betterbooksandthings

[betterbooksandthings]

"Romances in space are just out of this world. Love in the dangerous, endless expanse of space isn’t easy. Traveling far distances in ships that you often cannot leave is challenging in the best of conditions. In space, the door is locked and you have to make it work. Interplanetary travel, adventure, and romance are not for the faint of heart. Good thing I have some entertaining books to pick up instead of making the trip yourself.

My favorite romances in space involve a level of mystery, political intrigue, and danger. There is just something about a romantic pairing in trouble that really sells me on their mutual respect, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. When you are in space and in trouble, sometimes love is part of the answer, and I think that’s fun."

#8 Out-of-this-World Romances in Space #SPACE ROMANCE #space opera romance #romance #romance books #romance book recs #Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell #The Red Scholar’s Wake by Aliette de Bodard #Aurora Blazing by Jessie Mihalik #The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton #To Plunder a Pirate Queen by Nina Saxena #Calamity by Constance Fay #The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson #The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older

[betterbooksandthings]

Good Mourning, Darling by Azalea Crowley

Good Mourning, Darling by Azalea Crowley is everything I never knew I wanted in a queer cozy horror romance. Eugene Graves is an undead, gray ace, gentleman hitman from the 1920s with a murder-hungry shadow who unexpectedly falls for the daughter of his employer while acting as a bodyguard. Ella Bardot is a bisexual 27-year-old Filipino American woman with autism adjusting to life back at her estranged parents’ home who becomes the target of a paranormal hit. Ella’s father never told her about the real supernatural business behind the family funeral home legacy, so when the monsters start attacking, the odd employee Ella’s been nursing a crush on for years is charged with keeping her safe. This is an excellent book. I love Eugene’s friendship with his shadow. For how bloodthirsty they are together, they really care for each other (or themselves) and consider each other’s feelings as a unit. Also, I commend Crowley’s commitment to a 20s Mid-Atlantic accent and the slang that accompanies it. I am a big Eugene fan all around. Ella is equally compelling. She is in that late 20s stage of your life where you are refiguring out what you want from life and how you fit back into the place that raised you. It is hard for me to pick individual lines or scenes, but her thought process and reactions to things just delight me. If you’ve been looking to unpack the links between infantilization, femininity, Asian identity, and autism boy do I have a book for you. So maybe it is no surprise that I love Ella and Eugene’s relationship. As this is the start of the series, I expect more facets of their partnership will reveal themselves over time but golly I do love them together. All their flirting is top-notch. I have never loved descriptions of smiles more. I was expecting to dislike the horror or gore elements, but I was so wrapped up in how much I liked this book I just took in the ambiance of it all and barreled on through. (As an aside, I would say this is a good book recommendation for any fans of Hazbin Hotel.) If you are looking for a paranormal romance that unpacks what it means to demand freedom—whatever that looks like for you—Good Mourning, Darling by Azalea Crowley, set to release April 3, 2024, should be next on your list. I would like to thank Azalea Crowley for providing an earc of Good Mourning, Darling in exchange for an honest review.

#Good Mourning Darling #Azalea Crowley #paranormal romance #queer cozy horror romance #queer romance #horror romance #hazbin hotel #book recommendations #earc #book recs #you should read it

[betterbooksandthings]

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland is the definition of a good time. This cozy pirate fantasy pirate book has the energy of Our Flag Means Death and a chaos plot. The slow burn, closed door, polyamorous relationship between a surly nonbinary pirate captain, a failed spy (who succeeds anyway because he is supernaturally lucky), and a monk in the process of letting go of his vow of celibacy is my everything. This book is a series of unlikely but fortunate events thought up by a genius who knows what I want from literature. I could not recommend it enough.

When Avra Helvaçi, goes for a walk one night and accidentally steals state secrets, he knows he needs to leave his life as a spy behind and get out of dodge fast. As luck would have it, the ship he is escaping on is raided by none other than the ex who is currently very mad at him, pirate Captain Teveri az-Haffar. The captain only agrees to let Avra live because the information he has could save their financially falling ship. Luckily, the studious and handsome Brother Julian can understand the science behind Avra’s information. If you like pirate cake competitions, blasphemous embroidery, making fun of government officials, and messy queer courtship, boy do I have the book for you.

Thanks to Tor for providing an arc of Running Close to the Wind in exchange for an honest review. Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland is set to release on June 13, 2024.

#Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland #our flag means death #pirates #fantasy #cozy fantasy #pirate romance #cozy fantasy romance #closed door romance

[betterbooksandthings]

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian looks at how we can muster up the courage to try again. It’s the reassurance that after a bad spell, there is something that comes after, and although it’s not perfect, it’s something. It’s 1960 in New York City and the reporter Mark Bailey and the baseball player Eddie O’Leary are in the midst of a sting of no good very bad days. Mark has been doing his best to not just haunt the 4th floor of the newspaper building and take his pampered dog for walks in the wake of his partner’s unexpected death. When his boss and close friend ask him to write the weekly diary of a rookie who hasn’t hit a single ball since he got called up from the minors, he reluctantly says yes. The young, kind, and hard-working Eddie defies Mark’s expectations. In doing so, a hit piece about an obnoxious baseball player transforms into the kindest underdog story of Mark’s career. This book is so kind and gentle even as it forcefully drags difficult topics into the light. What does it mean to be gay during a period of gay criminalization? How do you deal with grief for a partner, especially when it’s a partner no one knows about? Is it even possible to try when every time you do you fail? I cannot stress enough that this also manages to be a very fun book. Both characters are incredibly charming and well-constructed with built-out personal and professional lives. I did not care about baseball in New York City in the 1960s but if you offered me a ticket to Eddie’s game, I would drop everything else and go see the Robins with my own hand-written sign. Also, not to spoil anyone but I have never seen a more romantic gesture than having orange juice on hand and buying a bad book at an airport so they can be petty about it together. I cannot wait till Cat Sebastian drops the mini holiday chapter for them. It will be glorious. That is all to say you really should preorder You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian set to release May 7, 2024. I received an arc from Avon books in exchange for an honest review.

#You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian #book review #avon books #romance books #historical romance #queer historical romance #1960 baseball #arc #romance book recommendations

[betterbooksandthings]

"Recently, a wave of fresh paranormal romance books have hit the shelves. The real question is, which new books should you pick up?

Paranormal romance is a subgenre of romance that follows the HEA/HFN (happily ever after/ happy for now) arc of human, non-human, and/or superhuman characters. The paranormal beings involved could be ghosts, werewolves, vampires, witches, or other supernatural creatures of legend that slot into a paranormal version of our world. If it’s in a high fantasy otherworld or is a monster romance, I am following the judgment of fellow Book Riot writer Jessica Pryde in her paranormal romance recommendation list and disqualifying them from this round-up.

As a longtime fan of the genre, I have plenty of backlist recommendations and a carefully curated list of fresh paranormal romance books. Every book here was published in the last five years, between 2019 and 2024. As a general personal rule, I like my paranormal romance to have believable, well-developed characters and a plot that hooks me in. If either the love interests or plot are paper-thin, my attention swiftly drifts. So, if you are looking for a witch, werewolf, vamp, or otherwise paranormal being falling in love, I’ve decided these are the ones you should read."

#10 Fresh Paranormal Romance Reads #paranormal #paranormal romance #book recommendations #romance books #new paranormal book recs #Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai #Lead Me Astray by Sondi Warner #Odd Blood by Azalea Crowley #Bride by Ali Hazelwood #From the Dark We Came by J. Emery #Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh #Wings Once Cursed & Bound by Piper J. Drake #Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher #Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara #Human Enough by E.S. Yu

[betterbooksandthings]

"Welcome to the world of mini books and mini book kits, where small covers contain big ideas. You may ask, “Why make books so small?” In my humble opinion, mini books are equal parts cute and impressive. Why wouldn’t you want a mini bookshelf full of your own mini books?

The appeal of small books is not a new phenomenon. After all, there are existing miniature books from the 16th century. Small books have served as tests for book printers, collector’s items, and useful copies for people who valued their portability. The impressive collection of mini books scattered throughout print history is marvelous. And today, some traditional bookstores even carry the mini John Green books that hit the shelves in 2018.

There is also a growing demand and interest for non-readable mini books fit for a dollhouse. The Guardian covered the rising popularity of miniatures and dollhouses, explaining that with the rising cost of housing, adults interested in home ownership and décor turn to a miniature, affordable option. I think the same could be said about mini books and mini book kits. Maybe you want a small version of the books you love from the library or just mini versions of books you already own. Either way, the internet has plenty of mini books and mini book kits available for you to start your own curated collection."

#Mini Books Bringing Max Joy: the Best Mini Books and Mini Book Kits #mini books #etsy #mini book kits #mini books etsy #diy Mini Books #small books

[betterbooksandthings]

"Flip open the page. It’s time for you to be emotionally invested in the very normal life of a fantasy character. These fantasy coming-of-age stories have no big quest — it’s literally just a coming-of-age story that takes place in a fantasy setting.

