Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.29.20)

Happy Monday, friends! What a crazy weekend for me—I experienced my first bout with vertigo! Y’all, I do not recommend it. It’s awful. It came on suddenly on Saturday afternoon and I spent the rest of the day in bed because moving my body brought on intense dizziness and the worst nausea I’ve ever experienced. (And, at the risk of being TMI, I threw up once after trying to pick up groceries that had been delivered to my door. I have never dealt with any kind of motion sickness, so this was so unreal to me.) Even sitting up or focusing on my phone for too long brought on the dizziness. Thankfully, my symptoms improved drastically on Sunday. No more nausea or vomiting, just some light dizziness if I leaned down or moved too quickly. I really hope this is an isolated incident! It’s not something I want to repeat, no way!

Okay, let’s talk reading! I finished two books last week and really enjoyed both of them, yay! I’m also in the process of reading five books at once right now, haha. All five are vastly different from each other, so it’s not hard to keep everything straight, but whew, that’s a lot of books for me to be rotating through!

Books Finished

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare (★★★★☆)

Short synopsis: Izzy Goodnight is left penniless after her father dies, but then her late godfather bequeaths her a castle and it seems like her luck is turning around. Only problem? The castle still belongs to Ransom, a duke who was left blind after a duel, and he’s not willing to give it up.

I really enjoyed this historical romance (and it’s only after reading a review that I realized it’s written to be a “retelling” of sorts to Beauty and the Beast). Izzy was such a great character and so was Ransom with his curmudgeonly ways. (I love a good grumpy hero!) They had such an instant chemistry, and watching them fall in love and let down their guards with one another was so beautiful. There was also this really fun side plot involving fantasy stories that Izzy’s father wrote (with Izzy at the center of them). These stories were immensely popular and inspired people to dress up as the characters and travel together to events, and some of those fans even came to the castle once they found out Izzy was staying there. It was a fun detail—the fans weren’t creepy or overwhelming, they just wanted to tell Izzy how much the stories meant to them—and I loved it a lot.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: It’s 1932 and four young orphans run away from their school to sail down the Mississippi River in a canoe in search of a better life.

When I talked about this book last week, I mentioned that I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I had hoped. I struggle a lot with character-driven novels because I typically need a plot to propel me forward. But some character-driven novels work really well for me, especially if the characters are complex and well-drawn. This novel had somewhat of a plot, but it was mostly about the lives of these four orphans and the crazy characters they meet along their journey. However, as the story progressed, I found myself deeply enthralled by the story and the lives of these characters. I found my heart hurting for the main character, Odie, as he encountered things that no young kid should have to deal with. And when it ended, I closed the book and let out a happy sigh. It was a lovely story and I truly missed those four kids when I finished it. Don’t expect this to be a fast-paced read, but if you let yourself sink into the story and take it slowly, I promise it will be worth it.

What I’m Reading This Week

> Open Book by Jessica Simpson (audio). I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about Jessica Simpson’s memoir and so far, a little less than 40% in, I can see why. Jessica’s honesty is evident throughout the pages and it’s really fun to dive back into the world of early-aughts pop singers!

> Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis (e-book). This sweet contemporary romance by one of my faves is fulfilling all my happy, romance-y feels right now. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance, and I always love those.

> So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo (print) – I’ve had this book on my shelf for a long time, always meaning to get to it. I’m reading a few chapters a day so I can soak in the knowledge slowly and take notes as I go along.

> Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker (print). This thriller has a really crazy premise and I’m not sure if I’m totally buying it. I’m about halfway finished with it and I’ll probably see it through to the end, if only to leave a super snarky review. 😉

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.22.20)

Happy Monday! What a weekend. I had a busy Saturday, filled with a Zoom writing date, painting at my mom and stepdad’s new home, swimming in their pool, and family game night. I was out and about for almost 13 hours, which is something that was a regular occurrence in my pre-COVID life. It’s very unusual now! Thankfully, I had Sunday to recuperate and recuperate I did, by lazing about and taking a five-hour nap in the afternoon. (Eeks!) I’m grateful for this little sense of normalcy.

I finished three books last week, so it was another solid week of reading for me. Yay! I feel like I didn’t devote as much time to reading last week—just other things taking up my time—but apparently, even so, I finished my “normal” amount of books.

