I don’t typically do a new releases post — mainly because it doesn’t usually occur to me! But when I look at my list of this month’s new releases — ARCs and books to purchase and books to add to my TBR — it’s hard not to want to share the excitement.
Here are my top picks:
Already read:
Installment Immortality by Seanan McGuire (review)
Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn (review)
Reading now:
Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley
Whew. That’s a lot! I’d like to say that I’ll get to all of these before the end of the month, but somehow, I think life may have other plans for me. Plus, I do also need to squeeze in my book group book and Classics Club spin book. (I think I need to go hibernate in a cozy cabin somewhere, just me and a stack of books to read!)
Are any of my March books on your reading list too? What other new releases are you most excited for this month?
Title: Installment Immortality Series: Incryptid, #14 Author: Seanan McGuire Publisher: Tor Books Publication date: March 11, 2025 Length: 432 pages Genre: Urban fantasy Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Seanan McGuire’s New York Times-bestselling and Hugo Award-nominated InCryptid series continues with a whirlwind adventure….
After four generations of caring for the Price family, Mary Dunlavy has more than earned a break from the ongoing war with the Covenant of St. George. Instead, what she’s getting is a new employer, in the form of the anima mundi, Earth’s living soul made manifest, and a new assignment: to hunt down the Covenant agents on the East Coast and make them stop imprisoning America’s ghosts.
All in a day’s work for a phantom nanny, even one who’d really rather be teaching her youngest charges how to read.
One ghost can’t take on the entire Covenant without backup, which is how she winds up on a road trip with the still-mourning Elsie and the slowly collapsing Arthur, both of whom are reeling in their own way from the loss of their mother. New allies and new enemies await in Worcester, Massachusetts, where the path of the haunting leads.
With the anima mundi demanding results and Mary’s newfound freedom at stake, it’s down to Mary to make sure that everyone gets out of this adventure alive.
It’s been a long afterlife, but Mary Dunlavy’s not ready to be exorcised quite yet.
When you’re on the 14th book in an ongoing series, it feels practically impossible to talk about it in a way that will make sense to anyone who hasn’t been along for the journey. And in fact, even though I have read every one of these books, I needed a serious refresher before feeling ready to dive in. Um, what happened last time around? The details are a little fuzzy…
Fortunately, the narrator of Installment Immortality, ghost babysitter Mary Dunlavy, is just bouncing back from a major trauma and missed quite a bit, so her opening in the first chapter is quite helpful:
All right, this is where I recap. Because we’re dealing with five generations of family history here, and that’s a lot, even when you’ve been there from the beginning. I can’t count on anyone having been here from the beginning anymore, myself included, so I’ll give you the basic shape of things and hope that will be enough to ground you in this glorious ghost story already in progress.
Thanks, Mary!
The first chapter is Mary giving us a speed-recap, and it was just what I needed. (That, plus keeping the Incryptids wiki page bookmarked for easy reference.)
A brief explanation on the series (from my review of one of the earlier books):
The InCryptid series is a big, sprawling, interconnected story about the varied and sundry members of the Price/Healy clan — humans (mostly) who specialize in cryptozoology, the study and preservation of non-human people who live among us here on Earth. The arch-enemies of the Price gang (and all non-human species) is the Covenant, a powerful organization dedicated to hunting down and eliminating all cryptids — ostensibly to protect humans, but really, at this point, it’s more from deeply ingrained hatred and a desire to rid the world of everything non-human.
The series has had several different narrators, most of whom get a couple of books in a row before we move on to the next. Installment Immortality is Mary’s second book, and she picks up right where she left off in the previous book, Aftermarket Afterlife.
The Price-Healy family has inflicted serious harm on the Covenant, and now the Covenant wants payback. They’re trying to get it by rounding up and either destroying or weaponizing ghosts, and Mary’s new boss — the anima mundi, the living spirit of the world — wants it stopped before irreversible damage is done. Mary is tasked with finding these wannabe ghostbusters and doing whatever it takes to shut them down.
