Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (1.18.21)

Happy Monday, friends, and happy return to my weekly “What I’m Reading” posts. I have seriously missed talking about my current reads, so I’m glad to be back in the saddle. This post encompasses everything I’ve read since the start of the year (I’ve finished 5 books so far!) I’ve had middling success with my reading so far. Let’s review!

He’s So Fine by Jill Shalvis (★★★★☆)

This sweet romance novel was the best way to kick off my 2021 reading year! After Olivia mistakenly assumes Cole is drowning and jumps into the water after him, he ends up being the one who rescues her. And while neither of them believes they’re ready for a relationship—nor that they deserve love—they can’t help but be drawn to one another. It’s an open-door romance that had a whole lot of heart. I felt for both Olivia and Cole and could understand why they kept such secrets from each other. And it all came together so beautifully.

We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and Half a Century of Silence by Becky Cooper (★★★☆☆)

Becky Cooper spent a decade trying to solve the 1960s murder of a Harvard student and relays her journey to discovering the truth in this book. It’s a pretty long book (500 pages with tiny font!) and the book really goes off in a million directions, and I think it suffered a bit because of it. This wasn’t a book about solving a murder, but about sexism and misogyny at Harvard, about corruption in higher education, about Becky’s own experience working on this story. There was a lack of focus and I think a tighter edit could have made this book much more engaging. That’s not to say the book wasn’t well-written. It was! Becky has a very captivating voice and I was compelled to keep reading (mostly because I needed to know who the murderer was), but when I finished it, I was just so relieved to be done and that’s not how I want to feel about finishing books.

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole (★★★☆☆)

Shanti becomes the Queen of Njaza, an African nation, after wedding Sanyu, the King, in an arranged ceremony. It’s been her dream to be a queen her entire life, as she believes it’s the best way for her to affect change for her country, but she quickly discovers all is not what it seems in Njaza. Sanyu doesn’t speak to her, his advisor seems to be calling the shots and shutting down every pathway to improvement, and the only friends she’s made are part of a resistance group against the king (who doesn’t know who she is). What I loved most about this book was the world-building of this entirely different country, its policies, and its people. But the book didn’t totally land for me. It was hard to believe in the romance and I was pretty annoyed by the ending. I’m hoping this was just an aberration for Cole, as she’s usually someone I can count on for great romances!

The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny (★★★★☆)

Another Gamache book, another excellent mystery. The previous book ended in heartbreak and while there were elements of grief in this one, it wasn’t a huge focus. Instead, because Three Pines is the unluckiest small town ever, they are dealing with another murder to solve. I loved how all of these pieces came together and I was still somehow surprised by the “whodunnit.” And man, I just love that Three Pines community. What I wouldn’t give to spend time with them!

American Royals by Katharine McGee (★★★☆☆)

I read this book for January’s Unread Shelf Project category, which is “a book with high expectations.” This one definitely fits the bill as it has gotten rave reviews from many people, but it just didn’t live up to my expectations. In this novel, McGee reimagines a world where George Washington became king rather than president. And thus, a new royal family was born. Beatrice is next in line to the throne and will be the first queen to rule, and she’s trying to live up to the high expectations placed on her… and find a husband to rule alongside her. Meanwhile, her younger siblings—twins named Jefferson and Samantha—are trying to find where they fit in this royal family. It’s a bit of a soapy drama but I just never felt a strong connection with any of the characters nor did I fully believe in the romance between some of the characters. Everyone was just… one-dimensional and rather uninspiring to read about. I’ve put off reading this book because everyone has said that it ends on a MAJOR CLIFFHANGER and you’ll want to read the next book immediately, but eh… I don’t know if I feel the same way. I have the next book on my shelves so I’ll probably pick it up soon, but I’m not sure I’d feel compelled to read it if not.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates (print) – This book collects a set of eight articles Coates wrote for The Atlantic during the time of Obama’s presidency. I read about 25 pages a day because the articles can be very dense and are packed with really insightful thoughts that I don’t want to speed through. I’ll likely finish it sometime this week.
  • Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed (audiobook) – This is a short audiobook (4.5 hours) and a middle-grade story about a Pakistani girl who is sent to be an indentured servant for a powerful, corrupt family. I have a little over an hour left and it’s been a hard, eye-opening read.
  • Fallen Star by Susannah Nix (e-book) – Finally, something light! 🙂 I’m loving this contemporary romance about a movie star and script supervisor falling in love.
  • Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh (print) – Meredith of the Currently Reading podcast raved about this book and the tagline on the front cover immediately piqued my interest: “The serial killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury.” It’s a little more graphic than I like, but I’m just skimming over any violent scenes.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.21.20)

