Currently Reading:
January, 2025

1. The Paradise Problem, Christina Lauren

2. The Catch, Amy Lea

3. Spark of the Everflame, Penn Cole

4. Book Lovers, Emily Henry

Currently Reading:
December, 2024

1. Quicksilver, Callie Hart

Currently Reading:
November, 2024

1. You Make a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, Akwaeke Emezi

Currently Reading:
October, 2024

1. Leather and Lark, Brynne Weaver. 3.5 stars

2. Kushiel’s Chosen, Jacqueline Carey. 4.5 stars

Currently Reading:
September, 2024

1. The Book of Life, Deborah Harkness. 4 stars

2. Slave to Sensation, Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars

3. Butcher and Blackbird, Brynne Weaver. 4 stars

Currently Reading:
August, 2024

1. Shadow of Night, Deborah Harkness. 4 stars

2. Bride, Ali Hazelwood. 4.5 stars

Currently Reading:
July, 2024

1. Tress of the Emerald Sea, Brandon Sanderson. 4 stars

2. Eligible, Curtis Sittenfeld. 4 stars

3. Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir. 3.5 stars

4. Love on the Brain, Ali Hazelwood. 4 stars

5. Wish You Weren’t Here, Erin Baldwin. 4 stars

Currently Reading:
June, 2024

1. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L’Engle. 4 stars

2. Throne of the Fallen, Kerri Maniscalo. 4 stars

3. Capture the Sun, Jessie Mihalik. 3.5 stars

4. Love, Theoretically, Ali Hazelwood. 3.5 stars

Currently Reading:
May, 2024

1. Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross. 3.5 stars

2. Ruthless Vows, Rebecca Ross. 3.5 stars

3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid. 3 stars

4. Scythe, Neal Schusterman. 4 stars

5. The Witch Collector, Charissa Weaks. 3.5 stars

Currently Reading:
April, 2024

1. Spark of the Everflame, Penn Cole. 3.5 stars

2. Defy the Night, Brigid Kemmerer. 3.5 stars

Currently Reading:
March, 2024

1. A Court of Silver Flames, Sarah J. Maas. 4 stars

2. Catwoman: Soul Stealer, Sarah J. Maas. 3.5 stars

3. A Fate Inked in Blood, Danielle L. Jensen. 2.5 stars

Currently Reading:
February, 2024

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas. 5 stars

2. A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas. 5 stars

3. A Court of Wings and Ruin, Sarah J. Maas. 4.5 stars

4. A Court of Frost and Starlight, Sarah J. Maas. 3 stars

Currently Reading:
January, 2024

1. The Assassin’s Blade, Sarah J. Maas. 4.5 stars

2. Affinity, Sarah Waters. 3.5 stars

Currently Reading:
December, 2023

1. Maybe Next Time, Cesca Major. 3 stars

2. The Serpent and the Wings of Night, Carissa Broadbent. 3 stars

Currently Reading:
November, 2023

1. Daughter of No Worlds, Carissa Broadbent. 2.5 stars

2. Iron Flame, Rebecca Yarros. 2.5 stars

3. Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros. 3 stars

Currently Reading:
October, 2023

1. Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir. 5 stars

Currently Reading:
September, 2023

1. The Clan of the Cave Bear, Jean Auel. 4 stars

2. Fledgling, Octavia Butler. 4 stars

3. The Valley of Horses, Jean Auel. 4 stars

Currently Reading:
August, 2023

1. Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris. 3 stars

2. Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris. 3 stars

3. Dead as a Doornail, Charlaine Harris. 3 stars

4. Definitely Dead, Charlaine Harris. 3 stars

5. Eclipse the Moon, Jessie Mihalik. 4 stars

Currently Reading:
July, 2023

1. Boys Weekend, Mattie Lubchansky. 3.5 stars

2. The Puzzle Master, Danielle Trussoni. 2.5 stars

3. Hula, Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes. 4.5 stars

4. Unfortunately Yours, Tessa Bailey. 2.5 stars

5. Our Best Intentions, Vibhuti Jain. 3.5 stars

6. Ma and Me, Putsata Reang. 4.5 stars

7. The Next Ship Home, Heather Webb. 4 stars

Currently Reading:
June, 2023

1. Shark Heart, Emily Habeck. 5 stars

2. What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez, Claire Jimenez. 3.5 stars

3. The Fiancée Farce, Alexandria Bellefleur

4. A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness. 5 stars

5. Dust Child, Ngyuen Phan Que Mai. 4 stars

6. Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros. 3 stars

7. El Deafo, Cece Bell. 4 stars

Currently Reading:
May, 2023

1. Aurora Blazing, Jessie Mihalik. 4 stars

2. Polaris Rising, Jessie Mihalik. 3.5 stars

3. Hunt the Stars, Jessie Mihalik. 4 stars

4. All the Beauty in the World, Patrick Bringley. 3.5 stars

5. Wolfish, Erica Berry. 3.5 stars

6. A Court of Silver Flames, Sarah J. Maas

Currently Reading:
April, 2023

1. Shubeik Lubeik, Deena Mohammed. 5 stars

2. Listening Still, Anne Griffin. 3 stars

3. The Brothers K, David James Duncan. 4 stars

4. A Court of Frost and Starlight, Sarah J. Maas. 3.5 stars

Currently Reading:
March, 2023

1. Crescent City, Sarah J. Maas. 4 stars

2. House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas. 5 stars

Currently Reading:
February, 2023

1. Night Wherever We Go, Tracey Rose Peyton

2. Lost in the Moment and Found, Seanan McGuire

3. A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas

4. A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas

5. A Court of Wings and Ruin, Sarah J. Maas

Currently Reading:
January, 2023

1. Legends and Lattes, Travis Baldree

2. Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, Ashley Herring Blake

3. Fangs, Sarah Andersen

4. Parable of the Talents, Octavia E. Butler

Currently Reading:
December, 2022

1. The Undomestic Goddess, Sophie Kinsella. 3 stars
2. The Fastest Way to Fall, Denise Williams. 3 stars
3. Kiss Her Once for Me, Alison Cochrun. 3 stars