Meanwhile, the family is in tatters, having suffered two devastating losses in the last book. No one is operating at full speed, but Mary recognizes that siblings Elsie and Arthur need both a distraction and a purpose, and the three set off on a road trip to carry out her mission.
As we get into the main action of the story, the pace quickens and the stakes get higher and higher. Without going too far into the details, I’ll just say that the suspense becomes intense, and I was on the edge of my seat! You might think that when a main character is a ghost and therefore already dead, there wouldn’t be much risk… and you’d be wrong. Mary faces incredible danger, but her devotion to her kids (yes, Elsie and Arthur are adults, but once Mary has been someone’s babysitter, they’re always going to be her kids, no matter their age) keeps her focuses on her mission and determined to do whatever it takes to protect them.
Installment Immortality is another terrific addition to a great series. It can feel somewhat dense at times — there is A LOT to keep track of. But it’s worth it. With a series this big and sprawling, the mythology and interconnectedness is intense (and seriously, those wikis are essential!), but the emotional payoff of seeing the latest developments for characters we’ve had this much time to get to know and love is really rewarding.
Obviously, starting an ongoing series at book 14 is not going to be a satisfying reading experience. Each book builds upon the one before — so really, the only way to enjoy it is to start at the beginning (Discount Armageddon)… and then keep going!
As for me, I’m all in, and can’t wait for #15!
As with other books in the Incryptid series, this one includes a novella at the end, Mourner’s Waltz. The story features the same main character as in the previous novella, picking up the story several months later. There are strong emotional beats plus a nifty adventure. I can’t talk about it without major spoilers, but it was engaging and lovely… and makes me hope that the next main Incryptid book will bring this character back to center stage.
Title: The Love of My Afterlife Author: Kirsty Greenwood Narrator: Sofia Oxenham Publisher: Berkley Publication date: July 2, 2024 Print length: 369 pages Audio length: 9 hours 32 minutes Genre: Contemporary fiction Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
A recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on Earth before ten days are up….
If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment. Not only did she just die by choking on a microwaveable burger, she’s also now standing in her “sparkle and shine” nightie in front of the hottest man she’s ever seen. And he’s smiling at her.
As they start to chat, everything else becomes background noise. That is, until someone comes running through a door yelling something about a huge mistake and sends the dreamy stranger back down to Earth. And here Delphie was thinking her luck might be different in the afterlife.
When Delphie is offered a deal in which she can return to Earth and reconnect with the mysterious man, she jumps at the opportunity to find her possible soulmate and a fresh start. But to find him in a city of millions, Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind. . . .
This delightful rom-com has so much more to it than you might suppose from the synopsis! After Delphie chokes on a burger and ends up with a particularly chatty afterlife attendant who clearly is dying (ha!) for a project, she’s given the chance to return to the world of the living, but with a catch. Delphie will have ten days to locate the man she’s briefly met (whose afterlife arrival is apparently an error; he’s sent back after their encounter, with his memory wiped). If she can get him to kiss her, of his own free will, she’ll get to stay alive — and presumably, get her very own happily ever after with her soulmate. If not, though… she’ll be dead again, this time permanently.
For Delphie, the proposition is decidedly challenging. For years, she’s been living in isolation, carefully walling herself off from having to interact with practically anyone. As she informs us early on, she’s only talked to three people in the past several years — the two women she works with at the pharmacy across the street, and her elderly neighbor, whom she checks in on every day.
She’s not just shy. Delphie has been severely emotionally wounded in her earlier life. After her parents’ divorce, her mother stopped functioning, only reviving after falling in love again and basically ditching Delphie to move away and pursue a new life as an artist. Delphie was also horribly bullied during her high school years by her former best friend, causing her to shut off, trust no one, and even give up the drawing and painting that had given her so much joy.
