Noisy Deadlines

books

  1. Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, 457p: I love Ali Hazelwood books, it's the only author I truly enjoy in contemporary romance. This one is about college athletes, a competitive diver (Scarlett Vandermeer) and an Olympic medal swimmer (Lukas Blomqvist). I loved the smart banter between them and how there was a lot of talk and support around mental health issues. Also, it starts with mostly a sexual relationship, and the romance builds after that.  It explores power exchange sexual dynamics, and I thought it was interesting to see the connection between the drive for these power dynamics and subjective experiences. I love how this author takes romance a step further with lots of emotional depth.

  2. Once Upon a Winter's Eve (Spindle Cove #1.5) by Tessa Dare, 120p: This is a novella in the Spindle Cove series and I thought it was okay. It a second chance type romance between with an identity mystery that is quickly revealed (and obvious!) in the book. I didn't like that the male character (Christian) felt so entitled to her (Violet) and initially ignored her feelings.

  3. The Vor Game (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #6) by Lois McMaster Bujold, 346p: Another one in the Vorkosigan series that is super fun to read. It's a mix of great fast paced writing, absurdly fun plots, and excellent character development. Miles Vorkosigan is such an awesome character, I read this book because of him. He just can't help getting into trouble, even though he tries to stay away from it sometimes. In this one Miles is sent to a cold remote military base where he acts as the weather man, but of course shenanigans happen that gets him back at the center of political/military intrigues and the mercenary fleet he once was part of.  It's great fun full of twists and turns.

  4. What Fresh Hell is This? Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You—a Guide by Heather Corinna, 332p: I enjoyed how the book maintained a light, humorous tone while still being honest and informative.  The chapters covering symptoms, issues, and expected changes were dense, requiring me to take breaks between reading sessions. It did feel a bit repetitive in the middle. But the author does an excellent job of explaining all the terms and concepts and being compassionate and thoughtful.  For anyone navigating perimenopause or menopause, the book can feel overwhelming at times. In summary, I loved the final message of the book which is to practice “extreme self-care”. All good advice in general: have a healthy diet, exercise, meditate, do yoga, journal, or engage in whatever makes you feel good. Simplify your life, reduce responsibilities, and communicate your experiences with those around you. It's not fun, but we will get to the other side. I felt seen and the book helped me let go of preconceptions about this phase of life.

—

Post 78/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #readinglist #books #reading

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

📚 Whenever I finish a book, I usually have a good idea of what I want to read next. At the start of each month, I brainstorm and list four to five books that interest me. While this list often shifts as the month progresses, it gives me a good starting point.

But after finishing my ninth book of the year, I hit a slump. I looked at my planned reading list, but nothing grabbed my attention. Even “Words of Radiance” by Brandon Sanderson, which I had been working through, didn’t feel like the right choice. I wanted something shorter, lighter—something easier. Since I had only been reading fiction up to that point, I decided to switch things up with a non-fiction book.

I picked up a book on menopause that had been sitting on my Kobo for a couple of months. Yeah, a book about perimenopause and menopause, which was recommended by my friend at my local Book Club. It’s very informative but the topic itself felt a bit daunting given what it means for my future. Still, it helped me get back into reading, but it didn’t make me super excited to sit down to read (mostly because of the topic—menopause can be a very scary experience for some people according to this book 😬).

So, even though I’ve been reading this book throughout the week, it wasn’t exactly scratching my reading bug. I was still missing that feeling of sneaking in a chapter whenever I had a free moment.

Another common tip for breaking a reading slump is switching genres. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of romance, but I had started and abandoned four different romance novels in a single week. Nothing was clicking. So, instead of experimenting with something entirely new, I turned to a series I already loved: The Vorkosigan Saga. I picked up “The Vor Game” by Lois McMaster Bujold, and just like that—I was back in my reading groove! It brought back that fun I had when reading previously.

