Reading Wrap Up (Jan - Feb)

Hello! For the blog post this month I'm going to do some mini-reviews (spoiler-free!) of almost all of the books I've read so far this year. I also read Wholehearted Faith by Rachel Held Evans with Jeff Chu but I don't feel comfortable reviewing that even though I enjoyed it because Held Evans actually passed away before finishing it, and Chu helped weave together her notes/drafts with with some of her other unpublished writings so it could be published. 

• The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

Goodreads Summary: "Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter-break reprieve after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But Charlotte isn’t the only Holmes with secrets, and the mood at her family’s Sussex estate is palpably tense. On top of everything else, Holmes and Watson could be becoming more than friends—but still, the darkness in Charlotte’s past is a wall between them. A distraction arises soon enough, because Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring. The game is afoot once again, and Charlotte is single-minded in her pursuit. Their first stop? Berlin. Their first contact? August Moriarty (formerly Charlotte’s obsession, currently believed by most to be dead), whose powerful family has been ripping off famous paintings for the last hundred years. But as they follow the gritty underground scene in Berlin to glittering art houses in Prague, Holmes and Watson begin to realize that this is a much more complicated case than a disappearance. Much more dangerous, too. What they learn might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other."

This is a the second book in the Charlotte Holmes series, the first of which I read several years ago at my sister Devon's recommendation. Although the tone of this one felt a bit darker than the first and there is more tension than banter because Jamie and Charlotte are at odds, I did enjoy the plot. Jamie's perspective is fun to read from as he vacillates between ethereal, esoteric descriptions and grumpy complaining--I know some people found him bothersome in this one but in my eyes, my son can do no wrong. I also appreciated the Lena cameo because she was one of my favorite side characters in the first one. On the negative side, I didn't care much for August as a character; I found him a bit underwritten and so the ending didn't have as much of an emotional punch as it probably should have. And while having Jamie and Charlotte spend a good amount of time apart was necessary for the plot, I did miss the quippy back-and-forth we saw so much in the first novel. 

• The Case for Jamie by Brittany Cavallaro

Goodreads Summary: "It’s been a year since the shocking death of [spoiler], and Jamie and Charlotte haven’t spoken. Jamie is going through the motions at Sherringford, trying to finish his senior year without incident, with a nice girlfriend he can’t seem to fall for. Charlotte is on the run, from Lucien Moriarty and from her own mistakes. No one has seen her since that fateful night on the lawn in Sussex—and Charlotte wants it that way. She knows she isn’t safe to be around. She knows her Watson can’t forgive her. Holmes and Watson may not be looking to reconcile, but when strange things start happening, it’s clear that someone wants the team back together. Someone who has been quietly observing them both. Making plans. Biding their time. Someone who wants to see one of them suffer and the other one dead."

 

The third book was probably my favorite of the three, although I think series-wise none of the sequels measure up the the first one (A Study in Charlotte). I liked that there were a lot of little mysteries happening that may or may not be connected to each other, and I had fun theorizing about motives and who could be behind what. I did correctly guess exactly what happened with Jamie's mom (if you know, you know). I also loved having Lena appear so much now that Jamie was back at school, and seeing Charlotte pine for Jamie for once. Reading half the book from Charlotte's perspective and half from Jamie's was a fun way to change up the routine. My qualms about this particular sequel were as follows: first of all, I was a bit annoyed that everyone was treating Jamie like he was a bad person for "leaving" Charlotte when it seemed more like she had been pushing him away over and over again until he finally just stopped coming back. Secondly, Lucien seemed less of the omniscient, powerful villain he was in book 1 (and, although he wasn't physically present, how much of a looming threat he was in book 2). This is the big bad we've been worrying about all season, and yet several of his attempts to ruin Jamie's life felt a bit cartoonish as opposed to terrifying. What he did to Shelby was awful, but not quite as bad as I expected from someone who tried to blow us up multiple times last semester. Not that I want anything bad to happen to Shelby of course, but still. This made the bathroom confrontation scene feel a bit deflated, and I didn't like the twist as to who his special little helper was (although that's just a trope I dislike in general, so it's not really a mistake on the author's part so much as a personal issue). 

• A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro

Goodreads Summary: "Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson think they’re finally in the clear. They’ve left Sherringford School—and the Moriartys—behind for a pre-college summer program at Oxford University. A chance to start from scratch and explore dating for the first time, while exploring a new city with all the freedom their program provides. But when they arrive, Charlotte is immediately drawn into a new case: a series of accidents have been befalling the members of the community theater troupe in Oxford, and now, on the eve of their production of Hamlet, they’re starting all over again. What once seemed like a comedy of errors is now a race to prevent the next tragedy—before Charlotte or Jamie is the next victim."  