In her late twenties, Delphie is a virgin, has never dated or been kissed. So for her, having to suddenly dash around London to locate one particular man feels like an impossibility — except she wants to live, and actually believes that he could truly be her soulmate. She’s smart enough to realize she needs help, and thus begins the truly lovely part of this story — seeing Delphie start to break out of her shell and connect with other people.
From admitting to her boss and coworker (a mother and daughter) that she needs time off and reluctantly agreeing to finally join them for after-work drinks (which they’ve been inviting her to for years), to meeting the local librarian and having him enthusiastically give her books on finding missing persons, to (literally) running into a friendly dogwalker in the park and having her decide to accompany Delphie on her quest — Delphie suddenly expands the circle of people she knows, and finds, to her surprise, that she doesn’t hate it.
Most interesting is the grumpy downstairs neighbor with whom she’s exchanged snide comments and insults for many years. (She describes him “like if Timothée Chalomet had an extremely tall, extremely brooding asshole of an older brother”.) Cooper may be a jerk, but he assists her when she needs it, and is soon asking her for a favor in return. As they spend time together, she learns more about what’s going on beneath his surly exterior… but all her focus is on finding Jonah, her true soulmate, so onward she must go!
The quest to find Jonah is quite silly and full of mishaps. How to find one man in all of London, when all she knows is his first name and what he looks like? With her growing circle of acquaintances helping her track down clues, Delphie has a series of near-misses, seeking Jonah at a running club, a life-drawing class, a silent disco, and more, before figuring out a way to meet him at last. But as we readers know to expect, tracking Jonah down is very different than convincing him that she’s the love of his life, and things go all sorts of sideways.
The Love of My Afterlife surprised me in so many ways! There are romance tropes galore, but the narrative cleverly recognizes that tropes are at play, and Delphie’s awareness of these tropes (enemies to lovers! only one bed! fake dating!) makes it especially fun.
The true beauty of this book is in seeing Delphie emerge from her painful past and finally start living.
“I never wanted people, though. They make everything messy.”
“That’s a good thing, love. The thing about people is you have to let them drag you to places you don’t want to go. Let them tell you things you don’t want to hear. Let them break you and put you back together… That’s what being alive is.”
As she meets the people of her neighborhood and starts engaging with them, new relationships form, and she finds herself making connections with people who want to know her. She spent years feeling unworthy and unloved, but by opening herself to new people and experiences, she gets to experience what it feels like to care and be cared about.
And yes, there’s a romance! It’s a delicious slow-burn, and the interference of her meddling afterworld coach is quite funny and entertaining.
I listened to the audiobook, and had a blast with it. Narrator Sofia Oxenham captures the silliness and the somewhat zany escapades with flair, but also conveys Delphie’s sadness and loneliness, and the steep hill she has to climb in order to let people into her world.
The Love of My Afterlife only crossed my radar thanks to idly looking up celebrity book club picks one day. This was a Good Morning America pick last year — and I’m not sure why it initially caught my eye, but I’m so glad it did!
With very funny interludes and a lovable main character, and with real emotion to balance the humor and silliness, The Love of My Afterlife is deeper than it might initially seem. It’s wonderful storytelling, full of laughter, that also manages to pull on the heartstrings. A great choice for when you’re in the mood to be uplifted and entertained. Don’t miss it!
Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.
This week’s topic is Top 5 books with a pronoun in the title, with the prompt: Find all of your he, she, they, we or you books and then shout them from the rooftops!! Or just on your blog page.
Here are a few from my shelves that fit the theme:
1: She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton: Not actually on my home shelves at the moment, but I borrowed this from the library a while back, and thought it was wonderful. A terrific children’s book highlighting women who made a difference. (And don’t miss the companion back, She Persisted Around the World)
2: He, She, and It by Marge Piercy: This 1991 sci-fi book made a huge impact on me back when I read it ages ago, and it’s one I’d love to get back to and read again at some point.
