What I'm reading Archives

What I’m Reading: Vol 121.

September 22, 2022

What I'm reading. Book photo by Jung Ho Park on Unsplash

Hello my darlings,

Happy autumn to you all! This has been a wild year, hasn’t it? I’ve been so busy working for Instore Magazine and with my treasured freelance writing clients that I haven’t been posting here at good old DitL as much, but I haven’t forgotten you! I would never forget you.

I’ve also spent a lot of time this year working with my new doctor on figuring out new ways to manage my Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, the mysterious chronic medical condition that I was finally diagnosed with last year. I’m happy to say that I’m finally making real progress and I’m in the process of making plans to go to a jewelry event in person (!!!!!!) for the first time since 2019. And don’t worry, there will be a major photo recap when I get back.

I hope that you all had lovely, relaxing, joy-filled summers and are getting ready to settle into the slower pace of Autumn. Although, actually, autumn tends to be my busiest time of the year. Anyone else?

I’m still loving the slightly cooler temps and the drastically less humid air. Maryland summer air feels like a warm, wet sponge in your lungs, so it’s wonderful to go outside and actually enjoy the atmosphere. I hope it’s just as gorgeous where you are!

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. This is a fake dating contemporary romance! It’s really cute and fun and features a grad student who needs to pretend to be dating a Professor (but not her own professor) in order to help support a friend’s relationship. The main character is a young scientist seeking funding for a project that’s close to her heart…but will she also end up opening herself up to love for the first time in her adult life? The teacher/student relationship is handled thoughtfully with careful lines drawn and attention paid to the fact that such relationships can be abusive. Themes of academia, challenges women face in the sciences, friendship, and demi-sexuality.

Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke. I’m about 75% of the way done with this book and am really enjoying it. It’s YA, and it follows sarcastic, irreverent Jane as she puts her life together after a traumatic event her senior year of high school. Jane is moving on by moving out of her parents’ house and taking classes at the local community college, but her new accommodations have a catch: the only place she can afford rent is House of Orange, a new group house reality show being produced by a local film student. TW for suicidal ideation.

Psy-Changelings series by Nalini Singh: I’ve read this entire series several times, despite the fact that it’s 20+ books. I love a nice long reread, especially one that lets me dive into an enthralling universe that’s so different from our own. I’ve mentioned this series here before, but it’s a top notch Fantasty/SciFi/Romance saga and a cult classic. It goes all in on all three of its genres: set in a future version of our world, it has people who can turn into animals, advanced technology, complex psychic neural networks, and yes, lots of sex.

Internets

Alien sighting: Boucheron Holographique High Jewellery Carte Blanche. This collection is extremely cool and I loved reading The Jewellery Editor’s thoughts about it.

Macro Photographer Zooms in on Beach Sand Under a Microscope. So cool!

Just What Is Recycled Gold, Anyway? JCK investigates.

Evalyn Walsh Mclean and the Curse of the Hope Diamond.

Before Cher Horowitz had her Computer Closet, Marie Antoinette had the Wardrobe Book.

The World’s Librarian, at Book Riot. Yes and yes.

Bulgari looks to seduce with Serpenti’s rich history of style. Bulgari’s history of lavish Serpenti watches inspires new creations fit for the most demanding jewellery lovers.

A Look at the Holy Roman Empire’s Most Splendid Books: A new book joins meticulous historical analysis with more than 150 lush, full-color illustrations of these magnificent books and their elaborate bindings.

Book images via UnSplash. This post contains affiliate links.

What I’m Reading: Vol 119.

September 7, 2021

What I'm reading. Book photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

Hello, my darlings.

Well, here we are: September. I don’t know about you, but the past couple of years have definitely left me feeling super disoriented. Surely it’s not autumn of 2021….that just doesn’t sound right.

That said, I’m looking forward to some crisp fall weather and SUPER looking forward to decorating for Halloween soon!! I’ve always loved Halloween and now that I’m all grown up with my own little front yard to decorate I truly lean into it. It’s so much fun.

I’ve been reading a LOT this year. I think it’s a combination of reasons: because I can’t really go anywhere, because I’m stressed and books make me feel better and also just because I love doing it. I have been diving really enthusiastically into Urban Fantasy as a genre and I’ve had the good luck to discover several new-to-me UF authors I really love (Ilona Andrews, Seanan McGuire, Karen Chance). So many good books lately! I may have to do a new big reading list again soon.

How are you doing? Were you able to get some refreshing rest this summer before diving into Fall’s new beginnings?