Hi, friends. I don’t have a bookish moment this week—it’s been a really hard week over here. My best friend (and writing partner), M., found out that her 13-month-old baby has a canteloupe-sized tumor in her liver and has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. We’re all so devastated; everything feels so surreal and unimaginably difficult. Olive will need surgery ASAP (and possibly a liver transplant) as well as chemo. She starts chemo this week to help stop/slow the spread of the tumor while they wait for the surgery to be scheduled. 2020 has been such an awful mess of a year, and it just keeps getting worse. How do babies get cancer? That’s a question I don’t know the answer to. It is just enormously unfair and my heart is breaking for M and her husband and Olive. (If you’d like to help, M has set up a Facebook fundraiser to help with Olive’s medical expenses. She also has Venmo for anyone who wants to give directly to her.)

Anyway, it feels weird to go from that to talking about my current reads but that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve definitely noticed a need for light, comforting reads right now (which is why I almost abandoned Forever, Interrupted) and I’m going to lean into that. I finished three books last week and here are my reviews.

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacob (★★★★★)

One-sentence synopsis: A graphic memoir about Jacob’s experiences as a first-generation American and the hard questions her six-year-old son is asking her, like “If white people are scared of brown people, does that mean my father [a white man] is scared of me?”

Add me to the list of people raving about this book! It is well worth your time and I highly recommend the print version since you get to see Jacob’s amazing illustrations in great detail. I loved learning about Jacob’s experiences in an immigrant family and especially enjoyed Jacob’s discussions about race with her son. There’s also a section that discusses her in-laws’ decision to vote for Trump (even though their daughter-in-law is Indian and their grandkids are mixed race…), and she is super honest about the conversations she had with her husband about this decision and the effect it had on her relationship with them. It felt like such an intimate detail to include! (I’m so curious as to how her in-laws reacted to this inclusion!) I think we all have family members who are Trump supporters and find ways to justify his behavior, and navigating those relationships is, so difficult. All in all, this is a powerful memoir and I’m so glad I have a copy for my shelves because I’m sure it’s a book I will return to (and happily lend to friends so they can learn and grow, just as I did).

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Nine days after their wedding, Elsie’s husband is killed in an accident.

You guys, this book was so sad. I wasn’t in the right headspace to read such a sad book, and maybe that’s why I didn’t like it as much as TJR’s other books. She doesn’t hit you over the head with the sadness—it’s not trauma porn or anything like that. It feels very real and honest about the experience of grief and unexpected loss. In a grief book like this, there are certain, eye-roll-y tropes that an author can explore and I am really grateful that TJR didn’t do that to us. Instead, she takes us on a journey through Elsie’s love story with her husband as well as the new relationship she’s building with her husband’s mother. It’s worth a read, but you really need to be in the right headspace for it. Have a box of tissues nearby!

Flirting with Fire by Kate Meader (★★☆☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Kinsey is a PR pro whose newest assignment is to improve the image of the Chicago Fire Department after Luke, a firefighter, gets into a bar brawl with a Chicago police officer. 

Oh man, I had a loooot of issues with this novel. It just oozed toxic masculinity, both from Luke and Kinsey’s boss who is a real piece of work (and he’s the hero in the next book in this series, so I’m very curious as to how the author is going to give him a redemptive arc). I liked Kinsey’s character a lot, though, and found myself rooting for her easily. Luke, on the other hand, was a hard character to like and, in turn, connect with. His character just had so many inconsistencies and, again, he leaned heavily on his toxic masculinity and it was SO damn off-putting. My advice is to skip this romance. Bleh. (Very open-door romance.)

What I’m Reading This Week

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.14.20)

Hi, friends, and a very happy Monday to you. My bookish moment of the week is an easy one: putting together my list of 25 Things About Me as a Reader! It was really fun to think about my reading life and what I wanted to share. And, of course, after publishing that blog post, I’ve thought of a handful more facts that I want to share! So maybe a part II will be coming soon. 🙂

I read three books this week and enjoyed all of them!

