Christine Kelly Reads and Writes

Well this post comes right after (?), in the midst of (?), around the time of discourse about writers leaving reviews on books.

I want to reiterate that the point of me sharing my reads is not to RATE books. I will never give a star, and I will never speak negatively about a book on here.

My goals are:

1. As an agent, provide writers insight into my taste.
2. As an agent and also author who wants to help writers, to provide notes and recommendations to help authors identify components that may work for comparable titles (comps). Often I’ll say, “if you like x, you’ll enjoy y!”
3. Promote books! I read them and I want to talk about them. Especially if they’re a debut or not getting the marketing support they deserve.
4. Because I love talking about books. I honestly love writing these little tidbits. I get to revisit the stories that I finished, and that’s a micro-dose of joy.

So without further ado….I have one other qualification for this month’s reading. Sorry– lots of words this month.

I read a lot. Like, I looked at my monthly wrap up and was like, “whoa.” Here are some caveats.

1. One book was four hours and I listened to it at 2x speed while cleaning our storage area.
2. I’ve been listening to a lot of books which helps me get through my TBR, and also discover books I otherwise won’t read because I’m getting them from Libby that are “available now”, or from Spotify until my hours run out.
3. A few books I started before April, so they weren’t read in their entirety in this month.

The first book I read was one I listened to mostly in March, then finished in April. And man oh man, does this book stick with you for a long time. SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN by Shelley Parker, Chan, really hit the mark the same way SONG OF ACHILLES did for me. While very different books (IMO), I still had my heart squeezed and historical interests scratched. It’s beautifully written, has a touch of speculative elements, and aching romantic elements. It’s Mulan with a dose of magic and a dive into history. I was a Asian Studies minor in college, so these dynasties and their history are super interesting to me, which lured me in even more. Anyways. Read this to be haunted (in the best way) forever and ever by it.

Next up, I listened to THE DAGGER AND THE FLAME by Catherine Doyle. This was a fun accident that I had the book and the audio from BOTM. I feel it necessary to state for readers who need this as a warning: this ends with not necessarily a cliff hanger, but an high expectation for the next book. But I really enjoyed how I was easily able to slide into this world and it hit the sweet spot for the Reylo addiction. It’s light versus dark, morally grey MMC, and a whole lot of tension that kept me rapt.

I listened to SPELLSHOP by Sarah Beth Durst and ya’ll THIS BOOK IS COZY! It’s cottage core and magical and a warm loaf of bread all wrapped into a book. It has a magical talking plant that seriously is maybe my favorite character ever written. There is a romance in it, but the character arc is what really keep you enthralled. I would say this has higher stakes than I expected with a cozy, but that made it all the more compelling. I am typing this and smiling, because it was just a utter delight. Perfect to listen to as I planted seeds for my spring garden too.

This book was one I started a different month, but ran out of time on my Libby loan, so I picked it back up where I left off and didn’t miss a beat. ONLY FOR THE WEEK, by Natasha Bishop was the first of a few character driven novels I’ve read recently. JUSTICE FOR CHARACTER DRIVEN NOVELS because nothing can soothe my soul like a strong character arc. Truly, my most satisfied endings are when I feel content with the growth of a character. ONLY FOR THE WEEK also has a messy family dynamic and ohhh boyyyyy do you get mad for the FMC- because she goes through it. BONUS, this book is steamy.

Another character-driven novel I read was ONLY LOVE CAN HURT LIKE THIS by Paige Toon. This one comes with a lot of heartbreak in the character’s past, so be sure to check TW. But what I loved about this (aside from everything), was that it was set on a farm. As someone starting a small winery with my family, this felt very real to me. And with it being in Indiana, I love that it touched on the midwest in a authentic manner. Read this if you’re in the mood for some INTENSE pining. Like, ultimate pining. The BIGGEST OF PINING.

STARLIGHT HEIR by Amalie Howard was another one I started in a different month and finished in April. The Spotify audiobook hours disappear quite quickly, and I’m usually left with a “you can listen more in 22 days”. I really enjoyed this book and the world created. The stakes are high, and the battle of light and dark is really engaging.

MY MINOTAUR HUSBAND by Lyonne Riley was my foray into monster smut to be perfectly frank. I’ve seen on MSWLs some interest in this sub genre, and I wanted to check it out. It’s a four hour audio book with the lowest of stakes. It’s basically cozy monster smut, with a very sweet FMC and MMC who have sexy thoughts. If you need to clean out a storage area, this is the perfect book to keep you motivated to clean until the narrator is finished. (I could make another joke here, but you can infer it I’m sure!)

THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS, by Rachel Moore has intrigued me since I saw the cover when it was released. It was just something I couldn’t find available, and moved to the bottom of my TBR because, well, I have piles and piles to read. Honestly I was surprised this was such a quick listen, but I was able to get through it in two days between my walks, tending to my seeds, laundry, and dishes. I was grateful to have the time to listen because normally while I’m doing those things I can’t due to my kids. Yet somehow I made it work — as I said before THIS MONTH IS A ANOMALY. I digress… but this book was a great spooky read with lots of paranormal activity, deception and romance. For those looking for more of a horror-romance type of thing, I really enjoyed this. It also had some great descriptors and witty one-liners. The best is the evil ghosts are literal mean girls and that had me chuckling.

So I’m going to loop the last two together because I read them physically back to back. I won’t lie, I was hesitant to read the HUNGER GAMES prequels. I wasn’t interested in President Snow’s ascension into villainry (a word? Well it is now.), but I love Haymitch and wanted to read his story. I felt it necessary I read the first prequel before Haymitch’s book. So here I am, VERY glad I did read them. THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES, by Suzanne Collins, does a wonderful job of helping the reader hold sympathy for Coriolanus, and showing how the character is how he is. And Lucy Baird is a character I will root for time and time again. Reading the Snow story right before Haymitch’s was great, because I was back in the world and dove right in. SUNRISE ON THE REAPING also helps us understand Haymitch, and it being told in a voice so authentic to the adult Haymitch we were introduced to was so well done. There are scenes that will stick with me forever and characters I felt were echoed in the latter triology. Seeing our favorites pop up too, really felt like a welcome home to hell (given it’s the hunger games I’m not saying a welcome home with comfort, because ya know, kids die).

What I really take away from these stories is understanding how hive mind works, how the “other” is made bad, and I will always and continue to wonder how MAGA folk think Suzanne Collins is on their side (I’ve seen the social media posts). Like in Star Wars, if you cannot clearly see the what the rebels are fighting for, you aren’t seeing what’s happening today with clear eyes. THIS is why stories are important– seeing how the root of our issues can come from our own making, misunderstanding, and how we’re taught. I’m so glad these are YA, albeit tough content (going back to kids dying), because I do think the youth of today need to see the truth that we’re living today told back to them in a different way so they can grasp the commonalities.

Now I’m going to step off my soap box and hope you all pick up some of these books and feel the same way as me.