December Reading Round Up

It’s a bit late, but I’m talking about all of the books I read in December. I hope you still have some holiday spirit in you because there’s A LOT of holiday books in here!

Ben’s Bakery and the Hanukkah Miracle by Penelope Peters

• Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/M relationship)

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary: Former hockey star and perfect Jewish son, Adam, takes his pee-wee hockey team to Boston for a tourney and meets Ben who owns a “Kosher-Style” bakery.

Well, this was completely adorable and a fast read! (Less than 300 pages, read it in one day.) It was a last minute download and I chose it as my “warm and fuzzy” book for the ‘Tis-the-Season-a-Thon. Which was completely perfect because between the adorable romance, the match-making middle school hockey players, and ALL OF THE BAKED GOODS (Seriously, you’ll get super hungry reading this book. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.) this was absolutely a great warm and fuzzy read.

It’s also an own voices book about Hanukkah which was awesome!

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: m/m romance, contemporary romance, hockey, bakeries, own voices, Hanukkah, flings turned into relationship, father-son relationships, duty vs. heart trope

Content Warnings: flashbacks to an injury, references to a past car crash

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Snow in Love by Kasie West, Aimee Friedman, Melissa de la Cruz, and Nic Stone

• Genre: YA Romance Anthology

• Format: Library Paperback

• Rating: 3.5 Stars

Quick Summary: Four YA romance novellas by popular authors which take place during the holiday season.

This was the pick for the ‘Tis-the-Season-a-Thon as the group read, and it came in from my library the day the read a thon started so it was perfect timing!

It’s a really quick read - less than 300 pages! I finished it in one day and it was fun. The first two stories by Kasie West and Aimee Friedman were my favorites though. All four were pretty predictable, but still cute. I’m glad I read it, but I don’t think this will be an anthology I’ll return to year after year like some others I’ve read. I’m all for predictable/cheesy holiday stories, but they didn’t have quite the creative edge I’ve seen in some other books.

You’ll Like this Book If you Also Enjoy: Hallmark movies, the book My True Love Gave to Me, short stories/novellas, road trips, terrible holiday jobs, childhood sweethearts, coming out stories, stuck in an airport

Content Warnings: References/discussion of racism

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How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe

• Genre: Adult Historical Romance Anthology

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 5 stars

Quick Summary: Four popular historical romance authors share holiday novellas. All featuring a duke and inspired by a classic Christmas story.

This was the book I read for the ‘Tis-the-Season-a-Thon challenge of “a book with red or green on the cover.”

The first novella by Tessa Dare was completely perfect - which I predicted. I’d only read one Tessa Dare book before this one but I loved it so much that I had complete confidence this would be no different. Inspired by Meet Me in St. Louis (one of my faves!) and full of her classic humor, wit, and feminism with a dash of swoon.

The second novella was by Sarah MacLean and oof it was definitely a change from Dare’s story! It was inspired by A Christmas Carol and OH GOODNESS THE FEELS AND THE ANGST. But I still loved it.

The third novella was by Sohpie Jordan and a take on Home Alone. So much fun! And definitely the steamiest out of the four stories.

The fourth one by Joanna Shupe I cannot for the life of me figure out what classic holiday story it’s inspired by! If anyone knows, please tell me. In spite of that, it was still cute. I didn’t like it as much as the other three, but not enough to bring it down in my rating.

Are these stories realistic? Probably not. Are they super historically accurate? Probably not. Do I care? Nope. Overall - this was wonderful and I’ll be adding it to my pile of holiday books to return to in Decembers to come.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: historical holiday romance, novellas, anthologies, anything by any of these authors, snowed in trope, hidden identity trope, dukes, classic holiday stories and retellings

Content Warnings: none that come to mind

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Frozen by LA Casey

• Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 3 stars

Quick Summary: Neala and Darcy have been enemies from childhood and the tension reaches it’s peak when they’re vying for the same doll they want to give to their niece and nephew.

This was my pick for “holiday themed” challenge for the ‘Tis the season a thon. Which… all of my books were holiday themed so take that as you will.

The concept of this book was great. It was like the movie Jingle All the Way but set in Ireland and with romance. Besides, a good hate-to-love story is always fun. I also really liked how the book is called Frozen and the doll they are trying to get for the kids is from a fictional animated movie called Blaze about a princess who can make fire.

The execution was good, but not my favorite. I liked the shenanigans and tension, but didn’t really fall for and get invested in the characters the way I normally would.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: enemies to lovers, childhood friends, big families

Content warnings: reference to past sexual assault

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Once Upon a Winters Eve (Spindle Cove 1.5) by Tessa Dare

• Genre: Adult Historical Romance

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 5 stars

Quick Summary: On the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas Ball, and the day before Violet is to return home to find a husband, a mysterious stranger crashes the party and goes right to Violet.

It’s Tessa Dare… of course I loved this book. I’ve now read one of her novels and two novellas and all three have been five stars.

