ladyherenya

[ladyherenya]

Sequels and retellings, mostly.

Also read: Circling Back to You by Julie Tieu and “Death of Snow” by Tansy Rayner Roberts.

Reread: Fangirl and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.

Total: Eleven novels (including one audiobook), one graphic novel, one short story collection and one short story.

My favourites: The Swallows’ Flight (perspicacious and poignant and vividly-written), Return of the Thief (tense, with twists and revelations I didn’t anticipate and a satisfying ending) and “Winter Songs for Summer” in Scattered Showers (the early noughties tech made me nostalgic and Summer’s relationship with music was interesting).

I’d also recommend: Ten Thousand Stitches, Great or Nothing, Fangirl vol. 2, Scattered Showers and If the Shoe Fits.

Cover thoughts: The covers for both The Swallows’ Flight and Great or Nothing are lovely. I like the internal illustrations for Scattered Showers more than its cover. I think I would have read Return of the Thief sooner if its cover were less ominous.

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

The Swallows' Flight by Hilary McKay. Children’s historical fiction about growing up during the 30s and WWII, set in England and Germany. 4☆

Naughty Dragons Try School! by Natalie Jane Prior (illustrated by Simon Howe). Sequel to Naughty Dragons Make Trouble! Children's fantasy. 3½☆

Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater. Romantic Regency fantasy about a housemaid who receives an offer of help from a faerie lord. Same world as Half a Soul. 3½☆

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy. Contemporary retelling of Cinderella, about participating in a dating reality TV show. Single POV. 3½☆

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory. Contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast, about an editor's assistant and an uncommunicative author. Single POV.

“Death of Snow” by Tansy Rayner Roberts. Murder mystery retelling of Snow White. Short story.

Great or Nothing by Joy McCullough, Caroline Tung Richmond, Tess Sharpe and Jessica Spotswood. A retelling of the later part of Little Women, set during WWII. 3½☆

Circling Back to You by Julie Tieu. Contemporary office romance.

Fangirl: the manga (volume 2), adapted by Sam Maggs and Rainbow Rowell and illustrated by Gabi Nam. Part 2 of 4, adapting Rowell's novel about a fangirl at college. 3½☆

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell. A collection of nine short stories. Three stories revisit characters from her novels.  Most are romantic. 4☆

Four Kings by Karan K Anders (aka Andrea K. Höst). Sequel to The Book of Firsts. A very low-key sort of book about uni students who have the resources to pursue their passions -- in terms of their studies, artistic ambitions, paid work and unconventional relationships. 3☆

Return of the Thief Megan Whalen Turner. Fantasy. Final Queen's Thief book. 4☆

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

A good month for reading! Despite November’s demands and deadlines, it didn’t turn into a repeat of last November (when I apparently didn’t have the headspace for reading) nor of some of 2022′s more stressful months (when I didn’t have the headspace for some of my favourite genres and instead mostly subsisted on contemporary romance).

Total: Ten novels (including two audiobooks), one novella and one picture book.

Still reading: The Swallows’ Flight by Hilary McKay, Naughty Dragons Try School! by Natalie Jane Prior and Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater.

My favourites: Sarah Morris Remembers (interesting, poignant and enjoyable), The Codebreaker’s Secret (vivid relationships and scenery) and Half a Soul (delightful and satisfyingly not fluffy).

I’d also recommend: Any of these, really -- if one likes their respective genres. (Some of them didn’t appeal so much to me but I’m chalking that up to a me-thing.)

Cover thoughts: I like the cover for A Prayer for the Crown-Shy.

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

Miss Moriarty, I Presume? by Sherry Thomas. Sixth Charlotte Holmes mystery, following on from Murder on Cold Street. Set in Victorian England. 3☆

Sarah Morris Remembers by D.E. Stevenson (narrated by Patience Tomlinson). A coming-of-age novel about growing up in England the 30s and working in London during WWII. 3½☆

Ex Appeal by Cathy Yardley. Contemporary romance, same series as Love, Comment, Subscribe and Gouda Friends.

