Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (7.24.24)

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2021

Short synopsis: Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.

This was such a lovely little book. It was the audiobook I chose after slogging through Detransition, Baby. I needed something light-hearted and sweet, and this novel absolutely fit the bill. I loved June so much. Her character growth throughout the novel, as she found her voice and learned to stand up for what she believed in, was beautiful and I was rooting for her all along the way. I loved the eclectic cast of characters that accompanied her throughout the journey, and the emphasis on libraries and the way they become community centers for so many people. Libraries are so much more than places to borrow books. They are places for people to access the Internet, for kids to have a safe space to do their homework, etc. I loved this book and it would be a great addition to anyone’s TBR—it’s a good book to pick up the next time you need a palate cleanser!

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Mystery • 1942

Short synopsis: It was an open and shut case. All the evidence said Caroline Crale poisoned her philandering husband, a brilliant painter. She was quickly and easily convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Now, sixteen years later, in a posthumous letter, Mrs. Crale has assured her grown daughter that she was innocent. So, Caroline calls on Hercule Poirot to open the case and find out what really happened.

This was such a unique story! I appreciated what Agatha Christie was trying to do with this mystery—to show us how our perception of an event can be drastically different based on our biases. Unfortunately, it started to feel a bit repetitive when the same story was being told over and over again. I also found the mystery at the heart of the novel to be a bit hard to follow at times, but maybe that was the purpose because it wasn’t until the end of the novel that I could fully grasp what had happened. In this novel, there are five important players (aside from the victim, Mr. Crale, and the assumed murderer, Mrs. Crale): two friends of Mr. and Mrs. Crale who were around on the day of the poisoning, Mr. Crale’s mistress, Mrs. Crale’s younger sister, and the sister’s governess. Hercule meets with each one to get their side of the story and then asks them to write down their knowledge of the events. The result is a story that is told over and over again, and left me feeling rather bored by the plot. The ending was a bit convoluted and not as satisfying as I had hoped. But, hey, not every Christie novel can be a slam dunk, right?

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert (★★★☆☆)

E-Book • Library • YA • 2023

Short synopsis: Bradley and Celine are former best friends who had a falling out when they started high school and Brad abandoned her for the “cool kids.” (Or at least, that’s how she sees it.) When Celine signs up for a survival course that comes with a college scholarship, she’s surprised more than anyone to see Brad right by her side. As this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

I was a little surprised that this was a YA romance because, so far, all of the Talia Hibbert books I’ve read have been adult. But I do love a good YA romance so I quickly got over my surprise and settled in for a cute read. It was an enemies-to-lovers trope and I loved the rapport between Bradley and Celine when they were enemies. They were so mean to each other (but not in a problematic way); they were so funny, though! I didn’t care all that much for the survival course scenes (they were kind of boring) and thought the chemistry between Bradley and Celine was just so-so. I liked the themes explored in this novel, especially because Celine is estranged from her father and I could wholly relate to her desire to show him what he’s missing out on. (And for Engie: No teens having sex in this novel!)

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (7.9.24)

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian (★★★☆☆)

E-Book • Library • Historical Romance • 2021

Short synopsis: Kit Webb has given up his life of crime and now runs a respectable coffee shop. And then the suave Lord Holland comes into his shop, requesting that Kit complete a job for him. Kit refuses to participate in the robbery but will help Lord Holland learn the art of highway robbery so he can do it himself.  Only the more time these two men spend with each other, the more they realize there’s something between them.

Cat Sebastian is one of those reliable 3-star authors for me. I love that she writes queer historical romance, but I can’t say that I’ve read any books by her that are outstanding. They’re all just… pleasant. They’re readable and have great sex scenes, but there’s always something missing from the story that keeps me from loving the book. The same was true with this romance; it was an easy story to dip in and out of, but I wasn’t enamored with it. It was a fine romance, but nothing outstanding.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters (★★★☆☆)

Audiobook • Library • Literary Fiction • 2021

Short synopsis: The lives of three individuals—a transgender woman named Reese, her detransitioned ex Ames, and Ames’s boss Katrina—intersect dramatically when Katrina’s unexpected pregnancy prompts Ames to propose a plan for the three of them to raise this baby together. Sure, Ames and Reese haven’t talked since their breakup and Ames’ detransition, but a baby is all Reese has ever wanted. The book weaves together concepts of gender identity, family, womanhood, and intimacy in a poignant look at society today.

I struggled a lot with this book. It’s our book club pick for June, and I was committed to getting through it, even though parts of the book made me feel very icky (specifically, Reese’s destructive pattern of sleeping with married men). There’s a lot to discuss about this book, and a lot to unpack about my own thoughts about queerness and the transgender community. While I can appreciate what Peters’ did here by creating incredibly complex, downright unlikable characters, it really made the reading experience difficult for me. There was nobody to root for in this novel; every chapter unveiled a new layer of complexity that made me dislike the characters even more than I already did. I found the whole idea of “man reaches out to his ex to see if she’d like to raise a baby with him and his new girlfriend” to be wholly implausible. I just wanted more from this novel.

