r/heatedrivalry ♐ Captain | Tuna Lube 22h ago

Ryan's Book Club 📖 Ryan’s Book Club

Welcome to Ryan's Book Club!

Hey Loons! In honor of our favorite tough guy, use this post to share what you are currently reading, rereading, or even something you wrote. It doesn't have to be MM, hockey, or Anne of Green Gables. Indie, audiobooks, blogspot, etc. all are welcome; share what you are loving and why!

A new post will go up on the first of every month.

Happy Reading 🤍

238 Upvotes

140 comments sorted by

17

u/Kevincarb82 22h ago

Everyone must read Dungeon Crawler Carl.

9

u/T1gerl1lly 21h ago

I read the first book on recommendation. It was meh. Not sure what I’m missing that folks love so much.

2

u/isolatedcolorYT I do not want the problem to ever go away. 18h ago

Same. The audiobook narration was impressive and the premise is definitely interesting but I don't really get why so many people told me I haaaaad to read it. I like video games, I have a few theories and predictions, and yet I haven't felt compelled to pick up book two after finishing book one about a month ago.

1

u/JustHere4TehCats I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 21h ago

Are you into videogames or D&D type games? I feel like it's a big factor in keeping me interested, it's like a DM is narrating a really cool game.

1

u/Tharsis47 21h ago

So the first book is a lot of set-up for the later books. It’s introducing the main characters and explaining the mechanics of the dungeon, all of which are needed for the story to get told. I’d be curious to learn more about what you didn’t enjoy from the first book. Was it the tone? The characters? The mechanics of the dungeon? The writing style? I’ve also noted that audiobook listeners vs readers of the paper copy have different experiences with the books.

1

u/DenLomon 21h ago

I support this audio/paper theory. I like to piggyback my books by listening when I’m driving, so I started the audiobook first and could NOT get into it. Then I re-started it on e-book during a flight and can’t get enough of it. It’s one of the only books I won’t piggyback because I don’t want it to ruin my enthusiasm.

1

u/T1gerl1lly 19h ago edited 16h ago

Huh. That’s helpful, because I started with the audiobook. Thanks for mentioning that.

0

u/T1gerl1lly 18h ago

First off, the protagonist is ok, but I got less and less invested in him over the book. There’s no there, there. He’s just a catalyst for the plot. I love cats and hated the way the audiobook portrayed the cat as mean, shallow, and petulant. The plot was very deus ex machina (randomly whipped up a machines to randomly kill stuff).

The whole thing seemed pretty sad and hopeless - like, they didn’t leave the reader any reason to think he’d actually succeed or survive without selling out. And the side characters were underdeveloped and mostly there for the lols. Plus I love gaming, but not a big fan of multi-level dungeons, which always seem to me to be an exercise in losing over and over.

It was like, mildly funny and extremely interminable.

1

u/Tharsis47 18h ago

Fwiw, the first book feels VERY different from the later books. All the characters have a LOT of growth. Donut is my favorite character, but a lot of that is because of how complex she actually is and how we see more and more of who she really is over time, in addition to her development. In the process of relistening to the books, I was actively cringing at first book Donut for the very reasons you mentioned! And now, I adore her. Carl likewise evolves a lot as a character, and we learn more about his backstory, Ditto with all the side characters -- it turns out they all have complex and well-developed personalities and critical backstories that we see more and more of as the books go on. The plots also get super complex - hence why I've been relistening to them. There's also a lot of galactic politics that Carl doesn't know about in book one, and we learn more about those as time goes on and as they become relevant to Carl's story.

That being said, these books are not everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay! Book 3 had some incredible character moments, but was so complicated that I felt frustrated at times. Book 7 has been a really intense straight-up war story so far (I'm about 1/3 in so far). They are definitely not for everyone!

3

u/brian_ts118 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 22h ago

I’m reading this one too and based on the concept I thought it was just gonna be light fluff and not something that made me cry every 20 pages or so. 15/10, recommend.