Sadie by Courtney Summers (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: A radio personality is drawn into a story about a missing girl in a small town and starts a podcast to find her.

The audiobook of this thriller has a full cast so it’s a sensational listening experience. The book follows two timelines: the podcast in which West Craven, the radio personality, is investigating Sadie’s disappearance, and what Sadie was up to in the weeks before she was reported missing. It’s a book filled with trigger warnings, especially regarding violence, rape, and child sexual abuse, so sensitive readers should take great care. But it’s a pretty good thriller overall and I found Sadie’s journey to be a believable one, even though she’s only 17. Is this a book I’m rushing out to recommend? No. But it’s a great audiobook listen and a solid read that will keep you engaged until the end.

I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflections by Nora Ephron (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: A short essay collection about Nora’s past, present, and future.

I read this to fulfill the last challenge category for the Unread Shelf Project, which was “the shortest book on your shelf.” This essay collection clocks in at just under 140 pages! It was a super enjoyable read, most especially because it felt like a time capsule of the early aughts (it was published in 2010). Nora is vulnerable and incredibly funny in this essay collection, and made me laugh out loud and reminisce about things like Games.com and when e-mail was this new and mysterious concept.

Beach Read by Emily Henry (★★★★☆)

Short synopsis: January, a romance writer, is dealing with major writer’s block even though she’s promised to send her publisher her latest draft by the end of summer. She’s spending the summer at a beach house where she knows she must focus and write, only to find out that her nemesis, hero of the literary world, Gus Everett, is living next door.

I very much enjoyed this romance! (There is a lot of debate about whether this book is women’s fiction or romance; it read like a romance to me, as the love story was central to the plot, but YMMV.) It’s a buzzy book that everyone, even people who don’t typically read romance, are reading and loving, and I can see why it’s getting so much praise. It was excellent! I loved the characters and the romance and the witty banter. I loved January’s relationship with her father, even if it made me long to have the same one with mine. I loved Gus so, so, so much and thought he was an extraordinary hero. And I loved watching the writing process in this book, as January is trying to get a book to her agent by the end of summer—it was fun to get a glimpse into her process. All in all, a solid romance that even non-romance readers could enjoy. (Open-door romance.)

What I’m Reading This Week

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.7.20)

Happy Monday! My bookish moment of the week is doing a major culling of my Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf. I don’t really use that shelf in any strategic way: I simply add a book to it whenever I hear a rave review or see someone whose taste I trust give a book a high rating. Goodreads also sends me a monthly newsletter detailing new releases from authors I’ve previously read, and I’ll add books to my TBR shelf from there, too. At the end of every year, though, I like to pare down this shelf because it can become a bit unwieldy and filled with books I may not be as interested in reading now. Before this weekend, my “Want to Read” shelf was clocking in at 470 books and I’ve pared it down to 350! I started by removing any book that has been on my shelf for longer than 4 years (well, I started with that and then found a bunch of books that I added in 2013 or 2014 that I realllllly want to read, so I let myself keep, at most, 10 books added before 2016.) Then I just started going through my list, bit by bit, removing books that had low ratings (anything under 3.7 is LOW for Goodreads) or that don’t really appeal to me anymore. It’s always good to give my TBR list a refresh like this! It helps to make sure only the books I really want to read are ready for me to pick from. 🙂 (One of these days, I’ll give y’all a run-down on how I set my upcoming reads list, but it’s a complicated system that probably would only make sense to me.)

This week, I finished two books and really liked both of them. That’s a win!

Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare (★★★★☆)

Short synopsis: When Charlotte and Piers are found in a compromising position, they are forced to announce their engagement. Only, Charlotte wants to marry for love, and marrying the cold, unemotional Piers is not in her plans.

I really enjoyed this historical romance! I found Charlotte to be such an interesting character. At the beginning of the book, Charlotte and Piers are in the library together and have to hide when another couple comes in and, ahem, enjoys some sexytimes. Then the couple leaves and people seem to think it was Charlotte and Piers making all the noise! Hence the engagement announcement. Charlotte goes on a mission to find out who the couple really is, and I loved her investigation. It was fun to follow along! Piers is also an interesting character—he was a character in a previous book whose fiancee fell in love with his brother after he was away from her for years working as a spy—and I loved watching all of his walls come down with Charlotte. Happy sighs all around! (Open-door romance.)

Atomic Love by Jennie Fields (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Rosalind is approached by the FBI to help spy on her former lover, who they think has been selling secrets to the Soviets.

