Eat_Read_Knit tries to read 75 books in 2023 (and probably fails)
Talk 75 Books Challenge for 2023
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1Eat_Read_Knit
I already see some familiar names in here from when I was in the 75ers group before (my username was either CatyM or catherinestead back then). Hello everyone! And hello to everyone I've never met before too! :D
I'm Catherine, I'm in my 40s and I'm in the UK. I've been on LT since 2007 but not very active at all in the last few years. I have a sensible office job which I actually really enjoy, and I'm currently studying so I can get a slightly better but equally sensible job in the same office, which means that I don't get to read as much as I would like. I also like knitting, cooking, sudoku, walking and xbox gaming - although I don't get to do as much of any of those as I'd like to either.
75 books is my target for the year, but I doubt I'll actually manage it: the last few years I've generally been well under 50, and while I'm up to 52 so far for 2022, with studying I don't expect to ger much higher.
I'm planning to do the Category Challenge in 2023, and my themed categories for that are:
- British Library Crime Classics
- non-fiction in the general sphere of history, politics and society.
Other general themes likely to come up regularly in my reads are:
- fantasy: I'm working slowly through the RA Salvatore Drizzt series, I'm likely to re-read some Terry Pratchett, but I expect there to be others too
- romance and chick-lit
- a bit of popular science and stuff about the natural world
I'm Catherine, I'm in my 40s and I'm in the UK. I've been on LT since 2007 but not very active at all in the last few years. I have a sensible office job which I actually really enjoy, and I'm currently studying so I can get a slightly better but equally sensible job in the same office, which means that I don't get to read as much as I would like. I also like knitting, cooking, sudoku, walking and xbox gaming - although I don't get to do as much of any of those as I'd like to either.
75 books is my target for the year, but I doubt I'll actually manage it: the last few years I've generally been well under 50, and while I'm up to 52 so far for 2022, with studying I don't expect to ger much higher.
I'm planning to do the Category Challenge in 2023, and my themed categories for that are:
- British Library Crime Classics
- non-fiction in the general sphere of history, politics and society.
Other general themes likely to come up regularly in my reads are:
- fantasy: I'm working slowly through the RA Salvatore Drizzt series, I'm likely to re-read some Terry Pratchett, but I expect there to be others too
- romance and chick-lit
- a bit of popular science and stuff about the natural world
2Eat_Read_Knit
January:
1. The Shepherd's Crown - Terry Pratchett
2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zavin
3. The Mysterious Mr Badman - W F Harvey
4. Unmasking Autism - Devon Price
5. Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
6. Murder Before Evensong - Richard Coles
7. Sorcery of Thorns - Margaret Rogerson
February
8. Mysteries of Thorn Manor - Margaret Rogerson
9. The Maid - Nita Prose
10. Do You Want to Start a Scandal - Tessa Dare
11. Ship Wrecked - Olivia Dade
12. Any Duchess Will Do - Tessa Dare
13. Red, White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
14. Weather Girl - Rachel Lynn Solomon
15. Legends and Lattes - Travis Baldree
16. Mort - Terry Pratchett
March
17. The Legacy - R.A. Salvatore
18. The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune
19. Death of an Author - ECR Lorac
20. Chick Magnet - Emma Barry
21. The Spanish Love Deception - Elena Armas
22. The American Roommate Experiment - Elena Armas
23. Brown Girls - Daphne Palasi Andreades
April
24. Love on the Brain - Ali Hazelwood
25. Loathe to Love You - Ali Hazelwood
26. The Chemistry of Love - Sariah Wilson
27. The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday - Kiley Dunbar
28. Two Wrongs Make a Right - Chloe Liese
May
29. Read Between the Lines - Rachel Lacey
30. No Rings Attached - Rachel Lacey
31. Falling Hard for the Royal Guard - Megan Clawson
1. The Shepherd's Crown - Terry Pratchett
2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zavin
3. The Mysterious Mr Badman - W F Harvey
4. Unmasking Autism - Devon Price
5. Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
6. Murder Before Evensong - Richard Coles
7. Sorcery of Thorns - Margaret Rogerson
February
8. Mysteries of Thorn Manor - Margaret Rogerson
9. The Maid - Nita Prose
10. Do You Want to Start a Scandal - Tessa Dare
11. Ship Wrecked - Olivia Dade
12. Any Duchess Will Do - Tessa Dare
13. Red, White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
14. Weather Girl - Rachel Lynn Solomon
15. Legends and Lattes - Travis Baldree
16. Mort - Terry Pratchett
March
17. The Legacy - R.A. Salvatore
18. The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune
19. Death of an Author - ECR Lorac
20. Chick Magnet - Emma Barry
21. The Spanish Love Deception - Elena Armas
22. The American Roommate Experiment - Elena Armas
23. Brown Girls - Daphne Palasi Andreades
April
24. Love on the Brain - Ali Hazelwood
25. Loathe to Love You - Ali Hazelwood
26. The Chemistry of Love - Sariah Wilson
27. The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday - Kiley Dunbar
28. Two Wrongs Make a Right - Chloe Liese
May
29. Read Between the Lines - Rachel Lacey
30. No Rings Attached - Rachel Lacey
31. Falling Hard for the Royal Guard - Megan Clawson
4PaulCranswick
Welcome back, Catherine. Wishing you a comfortable reading year in 2023!
6RebaRelishesReading
Reading, Knitting, the U.K. -- all things I'm very fond of and hope to hear more about by following your thread.
7thornton37814
Hope you have a great year of reading!
9Eat_Read_Knit
So, book number 1 for 2023 is The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett. It was supposed to be book number 53 for 2022, but I didn't have much chance to read over the Christmas period and I only managed to finish it off on Monday.
