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for more great fiction you may have missed, you might also want to check out the Greedy Reading List Six books that play with timelines and realities, check out the other books on the Greedy Reading List Six

Six More Great Bossy Science Fiction and Fantasy Reads The Obsessive Wrap-Up of Favorite Reads continues I mentioned Naomi Alderman's novel The Power in the Greedy Reading List Six Fascinating Dystopian and You might also want to check out the books on the Greedy Reading List Six More Fascinating Dystopian You might also like the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Fascinating Dystopian and Postapocalyptic Novels and Six More Dystopian and Postapocalyptic Novels.

Six Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Mystery Reads If you want more favorite-mystery lists, check out round 1 about reading lists like I am, you can also check out the lists I posted last year around this time, Six Four-Star Mystery Reads I Loved Last Year and Six More Four-Star Mysteries I Loved Last Year. Isabelle can't stop searching for her son, but she begins to wonder if she's an unreliable source of memories

For my favorite book club reads from the past, check out the Greedy Reading Lists Six Book Club Books I Loved Last Year and Six Book Club Books I Loved in 2021. 01 The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathanial The pacing of The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven is measured, as befits a story that is largely about daily you like books set in the unforgiving cold, you might also like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six For my full review of this book, see The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven. 02 The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

You might also like the books on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Science Fiction Favorites to Dive Into and Six Great Stories about Robots, Humans and Alien Life, and SI. The memories are beginning to slowly shift back into focus, but he needs them now.

If you haven't already, I hope you'll check out the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Wonderfully I also listed The Bear and the Nightingale in the Greedy Reading List Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups

More Light Fiction Favorites When I posted a few weeks ago about favorite light fiction reads and asked for other's favorites, bookish friends recommended: more of Katherine Center's books (I posted about Things You Save in a Fire) Lia Louis's Eight Perfect Hours (I posted about her book Dear Emmie Blue) the Hedgehog books by Jessica Redland books by Rachel Hauck Trish Doller's Float Plan and other books, and Jenn McKinlay's Wait for It. Thanks for all of these recommendations! I love Christina Lauren's and Emily Henry's books (I list another of Emily Henry's here), and I haven't yet read either of their newest books, Something Wilder or Book Lovers, but I can't wait to. What other lighter fiction authors or books do you love? You might also like some of the titles on my first Greedy Reading List of light fiction favorites. And you can find other Bossy light fiction reviews here. 01 Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey I delighted in the way Teddy and Everett shared pieces of their true oddball, vulnerable, silly, thoughtful selves. This was a satisfying, often funny, romantic book that hit all the right notes for me. Teddy Phillips isn't sure how she got to this point in her life. She's coasting in her not-dream job at a vintage toy store, all of her opinions and desires seem to have have been subsumed by her boyfriend Richard's plans and preferences, and she's not close with her best friends or even with her sister anymore. Teddy is forced to consider her life and the person she's become--and determine whether she's capable of change. She finds comfort in watching episodes of her local children's show, and she impulsively writes a letter to the calm, kind, handsome host, starting a correspondence that will shift the course of her life. Winfrey's Very Sincerely Yours is light fiction that delivers delightful, charming banter, the promise of a new romance for Teddy, and wonderfully loyal friendships. For my full review, please see Very Sincerely Yours. 02 The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon Rachel Lynn Solomon's debut light fiction, The Ex Talk, incorporates a love of public radio, will-they/won't-they tensions, humor, heart, and some steamy scenes. In Solomon's The Ex Talk, Seattle public radio producer Shay Goldstein is in her late twenties, she's put in her time, and she thinks that her ideas deserve respect. So when young hotshot Dominic Yun shows up and, as a male, automatically has the ear of their misogynistic boss, Shay is beyond annoyed. The two soon find themselves driving everyone around them crazy with their constant bickering about anything and everything. When Dominic and Shay get talked into posing as exes in order to host a promising radio show about relationships, they're forced to get to know each other better in order to fake their past--but they actually open the door for a potential future for themselves instead. The Ex Talk is a fast read with lots of sexual tension along with some sexy romantic interludes, and everything about this book wonderfully suited my summer reading mood. For my full review, please see The Ex Talk. 03 The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren The story is heartwarming, funny, with strong friendships, plus it's steamy and romantic at times without being dramatic. I loved this one for a summer read! Single mom Jess is a data analyst. She's good at crunching the numbers for work, taking care of her daughter, and leaning on her grandparents (who raised her) for help, but she's not comfortable with the idea of dating again. But then her daring best friend (who writes sexy romance novels) pushes her to consider a DNA-based, data-driven dating program--and she receives an unheard-of 98 percent compatible romantic match with an unlikely partner. The Soulmate Equation is often funny, and the best-friendship between Jess and Fizzy (Felicity) is one of the funniest aspects and was one of my favorite elements. The heartwarming familial support isn't stereotypical in its structure, and wonderfully imperfect family members add to various conflicts. I appreciated that the will they/won't they romantic tension satisfyingly hinges on factors somewhat outside of the main protagonists' control. The story is steamy and romantic at times without being dramatic. I love the tone the writing team of Christina Lauren struck with this one! For my full review of this book, please see The Soulmate Equation. Click here for my reviews of Lauren's books The Unhoneymooners, In a Holidaze, Love and Other Words, The Soulmate Equation (a favorite), and Autoboyography (another favorite and a young adult LGBTQ+ gem). Lauren's newest is Something Wilder; stay tuned for that review. 04 The Guncle by Steven Rowley The Guncle is full of heart and humor, quirky family love, and fun references to musicals and movies--yet Rowley also offers poignancy, an exploration of grief, and the impossible-seeming prospect of going on after deep loss. In Steven Rowley's fun, funny, and heartwarming light fiction story The Guncle, aging former sitcom star Patrick is temporarily caring for his niece and nephew. Patrick's best friend from college (who later married Patrick's brother) has died, and Patrick's brother is going through a health crisis of his own. Which means setting Patrick and his beloved (but sometimes foreign-to-him) Maisie and Grant loose in his home in Palm Springs, making things up as they go along. They're each coping with grief and confusion, but they adore each other and have their love to fall back on as they flounder. Rowley explores grief and how it is a shared--yet completely individual--experience. This is especially interesting as related to the two lost loved ones for which Patrick is not officially able to “claim” a grieving role--he was not a husband to his beloved partner Joe when he died and so was not considered family. He was Sara's best friend (and, secondarily, her brother in law), but he doesn't feel he can grieve as deeply as a family member who has cultural permission to do so. For my full review of this book, please see The Guncle. 05 People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Henry strikes the perfect tone for this wonderfully sweet, funny, friendship-based, romantic story that has lovely depth. People We Meet on Vacation made me laugh a lot--and got me a little teary in the end. Best friends and polar opposites Alex and Poppy are on their annual vacation. Poppy is impulsive and fun-loving, and Alex would generally rather stay home and read than seek out adventure. The pair has long been emotionally inseparable despite living in different cities--Poppy in New York and Alex in their small hometown. But two years ago on their vacation, something BIG happened. It threatened their friendship and continues to loom over everything between them. This was a will they/won't they story I loved. Some of the structure of having one character hold such emotional power over the other was frustrating because of the unlikely obliviousness required on the part of that character. But Henry strikes the perfect tone for this wonderfully sweet, funny, friendship-based, romantic story that has lovely depth. People We Meet on Vacation made me laugh a lot--and got me a little teary in the end. For my full review of this book, please see People We Meet on Vacation. And click here for my review of Emily Henry's Beach Read. Stay tuned for my upcoming review of her newest, Book Lovers. 06 Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez Jimenez offers humor, spicy moments, and romance while incorporating weighty issues into her light fiction opposites-attract story Part of Your World. Alexis and Daniel are opposites. She's coming off a bad breakup. He's ten years younger than she is. She's a city doctor, he's a small-town furniture maker. Nothing about them should fit--but they can't stay away from each other. Everything is complicated. Alexis is part of the Montgomery legacy that built the regional hospital, and a Montgomery has been pivotal to its operation (see what I did there?) for 125 years. She can't abandon her job or her duties. And she can't bring Daniel into her world, because her parents would literally disown her and never speak to her again--which is what they've vowed to do to her brother, formerly the golden child, because of his recent marriage to someone they hadn't vetted. Meanwhile every visit to Daniel and his town builds up Alexis, fills her heart, teaches her about unconditional love, and makes her yearn for more. Told in alternating points of view from Daniel and Alexis, Part of Your World is romantic, often funny, sometimes sexy, poignant, and it includes touches of magical realism. I felt confident that I knew where this was going, but I was in for all of it. For my full review of this book, please see Part of Your World.

