Private Life by Jane Smiley
Woman repressed, I’d call this. By her own self. Margaret Mayfield, oldest daughter of three, begins life in Missouri in the mid1880s, and is considered by herself and her family to not be a good wife prospect. Too bookish and awkward. And she is not at all put out by this judgement. But then … [Read more]
A Burst of Light and Other Essays by Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde had a tremendous impact on my thinking when I read Sister Outsider over 30 years ago. She blew my mind open on issues of race, sexuality, class, capitalism, power, and oppression. This collection of essays, A Burst of Light, was just as powerful. The book consists of five essays, the … [Read more]
Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti
One of Alexandra Vasti’s frequent archetypes is the very smart woman who doesn’t fit into society. As a woman who frequently looks back in confusion at social interactions gone wrong, I love it. After Miss Ruby Ballimore commits the sin of telling a man he’s wrong in front of other people, she and … [Read more]
The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh: A Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery by Claudia Gray
I enjoyed this installment of Gray’s Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mysteries even more than the previous book, The Late Mrs. Willoughby. I think in large part this is because the main characters and the setting for this one are straight from Pride and Prejudice, featuring a couple of my favorite … [Read more]
Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
I've given this boy the messiest parts of me, and he's done nothing but convince me he'll be careful with them. ― Rachel Lynn Solomon, Today Tonight Tomorrow This immediately reminded me of the show Never Have I Ever and the story of the eventual-enemies-to-lovers romance between two overachievers … [Read more]
Blood Mercy: A Fantasy Romance (Blood Grace Book 1) by Vela Roth
Lio had already wasted so much time and effort carefully constructing a plan for eternity, which had all come to naught. It was a fine, rare feeling to want nothing more than the present. ― Vela Roth, Blood Mercy Cassia is the bastard daughter of the king, and the offspring of one of his … [Read more]
