Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.28.23)

A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Historical Romance • 2019

Short synopsis: For years, Ash has been pining after his best friend’s sister, Verity, but he’s never felt like he could act on his feelings. When a secret is revealed that will have a major impact on his life, he decides it’s now or never.

This was a pretty cute romance, and the first m/f romance I’ve read from Cat Sebastian, who specializes in queer historical romance. Verity is a bisexual woman, though, so there was still a queer aspect to this book. This novel is a slow burn, but once it gets going, it really gets going. I love when historical romance brings us into the lives of “regular” people (it’s not all dukes and marquesses, you know!) and this novel did just that, as Verity and her brother run a printing press together and print an “alternative” newspaper that is critical of the government. Plus, Ash worked as an illustrator and the mechanics behind illustrating books and newspaper articles in the 1800s were quite interesting. (I feel like you could go down many research rabbit holes from their two careers!) There was probably more than could have been explored with Verity and Ash’s relationship, and definitely with Verity’s work, but all in all, I thought it was a good, easy-to-read romance.

Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Contemporary Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: The Sullivans are well-known in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, and during one fateful year, three of the cousins come together after many years apart. There’s Gretchen, tired of chasing her dreams of stardom; Teddy, who is nursing heartbreak while running their family restaurant; and Jane, the only one who seems like she has it together (husband, kids, nice house) but is unhappy with her life.

I love family stories like this, and I think they work even better for me on audiobook. There’s something about dipping in and out of a story like this as I go about my day. I found all of these characters so real and authentic. They were likable but not without their faults. They loved each other but bickered like siblings. They came together in crisis and gossiped about their family together. I enjoyed Jane’s story the most and that’s probably because she had the biggest character arc of anyone in the book and the one I was rooting for the most. But I also loved Teddy and Gretchen and all of the tertiary characters, like the matriarch of the family who lives in an assisted living facility now and the rebellious teenager who is just looking for a soft place to land. It’s a character-driven novel with characters who are just so easy to root for. (My favorite kind!) This book is set in 2016 right around the time of the election, and there is definitely a lot of politics in the novel because, well, we were all talking about it at this time. Politics is something I think and talk a lot about, so it doesn’t bother me when it’s in a book, but your mileage may vary, of course. This book was the right one at the right time, and I liked it very much!

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • YA Lit (Historical) • 2021

Short synopsis: It’s 1954 and Lily Hu is 17. The Red Scare is omnipresent but so are Lily’s growing feelings that she may be attracted to other women, something she has to keep silent about. But then she winds up at a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club and it feels like everything she ever wanted is within reach.

This book means so much to me, and I’m so happy I read it during Pride month. There is a lot going on in this book—being queer in the 1950s, the Red Scare, female friendships, Chinese culture, etc.—and I don’t think it does everything perfectly, but still, this is a five-star read because of how it made me feel. And it made me feel so tender toward Lily and the other queer people in this novel, and so inspired by the brave people who fought to be themselves at a time when it was not okay to be anything but cis-gendered and straight. I loved Lily’s love story with Kath, which was so pure and beautiful and special. And I appreciated the way the author brought us into life as a LGBTQIA+ person during the 1950s. The Telegraph Club was a place where women were free to be themselves: free to dress the way they wanted, free to kiss whomever they wanted, free to express themselves. It was a place where they were safe, but it was also an entirely unsafe place to be (since raids were happening all the time at these kinds of clubs, and people were arrested frequently). I’m humbled by the bravery of these people because they paved the way for me to be who I am. There was some filler in this book (I don’t think we needed all the timelines and the chapters from the perspectives of Lily’s mom, dad, and aunt), and while I know the author had to include a secondary plot involving the Red Scare since it was happening at this time to the Chinese community, it didn’t exactly go anywhere or have any weight to the plot, so I was left wondering what the point was. But still, this book was perfect for me and what I needed, and it’s one I want to shove into the hands of every queer teenage girl.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.12.23)

Maame by Jessica George (★★★★☆)

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

Short synopsis: Maddie is the primary caretaker of her father who has advanced-stage Parkinson’s. It means living at home, turning down social plans, and keeping the truth of her life from her best friends. And then her mom returns home from Ghana to help care for Maddie’s father, so Maddie jumps at the chance to move out and experience more of life.

