Reading Roundup #87: Better Than Reality

Starting back to work after a gloriously lazy vacation means I’m back to tired and overwhelmed by all the interaction with people (there are so many!). But at least I still have good books! So, this is just a quick pop-in to share a few favorite from the past couple weeks. Hopefully, I will be able to settle into posting regularly again soon — and catching up on all the lovely blogs I’ve missed reading!

Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin: This one had potential, but it unfortunately didn’t click for me. I wasn’t sure if it was aiming to be romance or (much as I dislike the term) women’s fiction, and if the former, it was seriously hurt by the lack of dual POV. If the latter, I just wasn’t in the mood. I like the heroine well enough, and she feels realistically messy, but I needed something to balance her extreme cynicism. While an easy read, it never managed to engage my heart, which is something I need from a book. My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki: This book has been on my TBR from the moment it came out, and know that I’ve finally read it, I know it’s going to stay with me for a long time. I got so caught up in these characters, who are beautifully complicated and human (even the nonhuman ones). If you like an emotional story about found family, I highly recommend this one. It lives up to all the hype and more!

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary: I’ve been hearing about this book for years, but somehow I never really heard what it was about until last month. If I’d known, I would have picked it up sooner because it has a similar plot setup to one of my favorite Ginger Rogers movies from 1933, Rafter Romance. Once I realized this, I picked it up as soon as I could and, despite it being a bit of a slow starter, had a great time with it. The characters are funny and likable, and both the leads are given good depth and development. I see now why people like The Flatshare so much!

4:50 from Paddington (Miss Marple #8) by Agatha Christie: Amazingly, this is my first Miss Marple story, and (at the risk of repeating myself)… I see why people like her. Although her part in this book is fairly small, she really won me over with her insight and practicality. I really enjoyed all the other characters, too, from the policeman and the housekeeper who assist Miss Marple to the shifty suspects. I’m disappointed I didn’t guess the culprit, though!

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie: As much as I enjoy Christie’s famous characters, like Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, I also love her one-offs and lesser known investigators. Why Didn’t They Ask Evans is such a fun book, with a twisty mystery and entertaining leads — and their long-suffering friends, who get roped into the amateur detective action!

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Paul Creswick: While there are many ballads, and classics, and even recent retellings and reimaginings, this remains my favorite of the written works. I love it for many reasons: the clear, readable language that still maintains the feel of older tales, the satisfying narrative, the blend of humor and drama (which I think is essential to any Robin Hood story), and, last but not least, the expanded role of Marian. In many older collections of Robin Hood tales, Marian is mentioned rarely, if at all. But here, she has character and agency of her own, sometimes even being the means of saving our hero and his merry men. As a Marian fan, nothing could make me happier, and I loved revisiting this old favorite.

Wishing you all a good week with good books, as always!

—b