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694 results found for "contemporary fiction"
- Review of An Unexpected Peril (Veronica Speedwell #6) by Deanna Raybourn
danger and solving the mysteries in book six of this series, Raybourn repeatedly evokes images of the fictional In the sixth book of the wonderful Deanna Raybourn's feisty Veronica Speedwell series of historical fiction there's plenty of intrigue, and Raybourn evokes repeated images of mountain climbing in the Alpenwald, a fictional
- Review of Trust by Hernan Diaz
Characters come off as less realistic than their fictionalized versions (who are main protagonists of story inside a story), and the ability of those with money and power to manipulate the truth into pure fiction often more interesting and potentially bolstering to a powerful persona than the elaborately imagined fiction
- Review of Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Henry's story-within-a-story adds a historical fiction element to her signature big-hearted, banter-driven I loved the historical fiction aspect of Margaret's recounting of her history. my favorite books the year I read it, and it also made it onto the Greedy Reading List Six Lighter Fiction my review here , and you might like to check it out on the Greedy Reading List Six More Great Light Fiction
- Review of The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
This historical fiction novel from Quinn is a departure from much of my favorite Quinn fiction--brave You can find more Bossy historical fiction reviews at this link .
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 8/26/24 Edition
tropical-island-set rom-com The Paradise Problem ; I'm listening to Moonbound , Robin Sloan's fantasy-science-fiction 01 The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren In Christina Lauren's newest romantic fiction, Anna and West Reads of the Past Year , Six More of My Favorite Light Fiction Reads of the Past Year , Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading , and Six More Great Light Fiction Stories . 02 Moonbound by Robin Sloan In Robin Sloan's science-fiction-fantasy tale Moonbound , it's eleven thousand years
- Review of Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1) by Ann Leckie
explanations that interrupted the progression of the novel, the slow pacing throughout, the abrupt breaks in action In the first in Leckie's Imperial Radch science fiction trilogy, Breq is AI trapped in a human soldier's extensive page time, while the action at hand takes only a moment. Science Fiction Reads I've Loved Check out the titles at this link (or search on the blog) for lists of science fiction reads I've loved, or for individual titles or aspects ( ragtag space crew, anyone
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 3/10/25 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading the recently published Red Dog Farm , Nathanial Ian Miller's fiction about a young man growing up in Iceland; I'm listening to Colson Whitehead's fiction based upon a real-life boy's reform school, The Nickel Boys ; and I'm reading Laila Lalami's recently published literary fiction
- Review of Grey Dog by Elliott Gish
Grey Dog begins as an immersive historical fiction story of a young teacher with a shocking past in This is a feminist historical fiction story in which women--long kept quiet and still, supervised to I loved the setting and detail of the historical fiction story, but I became fully hooked as the tale You might also like my Bossy reviews of other historical fiction books set in the 1900s .
- Review of The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Ocean Vuong's literary fiction offers unexpected bonds between characters coping with desperation, addiction The section on hog butchering may be an eye opener for anyone (anyone?) The unexpected bonds that form throughout the book, both at the fictional fast-food chain HomeMarket This is literary fiction with a bite; Vuong's prose is often luminous or gritty, and the author doesn't
- August Wrap-Up: My Favorite Reads of the Month
I hereby present to you historical fiction, literary fiction, romance, fantasy, and science fiction. The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd The Final Act of Juliette Lloyd is a historical fiction This was immensely satisfying historical fiction. I loved this literary fiction--the increasing vulnerability and search for connection after heartache In Christina Lauren's newest romantic fiction, Anna and West are a young married couple on the verge
- Review of Playground by Richard Powers
Playground 's final section held surprises I did not anticipate, and their exposure colors the entirety The final section of Playground seemed headed toward a too-convenient ending, but instead brought clarity More Literary Fiction Favorites Richard Powers is also the author of The Overstory , Bewilderment , and For more literary fiction titles I've loved, please check out the titles at this link .
