Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.23.24)

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan (★★★★★)

E-book • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: Ali Morris, a professional organizer with a chaotic personal life, unexpectedly meets Ethan when her dog “claims” him. Despite her reservations about complicating things, she finds herself drawn to a potential Summer Romance.

Oh, you guys. I can’t get over how much I loved this book. I was in a serious book hangover for a few days after finishing it and couldn’t stop thinking about the book. It was such a sweet, heartwarming romance that truly put me in my feels. This book is about Ali, a single mother of three who lost her mother two years ago and then her husband asked for a divorce a year later. Ever since then, she’s just been going through the motions but not really living, you know? That is, until she meets Ethan and he lights a spark in her that has been missing for a very long time. This book is about finding yourself after being in a bad relationship, about grief and coming back to yourself, and about what it’s like to stand up for yourself when you’ve spent so many years doing the opposite. I just adored Ali’s character arc and the way she found her voice. And, of course, the romance between Ali and Ethan was so much fun. I loved them together and was so curious how they were going to make things work since Ethan’s life was in a town four hours away (he was only in town to help his family for a short period of time). This might be one of my new favorite romances!

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Amazon) • Middle Grade • 2015

Short synopsis: Confined to her home due to her mother’s shame over her disability, ten-year-old Ada escapes to the countryside with her brother during WWII, where they find hope and love with their reluctant caretaker. But as the war rages on, Ada fears being forced back into her mother’s harsh control.

After trying and abandoning three separate books after finishing Summer Romance, I finally settled on this middle-grade novel about two young kids during WWII. It’s been on my bookshelf for quite a while, and I’m really glad I finally took the time to read it because it was so lovely. Ada was born with a clubfoot and while there were treatments for this disability, her mother never felt like getting it fixed so she could walk without pain. Instead, Ada spends her day confined to her home and her mother’s wretchedness. I was so happy when she and her brother escaped and were placed in Susan’s care! Ada learning how to trust Susan when her mother had so thoroughly emotionally abused her was so heartbreaking. She was so suspicious of Susan’s love! There were times when I just wanted Ada to believe in the love that Susan was giving her, but of course, it’s not that easy when one has endured a decade of trauma at the hands of their own mother. This book was just so heartwarming, though, and I just adored Ada.

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Spotify • Mystery • 2023

Short synopsis: Sixty-year-old tea-shop owner and self-proclaimed detective Vera Wong stumbles upon a dead man in her shop and, convinced she can solve the mystery better than the police, sets out to catch the killer—because nobody uncovers the truth quite like a curious Chinese mother with time on her hands.

Gah – this book was so good! The audiobook is the way to go because the narrator does such a great job of capturing Vera’s voice. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the book (I DNF-ed Sutanto’s other book Dial A for Aunties) but the moment the book started, I was immediately delighted by Vera and couldn’t wait to see where this story was going to go. She is such a typical Chinese mother but something is soothing about that. She just wants the best for her family. This book is more than a mystery, too. It’s also a found family story, as the cast of characters—all connected to the dead man in some way—come together and become a family of sorts. It was really heartwarming. I fell in love with all of the characters in this book and while I guessed the twist, it didn’t take away from my satisfaction with the story. I’m excited that Vera’s story will continue with the second book in the series releasing in spring 2025!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.16.24)

At First Spite by Olivia Dade (★★★★★)

Print • Library • Contemporary Romance • 2024

Short synopsis: After her fiancé ends their engagement, Athena Greydon moves into the narrow Spite House she bought for him, only to find herself living next to the very man who convinced her fiancé to leave her—Matthew, her fiancé’s brother. While she initially plots petty revenge, her growing attraction to Matthew complicates her plans.

Oh my goodness, I just loved this sweet romance! It reminded me of an Abby Jimenez novel as it dealt with some heavy themes (including depression) but also had such a sweet love story at the center of the novel. I truly couldn’t get enough of Athena and Matthew. They had an instant chemistry that crackled off the pages. Athena battles depression in this novel and the author described her mental illness with such a deft hand that I found myself tearing up for Athena. She’s a woman in her 30s who has struggled to find where she fits, especially as it relates to her career, and it really touched me. I will say that I didn’t love the petty revenge part of the novel (I just honestly can’t with adults being petty like that, it drives me crazy), but others may find it hysterical. YMMV! All in all, though, this was a delightful romance!