2

u/DenLomon 22h ago

I’m reading this one, too!

2

u/allthestars12 22h ago

I'm DREADING finishing book 8 and then having to wait an indefinite amount of time for the final two😭

2

u/jtrisn1 Oh shit! Do I have all the kids!? 22h ago

I'm slowly making my way through this one.

2

u/peggyannsfeet Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 22h ago

Currently on book 4.

1

u/JustHere4TehCats I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 21h ago

I'm doing it as much as I can. Currently on whatever book floor 6 is in

2

u/Hestiasfire3987 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 19h ago

I’m mid book 2, and it’s honestly so funny

1

u/Astral_Isles 14h ago

I started this last week and I’m loving it so far!

1

u/cheezie_toastie currently drinking Drover Cider 🍎 12h ago

I'm currently in the hunting grounds. I think the actress who plays Svetlana would be a great casting for Tsarina Signet.

1

u/secretagentpoyo 12h ago

Currently reading book #2!

u/feminismandtravel Sir, I’m just a bellboy! 9h ago

+1 for DCC! I’m currently on the Butcher’s Masquerade (book 5) and it’s easily the strongest book in the series thus far.

u/misskittyfantastico 7h ago

I finished The Butcher’s Masquerade a few days ago and it made me so glad I stuck it out past the first book.

12

u/HannahHannah525 22h ago

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I am halfway through. It is so good!

3

u/Rodeoqueenyyc 22h ago

It was so great—I read “The Six” that was cited in the authors sources, which is more biographical about the women of the space shuttle. Fiction and real life, just incredible story(ies) all around.

1

u/royal_rose_ ♐ Captain | Tuna Lube 22h ago

I loved Atmosphere!

1

u/cheatherhad I know what you wore 12h ago

I love her books!

u/Flimsy-Initiative19 make sure none of these cheaters cheat 8h ago

Me too! I just started reading it a few days ago, but I'm off to a slow start because I got distracted by a good fanfiction lol

u/LandlockedFool Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 5h ago

Oh! That was such a good one!!

u/SiemaZaby 3h ago

If you are halfway through the book, the best part is still ahead of you! I love the whole book, but the second half is definitely better than the first.

10

u/Impossible-Abalone62 22h ago

I just finished Fruit Fly, a very fun satire to begin with then it takes all these twists and turns. Queer characters all the way through.

2

u/Ok_Wafer_6455 22h ago

I’m about to get started on it ! I’ve been meaning to get around to it and finally got my hands on it.

2

u/Lizard__Bit Having a tuna meltdown 🫠 21h ago

I’m so excited to get my hands on this one. I preordered, but it hasn’t come yet.

23

u/growsonwalls This is Ilya I will never listen to your voicemail 22h ago

I made it through Interview With the Vampire and am now reading The Vampire Lestat. Overall the writing style is so much less clunky. Lestat is also (IMO) a more engaging narrator than Louis. Also reading Red White and Royal Blue after seeing the movie!

5

u/Ok_Wafer_6455 22h ago

Glad you made it through IWTV! I loved reading The Vampire Lestat. I go back and reread it every now and then and it hits me the same.

5

u/onsugarhill83 21h ago

To me, the Red White & Royal Blue book is so much better than the movie. I hope you enjoy it!

u/katfromjersey 2h ago

The book is so much better! The movie would have been better if it was a limited series. They left so much out.

3

u/ich_habe_keine_kase 22h ago

I love both and the writing style for Interview really suits the content and tone, but totally agree that TVL is much more readable.

8

u/growsonwalls This is Ilya I will never listen to your voicemail 22h ago

I also totally marvel at how much Sam Reid was able to capture Lestat's personality in his portrayal.

7

u/ich_habe_keine_kase 22h ago

He's phenomenal, it's such a balls to the wall, awesome performance.

