tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57905884641583460402024-03-29T03:07:37.616-04:00Suleikha Snyder Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-21684142609685239182024-03-02T20:20:00.001-05:002024-03-02T20:23:38.485-05:00On the Shelf: February 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVCRPXMGzvFdNjXaR9wbk0xbQ2htJUDvNuasJ6mkDj1CE8dMSO0zK32j6_Sn74hGV9nN1N2eRXYCOsiPCJffkIUjBNqhAO1LeKtt2sR_Q4fxgjzpmveWwWny22x49ndH9BtRqZEt-fsGJIagpKNiRwHXa-rpGas6buPs-ZTlsTNmtSh6vtFlcAepcydw/s350/IsabelandtheRogue.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="227" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVCRPXMGzvFdNjXaR9wbk0xbQ2htJUDvNuasJ6mkDj1CE8dMSO0zK32j6_Sn74hGV9nN1N2eRXYCOsiPCJffkIUjBNqhAO1LeKtt2sR_Q4fxgjzpmveWwWny22x49ndH9BtRqZEt-fsGJIagpKNiRwHXa-rpGas6buPs-ZTlsTNmtSh6vtFlcAepcydw/s320/IsabelandtheRogue.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Books are still operating as my cold weather haven. I tore through 22 in February, and it was the new-to-me authors who really stood out. Whether it was Anise Starre's snappy and sexy contemporaries, Alyson Chase's steamy historical kink, or a classic like <i>The Prosposition</i> by Judith Ivory. The latter is going on my list of Forever Faves because Mick and Winnie are #romancegoals and it's such a beautiful low-conflict read. <p></p><p>I know, I know. Low conflict? Suleikha, who <i>are</i> you? Don't worry, almost everything else I read this month had plenty of conflict and drama—both internal and external. Like <i>The Engagement Party</i>, the latest taut thriller from Darby Kane (aka Romancelandia's own HelenKay Dimon!), and Liana De la Rosa's lush and sexy follow-up to last year's <i>Ana Maria and the Fox</i>. Isabel and her rogue, British spy Sirius, are actually in a bit of a love triangle—because of her fierce loyalty to Mexico. So how can they possibly have an HEA? Don't worry, De la Rosa gets them there. The journey is well worth it. In fact, you might want to save it for <i>after</i> Ann Liang's October release, <i>A Song to Drown Rivers.</i> It's a gorgeously drawn Chinese historical fantasy that will break your heart. A little healing via romance novel may be in order! They're always a balm for my soul. </p><p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEqUGlmNwVMO7Ei-HBkuISZFCIeX-BJvKw3btOeY8jFHd7CWScpr0XmeHSrRj3eTcFwxl9wtUy5WTs16n2STajc9bYtG6WH24zDx2t6V38XV-HLIstvU0aO43u4azDED-PTRpPCkZplWOzbZRVOeMbz15UwXdz0fi7trMgzn0Gg7X8IC6qn9UHY6iu2s/s500/OneMoreShot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsEqUGlmNwVMO7Ei-HBkuISZFCIeX-BJvKw3btOeY8jFHd7CWScpr0XmeHSrRj3eTcFwxl9wtUy5WTs16n2STajc9bYtG6WH24zDx2t6V38XV-HLIstvU0aO43u4azDED-PTRpPCkZplWOzbZRVOeMbz15UwXdz0fi7trMgzn0Gg7X8IC6qn9UHY6iu2s/w131-h200/OneMoreShot.jpg" width="131" /></a><b><u></u></b></div><b><u><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Hemlock Island</i> by Kelley Armstrong (horror) <br />
<i>Isabel and the Rogue</i> by Liana De la Rosa (out 6/4/24, historical romance) <br />
<i>The Engagement Party</i> by Darby Kane (suspense, thriller)<br />
<i>A Song to Drown Rivers</i> by Ann Liang (out 10/1/24, fantasy, historical fantasy)<br />
<i>One Last Job</i> by Anise Starre (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>One More Shot</i> by Anise Starre (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Nicky the Driver</i> by Cate C. Wells (dark romance)<br />
<p></p>
<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPYH00v1DEnxo168ZJJilr144CAqfuO8L38n6b02a9vYir9akFTAqDpQGx3FdmD6vStfSJ6F1A7Qba6pwTHRJ-2GdryInyf_gKdiCB3l8KYA2pOrEgLlg9D7x-YOQY1islk3r7fHQ1P7xMUbx7M559OumEPvnRM8eYbV5zTUo_GKcMKkwcuQjDDUzA6o/s475/TheProposition.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="279" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPYH00v1DEnxo168ZJJilr144CAqfuO8L38n6b02a9vYir9akFTAqDpQGx3FdmD6vStfSJ6F1A7Qba6pwTHRJ-2GdryInyf_gKdiCB3l8KYA2pOrEgLlg9D7x-YOQY1islk3r7fHQ1P7xMUbx7M559OumEPvnRM8eYbV5zTUo_GKcMKkwcuQjDDUzA6o/w118-h200/TheProposition.jpg" width="118" /></a><b></b></div><b>Backlist titles & rereads:</b> I kicked off the month finishing a reread of Kelley Armstrong's <i>Thirteen</i>. After that, it was pretty much back to historicals (shocker!). I had rereads of <i>Darling Beast</i> by Elizabeth Hoyt and Grace Callaway's <i>Glory and the Master of Shadows</i>, <i>The Duke Redemption</i>, and <i>The Duke Who Knew Too Much</i>—as well as <i>A Lady's Code of Misconduct</i> and <i>The Sins of Lord Lockwood</i> by Meredith Duran. As for new-to-me titles, there was the very kinky and tightly plotted <i>Disciplined By the Duke</i> and <i>Bound By the Earl</i> by Alyson Chase. I zipped through <i>To Kiss a Thief</i> by Susanna Craig. And I finally tried books by oft-recced and beloved author Judith Ivory. I adored <i>The Proposition </i>but didn't enjoy <i>Black Silk</i> quite as much. I snuck in contemporary dark romance with a reread of Cate C. Wells' <i>Run Posy Run</i>. Then I closed up February with unread books from Lorraine Heath's Scoundrels of St. James series: <i>Between the Devil and Desire</i> and <i>Surrender to the Devil.</i>
<p></p><p><b>Currently reading:</b> <i>Untamed Shore</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and a reread of Judith Krantz's <i>Till We Meet Again.</i></p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>'Til Heist Do Us Part</i> by Sara Desai<br />
<i>Blood Betrayal</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan <br />
<i>The Curious Secrets of Yesterday </i>by Namrata Patel<br />
<i>Pardon My Frenchie</i> by Farrah Rochon<br />
<i>A Love Song for Ricki Wilde</i> by Tia Williams <br />
</p>
Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-58513271944685790182024-02-01T18:25:00.000-05:002024-02-01T18:25:49.575-05:00On the Shelf: January 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrtvRfDuiXr2KbaRpCpxoYApVA9XG3HDGVX0I0TMxVz9ZBVrGil3OLsQhFYkX1oHctV-NOC9YJji-iZr0-k3TKtoq0axpv9oyxDk9EOJawBmtpjhx2cBvua9gC672809Vgih-9v1eIkhV0w68huiChapKFHm_hsngTf2Y9bDJ-kz-4c6XOHdNjx_Jjm8/s599/RightWhereWeLeftUs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="396" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrtvRfDuiXr2KbaRpCpxoYApVA9XG3HDGVX0I0TMxVz9ZBVrGil3OLsQhFYkX1oHctV-NOC9YJji-iZr0-k3TKtoq0axpv9oyxDk9EOJawBmtpjhx2cBvua9gC672809Vgih-9v1eIkhV0w68huiChapKFHm_hsngTf2Y9bDJ-kz-4c6XOHdNjx_Jjm8/s320/RightWhereWeLeftUs.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>I think I used books as my January hibernation cave—because I read 26 in 31 days, and it feels like I barely left the apartment in all that time. I suspect February's round-up will constitute fewer books only because my 3-month Kindle Unlimited trial is going to run out. 😂 Maybe that'll force me to actually work on my own stories. <p></p><p>As usual, I consumed a<i> ton</i> (ha!) of historical romance, but this was a great month for contemporary and paranormal romance, too. <i>Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up</i> by Charish Reid got a lot of love last year, and you can add my heart-eyes to the count. Jen Devon's sophomore outing, <i>Right Where We Left Us</i>, is a fantastic follow-up to <i>Bend Towards the Sun</i> and I need Mal and Frankie's story ASAP. (That was my 26th read. I finished it just before midnight on Jan. 31.) I've heard a lot about Heather Guerre, and after whipping through her BDSM office romance and two of her PNRs, I totally get why people rave. Between Guerre and my return to Kelley Armstrong's backlist, I kind of want to kick my own kinky and wolfy books under the bed to commune with the dust bunnies. I'm sure I'll get over my feelings of inadequacy with sufficient therapy. </p><p>And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Silvia Moreno-Garcia's <i>Silver Nitrate</i>. She might just be my favorite author writing today, because I have yet to be disappointed. This latest gem made me want to constantly look up things about the Mexican film industry and Mexican horror films. I don't know about <i>watching</i> the films, because I'm a scaredy cat sometimes, but there's always the aforementioned therapy to help with that, right?</p><p><u><b></b></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrhhcesaR5xsl1GW6lGKbQthyphenhyphenHGZWIYDf7oXb9TAps3XO96LNYHb6nn2BYeIXN4Rztxppum7fZpeFtl3gKrFs5TeKF0-96d1ieIaUOP09j8o3OrK0dxQoRbjB0w2rjbQ3wKW5f3SyGdJHS3FiV6RWWO1pRZDRDGjwZ5dw66vzwRVSXAO7JtDcJVIuXPs/s400/MickeyChambers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrhhcesaR5xsl1GW6lGKbQthyphenhyphenHGZWIYDf7oXb9TAps3XO96LNYHb6nn2BYeIXN4Rztxppum7fZpeFtl3gKrFs5TeKF0-96d1ieIaUOP09j8o3OrK0dxQoRbjB0w2rjbQ3wKW5f3SyGdJHS3FiV6RWWO1pRZDRDGjwZ5dw66vzwRVSXAO7JtDcJVIuXPs/w134-h200/MickeyChambers.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></u></div><u><b>The Reading Rundown</b></u><br />
<i>You Can Follow Me</i> by Jo Brenner (dark romance, m/m/m/f polyam romance)<br />
<i>Charlotte and the Seductive Spymaster</i> by Grace Callaway (historical romance)<br />
<i>Right Where We Left Us</i> by Jen Devon (out 6/18/24, contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Preferential Treatment</i> by Heather Guerre (BDSM romance, femdom, contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Cold Hearted</i> by Heather Guerre (paranormal romance)<br />
<i>Once Bitten</i> by Heather Guerre (paranormal romance)<br />
<i>Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up</i> by Charish Reid (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Hurt For Me</i> by Heather Levy (romantic suspense, suspense/thriller)<br />
<i>Silver Nitrate</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (horror, speculative fiction)<br />
<i>Slaying the Shifter Prince</i> by Clare Sager (paranormal romance, romantasy)<br />
<i>Please Don't Go Girl</i> by Naima Simone (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>The Hellion and the Hero</i> by Emily Sullivan (historical romance) <br />
<p></p>
<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcS3mo5gLmAXyHaFtQdfBPn6ULlcw4BUdzRAsykdE5id9FJ6YKOtffvRkVkerTRpODHdpZnqaI99JjHsXHvLWPehY1sJxKkkwilAaJqQpUD43rFqZjEPJEcx1Y4aNCZaPmTjtlUdLzPZs87JXXsF92F3vTtHP2IJJOHX75mye7fKl3XZySuNSS-ZOI0I/s1000/RegardingtheDuke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="657" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcS3mo5gLmAXyHaFtQdfBPn6ULlcw4BUdzRAsykdE5id9FJ6YKOtffvRkVkerTRpODHdpZnqaI99JjHsXHvLWPehY1sJxKkkwilAaJqQpUD43rFqZjEPJEcx1Y4aNCZaPmTjtlUdLzPZs87JXXsF92F3vTtHP2IJJOHX75mye7fKl3XZySuNSS-ZOI0I/w131-h200/RegardingtheDuke.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></div><b>Backlist titles & rereads:</b> I kicked off with rereads of <i>A Woman Scorned</i> by Liz Carlyle, <i>Someone to Watch Over Me</i> by Lisa Kleypas, and Anne Calhoun's <i>Uncommon Passion</i>. I plugged a gap in last year's Blue Blood Conspiracy glom with Bec McMaster's <i>The Mech Who Loved Me</i>. Then we had a whole round of Grace Callaway love on Twitter, so I reread <i>Olivia and the Masked Duke</i> and <i>Pippa and the Prince of Secrets</i> before tackling the newest book in the series. Still on the Callaway Express, I went back to the unread <i>Regarding the Duke,</i> which ended up being my favorite of all the Callaways I've read lately<i>.</i> Did I stop there? No. I had to tear through two other books in that Game of Dukes series:<i> The Duke Identity </i>and a reread of <i>Enter the Duke. </i>I also devoured <i>Wild Fire </i>by Anne Stuart, which felt like a callback to her classic <i>Black Ice</i>—in that she engaged with issues of consent in this one, almost to directly speak to the hinkiness in <i>Black Ice</i>. I finished the month with rereads from Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld: <i>Personal Demon, </i>the prequel novella "Chaotic," <i>Waking the Witch</i>, and <i>Spellbound.</i> <p></p>
<p><b>Currently reading: </b><i>Thirteen</i> by Kelley Armstrong.</p>
<p><u>On the TBR/wish list</u><br />
<i>Isabel and the Rogue</i> by Liana de la Rosa<br />
<i>'Til Heist Do Us Part</i> by Sara Desai<br />
<i>Blood Betrayal</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan <br />
<i>A Song to Drown Rivers</i> by Ann Liang<br />
<i>The Curious Secrets of Yesterday</i> by Namrata Patel<br />
</p>
Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-49583876021810000882024-01-02T15:12:00.001-05:002024-01-02T15:12:18.483-05:00Suleikha's Top 20 Romance Books of 2023<p>For all that the bulk of my reading in 2023 was comprised of historical romances, it's mostly contemporary ones that topped the list of my favorite new releases of the year. Perhaps because the comfort that comes from backlist historicals is a different animal than reading current things geared toward a market I also write for? Or do I just not read enough new historicals? Beats me! At any rate, I sifted through the 187 books I devoured and narrowed down 20 that really embodied, for me, the breadth of what our genre has to offer.</p><p>Obligatory disclaimer: I know—or have professional connections with—several authors listed below, but I try my best to be objective when evaluating what works and doesn't work for me as a reader. </p><p>You can check out my 2022 Top 20 round-up <a href="https://www.suleikhasnyder.com/2022/12/suleikhas-top-20-romance-books-of-2022.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtshpTSSVY78pRCzg2Lxw9XXsXbLkatrX9H06kp5SUWxzGTOPXIxBO43IPSv20eRa7fuuRizzqY_ZYzkLqV4iEAgIWKpN_euyDQX81SjrmxAZFtmO3a1byhO3cbBSchTN1XfURIQnLYwZ_hF1AC15HsippBBpqGjg52eJkkxAnjBltaMUfpSbqp10KbU/s2775/TheArtofScandal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1838" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtshpTSSVY78pRCzg2Lxw9XXsXbLkatrX9H06kp5SUWxzGTOPXIxBO43IPSv20eRa7fuuRizzqY_ZYzkLqV4iEAgIWKpN_euyDQX81SjrmxAZFtmO3a1byhO3cbBSchTN1XfURIQnLYwZ_hF1AC15HsippBBpqGjg52eJkkxAnjBltaMUfpSbqp10KbU/w133-h200/TheArtofScandal.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />1.</b> <i>We'll Never Have Paris</i> by Adriana Anders<br />
