Christine Kelly Reads and Writes

This month was a slow reading month. For starters, there were big things happening. I am now an Associate Literary Agency for The Purcell Agency if you didn’t see. But also, I was going through another big overhaul of edits for 9 DATES. Whenever I tried to pick something up, my mind couldn’t stick to it. It wasn’t the books fault, it was that fact that I just had too much going on.

The books that did manage to engage me this month were some of my most anticipated on my TBR.

The first book of this month (which honestly feels like forever ago I finished it) was BRING ME YOUR MIDNIGHT by Rachel Griffin. This book had a wonderful premise and I really enjoyed the teenage angst in this. The creativity of authors with making each magical setting different is amazing and this one stood out.

Another book I was looking forward to reading was MY ROOMMATE IS A VAMPIRE by Jenna Levine and thankfully I got it in my Ripped Bodice romance box for September. (Ya’ll the box is amazing. Sign up!). This book had such a fun premise and I loved that there was a learning curve for Frederick with current culture. It was fun and light, and will fulfill anyones need for a “spooky season” book without it being spooky.

Then there was a lull. I couldn’t get into ANYTHING. Until… ROLE PLAYING by Cathy Yardley. Was a refreshing twist on friends to lovers. Like truly. So many aspects of REAL LIFE was represented in this story and I truly felt what the characters were feeling. It was a great read and I recommend for anyone that specifically is looking for characters that are beyond their 20s and 30s.

I was very much looking forward to my preorder of THE UNFORTUNATE SIDE OF EFFECTS OF HEARTBREAK AND MAGIC to show up. Literally, every day I ran to the mailbox. And when it arrived i devoured it in two days. This book may have broke my reading slump- especially the first 30%. I can totally understand how the author came up with comps of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls for this story. But I want to say, that as a fan of both, I don’t this it satiates that need. It is a good book, but I would go in with different expectations. Congrats to the author on making the NYT Best Seller too!

Next I read KIM REAPER, Vol 1 by Sara Graley. This is a graphic novel that is light and fun. The artwork is cartoon-ish and the characters were fun. For a quick read for spooky season, I recommend!

Last, I read THIS ONE SUMMER by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki. This had been on my shelf for a long while. I had found it while shopping on Bookshop.org and once I saw it was a banned booked it compelled me to read it. And this honestly may be one of my favorite books of the year, definitely the month. I want to sit down with the youth of today and discuss this with them. Sign me up for every lecture to discuss the nuances and messaging of this story. HOLY SMOKES, this is jam packed with so many things that shape how girls grow and how they feel. I saw a lot of reviews complain about the character arc– and quite frankly, I want people to re-read to truly take a look to see the subtly of the arcs. Honestly, the review from Leigh Bardugo may be what sums it up perfect.

If you are thinking about querying me, you do not need to take any of this into consideration. I just enjoy sharing what I read in hopes that one of my explanations (not story summaries and not ratings) will help add to your TBR. Please use the bookshop.org links i provide. I would love to support your local book store instead of the ‘zon.

Happy Reading!