Sometimes, we don’t want to read about someone defeating the fated dragon that has lurked on the western edge of the dark grove. We don’t want a chosen one to fulfill their destiny. We could even do without a bevy of hapless heroes who just had to set out on a quest. Instead, we would much rather prefer to read about someone growing up as best they can without too much fuss. These are those stories."

#No Big Quest — Just Fantasy Coming-of-Age Stories #coming of age #fantasy books #fantasy book recs #THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES BY SANGU MANDANNA #THE HOB’S BARGAIN BY PATRICIA BRIGGS #The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark Book Cover #THE BLACK GOD’S DRUMS BY P. DJÈLÍ CLARK #PET BY AKWAEKE EMEZI #WENCH BY MAXINE KAPLAN #FORGING SILVER INTO STARS BY BRIGID KEMMERER #ACROSS THE GREEN GRASS FIELDS BY SEANAN MCGUIRE #WILDSEED WITCH BY MARTI DUMAS

[betterbooksandthings]

"Get out your phones because it’s time for you to diversify your BookTok FYP. The wildly popular and influential app Tiktok has firmly changed the bookish landscape. So, to make sure you stay on top of diverse reviewers, authors, and books, you should take steps to change your FYP.

The FYP, or the For You Page, is the tab on TikTok that heavily relies on the algorithm to feed user’s content. After all, the part of TikTok known as BookTok is not exempt from the algorithm. Diversifying this feed is not an exact science. The algorithm changes frequently. Even the most diligent users can find unexpected videos on their feed every once in a while. TikTok has a memory for everything you engage with on the app. The following tips for diversifying your BookTok FYP are just a few ways you can ensure some of the videos on your feed represent the kinds of creators and content you are interested in."

#How To Diversify Your BookTok FYP #booktok #fypo #authors #book post #dverse #bookish

[betterbooksandthings]

"Lovers of queer books and content, come on down. I have a huge list of queer BookTok accounts to follow. I promise they are all worth it.

The part of TikTok, affectionately dubbed BookTok, has plenty of subgroups. If there is a kind of representation you are looking for, someone on BookTok has a recommendation for you. The same can be said for queer BookTok. You may be familiar with iconic audio “It’s gay and it slaps” or just queer BookTok at large. However, if you are on BookTok and have not encountered queer BookTok, you are missing out. There are many creators across the gender and sexuality spectrum who have an excellent eye for queer books and are consistently creating content sharing their thoughts on queer books.

Now, when it comes to creating a final list of queer BookTok accounts to follow, I had to narrow down a list of over 40 queer BookTok creators who I would wholeheartedly recommend. I tended to exclude some of the larger queer BookTok accounts with the assumption that they would be easier to find in a general search. I also excluded authors on queer BookTok, although there are plenty who do a great job. So, if I missed your favorite creator I do apologize, but I hope you can also find someone new from this bunch. Now, it is my honor to introduce you to an alphabetical list of 20 queer BookTok accounts to follow."

#20 of the Best Queer BookTok Accounts To Follow Right Now #TikTok #Booktok #queer TikTok

[betterbooksandthings]

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a delight. When revolutionaries force the librarian Kiela to flee the burning library she works for with her assistant Caz, a sentient spider plant, she returns to the small island she grew up on. She left with what may be the last remaining rare spell books from the capital's most prestigious library. Now, the only way Kiela and Caz can protect the books is to keep their existence a secret, even though helpful neighbors keep coming around to help them. Will they be able to protect their secret as the temptation to use the information inside the books to help everyone they meet grows? Can the surly Kiela resist the ever-helpful, sunshiny Larran forever? If you are looking for a warm hug of a cozy fantasy book look no further.

Now, I was inclined to like this book after enjoying many books in the cozy fantasy canon and many of Sarah Beth Durst’s backlist. Nevertheless, this book is a delight. The Spellshop explores what it means to come home and how people can redefine what home means to them at any stage of their lives. Kiela begins the book as an isolated character whose primary interactions are either with Caz or a library patron. She ends the book as a member of the community who cares about others and is cared for. Everything from the character dynamics to the magic system, to the political unrest just makes sense. As an aside if you are looking for a fantasy book that references the negative environmental effects of wealthy corporations and groups misusing natural resources to the detriment of the rest of society, you have found it.

