Thanks to the second quarter of the year, I am way ahead of my reading goals for the year! I read so much in this 3-month period. I also did a lot of rereading in this period. I read 15 books in quarter 2, and 8 of those were rereads. I also read a lot of historical fiction, as 10 of the books I read took place in the past. 

That being said, let’s talk about what I read.

All 2022 Recent Reads | All Recent Reads post | All books posts

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A Touch of Ruin – “Persephone’s relationship with Hades has gone public and the resulting media storm disrupts her normal life and threatens to expose her as the Goddess of Spring. To add to her troubles, everyone seems eager to warn Persephone away from the God of the Dead by exposing his hellish past. Things only get worse when a horrible tragedy leaves Persephone’s heart in ruin and Hades refusing to help. Desperate, she takes matters into her own hands, striking bargains that lead to severe consequences. Faced with a side of Hades she never knew, and crushing loss, Persephone wonders if she can truly become Hades’s queen” (x).

I really loved this book! It’s way more heart-breaking than I expected, and Hades and Persephone deal with a lot of miscommunication. Something I like, though, is when books/series go beyond the couple getting together; the happy ending starts with getting together, not ending! 

Content warnings: suicide

2022 Recent Reads: January-March

The Book of Longings – “Ana is born in Galilee at a time when women are seen as possessions, only leaving their fathers’ homes to marry. Ana longs to control her destiny. Taught to read despite her mother’s misgivings, she wants to be a writer and to find her own voice. A voice that will speak for the silenced women around her. Betrothed to an elderly widower, Ana almost despairs. But an encounter with a charismatic young carpenter in Nazareth awakens new longings in her, and a different future opens up. Yet this is not a simple love story. Ana’s journey will bring both joy and tragedy, but it will also be enriched by the female friendships she makes along the way. The Book of Longings is an exquisite tale of dreams and desire, and of the power of women to change the world.“ (x).

First and foremost, if you will be offended by a fictional view of Jesus as a full man (married and everything), don’t read this book. I was personally on the fence but what made me read it is this book is by the same author who wrote The Secret Life of Bees. 

Here’s my (Catholic) deal: the Church teaches that Jesus became human and lived as a human. Why wouldn’t he love a woman and marry her? Especially as it was considered what a Jewish man did at that time and it was what God called them to do. Plus, this is a work of fiction. You can be a Christian and read and enjoy this book. 

Now that I’ve covered that … 

This book is beautiful and gripping and I loved it. As you know if you’ve read my blog (and if you keep reading this post), I read a lot of historical fiction. This is outside of the time period that I normally read about, but I still loved it.

Content warnings: sexual assault, familial violence to punish victim of sexual violence, depiction of graphic violence 

17 Classic Novels Worth Reading

The Man in the High Castle – “It is 1962 and the Second World War has been over for seventeen years: people have now had a chance to adjust to the new order. But it’s not been easy. The Mediterranean has been drained to make farmland, the population of Africa has virtually been wiped out and America has been divided between the Nazis and the Japanese. In the neutral buffer zone that divides the two superpowers lives the man in the high castle, the author of an underground bestseller, a work of fiction that offers an alternative theory of world history in which the Axis powers didn’t win the war. The novel is a rallying cry for all those who dream of overthrowing the occupiers. But could it be more than that?” (x)

This is one of those rare books where the TV show dramatically improved on the book. The story is OK but the writing is bad. You know those examples of men badly writing women? This whole book is an example of it. I think this is a rare instance of me saying you shouldn’t read this book without my DNFing it. 