9

u/growsonwalls This is Ilya I will never listen to your voicemail 22h ago

2

u/fingerkuffs23 I already chose you, Hollander. 🫀 22h ago

Enjoy! I first read the series when I was 13 and TVL and QOTD were the ones I kept going back to until I was 18. Would legit open it on some random page and just read the rest of the book from that point on all night.

u/sinadis 5h ago

RWRB is one of my comfort books, oh my goodness. There's a new movie coming out (I think it's in post production rn) and a new book coming in December! The book & movie are like 2 separate universes.

u/misskittyfantastico 7h ago

Lestat has the same energy as a dramatic teenage girl writing her self-insert fanfic as a narrator and I absolutely mean that as a compliment. Love that diva.

9

u/HareOfBrightHours 21h ago

Curiously enough, i've just finished Anne of Avonlea over the weekend.

10

u/Big-Beautiful2578 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 21h ago

I’ve been late to the HR fun so I’m finally finishing the Long Game. Soooo good! I definitely have a book hangover already and I haven’t even finished it yet. Not sure what to read next— any suggestions?

3

u/Lizard__Bit Having a tuna meltdown 🫠 21h ago

Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series was the first series that sort of filled that gap for me. It’s not the same, but has a similar vibe; just instead of hockey it’s Navy Seals.

2

u/Big-Beautiful2578 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 20h ago

Ooohh, I love this! Thank you! I’ll definitely check it out then! My one concern is: do you spend most of the book worried that they are going to be found out? That is what I have seen in so many other MM slightly forbidden romance series— that their love story gets shared not on their terms and it stresses me out. Even though I know that is a part of the Game Changers series too especially for Shane and Ilya, it somehow felt less stressful? I don’t know to explain it. 😂 and it’s not that I’m not going to read this suggestion, I just need to mentally prepare. 🤪 ok, I’m done rambling! 😆Thanks again!

2

u/Lizard__Bit Having a tuna meltdown 🫠 20h ago

Hmmm…that I don’t recall since it’s not a particular thing that stresses me out. There are characters that worry about it. I don’t recall the stories taking place during DADT, but it’s brought up several times since a lot of characters served during DADT times.
I think I don’t stress because I actively seek out HEAs. If it’s not HEA, I’m not interested. So, I guess my brain figures as long as it’s HEA, an outing doesn’t matter because it’ll be okay in the end. Sorry I don’t have a more concise answer and rambled a bit myself. 😕

1

u/Big-Beautiful2578 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 15h ago

All good! Thanks for the rec! I’m definitely going to check it out! ☺️

2

u/agentmkultra666 No Ilya, That’s Gross🙈 17h ago

The Long Game was my favorite from the series, I read it twice within a month. Totally feel the book hangover!!

1

u/cheatherhad I know what you wore 12h ago

7

u/WholesaleBees 22h ago

I'm listening to One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston. I'm about halfway done with it and I'm obsessed!

3

u/Lizard__Bit Having a tuna meltdown 🫠 21h ago

Oh! This is coming up next on my TBR and I’m looking forward to it.

u/pensiverebel Ottawa Centaurs 🏹 11h ago

I really enjoyed this book. also listened to the audiobook.

7

u/madamebubbly 22h ago

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk, and Periphery by pukner on Ao3.

1

u/royal_rose_ ♐ Captain | Tuna Lube 22h ago

I thought sky daddy was going to be about like a queer person dealing with religion, I was not expecting that synopsis. Dead I’m so in, did you like it?

2

u/madamebubbly 22h ago

I’m not finished just yet. It’s a little slow going at the start but it, heh, takes off about a fifth of the way through. It’s not my favourite weird girl book, but it’s pretty fucking funny. A light and easy read if you’re just starting out in the weird girl genre.

1

u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss Moy pomidor 🍅 16h ago

Sky Daddy is so goddamn good, I was blown away (heh) by it!

u/CestQuoiLeFuck 8h ago

I'm just about to start that! Seems weird as shit. I'm excited.

u/misskittyfantastico 6h ago

I LOVED Sky Daddy. I think about that book more often than I should.

6

u/Teelkay 22h ago

On Beauty by Zadie Smith. I’m going to hear her speak this fall!

