Hello fellow boozie readers!

Sam’s Update:

I had a week. It was one hell of a week. Things are changing at work and I am starting to slide down to the bottom of the fun wheel. We all had a WRFB Working Session on Friday so changes are cominnngggggg!

What Sam finished this week:

• Finale by Stephanie Garber: Guys this book was terrible. It didn’t even pass the Bechtel Test. I’ve written a full drunken rant about it already, that’s coming soon.
• Evermore by Sara Holland: This is the sequel to Everless and I listened on audio. I honestly finished it this week and I can’t really remember how it ended? Oh wait, yes I do. It was fine, the twist was nice, but I don’t really feel like anything happened.

What Sam’s reading now:

• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin: I’m listening on audio and I struggled with that at first, because the world is so complex and has complex names for things. I’ve figured it out though and I’m really really enjoying it.
• Deep Cut by Nick Sullivan: This is the sequel to Deep Shadow which I reviewed last year. I’m right at the beginning but I’m remembering how much I love Boone. The last book had some crazy-ass twists so I’m excited to see where this goes. It picks up like… the day after the end of the first one.

Ginny’s Update:

Currently Reading:

• Middlegame by Seanan McGuire: I bought this the day it came out and probably would have finished it this weekend except that I have a gnarly cold and have basically just watched tv and tried not to feel horrible. And my brain isn’t working right now so I can’t even give you a summary but boy is this book wild from the start.

What I Finished:

• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo: Goddamit now I’m on a cleaning streak. Apparently I’m now on a big self-improvement streak. This book was pretty delightful. Her sense of how space should be used and possessions treated was a nice change of pace. This book is surprisingly kind, and I’ve legit done a great job of paring down on clothes at least. 4/5
• Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year by Anne Lamott: I wrote a review for this. This book is literally just a woman’s journals from just before the birth of her son. It’s was sweet. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire: This was the fourth book in the October Daye series and it was an absolute blast. Seanan knows how to work with a large cast of characters that she has built up. The book begins with the news that Toby has been given a title by the queen and that one of her friends is sick. The sickness isn’t natural, and therefore Toby must investigate. I wrote a review for this one!
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke: This was a book where teh title was so amazing that I couldn’t pass up reading it. There is definitely a review forthcoming because I have so many opinions. And I kind of don’t want to say anyting about it until then. So basic plot synopsis: Hannah runs a cookie shop in a small town, someone gets murdered and she finds the body and then her incompetent, cop brother-in-law asks for her help… Ooops, guess some of my opinions came through. Review forthcoming.

Minda’s Update:

It’s Bookemon Badgeathon

What Minda finished:

• That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger – Achieved The Amour Badge with a really serious read. This book shared multiple perspectives from survivors of a school shooting and did a great job handling an important topic.

What Minda is reading now:

• Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – Still at about the 50% mark. Hoping to knock out more this week!
• The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert – For the Fantastical Badge, I’ll be reading this scary fantasy! Reviewed by Ginny here.

Linz’s Update:

Work was 1,000,000,000,000% murder, so not as much reading done as I’d like this week

What Linz didn’t finish:

• Finale by Stephanie Garber – SAM I SWEAR TO GOD WHY DID YOU SHARE THIS ARC WITH ME. These frickin books. (Editor’s Note: insert smug smile here – Sam)

What Linz is reading now:

• The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – Thanks to Goodreads for this copy! A group of friends from London are on their annual NYE trip, this time to an isolated hunting lodge resort in Scotland. It hops between the present, where someone at the resort has been murdered, and the the past, where the events leading up to the murder unfold, as do all the little secrets and dramas of this long-time group.
• Trust Exercise by Susan Choi – this was a SUPER recent release that I heard good hype about. From Goodreads “Pulitzer Finalist Susan Choi’s narrative-upending novel about what happens when a first love between high school students is interrupted by the attentions of a charismatic teacher.”

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Melinda, Linz, and Ginny