- Feb 28
Review of Nocturne by Alyssa Wees
The early story captured my attention with ballet, an orphan's struggles, and Depression-era Chicago, but once Nocturne shifted into dark fantasy I didn't feel connected. In Alyssa Wees's slim (it's 240 pages) fantasy novel Nocturne, set in the Little Italy of 1930s Chicago, promising young dancer Grace dreams of becoming a prima ballerina. As the Depression rages, orphaned Italian immigrant Grace rises through the ranks of the Near North Ballet Company--losing friends, becom
- Feb 27
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 2/27/23 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Foster, Claire Keegan's slim Irish novel about a young girl sent to live with relatives for a hot summer; I'm reading the first of Alex White's Starmetal Symphony series, the space opera August Kitko and the Mechas from Space, about deadly AI robots coming to destroy space--until our main protagonist, a jazz pianist, is tasked with saving humanity; and I'm listening to This Other Eden, historical fiction set in Maine by Paul Harding, the
- Feb 24
February Wrap-Up: My Favorite Reads of the Month
My very favorite Bossy February reads! I'm coming in early with my six favorite (and varied!) reads of February, but I feel recklessly sure of myself with just one Bossy review to come before the short month is over. If you've read any of these, I'd love to hear what you think! And I'd also love to hear: what are some of your recent favorite reads? 01 Maame by Jessica George Jessica George's debut Maame takes on big issues of race, culture, and the challenges of growing up be
- Feb 23
Review of All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham
I was hooked on Willingham's past and present storylines and by her unreliable narrator Isabelle, who is desperate to find her missing son--even if it means facing the painful truth of her own traumatic history. A year ago, Isabelle Drake's toddler son was taken from her. She can't rest until Mason is returned to her (she's not sleeping except for catnaps, and she's starting to fall apart physically and mentally), so when a true-crime podcaster offers to interview her and get
- Feb 22
Review of We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
Newman offers a heartbreaking and heartwarming tribute to friendship that centers around witty dialogue, unconventional arrangements, coping with an excruciating, looming end, and above all else, love. Every year, ever since the girls were born, I have blown out the candles on my birthday cake and wished for just this. Everything I have already. No loss. I can't spare anybody is what I always think. But then, people must be spared. That is the whole premise of this life, of t
- Feb 21
Review of Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
Jen Beagin's literary fiction novel is consistently bizarre, at times base, and often darkly funny as her characters alternately dive into and avoid facing the implications of their past traumas, stunted emotional states, vulnerabilities, lies, and sexual exploration. Greta sits in her 1700s Dutch farmhouse in Hudson, New York transcribing sessions for a local New Age sex coach (his credentials are suspect) who calls himself Om. She begins to fall for a stoic female client Gr
- Feb 20
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 2/20/23 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Nocturne, Alyssa Wees's fantasy novel about a prima ballerina in 1930s Chicago and her mysterious benefactor, to be published tomorrow; I'm listening to Rebecca Makkai's novel I Have Some Questions for You (also to be published tomorrow), about a mysterious death at a boarding school and a return to the case and all the past issues it raises; and I'm reading the newest mystery from Stacy Willingham (A Flicker in the Dark author), All the
- Feb 17
Six of My Favorite Fiction Reads Last Year
Six Favorite Fiction Reads I recently posted about Six Four-Star Mystery Reads I Loved Last Year, Six More Four-Star Mysteries I Loved Last Year, Six Four-Star Historical Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year, and Six Four-Star (And Up) Science Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year. (And check out My Very Favorite Bossy 2022 Reads for my overall favorite reads from last year.) Here are six of my favorite fiction reads from last year--with more lists to come. If you've read any of these,
- Feb 16
Review of Swift the Storm, Fierce the Flame by Meg Long
The sequel to Long's young adult fantasy/science fiction debut Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves takes Remy and Sena to a storm-wracked planet where they search for allies and fight against the corrupt, greedy establishment that has risen to power. Meg Long's first novel was Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves, a science fiction novel about Sena, a tough young female protagonist on a bitterly cold and unforgiving planet, and her desperate journey across the ice along with Iska, her
- Feb 15
Review of Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
Marshall's debut historical fiction centers around women's searches for body autonomy in three timelines of interconnected characters and their stories. It all comes down to having the right to make the choice. Every child a wanted child, every mother a willing mother. Looking for Jane is a story of women living in three timelines who are linked through decades by a mysterious letter--and by enormously important, recurring dilemmas for women through the ages: unexpected pregn