I've been re-reading the Tiffany Aching series in December. I loved them more this time than when I originally read them - I've revised some 4 star ratings to 5s - and I've been trying to work out why. I think part of it was that I read them back to back, part of it was that I haven't read any Pratchett books for several years, and part of it was probably just that the books landed differently with me in general.
I think this particular one landed differently this time because I originally read it immediately after it was published. And since it was published shortly after Terry Pratchett died, I think the the very large part of the plot centred onthe death of Granny Weatherwax and the vacuum that leaves resonated in a very particular way at the time. Reading it now, the death of the author looms a bit less large over the book - although I was still very conscious of it having been his final work.
And allied to that, I think the experience of losing my grandmother a couple of years ago - who had some things in common with Granny Weatherwax, in that she was a strong woman who was very old, and died after a life well-lived and at a time when she was ready to go - also shaped how I thought about the plot.
This one is definitely less polished than some of the Discworld novels - the afterword acknowledges that if he had lived longer, Pratchett would have polished it more - but I don't think that's a bad thing. There's a rawness to some parts of the plot that this lack of polish actually sits quite well with. I did feel the'Tiffany gets criticism for never being around while she has to work out how to balance two steadings' element of the plot was starting to drag a tiny bit at one point, but honestly it was an important plot point and there was no real way (given the overarching plot) for it to be wrapped up earlier.
I gave it 4/5 when I read it before, but I'm going with 5/5 now.
I've been re-reading the Tiffany Aching series in December. I loved them more this time than when I originally read them - I've revised some 4 star ratings to 5s - and I've been trying to work out why. I think part of it was that I read them back to back, part of it was that I haven't read any Pratchett books for several years, and part of it was probably just that the books landed differently with me in general.
I think this particular one landed differently this time because I originally read it immediately after it was published. And since it was published shortly after Terry Pratchett died, I think the the very large part of the plot centred on
And allied to that, I think the experience of losing my grandmother a couple of years ago - who had some things in common with
This one is definitely less polished than some of the Discworld novels - the afterword acknowledges that if he had lived longer, Pratchett would have polished it more - but I don't think that's a bad thing. There's a rawness to some parts of the plot that this lack of polish actually sits quite well with. I did feel the
I gave it 4/5 when I read it before, but I'm going with 5/5 now.
10PaulCranswick
I do need to get to more Terry Pratchett, Catherine. Thank you for the timely reminder.
12FAMeulstee
Happy reading in 2023, Catherine!
14Eat_Read_Knit
And book number 2 is Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zavin
I liked this a lot, but something was a tiny bit off for me. I think it is probably me, and not the book. Or at least a disconnect between me and the book.
I've been pondering it, and all I can think is that I don't know if I was supposed to like the main characters or not, and whose 'side' I was supposed to be on. But the thing is, it's not that kind of book. I think the problem, if it is one, is that I'm so used to reading books where the characters have a clear role and function and this is tied up with whether I'm supposed to feel positively or negatively about them - romances and mysteries - that it's disconcerting to me that these characters don't fit into boxes.
And actually, that's something really good about the book: that the characters don't fit neatly into boxes.
I really liked how all the central characters - the central supporting characters as well as the two main characters - were drawn, and how their friendships, relationships, fallings out, positive and negative traits, and their personal growth and development all interact. It was realistically messy, and the characters are complex. I felt invested in the characters even when I didn't particularly like them
There were some really unexpected plot elements that I liked - I especially liked that the plot direction was unexpected at times. And I really liked how the story was told, with little subtle flashbacks, diversions, and glimpses of the future. I loved the changes of perspective, and I thought that the choice of some of the perspectives was really inspired.
It all felt very real and human.
I definitely recommend it, and I've scored it at 4.5/5.
I liked this a lot, but something was a tiny bit off for me. I think it is probably me, and not the book. Or at least a disconnect between me and the book.
I've been pondering it, and all I can think is that I don't know if I was supposed to like the main characters or not, and whose 'side' I was supposed to be on. But the thing is, it's not that kind of book. I think the problem, if it is one, is that I'm so used to reading books where the characters have a clear role and function and this is tied up with whether I'm supposed to feel positively or negatively about them - romances and mysteries - that it's disconcerting to me that these characters don't fit into boxes.
And actually, that's something really good about the book: that the characters don't fit neatly into boxes.
I really liked how all the central characters - the central supporting characters as well as the two main characters - were drawn, and how their friendships, relationships, fallings out, positive and negative traits, and their personal growth and development all interact. It was realistically messy, and the characters are complex. I felt invested in the characters even when I didn't particularly like them
There were some really unexpected plot elements that I liked - I especially liked that the plot direction was unexpected at times. And I really liked how the story was told, with little subtle flashbacks, diversions, and glimpses of the future. I loved the changes of perspective, and I thought that the choice of some of the perspectives was really inspired.
It all felt very real and human.
I definitely recommend it, and I've scored it at 4.5/5.
15Eat_Read_Knit
3. The Mysterious Mr Badman by W F Harvey which is from the British Library Crime Classics series of reprints. It was originally published in 1935, but seems to be set about 10 years before that.
At times the characters are too stupid to live, and I wasn't at all convinced by the complete bypassing of the entire legal system in favour of extra-judicial shenanigans. (If the characters had discussed why they thought going to the police was a bad idea and decided against it that would be one thing, but they just acted as though dealing with the entire situation themselves was perfectly reasonable, unremarkable and above question.)
On the other hand, the setup and initial parts of the plot are quite entertaining. The characters (when not behaving stupidly) are actually pretty good and do have some depth; there is also some good sleuthing, and some whimsical, light-hearted moments.
I've scored it at 3.5/5 since there were bits that I liked but also bits that annoyed me.
