Books

Books 1,033 & 1,034: #Hockey & Sticks and Scones (Check, Please! 1 & 2) – Ngozi Ukazu

Toward the end of January 2024, I was coming out of an intense January term course and entering my final semester of grad school and I needed a break so I leaned HEAVILY into graphic novels. It started a random evening when I passed the bookshelf in our bedroom where my graphic novels live on the top shelf. I was like “OH I could read all of #Hockey! tonight as a palate cleanser.”

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Books

Book 1,027: Heartstopper, Vol. 5 (Hearstopper #5) – Alice Oseman

Where do I even start with this series. I’ve read the first four volumes multiple times. With each new release I hold my breath and cross my fingers that Oseman doesn’t somehow pull the rug out from under us. She definitely didn’t this time, it’s just more unadulterated queer joy and I am here for it.

In Volume 5, Nick and Charlie have to come to terms with the fact that Nick is wrapping up secondary school and has to start thinking about his future. And that future includes university options all over the country. What that means for their relationship has yet to be seen.

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Books

Book 1,018: Rocky Start (A-List Security #4) – Annabeth Albert

The final installment of Albert’s A-List Security closes out the series with a bang. It’s relatively low-angst (mostly internal) and one major dramatic crisis, but overall, the series has been pretty low-key.

This book is a veteran-veteran romance rather than a veteran-civilian romance. Malik and Avery are both former SEALS and have connected with Duncan and Harley in their transition back to civilian life to work for their security firm. Malik experiences PTSD and Avery lost an arm (I think from combat) and they’re sent off to a remote set to help with security on a film.

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Books

Book 1,017: Bad Deal (A-List Security #3) – Annabeth Albert

This was an unexpected entry in this series. I’m not really sure why, as it makes sense, but for me it stands out as slightly different than the others. Some of it may be that she brought more humor to this one that she did in the earlier two, or maybe it was the fake-boyfriend trope that I’ll always love, or maybe it was the characters ¯_(ツ)_/¯

With Bad Deal we have Harley, Duncan’s (from Hard Job) partner in running A-List Security who has taken on security lead for a TV series, and Ambrose, the writer/director of said series, and his dog Hercules (I think he’s a Chinese Crested, but it’s been too long to recall 100% accurately).

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Books

Book 1,016: Hard Job (A-List Security #2) – Annabeth Albert

Book two of Albert’s A-List series finds us picking up not long after Tough Job leaves off. This time we’re with Danny’s stepbrother, Duncan, and his best friend, Ezra. Duncan is the head of the security firm that the series gets its name from, and Ezra is a rockstar living his best life.

I honestly can’t remember why Ezra needed the security, he may have fought with his previous person, it may have been a cover story to get in Duncan’s pants, but he needed them and went to Danny and Duncan got pulled in.

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