Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (2.12.24)

Cover Story by Susan Rigetti (★★★★★)

Audiobook • Libby • Contemporary Fiction • 2022

Short synopsis: Lora Ricci is an aspiring writer living in NYC and working a dream internship at ELLE magazine. When she meets the dynamic and charismatic Cat Wolff, she’s immediately taken by her. Then, Cat asks Lora to be a ghostwriter for her and it feels like all of Lora’s dreams are coming true.

This was my favorite book of January and it’s hard to talk about this book without giving everything away. Here’s what I’ll say: First, I want to reread this book immediately to figure out all the little clues that I totally missed my first time around. Second, I think this book was genius and so very clever! Third, a lot of people compare this to the Anna Delvey story, which I admittedly know very little about (Inventing Anna is still on my to-be-watched list!) so I can’t say if this comparison is accurate. I can understand why some people didn’t like it (Lora’s voice could be so grating at times), but it completely worked for me. Give this one a try, please, so we can discuss it! (I listened to it on audio but I would recommend picking it up in print because there are lots of emails/texts and audiobook productions still haven’t figured out an easy way for those types of things to be read aloud.)

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Contemporary Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: After Jacob makes a startling bad first impression with his new work colleague, Briana, he decides to send her a letter to explain himself and offer a new impression. This begins a series of letters that go back and forth, and the start of a strong friendship that begins to feel like something more.

THIS BOOK, YOU GUYS. This book was immediately placed on my “favorites” shelf the minute I finished it. This book touched me in so many ways. First, there’s Jacob who suffers from social anxiety (hence why he made such a bad first impression). The way this author explained social anxiety and the way it affects people was perfection. I felt like she was inside my brain, from stressing out over what to have for lunch when you’re meeting someone for the first time to needing all of the logistics explained when you’re going somewhere unfamiliar. And then there’s Briana. Now, I have my own Briana and the way this Briana was written is exactly the way my Bri cares for me and my social anxiety. She offers to drive us places, she gives me the logistics, she makes sure to choose places for dinner where I won’t be uncomfortable. She doesn’t make me feel crazy or make me feel like I’m a burden. She loves me, so she wants me to be comfortable in social situations. And that’s the way the Briana in this book cared for Jacob. Once she learned he struggles with social anxiety, she did whatever she could to help him feel comfortable. She took care of Jacob in a way that he had never been taken care of before, and man, it was so sweet. It is the ultimate gift to be treated that way.

There were other reasons why this book worked so well for me. I loved Briana’s character arc and storyline—she’s going through a divorce and trying to find her brother a kidney donor while he’s struggling with severe depression. She’s struggling and while she has to do a lot of internal work on her own to get to a place where she can accept Jacob’s love, she’s also cared for by him in a way she hasn’t been cared for before.

All in all, it was a sweet and impactful romance novel and I loved it so much. It’ll be hard to knock this one off my #1 romance for the year, which is crazy to say when we’re only two months into the year!

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: Julia, Sylvie, Cecelia, and Emeline are four sisters close in age and growing up in a Chicago suburb. As they prepare to graduate high school and college in the early 1980s, their lives are upended in a way that has reverberations for decades to come.

The hype is real with this one! I cracked open this book knowing that it has become a beloved book for so many readers, and I had hoped to love it just as much as they did. And, thankfully, I did! There is so much happening in this book; there are strong themes of family, found family, and regret woven throughout the pages. I tend to love novels that follow a family over a course of a lifetime, and this one did exactly that. I also loved that a good portion of this book took place in the 1980s—these women were coming of age around the same time as my mom, so it was interesting to get a glimpse into what life was like for her. A review mentioned that nobody was likable in this book, and I couldn’t disagree more! There were so many likable characters, so many people I was rooting for. The only one I had a hard time with was Julia, the eldest daughter, but it was more that I just wanted her to make different choices, even though I could understand why she was making the choices she did. All in all, this book has beautiful writing and an engaging plot. While it is a character-driven novel, I felt like the plot moved along at a steady pace and I wanted to see what would happen next for this family.

