Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.15.23)

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Audiobook • Spotify • Nonfiction (Memoir) • 2023

Short synopsis: For the first time ever, Britney Spears speaks out about her life as a pop star: how she got her big break, her relationship with Justin Timberlake, her conservatorship, and more.

I chose not to rate this book because it’s not a book that’s meant to be rated. Is it well-written? Absolutely not. But did it need to be? Was that the point of this memoir? I don’t think so. This was Britney finally able to be free and talk candidly about her life. What this book taught me is that Britney has had a really, really sad life. Sure, she got to be a pop star, but at what price? There were revelations in this book that were eye-opening and most of this book was just so difficult to read. I hope she found the process of working through the highs and lows of her life to be cathartic and healing.

A Lot Like Love by Julie James (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Romatic Suspense • 2011

Short synopsis: When Jordan Rhodes is approached by the FBI to help with an undercover assignment, she’s originally not too keen on the idea. But then they sweeten the deal: If she helps them out, they can coordinate her brother’s early release from prison. So she teams up with undercover agent Nick McCall. They have to be a pretend couple, but after more than a few weeks in each other’s presence, it’s starting to feel less pretend and more real.

This is my third or fourth time reading this romantic suspense novel; Julie James used to be one of my go-to romance novelists but she hasn’t written a new novel in 6 years and it is such a travesty. So, instead, I get my Julie James fix by rereading her novels! Some parts of this novel didn’t quite age as well as I’d hoped (there was a tinge of toxic masculinity to Nick’s nature at times), but overall, it was a fun ride and one of those easy, brainless romance novels that I love. I didn’t have to think too hard; I just had to enjoy the story and developing romance.

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Indie Bookstore) • Historical Fiction • 2020

Short synopsis: When Lakshmi was 17, she escaped from a brutal marriage and found a new life in Jaipur where she became a renowned henna artist to the wealthy elites. Fifteen years later, her husband finds her and he has a surprise in tow: a sister she never knew she had.

I loved this book! It had such a lyrical writing style and it was so easy to get sucked into these scenes in India. I was also deeply grateful to the author for including a character bible at the front of the book. I skipped over it to begin with but then as characters were introduced (or re-introduced), I would flip over to that page to familiarize myself with who they were and their relation to other characters in the story. So helpful! This book takes place in the 1950s during an interesting time in history—most especially, a time when divorce was officially legalized in India. This was a novel that focused on women—Lakshmi, her younger sister, and some of the wealthy women she hennaed—and I found all of their stories compelling. While parts of this novel made me frustrated, it wasn’t due to the writing or the plot—it was the characters making silly decisions. To me, it’s the mark of a great book when an author can get me to feel strong emotions about made-up people! All in all, a fantastic book that I highly recommend!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.4.23)

The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Fiction (Cli-Fi) • 2022

Short synopsis: When a Category 6 hurricane threatens the Miami area, Daphne and her children must evacuate to a FEMA mega-shelter immediately. Her husband, a surgeon who is handling transport services at the local hospital, has to stay behind. 

Perhaps reading a book about a hurricane wiping out the entire bottom-third of Florida isn’t my best idea, but I am intensely fascinated by this new sub-genre of climate fiction (or “cli-fi”). With weather events continuing to escalate due to climate change, it makes sense that novels are being written that asks the question, “What if?” What if we had a category 6 hurricane sweep through a state? From Bruce Holsinger’s perspective, it means entire cities wiped out and FEMA shelters overwhelmed. This novel follows how Daphne, her 20-year-old stepson, and her tween daughter deal with the aftermath of the storm and living in a mega-shelter (a big step down from their mansion in Coral Gables). It also follows the woman running the shelter and all of the politicking and people-ing that goes along with that. It’s a hard life for all of them and I think the author did an excellent job of helping us understand the way natural disasters can bring about our best and worst emotions. What do you do when your home is gone, when you have to start over from scratch, when you have children depending on you to have it all figured out? There was a twist near the end of this book that I didn’t think was necessary, but overall, this was a solid read, even if the premise is horrifying for this Florida girl.

