Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.17.22)

Happy Monday, friends! Whew… October has been a very slow reading month for me. We’re halfway through the month and I’ve only finished three books! It’s been a busier-than-usual month with lots of things going on, and it leaves a lot less time for reading than usual. But that’s life, isn’t it? And I don’t mind being busy right now. It’s feeling very good. But I do hope that the second half of October will allow for more reading time!

I have three book reviews for you guys today: a book I liked, a book I loved, and a book I didn’t care for. The full gamut! Let’s discuss.

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson (★★★★☆)

The third book in Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series provides a sense of closure of everything that’s happened to the students at this elite academy in Vermont, and allows them to move forward with their lives. The majority of the novel takes place during a snowstorm, with a bunch of the students (including Stevie, our main character, and her friends) snowed in and just trying to figure out how to pass the time. Except Stevie uses this time to continue her detective ways, and she really wants to figure out the reason behind all the crazy things that have been happening to students at this academy. All in all, I thought this was a really great way to wrap up the series (although a fourth book in the series released this year, so I can still follow my favorite teenage detective, yay!) I think the author could have pared it down a bit (there was a lot going on and so many different storylines and characters to keep track of!), but I still really enjoyed reading this novel and I’m looking forward to what’s next for Stevie!

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (★★★★★)

Oh man, how I loved this book! It is going to be extremely hard to pick an overall favorite book of the year because I have read so many excellent ones, and Lessons in Chemistry definitely falls into that category. This novel is about Elizabeth Zott, a chemist. Unfortunately, Elizabeth is trying to break into the chemistry field in the 1960s, a time when women were not welcome in scientific spaces. Instead, after a series of mishaps, she finds herself hosting a cooking show for housewives—but she decides to put her own spin on it, showing her audience just how much chemistry is involved in cooking and how you can utilize chemistry’s basic building blocks to make incredible food for your family and maybe change your life as well. This book is delightful in so many different ways, between Elizabeth herself, her highly intelligent dog Six Thirty, and the friends Elizabeth makes along the way. However, you should also know that there are some harrowing things Elizabeth goes through. After all, she’s working in a male-dominated industry in the 1960s, a time when rape, sexual harassment, and misogyny claims were not taken seriously. I knew that there were going to be some really hard things in this novel, but it felt really, really important to include them and really, really true to the experiences of women like Elizabeth. It’s not easy to read about, but it’s something that should be talked about more. And the least I can do, as a woman who has benefitted greatly from all of the women who came before me, is read their stories. (Yes, this is about a fictional chemist, but the difficulties she experienced are not.)  All in all, though, I really enjoyed this novel and could not get enough of the characters or the story. A new favorite!

Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur (★★☆☆☆)

I don’t know why I keep reading Alexandria Bellefleur’s books. I am sure she is a lovely person and I am so glad she is writing queer romances, but man oh man, her books are just so bland to me. These characters do nothing for me and I don’t even get excited for the characters to kiss or have sex or profess their love. There’s just always something missing for me, where it’s hard for me to believe in the romance. In this novel, Margot is reunited with her first love Olivia when she learns that Olivia is the wedding planner for the wedding where she is going to be the “Best Man.” Cue awkwardness! Even worse, Olivia suddenly discovers she needs a place to stay after a mishap at her apartment and, of course, why not just bunk with Margot for a few weeks? Sparks fly when they become roommates and the women are forced to deal with their past to move forward into the future. This novel requires suspending your belief again and again and again… and it all just felt forced and unrealistic. Near the end, I found myself skimming the book just so I could be finished with it. A rave review, eh?

