How’s that title for managing expectations? No Brand New Me is gonna happen in 2024. Same fabulous me is gonna keep on keepin’ on. I just counted the books I posted about in 2023. There were 96 total. I had been contemplating setting a reading goal for this year, but now I’m thinking to what end? The obvious goal to set would be 100, but 96 is plenty. Heck, a lot fewer than that is plenty. Quantity is not the objective with reading. Reading is the objective with reading. Right? Right. So let’s carry on, shall we? Here’s what I got into in January.
Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey. The sequel to Secretly Yours, which I know I read and not that long ago, but I can’t find it listed. Maybe I forgot to write it down? (Wait, maybe my total s actually 97?) This is also that kind of perfectly comfortable, enjoyable, ultimately forgettable book, but you know what? It was fine.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna. A witch, whose only chance to spend time with others of her kind must happen in secret and rarely, gets the opportunity to teach and live with three young witches, along with the house’s other occupants: a retired actor, a master gardener, a couple of caretakers (one of who is smokin’ hot) – but not its owner, a mysteriously missing archaeologist. (Long sentence, immaculately punctuated; savour that, Strunk & White.) Everything she’s learned tells her this is forbidden, but she can’t resist the temptation. Plus she needs a new place to crash. I liked it a lot. The characters are excellent.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston. A ghostwriter for one of the world’s most popular romance novelists faces a crippling case of writer’s block. And she sees ghosts. Then she falls in love with one of them. I did not see the ending coming. Great read! Written by the author of The Seven Year Slip. I’ll look for her again.
The Gentleman’s Book of Vices by Jess Everlee. Ultimately a love story with some verrry racy content. Fun.
Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita. I so wish I had an 11 year old reader on my gifting list! This novel aimed at middle schoolers absolutely charmed the heck out of me. When Gilly – a girl who lives with her cobbler parents and younger siblings in an overcrowded boot – gets caught stealing from a princess, it’s her third strike. Off to Fairy Tale Reform School with the other “villains” for her. Run by Cinderella’s formerly (?) wicked stepmother, the school houses ogres, fairies, sirens, unicorns and other humans too – all of whom need to change their evil ways. But then the real baddies show up… I loved it.
The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne. Yes, that A.A. Milne, of Pooh fame! First published over 100 years ago, this novel was Mr. Milne’s only mystery. I expected it to feel dated but hoped the story would hold up. Turns out, I was not being fair at all. It actually reminded me of Three Men in a Boat in how fresh and fun it still feels. I love a novel that pokes fun at its conventions, while it adheres to them. A genuine treat!
Nacho Average Murder by Maddie Day. A pleasant cozy murder mystery packed with yummy food descriptions and some well-deserved homages to the late, lamented, genre master Sue Grafton.
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams. Yet another fake boyfriend joint. Nevertheless, it was pretty sweet, with some genuinely heart-tugging character development. The overall plot was nothing we haven’t read a bunch of times before, but you don’t get experimental when you’re looking for a comfort read, and this fit the bill nicely. (It was either this or read Pride and Prejudice again, which… I’m probably due for soon.)
Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale. Cassandra discovers she can travel back in time, but only in small increments. The kind that allows to “fix” her reactions in the moment – and she has a lot she wants to fix as she never seems to act or react how other people expect, how normal people react. She think she’s broken because she never can quite fit in at home or at work. This is a highly enjoyable novel and an unusual one, coming from the perspective of a person with (undiagnosed) autism. I loved it. My only question is, how would blunt, non-people-savvy Cassandra have landed her coveted PR job in the first place? That little detail nagged at me, but all in all a great read.
