Hello fellow boozie readers!

Sam’s Update:

I had a pretty great week… and my best friend from college came into town this weekend and had just a fuckin blast.

What Sam finished this week:

• Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence: This, sequel to Red Sister, was better than the first if that’s even humanly possible. I LOVED this one. It felt more like an adventure. I love some of the relationships in this one, the twists are incredible. Glass is just a BADASS LADY.
• Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee: This is the companion novel to A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (review for that here).I listened to this on audiobook and it was so cute. I didn’t know I needed this book until I got it. Especially the theme of changing and shifting life-goals. That’s something I struggle with, but am learning it’s part of life.

What Sam’s reading now:

• The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton: This is a stand-alone book about a poor young woman who’s basically sold off to the richest husband. I am at the beginning and went into it blind. We’ll see how it goes.
• Nightblood by Elly Blake: I am hate reading this book because I don’t like leaving series unfinished but it’s just so bad. So so bad. I’m throwing it shade on this twitter thread.

Ginny’s Update:

Oh no, I only finished two books this week!!! Gasp?  At least I’m not making poor Sam go crazy trying to find too many book covers this week.  

What Ginny is Reading:

• Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson: This is the second book in the alloy era series and boy am I loving it.  Just for an idea I ended up reading half of this book in a matter of hours.  Adoring it.  It’s bringing back everything I love in the first book while making the universe and world even richer.  They found a way to make politics incredibly interesting.
• The Winter King by C.L. Wilson: Who’s ready for a romance novel?!  I found this on a list of good romances a while back and figured I should give it a chance.  Not super far in but I’m enjoying the magic in the world.

What Ginny Finished:

• A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire: Yet again Urban Fantasty isn’t super my jam.  I don’t enjoy having my main chracters constantly on the edge of passing out or near death.  That being said, this functions beautifully as a mystery.  One of my favorite characters in the first book showed up for quite a bit more of this book (Hi there Tybalt).  I’ve heard that Toby gets a little more, cautioius isn’t the right word, but careful with herself in future books and I like the world that Seanan McGuire has created enough that I’ll keep reading the series though.  3.5/5
• Get Lucky by Lila Monroe: So I have a mini book club with friends where we go grab a free romance novel off of amazon and I’m gonna be honest, they can be pretty rough.  This one, however, was delightful.  Definitely a romance novel version of the Hangover, but still a ton of fun to read.  The characters had character growth, and I enjoyed the way they interacted.  Maybe not the best romance I’ve ever read but definitely a quick fun read. 3/5

Melinda’s Update:

What Melinda Is currently reading:

• Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate – About 20% of the way in, but had to take a pause since the library took my digital copy—wah. Will get back to it after finishing the below! 
• The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager – About 20% into this one, too. Our protagonist returns to the summer camp where her bunkmates up and disappeared 15 years ago under the guise of camp instructor to find out what really happened. Similar so far to her other book I’ve read, Final Girls, but can’t wait to unravel the mystery! 

Linz’s Update:

Aging is literally the worst. I woke up Monday and strained my neck getting out of bed, so a lot of this week was spent managing that and not really reading.

What Linz read:

• The Afterward by EK Johnston – What. A. Delight. A fresh take on a Quest story. Sam’s review is here.
• My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga – I joined a second book club (WHAT AM I DOING GODDAMN IT), and this is our first book, which is about a teen girl obsessed with planning her suicide, who meets a guy trying to do the same thing. It’s a heavy premise for sure, and I’ll write a full review later, but it’s very good and well-handled look at depression.

What Linz is reading now:

• Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadow – enjoyable but slightly flawed YA fantasy about a teen girl with a ton of issues who uncovers a major conspiracy, I’m pretty sure we have a review somewhere on the blog (Editor’s Note: Nope… we don’t)
• Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee – a disgraced captain is given the nearly impossible mission of taking back a fortress from a rebel group with the help of a brilliant but traitorous general. Also the general is a ghost who is implanted into the captain’s head. It’s taking me a little work to get into it, but it’s damn good. Not for scifi beginners. 

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Melinda, Linz, and Ginny