What I’m Reading This Week

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.5.22)

Happy Wednesday! After a rather lackluster reading update last week, I’m coming to you today with three excellent reads, two of which will definitely make my favorites list at the end of the year. I’m excited to talk about these books, so let’s dive in:

You Got Anything Stronger? by Gabrielle Union (★★★★★)

Another excellent essay collection from Gabrielle Union. This book starts with a long chapter about Union’s struggle to conceive a child and ultimately deciding to use a surrogate. It was deeply personal and raw, and I found myself tearing up as I listened to Union express how painful it was to not be able to carry her own child and how scared she was during the entire pregnancy. One of the most powerful and moving essays in this book was Union talking about her stepchild’s decision to come out as trans. It was so, so beautiful to witness the way Gabrielle and her husband Dwyane Wade tried so hard to get this right, to make it a coming-out story that was healthy and open and honest. I want to shove this book into everyone’s hands for that essay alone. Throughout the novel, Gabrielle talks about aging, finding that elusive work/life balance, motherhood, and working in Hollywood. She also includes some really poignant essays about racism, including the time she found herself in a Nazi bar in Croatia (in 2019!!) and basically had to run for her life to escape a bunch of white supremacists. This essay collection is truly outstanding and I hope she continues writing. She has a lot to say and I’m here for all of it.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (★★★★★)

I think I might have a new favorite TJR book. Carrie Soto Is Back was such a fun read, and I loved every minute I spent with Carrie, on and off the tennis court. When this novel begins, Carrie has been retired from professional tennis for six years. Her record of winning 20 Grand Slams (the most by a female tennis player) hasn’t been touched, but then, while she sits in the stands at the U.S. Open, she watches 30-year-old Nicki Chan take her record from her. That doesn’t sit well with Carrie so, at the age of 37, she decides to re-enter the world of professional tennis and take her record back. You guys, this book was so, so good. It was fast-paced, exciting, and filled with fully formed characters who I ended up loving. The thing about Carrie, though, is that she is not a very likable character. She’s ruthless, cold-hearted at times, intense, and solely focused on being the best. It’s not about having fun or being the best she can be; she has to be the best in the world or her whole legacy is tarnished. While she could be infuriating at times, I couldn’t help falling in love with her. She was such an amazing, strong, well-rounded character, and I loved the way TJR explored the myth of the perfect female sports heroine. There’s this idea that our sports heroines need to package themselves in this gracious, accommodating way to make them palatable to us. Why do we even need that? Why is it so necessary that we can relate to our sports heroes, that we need that in order to root for them? It’s an interesting question that TJR attempts to answer during this book, and I think she did a fantastic job.

Pint of Contention by Susannah Nix (★★★★☆)

This was a really sweet contemporary romance that also dealt with heavier themes, such as ALS and grief. In this novel, Maggie has been hired as an executive consultant to figure out why King’s Creamery (an ice cream brand on par with Ben & Jerry’s) is bleeding money. She rents a house next door to Ryan, who happens to be George King’s (of King Creamery fame) stepson, and a hunky fireman to boot. When a newspaper expose reveals Maggie’s real reason for being in town, she becomes enemy No. 1, as everyone thinks she’s there to recommend huge layoffs. (And in this town, King’s Creamery is the largest employer.) So Ryan proposes a solution: he’ll pretend to date her and, in doing so, let the townspeople know she’s not to be messed with. While I ended up loving the way things turned out for Maggie and Ryan, I will say that there’s a twinge of misogyny in their relationship. There were times when I really did not like Ryan; he was holding a lot back from Maggie, but expecting her to be forthright and honest at all times. He could be a bit of an asshole, and while I’m glad Maggie saw through his asshole-y ways, I also expect better from my male romance heroes and he just wasn’t it.

What I’m Reading This Week

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.29.22)

Hello from Ft Lauderdale! My mom, stepdad, and all of our pets evacuated on Tuesday to escape Hurricane Ian. I live in a mandatory evacuation zone, as do my mom and stepdad, so we booked an Airbnb on Monday night, prepped our homes, packed up the pets, and took a 5-hour journey to the southeast side of the state! It’s been a wild week, one I will be posting about next week once all of this mess is behind us. (Wonder of wonders, the Tampa Bay area once again escaped a direct hit by Hurricane Ian. How do we keep getting so lucky?! A hurricane hasn’t hit our area in over 100 years!)

