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to remain separate, I was taken with the double-edged quest, elite training, magical abilities, and complex reading "romantasy" or "romantasy"-adjacent books, because I love fantasy stories and I love romantic comedies secret powers, double-edged quest, unrevealed personal history, and spy/counterspy elements kept me completely held assumptions and prejudices surrounding Mods and Primes, and Wren's fierce loyalty to her kind is complicated

I'm listening to Garrett Carr's literary fiction about a baby that washes up in a small Irish seaside community As the community wonders at his mysterious appearance, they embrace Brandon, as he is ultimately named reeling from economic troubles; Brandon's older brother deeply resents his presence; and conflicts and complicated dynamics underscore friendships, family relationships, and the community as a whole.

But each of these series is complete , so if you haven't started them yet, you won't have to wait years I loved the Ottoman Empire setting, the strong female main protagonist, and the complications and sometimes She builds on complicating elements, and character development is satisfying but the interpersonal relations revelations, shifting alliances, opaque political machinations, and enmity between main characters all complicate I loved the intrigue, clever plotting, complicated loyalties and desires, creatures of all kinds, plus

often felt that they all lived such separate lives that any one of them could be a murderer or a god come Barker's novel features Janet, a misunderstood, mocked, badly treated young woman coming of age in a

She's struggling to find clothing to complement her plus-sized figure, and she's determined not to go So why can't she simply shake off the fact that nothing in the Bergdorf Goodman swimsuit section comes me here was the peek into the fashion industry as Sunny continually Handles It and makes her dreams come

This is not a dynamic I'm totally comfortable with, but I loved the promise of Emmy's reinvigorated, potentially (creepily) fatherly to me within their very verbal sexual encounters--and unfortunately, it comes

It's an unorthodox situation, and Hai is far from fallible when it comes to being tempted by medications The story ends with some satisfying resolutions, but other characters' lives remain suitably complicated

He must delve into his own past connections and dredge up painful, complex past dynamics and loyalties I was taken with the premise of this novel, but I found the revelations slow, and I because Bouba comprehended

Interspecies relations are prickly, comfortable, romantic, puzzling, or all of the above. with the team, which includes her mother and the rest of her family, plus many others involved in the complex There's a twist/double twist in Goddess in the Machine that I didn't see coming, and I found the whole story compelling. When Unit Four is taken onto the enemy alien ship as a prisoner and is unable to communicate with its

world, at least for those looking in from the outside, and draws occasional correlations to the satiric comedy Best in Show--a movie that inspires mixed reactions from those in the competition scene.

thing; time, it seemed to him now, was the only thing you couldn't change; whatever you did, it kept coming The men have no common language, and John, at first fearful of his vulnerability, then overtaken with

Davies's luminous historical fiction story set in 19th century rural Scotland, Clear ; and I'm reading comedian I'm listening to Clear as an audiobook. 03 Lucky Loser: Adventures in Tennis and Comedy by Michael Kosta began reading this book, but I love memoirs, behind-the-scenes peeks, and tennis, so I was here for the combination His shift into comedy also offers a look behind the curtains at the good, bad, and ugly, but mainly focuses on his own drive to make it as a stand-up comedian.

novels--a cold, unforgiving setting; magical realism; attempts to overcome seemingly insurmountable complications Arthur, a recluse who only comes into town at the change of seasons--and who others avoid as actively cold-setting story--one of my favorites--in which the unforgiving weather, rough terrain, and remote location combine

offers an unreliable main protagonist, her dedicated new psychiatrist, increasingly inexplicable and complicated made me feel uncomfortable because of their doctor-client relationship and even more so because of the complications

Male guards come and go, feeding the women minimal rations and never speaking. The pacing is appropriately slow as characters wander, wonder, and come across little new information

She's booking occasional commercial jobs, but she firmly believes she's destined to become famous and She's hired to mind the bratty child actors for a community theatre production of The Sound of Music

her own way of honoring Tony, their life together, and their hopes for the future that would never come

She's booking occasional commercial jobs, but she firmly believes she's destined to become famous and She's hired to mind the bratty child actors for a community theatre production of The Sound of Music her own way of honoring Tony, their life together, and their hopes for the future that would never come

For her intended husband Worth, his tragic family past and complicated present seem to be stumbling blocks He's busy ushering them to commemorative World War II events, attempting to monitor their uninhibited life--and the control of her conservative parents--in order to serve as a nurse serving soldiers in combat Her brother is killed in combat before she even ships out, and her parents reject her potential to be In The Warm Hands of Ghosts , Arden presents the story of Laura, a combat nurse who is searching for

Gretel had been doing just fine skating through her days pushing down her guilt and her complicated past

character making missteps and forging a path forward while adjusting to romantic, family, and work complications When she's assigned to assist on the committee for the office's extravagant upcoming holiday party, she's It's a combination I love. Abby Jimenez and Carley Fortune are two more authors who offer deep, heartfelt situations, messy complications

Gretel had been doing just fine skating through her days pushing down her guilt and her complicated past When she's assigned to assist on the committee for the office's extravagant holiday party, she's thrown Male guards come and go, feeding the women minimal rations and never speaking. The pacing is appropriately slow as characters wander, wonder, and come across little new information

I think I'll read anyone's story, as long as it's compelling and honest. For my full review, please see All the Beauty in the World . 03 The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year In The Comfort of Crows , Margaret Renkl offers a literary, nature-focused devotional of 52 chapters, and cleverness, which she hopes set a tone for the year to come; to a grief-stricken examination of Those reasons matter not just at the end of life, or when debility comes, but all along the way.