Here’s what worked for me this time:

  • Sampling different books – Reading a few pages from multiple books helped me quickly determine what sparked my interest. If a book didn’t grab me right away, I moved on.
  • Switching genres – Shifting from romance to sci-fi refreshed my reading experience.
  • Revisiting a favorite author – Picking up a book from an author I already enjoy meant I didn’t have to worry about adjusting to a new writing style.
  • Continuing a beloved series – Familiarity with the world and characters made it easy to dive right in and build momentum.
  • Choosing a shorter book – “The Vor Game” is 364 pages—much shorter than the 1,087 pages of “Words of Radiance.” It helps to get that sense of accomplishment when I can zip through a shorter book.

This experience made me think that this year I want to focus more on continuing series I love instead of trying new things.

—-

Post 76/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #books #reading

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  1. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde #1) by Heather Fawcett, 317p: The faerie lore in this book is interesting, it has a whimsical feel to it but with a more verbose prose. The beginning was interesting: a scholar, Emily Wilde, spends some time in this small wintery village doing research.  She is portrayed as an introvert neuro-divergent scientist, so I liked that part of her personality at the beginning. The winter ambience was nice, it felt atmospheric.  The narrative style starts interesting, with her journal entries. But I thought it lacked an individualized touch. At times it seems like she's writing an academic journal, but she also uses it to write about her day to day, and the language does not seem to be intimate enough for a personal journal. I found the pacing of the book very uneven, and nothing was happening to move the plot for a long time. None of the main characters were likeable to me. I really didn't care about them at all. But I cared about the magical dog, Shadow. 

  2. The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom #1) by Danielle L. Jensen, 354p: I was a bit disappointed with this book. It has been on my TBR for a long time, and I finally got a chance to read it. It starts really well, with a gripping opening scene where I saw a lot of potential. I mean, a beautiful princess who’s secretly a spy? I loved that premise. The world building is well done, and the Bridge Kingdom is fascinating. But I thought the interpersonal relationships and the whole forced marriage trope to be weak and not interesting at all. It also uses the lack of communication trope which annoyed me a bit. The plot became incredibly predictable after a while. 

  3. Paladin's Strength (The Saint of Steel #2) by T. Kingfisher, 498p: This was a fun read! Lovely writing, great plot, gorgeous romance. The main characters are Istvhan, a Paladin (whose God died), and Clara, a nun, who cross paths and join forces to deal with some evil problems. They go on a long road trip together! I like that the romance is between two people in their 40's and they are both tall, big, and strong. The banter was delicious and funny. Seeing them complain together about their aches and pain was hilarious. The worldbuilding is excellent and makes me want to spend more time in it. It has dark tones, some terrible things happen and there is violence, but the characters are trying to make the world a better place and helping each other. A major plot point that starts in Book 1 is resolved in this book. I want to read the next one!

  4. Priest (Priest #1) by Sierra Simone, 371p: This book is not for the faint of heart. It deals with a priest struggling with temptation and sin and the need to control his feelings. The POV is entirely by the male protagonist, Father Bell (no dual POV here, expect for a few confession passages in the female protagonist voice). The whole book could be very cringe, but somehow the author manages to make it beautiful and touching. It's sexual and emotional. It plays with the forbidden love trope with all the struggles these characters felt. The writing is beautiful.

—

Post 74/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #readinglist #books #reading

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  1. Paladin's Grace (The Saint of Steel #1) by T. Kingfisher, 398p: This was a great read for me! I loved how it played with Fantasy/Dungeon & Dragons elements. An order of Paladins struggles after their God (The Saint of Steel) dies mysteriously. Most of them go berserk and only a few three of them survived. The surviving paladins join the Temple of the White Rat, an order focused on public services such as law and medicine. They aim to stay useful while coping with the severe psychological impact of their god's death. Stephen is one of them, and he just wants to help people, while battling with his depression. One night he meets Grace, a woman fleeing from the acolytes of the Hanged Mother cult. She is an independent perfumer, who has learned to fend for herself. There are also mysterious murders going on, many severed heads, political intrigue and romance. And it's fun, I loved the sense of humour of this book. I want to read the second one to learn more about the severed heads mystery (and the other paladins!).