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (★★★★★)

Print • Book of the Month • Mystery • 2024

Short synopsis: In August 1975, 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar vanishes from her family’s summer camp, mirroring her brother’s disappearance 14 years earlier. As a frantic search begins, the story unravels the dark secrets of the Van Laar family and the community intertwined with their legacy.

Everyone is raving about this novel, so I went into it with high expectations. Good news: It did not disappoint! I was enthralled with it from the first pages until the end, and I loved every minute I spent with this book. It may be a contender for my overall favorite book of the year! This story had a lot of people to keep track of and a lot of intermingling storylines and while sometimes I had to reorient myself with who I was reading about (is this the counselor or the mom or the investigator?!), it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the book. The last 150 pages I read in a single day, using every little break I could to sit down and read a few pages. I even came home from the gym and plopped right down on my couch to finish the book because I had to know how it all turned out. I think Liz Moore is incredibly skilled at writing these complex mysteries, making you care so much for characters and sit with a nearly 500-page book that you can’t put down! I loved the setting, the characters, the overall plot… everything about this book was perfection!

A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Mystery • 2023

Short synopsis: Charlotte Holmes is offered a chance to reclaim a normal life by recovering a lost dossier for the crown. However, her mission aboard the RMS Provence is complicated by a murder, forcing her to avoid detection to keep her secret identity intact.

This is the seventh book in the Lady Holmes mystery series where Sherry Thomas reimagines Sherlock Holmes as a woman. I didn’t even realize she had released two more books in the series until someone on my Goodreads timeline reviewed this book. What a delightful discovery! I always enjoy my time with Charlotte and her people, and this one was especially fun as it took place on a ship and involved Charlotte donning a disguise to avoid detection. I found it difficult to keep track of all the different characters, which may have been due to the audiobook and not paying attention as closely as I should have. Eventually, though, I started to make sense of who was who and why they were important to the story. All in all, it was another great novel in this continuing series and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

Smooch, Marry, Kill: The Bookish Edition

A few months ago, on one of Sarah’s Bookshelves Live Patreon episodes, she and one of her guest hosts played the game Smooch, Marry, Kill (or as it’s more commonly known, fuck, marry, kill, but we’ll use the more PG version) with a bookish theme. I loved the idea and jotted down some of their categories while I listened. And today, we’re going to play the same game! I used some of their categories and added a few of my own. Here’s how I’m thinking about this:

  • Marry – something I cannot live without
  • Smooch – something I could give up if I had a Nerf gun to my head
  • Kill – something I don’t particularly care as much about and could give up more easily than the others

Let’s play!

SMK: e-books, print books, audiobooks

  • Smooch: print books
  • Marry: e-books
  • Kill: audiobooks

If I had to only read in one format for the rest of my life, I’d choose e-books. Even though buying books and displaying them in my home is one of my greatest joys, I wouldn’t want to give up my Kindle. And though I love listening to audiobooks, I’d choose print/e-books over them in this exercise.

SMK: contemporary fiction, historical fiction, literary fiction

  • Smooch: Historical fiction
  • Marry: Contemporary fiction
  • Kill: Literary fiction

Literary fiction can go. Give me sweet, sweet contemporary fiction any day of the week. Throw in a few historical novels and I’m a happy camper.

SMK: morning reading, afternoon reading, evening reading

  • Smooch: Morning reading
  • Marry: Evening reading
  • Kill: Afternoon reading

I fall asleep every time I try to read in the afternoon. Come to think of it, though, maybe that was due to my sleep apnea. Perhaps I can bring back afternoon reading to my life!