Here are six of my favorite fiction works that have to do with rock and roll, writing songs, performing (The fictional band focus reminded me, in a good way, of Daisy Jones & the Six, mentioned below.) somehow I still haven't read it--as well as A Long Way Down, Slam, How to Be Good, About a Boy, and the memoir Fever Pitch. 04 Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid “You have these lines you won’t cross. In Daisy Jones & the Six, Reid offers a fictionalized account (written as fictional interviews) of the

Witchy Book Love Last year I published a Greedy Reading List of Six Wonderfully Witchy Stories to Charm I also listed The Bear and the Nightingale in the Greedy Reading List Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups

Six Favorite Lighter Fiction Reads I'm having so much fun spending Fridays highlighting books I've loved And these six did the trick for me. of My Favorite Fiction Reads from Last Year Six More of My Favorite Fiction Reads from Last Year Six Four-Star Mystery Reads I Loved Last Year Six More Four-Star Mysteries I Loved Last Year Six Four-Star Year, and Six of My Favorite Memoir Reads Last Year You can check out My Very Favorite Bossy 2022 Reads

Wamariya writes beautifully and brutally honestly about her journey of fleeing from Rwanda and through six her experiences through her childlike point of view, which allows for a painfully pure set of painful memories

If you're intrigued by time-travel stories, you might also like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Helena Smith is a neuroscientist creating technology to preserve memories and allow people to relive are not real, and that they’re actually mentally ill, suffering from False Memory Syndrome. When they encounter loved ones from their memories who are now living alternate lives, in many cases David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks is a set of six intriguing tracks through time that are full of surprises

Six More Favorite Fiction Reads I listed Six of My Favorite Fiction Reads from Last Year in this Greedy In today's post I highlight six more of my favorite fiction reads from last year. I also 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 Six Four-Star (And Up) Science Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year, and Six of My Favorite Memoir Reads Last Year And check out My Very

Six More Four-Star Bossy Historical Fiction Reads Historical fiction is one of my very favorite genres to read, and I recently posted about Six Four-Star (And Up) Historical Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year ; here are six more Bossy loves I read last year. I posted last year about Six Four-Star Historical Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year, and Six More Four-Star If you're interested in this book, you might also like the titles on my Greedy Reading List Six Great

Six Four-Star Bossy Mystery Reads Doesn't the cold winter feel like the perfect time to cozy up with Here are six of my favorite mystery and suspense reads of last year--with another list to come!