<b><br /></b><div><b>2.</b> <i>Pas de Don't</i> by Chloe Angyal<br />
<b><br /></b></div><div><b>3. </b><i>Chick Magnet</i> by Emma Barry <br />
<b><br /></b></div><div><b>4.</b> <i>Hotel of Secrets</i> by Diana Biller<br />
<b><br /></b></div><div><b>5.</b> <i>The Art of Scandal </i>by Regina Black<br />
<b><br /></b></div><div><b>6. </b><i>Shucked</i> by Kate Canterbary<br />
<b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkg-SBG24Ybtg3EdyubtOEioQcVcZxz8SFAdRBZ7_kXpuJ9vjvotgCq0zUtI6ZwegloPE31i1jmdH_7Xf980y8hHF-QNbtBUBkgE5p3bb-_1o32n-2PSkCrq4lyKWuWD0Lrl-lAuEEE0YGpmN8ppWbUAoF8lfCXq7bCdAUx-XnoTgrbqkDFSBcDOd4bU/s1000/AnaMariaAndTheFox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="648" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkg-SBG24Ybtg3EdyubtOEioQcVcZxz8SFAdRBZ7_kXpuJ9vjvotgCq0zUtI6ZwegloPE31i1jmdH_7Xf980y8hHF-QNbtBUBkgE5p3bb-_1o32n-2PSkCrq4lyKWuWD0Lrl-lAuEEE0YGpmN8ppWbUAoF8lfCXq7bCdAUx-XnoTgrbqkDFSBcDOd4bU/w129-h200/AnaMariaAndTheFox.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><b>7.</b> <i>A Thief in the Night</i> by KJ Charles<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>8.</b> <i>Never Meant to Stay</i> by Trisha Das <br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>9.</b> <i>Ana María and the Fox</i> by Liana De la Rosa<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>10. </b><i>To Have and to Heist</i> by Sara Desai<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>11. </b><i>Desire in His Blood</i> by Zoey Draven<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>12. </b><i>Whisky Business</i> by Elliot Fletcher<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>13.</b> <i>The Counterfeit Scoundrel </i>by Lorraine Heath<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>14. </b><i>Jana Goes Wild</i> by Farah Heron<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xu4awtcg8EWPQRRVTeoHF0Tp9G75edkCDjxtLtOff37sKWGdUvUuhtP-R_Mp_GpRJTzyh90QSH5-gWJe6nDzzFmxlEIO78GPwAecFPSiFf675sESPxGZwNMW9JfAgEJqtz3Q69LVrrqFMBGbt-fHLpyEHCycopVP_uZZSXd4bnkcebiJQKJpyv8EM_w/s2475/RolePlaying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0xu4awtcg8EWPQRRVTeoHF0Tp9G75edkCDjxtLtOff37sKWGdUvUuhtP-R_Mp_GpRJTzyh90QSH5-gWJe6nDzzFmxlEIO78GPwAecFPSiFf675sESPxGZwNMW9JfAgEJqtz3Q69LVrrqFMBGbt-fHLpyEHCycopVP_uZZSXd4bnkcebiJQKJpyv8EM_w/w133-h200/RolePlaying.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b><br />
</b></div><div><b>15.</b> <i>Forever Your Rogue</i> by Erin Langston<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>16.</b><i> </i><i>A Rogue's Rules for Seduction</i> by Eva Leigh<br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>17. </b><i>Love, Death & Lanterns </i>by Jeannie Lin<br />
<b><br />
</b></div><div><b>18.</b> <i>Full Moon Over Freedom </i>by Angelina Lopez<br /><b><br />
</b></div><div><b>19.</b> <i>Technically Yours</i> by Denise Williams <br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>20. </b><i>Role Playing </i>by Cathy Yardley<div> <br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b>2024 books to look out for: </b><i>Wild Life</i> by Opal Wei, <i>When Grumpy Met Sunshine</i> by my bestie Charlotte Stein, <i>'Til Heist Do Us Part</i> by Sara Desai, <i>Isabel and the Rogue </i>by Liana De la Rosa, and <i>The Stranger I Wed</i> by Harper St. George.</div></div>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-57245905175542657462024-01-01T19:05:00.003-05:002024-01-01T19:07:55.390-05:00On the Shelf: December 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1U28Zhmw9OAixVWnZi4iE4U7JbzHfRgpTT4MtuHt7Oomsp5iBDxu7IH4EpkWs67S6ndNyGcMtLeeuJlenzvoBMVynsfLlHed23kMGBb1E-6TBrPPNmyCDIOpc2OQX2XwrOC980M5T7zcVtaRZg8gStW8I-4FiGYhMOu0XSjrD9nUzkQDUqMiGBKJWhQc/s500/NeverMeanttoStay.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1U28Zhmw9OAixVWnZi4iE4U7JbzHfRgpTT4MtuHt7Oomsp5iBDxu7IH4EpkWs67S6ndNyGcMtLeeuJlenzvoBMVynsfLlHed23kMGBb1E-6TBrPPNmyCDIOpc2OQX2XwrOC980M5T7zcVtaRZg8gStW8I-4FiGYhMOu0XSjrD9nUzkQDUqMiGBKJWhQc/w207-h320/NeverMeanttoStay.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>As much as I wanted to hit 200 books by December 31, I'm satisfied with a very respectable 187—23 of which I consumed in this last month of the year. Heck, I think I finished Rilzy Adams' fun and sexy novella, <i>Boo Thang,</i> in the last few <i>hours</i> of the year. As I'm sure you'll notice, I was pretty much still obsessed with historical romances on my way out the door—but the contemporaries I slipped in, like the aforementioned Adams, Trisha Das' <i>Never Meant to Stay</i>, and Kate Canterbary's <i>Shucked</i>, more than held their own. The Das book was actually a great lead-in for my viewing of <i>Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani</i>, Karan Johar's big-screen blockbuster that also deals with culture clashes within families, and I bet it would make a great movie too!<p></p><p>I'm also still on the hunt for good gothic romances, so <i>A Dreadful Splendor,</i> a 2022 release I missed<i>, </i>really hit that spot for me. It's a page-turner of a house-based mystery with a slow burn love story threaded throughout.</p><p>I'm putting together a separate post with my round-up of favorite 2023 romance releases, so stay tuned for that! </p><p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDb7H1FkRD94ieQNZ_F_a7RLJhCG4kKoNZjvrP9CInqp-DodpKMuSvXU7nmhq-hAd6Btb0j4XLFWoY-zWrGelGGXqvBt5Coj_OGXETD_T9SB2qL9GM8ry6b7iulpR_HgxRm-N002XyN1P1-mDxrxxq0_AblBlxHnM3ArvKUfmM4-fl_2QRkaoy67jUlI/s1000/Shucked.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="657" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDb7H1FkRD94ieQNZ_F_a7RLJhCG4kKoNZjvrP9CInqp-DodpKMuSvXU7nmhq-hAd6Btb0j4XLFWoY-zWrGelGGXqvBt5Coj_OGXETD_T9SB2qL9GM8ry6b7iulpR_HgxRm-N002XyN1P1-mDxrxxq0_AblBlxHnM3ArvKUfmM4-fl_2QRkaoy67jUlI/w131-h200/Shucked.jpg" width="131" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Boo Thang</i> by Rilzy Adams (contemporary romance, erotic romance)<br />
<i>You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight</i> by Kalynn Bayron (young adult horror, thriller)<br />
<i>Liar's Beach</i> by Katie Cotugno (young adult thriller/suspense)<br />
<i>Shucked</i> by Kate Canterbary (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Never Meant to Stay</i> by Trisha Das (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Prince of Scandal</i> by Nicola Davidson (erotic historical romance)<br />
<i>An Earl, His Valet, and Their Wife</i> by Nicola Davidson (erotic historical romance, polyam romance)<br />
<i>What Lies in the Woods</i> by Kate Alice Marshall (thriller, suspense)<br />
<i>A Dreadful Splendor</i> by B.R. Myers (historical mystery, gothic romance)<br />
<i>Keep You Both</i> by Kathryn Nolan (contemporary polyam romance, erotic romance) <br />
<i>Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective</i> by Katie Siegel (mystery, cozy mystery)<br />
<i>The Stranger I Wed</i> by Harper St. George (out 4/23/24, historical romance)
<p></p>
<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWec8GSEJ1G7zTV5_m-LpZMFlLo6kYgnMEmoi-427spYBOuN0e7f1Nr6IppJQBgIx0iySEVC_9Suy_RzchZ1tBmoFEB7K3EQc2kU0SCciawSqTu0DY6RAd39oZl6F9poXwJW2P1wDd4coaXi5tcQ6tHVogyJMephTe-kg4zsoHR_R9SjjW5Uv88DP1fw/s1000/FortheEarlsPleasure.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="620" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWec8GSEJ1G7zTV5_m-LpZMFlLo6kYgnMEmoi-427spYBOuN0e7f1Nr6IppJQBgIx0iySEVC_9Suy_RzchZ1tBmoFEB7K3EQc2kU0SCciawSqTu0DY6RAd39oZl6F9poXwJW2P1wDd4coaXi5tcQ6tHVogyJMephTe-kg4zsoHR_R9SjjW5Uv88DP1fw/w124-h200/FortheEarlsPleasure.jpg" width="124" /></a></b></div><b>Backlist titles and rereads:</b> Yes, I am one of the last people on the planet to read <i>Get a Life, Chloe Brown</i> by Talia Hibbert—and what a joy it was! Hibbert's books always leave me with a smile on my face. Then I went even further back in time to Anne Mallory's <i>Three Nights of Sin, One Night is Never Enough</i>, and <i>For the Earl's Pleasure</i>. I may have read the first two before at some point, but the latter was new to me. And probably the best take on ghost sex I've read this year. lol. (I've read at least six books with non-corporeal copulation. Don't judge me.) As the month came to a close, I fit in a few more historical rereads from my own collection: <i>No True Gentleman</i> by Liz Carlyle, <i>A Notorious Countess Confesses</i> by Julie Anne Long, <i>A Week to Be Wicked</i> by Tessa Dare; <i>Secrets of a Summer Night, It Happened One Autumn</i>, and<i> A Scandal in Spring </i>by Lisa Kleypas. Since I was well entrenched in that space, and physically in the space of San Diego's <a href="https://meetcutebookshop.com/" target="_blank">Meet Cute Bookshop </a>(such a great store!), I bought JAL's <i>The Legend of Lyon Redmond</i>, which I somehow never read before this.<p></p>
<p><b>Currently reading: </b><i>Mickey Chambers Shakes it Up</i> by Charish Reid.</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>Isabel and the Rogue</i> by Liana de la Rosa <br />
<i>'Til Heist Do Us Part</i> by Sara Desai<br />
<i>The House of Last Resort</i> by Christopher Golden<br />
<i>Blood Betrayal</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan<br />
<i>The Curious Secrets of Yesterday</i> by Namrata Patel<br />
</p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-54854699875192153882023-12-03T18:54:00.001-05:002024-01-01T18:11:23.819-05:00On the Shelf: November 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjn5sfiD2_xjByRmqvxvfFGBQmA2tZuQxo-H-X0xrJPNE-4XWMuL0WDkZHQ_TrO01v4o7_NyN4G_cbxZD1Um0HISg_v_bLwCM-pQzH_ezxc8VfjiF1cJcRdR2dhu93gADU-hmbqvP1E3wl4WfoTN5uGoveg0IczRWDgvFWqr_GDAGFD7WNsaKhQ1-B4Q/s400/tohaveandtoheist.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBjn5sfiD2_xjByRmqvxvfFGBQmA2tZuQxo-H-X0xrJPNE-4XWMuL0WDkZHQ_TrO01v4o7_NyN4G_cbxZD1Um0HISg_v_bLwCM-pQzH_ezxc8VfjiF1cJcRdR2dhu93gADU-hmbqvP1E3wl4WfoTN5uGoveg0IczRWDgvFWqr_GDAGFD7WNsaKhQ1-B4Q/s320/tohaveandtoheist.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>Going into December, I have approximately 164 books under my reading belt. Can I make it to 200 by the 31st? Probably not. lol. Also, I continue to struggle with the moral quandary of whether rereading your <i>own</i> books should count in a tally. What I haven't struggled with, obviously, is tearing through some really fun titles. <p></p><p>Sara Desai's <i>To Have and to Heist—</i>which has a follow-up, <i>'Til Heist Do Us Part, </i>coming out next year—is exactly what you want if you love <i>Ocean's Eleven</i> or <i>Leverage</i> but with a ragtag eclectic cast full of amateurs. I could not stop cackling with laughter. Speaking of eclectic casts, <i>We'll Never Have Paris</i> teases high heat and hijinks (mostly in an elevator!) and Adriana Anders delivers as usual. I automatically trust her to marry lots of steam with a heartfelt romance. And I'm not entirely sure that I'll continue with Zoey Draven's winged space vampire monsterfucking books but the second offering in this particular series, <i>Craving in His Blood</i>, definitely kept me turning pages. If you need an escape from reality, Draven offers quite a trip.</p><p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AXqYp8YFlbF7w_4z1f9D80iaLPf2XVDzM7BaAdqEdcgHQMssK0UVvPFQQe72prQyoQZbCHC5_Go4oXEeNl8mXX7bfElnvzSnGz-yg64WW9u_tEh5O-AjCyHN7R0TIK3tTKIc34C27_IRFwrXUVnwr0Hm_EyyG61D0Ab1sNOLqyOnmsZevELHGWwYBcs/s2560/NeverHaveParis.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AXqYp8YFlbF7w_4z1f9D80iaLPf2XVDzM7BaAdqEdcgHQMssK0UVvPFQQe72prQyoQZbCHC5_Go4oXEeNl8mXX7bfElnvzSnGz-yg64WW9u_tEh5O-AjCyHN7R0TIK3tTKIc34C27_IRFwrXUVnwr0Hm_EyyG61D0Ab1sNOLqyOnmsZevELHGWwYBcs/w125-h200/NeverHaveParis.jpg" width="125" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>We'll Never Have Paris</i> by Adriana Anders (contemporary romance) <br />
<i>Bad Desire</i> by Kali Decker (erotic romance, my own book)<br />
<i>Nepo Baby</i> by Kali Decker (erotic romance, my own book)<br />
<i>To Have and to Heist</i> by Sara Desai (contemporary romance, romantic comedy)<br />
<i>Craving in His Blood</i> by Zoey Draven (sci-fi romance, paranormal romance)<br />
<i>In Want of a Viscount</i> by Lorraine Heath (out 2/20/24, historical romance)<br />
<i>Chasing Cassandra</i> by Lisa Kleypas (historical romance)<br />
<i>Some Winter's Evening </i>by Erin Langston (historical romance)<br />
<i>The Wolf and the Wildflower</i> by Stacy Reid (historical romance)<br />
<i>Consort of Fire</i> by Kit Rocha (fantasy romance, romantasy)<br />
<p></p>
<p><b>Backlist titles & rereads: </b>I finally got around to the romance classic that is Julie Garwood's <i>The Prize</i>. Then I went back to Maiden Lane again with Elizabeth Hoyt's <i>Duke of Sin </i>and <i>Duke of Desire</i>. <i>Night Magic</i>, from Karen Robards backlist, may have just eclipsed the bonkersness of her serial killer ghost quartet but I'm still on the fence about that. And then I came back to some newer authors with <i>All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue</i> by Sophie Jordan and <i>Theirs For the Night</i> by Katee Robert.</p>
<p><b>Currently reading:</b> <i>Burn it Down</i> by Maureen Ryan and <i>Charlotte Illes is Not a Detective </i>by Katie Siegel.</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>Isabel and the Rogue </i>by Liana de la Rosa<br />
<i>The House of Last Resort</i> by Christopher Golden <br />
<i>Blood Betrayal</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan <br />
</p>
Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-13315428826029996152023-11-02T10:38:00.000-04:002023-11-02T10:38:19.217-04:00On the Shelf: October 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmIAGWQzKhyx8D88ly2gxZ-GoxpPL5_6UFOM-j2Rj05euCbRzZaiYIA-vqi1lj6lOxsg__nxZvXafQuy362MDQhytVzIurTreIXgkuTfXu8EJxkIXKwVZNKX95eKLSgwI7ISCvq03Tu_L931bQvx05OsB9wA5CzMae9Bz7Y33-gHsZmAhK4jmWyVeNtU/s1000/AnaMariaAndTheFox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmIAGWQzKhyx8D88ly2gxZ-GoxpPL5_6UFOM-j2Rj05euCbRzZaiYIA-vqi1lj6lOxsg__nxZvXafQuy362MDQhytVzIurTreIXgkuTfXu8EJxkIXKwVZNKX95eKLSgwI7ISCvq03Tu_L931bQvx05OsB9wA5CzMae9Bz7Y33-gHsZmAhK4jmWyVeNtU/s320/AnaMariaAndTheFox.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>It's November already? No. Uh-uh. I'm in denial about 2023 speeding to a close. Though if I count the year in books, it doesn't feel quite so bad. October saw me ranging all over from horror novels and contemporary romance to a swan-dive into yet more historical romance. Backlist historicals have really been a haven for me this year — I think because they meet genre expectations every time, and they're removed enough from the present to skirt the edge of fantasy. Horror operates in the same way for me, to a certain extent. Like, <i>fake</i> horror is less scary to me than what's actually horrifying in our real world. Knowing it isn't real is comforting. And that's about as philosophical as I am going to get today. Let's just go on to all the titles I read this month!<p></p>
<p><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Ana María and the Fox</i> by Liana de la Rosa (historical romance)<br />
<i>A Summer Lesson in Romance</i> by Noor Juman (contemporary romance, novella) <br />
<i>Lone Women</i> by Victor LaValle (historical horror, speculative fiction, western)<br />
<i>Monstrous</i> by Jessica Lewis (young adult horror)<br />
<i>The Lover</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (fairy tale, speculative fiction, short story)<br />
<i>There Should Have Been Eight</i> by Nalini Singh (out 11/21, suspense, thriller)<br />
<i>Flawed</i> by Shilpa Suraj (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Technically Yours</i> by Denise Williams (out 12/5, contemporary romance)<br />
</p>
<p><b>Backlist titles and rereads:</b> I picked up <i>To Steal a Heart</i> by Kate Bateman because it was free on the 'zon and then ended up buying book two, <i>A Raven's Heart</i>. While the two titles whet my appetite for historicals with spies, they didn't quite land for me. So I went back to two old favorites, Joanna Bourne's <i>Forbidden Rose </i>and <i>The Black Hawk</i> for a reset. Then, Romance Twitter led me to another historical reread — Lorraine Heath's <i>The Earl Takes All</i> and some new-to-me titles from Lisa Kleypas' backlist, <i>Where Dreams Begin,</i> <i>Worth Any Price,</i> and <i>Stranger in My Arms</i>. Last, but not least, in the spirit of Halloween, I read <i>The Haunting of Hill House </i>by Shirley Jackson. </p>
<p><b>Currently reading:</b> <i>Some Winter's Evening</i> by Erin Langston.</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br /><i>
Isabel and the Rogue</i> by Liana de la Rosa<br /><i>
The House of Last Resort </i>by Christopher Golden<br /><i>
Blood Betrayal </i>by Ausma Zehanat Khan<br /><br />
</p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-66671653220684528982023-10-01T21:16:00.000-04:002023-10-01T21:16:17.054-04:00On the Shelf: September 2023<p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbeMdlB-olo05ereWm-kJMm2TXrJLNxhIJe4eK_kj9zu3KmYba9fjq1a_EwDKABTd9GoXxFPtxzPz7lRU8Ke5TevTUTUYvv-agkqqTP9YPdgluyRWgnNWFRXKgPPwN4SjQY1O-2KYnIX5uqkk_JJAwIMUCozBD83tRUWA1YAFRwgQPl-3Uol0L2bkxVU/s500/TheWorstGuy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbeMdlB-olo05ereWm-kJMm2TXrJLNxhIJe4eK_kj9zu3KmYba9fjq1a_EwDKABTd9GoXxFPtxzPz7lRU8Ke5TevTUTUYvv-agkqqTP9YPdgluyRWgnNWFRXKgPPwN4SjQY1O-2KYnIX5uqkk_JJAwIMUCozBD83tRUWA1YAFRwgQPl-3Uol0L2bkxVU/s320/TheWorstGuy.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>Backlists were my safe place again in September, but that doesn't mean newer titles didn't hold their own. I am always happy to read more Jeannie Lin, especially in the Lotus Palace mystery series. If you remember Pearl from previous books, she finally gets a story of her own in <i>Love, Death, & Lanterns</i>. And Kate Canterbary's <i>The Worst Guy</i> came heavily recommended from Romance Twitter and did not disappoint. I actually cried on the airplane at one point while reading it. <p></p><p>I know I should probably write more pithy things, but my seasonal depression has kicked in and this as about as much effort as I can muster. So, onward to the actual titles I read this past month!
</p>
<p><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>The Worst Guy</i> by Kate Canterbary (contemporary romance) <br />
<i>Ten Things I Hate About the Duke</i> by Loretta Chase (historical romance)<br />
<i>Seven Sinful Nights</i> by Nicola Davidson (dark romance, erotic historical romance)<br />
<i>Wild Pitch</i> by Cat Giraldo (contemporary romance, bisexual m/f romance)<br />
<i>Love, Death & Lanterns</i> by Jeannie Lin (historical romance, novella)<br />
<i>What We May Be</i> by Layla Reyne (romantic suspense, m/m/f romance)<br />
</p>
<p><b>Backlist titles and rereads:</b> <i>Seize the Fire</i> by Laura Kinsale was a massive angstfest that I honestly wasn't prepared for. You should always prepare for Kinsale angst. I reread <i>Black Ice</i> by Anne Stuart as well as <i>Forever Your Rogue</i> by Erin Langston, even though I read it a few months ago. I thought to fill a gap in my Maiden Lane consumption, so I got Elizabeth Hoyt's <i>Notorious Pleasures</i> from the library. Turns out, I <i>have</i> read it before...and blocked it out for good reason. lol. This sent me down a cleansing Hoyt rabbit hole with rereads of <i>Thief of Shadows</i>, <i>Lord of Darkness</i> and <i>When a Rogue Meets His Match</i> -- and then first reads of <i>Once Upon a Christmas Eve</i> and <i>The Raven Prince</i>.
</p>
<p>
<b>Currently reading:</b> Stop the presses, I am actually not in the middle of a book right now. But I'm trying to fix that error!<br />
</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>The House of Last Resort</i> by Christopher Golden<br />
<i>Blood Betrayal</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan<br />
<i>There Should Have Been Eight</i> by Nalini Singh <br />
<i>Business or Pleasure</i> by Rachel Lynn Solomon<br />
</p>
Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-18948427035571223352023-09-02T19:54:00.000-04:002023-09-02T19:54:44.418-04:00On the Shelf: August 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDM7NblMNNo3qfg0x3h9I6_ssHOUeZ2-lwFHUGr79x03g2VJbwXLyyZNFylPIoI9jI_Cvln2GB7ejmNjtUdkHehb-rYWKJroJIPp2iBw74cU1RiaMrcAdP6K_f1eJ5733tbx_yd_MPF0KplIS1q0hANPEr-h2Y6QY4dIPWIQYnknAzc6Nuc3Yjob9IHk/s1000/PasDeDont.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="656" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDM7NblMNNo3qfg0x3h9I6_ssHOUeZ2-lwFHUGr79x03g2VJbwXLyyZNFylPIoI9jI_Cvln2GB7ejmNjtUdkHehb-rYWKJroJIPp2iBw74cU1RiaMrcAdP6K_f1eJ5733tbx_yd_MPF0KplIS1q0hANPEr-h2Y6QY4dIPWIQYnknAzc6Nuc3Yjob9IHk/s320/PasDeDont.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>This was a month where small press and indie published romance ruled my TBR. I found several new-to-me authors — and even met one! Chloe Angyel was at Bookends & Beginnings in Evanston recently to talk about ballet and her books, <i>Pas de Don't</i> and <i>Turning Pointe</i>. Both she and her debut romance novel proved to be a delight! On the other end of the romance spectrum was Zoey Draven's space vampire fated mates book. I'm not generally into alien and monster romances for various reasons, but <i>Desire in His Blood</i> hooked me and kept me turning pages. (She gains agency and he has <i>wings</i>.) <p></p><p>There is so much more space (heh) for experimentation and innovation and variety outside of traditional publishing. You can really find just about anything, and it doesn't have to fit in a neat little box that somebody has to pitch to a committee as marketable. You can hop from Liz Lincoln and Cat Giraldo's queer athletes to Elliot Fletcher's whisky distiller with anxiety to winged alien vampires and kinky Tristan & Isolde retellings. It's a gorgeous cornucopia of hidden gems and breakout stars and massive WTFery out there. </p><p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsjwo4sLOnqnl9TbHj9u08NsYcjtdFHQDIA56kBg9irT7ym2tYQYEph-YfhlSFDiUNpPPLFlzORWuUs_TK5qpQgf5AwqryZNPgXoFLW_IS10hzAufsi89rmmpflRCbWw9l1aAmPKvnwQpj_nFxp8RWlGzrX8SBR4zFStpXAEktBhg5viTMQ5j7gsqjnM/s2560/DesireinHisBlood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1707" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsjwo4sLOnqnl9TbHj9u08NsYcjtdFHQDIA56kBg9irT7ym2tYQYEph-YfhlSFDiUNpPPLFlzORWuUs_TK5qpQgf5AwqryZNPgXoFLW_IS10hzAufsi89rmmpflRCbWw9l1aAmPKvnwQpj_nFxp8RWlGzrX8SBR4zFStpXAEktBhg5viTMQ5j7gsqjnM/w133-h200/DesireinHisBlood.jpg" width="133" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Pas de Don't</i> by Chloe Angyal (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Mrs. Peabody and the Unexpected Duke</i> by Grace Callaway (historical romance, novella) <br />
<i>Desire in His Blood</i> by Zoey Draven (sci-fi romance, paranormal romance)<br />
<i>Whisky Business</i> by Elliot Fletcher (contemporary romance) <br />
<i>The Notorious Lord Knightly</i> by Lorraine Heath (historical romance)<br />
<i>Scoring a Spouse</i> by Liz Lincoln (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Salt in the Wound</i> by Sierra Simone (contemporary erotic romance, novella)<br />
<p></p>
<p>
<b>Backlist titles and rereads:</b> I had a major hankering for Jennifer Crusie reread, so I dove into <i>Faking It</i> and <i>Fast Women</i>. I finished up my Blue Blood Conspiracy reading with <i>You Only Love Twice,</i> <i>Dukes Are Forever,</i> and <i>From London With Love</i> by Bec McMaster. I popped into Grace Callaway's backlist, as I periodically do, for <i>The Duke Redemption</i>.<br />
</p>
<p>
<b>Currently reading:</b> <i>Wild Pitch </i>by Cat Giraldo.<br />
</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>The House of Last Resort</i> by Christopher Golden<br />
<i>Blood Betrayal</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan<br />
<i>There Should Have Been Eight</i> by Nalini Singh <br />
<i>Business or Pleasure</i> by Rachel Lynn Solomon<br />
</p>
Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-21264148343038708522023-08-01T17:46:00.000-04:002023-08-01T17:46:46.331-04:00On the Shelf: July 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzMlAS8ErP_SZ8OVSwbmWZLZQFrevH7_hrvKsns9Ky6hTZmdESKGa-tZ7H-4wnGdEBJ2_XmhKdbBksRgXn9X_zNtFs11AETIeoJG6HHzhnlU4RnbKiN9oCE7BGCrC2J_N6uFhGTFxc4ssG1U183sXdDfRKb5s978495z8gVA0fE9cAYxKtEXNlu-A7QA/s2475/RolePlaying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzMlAS8ErP_SZ8OVSwbmWZLZQFrevH7_hrvKsns9Ky6hTZmdESKGa-tZ7H-4wnGdEBJ2_XmhKdbBksRgXn9X_zNtFs11AETIeoJG6HHzhnlU4RnbKiN9oCE7BGCrC2J_N6uFhGTFxc4ssG1U183sXdDfRKb5s978495z8gVA0fE9cAYxKtEXNlu-A7QA/w213-h320/RolePlaying.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>It's always strange to me when I end up reading more backlist titles than brand-new books or advance copies. Well, not so much "strange" as <i>telling</i>. It tells me that I really needed a particular sort of comfort, where I look to the familiar instead of the unknown. Beverly Jenkins and Julie Garwood definitely delivered on that front. I will admit seven paranormal steampunk books in a row was a <i>lot. </i>As were four books involving questionable crime-solving and astral projection. But clearly I needed to go away someplace for several books at a time, to inhabit those worlds instead of mine. <div><br /></div><div>That's not to say I didn't thoroughly enjoy being here in the present, with the two new contemporary romances I read — Cathy Yardley's <i>Role Playing</i>, and <i>When Grumpy Met Sunshine </i>by one of my dear friends, Charlotte Stein. Both writers have authentic, entertaining, voices and capture complicated women in a way that makes you feel so very seen. With the way I've been feeling, I definitely needed to hear the message that messy people deserve love, and they were loud and clear about it! Be prepared to alternate between laughing and crying on your way to two well-earned HEAs. <p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoNx75h4RAeyZPIrRxHrMq2Z0s590_3Ow2els6lc1iOhWDgMS_g5yHKzigU8unKz_o8ANCdGoFd0u15T45WjCuK-rvqQqHzRVYzR_e6JLvUSn3F0Xzih2dYF1nIux-9WYfxY0iK1A9-1uAp5kvZI8zpefrq-18A16UBeIdEgiT-C1QHs_N0DWprRYYMg/s537/WGMSStein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoNx75h4RAeyZPIrRxHrMq2Z0s590_3Ow2els6lc1iOhWDgMS_g5yHKzigU8unKz_o8ANCdGoFd0u15T45WjCuK-rvqQqHzRVYzR_e6JLvUSn3F0Xzih2dYF1nIux-9WYfxY0iK1A9-1uAp5kvZI8zpefrq-18A16UBeIdEgiT-C1QHs_N0DWprRYYMg/w131-h200/WGMSStein.jpg" width="131" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br /><i>
What Never Happened </i>by Rachel Howzell Hall (suspense, thriller)<br />
<i>The Duchess Takes a Husband</i> by Harper St. George (historical romance) <br />
<i>When Grumpy Met Sunshine</i> by Charlotte Stein (out 2/6/24, contemporary romance) <br />
<i>Role Playing</i> by Cathy Yardley (contemporary romance)<br />
<p></p>
<p><b>Backlist titles/rereads:</b> I very appropriately finished <i>Topaz</i> by Beverly Jenkins on the first day of Jenkins July, Romancelandia's now-annual celebration of all things Ms. Bev. I also went diving into Julie Garwood's backlist for another new-to-me read, <i>The Bride</i>. Yeah, I know. These are classics and I'm late—but the wonderful thing about books is that there's no expiration date. I also did a reread of all six of Bec McMaster's London Steampunk books as well as the first book in her Blue Blood Conspiracy spin-off series, <i>Mission Improper</i>.<i> </i>While I still enjoyed the stories, I definitely read them with a more critical eye this time. Less critical eyeing went to the utterly bonkers Dr. Charlotte Stone quartet by Karen Robards, of which I had only read the first title. I'll just say four words about that series: serial killer ghost sex. </p>
