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 Debut Novels I Enjoyed.
I had to go digging a bit, since I don’t necessarily know which of the books I’ve loved have been debut novels. But after a little research, here’s what I’ve come up with.
My top ten debut novels:
Rosemary & Rue (October Daye, #1) by Seanan McGuire (review)
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (review)
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.
I’m back! My husband and I spent the past week in beautiful Hawaii, enjoying sand, sun, gorgeous seas, delicious food, and utter relaxation.
I managed to fit in quite a lot of reading while we were there — bliss! It was hard to leave paradise behind and return home… vacations must eventually end, but since my husband stated mid-week “I could see coming back here every year”, we can start looking forward to the next time!
Blogging world:
I was offline all of last week, so I’ll have quite a bit of catching up to do on my blog. One thing I missed this week was the kick-off of the summer Classics Club Spin, a blogging event that I always enjoy. I didn’t get back in time to put up a pre-spin post before the results announcement — but since I already have a list from previous spins, I’m going to read the book that corresponds to the newest spin anyway! See my ongoing reads, below, to find out what it is.
What did I read during the last week?
I finished two books right before leaving on vacation:
I haven’t had time to write up my reactions to these books yet, but I should have reviews coming later this week:
Cocktails & Chloroform (A Rip Through Time, #2.5) by Kelley Armstrong
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
Until Next Summer by Ali Brady
The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar
Pop culture & TV:
Nada! I didn’t turn on a TV or do any streaming during the past week! Of course, now that I’m back, there’s plenty to choose from. I’ll probably start with season 4 of The Boys. I’m preparing myself for all the over-the-top ickiness that show is sure to entail…
Fresh Catch:
One new book arrived for me this week — a lovely hardcover edition of The Black Bird Oracle.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness: I powered through about half of this book on the plane trip home, but haven’t had much reading time since. I love being back in the All Souls world!
Now playing via audiobook:
Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4) by Julia Quinn: I had little moments on vacation where I need an audiobook, but didn’t want to have to concentrate too hard — so doing an audio reread of a favorite Bridgerton book seemed like an obvious choice! I’m enjoying this one quite a bit — should finish later this week.
Ongoing reads:
My longer-term reading commitments:
Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 41%. Coming up this week: Chapter 12, “Angels of Mercy”
The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare: My book group is reading and discussing two scenes per week. Progress: 29%. Coming up this week: Act III, scenes 1 and 2.
It’s the Classics Club spin book! The newest spin landed on #17, and on my list, that’s The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima. I read this book eons ago (i.e., for a high school literature class), and I’m eager to reread it. I’m not sure if I’ll start it right away, or wait until closer to the spin deadline of 9/22. Plenty of time to get it done!
This exuberant debut, praised by Gabrielle Zevin as a “time-bending gem,” asks: how do we navigate life, love and choice in a world of never-ending options?
When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.
As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?
I can pretty much guarantee that you’ve never read a story like this before! The idea sounds nuts — a woman discovers that she has some sort of magical attic that delivers a stream of new husbands to her (not that she had a husband to begin with), and if she doesn’t like the one she gets, she just sends him back up to the attic and waits for the next one to come down.
Despite the out-there premise, The Husbands is a terrific read. Parts are laugh-out-loud funny, but mixed in with the absurdity of it all are nuggets of truth about love, relationships, and learning to live with and accept another person.
The moment his foot disappears, doubt washes through her. Perhaps she will receive only worse and worse husbands, maybe he was the best available, this was her chance and she’s fucked it up.
Lauren’s life turns upside-down when the first husband arrives, but once she realizes that the attic essentially offers a reset, she’s able to change her life at will. Different husbands bring different realities. Each time a new husband arrives, she discovers that her life changes too: Each husband is a doorway into a life some version of her would have chosen, and that means not only a different partner, but also other areas of divergence — different clothes, differently decorated flat, different jobs, even different body shapes. Some versions of Lauren’s life include a devotion to working out or hiking; in others, she’s clearly too worn down to bother. In many, she works in the same job, but there are times when she doesn’t work at all, has jobs she doesn’t know how to do, or finds herself promoted into a role that stresses her out.
Some husbands are more memorable than others. Some Lauren sends back immediately; some she lives with for a few days. There are some she can’t wait to get rid of, and one, sadly, that she wants to keep, but loses to his efficiency (he goes to stow something in the attic before she can stop him, and then he’s gone).