Six Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Historical Fiction Reads Historical fiction is one of my very favorite genres I posted last year about Six Four-Star Historical Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year, and Six More Four-Star If you're interested in this book, you might also like the titles on my Greedy Reading List Six Great Historical Fiction Stories Set in the American West and Six More Great Historical Fiction Stories Set included the wonderful Ron Rash short story collection Nothing Gold Can Stay in my Greedy Reading List Six

Six More Great Bossy Science Fiction Reads The Obsessive Wrap-Up of Favorite Reads continues! A while back I posted about Six Four-Star (and Up) Science Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year, and here are six more of my favorite science fiction reads from the past year. You might also like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Books with Cold, Wintry Settings to Read Stories or Six Riveting Time-Travel Escapes or these Bossy reviews of books that play with time.

about brave women during wartime, you might also like the books I listed on the Greedy Reading List Six

Carey (which I mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Fantastic Dystopian and Postapocalyptic Novels

My first Greedy Reading List on this topic was Six Books about Brave Female Spies. brave women during wartime, you might also like the titles I listed on the recent Greedy Reading List Six If you do too, you might want to check out the titles on the Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Macintyre also wrote the fantastic Spy and the Traitor, which was one of my Six Favorite Nonfiction Books of the Year last year and which I also listed on the Greedy Reading List Six Compelling Nonfiction Books

Six More Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Mystery Reads "Is she going to just keep rehashing all the big hits 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 (Check out My Very Favorite And here's a list of Six Historical Fiction Mysteries I Loved, if you like the melding of those two

Six More Favorite Fiction Reads I love spending Fridays raving about books I've loved! I listed Six of My Favorite Fiction Reads from Last Year in this Greedy Reading List, then I highlighted six more of my favorite fiction reads from last year in a second Greedy Reading List. Four-Star Mystery Reads I Loved Last Year Six More Four-Star Mysteries I Loved Last Year Six Four-Star Year, and Six of My Favorite Memoir Reads Last Year And check out My Very Favorite Bossy 2022 Reads

mentioned the series, which is set in Russia and has a dark fairy-tale tone, in the Greedy Reading List Six a book that frankly would stand alone beautifully, but instead, luckily for us, it begins Turner's six-book These six books were published over a period of almost twenty-five years, and the story trail traces

The Bossy Wish List Sometimes it's tough to buy books for a greedy reader like the one writing this post. What have they already read, anyway? How reliable is their Goodreads status and list of "to-read" titles? And what are they likely already out buying for themselves? These are my current Bossy book wishes, whether because my library doesn't have a copy (Strange Gods; Charlatan; Until the End of the World), because I simply have high hopes for loving them (Babel, 454 pages; Inciting Joy, 256 pages), or just because I'm greedy about having more more more books in my possession (Under Fortunate Stars). There's a major leaning toward science fiction and speculative fiction in this list, so I am apparently in a mood. And I just came up with this wish list with Christmas just a few days away, so it looks as though I'll be buying my own perfect mix of books for myself after the holidays--which I am not at all above doing. Which books are on your book wish list this holiday season? A Bossy book-buying note: If you're buying books this holiday season, please support your local independent bookstore. They need and appreciate our business! (The book covers on this site link you to Bookshop, a site that supports the beloved indies that keep us swimming in thoughtful book recommendations and excellent customer service all year round.) 01 Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang R.F. Kuang's Babel: An Arcane History introduces the character of young Robin Swift. Orphaned in Canton by cholera and brought to London by Professor Lovell, a mysterious figure, Robin trains for years in various languages in preparation for attending Oxford University's Royal Institute of Translation, nicknamed Babel. But Babel is also the center of enchanted silver-working, and the more deeply Robin becomes entrenched in the studies and workings of Babel, the more he feels he is betraying his motherland. Kuang explores colonialism, resistance, knowledge, and power in this hefty (454-page) fantasy, published this year and on many "top fantasy" lists. 02 Inciting Joy by Ross Gay Who's in for some inciting of joy? Ross Gay's Book of Delights was a sunshiny set of thoughts and examinations, yet it wasn't overly earnest, and it was never corny. I just loved it. Gay's newest book, Inciting Joy, explores caring for each other and the human connections that make up a full, rich life. Gay turns his thoughtful eye and sensitive mind to inspiration and fulfillment in essays with topics ranging from skateboarding to masculinity to mortality. Click here to check out my full review of The Book of Delights. 03 Strange Gods by Alison Kimble In Alison Kimble's Strange Gods (published in 2021), Spooky arrives at a wilderness camp for troubled teens bracing herself for bullies, counselors ready to crush her spirit, and other kids determined to disrupt and destroy. If she can keep her head down and survive senior year, she knows she can start fresh somewhere new, and that's her only concern. But a disturbing encounter with another camper sends Spooky to hide in the woods. There she encounters an inexplicable, powerful force that can only be magic, in a form Spooky would never have imagined--and it's determined to keep Spooky in its clutches forever. 04 Charlatan by Kate Braithwaite In Kate Braithwaite's Charlatan, it's 1676. In a shack in the middle of Paris, a fortune-teller calls on dark forces to help a client retain the affections of Louis XIV. Three years later, Athenais, Madame de Montespan, the King's glamorous mistress, who has borne him seven children, is enraged when Louis takes up with a fresh-faced eighteen-year-old, Angelique de Fontanges. Paris police chief La Reynie and his young assistant Bezons have uncovered a network of fortune-tellers operating in the city, and when their extensive client lists are revealed, embarrassment and destruction seem sure to follow. 05 Until the End of the World (Until the End of the World #1) by Sarah Lyons Fleming A bookish Instagram friend is in love with this series of four books by Sarah Lyons Fleming, and it sounds like one I'm going to love as well. Cassie Forest is finally going to get her life together. Since her survivalist parents died, she's broken off her engagement to Adrian, she doesn't paint anymore, and she's been dating a major jerk. But right when Cassie is ready for redemption, it looks like the world is about to end. She and her friends may have just enough time to escape to her parents' cabin in Brooklyn before Bornavirus LX turns them into zombies. If Cassie can stand being locked up with her friend's bratty little sister and her own ex-boyfriend, she just might survive to do the one thing she really needs to before she dies: tell Adrian she still loves him. 06 Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings Just look at this gorgeous cover and listen to this excellent space-opera, time-travel premise: Fleeing the final days of the generations-long war with the alien Felen, smuggler Jereth Keeven’s freighter the Jonah breaks down in a strange rift in deep space, with little chance of rescue—until they encounter the research vessel Gallion, which claims to be from 152 years in the future. But nothing about the Gallion's crew or account seems to add up, and as the two ships begin losing power, everyone on board is in danger--and the stakes may be higher than Jereth could have imagined. Other books I've loved with ragtag space crews include Activation Degradation, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe.