- Six More of My Favorite Rom-Com Reads of the Year
Check out these Bossy links for more romantic novels or lighter fiction . Perfect for Summer Reading Six More Great Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading Six of My Favorite Light Fictions Reads of the Past Year Six More of My Favorite Light Fiction Reads of the Past Year Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading , and Six More Great Light Fiction Stories 01 Funny Story In Christina Lauren's newest romantic fiction, Anna and West are a young married couple on the verge
- Review of Rednecks by Taylor Brown
In this mix of fictional and fascinating historical elements, Brown crafts a character-driven story of Rednecks offers a mix of fictional and real characters in this riveting tale of rebellion and oppressive The true events that inspired the book are shocking and often read like fiction--the cutthroat, sometimes Mountain, and Fallen Land, a title I loved and included in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Historical Fiction
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 4/28/25 Edition
which is set during a devastating earthquake, Tilt ; I'm reading Chris Bohjalian's newest historical fiction Emma Pattee is a climate journalist as well as a fiction writer. for this novel. 02 The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian In Chris Bohjalian's newest historical fiction
- Six Great Stories about Robots
The Robot Books It's been a long time since I've talked about science fiction and robot stories. And you can find Bossy science-fiction favorites at this link . Have you read any of these books? 01 The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers Chambers's science fiction In The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet , the first science fiction title in Becky Chambers's Wayfarers Chambers's story is science fiction that's full of heart, heartbreak, and hope.
- Six Fascinating Books Set in Maine
The list includes: literary fiction that's part of an interconnected series; a romantic story about starting over; a memoir focused on the 1960s; historical fiction about a midwife that's based on a real historical figure; the first in a mystery series centered around former CIA agents; and literary fiction/historical fiction based upon disturbing events on a real-life, racially integrated island off the coast of Maine Historical fiction? Check. Maine setting? Check.
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 11/3/25 Edition
reading Meghan Majumdar's novel A Guardian and a Thief ; I'm reading Ling Ling Huang's speculative fiction In this speculative fiction story, issues of memory, creativity, wealth and power, envy, fame, self-doubt
- Review of Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
In Daisy Jones & the Six , Reid offers a fictionalized account (written as fictional interviews) of the
- Review of Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles
This historical fiction story in two timelines introduces the little-known real-life figure of librarian I love a book about scrappy librarians , and Janet Skeslien Charles's historical fiction novel Miss Morgan's seen in France: children's libraries, where kids in war-torn communities can dream, lose themselves in fictional
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 4/15/24 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to William Kent Krueger's mid-century-set historical fiction Barnes's eerie science fiction novel Ghost Station; and I'm listening to Emily Henry's newest delightful 01 The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger I love William Kent Krueger's historical fiction stories one of my favorite books the year I read it, and it made it onto the Greedy Reading List Six Lighter Fiction you can check out my review here, and you might like to check out its spot on Six More Great Light Fiction
- Review of Pope Joan: A Novel by Donna Woolfolk Cross
Donna Woolfolk Cross offers a fascinating historical fiction tale of a pioneering, headstrong, brilliant Pope Joan is Donna Woolfolk Cross's historical fiction about a figure whose existence the Catholic church Other historical fiction books with faith elements that I've loved include Revelations and Illuminations
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 2/24/25 Edition
I'm listening to Cher , the first in Cher's planned two-part memoir; I'm reading an upcoming science-fiction I received a prepublication edition of this science fiction title courtesy of St. You can find Bossy reviews of other science fiction novels here . 03 Show Don't Tell: Stories by Curtis
- Six Riveting Backlist Reads
For classic light fiction and rom-com titles that are also great for summer reading, check out these In The Vanishing Half , Bennett follows the history of the fictional Vignes twins, Desiree and Stella Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell In Utopia Avenue , Mitchell takes us through the twists and turns of a fictional The book contains endless imagined cameos, fictional adventures, and gems of wisdom from real-life musicians here . 05 When These Mountains Burn by David Joy Joy offers an often dark work of Southern literary fiction
- Review of A Far Better Thing by H. G. Parry
In this historical fiction-fantasy, characters from Dickens's tale are plunged into a dark, powerful emerges as unlikely from the boozy, smart but lazy, bitter character, remains in place within this fan-fiction
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 1/19/26 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Paula McLain's newest historical fiction told in two timelines, 01 Skylark by Paula McLain Paula McLain's Skylark is a historical fiction story set in Paris and told
- July Wrap-Up: My Favorite Reads of the Month
the End , a novel I adored. 03 Grey Dog by Elliott Gish Grey Dog begins as an immersive historical fiction This is a feminist historical fiction story in which women--long kept quiet and still, supervised to I loved the setting and detail of the historical fiction story, but I became fully hooked as the tale In Table for Two: Fictions , Amor Towles offers six short stories set in New York City and a novella Alice Winn's gorgeous, brutal, captivating historical fiction In Memoriam is set during World War I.