Currently Reading:
November, 2022

1. Mistakes Were Made, Meryl Wilsner. 4.5 stars

2. Part of Your World, Abby Jimenez. 3 stars

3. Diary of a Misfit, Casey Parks. 3.5 stars

4. Chilling Effect, Valerie Valdes. 3 stars

Currently Reading:
October, 2022

1. The Bridge Kingdom, Danielle Jensen - This is a “fantasy” romance that takes place in a made-up world of kingdoms connected by a thin bridge. The main character is an assassin spy who is sent to infiltrate the enemy kingdom by marrying and then killing its king. Light on-screen romance, but great descriptions and pacing. 4 stars

2. The Traitor Queen, Danielle Jensen—The companion novel to The Bridge Kingdom, which rounds out the story without tying everything into a tidy little bow that discounts the fight to achieve it all. I didn’t like this one as much as the first one, but still a great read. 3.5 stars

3. All Our Hidden Gifts, Caroline O’Donoghue. 3 stars

4. Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler. 5 stars

5. A Curious Beginning, Deanna Raybourn. 3.5 stars

Currently Reading:
September, 2022

1. The River Why, David James Duncan - I listened to this absurd book on audio and I can recommend the audio while admitting I am not sure I understood the book. If I had to summarize, I’d say this book is about fishing, coming of age as a white man in Central Oregon in the late sixties, and finding God. Not normally my thing! I enjoyed it, though. It made me laugh and made me think. 3.5 out of 5 stars (not 4 stars because I feel the very ending was tacked on to make a statement about the Vietnam war and I would have cut the last two sections if I was his editor).

2. Peeling the Onion, Gunter Grass - This is a book I read for school; a memoir by a former Nazi soldier describing seeing his childhood end when the War came to his village and he volunteered to join Hitler’s army when he was sixteen. Not normally my thing… And yet, Grass won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1999 and his account of the war from the perspective of a devout German highlighted new perspectives of the war that I found fascinating. 3 out of 5; severe trigger warnings abound, which I won’t list here-too many to count.

3. Transcendent Kingdom, Yaa Gyasi—A novel of spirituality and pain. Gyasi can truly do no wrong. This is her sophomore novel about a family broken apart by depression and the young daughter’s attempts to find a “cure” for depression. Searing and painful, but so beautifully written. 5 stars

4. The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson—A great examination of the beginning of World War II from the perspective of Winston Churchill. Larson has a way with words that delves into all sides of this complicated war. 4 stars

5. Feelings; A Story in Seasons, Manjit Thapp. 4 stars.

6. To Have and to Hoax, Martha Waters

Currently Reading:
August, 2022

1. Rajneeshpuram: Inside the Cult of Bhaghwan and Its Failed American Utopia, Russell King - I read this one for work and I thought it was a very comprehensive look at the craziness that unfolded in a little town in Central Oregon. 4 stars

2. American Royalty, Tracey Livesay - A sweet, quick read that was four chili peppers on the spice scale! I thought the burn could have been a little slower, but I liked the end result. It was nice to see the man change for his woman and not have a strong female character back down from what she needed from herself. 4 stars

3. Something Wilder, Christina Lauren - I love all of Christina Lauren’s books that I’ve read. Funny, sweet, and real, this author duo has my vote. This is an adventure romance that took me for a ride and didn’t disappoint. I devoured all 9 hours of audiobook over two days while panicking about my grad school finals, walking to clear my head, and cleaning my house. I even listened to this audiobook at work with my boss sitting mere feet away and me blushing the whole time whenever the spicy sex scenes popped up. Phew. Loved it. 4 stars

4. Gild, Raven Kennedy- I found this book via BookTok and it was always being recommended to me so I finally jumped in and bought it on Kindle. Right away, the fact that this book was only available via Kindle was a huge drawback for me. I am a paper person. However, I was unwilling to invest the $17.00 in a paper copy on an unknown book. Before you jump down my throat about how “isn’t it worth it for the author” and get on me about the starving artist stuff, let me just say that I work for the public library and I rarely buy a book if I have not vetted it yet. There is simply too much to read in this world and I do not make enough money to support every artist for their work by buying their book. I bought this one and it went unread for so long because I had to have my Kindle charged and on-hand and I am much a “out of sight, out of mind” kind of gal. Nonetheless, I went for it and while I got bored for about a solid 25% of the book due to inaction and a whiny main character, I eventually finished and was hooked. It’s a very fast read fast for me that reminds me a lot of what Sarah J. Maas does in her universes, though I’ll also say that I find SJM more unique and captivating. Still, I finished the first and bought the next two immediately. 3 stars

5. Glint, Raven Kennedy- The second book in the series interested me a whole lot more than the first. Not only did I enjoy how the author explained more about what this universe different from any other, but a lot of the characters had real growth and the story seemed to actually go somewhere—literally and figuratively. 3.5 stars

6. Gleam, Raven Kennedy — The third book in this series gets spicy and I am here for it. Do not read in public if, like me, you are someone who cannot control their facial expressions when reading. This book really reveals character development and growth, and while that felt a little rushed and sudden to me, I was also like “Finally!” when it did happen. 3 stars

7. A Lady for a Duke, Alexis Hall—This was a fun, flirty read. This Regency romance hinges not on propriety and scandal as the crux of its plot, but on friendship. Some of you may know Alexis Hall for his bestselling book Husband Material, and I say this one was also worth the read. 3.5 stars

8. You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty, Akwake Emezi — Akwake Emezi has quickly become one of my favorite new writers. They write with a wit and ease that I admire greatly. This romance novel is a first from them, and an unexpected delight. The premise was thrilling: young widow Feyi has only just dipped her toe into dating after five years, since the tragic death of her husband. She finds comradery and flirtation with a young man but, when invited to his luxury home on the islands for an art show, she suddenly finds herself enamored with his father. Woah. This novel blew me away and left me both satisfied and wanting more, as any good book should. 4.5 stars

9. The Hating Game, Salley Thorne —I can see why this rom com became a movie. It was witty and fun, but at times felt almost too searing in its descriptions of this office rivalry. The audiobook was a delight! 4 stars

Currently Reading:
July, 2022

1. Good Omens, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - A classic. The Amazon adaptation was very true to the story and I couldn’t help but picture David Tennant in my head whenever Crowley popped up. 4.5 stars