This is the kind of book that grows on you. It’s not an easy book because Maddie does not have an easy life. But it is an impactful one. At first, I found it difficult to connect with Maddie and just wanted her to take more ownership of her life. But as the book progressed and as Maddie’s life opened up with new friends, new romances, and new struggles, I found myself caring deeply for her and wanting to see her growth. This is a debut that sometimes read like a debut (it needed at least one more round of copyedits), but all in all, a book that I ended up really enjoying. I found the way the author tackled issues of racism and sex in dating to be particularly impactful. (Trigger warnings abound, so please read up on them if you need to.)

All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Libby • Nonfiction (Memoir) • 2023

Short synopsis: Best-selling author and speaker, Beth Moore, invites us into her life, starting with her childhood in Arkansas through her leaving the Southern Baptist church. 

I’ve long been a fan of Beth Moore. Even if I’m not a fan of organized religion and most Christians, Beth Moore has a part of my heart. I grew up on her Bible studies and can still picture the videos we would watch in our women’s Bible classes where she was centered at a pulpit. While there is much that she believes in that I don’t anymore, I was excited to get my hands on this memoir to learn more about the woman behind the Bible minister. And this book was phenomenal. There is so much I did not know about her life and her struggles, and it’s a strong reminder that we never truly know what’s going on in someone’s life. I was really struck by the sexism she endured as a woman minister by other male ministers, although I don’t know why this surprised me. These are the same men who put Donald Trump on a pedestal, after all. (For the record, she didn’t vote for Trump and has been appalled by the behavior of church leaders toward him.) I think this book is best for people who know who Beth Moore is and want to learn more about her life, but it’s very Jesus-y so be warned.

Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Barnes & Noble) • Contemporary Romance • 2017

Short synopsis: Evie and Carter meet at a party and immediately hit it off. But this exciting new relationship comes to a screeching halt when the company Carter works for merges with the company Evie works for. Suddenly, they’re competing for a job.

I honestly did not remember that I had read this book in 2018. After reading the first few chapters, I pulled up my Goodreads app to add it as a book I was currently reading, and was shocked to discover it was listed as “Read.” I don’t know what it says about this book that I didn’t remember anything about it. But it was four-and-a-half years, one pandemic, and nearly 500 books ago, so I’ll forgive myself for not remembering it. It’s a really cute contemporary romance – a classic Christina Lauren novel that’s not going to make you think too much, but will make you root for the characters. There were some things I rolled my eyes at (like all the childish pranks they pulled on each other, oof), but overall, I just really enjoyed the book.

ABANDONED: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

I started this queer romance a few years ago since everyone was talking about it, but it just wasn’t working for me at the time. I picked it up again last week because I was certain there was just something I was missing from it and maybe it would work for me this time. WRONG. I still disliked it immensely. The main character is so mean and unlikable and so much of the writing was over-the-top that I abandoned it again. This time I gave it many more chapters, but I should have listened to past Stephany on this one.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.5.23)

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Target) • Nonfiction • 2019

Short synopsis: The year 1619, which is the year up to 30 enslaved people were brought to this country, should be the founding date of our country, Nikole Hannah-Jones posits. In this collection featuring essays, poems, and works of fiction, writers come together to explore the legacy that slavery has had on our past and present.

This book took me a long time to read, as I dipped into and out of it over a period of a few weeks. And I think that’s the right way to attempt this book. It’s nearly 500 pages and the topics are dense, educational, and mostly heartbreaking. It’s a book you want to sit with and not rush through. This book is separated into 18 different topics affecting Black Americans today, everything from healthcare and politics to capitalism and music. Between each chapter are poems and works of fiction. It’s an incredible collection and I think it is a must-read for anyone committed to anti-racism.

This is why the memories and perspectives of Black Americans have so often been marginalized and erased from the larger narrative of this nation: we are the stark reminders of some of its most damning truths. Eight in ten Black people would not be in the United States were it not for the institution of slavery in a society founded on ideals of freedom. Our nation obscures and diminishes this history because it shames us.

To this day, the only Americans who have ever received government restitution for slavery were white enslavers in Washington, D.C., whom the federal government compensated after the Civi War for their loss of human property.

Citizens inherit not just the glory of their nation but its wrongs, too. A truly great country does not ignore or excuse its sins. It confronts them, and then works to make them right. If we are to be redeemed, we must do what is just: we must, finally, live up to the magnificent ideals upon which we were founded.

The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Nonfiction • 2019

Short synopsis: Have you ever wondered how your body works? Wonder no more! In this book, Bill Bryson takes us on a journey through our bodies: how it functions, how it can heal itself, and how things can go wrong.