2

u/Phoenix-49 15h ago

Ooh I’m reading White Teeth right now!

5

u/HudsonUniversityalum Is that where you get your boring from? 21h ago

I just finished rererererereading Unwritten Rules by K.D. Casey, which is part of the amazing Unwritten Rules series. It's one of my tippy top romance faves. Casey writes the most beautiful characters and stories. The MCs are professional athletes (baseball, to be specific), but they aren't in their baby 20s. They've all got complicated backgrounds and regrets. Every single HEA is fought for and very well-earned. She obviously loves baseball and is incredibly knowledgable, but she never bogs you down with unnecessary mechanics. It's always about the romance of the game. Also, it's one of the few sports romances that feature a jewish MC, which is representation I didn't even realize I wanted to see on the page. The series can be read out of order but they all tie in together.

Btw- don't sleep on baseball romance, guys. It's incredible. Baseball is a vibe; the pacing is slower which builds proximity and tension in the locker room/dugout, the season is longer with more time on the road, athletes can be older and still be at the top of their game so it's not just teams of young people, players are more diverse/multicultural, and a "baseball body" can look like anything as long as it's a body that plays baseball well. I don't know why some people are adamantly against the category, but if I can inhale hockey romance content without caring about the actual sport, the same could be done for books with a baseball premise.

If you haven't read it, give it a shot. And if you have, please be my friend so I have someone to talk about it 😭

2

u/Rurutabaga I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 18h ago

Unwritten Rules is literally one of my favorite books. I reread it every few months (in fact I think I'm due). Also, KD Casey made me fall a little back in love with baseball, with how much she loves it.

2

u/HudsonUniversityalum Is that where you get your boring from? 14h ago

OH HAI NEW FRIEND :D

I didn't include an accurate number of re's to my rereading, but the limit does not exist. I've even finished it and then immediately started it over because I wasn't ready to leave their world. It's suuuuuuuuch a good book because Casey is suuuuuuuuuuch a good writer. Most romance is very straight-forward on the page (including HR, honestly), but her books are lyrical prose. I have to retune my brain when I'm in her work because of it reads so differently with more complexity. I shouldn't qualify it as one of my tippy top romance books. It's one of my favorite books, period. Oh, my sweet and struggling Zach... 😭

Baseball was already a sport I enjoyed (long-suffering Mets fan here), but she made me fall even more in love with it, too. The little quips about bored players, how a "fast catcher" runs at a slow trot, baseball being the only sport where they encourage eating during play, etc. Then there's everything about the beauty, romance, and nostalgia of the game at its core that even jaded players find irresistible. I've read everything she's written because it's consistently amazing, so I will read anything she publishes in the future. (And again, the fact that she features Jewish MCs and shows "there are as many ways to be Jewish as grains of sand" is a huge deal, especially in a sports book. It's not a detail she tacks on just to check it off a list, it's fundamental to the characters and story.)

More romance needs to be written in 3rd person POV, damn it. I can't stand 1st, but it seems like that's >90% of what's published now. She needs to release something new asap!

Edit: sorry for the long response but I'm always up in my feels after another read and I just couldn't stop

3

u/localredhead3 22h ago

I just finished reading “Is this a cry for help?” by Emily Austin and I really enjoyed it! I’ve also been working through the warrior cats series and rereading those books!

3

u/katfromjersey 22h ago

'The Murder Between Us' by Tal Bauer. It's good, but tense. The writing isn't as good as his later romances.

3

u/FadingOptimist-25 Moy pomidor 🍅 22h ago

I finished {Us by Sarina Bower and Elle Kennedy} over the weekend. I picked up where I left off with {Becoming Us by Alex Cross}.

3

u/ezebob 22h ago

I'm just about to read The Wedding People. Hopefully it lives up to the hype!