At times the characters are too stupid to live, and I wasn't at all convinced by the complete bypassing of the entire legal system in favour of extra-judicial shenanigans. (If the characters had discussed why they thought going to the police was a bad idea and decided against it that would be one thing, but they just acted as though dealing with the entire situation themselves was perfectly reasonable, unremarkable and above question.)
On the other hand, the setup and initial parts of the plot are quite entertaining. The characters (when not behaving stupidly) are actually pretty good and do have some depth; there is also some good sleuthing, and some whimsical, light-hearted moments.
I've scored it at 3.5/5 since there were bits that I liked but also bits that annoyed me.
16Eat_Read_Knit
4. Unmasking Autism - Devon Price
I'm not going to comment at any length on this one - not least because I don't consider myself qualified to. But I found it very informative and gave it 4/5 stars.
5. Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
There were points in this book where I wasn't really sure about it, but I did end up enjoying it. It doesn't stand up as straight historical fiction, and is perhaps to the 50s/60s something like what the Bridgerton novels are to the Regency. That might be a bad literary analogy, though: this is not a romance novel. It's a story about feminism, loss, and found families. It's a weird blend of fluff and serious issues that won't work for everyone. It definitely has some flaws and some implausible characters. And it merits a content warning for sexual assault. But I did find myself really rooting for some of the characters, and I thought the overall plot, pacing and tone were really good. Also a 4/5.
I'm not going to comment at any length on this one - not least because I don't consider myself qualified to. But I found it very informative and gave it 4/5 stars.
5. Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
There were points in this book where I wasn't really sure about it, but I did end up enjoying it. It doesn't stand up as straight historical fiction, and is perhaps to the 50s/60s something like what the Bridgerton novels are to the Regency. That might be a bad literary analogy, though: this is not a romance novel. It's a story about feminism, loss, and found families. It's a weird blend of fluff and serious issues that won't work for everyone. It definitely has some flaws and some implausible characters. And it merits a content warning for sexual assault. But I did find myself really rooting for some of the characters, and I thought the overall plot, pacing and tone were really good. Also a 4/5.
17Eat_Read_Knit
6. Murder Before Evensong - Richard Coles
This was ... okay. I expected to love it, and I was disappointed. If I'd expected it to be terrible, I'd have been pleasantly surprised.
Pluses are the very well-drawn characters, and equally well-drawn relationships between them. The dynamics of families and village communities are very well shown. This element of the book is very strong.
The overall plot was fine, but did feel like it was moving rather slowly at times. And then the ending was very sudden. So, good storyline, but the pacing could have been better.
One of the blurb comments in the book description likens the tone to Barbara Pym, and I totally got that vibe from the book: there's a very similar ... archness, maybe? I don't know if that's the best description. It's something in the tone. So if you like Pym it may well be something you enjoy, and if you don't then it may well not.
I didn't love the 80s setting and I don't know why. Maybe because it seemed so very self-consciously 80s, and there were lots of overt references to contemporary events? You can place it so specifically in time and yet the date of the setting is never given.
I think it was a combination of the archness and the 80s-ness that made it feel a bit sort-of cold and unwelcoming to me. Kind of the opposite of when you sink into a book and it feels like sinking into a hot bath. This was more being stood at the bus stop in the drizzle: not monumentally bad, just uncomfortable enough that you long for the hot bath.
(As a side note, it's really weird to read a book set at a date I remember (I was 10), and realise that the setting was 34 years before the date publication and therefore probably counts as historical fiction. This is the first time I've had this experience. I feel old.)
It was heavier on the overt religion than I expected - although given it's by a vicar and the main character is a vicar I probably ought to have expected it. That's not to say it's proselytising. It's not. It just shows a vicar doing vicary things. A lot.
I've given it a 3/5.
I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this, but I wouldn't actively recommend it either. Equally, I'm not ruling out reading the sequel when it comes out, but I won't be actively planning to get hold of it.
This was ... okay. I expected to love it, and I was disappointed. If I'd expected it to be terrible, I'd have been pleasantly surprised.
Pluses are the very well-drawn characters, and equally well-drawn relationships between them. The dynamics of families and village communities are very well shown. This element of the book is very strong.
The overall plot was fine, but did feel like it was moving rather slowly at times. And then the ending was very sudden. So, good storyline, but the pacing could have been better.
One of the blurb comments in the book description likens the tone to Barbara Pym, and I totally got that vibe from the book: there's a very similar ... archness, maybe? I don't know if that's the best description. It's something in the tone. So if you like Pym it may well be something you enjoy, and if you don't then it may well not.
I didn't love the 80s setting and I don't know why. Maybe because it seemed so very self-consciously 80s, and there were lots of overt references to contemporary events? You can place it so specifically in time and yet the date of the setting is never given.
I think it was a combination of the archness and the 80s-ness that made it feel a bit sort-of cold and unwelcoming to me. Kind of the opposite of when you sink into a book and it feels like sinking into a hot bath. This was more being stood at the bus stop in the drizzle: not monumentally bad, just uncomfortable enough that you long for the hot bath.
(As a side note, it's really weird to read a book set at a date I remember (I was 10), and realise that the setting was 34 years before the date publication and therefore probably counts as historical fiction. This is the first time I've had this experience. I feel old.)
It was heavier on the overt religion than I expected - although given it's by a vicar and the main character is a vicar I probably ought to have expected it. That's not to say it's proselytising. It's not. It just shows a vicar doing vicary things. A lot.
I've given it a 3/5.
I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this, but I wouldn't actively recommend it either. Equally, I'm not ruling out reading the sequel when it comes out, but I won't be actively planning to get hold of it.
18PaulCranswick
Right on target still for your 75, Catherine!