3: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien: A modern classic set during the Vietnam War. A must-read… and another one that I really should read again.
4: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dare: A more recent book — this one had a ton of buzz, and is definitely worth reading. (Here’s my review, if you want to know more.)
5: We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft: If you’ve never read a book about disco vampires… well, have I got a book for you! Seriously, this book is awesome. (Review)
What books with pronouns in the title do you have on your shelves?
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
A good friend of ours just became a grandparent, and we went to a lovely little gathering to meet the new baby (who is absolutely adorable, of course).
Other than that, it’s been a busy workweek, but I’ve been able to squeeze in a decent amount of outdoor time and dancing. Not enough reading, alas… it was difficult to find time to just sit and pick up a book.
And of course, must include the weekly kitty photo. This is the “why are you bothering me while I’m napping?” face.
Blogging.
I thought I’d share a problem I had with WordPress this week, and the solution! This may have been a “me” problem… but in case anyone else has been in this situation, here’s how I panicked and then found a fix.
I usually work on my blog from my home desktop, but found myself with some downtime while I had my laptop handy, so I finished up a book review that I’d been working on earlier, then saved the draft. When I got back to my desktop, I went to proofread it — and maybe it’s because I’d had the previous draft open there too, but when I went back into the document, my changes were gone. Essentially, I’d lost everything I’d written after the first paragraph. Panic mode!
Fortunately, once the panic subsided, I realize that I could click the Revisions menu option, and then restore from a previous version. It worked! My changes were restored, my book review was saved, and I was able to publish the post.
Kills Well with Others (Killer of a Certain Age, #2) by Deanna Raybourn: Loved this follow-up book about women assassins “of a certain age”! Highly recommended. My review is here.
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood: Finished on Sunday, and will share a review as soon as I have a chance. Really enjoyable, and a great listen!
Pop culture & TV:
I’ve started the new season of 1923 — it’s good so far! And more out of habit than anything else, I started the new Survivor season as well… which really is just like all the previous seasons, more or less. Ho hum… and yet, I keep watching.
Fresh Catch:
I tend to read each new volume in the Incryptids and October Daye series (both by Seanan McGuire) via Kindle (or ARC) as soon as they come out, then buy the mass market paperback editions whenever they become available. I realized this week that I’d forgotten to get a few of the paperbacks… and now I have!
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
Installment Immortality (Incryptids, #14) by Seanan McGuire: Speaking of Seanan McGuire and Incryptids… this is the newest in the series, releasing next week. I honestly thought I’d have time to polish it off over the weekend, but life had other plans for me. Should be able to wrap it up in another day or two.
Now playing via audiobook:
The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez: I just started this audio short — it’s only 2 hours, so I should fly through it. Anything new from Abby Jimenez is always a treat!
Since that one is so short, I should be done today or tomorrow, and already have my next listen lined up:
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone: I listened to another book by this author (Ready or Not) just a few weeks ago, and loved it, so I’m very eager to start her new release. (And how gorgeous is that cover?)
Ongoing reads:
I have two longer-term reading projects at the moment:
My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 47%. Up next: Chapters 24 and 25.
Dracula: My Classics Club spin book! I’m planning to take a slow approach and read just a bit each day, while also enjoying this beautiful edition with illustrations by Edward Gorey. No progress yet! I’m starting this week.
Title: Kills Well with Others Series: Killers of a Certain Age, #2 Author: Deanna Raybourn Publisher: Berkley Publication date: March 4, 2025 Length: 368 pages Genre: Contemporary fiction Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.
After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their rest, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions before she gets the itch to get back in the game. When they receive a call from Naomi Ndiaye, the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.
Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, all of them connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster who rules her business empire with an iron fist and plays puppet master in international affairs. Naomi is convinced this criminal queen is bent upon revenge, killing off the agents who attempted to thwart her, and the aging quartet of killers is next.
Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster and her assassin. But their nemesis is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their experience and a whole lot of luck to get out of this mission alive.
Who knew that we needed novels about women assassins in their 60s? Kills Well with Others is the follow-up to Deanna Raybourn’s 2023 smash hit, Killers of a Certain Age. Both books prove that deadly women… of a certain age… make for excellent entertainment.
The first book was oodles of fun, and now the fabulous four are back for another adventure. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie had more or less retired after the events of the first book. But for Billie at least, retirement — meaning a peaceful life on a Greek island with the man she loves — is making her a bit itchy. Yes, she’s happy, but that sense of purpose (and adrenaline) seems to be missing.
I realized that there are some jobs you leave, but they never leave you. I was playing at being retired because the truth was, I would be a killer until the day I died.
The women are called back into action after a former colleague is murdered, in a way that obviously indicates that this is payback for an assassination they carried out decades earlier. It soon becomes clear that they themselves may be the next targets. Someone is out for revenge, and the team has to figure out who it is, and how to stop them.
There’s enough context provided in Kills Well with Others that a reader could jump right in and follow the story (although I do recommend starting with book one to get the full effect). Essentially, we’re cheering on assassins who work for a non-governmental, international super-secret organization called the Museum, whose purpose is to rid the world of tyrants and cartel honchos and other ultra-bad guys that the more legal approaches can’t seem to touch. I struggled with the morality of the whole concept in book one (am I really rooting for killers???), but ultimately, to enjoy the books, we just have to let that aspect go and take it as a given that these killers are the good guys.
Humanity requires champions, like the knights of old, those who are willing to fight and die, bloody themselves so the others may survive.
That hurdle aside, it’s once again a fast-paced, exciting adventure traveling along with these women as they plot and then dive into action. Their creativity is off the charts, they can fight with whatever they have on hand, and — most entertaining of all — their disguise game is absolutely on point. As they remind us throughout the story, older women tend to be ignored or overlooked or underestimated — so who better to go unnoticed, slip into places where they don’t belong, and get away with murder simply because they don’t appear the least bit threatening or powerful?
The concept is a delight, and the execution (ha!) is terrific. We’re whisked along from ships on the Atlantic to trains through the Balkans, with stops along Venetian canals and Sardinian farmlands. The team is strong and tight-knit, but also bickers and banters just how you’d expect from women who’ve been the closest of friends for 40 years.
Plotwise, the story unfolds with twists upon twists, and plenty of mistaken identities, clues, and red herrings. The women are amazing when they team up, and it’s always a hoot to see the various roles they take on while carrying out a hit or a surveillance mission.
Kills Well with Others is exciting start to finish, and has a very satisfying ending… but clearly, these “women of a certain age” have a lot of fight left in them, and the door seems open (or at least, ajar) for more adventures yet to come. I really enjoyed this outing, and hope Deanna Raybourn will continue the series!
Title: Greenteeth Author: Molly O’Neill Publisher: Orbit Publication date: February 25, 2025 Length: 304 pages Genre: Fantasy Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
From an outstanding new voice in cozy fantasy comes Greenteeth, a tale of fae, folklore, and found family, narrated by a charismatic lake-dwelling monster with a voice unlike any other, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher.
Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce.
Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she’s worth saving. Temperance doesn’t know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor.
Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny’s lake and Temperance’s family, as well as the very soul of Britain.
Greenteeth, a debut novel from author Molly O’Neill, is a delightful fantasy adventure with a unique main character. Jenny Greenteeth is a water-dwelling fae, inspired by a figure from English folklore. According to Wikipedia, “Jenny Greenteeth” is a river hag, a creature who lives in bodies of water and pulls unsuspecting humans to their deaths.
I wasn’t a human, nor a goblin, nor a high fae. I was Jenny Greenteeth, fangs and claws and unholy strength. I was a nightmare, a scary story, the dark shape glimpsed through the weeds.
