TBR of Doom -- When I've looked at too many words edition (Patreon)

I've been editing a lot this week--between putting together my newsletter, doing a cover reveal, creating the images for that, writing the next Sam chapter, and about 800 other things. When I edit a lot, my brain becomes pudding. That's a running joke, but also reality. I edited all day yesterday, and then at dinner it took me several minutes to remember my father in law's name. (It was Jerry.)

Absolute. Pudding.

But I also have to read? I need stories or I die. (This is obviously hyperbole and yet I also don't want to test the theory.

I've been listening to a lot of audio, is what I'm saying. First, I listened to The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy because I read it the first time and decided to check out the audio. Lots of fun.

Then I listened to A Sinister Revenge, the latest Veronica Speedwell book by Deanna Raybourn. The series is narrated by Angèle Masters, and I think she does a great job getting all the fun edges of Veronica's personality. For example, she gets a bit haughty or cold when she's mad or feeling vulnerable. I'd been waiting for this book because there was a bit of an emotional cliffhanger in the last one. Because of that, this book had less Stoker than I'd like (Is there ever too much Stoker, I ask? The answer is no.) but I think Veronica also needed to do a little growing, so it was necessary. 

I'm currently listening to Love Will Tear us Apart by C.K. McDonnell. Brendan McDonald narrates this one--he did the other two as well. I love the different voices he does. This series continues to be funny and weird in the best ways. I haven't read the other series by McDonnell, but I might have to give them a go.

I have managed a few books on my ereader, most of which were in the romance category.

I read the Inn on Sweet Briar Lane by Jeannie Chin, which was a small town romance between an army vet trying to build a bar on a cutesy main street in honor of his friend who died in combat versus a young woman trying to hold her family's Inn together while dealing with her mother's medical debt. The book was cute, but also delved into things like PTSD, coming out to your family, and what it's like being Asian American in a small town that's predominantly white. And I think it handles all of these things with kindness while not being dismissive. So if contemporary reads are your jam, you might enjoy this one.

I also read The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James, which I'm pretty sure one of your recommended? It was fun to read, especially if you are at all interested in the spirtualism boom that happened around the World Wars. Fun mystery romance and my first book by St. James. Will pick up more.

And in the "not my usual genre, but I'm enjoying these" vein, I've been reading Texas Rodeo series by Kari Lynn Dell. Rodeo/cowboy romance isn't always my thing, despite growing up in the kind of town that definitely had rodeos. Which I loved going to, as well as destruction derbys. My grandma also used to be obsessed with bull riding. She would watch it on TV and she could tell you which bull rider was dating who and all of that stuff. What I like about these books is they're fun to read and I'm learning a lot about aspects of rodeo I didn't know (the author was very knowledgable. They also delve into class and race in interesting ways. I'm fairly certain Kari Lynn Dell was an indigenous author. I'm on like book three and I now know more about bullfighting (as in the people that distract the bull away from the rider) than I ever thought I'd know.

I'm also much more likely to watch TV when I'm editing. I finally saw the Dungeons and Dragons movie (loved it), and I've been catching up on Brokenwood and Death in Paradise.

I'm going to be reading a lot of mystery and non-fantasy romance while I'm editing because that's how it goes for me. Which reminds me--if any of you have favorite mystery book on audio, let me know. I'm almost caught up on all of my series! Or really, any book recommendations. I check them out because hahahahahaha TBR pike of doom.

--Lish