Keep Reading!

March 3, 2024 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Welcome back to ajcreads! I’ve been gone for a while because I can’t seem to finish any book that I start.

However, I recently finished Austin Kleon’s Keep Going and I have good things to say. I’ve been a fan of Austin Kleon since when I read his first book, Steal Like an Artist, shortly after I graduated high school in 2013. I remember being enthralled by his message that we have to stay creative even when we’re feeling uninspired and like nothing we make is original. (Side note: there’s no such thing as an original work these days. Every thing has been done, just do your best version of it!)

Keep Going did not disappoint. While so many terrible things are happening in the world right now, it’s crazy important for us to keep going as creatives. I know a lot of you might be doing Camp NanoWriMo next month, and maybe you should give this a read before you set off on your next challenge.

It’s a brief read, and there are illustrations throughout the book. Winter is a challenging time for me, so I needed the pick me up of something inspiring. Kleon touches on how we can stay creative by doing things like staying off of social media and maybe turning your phone on airplane mode, developing and maintaining a practice practice of your craft, and even having a special spot to do what you do.

This is a great read for creatives that are crawling out of the Winter Sad and need a pick me up to start doing what we as artists need to do most: make things.

You can buy Keep Going here. Or, you can use this unseasonably warm weather (72 degrees in Februrary here in Kansas) as an opportunity to go to the library and pick up a copy.

I want to hear your thoughts on how you stay inspired and motivated to keep going in those down periods. Like, comment, subscribe, and let’s start a conversation!

Till next time!

Alicia

Creepy, Creaky Houses

December 25, 2023 by ajcwrites ♥ 1 Comment

Hello and welcome back to ajcreads! I’ve been gone for a while, right? I was waiting to finish a book that truly energized me. I read all the time, but finishing books is not my strong suit during a certain time of year.

Anyways, let’s get to today’s book recommendation: Riley Sager’s The Only One Left.

Horror and thriller lovers will lose themselves in this eerie tale that reads like a ghost story, but really takes place in a topsy turvy 1980s setting that will leave you white knuckling the edge of your seat.

You will immediately fall for Kit, a caregiver accused of murdering her last patient and as a result she’s been ostracized by everyone in her oceanside town in Maine. Kit finds a potential kindred spirit in Lenora Hope, the septuagenarian she has been assigned to care for who has been accused of a triple homicide at her massive estate, Hope’s End, in 1929.

The question hanging over the book is: Did Lenora really kill her parents and sister? Will Kit untie the knots that make up this mystery and possibly see Lenora (now a disabled, paralyzed and mute stroke victim) brought to justice? With a cast of characters surrounding Lenora and Kit, all playing their own part in the mystery of that night when most of the Hope family was slain, it’s almost impossible to tell who’s really telling the truth. That is, until what is a satisfying and heart pounding end is delivered to the reader.

Riley Sager has no business writing something this good because now she has an obsessed Forever fan. You can expect to see her on this blog a few more times once I start reading her other novels.

It is skill like hers that as a fellow writer, I feel that I am way out of my league writing any kind of novel. Sager’s mind churns in a way that I can only dream of, and I hope to catch up someday.

You can read The Only One Left via Kindle or you can visit that beautiful brick (or cement) building we need to protect–the library. You can buy it here.

Merry Christmas to every single one of my readers. Be sure to leave a comment and like this post. And please be so kind as to subscribe for more book recommendations where I fangirl for about 500 words and fall into the depths of a book hangover. Sigh. I do this for you.

See you soon!

Good Girls Get Dragons

September 26, 2023 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Violet Sorrengail, a petite but whip smart daughter of one of the commanding generals of the Kingdom of Navarre, is in for the ride (see what I did there?) of her life when she is forced to enroll in the Rider’s Quadrant of Navarre’s war college.

Frail and having been initially trained to join the Scribe quadrant, Violet will have to hope that a dragon doesn’t leave her in a pile of ash, and actually chooses her to be its rider.

This is the fantasy I’ve been looking for forever. It has been literal years since a fantasy like this kept me on the edge of my seat, and dying for more with each scene. Fourth Wing is sensual, and addictive, and left me in that place where you have a silent scream in your throat while the characters do their thing.