I was hooked and drawn into Violet’s character right away, I loved figuring out the mystery of the mysterious man, and seeing our original couple from the first book in the Spindle Cove series was wonderful.

I’ll probably end up binge reading the remainder of the Spindle Cove series once we get into the new year.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: mystery, historical romance, whirlwind one night stories, scorned lovers, forbidden/secret lovers, feminist romance

Content warnings: our hero has some injuries and references to past torture

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A Christmas Brothel by Ava Stone, Kate Pearce, Jane Charles, Virginia Heath, Deb Marlowe, KC Bateman, Elizabeth Essex, Amanda Mariel, and more

• Genre: Adult Historical Short Story Anthology

• Format: ebook

• Rating: Did not finish

Quick Summary: It’s Christmas Eve in Canterbury when a sudden snow storm hits and the only place in town that has room is the local brothel.

This book was… not what I expected. Honestly, this should have just taken place at an inn. Save for a few references to the madame and seeing one of her girls here and there, and on occasion we’d have a character blush at where they needed to spend the night, this set of short stories could have taken place anywhere. Changing those details wouldn’t have changed anything in the stories.

I mean, it takes place in a brothel, and yet it was the cleanest most wholesome thing I read all month. Which is fine - just not what I expected. There wasn’t even a fun Pretty Woman scenario or anything! Maybe if I had known this going into it, I would have enjoyed this book more. It’s like you go into your fridge and see something labeled as “milk” but when you drink it, it’s actually orange juice. There’s nothing wrong with orange juice. Orange juice is great! But when you’re expecting milk, it’s not a great experience.

And the stories were too short for my taste. They just didn’t go deep enough for me to really enjoy them.

It was fun to see some of the stories overlapping though and I love the concept. Maybe I’ll try it again later.

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Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha #1) by Tasha Suri

• Genre: Adult Fantasy

• Format: Library Paperback

• Rating: 5 Stars

Quick Summary: Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of a governor with magic in her blood and her powers become noticed by the Emperor’s most feared mystics.

OH GOODNESS THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. It was the only book I read this month which wasn’t holiday focused or a re-read because I’d gotten it from the library and needed to return it. I’m so glad I read it though!

Even the back of the book description doesn’t do it justice because there’s so much more to it than just magic blood. I loved the setting and the magic system and the way religion was used. This looks like it’s going to be action packed and violent, and parts of it are. But the best part was the characters. I COMPLETELY fell in love with them. They made me swoon and cry and I need more of them in my life. It was a bit more of a slower/quieter fantasy, but still compelling.

You’ll Like This Book if You Also Enjoy: Folklore/inspiration from India, slow burn romance, arranged marriage, “chosen one” fantasy trope, use of religion, family focus

Content Warnings: violence, death, parental abandonment, references to torture

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Chasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay #4) by Jill Shavis

• Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 4 Stars

Quick Summary: Colbie is a best-selling YA author on the brink of burn out and runs away to San Francisco where no one can reach her or knows her pen name when she runs into sexy-nerd business man Spencer.

This was so cute and swoony! I loved how our heroine was a YA author battling writers block, and Spencer was such a great hero who was this awesome nerdy guy. Although, I think she totally should have fired her agent cause… NOPE. He was the actual worst ever and I thought back to the different publishing podcasts I’ve listened to and I’m pretty sure all of them would have been like “FIND A NEW AGENT.”

This book is great if you want a Christmas but not Christmas read. It takes place in December and it talks about Christmas, but it’s definitely not about the holiday either. I could easily see it taking place at another time of year if needed, but having the holiday backdrop was a nice perk.

Reading it also made me curious about the other books in the series as well, especially since I read one of the novellas last Christmas, so I’ll be on the look out for book 1.

You’ll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy: flings turned to relationship, nerdy heroes, wealthy heroes, close friend groups, San Francisco, Holiday Books

Content Warnings: messed up families, homelessness, financial struggles, agents behaving VERY badly

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Love Rekindled at Christmas by Eveylen Issacs, Elizabeth Kysian, Diana Lloyd, Eve Pendle, and E. Elizabeth Watson

• Genre: Adult Historical Romance Anthology

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 3 stars

Quick Summary: A series of regency romances about those who fell in love then were separated only to be reunited again at Christmas.

The first novella was… not great. So much so that I considered DNFing the entire book because while they were all different authors, I wondered if it was a sign of the quality of the other novellas. However, I stopped reading the first one and gave the second a try. It was SO MUCH better and super adorable.

The third was… cute. Not as cute as the others, but enjoyable. (A fun take on “truth or dare” though.)

The last one was… exactly like the previous two and I couldn’t take it anymore and stopped reading.

I get all of the novellas having similarities because they all have the same theme. But, you can do several different takes on that theme. As I read, each story felt roughly the same and didn’t have much variation. You could argue that most romance books follow similar plots, but this was too much. If I’d read each one individually and not one right after the other, I might have enjoyed them more.