For now, I’m sticking to my original posting plan: book reviews! I had hoped to get this post up yesterday but it didn’t happen. Neither of these books is going to make my favorites list, but YMMV.

A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting (★★★☆☆)

A Lie for a Lie had the potential to be a wonderful romance but it included my least-favorite twist in these kinds of books (telling you this twist would be a spoiler, so unfortunately, I can’t) and a set of over-the-top parents who engaged in some of my least-favorite behaviors (no, we’re not asking fathers for their permission to marry their daughters anymore). This was a second-chance romance about Rook and Lainey. Rook is a popular hockey player who has been known as a bit of a ladies’ man and is off on his usual Alaskan adventure. Typically, he comes to his cabin in Alaska every summer with his brother to get away from it all, but his brother can’t come this year so it’s just him. Lainey is a marine biologist working on a PhD who comes to Alaska to study wildlife. Rook and Lainey share a very bumpy airplane ride together that bonds them, and then, when they arrive at the airport and Lainey finds out she can’t reserve a rental car, Rook offers to take her to her cabin. (A great premise for a terrible thriller.) Alas, this is a romance novel so nothing nefarious happens. Rather, the two of them spend the month falling in love. And then… Rook has to leave Alaska unexpectedly and wouldn’t you know it: Neither of them leaves any way to communicate afterward. No cell phone numbers, not even a last name. A year later, they reconnect when Rook finds out that Lainey is working at the same aquarium where he’s attending a kid’s birthday party. And, well, I’m sure you know what happens from there. This wasn’t a terrible romance, but I just wasn’t a fan of the far-fetched plot nor did I care for many of the characters. (Open-door romance.)

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare (★★★☆☆)

Oh, you guys. I wanted to love this book so much more than I did. It was beautifully written, a heartbreaking yet also uplifting story about a young girl in Nigeria who simply wants to find her “louding voice.” Adunni wants what girls her age don’t get: a chance at education and a chance to use her voice for good. Instead, at age 14, she is married off by her father to a man three times her age. I showed my naivete here, as I was astonished that this wasn’t a historical fiction novel; instead, it was written in present day, which means these atrocities of girls being married off to much older men and the human trafficking that ensues is a reality for so many Nigerian girls. It’s horrifying. While this book had such a big story to tell, it was one that was very easy for me to set down. And at night, I found myself not wanting to sink into the story, knowing it was just going to break my heart. All in all, it’s a story that I definitely think people should read, and I wish I was in a better headspace to appreciate it.

What I’m Reading This Week

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.19.22)

Hi, friends! I had such a wonderful, relaxing weekend that included a small shopping trip for fall decor. My apartment was sorely lacking in fall decor and it was fun to pick up some pumpkins and signage from Target and Homegoods this weekend. It’s looking a lot more festive now!

I finished three books last week, one of which I loved very much and two of which I was rather “meh” about. Let’s discuss!

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (★★★★★)

Oh man, A Place to Hang the Moon was just the sweetest, most uplifting story I have read in a long, long time. It’s a middle-grade historical fiction novel that takes place during WWII and centers on three adorable children: William, Edmund, and Anna. They are orphans who have just lost their grandma who was their sole caretaker, and so a plan is hatched: these children will join a group of other schoolchildren their age who are being evacuated to a safer village to live with families for the duration of the war. The hope is that William, Edmund, and Anna will find a family willing to adopt them. I don’t ever want to have children of my own, but I felt fiercely protective of these three children while reading this book. Every time I turned on the audiobook, I thought to myself, “Oh, I hope my babies will be okay today.” They had my whole heart. I also found this book to be so educational about a part of WWII I knew very little about (schoolchildren being evacuated to safer villages) and it was interesting the way that played out. All in all, the sweetest story that will definitely make my favorites list this year.

Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (★★☆☆☆)

As a long-time Anne of Green Gables fan who recently reread the series and was happy to find it did hold up to my childhood memories, I am very sad about my experience reading Emily of New Moon. It had none of the magic of AoGG. While I did love Emily’s character, I did not love the adults in this novel who were just so awful and terrible to Emily. (Her aunt she lived with and her schoolteacher, especially). But the book fully jumped the shark for me when a 36-year-old man was introduced who had the most uncomfortable relationship with Emily (who was 11 or 12 at the time). He kept asking Emily if she thought he was attractive (ew), spent way too much time alone with her (blegh), and when Emily talked about how she had a hard time writing about “love things” in her novels, he told her he could teach her (GROSS). This plotline did NOT age well, and it grossed me out so much. Also, there was way too much talk of drowning kittens and I’m not here for that.

A Dangerous Kind of Lady by Mia Vincy (★★★☆☆)

In this historical romance novel, we’re introduced to Arabella and Guy. They were once promised to each other when they were children, but Guy broke Arabella’s heart when he announced an engagement to another woman. It’s a few years later and Arabella is still unmarried and if she doesn’t get married soon, her father will disinherit her. It’s not marriage that Arabella wants, though; it’s the freedom to be who she wants and do what she wants. With Guy back in town, the two of them can’t seem to stop running into each other, but it seems like Guy doesn’t want much to do with Arabella. However, she’s got a plan for how she’s going to save her inheritance and keep her freedom, and Guy’s just going to have to get on board. I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I thought it was oddly paced, in that the book seemed to have a natural conclusion about 75 pages before it actually ended. From there, it just seemed to drag on and on and I wasn’t fan of the way the dark moment unspooled the plot. All in all, a pretty forgettable romance. (Open-door romance.)

What I’m Reading This Week

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (9.12.22)

Happy Monday! I have two full weeks of book reviews for you guys today, and I gave ALL of these books 4 or 5 stars! It has been a wonderful few weeks of reading for me, and I am so glad for it because my reading has been very up and down this year (kind of like my moods, haha). These books are the ones that have reminded me why I love reading so much. Let’s dive in!

The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta (★★★★☆)

The View Was Exhausting is a romance involving an up-and-coming Hollywood actress named Win. She’s Indian and making a name for herself as a serious actress has been rife with racism, microaggressions, and misogyny. Thankfully, there’s Leo, her long-time fake boyfriend who is always there when she needs him. For years, Win and Leo have been fooling the public with their storybook romance; behind closed doors, they’re just very good friends. Or are they?! I really loved this romance and thought it was really cleverly paced. It didn’t go to the places I expected it to go, and there were some serious plot twists that I wasn’t expecting. Not your “typical” romance, but a great one nonetheless. (And while not fully closed door, the sex scenes are minimal in this one.)

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (★★★★☆)

What an absolutely fun romp this was! I truly enjoy Talia Hibbert’s books and it seems like each one in this series is better than the last. In this novel, Eve Brown is a bit of a hot mess. She flits from job to job and doesn’t seem to take anything very seriously. But then her parents draw a line in the sand, cutting off her inheritance until she holds a job for at least a few months. Enter: a very cute B&B in need of a chef. Eve knows how to cook and she needs a place to stay, so she thinks, why not? The owner of the B&B is a very grumpy, very hot man named Jacob who is autistic and completely lovable, even with all of his grumpiness. I loved the rapport between Jacob and Eve, and especially the way they both grew to care for and watch out for each other. I also really love the way Hibbert explored autism in this book and the different ways it can show up for people. A lot of time, autism is used as a strong character device and can sometimes come off as disingenious. In this book, it felt so different. Yes, Jacob had autism but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to interact with people, have relationships, or have a full life. I really appreciated it! There were some turns this story took that I didn’t love (mostly involving her family), but all in all, this was an excellent romance with fantastic representation. (Open-door romance. Much chili peppers.)