Books Finished

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Lina must work with Max—the brother of her ex-fiance, who left her on her wedding day—to secure the job of her dreams.

The whole “wedding planner whose fiance left her at the altar” is becoming a new trend in romance novels, it seems. Like any romance trope, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, it didn’t totally work for me, mostly because I never felt like we addressed the people behind the action, only the action itself. Lina was a difficult character for me to like, but I could also understand her really well. She’s become jaded to love, at least love for herself, and it makes her say and do things to Max that feel almost vindictive. (As if he was the one who left her at the alter, not his brother.) She grew throughout the story and I appreciate her character the more she opened up to Max, but it was hard to truly root for her. (Max, on the other hand, was perfect! An excellent hero!) Good things about this story: I loved the emphasis on family and Lina’s Brazilian roots. It was so fun to watch her with her family, which is mainly built of strong females, something I always enjoy! And it was laugh-out-loud funny in parts! It’s rare for me to snort with laughter when reading, but I did so multiple times with this novel.

The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: When Livvy sets the restaurant she works at on fire by accident (by way of a flambéed dessert gone wrong), she flees to the small town of Guthrie, Vermont, where her best friend lives and starts working at a small country inn.

This book will give you all of the sweet Gilmore Girls vibes, I’ll tell you that! Between the characters, the setting, and delightful country events, I was captivated by the sweet world of Guthrie. Livvy is an easy character to like, and I truly enjoyed watching her grow and become attached to the people and town, even though she made a lot of silly mistakes along the way. What didn’t I like about the book? It was a little too sweet at times, bordering on unrealistic. There was a plot twist a little more than halfway through the book that I detested and hated even more the way Livvy responded to it. (Honestly, this was an easy four-star read until that point, but I just couldn’t enjoy the book the way I had after that point.) And it really felt like the point of the novel was like, “See? All you have to do to find happiness is get married and have a family! That’s what life is really about.” Which is so problematic that I don’t even know where to begin. Maybe I’m taking it all too seriously (quite possible!) but it bothers me when that seems to be the overarching theme of a book.

Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais (★★★★☆)

Short synopsis: It’s the 1970s in South Africa under Apartheid and Robin, a nine-year-old white girl, is left orphaned after her parents are killed in an uprising. She is sent to live with her aunt who hires Beauty, a Black woman whose daughter went missing in the uprising, to care for her.

I loved this book so very much! It taught me so much about Apartheid (I’m embarrassed at how much I didn’t know about it!) and was a beautiful story about family, resilience, hope, and love. The chapters go back and forth between Beauty and Robin, both of them experiencing this time in vastly different ways. Beauty is one of the best characters I’ve ever read—she is fiercely devoted to the people she loves and never wavers from her devotion. Robin could get tiresome, but then again, she is nine so that makes sense! And she’s been through the trauma of losing both her parents and the life she knew, so I tried to give her some grace when she got on my nerves, ha. Anyway, I’d wholly recommend this book and I thought the audio narration was fantastic!

What I’m Reading Now

I’m currently a little more than halfway through This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. I’ve gotta admit, I’m not loving this book as much as I expected to. It’s fine and I don’t think I’ll abandon it, but it’s moving a little slow for my taste. Maybe the second half will be better than the first, but it’s about a 3-star read for me right now.

I’m also reading Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare, a Regency romance that’s completely captivated me. The hero in the story is blind, which I’ve never come across in a romance (and it’s especially surprising for historical romance!) I’m really enjoying the story so far.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.15.20)

Happy Monday, friends! I’m feeling happy and hopeful this morning because my laptop will be fixed this week! YAY! It has been two very long weeks and I will be so grateful to have my laptop back in working order.

Last week, I finished three books, breaking my streak of reading four books a week. Ah, well! Three is okay, I guess. 😉 Here are my reviews!

Books Finished

The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays by Esme Weijun Wang (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: In this essay collection, Esme Weijun Wang provides insight into her schizoaffective diagnosis and her mental illness struggle as a whole.