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m Reading

The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle. Yesss, this book! There are royals but none of the royals are involved in this book’s central romance…that honor goes to a certain taciturn bodyguard who loves to bake and the royal household’s new neighbor, a schoolteacher who takes care of her mother and likes things quiet. This contemporary Romance is so cute and sweet and fun – like a delicious cupcake for the brain, but a genuinely touching and genuine one. I really loved it.

Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews. I mentioned Ilona Andrews above as one of the authors I’ve been super into lately. This is their latest: the first book in a secondary series that is meant as a follow up to the author’s fantastic Kate Daniels series. Blood Heir is fantastic, with all of the elaborate mythology and engrossing character arcs as the original series. I strongly strongly recommend that you read Kate Daniels, first, though, or you’ll have lots of spoilers for the original series’ main plot points. Even the fact of who the main character is in Blood Heir is a Kate Daniels spoiler. So I’m actually not going to tell you anything about Blood Heir except that you’ll love it if you’ve already read and loved Kate’s books.

These books are Urban Fantasy and they’re on the bloody side: post-apocalyptic with lots of gritty magical battles and dramatic personal relationships with intricate worldbuilding based on real mythology. It’s fantastic and perfect for when you need to disappear into a fictional world.

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall. This is a Contemporary Romance set at a fictional baking competition that is very clearly based on the Great British Bake Off and it is so cute and heartwarming and wonderful. Like The Royals Next Door, this book also features an otherwise gruff and rough around the edges hero who likes to bake. I didn’t realize “tough guys with hearts of gold who like to bake” was a category of Romance but I’m here for it.

Internets

How Hollywood Sold Glamour. The complicated notion of glamour in classic Hollywood, suggesting that stars were aloof and unknowable, was also a means to sell products.

This Home Edit-Approved Jewelry Box Is an Organization Dream.

3D Embroideries Recreate the Lush Beauty of Nature With an Enchanting Twist.

25 “Weird History” Facts That Prove the Past Is Fascinating and Really Funny.

Six Books to Read if you Loved Fleabag, over at Book Riot.

Ford and Mellon Foundations Launch the Only National Award for Disabled Artists: Twenty disabled filmmakers, performers, and other creative practitioners across the US will each receive a $50,000 grant ($1 million in total) to pursue their work.

Amazing Finalists of Ocean Photography Awards Pay Homage to the Stunning Seas.

The Pearly Wonders of Renaissance Bling.

Book images via UnSplash. This post contains affiliate links.

What I’m reading: Vol. 117.

March 16, 2021

What I'm reading. Book photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash

Hello my darlings,

Well, I just had my second pandemic birthday! Not something I was expecting to ever be able to say. But we’ve had some incredible weather here in the past week and I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to get outside and feel the sun on my skin more lately!

I hope that March is treating you all well so far. Here’s what I’m reading!

xoxo,
Becky

What I’m reading:

King Of Scars Leigh Bardugo: Indiebound/Amazon

I was a little nervous to read this book because it is an expansion on a series that I absolutely love (see my review here) and I was scared the new material wouldn’t live up to the original. My worry was unfounded, though, because this book is fantastic! Creative and enthralling and different enough from the original series to feel like a whole new thing. King of Scars takes place after the original Grisha books and follows different characters.

Also, there’s about to be a Grisha TV show on Netflix!! You should read all of the Grisha books before the show comes out and the plot becomes common knowledge.

Love Scenes by Bridget Morrisey: Amazon

I’m having a great time reading this book! It follows the story of Sloane Ford, out-of-work actress who is struggling to balance her own career with the pressure of her famous Hollywood family. When Sloane encounters a man from her past who she hoped never to see again, she needs to make some decision about what she wants her life to be like. It is light and fun, with lots of focus on family and the challenge of establishing your own identity.

Internets:

Celtic Knots: Discover the Meaning Behind These Intricate Designs.

Murderous Elves, Silent Moths, and Modern Phrenology: Well-researched stories from Atlas Obscura, Physics World, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.

Amateur Treasure Hunter Unearths Missing Centerpiece of Henry VIII’s Crown.

‘AnonyMouse ’ Street Artists Install Miniature Shops and Restaurants for Mice on City Streets. These are even cuter and more delightful than they sound!

Not Everyone has a “Miniatures Room”, but this Guy Does! This is well worth a look, trust me.

Discovery of a 9,000 Year-Old Burial of a Female Hunter Challenges Prehistoric Gender Roles.

He Invented the Rubik’s Cube. He’s Still Learning From It. I hate Rubik’s cubes but I’m also fascinated by them.

This Artist Creates the Most Amazing Paper Cranes with Feathery Details. Beautiful and amazing!

Pioneering Black American Jewelry Designers In History.

Book images via UnSplash. This post contains affiliate links.