behind-the-scenes peek at the music business, songwriting, and the pressures of fame, layered with complications

the fantastical, frightening, brutal story of a Blackfeet man who faced death, was an outcast to his community the white men, protects buffalo calves, and observes his former tribe while remaining outside their community

builds between an injured Union soldier and the Virginia woman who secretly takes him in is touching and complicated of the household, but particularly in the case of Libby, a growing friendship adds to an i mpossibly complicated

asked his friend from college, Garrett, to look in on Cece--really intending for Cece to be positive company Charlie himself, will Cece use it as a chance to bow out, or will her determination to see through her commitment also, men are so bad at communicating, am I right?). Side note: Before the dramatic events related to the lake compound, I did at times feel impatience somewhat Finally, the story focuses on the fits and starts of a version of complicated forgiveness after years

He and Libby slowly begin to bond, but it’s an i mpossibly complicated situation. asked his friend from college, Garrett, to look in on Cece--really intending for Cece to be positive company Charlie himself, will Cece use it as a chance to bow out, or will her determination to see through her commitment

wings despite her limits--her mother's alcoholism, her father's death, and her small outer Belfast community Both the world and the characters' personal lives are complicated, messy, wonderful, and fragile. Everything Sam has stubbornly understood to be true and real is suddenly coming unfurled and undone. It's 1901, and Ada Byrd has accepted a teaching position in a rural community following a scandal and Ada begins to learn delicate secrets of those in the community even as she protects her own scandalous

With violent storms on the horizon, no line of communication open with the outside world, and enormous But regardless of their interpersonal complications, they may collectively be the only hope of saving fragile bodies but the work of lifetimes--as well as the characters' hope for the world in years to come deadly threat of deterioration of the precious, singular reserves of plant life for generations to come

devastating turns of events, the tone of the story is such that you won't wonder whether a happy ending is coming

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading comedian Zarna Garg's upcoming memoir, This American Woman ; I'm dramatically different new life in Akron, Ohio--only to reimagine her future again in midlife and become a comedian Then, on a dare, she hopped onto an open mic stage, spouted off comedic takes on her life, and the rest

the elderly Carl Iverson at a nearby nursing home, he's eager to hear Carl's life story in order to complete And his story is introducing more questions than answers for Joe--who is coping with his own complicated You might see Lila and Joe's budding love coming from a mile off (his early, eager interest in her came

the elderly Carl Iverson at a nearby nursing home, he's eager to hear Carl's life story in order to complete With violent storms on the horizon, no line of communication open, and secrets being harbored on both

This villain business is more complicated than it seems. There's crossing, double-crossing, a wonderfully savvy and knowledgeable second-in-command, nefarious world of seers, frauds, and holy men vying for the king's favor in a competition to earn a position I love a mix of historical fiction and fantasy, and while this novel isn't as layered and complex or of her dreams have come true.

heartwarming story about determination and honoring old loyalties, and it makes clear that a happy ending is coming Christina Lynch offers a playful story of Penny, an elementary schoolteacher accused of a murder she didn't commit

Christina Lynch offers a playful story of Penny, an elementary schoolteacher accused of a murder she didn't commit

I loved the headstrong, powerful but untrained main character Nahri, the complex cultural backgrounds

Whatever contract exists between human beings, a contract of decency and common humanity, they've broken It was the right book at the right time for me: entertainment in the perfect combination of action and rather than writing a book she felt compelled to put out into the world. The mind-bending examinations of what other characters might be up to and the combat and narrow escapes

belonged to Gabriel Wolfe, Beth's childhood love, and his return to town brings back long-suppressed complications Against the straightforward, duty-driven work, Hall sets a complex, twisted set of past affections, heartbreak characters who are at times wondrously stoic, and at other times act against their best interests, complicating

Jack Troy and his oldest daughter Ronnie are coping with complicated family dynamics in their drafty, During the annual, chaotic community fair preceding this holidays, which this year is a rainy business What really shines in Time of the Child  is the power of the small-town Faha community--gossipy and desperate You can click here for my review of Sittenfeld's Romantic Comedy , here for my Bossy take on American developed SNL , his ups and downs, his vision, and how he created the institution that would change comedy

I didn’t feel compassion when classmates got hurt on the playground.

reading an upcoming mystery set in glamorous Capri by Katy Hays, Saltwater ; I'm listening to standup comedian Cloisters . 02 I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying: A Memoir by Youngmi Mayer Youngmi Mayer is a standup comedian She tracks her Korean heritage and her white GI father's complicated connection as part of the white I didn’t feel compassion when classmates got hurt on the playground.

librarian Jessie Carson, who traveled from the NYPL to war-torn France and introduced a novelty to communities real-life NYPL librarian Jessie Carson, and Charles tracks Carson's journey to work for the American Committee In France, Carson not only helps rebuild communities destroyed by war, but along with her ambitious, In Hanna Pylväinen's The End of Drum-Time , it's 1851 in the Arctic Circle, and a small community of This is compelling reading, and for all who consider The Sound of Music  sacred holiday viewing (and

I saw some plot points coming but not others, and a couple of essential details worked quite conveniently

Curtis Sittenfeld (and short-story) love You can click here for my review of Sittenfeld's Romantic Comedy

I loved the behind-the-scenes peeks at the drama, punishing hard work, sequins, and mind games of competitive willing participant, they found unlikely avenues to training, and their connection, hard work, and talent combined narrators is extensive; the many points of view used to offer varied perspectives to past events beg comparisons

It was the right book at the right time for me: entertainment in the perfect combination of action and

explosion of smartphones and social media along with the decline of play-based childhood, and he links this combination harmful effects of excessive screentime, such as distraction and harmed attention spans as well as social comparison and while it doesn't feel revolutionary, for me its greatest worth is in providing a framework for community

In his self-banishment in remote Svalbard, his only company is the haunting, beautiful Northern Lights Any Arctic explorer or common sailor can tell you this.