2. Chef’s Kiss, T.J. Alexander - This one didn’t do it for me and I can’t quite figure out why. I think that the main character’s uptightness didn’t let up enough for me to fully see why Ray, the sweet sunshine character would give her a chance. Maybe I myself am too uptight to want to read about a person who is always, always, always anxious. I think that she got thrown under the bus too many times with the misgendering thing, too. For someone so focused on details, Simone should have been more “on it” with Ray’s gender. 3 stars

3. The Dark Matter of Mona Starr, Laura Lee Gulledge - Loved it. A wonderful examination of depression, and a skillfully executed graphic novel. Mona felt like a real person (spoiler, she is) and I was taken back to feeling all those hard emotions as a queer teenager myself without feeling triggered by her renditions of her struggles. 4 stars

4. Inferno, Dan Brown - Dan Brown writes like he just expects his books to become movies and he’s just doing the screenwriter a favor and supplying the script in advance. The twist at the end was too convoluted for me to believe it. That being said, as a HUGE Dante fan I was thrilled to see this ancient genius being recognized again in such a modern format. The end gave me something to think about, and that’s really what art is meant to do. 3.5 stars

5. Kindred, Octavia Butler - Brilliant and heartbreaking and infuriating. I devoured it in two days while camping and it was even more enthralling the second time around. Read this one if you want a unique perspective on how our entire country and systems for living are built on false beliefs in racial disparity. Seriously, you need to read it even more if that last sentence scared you. 5 stars

6. The Guide, Peter Heller - Um, I had no idea this idyllic looking book would turn into a thriller/horror thing, so you’ve been warned. Quick read. Great descriptions. I was unsure of why he needed to write this book by the time I finished, but it was well executed. 3 stars

7. Patricia Wants to Cuddle, Samantha Allen - This one was pitched as “lesbian horror Sasquatch novel” and I was there for it!! Crazy, quick, hilarious, disturbing, queer—it had everything I wanted in a summer read, with a remarkable cover. 4 stars

