thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

Late Bloomers is a fantastic literary fiction title. If you are a fan of family sagas, this novel deserves a spot on your shelf. Varadarajan’s characters are well-rounded, and you can’t help but fall in love with them. The plot moves at a great pace and I wish I could read it for the first time again!

(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)

(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I listened to this title in one sitting, and I cannot wait to get my hands on its sequel. An Elderly Lady is Up To No Good was both shocking and hilarious. If you are a fan of lovable antagonists, interwoven short story collections, or just a good murder mystery, this is a title that you should try!

I Want To Die But I Want To Eat Tteokbokki was atrocious. Most of the novel is literally transcripts from the author’s own therapy appointments. These could have used some heavy editing. The rest of the story are essays. If the book had just been essays it MAY have gained another star from me, but overall this title was just a huge miss. 

My bookish unpopular opinion is that I haven’t enjoyed McQuiston’s writing previously. As they are one of the most popular authors right now in the LGBTQ+ literary sphere, I usually keep this to myself. I am happy to report that I have FINALLY found a McQuiston book that I enjoyed: The Pairing. Theo and Kit, the protagonists, are exes who find themselves on a culinary tour through Europe. Between the good food and romantic backdrops they find themselves in, a second-chance romance unfolds. Funnily enough, this is the third book I have read with a character becoming or being a wine sommelier this year. Is this the new “small town baker” trope? Only time will tell! 

For a short story, Below Zero packs a punch. There is constant action and I felt that I got a complete picture of Ian and Hannah’s relationship. I did not realize that this was the third book in the series so I plan to go back and read the first two novellas to see how the other couples featured in this one made their way to each other. Overall, I am glad I read this title as I was able to have a small taste of Hazelwood’s writing style without committing to one of her full-length novels. 

Despite its cheery title, Here Comes the Sun is an emotionally powerful novel that tackles some heavy, thought-provoking themes. After finishing it, I came across a Goodreads review that said something like, “I’m sending Nicole my therapy bill”, a tongue-in-cheek comment, but not entirely off the mark. This story challenged me in unexpected ways, and I still find myself thinking about it. I was truly moved by the author’s beautiful prose and can’t wait to dive into more of her work.