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 whirlwind of a week, with a particularly busy weekend — but busy for good reasons, which was nice! Dinner with friends at our house one night, barbecue at other friends’ house (at the end of a long, winding road through the woods) another day. Not much time to read, but other than than, a really great few days!
What did I read during the last week?
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune: Another terrific audiobook from an author who was new to me just last year… and now I’ve read all her books! My review is here.
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune: A 5-star read! Loved every moment. My review is here.
Pop culture & TV:
I finished watching Deadloch on Prime… and if you haven’t seen it yet, definitely check it out! Just eight episodes, really entertaining and clever and funny. And apparently, there’s a season 2 on the way!
Fresh Catch:
I ordered hardcover editions of two books I’d already read and loved, and they both arrived this week!
I reached out via Kelley Armstrong’s website to see if there were any resources for getting signed books, and her assistant very kindly responded to say that there weren’t, but that she’d send me a couple of signed book plates, which also arrived this week! (And she threw in some bookmarks too — very sweet!)
The timing was perfect… and this makes me happy:
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig: My book group’s pick for January. As usual, I’m behind schedule. Our discussion is later this week.
Now playing via audiobook:
Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley: I have another day or two’s worth of listening left, and I’m really enjoying it.
Ongoing reads:
My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 27%. Up next: Chapters 14 and 15.
Title: The Bones Beneath My Skin Author: TJ Klune Publisher: Tor Publication date: Originally published 2018; reissued February 4, 2025 Length: 416 pages Genre: Fantasy Source: Purchased (Kindle); ARC (reissued edition) Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
A spine-tingling thriller by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about a 10-year-old girl with an impossible power, her father, and an unlikely stranger, who come together to confront the dangerous forces that want her at all costs. A strange story of family, love, comets, and bacon. Perfect for fans of Stranger Things.
In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his older brother wants nothing to do with him, and he’s been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington DC. With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family’s summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It’s not. Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary little girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn’t exactly as she appears.
Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.
The Bones Beneath My Skin, originally published in 2018, is getting a gorgeous new hardcover edition this year for its re-release by Tor Publishing. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it’s a terrific book, and I’m only sorry I didn’t read it earlier.
As the book opens, Nate Cartwright has been fired from his DC journalism job due to a pretty major indiscretion. Long estranged from his parents, he learns that they’ve left him their remote cabin by a lake in Oregon. With nowhere else to go and no one in his life, he heads to the cabin to recover, spend time in isolation, and figure out what options he has left.
To Nate’s surprise, the cabin is already occupied by a gruff ex-Marine and a 10-year-old girl who introduces herself with the unlikely name of Artemis Darth Vader. Alex is injured, quick to point a gun at Nate, and highly suspicious and protective. Artemis (Art), on the other hand, is full of sunshine and questions and precocity, and seems to be obsessed with the large collection of Western paperbacks lining the walls of the cabin.
“Besides, Nate will be sad if we leave. He likes us.”
“I don’t like either of you at all,” Nate said.
“You made us bacon.”
“That doesn’t mean I like you.”
“It certainly seemed that way,” she said. “If you give someone something that good, it has to mean something. You can’t just give a gift without having feelings behind it.”
“It was just breakfast.”
Nate is tempted to flee — but doesn’t. As he spends time with Alex and Art, he recognizes that something mysterious and beyond his understanding is going on, but also starts to feel a strange connection to these intruders. Even when dangerous outside forces arrive and force them to make a desperate attempt at escape, Nate finds himself firmly on Alex and Art’s side. As the three hit the road, danger follows — and yet, as they spend time together, the loveliest of found families is formed.
I’m being deliberately vague. There’s isn’t much to say outright about the details of this book that won’t be major plot spoilers. I have a feeling many reviews will reveal exactly what’s going on with Alex and Art — but I enjoyed seeing the pieces come together, and want to leave that sense of discovery for others to enjoy as well.
The plot includes action sequences, but also lovely scenes of personal connection, humor, sharing, and meditations on the intricacies of life and emotions. Nate, Alex, and Art are all terrific characters — I dare anyone to read this book and not fall completely under the spell of Artemis Darth Vader.