  2. Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #7) by Lois McMaster Bujold, 390p: Barrayar continues right after the events of “Shards of Honor”. Cordelia and Aral Vorkosigan are now in their new political leadership roles in Barrayar. We spend most of the time inside Cordelia's head, and I loved it! She is trying to adapt to barrayaran cultural standard while trying to change a few things. We get a lot more worldbuilding that is expertly done as the story develops. There are excellent interactions between characters: they grow and evolve. There are heart-breaking moments, but also good action-packed scenes. It plays with this duality of technologies of birth and death. But there is so much more: motherhood, cultural differences, warfare, love, vengeance. It was so exciting to see Cordelia taking charge of things in the end and being just bad-ass (that's the scene where she “goes shopping” – if you know you know). It was an incredibly good read for me!

  3. Never Have I Ever With a Duke (The Spitfire Society #1) by Darcy Burke, 270p: Cute romance, but I didn't find it engaging. I had issues with the writing style, something didn't click with me. I think the story was too predictable. The dog (Buscuit) was great, though!

  4. The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #2) by Lois McMaster Bujold, 372p: This book starts with young Miles Vorkosigan doing 17-year-old shenanigans in space. It's super fun, fast paced with the most absurd heist escapades. I couldn't help but love Mile's “in control” attitude but also internally panicking about the situations he put himself into.  The story includes a lot of military strategy, which is never boring due to its absurdity.  Miles is an engaging character—confident, super smart, and likely has ADHD (super active). We also see him struggling with his decisions and feeling uncertain, making him relatable despite his crazy choices.   He's lucky and always wants to help people, so it's hard not to like him.  Miles has a physical disability and knows his limitations (most of the time), but he never feels like less of a person because of it. Overall, he's a very confident and funny guy. It was a fun read. I want to continue with the series.

—-

Post 71/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #readinglist #books #reading

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

Every year I look back at my reading list and think about my reader goals.

The first thing I do is set up my Reading Challenge on The Storygraph:

📚 Reading Challenge 2025: Read 58 books & 21,000 pages.

I then look at my TBR (to-read pile) and note the series and books that caught my attention and that I would still like to read. That doesn’t mean I will follow this whole list; it works as a brainstorming of titles I am still interested in reading. If I ever get to a place where I can’t decide what to read next, I will look at this list to get some ideas.

Series I want to continue reading:

  1. The Stormlight Archives (Brandon Sanderson) (Books #2 to #4)

  2. The Dresden Files (Jim Butcher) (Books #12 to #17)

  3. Vorkosigan Saga (Lois McMaster Bujold) (Books #2 to #17)

  4. Old Man's War (John Scalzi) (Books #4 to #6)

  5. Wayfarers (Becky Chambers) (Books #3 and #4)

  6. The Expanse by James S.A. Corey (Books #6 to #9)

Books planned for my local Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club:

  1. January: Shards of Honor/Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

  2. February: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

  3. March: Exordia by Seth Dickinson

  4. April: The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

  5. May: The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz

  6. June: Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

  7. July: Drunk On All your Strange New Words by Eddie Robson

  8. August: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

  9. September: The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford

  10. October: The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

  11. November: Neuromancer by William Gibson

  12. December: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Some other books on my TBR I want to read (in no particular order):

Fiction:

  1. Secrets of a Summer Night (Wallflowers #1) by Lisa Kleypas

  2. Paladin's Grace (The Saint of Steel #1) by T. Kingfisher

  3. Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2) by Rebecca Ross

  4. The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. MacLean

  5. Gobbelino London & a Scourge of Pleasantries (Gobbelino London, PI #1) by Kim M. Watt

  6. The Rakess (Society of Sirens #1) by Scarlett Peckham

  7. The Perils of Pleasure (Pennyroyal Green #1) by Julie Anne Long

  8. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Mackenzies & McBrides #1) by Jennifer Ashley