You’ll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy: historical romance, novellas, former lovers reuniting, single parent love stories, characters with more “experience,” holiday romance

Content Warnings: snowed in, miscarriage, loss of a spouse, loss of parents

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Joy to the Earl by Nicola Davidson

• Genre: Adult Historical Romance

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 3.5 Stars

Quick Summary: Right as Jack Reynolds finds out he’s an earl, he gets into a carriage accident leaving him with amnesia and in the care of the scandalous “wicked widow,” Rosalind.

There was a lot about this novella I was excited about - particularly how our hero had a disability from birth. Yet… it fell a little flat for me. It was a fun quick read for right before Christmas, but it would have benefited to be a bit longer as it all felt rushed. While most romances are more of the “whirlwind” variety, this one didn’t totally convince me it was TRUE LOVE FOREVER. I liked the couple, and they were fine together. But I didn’t completely believe it. I mean, they were in each others pants before they even had a full conversation. Which, for some people that’s fine, but for me it’s not my cup of tea. (Only a few can pull that “hook up to romance” plot line for me. The Holiday being one example.)

The disability representation was fine. Not amazing. It had a lot of the “woe is me no one loves me cause I’m SO DEFORMED.” Which, is a fine and valid story line, particularly depending on the society/time period you’re writing about. It’s just that… we ALWAYS hear that story and I’m ready for something else.

However, Rosalind’s daughter was the best.

You’ll like this book if you also enjoy: hook-up to relationship, disability rep, single moms, historical romance, amnesia, whirlwind romance, holidays

Content Warnings: amnesia, prejudice against the disabled as well as sexually active women, worst parenting ever, loss of loved ones

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Re-Reads

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohen and David Levithan

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

The Night Circus by Erin Morgentern

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas

What did you all read in December?

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My Holiday Romance Book Haul & 'Tis The Season-A-Thon TBR

Here in the US Thanksgiving is only 2 days away! How did this happen? I should start fasting so I have room for all of the turkey.

(Kidding… kidding…)

For me and my family, once our Thanksgiving dinner plates are empty we go into all out Christmas mode! 99.9% of the time we wait until the day after. But… I’d be lying if I said there hasn’t been the Thanksgiving night or two where we’ve decided to put the tree up while watching Miracle on 34th Street. (To be fair - that movie starts on Thanksgiving day so… it’s totally okay.)

Last Christmas, I learned I loved reading holiday romances. In fact, that was all I read. I did some re-reads of old favorites, and everything else was holiday themed. It was so fun! I absolutely love the holidays and loved having things which were fun and light to read. The holidays can be stressful enough, I don’t need heavier literature and fantasy to add to it. (Not that I don’t love dramatic/serious books. I do! Just… not in December.) If I’m crying, I want it to be because I’m happy or laughing.

So… I might have gone a tad overboard with my ebook buying for my holiday TBR. A couple of months ago I saw them popping up on Amazon and on my Twitter feeds and… well… you’ll see. On the plus side, all of these books were under $4.

What as even better, is that all of these also work for the ‘Tis the Season-a-Thon happening December 3-9!

(Yes, all of these are romance, they’re all adult, and I’m assuming they all have at least one steamy scene.)

Frozen by LA Casey

No… this book isn’t about the Disney movie. Although… a Snow Queen inspired holiday romance book actually sounds like a great idea. ::adds to my stories to write someday list::

This book is a hate-to-love holiday romance where the characters have hated each other since childhood and are now vying for the same last minute Christmas gift for their niece and nephew. The catch? There’s only one left at the toy store. So… basically it’s Jingle All the Way minus Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad and add romance.

I also can totally see myself one day being this aunt for my niece. Her saying she wants a certain toy for Christmas and I go battle it out on Christmas Eve at the toy store.

Let the Hunger Games begin!

Love Rekindled at Christmas by Evelyn Issacks, Elizabeth Kysian, Diana Lloyd, Eve Pendle, and Elizabeth Watson

Firstly - all 2018 proceeds for this book go toward Planned Parenthood.

All of these are historical romance holiday novellas about couples who may have had some steam in the past and it’s being reignited. Second chances, childhood sweethearts, being snowed in, scandals, road trips… basically everything you could possibly want in this genre of book. I’m liking the idea of novellas and short stories around the holidays because if you didn’t like one story it’s okay since it didn’t take you too much time and there’s more to follow! Also, you don’t feel as stressed out trying to finish a whole book. You can read one story and feel accomplished. No stress!

How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe

Okay… if it wasn’t for the fact that all of these authors are fabulous, the title alone sold me. I also really want to wear the cover model’s dress.

Each of these novellas are re-imaginings of classic holiday stories and they all feature dukes. So… what else do we need to know? It’s going to be amazing and probably the first book I pick up the moment I’ve finished my Thanksgiving turkey.

Joy to the Earl by Nicola Davidson

Another one where the title alone sold me on reading this book. What can I say? I love a cheesy holiday pun.