Solid Mystery and Suspense Reads These six four-star mysteries are all so good and so different--they In case her books aren't already on your radar, French is the author of six Dublin Murder Squad books

Bossy Short Story Love Some of my fellow readers have told me in the past that they don't gravitate toward short stories, whether because they want to dig in more deeply over the course of a longer story and book, because they feel like situations in short stories sometimes feel unresolved, or for another reason. Sometimes short stories tend toward exploring tragedy, as in many of the luminous collections here and their gorgeous heartbreaks. But sometimes nothing does the reading trick like shorter works--especially when time is tight or when I might have trouble concentrating (for example, during a worldwide pandemic)--and I especially love an interconnected set of stories that when taken collectively offer the richness of a longer, in-depth story. Have you read any of these collections? Do you have any favorite short story collections I should read? My own to-read list of short stories includes Maggie Shipstead's upcoming short story collection You Have a Friend in 10A, BJ Novak's One More Thing, Leah Hampton's F*ckface, Kevin Wilson's Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, and Ron Rash's Something Rich and Strange. 01 Thunderstruck & Other Stories by Elizabeth McCracken “Whatever you have lost there are more of, just not yours.” McCracken is a fantastic writer who highlights odd, strangely beautiful elements in small moments. Each of the nine stories in this collection builds from a loss of some kind. In what feels like careful, deliberate shaping by McCracken and her editor, the early stories felt more bleak to me and the later ones offered a little more hope, or at least acceptance. “This was her flaw as a parent, she thought later: she had never truly gotten rid of a single maternal worry. They were all in the closet, with the minuscule footed pajamas and hand-knit baby hats, and every day Laura took them out, unfolded them, tried to put them to use.” McCracken is also the author of The Giant's House, Here's Your Hat What's Your Hurry, The Souvenir Museum, Bowlaway, and the beautiful, heart-wrenching An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination. 02 The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans She thought the insistence on victims without wrongdoers was at the base of the whole American problem, the lie that supported all the others. In The Office of Historical Corrections, Evans offers short stories centering around themes of race, relationships, identity, the fallibility of those who shape historical "fact," as well as grief and loss. She beautifully and powerfully illustrates essential, deep truths by tracing moments in her characters' everyday lives. The themes here are often haunting, always powerful, and wonderfully nuanced, even when the scenes (the artist's exhibition, the actual on-the-spot printed and posted corrections of "fact," and others) take metaphors to their limits. Click here for my full review of The Office of Historical Corrections. 03 Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy “His heart felt dangerously full, for the first time in years. That dried-up battered organ, suddenly flush with love. It could kill him.” In Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It, Maile Meloy keeps you on your toes as you consider what may lay in wait within the relationships she lays out, and you may not be able to anticipate who's going to have a life-changing revelation (or not), who is just who they say they are, and who isn't at all what they seem. A couple of these stories left me wishing for more, but Meloy doesn't leave you hanging, instead drawing you in with the depths of each work. Meloy is also the author of Liars and Saints and A Family Daughter as well as the story collection Half in Love. She also wrote the Apothecary trilogy for young readers. 04 Nothing Gold Can Stay by Ron Rash In Nothing Gold Can Stay, a collection by Ron Rash, the stories take place in different eras, but all are set in North Carolina. The state is as prominent as a character as Rash explores trapped despair, haunting choices, and the beauty of even bleak moments. Rash's writing here is, as always, exquisite, and within these 14 stories, he turns his attention to characters who yearn, regret, and desperately attempt to hide their fragility behind steely exteriors. North Carolina's Rash (he teaches at Western Carolina University) is also the author of other Appalachia-set books: Serena, The World Made Straight, Burning Bright, Above the Waterfall, The Risen, The Cove, and One Foot in Eden, among others. 05 Redeployment by Phil Klay “There are two ways to tell the story. Funny or sad. Guys like it funny, with lots of gore and a grin on your face when you get to the end. Girls like it sad, with a thousand-yard stare out to the distance as you gaze upon the horrors of war they can’t quite see. Either way, it’s the same story.” In Iraq Marine veteran and Dartmouth grad Phil Klay's National Book Award winner Redeployment, the author shares short stories about war and life afterward that read like autobiographical vignettes. This is, as you might expect, difficult subject matter--exploring powerful emotions, troops haunted by decisions and unforeseen dangers, painful adjustments to life after war, and injury and loss. But Klay draws you into his characters' situations too fully for you to want to turn away. 06 Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout As soon as I finished reading this short story collection from Elizabeth Strout (author of, among others, Olive Kitteridge, the wonderful Olive, Again, My Name Is Lucy Barton, and Oh William!), I wished I’d slowed down and taken notes or could start all over and read it again immediately. I love how Strout interlinks characters, backgrounds, and stories so gracefully, yet also allows them to stand on their own. The stories feel immediate and real. Strout shines a light on turning points: small but powerful shifts of power or emotion, masterfully illustrating how a moment sends ripples through the day or the broader life of those involved in it—it’s fascinating. For my full review, please see Anything Is Possible.

