Hi, friends. How was your summer? Mine was lovely — thanks for asking.
The welcome return to the rhythms and routines of autumn brings space for me to resume connecting with you once a week, and I’m thrilled to be back! To avoid a wicked case of “analysis paralysis,” in which I have so much to tell you that I end up saying absolutely nothing, I’m going to take a cue from my friend Jennifer Udden (whose literary-minded newsletter, A Faster No, you should probably subscribe to) and catch you up on the best books I read this summer. At the end of this list, you’ll find a link to all most of these books in print from Bookshop.org; audio links for Libro.fm are embedded in the title(s) at the beginning of each post.
Before we get to the good stuff, I just want to say thanks for inviting me back to your inbox. I’m glad to be here. <3
xRF
Summer ‘23 Favorites (in no particular order)
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. This dragon- and romance-infused fantasy has been taking BookTok and Bookstagram by storm, with the Internet evenly divided over whether this book is a revelation or complete trash. And yet I’m here to say… why not both? Fourth Wing is full of questionable prose, familiar tropes, and problematic men framed as heroic heartthrobs. But also? Dragons! A chronically ill FMC (she’s not like the other girls)! Intrigue and betrayals! If you’re ready to have a good time but not an especially sophisticated time, lean into the hype and enjoy yourself.
The Will Darling Adventures (books 1, 2 and 3), The Magpie Lord series (Audible exclusive), The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, and The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles. Be still my swooning heart, friends. KJ Charles GAVE ME LIFE this summer. A rave review from a Bookstagrammer I follow had me picking up the first Will Darling book, Slippery Creatures. I was instantly hooked on Charles’s wit, deep characterization, flair for mystery, and absolutely heart-melting MM romance. I am not exaggerating when I tell you The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (Doomsday Books #1) is the most moving, romantic novel I’ve read in literal years. At this point, I’m rationing out Charles’s backlist until A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel (Doomsday Books #2) comes out on September 19th. I have my preorder locked in on Libro.fm and you know I’ll be ignoring all my responsibilities to binge-listen the moment it’s released. Have I convinced you yet?
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. This is another Booksta/BookTok darling, but unlike Fourth Wing, this books has serious prose chops. Rebecca Ross is a powerhouse writer whose world-building and magic systems are downright elite. Divine Rivals has it all: workplace rivals-to-friends-to-lovers, political intrigue, gods waging war, found family, and oh right — magic typewriters. The sequel in this duology comes out in December, so while you have time to catch up on book 1… don’t wait. You’ll want to marinate on this one for a good long time.
The Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series, and Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs. Again on the recommendation of a Bookstagrammer I like, I committed to the tandem read of two series whose characters, mythologies are settings are deeply intertwined. This is no small task; spread over novels, novellas and short stories, the two series comprise 31 written works. And for better or worse (for your TBR), Patricia Briggs has me by the THROAT with these stories. If you liked the quirky, small-town, paranormal vibes of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series (or if you watched/loved True Blood), you’re going to lose your mind over Mercy and the gang. Briggs’s writing is superior to Harris’s, and her world-building is more complex, though all your favorite beasties are here: weres, shifters, vamps, fae, and of course your run-of-the-mill human baddies, too. I don’t know about you, but autumn always seems like the perfect time to lean-in to paranormal fiction — and this series gets top marks from me. If you’re ready to commit, here is the printable reading order for the Mercyverse. Note: If you, like me, rely on your library system for a bulk of your reading, you’ll still want to go ahead and purchase Shifting Shadows, the full collection of novellas and short stories needed to read the series in full.
The Survivors series by Shana Galen. You know your girl can’t exist without a historical romance series to bolster her mental health. This summer, I’ve been working through this 12-book series by Galen, who gives me the perfect balance of familiarity within the genre and uniqueness in character, concept and plot. Similar to Grace Callaway’s Heart of Inquiry series, The Survivors books all have a strong thread of mystery running parallel to the romance plot. I’m only six books into the series so far, but not for lack of enjoyment; I save these rays of sunshine for my rainy days.
While I’m more than sure I’m forgetting a title or two, these were some of the highlights of the past few months. I had plenty of DNFs, too, including Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud, Jacob by Jacquelyn Frank, and A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft. I only mention these by way of reminding you that voracious readers DNF all the time; it’s a natural part of reading a lot, and you never have to feel bad about it. You also never (EVER) have to tag authors in negative reviews — a helpful reminder I would shout from the rooftops of the Internet if I could.
First Line Frenzy with Reedsy Live *NEXT WEEK*
Spend an hour with me as I live-critique first lines from novels written by YOU. It’s always a blast, especially because there’s a live chat for all viewers. Use the link to register in advance for this free event, and keep an eye on your inbox for instructions on how to submit your first line to this special event: Eventbrite Registration
Welcome back, I miss you so much when you are gone. Thank you for the gold star review of the first line of our mystery novel, Donuts and Deceit. I got laid off from my day job last week, this is the encouragement I need to keep working my dream job.