Violet is forced to ride alongside some of the descendants of Navarre’s traitors, men and women who led a rebellion many years ago. More than a few of them have a score they’d like to settle with General Sorrengail.

I should mention that there is a sensual, satisfying slow burn to look forward to with the one guy she shouldn’t want. Her life is on the line, and her heart is too when she comes face to face with one of the strongest men that wear the Rebellion Relic, Zayden Ryerson.

To make matters worse for her but even sweeter for us, Zayden happens to be her Wing Leader this year.

While Violet can depend on her smarts to help her escape certain death, she might not truly survive and thrive without Zayden’s help, especially since he might want to get even with General Sorrengail, too.

Ah! I don’t want to spoil too much. Just know that I am internally screaming along with you. This is a long read and will keep you busy for a while so treat yourself to it here or visit your local library.

The sequel, Iron Flame, comes out this November.

Don’t forget to subscribe and come back when I post my next book rec.

See you next time!

Sweet, Sweet Writing

September 10, 2023September 10, 2023 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hello, everyone!

When I was writing this morning, I started thinking about how dope my writing sessions are. I always come out of them feeling relaxed, accomplished, and inspired. I don’t have a book recommendation today because I am working on finishing any one of the million books that I’m reading right now.

So, here are my tips for a low-key writing session:

Always sit down at your desk or writing spot with a cup of coffee (S tier writing beverage) or your beverage of choice. There’s something about truly spoiling yourself with a nice drink as you sink into your chair to write. Having a coffee by my side makes me feel prepared for anything that might come up while I’m writing.
Keep various writing tools in your workspace. This might seem like a no brainer, but let me explain. When I sit down at my desk, I’m thrilled to see the notebooks I purchased most recently, (lately, I’ve been hitting up my local Target’s back-to-school section for $2.99 notebooks) the pens and planner that I bought etc. Then, of course, there’s my laptop.
Keep productive clutter on your desk. Eek! Did she just say, “productive clutter“? I absolutely did. I know it’s not the most popular advice, especially when minimalism is so popular right now, but I honestly prefer my desk to look like it’s been truly lived at. My version of productive clutter is a series of fiction books that I keep on the other end of my desk, and then a couple of books about writing. There’s something about surrounding myself with literature that makes me feel like I’ve truly escaped real life and I’m swimming in the dreams I’ve created with my own pen.
Make sure you keep your ears busy. Some of you might live in busy cities, I am fortunate enough to live in small big city in Kansas, so there’s not a ton of noise pollution. However, one of the reasons I’ve always taken to writing is that I have an overactive imagination. If I don’t keep my ears busy, that’s when the intrusive thoughts start to roll in and I can’t get anything done. I like to listen to a podcast or one of the playlists that I’ve made for my project. I have a different playlist for each project.
Wipe the dust off. No, not the dust on your desk, I could not give even a little bit of fuck about whether or not your workspace has dust in it. That’s not the kind of advice you’re going to get here. What I mean when I say ‘wipe the dust off’ is you should do a writing warmup. If you’re the kind of person who can’t turn the editor off as they write, a quick writing practice before you get to the main event will help you boss up to your piece feeling more confident. 5 minutes with you and your pen. I like to refer to a book of writing prompts when I do this, today I used this one.

That’s all I’ve got for today, but I’d love to hear from you guys about what you do to create an amazing writing session. What are your tips?! Leave a comment and turn on notifications for ajcreads to keep the conversation going.

I’ll be back next time with a book recommendation!

See you next time,

Alicia

The Universe Provides a Fake Boyfriend: How to Fall in Love When It’s Most Inconvenient

September 3, 2023 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hello, readers! I’m back with another book review. Thank you to those of you who have started receiving updates for my posts, it means a lot! Please follow for more fun!

Anyways, let’s get to today’s book recommendation: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert.

Hibbert has knocked it out of the park on this one, yet again. I’ve made it my mission to finish the entire Brown Sisters series and tell you all about them on this blog.

This is the story of Dani Brown, an aggressively driven PhD student coming up on the event that will make or break her career. Dani is whip-smart, drop-dead sexy, and entirely opposed to romantic commitment. Men and women have flown in and out of her orbit like satellites, and nothing ever sticks. And that’s how Dani (a shameless heartbreaker) likes it.