Six Great Bossy Science Fiction and Fantasy Reads The Obsessive Wrap-Up of Favorite Reads continues! When she flees to remote California, her ability to travel through memory to revisit the past secures book sounds down your alley, you might want also to check out the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Fascinating Dystopian and Postapocalyptic Novels, Six More Fascinating Dystopian and Postapocalyptic Novels, and Six Great Stories about Robots, Humans and Alien Life, and AI. 06 Some Desperate Glory Emily

young adult supernatural mystery series of the same name, and in it, author William Ritter provides memorable

You might also be interested in the titles on the Greedy Reading Lists Six More Great Historical Fiction Stories Set in the American West, Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You, Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved in the Past Year, and Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved This Year. 01 Vengeance Road Turner's story is inspired by her family's memoirs, and her Sarah Prine is a strong woman living on the

I listened to this memoir as an audiobook. Bossy Foodie Memoir Favorites You might also be interested in the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Foodie Memoirs to Whet Your Appetite .

Jen Hatmaker's memoir explores her shock, grief, then growth after the end of her marriage, which she More More More Memoirs! I love reading the stories of lives lived, so I frequently read memoirs. stories of famous or little-known people's lives, you might want to check out these Bossy reviews of memoirs

For my favorite book club reads of 2020, check out the Greedy Reading List Six Book Club Books I Loved you like nonfiction books that read like fiction, you might try the books on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Compelling Nonfiction Books that Read Like Fiction and Six of the Best Nonfiction Books I've Read This

call this lovely reader and friend a big fat liar, so instead I'll offer this Greedy Reading List of SIX included a book each from these genres: faith-focused science fiction, young adult LGBTQ+ fiction, memoir When We Were the Kennedys is a memoir about grieving deeply, leaning on family and community in a crisis I loved this fantastic memoir! Wood's memoir is heartwarming and funny and tragic and vivid.

Six Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Historical Fiction Reads Historical fiction is one of my very favorite genres Here are six of my very favorite historical fiction reads of last year--with another list to come! But not everyone she's paying off can be trusted, some of her six children are undermining her, and goings-on

I also listed Disappearing Earth in the Greedy Reading List The Six Best Mysteries I Read Last Year. With the passing of the years, however, those memories become distant and malleable, and we shape them Ivey also wrote The Snow Child, a book listed on the Greedy Reading List Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups above, and Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy, both of which were listed on the Greedy Reading List Six The books on the Greedy Reading List Six Captivating Nordic Stories would also fit nicely here.