Yet the Jenny Greenteeth we come to know is much less malevolent that the tales would have us believe. Yes, she loves to eat all sorts of plants and animals that come into her lake, but she doesn’t threaten, and certainly has never lured the nearby townsfolk into her waters. She enjoys a peaceful life, and thinks fondly of the years she spent with her daughter (also called Jenny, as are all women in her line) before little Jenny went off to a lake of her own.
All this changes when she spots a gathering of humans on her shores, led by a stern man in black. A human woman, bound in manacles, is thrown into the lake to drown. Jenny is interested, rescues the woman, and brings her to her underwater cave to learn more. Temperance is a wife and mother, and has been respected as the village healer (and yes, she is a witch), but never had any trouble with her neighbors until the new pastor came along.
Although Jenny has saved her life, Temperance doesn’t dare return to her home. She’s desperate to get back to her family, but when Jenny suggests that she run away and then send for her husband and children, Temperance is reluctant. She loves her village, and suspects there’s more going on than just a witchhunt. Jenny works with Temperance to try to confront the pastor, and discovers that there’s a powerful evil presence at work, one which they can’t overpower or defeat on their own. Joined by Jenny’s goblin friend Brackus, they set out on a quest to learn how to challenge this evil force, and win.
“A witch, a goblin and Jenny Greenteeth are off to seek the King of the Fairies,” he said. “What a delicious disaster this could be.”
Jenny Greenteeth is a wonderful main character. She’s non-human and clearly has a different moral compass and worldview, yet she shows great compassion and an enormous capacity for loyalty and friendship. As she journeys with Temperance and Brackus, her inner workings repeatedly come into conflict with Temperance’s sense of right and wrong. Seeing them navigate their differences and reach for understanding is fascinating and quite touching.
The quest itself is full of danger and adventure and magical obstacles. To be honest, this is the only element of the story that dragged for me — but quite possibly, I’ve just had my fill of quest stories. The specific challenges the trio face are fine, but never felt impossible to me; I was never in any doubt that they’d find a solution without too much difficulty.
Several scenes take place in the court of the high fae, and these were lovely. There’s a sense of power and magic, but also sorrow: The book repeatedly makes clear that the old ways are fading from the world, and that Jenny and all the fae may soon be remnants of a long-gone past.
The final chapters of the book provide a very satisfying ending, and there are some terrific surprises and twists that I won’t reveal here, other than to say that Jenny’s story ends up intersecting with English folklore and mythology in a wonderful, unexpected way.
Jenny and Temperance are both well-developed, strong characters, and I enjoyed spending time with them very much. Brackus is fun too, but less essential, and I’d didn’t get as good a sense of him as an individual. I loved Jenny’s world and her perspective on life as seen from her lake. I can’t say I’ve come across a character quite like Jenny before.
Greenteeth is a wonderful read, and I’ll look forward to whatever Molly O’Neill writes next!
Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.
This week’s topic is Top 5 books I want to buy in 2025, with the prompt: Is there a book coming out in 2025 that you absolutely want to buy? Even if you don’t want to read it straight away. Maybe it’s a special edition version. Or maybe a fancy cover! Tell us all about it!!
Easy-peasy! The hardest part of this week’s topic is sticking to just five! I’ve been much better about being selective when it comes to buying physical books, but there are always some — whether by a favorite author or an especially beautiful edition — that I just can’t resist.
