriend leaves her for another woman, a reluctant reader moves into her uncle’s tiny Tokyo bookshop, where the books, eccentric family, and unexpected connections help her heal and rediscover herself.

I’m going to be honest with you guys: I finished this book almost a month ago and didn’t take any notes on what I thought, so I’m trying to remember exactly why it wasn’t a hit for me. I think I didn’t love this book because the bookshop didn’t play as big a part as I expected. The first half follows Takako, who, after a major life upheaval, ends up living in the apartment above her uncle’s bookstore. She’s not a reader, spends more time sleeping than awake, and isn’t particularly close to her uncle, whom she hasn’t seen in years. This part of the book was great because the bookstore was the setting, and I sympathized with Takako and all the ways she felt her life had imploded. The second half of the book is where it lost me. Now, Takako is living somewhere else, she has a new job, and she barely sees her uncle. And then her uncle’s estranged wife comes back into his life… and chaos ensues? Somewhat? I don’t know, guys. It was just kinda boring, and I found myself liking Takako less and less. At least it was only 150 pages!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 8 by Beth Brower (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Hoopla • Historical Fiction • 2025

Short synopsis: The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. 

I AM NOT OKAY. I finished Volume 8 of Emma M. Lion at the end of August, and now I have to wait until FEBRUARY 2027 for Volume 9. I don’t know if I can handle such a long wait between books, but I must persist. Somehow. (I will do it by buying the physical version of each volume and rereading the whole series before February.) In this book, Emma spends a few weeks at Islington’s estate, where she meets his sister, frolics in nature, and learns more secrets about her tenant, Pierce. You guys cannot talk me out of being Team Hawkes, especially after this book. The boxing scene! The scene of Emma in his room! The laid-back Hawkes at the estate! OMG, Hawkes 4ever.

The Unseen World by Liz Moore (★★☆☆☆ 1/2)

E-book • Libby • Fiction • 2017

Short synopsis: Raised by her brilliant but eccentric computer scientist father in 1980s Boston, Ada Sibelius sets out to uncover the secrets of his mysterious past as his mind begins to fail.

I know I am in the minority with my opinion (considering the 4.11 average on Goodreads!), but this book really did not work for me. I think I am really tender about single-parent relationships and what happens when something happens to that parent, and this one was hard for me in that respect. Ada is only 12 when she learns her father has early-onset Alzheimer’s, and not long after, he has to be moved into a memory care facility, where he stays until his death. Is this book part coming-of-age, part mystery, and part sci-fi? It’s doing a lot, and honestly, I think I would have liked this book much more if it were about David and not necessarily his daughter and the mystery she is uncovering about his past. We do get insight into David’s past (through a plot device that drives me crazy), but I wanted more from him and less from Ada. I also found the ending to be rather silly and unnecessary, but again, most people seem to love this book, so maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace when I read it. (Recommendation source: Sarah of Sarah’s Bookshelves Live)
What are you reading?
Categories: Books

Reading Habits (v. 4)

I felt the urge to track my reading time last week. This is the fourth time I’ve done this exercise (I’ve done it in 2014, 2018, and 2021), and it’s super interesting to read through my old posts and recognize how much has changed in my reading life!

Monday, August 17

  • 10:10am-10:12am: tidying apartment (audiobook)
  • 10:40am-10:50am: puttering around (audiobook)
  • 1:16pm-1:23pm: playing Happy Color on my phone (audiobook)
  • 1:52pm-2:01pm: chores/puttering (audiobook)
  • 2:43pm-2:59pm: working (audiobook)
  • 3:13pm-3:31pm: more chores/playing Happy Color (audiobook)
  • 6:50pm-7:00pm: playing Happy Color while waiting for food to cook (audiobook)

Total: 1 hour, 12 minutes of audiobook

Notes: As you can clearly see here, I go in fits and starts when it comes to audiobook listening time. My longest stretch was 18 minutes, and my shortest was 2 minutes. And, on Monday, I didn’t pick up either of the print books I’m reading! It was one of those busy evenings when I chose an early bedtime over reading time.