Recursion by Blake Crouch (★★★☆☆)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Science Fiction • 2019

Short synopsis: In this new reality, people are dealing with a devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. As its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only two people (a neuroscientist named Helena and a NYC cop named Barry), working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.

I struggle with Blake Crouch’s books, mostly because they make me feel really stupid. The concepts he writes about can be really hard for me to grasp, and this one was no exception. But, thankfully, he also does a great job writing characters you can root for and really propulsive plots, so I just decided to enjoy the story and not try to think too hard about how the science behind it all worked. The first 75% of the novel was a solid 4 stars for me, as I found it easy to follow along. Where the book lost me was that final 25% where it felt like the science got a little too science-y and the plot started to drag. At a certain point, I was skimming entire pages because I just wanted the book to be done. I can see why people love this book, but the science fiction genre just isn’t my cup of tea.

The Stand-In by Lily Chu (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Target?) • Contemporary Fiction • 2021

Short synopsis: When a photo of Grace Reed goes viral, claiming that it’s international movie star Wei Fangli, Grace’s world is turned upside down. She’s just a regular girl living a regular life—she’s not a celebrity at all. And then the real Fangli shows up to give her a proposition: She wants Grace to pretend to be Fangli for a slew of red carpet appearances and events, and she’ll pay her the big bucks to do it.

The premise of this romance is a bit far-fetched, but I was willing to go along with the plot as long as the story was a good one. And it was! I really enjoyed this story, mostly because it was fun to get an inside look at the world of a mega-celebrity who is doing all sorts of appearances and events, whether that’s a film premiere or just dinner at a fancy restaurant (where paparazzi are sure to be camped out at). I really loved Grace’s character and felt like she was such a quintessential enneagram 9—her growth throughout the novel was really beautiful. And, of course, there’s Sam Yao. He’s a dreamboat and a mega-celebrity in his own right, and he and Fangli attend most events together, which means he’ll be there every time Grace impersonates Fangli. I thought the author did a phenomenal job of building up the romance between them: first as colleagues, then as friends, and then as two people falling in love with each other. This could have definitely been a 5-star romance for me, but I thought the pacing of the book was a bit uneven and I just really wanted more from the romance. This is an entirely closed-door romance (BOO—give me the good stuff!) and I felt like I didn’t really get to enjoy Sam and Grace as a couple as much as I would have liked. This is the author’s debut novel and I think she has what it takes in the romance world, so I’m excited to read more from her!

Side note: I am pretty sure I bought a copy of this book from Target, but I’m also having a weird memory that maybe someone sent it to me? Was it you? If so, please let me know so I can thank you properly! (Maybe I have False Memory Syndrome, sigh.)

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (11.25.23)

Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison (★★★★★)

Print • Library • Nonfiction (Self-Help) • 2019

Short synopsis: In Anti-Diet, Christy Harrison takes on diet culture and the multi-billion-dollar industries that profit from it, exposing all the ways it robs people of their time, money, health, and happiness.

At some point, I would like to write up a whole post about this book because I was taking pictures of quotes like crazy and had a lot of epiphanies while reading this book. I’ve been on a long journey of unlearning diet culture and figuring out how to eat intuitively. That’s why I started working with a dietician this year, to better understand how to fuel my body appropriately but in a way that would be satisfying, too. This book is a must-read if you are also unlearning diet culture like I am—or if you just want to better understand how diet culture has affected our society and how to be a better ally to your fat friends/family members who need you on their side. (And need you to stop saying fatphobic things that you may think are helpful, but are actually harmful.)

Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer (★★★★☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: When Merit, mother of two and in a lackluster marriage, starts a new job at an architecture firm, she meets Jane. Jane is enigmatic and they form a tight bond quickly. What happens, though, when this friendship starts to feel like something more?