Dani asks the universe to provide her with her next fuck buddy, and to her delight, it takes the form of an enormous, sensitive, and delectable ex rugby player– Zafir Ansari.

However, what’s the catch to delighting in this delicious gift from the universe?

She’s falling for him.

Yes, Dani Brown’s commitment to staying uncommitted is tested when Zafir asks her to be his fake girlfriend after a pic of Zafir holding Dani after saving her from a broken elevator goes completely viral. #DrRugBae begins to circulation online and people can’t get enough of them. He asks for her help in the hopes that the attention they’re getting will help TackleIt, his rugby nonprofit for young men.

This book is so cute. Zafir is actually one of my all-time favorite male leads in a romance novel. He’s a lover of romance books (same), fiercely protective, and you can’t help but cheer him on as he forges a new path for himself after the tragic death of his father and brother. With Dani’s love and fantastic breasts (her words, not mine) he just might be able to move on.

I highly recommend this one, I’ll be reading and reviewing the last book in the series, Act Your Age, Eve Brown, as soon as I can.

You can get a copy of Take a Hint, Dani Brown here or you can make your daily trip down to your local library. (What do you mean, you don’t go daily? What’s the matter with you? Get down there now!)

Until next time! Thanks for reading.

Red Hot: How to Get a Life 101

August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hello, hello! I have so many great books to tell you about, and today’s book is Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert.

Let me start by saying that this book has made me a forever fangirl of Hibbert’s. It’s sweet and sexy and it kept me busy for about three days. I can’t think of a better way to procrastinate writing my own romance book, frankly.

So, let’s get into it.

Serious and ultimately misunderstood, Chloe Brown doesn’t have a life. Or, at least, she doesn’t have the life she wants. She usually prefers to stay in her apartment due to the chronic pain she experiences from living with fibromyalgia. Chloe supports herself by being a freelance web designer and she also has the safety net of her well-off family if shit really hits the fan.

Chloe is a creature of habit. When she deviates from her daily routine by attempting to rescue a cat that she thinks is stuck in a tree, she’s ultimately saved by her building super, Red. Her super cute, paints with his shirt off and window open at night building super.

Chloe and Red’s relationship is already tinged with tension because of Chloe’s wealth and general standoffish personality. However, despite his best efforts, Red is drawn to who Chloe might be under her prickly exterior, and so he allows Chloe to employ him in her plan to complete her list of ‘get a life’ activities. In exchange, she promises him a website that he can display his art on.

The push and pull between them as they accidentally deviate from their plans and end up toying with the possibility of forever will leave you squirming in your seat. Hibbert does a fantastic job of building up tortuous sexual tension.

It’s hot, cute, and I was sad to see it go when I finished the book. Oh, and one last thing!

Red is such a believable, irresistible, and fresh character. Hibbert pushes against society’s expectations of men as it relates to trauma and obliterates the macho man narrative.

This is the first in the Brown Sisters series, and I will be reading and reviewing the other two books soon.

You can get a copy of Get a Life, Chloe Brown here or you can visit your local library, an institution we must protect until the end of time.

Thanks for reading, until next time!

Sweet Gains, Bro

August 14, 2023August 14, 2023 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Holy shit! I’ve been away from the wonderful world of WordPress for over a year. So many cool things have happened, a new job, getting more help for my depression, and a total revamp in the way that I approach writing and reading.

I will admit, there was a period where nothing felt good enough to post or brainstorm. I spent a lot of time on books on the craft of writing (which are great, don’t get me wrong) and didn’t spend as much time reading fiction. Well, in the last eight months or so, I have read/listened to so much fiction. Which brings me to today’s post.

Love at First Set is a sexy queer rom-com that often carries an honest, realistic take on the way that class affects us while we try to live our lives. In other words, the capitalist hellscape that we live in just can’t seem to leave us alone, and that is 100% true for our protagonist, Lizzie.

Lizzie is a well-rounded character that has financial and emotional trauma from a less-than-ideal childhood. When she’s asked to attend the wedding of her wealthy best friend’s sister, the last thing she wants to do is share the same rare air that most of the wedding guests have been living in their entire lives. To make things worse, her best friend’s (James) parents are her employers, which is a nightmare.