This was such a beautiful essay collection! Esme has a distinct voice and a gorgeous way with words. I appreciated her honesty in discussing her mental health struggles, schizoaffective diagnosis, psychotic episodes, and more. I found the entire book fascinating and easy to read, even if the subject matter was a dark and difficult one. But Esme infuses her writing with warmth and a sense of hope. One of the more interesting discussions in this book was when she talked about watching TV shows and movies, and how difficult those mediums can be when she’s going through psychosis. She tells a story of watching a TV show with her husband and her husband having to explain the basics of how these shows work (i.e., these are real people who are playing a part, the show is taking place in another city, etc.) because she was in such a place of unreality that her mind couldn’t distinguish between real and fake. Another story was about a period when she believed she was dead and was living in an alternate reality. The mind is an amazingly fragile thing, and I have so much empathy for those who have a mind that’s hard to trust with reality.

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (★★☆☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Samantha Moore is given an extraordinary opportunity—a full scholarship to attend graduate school—with the stipulation that she send regular letters about her progress to her benefactor, Mr. Knightley.

This book was one of those “just ok” reads. I always have trouble with characters who are obsessed with Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters because I just can’t relate, and Sam was particularly tiresome about it. I also struggled with her characterization, as it seemed fairly inconsistent—on the one hand, she was incredibly naive but on the other, she had grown up in the foster care system and spent time living on the streets. And finally, I also had a hard time believing that Sam would be so open and honest with Mr. Knightley (talking about dating and sex, even!)—it just didn’t make sense that she would give him so many intimate details about her life. All that said, there were parts of this novel I enjoyed, especially Sam’s relationship with a foster kid living in the group home she grew up in and the way she struggled as a journalism student (I was glad she wasn’t suddenly the most perfect journalism student ever). It’s a novel that Austen fans will enjoy, I think, but just didn’t totally work for me.

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Writer Austin Channing Brown discusses growing up as a Black girl in majority-white schools, working in majority-white companies, and coming to terms with racial inequalities and racial justice through it all.

Like most people these days, I am trying to consume more books by and about BIPOC. I bought a copy of this memoir a while back, and I was happy to pluck it off my shelves to read it. Austin writes eloquently and honestly about her experiences as a Black woman as she has navigated mostly-white spaces and has had to deal with microaggressions, implicit biases, and plain racism throughout it all. It’s a short book—under 190 pages—so I think it’s a great introduction for those looking to understand race from a Black woman’s perspective.

What I’m Reading This Week

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.8.20)

Happy Monday, friends. Well, it was another crazy reading week for me. I finished four books again! Whew. To be fair, two of these books were romance novels and one was a short graphic memoir, so don’t be too impressed. 😉 I’m 9 books ahead of my goal to read 135 books this year. My crazy reading pace has me wondering if I could somehow hit that elusive goal of reading 150 books this year. Hmm… I’m not going to jump through hoops to make it happen, but I’ll be paying close attention to my Goodreads goal as the year progresses.

Books Finished

The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: On the one-year anniversary of his wife’s death, Ethan finds out his wife is very much alive and has been kidnapped by a drug cartel so he calls on his brothers—all former military—to rescue her.

I’ve been searching for a really good romantic suspense series to sink into, and Maya Banks delivered with this first novel in a long series. While the dialogue could be awkward and sometimes the plot felt a little unbelievable, I enjoyed the relationship between Ethan and Rachel a lot. Ethan comes from a big family (six boys!) so it was fun to learn about the different brothers and their dynamics. I also thought the author did such a good job with Rachel, who obviously has a lot of trauma to heal from after being in captivity for a year, and her journey seemed believable to me. I’m looking forward to continuing this series!

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir (★★★★★)

Short synopsis: At 17, Essie is the youngest child on Six for Hicks, a reality TV show that follows a preacher and his family. When Essie finds out she’s pregnant, a decision has to be made for their TV show: Does Essie get a quiet abortion, does her mom raise the baby as her own, or does Essie get married off?

Man, I really loved this book! I had low expectations for it, as the book received mixed reviews from my friends on Goodreads, but it was the case of the right book at the right time for me. The story alternates between three people: Essie, Rourke (the man Essie is going to marry), and Libby, a conservative reporter who is interviewing Essie about her upcoming nuptials. The voices between the three characters could have been more differentiated, for sure, but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book. There were a lot of twists and turns in the novel—many of which I didn’t expect and couldn’t have predicted—and the overarching storyline is one I could wholly appreciate. Also, that ending! <3

March: Book 1 by John Lewis (★★★★★)

One-sentence synopsis: A graphic memoir about U.S. Representative John Lewis’s childhood, his life-changing meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the nonviolent lunch counter sit-in protests he participated in as a college student.