SMK: like a book, love a book, or hate a book

  • Smooch: Like a book
  • Marry: Love a book
  • Kill: Hate a book

Sometimes it’s fun to hate-read a book and read all the other reviews of people who also hated the book, but honestly, I’d much rather sit down with a book I like or love than one I’m struggling to get through.

SMK: contemporary romance, historical romance, erotic romance

  • Smooch: Historical romance
  • Marry: Contemporary romance
  • Kill: Erotic romance

I can handle a spicy romance, but erotica is a little too much for me. It’s just… a lot of sex? All the time? It gets boring to read about over and over again.

SMK: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, fake dating

  • Smooch: Enemies to lovers
  • Marry: Friends to lovers
  • Kill: Fake dating

Friends-to-lovers is my absolute favorite romance trope (when I was writing a romance novel, it was friends-to-lovers because I love it so much), although enemies-to-lovers is definitely a close second. I like a good fake dating trope, but it’s further down the list for me.

SMK: bookstores, libraries, Amazon

  • Smooch: Bookstores
  • Marry: Libraries
  • Kill: Amazon

I mean, technically some libraries have bookstores so I could still get my bookstore fill if I needed to. But I have to marry libraries for all the resources they provide!

SMK: reading in bed, reading on the couch, reading on the porch

  • Smooch: Reading on the couch
  • Marry: Reading in bed
  • Kill: Reading on the porch

I wish reading on the porch was more pleasant, but it’s always way too hot and since my porch isn’t screened-in, I always have to watch out for bees, which isn’t fun.

SMK: someone hates a book you recommended, you hate a book someone recommended to you, someone loves a book you recommended

  • Smooch: Someone hates a book I recommended to them
  • Marry: Someone loves a book I recommended
  • Kill: I hate a book someone recommended to me

What is there even to say when someone recommends a book to me and I don’t like it at all? I’m a non-confrontational enneagram 9!

SMK: paperbacks, hardcovers, special editions

  • Smooch: Hardcovers
  • Marry: Paperbacks
  • Kill: Special editions

I don’t have super strong feelings about special editions of books (like a movie tie-in version), but I still would rather have the original cover than a special one.

SMK: print books, e-books, audiobooks! Would you rather hate a book someone recommended or have someone hate a book you recommended?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.3.24)

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (★★★☆☆)

E-Book • Library • Historical Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Facing a loveless marriage, Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan seizes her last summer of freedom in Paris before exhibiting her paintings at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. When ruthless Duchess Cora Kempf Bristol sees an opportunity, they strike a life-changing bargain—Manuela’s land for a summer with the duchess, leading to a passionate and scandalous affair.

One of the things I appreciate about Adriana Herrera’s historical romances is how she introduces me to a new aspect of history that I had no idea about. In this book, she taught me about the lesbian societies that were prevalent in places like Paris in the 19th century—including the women who lived together as romantic partners and were accepted into an underground society of other women “like them.” We’ve always been here, you know? While this book was a little lackluster when it came to the relationship (I never really felt the chemistry between Manuela and Cora, and don’t think Herrera properly showed us why they were meant to be together), there were other aspects of this novel that I really loved, like all the queerness in Paris society and the way Cora was such a badass businesswoman thanks to her deceased husband’s influence. Read this one more for the historical tidbits, less for the relationship.

His & Hers by Alice Feeney (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Library • Thriller • 2020

Short synopsis: When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. 

This was a hard book for me to rate. On the one hand, it was a very good thriller that had tons of twists and turns and an ending I did not see coming! On the other hand, it made me feel very icky because there was a lot of horrible stuff: toxic female friendship, graphic violence, on-page sexual assault, on-page rape, and animal abuse. I wish the author told the story without all of this stuff. I mean, it was a huge part of the story and I think the author wanted me to feel icky, so mission accomplished. But it was hard to listen to! I considered abandoning the book because of all of that. But I persevered and was rewarded with a really satisfying ending. This is more of a 3.5-star book for me and it’s a thriller I would be hesitant to recommend to anyone.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Library • Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: Rachel is a student in Cork whose life takes unexpected turns after meeting James, a charismatic friend with whom she navigates the bohemian lifestyle amidst the looming financial crisis. Their bond deepens as Rachel falls for her married professor, leading to a series of secrets and compromises that entangle their lives with those of the professor and his glamorous wife.