  9. Ne'er Duke Well (Belvoir's Library #1) by Alexandra Vasti

  10. The Duke Who Knew Too Much (Heart of Enquiry #1) by Grace Callaway

  11. The Earl I Ruined (The Secrets of Charlotte Street #2) by Scarlett Peckham

  12. Baking Bad (Beaufort Scales Mystery #1) by Kim M. Watt

  13. The Narrow Road Between Desires (The Kingkiller Chronicle #0.5) by Patrick Rothfuss

  14. The Heiress Hunt (The Fifth Avenue Rebels #1) by Joanna Shupe

  15. Notorious Pleasures (Maiden Lane #2) by Elizabeth Hoyt

  16. Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

  17. Derring-Do for Beginners (The Red Company #1) by Victoria Goddard

  18. Hild (Light of the World #1) by Nicola Griffith

  19. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

  20. His Secret Illuminations (The Warrior's Guild #1) by Scarlett Gale

  21. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

  22. Trial of the Sun Queen (Artefacts of Ouranos #1) by Nisha J. Tuli

  23. The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia #1) by Carissa Broadbent

  24. A Heart of Blood and Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons #1) by Milla Vane

  25. The Thursday Murder Club (A Thursday Murder Club Mystery #1) by Richard Osman

  26. Iron Flame (The Empyrean #2) by Rebecca Yarros

  27. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

  28. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (Dangerous Damsels #1) by India Holton

  29. The Winter King (Weathermages of Mystral #1) by C.L. Wilson

  30. Starter Villain by John Scalzi

  31. Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) by Leigh Bardugo

  32. A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik

  33. Divinity 36 (Tinkered Starsong #1) by Gail Carriger

  34. One Dark Window (The Shepherd King #1) by Rachel Gillig

  35. Farthing (Small Change #1) by Jo Walton

  36. Portrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women #3) by Evie Dunmore

  37. Fire Logic (Elemental Logic #1) by Laurie J. Marks

  38. The Cold Between (Central Corps #1) by Elizabeth Bonesteel

  39. Truth or Beard (Winston Brothers #1) by Penny Reid

  40. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

Non-Fiction:

  1. Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed by Ben R. Rich

  2. The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell

  3. The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter

  4. Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari

  5. Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell

  6. What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You by Heather Corinna

—

Post 67/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge! #100DaysToOffload #100Days #reading #books #readinglist #ReaderGoals

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

I love using The Storygraph to track my reading! I find it easy to log how much I’ve read every day and get awesome graphs and stats about my reading life each month. And at the end of the year, we get a cool yearly wrap-up.

Here is my 2024 Wrap-up Summary:

Note: I think there is a bit of a glitch with The Storygraph summary above showing 1.57 hours of audiobooks (I didn’t listen to any audiobooks)

I read 84% fiction versus 16% non-fiction books.

44% of my reading was Romance this year. That's a shift that started happening a couple of years ago and I started exploring different authors and branching out from genre fiction romance getting more into historical romance in 2024.

I focused mostly on lighter reads; I couldn’t stand anything too dark. And I decided not to finish 12 of the books I picked up this year (because they were either too dark, graphically violent, or too slow paced).

The months I read the most were August and September, which coincided with my staycation days this year:

⭐My favorite 5 star reads in 2024:

  • The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
  • Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1) by Rebecca Ross
  • A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers #2) by Becky Chambers
  • The Bride (Lairds' Fiancées #1) by Julie Garwood
  • The Rogue of Fifth Avenue (Uptown Girls #1) by Joanna Shupe
  • The Spymaster's Lady (Spymasters #1) by Joanna Bourne

Similar to 2023, romance novels dominated my favourites this year.

My favorite sci-fi was “A Closed and Common Orbit” by Becky Chambers and my favorite fantasy was “The Way of Kings” by Brandon Sanderson.