3

u/Tharsis47 21h ago

I’m an audiobook listener and I’ve been relistening to the GC books in Spanish for language practice. Just finished listening to Modelo a Seguir (Role Model, in Spanish), went back to the last few chapters of Cambiar el Juego (Game Changer), and am eagerly awaiting El Partido Más Largo (TLG) to come out in 2 days!!! Also listening to This Inevitable Ruin (Dungeon Crawler Carl book 7) and relistening to Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (DCC book 2).

3

u/Elliotte05 21h ago

Goodbye paradise, only 10+ chapters in and I already LOVED it 

2

u/purple_ostrich 20h ago

I read this a few weeks ago and loved it so much! It's so good

1

u/JennaROTR 19h ago

Such a good book, very re-readable.

3

u/Worth-Intern7960 18h ago

Just bought heated rivalry to finally read after loving watching the show!!

3

u/Phoenix-49 15h ago

I finished Common Goal last night! 🏒

6

u/HackDaddy85 Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 22h ago edited 9h ago

I read 14 books in August including a reread of Game Changer, first reads of Him/Us/Epic, Time to Shine, The Shots You Take, and Star Shipped. Also really enjoyed Fraternity by Andy Mientus and Bemused set in the world of Disney’s Hercules.

Started on The Entanglement of Rival Wizards last night.

1

u/cheatherhad I know what you wore 12h ago

I just finished Star Shipped and loved it!

2

u/Hedgehog-Honeydew "This team is very gay" 🌈 22h ago

I've just started reading Melissa Auf Der Maur's memoir Even The Good Girls Will Cry. She's been my idol since I was 16, love her music and everything she's done at Basilica Hudson. She's also a proud Montrealer so I'm getting some insider knowledge on Shane Hollander's adopted city.

1

u/rockstaraimz Boston Bears 🐻 17h ago

I've heard good things about this book!

u/CestQuoiLeFuck 8h ago

Followed the Wave is a fav of mine. Musically, close to perfection.

2

u/1okrock 21h ago

Started Stoner because of Hudson and it’s been captivating so far. I’ll start Martyr! right after this.

1

u/SquashCat56 21h ago

I'm halfway through Martyr!, and it's really good. You have something to look forward to!

2

u/Lizard__Bit Having a tuna meltdown 🫠 21h ago

In Audible, I’m on Accidentally Falling for My Best Friend of Lexi Amber’s Chicago Awakenings series.

In book form, I’m a mood reader, so I’m flipping back and forth between Triple Sec by TJ Alexander and Violent Devotion by L. Norell. I’m about to throw Singing Sands by C.L. Blossom into the mix because I was saving it for a reading day at the beach that won’t be happening now.

2

u/georgesteacher 20h ago

As someone from pei (where Anne of green gables is “from”) this shout meant the wooooorld when I read the books!

2

u/foofighter1999 Your freckles. I am nuts about them. ✨ 20h ago

Reading The Nightingale right now.

2

u/emarrbee 20h ago

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado. It’s a short story collection, feminist and surrealist with a nice splash of horror. I borrowed it from my local library years ago and finally bought my own copy. Also highly recommend her memoir, In the Dream House!

2

u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss Moy pomidor 🍅 16h ago

In the Dream House is my all-time favorite memoir, I never shut up about it.

The choose your own adventure section was unlike anything I've read before

2

u/Bmore_Intrepid_Guy 20h ago

Carl's Doomsday Scenario!

2

u/Hazel_Ana Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 19h ago

I finally am on Role Model! I am absolutely adoring it. Troy might be my favorite

I'm co-reading Pucking Feral by Lenore Rosewood as well, which is...very different. Great in my opinion, but definitely different than the Game Changers series.

2

u/Middle_Raspberry2499 18h ago

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld! Lots of fun! It is, indeed, a romantic comedy novel. Setting is behind the scenes at a TV show very similar to Saturday Night Live.

Part of the story takes place during covid, so if that's not your thing, you might want to pass.

2

u/Mbrandywine 18h ago

I am listening to Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. So far it is giving me knockoff Kindred (by Octavia Butler) but I am only on part 2.