Currently Reading:
June, 2022

1. Unlikely Animals, Annie Hartnett

2. The Maid, Nita Prose

3. Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt

4. L.A. Weather, Maria Amparo Escandon

5. The Stand-In, Lily Chu

6. The Lifestyle, Taylor Hahn

7. Stealing Thunder, Alina Boyden

8. Yerba Buena, Nina LaCour

9. Goal, Motivation, Conflict, Debra Dixon

Currently Reading:
May, 2022

1. The School for Good and Evil, Soman Chainani

2. Portrait of a Thief, Grace D. Li

3. The Love Hypothesis, Ali Hazelwood

4. The Almond in the Apricot, Sara Goudarzi

5. Empire of Storms, Sarah J. Maas

6. Go Hex Yourself, Jessica Clare

7. Red River, Vol. 1, Chie Shinohara

8. Red River, Vol. 2, Chie Shinohara

9. Red River, Vol. 3, Chie Shinohara

10. Red River, Vol. 4, Chie Shinohara

Currently Reading:
April, 2022

1. The Swimmers, Julie Otsuka

2. Cold, Mariko Tamaki

3. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab

4. Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmos

5. Not the Witch You Wed, April Asher

6. Barbarian Alien, Ruby Dixon

7. Ice Planet Barbarians, Ruby Dixon

Currently Reading:
March, 2022

1. Payback’s a Witch, Lana Harper

2. Stone Fruit, Lai Lee

3. We Hunt the Stars, Jessie Mihalik

4. The Worst Best Man, Mia Sosa

5. How to Be Eaten, Maria Adelmann

6. A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas

7. A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas

8. Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, Ashley Herring Blake

9. When We Were Birds, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo

Currently Reading:
February, 2022

1. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison

2. The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang

3. Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda, Becky Albertalli

4. The Four Winds, Kristin Hannah

5. Twisted, Laurie Halse Anderson

6. Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas

7. Ain’t Burned All the Bright, Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffith

8. Where the Drowned Girls Go, Seanan McGuire

Currently Reading:
January, 2022

1. The Traitor Queen, Danielle L. Jensen

2. Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Adib Khorram

3. All American Boys, Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

4. Well Matched, Jen DeLuca

5. The Bone Spindle, Leslie Vedder

6. Darius the Great Deserves Better, Adib Khorram

Currently Reading:
December, 2021

1. I Can Make This Promise, Christine Day

2. My Lady Jane, Cynthia Hand

3. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, Jennifer Armentrout

4. Terciel and Elinor, Garth Nix

5. Magic to the Bone, Devon Monk

6. Aurora’s End,* Amie Kaufman

7. The Princess Will Save You,* Sarah Henning

8. Just Haven’t Met You Yet, Sophie Cousens

9. The Bridge Kingdom, Danielle L. Jensen

Currently Reading:
November, 2021

1. Tropic of Orange, Karen Tei Yamashita

2. Squad, Maggie Tokuda-Hall

3. When the Reckoning Comes, LaTanya McQueen

4. She Who Became the Sun, Shelley Parker-Chan

5. The Trees, Percival Everett

6. A Spindle Splintered, Alix E. Harrow

7. A Lesson in Vengeance, Victoria Lee

Currently Reading:
October, 2021

1. A Lot Like Adiós, Alexis Daria

2. Fixed Stars,* Molly Wizenberg

3. From Blood and Ash, Jennifer Armentrout

4. You Exist Too Much,* Zaina Arafat

5. Out of Darkness, Ashley Perez

6. Loaners, Ben Hodgson and Laura Moulton

7. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Deeshaw Philya

Currently Reading:
September, 2021

1. So Far From God, Ana Castillo

2. The Seedkeeper,* Diane Wilson

3. The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende

4. The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina, Zoraida Cordova

5. Battle Royal, Lucy Parker

6. Chilling Effect,* Valerie Valdes

7. Kingdom of Ice and Bone, Jill Criswell

8. We Set the Dark on Fire,* Tehlor Kay Mejia

9. The Heart Principle, Helen Hoang

10. Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo

11. Heartbreak for Hire, Sonia Hartl

Currently Reading:
August, 2021

1. Beasts of the Frozen Sun, Jill Criswell

2. the_atmospherians, Alex McElroy

3. A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer

4. Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, * Julia Cooke

5. Made in China, Amelia Pang

6. Once There Were Wolves, Charlotte McConaghy

7. The Soulmate Equation,* Christina Lauren

8. We Begin at the End, Chris Whitaker

9. The House in the Cerulean Sea,* TJ Klune

10. Perfect on Paper,* Sophie Gonzales

Currently Reading:
July, 2021

1. Arsenic and Adobo, Mia P. Manansala

2. Who Is Maud Dixon? Alexandra Andrews

3. The Black Kids,* Christina Hammonds Reed

4. Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life, Christie Tate

5. Outlawed, Anna North

6. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, Elle Cosimano

7. Stardust, Neil Gaiman

8. Filthy Animals, Brandon Taylor

Currently Reading:
June, 2021

1. The Liar’s Dictionary,* Eley Williams

2. The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman

3. The Thirty Names for Night,* Zeyn Joukhadar

4. Clap When You Land,* Elizabeth Acevedo

5. Much Ado About You,* Samantha Young

6. Dog Flowers,* Danielle Geller

7. A Court of Wings and Ruin, Sarah J. Maas

8. The Only Good Indians, Stephen Graham Jones

9. Memorial Drive,* Natasha Tretheway

10. After the Last Border,* Jessica Goudeau

11. The Night Always Comes, Willy Vlautin

Currently Reading:
May, 2021

1. The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, Amy E. Reichert

2. How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House,* Cherie Jones

3. Caul Baby, Morgan Jerkins

4. Wanting a Witch, Lauren Connolly

5. Dial A for Aunties, Jesse Q. Sutanto

6. Super Host,* Kate Russo

7. Can’t Escape Love, Alyssa Cole

8. To Love and to Loathe,* Martha Wells

9. A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas

10. The Seed Keeper, Diane Wilson

11. A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas

12. Frostbite, Richelle Mead

Currently Reading:
April, 2021

1. A Court of Silver Flames, Sarah J. Maas

2. Once Ghosted, Twice Shy, Alyssa Cole

3. Body of Stars, Laura Maylene Walter

4. Jubilee, Jennifer Givhan

5. The Happily Ever After Playlist,* Abby Jimenez

6. Monogamy,* Sue Miller

7. Vampire Academy, Richelle Mead

8. Not the Girl You Marry,* Andie J. Christopher

9. The Lost Apothecary,* Sarah Penner

10. Infinite Country,* Patricia Engel

Currently Reading:
March, 2021

1. Last Night at the Telegraph Club*, Miranda Lo

2. Nothing to See Here, Kevin Wilson

3. What’s Mine and Yours*, Naima Coster

4. Sweet and Bitter Magic, Adrienne Tooley

5. Single. On Purpose. John Kim

6. The Kindest Lie*, Nancy Johnson

7. Between Two Kingdoms; a Memoir of Life Interrupted, Suleika Jaouad

8. Meet You in the Middle, Devon Daniels

9. Silver in the Wood, Emily Tesh

10. Ties That Tether, Jane Igharo

11. A Deadly Education,* Naomi Novik

Currently Reading:
February, 2021

1. Me and White Supremacy, Layla Saad
2. The Other Black Girl, Zakiya Dalila Harris
3. Black Buck, Matteo Askaripour
4. The Bad Muslim Discount, Syed M. Masood
5. Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade
6. Act Your Age, Eve Brown, Talia Hibbert
7. Silver Sparrow*, Tayari Jones
8. The Tiger at Midnight*, Swati Teerdhala
9. The Nickel Boys*, Colson Whitehead
10. The Power of Habit*, Charles Duhigg
11. Between the World and Me*, Ta-Nehisi Coates
12. Across the Green Grass Fields, Seanan McGuire
13. Aftershocks, Nadia Owusu
14. Ties that Tether, Jane Igharo
15. Witchling*, Yasmine Galenorn

Currently Reading:
January, 202

1. How to Catch a Queen, Alyssa Cole
2. My Favorite Half-Night Stand*, Christina Lauren
3. Majesty, Katharine McGee
4. How to Fail at Flirting, Denise Williams
5. The Deep*, Rivers Solomon
6. Stamped from the Beginning*, Ibram X. Kendi
7. Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead, Emily Austin

Currently Reading:
December, 2020

1. In a Holidaze, Christina Lauren
2. Plain Bad Heroines, Emily M. Danforth
3. Majesty, Katharine McGee
4. Written in the Stars, Alexandria Bellefleur
5. The Boyfriend Project*, Farrah Rochon
6. Punching the Air*, Ibi Aanu Zoboi