What are you reading?                                                              

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (1.31.24)

Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Contemporary Fiction • 2023

Short synopsis: Cassandra’s life seemed like it was going fine… until she was dumped by her boyfriend and then fired from her job the next day. And then she discovers she can rewind time and fix her past mistakes. 

I love a good time travel book and when I saw a friend rated this book 5 stars—a friend whose taste generally aligns with mine—I added it to my TBR list and was pleased when it was available as an immediate audiobook download on Libby. This book starts out rough. Cassandra is unlikable and frustrating, and it felt like the plot was going nowhere for the longest time. If I was reading it in print, I probably would have abandoned it honestly. But since I could just dip in and out of it on audio while I was doing other things, I kept going and boy, I am so glad I did. The book turns a corner and I started to understand the point that the author was trying to make with this book. I started to understand Cassandra. She became as dear to me as Anne Shirley. She is someone I want to protect at all costs and keep safe. She is a beautiful soul whose brain just works a bit differently than other people. This book is a reminder to celebrate everyone’s differences and to embrace our own. It’s a reminder that we’re all just doing our best and it doesn’t hurt to give people the benefit of the doubt from time to time. I thought the time travel element was interesting, but at times, it could feel a little tired and redundant. And I wish the author had given us a different ending. But all in all, a lovely story with a great message.

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Indie bookstore) • Queer Romance • 2023

Short synopsis: Iris Kelly has just had the worst one-night stand of her life and never expects to see her hookup again—until she auditions for a local play and comes face-to-face with her. Stevie is the lead actress in the play and asks Iris to be her fake girlfriend for the duration of the play. Iris goes along with it for her own reasons and their fake relationship starts to feel more and more real with each passing day.

Gosh, I really loved this romance. Ashley Herring Blake is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me because I just love the way she writes sapphic romance. I loved the relationship between Stevie and Iris, and the way their romance slowly developed in such a beautifully natural way. One of the big throughlines in this novel is Stevie’s anxiety disorder, and it’s something I could wholly relate to as someone with anxiety and who can really struggle with it when it comes to romantic relationships. At times, the way the author wrote about Stevie’s anxiety felt heavy-handed but mostly, I thought the depiction was true to life. The only thing that would make AHB a standout is if she threw out the dark moment—so many romance authors think it’s necessary, but I think there’s something special when an author can create tension and conflict in their romance novels without it (looking at you, Lucy Parker!). This is an open-door romance with some very spicy scenes, so be forewarned!

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Indie bookstore) • Mystery • 1934

Short synopsis: The Orient Express is on its way to its destination until it gets stopped by a blizzard. Then, things come to a crashing halt when it’s discovered that one train passenger was stabbed to death in his compartment. Thankfully, detective Hercule Poirot is there to solve the murder before anyone else is found dead.

I loved this mystery! My goal with these mysteries is to not judge them against anything else or the mysteries of today. Christie was one of the originators and all future mysteries draw from her, not the other way around. And by doing that, I found myself really, really enjoying myself and I sped through this short book (it’s under 275 pages!) last weekend. I loved the cast of characters, the “locked room” effect of a stalled-out train car during a blizzard, and I truly had no idea who could have been the murderer. I thought it was a cleverly told story with an ending I didn’t see coming. I’m going to watch the movie adaptation next, so I’ll report back my thoughts.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (1.22.24)

White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind by Koa Beck (★★★★☆)

Audiobook • Spotify • Nonfiction • 2021

Short synopsis: Mainstream feminism has long been defined by parameters dictated and sanctioned by the white women they most benefit. In White Feminism, Koa Beck details the conventions that marginalized genders have needed to adopt to be recognized and exposes how they have been overlooked to champion a different feminist narrative.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s both a history of feminism and a call to action, reminding us of all the ways white women have failed to recognize the plight of our BIPOC community when standing up for feminist causes. I felt convicted at times and astounded at others, and feel a renewed vigor to have an intersectional worldview especially when it comes to feminism. I really appreciate Koa Beck for writing this book and being so brutally honest about white feminism and the danger it can pose. It’s not an easy read, but it was an important one for me to read.

