Reviewing Fiction One Happy Ever After at a Time
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There are a lot of them this week!
The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim
Organizing for the Rest of Us by Dana K. White
Holly by Stephen King
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldreee
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
If you’ve read any of these books, would you recommend them?
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I’m going to be repeating a few of my goals from last year and then adding in some new ones.
1. Whittle down my TBR list. Sometimes I swear they grow by themselves overnight!
2. Visit nearby physical branches of my local library more often. I’ve read that being a librarian can be a stressful job at times, so I’d like to give them some friendly in-person experiences if I can. Also, not every book is available in digital form, so borrowing some of those paper books would help with my TBR list for sure.
3. Play more literary or bookish games on my phone.
4. Read short stories regularly. I need a break from the long (but good) novels I read last autumn and at the beginning of this winter.
5. Read more cozy mysteries. I tend go in spurts with this genre, and it’s been a while since I last visited it.
6. Take reading breaks. I am not always good at this, but it’s refreshing to step away for a little while and do something else. Maybe the spring will be a good time to do it if there aren’t too many forest fires and the weather is decent then?
7. Take a break from the fantasy genre. I’m a longtime fan of it, but I think I need to read other genres for a while. I’m finding it too repetitive, but I think it’s because I’m so well-versed in what typically happens in this genre.
8. Visit indie bookstores. I miss them so much.
9. Find cool people on Bookstagram who talk about science fiction, ghost stories, psychological horror, or other similar things.
10. Run away and go live in the woods. Or at least that’s what I’ve been threatening to do in order to have more quiet reading time. 😀 Fellow introverts, how do you carve out time to read?
Suggestions for how to accomplish any or all of these goals are quite welcomed!
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I do not have any witty commentary for you all today. I’m simply feeling grateful for how many different options we all have when deciding what to read next.
Here are ten books I’m looking forward to checking out over the next several months.
1. Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké–Íyímídé
Why I’m Interested: I like romances that include a lot of other plot lines, too. This one sounds like it has plenty going on with the story!
2. In Utero by Chris Gooch
Release Date: January 23
Why I’m Interested: One word – aliens.
3. The Unquiet Bones by Loreth Anne White
Release Date: March 5
Why I’m Interested: There’s something to be said for digging up bones buried in the wrong place and hopefully solving the mystery of how that person died.
4. Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa
Release Date: April 9
Why I’m Interested: High school romances can be so much fun to read about.
5.Pretty Furious by E.K. Johnston
Release Date: April 16
Why I’m Interested: Do I advocate seeking revenge in real life? Of course not! Reading about fictional characters getting revenge sounds awesome, though.
6. Supplication by Nour Abi-Nakhou
Release Date: May 7
Why I’m Interested: This sounds really scary, and maybe too scary for me to actually read. If I do find my courage, it will be interesting to see how the main character escapes from the house where she is trapped.
7. The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
Release Date: May 14
Why I’m Interested: The fairytale aesthetic. Imagine being cursed to never fall in love again! I mean, I know some people never fall in love even once in their lives and are perfectly happy that way, but it’s quite a different thought for those of us who have had that experience.
8. The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
Release Date: May 21
Why I’m Interested: The attention-grabbing title. A society without murder sounds appealing, but I’ll bet the catch to living there is going to be a big one.
9.Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
Release Date: May 21
Why I’m Interested: This could be a nice refresher after some of the horror and other darker works on this list.
10.Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories About Growing Up Trans by Sammy Lisel
Release Date: May 28
Why I’m Interested: It sounds interesting.
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Here are ten books coming out this winter that I’m curious about. The first two have already been released, and I’ve included publication dates for the rest.
1. Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn
Why I’m Interested: It’s cool to see what science fiction authors predict life could be like a few decades from now.
2. Where the Dead Wait by Ally Wilkes
Why I’m Interested: The story sounds incredibly scary.
3. Fallen Thorns by Harvey Oliver Baxter
Publication Date: January 1
Why I’m Interested: Honestly, the amazing cover won me over before I even read the blurb. Doesn’t it look nice annd eerie?
4. Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah
Publication Date: January 9
Why I’m Interested: It’s been far too long since I’ve read a good monster book. Now is a good time to change that.
5. The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan
Publication Date: January 9
Why I’m Interested: Winter is a great time to read ghost stories in my opinion, and this one looks like it could be excellent.
6. Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
Publication Date: January 18
Why I’m Interested: Many of the books on this list are horror or dark speculative fiction. A light fantasy might help even things out!
7. Your Utopia: Stories by Bora Chung
Publication Date: February 13
Why I’m Interested: Much like I just said for #6, I’m balancing out scary stories with more hopeful ones this winter.
8. Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa
Publication Date: February 20
Why I’m Interested: The tropical island setting will be a nice contrast to how chilly it is where I live at this time of year. I’m also interested in the gothic horror themes of this one.
9. Ours by Phillip B. Williams
Publication Date: February 20
Why I’m Interested: The surrealism in this one sounds very interesting, especially given the 1830s through 1870s setting.
10. Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana
Publication Date: February 27
Why I’m Interested: I, too, know what it’s like to suffer from writer’s block after a traumatic event. My hope is that this will end on a high note with the main character recovering what she has lost.
