Books I've Been Reading Lately

I usually chat about the books I've been reading on the Turn the Page podcast, but for those of you who aren't into podcasts or don't have the time to listen, I figured I'd share a quick update of some of the books that I've been reading and enjoying lately. 

I typically tend to gravitate towards LGBTQ+ fantasy and romance when I'm reading but I'll occasionally pick up something completely different every now and again.

So, let's dive into four of the books I've been enjoying lately, from contemporary young adult and cosy fantasy to historical fae romance and spicy paranormal fantasy. 

1. Do You Ship It by Beth Reekles
This is the first YA book I've read in a long time and I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed it. The story follows a young girl, Cerys, who's best friend and crush has moved to a new college.

So, to try to prove to Jake that she'd make the perfect girlfriend, she decides to jump feet first into his favourite fandom. But when Jake introduces her to his new best friend, Max, she feels like she might lose him forever. Add in the angst of trying to make friends at a new college and parents in the midst of a divorce, and Cerys discovers that losing herself in a new fandom might be just what she needs, even if she doesn't want to. 

This was a really light-hearted, sweet story of self-discovery that I flew through, and while the big twist was pretty predictable, I really enjoyed the way the author executed it while interspersing the story with the joy of discovering a new fandom. 

---

---

2. A Captured Cauldron by R.K. Ashwick
This series has quickly become one of my all-time favourite cosy fantasy series.It has major Dungeons and Dragons vibes as we follow potion-maker Ambrose and the rest of the Rosemond Street traders in their day to day lives, often disrupted by dangerous or nefarious goings on.

​I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone who hasn't read the first book but this one was very different to the first as it adds in a new character POV and takes the characters to new locations while experiencing new dangers.

​The series has LGBTQ+ main and secondary characters, and the author packs both heart and humour into each book. 

---

---

3. Oak King Holly King by Sebastian Nothwell
This was such a great book to read over winter. It has a really nice, relaxed pace that made it feel as though I spent a long time with the characters and in the world the author had created.

This is a historical fae romance with an m/m pairing. The story takes place half in London and half in the fae realm, and centres around Shrike, a fae warrior who's been given a death sentence by the fae queen, and a human clerk named Wren, who Shrike believes holds the key to his victory. Together, they must face perils in both realms. 

I love the world that the author has created in this book, and the way that the fantasy and historical setting blend so well while combined with both romance and danger. It's quite probably the spiciest also of all the books on this list. 

---

---

4. Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
If you ever read Caraval and wished it had more spice, or read The Hunger Games and longed for more magic, Phantasma will give you both. 
​
The story takes place in New Orleans, and starts on the day Ophelia Grimm wakes up to find her mother dead, and herself a necromancer. When events lead to her seeking help from a mysterious phantom inside a dangerous game run by devils, all hell breaks loose, literally, and she must use her special abilities to try to stay alive and solve a mystery. 

This book started off a little too similar to Caraval but took a detour pretty early on, and while the plot felt a bit predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed how the author portrayed the different levels of the game, and the chemistry between the two main characters, which was pretty sizzling.

​I actually only read this book because someone said the male MC was extremely Astarion-coded (a vampire character from the video game, Baldur's Gate 3) and it really lived up to that expectation. 

---