There are intense moments that seems pointed toward tragedy and heartbreak, and also moments of calm and quiet beauty. The ending is very satisfying, and made my heart happy.
It’s interesting to read the author’s notes from the Kindle edition (from the original publication in 2018), and then see the author’s notes from the reissue. They’re different, but both explain how he decided to self-publish this book, which was a thematic departure for him from his previous, traditionally published books, and how the self-publishing process worked out.
With the re-release coming in February, The Bones Beneath My Skin should reach a much wider audience, and that’s a very good thing indeed. I loved this book, and already know I’ll want to do a re-read.
Fans of the Green Creek series will love this book too. And hey, the town of Green Creek even gets a mention! If you love quirky, emotional stories about found family, with clever, quippy dialogue and unforgettable characters, don’t miss The Bones Beneath My Skin.
Title: This Summer Will Be Different Author: Carley Fortune Narrators: AJ Bridel Publisher: Berkley Publication date: May 7, 2024 Print length: 368 pages Audio length: 10 hours 31 minutes Genre: Contemporary romance Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.
Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.
It’s easier said than done.
Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.
If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.
When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.
Aaahhhhh. Carley Fortune’s books are summer and fresh air and sunshine and joy. I’m hooked! And now that I’ve read This Summer Will Be Different, I’m caught up!
In this 2024 release, the setting is slightly different from her previous books, set in small lakeside towns in rural Canada. In This Summer Will Be Different, the setting is Prince Edward Island — and be still, my heart! My Anne of Green Gables inner child squealed with delight when I realized I’d be spending this reading time on PEI.
So, the story: Lucy is a city dweller, running a flower shop in Toronto that formerly belonged to her beloved late aunt. Lucy’s best friend Bridget is a PEI native, and Lucy loves nothing more than their summer trips to the island and Bridget’s family’s lovely seaside home there. But five years earlier, on Lucy’s first trip, she met a magnetic, sexy man upon arrival and spent an intense, amazing night with him… only to discover the next morning that he was Bridget’s younger brother. Oops. Especially since one of Bridget’s cardinal rules for Lucy was not to fall in love with that very same brother.
Lucy never tells Bridget about her hookup with Felix, and they stay apart for the rest of her visit — but each year, as Lucy returns to the island, she and Felix reconnect, and discover that their bond keeps getting stronger and stronger.
In the “now” portions of the book (the chapters alternate between the past and present), Bridget’s wedding is only weeks ago when she suddenly bolts, running back to PEI and summoning Lucy to her side. And although Lucy is super stressed with work, as well as with prep for Bridget’s wedding, she drops everything to be there with her. Of course, Felix is there too, and Lucy is forced to recognize that it’s becoming impossible to deny her attraction to him… and the very real feelings that neither has quite admitted yet.
I love pretty much everything about This Summer Will Be Different. The setting is amazing, the storytelling, with its two timelines, works seamlessly, and the romance is believable, sweet, and sexy. Beyond the romance, though, the friendship between Lucy and Bridget really makes this book sing. Their connection, devotion, support, and love is beautifully portrayed, and the author captures so many of the small moments and nuances that show the depth of a real friendship.
On the light side, there are plenty of fun moments touring the island, visiting amazing landmarks (including the Green Gables heritage center), and even attending an oyster-shucking contest (complete with all sorts of amazing shucking puns…). There are plenty of sadder, more serious moments too, as the characters navigate grief, disappointments, and impossible choices. But overall, despite the emotionally difficult sections, the tone is upbeat and full of summer joy.
As with Carley Fortune’s previous two novels, the audiobook narration for This Summer Will Be Different is terrific. The narrator does wonderful voices for the characters, captures the spirit of Lucy and Bridget’s banter and more heartfelt moments, and gives Felix a lovely delivery of his best romantic lines.
Carley Fortune was a new-to-me author in 2024, and will be a must-read author for me from this point onward. Her next novel will be released this spring, and I can’t wait!
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection.
I’ve bought a few hardcover editions of favorite books over the last several weeks, but since those are all books that I’ve already read (and in some cases, already have in my e-library), I thought I’d focus on my greatest buying temptation: Kindle books. I can’t resist a good Kindle price break, even though the result is having more e-books than I have time to read. It’s not the worst problem to have!