Some Light Fiction Favorites At the start of the pandemic, I was particularly drawn to lighter fiction because the chances felt slim that things could go seriously or painfully, irrevocably awry for the characters. These are some of my light fiction favorites, and they're also perfect for summer reading. Real, weighty issues are raised within the pages of the books on this list: characters cope with abuse or alcohol abuse; they struggle to feel self-respect, a healthy body image, or to establish a true and real sense of self; and they find themselves capable of demonstrating strength in difficult circumstances. All of these issues are explored within what feels like a safe space--amid swirling attraction, burgeoning romance, self-discovery, some temporary heartbreak, and, typically, a satisfying ending. I love this balance. I'm due to create another Greedy Reading List of my more recently read light fiction favorites, but meanwhile, you can find other Bossy light fiction reviews here. I'm solidly in love with Christina Lauren's and Emily Henry's books, and I haven't yet read everything by the other authors listed here. What other lighter fiction authors or stories do you love? 01 Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein Nineteen-year-old Avery Abrams was set to be the next big gymnastics Olympic champion. She had the training, the talent, and the drive. But during the Olympic Trials, she sustained a career-ending injury. For the next few years she dabbled in college, she partied, she drifted, she dated a professional football player, but she didn't find peace and wasn't able to truly come to terms with her new reality. When she hits a version of rock bottom and moves home, Avery's former teammate and crush Ryan (who did become an Olympic champion) talks her into helping him coach Hallie, a young phenom at the gym where Avery spent much of her youth. With lots of gymnastics details that made the setting come to life, Head Over Heels was the engrossing, light fiction book I needed. Orenstein didn't hit any false notes for me and kept me satisfyingly wrapped up in the elite gymnastics world of the story. For my full review, see Head Over Heels. 02 Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis Sometimes in order to delve into a lighter fiction book I find that I have to suspend my disbelief about human behavior. But letting go of expectations about realistic cause and effect in order to buy into a romantic setup (see my review of What You Wish For) is far more difficult for me than suspending my disbelief in order to buy into outlandish or supernatural aspects of a romantic but otherwise truly oddball book (see my review of My Lady Jane). The premise of Dear Emmie Blue made me wonder if the story would feel too far-fetched. But Lia Louis's Dear Emmie Blue characters are appealingly faulted, sometimes selfish and foolish. Unlikely bonds are forged and reforged. There's a love triangle that I adored. For my full review, please see Dear Emmie Blue. This book was also mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Three Wackily Different Books I'm Reading Now. Lia Louis is also the author of Eight Perfect Hours and The Key to My Heart. 03 Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center This book hit the spot for me. Katherine Center's Cassie is a tough-as-nails firefighter who has closed herself off emotionally to protect herself. Her life is orderly and regimented and under control. So clearly everything is about to be upended so that Cassie will be forced to alter her plans and careful schedule and figure out how to come through it all. Although I saw some of the big plot events coming in Things You Save in a Fire, Center makes the journey so enjoyable that I just didn't care. This novel is satisfying escapism, but it's not silly or outlandish. Things You Save in a Fire is a quick read that addresses serious matters—betrayal, loyalty, duty, trust, and love, with a little sleuthing and romance to round out things. I thought it was great. For my full review of this book, please see Things You Save in a Fire. 04 Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating totally fits the bill for light-fiction escapism--in this case, with lots of sexy talk and sexy scenes and sexy thoughts and sex. Hazel is a strong personality, and I found myself bristling at her questioning whether she's too much sometimes. Yet the authors clearly care deeply about their characters, the characters care deeply about each other, and I cared that they cared. All of this makes for a heartwarming read in which everyone is trying to love and live and be happy. You can see a satisfying version of happily ever after coming, but I didn't predict the circumstances. For my full review of this book, please see Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating. Click here for my reviews of Lauren's The Unhoneymooners, In a Holidaze, Love and Other Words, The Soulmate Equation (a favorite), and Autoboyography (another favorite and a young adult LGBTQ+ gem). 05 Beach Read by Emily Henry Is it fair for a person (me) with particular requirements for light fiction (ideally: not too outlandish of a hook and premise, characters who follow somewhat logical steps in their lives, inner voices that feel real, human connections that warm my heart, and a little romantic something-something) to continue reading light fiction while constantly kind of expecting disappointment? Yes. Yes, it is. Because I suspected that Emily Henry's Beach Read might be a major gem on my light fiction-escapism-pandemic-era reading list and a book that might bring me fully into the bosom of this genre. And fortunately, I was correct. The initial scene-setting didn't feel as authentic to me as the rest of the book. But after that, Beach Read met all of my criteria above and more; it's sweet and funny, it's about writing and books, there are wonderfully faulted love-crossed main protagonists with a shared history, and they share a sexy-playful-obsession that might lead to heartbreak or might lead to love. For my full review of this book, see Beach Read. And click here for my review of Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation. Stay tuned for my upcoming review of her newest, Book Lovers. 06 One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London In Kate Stayman-London's One to Watch, Bea Schumacher is a popular plus-size fashion blogger who has Instagram fame, wonderful friends--and an unhealthy obsession with a male friend who's attached to someone else. After she drunk-blogs scathing comments about the unrealistic body images of the stars of Main Squeeze (a reality TV show in which a single woman dates strangers hand-picked by the producers and aims to marry one of them), Bea is surprised when a show producer reaches out to her with an unexpected question: Would Bea consider starring in a season of Main Squeeze? Bea finds the proposal laughable, then considers what it might mean for her career, for promoting body positivity, and maybe even for her lackluster romantic life. She decides that she's in--for a fantastic wardrobe, incredibly awkward moments, scripted romance, and a beautiful Malibu backdrop. What could go wrong? I was especially intrigued by how Bea navigated multiple suitors (Bachelorette-style) and by her attempts to give each his due while simultaneously dating and honestly considering the others. She didn't lose sight of embracing each new experience while reflecting on what she wanted her future to look like after the show, above and beyond what others attempted to script or suggest. For my full review of this book, please see One to Watch.