Other Book Posts to Read:

Some other book posts of people writing about their year in books:

—-

Post 65/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge! #100DaysToOffload #100Days #reading #books #readinglist

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  1. The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson, 1124p: This book starts a little slow with lots of world building being the first book of a series. Kaladin and Shallan are my favorite characters, their story builds and builds, and I really connected with them. The chapters with Adolin's point of view were my least favorites overall, but his arc ends up being interesting in the end. All the character building is excellent, and it was satisfying to see how some character’s arc merged along the story. Now I know exactly what “Sanderlanche” is, and I enjoyed it! I'm excited to continue the series.

  2. Shards of Honour (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order) #1) by Lois McMaster Bujold, 253p: I liked it. This was the second time reading this book because I want to get into this series. It is a rich universe with politics, history and conflict. The main character, Cordelia Naismith, is the captain of a survey ship from the peaceful Beta Colony. And there is Lord Aral Vorkosigan who is the leader of a secret military mission from the planet Barrayar. It starts with an attack to Cordelia's base camp that leads here into the hands of Vorkosigan, as a prisoner. There is a subtle tension between the two characters as they must team together to stay alive. The plot brings discussions about honor, xenophobia, war crimes and cultural differences. There is moderate action, lots of politics and some romance. I will read “Barrayar” next.

—-

Post 63/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #readinglist #books #reading

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

I was surprised to see that I finished less books this month than my average. But at the same time, I’ve been reading “The Way of Kings” by Brandon Sanderson, which is like 3-books-in-one length wise, so that explains some of it. I’ve also been spending some time with Dungeons and Dragons lore and articles online. Anyway, it was an interesting month and the last book, “Children of Memory” blew my mind!

  1. Five Minds by Guy Morpuss, 316p: It's a bizarre and surreal concept: five minds sharing one body. Because of Earth's overpopulation, everybody at 17 years old have to choose between 5 options: play hard and die at 42, work all your life and drop down dead at some point, have your mind transported to an android body and die at 80, or become part of a commune, 5 minds sharing one body, each mind being awake for 4 hours a day. I don't think we get a good explanation of how the world got to that point with these options being applied to everybody. In order to gain more years to live, the characters go to a Death Park, where they can play virtual reality games with other participants. So, the premise is intriguing, and there is a murder mystery that happens inside the Death Park. I thought the plot was interesting up until 40% of the book, but I missed more depth to the characters. The resolution of the murder mystery was underwhelming. The author is very obvious pointing us to a suspect along the way, while leaving the real killer somewhat hidden. We don't really get any clues of the killer's character and intentions while the plot develops, so it was a weak final plot twist. I didn't like the ending as well.

  2. Again the Magic (Wallflowers #0.5) by Lisa Kleypas, 416p: A forbidden love and second chance romance with class differences struggles. Lady Aline Marsden and John McKenna, an orphan stableboy, grew up together. They eventually fall in love and start a secret and forbidden relationship. When they are discovered, McKenna is forced to leave forever. But he comes back twelve years later, as a powerful businessman who wants revenge. This book was very emotional and angsty to me. There is a lot of anger and frustration in the face of situations the characters can’t change. I loved the motherly housekeeper character, who cared about them equally, it was very sweet. There is also Aline's secret: the result of a fire accident and she needs to get over some shame and low self-esteem. It's beautifully written, both characters have suffered and carry this sadness inside of them, but they find joy together in the end. And as a bonus, there is secondary romance revolving around Lady Olivia Marsden, Aline’s younger sister, and Gideon Shaw, McKenna’s American business partner.

  3. Children of Memory (Children of Time #3) by Adrian Tchaikovsky, 576p: This book starts like the previous ones: a ship travelling the universe investigating what became of planets that were meant to be terraformed and settled by humans. At the start of the book, the focus is more on the failing human colony at Imir, describing their day-to-day struggles through the lens of a little girl, Liff, who was born in that colony. But we also jump to another planet, Rourke, where another group of human colonizers are trying to settle in and where we see the origins of uplifted intelligent corvids. The exploration ship is composed of characters of the previous books: the AI Kern, Portia, Paul, Fabian and the newcomer Miranda (from Nod). It’s hard to talk more about this book without spoilers, but the whole point of the story is discussing the question: “What is sentience?”. And it is a delicious discussion when we get to Part 12. I was a bit disappointed with the big reveal at around 80% but then it pays off beautifully in the last chapters. This is why I read sci-fi: to experience these mind-bending thoughts one in a while. Also, the corvids Gethli and Gothli are awesome, I want to be friends with them! This is my favorite of this series.