Here are the ten Kindle books I’ve added most recently:
Burn by Peter Heller
Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
Says Who? by Anne Curzan
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
The Glory by Herman Wouk
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
There’s Something About Mira by Sonali Dev
Have you read any of my recent additions? What books have you bought most recently?
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.
Hurray for long weekends! I’m so happy to have an extra day off — even if I am going to spend it running around on errands and taking care of the odds and ends I otherwise never seem to have time for.
This past week has been mostly work and projects at home, although I did get out to dance a few times, which always makes me happy.
In kitty news… Benji is ridiculously obsessed with this little bird toy, and we’re all ridiculously obsessed with watching him.
Goodreads and Kindle.
Will these sites never stop giving me (and all of us) headaches? Kindle now syncs with Goodreads challenges… but it doesn’t actually work correctly. When I finish reading a Kindle book, my Kindle marks it as read, and now adds it to my Goodreads challenge automatically — but meanwhile, it also gets added via Goodreads when I update the book there. This means that each book I finish ends up counted twice, and then I have to go back into the challenge and delete the duplicates.
Not the end of the world, but it’s annoying, and only started with the latest so-called improvement to Kindle functionality. Argh.
Blogging.
For those who chimed in last week about the WordPress bug causing copied posts to not save correctly… still not fixed. Even as I’m typing this post, I can see that the post title has already reverted itself back to the previous title.
Bookish love.
Stumbling across this meme made me unreasonable happy this week.
What did I read during the last week?
We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft: My first 5-star read of 2025! My review is here.
My Rosebud Boy by Rainbow Rowell: This is kind of like an AU fanfic… except it’s written by the author! This alternate-world story about Simon and Baz is sweet and romantic and lovely. Note: It was originally published in 2022 as part of a special limited offer, and has been next to impossible to track down. Someone shared a link to a PDF version with me, so I thought I’d pass it along: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dedpN_lSzLdP_K9PwZEjl215gNM9_hyN/view. (I’m wondering how legit it is to share the link, but since the book isn’t available for sale anywhere, it’s not depriving anyone of the income.)
Pop culture & TV:
Welp, that’s a wrap on season 7 of Outlander! The finale was well-done in many ways, yet the episode ends with a head-scratcher of a cliffhanger. Why, Outlander, why?
Has anyone else watched Deadloch (Prime Video)? I’ve watched three of the six episodes so far — really enjoyable. Check out the trailer!
On a lighter note, All Creatures Great and Small is back for a new season, and it’s just the bit of cheer and sweetness I needed!
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune: Loving it so far! I’d hoped to make more progress over the weekend, but life got busy. I should find time to finish either today or tomorrow.
Next up:
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig: My book group’s pick for January. As usual, I’m behind schedule! Our discussion is later this week.
Now playing via audiobook:
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune: I’ve loved every one of this author’s audiobooks, and this book is no exception. Getting close to the end!
Ongoing reads:
My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 24%. Up next: Chapters 12 and 13.
Title: We Love the Nightlife Author: Rachel Koller Croft Publisher: Berkley Publication date: August 20, 2024 Length: 378 pages Genre: Horror/fantasy Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Locked in a toxic female friendship, two vampires careen toward catastrophe in this dark and dazzling page-turner, set amidst London’s glittering disco scene.
London 1979. Two women with a deep love for disco meet one fateful night on the dance floor, changing the course of both their lives forever. Nicola, a beautiful and brooding vampire for nearly two centuries, can’t resist fun-loving and feisty Amber from America, ultimately offering an eternity together where the glamour of nightlife always takes center stage.
But not all is what it seems.
Nearly fifty years later, after an unexpected betrayal, Amber wants out from under Nicola’s thumb, but it won’t be so simple to break up this festering friendship when she learns others have done the same—and wound up dead.
Sensing Amber’s restlessness and in one last play to keep her close, Nicola proposes they open a nightclub of their very own, hearkening back to their best days as dancing queens. Amber agrees but she’s secretly hatching a dangerous escape plan. And if she fails…the party is over for good.