Tuesday, August 18

  • 6:17am-6:24am, 6:30am-6:42am: Enormous Wings (30 pages)
  • 6:21pm-6:33pm: Wild Side (19 pages)
  • 9:02pm-9:20pm: Wild Side (33 pages)

Total: 49 minutes of reading and 82 pages

Notes: Everything flip-flopped on Tuesday! I didn’t listen to my audiobook at all, but instead was able to sneak in some reading time throughout the day! I started my day with reading on the couch with coffee (with a break to play my NYT games!), and then read a little while waiting for dinner to cook and before starting my evening routine.

Wednesday, August 19

  • 9:02am-9:24am, 9:26am-9:38am: morning routine (audiobook)
  • 10:34am-10:39am: playing Happy Color on my phone (audiobook)
  • 12:17pm-12:29pm: making lunch (audiobook)
  • 3:02pm-3:05pm: puttering (audiobook)
  • 3:12pm-3:32pm: working (audiobook)

Total: 1 hour, 14 minutes of audiobook

Notes: It’s super interesting to me that during the work week, I’m getting my reading time either via audiobook or physical book, but not both (at least through Wednesday). These days are pretty busy for me, so I try to get my reading in as best I can. If I can listen to my audiobook, I might be less mindful of reading my physical book. If I don’t have time for my audiobook, I’ll try to sneak in some physical reading time during the day.

Thursday, August 20

  • 8:55am-9:07am: puttering around (audiobook)
  • 9:39am-9:55am: morning routine (audiobook)
  • 10:08am-10:18am: doing my hair and makeup (audiobook)
  • 11:52am-12:00pm: waiting for a meeting to start (audiobook)
  • 3:07pm-3:16pm: chores (audiobook)
  • 4:47pm-5:00pm: tidying/working (audiobook)
  • 7:48pm-7:58pm: Enormous Wings (12 pages)
  • 9:44-9:55pm, 10:06pm-10:18pm, 10:26pm-10:34pm: Enormous Wings (39 pages)

Total: 1 hour, 59 minutes of reading time and 51 pages read with my eyes

Notes: There were a few interesting things about today! I broke up my morning routine and did it between work breaks, and then I also had a weird pocket of time when I finished one work task and had a meeting starting in a few minutes, so I used that time to play Happy Color and listen to my audiobook! Then I had less than 40 pages left in Enormous Wings, so I decided to read a few chapters at a time, then get up to clean the apartment/do my evening routine. I often break up my reading time like this, as I’m an easily distracted reader, and this way, I can get some reading and productive time in one fell swoop.

Friday, August 21

  • 6:48am-7:01am: Wild Side (22 pages)
  • 4:44pm-4:52pm: Wild Side (20 pages)
  • 5:04pm-5:41pm: Wild Side (39 pages)

Total: 58 minutes of reading time and 51 pages read

Notes: Not a super busy reading day, especially for a Friday. I did a little bit of reading in the morning (with coffee!) and then read in the late afternoon while I was making cookies for book club. I got home from book club a little after 10 p.m., talked with my mom on FaceTime, and then went to bed shortly after. And no audiobook today! A part of the reason for less audiobook listening is that a) it was a little annoying to track all my start and stop times, so I opted for more podcasts this week, and b) I’m listening to volume 8 of Emma M. Lion, and once I finish this volume, I won’t have any more new Emma books until volume 9 releases!

Saturday, August 22

  • 7:16am-7:29am, 7:53am-8:16am: Wild Side (47 pages)
  • 2:48pm-3:06pm, 3:24pm-3:40pm, 3:48pm-3:59pm, 4:11pm-4:50pm: Wild Side (142 pages)
  • 10:15pm-10:22pm, 10:38pm-10:56pm, 11:28pm-11:47pm: evening routine/chores (audiobook)

Total: 2 hours, 44 minutes of reading time and 189 pages read with my eyes

Notes: Hoo boy! This was a reading goblin type of day. I started with some reading time in the morning (with a break for my morning routine), then had an intense reading session after a nap. I really wanted to finish Wild Side on Saturday, so I stayed in bed and read in a bunch of spurts. During the breaks, I played Happy Color on my phone. I also used one of the breaks to scroll Etsy for cute holiday-themed collars for the cats. And then in the evening, I got back to my beloved Emma M. Lion while doing my evening routine.