This last one was very polarizing to me. The ending of the third book was pretty much as perfect of a conclusion as I could have imagined for Jamie and Charlotte, and at first this one seemed just like a fluffy bit of extra fun. I immensely enjoyed seeing Charlotte and Jamie acting like an affectionate, healthy normal couple for once, especially the dinner scene. Jamie's quips were firing on all cylinders in this one (probably because it's the first book since Book 1 where he isn't horribly depressed), and I was really looking forward to the theatre-related subplot. But things just couldn't seem to come together! None of the clues or suspects seemed important, the suspense regarding the mystery slogged along without ever reaching a fever pitch, and the "plot twist" at the hotel (once again, if you know, you know) was simultaneously nonsensical and lacking in impact, despite being a revelation that should have been earth-shattering. Answers to the main mystery weren't parceled out during the investigation or even hinted at; the author just dumped a huge amount of explanations onto us in the final quarter only to reveal that none of it really mattered anyway. And worst of all, the ending completely undid all of the growth and character development Charlotte and Jamie had undergone throughout the series in favor of forcing them into the distant, wishy-washy, not-just-friends-but-not-more-than-friends limbo they'd started out as in book 1. After such a hopeful and (in my mind) satisfying conclusion at the end of book 3, the ending of this book felt less like coming full circle and more like dragging things out. 

• Sexless in the City by Kat Harris

Goodreads Summary: "Growing up at the height of the purity movement, Kat knew this much: good Christians don't have sex until marriage. But approaching 30 and thrust into the New York City dating scene, she found a set of rules was not a compelling enough reason to keep her clothes on. Caught between purity culture's rules and popular culture, Kat began a multi-year journey searching for answers to the biggest questions about sexuality and faith."

So I'm a fan of Kat Harris' podcast, and after hearing her talk a lot about her book, I decided to check it out. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it like I thought I would, for several reasons. First of all, I was expecting more of a memoir, but this was more of a workbook that incorporated personal anecdotes. Secondly, because theology is a subject I find interesting, I've consumed a lot of content that already broke down the topics she was discussing (and broke them down in even more detailed and progressive ways), so the points she was making weren't new to me and therefore weren't as challenging for me spiritually as they might be for another reader. Finally, after hearing her discuss in recent episodes how her faith has grown and changed regarding relationships, social issues, beliefs about LGBTQ people, and how she views racism, church politics, and drug/alcohol usage, I did expect this book to be a little more conservative or judgmental than the views she currently espouses. But holy cow. 

To be fair, Kat made some "progressive" comments and acknowledged the harm of purity culture and modesty teachings (although she also made claims that neither as a concept were completely harmful or completely unharmful). But I was not prepared for the condescending tone the book would carry, despite how intensely she insisted she wasn't being condescending. For example, she would say over and over again that she wasn't trying to tell anyone how to live or what to do/not to do, just provide questions that could help people suss out their own standards and values...but then when explaining the reasons behind her own boundaries, she says something akin to, "I choose to believe that God knows more about what's best for me than I do." To me, that is a (not at all subtle) endorsement for doing what Kat is doing because obviously it's also what God wants you to do. 

I still like Kat and I'm choosing to believe that this book does not reflect her current values and instead displays a vital part of one's spiritual journey. I didn't hate all parts of the book and like I said earlier, I recognize and applaud her openness to asking questions and recognizing that something can be harmful for some people even if it's beneficial for others. I especially appreciate her humility and acknowledgement of her own participation in perpetuating modesty culture and purity culture (which she regrets and apologizes for). It would be interesting to see an updated version that acknowledges things like ace/aro Christians, Christians who don't want to marry or have kids, LGBTQ+ Christians, etc. But overall, this book was a huge disappointment for me.   

• Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Goodreads Summary: "Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle....but as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself."

 

So I'm aware I'm not exactly the target audience age-wise for this book, but it got a lot of hype on Youtube so I wanted to give it a try. Overall, I enjoyed it! The cast of characters were each very distinct and well fleshed-out with their own problems and interests, and the pacing kept the various plots moving. Some parts did feel more like they were included to be educational than to serve the plot, but since the book was geared towards young adults I wasn't bothered by that. I will say the last fifth or so was a bit of a let-down for me; some plots felt like they were wrapped up too quickly or easily and others were left unresolved in favor of letting the love triangle take center stage. Additionally, I didn't like how the love triangle was handled (I have a LOT of thoughts on this but in the interest of avoiding spoilers I will just leave it at that). 

