Reading Roundup #77: With a Little Help From My Friends

There is no joy quite like sharing a book with a friend, and this week was chock full of recommendations and book talk with dear ones. And not only did it lead to lots of fun but to a few new favorites, as well!

A Lady Awakened (Blackshear Family #1) by Cecilia Grant: I have so many thoughts about this book, it’s hard to form them into a manageable, one-paragraph review, but in short: I adore it. A Lady Awakened is a nuanced exploration of consent, desire, and trust, following a man and woman who are seemingly opposites as they slowly bring out the best in each other — and realize they’re more compatible than they thought. Grant’s deft character work makes Martha and Theo incredibly appealing in their complexity, even in their darkest moments. There are many times when I want a romance novel that’s a little more grounded, a little less glitzy and in love with the fantasy idea of sex and romance (although I enjoy those, too — see below) but equally invested in their value. At those times, I want a novel like this, and while they’re hard to find, at least I now have a shining example to point to… and to return to when next the mood strikes. I can say with confidence that this will go down as one of my favorite reads of 2022 — many thanks to my friend deeps, who knows me well and recommended this.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen: Percy Jackson (for adults) meets You’ve Got Mail in this funny, touching story about two people surrounded by death learning to embrace life. The world building felt a little sketchy at times — not in a way that made me think the author doesn’t know the fantasy world’s rules so much as that she sometimes forgets the audience doesn’t know and needs a few more things explained. But questions about keys and autoducks aside, it really is the characters that make this book work, and I was sorry to leave them and their noisy (and nosy) families when the book ended. My thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Shards of Honor (Vorkosigan Saga #1) by Lois McMaster Bujold: This book has everything that I love. A badass heroine who doesn’t sacrifice one ounce of goodness or femininity to be a badass, political schemes, romance, adventure, a morally complicated hero, and a good dose of humor amongst the horrors of war (“You’re alive, sir? We held such a lovely funeral”). I devoured it and already have the next book lined up and ready to go! Thanks to another friend, Amrita, for the recommendation.

The Hathaways #1-5 by Lisa Kleypas: As you see, I’m still on a Kleypas kick — here books are comfortably predictable and the perfect audiobooks to listen to during long days at work, when I’m staring at numbers and forms. The Hathaways are especially delightful, with their eccentricities and their warmth. Some of the books were better than others, but I always enjoyed the scenes with the family, as they argued and meddled and were generally delightful. These weren’t recommended by a friend, but I did spend a lot of time messaging yet another friend, Mari, at all hours with rants, raves, and struck-me-funny quotes.

And that’s another good reading week for the books! I hope you’re all doing well, reading enjoyable stories — and having fun talking about them with good friends.

—b