#WhatchaReading ? I found Level Up by Cathy Yardley a bit of a slog. She's reworked some of the same themes (career vs love, introversion vs isolation) in later books more successfully, and the geeky elements feel more authentic in her later books too, IMO. (Though perhaps that's just because game design isn't my thing.) Also needed some editing. Not sure I'll continue this series.
@rick I love how this hashtag so often tells me about authors I've never heard of! So cool there are so many people about there writing and being read.
@willaful I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Taleen Voskuni. I also enjoyed her other book, "Sorry, Bro", which had similar themes of trying to figure out how to respect one's heritage without getting mired in the past.
(And I think other people might really enjoy "Second Night Stand", as it's actually a solid story about the knife's edge between being true to yourself and putting food on the table. My reasons for giving up on it had nothing to do with the writing itself.)
#WhatchaReading ? I was up all night 🥱 finishing You Should Be So Lucky. Amazingly, it's somehow not a letdown after the gorgeousness of We Could Be So Good.
The themes are around living an authentic life in a highly closeted time, and it's complex and believable. There are tropes too but not obnoxiously or pointlessly. And really well drawn, relatable characters. And pretty swoony romance too. 😂
@willaful I'm about 2/3 through "The Orc and Her Bride" by Lila Gwynn. I needed something relatively light, and it fits that bill. It's doing a whole "spoiled elf princess' parents betroth her to an orc princess who actually turns out to be a much better person" thing. Not the most original treatment, but it's decent enough.
I've "temporarily" put down "The Queer Girl Is Going To Be Okay" by Dale Wells. After ~1/4, I just couldn't get into it. I need to try again when I have more attention.
@willaful@romancelandia@romancebooks sounds cute! I'm listening to Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood and so far it's keeping my attention, which is not easy these days!