Way back at the beginning of the year when I was looking at the monthly challenges for The Unread Shelf Project. I selected March: Book 1 for June. June’s challenge is to “read the first book in a series,” and I think this graphic memoir is the only book on my shelf that qualified. And it ended up being the most timely read! It’s a graphic novel, and I don’t know if I’ve ever read that format before. I was so captivated by the story and the drawings. The drawings truly added an extra layer to this incredible story of John Lewis’s life, especially since it was juxtaposed against an iconic day: Obama’s inauguration. I’m definitely planning on picking up the next books in this series because I want to read more about Lewis’ life!

Intercepted by Alexa Martin (★★☆☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: After Marlee finds out her boyfriend of 10 years has been cheating on her, she breaks up with him just in time for a blast from her past to come back into her life.

Ughhhh. I wanted to like this book so much! I love sports romances, but most of them tend to center white stories when we know sports teams, especially football, are majority Black. I loved the character of Marlee—she was such a fun woman who was easy to root for! And Gavin, the male lead, was so dreamy and perfect in all the right ways. However, I had many issues with this book, like the excessive use of hashtags. The pace of the novel was very weird, too, as all the action happened in the first half and the second half just meandered slowly until the dark moment. And the dark moment… oh geez. I am super critical of dark moments (which is the part of a romance novel where things fall apart/the couple breaks up/everything feels hopeless) and this one was especially bad, as Gavin did something that was so completely out of character for him that I felt like I was reading a different book. There was also a side plot involving the football wives that just felt overly dramatic and unrealistic. I don’t doubt that football wives can be catty and mean-spirited, but the whole situation was over-the-top and woman-on-woman hate is never going to be something I enjoy in a novel. All in all, a book that had a lot of potential but just didn’t live up to my standards.

What I’m Reading Now

  • The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays by Esme Weijun Wang – I bought this book at Brookline Booksmith in Boston during my trip last year. I’m reading two chapters a day and really enjoying Esme’s writing style and her honesty in talking about her schizophrenia diagnosis.
  • Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais – I’m listening to my first audiobook since March! I used to listen to audiobooks on my commute, but now it’s a struggle just to keep up with my podcast feed. But now that I’m more caught up on my feed (only a week behind, rather than four weeks), I decided to download an audiobook to listen to. I’m only two hours into this 14-hour audiobook, but enjoying it so far!
  • Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay – I’ve had this epistolary novel on my Goodreads TBR shelf for six years. Oof. It was available for immediate download on Libby so I snatched it up for something light-hearted to read this week.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.1.20)

Hi, friends! What a weekend, huh? I am currently typing this post on my tiny Google Chromebook (pretty sure the screen size is 13 inches), since my laptop broke over the weekend! I spilled (or rather, Ellie’s tail spilled) soda on the keyboard and, well, you can guess what happened after that. I went to a computer repair shop to get it fixed and they have to order me a new keyboard, sigh. I’m just glad I have this Chromebook to use in the meantime, even if it’s going to be a much different experience working on it all day long!

Of course, this is a tiny inconvenience. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, and it feels so trivial to talk about it when there are much bigger problems right now. My heart is heavy with the protests happening about George Floyd and the true pain and anguish Black people are experiencing right now. I’m doing my best to listen, to not turn away even if it feels easier to do so, and to share Black voices when I can. I’ve also donated to my local community fund which is raising money for bail-out costs and medical expenses from protesters injured by the police during their protests. (Find your local fund here.) White people, we must listen. We must donate. We must not be silent.

It feels weird to jump from that paragraph to talking about books, but alas. That’s what I’m going to do. I finished a whopping four books last week and here are my reviews:

Books Finished

Final Siege by Scarlett Cole (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Delaney and Mac may not have seen each other in a decade, but he becomes her closest ally when she finds out men want to kill her to silence the story she’s pursuing.

I really enjoyed this romantic suspense novel! It had everything I love in this subgenre: intrigue, a compelling plot, and a hot romance. 🙂 At times, I felt a little bogged down in the details of Delaney’s investigation (something to do with selling illegal weapons…?) and it wasn’t all that interesting to me, but the scenes between Delaney and Mac were perfection. There was so much baggage between them, as they had been in love as young adults but after Delaney’s brother (and Mac’s best friend) died in an accident, she blamed him and walked away from their relationship. Delaney’s actions could frustrate me at times because I just wanted her to see Mac for the good guy he is! But those are the best kinds of novels, aren’t they? The ones that make you feel so strongly about the characters!