Currently Reading:
November, 2020

1. The Henna Wars, Abida Jaigirdar

2. Dragon, Actually, G.A. Aiken

3. Catherine House*, Elisabeth Thomas

4. A Rogue of One’s Own, Evie Dunmore

5. White Tears/Brown Scars, Ruby Hamad

6. The Game Warden’s Mate, A.M. Griffin

7. Well Played, Jen DeLuca

8. Bunny*, Mona Awad

Currently Reading:
October, 2020

1. Kindred, Octavia E. Butler

2. When No One Is Watching, Alyssa Cole

3. Front Desk, Kelly Yang

4. A River in Darkness; One Man’s Escape from North Korea, Masaji Ishikawa,

5. The Roommate, Rosie Danan

6. My Education*, Susan Choi

7. Bloom, Kevin Panetta

8. His Only Wife, Peace A. Medie

9. No Proper Lady, Isabel Cooper

10. Violet Bent Over Backwards in the Grass*, Lana Del Rey

11. Grown*, Tiffany D. Jackson

Currently Reading:
September, 2020

1. Luster, Raven Leilani

2. Mexican Gothic, Siliva Moreno-Garcia

3. Weird but Normal*, Mia Mercado

4. You Had Me at Hola, Alexis Daria

5. Lovecraft Country, Matt Ruff

6. Kind of a Big Deal, Shannon Hale

7. Beach Read, Emily Henry

Currently Reading:
August, 2020

1. Fast Girls, Elise Hooper

2. The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett

3. Cinderella Is Dead, Kalynn Bayron

4. The Mountains Sing*, Nguyen Phan Que Mai

5. Untamed, Glennon Doyle

6. Aurora Burning,* Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

7. The Boyfriend Project, Farrah Rochon

8. The Dreamers*, Karen Thompson Walker

9. This Is How You Lose the Time War, El-Mohtar, Amal & Max Gladstone

10. Kingdom of Exiles, Maxym M. Martineau

Currently Reading:
July, 2020

1. Queen of Shadows, Sarah J. Maas

2. Catwoman: Soul Stealer*, Sarah J. Maas

3. Fountains of Silence*, Ruta Sepetys

4. The Nowhere Girls*, Melissa Reed

5. Take a Hint, Dani Brown, Talia Hibbert

6. The Authenticity Project*, Clare Poole

7. The Bear, Andrew Krivak

8. Hill Women*, Cassie Chambers

9. Hate Crush, Angela M. Lopez

10. Poison Study, Maria V. Snyder

11. Chaos Reigning, Jessie Mihalik

12. Aurora Rising*, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Currently Reading:
June, 2020

1. Hidden Valley Road*, Robert Kolker

2. Long Quiet Highway, Natalie Goldberg

3. Wine Girl, Victoria James

4. Followers, Megan Angelo

5. When We Were Vikings*, Andrew David MacDonald

6. The Other Americans, Laila Lalami

7. The Monster of Elendhaven, Jennifer Giesbracht

8. Snakecharm, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

9. Your House Will Pay*, Steph Cha

10. Crown of Midnight, Sarah J. Maas

11. Aloha Rodeo*, David Wolman and Julian Smith

12. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line*, Deepa Anaparra

13. Heir of Fire, Sarah J. Maas

14. The Beekeeper of Aleppo*, Christy Lefteri

15. Spirit Run: 6,000 Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land*, Noe Alvarez

16. Something to Talk About, Meryl Wilsner

17. Lost Girls Volume One, Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie

18. Valentine*, Elizabeth Wisland

19. The Tenth Muse*, Catherine Chung

Currently Reading:
May, 2020

1. American Royals, Katharine McGee

2. Roomies*, Christina Lauren

3. The Turn of the Key, Ruth Ware

4. An Ember in the Ashes*, Sabaa Tahir

5. Gods of Jade and Shadow*, Silvia Garcia Moreno

6. When You Read This, Mary Adkins

7. Evvie Drake Starts Over, Linda Holmes

8. The Bromance Book Club*, Lyssa Kay Adams

9. Under the Rainbow, Celia Laskey

10. Mrs. Fletcher, Tom Perrotta

11. The Raven Boys, Maggie Stiefvater

12. Educated, Tara Westover

13. The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune

14. Would Like to Meet*, Rachel Winters

Currently Reading:
April, 2020

1. Invasion of the Tearling*, Erika Johansen

2. Things in Jars, Jess Kidd

3. The Widow of Rose House, Diana Biller

4. Crescent City, Sarah J. Maas

5. Romancing the Duke, Tessa Dare

6. The Cinderella Deal, Jennifer Crusie

7. My Fake Rake, Eva Leigh

8. City of Brass*, S.A. Chakraborty

9. Very Nice, Marcy Dermansky

10. Love at First Like, Hannah Orenstein

11. The Friend Zone, Abby Jimenez

12. Girl Gone Viral, Alisha Rai

13. The Fate of the Tearling*, Erika Johansen

14. What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About, Michele Filgate

15. Waiting for Tom Hanks*, Kerry Winfrey

16. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, Abbi Waxman

17. Hawksong, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Currently Reading:
March, 2020

1. My Dark Vanessa, Kate Elizabeth Russel

2. Brazen and the Beast, Sarah MacLean

3. Heart on Fire, Amanda Bouchet

4. Boys of Alabama, Genevieve Hudson

5. Days of Distraction, Alexandra Chang

6. Weather, Jenny Offill

7. Creatures, Crissy Van Meter

8. When All Is Said*, Anne Griffin

9. The Queen of the Tearling*, Erika Johansen

10. When We Were Magic, Sarah Gailey

11. Scavenge the Stars, Tara Sim

Currently Reading:
February, 2020

1. Come Tumbling Down, Seanan McGuire

2. The Swallows, Lisa Lutz

3. Tarot for Self-Care - How to Use Tarot to Manifest Your Best Self, Minerva Siegel

4. Love Her or Lose Her, Tessa Bailey

5. A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas

6. A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J. Maas

7. Bet Me, Jennifer Cruise

8. The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Alix E. Harrow

9. Upright Women Wanted, Sarah Gailey

10. A Promise of Fire, Amanda Bouchet

11. Viking Rebel Warrior, Asa Marie

12. A Court of Wings and Ruin, Sarah J. Maas

13. The Ghost Bride, Yangsze Choo

14. Interior Chinatown, Charles Yu