Our hero has a disability who finds out that he just so happens to have a secret inheritance. (And I’m assuming looses his shirt somewhere along the way if the cover is any indication.) Woo hoo! Merry Christmas! Apparently, he’s also a virgin which I happen to find super swoony. Most of the time you have heroes who are rouges and ladies men. Instead, it’s the woman who has the reputation. So, I find this refreshing.

Let it Snow by Jessica Calla, Jennifer Acres, Joel Bain, JP Dailing, Cindy Dorminy, Jordin Kay, KD Proctor, and Larissa Weatherall

Another anthology! This time, it’s contemporary romance and all of the novellas take place in the same town. Each story stands alone, but they do have some interweaving characters. I think it’s such a cute idea! Like Love Actually but the story lines may or may not all come together in the end.

Once Upon a Winters Eve (Spindle Cove #1.5) by Tessa Dare

I love love LOVED Tessa Dare’s first book in the Spindle Cove series, so naturally when I saw this novella was set in the same series it was an instant add to my holiday TBR.

A Christmas Brothel by Annabelle Anders, Tammy Andresen, KC Bateman, Katherine Bone, Dawn Brower, Jane Charles, Elizabeth Essex, Aileen Pish, Susan Gee Heino, Rose Gordon, Virginia Heath, Alanna Lucas, Amanda Mariel, Deb Marlowe, Nadine MIllard, Kate Pearce, Sandy Raven, and Ava Stone

I saw the title of this one and I knew I had to download it. It’s another anthology where they all take place in the same location and each story stands alone. It says it’s a set of “Canterbury Christmas Tales” which tells me that this is more medieval setting, which I think is super cool. Usually in historical romance you get regency and Victoria eras.

Also - proceeds for this book go for Toys for Tots!

What’s even better, is that most of these books will work for the challenges for the ‘Tis the Season-A-Thon hosted by some of my Booktube friends! (December 3-9) Their challenges are:

• Read a book with red/green on the cover (Love Rekindled at Christmas, A Christmas Brothel, Joy to the Earl, and How the Dukes Stole Christmas all work for this one!)

• Read a book while listening to holiday music (Which I’ll probably be doing anyways so - check!)

• Read a warm and fuzzy book (Which… is basically all of these because I’m sure every single one of these books will be warm/fuzzy/happy books)

• Read a short book - under 250 pages (Once Upon a Winter’s Eve fits this challenge!)

• Read a holiday themed book (um… that’s all of them.)

Then, their group book is Snow in Love by Melissa de la Cruz, Nic Stone, Aimee Friedman, and Kasie West which means… I went ahead and requested it from my library.

What books do you all plan on reading during the holiday season? Anyone else get completely suckered into buying any holiday romance book that has a pretty dress on the cover? (And the shirtless men too -let’s be real.) Just me?

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September Reading Round Up

Happy October, everyone! This is one of my favorite months. The weather is cooler, the leaves are turning pretty colors, PUMPKIN EVERYTHING, and of course… Halloween! I consider October to be the kick-off for the holiday season and I am READY.

But first, it’s time for reviews of the books I read in September. Compared to how August was, I am definitely back to “normal” when it comes to my consumption of books because I read 9 of them and am currently reading one.

Let’s get to it!

Wild Hunger* (Heirs of Chicagoland #1) by Chloe Neill

• Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

• Format: Paperback

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary:  (If you haven’t read the Chicagoland Vampires books and don’t want spoilers…. go ahead and skip this review cause… ALL THE SPOILERS. You’ve been warned.) Elisa returns to Chicago after her schooling in Paris with other vampire houses is complete only to have to deal with assassinated diplomats and the sexy but arrogant werewolf she grew up with.

This book was a delightful way to jump back into my old reading habits. It’s the spin-off of Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series (which I’m obsessed with) and follows the daughter of Merti and Ethan.

Technically it is a spin off so you don’t need to read the first series. However, I think it is highly beneficial that you do. 1) You’ll already understand the whole world and how it’s built. 2) Some of the background and set-up for this book would be lost. I’m sure you’d be able to follow the story fine, but without the background info to me it wouldn’t make as much sense. 3) You’ll get to see how Elisa is the perfect blend of Ethan and Merit. 4) ETHAN AND MERIT

It was really fun. Some of the plot itself I wasn’t super excited about, but I loved the characters, seeing a slightly “future” version of Chicago, and some of the twists of what/who Elise is. I’m excited to see where she goes with it next.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  The Chicagoland Vampires series, urban fantasy, family, childhood rivals to lovers, witches, werewolves, vampires, paranormal, action packed

Content Warnings: It can get pretty violent at times and there’s some references to addiction from the previous series, but beyond that I don’t think there’s a whole lot of content to be concerned about.

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A Duke by Default* (Reluctant Royals #2) by Alyssa Cole

• Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

• Format: Library Mass Market Paperback

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary:  Portia goes to Scotland for a sword-making apprenticeship and starts falling for her boss - a silver fox who also happens to be a duke.