>16 Eat_Read_Knit: Lessons in Chemistry is one I have heard good things about.
>16 Eat_Read_Knit: Lessons in Chemistry is one I have heard good things about.
19Eat_Read_Knit
>18 PaulCranswick: I'm surprising myself with how many books I'm getting through! I really hope I can keep it up :)
21Eat_Read_Knit
7. Sorcery of Thorns - Margaret Rogerson
A fraction under a week ago, I was watching a book review/recommendation vlog on YouTube, and I noticed in the video description that the vlogger had recently started a Discord, so I wandered over and had a look. And there was a big group read of this book just getting started. And they seem like a lovely group of people. And something about the plot synopsis appealed to me. So I signed up and ordered a copy.
This was a complete and utter impulse read.
And I enjoyed it a lot. I mean, a lot. I inhaled this book.
Now, it's not perfect, and I'd call it a solid 4-star read. I've given it 4.5 because I thought the world-building was so good. But I loved reading it.
I think the world-building is the greatest strength. The back of the book gives a bit of an idea about the world, but it's more complex. And it's absolutely immersive: one of those books where you inhabit that world for the time you're reading. This was absolutely the warm bath experience that my previous read wasn't.
What the back of the book says:
All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the magical grimoires that, if provoked, transform into monsters of ink and leather. When the library’s most dangerous grimoire is released, Elisabeth is blamed. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy.
As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught. For Elisabeth has a power she could never have imagined...
It's YA fantasy, and I generally don't read YA. And it's a long time since I fell in YA age bracket myself. I think that may be why it wasn't a 5-star read for me: I'm just not the target audience. Plus, I kind of felt the main character was showing slight hints of Mary-Sue, which was where it fell short for me: the ending felt too easy compared to the buildup and I think part of that was because Elisabeth was a bit too capable/skilled/something. But honestly, that is a minor gripe.
And I have gone straight out and ordered the short, follow-up novella, so it was definitely doing something right!
A fraction under a week ago, I was watching a book review/recommendation vlog on YouTube, and I noticed in the video description that the vlogger had recently started a Discord, so I wandered over and had a look. And there was a big group read of this book just getting started. And they seem like a lovely group of people. And something about the plot synopsis appealed to me. So I signed up and ordered a copy.
This was a complete and utter impulse read.
And I enjoyed it a lot. I mean, a lot. I inhaled this book.
Now, it's not perfect, and I'd call it a solid 4-star read. I've given it 4.5 because I thought the world-building was so good. But I loved reading it.
I think the world-building is the greatest strength. The back of the book gives a bit of an idea about the world, but it's more complex. And it's absolutely immersive: one of those books where you inhabit that world for the time you're reading. This was absolutely the warm bath experience that my previous read wasn't.
What the back of the book says:
All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the magical grimoires that, if provoked, transform into monsters of ink and leather. When the library’s most dangerous grimoire is released, Elisabeth is blamed. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy.
As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught. For Elisabeth has a power she could never have imagined...
It's YA fantasy, and I generally don't read YA. And it's a long time since I fell in YA age bracket myself. I think that may be why it wasn't a 5-star read for me: I'm just not the target audience. Plus, I kind of felt the main character was showing slight hints of Mary-Sue, which was where it fell short for me: the ending felt too easy compared to the buildup and I think part of that was because Elisabeth was a bit too capable/skilled/something. But honestly, that is a minor gripe.
And I have gone straight out and ordered the short, follow-up novella, so it was definitely doing something right!
22Eat_Read_Knit
8. Mysteries of Thorn Manor - Margaret Rogerson
After Sorcery of Thorns I went on to Mysteries of Thorn Manor, the follow-up novella. I wasn't expecting much substance from a YA epilogue novella, but even so I was disappointed. There was basically nothing there, just characters from the main novel doing stuff in the world from the main novel. And I have Issues with the resolution.
Okay, with most of the resolution. Thehell-pit garbage disposal amused me.
Although I would probably have loved the whole thing when I was 19, so maybe I am just being a grumpyold middle-aged woman.
Still gets a 3/5 because I like the world and the characters.
After Sorcery of Thorns I went on to Mysteries of Thorn Manor, the follow-up novella. I wasn't expecting much substance from a YA epilogue novella, but even so I was disappointed. There was basically nothing there, just characters from the main novel doing stuff in the world from the main novel. And I have Issues with the resolution.
Okay, with most of the resolution. The
Although I would probably have loved the whole thing when I was 19, so maybe I am just being a grumpy
Still gets a 3/5 because I like the world and the characters.
23jjmcgaffey
Did she write it right after Sorcery of Thorns, or is it a later addition? There are several series I follow where the author gives us novellas/novelettes/short stories that are just the characters doing stuff (or a bit more light on a side character, sometimes), and I love them - but probably wouldn't have if I weren't invested in the series by the time I encountered them.
24PaulCranswick
>22 Eat_Read_Knit: I do find that my reading habits have changed as I have got older. I am a little apprehensive about re-reading some of the real favourites of my youth in case I don't much like them anymore!
25Eat_Read_Knit
>23 jjmcgaffey: I'm not sure, but I saw somewhere she wrote the novella at some point during Covid lockdowns, which would have been a year or so after the main book was published. So, seems like probably a bit of a gap.
And, yeah, you definitely need to be invested for that kind of novella. I've really liked some of the shorter works in the Rivers of London series but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't stand up by themselves.
And, yeah, you definitely need to be invested for that kind of novella. I've really liked some of the shorter works in the Rivers of London series but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't stand up by themselves.
26Eat_Read_Knit
>24 PaulCranswick: Definitely. And I get that apprehension: I re-read some favourite Georgette Heyers the other year and found them deeply problematic for assorted reasons, and now I am very wary of reading any others.
