Yes, there was a gap; I had to rantify about something and it meant skipping a week of reading roundup. Which means this week’s post o’ books is super long. Highlights indicate links - check out these authors!
Oh, and have I mentioned? I’m discounting a backlist title each month, on all ebook platforms, announced via my newsletter. If you don’t get it and you’d like to, subscribe below.
On to this week’s roundup:
1. ‘All that Glitters’ by Ashlyn Kane, MM fake boyfriend/paid companion, rock star + kindergarten teacher. Not sure they got to the bottom of all their mutual issues in the time allotted, but two nice guys fumbling toward love, enjoyed it. Also: competence porn and a musician being a musician on the page.
2. ‘Rescuing Horace Walpole’ by Wilmarth S. Lewis. A very engaging book by a lifelong Walpole collector and founder of Yale’s Lewis Walpole Library. Anybody who’s ever obsessively collected would enjoy these chapters describing objects from the collection, how he found them, how Walpole found (or made) them, and the other people involved. If at all interested in 18th century British intellectuals, highly recommended.
3. [re-read] my own MMF novel ‘A Braid of Love’ (the one discounted for May!) and my own MM short ‘Millenium.’
4. ‘Off the Screen’ by Brenda W. Clough, a fast-paced and mostly light-toned spec fic (hopepunk?) involving an AI-assisted virtual reality content writer recruited to help develop the first live-action stage musical in a century. His cocreator is a biological immortal whom a growing faction think should be vivisected in search of his ‘secret’ even though he’s been submitting to invasive tests etc for decades. There is some tough stuff here and some pretty deep moral questions, but it’s also four love stories: POV guy Marty the writer with Ed, the co-writer (not sexual, they’re both straight); Marty and an oboe player (she’s darling); Marty and the process of making live art; Marty and musical theater. Loved this, should be required reading for those who think AI can ever satisfactorily substitute for real art and also for those who need a reality check about democracy.
5. [re-read] my own novella ‘Eternal Summer.’
6. ‘Bookish’ by Matthew Sweet. Novelization of the TV series which he cowrites/cocreates with Mark Gattis. There’s a lot going on in this, and it requires concentration, but – even having not seen the series, and with the caveat that it took me the whole first ‘episode’ to really get into it – I thought it was clever, engaging, and ultimately satisfying. It’s set in 1946 when England was barely beginning to recover from WWII, with epistolary framing scenes in 1962.
6.5 [re-read] my own short ‘Ember Cast.’
7. ‘A Case of Life and Limb’ by Sally Smith. 2nd in series, Sir Gabriel Ward KC mysteries. Set 1901-1902 in Temple Inn. Gabriel continues to step out of his comfort zone and bond with Constable Wright while investigating gruesome prank deliveries and solving 3 old disappearances and a new murder. More about this author HERE.
Last week’s roundup:
1. [re-read] my own novellas ‘Mating Dance,’ ‘Vintage,’ and ‘Overboard.’
2. ‘The Social Life of Books: Reading Together in the Eighteenth-Century Home’ by Abigail Williams. Focus is on English homes. A terrific resource, very readable, fascinating. Looks huge but don’t be scared, 35% is notes.
2.5 ‘Jay Moriarty Ruins Everybody’s Childhood’ by Kit Walker, in which Moriarty & Moran stitch up a transphobic fantasy author who’s made it easy by fiddling her finances.
3. ‘Companions Without Vows: Relationships Among Eighteenth-Century British Women’ by Betty Rizzo. Giving myself full credit even though I skimmed most of this big fat academic book. Depressing and dry, these were not the relationships I was looking for. Acquired many years ago as a source for my thesis on Frances Burney, and now finally released back into the wild. (fun fact: Betty Rizzo is also the name of that Rizzo in the musical & movie GREASE!)
4. ‘Bedside Manner’ by C.G. Macington, a new-to-me author. MM set in an urban hospital. MC1 is Chief of Cardiac Surgery and repressed, anxious son of the hospital’s biggest donor, a chaotic but funny asshole; MC2 is Chief of Trauma, former Army. Opposites attract, complementary natures & skills, some graphic surgical stuff, smart grown-ups negotiating a complex affair. 5 stars.
5. ‘The Flower Shop Arrangement’ by R. Cayden, MM set in Buffalo NY. I appreciated that the emotionally repressed, socially awkward MC didn’t have a personality transplant at any time and yet other characters like and value him anyway. The last 20% really dug into the feels and character development. MC1 is a carpenter, MC2 runs a flower shop in the building MC1 has just inherited from a grandpa he never knew. Renovations, business strategies, competence, good friends & allies, just enough sexy sex, a damn nice book.
5.5 ‘Blade Through the Heart’ by Carrie Vaughn, a SF adventure short story, enjoyable but would advise reading the other Graff stories first as this very much plunges you into its world.
6. ‘Plague Years: A Doctor’s Journey Through the AIDS Crisis’ by Ross A. Slotten, strongly recommended for those interested in medicine, public health policy, memoirs, and/or LGBTQ+ issues. Well written, very personal, occasionally harrowing.
7. ‘How to Fake It in Society’ by KJ Charles. Well, of course I loved it. Would have loved it even more given an extra chapter to see them enjoying their happy ending (much as with ‘Copper Script’). This book’s precipitating event is an homage to ‘The Reluctant Widow’ by Georgette Heyer, but no Francis Cheviot avatar here … maybe someone like him will turn up in a future KJC book. He’s her type.
8. ‘FOMO: Fear of Missing Out’ by Hal Katkov. Gay lit set in Palm Springs. Mixed feelings about this one. Some persistent layout and editing issues. Starts off looking like either a “midlife breakup leading to reconciliation second chance” or a “midlife breakup leading to new love” romance. And it’s a love story, and there’s a second chance, but I wouldn’t call it a romance even though it’s a more satisfying resolution for the 2 men we start the book with than it could have been. Lots of POVs, intertwining stories, much to say about intergenerational and intersectional trauma, entertaining and often funny but, in all, not wholly satisfying.
8.5 ‘Finding His Heart Again at Christmas’ by Dominick Cummings, which turned up in also-looked-at when I was getting something else. MM novelette with some very writerly writing, which I particularly appreciated because the POV character is a writer. Spoiler: it’s a ghost story, with a very nice new-beginning epilogue. Real feels even after I saw the twist coming.
9. ‘Conflict of Interest’ by C.G. Macington. 2nd in St. Jude Medical trilogy, MM feat. the younger brother of the rich MC of the first book, who is now a resident. The love interest is the Chief Resident. Some different conflicts but once again none of them are bullshit, some really good medical action scenes, plenty of nice relationship development. Will definitely be reading more from this author.