This book was so fascinating! Once you stop and think about how many different processes are happening inside your body to keep your heart pumping, your blood rushing through your blood vessels, your brain telling you what you’re seeing and doing, your lungs working, your muscles moving… it’s pretty amazing. This book is broken into chapters that first go through the different systems of the body (i.e., brain, heart, lungs, etc.) and then delves into the ways those systems can break down when we get sick, get cancer, or eventually die. Sometimes the book could be a bit dry, but that had more to do with the subject matter than Bryson’s writing, I think. It also wasn’t as funny as I was expecting, as everyone has told me what a funny writer Bryson is. Not that I needed this book to be humorous—it was fine that it wasn’t—but I’m interested to read other books from him and see if his humor comes through better when talking about other topics. Still, I enjoyed learning more about the processes of the body and even found the last chapter about what happens to our bodies when we die really interesting!

Here are some of my favorite facts from the book:

Every day, it has been estimated, between one and five of your cells turn cancerous, and your immune system captures and kills them. Think of that. A couple of dozen times a week, well over a thousand times a year, you get the most dreaded disease of our age, and each time your body saves you.

The amygdala (Greek for “almond”) specializes in handling intense and stressful emotions—fear, anger, anxiety, phobias of all types … The amygdala grows particularly lively when we are asleep, and thus may account for why our dreams are so often disturbing. Your nightmares may simply be the amygdalae unburdening themselves.

For each visual input, it takes a tiny but perceptible amount of time—about two hundred milliseconds, one-fifth of a second—for the information to travel along the optic nerves and into the brain to be processed and interpreted. One-fifth of a second is not a trivial span of time when a rapid response is required—to step back from an oncoming car, say, or to avoid a blow to the head. To help us deal better with this fractional lag, the brain does a truly extraordinary thing: it continuously forecasts what the world will be like a fifth of a second from now, and that is what it gives us as the present. That means that we never see the world as it is at this very instant, but rather as it will be a fraction of a moment in the future. We spend our whole lives, in other words, living in a world that doesn’t quite exist yet.

In the womb, a fetus’s lungs are filled with amniotic fluid, but with exquisite timing at the moment of birth the fluid drains away, the lungs inflate, and blood from the tiny, freshly beating heart is sent on its first circuit around the body. What had until a moment before effectively been a parasite is now on its way to becoming a fully independent, self-maintaining entity.

Cancer is above all an age thing. Between birth and the age of forty, men have just a one in seventy-one chance of getting cancer and women one in fifty-one, but over sixty the odds drop to one in three for men and one in four for women. An eighty-year-old person is a thousand times more likely than a teenager to develop cancer.

It’s in His Kiss by Julia Quinn (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Libby • Historical Romance • 2005

Short synopsis: Gareth is looking for a translator for his grandmother’s diary, which is written in Italian, a language he does not speak or read. Hyacinth Bridgerton has a passing understanding of Italian and offers to help translate the diary, which leads the two of them on a path neither was expecting. 

Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series has been hit-or-miss for me. I’ve enjoyed some of the books, despised others. Thankfully, this one fell into the “enjoy” category. Is she the best historical romance writer? No, absolutely not. But this book was fun to read and well-paced. I enjoyed the banter between Hyacinth and Gareth, as well as the subplot of Gareth’s grandma’s diary, as it helped unravel a mystery of Gareth’s family. Plus, Gareth is the grandson of Lady Danbury, and getting lots of great scenes with her was well worth the price of admission.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (5.30.23)

The Power by Naomi Alderman (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Dystopian Fiction • 2016

Short synopsis: In this new world, teenage girls find out that they have immense power: they have an electrical current running through them that can cause agonizing pain to anyone who comes near them.

I had such an interesting experience with this book. First, I do not recommend the audiobook. I did not enjoy the narration and wish there had been different voices for each perspective (there were multiple perspectives). The narrator did some voices really well and some really terribly. Throughout most of the story, this was a 3-star read. I found it a bit difficult to get into and hard to keep the different storylines straight. But the ending of the book was so good and really helped me understand what the author was doing here, envisioning a matriarchal society where women are the ones with all of the power. What would that look like? And would it look all that different than our society today? Is power corrupt no matter what? This was our May book club pick, and we had a really good discussion about the book, feminism, and power.

The Swimmers by Julia Otsuka (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: A slim novel about a woman with dementia, the pool where she can escape her disease for an hour every day, and the woman’s daughter.