My five must-buys for 2025 are:
1: The Sirens by Emilia Hart: I have a hardcover edition of this author’s previous novel, Weyward, and it’s so pretty! The cover for The Sirens looks just as gorgeous. (March)
2: When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi: This author’s books are auto-buys for me, and I love having the hardcovers! I’ve yet to be able to attend one of his book tour events, but I keep hoping it’ll work out eventually, because I’d love to get a signed edition. If not, though, I’ll be buying the book anyway! (March)
3: The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley: I love Susanna Kearsley’s books, and I always want to read her new releases… but once I saw the deluxe paperback edition, I knew I needed a physical copy rather than just the e-book. (March)
4: Death at a Highland Wedding (A Rip Through Time, #4) by Kelley Armstrong: This is such a terrific series, and since I already own hardcovers of the previous books, this one will be a must for me as well. (May)
5: The Wicked King by Holly Black: I already own hardcover editions of the Folk of the Air trilogy, and then bought the special black velvet edition of the first book, The Cruel Prince, when it was released in 2023. This year, the 2nd book will get a matching edition, and I have to have it! (October)
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
It’s been a good week here (but only if I shut off the part of my brain that’s obsessed with the news). I fit in a few dance sessions, and the weather cooperated enough for us to be able to dance outdoors a couple of times. A good friend is in town for a family visit, and it was terrific to get to catch up again.
Our kitty cat seems to have a developed an interest in my bookshelf. What can I say? He’s a very smart cat.
What did I read during the last week?
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3) by Heather Fawcett: I didn’t love this one as much as the first two in the series, but it works well as a wrap-up for the trilogy as a whole. My review is here.
Wyrd Sisters(Discworld, #6) by Terry Prachett: Another great Discworld audiobook! Silly and highly entertaining. My review is here.
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone: A sweet, friends-to-lovers romance featuring a very unexpected pregnancy. My audiobook review is here.
Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill: A terrific fantasy debut novel. Review to follow later in the week.
Pop culture & TV:
I’m not someone who feels the need to see every single Oscar-nominated movies — and yet, I’ve managed to watch two more! This past week, I watched Dune: Part 2 and Conclave. Dune is good, but confusing (and I say this as someone who’s read the books!), and probably would have felt more awe-inspiring on the big screen. Conclave is fascinating, and the acting is superb. Who knew I’d be interested in a movie about the inner workings of the Vatican?
That brings my Oscar tally to 5 out of 10 best picture movies watched (these two, plus Anora, Wicked, and The Substance) … and I don’t see myself checking out the rest.
Have you watched any of the other Best Picture nominees? Any recommendations?
My son and I also ended up watching The Menu — I had absolutely no idea what to expect ahead of time, so it was quite a shocker. (I just thought it was a movie about a demanding chef — go check out the trailer if you want to know more!)
In the world of TV, I’m excited for the new season of 1923, and will approach the new season of Yellowjackets with caution.
Fresh Catch:
Two gorgeous new hardcovers this week: A special edition of Dracula, with illustrations by Edward Gorey, and the new anniversary edition of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn: I started this book late Sunday, and I’m hooked already!
Now playing via audiobook:
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood: I’ll be starting this audiobook today. It was an impulse borrow via the library’s website — fingers crossed it will be a good one!
Ongoing reads:
My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 42%. Up next: Chapters 22 and 23.
Title: Ready or Not Author: Cara Bastone Narrator: Alex Finke Publisher: Dial Press Publication date: February 13, 2024 Print length: 373 pages Audio length: 10 hours 50 minutes Genre: Contemporary fiction Source: Audible Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this heartfelt, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance of found family and unexpected love.
Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life. Her apartment in Brooklyn is cozy and close to her childhood best friend Willa, but far from her midwestern, traditional family who never really understood her. While her job is only dream- adjacent , she’s hoping her passion and hard work will soon help her land a more glamorous role. And sure, her most recent romantic history has consisted of not one but two disappointing men named Derek. At least she always knows what to expect…until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.
The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve’s loyal friendship with Willa is feeling off , right when she needs her most. And it’s Willa’s steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help. He has always been friendly, but now he’s checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is… suddenly kinda hot? Then there’s the baby’s father, who is supportive but conflicted. Before long, Eve is rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself and her world.
Over the course of nine months, as Eve struggles to figure out the next right step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it.
Something about the plot synopsis for Ready or Not seemed right up my alley, just what I was looking for in a feel-good audiobook listen… and I was right. Ready or Not hit the spot, and I had a great time listening to this sweet, funny tale of unexpected pregnancy and unexpected romance, both of which happen in a very unexpected order.
Eve Hatch is in her late 20s, happily living life in Brooklyn near her best friend Willa, working in a job for a non-profit she really believes in, even though she’s stuck in an admin-level job without having the graduate degree needed to pursue the work she actually wants to do. As the book opens, Eve is at the ob/gyn office, waiting for official confirmation of what she already knows thanks to three home pregnancy tests: Yes, she’s pregnant. A hot and heavy one night stand a few weeks earlier (with proper protection) has led to this moment, and all Eve wants is to confide in her best friend.
Unfortunately, Willa takes the news very personally — she and her husband have been struggling with fertility challenges — and is not supportive. But fortunately, Willa’s older brother Shep is staying with her, and immediately jumps in to be there for Eve in whatever way she needs, including going with her to tell the hot bartender (a/k/a baby daddy) that she’s knocked up. Ethan (who, it turns out, is the bar owner) is thrown for a loop, especially since he’s in a relationship (they were on a break at the time of the hookup) and loves his girlfriend.
Ethan is an inconsistent, emotional mess, and Willa is trying to be there for Eve but is clearly struggling. It’s Shep who provides Eve with friendship, encouragement, and foot rubs; Shep who makes sure she has groceries and a shoulder to cry on. He’s a big, floppy, golden retriever of a guy, and he’s just so good you want to hug him nonstop. It takes Eve quite a while to realize that the boy she’s known since childhood means more to her than she realized, and even longer to figure out whether she’s really fallen for him, or if it’s just the pregnancy hormones talking.
Ready or Not is a sweet, engaging listen. Eve’s quirky sense of humor shines through, and her personal evolution over the course of her pregnancy feels believable, as she’s forced to take her life more seriously and figure out what she actually wants, not just accept whatever comes her way.
I press my ear to his chest and isn’t it so wild that you can go forever knowing someone and never really listen to their actual heartbeat until they kiss you behind a tree?
I enjoyed Eve and Shep’s relationship so much — they’re incredibly cute together, even when she’s being completely obtuse and taking way too long to realize how deeply Shep adores her. At the start of the book, we see Willa as somewhat selfish, but over time, it’s clear that she’s struggling to deal with her own pain while also trying to be the friend Eve needs in the moment. Ethan is hard to take — true, he’s thrust into a situation he had no idea was coming, but then again, so was Eve. His waffling and self-pity make him come across as unreliable and pathetic for a lot of the book, but eventually, even he gets a chance to improve.
My main quibble with this book is that Eve does absolutely no reflection about being pregnant at the start of the book. She gets the news, she goes to tell Willa, she reacts to Willa’s reaction, she deals with Ethan’s reactions too… but we never see her pause and consider whether she wants a baby, or what this will mean for her life. She tells Willa right away that she’s keeping the baby, which is a perfectly fine choice for her to make — but it feels as though we should have seen at least a bit of contemplation and consideration about what this big change will mean for her life.
The narration was mostly fun and enjoyable, although I found the narrator a little too over the top during the book’s one sex scene and in the labor scene — the auditory equivalent of TMI, if that makes sense. My other issue with the narration is that it can be hard to distinguish between Eve’s spoken lines and her inner thoughts — I had to rely on other characters’ reactions to figure out if certain things were said out loud or not.
Quibbles aside, Ready or Not is an entertaining, romantic story, and although the friends-to-lovers trope is practically everywhere these days, it still feels fresh here. The pregnancy element adds an unusual element to Eve’s relationship with Shep, and it’s nice to see how things work out with Ethan as well.
Check out Ready or Not when you’re in the mood for quippy banter, great chemistry — and lots and lots of descriptions of the main character’s baby bump!
Bookshelf Fantasies 