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.
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.
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