War and Me (+ Giveaway)

Until about two months ago, neither Faleeha Hassan nor this book were anywhere on my radar. But a representative of the publisher (Amazon Crossing) reached out and asked if I was interested in receiving a copy in exchange for participating in a Blog Tour. I've gotten pretty picky about which of these requests I say yes…

What My Bones Know

First off, this cover is damn gorgeous. Stunning. Second, though this hasn't *yet* taken the world by storm, it should...because it has gotten such comprehensively stellar reviews and after reading it myself, I find I can only add to that praise. Whether it actually is groundbreaking (which it does seem to be, based on the dearth of…

The Reckless Oath We Made

My very first ever book that I posted a review of on this blog was Greenwood's novel All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. It was (is) a pretty controversial read, but it emotionally devastated me. And, as my first review, I really did not have the frame of reference or general practice in critically thinking about what…

A Lady for a Duke

Well, y'all, the ‘rona got me...the day before I was scheduled to work at the library and planning to pick up this hold, which I was so hype for. So I sent my partner in to get it for me, because what is better sickbed reading than a queer Regency romance?! (Answer: nothing.) But apparently when he got…

Magic for Liars

Another home-shelf backlist read - go me! Honestly, the synopsis for this one, a sort of detective story in a magic school setting, felt absolutely up my alley, so I was psyched to find this is the used section at a local bookstore. I grabbed it so fast...and then got around to reading it a bit…

Swimming Back to Trout River

My second to last of the 2022 Aspen Words longlist books! I brought this one on a trip with me and almost finished it on a single flight from Denver to Raleigh; once I started it, I just couldn't stop. Also, if we're keeping track, this is another one (which at this point is at…

The Grief Keeper

In my (mostly failing but ever effortful) attempt to read the backlist books on my shelves at home between the myriad newer releases and library holds that just keep coming, I present this success! This was part of a used bookstore haul a while ago; the concept (which I feel like I have also read about…

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

This is one of those books where the title is the reason and that's all there is to it. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to read such a fabulously titled book, and in this monumentally horrific time to be a person with a uterus in the United States, this kind of whimsy was exactly…

The Spy and the Traitor

Friends, you may notice that this book is incredibly unlike anything I've read before. I mean I did read that spy novel that was one of Obama's fav's one year, American Spy, but mostly because Obama recommended it. (And really I don't see that many spy novels by Black women from major imprints..so I was all about supporting that).…

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors

One of my comfort genres is Jane Austen retellings (and movie rewatchings), especially Pride and Prejudice. I had seen mixed reviews for this one, so it wasn't at the very top of my TBR list, but I was recently feeling ready for a revisit to this story and decided to give it a try. Pride, Prejudice, and…