<p><b>Currently reading: </b>I started a reread of <i>Faking It</i> by Jennifer Crusie.<br />
</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>The Notorious Lord Knightly </i>by Lorraine Heath <br />
<i>Blood Betrayal</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan <br />
</p></div>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-19061744405177878252023-07-02T22:02:00.000-04:002023-07-02T22:02:44.663-04:00On the Shelf: June 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4ttQpALh9kSulcmYyYyx01McG9Y_jkH1cq5X484qyUDblXPA9JQDD5LrJynlgG1kZ9Xy5d5BvN1v5OQY3IZs_NfgQxFw5L9_H83oVSKE95PTz0uCHEBGPxnBN43HJbsUUW9yzwDcBzKD0rIRe5a5Hz-sUjrSIw1e6U5SziG4muXc-2YFMOCOSFxCbPg/s500/TheHeiress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4ttQpALh9kSulcmYyYyx01McG9Y_jkH1cq5X484qyUDblXPA9JQDD5LrJynlgG1kZ9Xy5d5BvN1v5OQY3IZs_NfgQxFw5L9_H83oVSKE95PTz0uCHEBGPxnBN43HJbsUUW9yzwDcBzKD0rIRe5a5Hz-sUjrSIw1e6U5SziG4muXc-2YFMOCOSFxCbPg/s320/TheHeiress.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>How am I already reading books due out in January of 2024? Say it ain't so! But we are indeed halfway through 2023, and publishing's schedules do go on. Still, I've kept to my habit of relaxing and reading more titles from an author's backlist and doing more rereads. Books are a comfort. They shouldn't stress us out—unless they're<i> trying </i>to stress you out. Like <i>The Heiress</i> by Rachel Hawkins or Johnny Compton's <i>The Spite House</i>. Give me a creepy house and a gothic feel, and I'm in! Both authors delivered and then some—with extremely different but equally compelling voices. Also, there are shoutouts to Hawkins' previous books in hers, and I was totally that Leonardo DiCaprio-pointing-his-finger GIF. As for calling the twists...? Wellllll, I wasn't quite as on the ball there. But it was fun to be wrong! <p></p><p>Oh, speaking of it being fun to be wrong...<i>Lady Viper and the Bastard</i> by a perennial fave Eva Leigh is all about two villains who fall in love while trying to break up a young couple at the behest of their parents. It was so satisfying to watch them hoisted by their own passionate petards. I also tried a few new-to-me authors this month. And one old friend under a new name! If you've enjoyed Ruby Lang's contemporary romances in the past, be sure to preorder <i>Wild Life</i> by Opal Wei! It's so entertaining. I was wary because there's an element involving cancer research, but it's inspired by a relative who had it in the past and is fine now! Nobody dies! But two tightly wound people—one a former pop idol and the other a harried MD/PhD—learn to let go while holding on to each other. Also, there are attack geese. </p><p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZC5vsL3ctc4c8mHlmjC9ukVawQO6lmv-U3Dy9z-1oLOIg6eI-nipP31kzoquQdyAc0PdyyrdQnZa7_r0lTmIrRjTZFRUKfOiC17NbNeH7_cXazkO4sX-p_yjMzJmJu_z4exW3dCm7etu51oFaKjWZPpvb_1dxepxeyuwnUkzWFERtakVZL0Syf88-CE/s500/LadyViperAndTheBastard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZC5vsL3ctc4c8mHlmjC9ukVawQO6lmv-U3Dy9z-1oLOIg6eI-nipP31kzoquQdyAc0PdyyrdQnZa7_r0lTmIrRjTZFRUKfOiC17NbNeH7_cXazkO4sX-p_yjMzJmJu_z4exW3dCm7etu51oFaKjWZPpvb_1dxepxeyuwnUkzWFERtakVZL0Syf88-CE/w125-h200/LadyViperAndTheBastard.jpg" width="125" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>The Spite House</i> by Johnny Compton (horror)<br />
<i>The Heiress</i> by Rachel Hawkins (out 1/9/24, thriller/suspense, contemporary gothic)<br />
<i>The Footman</i> by S.M. LaViolette (historical romance)<br />
<i>Melissa and the Vicar</i> by S.M. LaViolette (historical romance) <br />
<i>Lady Viper and the Bastard</i> by Eva Leigh (historical romance)<br />
<i>How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart</i> by Vivienne Lorret (historical romance)<br />
<i>Runaway Rogue</i> by Cassie Mint (romantic suspense, novella)<br />
<i>Wild Life</i> by Opal Wei (out 1/23/24, contemporary romance)<br />
<p></p>
<p>
<b>Backlists and Rereads:</b> New to me but not quite new to shelves were <i>Lady Derring Takes a Lover</i> by Julie Ann Long and <i>Not Quite a Lady</i> by Loretta Chase. And I read Lorraine Heath's <i>The Last Wicked Scoundrel</i> novella despite not having read any of the previous Scoundrels of St. James books. Then I did a quick reread of Grace Callaway's <i>Her Husband's Harlot</i>. After that historical foray, I came back to the present for a reread of Molly O'Keefe's <i>Burn Down the Night</i>.<br />
</p>
<p>
<b>Currently reading:</b> I am on track to finish<i> Topaz</i> by Beverly Jenkins during the first week of Jenkins July! Whoo-hoo! <br />
</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>The Notorious Lord Knightly</i> by Lorraine Heath<br />
<i>What Never Happened</i> by Rachel Howzell Hall<br />
<i>Blood Betrayal</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan<br />
<i>The Duchess Takes a Husband</i> by Harper St. George <br />
<i>Role Playing</i> by Cathy Yardley <br />
</p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-38462536759382021812023-06-01T21:06:00.000-04:002023-06-01T21:06:29.982-04:00On the Shelf: May 2023
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7K_msrd6BUZUwbLMxWxQLQo92zNXyawN_kLFjdhdiDJkmx-l41tyoad-1u4-EO8Kt-6-La2__nADiKzAWUD8esKf-YRqqQB1Xknh7CIrufQZNM5Hc1Yy2ZiRzi9saE_3yg3bUrm65UdvwKa5RyxtQZcEMxvG8TiVLOYt6O0rCzbyx9DzkwCH5WmuC/s2775/TheArtofScandal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1838" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7K_msrd6BUZUwbLMxWxQLQo92zNXyawN_kLFjdhdiDJkmx-l41tyoad-1u4-EO8Kt-6-La2__nADiKzAWUD8esKf-YRqqQB1Xknh7CIrufQZNM5Hc1Yy2ZiRzi9saE_3yg3bUrm65UdvwKa5RyxtQZcEMxvG8TiVLOYt6O0rCzbyx9DzkwCH5WmuC/s320/TheArtofScandal.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>I did a Scrooge McDuck swan dive into historical romances in May, and yet the book that really knocked my socks off was an upcoming contemporary! <i>The Art of Scandal </i>by Regina Black was almost impossible to put down. I kept being pulled back to my Kindle like a magnet. A story set in the greater D.C. area, with politician's wife Rachel being drawn to younger man Nate, it's got every bit of scandal that the title implies. Yes, there's cheating. But it's also every bit a gorgeous romance where these two seemingly disparate characters find <i>themselves</i> as they fall in love with <i>each other</i>. There is an HEA. And, oh, it's so worth it. Definitely preorder it or run out and grab it on August 1! <p></p><p>I also want to rave about T. Kingfisher's <i>A House With Good Bones</i>, because she really seems to be committed to putting the fear of flora in me. First it was mushrooms in <i>What Moves the Dead</i>, now it's rosebushes. Kingfisher is writing some of my favorite horror books right now. I have never been so happy to be so freaked out. (If you haven't read <i>The Hollow Places </i>or <i>The Twisted Ones</i>...my god. Keep some lights on.) </p><p>
<b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFc8XdncShV1URAj6Mym04uHb1YD-hWIiWJ-WdWyB-kR39F92CJuWpyTdqEW5L9x-YwePsEG4Rc8J8v7znCW1MRWhtFXkKBixyW10sFc1hvw_S2--TDAxGV1iUZffurYF9GUhCKsnhn3dFdQbGGsttthdgS2LWcThvazyXZpFt6dYjn6jFz3tMXt_/s2560/HouseWithGoodBones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1701" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFc8XdncShV1URAj6Mym04uHb1YD-hWIiWJ-WdWyB-kR39F92CJuWpyTdqEW5L9x-YwePsEG4Rc8J8v7znCW1MRWhtFXkKBixyW10sFc1hvw_S2--TDAxGV1iUZffurYF9GUhCKsnhn3dFdQbGGsttthdgS2LWcThvazyXZpFt6dYjn6jFz3tMXt_/w133-h200/HouseWithGoodBones.jpg" width="133" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Someone is Always Watching</i> by Kelley Armstrong (young adult thriller/suspense)<br />
<i>The Art of Scandal</i> by Regina Black (out 8/1, contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Harrow Lake</i> by Kat Ellis (young adult horror)<br />
<i>The Counterfeit Scoundrel</i> by Lorraine Heath (historical romance)<br />
<i>A House With Good Bones</i> by T. Kingfisher (gothic horror)<br />
<i>A Sinister Revenge</i> by Deanna Raybourn (historical mystery)<br />
<p></p>
<p><b>Backlists and Rereads:</b> I reread Eva Leigh's April release, <i>A Rogue's Rules for Seduction</i>. I worked my way through Elizabeth Hoyt's Legend of the Four Soldiers quartet—<i>To Taste Temptation, To Seduce a Sinnder, To Beguile a Beast, To Desire a Devil</i>—despite the cringery of the French and Indian War content. I had to do a quick reread of <i>Scandalous Desires</i> to cleanse. I also forayed into Nicola Davidson's backlist with <i>The Seduction of Viscount Vice</i> and reread Sarah MacLean's<i> One Good Earl Deserves a Lover </i>and <i>No Good Duke Goes Unpunished</i>. I didn't go unpunished either. lol.Then I journeyed back to an old fave, Liz Carlyle, and her books <i>Wicked All Day</i> and <i>Devil to Pay. </i>The former held up. The latter, which in some ways was more progressive, not so much. </p>
<p><b>Currently reading:</b> I'm still reading <i>Topaz</i> by Beverly Jenkins a few chapters at a time.</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wishlist</u></b><br />
<i>The Notorious Lord Knightly </i>by Lorraine Heath <br />
<i>Blood Betrayal </i>by Ausma Zehanat Khan <br />
<i>The Duchess Takes a Husband</i> by Harper St. George <br />
</p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-31471158196423345092023-05-29T13:38:00.002-04:002023-05-29T13:45:09.555-04:00A Story Is Still A Story: These Are the Roys Of Our Lives<p>One thing I find fascinating about a lot of people who watch only prestige TV? They assume it's automatically operating on a higher level, and more subversive, than mass-consumption series like <i>Law & Order </i>or One Chicago and what-have-you. </p>
<p>As though streaming or a bigger budget or an edgy cast means the basic foundations of storytelling are somehow different or better. They aren't. And those who constantly screenshot frames and zero in on props, looking for Meaning...oftentimes they are overlooking the obvious. </p>
<p>Because obvious messaging is boring, right? God, it's so pedestrian. If it's a smart show, then it has to be stimulating me intellectually and making me look <i>deeper</i>. No. Really, it does not. Often, the writer is still telling a core story that boils down to right vs. wrong. </p>
<p>Put another way, the Roys on<i> Succession</i> are a big-budget, award-nominated, variation on <i>Days of our Lives' DiMeras</i>*. The archetypal warring family with the patriarch they're desperate to impress and live up to. And, frankly, none of those kids jockeying for control can possibly measure up. Those who watch both shows are probably like "Yup, I know what the crux of this is." While many prestige-only viewers are flailing to assign "elevated" meaning. </p>
<p>This goes for things like <i>Ted Lasso</i> as well. I often feel like some viewers don't watch any other shows, because the basic foundational storytelling of a comedy or dramedy is missing them entirely. They can't see the forest for the trees that don't actually exist. Like, <i>no</i>, a heartfelt comedy with the message of "believe" is not going to have the Dutchman assault Rebecca while she's too drunk to consent. That is breaking the contract with the genre and with the viewer. But people were assuming ambiguity and some sort of awful "gotcha." When the writers were doing no such thing. </p>
<p>It occurs to me that the word "prestige" comes from the French for "illusion." It's "a conjurer's trick," per Merriam-Webster. The first definition that comes up on Google is "widespread respect and admiration felt for someone or something on the basis of a perception of their achievements or quality." <i>On the basis of a perception.</i> Sometimes what you think you are seeing is not what's actually there. And that stands as much for the magician being obvious as it does for them pulling the wool over your eyes while they saw someone in half. What if the illusion in question is that it's deeper than what it actually is? The audience perception of this as a trick when it's not a trick at all.</p>
A story is not lesser because its meaning is discernible and blatant. And writers can be telling the same core stories no matter what network or streaming channel their project is airing on. Right vs. wrong, good vs. evil, the patriarchy and white supremacy often win out, and kindness can be inherent in every gesture. Sometimes, there's no need to sift through the sands in the hourglass looking for more than what's there. The sand itself is enough. <br />
<br />
<p><i>*Anyone who thinks comparing the DiMeras to the Roys is an insult? I hope Stefano's ghost haunts your pompous elitist ass.</i></p><p>If you enjoyed this expansion on a Twitter thread of mine, please consider leaving me a tip via Ko-fi: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/suleikhasnyder" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/suleikhasnyder</a></p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-9340161262982487652023-05-02T15:26:00.001-04:002023-05-09T18:23:00.120-04:00On the Shelf: April 2023
