Happy Monday, Boozie Book Nerds!

Sam’s Update

What Sam is Finished:

• Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson: so basically on this planet, the moons shed these spores and if they get wet, they grow vines. This also include like… if you accidentally eat them. So they’re very dangerous. There’s not a lot of water around, but the oceans are made of these spores. Our main lady, Tress, falls in love with the Duke’s son. Duke’s son goes on a trip and doesn’t come back, so Tress went to find him. THINGS HAPPEN. Oh this is also narrated by Hoid, which is absolutely hilarious and I loved this.

What Sam is Currently Reading:

• Master of One by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett – This is a book I got through Fairyloot. Basically, our thief Rags gets scooped up from jail to go on an errand for the Queen and break in to an unbreakable maze place. When he gets to the end (not a spoiler cause it’s in the first 100 pages) he wakes up a scary Fae and they’re goin on an adventure with the scarier sorcerer that pulled him from jail.
• The Last Hero by Linden A. Lewis: This is the finale to the First Sister series so I can’t say much about the plot, but I am enjoying it. Unfortunately, it went back to the library so I have to wait.
• Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken: This is a new Arthurian by Alex Bracken. I have been disappointed in this author’s work, but I felt the need to hate read it. The main character isn’t magic, but she’s got this brother and they steal/find stuff for people? Anyway, they get on contract to find this ring or whatever and its a competition with a dude named Emris (uh huh) and that’s about where I’m at.
• Cooking at Home: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Recipes by David Chang and Priya Krishna – I read a review online that said this book is meant to be read cover to cover like a novel… so that’s what I’m doing and it’s actually fab. It helps that they’re talking a lot about Asian flavors (naturally) and I’ve been dying to learn more about those flavor profiles.

Ginny’s Update

What Ginny Finished:

• No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood: The main character has gone viral in “the portal” and is living half her life on social media. A family tragedy happens and suddenly she’s thrust back into living in reality. That’s also a stunningly bad summary – but better than the official one for the book. This book is at time funny, irritating, heartbreaking, and everything in between. It’s also really short so I think it’s worth the time (especially if you want a small exploration of love and grief).
• A Worthy Opponent by Katee Robert: This is the third book in the Wicked Villains series (they’re romances featuring the villains of the disney movies). Regardless, Tink needs to rebuild her life after being kicked out of her most recent home, at which point Hook makes her a deal; they get married and he kills Peter (who is a seriously bad guy). This series is pretty fun and very steamy. I really enjoyed the final confrontation.
• Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland: Kumai and her mother are both Soul Walkers – aka they visit people’s souls when they sleep. When Kumai’s mom dies, she’s thrust into a world with multiple, competing secret societies, and a strange man behind the always-there black door in the dream realm. This book was fantastic. I enjoyed the way the plot built on itself, the diversity of the characters, and the relationships that built throughout the book.

What Ginny is Currently Reading:

• Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly: This book follows Alexei (nervous man who only recently came out) and Ben (historically a bit of a mess but pulling it together) hiking the PCT. I’m not far in yet, but it’s fun the way these two characters complement each other. Plus reading about the hike is also quite a bit of fun. 
• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia:  Noemi is sent out to visit her newly-married cousin who has sent alarming letters home. She arrives to an old mansion that is partially falling apart and a family that is quiet and tiptoes around the elusive patriarch. I’m really not far into this book but it’s done a great job of setting up spooky vibes.

Until next time, we remain forever drunkenly yours,

— Sam, Minda, and Ginny