I’ve jumped on the Alyssa Cole bandwagon and grabbing each of her books as they release! I read the first book of Reluctant Royals back in March and it was super cute! Dare I say that I liked this one even more? I wasn’t sure about Portia as our heroine at first. I wasn’t a huge fan of hers in the first book. But oh goodness I fell in love with her. Then our hero? Silver fox who makes swords and has a Scottish accent?

Yes, please!

However, I learned that there are a lot of mishaps when it came to the representation of royalty and living in the UK. (Also, if you’re writing about British dukes… maybe pick one that isn’t super famous or make one up. Or SOMETHING.) Beyond that, it was great. I mean, you had all of the perks of historical romance (castles, swords, knights) along with the perks of a contemporary romance. Can’t wait for book three!

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  Romances featuring royalty, romances with a significant age difference, finding yourself, swords, ADHD representation

Content Warnings:  spiked drinks, alcohol abuse, sex addiction, bad parenting, racism

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Crazy Rich Asians* (Crazy Rich Asians #1) by Kevin Kwan

• Genre: Adult Contemporary

• Format: Library Paperback

• Rating: 3.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  Rachel goes on vacation with her boyfriend in Singapore to attend his best friends wedding to find out that he’s a member of one of Asia’s most wealthy families.

Okay, since the movie was coming out I knew I had to read this book. It just wasn’t my favorite.

I love the concept, I love the overall plot, I love that we get to have Asian rep in a fun contemporary romance, and as I read I could totally see all of this as a movie and it made me SUPER EXCITED to see the movie.

However.

I cannot stand his writing style. He’s always hopping heads. One second you’re reading from one character’s POV and then literally in the same or next paragraph we’re reading from another character’s POV. This is such a HUGE NOPE when it comes to writing. I just… I can’t. You can switch POVs. That’s fine. BUT NOT IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH.

I also felt like I didn’t really get to know the characters. Especially Rachel and Nick. (I loved Astrid.) They were cute and I was never not rooting for them. But I also wish I could have seen more reasons as to why I should root for them.

All in all though, I’m really glad this book exists and so many people like it because representation matters. There were a lot of things that I probably didn’t really fully understand or appreciate - but I was 100000% okay with that because I wasn’t supposed to have gotten it. I’m not the intended audience, and I’m glad for that. Because us white people have far too many books that are intended for us.

I also plan on seeing the movie because I can almost see it translating to screen better than to a book. I might read the other books in the trilogy, but we’ll see.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  rom coms, big families, soap-opera type plots, outrageously rich people, Asia (specifically Singapore)

Content Warnings:  Racial slurs, graphic dog fight, father threatening violence against child, cheating, classism, prejudice

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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before* (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #1) by Jenny Han

• Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

• Format: Library Hard Cover

• Rating: 3.5 Stars

Quick Summary:  When Laura Jean’s secret letters to all of her past crushes are mysteriously mailed, chaos, romance, and shenanigans ensue.

I am SO LATE to the party for this book series. Everyone on Booktube has been talking about it for years but I never read them. Then, the Netflix movie was released and I was like “fine, I’ll read the book.”

It was cute. Laura Jean is refreshingly naive which I really appreciated because I was the same way in high school. (Heck, I still am, let’s be real.) Peter was also super adorable, and I loved the dynamics with Laura Jean and her sisters.

This was another one where I just wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. It was very… simple. Which made sense and it’s a young adult contemporary romance. But, I was expecting just a bit more to the prose itself. Which, I’m usually not one to say that. I’m not a fan of big complicated flowery writing. That being said, if even I’m saying the writing could have a bit more to it, I feel like that’s saying something.

But, I did watch the movie almost immediately after and it was super adorable. I also think I really would have loved these books in high school - which is a good thing since that’s the audience it’s intended for. I kind of wish they existed back then because I probably would have loved them that much.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  teen romance, fake relationship turned real relationship trope, sisters

Content Warnings: loss of a parent, divorce, fear of driving, there’s a theme of how rumors spread and how girls’ reputations can be easily damaged, slut shamming

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The Fated Sky* (Lady Astronaut #2) by Mary Robinette Kowal

• Genre: Adult Historical Science Fiction

• Format: Library Paperback

• Rating: 4.5 stars

Quick Summary:  Several years after The Calculating Stars, the USA is now planning their first trip to Mars and Elma plans to be on that rocket!

It’s the sequel to The Calculating Stars! I was SO EXCITED for this book. It’s really rare when an author released the first and second books of a series within months of each other.

I love these books SO SO MUCH and I haven’t been able to shut up about them. Whenever people have asked for book recs (or even when they’ haven’t…) I’ve been telling them to read these books!