Naughty Dragons Make Trouble! by Natalie Jane Prior (illustrated by Simon Howe). Children's fantasy about fostering two dragons. 3½☆

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell. Science-fiction. Military space opera with telepathy. 3½☆

Skyward: the story of female pilots in WWII by Sally Deng. Fictionalised-nonfiction picture book. 3½☆

The Codebreaker's Secret by Sara Ackerman. Historical mystery set in Hawaii, about a code breaker in 1943 and a journalist in 1965. 3½☆

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater. Romantic regency fantasy. 3½☆

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers. Science-fiction novella about a robot and a tea monk. Sequel to A Psalm for the Wild-Built. 3☆

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade. Companion-sequel to Spoiler Alert and All the Feels. Fandom-y contemporary romance. 3☆

We Can't Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Young adult fiction about a summer working for her family's wedding business. 3☆

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl. Romantic historical fiction set in a (fictional?) coastal English community. 3☆

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[ladyherenya]

All the books in the top row I started reading before October -- one I started back in June and just took months to finish.

Also read: The Hookup Equation by Roxie Noir.

Reread: The Gate of Ivory, Two-Bit Heroes and Guilt-Edged Ivory by Doris Egan.

Total: Twelve novels (including two audiobooks), one graphic novel and one play.

Still reading: Sarah Morris Remembers by D.E. Stevenson.

My favourite: My Eyes Are Up Here has a funny and perceptive protagonist.

I’d also recommend: The One Month Boyfriend and The Bodyguard.

I wouldn’t recommend: The Hookup Equation or The Spitfire Girls.

Cover thoughts: The cover for My Eyes Are Up Here is clever and effective! Meanwhile The Agathas is attempting to be clever, showing both narrators by having one reflected in the other’s sunglasses, but the effect is a bit odd.  

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

Lady of the Forest by Jennifer Roberson. Historical fiction, Robin Hood retelling. 2½☆

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. Romantic comedy. Play. 4½☆

Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland and illustrated by Mike Holmes. Graphic novel, middle grade fantasy about dragons. 3☆

The Spitfire Girls by Soraya M. Lane (narrated by Sarah Zimmerman). Historical fiction about women flying for the ATA during WWII. 2☆

To Treasure an Heiress by Roseanna M. White (narrated by Liz Pearce). Historical romantic Christian fiction set on in the Isles of Scilly in the early 1900s. Sequel to The Nature of a Lady. 3☆

The One Month Boyfriend by Roxie Noir. Contemporary romance, fake dating.

The Hookup Equation by Roxie Noir. Contemporary romance.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. Contemporary romance, single POV. 3☆

With You Forever by Chloe Liese. Contemporary romance.

My Eyes Are Up Here by Laura Zimmermann. Young adult. 3½☆

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson (narrated by Mehr Dudeja, Sophie Amoss and Holly Linneman). Young adult mystery. 3☆

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

Springtime!

Reread: Checkmate by Dorothy Dunnett, and Penric’s Mission and Mira’s Last Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Total: Seven novels, four novellas (including one audiobook) and one graphic novel.

Still reading: To Treasure an Heiress by Roseanna M. White.

My favourite: The Stand-In is really enjoyable! Funny and fluffy in places, thoughtfully serious in others but still positive. 

I’d also recommend: You Deserve Each Other, Home and The Cult of Romance.

Cover thoughts: I’d seen  recommendations for You Deserve Each Other  and if I hadn’t enjoyed Hogle’s Twice Shy I would have kept ignoring them, because the combination of cover and title suggested a relationship I didn’t want to read about.

I particularly like the covers for The Stand-In, Home and Kind of a Big Deal, even though pink and pastel green are not a favourite colour combination.

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

Sofia Khan and the Baby Blues by Ayisha Malik. Novella sequel to Sofia Khan is Not Obliged and The Other Half of Happiness. Contemporary fiction. 2½☆

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle. Contemporary romance, single POV. 3½☆

The Stand-In by Lily Chu. Contemporary fiction set in Canada, about standing in for a Chinese actress. 3½☆

Home by Penny Parkes. Contemporary fiction set in England, about a house-sitter. 3½☆

A Night at the Frost Fair by Emma Carroll (narrated by Maya Soroya). Children's time-travel set in London. 3☆

The Cult of Romance by Sarah Ayoub. Young adult romantic fiction set in Australia and Lebanon. 3½☆

Runaways: Come Away With Me (volume 6) by Rainbow Rowell and Andrès Genolet. Marvel superhero comics. Sequel to Canon Fodder. 3½☆

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood. Nerdy romance about working for NASA. Single POV. 3½☆

Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale. Bookish YA fantasy. 3☆

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[ladyherenya]

Also read: Playing Doctor by Cathy Yardley.

Reread: From All False Doctrine by Alice Degan.

Total: Nine novels (including one audiobook), two novellas (including one audiobook) and one graphic novel.

