Happy Monday, Boozie Book Nerds!

This is your weekly reminder that all lives can’t matter until black ones do.

Minda’s Update

It’s inauguration week—a big one for those of us who live in DC. We’ll see how much reading gets done.

What Minda is reading now: 

• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Mexican 50s socialite Noemí Taboada goes to the countryside on her father’s demand after receiving a mysterious, disturbing letter from her recently married cousin. Counts as the Level One: Miller category for the Medieval Readathon Baker Profession.
• The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky (audio) – This one is a fantastical telling of the hypothetical meeting and clash between Inuits and Vikings in AD 1000. Definitely an inventive story that I am looking forward to reading more of. Sooo good, but still waiting for them to meet!

Sam’s Update

Inauguration week. Keep us in your thoughts, it could be totally fine or it could be a total nightmare.

What Sam Finished:

I’m participating in Medieval-a-thon tryna be a Empress Bard…

• Level 1: Read a book with a great first line: Well Played by Jen DeLuca: I enjoyed this

What Sam is Currently Reading:

• Level 2: A book with a travel element: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown: I’m about half way through, and right now the travel element is that the siblings traveled to the capital for work and the one got in trouble. The brother takes on her debt, and he’s gotta kill the princess. The Princess is’t really the princess anymore, cause her mother was murdered. Basically, she’s trying to bring mama back from the dead. I’m really liking this, slow-paced but keeping my attention.
• Level 5: A book with multiple authors: Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: I know I skipped a few levels but i’m listening on audio and those usually take me a bit longer. so i’m getting a head start. This is the second book in this series, so without spoilers, I’m meh about this so far. Learning a lot about my favorite character though, Kal.

Ginny’s Update

Classes start soon so just wait, these lists are going to get pretty short pretty quick. I’m going to enjoy my last day of freedom before I work on learning two programming languages, more accounting, and whatever constitutes “operations” (we still don’t have our syllabus even though we have our first class within the next five days…).

What Ginny Finished:

• A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday: This was a really sweet book about an anxious princess and an overwhelmed “common” man who is struggling to support himself and his sister. This book had some incredibly sweet moments between the two characters (as well as a few steamier moments). I enjoyed the fact that the sister felt really real; mood swings, funky passions, and all. Definitely a cute read.
• This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria: I received this book as an ARC so you can bet your butt I’m going to review it. Karis is basically a slave, and Alix is a machine made from long lost technology. Watching the two of them work to escape the situations they’re stuck in is a lot of fun. I enjoyed so much about this book, and while I have some minor gripes, I would happily read more in this world.
• The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke: This book gripped me something good. It started a little bit slow but it weaves in these fairytales and unique cultures and it completely took me in. The Boneless Mercies are roving bands of women that provide mercy kills to ask for them. Frey, the leader, yearns for more and brings her band of Mercies with her to slay a beast. Honestly, this world is pretty awesome

What Ginny is Currently Reading:

• A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon: I’ve read stuff by Rebekah Weatherspoon before and really enjoyed it. This book starts with Evie, a celebrity chef, getting pushed down the stairs. Which gives her amnesia. So she ends up going to stay with old family friends, which includes her childhood crush who broke her heart, Zach. Zach works on his family’s luxury ranch(?) and wants to make amends. It’s pretty fun so far. I trust the author not to go for the squicky consent issues that could pop up.

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

— Sam, Ginny, and Minda