I didn’t love it quite as much as I did the first one. (Probably because she wasn’t with Nathaniel as much as she was in the first one - ha!) But, it’s still amazing.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  SPACE! MARS! HAPPY HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS! Historical fiction, Hidden Figures vibes, feminism, women in STEM roles

Content Warnings: anxiety, death by violent accident, death by disease, anger, racism, bullying, violent attacks, hostage, loss, sorrow 

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The Lady Astronaut of Mars* (Lady Astronaut #4.5) by Mary Robinette Kowal

• Genre: Adult Sci-Fi Novelette

• Format: ebook

• Rating: 4.5 stars

Quick Summary:  We see a glimpse of life for Elma and Nathaniel on Mars.

Naturally, I had to read the novelette which inspired it all. Yes, this one was written before either The Calculating Stars or The Fated Sky. Kowal wrote this story, then decided to go backwards in time and write the other books.

Well… this story completely destroyed me. I can barely even write this review because I just want to sit in a corner and cry.

It’s so beautifully written though and the fact that it destroyed me so much is just a sign of how attached I am to the characters and the story.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  space, Mars, women in STEM, established relationships

Content Warnings: loss of a loved one, diminishing health

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Empire of Storms* (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J Maas

• Genre: New Adult Fantasy

• Format: Hardcover

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary:  Our heroine and her friends all journey on their separate paths to reclaim Tessaran.

Personal note: technically this book is considered YA but considering none of the main characters are teens and how graphic the violent and sex scenes are I label this as “new adult.” Not that teens cannot read this book - they totally can! Just be prepared for more adult content.

Onward with the Throne of Glass re-read! Reading Empire of Storms for the first time since it was first released was an interesting experience.

I don’t think it’s my favorite of the series. I love Elide and Lorcan the best in this book, and I’m still obsessed with Mannon, Dorian, and my girl Aelin.

Just… I don’t know. Something about this book just misses the mark for me. The second half I prefer to the first. There are some things I think which could have either been cut or shortened. Then the end is completely heartbreaking and will destroy you. Just… structurally some things could be improved.

But you know me and my undying love for ToG. Even with my critiques, I still love this book more than a lot of others so… there we go. Can you believe the final one releases THIS MONTH? I’m gonna die. I’m not ready.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  epic fantasy, romance, sexy times (but it’s only 2 scenes. They’re pretty graphic, but it’s not like it’s an “erotic” novel), epic battles, young queens rising into power, feminism,

Content Warnings: LOTS of violence, torture, references to sexual and physical abuse

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Girl, Wash Your Face* by Rachel Hollis

• Genre: Adult Non-Fiction/Motivational

• Format: Library Hardcover

• Rating: 4 stars

Quick Summary:  Social Media star and former party-planner shares how to “Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant To Be.”

I’d heard people talking about this book and I haven’t read a non-fiction book in awhile so I thought I’d give it a shot.

I was pleasantly surprised! It wasn’t that I thought I wouldn’t like it, but I didn’t think it’d like it as much as I did. A lot of what Hollis discusses isn’t all that new about going after what you want, how we shouldn’t compare ourselves to other people, etc. However, I haven’t heard a lot of these topics discussed by an openly Christian writer.

For those who don’t read Christian books and such, what she has to say may or may not be super ground breaking for you. But those of you who do, this is pretty big. Focusing on empowering yourself, making your own choices, realizing that you are enough, and heck- even going deep into talking about sex outside of “wait for marriage and then once you have a ring on your finer your sex life will be amazing!”, is really unheard of for most Christian writing.

A lot of people claim that she doesn’t talk about “God’s plan for your life” and how “God is in control” enough - but I found it refreshing. (Sorry, sometimes “if you pray and have faith God will rain blessings upon your head” isn’t the answer.)

Granted, Hollis is more privileged than she realizes. That’s not to say that she hasn’t worked her ass off or that she doesn’t deserve what she has or hasn’t faced a lot of trials and challenges in her life or anything like that. But… it is also very easy for an upper middle class (even if she didn’t start that way), straight, able-bodied, white girl who graduated high school a year early, moved to LA at 17, and was able to quit college because she had a full time job opportunity, then met her future husband that same year to say “don’t feel like if you haven’t accomplished certain things by a certain age that you’re behind.” Not that this isn’t true, but I also think she’s a bit out of touch of other people’s realities.

Overall though, this was good. Not for everyone, but I can think of some friends who would enjoy it.

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  Rachel Hollis’ blog https://thechicsite.com/, motivational books, feminist books, Christian books

Content Warnings: references to depression and suicide, unhealthy relationships, unhealthy weight loss, divorce, bad parenting

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P.S. I Still Love You* (Laura Jean #2) by Jenny Han

• Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

• Format: Library Hardcover

• Rating: 3 Stars

Quick Summary:  When the recipient of one of her love letters emerges, Laura Jean wonders if she could be in love with two boys at the same time.

I didn’t think I was going to read the second book for Lara Jean- but the first one ended on a bit of cliff-hanger and I was like “now I HAVE to read it!”

Not as good as the first, there were definitely times I was like “ugh… how much more do I have to read?” But, it was still really cute. I like Laura Jean and her family, Peter is still great, and it was classic high school drama. Again, I really think high school me would have LOVED these books.

