Adult Fiction

Sourcery

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by Terry Pratchett
First sentence: “There was a man and he had eight sons.”
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Content: It’s a Pratchett novel, so there’s really nothing, except that it’s a bit long. It’s in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

I picked this one up because for #ReadICT I needed a book published the year I turned 16, which was 1988. I looked at lists of the best sellers and top books, and nothing spoke to me until I stumbled across this one. Ah, I thought I could always read another Discworld book that I hadn’t read. I haven’t dabbled in the Rincewind books at all – I’ve never been much interested – but I figured why not. It’s a Terry Pratchett book.

This one is simple in plot: wizards aren’t supposed to have kids because there is a chance of sorcerers, and those are Bad. Except one wizard did have kid – the eighth son of an eighth son, which I find hilarious – and eventually he came to take over the Unseen University. Rincewind – and friends he picked up along the way – are sent to keep the Archmage hat safe (or as safe as possible, which, of course, doesn’t work very well) from the sorcerer, and so that the Apocalypse can be (narrowly) avoided.

But Pratchett’s books are not about the plot. They’re about the journey, and the little asides, and the footnotes, and the humor that you find. And, while this one isn’t my favorite (and it’s not even as good as Hogfather, which I read at the beginning of the year), it was still fun. It made me laugh, I was entertained, and I read it much quicker than I’ve been reading pretty much anything else these days.

Then again, it’s Sir Terry. I don’t think he ever wrote a bad book. Just more good and less good. And maybe this one was less good for me, but it’s still a delight.

Audiobook: We Solve Murders

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by Richard Osman
Read by Nicola Walker
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There are some murders (obviously: it’s in the title), but nothing gory, as well as mild swearing (and maybe one or two f-bombs that I’m not recalling right now). It’s in the Mystery section of the bookstore.

Amy Wheeler is a bodyguard-for-hire, and very good at her job. She’s a professional, and is determined to protect her latest client, the bestselling mystery author Rosie D’Antonio. Except someone is out to kill Amy instead. The one person she can trust is her father-in-law, Steve. A retired cop-turned-low-stakes PI, Steve just wants to be at home. But he cares about his daughter-in-law, and when she asks, he comes. Even if it means flying across the world. (Though he does get spoiled by all the private jets he flies on.) The question is: can they figure out who is trying to kill Amy (and set her up for several other murders) before they actually manage to succeed?

Oh, this one was a lot of fun! I listened to The Thursday Murder Club and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I’m not surprised. This one had a lot of twists and turns and action plus quite a bit of humor and kept me thoroughly entertained. It ended up being one of those books that wanted to keep listening to. Part of that was Walker’s narration; she was absolutely fabulous with the characters and driving the narration forward. But the other part is Osman’s gift for not only writing fully fleshed-out older people (him and Clare Pooley, honestly) but for writing a solid mystery that kept me entertained while also guessing at whodunit.

Highly recommend this one.

The Ex Hex

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by Erin Sterling
First sentence: “Never mix vodka and witchcraft.”
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Content: There is on-screen sex as well as some swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

When she was 19, Vivienne had a summer fling with Rhys Penhallow, which ended badly – breaking her heart. So, she and her cousin Gwyn “hexed” him – mostly in jest, but maybe there’s something more. Because 9 years later, Rhys is back in Graves Glen to charge the ley lines and things have gone horribly wrong. Maybe the hex that Vivienne and Gwyn did had some teeth after all.

As Vivi and Rhys try to figure out how to reverse the hex, they realize that maybe what they had 9 years ago wasn’t just a summer fling. Maybe it was something more. Can they fix the hex in time?

I picked this up last year intending to read it at Halloween, but never did. So, when I was looking for something fun and fluffy to read, I found this one sitting on a shelf. Why not read a witchy romance? And I’m so glad I did. It was everything I wanted: fun, sassy, fluffy, and utterly delightful. I liked the witchy touches – the tarot cards and the spells – and also the whole Halloween vibe of the book. It’s the perfect cozy book for the season (especially for those of us who don’t do scary).

An utter delight.

The Bones Beneath My Skin

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by TJ Klune
First sentence: “He sang along with the radio.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: February 4, 2025
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is swearing, including multiple f-bombs; lots of violence; and on-screen sex. It will be in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore.

The thing I have come to believe, after having read 8 of the 11 books Klune has published (I didn’t finish the werewolf series), is that he is deeply interested in Humanity and how we express our humanness. In many cases he has hope: his characters are always flawed, but somehow they find their way to a Better World. Mostly that world is through found family because many of the humans in Klune’s books suck and are terrible people. But that’s the way of the world, isn’t it? We are lost souls, surrounded by people who want to stop us, hurt us, reject us, and yet we find our People and Make It Through and somehow find Happiness.