Content warnings: sexual assault (maybe not considered such during the time it was written and set, but it is), casual liberal use of the n-word, antisemitism, eugenics, everything that goes along with Nazis

2021 Recent Reads: October-December

The Collected Schizophrenias – “An intimate, moving book written with the immediacy and directness of one who still struggles with the effects of mental and chronic illness, The Collected Schizophrenias cuts right to the core. Schizophrenia is not a single unifying diagnosis, and Esmé Weijun Wang writes not just to her fellow members of the “collected schizophrenias” but to those who wish to understand it as well. Opening with the journey toward her diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, Wang discusses the medical community’s own disagreement about labels and procedures for diagnosing those with mental illness, and then follows an arc that examines the manifestations of schizophrenia in her life. In essays that range from using fashion to present as high-functioning to the depths of a rare form of psychosis, and from the failures of the higher education system and the dangers of institutionalization to the complexity of compounding factors such as PTSD and Lyme disease, Wang’s analytical eye, honed as a former lab researcher at Stanford, allows her to balance research with personal narrative. An essay collection of undeniable power, The Collected Schizophrenias dispels misconceptions and provides insight into a condition long misunderstood” (x).

Oh my gosh, this is such a good book. 

Wang is an incredible writer and shares her experience with schizoaffective disorder over her lifetime, as well as her experience with chronic illness as a schizophrenia patient. I feel like I understand schizophrenia so much better than I did before, not just what the flares of it are like but also the daily living with it. I’m not saying that I get what it’s like to have it; I can’t. I’m saying that I understand it more than I did before. 

Content warnings: suicidal ideation, in-patient psychiatric treatment

2021 Recent Reads: July-September

The Winter Crown – “Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the most powerful women in Europe, is crowned queen of England beside her young husband Henry II. While Henry battles their enemies and lays his plans, Eleanor is an adept acting ruler and mother to their growing brood of children. But she yearns for more than this – if only Henry would listen. Instead, Henry pushes Eleanor to the sidelines, involving himself with a young mistress and denying Eleanor her rightful authority. As matters reach a crisis, Eleanor becomes caught up in a family rebellion. And even a queen must face the consequences of treason…” (x).

It’s no secret that I love historical fiction, especially fiction taking place in Europe before 1600. I’ve read so many books about Eleanor of Aquitaine, and this is a good one, but it’s not the best. This is one of those books that if you like historical fiction, you’ll probably like this, but if you don’t then you won’t.

2021 Recent Reads: April-June

The Lady Sherlock series is exactly what it sounds like—what if everyone thought Sherlock Holmes was a great detective, and he was, except he wasn’t a he? Charlotte Holmes has an exceptional mind, but in the late 19th century, that’s a draw-back for a woman. After she intentionally gets herself disowned (and then runs away), she tries to make it on her own. Eventually, she becomes a lady’s companion to Mrs. Watson, the widow of Dr. John Watson, and they team up to solve crimes. 

I reread the entire series in 2 weeks, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out at the end of this year. 

A Study in Scarlet Women (Lady Sherlock, Book 1) – “With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper-class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London. When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old, but in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind” (x).

Just as good as I remember, if not better. I really enjoyed putting together the pieces while reading this, since I know what happens. 

Since this book sets up Charlotte and how she became Sherlock, there is a lot of non-case content in this book compared to the others. So if you read it and think, “Wow, I wish there hadn’t been so much set up,” then you’re in luck! The rest of the series isn’t like that. 

Content warnings: discussion of pedophilia, discussion of spousal abuse

Read my review from the first time I read it in 2020

A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock, Book 2) – “Being shunned by society gives Charlotte Holmes the time and freedom to put her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. As ‘Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective’, aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, she has had great success helping with all manner of inquiries, but she is not prepared for the new client who arrives at her Upper Baker Street office. Lady Ingram, wife of Charlotte’s dear friend and benefactor, wants Sherlock Holmes to find her first love, who failed to show up at their annual rendezvous. Matters of loyalty and discretion aside, the case becomes even more personal for Charlotte as the missing man is none other than Myron Finch, her illegitimate half-brother. In the meanwhile, Charlotte wrestles with a surprising proposal of marriage, a mysterious stranger woos her sister Livia, and an unidentified body surfaces where least expected. Charlotte’s investigative prowess is challenged as never before: Can she find her brother in time – or will he, too, end up as a nameless corpse somewhere in the belly of London?” (x)

Like I said, the other books in the series don’t have as much non-case related. They mostly jump right into case stuff, and that’s especially true in this book in comparison to the first. 

