2025 Books - November!

 At this point, I've realized that the 20 books/month thing has gone beyond crazy.  My own version of neurospiciness has latched on to it in a way that's not really healthy, and as much fun as it's been it's also become a chore.  So.  Two more months.  I'll finish the year with this silly goal, and then next year I'm going to let it go.  

A note about this month - with work slowing down, I found a bunch of lighthearted audio to listen to to make my days pass quickly.

1.  To Have and to Hoax, Martha Waters - Truth be told, I really needed something light and fluffy to read after some heavy stuff last month, and this silly historical romance fit the bill nicely.  It's a second chance novel, and it was completely ridiculous in all of the best ways.  I laughed and I rolled my eyes, and it was just what was needed in the moment.  

2.  The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang - And I still needed fluff, so I jumped to this book.  It's a reverse Pretty Woman story, where the powerful woman has autism.  Full disclosure, I'm not crazy about the Pretty Woman narrative, but I was very curious because I'd heard so many great things about this book.  To my delight, I enjoyed it.  Ahem, the lessons in physical intimacy trope is becoming a favorite, especially when it's done in such a thoughtful way.  But also, I adore this couple.  They were so uniquely suited for each other, and I enjoyed their journey immensely.

3.  The Burning God, R.F. Kuang (audio) - This is the final book of the Poppy War, and I will admit that I did a combo of skim and online synopsis to finish up the last half.  I really struggled through the first part, and it had become so tedious that I knew that I would either drop it or take weeks to finish if I didn't take measures to get through as quickly as possible.

Yes, I understand why this series is so very popular.  Kuang is an excellent writer, and these are extremely well-written books that cover deep and important topics, such as the cost of war and imperialism.  But. I still find Kuang's writing to be on the clinical side, and as with Babel I just couldn't make any sort of emotional connection to the characters or story - which I need, especially when a book is exploring really dark themes.  

A big part of my problem was that I found Rin to be one of the most frustrating FMC's I've ever read about.  She is both deeply sympathetic as a victim of circumstance, upbringing, trauma and loss AND she's infuriating because she's selfish and impulsive and constantly makes bad decisions.  I found her deeply unlikable, even as I logically recognized why she was the way she was.  I will give Kuang credit for this.  It's extremely difficult to write characters that are truly this complex, and I think this is where the genius of the series lies.  

The other problem was that the series felt repetitive.  There were many times when I found myself annoyed because we were going through similar circumstances yet again.  How many times can x happen, I found myself asking, before any of these characters learn?  The benefit of some time to sit with the story has led me to the conclusion that this is the point in warfare.  No one ever wins, and history repeats itself.  

At the end of the day, I'm glad I read the Poppy War trilogy, but I'm also relieved it's over and am very sure I'll never revisit it.  I keep trying Kuang's work because I respect her intelligence and talent, but I'm still looking for one to really stick.  

4.  The Phoenix Keeper, S.A. MacLean (audio) - Yes, I saw the plot 'twist' coming from a million miles away, which doesn't in the least surprise me even as it was a tad disappointing.  It was more light and fluffy, this time in a fantasy setting, and I ate it up.  Loved the magical zoo.  Loved our FMC, who felt an awful lot like me.  Loved the diversity in the book and how normal it was in the world the author created.  

5.  To Love and to Loathe, Martha Waters - Book two in The Regency Vows series!  Didn't like it near as much as the first, but it was still fun.  The thing that really stands out is that Waters has created books where physical pleasure is discussed openly between friends and between partners, and that I like...even if it's probably super anachronistic.  

6.  Alchemy of Secrets, Stephanie Garber (audio) - I checked this out from the library because I was curious about what was being billed as the author's first "adult" fiction, even though I'm one of the few people that didn't like (and couldn't finish) the series that made her popular.  I loved the connection with urban folklore - that's always been my thing - and the old Hollywood vibe was super fun.  I don't think Garber stuck the landing perfectly, but I really enjoyed the twist at the end when we found out what had been going on.  Feels like there were a lot of loose ends - is this starting a series?  Enjoyable, but not one of the best books I've ever read.  (In other words, I'm glad I didn't pay for it!)

