A Triumphant Return to Blogging and Some Bookish Superlatives
Hello, tiny audience of friends and family who read this blog! After a lengthy hiatus, I am back at the keyboard to share my thoughts on all things bookish. For those who may not know, I recently completed my Master of Professional Studies degree in publishing, which took up most of my time outside of work for the past two years. Now that all of my coursework is complete, I hope to return to blogging more regularly, because it really is so much fun to put my thoughts out into the world as if someone is going to read them (if you do read them, thank you).
I think the best way to return to my bookish blog is just to talk about what I've been reading, so this post will be a sort of mid-year wrap-up / recommendation list, in the form of book superlatives. So, in no particular order, here we go:
Character(s) I Most Want to Be Friends With
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vera Wong is a sharp, spunky woman (of a certain age) who stumbles upon a dead body in her teahouse one morning. Certain that she could do a better job investigating than anyone else, especially the police, she takes things into her own hands and begins developing a suspect list. From there, a hilarious, heart-warming, twisty adventure unfolds.
This book made me laugh, tear up, and wish for a group of friends like this amateur sleuth and her suspects. I would highly recommend picking up a copy of this cozy mystery!
Most Likely to Make You Laugh Out Loud
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride by Cary Elwes (with commentary from the cast & crew)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you love The Princess Bride (i.e. if you have taste), you will adore this delightful story of the movie's filming. Though Cary Elwes is the narrator of this story (and an excellent one), the book also features commentary from many notable members of the cast and crew. The sheer joy they took in filming this movie is abundantly clear throughout and makes this book shine. Have fun storming the castle!
Best / Most Gut-wrenching Series Ending
The Golden Enclaves (Scholomance Lesson Three) by Naomi Novik
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ahhhhhhhhhhh I love this series and this was a phenomenal ending to it. El is one of the best main characters I’ve encountered: I love her determination to do good (especially when it’s a little bit out of spite), her dedication to her friends, and her reluctant acceptance of her abilities throughout this book. The story that Novik weaves here is intricate — at the halfway point, I had no clue how everything would get resolved before the end. But that just made the journey all the more exciting and emotional. I’m already ready for a series reread.
Series I Wish Wouldn't End
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Dangerous Damsels)
by India Holton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Like everything India Holton writes, this book is a delight. The wit and whimsy of Holton’s worlds and writing style are unmatched, and her characters are so well crafted and multidimensional. Her inclusion and celebration of neurodivergent protagonists in this book warmed my heart. This entire series is a wild romp full of pirates, witches, spies, and literary allusions, and I truly could not love it more.
Most Likely to Keep You Guessing Until the End
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely riveting! This is a fascinating take on a “literary thriller,” with a propulsive storyline and thought-provoking social commentary. I’ve been thinking about this book since I finished it. There are so many things I enjoyed about this, but the author’s craft choices were my favorite part. From the beginning, I was totally hooked on the narration style — Bodie addresses a specific listener and tells her story throughout the book as though he is the audience. There was also a repetition of lines about crime victims that could’ve been straight from headlines throughout, driving home the book’s commentary on victims, true crime, violence against women, and more. Spoiler(ish): this is sort of not a spoiler, but still, the chapters throughout that rehashed the murder as committed by each suspect were so effective!!!
I could say a million more things about this book (and might), but you should really just read it.
Most Emotional
The Other Mother by Rachel M. Harper
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is a work of art. It tells the story of a college student and musical prodigy who goes in search of his dead father's estranged family, only to discover that his father's sister, his mother's ex, is the second parent he's missed all his life. Rachel M. Harper’s creation of these characters and all of their complexities is awe-inspiring, and the writing with which she brings them to life is lyrical and stunning.
Most Likely to Inspire an Impromptu Road Trip
Mrs. Nash's Ashes by Sarah Adler
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved this book. I adore a road trip story, and this one has all the best shenanigans and is so well plotted and paced. The characters are spectacular, and the way they approach life is written in a way that feels realistic and relatable. I love a romance that can interrogate big feelings other than love, and this one is full of grief, self-discovery, strength, friendship, and more.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love a good caper, an adventure, some shenanigans, and this book has it all. Who doesn’t want to read about an old lady with a mysterious past, a snarky, aimless college student, and a cross-country road trip? Oakley’s characters are so well crafted, and she imbues her writing with such humor! This book also had a lot of great things to say about strength, morality, purpose, friendship, and womanhood.
Most Intimidating (But Best Payoff)
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The stories in this book are captivating, and Evaristo’s writing style is unlike anything I’ve ever read. I was intimidated by the poetic style at first, but the language in this book flows so easily and beautifully. In each chapter, Evaristo explores the background and internal thoughts of a new character and achieves a depth to each story that’s truly impressive. Seeing the ways in which these characters’ stories are woven together, whether through familial history, friendships, relationships or simply proximity, was amazing, and it was fascinating to see how Evaristo explored so many facets of identity and society throughout. This is a book to savor.
Most Educational
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely fascinating! As someone who loves language and dabbles in true crime content, I was so intrigued by this book that breaks down the manipulative language used in cult-like settings from Jonestown to SoulCycle. Montell makes her subjects accessible, enthralling, and a lot of fun. I would also highly recommend her first book, Wordslut:
A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language.
Comments