My Fair Concubine, Jeannie Lin

Just an absolute delight from start to finish. I always enjoy Jeannie Lin's books, and this one was hot affffffffff. I love a good historical romance, and it's so nice to spend some time in historical China instead of it always being Regency England. Grade: A #34 in 2017

Dangerous Ground (#1-6), Josh Lanyon

These books are aggressively fine. I couldn't keep straight which of the two heroes was which, except one of them kept getting shot and nearly murdered and the other one was mad about it. And one of them went to France and the other was mad about it. I liked them -- I mean, I read all six. But I would be lying if I said I remembered the plots very well. There's a pregnant woman they arrest, there's a bomb in catacombs in Paris, there's a bottle of alcohol with a snake in it... Anyway, I liked them, but they're all super short, and none of them really stuck with me.

Grade: Eh. B to C depending on the book.
#28-33 in 2017

The Road to Silver Plume, Tamara Allen

I was super excited about another government official and con man romance. It's one of my favorite tropes. But the book ended up being mostly about the history of the silver standard in America and why it was important to some people to keep silver circulating, while others didn't want it. Way more history and discussion of monetary policy than romance. It's strange, because usually I wish romance novels had more plot, but this one needed more romance and less history.

Grade: C
#27 in 2017

A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles

This book is lovely, and wonderful for really feeeling like you're living through the changing history in Russia after the Revolution. For me, though, its light and lovely tone got tiresome after a while, and I wish it had been about 2/3 as long as it was. Grade: C #27 in 2017

Icecapade, Josh Lanyon

I looked at this on goodreads and said, "Did I read this?" Then I squinted at the description and said "ohhhh, yes! I read this!" An FBI agent and the diamond thief he slept with one time, who has since gone straight (???), meet up again. Basically just what you'd expect happens. It's very satisfying and pretty short -- I do always wish novellas were novels.

Grade: B
#26 in 2017

An Unseen Attraction (Sins of the Cities #1), KJ Charles

Ehhhhhhhh. This was not my favorite. I think I like Charles best when she's writing about thieves and rogues and law breakers; both heroes in this story are very sweet and kind and patient and understanding with each other, and it didn't grab me. I felt a little bit like I was being reminded how to be loving and understanding to people who might have different needs than mine, and while I like that sometimes, it felt a little underwhelming as the main romantic plot. (Also I had solved the mystery even before it was mentioned, about 20% into the book, so that didn't keep my attention either.) It's still a lovely book, and well written, but it wasn't for me. Grade: C #25 in 2017

Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes, Tamim Ansary

This book is PHENOMENAL. Read it RIGHT NOW.

I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone, especially if you've got any interest in current events (or history), but even if that's not normally your thing. The writing is exceptionally clear, and it covers topics you may have heard here and there, but puts them into context and makes sense of huge swaths of history normally dismissed in a sentence or two in Western history books. It also does a wonderful and even-handed job of explaining how the modern middle east came to be the way it is, and how the current world climate of distrust between the West and Muslim countries came to be the way it is. I got this copy from the library but have already purchased a paperback copy because I'll need to read it again and use it for reference. I have also already used it in all the world history classes I teach.

Grade: A
#24 in 2017