I’m not sure what I expected from this book, but it was a pleasant surprise to enjoy it as much as I did! This book is mostly a character study, following two people during a year of their life and all of the joys and mistakes they make along the way. I loved Rachel and James and the way they became almost instantaneous best friends. Their friendship was truly the highlight of this book; I loved the way they fought and loved and were always there for one another. They could both be selfish and childish at times, but they were also 20 years old and that’s to be expected. I loved how this story was told, of Rachel looking back on this year that impacted her and was the catalyst for so much that happened in the future. It’s the way we sometimes look back on our past mistakes when we have the hindsight of being older and wiser. It can be cringey to remember what we did and the people we hurt, but it’s also how we grow. Anyway, I really enjoyed this book!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (8.26.24)

Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Spotify • Contemporary Fiction • 2024

Short synopsis: Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, unemployment, and looming eviction, Margo turns to OnlyFans, drawing on her estranged father’s wrestling advice to craft a successful online persona. 

This was a great book, and one I wasn’t sure I wanted to read until everyone else started raving about it. They were right! Margo was an utterly delightful character and while some may get annoyed with her naivete, especially in the beginning of the book, I honestly couldn’t get enough of her. She felt so real. She became a mother at 20 and has to figure everything out on her own because her friends don’t want to help and her mom is useless. I loved her character arc and the way we see her become more and more comfortable in her role as a mother—and as a businesswoman. I found the scenes between Margo and her mom to be so difficult to get through; a toxic mom/daughter relationship always breaks my heart! But the true standout in this novel is the relationship between Margo and her father. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, so I’ll just say that as someone who is also estranged from my father, I really enjoyed this part of the plot. This is a book I would confidently place in the hands of most readers, so give it a try! (The audiobook is excellent, too. It’s read by Elle Fanning and she didn’t make up silly voices for the male characters. I want all of my audiobooks to be read by her!)

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (★★★☆☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Fiction • 1948

Short synopsis: Through six turbulent months of 1934, 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain keeps a journal, filling three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries about her home, a ruined Suffolk castle, and her eccentric and penniless family. By the time the last diary shuts, there have been great changes in the Mortmain household, not the least of which is that Cassandra is deeply, hopelessly, in love.

This novel started out strong for me, but it petered at the end. In the beginning, I adored Cassandra and her witty journal entries. She gave me real Anne Shirley vibes and I settled in for a sweet story about a poor family. Unfortunately, the story took a turn for me about halfway through. Characters I previously loved started making very dumb decisions and while there is a redemptive character arc, I think I was just so frustrated by the end that I didn’t really care. There were some really fun scenes in this book (the bear! the kidnapping!) that kept it from being a slog. And I think the author did a great job of portraying the emotions and mistakes of teenage girlhood—I had to continually remind myself that Cassandra is young and is doing the best she can. Her brain is still developing and she’s bound to make really dumb decisions at this point in her life. All in all, I’m glad I finally read this book but it’s not one I’m going to be recommending to many people.

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay (★★★☆☆)

Print • Library • Mystery • 2023

Short synopsis: In 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home to find her mother mysteriously missing, leaving behind no signs of struggle. Decades later, Jane Larkin’s remains are discovered, reigniting an investigation that forces her now-grown children to confront the chilling possibility that their father, a criminal defense attorney, may have been involved in her death.

I have complicated feelings about this book. I picked it up because multiple recommendation sources had raved about it so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. And it just didn’t really work for me. The book is divided into multiple sections and there’s a different narrator for each section, which was hard to wrap my head around at first. There were some odd stylistic choices like not having chapters and halfway through the book, he stopped using quotation marks. (I really hate books that don’t have quotation marks. Just use them!) I thought the story was pretty bland and unsatisfying, especially because it was easy to understand what had happened to Miranda’s mother and nothing really gets solved beyond that. I was expecting something different, I guess.

What are you reading?