15. Breath of Fire, Amanda Bouchet

Currently Reading:
January, 2020

1. Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid

2. The Right Swipe, Alisha Rai

3. Aurora Blazing, Jessica Mihalik

4. Aphrodite Made Me Do It, Trista Mateer

5. The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, Olivia Waite

6. We Ride Upon Sticks and Are There Presently, Omar Barry

7. Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Talia Hibbert

8. A Sorcery of Thorns, Margaret Rogerson

9. Starless Sea, Erin Morgenstern

10. Topics of Conversation, Miranda Popkey

11. Oligarchy, Scarlett Thomas

Currently Reading:
December, 2019

1. Faker, Sarah Smith

2. Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life, Amber Scorah

3. My Brother’s Husband, Gengoroh Tagame

4. Toil and Trouble, Augusten Burroughs

5. The Kiss of Deception, Mary E. Pearson

6. When Katie Met Cassidy, Camille Perry

7. Graceling, Kristin Cashore

8. Nightchaser, Amanda Bouchet

9. Crier’s War, Nina Varela

Currently Reading:
November, 2019

1. Crocodile on the Sandbank, Elizabeth Peters

2. Genderqueer, Maia Kobabe

3. Work for It, Talia Hibbert

4. Many Love: A Memoir of Polyamory and Finding Love(s), Sophie Lucido Johnson

5. The Promised Neverland 2, Shirai & Demizu

6. Her Royal Highness, Rachel Hawkins

7. In the Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado

8. Things You Save in a Fire, Katherine Center

9. Keeper of the Lost Cities, Shannon Messenger

10. Polaris Rising, Jessie Mihalik

11. How to Tame Your Duke, Juliana Gray

12. Blacklight: Stories, Kimberly King Parsons

Currently Reading:
October, 2019

1. The Other Side, Lacy Johnson

2. Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir

3. Shout, A Poetry Memoir, Laurie Halse Anderson

4. All I Want for Halloween, Marie Harte

5. Serpent and Dove, Shelby Mahurin

6. Bringing Down the Duke, Evie Dunmore

7. City of Ghosts, Victoria Schwab

8. Well Met, Jen DeLuca

9. Tunnel of Bones, Victoria Schwab

10. Through the Woods, Emily Carroll

11. Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo

12. The Promised Neverland, Shirai & Demizu

Currently Reading:
September, 2019

1. Pretend I’m Dead, Jen Beagin

2. Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston

3. In at the Deep End, Kate Davies

4. The Unhoneymooners, Christina Lauren

5. Mostly Dead Things, Kristen Arnett

6. Pet, Awaeke Emezi

7. Futures End Vol. 1, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, Keith Giffen, Brian Azzarello

8. For Today I Am a Boy, Kim Fu

Currently Reading:
August, 2019

1. Little Faith, Nickolas Butler

2. With the Fire on High, Elizabeth Acevedo

3. Miracle Creek, Angie Kim

4. Monstress, Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

5. The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang

6. Come Closer and Listen, Charles Simic

7. Magic for Liars, Sarah Gailey

8. A Woman Is No Man, Etaf Rum

9. Monstress, Vol. 2, Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

10. Monstress, Vol. 3, Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

11. When All Is Said, Anne Griffin

12. Angel Catbird Vol. 1, Margaret Atwood

13. Angel Catbird Vol. 2, Margaret Atwood

14. Beasts of the Frozen Sun, Jill Criswell

15. Fear of Dying, Erica Jong

16. Paper Girls Vol. 3, Brian K. Vaughn

17. Paper Girls Vol. 4, Brian K. Vaughn

18. A Prince on Paper, Alyssa Cole

19. Sugar in My Bowl, edited by Erica Jong

Currently Reading:
July, 2019

1. China Rich Girlfriend*, Kevin Kwan

2. Vox*, Christina Dalcher

3. Saga, Vol. 8, Brian K. Vaughn

4. Learning to See, Elise Hooper

5. Inheritance, Dani Shapiro

6. The Honey Bus, Meredith May

7. Saga, Vol. 9, Brian K. Vaughn

8. The Bride Test, Helen Hoang

9. Spin the Dawn, Elizabeth Lim

10. The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang

11. My Lovely Wife, Samantha Downing

12. The Last Romantics, Tara Conklin

Currently Reading:
June, 2019

1. The Guest Book, Sarah Blake

2. If, Then, Kate Day Hope

3. Lights All Night Long, Lydia Fitzpatrick

4. The Unpassing, Chia-Chia Lin

5. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb

6. The Matchmaker’s List, Sonya Lalli

7. Rough Magic, Lara Prior-Palmer

8. Visible Empire, Hannah Pittard

9. Pansies, Carol Barrett

10. Juliet the Maniac, Juliet Escoria

Currently Reading:
May, 2019

1. The Affairs of the Falcons, Melissa Rivero

2. I Miss You When I Blink, Mary Laura Philpott

3. Women Talking, Miriam Toews

4. Maid, Stephanie Land

Currently Reading:
April, 2019

1. In An Absent Dream, Seanan McGuire

2. Wild*, Cheryl Strayed

3. Stay Up with Hugo Best, Erin Somers

4. Cheer Up, Mr. Widdicombe, Evan James

5. The Girl He Used to Know, Tracy Garvis Graves

6. Bowlaway, Elizabeth McCraken

7. Lethal White, Robert Galbraith

8. HausMagick: Transform Your Home with Witchcraft, Ericka Feldmann

9. Normal People, Sally Rooney

10. Trust Exercise, Susan Choi

Currently Reading:
March, 2019

1. The Altruists, Andrew Ridker

2. Crazy Rich Asians, Kevin Kwan

3. The Water Cure, Sophie Mackintosh

4. Juno’s Swans, Tamsen Wolff

5. American Spy, Lauren Wilkinson

Currently Reading:
February, 2019

1. Two Weeks’ Notice, Rachel Caine

2. Working Stiff, Rachel Caine

3. Every Heart a Doorwary, Seanan McGuire

4. Down Among the Sticks and Bones, Seanan McGuire

5. Beneath the Sugar Sky, Seanan McGuire

6. Untrue: Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, and Infidelity Is Wrong and How the New Science Can Set Us Free, Wednesday Martin

7. Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg

8. Sex Criminals Vol. 5

Currently Reading: 
January, 2019

1. Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld

2. Loveless Vol. 14, Yun Kouga

3. Paper Girls Vol. 1, Brian K. Vaughn

4. Stitches, David Small

5. My Sister the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite

6. Magic to the Bone, Devon Monk

7. You Know You Want This, Kristen Roupenian

Currently Reading: 
December, 2018

1. Give Me Your Hand, Megan E. Abbott

2. Bingo Love, Tee Franklin

3. Breaking Dawn, Stephanie Meyer

4. Ill Wind, Rachel Caine

Currently Reading: 
November, 2018

1. Twilight, Stephanie Meyer

2. Crown of Midnight, Sarah J. Maas

3. Throne of Glass, Sarah J. Maas

4. New Moon, Stephanie Meyer

5. My Not-So-Perfect Life, Sophie Kinsella

6. Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer

Currently Reading: 
October, 2018

1. Rule, Ellen Goodlett

2. Sword of the Land, Noel-Anne Brennan

3. Blood of the Land, Noel-Anne Brennan

4. Catwoman: Soulstealer, Sarah Maas

5. A Duke by Default, Alyssa Cole

6. Less, Andrew Sean Greer

7. Calling Dr. Laura, Nicole J. Georges

8. Tin Man, Sarah Winman

9. Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor

10. A Court of Frost and Starlight, Sarah J. Maas

11. Livia Lone, Barry Eisler

12. Carrie, Stephen King

Currently Reading: 
September, 2018

1. Suicide Club, Rachel Heng

2. The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas

3. Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata

4. Hunger, Roxane Gay

5. Boy Erased, Garrard Conley 

6. Shrill, Lindy West

7. Loveless, Vol. 1, Yun Kouga

8. Loveless, Vol 2, Yun Kouga

9. Loveless, Vol. 3, Yun Kouga

10. Loveless, Vol. 4, Yun Kouga

11. Loveless, Vol. 5, Yun Kouga

12. Loveless, Vol. 6, Yun Kouga

13. Loveless, Vol. 7, Yun Kouga

14. Loveless, Vol. 8, Yun Kouga

15. Loveless, Vol. 9, Yun Kouga

16. Loveless, Vol. 10, Yun Kouga

17. Loveless, Vol. 11, Yun Kouga

18. Loveless, Vol. 12, Yun Kouga

19. The Spider and the Fly, Claudia Rowe

20. You Think It, I’ll Say It, Curtiss Sittenfeld

21. George, Alex Gino

22. Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Maria Semple

23. Trail of Lightning, Rebecca Roanhorse

24. Fetch: How a Bad Dog Brought Me Home, Nicole J. Georges

25. Drama, Raina Telgmeier

26. A Princess in Theory, Alyssa Cole

27. The Terrible, Yrsa Daley-Ward

Currently Reading:
August, 2018

1. The Other Alcott, Elise Hooper

2. The Bear and the Nightingale, Katherine Arden

3. Anatomy of a Miracle, Jonathan Miles

5. The Boat People, Sharon Bala

6. Fen, Daisy Johnson

7. The Girl in the Tower, Katherine Arden

Currently Reading:
July, 2018

1. Only Child, Rhiannon Navin

2. Gun Love, Jennifer Clement

3. There There, Tommy Orange

4. Circe, Madeline Miller

5. I'll Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara

6. All the Names They've Used for God, Anjali Sachdeva

7. American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West, Nate Blakeslee

8. Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon, Robert Kurson

9. The Perfect Nanny, Leila Slimani

Currently Reading:
June, 2018

1. Saga, Volume 3, Brian K. Vaughn

2. Chemistry, Weike Wang

3. Tangerine, Christine Mangan 

4. West, Carys Davies

5. Saga, Volume 4, Brian K. Vaughn

6. Saga, Volume 5, Brian K. Vaughn

7. Saga, Volume 6, Brian K. Vaughn

8. Saga, Volume 7, Brian K. Vaughn

9. Saga, Volume 8, Brian K. Vaughn

10. Theory of Bastards, Aubrey Schulman

11. The Feather Thief, Kirk W. Johnson
 

Currently Reading: 
May, 2018

1. Speak No Evil, Uzodinma Iweala

2.  Lawn Boy, Jonathan Evison

3. Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi

4. Getting Off, Erica Garza

5. Self-Portrait with Boy, Rachel Lyon

6. Stray City, Chelsey Johnson

7. Saga, Volume One, Brian K. Vaughn 

8. The Pisces, Melissa Broder

9. Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories, Kelly Regan Barnhill

10. Saga, Volume 2, Brian K. Vaughn 

11. The Merry Spinster, Mallory Ortberg

Currently Reading:
April, 2018

1. Heart Berries, Terese Marie Mailhot

2. Asymmetry, Lisa Halliday 

3. Autumn, Ali Smith

4. How to Stop Time, Matt Haig

5. An American Marriage, Tayari Jones

Currently Reading:
March, 2018

1. The Cruel Prince, Holly Black. 

2. The Hunger, Alma Katsu. 

3. The Parking Lot Attendant, Nafkote Tamirat. 

4. Exit West, Mohsin Hamid. 

5. Freshwater, Akwaeke Emezi. 

6. Camp Austen: My Life as an Accidental Jane Austen Superfan, Ted Scheinerman. 

7. The Sky Is Yours, Chandler Klang Smith. 

Currently Reading: February, 2018

1. Idaho, Emily Ruskovich. 

2. Annabel, Kathleen Winter. 

3. Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng. 

4. Back Talk, Danielle Lazarin. 

5. Eternal Life, Dara Horn. 

6. The Immortalists, Chloe Benjamin. 

7. Some Hell, Patrick Nathan. 

Currently Reading:
January, 2018

1. Priestdaddy, Patricia Lockwood. 

2.  The Wages of Sin, Kaite Welsh. 

3. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman. 

4. Ready Player One, Ernest Cline. 

Currently Reading:
December, 2017

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah Maas. 

2. A Court of Mists and Fury, Sarah Maas. 

3. A Court of Wings and Ruin, Sarah Maas. 

4. Discount Armageddon, Seanan McGuire. 

5.  Her Body and Other Parties, Carmen Maria Machado. 

6. Cat Karina, Michael G. Coney

Currently Reading:
November, 2017

1. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern.

2. Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters.

3. The Paying Guests, Sarah Waters.

4. The Lonely Hearts Hotel, Heather O'Neill.

5. The Burning Girl, Claire Messud.

6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling.

7. Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire.

8. Down Among the Sticks and Bones, Seanan McGuire.

9. Dark Currents, Jaqueline Carey.

10. Autumn  Bones, Jacqueline Carey. 

12. Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire. 
 

Currently Reading:
October, 2017

I am sure I say this every year, but this year I feel like I have read the best books yet. How to define "the best" in the grand scheme of things, though? Have any of the books I've lately read become my new favorite book? Or just my favorite new book? Too soon to tell. 

I feel it comes down to this; these books I've read lately have helped me see a new worldview. That alone should lend them the title of the "best books yet," shouldn't it? 

Many of the books I've read lately have been recommended to me by various sources; coworkers, many of whom have lived and breathed and worked around books for as long as I have been alive, local bookstores, even odd nudges from the universe. I've been grateful for them all--like I said, some of the best books yet. 

1. Spoonbenders, by Darryl Gregory. Oh man. I loved this one. A dysfunctional family of psychics, the mob, the Cold War, teens discovering themselves? Oh yes. I'm there. The family dynamic here was genuine, messed-up, and so loving. Original concepts and brilliant execution.

2. My Absolute Darling, by Gabriel Tallent. Don't pick this one up unless you're intent on not thinking about or doing anything other than it, this book, this story. Even then, after you've put it down, after you're finished and you want to bury it in the ground and cover it in dirt you'll try and get it out of your head by shooting it right in the face and yet it will never leave you. Trigger warning; this book will hurt. It will be worth it. 

