You And Me On Vacation
Poppy and Alex are on vacation. They used to do this every summer but something nearly ended their friendship two years ago and Poppy is determined to fix things with this trip.
A sweet romance as we see the history of a chalk and cheese couple as they try to find a happy ending.
Really good fun to read.
Fringe: Beyond The Fringe
A series of alternative universe comicbook stories set in the Fringe universe. Includes one written by former star Joshua Jackson.
Perfectly enjoyable if not exactly thrilling.
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane
After his father’s funeral a man goes for a drive past his childhood home and remembers an adventure he had as a boy with neighbour Lettie Hempstock.
This seems to have been a deeply personal book for Gaiman. I personally found it a decent read if a little slilght. Not in his top tier.
Be The Serpent
October Daye book 16 continues to bring world shattering revelations. A friend turns out to have been an enemy in perfect disguise and Toby will have to battle to save her family and community at any cost.
I genuinely love the Toby Daye books and as we get deeper into the series and the secrets start to come out I continue to have a lot of fun with the series.
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
Delilah is a cool tattooed art photographer struggling to make ends meet. So when her estranged stepsister Astrid offers her a lot of money to photograph her wedding she finds herself back in her hometown for two weeks. While there she will fall for someone unexpected.
A fun queer romance between a lesbian and a bisexual woman with some nice family stuff in the background. Really quite enjoyable
Harrow the Ninth
The second book in the Locked Tomb series finds Harrowhark struggling to adjust to her new station in life.
An old story is retold through flashbacks and in the present we the highest echelons of the Emperor’s court play their games.
Deliberately much harder to follow than Gideon the Ninth this book is so very rewarding once you understand what all the pieces mean.
I also straight up loved this book.
Gideon the Ninth
The first book of the Locked Tomb series finds Gideon Nav posing as the Cavalier Primary to Reverend Daughter Harrowhark Nonagesimus as they face trials to serve the Emperor Undying.
This series is wonderful and nuts. A space fantasy with lesbian romance, gothic swordfighting and horrific undead monsters.
Filled with beautifully seeded worldbuilding and a wicked terminally online sense of humour.
I straight up loved this book.
Gimme Some Sugar
Lucy returns to her hometown to open a bakery after the early death of her husband, Wayne. Wayne’s family and new feelings for her best friend threaten to spoil her plans.
A generic but still enjoyable romance.
Book Lovers
Nora is an uptight career-focused NYC literary agent.
She’s persuaded by her little sister Libby to spend time with her in a quaint small town in North Carolina.
Once in town she keeps bumping into Charlie – a book editor who has been dismissive of work by her clients in the past.
Whatever will happen next?
This is a very enjoyable romance novel with enough of a twist on old tropes to never become tiresome. In fact I really enjoyed it. If Nora Ephron were still alive I reckon she could make a really good film of it.
The Rhesus Chart
Bob Howard discovers that Vampires are a real thing through data analysis. Identifying an active cell he infiltrates a bank only to discover that leader of the cell is his former girlfriend.
Forced to bring her and her colleagues into the Laundry fold he gets caught in the middle of a tactical battle between two old and powerful vampires.
I was working my way through the Laundry Files as audiobooks and reached this one and had to switch to read the ebook instead. The banking vampires were just too annoying to listen to!
This is a pretty good Laundry book and probably the last before the Stross’ taste for bleak shit gets too much for me.