What I read in August 2024
This month I was surprised I read this much! Some books I devoured in a couple of days. I wasn’t too much in the mood for non-fiction, I just wanted some escapism. I finished 2 series: “Uptown Girls” and “Scott Pilgrim” and started two more that I want to continue reading. Great month!
The Spymaster's Lady (Spymasters #1) by Joanna Bourne, 384p: When I first read this book 9 years ago, I gave it a 3 stars rating. I heard about it again in 2024 and I decided to re-read it because it sounded really good, but I didn't remember much about it. And I enjoyed it way more this second time! It's a historical romance espionage set during the Napoleonic Wars between France and England in the 1700's. The main character, Annique Villiers, is a bad-ass French spy; she has seen Napoleon’s plans to invade England and spies from all over are after her to get that information. She meets British spies, and the characters travel from France to England. The book is full of delightful plot twists with the enemies-to-lovers trope, I can't mention too much about the story because of spoilers. It was cool to notice how the author used slightly different writing styles for each character depending on the language they were speaking and their native languages. The book is written in English, but the characters speak English of varying dialects and accents, and also, they use French words here and there. It's super interesting! The prose is beautiful, the plot twists were well done, the heroine is clever. I'm curious to read the other books of this series.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood, 379p: Rue and Eli are layered and complex characters. I love how Ali Hazelwood can get into deep emotions with her writing. The business/biotech engineering background was interesting with plot twists. It has the enemies-with-benefits to lovers trope done in a way that I enjoyed. There are professional high stakes, and the main characters have personal issues that are believable. I liked the touch of hockey player + figure ice skating couple. This is a bit different from her previous books, the relationship is grittier and more complex, and I loved it for it!
The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty, 569p: Interesting folklore inspiration from Islamic mythology, djinns and magic in Egypt. There was lots of djinn politics, and I got lost between all the different djinn factions/groups. I didn't click with the characters, and I thought it hard to know who was who and what were their relationships to each other. Another point that bothered me was the romance. Why would a 1,500-year-old Djinn fall in love with Nahri? The romance was very unbelievable and not well developed. Nahri starts as strong independent female character and then becomes the passive lady-in-distress halfway through the story. The world building is great though, and it might be a good fit for people who aren't much into character development but enjoy lush word building.
The Devil of Downtown (Uptown Girls #3) by Joanna Shupe, 346p: This series is something unique because it takes place in New York City during the Gilded Age (a change from the English Victorian romances out there). And I love it for it! This last third book follows the youngest daughter, Justine. She is so sweet and strong at the same time. Justine is a do-gooder with no regard for what others thinks of her. I was afraid the male protagonist was going to be one of those alpha-male-violent mafia dudes, but not really. The hero, Jack Mulligan, is a criminal kingpin, but he is a good criminal. He has profound respect for women and becomes more of a do-gooder and helps his community. There was good chemistry between the characters, and I loved how Justine was helping women abandoned by their husbands and fighting to end cruel child labour laws. Great series!
Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lane #1) by Elizabeth Hoyt, 401p: Set in the 1730's I loved the “noir” feel of this one. There is a murder mystery that moves the plotline and also some mysterious characters that kept me guessing until the very end. It's a bleak reality. Temperance, the main character, is a widow and runs a home for orphans with her brother and they really need more financial support. The hero, Lord Caire (Lazarus Huntington), is grumpy and emotionally repressed with issues. He offers to help her find a new patron for the home if she accompanies him round St. Giles (a type of slum?) and helps him to uncover who killed his mistress, Marie. Despite the characters being deeply religious/conservative for my taste (lots of guilt and repentance feelings going on) I liked the story. It is a beautifully done slow burn romance. It has a type of gloominess that I enjoyed. I'm curious to read more in this series.
Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour (Scott Pilgrim #6) by Bryan Lee O'Malley, 234p: It was a fun ride! I liked the “living in your head” metaphor and how everyone got closure from their past traumas and fears. The final boss fight scene was cool. It's filled with cute art and funny dialogues. I loved the happy-ending and the “Maybe we just need to hold on” message.
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Post 40/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!
#100DaysToOffload #100Days #readinglist #books #reading #Blaugust2024 #Blaugust
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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.