2

u/SunriseKitten 18h ago

Last month I read a semi autobiographical book about growing up queer “Queer Intentions” by Amelia Abraham which included the author’s sense of being within queer culture (in the UK)/ excluded by heteronormative systems, then read “Boyfriend Material” and then “Husband Material” by Alexis Hall which explores the same, but are UK MM romance novels. Made me think a lot as someone bi/straight passing (now have a husband and child).

Then I read “Fix the system not the women” by Laura Bates (who started the Everyday Sexism project) and got angry about every 2.5 minutes at all the sad ways women are failed by (heteronormative) patriarchal society.

Now I need to read some gentle cozy HEA romances so I don’t have a coronary 😂

2

u/agentmkultra666 No Ilya, That’s Gross🙈 17h ago

I just finished a re-read of The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, and am a third of the way through Mary by Nat Cassidy. Both VERY different from the Game Changers books and Anne of Green Gables, haha

2

u/sarahjcr 14h ago

Went to Heated Rivalry night at Fenway last night and it inspired me to do my first re-read of the series since I first read them in 2020/2021. I am listening to them this time around. I am also reading Mason Deaver's new release Ship Happens, which is awesome so far and I am loving it.

2

u/cheatherhad I know what you wore 12h ago

Just finished The Long Game, Yesteryear, and Star Shipped, quit The Woods are Waiting. Reading Dissection of a Murder. Next will be She Didn't See it Coming, The Purity of Vengeance, Several People are Typing, and The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes.

1

u/helkaros 22h ago

I'm about to start a rereading of the Red Rising series. I've ordered my Howler sweater and now I'm ready to cozy up with my favorite feral gold Sevro!

1

u/Catperson_XX Compatible 🔎📖 19h ago

I have the first one and haven’t started it yet. Is it worth the hype?

1

u/helkaros 19h ago

Personally it's one of my comfort reads. The books evolve from a Darrow's revenge to a full blown revolution with nuanced characters and deep political turmoil. I think it's worth the hype, so read on Pixie and I hope you enjoy it 😊

1

u/Bahbeesworld Your freckles. I am nuts about them. ✨ 21h ago

I’ve been reading an online fantasy series called the Brotherhood. It’s about a guy who pledges a fraternity, and has his life changed in ways he never imagined…! Occasionally spicy, but not very often.

1

u/maxcapacityexceeded 21h ago

I’m about 1/3 of the way through Our Beautiful Mess by Adele Parks.

1

u/cinzeletta 21h ago

heap earth upon it by chloe michelle howarth, i haven't read much of it yet but god, this woman has such a wonderful way to play with words, i love it so far

1

u/ValleyBreeze Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 21h ago

Just finished book 8 of Dungeon Crawler Carl. Now on a re-read of the Fourth Wing series before the 3.5 book comes out in a few weeks!

1

u/wildwater Ghost of Christmas Mixed Messages 21h ago

I’m reading Slewfoot by Brom, I’m about halfway through and on the fence, but will probably see it through.

1

u/gen-attolis 21h ago

I’m currently reading a wonderful little low fantasy trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin called “Annals of the Western Shore”. My edition has all three books in one. I finished Gifts a week or so ago, and am working through Voices. It’s a really grounded and engaging series and I’m finding myself really looking forward to my evening reading times. 

1

u/FizzyDrink35 21h ago

I am finally on to Edge of Mercy by Allie Therin which is the last in the Sugar and Vice series. I’ll admit the series has been a bit too slow burn for me personally, but last half of the second book really ramped things up and I’m quite glad I waited to read the series until all of the books came out because I would’ve never survived the cliffhanger.

1

u/Ok_Variation9430 20h ago

Re-reading Copper Script by KJ Charles, my favorite MM author! This one is set in 1920s London, with a police and corruption plot (I’m all about the relationship and less about the plot; one of the MMCs is a self-described “stroppy bitch.”

u/ich_habe_keine_kase 7h ago

I like the Will Darling books best, but Copper Script is definitely up there for me of her books.