More More More Memoirs You can find other memoirs I've read and reviewed, including multiple lists of

My friend Deyna recently mentioned revisiting Daisy Jones and the Six. Here are six of my favorite fiction works that have to do with rock and roll, writing songs, performing (The fictional band focus reminded me, in a good way, of Daisy Jones & the Six, mentioned below.) somehow I still haven't read it--as well as A Long Way Down, Slam, How to Be Good, About a Boy, and the memoir Fever Pitch. 04 Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid “You have these lines you won’t cross.

Six Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Science Fiction Reads I realize I just said this last week regarding mysteries Here are six of my favorite science fiction reads of last year--with another list to come! You can find my review of Blake Crouch's Recursion (mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Riveting (Gideon was also mentioned in my Greedy Reading List Six More Postapocalyptic and Dystopian Favorites If you're interested in books about robots, you might also like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six

Two of these books also made it onto my Six Riveting Time-Travel Escapes Greedy Reading List--along with

Which books are you gifting this holiday season? This is my second book gift list of the season (the first was last week's Shhh! Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays), and I hope the ideas here (and those in the lists to come) will help you with ideas for beautiful book gifts for anyone on your list! For even more ideas, check out my past book gift guides on the site: Shhh! Books I'm Giving As Gifts This Holiday Shhh! More Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays Shhh! Books I'm Giving Kids and Teens This Holiday, and Shhh! More Book Gifts for Kids and Teens 01 Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide by Cecily Wong “Eating may be the most immersive, visceral travel experience. It requires an engagement of every sense.... Humans around the world are bound by the necessity and pleasure of eating, and there is no faster way to glimpse the heart of a place than by experiencing its food.” I mentioned another title (The World's Most Adventurous Kid) from the Atlas Obscura series last year in my gift list Shhh! Book Gifts for Kids and Teens. This series of books is so beautiful and odd and captivating, I just love giving them as gifts. 02 Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land was a complex, heartbreaking, hope-filled, surprising, fascinating read. It feels unfair to compare Cloud Cuckoo Land to Doerr's beloved and quite different book All the Light We Cannot See, and the stories are exceedingly different. But in both novels, Doerr demonstrates the ability to bring a reader deep into disparate situations and create emotional investment. I didn't feel immediately connected to Doerr's story because of the various timelines and characters, but as he began to deeply interweave the stories across time, he also set up rich glimpses into characters' lives at different points in history. I quickly began to be fascinated by the interconnectedness, and I adored this book. For my full (rave) review, please click here. 03 Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach Science writer Mary Roach has a way of immersing readers in what may be unfamiliar or mysterious environments, and her newest book, Fuzz, promises to do this again for the world of animals in what feels like a great gift for animal lovers. In Fuzz, Roach explores animal behavior, wildlife biology, and the complexities of modern human-animal conflicts. Roach is also the author of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers; Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal; Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void; Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex; and Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War. 04 Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake Is this a niche gift idea? The cover is so gorgeous, and since I saw it I can't stop thinking about this book, so maybe it's best that I receive this book gift? I'm just thinking out loud here. Entangled Life is Merlin Sheldrake's enthusiastic ode to the supremely important and mysterious life form of fungi--which are neither plant nor animal, live for millenia, and are microscopic yet make up the largest organisms ever recorded. Sheldrake's incredible facts and explorations of the incredible abilities of fungi (they can digest plastics and explosives; they can manipulate animal behavior; and they're involved in the essentials of bread, alcohol, and life-saving medications--who's with me in my obsession for this book now?) make for what is sure to be contagious fascination. 05 These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett “Any story that starts will also end.” I have high hopes for Patchett's newest book, essays published just this week that explore friendship, home, writing, reading, connection, and life. Some book club friends and I preordered this book through our local bookstore Park Road Books and watched a fun virtual author event on the evening of its publication. Patchett is also the author of The Dutch House, Bel Canto, The Patron Saint of Liars, Commonwealth, The Magician's Assistant, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, and other books. She is also, famously, the co-owner of Nashville's Parnassus Books. 06 A Course Called America by Tom Coyne Coyne spent a year traveling the United States in search of the greatest golf experience available, playing every course ever to host a US Open as well as 200 other well-known and much-beloved courses and hidden gems. Coyne sets himself the goal of determining which of these many contenders deserves the title of the Great American Golf Course. Along the way, Coyne connects with people across the country, all of whom share a love for golf--and pride in the course he is visiting. I'm not a golfer, but I do have gift recipients who are, and I've got my eye on this book for them. A Bossy book-buying suggestion: If you're buying books this holiday season, please support your local independent bookstore. They need and appreciate our business now more than ever! Clicking on the book covers beside each Bossy Bookworm blurb will link you to Bookshop, a site that supports the beloved indies that keep readers swimming in thoughtful book recommendations and excellent customer service all year round.