This is the kind of novel, or audiobook in my case, that can be zipped through in an afternoon. At just four hours on audio, it was a quick listen for me and an entirely depressing one, too. The story is mainly about Alice, a woman who has dementia and is trying to escape the reality of her disease by doing laps in the neighborhood pool. The story is told in vignettes: about the pool, about the people who swim in the pool, and about Alice. It’s an interesting way to tell a story, and ultimately, an impactful one. One of my greatest fears is watching a loved one deal with dementia/Alzheimers, and this book really hit me right in the feels. This is the kind of book I am hesitant to recommend because it has a very specific style that won’t appeal to everyone, but it really worked for me.

Happy Place by Emily Henry (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Tombolo Books) • Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Harriet and her friends get together as often as they can, but it’s been a few years since their last get-together. They come together this year at Sabrina’s insistence. What Harriet doesn’t expect during this trip is to see Wyn, her ex-fiance and the man her friends still think she’s in a relationship with.

Emily Henry is not an auto-buy author for me. I liked Beach Read, loathed People We Meet on Vacation, and consider Book Lovers to be my all-time favorite romance. So she either really works for me, or really does not. But because I loved Book Lovers so much, I was excited to see what she was going to do with Happy Place. I started to see a lot of mixed reviews as I read it, which tempered my own expectations, and it ended up being a pretty good book for me. It was very clear from the start that Harriet is a classic enneagram 9—a people pleaser to her very core and someone who hates confrontation so much that she wouldn’t even tell her best friends that she was going through a horrific breakup. I, too, struggle with telling my best friends when bad things are happening or I’m dealing with something hard because I don’t want to bring them down. I don’t think I’ve ever connected to a character as much as I connected to Harriet. Did I have to suspend some of my belief in this novel? Yes, of course. But that’s romance novels for ya! They are not real life. But ultimately, I found myself really loving this story and how things turned out for Harriet and Wyn. I’d probably place this as my second-favorite novel of hers.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (5.10.23)

We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Libby • Fiction • 2020

Short synopsis: Three teens—Pulga, Chico, and Pequeño—are on the run. They are running from a future that is uncertain and dangerous and scary. Their eyes set on the U.S. border, they attempt a complex and harrowing journey of traveling from Guatemala to Mexico to the U.S. border. 

Oh, my goodness. This book was excellent. It’s probably my favorite of the year so far. I listened to it on audio and it pulled me in from the beginning and kept my attention until the end. I learned so much from this book, especially what it’s truly like to endure a border crossing and how courageous it is to leave your home and venture into the unknown. I was drawn into Pulga, Chico, and Pequeño’s stories and all I wanted was for them to make it through and find their way to a better life. This is the book I want people who want closed borders and strict immigration regulations to read because it reminds you of the humanness at the center of the immigration debate. They aren’t pawns in a political game, but real people with real lives and hopes and dreams and families, and they deserve so much better from us.

Something About You by Julie James (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Romantic Suspense • 2010

Short synopsis: After Cameron Lynde witnesses a crime, she’s pulled into a major FBI case involving a U.S. senator. The bad news? The agent leading the case is none other than Jack Pallas, her sworn enemy. 

This is my third time reading this book! I’m not much of a rereader, but I tend to reread my favorite romance series when I need something light and easy. Julie James used to be one of my go-to authors but she stopped writing books a while ago, with her last book published in 2017. This is the first novel in her U.S. Attorney/FBI series, and I was curious to see if it would hold up all these years later. At times, the writing was a little rudimentary and Jack has some toxic masculinity traits, but all in all, a solid romance that was still fun to read.

True Biz by Sara Nović (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Book + Bottle bookstore) • Contemporary Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: Welcome to the River City School for the Deaf where the students just want to have a normal life without doctors and politicians trying to tell them how to live. There’s Charlie, the new girl with a cochlear implant who has never learned ASL; Austin, the school’s golden boy; and February, the school’s headmistress. Their lives are inexplicably drawn together due to a series of events that could have an unfortunate ending.

This book taught me so much about the Deaf community, the controversies surrounding cochlear implants, and the way sign language functions. I loved that there were informational tidbits between chapters teaching us ASL and providing stories about the Deaf community in general; this is where the book was the strongest (both the informational sections and the way Deaf culture was weaved into the story). I also really, really loved the characters. They stole my heart from the very beginning, especially Charlie. She was such a well-developed character.

However, the plot itself was really weak. There just wasn’t much to it overall, and the ending felt very rushed. It felt like the author just lost steam at the end and wasn’t quite sure how to finish the book. I just wanted something else from the plot, a different type of tension propelling the plot forward. In the end, I would give this book 3.5 stars, which I’m rounding up to 4 stars.

What are you reading?