Simply put, The Spellshop is a likable book. I like the main character and her slow-burn romantic relationship with her neighbor who just so happens to be her long-lost childhood friend. I like her friendship with her sentient plants. I like the townspeople and the bakery and the mermaids. The book just brought a smile to my face the whole time and I cannot recommend it more.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is set to release July 9, 2024, from Bramble with sprayed edges to complement its gorgeous cover, so I would recommend preordering a copy as soon as possible. I know I will. Thank you to Bramble for an eARC for an honest review.

#The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst #book review #cozy fantasy #fantasy romance #Sarah Beth Durst #book blog #bramble #tor #magic is a metaphor for late stage capitalism

[betterbooksandthings]

"Dragons. Magic. Romance. The most popular romantasy books on TikTok truly have everything a reader could want. After all, it’s undeniable — romantasy has recently taken BookTok by storm.

Romantasy is a subgenre that combines the romance and fantasy genres. By now, other Book Rioters have discussed the budding Romantasy genre and offered their own recommendations. As a lover of fantasy, romance, and any combination of the two, I am fully prepared for the recent rise in popularity of the books. In the past, some romantasy books contained too much romance for the fantasy section and too much fantasy for the romance section. However, because the most popular romantasy books on TikTok sold so well, traditional publishing took notice. Now these books are coming out in droves, and BookTok is paying attention."

#The 12 Most Popular Romantasy Books on TikTok #ROMANTASY #Fantasy romance books #TRIAL OF THE SUN QUEEN BY NISHA J. TULI #A RIVER OF GOLDEN BONES BY A.K. MULFORD #THAT TIME I GOT DRUNK AND SAVED A DEMON BY KIMBERLY LEMMING #KING OF BATTLE AND BLOOD BY SCARLETT ST. CLAIR #A STRANGE AND STUBBORN ENDURANCE BY FOZ MEADOWS #A BROKEN BLADE BY MELISSA BLAIR #FALL OF RUIN AND WRATH BY JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT #FOURTH WING BY REBECCA YARROS #A MARVELLOUS LIGHT BY FREYA MARSKE #EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END BY C. L. POLK #HUNT ON DARK WATERS BY KATEE ROBERT #A SONG OF SILVER AND GOLD BY MELISSA KARIBIAN

[betterbooksandthings]

"It’s that time again. With a changing of the calendars, readers are wondering how to best create their reading goals in the new year. No one likes to look back and discover they didn’t accomplish any of their New Year’s resolutions. So, let’s celebrate this new start by coming together and creating a more peaceful reading year with a set of reading goals you can actually complete.

I’ve always been a fan of pulling some research from the depths of academia to help my personal life. When looking to create achievable reading goals in the new year, I naturally look towards the good people in psychology. So, let’s take a look at the research and apply it to reading goals for the new year."

#How to Create Achievable Reading Goals for the New Year #goal setting theory #Reflective Goal Setting: An Applied Approach to Personal and Leadership Development #Cheryl J. Travers #book goals #reading goals #goal setting #book essay

[betterbooksandthings]

"Ahoy! Welcome aboard. On this ship, all pirate romance books end with a pirate sailing into the proverbial sunset with their love. Taught sails, sturdy planks, and an oh-so-dangerous ocean await. Get ready because you are in for a nautical treat.

Pirate romance books have long brought solace to readers who want to find love at sea with dangerous, daring, and heroic rogues. Pirates are the bandits of the sea. Even a privateer sanctioned by the government to be a pirate gets a pass in romance. After all, they have all the appeal of a pirate and the ability to operate in society if they want to."

#9 of the Best Pirate Romance Books #DESTINY’S CAPTIVE BY BEVERLY JENKINS #Hunt on dark waters by katee robert #TO WIN A WITCH’S HEART BY ANDIE J CHRISTOPHER #A SONG OF SILVER AND GOLD BY MELISSA KARIBIAN #THE CAPTAIN’S CHOICE BY WREN TAYLOR #PIRATES OF ALETHARIA BY BRITNEY JACKSON #THE FATE OF STARS BY S D SIMPER #TO CONQUER A BRIDE BY NAIMA SIMONE #TO RAVISH A ROGUE BY C.M. NASCOSTA #Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey #book post #book list #book recomendation #romance books

[betterbooksandthings]

"The book has seen immediate success in 2023, debuting as a number one New York Times bestselling novel. Readers love the irreverent fantasy world and the witty characters trying to make a living in a villain’s evil lair. Sure, the villain equips the lair with a top-notch break room, HR, and healthcare, but there are still the trappings of a villain’s daily activities, reminding employees they work for a bad guy. If you, too, can’t get enough of this world, read on for eight funny, romantic, and fantastical books like Assistant to the Villain!