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 6/3/24 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading The Other Valley, Scott Alexander Howard's literary speculative fiction Howard's literary speculative fiction explores fate, free will, changing the past and implications for You might also like the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading and Six More Great Light Fiction Stories. 03 Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley In
- Review of How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
For Bossy reviews of lighter fiction or rom-com books I've loved, check out these Greedy Reading Lists : Six More of my Favorite Romantic Fiction Reads from the Past Year Six More Great Light Fiction Stories Six Lighter Fiction Stories for Great Escapism Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading Perfect for Summer Reading Six More Great Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading Six of My Favorite Lighter Fiction
- Newer Romantic Novels Perfect for Savoring Summer's Last Gasp
If you're into reading lighter fiction with romance, a number of real-life issues and complications, Reads of the Past Year Six More of My Favorite Light Fiction Reads of the Past Year Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading Six More Great Light Fiction Stories Six of My Favorite Rom-Com Six More of My Favorite Rom-Com Reads of the Year Have you loved any other romantic comedy or lighter fiction This is a great example of a light-fiction-feeling romance that deals with weighty, meaningful themes
- Review of The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard
The Other Valley is literary fiction with a captivating setup: three adjacent valleys, each of which Howard's literary speculative fiction explores fate, free will, changing the past and implications for
- Review of A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhirst
Sophie Elmhirst revisits a decades-old true story that she crafts like fiction, skillfully using dry A Marriage at Sea is nonfiction that reads like fiction.
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 11/10/25 Edition
reading Sara Holland's upcoming fantasy novel Break Wide the Sea ; I'm reading Seth Haddon's debut fiction Volatile Memory is Seth Haddon's science fiction debut. 03 Culpability by Bruce Holsinger The Cassidy-Shaws
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 3/17/25 Edition
female assassins; I'm reading Karen Russell's recently published, intriguing magical-realism historical fiction It was the right book at the right time for me: entertainment in the perfect combination of action and Curious Beginning , the first book in Deanna Raybourn's feisty Veronica Speedwell series of historical fiction books in the series.) 02 The Antidote by Karen Russell A terrible dust storm is raging through the fictional
- More 2025 Bossy Book Ideas for Your Holiday Gift List
For the Info Geek 01 Phenomena: An Infographic Guide to Almost Everything by Camille Juzeau Colorful, contemporary
- Six Four-Star Mysteries I Loved Last Year
A couple of these are historical fiction mysteries, one was jointly written by two authors, one was set in London, two have contemporary settings--and I rated each of these books four Bossy stars or more.