Did I know I needed a book about disco-loving vampires? Well, no. But clearly, I did… because I totally fell for this book.
I should have known the party was over when she casually suggested killing my husband back in 1981.
Amber is the life of the party in London, 1979, living it up on the dance floors of the most exclusive discos — gorgeous, young, magnetic. She’s certainly caught Nicola’s attention. Nicola is lonely, loves disco, and needs a new companion, and Amber would be perfect… so long as the idea of fangs and drinking blood doesn’t scare her away.
God, was there anything more irresistible than a brand-new gal pal?
At first, Nicola and Amber’s life together is blissful. Nightly parties, dancing perfectly in sync, never too far from the glitter and the spotlight.
[…] we used to be the stars of each other’s shows. She was obsessed with me; I was obsessed with her. And we lived for the nightlife. For disco. For the sweetness of my fresh youth that she stole from me, when I didn’t yet understand the entirety of what she’d taken.
Eventually, though, the thrill wears off, especially once Amber starts to realize just how much and how often Nicola has betrayed her trust, as she isolates her, keeps her dependent, and keeps her distracted with shiny clothes, dance music, and endless luxuries.
Written with chapters alternating between now (told from Amber’s perspective) and the duo’s past (told from Nicola’s perspective), we see their tangled lives move from a fun-loving, live-in-the-moment ethos to a more desperate dynamic, still amazing on the surface, but brimming with scheming and manipulation behind every move.
Tonally, there are plenty of moments of silliness and pop culture fangirling, from the Donna Summers-inspired catchphrases Amber and Nicola use to show affection (“toot toot”, “beep beep”) to the Spice Girls soundtrack playing in the background of a memorable turning. And while Amber eventually gets serious and gets down to some deadly plotting of her own, she still manages to show her inner party girl:
When she smiles at me, I see her fangs have sprouted for the first time. They’re adorable!
I honestly loved this book from start to finish. This isn’t particularly deep or literary fiction… but it absolutely captured my attention and never let go. An unexpected twist toward the end simply stopped me in my tracks. Perhaps other, more astute readers might have seen it coming, but I was gobsmacked. And delighted — I’ve read enough books with twists that I think I’ve become a bit jaded and hard to surprise in some ways, but We Love the Nightlife nails it.
Besides being a terrific vampire story (with disco!! can’t stress the disco element enough!), you can also see We Love the Nightlife as a cautionary tale about codependent friends. Vampire element aside, the ways in which Nicola and Amber manipulate and subtly undermine one another while also holding tight and eliminating outside distractions, all in the name of being BFFs, could be true of non-supernatural friendships as well. The blood and fangs set them apart, but the ways they hurt one another are not to vampires.
The writing in We Love the Nightlife is delicious, dark when it needs to be dark, but also full of humor and lusciously described scenes of dancing and music and the 70s-era scene. It’s utterly engaging, and also bleak and scary when the tension ramps up and the big, explosive ending gets closer.
I enjoyed every bit of We Love the Nightlife, and now want to check out the author’s previous novel, Stone Cold Fox. Highly recommended, so long as you don’t mind blood splatters on your glittery disco ball.
I enjoy two different Tuesday memes, and once again, their topics align this week — so I’m linking up with both.
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Bookish Goals for 2025, with the prompt: How many books do you want to read this year? Are you hoping to read outside your comfort zone? Are there books you meant to read last year but never got to? Are there new-to-you authors you’re hoping to read?
Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — and the topic is Top 5 bookish resolutions for 2025, with the prompt: What are 5 bookish resolutions you want to achieve in 2025? Any reading challenges you will be signing up for? Or would you like to focus on a specific genre or diversity to read more from? (Click here to see Meeghan’s upcoming T5T topics for January – March)
Isn’t it great when Tuesday topics fit together? I’m not necessarily answering their specific prompt questions — focusing more on my reading and book-shelving habits than on the specific books I want to read. (And not that much has changed from this time last year — I could probably just copy and paste my entire post from 2024 and call it a day!)
My goals are less about numbers, genres, or challenges. Instead, I’ll talk about my intentions: I intend to improve some of my reading and bookish habits, although my focus may shift during the year. Below are goals (intentions) that I’ll try to keep in mind as 2025 rolls along.