—

Post 58/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #readinglist #books #reading

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

I finished a bunch of romance books this month! All of them by authors I’ve never read before, so it was an exploration month. I finished it off with some light productivity read.

  1. The Highwayman (Victorian Rebels #1) by Kerrigan Byrne, 368p: It's hard to talk about this book without spoilers. It involves orphans, friendship, life hardships, trauma and love. It starts with a story of a girl and a boy building up a deep connection. Then we meet Farah, a widow who works for Scotland Yard (the only woman in the office) and Dorian, a powerful criminal who is never caught but has a good heart. There is a lot going on in this book, and I really enjoyed it! It's mysterious and emotional. Sometimes dark but sweet. The characters are strong and survived lots of challenges. Dorian is a traumatized adult, and we see him struggle with his traumas. The romance is slow burn, and I was totally invested in it. Both main characters have secrets, and it's all revealed in the most interesting way. I want to read more into this series.

  2. A Thief in the Nude (Rushmore Brothers #1) by Olivia Waite, 126p: This was a short read with an interesting premise. Miss Hecuba Jones is trying to recover lost paintings (painted by her mother) by breaking into an earl's house. In the midst of her burglary, she meets John Rushmore (the earl's brother) who is a disillusioned artist (painter). Of course, they start an affair with conditions related to said lost paintings, and nudes. Mysteries are uncovered. I learned that Hecuba blue is a colour, and there are lovely dialogues about art and painting in this book.

  3. Shadowbound (Dark Arts #1) by Bec McMaster, 427p: This book reminded of the Dresden Files but with more romance (and steam) and a female protagonist. It definitely scratched my itch for a sorcerer themed book for Halloween. Ianthe and Rathbourne are both powerful magic users, they've met in the past and they have secrets and hidden lives. In the best enemies-to-lovers trope, they must unite to fight against the demons and uncontrollable power threatening to destroy London. It's a good series starter and I was intrigued to see what happens in the next books.

  4. How the Marquess Was Won (Pennyroyal Green #6) by Julie Anne Long, 384p: Such beautiful writing and fun banter. Phoebe is a teacher, and she has a peculiar cat. She is a very independent woman with the dream to leave England and go to Africa on a mission. The Marquess Dryden is the most popular guy in the ton, dark and charming, and he sets fashion and trends. He's all the talk on the tabloids. I loved that the writing jumps between the two points of view seamlessly. There is a whole chapter building up to describe a single kiss that is so lovely! There are class differences conflicts and a slow burn romance. 

  5. Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal, 295p: This was an enjoyable read. It presents a more positive and healthy approach to productivity which I appreciated. Some scientific research results are presented in a light way, not going too deep, but delivering the concepts behind the strategies suggested by the author. I liked his ideas on how to add more fun elements to our work and mundane activities.

—

Post 54/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #readinglist #books #reading

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  1. Bride by Ali Hazelwood, 399p: I'm a fan of Ali Hazelwood and this is her first paranormal romance book. It starts with an arranged marriage between an alpha werewolf (Lowe) and an exiled vampire (Misery). The “mate” trope was a bit confusing, it didn't make too much sense to me. It is fast paced, there is some politics (vampires x werewolves x humans) and the mystery of the missing friend. It's a well done slow burn romance, but thinking about the physical logistics of werewolf and vampire anatomy love making got me a bit out of the story. I guess I'm not into the whole biting and drinking blood theme of paranormals anymore.