Still reading: Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy (Graphic Novel) by Tui T. Sutherland and The Spitfire Girls by Soraya M. Lane.

My favourite: Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged. Sofia is warm and funny and insightful about her experiences, her culture and her relationships.

I’d also recommend: You and Me on Vacation, Squire and Nettle & Bone.

I probably wouldn’t recommend: Playing Doctor.

Cover thoughts: I read Squire because the cover caught my eye. 

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

Katherine's Marriage (1965) by D.E. Stevenson (narrated by Lesley Mackie). Fiction about a family living in Scotland, sequel to Katherine Wentworth. 3☆

Playing Doctor by Cathy Yardley. Nerdy romance, part of the Fandom Hearts series. 

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry. Contemporary romance, single POV. 3½☆

Knot of Shadows by Lois McMaster Bujold (narrated by Grover Gardner). A Penric & Desdomona novella, set after The Assassins of Thasalon. Fantasy, murder mystery. 3☆

Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas. Fantasy graphic novel. 3½☆

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon). Dark fairytale-ish fantasy. 3½☆

The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Children's fantasy. 3☆

Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer. YA fantasy, set a few years after her Cursebreaker trilogy. 3½☆

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle. Contemporary romance about inheriting a house. Single POV.

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik. Contemporary fiction about a Muslim woman living in London. 4☆

The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik. Sequel to Sofia Khan is Not Obliged, about grief and marriage. 3☆

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

Half of these look cold/wintry. A seasonally appropriate theme!

Total: Seven novels (including one audiobook), two novellas (including another audiobook) and a graphic novel.

Still reading: Katherine’s Marriage by D.E. Stevenson and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare.

My favourite: How To Spell Catastrophe deftly captures the experience of navigating anxiety and change on the border of teenagerhood.

I would also recommend: Where the Drowned Girls Go and Below Zero -- if one likes those genres.

I wouldn’t recommend: Castle & Key.

Cover thoughts: The cover of Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend makes much more sense when enlarged enough to see the TikTok references. (I initially dismissed this book, assuming it would be a different sort of story to what it actually is.)   

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

The Nature of a Lady by Roseanna M. White (narrated by Liz Pearce). Historical romantic Christian fiction set on in the Isles of Scilly in the early 1900s. 3☆

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire (narrated by Whitney Johnson). Fantasy novella, part of the Wayward Children series, set at a boarding school for those who want to forget their portal-world adventures. 3☆

Suelen by Rachel Neumeier. Fantasy novella set after Tuyo. 3☆

The Midwinter Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag. Graphic novel, sequel to The Witch Boy and The Hidden Witch. YA Fantasy. 3☆

Love at First Spite by Anna E. Collins. Contemporary romance. Single POV.

Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood. Novella. Nerdy romance about working for NASA. Same series as Under One Roof and Stuck With You. Single POV. 3☆

Between Kings by W.R. Gingell. Australian urban fantasy. Finale in series that began with Between Jobs. 3☆

How to Spell Catastrophe by Fiona Wood. Australian children's fiction about dealing with changes and anxiety. 3½☆

Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend by Penny Reid. Contemporary nerdy romance, about social media challenges.

Castle & Key by W.R. Gingell. Fantasy with Gothic fairytale vibes. Latest in the Two Monarchies series. 3☆

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[ladyherenya]

Predominately contemporary fiction, I suspect because my headspace for worldbuilding was predominately claimed by Real LifeTM.

Also read: The Missed Connection by Denise Williams

Reread: Jeremiah in the Dark Woods by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.

Total: Seven novels (including one audiobook) and three novellas.

Still reading: The Nature of a Lady by Roseanna M. White and Lady of the Forest by Jennifer Roberson.

My favourite: The Rosie Project is is so warm and optimistic and romantic, but in a really grounded way. Also very funny.

I’d also recommend: Nim’s Island. Sense and Second-Degree Murder. Speak For Yourself. Etc.

Cover thoughts: From the covers, Hazelwood’s other STEMinist novellas appealed to me more than Stuck With You did -- but Stuck With You turned out to be my favourite in the series, so, you know, there’s a reason for that old saying about covers and judging books.