For the first third or so of the book, I wondered if this was what the whole book would be like — just a random string of husbands, and how Lauren interacts with each one. It goes much deeper than that, though, and the storyline gets more intricate and compelling as new developments occur.
Lauren’s never-ending cycle of husbands leads her to ponder choices and outcomes. She realizes that each husband is someone some version of herself chose, and therefore starts to assess each one more critically. Why this person? How did the two of them forge a connection? In what version of her life does this particular marriage make sense?
It’s such an interesting dilemma: What does it mean to enter a relationship that’s already well underway? Lauren is never a newlywed in any of these alternate versions of her life. Each husband is someone she must originally have fallen for, with all the thrills of new love… but by the time they descend the attic stairs, those days are in the past.
There is a time, she thinks, at the start of any relationship, when the process of falling in love softens a personality, like wax in a warm room. And so two people in love change, just a little, pushing their wax figures together, a protuberance here smoothed down but creating a dip there. It doesn’t last long, the time when love can gently change who you are, and in the relationships that she’s visited over the last six months, the moment has long passed.
With each husband, Lauren has to wonder if this is the one to keep, or could the next one possibly be better?
She has always hated being wrong, the idea of doing something that turns out to be an irredeemable mistake.
The consequences of Lauren’s shuffling of husbands become more dire as the book progresses. Eventually, Lauren must decide how much more she can take and whether getting herself out of the cycle is worth the risk of being stuck with someone imperfect.
The Husbands is such a weird and wild book, but I loved it! The writing is fantastic. The pacing zips along, but there are moments of introspection that really strike a nerve. I found the concept and Lauren’s ever-shifting reality absolutely fascinating, deeply engrossing, and very often, incredibly funny. The book provides lots of food for thought on what we risk when we enter into a relationship with another human being — how much can go wrong and how much can go right, how much is unknowable, and how many different outcomes can stem from seemingly simple decisions.
Ultimately, The Husbands is both terrific entertainment and a below-the-surface look at the intricacies of relationships and marriage.
This was another of those weeks where quiet time was hard to find — so rather than trying to get through a full novel, I kept my audiobook listening limited to short stories and novellas. The results were mostly positive! Here’s a quick round-up of what I listened to and what I thought:
Renowned author Peter S. Beagle returns to the world of The Last Unicorn in this resonant and moving two-novella collection, featuring the award-winning “Two Hearts” and the brand-new “Sooz.”
The Last Unicorn is one of fantasy’s most revered classics, beloved by generations of readers and with millions of copies in print. Revisiting the world of that novel, Beagle’s long-awaited Hugo and Nebula-Awards-winning “Two Hearts” introduced the irrepressible Sooz on a quest to save her village from a griffin, and explored the bonds she formed with unforgettable characters like the wise and wonderful Molly Grue and Schmendrick the Magician.
In the never-before-published “Sooz,” the events of “Two Hearts” are years behind its narrator, but a perilous journey lies ahead of her, in a story that is at once a tender meditation on love and loss, and a lesson in finding your true self.
The Way Home is suffused with Beagle’s wisdom, profound lyricism, and sly wit; and collects two timeless works of fantasy.
I read Peter S. Beagle’s classic fantasy tale The Last Unicorn about a year ago, and loved the characters, the setting, and the storytelling. There’s also a lovely graphic novel version — out of print and hard to find at a reasonable price, but fortunately, my library had a copy.
The Way Home, published in 2023, is a bind-up of two novellas. Two Hearts was originally published in 2006 (and won both the Nebula and Hugo awards); Sooz is a new work published for this edition.
Two Hearts is lovely. It’s the story of nine-year-old Sooz, who’s brokenhearted by the losses inflicted on her village by a marauding griffin — and with perfectly reasonable nine-year-old logic, decides that the only solution is to go find the king herself and ask him to come save the day. Sooz’s journey takes her to King Lir, introduced in The Last Unicorn as a young prince. Here, he’s an old, old man who spends most of his time dozing on his throne… but dons his armor one last time because a brave girl asks him to. Two other familiar characters, Schmendrick and Molly Grue, add warmth and comfort to the story. It’s all quite wonderful.
Sooz works less well. In this novella, Sooz is 17-years-old, and discovers on her birthday that her parents had another daughter before she was born — a beautiful little girls named Jenia who went off to live with the faeries (or “Dreamies” as she calls them) and never came back. Sooz knows in her heart that it’s her destiny to find Jenia and bring her home. What follows is a quest into a land of magic and terrors, in which Sooz finds a true ally, loses parts of herself, and comes to terms with who she herself truly is.