Sunday, August 23

  • 8:07am-8:32am: phone games (audiobook)
  • 10:27am-10:47am: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (24 pages)
  • 4:39pm-4:50pm: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (15 pages)
  • 5:26pm-5:49pm: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (53 pages)

Total: 1 hour, 19 minutes of reading time and 92 pages read with my eyes

Notes: A fairly normal Sunday of reading. I hoped to read more after watching Sunday night’s episode of Big Brother, but I opted to chat with my mom and go to bed early instead!

Fun stats from this week

  • Total reading time: 10 hours, 5 minutes
  • Number of reading sessions: 42
  • Average reading time per day: 1 hour, 26 minutes
  • Format breakdown: 53% print, 47% audiobook
  • Reading pace: 92 pages/hour
  • Pages read with my eyes: 495 pages

How my reading has changed through the years

  • I’m not reading before bed anymore – This used to be a huge part of my reading life, but once I got a CPAP, it really changed this part of my life. I don’t even think it needed to, but it took me a long time to get used to prepping this part of my nighttime routine, and I started waiting until I was ready to go to sleep to get into bed. I’d read on the couch or in my reading chair before going to bed. I think I’m more of a pro at using a CPAP now, so I could probably add reading in bed back into my routine, but I haven’t yet.
  • I’m reading more in the morning – This has been a fun change! I love making a cup of coffee, then sitting down with my book and reading until I finish my coffee. It used to happen in my beloved reading chair (RIP), but now it happens on the couch. It’s a great way to start my day and make a little progress in my book! I don’t do it every morning, but it happens most mornings.
  • Weekly reading time is down from 2018 and 2021 – I’m still above my weekly reading time from 2014 by 2 hours, but I also wasn’t listening to audiobooks then. In 2018, I read for 11+ hours, and in 2021, it was 13+ hours. I think my lack of nighttime reading really affected my final tally here.

How things have stayed the same

  • Audiobook vs physical reading time is nearly identical – In 2021, the split was exactly 50/50, and in 2026, it was slightly more physical reading than audiobooks. But the percentages are very similar, which means I’m still making plenty of time for audiobooks in my reading life!
  • I read the most on the weekends – This is not a surprise to any reader with a corporate job, is it? Here’s a great stat: 57% of my physical reading happened on Saturday and Sunday. Wild! Whenever I have a “bad” reading week and don’t read as much as I want during the week, I know I’ll make up for it on the weekend. (Although this weekend was a bit of a misnomer since I didn’t have a ton of plans. I definitely don’t “catch up” as much when I have a busy weekend.)

I’ll see you guys back here in another 4-5 years to see how my reading habits have evolved!

Do you read more before bed or in the morning?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (8.24.26)

The Clocks by Agatha Christie (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Mystery • 1963

Short synopsis: When typist-for-hire Sheila Webb arrives at a seaside house for a mysterious appointment and discovers a corpse surrounded by six clocks set to different times, Hercule Poirot is called in to unravel a bizarre murder that no one can explain.

This synopsis is slightly misleading because Hercule Poirot isn’t really a major part of this book, which is probably why it wasn’t one of my favorite Christie mysteries. I need more Poirot in my life, please and thank you! What I did like about this novel wasn’t even the mystery (it was a little confusing at times, tbh), but the characters. Sheila and her cohort of typist friends—that was so fun! It’s part of our history that I knew nothing about: how people hired typists to help write novels, organize notes, etc. I would have loved that job, personally. Ha! As is typical with Christie novels, the cast of characters is vast, and when the murderer was revealed, I had to go back through the beginning of the book because I honestly didn’t even know who was being talked about. So… not the most memorable of Christie’s books, but they can’t all be winners!

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Mystery • 2026

Short synopsis: When Finlay Donovan’s live-in nanny, Vero, is accused of stealing her former sorority’s treasury funds and threatened by a mysterious stalker, Finlay heads to Maryland to uncover the real thief and clear her best friend’s name before she ends up in prison.

