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Yume Kitasei I loved the futuristic space-mission capabilities, smart and strong all-woman crew, the mystery Asuka must find the real culprit before accusations surrounding the mystery destroy her. Yume Kitasei offers plot and mystery, but this is primarily a wonderfully character-driven story--with She's been cobbling together enough to get by, but when a mysterious draw to the spooky Starling House Novels and Six More Dystopian and Postapocalyptic Novels.

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

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 Prose offers a surprising amount of heart and a unique main protagonist in this lighthearted murder mystery check out Doctors and Friends. 05 Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams Williams's historical fiction mystery The mystery skips back and forth in time, and four years later, Iris's twin sister Ruth finally receives

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. But when one of Cara's eight remaining selves mysteriously dies while she is world walking, shocking and he's got two dead crewmates, a chatty AI robot caregiver, a lot of complicated equipment, and a mysterious

01 The Witch Elm A Tana French mystery is usually a pretty good bet for me, and I plowed through The In case her books aren't already on your radar, French is the author of six Dublin Murder Squad books It isn't a police procedural; this is a starkly beautiful book that happens to be a mystery. What mystery/suspense reads have been your favorites lately? It feels like the time of year to be stocking up on spooky books and mysteries.

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

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.) Long Way Down, Slam, How to Be Good, About a Boy, and the memoir Fever Pitch. 04 Daisy Jones & the Six In Daisy Jones & the Six, Reid offers a fictionalized account (written as fictional interviews) of the their mesmerizing lead singer Daisy, the group's complicated interpersonal conflicts, and the band's mysterious

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.

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

If you're intrigued by time-travel stories, you might also like the books on the Greedy Reading List Six When she finds a mysterious book her father had acquired, it shows January unlikely possibilities about She disappears from her family and leaves behind a tragic mystery, while in her forays through new worlds David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks is a set of six intriguing tracks through time that are full of surprises

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 But August's adorably quirky roommates and a mystery woman she keeps running into on the Q train might

Wamariya writes beautifully and brutally honestly about her journey of fleeing from Rwanda and through six

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 Looking for Jane is a story of women living in three timelines who are linked through decades by a mysterious

In Dawes, he meets eccentric, wealthy art lovers John and Eve Long--mysterious, possibly hiding something two timelines, a decades-old tragedy, and a modern-day descendant's discovery of her family's link to mysterious There are two mysteries surrounding the Turner Tragedy: the whodunit aspect and the unexplained disappearance This is a long (it's almost 550 pages), winding story with complicated connections and mysterious motivations Morton's story explores secrets, loyalties, mysteries, and the complicated matter of family--those you

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

are six more of my favorite science fiction reads from the past year. Eason In Eason's science fiction mystery, an unlikely pair who get on each other's nerves work together Eason's science fiction mystery Nightwatch on the Hinterlands, a templar, Iari, and a spy, Gaer, have And I was wholly charmed by the rievs (former battle robots) who mysteriously show sentience and surprising In this science fiction novel, Mandel plays with time and time travel as well as mysteries surrounding

Mystery series with strong female protagonists? Carey (which I mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six Fantastic Dystopian and Postapocalyptic Novels

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

My first Greedy Reading List on this topic was Six Books about Brave Female Spies. Graham's Cold War Cookbook. 02 Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams Williams's historical fiction mystery In Williams's historical fiction mystery, which skips back and forth in time, four years later, Iris's I looove a historical fiction mystery. Mysteries to Intrigue You.

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

Orphaned in Canton by cholera and brought to London by Professor Lovell, a mysterious figure, Robin trains

#youngadult, #mystery 02 The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly ​ In Meredith Tate's newest book, Ivy #youngadult, #mystery, #siblings 03 A Good Girl's Guide to Murder ​ It's been years since a local young As Khayyam eagerly discovers more of Leila's mysterious history, she begins to grow and change in this #youngadult, #mystery, #series Any young adult mysteries you've enjoyed lately? Where was this embarrassment of young-adult-mystery riches when I was actually a young adult?

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. recently posted about favorite reads from certain genres that I've loved reading in the past year: Six Four-Star Mystery Reads I Loved Last Year Six More Four-Star Mysteries I Loved Last Year Six Four-Star

If you love memoirs, you might also like the books I listed on the Greedy Reading List Six Illuminating

Six Great Bossy Science Fiction and Fantasy Reads The Obsessive Wrap-Up of Favorite Reads continues! Then a mysterious, wealthy matriarch preys upon Amina's need for funds--and her desire for one final, 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

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.