27Eat_Read_Knit
9. The Maid - Nita Prose
This was totally not what I expected, and I really wasn't sure about it at the start. (I read the first couple of chapters, then put it aside while I read Mysteries of Thorn Manor, and I did think I might pick up something else after that instead of going back to this).
I'm still not sure what to make of the central character - but that's probably not a surprise givenshe was so unreliable a narrator. There were multiple revelations at the end that I really did not see coming at all, and didn't really seem to fit with the rest of the book. And Molly's neurodivergence is really inconsistent. I can't decide it these are unreliable narrator things or not, but it feels like maybe they could be?
Anyway, I've rated it as a 3/5, but that may change when I've had time to think about it a bit more.
This was totally not what I expected, and I really wasn't sure about it at the start. (I read the first couple of chapters, then put it aside while I read Mysteries of Thorn Manor, and I did think I might pick up something else after that instead of going back to this).
I'm still not sure what to make of the central character - but that's probably not a surprise given
Anyway, I've rated it as a 3/5, but that may change when I've had time to think about it a bit more.
28Eat_Read_Knit
10. Do You Want to Start a Scandal - Tessa Dare
Regency Romance. At least 57 kinds of ludicrous and implausible, with a plot like Swiss Cheese. Also great fun. 4/5.
Regency Romance. At least 57 kinds of ludicrous and implausible, with a plot like Swiss Cheese. Also great fun. 4/5.
29MickyFine
>28 Eat_Read_Knit: I love Tessa Dare.
30Eat_Read_Knit
>29 MickyFine: I've not read her before, but I did enjoy that one.
31Eat_Read_Knit
I have an imminent deadline, so of course I am procrastinating to a horrific degree. I'm starting to think that going back to college is the reason I'm reading more, not an obstacle to doing it.
11. Ship Wrecked - Olivia Dade
I started off hating it and thinking it was dire, and kept reading out of car-crash curiosity, but actually it grew on me a bit in the second half. Gave it a 2/5, but that's very much an average of 1, 2 and 3 star bits.
Edit 29/12/23: I didn't know it was part of trilogy when I started it, and I re-read it later in the year at the same time as reading the other two in the trilogy, and it comes out a LOT better in context. Call it a strong 3/5 when read alongside the others, because stuff makes a lot more sense.
11. Ship Wrecked - Olivia Dade
I started off hating it and thinking it was dire, and kept reading out of car-crash curiosity, but actually it grew on me a bit in the second half. Gave it a 2/5, but that's very much an average of 1, 2 and 3 star bits.
Edit 29/12/23: I didn't know it was part of trilogy when I started it, and I re-read it later in the year at the same time as reading the other two in the trilogy, and it comes out a LOT better in context. Call it a strong 3/5 when read alongside the others, because stuff makes a lot more sense.
32MickyFine
>30 Eat_Read_Knit: If you want to try more of her writing, my all-time favourite book of hers is Any Duchess Will Do.
33Eat_Read_Knit
>32 MickyFine: Noted. That one also sounds ludicrously implausible in an exceedingly fun way, so I think I might like it :)
34Eat_Read_Knit
I've had a college assignment to do, so obviously I've been spending loads of time reading fluff romance novels instead of working on it. (The assignment went in on time, but good grief. That was a lot of procrastination all through the first half of February.)
Anyway.
Next up was 12. Any Duchess Will Do - Tessa Dare, as recommended. Micky, you were right: that one was a corker. I really enjoyed itit. Ludicrous and implausible and SO MUCH FUN. 4/5 stars.
13. Red, White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Queer romance, in which the son of a US president and an English prince fall in love. Much more substance than the previous book. I liked it but didn't love it. I found the amount of politics very heavy going - I'm not averse to politics as a plot/setting, but this felt like hard work - and occasionally some of the British stuff was jarringly off. On the other hand, there was a solid plot, there were some real points of tension, and I was rooting for the main characters. 3.5/5 feels about right. Almost a 4, but not quite.
14. Weather Girl - Rachel Lynn Solomon
Also a romance wth more substance, and also a 3.5/5 and almost 4 but not quite. It was heading for a solid 4, and then hitherto reasonable people started behaving stupidly and there were a couple of parts where i just couldn't tell how much time was supposed to be passing. But, I liked that there was a lot going on apart from the romance: these were characters living their lives, not just becoming a couple.
And now I have a break between semesters. Either more time for reading, or the same amount of time for reading but without the guilt that I should be studying.
Anyway.
Next up was 12. Any Duchess Will Do - Tessa Dare, as recommended. Micky, you were right: that one was a corker. I really enjoyed itit. Ludicrous and implausible and SO MUCH FUN. 4/5 stars.
13. Red, White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Queer romance, in which the son of a US president and an English prince fall in love. Much more substance than the previous book. I liked it but didn't love it. I found the amount of politics very heavy going - I'm not averse to politics as a plot/setting, but this felt like hard work - and occasionally some of the British stuff was jarringly off. On the other hand, there was a solid plot, there were some real points of tension, and I was rooting for the main characters. 3.5/5 feels about right. Almost a 4, but not quite.
14. Weather Girl - Rachel Lynn Solomon
Also a romance wth more substance, and also a 3.5/5 and almost 4 but not quite. It was heading for a solid 4, and then hitherto reasonable people started behaving stupidly and there were a couple of parts where i just couldn't tell how much time was supposed to be passing. But, I liked that there was a lot going on apart from the romance: these were characters living their lives, not just becoming a couple.
And now I have a break between semesters. Either more time for reading, or the same amount of time for reading but without the guilt that I should be studying.