7.  To Marry and to Meddle, Martha Waters - Lol, truth be told, I got the first three books on sale for just a couple of dollars each, and since I was already on that train, I decided to burn through them all.  (Books 4 and 5 are available at the library, but I'm not sure I enjoyed the series enough to read them.)  This time around, we have a marriage of convenience that turns into a love match.  Yep, these books are really light and fluffy, but I did appreciate that this one dealt with two people breaking free of expectation to persue what they really want in life.  

8.  Never Ever After, Sue Lynn Tan (audio) - I love Tan, I really do, but I was disappointed with this one.  (And darn it, I bought a beautiful special edition before I read it that I kind of regret now.)  Can't quite put my finger on what I was dissatisfied with.  Maybe it's just that the bar was so very high based on previous books, and this just didn't quite make it to the same level.  The twist on Cinderella started out promising, but it fell apart during the long middle section after Yinying escaped the prince.  The twist at the end was promising enough, though, that I'll continue on with the series.  

9.  Brigands and Breadknives, Travis Baldree - No, it's not my favorite Baldree book.  BUT, there's a line in there that speaks so clearly to who I am as a person, the work I have done in therapy, and the person that I want to be that it left me in tears.  It's not the book I loved, but it's the book I needed, and the longer I sit with it the more I appreciate Fern.  I had the great pleasure of seeing Baldree speak, thanks to The Novel Neighbor, and it meant the world to talk to him in the signing line.  (Bonus...he drew pictures in every single book, in addition to personalizing them!)

10.  Good Spirits, B.K. Borison (audio) - It's officially time to start the holiday romances!  I maintain that Borison has grown considerably since her first series, and the books that she's published this year have been real treats.  The Ghost of Christmas past being the MMC?  So fun and inspired!  I rolled my eyes the first time I read the synopsis, but was all in during the read.  

11. The Everlasting, Alix E. Harrow (audio) - This is the most romantic book that I've ever read in my entire life, and it left me weeping, it was so beautiful.  I did see Harrow last month, once again thanks to The Novel Neighbor, and am really glad I did so because my initial impressions of the book were a tad confused.  (By the way, she's every bit as lovely as I'd hoped.)  It didn't feel like Harrow, and I struggled to fall into the story. Having finished, though, I understand and appreciate it.  The Everlasting included themes that were painfully appropriate to current events (rewriting history to suit the fascist uprising), and questions about why we do the things we do.  But the love story, oh yes, the love story...I want to read this again and again and again.  (Side note, Harrow pointed out that there's a trend of lady knights right now, and yep, I've tracked down two more to read.)  

12.  Masters in this Hall, KJ Charles (novella) - More Christmas!  This time from my favorite queer historical romance writer, who never fails to delight!  Having said that, this is probably my least favorite Charles book ever...so there's that.  

13.  The Favorites, Layne Fargo (audio) - When my wonderful friend Carrie of Skylark tells me to read a book, I read the book!  I'd seen favorable impressions of The Favorites online, but it didn't seem like my type of book.  BUT, documentary style transcripts with a full cast...yeah, that's actually my thing.  The story is full of juicy over-the-top drama, and the characters are bonkers and unlikable in the best way.  Loved the throwback to the days when I devoured ice skating on tv, and I recognize the inspirations that the book pulled from. So.  Much.  Fun!  

14.  Daddy Issues, Kate Goldback - Hmmm.  This was on a list of fall books to look forward to that NPR published.  I have read Goldback in the past, and did like her, so tried it despite the main trope not being on my list of favorites.  The MMC was too good to be true, the FMC was a hot mess that made me want to shake her, and I despise the Mom and am mad that the FMC never really stood up to her.  I'm also annoyed that the ending mirrored the other Goldback that I read.  (Must break up so the girl can figure out who she is by moving away for a while and having new experiences.)  