These novels are getting increasingly ridiculous, but for some reason, I just don’t care! I love them so much. They are fun, easy to follow, and clever. I adore the relationships, especially between Finlay and Vero. There are some romantic entanglements going on behind the scenes (not between Vero and Finlay, but can you imagine?!), but I think the heart of this series is the power of female friendship. Finlay and Vero will truly do anything for each other, and they have such a healthy, strong friendship. The novel’s mystery had high stakes (prison for Vero!), so I was definitely invested in seeing how it would play out. At times, Vero’s disregard for her house arrest frustrated me (as a goody-two-shoes, rule-follower!), but then again, I’m not reading these for relatability. They are pure entertainment, and that’s what Cosimano delivered once again.

Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel (★★★★☆ 1/2)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2026

Short synopsis: At 77, Pepper Mills is stunned to discover she’s pregnant after moving into a retirement community, and as the bizarre news attracts media attention, activists, and researchers, she must navigate the unexpected choices—and lack of control—that come with becoming a very unlikely mother.

Laurie Frankel is a hit-or-miss author for me. There’s This is How It Always Is, which is one of my all-time favorite books. And then there’s Family Family, her 2024 release, which I DNF-ed. So when I heard the synopsis for Enormous Wings, color me apprehensive. I was very skeptical because, well, did I really want to read a book about a pregnant septuagenarian? Turns out, I really did! This is a book about pregnancy, motherhood, the choice to be a mother, and what it means to be a spectacle. Who gets access to your story? What do you owe to the public? This book has a very specific point of view, especially considering Pepper is living in present-day Texas, where abortion is illegal. She would have to travel to another state to obtain an abortion if that’s what she wanted, and there’s a lot to be said in this story about what it means to have this choice taken away.

Pepper is a fascinating woman. She is smart, funny, and kind, but she’s also a woman in her late 70s, so a lot confuses her. Sometimes she has no problem standing up for herself; other times, she stays silent because she doesn’t know the right move in a situation she’s not used to. She is a fully realized woman who made me nostalgic for my own grandma, especially because she was such a wonderful grandma to her grandkids. Pepper is the kind of character that will stick with me for a long while.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

Audiobooks Q&A

Last week, Sarah’s Bookshelves Live had a really fun Patreon episode where she and a co-host ran through a list of questions about their audiobook listening routines, and well, I couldn’t help myself. I loved the discussion so much that I copied down the questions to answer them myself!

Why would someone choose to read an audiobook over the written word? (Or, another way of saying this: When do I intentionally choose audiobooks over the written word?)

I choose audiobooks to get more reading time into my life. I would read a lot fewer books if I wasn’t consuming 3-4 audiobooks every month. These days, around 33% of my reading life is audiobooks. And for someone who reads 100+ books every year, that’s a significant number of audiobooks! I’ve also found that I prefer listening to audiobooks for certain genres. For example, I like to listen to dense nonfiction books and character-driven novels on audio. In print, I’d likely DNF these books because they can feel a little tedious to read. When I’m listening while taking a walk or making dinner or doing chores, it’s a lot easier to consume something that may not be rapturously exciting.

There are certain types of books, too, that I intentionally choose to listen to. I love listening to memoirs (especially if they are read by the author, although not all authors should read their memoirs and that’s a hill I will die on). I love oral histories on audio because they usually have a full cast and it feels like listening to a dramatic play! And I really love listening to series that would otherwise fall to the wayside if I had to pick up each book in print. I only have so much space for print books in my reading life, so I want to make sure I devote it to the stuff I really want to read with my eyes. I’m all caught up with the Finlay Donovan series thanks to audio, and the only way I’ve stayed current with the Three Pines series is by listening to the audiobooks. (Although I still haven’t read the latest book – oops!)

Anyway, long story short: I read audiobooks because it allows me to consume so many more books than I would otherwise, and because certain genres and formats just work better for my brain on audio.

Do you experience books differently in audio than in print?

The answer to this is a resounding, of course! While I’m not here to debate if audiobooks “count” as reading (GTFO with that outdated opinion, thank you very much), I do think the way our brain processes audiobooks vs the written word is different. In some ways, it makes the reading experience so much richer. Listening to all of the Emma M. Lion books on audio has been the best treat for my ears. I’m excited to read them in print soon and see how that changes my relationship with the series (if it does at all!). I’ve also had experiences where I start an audiobook and quickly discover I need to pick up the print book. This just happened with the latest book in the Lady Sherlock series. I’ve done most of these books on audio, but I had a lot of trouble keeping track of all the characters and plotlines in the most recent one, so I DNF-ed it on audio and now have to figure out how to work it into my reading schedule.