The Purity Myth: How America’s Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women by Jessica Valenti (★★★★☆)

As someone who was embroiled in purity culture in my teens and early twenties, I found so much comfort in this book. It also made me feel angry and frustrated by all the ways the Christian church has devalued women as a whole. Growing up, I felt as if it were my responsibility to be pure, to not cause my “brothers in Christ” to stumble, to dress modestly, to not even think about sex no matter what. I’ve been trying to write a blog post about this experience because it truly shaped the person I am today and the reason it took me so long to come to terms with my own sexuality, not just being queer but also having an enjoyable, healthy relationship to sex and masturbation. The Purity Myth dispels a lot of the myths surrounding purity culture (as its title would suggest!) and dives deep into many different subjects, including the anti-abortion movement, abstinence education in schools, manliness vs femininity, and porn. I wish the author had included a chapter on how to reclaim your sexuality after purity culture (it’s never made sense to me that we’re supposed to never think about sex until we’re married and then, ding, we’re married and now it’s okay to have sex and we should be perfectly sexual beings!), but all in all, it was a good book that I’m glad I finally read.

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau (★★★★★)

Oh goodness gracious, how I loved this book! It was the kind of book that just completely transported me to another time and place (Baltimore in the 1970s) and was just so enjoyable to read. I loved the characters, the setting, the plot… all of it just worked for me. When Mary Jane begins, the titular character Mary Jane has just been hired to be the summer nanny for Izzy, the only child of Dr. and Mrs. Cone. Dr. Cone is a psychiatrist and soon after Mary Jane starts her job, she’s informed that a very big rock star and his wife will be living with them for the summer while the rock star deals with his addiction. Thus begins the most transformative summer of Mary Jane’s life as she becomes completely enraptured with the Cone family and these new celebrities that enter the household. This book is just plain fun and it’s one I keep recommending to people because I loved it so much! I loved Mary Jane and her sweet naivete, I loved Izzy and her adorable way of seeing the world, I loved Jimmy and Sheba (the celebrities) and the way they accepted Mary Jane so easily. I was so sad to say goodbye to these characters when the book was finished!

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey (★★★★★)

This is the second book in Bailey’s Bellinger Sisters series and I liked it more than the first! In this story, we follow the Bellinger sister we were introduced to in the first book, Hannah, who is an assistant for a movie director and is ready to take that next leap in her career: She wants to create music soundtracks for movies. She’s working on the set of a new movie now and when she suggests they move some of their filming to the town of Westport (where the first book was set), she’s surprised when everyone is on board. It’s there that she reconnects with Fox, the man she met when she was in town with her sister and who she has been nonstop texting with for months. Fox is a bona fide ladies’ man who is developing strong feelings toward Hannah, but can’t stop the voices in his head saying he’ll never be enough for her and that he’s not made for commitment. I just really, really loved this romance. Were there some issues with it? Sure. But overall, I found Hannah and Fox’s friendship that developed into a romance to be so sweet and lovely to witness. I enjoyed this exploration of the playboy who wants to be taken seriously, and this idea of the stories we tell ourselves and how to move past them. All in all, an excellent romance that gave me happy feels! (Open-door romance.)

What I’m Reading This Week

  • Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (print) – I picked up this book while I was in Canada because is there any better place to pick up an L.M. Montgomery book than Canada? I have about 100 pages left and y’all, I am not loving it. There are wayyy too many chapters where the main character writes a letter to her father and those chapters are so long and boring (lots of telling without showing).
  • A Dangerous Kind of Lady by Mia Vincy (e-book) – I’m about halfway through this book and I am just having so much fun with these characters. Fingers crossed it doesn’t go off the rails at the end!
  • A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (audiobook) – I have heard so many rave reviews of this middle-grade book, and the reviews are right. This book is precious and likely to be a new favorite.

What are you reading?