I picked this book for our November book club, and I’m relieved to learn that most of my friends enjoyed it (based on their Goodreads ratings; our meeting is on Thursday!). I really enjoyed it, too. I need to mention up front that this book centers around infidelity so it’s not going to be the right book for everyone (looking at you, Lisa!), and there were definitely parts of the book that felt icky. That said, I really liked this book! I think it’s one that many women could probably relate to (mostly the discussion of middle marriage, being a working mom, etc.) and I found the chemistry between Merit and Jane just leaped off the page. It’s not a perfect book—I really wanted so much more from the ending—but the more that I sat with this book, the more I realized how prescient it is and how it really flips the script on gender roles and marriage. I highly recommend reading the Vogue article featuring the author once you finish the book because I think it does an excellent job of delving deeper into why the author took the book in the direction she did. All in all, a story I truly loved and will probably stick with me for a long time.

Codename Charming by Lucy Parker (★★★★★)

E-Book • Libby • Contemporary Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Petunia is the personal assistant to Johnny, who is married to a princess in line for the throne. When she and Johnny are seen in a compromising (but entirely innocent!) position, the tabloids go crazy with speculation. Enter: Matthias. He’s senior security for the royal family and they enact Codename Charming. Pet and Matthias will pretend to be dating until this tabloid fodder dies down. But when they share an electrifying kiss, this fake relationship starts to feel real.

Gahhhh, this book. Lucy Parker has always been a knockout romance writer for me. She just writes the most perfect romances with full-drawn characters and interesting plots. She even skips the dreaded dark moment that happens in so many romance novels; her characters are people who do things like communicate when an issue arises. Imagine that! This book was so very good, not that I expected anything less from her. I loved the way the romance blossomed between Pet and Matthias. The way Matthias cared so deeply for Pet and her for him. Was Matthias a little too perfect? You could say that, but I’m not reading my romances for reality. I get that enough in my dating life. There were a few side plots to this novel, all of which came together in a really nice way at the end, and I just finished the book in the best mood.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (11.17.23)

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (★★★★☆)

E-Book • Libby • Contemporary Romance • 2021

Short synopsis: Nine years ago, Vivienne placed a curse on the boy who broke her heart, Rhys. She doesn’t actually think it worked, until Rhys returns and calamity follows him everywhere he goes.

I wasn’t expecting much from this romance. While I had heard a lot about it, the plot never appealed to me and it has a very low Goodreads rating (3.51 stars) so I figured it wasn’t for me. But I needed a book to fulfill the X category of my reading challenge, so I downloaded this romance and hoped for the best. And I loved it! It was so much fun and I loved all of the witchy elements that the author incorporated. I loved Rhys’s character so very much and really enjoyed Rhys and Vivienne together. They had great banter and a fun rapport. It’s not the kind of romance that will knock your socks off, but for me, it was quite enjoyable.

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes (★★★☆☆)

Print • Library • YA Lit • 2022

Short synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Yamilet is starting over at a new school, and a Catholic school at that. After being outed by her best friend at her old school to devastating results, she decides she’ll pretend to be straight while she just tries to make it through high school. Only there’s Bo, an extremely cute girl who is openly queer and may ruin all of Yamilet’s plans.

I really wanted so much more from this book. It read very much like a debut novel with some clunky wording and uneven pacing. It was way too long and needed a tighter edit. However, I appreciated the representation in this book. I think one of the most impactful side plots in this novel was Yamilet realizing she needs to get a job ASAP because she needs to start saving for a down payment on an apartment, just in case her mom finds out about her sexual identity and kicks her out. It broke my heart but it’s also something I desperately understand. Coming out is such a hard thing to do when you don’t know how your family is going to respond—I know this firsthand. This is a book that could be so helpful for queer kids and help them feel less alone.

