Third Quarter Reading Roundup
Hi, Hungry Readers,
I know this has been a lot of me, this month, but I realized I was very overdue with the quarterly reading roundup, and given - shall we say - events, you might have a need to lose yourself in a book soon. Or always. (Pretty much always is often my answer.)
Bookshop links included.
Also, for those of you who are print fans, my most recent release, Presented by Love is now available to order in print. Thanks for your patience.
I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram lives up to it’s title. David things Farzan, who has used a whiter name to get a reservation, is a food critic, so pulls out all the stops for Farzan’s visit. They end up going home together, realizing the mistake after. When Farzan ends up needing some restaurant management advice they start hanging out, but of course are just keeping things casual. No way that goes wrong, right?
Connie: A Memoir by Connie Chung - I enjoyed this memoir about Connie Chung. She does have somewhat of a Boomer sensibility about some of the sexism and racism that she faced, but she tells a good story.
A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen - Vivi does a study abroad in Vietnam, because she wants to see the place her Mom grew up, and her Mom never wants to talk about it. Lan has been trying to be the best helper in her mom’s Banh Mi stand after her father’s death, but she’s been blocked about what to add to her blog about seeing Saigon as a resident and not a tourist destination. Can they work together to help each other? And maybe more than help?
Just Playing House by Farah Heron involves an actor about to get announced as the next super hero, and the stylist his team hires who also turns out to be his ex. Marley is also about to go on medical leave, so she can have a double mastectomy, and for plot reasons, Nik ends up volunteering to help check on her recovery.
Triple Sec by TJ Alexander - A bartender starts a relationship with a poly woman, and then after getting snowed in with the woman’s spouse, discovers even more. There’s also a ton of cocktails and great friends.
The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports by Michael Waters. This book was a fascinating read about the history of the Olympics and the choice to involve women, and then gender testing, and the links to fascism.
Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee - I listened to this is audio, and it was a fascinating story about the goings on of a dream department store.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley - If you love stories about the bureaucracy of things like time travel, this book is all about bureaucracy. The UK has discovered time travel and had appointed various employees to be stewards of modernity. A look at the good, bad, and weird of time travel.
Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann - I love Claire Kann. And I love this story about a young woman who wants to be on a paranormal show where she stays in a haunted house, that so far no one had managed to stay in for more than a few days. And maybe, there’s also a hot show host.
Lavash at First Sight by Taleen Voskuni - What if you took time off work to help your parents go to a food conference. What if you met a hot girl. What if she turned out to be the daughter of the rival Armenian food brand. (Argh! Hate it when that happens.) And what if the conference decided to do a little reality show amongst some of the presenters. (You know I love a fake food competition show.)
Okay, hopefully that will keep you busy for a bit. Let me know if you read or have already read any of these.