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZS3qS3XBGo2ZTB3ji05amSMUaPTqo9Vf0CqwvWZSfC63PWrToa3q2xjQR7E0I0yPcUCJ-zMPJ9PUpMiuZf2RrArjrNQGIg-oEKlXK_yj-naVeAOeoY1wjFabBmdV9Wtu5hpDa4zzsS4H5tnYZ1V19xJC49otX-Bv9x4BLmx1WJ89m_ahKoD7UIFP/s537/blackwater-falls.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="353" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZS3qS3XBGo2ZTB3ji05amSMUaPTqo9Vf0CqwvWZSfC63PWrToa3q2xjQR7E0I0yPcUCJ-zMPJ9PUpMiuZf2RrArjrNQGIg-oEKlXK_yj-naVeAOeoY1wjFabBmdV9Wtu5hpDa4zzsS4H5tnYZ1V19xJC49otX-Bv9x4BLmx1WJ89m_ahKoD7UIFP/s320/blackwater-falls.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Wow, I just crawled right into my Kindle during the month of April, didn't I? Between the library, ARCs, and impulse purchases, I was up to my eyeballs in books—and happily so! From recent releases by longtime faves KJ Charles and Molly Fader (aka O'Keefe) to unputdownable suspense/thrillers by Ausma Zehanat Khan, Rachel Hawkins and Kiersten White, to a whole slew of historical and contemporary romances—both older and upcoming. I keep ping-ponging between such dark books and the genre that that will always give me the comforting happily ever after I need. What does that say about me? Don't answer that. <div><br /></div><div>Keep an eye out for Heba Helmy's debut, <i>The Earl's Egyptian Heiress</i>, which may just be Harlequin's first historical romance with a character actively practicing their Muslim faith. (Don't quote me on that, 'cause I'm not sure. But I'm delighted to see on-page rep either way!) Also, someone needs to slap my hand for waiting so long to read <i>Dial A For Aunties </i>by Jesse Q. Sutanto. It was such a hoot! Simultaneously over-the-top and totally relatable. <div><div><p><u><b></b></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVHPSHGyDg2FIAtJ7mOQwlxGFzlg-PELJnwYWpbjJSFrRZjsH0gTKk4230JqYyIx96qWSfqp8vhb7zF7LNF1M4vPXbZww3nmwJLzuDzBsHVEI3JxXte5tbtcBxx_HYSNLpfAmP6DQpZb_LjUGUBNnEihC2PnSvlviO20e11PQUmgQ_ydFlnKU4YX2/s500/ThiefintheNight.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVHPSHGyDg2FIAtJ7mOQwlxGFzlg-PELJnwYWpbjJSFrRZjsH0gTKk4230JqYyIx96qWSfqp8vhb7zF7LNF1M4vPXbZww3nmwJLzuDzBsHVEI3JxXte5tbtcBxx_HYSNLpfAmP6DQpZb_LjUGUBNnEihC2PnSvlviO20e11PQUmgQ_ydFlnKU4YX2/w133-h200/ThiefintheNight.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></u></div><u><b>The Reading Rundown</b></u><br />
<i>Some Dukes Have All the Luck</i> by Christina Britton (historical romance) <br />
<i>A Thief in the Night</i> by KJ Charles (historical m/m romance, novella) <br />
<i>The Sunshine Girls</i> by Molly Fader (mainstream fiction, women's fiction)<br />
<i>The Villa</i> by Rachel Hawkins (gothic suspense, mystery/thriller)<br />
<i>The Duchess Hunt</i> by Lorraine Heath (historical romance)<br />
<i>The Return of the Duke</i> by Lorraine Heath (historical romance)<br />
<i>The Earl's Egyptian Heiress</i> by Heba Helmy (out 6/27, historical romance, category romance)<br />
<i>The Rake Gets Ravished</i> by Sophie Jordan (historical romance)<br />
<i>Blackwater Falls</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan (mystery, suspense)<br />
<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yxJExgnySIuXmmkL2xmE9OvWnuXRlUWsccqLGjpuYYeq7OQsFhDBrIBToUURNq0KIcl0SUbUMtpyRbKX-VDJn-3iI0LepOwJPjuJT7qqKL7PXkY92byvJqd8HDZ6FBHOfRaDKC--CeGbaBxN5HMYi5QMVFtJihLDQFMKDGIkqti80a9xjUFxxuey/s1500/EarlsEgyptianHeiress.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="953" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yxJExgnySIuXmmkL2xmE9OvWnuXRlUWsccqLGjpuYYeq7OQsFhDBrIBToUURNq0KIcl0SUbUMtpyRbKX-VDJn-3iI0LepOwJPjuJT7qqKL7PXkY92byvJqd8HDZ6FBHOfRaDKC--CeGbaBxN5HMYi5QMVFtJihLDQFMKDGIkqti80a9xjUFxxuey/w127-h200/EarlsEgyptianHeiress.jpg" width="127" /></a></div>The Duchess Effect</i> by Tracey Livesay (out 7/11, contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Full Moon Over Freedom</i> by Angelina Lopez (out 9/5, contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Dial A For Aunties</i> by Jesse Q. Sutanto (mainstream fiction, cozy mystery) <br />
<i>The Lone Wolf's Rejected Mate</i> by Cate C. Wells (paranormal romance)<br />
<i>Hide</i> by Kiersten White (horror, suspense)<br />
<p></p>
<p><b>Backlists and Rereads: </b><i>Lady Sophia's Lover</i> by Lisa Kleypas, the surprisingly bonkers <i>The Shape of Night</i> by Tess Gerritsen (there was ghost sex?!), and <i>The Thing About Love</i> by Julie James.</p>
<p><b>Currently reading:</b> <i>Topaz</i> by Beverly Jenkins and <i>Someone Is Always Watching</i> by Kelley Armstrong.</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br /><i>The Counterfeit Scoundrel </i>by Lorraine Heath<br /><i>The Notorious Lord Knightly </i>by Lorraine Heath <br />
<i>Blood Betrayal</i> by Ausma Zehanat Khan <br />
<i>A House With Good Bones </i>by T. Kingfisher <br /><i>
A Sinister Revenge</i> by Deanna Raybourn <br /><i>
The Duchess Takes a Husband </i>by Harper St. George <br />
</p></div></div></div>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-24171424828746479822023-04-01T22:00:00.000-04:002023-04-01T22:00:25.629-04:00On the Shelf: March 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5TJ-pcUx58tYu2DQ6jbTxd94vAah8NKyetKAfH4Obk4JksXlQtaNFjhJX7_uwsUsSf4JD1ZHDCuuLaUZeLjcMHuc2mFIOvgQyH3Q_AWtbpqhnxB-HyLargnB3L5pgdWVdpAgkC4NyS9ScNhhW7F2pKDFit8a3dvgFQ098Bt8gfcmosQTccETGiiY/s1500/foreveryourrogue.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="938" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5TJ-pcUx58tYu2DQ6jbTxd94vAah8NKyetKAfH4Obk4JksXlQtaNFjhJX7_uwsUsSf4JD1ZHDCuuLaUZeLjcMHuc2mFIOvgQyH3Q_AWtbpqhnxB-HyLargnB3L5pgdWVdpAgkC4NyS9ScNhhW7F2pKDFit8a3dvgFQ098Bt8gfcmosQTccETGiiY/s320/foreveryourrogue.jpg" /></a></div><p>It's April already? HOW? So that I guess that means I have to do an accounting of my March reads! </p><p>I did a light bit of genre wandering this past month, from contemporary horror to historical horror to erotic romance to emotional support historicals. (What? You don't have an emotional support subgenre?) And there's a special kind of joy in finding a debut author who just knocks your socks off. Like when I read Diana Biller's <i>The Widow of Rose House</i>—which, yes, I mention as often as I possibly can. I got a similar feeling after tearing through Erin Langston's <i>Forever Your Rogue.</i> A lovely and sexy historical romance about a young widow desperate to retain custody of her children and the titular rogue who must fake being her fiancé to help make that happen. It's a heartfelt journey in which Cora opens up and Nate grows up. And of course they fall in love. There's so much care given to the complexities of parent-child relationships and what it means to take responsibility for the people you care about. I'm pretty sure I cried, like, three different times. So I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Langston puts out next!</p>
<p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibp_mG7TJYWO56D2bySst4Tziqn4qTHZbhhFLURyADwszeeKmlI6KtUFwQrjJpSwPs1pR1tdUNkV5RjjCYdt1o8g-B7AwyOZDzK72YUFU2uRa-HbBRLJrVU3YysabkurkMl6zORndRT0pxxQw69Btv5dFbDiNQhOirhOf8oEwEwdwnVcdFAnIGlk8/s600/PossessionAnders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="375" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibp_mG7TJYWO56D2bySst4Tziqn4qTHZbhhFLURyADwszeeKmlI6KtUFwQrjJpSwPs1pR1tdUNkV5RjjCYdt1o8g-B7AwyOZDzK72YUFU2uRa-HbBRLJrVU3YysabkurkMl6zORndRT0pxxQw69Btv5dFbDiNQhOirhOf8oEwEwdwnVcdFAnIGlk8/w125-h200/PossessionAnders.jpg" width="125" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Possession</i> by A. Anders (erotic romance, BDSM romance)<br />
<i>Glory and the Master of Shadows</i> by Grace Callaway (historical romance)<br />
<i>A Day Until Forever</i> by Erin Langston (historical romance, novella)<br />
<i>Forever Your Rogue</i> by Erin Langston (historical romance)<br />
<i>Seducing My Guardian</i> by Katee Robert (erotic romance, BDSM romance)<br />
<i>Malice House</i> by Megan Shepherd (horror)<br />
<i>The Duke Gets Even</i> by Joanna Shupe (historical romance)<br />
<p></p><p></p>
<p><b>Backlist titles and Rereads: </b> <i>Kiss an Angel</i> by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is undoubtedly one of the most bonkers romances I have come across in a long time. "Modern" arranged marriage! Secret Romanovs! Psychic bonds with tigers! I can't even begin to describe the wtfery. I also finished the massive doorstop that was <i>The Historian</i> by Elizabeth Kostova. There were more pagers than there were vampires, which was sort of a letdown for a book so invested in the history of Dracula. As a palate cleanser, I zipped through a much shorter paranormal romance, <i>Shadowbound</i> by Bec McMaster.</p>
<p>
<b>Currently reading</b>: <i>Lady Sophia's Lover</i> by Lisa Kleypas. I thought I read all her Bow Street Runner books years ago, but I have no memory whatsoever of Ross and Sophia's book.</p>
<p>
<b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>The Counterfeit Scoundrel</i> by Lorraine Heath <br />
<i>the Notorious Lord Knightly</i> by Lorraine Heath<br />
<i>A House With Good Bones</i> by T. Kingfisher<br />
<i>The Duchess Effect</i> by Tracey Livesay<br />
<i>A Sinister Revenge</i> by Deanna Raybourn<br />
<i>The Duchess Takes a Husband</i> by Harper St. George<br />
</p>
<p></p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-5529369187497941772023-03-02T20:41:00.000-05:002023-03-02T20:41:33.401-05:00On the Shelf: February 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0Cw8Te-e4QbPwR17U25r91kRGdRIh5bc8M-mmod_Z6Gq4ZKmStrDcr3mDsBi72l1n_6BmV6wusqmDNI61oQ5XMGLBCxrAz4ck81ULv4k0w_IYN60wkJMxl0oQqYvenzOrHHKMUa7g40O6oZcf3-kF8YcKRur1ZcAzyUa5SBzX3nrtlLT2tzqowx6/s628/DaughterofDrMoreau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0Cw8Te-e4QbPwR17U25r91kRGdRIh5bc8M-mmod_Z6Gq4ZKmStrDcr3mDsBi72l1n_6BmV6wusqmDNI61oQ5XMGLBCxrAz4ck81ULv4k0w_IYN60wkJMxl0oQqYvenzOrHHKMUa7g40O6oZcf3-kF8YcKRur1ZcAzyUa5SBzX3nrtlLT2tzqowx6/s320/DaughterofDrMoreau.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Is Silvia Moreno-Garcia one of my favorite authors? It's entirely possible. Because I have yet to read a book by her that I didn't like. They've all been absolute bangers. <i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> joins its predecessors in knocking my socks off. As a bonus to its incredibly compelling remix/retelling of <i>The Island of Dr. Moreau</i>, there's a thread of unrequited pining that is just exquisite. The way she builds that bond is just as effective to me as if the characters got together. Not to worry, though, I would never abandon my HEA/HFN romance roots! Pretty much everything else I read in February was chock full of mutual emotion and capped with happy endings.<p></p>
<p>Shoutout to <i>Bend Toward the Sun</i> by Jen Devon, because I remember reading a sample chapter last year and not really connecting. I picked it back up after some folks on Twitter carried their effusive praise over into 2023, and I'm glad I did! It was a lovely. See also: <i>Book Lovers</i> by Emily Henry. I was like, "She can't possibly be as good as everyone says." Yes, she can. (Putting aside a few blatant errors that probably shouldn't show up in a book about book editors. lol.) So, congrats there, Romancelandia for getting me to read some very good very white contemporary romance. 😂 Speaking of which, looking down at the lists, I had a pretty monochromatic month. I'm sure I'll mix it up a little more in March! </p>
<p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjGyJZArfGbtV5lxTLN1jAu2-3yh7Ln3E0ULkLUFOGZVaFz794xRhrVXO51hzCqlCgOrWpBKwmYZ2rVNt5nxljffINgS8iw9f6wAhhFxwI3O_Qfj3W_FzfpFKmhrrfEQs22_xGosT2ldTv6PlLwuS5rj9tASUcW5HfFQPN0vZPVYvG7xNHB8BpXCs/s460/BendTowardtheSun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjGyJZArfGbtV5lxTLN1jAu2-3yh7Ln3E0ULkLUFOGZVaFz794xRhrVXO51hzCqlCgOrWpBKwmYZ2rVNt5nxljffINgS8iw9f6wAhhFxwI3O_Qfj3W_FzfpFKmhrrfEQs22_xGosT2ldTv6PlLwuS5rj9tASUcW5HfFQPN0vZPVYvG7xNHB8BpXCs/w131-h200/BendTowardtheSun.jpg" width="131" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Funny Guy</i> by Emma Barry (out 5/16, contemporary romance)<br />
<i>One True Outcome</i> by KD Casey (contemporary m/m romance, sports romance) <br />
<i>Unwritten Rules</i> by KD Casey (contemporary m/m romance, sports romance) <br />
<i>Bend Toward the Sun</i> by Jen Devon (contemporary romance) <br />
<i>The Night Shift</i> by Alex Finlay (thriller/suspense) <br />
<i>Book Lovers</i> by Emily Henry (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (horror, speculative fiction, H.G. Wells retelling) <br />
<p></p>
<p><b>Backlist titles and Rereads: T</b>he first book I finished in February was a reread of <i>Going Nowhere Fast </i>by Kati Wilde. Then I took a return trip to Lisa Kleypas's <i>Sugar Daddy</i> and <i>Blue-Eyed Devil</i>. As for new-to-me reads, I dipped into Grace Callaway's extensive backlist for <i>The Duke Who Knew Too Much</i>. And I finally got my hands on <i>Passions of a Wicked Earl</i> by Lorraine Heath, which is the first book in the London's Greatest Lovers trilogy. I am that chaos muppet who accidentally read the books in reverse order. Ainsley's book, Stephen's book, and then Westcliffe's. Also, to tie it back to Kleypas, I kept confusing him with Westcliffe from the Wallflowers. That was a Marcus. This was a Morgan. lol!</p>
<p>
<b>Currently reading</b>: A draft of Charlotte Stein's upcoming <i>When Grumpy Met Sunshine</i>, and you should all definitely be jealous.
</p>
<p>
<b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>Glory and the Master of Shadows</i> by Grace Callaway<br />
<i>All Hallows</i> by Christopher Golden<br />
<i>The Counterfeit Scoundrel</i> by Lorraine Heath <br />
<i>the Notorious Lord Knightly</i> by Lorraine Heath<br />
<i>The Duchess Effect</i> by Tracey Livesay<br />
<i>A Sinister Revenge</i> by Deanna Raybourn<br />
<i>The Duchess Takes a Husband</i> by Harper St. George<br />
</p>
Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-4959889287126179172023-02-02T19:46:00.000-05:002023-02-02T19:46:52.467-05:00On the Shelf: January 2023Lots and lots of books got me through a very rocky January. Mostly historical romance, because I didn't really feel like being in the present. I still don't, which is why I'm not doing a little intro write-up. You're just getting the lists. That's all I can manage right now.