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I’ve been a reviewer for Long and Short Reviews for a long time now. One of the many interesting things I’ve noticed over the years is how rare is it for us receive requests to review books that are set on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
You’d think more authors would pick that setting given how festive it can be and how much can happen over the course of a few hours at a spirited New Year’s Eve party!
Here are ten books with that setting. Who knows? Maybe we’ll get more review requests that have this setting in 2024.
I haven’t read any of them yet, so do share your thoughts about them in the comments if you have.
1. The Adult by Bronson Fischer
2. Tripping Arcadia by Kit
3. Speak of the Devil by Rose Wilding
4. A Catered New Year’s Eve by Isis Crawford
5. New Year’s Eve Murder by Leslie Meier
6. Dining Out with the Ice Giants by Clare O’Beara
7. Happy New Year’s Eve by Allie K. Adams
8. Countdown to a Kiss by Colleen Gleason, Holli Bertram, Mara Jacobs, and Liz Kelly
9. Murder at Dublin Mensa by Clare O’Beara
10. ‘Tis the Season by Robyn Carr
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The holiday shopping season is well underway.
As we inch closer to December, stores become busier every single day with shoppers looking for gifts, decorations, seasonal food and beverages, and other items they need to make the holidays memorable.
My thoughts are with the sales associates, clerks, receivers, delivery drivers, merchandisers, and other workers who make all of this possible.
After all, there aren’t any elves out there (so far as we know 😉 ) who are baking bread, decorating sugar cookies, delivering trucks filled with holiday items, unpacking boxes, displaying merchandise, mopping floors, dusting shelves, running cash registers, and training new employees among countless other tasks.
People do all of that and so much more. If you’re one of them, I’m cheering you on and hoping every customer you have is a friendly one.
In recognition of all of the hard work happening behind the scenes right now, let’s talk about books that are set in stores.
1. Pawsitively Poisonous (Witch of Edgehill, #1) by Melissa Erin Jackson
2. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
3. Paddington Bear and the Christmas Surprise by Michael Bond
4. The Mist by Stephen King
5. A Scone to Die For by H.Y. Hanna
6. The Department Store Ghost by Bill Brown
7. Mallory’s Christmas Wish (The Baby-Sitters Club, #92) by Ann M. Martin
8. Secrets of the Shopping Mall by Richard Peck
9. Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen (A Year-Round Christmas Mystery #1) by Vicki Delany
1o. Shaun of the Dead by Chris Ryall
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Happy early Thanksgiving to everyone in the US! And even if you aren’t American, it never hurts to be thankful for all the wonderful things in your life, right?
This week’s topic is: Reasons Why I’m Thankful for Books.
Books have long been a big part of my life and I’m sure most of you can relate. Some of the reasons why I’m thankful to have a wide assortment of books in my life.
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Happy Halloween to everyone celebrating it! I love the assortment of sweets that are available at this time of year, so I’m going to be sharing some book covers that either feature candy on them or have references to treats in their titles.
1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1) by Roald Dahl
2. Bubblegum by Sari Taurez
3. The Candy Cookbook: 40 Recipes for Sweet Success – to Celebrate National Candy Month by Christina Tosch
4. S is for Stranger by Louise Stone
5. Chocolat by Joanne Harris
6. The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars by Joël Glenn Brenner
7. The Art Of Choosing: The Decisions We Make Everyday of our Lives, What They Say About Us and How We Can Improve Them by Sheena Lyengar
8. Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure by Samira Kawash
9. Candy Cookbook by Gooseberry Patch
10. Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker
What’s your favorite type of Halloween candy?
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I love waking up and seeing a fresh blanket of snow over everything during the winter. Since we’re still a month or so away from that happening, looking at books with snowy covers is the next best thing.
1. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
2. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
3. Snow by Orhan Pamuk
4. Mrs. Mike (Mrs. Mike, #1) by Benedict Freedman
5. Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell
6. Winter Study (Anna Pigeon, #14) by Nevada Barr
7. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
8. Ice by Anna Kavan
9. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
10.Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
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Back in January, I shared my ten bookish goals for this year.
It’s one of my favorite topics in the Top Ten Tuesday calendar year, so I try to request it every year if the other members of the Long and Short Reviews blogging team are okay with that.
I will repost those goals in this post and group them by Accomplished, In the Works, and Not Yet Started.
Accomplished
I have excelled at all of these this year! It felt so good to visit my local library again. There were some new staff members there that I look forward to getting to know, and I even saw a couple of other patrons who I recognized from previous library events.
In the Works
These are all works in progress. I’ve spent some time on them but would like to do a lot more if I can.
If you’d like to become a reviewer for Long and Short Reviews, all of the information about how to join can be found in the link above. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
If you have suggestions for the other three in the category, I’d love to hear them!
Not Yet Started
I have so not been in the mood for romance so far this year. With all of the smoky days from forest fires we’ve had so far, cell phone games have kept me busy and calm. I’m hoping for a clear, cool, relatively dry autumn that will allow me to put down my electronics and enjoy nature more before winter arrives. Fingers crossed that will happen!