37Eat_Read_Knit
15. Legends and Lattes - Travis Baldree.
This was adorable. I loved the premise: an orc barbarian is tired of adventuring, and quits to open a coffee shop. I loved how she built a community of friends as well as a business - and the subtle little romance subplot is very cute.
This was adorable. I loved the premise: an orc barbarian is tired of adventuring, and quits to open a coffee shop. I loved how she built a community of friends as well as a business - and the subtle little romance subplot is very cute.
38Eat_Read_Knit
16. Mort - Terry Pratchett
A re-read for the group read. It was ... not how I remembered it. Then again, although I'd read it twice before that was in 2009 and 2018, so I've read a lot of other things since. Death was much sterner than I remembered, and I had forgotten a LOT about Albert.
You can definitely tell it's an early Pratchett by the tone. It's still a 4 star read for me though. Probably a low 4, but definitely a 4. I'm looking forward to revisiting the other Death novels later in the year.
17. The Legacy - RA Salvatore
For me, reading the Drizzt series has generally been like reading Dan Brown: it's entertaining while you read it, but it's fluff, and not particularly well written - and you probably shouldn't look too closely at it if you want to keep on being entertained, because the characters are cardboard and the plot is full of holes.
However, I'm starting to struggle with it. I gave this one 2.5 stars, which is the lowest I've rated any of the series so far. 1-4 I quite like, but it's gone downhill since. The prose was really clunky, the dialogue was questionable, and the pace was really slow.
There was a little bit of character development for Drizzt, but there was a lot about pretty much all the characters that annoyed me. Also,(a) Wulfgar was a real arsehole and I now hold him in severe contempt, and (b) there was so much emphasis placed on him ending up under the giant pile of rock from the cave-in that I'm pretty sure it means he's not in fact under there.
I shall keep reading the series for now (it definitely gets some extra chances, because my other half loves it), but I really need it to improve (or at the very least stop getting worse).
A re-read for the group read. It was ... not how I remembered it. Then again, although I'd read it twice before that was in 2009 and 2018, so I've read a lot of other things since. Death was much sterner than I remembered, and I had forgotten a LOT about Albert.
You can definitely tell it's an early Pratchett by the tone. It's still a 4 star read for me though. Probably a low 4, but definitely a 4. I'm looking forward to revisiting the other Death novels later in the year.
17. The Legacy - RA Salvatore
For me, reading the Drizzt series has generally been like reading Dan Brown: it's entertaining while you read it, but it's fluff, and not particularly well written - and you probably shouldn't look too closely at it if you want to keep on being entertained, because the characters are cardboard and the plot is full of holes.
However, I'm starting to struggle with it. I gave this one 2.5 stars, which is the lowest I've rated any of the series so far. 1-4 I quite like, but it's gone downhill since. The prose was really clunky, the dialogue was questionable, and the pace was really slow.
There was a little bit of character development for Drizzt, but there was a lot about pretty much all the characters that annoyed me. Also,
I shall keep reading the series for now (it definitely gets some extra chances, because my other half loves it), but I really need it to improve (or at the very least stop getting worse).
39Eat_Read_Knit
18. The House In the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune
This just edged over into being too saccharine for me. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. 4/5.
This just edged over into being too saccharine for me. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. 4/5.
40Eat_Read_Knit
19. Death of an Author - ECR Lorac
This is a novel from 1935 reprinted in the British Library Crime Classics series.
From the back cover: Vivian Lestrange – celebrated author of the popular mystery novel The Charterhouse Case and total recluse – has apparently dropped off the face of the Earth. Reported missing by his secretary Eleanor, whom Inspector Bond suspects to be the author herself, it appears that crime and murder is afoot when Lestrange’s housekeeper is also found to have disappeared. Bond and Warner of Scotland Yard set to work to investigate a murder with no body and a potentially fictional victim...
Lorac is definitely my favourite of the authors I've discovered reading this series, and this was a good one. The plot was less complex than a couple of her others, but it never felt sparse or simple. There were a limited number of possible resolutions on display, but a lot of tension over which of the options it was and how exactly set of facts A and set of facts B fitted together. There was also really good pacing, some really vivid descriptions of places, and some good characters.
There are also some comments about perceptions of crime novels as a genre and of female writers which definitely have a bit of bite to them when delivered by a female crime novelist of the 1930s writing under a pseudonym which (based on what the introduction says) was deliberately chosen to mask her gender.
I enjoyed this a lot and read it in pretty much one sitting. 5/5 stars.
This is a novel from 1935 reprinted in the British Library Crime Classics series.
From the back cover: Vivian Lestrange – celebrated author of the popular mystery novel The Charterhouse Case and total recluse – has apparently dropped off the face of the Earth. Reported missing by his secretary Eleanor, whom Inspector Bond suspects to be the author herself, it appears that crime and murder is afoot when Lestrange’s housekeeper is also found to have disappeared. Bond and Warner of Scotland Yard set to work to investigate a murder with no body and a potentially fictional victim...
Lorac is definitely my favourite of the authors I've discovered reading this series, and this was a good one. The plot was less complex than a couple of her others, but it never felt sparse or simple. There were a limited number of possible resolutions on display, but a lot of tension over which of the options it was and how exactly set of facts A and set of facts B fitted together. There was also really good pacing, some really vivid descriptions of places, and some good characters.
There are also some comments about perceptions of crime novels as a genre and of female writers which definitely have a bit of bite to them when delivered by a female crime novelist of the 1930s writing under a pseudonym which (based on what the introduction says) was deliberately chosen to mask her gender.
I enjoyed this a lot and read it in pretty much one sitting. 5/5 stars.