This one – even though it’s a republished book that Klune wrote in 2018 – is no different. The setting is different: It’s 1995 and Nate has just been fired from his job at the Washington Post. His parents have also died – it was a murder-suicide – and left him the family cabin in a remote part of Oregon. So, he heads out there and discovers two people – a man and a girl – in his cabin. He doesn’t kick them out., and that decision changes his life forever.

That’s the basic plot without giving too much away. (Saying it’s Stranger Things meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind but gay would be a decent elevator pitch.) It’s a good book – I think his later books are better, but that’s not to say this isn’t good – but it’s a weird one. I don’t think this one is going to be for everyone. It’s also coming on the heels of Somewhere Beyond the Sea, which is amazing, so there’s a lot to live up to. But if you’ve committed to reading everything Klune writes (and why haven’t you?) then it’s a good one. It’s more action-packed and less ruminative than his other books, but there are still quirky-charming characters and a love story at the center of it. It’s about finding family and home and happiness, and who doesn’t want to read about that?

So, while it’s not my favorite one of Klune’s books, it’s still a good one.

Audiobook: Apprentice to the Villain

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by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Read by Em Eldridge
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Others in the series: Assistant to the Villain
Content: There is violence and swearing, including multiple f-bombs. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Spoilers for Assistant to the Villain, obviously.

Trystan has been taken by King Benedict, and it’s up to Evie to save him. Which she does, but that unleashes a chain of events that have both Trystan and Evie scrambling to fulfill the prophecy and save the magic in Rennedawn.

I enjoyed the first one well enough, and I honestly wanted to like this one. I enjoyed the narrator of the first one and thought that it would be just as much fun. But then, the slow-burn romance that started in the first book never really went anywhere. Sure, they almost kissed, but then he pulled back and they went back and forth with “I love him/her but I can’t” or “he/she doesn’t want me” and I just lost patience with it. Sure, there’s a plot that was supposed to be interesting, but about 80% of the way through the book and the plot wasn’t anywhere near to wrapping up and I just lost patience with it. I don’t want yet another book of will-they-won’t-they and pining and growling and being jealous and not communicating and I just bailed.

Some books are for some people. This one ultimately wasn’t for me.

Swift and Saddled

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by Lyla Sage
First sentence: “I’ve come in contact with a lot of liars, but none quite so big as Google.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: Done and Dusted
Content: There is swearing, including many f-bombs, as well as on-page sex. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Ada Hart is an outsider to Meadowlark, Wyoming, brought there as an interior designer for Wes Ryder’s guest ranch. What she expected: to get the job done well. What she didn’t expect: to fall in love with Wyoming, Rebel Blue, and Wes Ryder.

There’s a lot more than that – Ada is coming off a bad divorce from a controlling husband and is gun-shy about relationships; Wes is trying to find his footing with the new guest ranch he’s in charge of. There’s a lot of push-and-pull, but eventually, they come to figure things out. While I don’t think it’s as spicy as Done and Dusted, there are some good sex scenes and banter between Wes and Ada. I appreciated that there wasn’t much of a third-act fallout, and it was quickly resolved. I also appreciated Wes’s support of Ada, both as she worked through her trauma and of her budding career.

Sage is a good writer, and she knows how to write a good romance. These are a lot of fun.

Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet

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by Samantha Allen
First sentence: “I’ve knocked on a thousand doors before, but this one is different.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: December 3, 2024
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is swearing, including many f-bombs. There is also talk of sex, and one description of a hate crime against an LGBTQ+ character. It will be in the Fiction section of the bookstore.

Adam is in a writing slump. He had one successful book – his tell-all memoir about leaving the Mormon Church when he came out as gay – but everything in the 15 years since then has fallen flat. He’s not even sure he can be a writer anymore. Then his agent lands him a cushy job: the Hollywood star Roland Rogers needs a ghostwriter right now and he wants Adam. Except Roland isn’t actually there. At least not physically – his body is buried under a mound of snow in Utah. However, his consciousness still exists and can inhabit the kitchen speaker, and so he can still talk to Adam. Once they get past the weirdness of the situation, they settle in to write. But it’s not going to be easy, on either of them. Between the two, there’s a lot of trauma to unpack – both religious and of the toxic masculinity varieites – and as they do, they end up growing closer.

In some ways, this is the straight up (if a little weird) romance the publishers are touting it as. They do develop a relationship. But, it’s so much more than that. In the end, I think the point of this one is to highlight the ways connection and vulnerability are important, how it’s possible to get by without them, but your life is so much richer with them. I didn’t end up cyring at the end, but I was moved by the decisions that Adam and Roland made, and the way their relationship turned out.