  2. Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood (Monstress #07-12) by Marjorie Liu, 152p: Yes, it's full of gorgeous artwork and I love the ambience. But I guess I was not in the mood for a dark complicated story. The worldbuilding is intricate and it's so, so sad! I finished it and had lots of questions. But because of the dark themes I won't continue the series. At least not right now.

  3. The Bride (Lairds' Fiancées #1) by Julie Garwood, 388p: This book is so plot-rich! There's always something going on, the heroine is so pro-active, and strong and kind. It's set in 1,100’s Scotland Highland times with an arranged marriage between an Englishwoman (Jamie) and a Highlands Laird (Alec Kincaid). Because this book was published in 1989 set in a medieval setting, there might be some issues with consent, but I think the author did her best to make it less problematic. Another interesting fact is that this romance has humour and funny situations, something that was not common in romance novels back in the 80's (there's a foreword by the author talking about it). It’s the type of writing I enjoy, where we can be inside the characters heads a lot. I enjoyed how quickly the author changed characters viewpoints within the same chapter, so we get glimpses of different characters within the action/dialogue. I thought it was pretty well done. I loved the grumpy hero with a kind heart. I loved the bold heroine standing up against ridiculous status quo (and said grumpy hero stubbornness). Lots of funny banter and there's is even a murder mystery in it. Overall, a non-stop read, super rich and interesting.

  4. The Duchess War (Brothers Sinister #1) by Courtney Milan, 316p: This one is set in England around 1863, when industrialization is becoming a thing and there are discussions regarding workers’ rights, workplace hygiene conditions and strikes. There is blackmail, scandal, sedition handbills and references to chess strategy. The female character (Minnie) has a secret she doesn't want anybody to uncover. She's clever and quiet. The Duke of Clermont (Robert) wants to make the world a better place. This a very slow burn romance and I thought there was too much politics going on that threw me out of the story. I kinda liked the side characters more, the scene in the train where Sebastian & Violet chaperonne Robert with Minnie was great. I think I would enjoy more the next books in the series with the other brothers.

  5. Team: Getting Things Done with Others by Edward Lamont, David Allen, 288p: This book brings great insights into how to use the Getting Things Done (GTD) framework within a team's setting. It's full of practical tips and real-world examples. It's amazing to know that all the original GTD concepts can be easily applied to teams. I've been using the GTD methodology for years and this book opened my eyes on how to use it with other people. The sections about communication and delegation skills were super helpful to me, and I could start applying them in my work right away. It has a nice refresher on the methodology at the end as well.

  6. The Duke I Tempted (The Secrets of Charlotte Street #1) by Scarlett Peckham, 318p: I liked the independent protagonist, Poppy, who is a successful botanist trying to get her own business going in the limited women's rights world in 1753. There is a lot of angst and communication misunderstandings between Poppy and Archer. I enjoyed the acknowledgement of the power imbalance between them, and how they both tried to close that gap with a marriage contract full of unusual clauses for the time period.  I was a bit scared at the mention of BDSM elements (which is not really my cup of tea) but it is well done and very light. So, it's definitely a slow burn romance, Archer has a dark secret and Poppy is an intelligent woman claiming her space. The writing was lovely!

  7. Children of Ruin (Children of Time #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky, 592p: Like the previous book in the series, this one is packed with fascinating ideas.  The theme/premise remains the same: a terraforming operation in distant planets.  However, this time there are two planets involved. One hosts some alien life, while the other will be home to uplifted octopuses instead of spiders.  The story unfolds through two alternating timelines—past and present—that eventually converge in the last third of the book.  I found the pacing a bit problematic, and the back-and-forth between timelines was sometimes frustrating because they were so far apart.  A significant focus is placed on the communication challenges with the octopuses. There isn’t much dialogue, but there’s a lot of explanation and exposition of concepts and ideas. This made it hard for me to connect with the characters, as the book felt too heavy on info dumping. Despite this, the ideas presented are still very cool!

—-

Post 47/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #readinglist #books #reading

Thoughts? Discuss... if you have a Write.as account or Reply by email

By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.