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Cold Weather, Warm Reads

It's a chilly, rainy, dreary day on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast - perfect for staying inside and reading. 


[10 books on a piano bench, from left to right: India..., Winning the Earthquake..., Two Can play arranged atop 2 books showing only their bottom edges, Gabby Greene Knows Whodunit, Drive Me Crazy, Fated Skates, Free Falling, The Shop on Hidden Lane, Definitely Maybe Not a Detective] 

Read 
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood 
contemporary romance 
originally 2024 (this hardcover money-grab ed. from Berkley, February 2026) 

Viola and Jesse's love story contains the key elements that consistently make an A.H. read enjoyable for me: smart, ambitious women who don't apologize for being themselves and the smart, ambitious people who appreciate and love them as they are.  Gaming culture context adds interesting nuance. 

Reading 
India: 5,000 Years of History on the Subcontinent by Audrey Truschke 
May need to buy my own copy of this intriguing, enlightening book because this library copy is due back next week after a failed renewal attempt. Sad for me but glad someone else requested it! 

Winning the Earthquake... 

TBR + BACissues (Book Acquisition Compulsion) 
Gabby Greene Knows Whodunit by Sam Tschida 
Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent 
Fated Skates by Victoria Schade 
Free Falling by Jill Shalvis 
The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz 
Definitely Maybe Not a Detective by Sarah Fox  

Reading is my default solitary activity regardless of my mood, although being stressed usually leads to more reading. The combination of the current political upheaval in the U.S. contrast to the joyous worldwide celebration of all people and things Heated Rivalry has me feeling motivated to revise a completed manuscript I'd archived in 2023 and to finish 2 other WIPs. 

Hydrate, rest, spend time with people who love you. Maybe even choose one group or cause to support with your energy and/or funds that contributes to creating a world that's ethical and rational. 

Always wishing you good health, safety, peace of mind, joy & some pleasure every day 
    
 

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