I really enjoyed this thriller! It was part-love story and part-spy novel. Mostly, I enjoyed reading about a time period that I haven’t read much about! This novel takes place in 1950 so it’s been half a decade since WWII ended and life as usual has resumed: The men who made it through the war are back home and trying to figure out their careers while also dealing with their own PTSD symptoms. Charlie was a POW in WWII and he is the FBI agent who approaches Rosalind to spy on her former lover, Thomas. Charlie still has nightmares about his time as a prisoner (and those flashback scenes are vivid and disturbing, so highly sensitive readers should take great care when reading those scenes) and hasn’t been with a woman since his former girlfriend dumped him after the war. I loved watching the love blossom between Charlie and Rosalind. It was so sweet! They were both dealing with major trust issues and it was beautiful to watch them tiptoe through this new love and what it could mean for their lives as a whole. All in all, a great story and one I would recommend. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s an easy one to sink into.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • Sadie by Courtney Summers (audio) – I only have two hours left in this audiobook and while I don’t know if the actual story is very compelling, the full-cast narration definitely is. I love how it feels like I’m listening to a true-crime podcast! I’m interested enough in the mystery, though, and want to find out what happens.
  • Beach Read by Emily Henry (print) – I’m about halfway through this fun romance and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. It’s gotten rave reviews so I worried it might not live up to my high standards, but so far so good!
  • Anxious People by Fredrick Backman (print) – I just started this novel so I don’t have too much to say about it yet. But it’s already made me laugh out loud a few times and any book that can do that is a winner! (Let’s hope it stays that way.)

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (11.30.20)

Hi, friends! Happy Monday. I don’t really have a specific bookish moment of the week! The only bookish moment that stands out for me was how I felt reading Love on Lexington Avenue, which is the first book I’m reviewing today. I gave it 5 stars because it just made me so darn happy! It was one of those books that I wanted to read cover to cover when I started it, and was soooo hard to set down. I love when that happens! That’s what makes the reading experience so pleasurable.

Let’s dive into my book reviews because I have quite a few! (A five-day break from work definitely sped up my already-fast reading pace, haha.) I finished five books this week (I’m 10 away from hitting 150!) and here are my reviews:

Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne (★★★★★)

One-sentence synopsis: Claire has sworn off relationships after finding out her husband was a serial cheater during their marriage, but when she starts having feelings for her rough-around-the-edges-but-surprisingly-sweet contractor, Scott, she learns that protecting her heart might come at the cost of her happiness.

Ooh, this novel was perfection! I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance, and this one satisfied all of my desires. Claire is going through a complicated mix of emotions, as she’s grieving the loss of her husband while also trying to reconcile her hatred for him (he died during a boating accident and was found with one of his many girlfriends). Scott, on the other hand, is going through his own internal struggles, including a desire to settle down after many years of traveling the globe and working on complex contracting projects. I loved their banter and sweetness together, and when they started to fall for each other… ahhh. All of the heart eyes! This is a beautiful love story to sink into if you’re looking for something heartfelt and lovely. (Closed-door romance.)

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Gifty is determined to better understand the suffering around her, as she still grieves her brother who died of a heroin overdose in high school and watches her mother struggle with suicidal ideation even years later.

This is one of those books that just didn’t work for me, but I can see why people are raving about it. It’s well-written and complex and heartbreaking, an intimate exploration of the opioid epidemic and the effects it has on families. The book also touches on the immigrant experience and being Black in America. It’s a character-driven novel, which is a subgenre I tend to struggle with unless the characters are compelling enough to keep my interest. I really had a hard time connecting with anyone in this book. Gifty was especially difficult for me, as there were so many moments when I wanted her to open up to people and just try to form connections. I think anyone who enjoys character-driven stories and complex themes will enjoy this book. It just wasn’t for me.

Come Away with Me by Karma Brown (★★★★★)

One-sentence synopsis: Tegan has endured a devastating loss after an accident and her husband suggests they open their Jar of Spontaneity to pick out three dreams to fulfill.