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

Nim's Island by Wendy Orr. Children's fiction, about a girl surviving by herself on an island. 4☆

Sense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price (narrated by Morag Sims). Murder mystery retelling of Sense and Sensibility, set in the same 1800s London as Pride and Premeditation. 3½☆

The Emma Project by Sonali Dev. Contemporary romance, a genderswapped retelling of Emma set in California. Same series as Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors, etc. 3☆

Stuck With You by Ali Hazelwood. Nerdy romance novella, same series as Under One Roof. Single POV. 3½☆

Speak for Yourself by Lana Wood Johnson. Young adult fiction about nerdy extra-curricular activities.  3½☆

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Australian contemporary fiction about an eccentric genetics professor helping a woman find her biological father. 4☆

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion. Sequel about adjusting to marriage and life in New York. 3☆

The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion. Sequel about parenting an 11 year old struggling adjust to school back in Australia. 4☆

The Missed Connection by Denise Williams. Contemporary romance novella about two academics.

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

May was just A Lot. So this is what I had the headspace for.

(I think I turn to romance when I want the guarantee of feeling-centric storytelling that’s going to be immediately engaging and end positively. Romance reliably delivers that, at least.)

Reread: Possession by A.S. Byatt and Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Total: Six novels (including one audiobook), two novellas and one graphic novel.

Still reading: Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr and Sense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price.

My favourite: Under One Roof (nerdy narrator! single POV romance!)

I’d also recommend: The Assassins of Thasalon (but only if one has read the previous novellas).

I probably wouldn’t recommend: No Ex Before Marriage.

Cover thoughts: I like how the row of romance looks together, they way the covers at either end show their couples in detail, while the three in middle show them as figures. Total coincidence -- this is just the order I read them in!

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood. Nerdy romance novella, reluctant-roommates-to-lovers. Single POV. 3☆

No Ex Before Marriage by Portia MacIntosh. Romantic chick-lit, set in the UK. 2½☆

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas. Contemporary romance about fake-dating colleagues set in the US and Spain. Single POV.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca. Contemporary romance about participating in a Renaissance faire.  Single POV.

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma. Contemporary romance, a desi retelling of The Taming of the Shrew.

The Assassins of Thasalon by Lois McMaster Bujold (narrated by Grover Gardner). A Penric & Desdomona novel set after The Physicians of Vilnoc. Fantasy mystery. 3½☆

The Hidden Witch by Molly Ostertag. Graphic novel. Sequel to The Witch Boy. YA Fantasy. 3☆

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

Spent my Easster holiday reading!

Also read: Dream House by Stephanie Fournet and Radiance by Grace Draven.

Reread: Land of the Burning Sands by Rachel Neumeier.

Total: Twelve novels (including three audiobooks).

Still reading: Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr, Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, Miss Moriarty I presume? by Sherry Thomas, and Sense and Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price.

My favourites: The Diamond Eye (engaging, fascinating, beautifully-written), Dear Mr Knightley (unexpectedly compelling) and The Love Hypothesis (university setting! fake dating! single POV!)

I’d also recommend: Love, Comment, Subscribe.

I wouldn’t recommend: Radiance.

Cover thoughts: Love, Comment, Subscribe's cover is clever, and I read The Edge of Thirteen because the cover caught my eye.

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

Masquerade in Lodi by Lois McMaster Bujold (narrated by Grover Gardner). A Penric & Desdomona novella, set between Penric’s Fox and Penric's Mission. Fantasy, mystery. 3☆

Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley. Nerdy romance about YouTubers, set in California.

Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley. Nerdy romance, about high school friends of characters from Love, Comment, Subscribe.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Nerdy romance, set at a university. Single POV. 4☆

Dear Mr Knightley by Katherine Reay (narrated by Hilary Huber). Contemporary retelling of Daddy-Long-Legs. Epistolary. Christian fiction. 4☆

Dream House by Stephanie Fournet. Contemporary romance.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang. Contemporary romance about a violinist on the autism spectrum, dealing with burnout, grief and family expectations. 3½☆

The Edge of Thirteen by Nova Weetman. Australian young adult fiction. 3½☆

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. Historical fiction set during WWII about a female Russian sniper. 4☆

The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He. Dystopian science-fiction. 3☆

Emissary by Melissa McShane. Fantasy mystery. 3☆

Radiance by Grace Draven. Romantic fantasy. 2☆

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

Another exhausting month, with a new puppy added into the mix.

Total: Five novels (including two audiobooks), one story collection, and one short story.

My favourite: Keraunani, because I enjoy the marriage-of-convenience trope, especially in the hands of a storyteller I trust.

I’d also recommend: Radar Girls and “If the Fates Allow”.

I probably wouldn’t recommend: Cinderella Must Die.