The memoir is structured with the engaging pacing of a novel--danger, discovery, redemption, and hope More memoir love If you're looking for more Bossy reviews of memoirs--which I almost always listen to

Here are six varied books about witches, some I might call modern witchy classics (Wicked and Circe) you like books about magic, here are two other Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading Lists you might enjoy: Six Royally Magical Young Adult Series and Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love. This book also appears on the Greedy Reading List Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love. 03 Wicked

01 The Mercies I loved The Mercies. The majority of page time is spent showing the tasks of daily life (and almost-claustrophobic interconnectedness) within a tiny, very northern Norwegian community in the early 17th century. But there are witch hunts at hand, and dabbling in the Sami traditions of runes, poppets, or the playing of drums—or simply being a strong-willed woman helping to feed a village by manning fishing boats when the men are all lost—is enough to lead to terrible consequences. Hargrave allows some light into the darkness and cold in the form of love, and important realizations, and some brutal justice, but ignorance and pettiness lead to other horrific and undeserved consequences. #nordic, #historicalfiction, #witches, #fourstarbookreview 02 Burial Rites ​ Burial Rites is a beautiful, haunting story inspired by the true events surrounding the last person put to death in Iceland, in 1829. Hannah Kent’s book explores the cold, brutal winter as convicted murderer Agnes awaits her execution at a remote farm, living with the family there. They are instructed by the authorities to take her in, but they aren’t happy about it. Agnes befriends a local priest who is sympathetic to her situation, and in time it becomes clear that Agnes and her circumstances are complicated. The landscape is vividly evoked, the characters feel faulted and real, and the story is compelling. I still think about this book from time to time, and I read it years ago. I thought Hannah Kent skillfully captured the setting, the accused's feelings of futility in fighting back, and the panicked realization of those surrounding her that the truth might upend the events already in motion. #nordic, #historicalfiction, #fourstarbookreview 03 The Half-Drowned King ​ The Half-Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker is the first in a completed trilogy of the same name that links historical fiction and fantasy and is set in Viking-era Norway. I gave this first book in the series three stars, which for me meant it had promise but didn't knock my socks off. I thought it lagged in the too-extensive discussion of military strategy and felt that the characters didn't always act in accordance with their personalities as they had been laid out by the author. But the detail in and the early thrills and chills of the story held so much promise, and the next two books show positive reader reviews, this series may be worth your while to try. I plan to give the next book, "The Sea Queen," a go. Side note: its cover is just as gorgeously striking as this one. #nordic, #Vikings, #series, #fantasyscifi 04 Norwegian by Night ​ Sheldon Horowitz is 82 and lives with his granddaughter her husband in Oslo. He witnesses a murder and snatches his young great-grandson to flee the police and the bad guys. Oh, how I loved Derek B. Miller's Norwegian by Night. I found myself reading it slowly so I could savor it. I only wished it were longer so I could spend more time in Sheldon's head and in his company. I adored it. There's an unusual mix of adventure and heartwarming self-examination in this debut. I’d forgotten that there was a second book in this series, American by Day, which I now recall that I very much want to read. #nordic, #heartwarming, #series, #fourstarbookreview 05 We, the Drowned ​ I own this book. Therefore I have not read it, despite wanting to, because I am a very greedy person who has too many books on her library hold list, too many prepublication books requested, and too many books she already owns languishing unread like this one. Ahem. The reason I own We, the Drowned is that it is described as “an epic drama of adventure, courage, ruthlessness, and passion by one of Scandinavia’s most acclaimed storytellers.” Carsten Jensen provides epic historical fiction also said to be humorous, and it includes Vikings, seafaring adventure, “nefarious company,” a town run by women, and “a mysterious shrunken head.” Plus, just look at the cover. #Vikings, #nordic, #historical fiction 06 Kristin Lavransdatter ​ I also own this book (this is actually #1-3 of the Kristin Lavransdatter series in one book). And I also have not yet read this book. But obviously we should all read it if we haven’t already, because: Sigrid Undset offers an epic story, first published in 1920, of historical fiction set in fourteenth-century Norway. This book clearly has staying power. The main protagonist Kristin is a headstrong woman, and she escapes a convent for love. Check. Finally, in this “masterwork” of "Norway's most beloved author,” Undset “immerses readers in the day-to-day life, social conventions, and political and religious undercurrents of the period.” I fully expect to adore this. #nordic, #series, #historicalfiction What are your favorite Nordic-set or -focused books? This category could include a lot of other titles. I think I would love the details of a Nordic setting in any genre.

Wamariya writes beautifully and brutally honestly about her journey of fleeing from Rwanda and through six her experiences through her childlike point of view, which allows for a painfully pure set of painful memories

Six More Four-Star (and Up) Bossy Historical Fiction Reads Historical fiction is one of my very favorite I posted last month about Six Four-Star Historical Fiction Reads I Loved Last Year, but I had six more

a book that frankly would stand alone beautifully, but instead, luckily for us, it begins Turner's six-book These six books were published over a period of almost twenty-five years, and the story trail traces mentioned the series, which is set in Russia and has a dark fairy-tale tone, in the Greedy Reading List Six

brave women during wartime, you might also like the books I listed on the recent Greedy Reading List Six

her parents' accounts hold merit; and begins to wonder with horror whether she can trust even her own memories This book was also one of my Six Favorite Summer 2020 Reads. If you like mysteries, you might also like titles from the Greedy Reading Lists The Six Best Mysteries I Read Last Year and Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You.

In the first installment of Cher's two-part memoir, she traces some of her ancestors' pivotal stories Early on, the memoir felt like more of a factual account of what occurred in her life than it felt like Memoir love For more Bossy reviews of memoirs I've loved--and there are a lot of titles on this site