Oh man, this book! It’s a brutally real exploration of grief and moving forward after a devastating loss. Come Away with Me is told from Tegan’s perspective, as she is trying to figure out how to forgive her husband (he caused the accident) while grieving the loss of her baby. I want to mention these things, even though they aren’t in the book’s description because they could be major trigger warnings for some people. The author’s depiction of grief is so spot-on, nearly too real at times, and I was completely drawn into Tegan’s world where all she can think about is all she lost. Some reviewers said she was a bit of a brat and hard to handle, and she was. She really, truly was. But that’s just what the grief experience is like for some people, and she has earned every bit of her “brattiness.” (For the record, I didn’t see it as brattiness but more that she was depressed and wounded beyond belief.) As someone who has struggled with depression, I felt seen in Tegan’s struggles. I know that feeling of wanting to pretend you’re okay so the people around you don’t worry, of thinking everything is fine until one tiny thing happens to bring you back down, of worrying that the only way you’ll ever be happy again is to be medicated. Tegan broke my heart, and while this book is certainly sad, it is also hopeful and fun. Tegan and Gabe are exploring so many wonderful countries and having so many great experiences, and that fills up the bulk of the book. It is so fun to follow along on their journey around the world! Anyway, I think I’ve yammered on enough about this book. It’s well worth the read if you can handle the difficult subject matter! It may even have earned a place in my top-10 of the year.

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Nishat, a closeted lesbian teen, enters a school competition to start a henna business and is annoyed when Flavia, the girl she’s crushing on, decides to have the same business. 

Writing a one-sentence synopsis for this book was nearly impossible! Do I focus on Nishat’s sexuality, as she came out to her parents at the beginning of the novel and they had a disappointing response, leading to fractures in her familial relationships? Do I focus on the cultural appropriation of Flavia (an Afro-Brazilian) and her teammate Chyna (a white girl) starting a henna business alongside Nishat (who is a Bengali Muslim)? Do I focus on Nishat and Flavia’s growing relationship? Do I focus on the bullying, the racism, the homophobia? Needless to say, there is a lot going on in this book. But it all kinda works. It’s not perfect—this is a debut, after all—but it’s not as all over the place as you might think. Instead, it’s a brilliantly woven story about a young Muslim girl who knows that she is gay and just wants to be accepted for that. I loved Nishat’s character so very much, especially the close relationship she has with her sister. There were times when Nishat drove me crazy, though, especially how she always seemed to just accept the bullying and racism she experienced. But that may be my white privilege showing. I want her to stand up for herself, but I know that is way easier said than done, especially as a minority. All in all, though, this was a really fun debut and it’s a quick read so it may be a good one to pick up if you’re trying to meet an end-of-year book goal!

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi (★★★★★)

One-sentence synopsis: In this book, Ibram X. Kendi discusses what being an antiracist really means and what a just, equal society should look like.

As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you’re going to read one book about antiracism work (although, come on, you can do better than that), it should be this one. This book takes you through all the different systems that are set up to be racist, how policies are at the heart of antiracism work, and the differences between being an antiracist and being an assimilationist. (Here’s how assimilationists are defined in the book: “Assimilationists can position any racial group as the superior standard that another racial group should be measuring themselves against, the benchmark they should be trying to reach. Assimilationists typically position White people are the superior standard.”) I learned so much from this book, even though I thought I had a good idea of what antiracism is and should look like. But I was still seeing everything from my lens of whiteness. This is a book I will read again, and soon, most likely do a close reading chapter-by-chapter to truly begin to do the work of unraveling my own racist ideas and understanding what needs to happen to build an antiracist society. Bottom line: You need to read this. Yes, you! Even if you have attended BLM marches, given money to racial justice charities, and believe wholeheartedly in antiracism work. We can still do better. We can still learn more. It starts by understanding all the ways policies and procedures and rules and society as a whole have failed the Black community… and what needs to be done to make it better for them.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare (e-book) – I’m nearly halfway through this fun historical romance and I am enjoying it so much! The last historical romance I read was a snoozefest, so this book is reviving my love for the subgenre.
  • Atomic Love by Jennie Fields (print) – This was a BOTM pick from a few months ago that I decided to pick up and read. It’s billed as being part love story and part spy thriller, and that is just right up my alley. I’m not too far into it yet, but I’m liking it!
  • Sadie by Courtney Summers (audiobook) – I’m still working my way through the archives of the Currently Reading podcast, and in a recent episode I listened to, one of the hosts raved about the audiobook version of Sadie (it’s apparently very well-produced). A recommendation like that from Katee or Meredith rarely proves me wrong, so I have this queued up to start this week!

What are you reading?