Lizzie’s ambition is to someday own her own gym so that she doesn’t have to empty out her savings to pay for her mother’s existence. Lizzie reluctantly attends the wedding and ends up being an accidental hypeman for Jame’s sister (the bride) to leave her fiance at the alter. Which she does.

To make matters worse, Jame’s sister, Cara, is smoking hot and everything Lizzie wants in a girlfriend.

Readers can look forward to seeing Lizzie bounce between trying to be the perfect friend, daughter, and secret girlfriend.

I can’t say enough good things about it! Read it, just read it. You can buy a copy here, or you can do one of my all-time favorite things/ addictions and visit the bookplace, or you know, your local library (libraries are integral to having an educated society. Go to the library, damn it!).

Can I Be a Teenager Again?

March 1, 2022 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This book was everything I needed to end my YA novel drought. Its a romance wrapped up in a story of independence and self exploration.

The story goes like this: Rishi and Dimple, two recent high school graduates from traditional Indian families, meet each other at a six week camp for web development. Dimple is going there to meet her coding idol, while Rishi is there to bag a wife and honor his parent’s wishes for him to have an arranged marriage.

I love stories of arranged marriages because that almost always guarantees that the marriage will become anything but arranged when the characters fall in love.

Few notes about this book:

A super fast, super light read
It will have you feeling rage both for the characters and at the characters
Will leave you feeling fuzzy because of how sweet the romance is, if you’re the kind of person that wants to feel a certain way when you read a book.

Overall, this book was excellent. I would give it a rating but I don’t do that– I make a point to only review books I adored, so there’s no point in rating it because its by default incredible to me, and with that said, I hope they’re incredible for you too! 🙂

See you next time!

You can get a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi here, or you can say hi to your local librarian!

I Wanna Be Like Noni

February 18, 2022 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hello, readers! Its been a bit since I’ve posted on here because I am a mess. I’m a depressed, historically unorganized, and squirelly mess. You know who else is a mess?

Noni Blake.

This book kept me company over the last couple of weeks and I think that its perfect timing that I’ve finished it the week of Valentine’s Day.

Here’s what I loved about this book:

Its a hilarious and clumsy story of how love can sneak up on you
Its an easy read, and its not predictable at any point
Claire Christian convinces you to live vicariously through Noni. Do you have an urge you’ve been resisting? One that would be more in line with who you are? Then you will identify with Noni and the rapid snowballing of every decision she makes throughout the course of the novel.

With everything going on, its easy to forget to allow ourselves pleasure. Noni Blake allows herself several months of unrestricted pleasure after she fails to cope with the end of a nine year relationship. She decides to take a long break overseas, and that trip turns into an Eat, Pray, Love, style pleasure quest, but with a lot more jokes.

Ultimately, I loved that Claire Christian helps us keep one thing in mind: we often live our lives the opposite of how we should, with pleasure squeezed in where we can get it, and our priorities at the center. We should be living our lives in reverse.

Pleasure should be at the center of your life, and the rest should follow.

You can pick up a copy of Its Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake here. Or you can visit your local library.

Being On the Outside While Being on the Inside

December 29, 2021December 29, 2021 by ajcwrites ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Hello, readers! I wish I had a better name to call you all…

Anyways, I recently finished this whirlwind of a novel and I want to tell you about it!

The Startup Wife centers around a brilliant web designer, Asha. Asha goes into business with her new age husband Cyrus and Cyrus’ lifelong friend, Jules.

The three of them go from having hopeful discussions about what it would be like to offer our tech laden society an alternative to religion to potentially disrupting everything we think we know about community and faith.

In their mission to do so, they end up making a huge impact– but is that a good thing? The reader questions if the outcome of their dive into Silicon Valley is good for Asha, the brains of the operation, and Cyrus, the inspiration for and hopeful answer to the question: What is faith?

The Startup Wife does an excellent job of playing out the needling dread that comes with being gaslighted and shining a light on what its like to be a woman of color in tech, amongst a sea of white faces.

I encourage you to take a look at this shockingly relatable novel (Tahmima Anam does a wonderful job of employing realistic, casual humor throughout the book, which brings a lightness to some of its darker parts).

You can grab a digital copy here or you can chat up your local librarian.

See you next read!