<p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk13D045Z9bz_ls64LXmxO6qbIfiihCjy0M4h43zlSV00Gjy-8l0r7Hu7_J7zfg2SfPqpHCBZq8FC-3_toECGhy18aQpIVfvnJR3eUAzN-W2veGpJDnjhUihUF-YQzsf-PfL9d2pe2Sst6ueobew38bxVeR5mVKav_J0J_jf_iz2-Byo4m3I3197MC/s800/ChickMagnet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk13D045Z9bz_ls64LXmxO6qbIfiihCjy0M4h43zlSV00Gjy-8l0r7Hu7_J7zfg2SfPqpHCBZq8FC-3_toECGhy18aQpIVfvnJR3eUAzN-W2veGpJDnjhUihUF-YQzsf-PfL9d2pe2Sst6ueobew38bxVeR5mVKav_J0J_jf_iz2-Byo4m3I3197MC/s320/ChickMagnet.jpg" width="213" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br />The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Chick Magnet</i> by Emma Barry (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Between the Devil and the Duke</i> by Kelly Bowen (historical romance)<br />
<i>Night of the Scoundrel</i> by Kelly Bowen (historical romance, novella)<br />
<i>Diamond Ring</i> by KD Casey (out 4/11, contemporary m/m romance, LGBTQ+ romance)<br />
<i>Scoundrel of My Heart</i> by Lorraine Heath (historical romance)<br />
<i>Jana Goes Wild</i> by Farah Heron (out 5/2, contemporary romance)<br />
<i>We Lie Here</i> by Rachel Howzell Hall (thriller, suspense)<br />
<i>Not the Duke's Darling</i> by Elizabeth Hoyt (historical romance)<br />
<i>When a Rogue Meets His Match</i> by Elizabeth Hoyt (historical romance)<br />
<i>Two Rakes for Mrs. Sparkwell</i> by Eva Leigh (historical romance, m/f/m romance)<br />
<i>Scent of a Garden</i> by Namrata Patel (out 6/13, mainstream fiction, women's fiction)<br />
<i>The Lady Tempts an Heir</i> by Harper St. George (historical romance)<br />
<i>Not So Perfect Strangers</i> by L.S. Stratton (out 3/28, thriller, suspense)<br />
<p></p>
<p><b>Backlists and Rereads:</b> After I got Lorraine Heath's <i>She Tempts the Duke</i> and <i>Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman</i> from the library, I had to flow into a reread of <i>Waking Up With the Duke</i>. As one does. Then, Kennedy Ryan recced <i>The Idea of You</i> by Robinne Lee on Twitter, so I gave it a try. It's, rather infamously, Harry Styles and One Direction fan fiction with the serial numbers filed off. And I really enjoyed it! There was a problematic age gap and all this soapy drama and no HEA, and I just kept turning those pages. (I have no room to judge. I wrote NSYNC and Backstreet boys fic back in the day.)</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/ wish list</u></b><br /><i>
All Hallows</i> by Christopher Golden<br /><i>
The Duchess Effect</i> by Tracey Livesay <br /><i>
A Sinister Revenge</i> by Deanna Raybourn <br />
</p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-9444820046955885182023-01-02T20:12:00.000-05:002023-01-02T20:12:10.956-05:00On the Shelf: December 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv-pxjQ4whdt7Pf3uTdlh8txYq43hTZxz6fud66dtdN-HIA-N_DUHJKH6x2c182pqJcQSyHeh6bM-0yYx5oLCeGJ_1l7X2UmgFVRnlsu4F3vUfTjzN4A_0KVY2hvczkYdGUN76ZwI14f3KNlTFg0QC8b48d10VIxsxP1-XY_BrTxJZMC-uUEMfoQF/s500/TheWeightofBlood.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv-pxjQ4whdt7Pf3uTdlh8txYq43hTZxz6fud66dtdN-HIA-N_DUHJKH6x2c182pqJcQSyHeh6bM-0yYx5oLCeGJ_1l7X2UmgFVRnlsu4F3vUfTjzN4A_0KVY2hvczkYdGUN76ZwI14f3KNlTFg0QC8b48d10VIxsxP1-XY_BrTxJZMC-uUEMfoQF/w213-h320/TheWeightofBlood.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>I finished 2022 with 155 books read—so I topped last year by 55 books. Wowza. And I was definitely committed to stuffing December with as many reads as possible. I even finished two books on the 31st--<i>Only a Monster</i> and <i>Wherever is Your Heart</i>, both of which were very satisfying in very different ways. More unsettling than satisfying was Tiffany D. Jackson's <i>The Weight of Blood</i>. A remix/retelling of Stephen King's <i>Carrie</i>, it's going to stay with me for a long while. Jackson never pulls her punches when it comes to talking about real trauma, and that stays true here even with the supernatural elements. <p></p><p>I remain compelled by horror and suspense, and I keep telling myself it's because I'm probably going to pivot to those genres. But, really, it's just because there's something about fictional fear and tension that really speaks to me. Maybe because personal experiences have numbed me for things in my own life? And reading or watching these genres is me going, "Come at me, bro. Whaddya got?" Anyway, that's enough navel-gazing for an end-of-the-month book roundup. And if you want to know my Top 20 favorite romances of the year, you can find them here: <a href="http://www.suleikhasnyder.com/2022/12/suleikhas-top-20-romance-books-of-2022.html" target="_blank">http://www.suleikhasnyder.com/2022/12/suleikhas-top-20-romance-books-of-2022.html.</a>
</p>
<p><b><u></u></b></p><br /><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>The Night of the Wedding</i> by J. Broson (contemporary romance, erotic romance)<br />
<i>Fire Season</i> by KD Casey (contemporary m/m romance, LGTBQ+ romance, sports romance)<br />
<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQiER74N6mHarwB0InoKo8Tr827G3E6GkB7ADS5RJuWpcftJKhlAU949Z1OslcgXL0q2xSnA0Jc4Op1rTYk9LXXSw-rIuVk4a2E8V1ODa6KdgFNd2kJZqHljYMpkt5q1atyksm-8NzcDvz7Ege1-YDjHCs42hpMAT_bMs-nPjytmGqGHsihYDeRIS/s500/OnlyAMonster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQiER74N6mHarwB0InoKo8Tr827G3E6GkB7ADS5RJuWpcftJKhlAU949Z1OslcgXL0q2xSnA0Jc4Op1rTYk9LXXSw-rIuVk4a2E8V1ODa6KdgFNd2kJZqHljYMpkt5q1atyksm-8NzcDvz7Ege1-YDjHCs42hpMAT_bMs-nPjytmGqGHsihYDeRIS/w133-h200/OnlyAMonster.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Masters in the Hall</i> by KJ Charles (historical m/m romance, historical mystery)<br />
<i>Reckless Girls</i> by Rachel Hawkins (suspense, thriller)<br />
<i>The Weight of Blood</i> by Tiffany D. Jackson (horror, young adult horror) <br />
<i>To Catch a Raven</i> by Beverly Jenkins (historical romance)<br />
<i>The Replacement Wife</i> by Darby Kane (domestic suspense, thriller)<br />
<i>Wherever is Your Heart</i> by Anita Kelly (contemporary f/f romance)<br />
<i>Only a Monster</i> by Vanessa Len (young adult urban fantasy, young adult romance) <br />
<i>The Children on the Hill</i> by Jennifer McMahon (suspense, thriller) <br />
<i>The Princess and the Scoundrel</i> by Beth Revis (science fiction/fantasy romance, <i>Star Wars</i> tie-in)<br />
<i>Do You Take This Man</i> by Denise Williams (contemporary romance)<br />
<p></p>
<p><b>Backlists and rereads:</b> Since I was clearly on a massive suspense/thriller kick, I picked up Riley Sager's <i>The Last Time I Lied</i> from the library. Then I finally got around to finishing <i>Sunshine</i> by Robin McKinley. It took me months. I love her stories but this one definitely could've used a closer edit. Another uneven experience was Nora Roberts' <i>Genuine Lies</i>. The Old Hollywood aspect was great. The excessive and unnecessary fatshaming? Not so much. Some of these older books just don't hold up. Alas.
</p>
<p><b>Currently reading:</b> An ARC of Namrata Patel's <i>Scent of a Garden</i>, which comes out on June 13.
</p>
<p><b><u>On the TBR/ wish list for '23</u></b><br />
<i>All Hallows</i> by Christopher Golden<br />
<i>Jana Goes Wild</i> by Farah Heron<br />
<i>The Duchess Effect</i> by Tracey Livesay<br />
<i>A Sinister Revenge</i> by Deanna Raybourn<br />
</p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-19479136110117740522022-12-31T20:16:00.001-05:002022-12-31T20:17:53.536-05:00Suleikha's Top 20 Romance Books of 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaNfwOhIXvWEBMrnd8xWCLCM4-zZcZBFYbCtVwPyVwX3x9FQVGvbmgDVs-x6caG60AVpo-g0M9WBGlSzofmZ2NwRbCC-i4Y33CZYVTQ_VFDPDi3qee9P7jcGEJnLme0ffLt9j0Qv9HnEGWgNzRoE5AglOTld1cvap_lxkd4LB5hQG2AHVtiIn8Yfw/s500/Tanked.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaNfwOhIXvWEBMrnd8xWCLCM4-zZcZBFYbCtVwPyVwX3x9FQVGvbmgDVs-x6caG60AVpo-g0M9WBGlSzofmZ2NwRbCC-i4Y33CZYVTQ_VFDPDi3qee9P7jcGEJnLme0ffLt9j0Qv9HnEGWgNzRoE5AglOTld1cvap_lxkd4LB5hQG2AHVtiIn8Yfw/w131-h200/Tanked.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>I found a lot of solace in romance this year. It was actually really difficult to narrow down 20 of my faves out of 155 books across all genres. I kept moving things around and having to redo the numbers. So, here is a resulting disclaimer: Fellow authors, if you don't see your book on this list, it doesn't mean I didn't like it. Don't hate me!<p></p><p>And then there's the books I couldn't really include due to conflict of interest-ish things. Which is why I'm shouting out <i>The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches</i> by Sangu Mandanna and <i>Tanked</i> by Mia Hopkins here up top. Because I read and blurbed them both pre-release. That sort of makes it a little hinky to put them on my personal reading roundup, you know? But Mia and Sangu are fantastic writers, and I'm so glad to their stories on the <i>New York Times's</i> <a href="https://t.co/91E7by2YS1" target="_blank">first-ever list of year-end Best Romances</a>. I also want to squee about <i>The Candid Life of Meena Dave</i> by my friend, Namrata Patel. It's more mainstream fiction with strong romantic elements—and I really enjoyed those elements. Highly recommend! And now on to my Top 20 favorite books of 2022...</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxD0M3CrnUMG0H_WFm26aPzAIlciMBtjTdbRU4Qx-Zz8MJgCIH9krhgZjl6BVIti7mRhd4hq60aUQYwZf4Dx-vEZiHUhxCXKJ41w0PhN6oWgNpfkJQsZhxZUI6FI49B0IcBz0W0u0Ni5hdakZjYHx-n6T6TvIWOj8vikZ657qNmTR5_abUNWtZ-Amp/s458/TheViewWasExhausting.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxD0M3CrnUMG0H_WFm26aPzAIlciMBtjTdbRU4Qx-Zz8MJgCIH9krhgZjl6BVIti7mRhd4hq60aUQYwZf4Dx-vEZiHUhxCXKJ41w0PhN6oWgNpfkJQsZhxZUI6FI49B0IcBz0W0u0Ni5hdakZjYHx-n6T6TvIWOj8vikZ657qNmTR5_abUNWtZ-Amp/w131-h200/TheViewWasExhausting.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>1. <i>Fire Season</i> by KD Casey<br /> <br />
2. <i>Masters in the Hall</i> by KJ Charles<br /> <br />
3. <i>The View Was Exhausting </i>by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta<br /> <br />
4. <i>The Emma Project </i>by Sonali Dev<br /> <br />
5. <i>Well Traveled </i>by Jen DeLuca<br /> <br />
6. <i>You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty</i> by Akwaeke Emezi<br /> <br />
7. <i>A Lady for a Duke</i> by Alexis Hall<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVpgWIcDk28NYwlEUXUz7cEu6xJr5GtfJAyN0NPDzdXsaIsg701rD3GMCuS61fzttp_sfyF70mJSzZJ-Z969xhFca01rDcnPbfARlL-UzzZMhe0DfZZsdLz6dwAsqpwDN7iz45dPpwN6ll2kjsZjTYVETMP_7BO0s-tHx2oCoFkAnubjzi4wNOMVk/s452/AmericanRoyalty.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaVpgWIcDk28NYwlEUXUz7cEu6xJr5GtfJAyN0NPDzdXsaIsg701rD3GMCuS61fzttp_sfyF70mJSzZJ-Z969xhFca01rDcnPbfARlL-UzzZMhe0DfZZsdLz6dwAsqpwDN7iz45dPpwN6ll2kjsZjTYVETMP_7BO0s-tHx2oCoFkAnubjzi4wNOMVk/w133-h200/AmericanRoyalty.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>8. <i>Kamila Knows Best </i>by Farah Heron<br /><br />
9. <i>D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding</i> by Chencia C. Higgins<br /> <br />
10. <i>To Catch a Raven</i> by Beverly Jenkins<br /> <br />
11. <i>Wherever is Your Heart</i> by Anita Kelly <br /><br />
12. <i>The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes</i> by Eva Leigh<br /> <br />
13. <i>Red Blossom in Snow</i> by Jeannie Lin<br /> <br />
14. <i>American Royalty </i>by Tracey Livesay<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFgCaEFq9TSLdG6D8AXSdZI0hGLMUcRCgbhPCG6s4TjI8wh-syPE1r94gQ4m961Tf680Ce7NY-GuCAGY6H_LsfkkRT3GJ_bEcHYURl1WaeDnkUxJjs39wTKa5JMgt2X9cIC2rmxGg5g_w_6DjdRYZFP9ytzwhqxuCfbya9bWLgm-5YsSCSh9VWIAX/s451/Sapphire%20Sunset.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFgCaEFq9TSLdG6D8AXSdZI0hGLMUcRCgbhPCG6s4TjI8wh-syPE1r94gQ4m961Tf680Ce7NY-GuCAGY6H_LsfkkRT3GJ_bEcHYURl1WaeDnkUxJjs39wTKa5JMgt2X9cIC2rmxGg5g_w_6DjdRYZFP9ytzwhqxuCfbya9bWLgm-5YsSCSh9VWIAX/w133-h200/Sapphire%20Sunset.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />15. <i>Partners in Crime</i> by Alisha Rai<br /> <br />
16. <i>Sapphire Sunset</i> by C. Travis Rice<br /><br />
17. <i>Dance With the Devil</i> by Kit Rocha<br /> <br />
18. <i>Before I Let Go </i>by Kennedy Ryan<br /> <br />
19. <i>Lay Me Down in Ivy</i> by Stefanie Simpson<br /> <br />
20. <i>The Wedding Crasher</i> by Mia Sosa <br /> <br />
<p></p>
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdGGAtJRBkvXDbqT24xj0PRq5BrSdrdKt8JBQQzHnKSSGc63VEuwugLqbRhK7WEOciPtIoJeuwVSGw4grdK9RhEVU5qEFC1pbqX2zjmXx4oRVz9shz_ELyBxAq4Yl4Ta6vddEPyycP2TTHeASBMyyJ8Xou_gz_MpUdWSPmdbrlkJwrz1OqTU4juhS/s475/ARoguesRules_Leigh.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="298" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdGGAtJRBkvXDbqT24xj0PRq5BrSdrdKt8JBQQzHnKSSGc63VEuwugLqbRhK7WEOciPtIoJeuwVSGw4grdK9RhEVU5qEFC1pbqX2zjmXx4oRVz9shz_ELyBxAq4Yl4Ta6vddEPyycP2TTHeASBMyyJ8Xou_gz_MpUdWSPmdbrlkJwrz1OqTU4juhS/w126-h200/ARoguesRules_Leigh.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>2023 Releases to Look Out For</u></b><br />
<i>Hotel of Secrets </i>by Diana Biller (out 3/28) <br /><i>
A Rogue's Rules For Seduction </i>by Eva Leigh (out 4/25)<div><br />
<p></p>
<b><u>Links to Past Years</u></b><br />