This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens (★★★☆☆)

Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2020

Short synopsis: Quinn and Minnie are born on New Year’s Eve, in the same hospital, one minute apart. Their lives may begin together, but their worlds couldn’t be more different. Thirty years later they find themselves together again in the same place, at the same time. What if fate is trying to bring them together?

We picked this book for our January book club and I was really looking forward to it. It had a cute premise, so I settled in for a sweet, romantic story. Unfortunately, that’s not what I got. Instead, the story was slow and hard to follow at times because we kept dipping back and forth in time. I did love the characterization of Minnie and being in a place where she feels like a disappointment and keeps trying to move forward in life, only to keep falling backward. She was so relatable to me. I thought Quinn was one-dimensional and, quite frankly, a bit of a jerk and Minnie deserved better. It’s not a book I’d recommend, but I was the contrarian opinion in book club so you may enjoy it as much as they did!

The Honest Enneagram: Know Your Type, Embrace Your Challenges, Embrace Your Growth by Sarajane Case (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Amazon) • Nonfiction • 2020

Short synopsis: Find a way to bring out the best in yourself with this heartfelt, informative, and approachable guide to all things Enneagram.

Learning everything I can about the Enneagram is a niche interest of mine, so I bought Sarajane Case’s book on a whim and finally cracked it open this month. It’s a beautiful book filled with gorgeous illustrations and really simple explanations of each Enneagram type. She goes into the characteristics of each type, their wings and lines and subtypes, and then talks you through some of the ways you can better embrace who you are and find ways to grow by knowing your Enneagram type. I found it an approachable, easy to digest collection, and if you want to know more about the Enneagram, (or even just your type specifically!), pick up this book.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (1.4.24)

Hi, friends! Happy 2024! I am back from my wonderful Tennessee vacation and I can’t wait to detail all the fun we had. I promise those vacation recaps are coming soon! I have some book reviews for today, though. These were some of my final reads of 2023, and one of them may end up as my favorite of the year!

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella (★★★☆☆)

Audiobook • Libby • YA • 2015

Short synopsis: Suffering from mental illness, Audrey doesn’t leave the house and doesn’t go anywhere without her signature dark glasses. She had to leave high school after a particularly troubling incident and now stays at home, only leaving for her regular therapy appointments. And then Linus stumbles into her life and helps her embrace the world again.

This was a sweet YA story, but it was definitely written for a YA audience. Some plotholes and storylines didn’t work with my mid-30s sensibilities, but I’m sure most teenagers reading this wouldn’t mind them. This book felt like a serious departure from what Kinsella normally writes, but there were still some signature Kinsella elements, like the over-the-top mom who seemed almost like a caricature of a person. I liked the focus on mental illness and I really loved the way the author explored forgiveness—and the way that we don’t necessarily need to forgive everyone for everything. Sometimes, people hurt us in irrevocable ways and the best thing we can do for ourselves is leave the relationship. A sweet story with a lot of heart!

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin (★★★★★)

Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Fiction • 2021

Short synopsis: It’s 1994 and April is failing out of high school and living by herself in a motorless motorhome while her father is living with his new family. On a whim, she goes to an open mic at a bar where she sings the songs she’s been writing for a while. It’s there that she discovers her life could be much bigger than she imagined.

There’s a reason why I wait until the beginning of the year to consider my favorite books of the previous year, and that’s because you never know if you’ll finish reading your favorite book of the year on December 28th. Will this end up being my #1 favorite? I’m not exactly sure yet, but it’s possible! This book was outstanding. Even though it’s largely a character-driven novel, I found it to be compulsively readable and hard to put down. I fell in love with April and the grit and determination she had to succeed in every place she landed. She was a character who was so easy to root for, and I found myself crying happy tears as I finished the novel—something that so rarely happens to me. This is a hard, sad story but ultimately, it’s an uplifting one about the power of relationships. I loved this story so much and I want everyone I know to read it. If the found family trope is your kryptonite like it is mine, you’ll love this one.