What I like about this book is that it’s like the first in that it takes place in London but (slight spoiler that you’ll figure out if you keep reading this post) there isn’t as much Moriarty-based shenanigans in this book as there are in later books set in London. 

Read my review from the first time I read it in 2020

The Hollow of Fear (Lady Sherlock, Book 3) – “Under the cover of ‘Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective,”’Charlotte Holmes puts her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte draws those in need to her and makes it her business to know what other people don’t. Moriarty’s shadow looms large. First, Charlotte’s half brother disappears. Then, Lady Ingram, the estranged wife of Charlotte’s close friend Lord Ingram, turns up dead on his estate. And all signs point to Lord Ingram as the murderer. With Scotland Yard closing in, Charlotte goes under disguise to seek out the truth. But uncovering the truth could mean getting too close to Lord Ingram–and a number of malevolent forces …” (x).

To me, this is the first book in the series that made this world real. It’s not just London-based any more, and the characters are even fuller as humans here. It’s also, as the intro and my previous comment show, the first book that Moriarty becomes a larger part of the story and the case. 

Content warnings: abuse of a vulnerable person

Read my review from the first time I read it in 2020

The Art of Theft (Lady Sherlock, Book 4) – “As ‘Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective,’ Charlotte Holmes has solved murders and found missing individuals. But she has never stolen a priceless artwork—or rather, made away with the secrets hidden behind a much-coveted canvas. But Mrs. Watson is desperate to help her old friend recover those secrets and Charlotte finds herself involved in a fever-paced scheme to infiltrate a glamorous Yuletide ball where the painting is one handshake away from being sold and the secrets a bare breath from exposure. Her dear friend Lord Ingram, her sister Livia, Livia’s admirer Stephen Marbleton—everyone pitches in to help and everyone has a grand time. But nothing about this adventure is what it seems and disaster is biding time on the grounds of a glittering French chateau, waiting only for Charlotte to make a single mistake …” (x).

Oh my goodness, a heist in a Sherlock Holmes story? So good. 

Something that makes this series fun is that these books aren’t doing the same thing over and over again. This one especially stands out because it’s not based around a murder … and it’s just as fun a read as the solving-a-murder ones. 

Content warnings: discussion of spousal abuse

Read my review from the first time I read it in 2020

Murder on Cold Street (Lady Sherlock, Book 5) – “Inspector Treadles, Charlotte Holmes’ friend and collaborator, has been found locked in a room with two dead men, both of whom worked with his wife at the great manufacturing enterprise she has recently inherited. Rumors fly. Had Inspector Treadles killed the men because they had opposed his wife’s initiatives at every turn? Had he killed in a fit of jealous rage because he suspected Mrs. Treadles of harboring deeper feelings for one of the men? To make matters worse, he refuses to speak on his own behalf, despite the overwhelming evidence against him. Charlotte finds herself in a case strewn with lies and secrets. But which lies are to cover up small sins, and which secrets would flay open a past better left forgotten? Not to mention, how can she concentrate on these murders when Lord Ingram, her oldest friend and sometime lover, at last dangles before her the one thing she has always wanted?” (x)

We’ve had solving murders that seem linked but might not be, finding a missing love and also a murder, solving a murder to get a friend out of a jam, and an art heist … now it’s time for solving a locked room mystery. And that’s all I’m going to say about that!