<a href="https://www.suleikhasnyder.com/2021/12/suleikhas-top-20-romance-books-of-2021.html" target="_blank">Top 20 of 2021</a><br /> <a href="https://www.suleikhasnyder.com/2020/12/suleikhas-top-20-romances-of-2020.html" target="_blank">Top 20 of 2020</a><br /> <a href="https://www.suleikhasnyder.com/2019/12/suleikhas-top-19-romances-of-2019.html" target="_blank">Top 19 of 2019</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-74612785914091937472022-12-09T13:17:00.000-05:002022-12-31T19:42:07.178-05:00Twitter Ficbit: Guarded Hearts 2/?<p>Five hundred words before noon on a Friday? Who am I? This time it's @melon_reads's fault. Melanie brought up romances with "sex lessons." While that's not precisely what I came up with, Armaan and Rani had to have their say. </p><p>Read part one: <a href="https://www.suleikhasnyder.com/2022/12/twitter-ficbit-guarded-hearts.html">https://www.suleikhasnyder.com/2022/12/twitter-ficbit-guarded-hearts.html</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;">***</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>She presses her mouth to the inside of his wrist, the soft weight of it as breath-stealing as a punch to the gut. Armaan shudders, disarmed and defenseless. Every thought flown from his head like he’s just had his bell soundly rung. He feels her smile against his skin. His tormenter, his queen, holding him captive in return for her own imprisonment. </p><p>Her knees bracket his hips, blue silk sari half-undone and spilling around them like water. He’s drowning in her, and she knows it. <i>Say my name.</i> Such a simple thing, and it turned the key, unlocking everything he’s held inside for weeks. How the curve of her lips destroys him. How her soft brown eyes hit like bullets to the chest. How the sheer force of her will is the most formidable threat he’s ever faced. She’ll put a victorious foot on his corpse like a warrior goddess, and he’ll welcome it.</p><p>“Shhh,” Rani whispers, though he hasn’t spoken since he led her to his rooms. They don’t need words. Their souls have been having this conversation since the Boss had her brought in. Her palm is cool against his cheek. Her fingertips like lit matchsticks as they trace the bones. No woman has ever been this close. To let anyone this close is to risk a knife wound. He’d gladly let her slide a blade between his ribs.</p><p>He’s her way out, her escape. Armaan knows that. This is as much manipulation as it is anything else. He doesn’t give a fuck. Instead, he gives her permission to conquer him. To unbutton his waistcoat and his shirt and undo his trousers. To lick the salt from the juncture of his neck and shoulder as she rolls her lush hips. </p><p><i>Charm him</i>, he’d told her.</p><p><i>Respect him</i>.</p><p><i>Challenge him but not too much</i>.</p><p>She’s using his own advice against him…except that this <i>is</i> too much. A fight he’s losing. A match he’s throwing. All because she’s beautiful and he can’t remember the last time he’s tasted beauty. Maybe never. Perhaps this is his only chance. </p><p>Armaan surges up beneath her, the hands he’d let fall by his sides coming up to span her waist. He tugs at the last folds of her sari, baring her blouse and the muslin petticoat and the golden swathe of territory in between. A low cry tears from her throat, but it’s not one of alarm. Nahin, it’s one that says<i> more</i>. She guides his head to her breasts, to the stiff little peaks begging for his attention. The only part of her that has ever pled for anything. How can he deny it?</p><p>“Suck me,” she orders in accented Hindi.</p><p>“Teach me,” he counters, before rending cotton and popping hooks and putting his tongue to her.</p><p>And so she does. With whispers, gasps, and nails at his nape. Through seduction, skill, and his inevitable surrender.</p><p>Rani is a survivor. Armaan is a death dealer. This is all he’ll ever know of love. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">*** </p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As before, if you enjoyed that enough to leave me a little tip, you can do so via my Ko-fi: <a href="http://ko-fi.com/suleikhasnyder" style="color: #29aae1; text-decoration-line: none;">ko-fi.com/suleikhasnyder</a>. Thank you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></div></div>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-39778135482204622182022-12-07T17:54:00.006-05:002022-12-09T13:06:50.098-05:00Twitter Ficbit: Guarded Hearts 1/?<p>I haven't written spontaneous fiction in FOREVER. But Elizabeth Gabriel, @bandherbooks on Twitter, mentioned a hypothetical anthology of stories about the world-weary righthand man of the mafia bosses in dark romance and here we are.</p><p style="text-align: center;">***</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>When she slips out of her room, Armaan is at his post. Like always. Leaning against the wall next to the door. Five o’clock shadow hugging his jaw. So deceptively casual.</p><p>“Ma’am,” he growls like a leashed hunting dog. “Can’t let you go in there.” </p><p>It’s nothing he hasn’t said a half dozen times before. Nothing she hasn’t ignored the very same number of times. But all of a sudden she’s not sure she should. Not certain she even wants to. Six weeks she’s been here now. A dozen times she’s been over that threshold. What if what she needs is right here in front of her? What if he’s been here all along? Not blocking a door, but opening one.</p><p><i>Ma’am</i>. Even though he knows her name. They all know her name here. The Boss has made sure of it. Her name, her face…should they forget either and let her escape, there’ll be hell to pay. But this man has never made her feel like a prisoner. No, he just watches her with his keen dark eyes, chewing on a toothpick like it’s paan or tobacco. His sleeves rolled up to reveal thick wrists and forearms dusted with black hair. <i>Be meek but not too meek</i>, he’s told her in Hindi. <i>Challenge him but watch him</i>. Pieces of advice and information about her captor. Just enough to survive the cat and mouse games they play in the dacoit’s main hall.</p><p>Everyone talks of the Boss’s power. And, yes, he’s rife with it. It rolls off him like the waves of the Indian Ocean. He’s a handsome man in his mid-fifties, and his presence sends as much fear down her spine as it does shivers of attraction. Sometimes she forgets why she’s here and enjoys the masala chai he pours and the threats wrapped in flirtation.</p><p>She’s never had tea with Armaan. They’ve never bantered. No coy smiles and soft touches. He simply watches. He only waits. Whether he’s protecting the Boss or her is a mystery tucked inside his embroidered silk waistcoat. Kept tight against his heart. </p><p>“Say my name.” It’s a ridiculous request. Standing before him in a borrowed sari and bare feet. No defenses. Nothing save her wits and her wiles—neither of which have ever mattered to the stern right hand of the most dangerous man in the Calcutta underground. She feels it as his gaze flicks over her. Cataloguing, studying, looking for what she’s truly asking. Her skin breaks out in goose bumps. Her nipples pebble. </p><p>His voice is raw when he finally speaks. His hand a fist at his side. His brown eyes burn like a kerosene lantern.</p><p>“Rani.”</p><p><i>Queen. </i></p><p>“Mere Rani.”</p><p><i>My queen.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">***</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you enjoyed that enough to leave me a little tip, you can do so via my Ko-fi: <a href="http://ko-fi.com/suleikhasnyder">ko-fi.com/suleikhasnyder</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Go to part two</div><p></p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-90887492977401105872022-12-01T21:01:00.000-05:002022-12-01T21:01:05.995-05:00On the Shelf: November 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkJT57AkONRn4b6rLqf5oea4n8LlFxOxTF0YcPfe8folCpvQb4KPaOIHZVlNG3P_J8-uE6SeFYUPxpoVV31sLlDfr-hEPjgoJ95Z6zEcfoKYZNVpryrKpcFI7pnN8MHddWWUkpfjjiZ5bJn2gD0qwoVaj0cIuSU3O2wG1cj4mtnPVF_5btGEHaN1k/s630/HotelOfSecrets.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkJT57AkONRn4b6rLqf5oea4n8LlFxOxTF0YcPfe8folCpvQb4KPaOIHZVlNG3P_J8-uE6SeFYUPxpoVV31sLlDfr-hEPjgoJ95Z6zEcfoKYZNVpryrKpcFI7pnN8MHddWWUkpfjjiZ5bJn2gD0qwoVaj0cIuSU3O2wG1cj4mtnPVF_5btGEHaN1k/s320/HotelOfSecrets.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>It's only December 1, so you're not getting my Best Of list yet. Nope. No, sirree. You're just going to have to wait for the actual end-of-year posts. I'm sure you're crushed. I, however, am mighty pleased that I get to keep reading without having to make any decisions yet. Reading has probably been the one relaxing thing in my life this year, for which I am very grateful.</p><p>I was still really into horror and generally creepy books this past month, but I was glad to take a romance detour with some older historical favorites and a new one—Diana Biller. She has very gothic and ghost-y themes in her books, so I guess I didn't detour that far! Heh. And of course, <i>Hotel of Secrets</i> is excellent. Biller takes us to Vienna, a setting I'm not used to seeing in historical romance, where the starchiest investigator gets thoroughly unstarched by a bunch of eccentrics who live in the titular hotel. It's so delightful. Watching Eli fall for Maria and the found family at the Hotel Wallner is just as entertaining as the mysteries that bring them all together. I'm going to have to reread closer to the March 2023 release date so I can squee all over again. </p>
<p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmoBM6192nw7AibjXl3NPw_635J6NL8BfMJcKTf_cda1C_SVwp35refP5ph-SU_3t1m6huAHpmIqONpu9P1VQT6N3ECSZ6L_9lyHygMfhYPtgAWhY2o0aihgcvDMvDsKdEzDEstK5a88O_6poNQNVWqlhsFaHT57-2RbCnY4bun1i6PgpeePQMJGl/s2416/TheRiverofSilver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2416" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmoBM6192nw7AibjXl3NPw_635J6NL8BfMJcKTf_cda1C_SVwp35refP5ph-SU_3t1m6huAHpmIqONpu9P1VQT6N3ECSZ6L_9lyHygMfhYPtgAWhY2o0aihgcvDMvDsKdEzDEstK5a88O_6poNQNVWqlhsFaHT57-2RbCnY4bun1i6PgpeePQMJGl/w133-h200/TheRiverofSilver.jpg" width="133" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Ruby Fever</i> by Ilona Andrews (paranormal romance)<br />
<i>Hotel of Secrets</i> by Diana Biller (out 3/28/23, historical romance, historical mystery)<br />
<i>The Hacienda</i> by Isabel Cañas (gothic horror)<br />
<i>The River of Silver</i> by S.A. Chakraborty (fantasy, anthology/collection)<br />
<i>Hokuloa Road</i> by Elizabeth Hand (horror, suspense/thriller) <br />
<p></p>
<p>
<b>Backlists and Rereads:</b> I finished my Brenda Joyce reread right at the beginning of November with <i>Deadly Vows—</i>which was kind of a bummer because the bulk of the characters stayed awful and my favorite couple was left hanging. Then, everybody was talking about <i>Ravishing the Heiress</i> by Sherry Thomas on Twitter, so I had to reread that—and I found so much more to love about it this time around! What a great book about marriage and love and not being able to recognize what you have right in front of you. I also returned to one of my go-tos, Eva Leigh, for some sharp-witted historical romance goodness via <i>Forever Your Earl</i> and <i>Scandal Takes the Stage</i>. She never disappoints!<br />
</p>
<p><b>Currently reading:</b> An ARC of <i>The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen</i> by KJ Charles, which releases on March 7, 2023, and <i>The Replacement Wife</i> by Darby Kane.<br />
</p>
<b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>The Princess and the Scoundrel</i> by Beth Revis<br />
Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-36111647718547173622022-11-03T12:12:00.001-04:002022-11-03T12:12:40.908-04:00On the Shelf: October 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT6p2dTOshlyd24GsOHHjEjhw9pFOwEb2KRUnm7D3T0yDESy4fx0LnqWPJt-ZJr-mh6lVwUYtj0ugBPsISPptVeBFhzFx1kAurR4Lik94CqfycgDqRlOsUzcSw_HyGrxICbhMo_hOwTy-LoIRtkD1t-R6WNyGbE7ZXBFr8JIzBlbM5TK541eFt8xD/s475/ARoguesRules_Leigh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT6p2dTOshlyd24GsOHHjEjhw9pFOwEb2KRUnm7D3T0yDESy4fx0LnqWPJt-ZJr-mh6lVwUYtj0ugBPsISPptVeBFhzFx1kAurR4Lik94CqfycgDqRlOsUzcSw_HyGrxICbhMo_hOwTy-LoIRtkD1t-R6WNyGbE7ZXBFr8JIzBlbM5TK541eFt8xD/s320/ARoguesRules_Leigh.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>This might be the first time all year that I barely read any new, front-list, titles. Admittedly, that's because I fell down the nine-book rabbit hole that is Brenda Joyce's Francesca Cahill series. I got eight done before November 1. Overkill? Yes. Problematic? Yes. Worth it? Also yes. Both from a nostalgic reader standpoint and a writer/editor standpoint. (If you follow my lead and read this series, Evan and Maggie are the only pairing worth a damn. And Calder Hart deserves better. And many things have not aged well.) It's interesting to contrast an older "feminist" historical series with books like Eva Leigh's. She slipped me an early copy of <i>A Rogue's Rules for Seduction</i>, because I am a Last Chance Scoundrels fangirl, and I had significantly fewer urges to throw it against a wall. <i>Zero</i> urges, actually. lol. Dom and Willa's book, a second-chance love story with plenty of groveling, is a gorgeous tale of how true love only works when you're true to yourself. <div><br /></div><div>Gorgeous in a completely different way is Deanna Raybourn's <i>Killers of a Certain Age—</i>about four assassins being ushered into a permanent retirement that they don't really appreciate. (And understandably so!) I am not alone in saying we need this as a movie ASAP. It's so fun and so sharp. I could probably say more things, but it's November 3 and I want to hit publish on this post. Welcome to my brain. 😂<div><p>
<u><b>The Reading Rundown</b></u> <br />
<i>The Devil Takes You Home</i> by Gabino Iglesias (horror) <br />
<i>A Rogue's Rules for Seduction</i> by Eva Leigh (out 4/25/23, historical romance)<br />
<i>Killers of a Certain Age</i> by Deanna Raybourn (suspense, thriller)<br />
</p>
<p><b>Backlists and Rereads:</b> I went back to an old fave—<i>Blood and Chocolate</i> by Annette Curtis Klause and then reread <i>What I Did for a Duke</i> by Julie Anne Long to refresh my Pennyroyal Green memory. I reread almost all of Brenda Joyce's Francesca Cahill mysteries, AKA the Deadly series. And then I finished up this month's backlist adventures with Rachel Grant's 2013 romantic suspense series-starter, <i>Concrete Evidence</i>.<br />
</p>
<p><b>Currently reading:</b> <i>The River of Silver</i> by S.A. Chakraborty.