3. All Our Wrong Todays, by Elan Mastai. This one was fun. A time-travel story that did and did not make any sense whatsoever. While the end was a little muggy for me, the story pulled me through with witty banter, just the right amount of self-deprecation, and the fun dysfunctional family dynamic thread that I've been following with my recent readings. 

4. Burial Rites, by Hannah Kent. Based on a true story and set in Iceland, this book was a great dip into historical fiction that I don't often take. I'm glad I did, though. This story follows Agnes, a condemned murderess, in her final days as she is sent to live and work for a neighboring Icelandic family while she awaits her execution. I could not put this book down. It greatly reminded me of The Wonder, by Emma Donoghue which I read last month. I highly recommend them both. 

Currently Reading:
September, 2017

Fall is my favorite time of year. The food, the outfits, the crisp chill in the air that makes you want to walk for miles down yellowed-tree lanes, a mug of cocoa between mittened hands and dreams of the holidays and long winter naps buzzing in your mind. 

But Fall is not yet here in the High Desert. The nights are cooling down and the mornings aren't as quick to warm, but summer and heat are still abounding. Yesterday I spent a few hours in the park reading, and I had to hop from bench to bench to stay cool in the shade. The ducks were paddling and quaking in the lake and I was pages away from finishing the latest book from one of my favorite authors. I was thrilled to discover it in downtown Portland at Powell's on the new summer reads shelf, which was looking thin as they prepared another book pile just next door, Fall Favorites. 

September is a little more than halfway through and I am not quite to my own halfway mark in terms of keeping up with my reading. My goal for this year was (is?) 100 books. I have finished 41 and I am well on my way to #42. 

I will definitely reach 50 books this year, and I think I can push to make 75, but 58 more in 4 months? Maybe not...

Even for me, a voracious reader, finishing 14 books a month might be a touch out of reach. I will keep on keeping on, though, as we do. 

Here is what I'm reading in September: 

1. No One Can Pronounce My Name--Rakesh Satyal 

2. Grave Ransom--Kalayna Price

3. When the English Fall--David Williams 

4. Everybody's Son--Thrity Umrigar

5. The Wonder--Emma Donoghue

6. Final Girls--Mira Grant

7. Prey of the Gods--Nicky Drayden

8. Geek Love--Katherine Dunn

Currently Reading:
May-August, 2017

Some of the books I've read lately may have slipped through the cracks, gone back to the library shelves without any account of me having ever read them. I'll do my best, though, to recount the last few months with as much clarity as I can muster. Let's start from the most recent and work our way back. 

1. Arena--Holly Jennings.

2. The First Book of Calamity Leek--Paula Lichtarowicz.

3. Virgin, and Other Stories--April Ayers Lawson. 

4. Lincoln in the Bardo--George Saunders.

5. Queen of the Darkness--Anne Bishop. 

6. Daughter of the Blood--Anne Bishop.

7. Heir to the Shadows--Anne Bishop. 

8. Girl, Interrupted--Susanna Kaysen. 

9. The Girl Wakes-- Carmen Lau. 

10. The Year of Magical Thinking--Joan Didion. 

11. Lit.--Mary Karr. 

12. The Liar's Club--Mary Karr. 

Currently Reading:
March-April, 2017

March was a good month. I finished writing my book, working title "Straight Queer." 

I had my first short story published with Foliate Oak, A Low-Hanging Fruit. Follow the link here: http://www.foliateoak.com/paige-ferro.html

I also read a lot of great books. Here's the list:

1. On Writing: I just finished this one, and I have to say I think it is my favorite in a long time. Not too surprising, considering how great a writer Stephen King is, but this book came to me at exactly the right time, as I sit staring at my manuscript, fingers itching to pick it up again and the voice in my head saying, "wait! Not yet! It's too soon!"

Turns out I should listen to the voices, and Stephen, as this is one of the top ten best books to read if you are at all interested in writing, being a writer, or how to become better at writing. Seriously, Stephen King doesn't beat around any bushes; he tells it straight and to the point. 

2. Prude, Emily Southwood: I bought this book on a whim. I saw it in the local bookstore in Missoula and decided I shouldn't be buying anymore books right now, so I walked away and went and finished writing my book. Then after I put the final period on the final page of my book, belly full of cheesecake, mind drained of words, I decided the next step was to take a walk. I walked right into Shakespeare and Co. and bought this book. A mini-celebration of my finishing my book.

I certainly think it was well worth the read, not for the writing, but for the story: a young couple recently engaged have to overcome the challenges of first-time living together, and oh by the way the husband is part of the film crew for shooting a reality porn series, and the wife secretly hates porn but agrees to her guy taking the job because she is too afraid to talk to him like an adult and tell him how she really feels because she is worried that will make her seem uptight. I gotta say, the writing was a little over-the-top with "clever" passages, and the narrator was certainly a tad too whiny for my tastes, but overall this was a good read and it gave me lots of good ideas about what to do better with my own book. 

3. The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss. This is one of the books I bought with my Christmas-in-February money (thanks, Grandpa!). The Name of the Wind is considered one of those big-name epic fantasy series, and I can see why: very compelling story, well-written, classic manic-pixie-dream-girl and dashing hero who first is a young boy learning the lessons of the world the hard way. Altogether very entertaining, but ultimately it does not break out of the genre-defining rules and plot narrative. 

4. Mistborn, Brandon Sanderson. This is another one of those big fantasy epics that was very entertaining to read, a good universe, and entertaining characters. The rules of the universe

5. How to Talk to Girls at Parties, Neil Gaiman. Read it. Just read it. It'll take you like an hour to read it, but you'll be thinking about it long after you're done. 

6. The Story of my Tits, Jennifer Hayden. I admire the work of graphic artists and the ways they use images to tell so much of the story, and dialogue (for the most part) to tell the rest. It's envy-worthy. You have to focus on the small details, the corners of each panel, to make sure you don't miss something big that's so small. 

7. Exquisite Corpse, Pénélope Bagieu. You may be familiar with the term "exquisite corpse," but I am afraid the familiar has little to do with this graphic novel.