Read my review from the first time I read it in 2021

Miss Moriarty, I Presume? (Lady Sherlock, Book 6) – “A most unexpected client shows up at Charlotte Holmes’ doorstep: Moriarty himself. Moriarty fears that tragedy has befallen his daughter and wants Charlotte to find out the truth. Charlotte and Mrs. Watson travel to a remote community of occult practitioners where Moriarty’s daughter was last seen, a place full of lies and liars. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s sister, Livia, tries to make sense of a mysterious message from her beau, Mr. Marbleton. And Charlotte’s longtime friend and ally, Lord Ingram, at last turns his seductive prowess on Charlotte – or is it the other way around? But the more secrets Charlotte unravels about Miss Moriarty’s disappearance, the more she wonders why Moriarty has entrusted this delicate matter to her of all people. Is it merely to test Charlotte’s skills as an investigator, or has the man of shadows trapped her in a nest of vipers?” (x)

What does one do when Moriarty shows up for your help and you know he’s Moriarty, and he knows you know he’s Moriarty, but no one is acknowledging it? There are so many layers and this is just the start. 

It’s a fascinating book and the action really does start at the get-go. 

And honestly, I can’t say anything else without spoiling!

Content warnings: discussion of spousal abuse, extremely controlling parent

Read my review from the first time I read it in 2021

Somebody’s Daughter – “Through poverty, adolescence, and a fraught relationship with her mother, Ashley C. Ford wishes she could turn to her father for hope and encouragement. There are just a few problems: he’s in prison, and she doesn’t know what he did to end up there. She doesn’t know how to deal with the incessant worries that keep her up at night, or how to handle the changes in her body that draw unwanted attention from men. In her search for unconditional love, Ashley begins dating a boy her mother hates. When the relationship turns sour, he assaults her. Still reeling from the rape, which she keeps secret from her family, Ashley desperately searches for meaning in the chaos. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father’s incarceration . . . and Ashley’s entire world is turned upside down.

“Somebody’s Daughter steps into the world of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration, exploring how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them” (x).

Ahh so good! Such a good memoir. Ford addresses so much in this memoir, and I absolutely loved it. It’s emotional and difficult to read in the best way. It also changed how I think about people who are incarcerated. They’re not the only ones whose lives are altered; their loved ones’ lives are changed, too. Whether or not the person incarcerated did the thing, their loved ones’ lives are completely changed, too. 

Content warnings: sexual assault, aftermath of sexual assault, verbal abuse

2019 Recent Reads: October-December

A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander, book 6) – “The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest.

“With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence—with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future” (x).

Since I love Outlander, I loved rereading this. It’s not one of my favorite books in the series, but it’s not one of my least favorites. There’s some horrible stuff happening in this book (see the content warnings below), but it’s not the worst. 

Outlander really is a series where you have to read the other books in the series. Nothing will make sense otherwise. Also, I stopped watching the show after the 4th season because it was annoying me. As a note, the show really screws over some of the main and my favorite characters, namely Claire, Bree, and Roger. If you hate Roger in the show, he’s way better in the books!

Content warnings: Sexual assault, aftermath of sexual assault, abuse, graphic depictions of violence, discussion of incest, homophobia from one of the 19th century characters, general period-predictable racism/homophobia/misogyny/etc.

2021 Recent Reads: January-March

Secrets of Cavendon – “​​It’s the summer of 1949, and things have run smoothly at Cavendon Hall for years, with very few quarrels, dramas, or upsets between the two families. But since the end of World War II, changes have arrived at Cavendon. A new generation is at the helm and also at the forefront of new scandal and intrigue. With romance, betrayal, heartbreak, and possible murder threatening to tear them apart, the Inghams and Swanns will have to find a way to come together and protect each other in the face of threats they never could have predicted” (x).

I’ll be honest and quick about this: the story isn’t great and the writing isn’t any better. Read the first book in the series, maybe the second, and stop there. 

Content warnings: IPV, discussion of past sexual assault

2020 Recent Reads: October-December

The Golden Compass – “Philip Pullman takes listeners to a world where humans have animal familiars and where parallel universes are within reach. Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal – including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world. Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want. But what Lyra doesn’t know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other …” (x).

This is another reread, and it’s just as good as I remembered! I always wanted to read this and not be doing other things, which to me is a sign of a good book. So much happens in these books, and this book is just the start. 

Content warning: death of children 

Read my review from the last time I read this

What have you read recently? 

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