What I'm reading in 2024 (fiction)Like this list

29 items

• What You Are Looking for Is in the Library

  Aoyama, Michiko, 1970-

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  Just the comfiest, cosiest, most Ted Lasso-ish easy read ever. Read my review: https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/what-you-are-looking-for-is-in-the-library-maybe-in-this-book-specifically/

• Argylle

  Conway, Elly

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  Not my usual genre but this is an entertaining fast-paced read following the young Aubrey Argylle as he's recruited by the CIA and sent on his first mission. A bit plot-holey in places but fun.

• Camp Zero

  a Novel

  Sterling, Michelle Min, 1982-

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  This gets ticks for the world-building, and the alternating perspectives from different characters keep the story moving along well. It also has a point of view and seems realistic in its portrayal of how society might be separated into a world of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Boy Swallows Universe

  a Novel

  Dalton, Trent

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  This novel follows the journey of 13 year old Eli Bell, growing up in suburban Brisbane in the 1980s. His best friend/babysitter is a convicted murderer and his stepdad is a drug dealer. But Eli and his brother, Gus, are special. Dalton manages to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Sandman Universe. Dead Boy Detectives

  Pichetshote, Pornsak

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  The Netflix series was hugely enjoyable so I thought I'd try the comic series a try. Quite different from the screen adaptation in a lot of ways, but fun nonetheless.

• Romantic Comedy

  Sittenfeld, Curtis, 1975-

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  The perfect combination of funny and sexy. Sally is a writer for TNO, which is basically SNL, who hits it off with visiting host and super famous pop star, Noah. But it's not all smooth sailing as self-doubt, a pandemic, and misunderstandings get in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Maid

  Prose, Nita

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  Not my usual genre but I thought I'd give it a go. Very readable but there were a few niggly plot holes going on and the way the main character, who we are supposed to understand is "on the spectrum", is drawn feels a bit "fake". Having read Camp…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Lola in the Mirror

  Dalton, Trent

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  Trent Dalton has fashioned another modern day fairytale full of portents and hidden meanings as well as finely drawn detail. A girl with no name has dreams of being a famous artist and travelling the world. But first she must break the curse of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ash

  Wallace, Louise, 1983-

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  At 150 pages this is a super quick and fulfilliing read. The narrator, whose name I don't think we ever read, is carrying too much weight and it's about to get worse. Two small kids, a husband who doesn't help enough, a job that she's supposed to be…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dead Girl Gone

  Ward, Gareth, 1968-

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  A bit slow to get going but once it does it's a satisfying read. Leans a bit too hard in the direction of "twee" for me, but if you like cosy mysteries then you probably have higher tolerances for that than I do.

• Pet

  Chidgey, Catherine, 1970-

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  You know things are going to go horribly wrong in this tale of manipulation, deceit and jealousy but you can't stop reading anyway. Chidgey brilliantly represents (and skewers) the sexism of 1980s New Zealand.

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

  a Novel

  Reid, Taylor Jenkins

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  A woman tells the story of her life to a journalist, framed by her numerous marriages but Evelyn Hugo is no ordinary woman. Imagine Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth and Greta Garbo all rolled into one. Highly readable, romantic, and tragic.

• The Sunforge

  Stronach, Sascha

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  The middle book of a trilogy, this expands the world featured in The Dawnhounds (sometimes in surprising directions). Dives straight into the action, and probably best read not long after the first book (I got lost trying to remember who the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch

  Hawley, Sarah

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  Classic enemies to lovers but with supernatural characters, specifically a hot British amnesiac demon and a personal trainer witch with anger issues. If you don't like explicit sex scenes you'll want to avoid this one because things do get quite…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Right Place

  Money-Coutts, Sophia

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  The main character in this book does so much delicious-sounding cooking it made me crave fancy meals. I ended up baking a clafoutis. If you love a charming, rural French setting, family dramas, an infertility storyline, and a healthy dose of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

  Hawley, Sarah

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  I accidentally read the second book in this series first and had to go back and read this one but it honestly didn't matter. A powerful but unaccomplished witch accidentally summons a demon (who has himself accidentally gained a soul) and literal…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Jetsetters

  a Novel

  Ward, Amanda Eyre, 1972-

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  The members of the Perkins family are keeping secrets from each other and questioning their life choices - elderly Charlotte realises that she's spent a lot of her life pretending in the role of wife and mother but craves an adventure. When she wins…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Loneliness & Company

  a Novel

  Dyroff, Charlee

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  Our protagonist Lee is tasked is to gather enough research to train an AI how to be a friend in an attempt to curb a loneliness epidemic. As a rampant overachiever with singular focus and no life she is not best placed to train an AI in friendship,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Lucy Undying

  White, Kiersten

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  A lush and sensual retelling of the Dracula novel from the perspective of Lucy Westenra, who gets to be much, much more than a flighty, flirty teenage bride and victim. Add in some evil cult-like multi-level marketing villians, a sapphic, feminist…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Dog Share

  Gibson, Fiona

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  Cosy romance with a dog that changes lives and a windswept Scottish island setting. This is not quite the book I thought it was based on the cover (that dog is not a terrier) but it was still an enjoyable read.