*I want to say here that I sought out reviews from transgender people because I was really curious about their reception of the book. Most of the reviews I found were very positive with a lot of people talking about how they could relate to these characters and the novel spoke true to their experiences. And for that, I am immensely grateful to this author for writing this book and giving the transgender community the representation that is sorely lacking in the literary world.

This Spells Love by Kate Robb (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Contemporary Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: In a bid to heal her heartbreak, Gemma casts a spell to erase her ex from her life, but wakes up in an alternate reality where she never dated him—and her best friend doesn’t recognize her. To return to her old life, she must get her best friend to kiss her, but as they grow closer, she questions if he might have been The One all along.

I don’t know what it was about this book, but I could not put it down. I basically spent all of the July 4th holiday on my couch reading this romance because it was so cute and I wanted to stay in Gemma’s world forever. I wouldn’t say this book was particularly well-written and I don’t even know if the whole “alternate universe” concept worked. But for me, it was the right book at the right time. The “best friends-to-lovers” trope is my absolute favorite in romance (yes, above enemies-to-lovers!) and this one did it so perfectly. I loved being with these characters and I loved the setting of this book so much. It really does show you how small decisions you make in life can make such a difference down the road. You just never know what’s waiting for you around the corner!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (7.1.24)

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Library • Historical Fiction • 2021

Short synopsis: Osla, Mab, and Beth are an unlikely trio working to break German military codes to help the war effort. Four years later, the women are no longer on speaking terms, until Beth–who has been confined to an insane asylum—reaches out to Osla and Mab to break her out.

I loved this book! The historical fiction genre is indeed saturated with WWII stories, so it’s fun to find a book that gives me a different look into life during that time. This one was all about codebreakers during WWII, which is something I had never really thought about. The three women in this book were all so different from each other, each coming to codebreaking in their own way and going about life during the war vastly differently. While this is a long book (the audiobook is over 16 hours), I don’t think I really noticed the length because I was so fascinated by this story and the women’s perspectives. It was the kind of WWII story that didn’t feel too heavy, either, because the women were so far removed from the war and all that entailed. All in all, this is a novel I would happily recommend, especially if you love a good WWII story.

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: Justin has a curse: every woman he dates finds their soulmate after they break up with him. He posts about his curse on Reddit, and connects with Emma who has the same curse. So, they hatch a plan. They’ll date each other and then when they break up, they’ll find their soulmates! Nothing can go wrong with this plan, right?

Okay, Abby Jimenez. I will forgive you for some of your awful early books because you have found your groove in the romance department. This novel was excellent, even though the subject matter was a bit difficult at times (a toxic parent with mental illness and a prison plotline), which made me read the book more slowly than I normally would. However, the chemistry between Justin and Emma was hot and their banter was so much fun to read. I’m also requesting all first dates to include cuddling kittens like Justin arranged for his and Emma’s first date. While Emma could frustrate me at times, I really liked the way Jimenez talked about her depression (“getting small”) because I really identified with that idea. I feel the need to make my world as small as possible when I’m going through a depressive episode, and I appreciated the way both Emma’s best friend and Justin cared for her during her small moments. This novel gave me all of the happy feels, and it’s an easy one to recommend.

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Contemporary Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: This is the story of three women: Darley, a wife and mother who gave up her career to take care of her children; Sasha, who married Colt and has felt like the outcast in his family ever since; and Georgiana, the baby of the family who finds herself in a new relationship she has to keep secret. 

This novel has gotten a lot of mixed reviews and doesn’t have the best overall Goodreads rating (3.5), but I had a few friends give it good reviews so I figured I would give it a shot. I enjoyed the easy writing style of the book and I’m always down for a “wealthy people behaving badly” book, but something was missing in this one. I felt like the author could have taken things one step further, but held back. Instead, everything felt a bit too perfect and sweet. I’m not looking for sweet when I read these types of books! I was disappointed by the ending and felt like the author was more concerned with creating a tidy ending than creating an authentic one. This is Jenny Jackson’s debut and maybe it’s due to her inexperience (although she’s also an editor at a major publishing house, so I don’t know if that’s a good enough excuse), but I needed a bit more drama and biting commentary. It’s a fine book, but not one I’ll be rushing out to recommend.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.17.24)

Go as a River by Shelley Read (★★★★★)

Print • Library • Historical Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: A heart-wrenching coming-of-age story that combines unforgettable characters with a breathtaking natural setting. It is a sweeping story of one young woman’s survival and becoming, of the deepest mysteries of love, truth, and fate.

This was the kind of book I started and told myself, “Just give it 50 pages. If you’re not sucked in, you can abandon it.” I’m not exactly sure how it made its way onto my Goodreads TBR, but I think a rave review from Lisa made me add it. I should have known that Lisa never lets me down! This book was exceptional. It was well-written and emotional and I felt like I was sitting right there next to Victoria as she told me her life story. It’s a story filled with ups and downs, heartbreaks and moments of beauty, and I was enthralled from beginning to end. I found myself wrapped up in Victoria’s character and wanted only good things for her in a life that’s not always destined for good things. It’s a story about resilience, about love, about loss, and about what can happen when you let people in. I loved this story so much.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Library • Thriller • 2024

Short synopsis: Five years ago, Lucy’s best friend Savvy was brutally murdered and ever since then, Lucy has been the prime suspect of the crime. After all, she was found wandering the streets covered in Savvy’s blood with no memory of what had happened. With no evidence to convict her, Lucy has moved on with her life as best she can. But then a popular true crime podcast decides to investigate the murder and Lucy is drawn back into her past.