<br /></p>
<p><b><u>On the Wishlist/TBR</u></b><br />
<i>The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi</i> by Shannon Chakraborty (out 3/7/23)<br />
</p></div></div>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-35019100307348184592022-10-02T20:34:00.002-04:002022-10-02T20:34:38.414-04:00On the Shelf: September 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62AAKDS8MOLc1dzCts4NLo3zF2NHZEr1agE7bDz6MYfOE841zK27TCLLIrpv5OJgxiPTMu3usSKBgsMRR6OJydQyXQc88Kk40aC7K9Yt17lysSAvpVfBR0q07-tOIQtpKiD_eYlvxl-VStqFMsdL3PtS-7gcsmLfLDo4uN5LD716rrxX4eFcp_7_e/s500/OleanderSword.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62AAKDS8MOLc1dzCts4NLo3zF2NHZEr1agE7bDz6MYfOE841zK27TCLLIrpv5OJgxiPTMu3usSKBgsMRR6OJydQyXQc88Kk40aC7K9Yt17lysSAvpVfBR0q07-tOIQtpKiD_eYlvxl-VStqFMsdL3PtS-7gcsmLfLDo4uN5LD716rrxX4eFcp_7_e/s320/OleanderSword.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>I feel like I am being so well-fed reading-wise. So many amazing books everywhere I turn! Sonali Dev's <i>The Vibrant Years</i>, which launches Mindy Kaling's new imprint in December, is the gorgeous story of three generations of South Asian women navigating their relationships with men, with each other, and with the past. Akwaeke Ezemi's <i>You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty</i> kept me captivated as a grieving protagonist trying to embrace life finds a kindred spirit in the most unlikely but beautifully right place. And Tasha Suri's <i>The Oleander Sword</i> still has me flailing three days later because I need the sequel ASAP. I’m in awe of her plotting and the epic feel of it all. The machinations, the betrayal, the capriciousness of gods, and how characters like Priya, Malini, Rao, and Bhumika try to love and live amidst constant conflict.<p></p><p>EE Ottoman's <i>The Companion</i> is a perfect story for cozy fall vibes and sharing tea and a toke with the ones you love. And T. Kingfisher's <i>What Moves the Dead</i> is on the other end of the seasonal spectrum, offering up a truly creepy retelling of <i>The Fall of the House of Usher</i> that joins Silvia Moreno-Garcia's <i>Mexican Gothic</i> as validation for why I hate mushrooms. </p>
<p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6j3O66xqX23-YJCGbrrc1SzqvS7g5_E5TJkGzmxjBUDjL9iCIsfpzF1EMjZEFMenMDNaEdbzfAcniKEi4-9nw6e-ZxtcdKjjj48qZjm0a78wIMB1jFb8SblD1hR5a6rHB44A9Ok9zyT7Kkq_mYHzL51-G5MmWjdaQauOgfOiFUPOwN7Ly7rg_0RP/s400/you-made-a-fool-of-death-with-your-beauty-9781982188702_lg.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6j3O66xqX23-YJCGbrrc1SzqvS7g5_E5TJkGzmxjBUDjL9iCIsfpzF1EMjZEFMenMDNaEdbzfAcniKEi4-9nw6e-ZxtcdKjjj48qZjm0a78wIMB1jFb8SblD1hR5a6rHB44A9Ok9zyT7Kkq_mYHzL51-G5MmWjdaQauOgfOiFUPOwN7Ly7rg_0RP/w131-h200/you-made-a-fool-of-death-with-your-beauty-9781982188702_lg.jpg" width="131" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>The Vibrant Years</i> by Sonali Dev (out 12/1, women's fiction, mainstream fiction)<br />
<i>You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty</i> by Akwaeke Ezemi (contemporary romance) <br />
<i>What Moves the Dead</i> by T. Kingfisher (horror, gothic, Edgar Allan Poe retelling)<br />
<i>The Companion</i> by EE Ottoman (trans romance, polyam FFM romance)<br />
<i>Dance With the Devil</i> by Kit Rocha (post-apocalyptic romance, sci-fi romance) <br />
<i>The Heiress Hunt</i> by Joanna Shupe (historical romance)<br />
<i>The Oleander Sword</i> by Tasha Suri (fantasy, f/f romance)<br />
<i>How to Fake it in Hollywood</i> by Ava Wilder (contemporary romance) <br />
<p></p>
<p><b>Backlists and rereads:</b> After reading one of her newer releases, I had to go back to <i>The Rogue of Fifth Avenue</i> by Joanna Shupe. The same thing happened when I finally read <i>Tempt Me at Twilight</i> by Lisa Kleypas—I flowed right into a reread of <i>Married By Morning</i>. (Yes, I know. It somehow took me <i>years</i> to get to Poppy's book.) Earlier in the month, I inhaled <i>Passion</i> by Lisa Valdez, a rather infamous book in some romance circles. I was very entertained. No complaints! LOL. To balance out all the historicals, I reread <i>The Lucky Ones</i> by Tiffany Reisz, which is pretty much a contemporary gothic and hits that VC Andrews sweet spot (with far better writing). <br />
</p>
<p>
<b><u>On the wishlist/TBR</u></b><br />
<i>The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi</i> by Shannon Chakraborty (out 3/7/23) <br />
<i>The Devil Takes You Home</i> by Gabino Iglesias<br />
<i>A Rogue's Rules for Seduction</i> by Eva Leigh (out 4/25/23)<br />
<i>Killers of a Certain Age</i> by Deanna Raybourn <br />
</p><br />Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-84087004933532756982022-09-01T15:57:00.000-04:002022-09-01T15:57:20.169-04:00On the Shelf: August 2022
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaovMdSO9ejpGXl9WuYk1F40iov6mPmmPWg8DhpNJ3Mqjl1YXqdMV6MHlbB_yCVwaLS2wSF6-wzKE_GyB0qP6SsBM68QcuQxbBH4O8JklUqznZDvxgvebPG9pIeJ0VvBtK8Lntf3QsGn7lwQAekp9c_kxu6kdbnnkaHvTlqZ0g3ZSDN6MurS4RIZWK/s1500/WellTraveled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaovMdSO9ejpGXl9WuYk1F40iov6mPmmPWg8DhpNJ3Mqjl1YXqdMV6MHlbB_yCVwaLS2wSF6-wzKE_GyB0qP6SsBM68QcuQxbBH4O8JklUqznZDvxgvebPG9pIeJ0VvBtK8Lntf3QsGn7lwQAekp9c_kxu6kdbnnkaHvTlqZ0g3ZSDN6MurS4RIZWK/w213-h320/WellTraveled.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>I slacked off a little in August when it came to gorging on books. And you know what? I'm okay with that. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this isn't a race or a contest. Reading is what I do to recharge, for enjoyment, and it should never feel like a chore. You know what definitely wasn't a chore? Alisha Rai's next contemporary romance,<i> Partners in Crime</i>. It was hijinks-heavy and delightfully caper-y. Much like lawyer Naveen, the reader thinks they know the set-up when accountant Mira Patel comes to him to settle her aunt's estate—but they will quickly realize they're in for a bonkers ride. I loved it. It reminded me of watching Indian serials with my mom and grandmother. <p></p><p>Another upcoming contemporary I really enjoyed was Jen DeLuca's <i>Well Traveled</i>. It's always fun running off to her Renaissance Faire. In this fourth book, Lulu Malone does exactly that to escape her high-pressure job. In doing so, she grows closer to guitarist Dex MacLean, the faire circuit's most notorious womanizer. As they move from camp to camp, they learn a lot about moving beyond what people expect of them—and I was with them every step of the way. This is such a charming world, and I can't wait for another visit! </p><p><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W02CVUMIeQdLkrY09eEFdnuPfsDNYyzdw9V3y1K70bY3WxYjEaSFlax6aDWqaIFE-XH3oBEQo_jJ9XkNkZi0_0tDN7FTz6YCiHD1VnSTUzYyWgi3xO8nHrrMM8qtHwkO-6BjKVh_6T-VGZ2B9-89TbtFe_w2rKrJ8zPPtDItZXM2maX8TmkL9aD2/s630/PartnersInCrime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="419" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W02CVUMIeQdLkrY09eEFdnuPfsDNYyzdw9V3y1K70bY3WxYjEaSFlax6aDWqaIFE-XH3oBEQo_jJ9XkNkZi0_0tDN7FTz6YCiHD1VnSTUzYyWgi3xO8nHrrMM8qtHwkO-6BjKVh_6T-VGZ2B9-89TbtFe_w2rKrJ8zPPtDItZXM2maX8TmkL9aD2/w133-h200/PartnersInCrime.jpg" width="133" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br />The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Trapper Road</i> by Rachel Caine and Carrie Ryan (suspense/thriller)<br />
<i>Well Traveled</i> by Jen DeLuca (out 12/6, contemporary romance) <br />
<i>If She Says Yes</i> by Tasha Harrison (contemporary romance, erotic romance)<br />
<i>Partners in Crime </i>by Alisha Rai (out 10/18, contemporary romance) <br />
<i>Nobody's Princess</i> by Erica Ridley (historical romance)<br />
<i>Lay Me Down in Ivy</i> by Stefanie Simpson (historical romance, BDSM/femdom romance)<br />
<i>Daisy Jones and the Six</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid (mainstream fiction) <br />
<p></p>
<p><b>Backlists and Rereads:</b> I reread <i>Messy</i> by Katie Porter, possibly for the second time this year, and I am not one bit sorry about that.
</p>
<p><b>Currently Reading:</b> I'm still working on a reread of <i>Sunshine</i> by Robin McKinley and <i>Hollow Fires</i> by Samira Ahmed. Books keep jumping the line and impeding my progress!</p>
<u><b>On the TBR/wish list</b></u><br />
<i>The Vibrant Years</i> by Sonali Dev (12/1) <br />
<i>What Moves the Dead</i> by T. Kingfisher<br />
<i>Killers of a Certain Age</i> by Deanna Raybourn (out 9/6)<br />
<i>The Oleander Sword</i> by Tasha Suri <br />Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5790588464158346040.post-20576206908330284862022-08-02T21:40:00.000-04:002022-08-02T21:40:24.360-04:00On the Shelf: July 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAql7wxEuPD_fI6yIo4Jf0Y0P3YVZOv8ynQQ4kDYChMsjY8ymwuISntaASXvyQd0mU6RploGjsPnmEG1gMbsQ0jYOImNZK2qxLvBPGon7BB6XPHOsQxLArNyhl-alIAFHindosOTbxaRhueqSnlaTQisx1J9XZYZzgDRZo0awvADELuxZtVfiECmE/s456/BeforeILetGo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAql7wxEuPD_fI6yIo4Jf0Y0P3YVZOv8ynQQ4kDYChMsjY8ymwuISntaASXvyQd0mU6RploGjsPnmEG1gMbsQ0jYOImNZK2qxLvBPGon7BB6XPHOsQxLArNyhl-alIAFHindosOTbxaRhueqSnlaTQisx1J9XZYZzgDRZo0awvADELuxZtVfiECmE/s320/BeforeILetGo.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>I think I still have a good-book hangover from all the great stuff I devoured in July. Like the early copies of Kennedy Ryan's <i>Before I Let Go</i> and <i>Husband Material</i> by Alexis Hall. There's a reason Kennedy is one of the most-lauded authors in romance fiction right now. Because her books make you feel every emotion, including ones you didn't know you had. And the second-chance romance of Yasmen and Josiah is a gripping and gorgeous roller coaster of feelings. Meanwhile, <i>Husband Material</i>—which hits store shelves today—is another hit for Alexis. It's bursting with so much wit you might have to take hilarity breaks like I did. I also took a stroll down Angelina M. Lopez's Milagro Street, where a passionate bartender wants to save her family legacy any way she can. It's by no means an easy road, but certainly a compelling, and at times very entertaining, one.<p></p><p>And then there's Tasha Suri's <i>Wuthering Heights</i> remix, <i>What Souls Are Made Of</i>. Holy crap, this book is beautiful. I fully admit that I have never read the source material. I keep meaning to watch the movie with Merle Oberon and haven't gotten to that either. But I know enough of the story and characters from pop culture that I wasn't lost and could see what the author was subverting. Tasha's exquisite and lyrical retelling grounds this famous and familiar tale in themes of cultural loss and unmoored identity, and thus renders the selfish Cathy and brutal Heathcliff in much more sympathetic lines. It's a far more hopeful book, too. We need more hope in our lives. </p><p>
<b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3ta3ULVjf7KzILiHcdmol8yl8BqbzNf7HL2nSvDx855fwqRgYuyyuB_VDvM306GEch49JqaV8DHVlHdVJfVv0pBMXSNAZuisyYrT62TZvJHLsM4kZdMyoucRqQK2NrhR2kxKX7YN0bAHLd3x3yFMAlzwaoVHwXj66Cd0USspau0l55IxEbnaweh_/s464/WhatSoulsAreMadeOf.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3ta3ULVjf7KzILiHcdmol8yl8BqbzNf7HL2nSvDx855fwqRgYuyyuB_VDvM306GEch49JqaV8DHVlHdVJfVv0pBMXSNAZuisyYrT62TZvJHLsM4kZdMyoucRqQK2NrhR2kxKX7YN0bAHLd3x3yFMAlzwaoVHwXj66Cd0USspau0l55IxEbnaweh_/w129-h200/WhatSoulsAreMadeOf.jpg" width="129" /></a></u></b></div><b><u>The Reading Rundown</u></b><br />
<i>Heartwood Box</i> by Ann Aguirre (YA thriller/suspense, YA romance)<br />
<i>A Christmas Spark</i> by Diana Biller (historical romance, short story)<br />
<i>Olivia and the Masked Duke</i> by Grace Callaway (historical romance)<br />
<i>Pippa and the Prince of Secrets</i> by Grace Callaway (historical romance) <br />
<i>Fiona and the Enigmatic Earl</i> by Grace Callaway (historical romance)<br />
<i>Husband Material</i> by Alexis Hall (contemporary m/m romance)<br />
<i>After Hours on Milagro Street</i> by Angelina M. Lopez (contemporary romance)<br />
<i>Before I Let Go</i> by Kennedy Ryan (out 11/15, contemporary romance)<br />
<i>What Souls Are Made Of</i> by Tasha Suri (YA romance, gothic romance, <i>Wuthering Heights</i> retelling)<br />
<i>Take Her Down</i> by Lauren Emily Whalen (YA fiction, YA LGBTQ+ fiction)<br />
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<p>
<b>Backlists and rereads:</b> <i>Locked Box</i>, <i>Open Hearts</i>, and<i> Baby Talk</i> by Eve Dangerfield and <i>Too Wicked to Kiss</i> by Erica Ridley were my forays into author backlists this month. Meanwhile, I made a return visit to <i>Again the Magic</i> by Lisa Kleypas, as well as <i>Backwoods</i>,<i> Getaway</i>, and <i>Shivaree </i>by Cara McKenna.</p>
<p><b>Currently reading: </b><i>Hollow Fires</i> by Samira Ahmed and <i>Partners in Crime</i> by Alisha Rai.
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<p>
<b><u>On the TBR/wish list</u></b><br />
<i>The Vibrant Years</i> by Sonali Dev (12/1)<br />
<i>What Moves the Dead</i> by T. Kingfisher<br />
<i>Killers of a Certain Age</i> by Deanna Raybourn (9/6) <br />
<i>The Oleander Sword</i> by Tasha Suri (8/16) <br />
<i>All My Rage</i> by Sabaa Tahir <br />
</p>Suleikha Snyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06949092310094712391noreply@blogger.com0