Books

Book 793: In the Middle of Somewhere (Middle of Somewhere #1) – Roan Parrish

I’m slowly coming to expect great things from Roan Parrish. Every time I pick up a novel by her I know there’s going to be a decent chunk of it dedicated to emotional turmoil of some sort and another good chunk of it dedicated to really making you feel the setting of the novel. And she did not disappoint with this one.

In the Middle of Somewhere introduces us to Daniel, a PhD candidate looking for his first job as a literature professor who has a chip on his shoulder from a rough upbringing, and Rex, a quiet woodsman with so much love to give and his own burdens to share. They meet when Daniel is in town for an interview and he hits a stray dog and crashes his car. There’s a kiss and longing, but then they both move on because neither knows for sure Daniel is going to take the job.

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Books

Book 764: All I Want – Stella Starling

This is book five of what will almost certainly be at least 12 Holiday MM Romances this year. What can I say? They’re better than watching the hetero Hallmark/Lifetime movies. Don’t get me wrong, I like those too, but I just want these this year.

This is the story of Elliott, an adorable charitable naive department store clerk, and Ash, the troublemaker son of the department store owner, and by far this is the one that is best set to be adapted into an actual Hallmark/Lifetime movie that I’ve read.

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ARC, Books

Book 391: Dr. Mütter’s Marvels – Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz

[Check out episode of Come Read With Me where my friend Jess and I discuss Dr. MMütter’s Marvels.]

I’m a little torn on this book. At the same time that it reminded me of some fascinating books I’ve read over the past few years (Geraldine Brook’s March and William MacAskill’s Doing Good Better) I couldn’t help but compare it to Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. And unfortunately for Aptowicz, it wasn’t that great of a comparison. Don’t get me wrong, this was a very interesting read and I enjoyed the book. I’m sure this book had its own set of challenges in the research done, but I still can’t quite put my finger on why I wasn’t as much a fan of this.

At first I thought it was because Aptowicz was super young and this was her first book. Her writing style felt a bit like student-work, which she admits is when she got the idea and started writing originally, but I found out pretty quick I was wrong on this one. And it’s not her first book, but it is her first work of nonfiction. Either way, I’m grateful to Avery, a Penguin Books imprint, for providing a copy.* And the best part is, if you’re interested in the book it’s just been released in paperback at the beginning of September! (AKA Yay for more affordability!; Publisher’s website.)

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