The following books like Assistant to the Villain give readers who are eagerly awaiting book two something to read in the meantime. They are a combination of fantasy romance books that have a dash of action, romance, and comedy to keep any Hannah Nicole Maehrer fan happy. I am head over heels for the odd little subgenre myself, so I guarantee these books like Assistant to the Villain will hit the spot."

#8 WICKEDLY FUNNY BOOKS LIKE ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN #Assistant to the Villain #Hannah Nicole Maehrer #BITTER MEDICINE BY MIA TSAI #THAT TIME I GOT DRUNK AND SAVED A DEMON BY KIMBERLY LEMMING #ELF DEFENCE BY LISA HENRY #SARAH HONEY #A RIVAL MOST VIAL BY R. K. ASHWICK #HUMAN ENOUGH BY E.S. YU #ALK BETWEEN WORLDS BY SAMARA BREGER #HEROINE COMPLEX BY SARAH KUHN #FROM THE DARK WE CAME BY J. EMERY #book recomendation #book post #book list #fantasy books #fantasy romance books #romantasy books

[betterbooksandthings]

Love on the Byline by Xio Axelrod

For readers who love competent characters who've mastered the art of pining, Love on the Byline by Xio Axelrod has you covered. Blake Dillon may be a cub reporter on the celebrity gossip beat at the LA Gazette right now, but she dreams of being an investigative journalist like her grandfather one day. So, Blake says yes when her editor assigns her an in-depth interview for a star on the rise with a guarantee that he will consider her new piece on suspected child star exploitation. But she didn't plan to run into Ollie, her ex-friend from college who she always pined for. Turns out Oliver Benjamin is the executive assistant for the subject of Blake's article and the three knew each other in college. Old misunderstandings tangle with new complexities as the three navigate personal feelings in the shadow of a very public job. As Blake continues her interviews, she uncovers levels of corruption inside her own newsroom that will make her rethink the celebrity beat and the celebrity in question entirely. If you are someone who loves a slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance with a high-stakes plotline Love on the Byline may be the perfect book you never knew you needed.

Now let me get this out of the way, I firmly believe Axelrod is an underappreciated talent in the romance world. Her second book is somehow just as good as her first and I cannot see her disappointing me anytime soon. She knows how to craft real characters in the world of celebrity life. From the executive assistant to journalists, to writers, and actors, each character had a real inner life that I bought into immediately. It's not just her world or character building, but her plots that really hook me in. There were layers upon layers of personal and professional stakes that just built into a beautiful sandcastle of stakes I was terrified could crumble at any moment. I cannot recommend Love on the Byline or Xio Axelrod more.

Thank you to Blue Box Press for a reader’s copy for an honest review.

#Love on the Byline by Xio Axelrod #book review #blue box press #romance book #contemporary romance #journalist #celebrety #romance #book blog #book recommendations

[betterbooksandthings]

"It’s no longer a secret. Every reader loves a little treat. In 2023, you can find the 20 best gifts for readers right here.

I have an obsession with finding the perfect gift for everyone I know. It is just so nice to take the time to think about someone’s interests and gift them something they would never get for themselves. When it comes to readers, books are an obvious choice for sure. There are many, many books to choose from. However, if you are unsure what books the readers in your life already own, bookish gifts like these are the perfect solution. I also love the idea of giving someone a book and a little bookish treat. Either way, there are some perfect gifts for readers this year."

#THE 20 BEST GIFTS FOR READERS 2023 #bookish gifts #etsy #reader gifts #holiday gifts

[betterbooksandthings]

"Today is the day you put your fantasy fandom skills to the fire. Will you melt under pressure like a marshmallow exposed to the center of a fire pit? Will you emerge stronger after being forged in fire like a fine steel sword? Can you guess the fantasy book based on a vague description?

Many a fantasy fan has had the experience of forgetting the name of the book you’re reading. Instead, you rattle off a vague description of the book that gets you further away from the truth. When it comes to fantasy books, this could be only describing a chapter of a thousand-page book or a single character or a world-building element. After all, if someone asks you if you know “that book about the people with magic who walk in the forest,” would you know what they were talking about? Technically, it is a description of the fantasy book, even if it’s not very identifiable."

#CAN YOU GUESS THE FANTASY BOOK BASED ON A VAGUE DESCRIPTION? #book quiz #fantasy book quiz #bookish quiz #fantasy books #The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai #The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi #The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem #A Restless Truth by Freya Marske #A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows #The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson #Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse #The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri #Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson #Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey #Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher #The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten #Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk #The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin