Great premise, but the narrative construction did not work for me. A fun listen.

Oh, hi! It's been awhile, but I think I'll dip my toes back in here. I'm rereading all of Jasmine Guillory's books while I impatiently wait for a galley of the new one. It's fun to revisit these characters now that I know them from the books they star in. And feel good fiction feels good right now.

The last few weeks have been so stressful at work and with my summer grad school class. Glad to be diving into a week of staycation and back into this doorstopper over leftover bagels and fresh coffee #aVeryCromwellSummer Faring better than I am, @branwen and @ulyssesartmiller ?

It's Sunday, which means time to check in with #aVeryCromwellSummer readers! How is it going? Have you started? You're doing great! If you haven't, there's still time. I focused my reading on black authors this week, but I did read section one. So far, I like it. How are you faring @Branwen and @ulyssesartmiller?

Reading nonfiction about race and anti-racism is incredibly important. I am, and have always been, more of a fiction reader. It's also important to seek out BIPOC writers (and especially right now, black voices) in whatever genres you read. Jasmine Guillory's books aren't about race, per se, but she tells the stories and experiences of black women, and I've learned from each of her contemporary romance novels.

Day one, chapter one. I'm determined to read this trilogy this summer. #aVeryCromwellSummer #booksandcoffee

This summer, I'll be reading Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy. Tomorrow, I'm starting Wolf Hall, a novel that intimidates the hell out of me. In July, I'll read Bring Up the Bodies. In August, I'll read The Mirror and the Light. I'll post periodically about my progress here, in stories, and on Litsy. On Sundays, I'll post check-in posts. Want to join me? #AVeryCromwellSummer

Up before my family to get in a few pages over coffee before working (from home) all day #booksandcoffee

Modern historical fiction is one of my favorite pandemic trends. This one is set in 2001. (Out June 2nd!)

I dipped in and out of this novel for almost two months. It's a brutal tale of a fifteen-year-old boarding school student who has a (consensual, she thinks) relationship with her 40-something teacher. It unfolds in high school and in 2017. It's not perfect, but it's an impressive debut, and it will stay with me for quite some time ⭐⭐⭐⭐

An intriguing collection of six short story comics. I didn't LOVE any of them, but they all made me think. Together? Intriguing ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a writer's memoir. The writing is gorgeous and the emotions are raw. Told in non-chrinological and mostly thematic vignettes, I loved parts of it but found the whole to not be greater than its parts. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #ATY2020 (major theme of survival) @BarbaraBB

A delightful tale of friendship, romance, and career drama. It's a novel that made me feel good while also being very real: the perfect combination for these strange times 4.5/5 #ATY2020 (Related to Maximilian Hell: about technology) @BarbaraBB

I have loved all of Lucy Knisley's graphic memoirs, so I was excited to read her first graphic novel. Stepping Stones is an autobiographical graphic novel aimed at middle graders. I found it pretty sad, which I guess means Knisley portrayed the plight of being a young teen whose parents divorce and who moves from NYC upstate with her mom and her mom's boyfriend. ⭐⭐⭐ #ATY2020 (20th book (read for the challenge this year)) @BarbaraBB

This was a fun read. I enjoy witches and lesbian love stories. It did make me roll my eyes a few times, but I still found it charming and look forward to the sequel ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Starting my May #ATY2020 (a fantasy novel) with this #BOTM pick from my shelves! @BarbaraBB

I am partial to campus novels, aliens, lesbian pop culture references, and dark humor, so this was fun⭐⭐⭐⭐

A fun, twisty thriller set at a prestigious Brooklyn private school. There are a lot of narrators, so the reader knows more than the characters, which makes some of the twists less surprising. It will make for great 📺, and Nicole Kidman has optioned it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I just want to read all day today #booksandcoffee

New plan: read thrillers during the week

At times great. At times it tries WAY too hard. Still, I couldn't put it down. If it makes people think or talk or act: worthwhile. Flawed, but compelling. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I hope to spend my day reading. How are you spending yours? #botm

This book is a delight. It's part murder mystery, part satire, and part social commentary. It's filled with feminism, dark humor, and 90s pop culture references. I loved it, and it made me love Barbara Bourland even more. 4.5/5 #aty2020 (book by an author you've read once before) @barbarabb

Another Saturday morning realizing how little reading I got done during the week. Today's goal: finish this delightful mystery filled with dark humor, satire, and pop culture references galore #booksandcoffee #ATY2020 (read only one book by this author before)