41Eat_Read_Knit
So, I have several more to add to the list. Six fluff romances, and one non-romance. So, romances in this post, then another one for the non-romance. The numbers relate to the order I finished them in, but I think I want to talk about them a bit thematically. And apparently I have problems finding things to say about the ones I liked other than 'yay, I liked this a lot', and no problem dissecting what I didn't like. Oh, well.
So, first up are 21. The Spanish Love Deception - Elena Armas and its sequel 22. The American Roommate Experiment - Elena Armas. Spanish started weak but improved a lot - I'd give it a 2/5 for the first part, maybe a 4.5 for the later sections. Overall, I think it sits around a high 3 or low 4. One of the things that raises the overall score is the way some of the unpleasant traits characters have at the beginning and explained and worked through by the end. I did enjoy it, but there were no surprises. The sequel scores similarly - a high 3 or low 4 out of 5. Although it's dual POV, the two protagonists' voices were very similar, which felt wrong.
Next up are 24. Love on the Brain - Ali Hazelwood and 25. Loathe to Love You - Ali Hazelwood. These are part of a loosely related thematic series; the former is full-length standalone novel, while the latter has 3 novellas. The characters in the novellas are connected to each other, but not to the novel. I enjoyed all of these a lot - although reading them back-to-back (and especially reading the three novellas back to back) was possibly an error because by the end it felt like all the love interests were basically identical triplets with some minor personality differences, despite the fact they were completely unrelated and didn't know each other at the start. So, yeah. Individually good, but very samey. 5/5 for Love on the Brain; 4/5 overall for Love to Loathe You if you take each part individually on its merits.
After those, I picked up 26. The Chemistry of Love - Sariah Wilson purely because, like the Hazelwood books, it had a women-in-science theme. I don't know whether it came off badly because of the comparison, or whether it would have scored just as low anyway. I suspect the latter, but... *shrugs*. Although there's no obvious tell that a non-expert can pick up, you can absolutely tell here that the author (unlike Ali Hazelwood) isn't a scientist; I have no idea whether the science and industry practice are plausible (I'm not a scientist either) although I'm sceptical about parts, but it just feels constructed from the outside, rather than innate and from the inside. It also doesn't feel plausible to me that the main character is doing the job she is doing with only a bachelors degree, but I don't know whether it is or not.
My biggest gripe with this one is the characters, especially the lead, who is allegedly 26 but acts so juvenile and irrational she could pass for 16. She has $3 in her bank account, but within the first 30 pages she quits her job on a whim without a backup plan because her supervisor is clearly singling her out for unfair negative treatment - something which her colleagues have noticed, and which is never explained - instead of at least attempting to follow workplace HR and grievance procedures like an adult. She is convinced she is in love - not lust, not a crush, actually in love - with the CEO despite having had about 2 conversations with him over the course of 2 years and knowing absolutely nothing about him as a person.
There is also the fact she lives with her grandparents and lets them treat her like a teenager which is only very, very briefly addressed. This could have made a really interesting bit of character development: living there is fair enough - rent is expensive, theytook her in as a child when her parents died - and their anxiety when she unexpectedly stays out all night is understandable given the way her parents died , but the fact that she thinks - thinks - she may possibly still have the midnight curfew she had in high school but isn't sure (!) and at no point in her 8 years of legal adulthood did they ever discuss living arrangements and rules for sharing the house as adults is something that absolutely needed dealing with. There was so much scope here for character development that didn't happen.
After the first few chapters of this book, my overriding thought was, 'there needs to be some serious character development here to redeem this'. I could accept the whole juvenile, irrational, doormat-like, basically-a-teenager-ness as the character's starting point, but it needed fixing. And it wasn't fixed. She just ... magically ... wasn't like that with the male lead, and then eventually, belatedly, realised the man she previously wanted was an asshole - and the whole grandparent thing just ... went away.
It wasn't all bad. The basic plot outline was formulaic romance trope stuff, but I knew that going in. Purely plot wise, it wasn't particularly badly executed - the pacing was good - and I mostly wasn't cringing at the writing (apart fromthe friend whose swear of choice was 'ducking' without the f . I cringed at that.) And there was some character development. Just not enough. I've given it 2/5.
By contrast, 20. Chick Magnet - Emma Barry was really strong on character development. It's absolutely a fluff romance, but it has some serious themes and handles them well. Comes with a content warning for mental health issues. Writing is solid. I gave it a 4/5, although nearer a 3 than a 5, but I would recommend it as an enjoyable contemporary romance.
So, first up are 21. The Spanish Love Deception - Elena Armas and its sequel 22. The American Roommate Experiment - Elena Armas. Spanish started weak but improved a lot - I'd give it a 2/5 for the first part, maybe a 4.5 for the later sections. Overall, I think it sits around a high 3 or low 4. One of the things that raises the overall score is the way some of the unpleasant traits characters have at the beginning and explained and worked through by the end. I did enjoy it, but there were no surprises. The sequel scores similarly - a high 3 or low 4 out of 5. Although it's dual POV, the two protagonists' voices were very similar, which felt wrong.
Next up are 24. Love on the Brain - Ali Hazelwood and 25. Loathe to Love You - Ali Hazelwood. These are part of a loosely related thematic series; the former is full-length standalone novel, while the latter has 3 novellas. The characters in the novellas are connected to each other, but not to the novel. I enjoyed all of these a lot - although reading them back-to-back (and especially reading the three novellas back to back) was possibly an error because by the end it felt like all the love interests were basically identical triplets with some minor personality differences, despite the fact they were completely unrelated and didn't know each other at the start. So, yeah. Individually good, but very samey. 5/5 for Love on the Brain; 4/5 overall for Love to Loathe You if you take each part individually on its merits.