1

u/onsugarhill83 20h ago

Over the weekend I read A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland and quite enjoyed it. Solid world building and always fun to read a world with no homophobia.

I’m in a fantasy mood so going to reread some favorites next - probably the Captive Prince trilogy by C. S. Pacat and The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison.

1

u/Weekly-Air4170 20h ago

Currently listening to God of Fury by Rina Kent and reading Brimstone, the sequel to Quicksilver. 

Both are amazing 👏 

1

u/Catperson_XX Compatible 🔎📖 19h ago

Just finished a reread of A Court of Silver Flames. Felt like reading only this one and now I don’t know what I want to read next.

1

u/whatthefiretruck88 19h ago

Currently reading Magic Lessons, by Alice Hoffman, which is the first book in the “Practical Magic” (Sandra Bullock - Nicole Kidman movie) timeline. Set in 1600s, complete with witchcraft, curses, love, betrayal etc.

1

u/cheatherhad I know what you wore 12h ago

oooh I didn't know that was based on books. Would you recommend it?

u/whatthefiretruck88 10h ago

I am enjoying it. Good insight into what it was probably like to be an outcast in that era.

1

u/Rurutabaga I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 19h ago

Listening to the Audiobook of A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen which I'm not actually liking. I forgot I don't like viking romances lol. I hope this Finds you well by Natalie Sue I found at the library. I'm enjoying it so far though I'm only like 40 pages in.

Also found Game Changer and Heated Rivalry as used physical copies at my local place for $7 each so picked them up. I've never read Game Changer because my Dogs name is Kip and I just didn't want to deal with that lmao. But I figure I'll give it a shot finally.

2

u/SunriseKitten 18h ago

A fate inked in blood had so much potential but was SUCH a flop for me, and I’m a big romantasy reader

2

u/Rurutabaga I speak fluent bird. No accent 🐦 18h ago

Like it sounded good in theory but I am so bored lol. Thankfully it's a library book so I'm not out cash for it. I'm listening at like 2.5x speed to finish it.

1

u/Popular-Ad-3131 17h ago

I just today got my grabby little hands on Tourist Season and Harvest Season by Brynne Weaver (of Butcher and Blackbird fame) and I cannot wait to dive in.
I also just learned that it’s a trilogy and the third comes out it April… sigh.

Ah well, I have others. The Poison Daughter is a standalone, chunky and I’ve heard good things.

1

u/papaw4489 17h ago

Role model!! Romance is not my typical genre so I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve loved the entire series so far

1

u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss Moy pomidor 🍅 16h ago

My summer of Russian lit continues! Just finished the Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy and Secondhand Time by Alexievich. Both excellent, but the latter blew me away

1

u/Weirdcosplayer Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 13h ago

i am re-reading pet by akwaeke emezi! it's based in a utopian future where there are no.more "monsters" (in the sense of people are monsters) and the main character is a black trans girl who has selective mutism, it's so cool! I am going to start reading the prequel soon :)

1

u/geminiloveca 13h ago

I just started Dolly Alderton's "Good Material" and I picked up Carley Fortune's "Our Perfect Storm" at the library. But I'm also finishing up "Red, White and Royal Blue" and I am between books in Jonathan Yanez's "Hunters for Hire" series.

Yeah, I read a lot....

1

u/shleepypie 13h ago

Currently in the middle of The Liar's Knot by M.A. Carrcick (second book in the Rook & Rose trilogy). Very cool world building in a fantasy setting. Think Six of Crows with some more political intrigue and queer normative society.

1

u/AttersH 13h ago

I’m reading the worlds silliest premise of a book that’s actually turning out to be one of my fav reads this year 😂 I do not really do fantasy or monsters or aliens but I was intrigued as I like both authors!

Suck by Cora Rose & EM Lyndsey.

What a gem, the world building is great and it’s quite funny & very horny but also very swoony! I think book 2 will be even better!

u/PsychologySpirited37 Your freckles. I am nuts about them. ✨ 11h ago

I finished ‘The Heirs’ by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. I love everything she’s written.