A few months ago, I read her second (Edgar-nominated) mystery (Fake Like Me), and I loved it so much I immediately ordered a copy of her first. I'm excited to dig in! #ATY2020 (book by an author you've only read once before) @barbarabb

A fun, feminist heist thriller with quite a few twists. It's also a compelling exploration of fame, privilege, legacy, memory, friendship, love, and family. I think it will be even better on the screen ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ##ATY2020 (has a neurodiverse character) @barbarabb

My reading stalled out majorly this week (thanks to a stressful work week), but I'm excited to dive back into this, read most of the day, and just unwind #booksandcoffee

Only read the first chapter last night before bingeing more Schitt's Creek with my spouse, but I'm excited to read this heist thriller (it's out NEXT Tuesday!) I saw the author speak at Midwinter, and I've been eagerly anticipating it ever since. For those who want to be ahead of pop culture, Nicole Kidman has already #booksandbooze optioned it for Amazon Studios!

This powerful novel left me speechless. Told in the words of the women of Odessa, Texas in 1976, it offers gorgeous writing, memorable characters, and profound commentary on what it's like to be a woman. Highly recommended to all. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #botm #readwithjenna #ATY2020 (set in a rural area) @barbarabb

Woke up early to sneak in more pages of this tremendous novel before my work-from-home day begins #botm #booksandcoffee

Next up: my April #botm pick, which is also a #readwithjenna pick, and a debut novel by an Iowa Writer's Workshop alumna. I'm also reading it for #ATY2020 (set in a rural area) @barbarabb

It's a delight to spend time with Jack McEvoy and Rachel Walling again. FAIR WARNING is both a gripping mystery and an important reminder of the importance and power of good journalism. I only had two words when I turned the last page: well goddamn. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I actually squealed when my Edelweiss got approved and am so excited to start reading.

This novel has it all: music, friendship, fame, youth, motherhood, and love. I adored it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Excited for this one, which comes out April 14. Trying to do my part to celebrate April releases. It's a hard time for books to come out, y'all.

A book about a fictional pandemic originating in China is either a gratifying or horrifying read right now. For me, it was perfect. The Shen flu is both similar to and different from Covid-19 in a way that felt comforting. We see the days leading up to the outbreak and the time after through Candice Chen, a smart, funny Millennial. I would have loved this novel at any time, but reading it now made the experience more special. 4.5/5

Reading a pandemic novel at home during a pandemic is the equivalent of reading a book set where I'm traveling, right? #ATY2020 (set in a global city) @barbarabb

Taking a break from My Dark Vanessa to dip into this graphic memoir, which I'm counting for #ATY2020 (book by a woman the ABE Best Women Writers list https://www.abebooks.com/books/best-female-authors/index.shtml)

Next up: this debut everyone is talking about

"I wouldn't have thought the same person could cause and assuage my pain."

I need a pick me up today, so I'm starting the most anticipated novel of 2020. How are you treating yourself today?

Also counting this for #ATY2020 prompt from a past challenge: features a strong female character

I woke up first, and these days, being the only one awake in a quiet house is a gift. Taking the time to finish this gem with my morning coffee while the birds chirp.

My in-person book club won't be meeting in April, but we're still reading. Excited for this one! #ReesesBookClub

I loved parts of this memoir but some parts felt uneven. It often felt less like a memoir and more like a collection of essays and anecdotes. Some are brilliant. I think I might not be the right audience for this book, but it is an important and accessible introduction to feminism and the audiobook (read by the author is superb) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dipping into my stash of comics I've been hoarding from the library. I feel the need to sit and read an entire book #booksandbooze

Lazy brunch, lazy Sunday, lazy family-distance weekend #2

A solid debut featuring great, flawed characters, some great twists, and a few too many coincidences. Excited for the next in this series featuring a young San Francisco medical examiner (written by a medical examiner and her husband, a writer) 4.5⭐/5

I've been sitting on this galley since January. Excited to dig in and get back to my #WomensPrize longlist reading. Bonus: counting it for #ATY2020 favorite prompt from a past challenge (nominated for an award in a genre you enjoy) @BarbaraBB

What a gem of a book, a matrilineal memoir written on the voice of her grandmother after her death. A touching family history filled with stories that made me laugh and cry. A perfect pandemic read to bring some perspective and joy to this scary time. I didn't start it for #ATY2020, but it fits the next prompt: a collaboration between two or more people ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ @barbarabb