After those, I picked up 26. The Chemistry of Love - Sariah Wilson purely because, like the Hazelwood books, it had a women-in-science theme. I don't know whether it came off badly because of the comparison, or whether it would have scored just as low anyway. I suspect the latter, but... *shrugs*. Although there's no obvious tell that a non-expert can pick up, you can absolutely tell here that the author (unlike Ali Hazelwood) isn't a scientist; I have no idea whether the science and industry practice are plausible (I'm not a scientist either) although I'm sceptical about parts, but it just feels constructed from the outside, rather than innate and from the inside. It also doesn't feel plausible to me that the main character is doing the job she is doing with only a bachelors degree, but I don't know whether it is or not.
My biggest gripe with this one is the characters, especially the lead, who is allegedly 26 but acts so juvenile and irrational she could pass for 16. She has $3 in her bank account, but within the first 30 pages she quits her job on a whim without a backup plan because her supervisor is clearly singling her out for unfair negative treatment - something which her colleagues have noticed, and which is never explained - instead of at least attempting to follow workplace HR and grievance procedures like an adult. She is convinced she is in love - not lust, not a crush, actually in love - with the CEO despite having had about 2 conversations with him over the course of 2 years and knowing absolutely nothing about him as a person.
There is also the fact she lives with her grandparents and lets them treat her like a teenager which is only very, very briefly addressed. This could have made a really interesting bit of character development: living there is fair enough - rent is expensive, they
After the first few chapters of this book, my overriding thought was, 'there needs to be some serious character development here to redeem this'. I could accept the whole juvenile, irrational, doormat-like, basically-a-teenager-ness as the character's starting point, but it needed fixing. And it wasn't fixed. She just ... magically ... wasn't like that with the male lead, and then eventually, belatedly, realised the man she previously wanted was an asshole - and the whole grandparent thing just ... went away.
It wasn't all bad. The basic plot outline was formulaic romance trope stuff, but I knew that going in. Purely plot wise, it wasn't particularly badly executed - the pacing was good - and I mostly wasn't cringing at the writing (apart from
By contrast, 20. Chick Magnet - Emma Barry was really strong on character development. It's absolutely a fluff romance, but it has some serious themes and handles them well. Comes with a content warning for mental health issues. Writing is solid. I gave it a 4/5, although nearer a 3 than a 5, but I would recommend it as an enjoyable contemporary romance.
42Eat_Read_Knit
The other book I finished was 23. Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades.
I don't feel qualified to comment on this: it's a comment on immigrant experiences in the US with particular focus on the daughters of first-generation immigrants who grow up with one foot in each of two cultures. And I'm neither American, nor an immigrant. Nor, for that matter, am I brown.
I enjoyed it, I mostly liked the writing style, and I felt like it gave me some insight into the life experiences common to many who come from immigrant backgrounds. But whether it actually does what it sets out to do, or whether it glosses over important differences in an attempt to capture a universal experience, or whether it's just something that white liberals like me will feel good about reading ... I don't know.
Subjectively, I enjoyed reading it. For comment on what it does well or badly, you should look for reviews by women of colour. There are lots of good reviews out there.
I don't feel qualified to comment on this: it's a comment on immigrant experiences in the US with particular focus on the daughters of first-generation immigrants who grow up with one foot in each of two cultures. And I'm neither American, nor an immigrant. Nor, for that matter, am I brown.
I enjoyed it, I mostly liked the writing style, and I felt like it gave me some insight into the life experiences common to many who come from immigrant backgrounds. But whether it actually does what it sets out to do, or whether it glosses over important differences in an attempt to capture a universal experience, or whether it's just something that white liberals like me will feel good about reading ... I don't know.
Subjectively, I enjoyed reading it. For comment on what it does well or badly, you should look for reviews by women of colour. There are lots of good reviews out there.
43PaulCranswick
Thinking about you during the festive season, Catherine
44Eat_Read_Knit
Okay, so I am not going to catch up with everything I have failed to post about since March. But:
- I made it to 86 finished books so far this year
- I read huge amounts of of romances/chick lit that I don't remember much about now because they have blurred together. I do remember I mostly enjoyed them at the time.
- I have *counts on fingers, then crosses them* 6 weeks until everything is submitted for my Masters, so after that I will hopefully go back to reading more of a variety of stuff, not just textbooks and candyfloss, and actually remember to post.
Highlights since March that are worthy of a mention are:
Ultra-Processed People - Chris van Tulleken
A deeply informative analysis of the role of ultra-processed food in the western diet. Reading this has absolutely changed what I eat for the better (well, mostly, apart from over Christmas :D ) Probably the best book I've read this year.
The Space Between Us - Doug Johnstone
Aliens in Scotland. I liked it but it didn't grip me.
Bookshops and Bonedust - Travis Baldree
Prequel to Legends and Lattes. Nice, cosy fantasy, but I didn't love it as much as L&L.
- I made it to 86 finished books so far this year
- I read huge amounts of of romances/chick lit that I don't remember much about now because they have blurred together. I do remember I mostly enjoyed them at the time.
- I have *counts on fingers, then crosses them* 6 weeks until everything is submitted for my Masters, so after that I will hopefully go back to reading more of a variety of stuff, not just textbooks and candyfloss, and actually remember to post.
Highlights since March that are worthy of a mention are:
Ultra-Processed People - Chris van Tulleken
A deeply informative analysis of the role of ultra-processed food in the western diet. Reading this has absolutely changed what I eat for the better (well, mostly, apart from over Christmas :D ) Probably the best book I've read this year.
The Space Between Us - Doug Johnstone
Aliens in Scotland. I liked it but it didn't grip me.
Bookshops and Bonedust - Travis Baldree
Prequel to Legends and Lattes. Nice, cosy fantasy, but I didn't love it as much as L&L.