15.  Puck & Prejudice, Lia Riley (audio) - This is quite possibly the dumbest idea for a book that I've ever seen.  Hockey player who's been through cancer treatments falls through a pond and lands in Regency England, where he meets a young woman who wants to be a widow so that she can live freely.  Apparently, silly is what I needed in the moment, because I surprised myself by enjoying it quite a bit.  Just not enough to pay for a copy.  Thank you, library!

16.  The Geographer's Map to Romance, India Holton (audio) - I'm rapidly becoming a Holton fan.  As with the first book in the series, this was a lighthearted romp that was a lot of fun to read.  The magic in this series makes me laugh - sometimes one gets tired of magic systems that take themselves too seriously - and the characters are endearing.  This was a second chance romance with a healthy dose of miscommunication, which normally I despise but just made me laugh this time around. Good stuff.  

17. The Crescent Moon Tearoom, Stacy Sivinski (audio) - Sigh.  It's a lovely cozy fantasy, and yet I was frustrated because I saw through the story from early on and then was impatient for the characters to figure things out on their own.  Nice to read a cozy fantasy that's not based on romance, though.  

18.  The Merge, Grace Walker - This is another book that Carrie from Skylark put in my hands, and wow.  In a dystopian future of overpopulation, couples of various dynamics are encouraged to "merge" into one.  The book is centered around a specific group who are doing the merge as an experiment to cure various problems - alzheimers, cancer, addiction, etc.  The plot points once the situation was established were both surprising and yet not at all.  The ending, though, was a surprise.  I texted Carrie this as soon as I was done, "Just finished The Merge.  I hate an ambiguous ending, but damn, that was a good book."  After sitting with it, though, I'm glad we don't know what difinitively happened at the end.  It gives the reader more space to ponder.  

19.  The Library of Lost Dollhouses, Elise Hooper (audio) - I found this on sale on Libro.fm a while back, and was curious because the blurb referenced a lesser known book that I read and enjoyed years ago.  Plus, I LOVE dollhouses.  Happy to say that it was a delight to read.  There are two timelines, and it goes back and forth between the librarian who discovers two amazing dollhouses hidden away in the beloved library she works for and the artist who created them.  Highly enjoyable.   

20.  Brimstone, Callie Hart - OK, I seriously had no intention of reading this book because, as some of you may remember, I kind of hated Quicksilver.  Lol, reading my notes again.  As with the first, though, I started to feel a big sense of FOMO once Brimstone was released and started hitting  Bookstagram.  I remembered the things I actually enjoyed about the first and was curious about where they would go.  Then, the final push, my favorite booksellers at Skylark told me they were enjoying it.  

So I went in with fairly low expectations, and you know what?  I had a great time!  This time around the modern language trick worked for me, our MMC had a personality transplant and I liked it, the plot was better,  Did I roll my eyes frequently?  Yes!  Did I think the core characters acted like teenagers instead of 1000 year old fae?  Also yes!  Was the big bad so cartoonish as to be laughable? Yes, yes, yes!!!  Did I care?  Not really!  Look, Callie Hart is clearly not on the same level as many of the other fantasy writers I enjoy, but I give her props for writing fun books that clearly have touched a big nerve in the reading public.  

A side note.  There is major book drama surrounding this release because there are two considerable continuity errors and a whole host of grammar and spelling errors.  I didn't notice the grammar and spelling because I was reading for vibes and wasn't paying attention, but the two continuity errors were massive.  I was reading digitally, and by the time I finished an update had already been deployed to correct one of the two.  There is a lot of ugly stuff being thrown towards the author for this, with other conversations about the publishing process and what could have gone wrong.  Personally, I blame the publishing team, who let the author down with poor editing, and the push to get a book out as quickly as possible rather than giving the author and editor the time they need to make sure the end result is solid.  I do not believe the author or the book deserves the level of hate they are getting because of this.