Read whatever I feel like, as much as I can. I say this every year… and every year it’s worth repeating! I’m always happiest when I read without a plan. It’s a wonderful feeling! Apart from ARCs and book group books, this is the approach that works for me… which is why I tend not to participate in very few (if any) reading challenges.
Keep ARC requests manageable, and keep up with the ARCs I’ve committed to. I’m a little over-extended for the first few months of 2025, but once I read all my February and March ARCs, my commitments should be much more under control. I intend to slow down on requesting any additional ARCs, other than ARCs for books I intend to read upon release no matter what.
Plan ahead to make time for my book group books. We have our book-of-the-month picks all set for 2025, and I’d like to be more thoughtful about planning my reading time so I include these books without feeling pressure or worrying about deadlines.
Commit to reading (or sampling) my priority series for 2025, which I highlighted in my series-to-read post for this year.
Keep my Goodreads challenge goal realistic. I’ve ended up exceeding my Goodreads challenge goal during each of the past several years, but that has a lot to do with including graphic novels and children’s books in the mix. Which is great, and I love when that happens, but I don’t want to assume it’ll be true every year. I’m starting with a more modest number to keep the pressure off and allow time for reading bigger books too, if I feel like it. And if I find myself ahead of target by mid-year, I can always adjust to a more ambitious goal.
Remember to note the format of the books I read. This isn’t a big deal, but I’ve been noticing that I tend to read certain genres via audiobook and others via print, and I probably should say which is which in my reviews. Not that it truly matters, but the audio experience can be very different than the print experience, and even just for my own reference, I’d like to be more consistent about classifying books correctly.
Continue finding time for classics. I’ve been participating in the Classics Club spins for the past couple of years, which I love — but I have a big list of classics yet to read, and I’d like to carve out some time for at least one or two outside of the “spin cycle”.
Continue to pare down the number of physical books on my shelves, and be mindful about which I keep and which I send on their way. 2024 was the year where one of my dreams came true, and I finally installed my very own Little Free Library. I’ve begun sorting my many, many books into keepers and non-keepers. For the ones I no longer feel the need to own, I’m trying to sell the ones in best condition on Pango Books, and most of the others are going into the LFL.
Do a big audiobook reread: I’ve been wanting to do an audio re-read of the Green Creek series by TJ Klune. I haven’t started yet — the books are long, and I only want to start when I know I’ll have both the time and the focus to listen to the four books in the series straight through.
What are your bookish goals for 2025? Whatever they may be… wishing you lots of bookish delights!
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 return to busy-ness — work is back at full swing, and I’ve had lots of little errands and projects keeping me on the run outside of work. Thankfully, we had clear blue skies over the weekend, so I was able to enjoy a couple of long walks and some outdoor reading time. (Give me a comfy chair on the back porch, a big iced coffee, and a good book, and I’m a very happy camper.)
Reading habits.
Speaking of my reading life, I shared my annual post about series I plan (or hope) to read in 2025. You can check it out here — I’d love to hear reactions and recommendations!
Also, just a general observation: I’ve been realizing that I tend to read books in the romance genre via audiobook, much more so than any other genre. I guess I like light, upbeats listens, and save heavier topics or more complicated reading for print? This isn’t an absolute rule or anything, just a pattern I’ve noticed. (How about you? Do you gravitate toward certain formats for certain genres?)
Blogging.
A new weird bug has popped up for me in WordPress these past few weeks. To start a new post, I typically copy an existing post, then edit the title and go from there. As of about two weeks ago, after I edit the title and hit save, the post title reverts to the original title, although the post itself is saved as a new draft. I find that I have to exit the post and use the Quick Edit option to get the title to stick. The body of the post saves just fine; it’s just the title that refuses to stick. Anyone else experiencing this?
Little Free Library update.
Awwwww. I went out for a walk yesterday, and when I got back, I saw that my LFL was filled with new books — a whole slew of kids’ books, including a bunch of Raina Telgemeier books! It made me happy.
What did I read during the last week?
The Thorns Remain by JJA Harwood: Finished at the end of last week. Really good! My review is here.
