Fiction:
- Literally Dead by Eryn Scott: this was a new subgenre for me-- a "cozy mystery." English major teams up with librarian to solve the Shakespeare-based murder of a guest lecturing professor. Full of red herrings and amateur assumptions, with a pet dog named Hamburger. It's set in the Pacific Northwest, and even though some of the writing seemed overly geared toward generating a "cozy" vibe, I enjoyed the story quite a lot. It had plenty of literary references and quotes, and was...cozy! First book in the Pepper Brooks cozy mystery series.
- Literally Murder by Eryn Scott: book #2 in the Pepper Brooks cozy mystery series. Cute and ...cozy with a splash of literature. English major tries not to track down a Hemingway themed serial killer, but solves the case anyways and saves her roommate from becoming his next victim.
- Royally Rearranged by Emma St. Clair: a darling new release by one of my most beloved indie authors. Modern day princess struggles with plans for an arranged marriage to her childhood crush, who turns out to be a jerk. Wow that's an awful summary. It was a fun story!
- The Ears Have It by Rebecca Connolly: regency period lady dresses up as a boy to spy on the underbelly of the upper class and writes expose articles for the newspaper under a male nom-de-plume. She gets involved in a league of spies and inadvertently gives them the key to take down a major smuggling ring of French royalists. Along the way, she meets and falls in love with a Spanish-English gentleman. I liked understanding all of the Spanish in the book, and that the author didn't translate much of it. A fun story. Rebecca Connolly always has enjoyable plots.
- *Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart: a classic re-read, written in the 1970s. Girl has a telepathic connection with a mystery man and eventually uses it to save lives and uncover plots against her ancestral home. And when she learns who her partner in telepathy is, it is awesome and clever and romantic. I re-read this book in preparation for reading Crosstalk, which was written 40 years later by a different author, as a homage of sorts to Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart. (I read Crosstalk in November--stay tuned).
- The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton: when her husband leaves unexpectedly, a young woman creates her own life and makes friends with an older woman whose life story parallels that of her new young friend. Slow, not very compelling, and kind of unbelievable. It was fine, but women's fiction seems so...blatant with the semi-broken, but not too-broken, privileged people rebuilding their lives? I didn't love this book rec!
- *The Roommate Situation by Katie Bailey: re-read this fun cute sweet rom-com in preparation for the release of the second book in the author's Atlanta series.
- The Neighbor War by Katie Bailey: Technically I read this in early November, but it was the newly released book 2 in the series and I wanted to have them next to each other on my reading list. Loved it. Next door neighbor enemies get cornered into fake dating, with all kinds of shenanigans and reasons (sorry for the shortest lamest summary ever). Way better than the usual enemies to lovers trope! Witty writing, lovable characters, sweet moments.
Non-fiction:
- Quiet by Susan Cain: I finally made it through this landmark hug for introverts everywhere. I read half of this book several years ago but never finished it. This time I checked the audiobook out from the library and listened to the whole thing. It was very affirming to my introverted heart. I have scored 99% to 100% introverted on every personality test I've ever taken, and I love how this book explains the way introverts operate and think, takes that information, and transforms it into actions, plans, and "coping mechanisms" for how to thrive in an extrovert-ideal-based society. Super handy how-to manual for survival! I know that I need to adjust my level of stimulus to keep it at optimal levels so I don't get overwhelmed or frazzled. I know that I can learn to be social and not awkward at small talk, with practice (if that becomes important to me, haha). I know that it is completely normal and ok for me not to be able to give a talk in front of lots of people without reading a prepared written speech. So many handy tidbits for introverts in this book!
- A Map Is Only One Story: Twenty writers on immigration, family, and the meaning of home. Edited by Nichole Chung and Mensah Demary (a collection of essays from Catapult magazine): this was a wonderful collection of perspectives from all around the world. I felt my views expanding with each essay I read! A couple (2-3) of the essays had strong four-letter language, but I soldiered on because the experiences and feelings shined through and felt more important.