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

For my favorite book club reads of 2020, check out the Greedy Reading List Six Book Club Books I Loved Notice, Browder traces his path from Wall Street to the Soviet Union after its breakup--and the crimes, mysteries 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 an immensely readable book rich in period detail, great dialogue, and satisfying elements of love, mystery

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! for my full review of The Last Green Valley. 03 Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson Atkinson's newest mystery in vivid Roaring Twenties London as Nellie Coker struggles to hold on to her empire of clubs while mysterious by the intersection of Gwendolyn and Ma Coker's golden child, her eldest son Niven--along with the mystery

For more memoirs I've loved that you might want to try, check out the Greedy Reading Lists Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into and Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year. Ishikawa, who is half-Korean, half-Japanese, and who lived under oppressive totalitarian rule for thirty-six

Light were the Greenland setting, the alternate world, the bitter cold, and the sentimentalism and mystery settings are exquisitely wrought, with stark, rugged, lush landscapes serving as the backdrop for a mystery It isn't a police procedural; this is a starkly beautiful book that happens to have a mystery at its I also listed Disappearing Earth in the Greedy Reading List The Six Best Mysteries I Read Last Year. When we are young, we consume the world in great gulps, and it consumes us, and everything is mysterious

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.

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.) In Daisy Jones & the Six, Reid offers a fictionalized account (written as fictional interviews) of the their mesmerizing lead singer Daisy, the group's complicated interpersonal conflicts, and the band's mysterious

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 and he's got two dead crewmates, a chatty AI robot caregiver, a lot of complicated equipment, and a mysterious

by Mary Roach Science writer Mary Roach has a way of immersing readers in what may be unfamiliar or mysterious Entangled Life is Merlin Sheldrake's enthusiastic ode to the supremely important and mysterious life

If you like memoirs, check out these Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading Lists: Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into, Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year, and Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality

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

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. Katherine Arden finishes out the trilogy in typical mesmerizing fashion, with her usual masterful balance This book also appears on the Greedy Reading List Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love. 03 Wicked

humorous, and it includes Vikings, seafaring adventure, “nefarious company,” a town run by women, and “a mysterious

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 Have you read any or all of these magical young adult mysteries related to royalty? mentioned the series, which is set in Russia and has a dark fairy-tale tone, in the Greedy Reading List Six

#timetravel, #mystery, #fantasyscifi, #fourstarbookreview 02 Here and Now and Then ​ Kin Stewart was When she finds a mysterious book her father had acquired, it shows January unlikely possibilities about She disappears from her family and leaves behind a tragic mystery, while in her forays through new worlds David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks is a set of six intriguing tracks through time that are full of surprises

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 Kate Quinn is a master of historical fiction and is the author of the fantastic titles The Huntress,

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

Wamariya writes beautifully and brutally honestly about her journey of fleeing from Rwanda and through six

I could have listed so many fantastic young adult titles here, but I picked these varied, wonderful six Some other Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading Lists you might like featuring young adult books: Six Royally Magical Young Adult Series, Six Magical Fairy Tales Grown-Ups Will Love, and Six Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic

Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family is the true story of a family with twelve children, six Significant scientific advancements regarding mental illness were made possible because of the genetic material

Light were the Greenland setting, the alternate world, the bitter cold, and the sentimentalism and mystery settings are exquisitely wrought, with stark, rugged, lush landscapes serving as the backdrop for a mystery It isn't a police procedural; this is a starkly beautiful book that happens to have a mystery at its I also listed Disappearing Earth in the Greedy Reading List The Six Best Mysteries I Read Last Year. When we are young, we consume the world in great gulps, and it consumes us, and everything is mysterious