• What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo

Goodreads Summary: "By age thirty, Stephanie Foo was successful on paper: She had her dream job as an award-winning radio producer at This American Life and a loving boyfriend. But behind her office door, she was having panic attacks and sobbing at her desk every morning. After years of questioning what was wrong with herself, she was diagnosed with complex PTSD--a condition that occurs when trauma happens continuously, over the course of years. Both of Foo's parents abandoned her when she was a teenager, after years of physical and verbal abuse and neglect. She thought she'd moved on, but her new diagnosis illuminated the way her past continued to threaten her health, relationships, and career. She found limited resources to help her, so Foo set out to heal herself, and to map her experiences onto the scarce literature about C-PTSD. In this deeply personal and thoroughly researched account, Foo interviews scientists and psychologists and tries a variety of innovative therapies. She returns to her hometown of San Jose, California, to investigate the effects of immigrant trauma on the community, and she uncovers family secrets in the country of her birth, Malaysia, to learn how trauma can be inherited through generations. Ultimately, she discovers that you don't move on from trauma--but you can learn to move with it."

 

I LOVED this book! There was a great balance between personal anecdote and psychological explanations that fueled my motivation to keep reading. The balance of humor and vulnerability was also fantastic--Stephanie Foo has a talent for communicating through the page with a unique, memorable voice. The book's exploration of generational trauma and the various methods used to manage C-PTSD was very interesting to read, and I appreciated the chapter about how the pandemic affected her perspective of her diagnosis as well. The subject matter can be upsetting at times, but I wholeheartedly recommend the book if you enjoy reading memoirs. 

• Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

Goodreads Summary: "Chef Ashna Raje desperately needs a new strategy. How else can she save her beloved restaurant and prove to her estranged, overachieving mother that she isn’t a complete screw up? When she’s asked to join the cast of Cooking with the Stars, the latest hit reality show teaming chefs with celebrities, it seems like just the leap of faith she needs to put her restaurant back on the map. She’s a chef, what’s the worst that could happen? Rico Silva, that’s what. Being paired with a celebrity who was her first love, the man who ghosted her at the worst possible time in her life, only proves what Ashna has always believed: leaps of faith are a recipe for disaster. FIFA winning soccer star Rico Silva isn't too happy to be paired up with Ashna either. Losing Ashna years ago almost destroyed him. The only silver lining to this bizarre situation is that he can finally prove to Ashna that he's definitely over her. But when their catastrophic first meeting goes viral, social media becomes obsessed with their chemistry. The competition on the show is fierce…and so is the simmering desire between Ashna and Rico.  Every minute they spend together rekindles feelings that pull them toward their disastrous past. Will letting go again be another recipe for heartbreak—or a recipe for persuasion…?" 

This is the second book in Dev's Jane Austen-inspired series about The Raje family, with the first book being based on Pride & Prejudice. Persuasion is my favorite of the Austen novels, so I was excited to see how this one incorporated those elements. I was also excited to see that this book focused on one of the minor characters from the first book and included a lot of the same characters while also introducing new ones. That kind of--worldbuilding? Universe-building?--is something I enjoy. It was interesting how differently this book handled the inspirational text--in the first novel of the series, the main characters took turns being the Elizabeth and the Darcy in certain situations, whereas in this one Ashna was very much the Anne Elliot and Rico was Wentworth the whole time. The setup with the reality show was fun and gave us the opportunity to see the characters bond and rely on each other in different ways--I do wish we'd seen more of the other contestants and their chefs to better characterize how their partner dynamic differed from everyone else, seeing as they were keeping their history a secret. I was a little disappointed that the plot became less and less Persuasion-like as the book went on, relying mostly on the "exes to lovers" setup. The plot with Ashna's mother was interesting but I thought it was resolved too easily, and relied too much on the "here's some secrets you didn't know that suddenly cast everything in a different light" trope. Similarly, I thought the romance between the main leads was believable and well-written, but their conflict felt a little too easily resolved once certain details came to light. Overall, it was a cute, enjoyable romance but not as heavily inspired by Persuasion as I expected given how the first book was very, very similar to Pride & Prejudice in plot and characterization. Still, I had a good time and I will be reading the next few in the series once my library gets them in.