Another book rec from a friend! This one was from Kim and when she recommended listening to the audiobook, I immediately placed a hold request at my library. This was a phenomenal thriller and I definitely think it should be listened to because the way the podcast is incorporated into the narration is *chef’s kiss*. I loved the way we started the story knowing just as much about what happened as Lucy did, but as Lucy started to regain her memory, so do we learn more about what happened the night Savvy died. This book is also hysterical. I can’t remember the last time I actually laughed out loud during a thriller! But this one got me a few times because Lucy has some good zingers throughout the novel. There’s a really important message throughout this book, and it’s hard to say what that message is without spoiling things, but I will say that I wholly appreciated what Tintera had to say about this issue, and it made the whole reveal at the end make so much sense. This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read and I can give it my full endorsement!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano (★★★★☆)

Print • Library • Mystery • 2023

Short synopsis: Finlay Donovan is back, and this time she owes a favor to the Russian mob. The plan is simple: Find a contract killer before the cops do. But what if the contract killer is a cop? That’s how she finds herself at a citizen’s police academy (run none other by hot cop Nick) with her best friend Vero, trying to keep up with all of the seminars and workshops while also rooting out the dirty cop.

This is the third book in the Finlay Donovan series, so I don’t want to say too much about the plot since these books should be read in order. What I will say is that this book was so much fun and I loved getting back in the wild and wacky world of single mom/novelist/reluctant hit woman Finlay Donovan. Yes, you have to suspend your belief with these novels but I think if you go into these books with an open mind and know you’re just there to have a good time, you’ll enjoy these books. I found it hard to figure out who the contract killer could be among the array of cops, but loved how it was all revealed at the end. So satisfying!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.10.24)

Hi, friends! I want to direct you to NGS’ blog today, as I was lucky enough to guest post for her 20th Blogiversary. I talked about what it’s like to be a 30-something single, so I hope you hop on over there to read it, and then subscribe to Engie’s blog because she’s a gem!

Zorrie by Laird Hunt (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Historical Fiction • 2021

Short synopsis: Spanning an entire lifetime, a life convulsed and transformed by the events of the 20th century, Zorrie offers an intimate portrait of the life of one tenacious woman who experiences love, loss, and new beginnings.

I heard about this book on Currently Reading, and Meredith talked about how it was a quiet, slow, contemplative novel. There’s not much plot; it’s just about one woman’s life in the mid-20th century. I was looking for a quick audiobook to listen to right before I left for vacation and this one was just 4.5 hours—perfect! I really enjoyed this novel and I think listening to it on audiobook was the perfect way for me to consume it. There was a lot to dig into in this book (at one point, Zorrie finds work at a radium processing plant and it’s very interesting to see the way that job reverberates throughout her life), and I really enjoyed Zorrie’s character. She was a sympathetic character to root for. This book won’t change your life, but it’s a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart (★★★★★)

E-book • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: When Cassidy gets stranded at an airport in what feels like the middle of nowhere, she never dreams that she’s going to end up sharing a rental car with her nemesis, Luke. They met in the airport parking garage when he stole her spot and then found themselves seated near each other on the plane, and they can’t stop bickering with each other. But then they get stranded when their plane has to make an unscheduled landing and with only one rental car available and no flights leaving for their destination anytime soon… it seems like the only option is to road trip together. 

Gosh, I really loved this romance! The enemies-to-lovers trope will always be one of my favorites, and I really love the way the author brought these two people together and helped them break down their walls with each other. There were some crazy twists and turns this book took that I was not expecting, but it all worked to bring these characters closer together, so I was okay with them! The novel’s dark moment felt really true and authentic, not shoved in just to create some drama. It made sense with everything the author had been building up to, and the way everything resolved was so sweet. I loved these two characters a whole lot and when I finished the novel, I wanted to start it all over again because I didn’t want to let Cassidy and Luke go!

Love Irresistibly by Julie James (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Romance • 2013

Short synopsis: Cade Morgan, assistant U.S. attorney, needs the help of Brooke Parker, general counsel for an upscale restaurant group. In order to take down a corrupt politician, he needs to bug a table at one of Brooke’s restaurants. While they work together on this sting operation, sparks fly.

This is a reread for me, as I’m working my way through Julie James’ backlist for the second or third time. I love her books! This book was fun, sexy, and heartfelt. She really played with this idea of being someone “married” to their job and if they can really have it all: the career and the relationships? Not just romantic relationships, either, because Brooke started to notice how her friendships started to take a huge backseat to her career. I love the way Cade and Brooke learned to care for one another and how doing so allowed them to reevaluate their own priorities and figure out what really mattered. It was a fun romance!

What are you reading?