I think there is something to be said for the fact that sometimes I don’t listen as closely as I should and miss details from time to time. But that happens with print books, too, because I tend to skim over long descriptive paragraphs. I think our brains take in information differently, whether orally or visually, and that’s also why audiobooks don’t work at all for some people. (It’s also why audiobooks can be a great option for auditory learners!) So yes, some types of books would probably be better to read with my eyes so I can really take in the information and slow myself down while reading, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t get enough out of an audiobook to understand what it was about or how it impacted me.

What are you doing that you can multitask and pay attention to your audiobook?

There are so many things I can do while listening to my audiobook:

  • Work (I have certain tasks that don’t require a ton of brainpower)
  • Making breakfast/lunch/dinner
  • My morning and evening routines
  • Going for walks
  • Doing chores
  • Playing a game on my phone
  • Coloring
  • Driving
  • Puttering around my apartment

There are certain instances where I won’t listen to an audiobook. I have a Bluetooth shower speaker, but I never listen to my audiobook while showering because the sound isn’t great to pay attention to dialogue and such. It’s fine to half-listen to a podcast, but I don’t enjoy listening to audiobooks in the shower. I also don’t listen to audiobooks at the gym. I just feel like I can’t concentrate as well as I want to!

And I should also say that I live by myself so I don’t have to worry about anyone else getting annoyed by my constant audiobook listening. I’m sure my audiobook listening time would vastly decrease if I started living with someone else!

How do you choose your audiobooks?

This one is easy, and it’s my most uncomplicated method of choosing books. But there’s still a bit of logistics involved because I can’t make anything too easy for me, right?! I flip through three different types of books every month:

  • Fiction
  • Mystery/thriller
  • Nonfiction

I try to always go in this order as I choose my books. The last book I read was a mystery (the latest Finlay Donovan, in fact!), so my next audiobook will be nonfiction. What I’ll do is open up Goodreads, go to my “want-to-read” list, and sort by date. I’ll start at the top or bottom of my list (depending on what book I chose previously—Finlay Donovan was near the bottom, so I’ll start from the top this time) and then make my way down the list until my eyes land on a book that falls into my genre parameters and interests me at this moment in time. Then I’ll check my audiobook apps (Libby and Hoopla) to see if the book is available as an audiobook on either one. I’ll also take a gander at the length because I am pretty averse to reading anything over 13 hours. As long as it’s available and doesn’t have a wait, I’ll snatch it up! If the wait is only a few weeks, I’ll get on the holds list and find a different book to read while I wait. Or, if it seems like a super popular book and I’m desperate to listen to it on audio, I’ll check Spotify. I get 15 audiobook hours every month with Spotify, so as long as I haven’t hit my limit, there’s a good chance I’ll just pick it up there.

However, I will say I broke my routine when I started reading the Emma M. Lion books. I had to! I wanted to read one right after the other, but I made myself read one Emma, then one non-Emma, then one Emma, then one non-Emma. I also forced myself to take a month-long break in May and July because I didn’t want to read the series too fast! Alas, I am now on the final book (for now) so I will be back to my regularly structured audiobook routine starting next week.

How do you rate an audiobook – are you rating the narration/performance, the book itself, or both?

I honestly try not to factor the narration/performance into my audiobook ratings. If the narration is particularly great, I might bump it up half a star because it makes the reading experience so much richer. But if the narration didn’t work for me, I try not to dock the book itself because of it. A great example of this is Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. The audiobook narrator was awful. So monotone, and it didn’t make any part of the reading experience richer. But I loved that book so much (and I know I would have DNF-ed it in print), so I suffered through the terrible narration and still gave the book 5 stars. Not all authors have any sort of say when it comes to the audiobook narrator and how it’s performed, so I don’t want to use that as a reason to give a book a bad rating.

Do you listen to audiobooks? Why or why not?