- Feb 14
Review of Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
Kapoor's gritty New Delhi-set novel explores brutal violence and cruelties in an exploration of class divides and the destructive power of corruption and wealth, with tragic outcomes. The city is bad, they say, it’s full of con men, criminals, it’s ugly and dirty, it’s no good, only rich people do well, everyone else suffers. Deepti Kapoor's Age of Vice shifts through time and points of view to explore outrageous wealth, ruthless business deals, class divides, violence, and p
- Feb 13
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 2/13/23 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading a novel by the wonderful Catherine Newman about love and loss, We All Want Impossible Things; I'm listening to Jen Beagin's recent (public February 7) darkly funny contemporary fiction, Big Swiss, about a sex therapist transcriptionist who falls for a client on the page and then in real life; and I'm reading Maria Dong's suspenseful novel that explores mystery and mental illness, Liar, Dreamer, Thief. What are you reading these days, book
- Feb 10
Six More Four-Star Mysteries I Loved Last Year
Six More Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Mystery Reads "Is she going to just keep rehashing all the big hits of her past year of reading?" YES. Yes, she is! I love a Favorites list, and now that I've got a spreadsheet (ahem!) of my favorite reads of the past year by genre, the hits are going to keep coming! So buckle up, buttercups! I recently posted about Six Four-Star Mystery Reads I Loved Last Year. This list highlights six more of my very favorite mystery reads of last year (Che
- Feb 9
Review of Gregor the Overlander (The Underland Chronicles #1) by Suzanne Collins
If you can focus on the good qualities of the prominent (and giant...and talking) creepy-crawlies in this middle-grade novel, you'll find a noble quest, unlikely heroes, a mysterious dark land, chilling betrayals, humor, and lots of heart. Gregor had thought the bats were like horses, but now he could see they were equals. Did they talk? “Greetings, Overlander,” said Euripedes in a soft, purring voice. Yeah, they talked. I tried to get my oldest to read Gregor the Overlander
- Feb 8
Review of Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski
Sex educator Nagoski offers a practical, science-based, informative, nonjudgmental exploration of various women's experiences with their bodies and sexuality as well as underlying context, perceptions, and thinking processes that may affect them. I am done living in a world where women are lied to about their bodies; where women are objects of sexual desire but not subjects of sexual pleasure; where sex is used as a weapon against women; and where women believe their bodies a
- Feb 7
Review of Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora
Zamora's memoir of his grueling journey from El Salvador to the United States without family at age nine keeps the reader within each immediate, breathless, uncomfortable, fear-filled moment through and to the unknown. Solito is one of my book club's reads for this spring, and I'm listening to it as an audiobook. In Solito, the poet Javier Zamora shares the story of his grueling journey from El Salvador to the United States at age nine. His loving grandfather shakily sends hi
- Feb 6
Three Books I'm Reading Now, 2/6/23 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading a witchy novel from Cherie Dimaline, VenCo, scheduled for publication tomorrow; I'm reading Looking for Jane, Heather Marshall's debut novel that links multiple timelines and women's ongoing fight for body autonomy (also scheduled for publication tomorrow); and an upcoming book club book for me, Solito, which is poet Javier Zamora's memoir of his harrowing journey from El Salvador to the United States at age 9. What are you reading these
- Feb 3
Six Four-Star Historical Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year
Six Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Historical Fiction Reads Historical fiction is one of my very favorite genres, and I loved my historical fiction reads in 2022. Here are six of my very favorite historical fiction reads of last year--with another list to come! (Check out My Very Favorite Bossy 2022 Reads for my overall favorite reads from last year.) If you've read any of these, I'd love to hear what you think! You can click here for other historical fiction books I've reviewed on
- Feb 2
Review of Maame by Jessica George
Jessica George's debut Maame takes on big issues of race, culture, and the challenges of growing up between two cultures while shining in its details: wonderful dialogue, messy moments, and the main character's hard-won self-discovery and growth. Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman. Young adult Maddie's life in London is exhausting. She's the primary caregiver for her father, who has Parkinson's disease; she pays the bills; her mother spends
- Feb 1
Review of Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger
Book two of the series continues to be playful, mischievous, wonderfully detailed about Victorian life, and full of supernatural creatures and clever plotting. I loved the first book in Gail Carriger's five-book (plus a prequel short) Parasol Protectorate series, Soulless. I also included it in the Greedy Reading List Three Offbeat Series I Just Started and Love. But after raving about it for two years it seemed time to stop letting this second installment languish on my unma