The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler: Like a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form — sweet, predictable, cozy, guaranteed happy ending. (And yes, I enjoyed it!) My review is here.
The Apology by Jimin Han: My book group’s most recent discussion book — parts of the story really fascinated me, and then I lost interest during the second half. Still, there was a lot to discuss, and overall I’m glad I read it.
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava: A rom-com notable for its indigenous representation, but the office romance elements made me cringe. My review is here.
Pop culture & TV:
I watched The Substance this past week. Whoa… so gross and disturbing, but also weird and bizarre and fascinating. I totally get all the buzz about Demi Moore — she’s phenomenal in this movie! It’s super gory (I watched certain scenes while peeking through my fingers), and definitely not for anyone squeamish, but it certainly had an impact. It’s been days, and I’m still thinking about it.
Fresh Catch:
My pretty new hardcover edition of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear arrived this week! This is the 10th book in the Wayward Children series, and it’s a great one! I reviewed it earlier this month; see my thoughts here.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft: How could I resist a disco-themed vampire book?
Now playing via audiobook:
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune: I’m planning to start this audiobook today! I loved the last two books by this author, and can’t wait to dive in.
Ongoing reads:
My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 20%. Up next: Chapters 10 and 11.
Title: The Truth According to Ember Author: Danica Nava Narrators: Siena East Publisher: Berkley Publication date: August 6, 2024 Print length: 343 pages Audio length: 9 hours 8 minutes Genre: Contemporary romance Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
A Chickasaw woman who can’t catch a break serves up a little white lie that snowballs into much more in this witty and irresistible rom-com by debut author Danica Nava.
Ember Lee Cardinal has not always been a liar—well, not for anything that counted at least. But her job search is not going well and when her resumé is rejected for the thirty-seventh time, she takes matters into her own hands. She gets “creative” listing her qualifications and answers the ethnicity question on applications with a lie—a half-lie, technically. No one wanted Native American Ember, but white Ember has just landed her dream accounting job on Park Avenue (Oklahoma City, that is).
Accountant Ember thrives in corporate life—and her love life seems to be looking up too: Danuwoa Colson, the IT guy and fellow Native who caught her eye on her first day, seems to actually be interested in her too. Despite her unease over the no-dating policy at work, they start to see each other secretly, which somehow makes it even hotter? But when they’re caught in a compromising position on a work trip, a scheming colleague blackmails Ember, threatening to expose their relationship. As the manipulation continues to grow, so do Ember’s lies. She must make the hard decision to either stay silent or finally tell the truth, which could cost her everything.
The Truth According to Ember generated a lot of buzz in 2024, notably for being one of the lone examples of a rom-com written by a Native American author and with indigenous characters in the lead roles, rather than being relegated to secondary/supporting character status.
This story of a woman resorting lies to change her life has a lot of charm and a nice flow, but very questionable choices and actions drag it down and make it hard to truly root for the main character.
Ember works a dead end job at a bowling alley, lost the money she’d been saving toward her education when her brother skipped out on bail, and keeps getting rejected from every job she applies to. She’s taken accounting classes at the community college and dreams of becoming an accountant, but can’t seem to get her foot in the door. Fed up, she pads her resume with a degree she hasn’t earned and work experience that she doesn’t actually have, and ends up getting not just an interview, but a job.
Hired as an accounting assistant for a tech company, Ember is elated about finally breaking into the corporate world. Once she starts getting her paychecks, she fully intends to continue taking classes and getting the degree she claims to have. Meanwhile, she’s a quick learner — she doesn’t actually know how to do most of the work her job entails, but after quickly googling how to use QuickBooks, she’s on her way.
Complicating things at the office is the super hot IT guy — a gorgeous man named Danuwoa (who allows himself to be called Dan in the office, since no one seems capable of learning his actual name). Ember is smitten, and and the feeling seems to be mutual, but since the company has a strict no dating policy, he’s off-limits… or is he?
As Ember and Donuwoa begin secretly seeing each other and Ember gets a surprise promotion into an interim role as executive assistant to the CEO, the lies she’s told are a ticking timebomb. If the truth comes out, she’ll imperil not only her own job, but Donuwoa’s as well.