Love at First by Kate Clayborn (★★★★☆)

Print • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Romance • 2021

Short synopsis: An unexpected inheritance brings Dr. Will Sterling to an eclectic apartment building where he encounters a whole cast of characters, including Nora Clarke, a woman his own age who wants to make this building the best it can be with fun events. What she does not want is Will to start using his apartment as an Airbnb-type place.

This was a pretty good romance, although I had some issues with it. I love a found family trope (see above!) and this one had it in spades. I loved all of the quirky characters in this novel and the way they all rallied together when someone needed them. This novel has an enemies-to-lovers vibe between Will and Nora, which is normally a trope I love, but I’m not sure it worked for me in this instance. And I think it was due to all of the childish pranks that Nora played on Will at the beginning of the novel. This was her way of getting Will to understand how important this apartment community was, but I just cannot with 30-something adults playing pranks like this. It was so silly and over the top, and it just didn’t feel like authentic. Thankfully, those pranks aren’t a huge part of the novel and I really love the way the story turned in the second half of the book, which fully redeemed the first half. A nice, fun romance—one I would recommend!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.26.23)

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (★★★☆☆)

Audiobook • Libby • Fiction • 2011

Short synopsis: After Dr. Marina Singh finds out that her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, has died while working in the Amazon on a valuable new drug, she embarks on a journey to find out exactly what happened to him.

I’ve had this book on my TBR for quite a long time because the premise didn’t really excite me. I’m not one for adventure stories like this, but plenty of reviews said the same: It wasn’t an enticing premise but was well worth the read. I listened to the audiobook, which was probably the best way for me to consume this novel. I think I would have abandoned it if I were reading it in print. This was a hard book for me to rate and I found myself waffling between 3 and 4 stars. It was an intriguing story and I found myself looking forward to listening to it, but I also finished the book with a feeling of, “Meh.” I don’t think it’s a story that will stick with me and it’s not one I’m rushing out to recommend to everyone. It was a fine story, but nothing outstanding.

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde

E-Book • Libby • Nonfiction (Memoir) • 1982

Short synopsis: Zami is a chronicle of Audre Lorde’s life, from her vivid childhood memories in Harlem to her coming of age in the late 1950s.

I’m choosing not to rate this memoir because I just feel weird about rating memoirs. The synopsis of this novel gives absolutely nothing about the plot so I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting into. What I didn’t expect was to get a glimpse into the queer culture of the 1950s, and it was fascinating in that respect. It was so interesting to read more about how gay women were navigating life at this time—how they were finding community, finding love, finding themselves. I loved reading about all of the women Audre Lorde loved during this time in her life. She also had a lot to say about how gay women were dressing themselves and styling their hair, which was a fascinating time capsule. While I wouldn’t say this is an outstanding memoir, it was a good one and I’m glad I read it.

On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn (★★☆☆☆)

E-Book • Libby • Historical Romance • 2006

Short synopsis: The youngest Bridgerton sibling, Gregory, has finally fallen in love. Only the woman he’s in love with is betrothed to another man. Can he convince her that they are meant to be together?

Ugh, okay. Let’s discuss this book. It started off rough, with Gregory falling in lust with our heroine Lucy’s best friend, Hermione. This is nothing new; men are forever falling in lust with Hermione because she is an ethereal beauty, and many times, they are also trying to befriend Lucy so she’ll put in a good word. It’s a bit of a shallow start for our guy. It’s not until later in the book, after Gregory realizes that Hermione is in love with someone else, that he starts to notice Lucy. And I’ll be honest, I did love the sweet love story between Lucy and Gregory once that plotline picked up. But then things went completely off the rails at the end of the novel, and I just found myself rolling my eyes and skimming paragraphs because I just wanted it all to be done. All in all, a lame ending to this series.

What are you reading?