- Review of Into the Wilderness (Wilderness #1) by Sara Donati
Sara Donati's historical fiction includes nods to Outlander and The Last of the Mohicans, considers the I've heard this called Outlander fan fiction (Jamie and Claire Fraser are mentioned in this novel), and of its true origins, Into the Wilderness did scratch the itch of reading a combination of historical fiction author of the wonderful book The Gilded Hour as well as Where the Light Enters and ten other historical fiction
- Review of Moonbound by Robin Sloan
The fantasy-science-fiction novel Moonbound spans time and splits into several stories, for me never In Robin Sloan's science-fiction-fantasy tale Moonbound , it's eleven thousand years in the future, and
- Review of October in the Earth by Olivia Hawker
Hawker's newest historical fiction gives a wonderfully evocative peek into a gritty period, as her main I love Olivia Hawker's books (see links to my other reviews below), and her newest historical fiction the Blackbird, One for the Crow, which I mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Historical Fiction
- July Wrap-Up: My Favorite Reads of the Month
reads included several books from some of my very favorite authors: the next in a great historical fiction with feminism and LGBTQ love; a Maine-set mystery solved by retired CIA operatives; an epic historical fiction fantasy told in several timelines featuring vampires; and historical fiction with a young woman passing danger and solving the mysteries in book six of this series, Raybourn repeatedly evokes images of the fictional In Nicole Galland's historical fiction tale Boy , Alexander "Sander" Cooke is a famed, sought-after "
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 2/3/25 Edition
The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading a historical fiction story set just before the Civil War, about young enslaved woman haunted by her sister's ghost, Junie ; I'm listening to middle-grade historical fiction II-focused books here , and you can also check out my review of Kate Quinn's great codebreaking historical fiction readers to abandon shame and self-doubt in favor of embracing truth and speaking out in a fierce call to action
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 7/22/24 Edition
newest novel by Chris Whitaker ( We Begin at the End ); I'm listening to In Memoriam , a historical fiction War I from Alice Winn; and I'm reading Elliott Gish's fascinating gothic horror feminist historical fiction novel I adored. 02 In Memoriam by Alice Winn Alice Winn's gorgeous, brutal, captivating historical fiction
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 8/18/25 Edition
Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhirst Sophie Elmhirst revisits a decades-old true story that she crafts like fiction A Marriage at Sea is nonfiction that reads like fiction. 02 A Family Matter by Claire Lynch In Claire
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 9/9/24 Edition
mystery, The Trap ; I'm listening to Miss Morgan's Book Brigade , Janet Skeslien Charles's historical fiction Janet Skeslien Charles I love a book about scrappy librarians , and Janet Skeslien Charles's historical fiction seen in France: children's libraries, where kids in war-torn communities can dream, lose themselves in fictional
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 8/28/23 Edition
reading Kate Morton's dual-timeline mystery, Homecoming; and I'm reading Ashley Poston's newest light fiction You might also be interested in the novels on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Great Historical Fiction Stories Set in the American West and Six More Great Historical Fiction Books Set in the American West. 02 Homecoming Ashley Poston's newest romantic fiction is centered around Clementine, a harried book publicist who falls
- Review of The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore
ICYMI: Graham Moore tells a historical fiction tale based on real events surrounding the rise of the The Last Days of Night is a fictionalized account based on the dramatic Edison-Westinghouse-Tesla conflicts You might also like the books on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Historical Fiction Favorites, Six Historical Fiction Backlist Favorites, Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved This Year, and Six Historical Fiction You can find others by searching "historical fiction" on this blog.
- Review of White Houses by Amy Bloom
ICYMI: White Houses is gorgeously written, exhaustingly researched historical fiction about Eleanor Roosevelt behind-the-scenes peeks at the residential rooms of the Roosevelt White House (which, Bloom recounts in interviews, functioned
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 10/6/25 Edition
during university years and decades afterward, Heart the Lover ; I'm listening to Ann Leckie's science fiction NetGalley. 02 Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1) by Ann Leckie In the first in Leckie's science fiction
- Three Books I'm Reading Now, 10/9/23 Edition
admission book, The Price You Pay for College by Ron Lieber; I'm reading Olivia Hawker's newest historical fiction Earth; and I'm listening to The Great Transition, Nick Fuller Googins's postapocalyptic climate-change fiction the Earth by Olivia Hawker I love Olivia Hawker's books (see links below), and her newest historical fiction the Blackbird, One for the Crow, which I mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Great Historical Fiction Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make by Ron Lieber Ron Lieber, the New York Times columnist of the section
- Review of The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr
Lisa Barr's World War II-set historical fiction follows a Jewish resistance fighter and spy through the In Lisa Barr's newest historical fiction, The Goddess of Warsaw , the author tells a story in two timelines
- Six Fantasy Reads I Loved in the Past Year
Six Great Bossy Fantasy Reads I knew I was reading some gooood science fiction and fantasy, but didn't You can find my recent-ish two lists of favorite science fiction and fantasy reads from the past year here: Six Four Star (And Up) Science Fiction and Fantasy Reads I Loved in the Past Year Six More Science Fiction and Fantasy Reads I've Loved in the Past Year And you can click here for other science fiction The Night Ship is historical fiction with a magical realism undercurrent that's told in two timelines















































