Monthly rundown vol. 22

Time travel, jousting space robots, jewel thieves, and philosophical musings on modern life

Hello, hello! October has been packed full of travel and activities and, of course, regular life stuff. I got to see dear friends, the beach, fall leaves, and corn fields. I went to soccer games and music practice, got to meet an award-winning children’s book illustrator (Loren Long) sold some books at a local author fair, shuttled kids around, and discovered that while Terminal B of the Philadelphia airport is really nice, Terminal A looks like the setting of a post-apocalyptic movie. 

In writing news, my latest finished manuscript is waiting patiently for submissions to open up for the next production cycle, so in the meantime I’ve begun brainstorming on my next project, and it’s not what I thought it was going to be. Sometimes inspiration hits hard and you’ve got to channel those ideas before they flit away. This new project will be set in the late 1990s, which has prompted some discussion on whether or not it would be considered “historical fiction.” 

And finally, way back at the beginning of October I celebrated my birthday! I love birthdays, even my own. My birthday month feels like the perfect time to encourage you, delightful readers, to give one of my novels a try! If you like character-driven love stories with humor, heart, and depth, then I think you’ll enjoy You Again or With You. They’re both available in paperback, e-book, or audiobook. And if you have read either book (thank you!!!) now’s the perfect time to rate and review.

Now, let’s talk about what I’ve been reading!

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown has a delightful and creative premise: magical books exist that gift their users amazing powers. Some want to collect them, study them, and keep them safe. Others want to control them and will use any means necessary to acquire these rare and special books. Cassie knows nothing about this secret world of magical books until one night a regular customer at the bookstore where she works gives her The Book of Doors moments before he dies, and nothing in Cassie’s life is the same again. The pacing was a little off, and I thought there were a few moments where the details of a scene felt odd and random rather than adding texture or momentum to the story. That said, overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a great escape, with mystery, adventure, found family, and excellent use of time travel.

Wellness by Nathan Hill. This is the perfect book club book or buddy read because there’s so much to talk about, so many layers. On the surface, it’s a story about a couple in the very middle of life–the middle of their careers, marriage, parenting, life. It has all the cliches, but the author manages to craft them together in a way that feels fresh, engaging, and surprisingly compassionate. The narrative moves between the past and present, interspersed with (at times a bit too wordy) commentary on some of the facts of our modern, 21st century life such as internet algorithms, health obsession, consumer manipulation, influencer culture and the quest for perfection in everything. There’s mini lessons on the history of art depicting the American prairies and controlled burns of grasslands (did I mention that the author is quite wordy at times?) And yet another layer dwells on how our origins and our upbringing shape us, how we carry our pasts with us sometimes in ways we don’t understand or acknowledge. There are layers about grief, loneliness, abuse. You’ll see yourself or someone you know in the pages of this story, and while it’s honestly a real bummer at times, it’s also very compelling. And, for me, the ending was exactly right, the perfect punctuation, a peak of sunlight through the clouds.

To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai has a great premise but a lackluster execution. A down-on-her-luck twenty-something gets herself, her best friend, and a motley crew of almost strangers-turned-friends involved with a jewelry heist, a million-dollar wedding, and the Chicago mafia. I loved the found family element to this story. The interactions between the supporting characters was my favorite. And the kind of zany plot was funny, well-done, and self-aware enough to make it fun rather than ridiculous. But oddly enough, it was the romantic plotline that I found the most lacking (not good when the main characters don’t have much chemistry). So, a fast, easy read, but not one that will stick with me. 

Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf. I loved this book. It’s like Hunger Games meets The Expanse with a little bit of The Count of Monte Cristo and Red Rising thrown in. It’s got violence, revenge, weird aliens, a highly stratified, hierarchical society, and a (very endearing) special snowflake main character who is (justifiably) angry and grieving and she will set the world on fire because of it. There’s excellent world building, great characters, and evocative writing. I wished the main character would have discovered the “twist” a little bit sooner, but that was a small irritation. I can’t wait for the sequel!

Slow Horses season 4. Every season of Slow Horses just keeps getting better. New characters slide seamlessly into the rundown and janky folds of Slough House. Diana continues to Diana all over the place. Stakes are high and very real. I really might have to start reading the books, because I don’t want to wait for season 5!

That’s it for now! Let me know in the comments: do you think a book set in the 1990s should be called “historical fiction” or something different entirely? 

Talk again soon!