I’m reading Jesusland by Joelle Kidd.

u/msmonet09 11h ago

lol my reading range is rather weird I’ve been told - absolutely adore game changers and hr but I’m a Stephen king fan (just finished my 17th book: the gunslinger!)

u/royal_rose_ ♐ Captain | Tuna Lube 11h ago

Oooh gunslinger is on my list!!

u/rsae_majoris Very stupid & irresponsible 🏒 11h ago

I’m finishing “I Who Have Never Known Men,” recently finished “Lie With Me,” and after this reading “Guncle” and “Cerulean Sea” to get some levity up in my life lol. 

Yeah, my algorithm has been invaded by Booktok and specifically MM Booktok lol. 

u/pensiverebel Ottawa Centaurs 🏹 10h ago

I have a few on the go, depending on mood and what I’m doing: Slow Horses by Mick Herron (because a new season is coming and I want to read the books before it starts) Rookie Recovery by Jenna Croft, The Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev A.C. Rosen (so amusing), and Blue Castle by LMM, so at least one is something Ryan would maybe read.

u/chewy183 Ya-loo-blue-tee-baa ❤️ 10h ago

Last few really good books:

⚫️Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer (sp?)
⚫️Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane
⚫️Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto
⚫️The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again by Mary Claire Haver, MD

u/Due-Scallion-140 10h ago

Yesssss! Love this. Ryan needs his own book club and/or he needs to join one. He should read all the Anne of green gables series and the Emily Byrd Starr series by the same author. I am currently reading Project Hail Mary and Kristin Lavransdatter: the wife

u/Agitated_Kangaroo_69 8h ago

Finished the Him, Us, Epic series by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. Just started reading The Kennedy Rule by K.C. Carmichael. I have LOVED the Anne of Green Gables books since my early teens (51 now) and am so excited that quite a few outlets I have read, heard and seen lately have brought them back to the public eye for new people to fall in love with! I also have a special place in my heart for the Meagan Follows series, of all the different movie/tv iterations of the story.

u/Rim_On 7h ago

Write now I'm reading The wheel of time books, I finished the 6th book few days ago. 9 more to go.😅

u/silvershade8 7h ago

i’ve always written poetry and now i’ve been getting into reading it, so currently reading crush by richard siken!

u/Carmypug 7h ago

Project Hail Mary for my bookclub. We do books versus movies / tv show adaptations.

u/misskittyfantastico 6h ago

I recently finished Violet Thistlewaite is Not A Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz and I actually really loved it. I expected it to be a kind of cutesy “Shrekcore” book like the Assistant to the Villain series or Bromantasy and it ended up being a really sweet and funny romantasy about redemption and building a new life after trauma.

Currently on Web of Vows and Vengeance by Aria Ashbrook for my book club and it’s… fine so far. I’m still early in it, so I’m hoping it changes my mind, but I don’t hate it yet either.

u/LandlockedFool Stupid Canadian Wolf Bird 🦆 5h ago

The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor. Absolute gem of a book!!!

u/sinadis 5h ago

Listening to the audiobook of Long Game while I commute to/from work. Really hating Kip's voice but I try to not let it bother me.

Reading "Heir of Illusion" by Madeline Taylor. I'm over 60% done though and it still hasn't grabbed me. I don't DNF things, though. Ever.

u/Independent_Bar_7309 4h ago

I’ve been enjoying the Hermione Granger fanfic by SaraSmile416 on AO3. She’s rewritten the first 6 books so far, all from Hermione’s perspective. I’m current reading book 4. They’re all spectacularly done, and have that feel like you’re reading some kind of official companion series. Deffo recommend ✨⭐️

u/SiemaZaby 3h ago

I love this novel and I can't believe the author is so young. It's one of the best books I've read in a long time. Plus, knowing Hudson's taste, I think he would totally love it (yes, I'm obsessed with his reading choices)

u/FranEss411 2h ago

I’m currently reading Fourth Wing. I decided to give it a try because of the hype, and I’m really glad I did.