I’ll probably read the last one just because I’ve gotten this far so, why not?

You'll Like This Book If You Also Enjoy:  love triangles, teen contemporary romance, close families

Content Warnings: loss of a parent, some references to racism and prejudice (and general ignorance) to Japanese, ongoing theme of how a girl’s reputation can be tarnished quickly thanks to social media, cyber bullying, slut shamming

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Currently Reading

Vengeful* (Villains #2) by VE Schwab

• Genre: Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy

• Format: Hardcover

I can’t really give a good summary since I just started the book and there’s several character POVs so far. Once I finish it and I include a summary in my October round up.

So far, it’s wonderful! It starts out with a super intense scene and grabs you right away. I still love these characters as much as I did in the first book, and I’m super excited to see where this sequel takes me!

As for content warnings, so far it’s VERY violent and ruthless.

That’s what I read in September! What good books have you read recently?

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Let's Talk About New Adult Books

From time to time when you read my end of the month reading round ups, under "genre" you'll find me describe a book as "New Adult."

I've been on the Internet for some time now, and for the last several years been active in the book community on the Internet. Therefore, there are many book and writing terms I come across which I read, and I understand immediately what it means. I know and understand the lingo. 

So, when I am chatting with friends and I bring up terms such a "new adult" and my friends are like "what are you talking about?" - it throws me off a it. I tend to forget that not everyone is like me where they live on Instagram and Twitter.  When I thought about it, I realized that when I use this term in my reviews, readers may not know what I'm talking about. 

Over the last couple of months, I've seen a lot of discussion about the "new adult" genre. What it is. What it isn't. What people think it should be.

"It's just an excuse for young adult to have explicit sex scenes!"

"Why is this book shelved as young adult when it's new adult?"

"What is New Adult????"

These are some of the things I tend to see floating around when this discussion comes up.

If you've hung out around my Twitter, you've probably seen that I have also chimed in with my own opinions. And well... I have OPINIONS. 

Mostly stemmed from my being selfish as my current work in progress I'd consider "new adult." But as of right now, it wouldn't be shelved as such. I'll go more into that later. For now, let's dig into what New Adult is, where it came from, what it isn't, and what I think it should be.

What IS New Adult Anyway?

Officially, New Adult fiction is a sub-genre within romance. Yes - romance specifically. Not any other genre. JUST ROMANCE. 

It was created by romance writers/publishers/editors to specify a younger age range. They are books about college-aged protagonists in their first intense relationship- but very adult relationship. Sometimes, this age will spread to mid to late 20's. (I read this through the Nelson Literary Agency Newsletter a couple weeks ago.) 

Therefore, when you are querying an agent with your brand new shiny manuscript - if your new adult book isn't part of the romance genre, your book is NOT new adult. Sorry to burst your bubble and ruin your hopes and dreams. But as of right now, that's how it is.

Examples of books that are New Adult:

• The Reluctant Hearts Series by Brighton Walsh
• The Ivy Years series by Sarina Bowen
• The Off-Campus series by Elle Kenedy

So... why does it seem like New Adult is just trashy romance books?

Well... because that's what they are. They are a sub-genre of romance. 

What New Adult is NOT

This brings us to my next point. There seems to be a disconnect where readers and writers assume that just because a book's protagonist is no longer a teenager, they aren't necessarily dealing with the same issues dealt with in adult books, and the prose might read like a young adult novel, it must be New Adult.

According to the publishing industry - this is incorrect. 

Books people label as New Adult but are not would be:

• A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
• Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

These books may have romantic elements to them - but they are not strictly romance novels. Therefore, according to the publishing industry, they are not New Adult.

Make sense?

In My Humble Opinion, What New Adult Should Be

"But Emily, you label books as "New Adult" in your reviews all of the time, but they aren't romance!" I hear you say.

Yes. I'm aware. 

Because I'm of the stance that it's time we expand how we define New Adult books. When I look around on the Internet, people seem to really be craving this genre/age range. Something that's like a young adult books but deals with more mature issues, while not being a full out "adult" novel. For me, I love the young adult genre and the writing style. It can talk about deeper issues, but in a way that doesn't put me to sleep. (Not that all adult novels put me to sleep - that's not the case by any means!) But sometimes I want something that is similar, but more about people my age or closer to my age. Or, I think about books I would have loved to read when I was in college or just graduated college. If New Adult was a thing back then, I would have devoured it. 

Or, more selfishly, I think about the novel I'm working on at the moment. If I have it completed, I would love to submit it for Pitch Wars at the end of the summer. But, I would have to pick between Young Adult and Adult. It's not a full out romance, so New Adult wouldn't fit. Even when I someday query it, I'm going to have to pick between the two, even though I genuinely don't see it as either one.

My youngest "main character" is 18, all of the others are in their early to mid-20's. None of them are in school. They're dealing more with issues such as their future, marriage, etc. It can be violent and yes... they may even have sex. (Gasp!) Not that young adult doesn't deal with these issues - especially when the book is fantasy. But the way it's dealt with in a New Adult book is going to be very different than in a Young Adult book. Yes, perhaps I could push it toward adult, but I genuinely don't see that as my audience.

