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Books I've Read: Sept-Oct 2023
May. 31st, 2024 09:57 pmSeptember
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (text)
T. Kingfisher is usually an instant buy for me, and her new fairy tale fantasy, Thornhedge, got read in one sitting. The basic story is sleeping beauty, but the take on it is pure Kingfisher with an unexpected and eccentric protagonist and a semi-romantic adventure that ends up exactly where you hope it will go.
A Study in Garnet by Meredith Rose (text)
When putting together the new sapphic historicals list for the podcast, it's not at all uncommon for me to get a "vibe" from a book that sends me straight to the buy link. It's a bit less common for me to carry through and read the book in a reasonable timeframe, but I did in the case of this Sherlock Holmes reimagining. This book gets a strong recommendation from me. It’s very well written and tightly plotted. Meredith gets inside the psychology of her characters and explores the dynamics between two damaged personalities. This first volume in the series has a lot of delicious pining but no overt romance (yet).
A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles (audio)
A loose sequel to The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, set in the Regency era among the smugglers of Romney Marsh. It’s a good, basic K.J. Charles male/male romance with complex and unique characters whose back-stories drive them into self-destructive behavior while pursuing a mystery. But since they both come from a place of good-hearted sincerity, they sort it all out in the end.
October
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty (audio)
Sometime of a cross between the 1001 Nights and “let’s get the old team together for one last heist.” A female pirate captain gets blackmailed into taking one last job and discovers that going back to sea is both more seductive and far more dangerous that she wants to deal with in later life. No significant queer content, though one character discovers trans leanings. The story felt very episodic (the main reason I compare it to the 1001 Nights) and rambling. There was a plot through-line that is concluded in the end, but mostly it's an excuse for adventures.
Translation State by Ann Leckie (audio)
This is set in her Imperial Radch universe (so if you've read the Ancillary books, you may have a leg up on the setting) and has a very twisty non-linear plot. I love that sort of plot, but tastes will vary. There's a solidly upbeat found-family-type ending, though with a fair amount of angst on the way to it. Just my cup of tea, but I’ll note that if you had trouble getting into her Ancillary trilogy, this is very much more of the same.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (text)
T. Kingfisher is usually an instant buy for me, and her new fairy tale fantasy, Thornhedge, got read in one sitting. The basic story is sleeping beauty, but the take on it is pure Kingfisher with an unexpected and eccentric protagonist and a semi-romantic adventure that ends up exactly where you hope it will go.
A Study in Garnet by Meredith Rose (text)
When putting together the new sapphic historicals list for the podcast, it's not at all uncommon for me to get a "vibe" from a book that sends me straight to the buy link. It's a bit less common for me to carry through and read the book in a reasonable timeframe, but I did in the case of this Sherlock Holmes reimagining. This book gets a strong recommendation from me. It’s very well written and tightly plotted. Meredith gets inside the psychology of her characters and explores the dynamics between two damaged personalities. This first volume in the series has a lot of delicious pining but no overt romance (yet).
A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles (audio)
A loose sequel to The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, set in the Regency era among the smugglers of Romney Marsh. It’s a good, basic K.J. Charles male/male romance with complex and unique characters whose back-stories drive them into self-destructive behavior while pursuing a mystery. But since they both come from a place of good-hearted sincerity, they sort it all out in the end.
October
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty (audio)
Sometime of a cross between the 1001 Nights and “let’s get the old team together for one last heist.” A female pirate captain gets blackmailed into taking one last job and discovers that going back to sea is both more seductive and far more dangerous that she wants to deal with in later life. No significant queer content, though one character discovers trans leanings. The story felt very episodic (the main reason I compare it to the 1001 Nights) and rambling. There was a plot through-line that is concluded in the end, but mostly it's an excuse for adventures.
Translation State by Ann Leckie (audio)
This is set in her Imperial Radch universe (so if you've read the Ancillary books, you may have a leg up on the setting) and has a very twisty non-linear plot. I love that sort of plot, but tastes will vary. There's a solidly upbeat found-family-type ending, though with a fair amount of angst on the way to it. Just my cup of tea, but I’ll note that if you had trouble getting into her Ancillary trilogy, this is very much more of the same.