Our American Friend by Anna Pitoniak (★★☆☆☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Fiction/Political Thriller • 2022

Short synopsis: When political journalist Sophie gets a call from the White House that the First Lady is ready to open up about her life and wants Sophie to write her biography, she accepts. What she doesn’t know is that the First Lady is about to reveal damning secrets about her life and the KGB.  

I finished this book yesterday and when I realized the audiobook was finished, I said out loud, “What the fuck was that?” Honestly, what was the point of this book? It felt like not-so-thinly-veiled Melania Trump fanfiction and is posited as this spy thriller, but it was, frankly, really boring. There were no exciting twists and turns, and one of the driving forces in the novel (which I won’t spoil) turned out to be all about a woman doing something for a guy she loved, which just felt absurd. Maybe I missed the point of the novel (entirely possible!) but it’s not one I’ll be recommending.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What’s Working in My Reading Life

A few weeks ago, the Currently Reading podcast had an episode where they talked about what their reading life looks like right now and what they feel is working well. I love the idea of taking the temperature of my reading life every now and then—and seeing how things change during different seasons of life. Here’s what’s working well for me right now:

Using the slow-but-steady approach to nonfiction

I read a good amount of nonfiction, but it’s not exactly something I like to read in large chunks. Whether it’s a dense social justice book or a slim essay collection, I have taken the approach of reading just one chapter a day. I find that I can absorb the content much better, as I have time to sit with it and consider its impact. It’s most helpful for books that I’m reading to learn something, as I don’t feel like I’m in this information overload scenario. And sometimes I may even take a break from the book for a day or two if I need to. I usually have a light/fun fiction novel to read alongside the nonfiction book, which helps a lot. I have noticed that my reading tends to slow down when I’m working through a nonfiction book like this, which is why I don’t do it all the time. Maybe every other month or so.

Switching between books I own and library books

I used to have a very complicated system for selecting books. It involved multiple TBR lists, a random number generator, and an intricate spreadsheet. I’ve grown tired of that system, though, and a few months ago, adopted something much simpler: I switch between books I own and library books. I still have a system for selecting these books because I need to have some structure to my book selection process. When I started this process, I used a random number generator to give me a number, and then I went to that page number of my Goodreads TBR list. (For example, if the number it gave me was 8, I went to page 8 of my “want-to-read” list on Goodreads.) Then, I selected five books from whatever page number it gave me. I tried to have a random assortment of books because I like variety in my reading life (aka, one thriller, one nonfiction, one historical fiction, etc.). I also made sure all of the books I selected from that Goodreads list are not books I own. These books are the ones I will be borrowing from the library. I keep that list tucked away in a tab on my reading spreadsheet, so I can request the books from the library when the time comes for that.

When I’m selecting books from my shelves, I choose two books from my Book of the Month shelf and three books from my other bookshelves. I let myself be a little free range with choosing from my BOTM shelf because there’s a limited quantity and it feels less overwhelming. When selecting my three books from my other bookshelves, I go in cube order. I use cube bookshelves to store my books, so the first time I did this, I selected the first three “cubes” (from top to bottom) and had to choose a book from each cube. Again, I try to make sure I’m choosing books with a bit of variety since that’s how I like to read. I’m finishing up my selection of library books, so I’ll start working through the five books I chose from my bookshelves soon. Here’s what I chose!

Not reading every day

This is a big one for me. My identity is not only that I’m a reader, but that I am a voracious reader. For the past 6 years, I’ve read more than 100 books (my highest reading year so far was 2020 with 153 books read). But there are some days when the reading doesn’t happen. And I’m learning to be okay with that. It doesn’t mean I am any less of a reader or that I’m losing my spark; it just means I am finding other ways to spend my time some days. Maybe it’s because I had a busy work day and then plans in the evening. Or maybe it’s because I chose TV and phone games over my book. It’s okay that I don’t read every day, and if it means I’ll have my lowest reading year since 2017, so be it.

What’s working in your reading life?