I’m not sure I would have ever picked this one up if I hadn’t been asked to read it by a well-meaning publicist, but I’m glad I did. It’s quite a delightful little book.

Audiobook: Assistant to the Villain

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by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Read by Em Eldridge
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There are descriptions of murder and mayhem, as well as a depiction of sexual assault. There are swear words, including a few f-bombs. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Evie Sage is on the run after quitting her less-than-desirable job at the town blacksmith when she encounters none other than The Villain. He’s the guy who’s been terrorizing the kingdom for years, the guy whom everyone is supposed to be afraid of. And he offers her a job? As his assistant?

Which she’s actually enjoying? (That’s not even bringing up the fact that her boss is actually hot. And a decent human being.)

So, when it looks like there’s a traitor in their midst, it’s up to Evie and The Villain to figure out what’s going on and stop them before they put too many (more) lives at stake.

I felt about this one much like I felt about Fourth Wing: was it good? Probably not. Was it a lot of fun? Yes.
Yes, it is. I like the magic system that Maehrer created, and it was highly amusing the way she superimposed a modern office space on this fantasy world. (There’s an HR Director!) I liked the push and pull between Evie and The Villain (though awkward power dynamic much there?). I really liked the narrator; I think she’s what made it really fun for me. I did have quibbles with the way the ending twists happened (the fake-out was the one that really bothered me), but in the end (even though it ended on a cliffhanger), I immediately picked up the second one.

You can’t get a higher recommendation than that, can you?

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

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by Ally Carter
First sentence: “Ms. Chase: Well, of course I have his blood on my hands.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There is some swearing (I don’t remember f-bombs, but if there were any, there weren’t a lot), kissing, and off-screen sex. It will be in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt are rival mystery writers. They don’t like each other. And even though Maggie’s successful, Ethan is a different level of success, which is just annoying, since he has only a few books to his name. So, when she ends up in a private plane headed to England for Christmas and Ethan is there, she’s sure it will be a lousy holiday. Except: they end up at Eleanor Ashley’s house with a number of her relatives, and then she goes missing. It’s up to Maggie and Ethan to figure out where Elenaor has gone, and – more importantly – why.

This was a fun, light romance. It leans more heavily into the mystery – or at the very least I was more interested by the mystery – than the romance, though it’s there. More importantly, it’s about Maggie’s journey to trusting herself. She’s been told her whole life that she doesn’t matter and that her opinions don’t count, and she doesn’t really trust herself. Over the course of the book – and with Ethan’s help – she learns how to trust her instincts and her decisions again.

I don’t know if I was expecting something spicier (it’s not spicy at all), but I wasn’t expecting so much of a mystery. And I was pleasantly surprised how enjoyable and fun it was.

Audiobook: The Truth According to Ember

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by Danica Nava
Read by Siena East
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: There is blatant racism towards Native people, as well as some swearing including a few f-bombs. There is on the page, pretty spicy sex. It’s in the Romance section of the bookstore.

Ember Lee Cardinal hasn’t been able to catch a break. She had to drop out of college because she used her college money to bail out her younger brother from jail, but he skipped bail so she lost the money. She’s working a dead-end job at a bowling alley in a less-than-desirable part of Oklahoma City. And all her applications for better jobs come back as rejected. So she decides to be creative: she exaggerates her qualifications and checks the white box instead of the Native American one. (Her dad is white, so it’s not a super big stretch on that one.) She lands a job as an accounting assistant at a tech firm where she meets Danuwoa Colson, the IT guy and fellow Native. He even seems to be interested in her as well. Things are looking up. But when she gets an unexpected (and unwanted) promotion to the Executive Assistant to the CEO and when a coworker finds Ember and Danuwoa in a bit of a compromising position (they were kissing on an elevator at an offsite conference), her lies begin to build and get out of control. With everything – her job, her life, the relationship with Danuwoa – at stake, will Ember be able to come clean?

This one was a ton of fun. There was a bit of second-hand embarrassment as Ember’s lies kept piling up, but I got why she kept doing it. The motivations were always there. Nava was great at making the spice pop as well as weaving in elements of what Native people have to deal with in the corporate workplace (it was SUPER cringe). I loved Ember’s best friend Joanna (not sure of the spelling of that, since I listened) and the way it was incredibly centered in Oklahoma. Additionally, East did an excellent job narrating, making all the characters come to life.

It ended up being one of those books where I kept driving just so I could keep listening, and there really isn’t any higher praise than that.