I should pause here to stay that because of my “day job” — I work in HR — this book made my brain hurt in so many ways. When she lies on her resume and lies about her job skills, I wanted to scream. But also, during her interview, the HR rep not only asks non-work questions but also basically comments on how hot Donuwoa is when he walks by. Just, no. No, no, no.
So clearly, I am not the best person to assess this book. There is quite a bit to enjoy, especially the observations on racism and sexism in the workplace, even when the worst offenders believe themselves (and declare themselves) to be “woke”. The vibe between Ember and Donuwoa is flirty and sexy, and they have great chemistry. Donuwoa is almost too perfect, kind, caring, understanding, and an amazing big brother to his sister Walela, who herself is all kinds of awesome.
I appreciated Ember finally coming to certain realizations about looking to community for support and not having to do everything on her own. Obviously, she also learns some major lessons about honesty, in her work life and in her relationships, once her lies catch up with her and blow up in her face.
Still, the workplace lies and poor judgement (like hooking up in a supply closet) made it hard for me to enjoy the book as a whole, and when Ember’s lies spread to not being up front with Donuwoa about what’s happening, I lost most of my sympathy for Ember.
I’m glad I gave The Truth According to Ember a try, and did appreciate many aspects of the setting, the challenges faced by the characters, and the dynamics between Ember and her friends and family, as well as her connection with Donuwoa. However, the problematic issues repeatedly took me out of the story and prevented me from fully feeling immersed.
[Note to self: Maybe HR professionals just shouldn’t read books about workplace romances… ]
Here we are, approaching the middle of January — and that means it’s time for me to think about my plans for reading series in the coming year.
Each January, I typically identify a few series that I want to prioritize in the coming year. At the moment, I only have one in mind that I know I want to read a lot of, or maybe even read all the way through to the end.
Meanwhile, there are a few series (completed or ongoing) that I’d like to at least start. If I like the first book, maybe I’ll decide to keep going… but in any case, I hope to sample a few series starters and then see how I feel.
My priority series to read in 2025 will be:
Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong: I read the first book late in 2024, and can’t wait to clear my reading obligation pile a bit so I can start bingeing more books in this series.
If I somehow manage to get through the remaining six books, I’ll likely want to start the follow-up series, Haven’s Rock… but that’s a big if, and I’m not going to plan on that right now.
Other series to sample or binge in 2025:
The Mary books (Lady Janies series) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: I’ve now read the three Jane books, and would like to get to all three of the Mary books in 2025… but so long as I read at least one, I’ll feel pretty good.
Green Rider series by Kristen Britain: I’m planning to read the first book, and if all goes well, I hope to continue. I have high hopes — I’ve heard good things!
A pair of duologies round out my list for now — I’ve been wanting to get to these, and hope that 2025 will be the year when I make it happen.
The Stolen Heir duology by Holly Black: Technically, only one of these would be new to me. I read The Stolen Heir when it was first released, but I’d need to do a re-read before reading The Prisoner’s Throne.
Gilded duology by Marissa Meyer: I own hardcover editions of both books (don’t ask!), but have yet to pick them up. Maybe audio will be the way to go.
The “maybe” books:
And now, all my “maybe” choices — these are all series starters that I’m interested in. Maybe I’ll get to some of these in 2025, and then maybe I’ll want to read more from the same series… or maybe not. In any case, here are the other series starters that I’m considering this year, including several that are holdovers from 2024:
Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall
Pines by Blake Crouch
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey (because I feel like I absolutely should have read the Valdemar books by now)
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky (which, yes, has been on my series-to-read list for several years now, but I haven’t given up!)
Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews (one of my holdovers — so if it doesn’t happen in 2025, it’s probably never going to happen)
Never Fall for Your Fiancé(Merriwell Sisters, #1) by Virginia Heath
Virgin River by Robyn Carr (because I’ve watched every season of the Netflix show, and it’s probably time to check out the original story)
Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern, #1) by Anne McCaffrey (because how have I made it this far in my reading life without ever trying this series?)
Are you planning to start any new series this year? If you’ve read any of the series on my list for 2025, please let me know what you thought and if you have any recommendations!
Bookshelf Fantasies 