Cover thoughts: The Last Garden in England and Radar Girls both caught my eye when I was scrolling through the library catalogue. In both cases, it was the combination of the cover and the title.

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly (narrated by Shiromi Arserio, Marisa Calin, Danielle Cohen, Katherine Littrell, Siobhan Waring). Historical fiction, set on an English estate in the early 1900s, the 1940s and the present day. 3½☆

Good Neighbors: The Full Collection by Stephanie Burgis. Two short stories and two novellas. Romantic fantasy. 3☆

Keraunani by Rachel Neumeier. Part of the Tuyo series, set concurrently to Tarashana. Romantic fantasy. 3½☆

Cinderella Must Die by W.R. Gingell. Fairytale retelling. 2½☆

Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman. Historical, set on Hawaii during WWII. 3½☆

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. Historical romance.

“If the Fates Allow” by Rainbow Rowell. Short story about a minor character from Fangirl, set at Christmas during the pandemic. 3½☆

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

COVID comfort reading, plus whatever I had out from the library.

Also read: Savage Courtship and Reckless Conduct by Susan Napier.

Total: Eight novels (including two audiobooks) and one novella.

Did not finish: The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow.

Still reading: The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly.

My favourite: In the Serpent’s Wake, a compelling adventure and a pointed  portrayal of the injustices of colonialism.

I’d also recommend: Where the Rhythm Takes You, a deft and engaging YA Persuasion retelling.

I probably wouldn’t recommend: Susan Napier’s romances.

Cover thoughts: I like XOXO‘s.

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

Razor's Edge: Empire and Rebellion by Martha Wells (narrated by January LaVoy). Star Wars science-fiction, set after A New Hope. 3☆

Savage Courtship by Susan Napier. 90s romance, set in New Zealand. Single POV.

Reckless Conduct by Susan Napier. 90s romance, set in New Zealand. Single POV.

The Heirs of Locksley by Carrie Vaughn. Sequel to The Ghosts of Sherwood. Historical novella about Robin and Marian's adolescent offspring. 3½☆

So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park. Chick-lit, set in the US. 2½☆

Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass. Young adult Persuasion retelling, set in the Caribbean. 3½☆

Any Way The Wind Blows by Rowell Rainbow. Sequel to Carry On and Wayward Son. Young adult fantasy. 3½☆

XOXO by Axie Oh. Young adult, set in a Korean performing arts boarding school. 3½☆

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow. Young adult science-fiction. DNF.

In the Serpent's Wake by Rachel Hartman (narrated by Katharine Lee McEwan). Sequel to Tess of the Road. Fantasy. 4☆

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

The real-life parts of last January -- the excitement of a new job, uncertainty of awaiting a relative’s medical results, sky-rocketing COVID cases -- now feel like a very long time ago. Whereas I can believe that I read these books in 2022.

Also read: Price of Passion and The Sister Swap by Susan Napier.

Reread: Passage and Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold, and High Fidelity by Nick Hornby.

Total: Twelve novels (including three audiobooks).

Still reading: Razor’s Edge: Empire and Rebellion by Martha Wells.

My favourite: Katherine Wentworth, because I liked the first-person narration so much! Katherine is astute and kind, and her observations about her family give the story satisfying verisimilitude.

I’d also recommend: Scales and Sensibility and Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.

I probably wouldn’t recommend: Just Like You.

Cover thoughts: Surely that’s not meant to be Russell on the cover of Castle Shade? And while I’m on that subject, this series has been going on for nearly 30 years -- isn’t it time we we get a cover accurately depicting its bespectacled heroine?

Titles, authors, genres and ratings listed below, with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

Katherine Wentworth (1964) by D.E. Stevenson (narrated by Lesley Mackie). Romantic fiction, set in Scotland (and England). 3½☆

Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley. Contemporary romance, set in New York. Single POV.

Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis. Regency romantic fantasy / comedy of manners. 3☆

Castle Shade by Laurie R. King. 17th book about Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. Historical Gothic mystery set in 1920s Roumania. 3☆

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (narrated by Ari Fliakos). Mystery. 3½☆

Price of Passion by Susan Napier. Contemporary romance, set in New Zealand. Single POV.

The Sister Swap by Susan Napier. 90s romance, set in New Zealand. Single POV.

Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold (narrated by Grover Gardner). Science-fiction, set in same universe as her Vorksoigan saga. 3☆

Just Like You by Nick Hornby. Romantic fiction, set in England. 3☆

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[ladyherenya]

Favourite books from 2021

#End of year list of favourite books #Herenya recommends things #Once again #I'm late to the party with this

[ladyherenya]

Total of 141 books in 2021

Includes:

10 rereads (not included in the picture)

27 audiobooks

43 books borrowed through Overdrive/Libby, and 22 through Scribd

4 graphic novels/comics, 12 novellas, 1 story collections, 5 short stories and 1 non-fiction book (I didn’t record the many picture books I read)

2 books published before 1950 (none before 1900)

42 books published during 2020

Top tags (not mutually exclusive):

fantasy (48)

contemporary (31)

historical (27)

young adult (24)

mystery (16)

retellings (12)

fiction (10)

1st person (53) + 3rd person (87)

Top authors:

W.R. Gingell (14)

D.E. Stevenson (8)

Rachel Neumeier (7)

Roseanna M. White (7)

Cathy Yardley (6)

#Herenya reviews books #yearly reading overview

[ladyherenya]

I have finished The Lymond Chronicles! And finished the year!

Total: Six novels (including one audiobook) and three novellas.

Cover thoughts: No strong feelings.

Still reading:  Katherine Wentworth by D.E. Stevenson.

Next up: Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis.

(List of titles, authors and genres below. Reviews are on Dreamwidth -- and will eventually be posted on LibraryThing too.)

Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: Sequel to Aurora Rising and Aurora Burning. YA SF. 3★

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth: Fantasy. 3★

Checkmate by Dorothy Dunnett (narrated by David Monteath): Book 6 of The Lymond Chronicles. Historical. 4½★

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers: Science-fiction, novella. 3★

Mother Gothel and the Maiden Prince by W.R. Gingell: Fairytale retelling, novella. 3★

The Love Con by Seressia Glass: Fandom-y contemporary romance.

The Raven Heir by Stephanie Burgis: Children’s fantasy. 3★

Paladin’s Hope by T. Kingfisher: Fantasy murder mystery with romance.

The Last Hawk by Elizabeth Wein: Historical YA, novella. 3½★

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

Work became increasingly demanding in some rather unexpected ways (some of which were also unexpectedly positive). If it weren’t for audiobooks, I would barely have read any books.

Reread: The Rising Force by Dave Wolverton (and then half of The Dark Rival), and The Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn.

Total: Seven and half novels (including three audiobooks).

Cover thoughts: I like how the blue-ish covers are bookended by the garden-y ones.

Still reading: Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

Next up: Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth.

(List of titles, authors, genres and ratings below. Reviews on Dreamwidth and LibraryThing.)

Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley: Romantic mystery. 3★ 

The Week at World’s End by Emma Carroll (narrated by Venice Van Someran): Children’s, historical. 3½★ 

The Ringed Castle by Dorothy Dunnett (narrated by David Monteath): Book 5 of The Lymond Chronicles. Historical. 4½★ 

All the Feels by Olivia Dade: Companion-sequel to Spoiler Alert. Fandom-y contemporary romance.

The Musgraves by D.E. Stevenson (1960) (narrated by Anne Dover): Fiction. 2½★ 

#Herenya reviews books

[ladyherenya]

I’d requested We Are Still Tornadoes all the way back in 2017 and when the library finally (and unexpectedly) added it to their collection, I could no longer remember why I’d wanted to read it.

Reread: Tuyo by Rachel Neumeier. (Unless I reread that in October? Can’t remember now.)

Total: Nine novels (including three audiobooks), one novella and one graphic novel.

Cover thoughts: Unintentional colour theme -- lots of bright colours befitting spring.

Still reading: Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley.

Next up: The Week at World’s End by Emma Carroll.

(List of titles, authors, genres and ratings below. Reviews on Dreamwidth and LibraryThing.)

Summerhills by D.E. Stevenson (1955) (narrated by Lesley Mackie): Sequel to Amberwell. 3★

Curses by Lish McBride: Retelling of Beauty and the Beast. 3★    

Anne of Manhatten by Brina Starler: Contemporary retelling of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of the Island. 2★

Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray (narrated by Jonathan Davies): Star Wars tie-in. 3½★

Between Family by W.R. Gingell: Book 9 of The City Between. Urban fantasy.  3½★

Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney: Contemporary YA. 3★

We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen: Epistolary YA. 3½★

White Sand, Volume 3 by Brandon Sanderson,  Rik Hoskin and Fritz Casas: Graphic novel, fantasy. 3★

What Happens at Con and Ms. Behave by Cathy Yardley: Part of the Fandom Hearts series. Contemporary romance.

#Herenya reviews books