To be honest, Sooz drags quite a bit. The audio narrator does a very nice job with the tone and the characters, and creates a dreamlike experience for the listener, but the story itself is very drawn out, and I struggled to pay attention on and off throughout the story.
[SPOILER]: There’s a rape scene (more implied than graphic, but it’s clear what’s happened) that in my opinion is completely unnecessary and very out of place in a fantasy tale. The story can hold darkness without adding in sexual assault. I was disturbed that the author felt this was something that needed to be included — surely, some other sort of bad experience could have befallen the character to shake her up and make her realize the danger she was in.
Overall, I’d say that Two Hearts is absolutely worth a listen, especially for anyone who’s read and loved The Last Unicorn. I’m on the fence about Sooz. There are some interesting elements, but it just didn’t hold my interest as a whole, and that one scene makes it difficult to say that this is a story I’d recommend.
Penguin Audio: 5 hours, 22 minutes Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Sally has recently left an unfulfilling job to volunteer at a living history museum, where she is assigned to the Death House. Every day, she dons Victorian mourning garb and describes traditional funeral services to tourists. It sounds depressing as hell, but for Sally, it’s less depressing than her tepid marriage to her childhood sweetheart.
This becomes all too clear when she accidentally travels through time and space to a liminal world where the ghosts of the living history museum haunt its grounds. There, she meets and falls hard for Victorian-era pretty boy Nathaniel. Their heady, romantic encounters douse Sally in the sad reality that her marriage is anything but and leave her tempted to join Nathaniel permanently in his realm.
Is Sally’s marriage literally a fate worse than death, or is there another way altogether?
When I stumbled across an audiobook short story by Rachel Harrison — author of such fantastic books as Black Sheep, Sharp Teeth, and Cackle — I knew I had to give it a listen. What fun! In this quick, tightly drawn tale, a disaffected young woman dresses up in Victorian mourning clothes to give living history museum tours, then accidentally finds herself in a ghost-filled limbo on the same grounds. Sally and Nathaniel fall instantly in love, and he proposes to her on the spot, but there really is only one way for Sally to stay with him forever. Is it worth it?
This ghostly story is eerie and has some great supernatural elements, but is also terrific in the way it shows a young woman recognizing the stagnation of her married life and the need to take control of her own destiny. Definitely worth checking out!
Audible Original; 47 minutes Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
An android who knows nothing besides his work in a factory is given one final week to explore the world before he is forced to undergo mandatory reprogramming in this bittersweet precursor to TJ Klune’s In the Lives of Puppets.
This was a funny choice for me, because I didn’t love In the Lives of Puppets as much as I expected to (given that I’ve been head over heels for everything else I’ve read by TJ Klune). And if I didn’t love the novel, why would I expect a better outcome with its prequel?
But all’s well that ends well: I’m so happy I decided to give Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! a try.
The story is fairly straightforward: Douglas is an android who’s faithfully carried out his factory work and followed all the rules for the ten years of his existence. For his final week before being rebooted, he’s granted a pass that gives him the freedom to leave the factory and explore life in the world of humans. As he spends time in parks and streets and markets and more, he sees birds and colors and people, hears music and starts to dance, and reads countless books — including a hidden book of philosophy by René Descartes, which gets him thinking about who and what he is.
This story is sheer joy — it has plenty of sadness too, but the writing is gorgeous, and it’s exhilarating to see the world from Douglas’s point of view. The audiobook narrator rocks. A highly recommended listening experience.
Macmillan Audio: 1 hours, 27 minutes Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
It takes nothing less than a fateful natural disaster to throw two opposites together in a ground-shakingly charming short story by the New York Times bestselling author of Drunk on Love.
This Valentine’s Day, Daisy Murray has her heart set on binge-watching rom-coms. Instead, an earthquake traps her inside a bakery with its impossibly rude and insufferably handsome owner and head baker. They already have a history: she’s always smiled, he’s always scowled. Where better to finally get to know each other than amid the disaster? Then again, they have no choice. Besides, it could have its sweet, undeniable, and unpredictable perks.
Jasmine Guillory’s Drop, Cover, and Hold On is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting. Let’s make a date of it.
I don’t know that I have much to say about this short story. The synopsis says it all! Main character Daisy gets trapped inside her favorite bakery — alongside the very hot bakery owner — when an earthquake hits. She thinks he hates her… but maybe his scowly face has distracted her from realizing that he always has her favorite pastries available on the days she usually stops in?
This story is sweet (ha!), flirty, and fun. It won’t rock your world (earthquake pun time!!), but the description of the baked goods hooked me almost as much as the chemistry between the characters. It’s a fun, quick listen.
Audible Original: 1 hours, 5 minutes Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Not too bad for a week when I didn’t think I’d have time for audiobooks! I don’t usually gravitate toward short stories, but this week, this selection was just what I needed.
Carol at Reading Ladies hosts an annual collaboration of book bloggers, in which bloggers from around the world offer recommendations for great books to read this summer. I feel honored to participate, and I’m delighted to share the link:
Title: The Partner Plot Series: The Greene Sisters, #2 Author: Kristina Forest Publisher: Berkley Publication date: February 27, 2024 Length: 416 pages Genre: Contemporary romance Source: Library Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Two former high school sweethearts get a second chance in this marriage of convenience romance by Kristina Forest, author of The Neighbor Favor.
To Violet Greene, fashion is everything. As a successful celebrity stylist, she travels all over the world, living out her dreams. Professionally, she’s thriving, but her personal life is in shambles. After surviving a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé six months ago, Violet is now determined to focus on her career. But life hands her something—or rather, someone—that might derail everything…
Xavier Wright did not expect to run into his high school girlfriend Violet—the girl he once thought he’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. As a high school teacher and basketball coach, he rarely leaves his New Jersey hometown, so what were the chances? But when the initial shock wears off, they decide to celebrate together. They feel young and reckless as they party the night away—and reckless they clearly were when the following morning, they wake up beside each other with rings on their fingers.
Their impulsive nuptials might be a blessing in disguise, though, when they realize that both of their careers could benefit from the marriage. So they play the part of a blissfully wedded couple. Yet when their passion comes hurling back, they realize their feelings are just as real as they were back when they were teens. But are their lives too different to stick it through or will they finally get a happy ending?
The Partner Plot is the 2nd book in author Kristina Forest’s Greene Sisters trilogy, which began with the 2023 novel The Neighbor Favor. The first book focuses on Lily, the youngest of three sisters (all with flower names), a booklover who falls for the author of her favorite fantasy series, not realizing that he’s also the attractive man who lives down the hall from her.
In Lily’s story, we meet middle sister Violet, a fashion stylist who moves in a high-octane world of celebrities and nonstop parties. Here in The Partner Plot, Violet takes center stage.
When we last saw Violet, her wedding had imploded rather spectacularly after her fiancé cheated on her with one of her clients just a few short weeks before the big day. Now single again, Violet doubts she’ll ever trust enough to invest in a new relationship, and has to deal with seeing her ex and her ex-client constantly making the tabloids. It’s embarrassing, to say the least.
While away with her best friend (and biggest client) in Las Vegas, she runs into Xavier Wright, her first love, who broke Violet’s heart at age 19. Neither has truly recovered from their breakup, even though it’s been 10 years. After a night of drinking and dancing, Violet and Xavier wake up in bed together with rings on their fingers… and after a few moments of panic, find a receipt from a chapel that specializes in fake weddings. It was a great night, but they’re relieved that they didn’t do anything truly stupid, and prepare to go their separate ways again.
Except… as Violet is being interviewed for a fashion magazine profile that could catapult her career to the next level, she’s asked about her ex-fiancé yet again… and desperate to redirect, she mentions that she’s over him completely — in fact she just married her high school sweetheart, who now teaches and coaches basketball at the high school where they met. Meanwhile, Xavier is applying for what he thinks could be his dream job, an assistant coach position at a nearby college, but the (jerkish) head coach doesn’t think a single guy would be as reliable as he needs. Fortunately, Xavier just got married to his high school sweetheart…
Cue the fake marriage trope! In this case, Xavier and Violet end up thrust back into each others’ lives (because reasons), start spending serious amounts of time together, and realize that the sparks — and the love — never truly went away. But their lifestyles are so different — is there any way they could make a real relationship work?
The Partner Plot has cute moments and likable characters, but the plot itself is a tad rote. We know exactly where it’s going, and even the predictable last-minute crisis that threatens to derail the relationship isn’t really much of a crisis after all. Violet and Xavier will of course end up together, will of course achieve the career success they’re looking for, and will of course find a way to have it all. Sure, there are bumps along the way, but the outcome is never in doubt.
I enjoyed The Partner Plot, and it’s fun to see the Greene family back in action, but overall, it felt like it was missing something, especially in comparison to The Neighbor Favor, which focused on two very bookish main characters: We see them in bookstores, discussing books, sharing books, absolutely fangirling/fanboying out over their favorite authors and series… and that made The Neighbor Favor delightful, even when the romance tropes of the novel started to feel a bit by the numbers. Without that fun piece to pull me in, The Partner Plot was just… fine. The worlds of fashion and celebrity gossip really don’t interest me, so while I liked Violet, her career path and its challenges just didn’t hold much appeal.
And then there’s the central issue of the fake marriage. Violet and Xavier are both initially motivated to keep the fake marriage going because it’s good for their careers — and this just feels preposterous. Violet could surely have found another way to redirect the interview back to her achievements and away from gossip (this is supposed to be a prestigious magazine, after all, not a gossip rag). For Xavier, the coach who doesn’t want to hire a “bachelor” because he won’t be as committed to the job as a married man is clearly an awful person, and he should have run screaming in the other direction after one phone call. The idea that claiming to be married is beneficial to their careers feels like an unhelpful throwback to the 1950s (okay, maybe 1980s or 1990s) — such an awkward reason to get this plot point off the ground.
Still, The Partner Plot is a quick read, and some scenes and situations are quite clever, with humor and emotion mixed in. The challenge of seeing whether the teen love of your life can translate into an actual relationship partner as an adult is portrayed sensitively, and I appreciate how this series emphasizes the importance of family and community.
Next up in the series: The Love Lyric, focusing on oldest sister Iris. I really like her as a character… so yes, I’ll be looking for this one when it’s released in 2025~
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. The prompt for this week’s TTT is: Throwback Freebie (Pick a TTT topic that has been previously done. Maybe you missed it, weren’t blogging then, or you’d like to update an old list you made.)
I decided to go with a topic that I last did in 2021 and really liked: Book Titles That Are Complete Sentences . My 2021 post is here; read on for a new, refreshed list. All books listed are books I’ve read since then.
I managed to find many more than I expected to! For purposes of this post, I’m sticking to ten… but I’m bookmarking this topic for myself, so I can come back to it next time I need a freebie theme.
My top ten picks for books with complete sentences as titles:
Where Have All the Boys Gone? by Jenny Colgan (review)
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.
I’m on a vacation countdown! My husband and I are taking a week away starting this coming Sunday, and I can’t wait. Just need to get through this workweek, pack my bags, and I’ll be ready to go! Once I decide which books to bring, of course.
What did I read during the last week?
Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong: This book made me so happy! My review is here.
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan: On the other hand, this book brought on the waterworks. Very powerful and emotional. My review is here.
My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows: The 2nd book in a really fun series. Classic fiction + ghosts + heavy doses of silliness. My review is here.
Pop culture & TV:
I finished season 3 of The Bear this past week, and it was… okay? A few great episodes, but not a lot actually happened to move the overall story forward. Still, very artistic production throughout, and it’s great to see the characters again.
And now, I’m watching My Lady Jane! I’ve seen three episodes so far. It’s cute and really fun, but I’m not sure I love all the changes from the book… Let’s see how the rest of the episodes go!
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest: This is the follow-up to a book I read a few months ago (The Neighbor Favor) — it happened to be available for an immediate borrow as I was scrolling my library ebook site, so I grabbed it! I’m almost done — review to follow in the next day or so.
Now playing via audiobook:
The Way Home by Peter S. Beagle: This book is two novellas set in the world of The Last Unicorn, and it’s lovely so far.
Ongoing reads:
Two longer-term reading commitments:
Damn Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 by Maggie Craig: Over at Outlander Book Club, we’re doing a group read of this non-fiction book, discussing one chapter each Friday. Progress: 33%. Coming up this week: Chapter 10, “On the Other Hand”
The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare: My book group is reading and discussing two scenes per week. Progress: 16%. Coming up this week: Act II, scenes 1 and 2
Title: My Oxford Year Author: Julia Whelan Narrator: Julia Whelan Publisher: William Morrow Publication date: April 24, 2018 Print length: 352 pages Audio length: 9 hours 58 minutes Genre: Contemporary fiction Source: Purchased Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future—perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.
American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.
When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.
Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.
Warning: Do not listen to My Oxford Year in public. I can’t be responsible for what happens. (But embarrassing ugly crying is a strong possibility…)
I’m a little baffled as to how to write this review. I had a major plot point spoiled for me ahead of time, and I wish I hadn’t known to expect it. So, on the one hand, I don’t want to give spoilers here… on the other hand, it’ll be hard to discuss this book in any meaningful way without it.
But here goes… I’ll give it a try.
(But first, a further note: The content could be upsetting for someone to encounter without forewarning… so I’m going to put content warnings over on my Goodreads review, under a spoiler blur. Check if out here if you want to know.)
24-year-old Ella Durran heads to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, something she’s dreamed of all her life. As her magical, longed-for year kicks off — literally as she’s arriving at Heathrow — she’s also offered a dream job opportunity, working as the education consultant for the woman who stands a good chance of becoming the party nominee for President in the next election. Ella’s future lies in political organizing, and while she’ll be studying literature at Oxford, she also has her eye on what happens after Oxford. Ella’s return ticket is already booked for June 11th of the next spring, and she works out a deal with the campaign: She’ll work remotely while at Oxford, then return next June and commit full-time to the race.
Initially, Ella experiences fish-out-of-water mishaps at Oxford — such as nearly getting run over due to looking the wrong way while crossing the street. The “posh prat” at the wheel ends up being Ella’s literature lecturer, and their unfortunate first meeting leads to attraction, and eventually, a no-strings hook-up plan that’s hot, exciting, and low commitment. It’s good for as long as it’s good, and that — they both agree — will be that.
Meanwhile, Ella also settles in, forms a handful of close friendships, and starts to truly relax into and appreciate her Oxford experience. And as things with Jamie continue to be thrilling, Ella’s having the time of her life.
All is not as perfect as it seems, though… and then Ella’s life (and the book) become more intense and complicated. One of Ella’s go to responses is “It’s a plan” as a form of agreeing or making a commitment, but what happens when life gets in the way of well thought-out plans?
I really can’t say more, but trust me when I say this book packs an emotional punch. There were times when I wanted nothing more than to give Ella a good shake, but her visceral responses to certain challenges, as well as her unwillingness or inability to see what’s right in front of her, feel real and true to life. It makes sense that Ella takes so long to acknowledge what she truly wants, or to recognize that having a plan doesn’t mean that the plan is actually the right course of action. As frustrating as she can be, Ella is a character who clicks precisely because she doesn’t always make perfect decisions or react the way we’d want her to react. She’s definitely flawed, and that helps us root for her.
And what can I say about Jamie? He’s sheer perfection, an absolute cupcake, and I challenge any reader not to be absolutely mad about him.
The larger cast of characters is terrific as well, rounding out Ella’s life in a way that gives her experiences more depth and connection. I loved getting to know the various people in her and Jamie’s lives, and seeing each of their journeys as well.
Author Julia Whelan narrates the audiobook. For any audiobook fans, you’ll know that this means the listening experience will be fabulous. Julia Whelan is the queen of audiobook narration, and hearing her narrate her own book is a chance to be transported into the feel of of the story and utterly absorbed.
My Oxford Year puts the reader through the emotional wringer in a way I hadn’t anticipated (until I was told a spoiler). At first, when I thought I was just reading a book about a year in a rarified academic setting, I didn’t feel entirely engaged. Do I care about stuffy universities and lecture halls and dissection of poetry? (Maybe just a smidge…) But when the more personal aspects of the plot kicked in, I was hooked, heart and soul.
I was a mess by the end of this book, but also uplifted and moved and satisfied. My Oxford Year is lovely and powerful, and should not be missed.
PS – My Oxford Year is coming to Netflix! No information yet on exactly when, but a preliminary casting announcement was recently shared… good stuff!
Title: My Plain Jane Series: The Lady Janies, #2 Author: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows Publisher: HarperTeen Publication date: June 26, 2018 Length: 447 pages Genre: Young adult Source: Purchased Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)
Or does she?
Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.
Long live the Lady Janies! Which are, for those wondering, a series of silly, imaginative books that turn history and classic fiction inside out and upside down. I adored My Lady Jane, the first book in the series, and finally picked up #2, My Plain Jane… and had a smashing good time reading it.
Poor Jane Eyre, an impoverished orphan who has endured a cruel aunt, hard years of cold and starvation at the awful Lowood school, and seems destined for a life as a governess — really the only option available for a young woman of her circumstances. It’ll be sad to leave her good friend Charlotte Brontë behind when she leaves Lowood, but Jane is ready to start the next chapter of her life — and fortunately, her best best friend Helen Burns can go with her. Helen is a ghost, you see, and Jane has the rare gift of seeing and communicating with ghosts.
When Alexander Blackwood, an agent of the Royal Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits, arrives at Lowood to dispense with a troublesome ghost, he recognizes Jane as a fellow Seer, and tries to recruit her for the Society. Jane is determined to stick to her plan of becoming a governess, but Charlotte is intrigued. She spends her days writing and dreaming of excitement, and she wants more than anything to join the Society too.
Once Jane arrives at Thornfield Hall for her governess gig and meets her employer, Mr. Rochester, her priorities start to shift. It’s not just devotion to her student that keeps her at Thornfield — Mr. Rochester is dreamy… despite being kind of rude, broody, and much older than Jane. (The authors take a great deal of delight in mentioning Mr. Rochester’s… um… maturity… at every opportunity.)
Mr. Rochester, due to age, was falling farther behind.
Hijinks ensue. You don’t really want to know the details, do you? Let’s just say, there are ghosts and ghostly possessions, a madwoman in the attic who may not be what she seems, sword fights, getting lost on the moors, and royal confrontations, among other adventures.
My Plain Jane is oodles of fun, and so very, very silly. The writing sparkles with good-natured wit and sly humor. I lost track of how many times it’s mentioned that Jane is plain… it gets ridiculously funny after a while.
Here are just a few little tastes of My Plain Jane:
“I assure you, sir, I am no one worth noting,” she said, although this did nothing to stop his obvious noting of her in his notebook.
From the ad for a governess that Jane finds:
WANTED: A GOVERNESS FOR ONE ADORABLE CHILD.
THE YOUNG LADE IN QUESTION SHOULD BE AT LEAST EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, WELL EDUCATED, PROFICIENT IN THE PIANOFORTE, ABLE TO CONJUGATE LATIN VERBS, AND WELL VERSED IN CLASSIC LITERATURE. MOREOVER IT IS PREFERRED THAT SAID YOUNG LADY HAVE A CHEERY DISPOSITION, ROSY CHEEKS, AND ABSOLUTELY NO WARTS. SHE SHOULD BE AMENABLE TO PLAYING GAMES (ALL SORTS).
Everything turned out exactly as Charlotte had planned. (Just kidding. As skilled as Charlotte was at concocting wild-but-ingenious schemes, they almost never turned out as she planned. Remember this for future reference, dear reader.)
She threw the door open, propriety be darned. But right before she did, she made sure her nightgown was buttoned all the way up, because propriety shouldn’t be totally darned.
(Reader, your narrators understand Jane has fallen for Mr. Rochester rather quickly. The reasons for this could be threefold: first, it was pre-Victorian England, and courtships could last the length of an egg timer. Second, Jane’s lack of experience with men. And third, Jane’s perception of men, which was gleaned mostly from books and art that tended to glorify tall, dark, and brooding ones. The broodier the better. And Mr. Rochester was among the broodiest.)
Finding the intersections between Jane Eyre (the classic novel) and the antics of Jane Eyre and Charlotte Brontë as characters makes My Plain Jane extra fun. The plot itself is entertaining, and it’s cute to see all the ways in which (fictional) Charlotte uses her (fictional) friend Jane’s escapades as fodder for her work-in-progress novel (working title Jane Frere), which will of course become the (real) classic novel Jane Eyre.
As it’s been a few years since I last read Jane Eyre, I’m sure there are references and lines in My Plain Jane that went right past me. Still, I had a great time readingthis book. I loved it maybe a smidge less than My Lady Jane (so awesome!!), but still thought it was clever and enjoyable, and a great way to spend a few summer days.
I’m looking forward to the next Lady Janie book, My Calamity Jane — I’ll aim to start it a bit later this summer, and I’m extra excited to get to the next book after that (which is actually a Mary book) — My Contrary Mary, about Mary, Queen of Scots. How great does that sound? After which, there are still two more books to look forward to… and given how much I’ve enjoyed the Lady Janies so far, I’m pretty sure I’ll end up reading them all.
Bookshelf Fantasies 