Or,  think of books such as A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. It's so similar to mine in that none of the characters are teens and it deals with and handles certain issues in a way which I personally don't consider to be for the young adult genre. The same goes for her later books in the Throne of Glass series. But there are a ton of others like this as well, and not just fantasy. Let's Talk About Love, Wintersong, The Paper Magician, Just One Day, Grave Mercy... all of these are about characters in that "in between" time when they are no longer a teenager, but they aren't a "full" adult  yet. 

However, I do understand the conundrum. New Adult started as romance, and it would be incredibly difficult and take a very long time to create a whole new genre. When you think about it realistically, that's a lot to ask. 

Because technically, young adult is children's literature. Yup. You read that correctly. According to the publishing world and the way it's set up, young adult is still children's literature. Therefore, a sub-genre that is part of adult publishing would have to make the jump to children's. Or children's would have to make the jump to adult. It would be ridiculous.

So... I have a suggestion for a compromise.

When I walk into my local bookstore (usually Barnes and Noble) you find the different sections divided up. Children's usually has a whole corner to themselves. Then you have a couple of shelves for Young Adult. Then there's a whole part of the store for general fiction (adult) that's divided up by genre. Usually something along the lines of Fiction, Romance, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, on occasion I've seen Western.

But, even on those few shelves for young adult, there's a bit of division. You'll see one portion for new releases, another for Fantasy, for awhile there was Paranormal Romance, etc. That way, customers could more easily find the genre and style of book they're looking for within the young adult/adult/children's section.

Why can't we do something similar for New Adult? In the young adult section, have a few shelves dedicated to "older young adult" or "new adult" so readers who want those stories can easily pick them out. Or perhaps do this in the adult section of the store/library. It wouldn't have to completely revolutionize the publishing industry. Just some rearranging so people can see the difference between a book intended for a younger audience, and a book that is for an older audience.

Wait... are you talking about censorship for young adult? That's not right!

I agree. I'm not a fan of censorship by any means. 

But I am talking about marketing books according to what's age appropriate. I mean... I've gone to places where a Sarah J Maas book will be shelved in the same section as Nancy Drew.

Um... no. That's not right.

A person can like and enjoy books covering all genres and age ranges. I know full grown adults whose favorite books are middle grade. I know teens who read adult novels. There is nothing wrong with this, and in fact I think this should be encouraged. Most teens know how to self-censor anyway. When I was in high school, a friend of mine let me borrow a historical romance novel. (A bodice-ripper if you will.) I was so scared I was going to read something I would be uncomfortable with, I didn't get past the first chapter. I knew what I would and would not enjoy. 

Probably because I thought all romance writers were like Ms. Perky in 10 Things I Hate About You.

Yes, I did watch that movie every day one summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school. Yes, I still maintain it's one of the best movies ever. Fight me.

The point is - I knew what I was and was not comfortable reading. So, if a teen picks up a book and aren't a fan of the content, they'll probably put it down. However, that romance book my friend let me borrow was never shelved in the young adult section. It was very clearly in the adult romance section. 

When I go to the romance section and see shirtless men on the covers, I know what sort of book I'm picking up. But if when I was younger and I was browsing the young adult section and picked up a book that seemed interesting and then half way through there's this super explicit or violent scene that isn't found in other young adult books, I probably would have felt very betrayed and gotten into something way over my head that I wasn't ready for. That's just not fair. 

Having a section to give me a heads up that there would perhaps be content suited for a more mature audience, is something I probably would have found useful, and something I still would today. That way, the reader can choose to read it and decide if they're ready for it themselves. (Although, not all New Adult necessarily has explicit and violent content.)

And people are asking for this genre. They want it to be a real thing. I'm all for romance novels and have zero problems with New Adult being part of that genre. But I'd love for it to have a chance in other genres too. Characters on the brink of adulthood, on their own for the first time, figuring out life. I simply want the book and publishing industry to see that. 

From what I can tell, independent authors can do this and are pushing those boundaries. Which is awesome! But the traditional publishers need to catch up. People always seem to be worried about the traditional publishing industry and it keeping up with the times. I'm not saying adding New Adult to the mix will fix those problems. But embracing new ideas like that could be something helpful. 

That's why in my reviews I classify some books as "New Adult" even if technically they aren't classified as such. That way, people can see what the age range the protagonist is and it's focused more on that in between time of life. 

So, what are your thoughts? Have you heard about New Adult books? Have you read any? Which do you like? Do you think the publishing industry needs to expand in this genre?

Want to start reading New Adult (or any other books for that matter)? Click the link below!

(Affiliated link - I get a teeny tiny commission if you use it. But don't worry - no one is sponsoring this post! No one told me to write about New Adult books in exchange for anything! All of these thoughts are my own and I came up with this topic because of conversations I've been having with people.) 

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