The F*ck It Diet: Eating Should Be Easy by Caroline Dooner (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Comedian Caroline Dooner offers a look at why diets don’t work and delivers a simple plan for healing your food struggles: just eat.

This book had such a great message, one I am totally on board with: We must stop living a life ruled by food restriction because we are so scared of being fat. I have been working hard on unlearning the unhealthy diet behaviors that dominated so much of my life: going to bed hungry means I’m dieting correctly, all fat is bad fat, eating dessert means I’m a failure, etc. And this book really affirmed the work I am doing and that I’m on the right path. I don’t want to be ruled by diets. I don’t want to buy into diet culture and fatphobia. It’s not worth it to me. I want to be able to eat what I want, as long as it makes me feel good. However, I did have some issues with this book, mainly that it wasn’t a book driven by data and studies, but of one person’s experience. For a book that’s telling me to “eat what I want,” well, I’d like some data to back up what you’re saying. (Because, no, I do not think being 60 lbs overweight is good for my health, no matter how many times you tell me it is.) I was also turned off by the copious grammar mistakes in this book (and the way she would CAPITALIZE words to make a POINT, or add three or four question marks to questions). The editor in me just wanted to get my hands on the rough draft so I could work through all of the badly worded sentences and grammar mistakes. This probably wouldn’t bother most readers, but it most definitely annoyed me. I don’t think this is a bad book and it’s actually one I would recommend, especially to those who struggle with body image and dieting. It’s a good reminder that we need to listen to our cravings, that being thin should never be an end-all, be-all goal, and that above all else, if you are hungry, just fucking eat!

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren (★★★★☆)

Short synopsis: Carey and James, assistants to home remodeling and design gurus Rusty and Melissa Tripp, must work together to keep these two celebrities in line during their book tour about their successful marriage. Because the truth about Rusty and Melissa isn’t that they have a happy, loving marriage, but that they hate each other.

Calling all HGTV lovers! This romance is perfect for those who can’t get enough of Chip and Joanna Gaines and home remodeling TV shows. Although I desperately hope the Gaines do not have the kind of relationship that the Tripps’ have—eeks. The romance between Carey and James was such a sweet antidote to the toxic relationship between Melissa and Rusty, as well as Carey’s relationship with them. I loved the way Carey and James cared for one another and the natural way their relationship evolved from acquaintances to confidantes to lovers. A fun read that made me long to watch episodes of Fixer Upper. 😉

Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: When Ridley gets a mysterious letter that tells her her entire life has been a lie, she goes on a quest to find out the truth.

Lisa Unger is one of my favorite thriller writers, most especially because she’s a local Tampa-area author! This book was published in 2006, so it’s one of the first books she ever got published. It was fun to see all the details of life before smartphones (dial-up Internet, using an old Nokia brick phone, no GPS to guide her, etc.) The plot itself was a little lackluster, although I’m sure I would have appreciated it more if I read it back when it was published (and before the thriller genre exploded). It was still a really twisty-turny thriller with a satisfying ending. I liked it!

What I’m Reading This Week

I’m currently reading The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir, a book I selected from Book of the Month over two years ago! It’s been sitting on my bookshelf, waiting for the perfect moment for me to pick it up, and I think I found it. I am a little less than halfway through the novel and really, truly loving it. I’m so intrigued about where the plot is going!

I’m also halfway through a romantic suspense novel, The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks. It’s the first in a long series, and I am really enjoying it! I’ve been on the hunt for a really good romantic suspense novelist so I don’t wind up reading Suzanne Brockmann’s Seal Team 16 series for the fourth or fifth time, and I think I’ve hit the jackpot with Maya Banks!

Also, as it’s the beginning of the month, it’s time for my monthly update about Anna Karenina! I would like to say I’m nearly finished it with, as I’m at the 78% mark, but that probably means I still have 200 pages to go, ha. I think this might wind up being a four-star read for me, though, which is the best rating I’ve ever given a classic! Honestly, reading classics on the Serial Reader app is the way to go, guys. I may have to try a Jane Austen novel this way to see if I have a better experience.

What are you reading?