01 A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World And there may be no law left except what you make of it, but if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. If we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the point?... That’s a kind of death, even if you keep breathing. The thief came and shattered what was left of young Griz's life. Now Griz and his dog are making their way through the world. Griz is capable of fury and revenge, but also great love and loyalty, bravery, and creativity. He's a fantastic character I loved. This great book by C.A. Fletcher was tough to read at times because of the frequent reckless, life-and-death, sometimes ill-advised decision-making in a postapocalyptic world. Fletcher somewhat frequently hints at later events in the book in the middle of early scenes, which added to my anxiety. But the main protagonist Griz is tough as nails and determined and wonderful, and things do ultimately improve in satisfying ways. I thought this was wonderful. #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #youngadult, #fourstarbookreview 02 The Grace Year ​ The Grace Year is the type of book I could’ve stayed up all night reading. I was totally hooked by this Lord of the Flies-esque situation of trapped girls devolving into paranoia, mayhem, fury, and destruction, with a wonderfully strong and imperfect heroine trying to upend the situation. I felt as though the later sections glossed over some major issues (consorting with the gruesomely brutal enemy; the prospect of folding back into the world that created the horrific system of oppression, control, torture, and death—even with a promise of potential change; fast emotional movement past the loss of a beloved character), but there’s hope for the slow but significant evolution into a new era. I thought the teen girls’ “magic” and its perception by the girls themselves (and especially by the men and women in the society) was haunting. #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #youngadult, #fourstarbookreview 03 The Girl With All the Gifts ​ Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad. I didn't have a clue what this book was about going in, which worked wonderfully for me. This is listed as an adult title but feels to me like a dark young adult post-apocalyptic novel with several twists. I found this engrossing, really interesting, and also character driven, which feels unusual given one of the aforementioned twists. Some of this is odd, other parts are disturbing, and there are some wonderful implausibly amusing standoffs. And M.R. Carey's story is also hopeful, but not in the way I might have expected. If you like this one, you're going to also want to read Carey's The Boy on the Bridge, which is a standalone book in the same series, is fantastic, and is also on this list. #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #fantasyscifi, #series, #fourstarbookreview 04 The Dog Stars ​ Hig somehow survived the flu pandemic that killed everyone he knows. Now his wife is gone, his friends are dead, and he lives in the hangar of a small abandoned airport with his dog, Jasper, and a mercurial, gun-toting misanthrope named Bangley. Then Hig gets an indication that he is not alone and that there is life out there after all. He must decide if he'll risk a one-way journey to seek out the good, bad, and ugly that may be awaiting him. It's a true life-or-death dilemma for a man with two stark options: safety and loneliness or potential danger and finally making contact with others. And he just might find himself questioning his decisions either way. My initial review of this book was "I loved this book. Nerve-wracking and beautiful, unconventional, real. I love this author. Love." This is one of my all-time favorite books. I'm in for reading anything Peter Heller writes (e.g.,The River and The Painter, both of which I loved, and neither of which is post-apocalyptic). #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #fivestarbookreview 05 The Power ​ It follows that there are two ways for the nature and use of human power to change. One is that an order might issue from the palace, a command unto the people saying “It is thus.” But the other, the more certain, the more inevitable, is that those thousand thousand points of light should each send a new message. When the people change, the palace cannot hold. Naomi Alderman offers a dark and fascinating look at a world where the traditional male-female and old-young power structures are turned on their heads. The Power explores the destructive nature of the greed for power, especially when coupled with the certainty that your side of the issue is infallible and correct. I found this book fascinating. #dystopian, #fantasyscifi, #fourstarbookreview 06 The Boy on the Bridge ​ Months into their save-the-world mission, the soldiers and scientists on the Rosalind Franklin (a tanklike RV with flamethrowers that's nicknamed Rosie) are close to retrieving all of the samples their predecessors left throughout Scotland during an earlier expedition to try to find a cure for the plague. But it begins to become clear that idealistic Dr. Samrina Khan, the head epidemiologist; single-minded young Stephen the wunderkind; gruff, bighearted Colonel Carlisle; and the others on board may not have been meant to succeed in their grand mission after all. Political machinations meant that some of their party needed to be out of the way for corrupt power plays back home. Against enormous odds, the team may just be finding some of the lifesaving answers they were sent to discover. But bringing back their surprising findings might very well mean the wholesale rounding up and destruction of those affected by the plague. The Boy on the Bridge offers adventure, twists, turns, love, scientific exploration, betrayal, and an odd twist of hope. This is the second M.R. Carey book on this list, but I couldn't help myself. There's a character in common between the two books; this person appears at the end of The Boy on the Bridge but is a main character in The Girl With All the Gifts. #postapocalyptic, #dystopian, #fantasyscifi, #series, #fourstarbookreview What are your favorite post-apocalyptic or dystopian books? This category also includes the Hunger Games series, the Insurgent series, Station Eleven, The 5th Wave, The Chosen Ones, The Road, and The Handmaid's Tale, among other excellent titles. A New Wilderness, published in August 2020, looks like a great dystopian novel too. Which other books along these lines should I be reading?

If you like historical fiction, check out these other Bossy Bookworm Greedy Reading Lists: Six Historical Fiction Books I Loved in the Past Year Six Historical Fiction Mysteries to Intrigue You Six Great Historical Fiction Books Set in the American West Six More Great Historical Fiction Books Set in the American West I also mentioned this book in the Greedy Reading List Six Historical Fiction Novels I Loved in the Past