- Bravey by Alexi Pappas: memoir and essays by Greek American Olympian (10k: Rio, 2016) and actress Alexi Pappas. This was a very moving book. I loved listening to her story read in her own voice. Her raw honesty about mental health and chasing dreams, and her journey through it all is beautiful and inspiring. She drops a few carefully placed F-bombs throughout the narrative, but with her degree in creative writing, I got the distinct impression that every single word was weighed and chosen for a reason, and she may be the first person to wield the foul f-word in a way that harnessed its power. Thankfully that word was not used in reference to what it actually means, but since I am generally very opposed to that word and other 4 letter words in books I read, I felt the need to mention it here. It was jarring, but it communicated so much. Alexi addresses body image, childhood trauma, parent issues, mental health, dreaming big, and pure hard work. Her story is fascinating and inspiring! And no, that's not a typo; the book really is called Bravey, not bravery.
Non-fiction Quotes:
"Public speaking anxiety may be primal and quintessentially human, not limited to those of us born with a high-reactive nervous system. One theory, based on the writings of the sociobiologist E. O. Wilson, holds that when our ancestors lived on the savannah, being watched intently meant only one thing: a wild animal was stalking us. And when we think we're about to be eaten, do we stand tall and hold forth confidently? No. We run. In other words, hundreds of thousands of years of evolution urge us to get the hell off the stage, where we can mistake the gaze of the spectators for the glint in a predator's eye. This conflict between biology and protocol is one reason that speechmaking can be so fraught. It's also why exhortations to imagine the audience in the nude don't help nervous speakers; naked lions are just as dangerous as elegantly dressed ones." --Susan Cain, Quiet, p. 107-108
[This explains so much, haha]
"I have been trying to stop apologizing for things that are not my fault. When I think of all the situations when I would say "sorry" in English, to say 'mujhe maaf keejiye' instead doesn't work. It doesn't work because it forces me to ask for forgiveness--something I cannot ask for or be given if I am not responsible for the hurt. Thinking of apologizing in my home language has allowed me to understand the act of apologizing as inherently connected to asking for forgiveness. It reminds me that I do not need to blame myself for others' pain. I can empathize with it without the need to offer language to take personal responsibility." --essay in A Map is Only One Story, p. 163
"This pursuit of passions--not for a better life or to avert poverty, nor to provide for family, nor, well, to lie--underpins the American dream. What the dream narrative leaves out is that even embarking on its pursuit requires privileges." --essay in A Map is Only One Story, p. 207
"Being committed isn't about the end result' it's about giving yourself the very best chance to get there." --Alexi Pappas, Bravey (I don't have the page number because I listened to the audiobook)
[I LOVE this quote. I paused the audiobook and replayed this part over and over until I could write it down word for word. Effort over results, journey over destination, caring for me by giving myself a chance: YES!]
"Trying your best is a habit, not a skill." --Alexi Pappas, Bravey
Fiction Quotes:
"But in his tennis shorts, his personality is not what's on full display. I'll ogle his personality later." --Emma St. Clair, Royally Rearranged (my kindle book didn't give this one page numbers)
[This made me LAUGH because my own true love has a love of short shorts and I'll admire his well-muscled legs any day of the week. (and I do, haha)]
"Always good to have a vomit strategy as well as an exit strategy. Too few people plan for this." --Emma St. Clair, Royally Rearranged [again, I identify strongly with this statement]
"My eyes closed out of instinct and I let the babbling sound of the water become a sweet narrative, lulling me into the satisfied state of someone listening to a great story." --Eryn Scott, Literally Dead, p. 209
"The internet is completely without nuance." --Eryn Scott, Literally Dead, p. 295
"I simply cannot abide social engagements on someone else's terms." --Rebecca Connolly, The Ears Have It, p. 45
"Something funny happens when you get lost in creating. It's like your mind and body become one, moving in tandem to chase a vision. You make something conceptual become tangible before your very eyes. Space, and time, and worries--things you have to do, or say, or be--all just melt away." --Katie Bailey, The Roommate Situation, p. 140
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