Mini-reviews: two audiobooks by KJ Charles

Posted on September 30, 2026 by Thistle

A couple weeks back, I was bored and looking for more audiobooks to listen to. I found two KJ Charles books that had short hold lines, and put them both on hold at the library, only for them both to become available within a few days. I dove into them back to back, and because I hadn’t had the chance to review the first before I finished the second, I’m just gonna combine the two here.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (read by Martyn Swain)
I adored this story. It’s one I wish I’d bought instead of borrowed. It starts with a week of anonymous hookups between two men, then a bad separation that makes things worse when the two meet under very different circumstances. It’s a story about rejection (not just of a partner, but of a parent, a family, a culture); family and found-family; loyalty and when loyalty causes problems; patriotism and law vs taking care of your own people; and the way ancestry can pass down sins on the innocent who come later. It’s extremely well-written, with a lot of detail on dialect and region-specific language, and ranks up with my second-favorite Charles book (after the William Darling series), Copper Script. And I just discovered that there is a second book in the series, so I’m looking forward to reading that soon!

Death in the Spires (read by Tom Lawrence)
This was a totally different vibe for KJ Charles. The narrator was one of seven friends who were inseparable at Oxford – until one of them is murdered and the rest of them scatter. The murder was never solved, but each of them is still getting harassed and accused of the crime. Ten years on, Jem (the narrator) has had enough. He sets off to get answers, but the dangers he digs up are not exactly what he anticipated. So – very different vibe. I’ve read plenty of mysteries from Charles, but this one was a bit more formula-based, with a bit of extra wrap-up to make it less messy, and completely SFW. There are themes of queerness and homophobia, racism, abortion rights, classism, and ableism. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t really land with me as well as some of Charles’ books.

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The Luis Ortega Survival Club, by Sonido Reyes (audio)

Posted on September 21, 2026 by Thistle

TW: Rape.

I’m sorry that I can’t really describe this book without a TW. It centers on Ari, an autistic girl with selective mutism who is raped at a party just before the book starts. Because she didn’t – couldn’t – say no, she thinks this is somehow her own fault, especially as she liked the boy and the attention he gave her. But as her fellow students start to hear about her “sluttiness” and rumors about her grow wild at school, Ari finds herself even more isolated – until a mysterious profile on social media reaches out to her to join a group dubbed the Luis Ortega Survival Club.

There are so many things in this story. The sexual assault, obviously – both Ari’s rape and the other types of assault perpetrated by several characters both on page and in the past. Ari’s autism and selective mutism. The strained relationship between her parents, and of her with her parents. Her growing friendship with a group of four others, and her growing feelings for one of them in particular, a girl named Shawni who is one of Luis’ exes. It’s a story about expressing oneself, and facing fears even though your way of facing them may not look like another person’s way, and learning to accept yourself for who you are. It’s about facing what happened to you, and naming it for what it is, and bringing injustice to light. It’s a hopeful story, but also a very tough story to read.

This is my third read by the author and probably my favorite of them so far. It’s such a well-written book. If you can stomach the various TWs, I highly recommend it.

Performance: The audiobook was read by Elisa Meléndez. Good read, no complaints.

Note: The book cover says Sonora Reyes, rather than reflecting the author’s current name, Sonido Reyes. I couldn’t find an updated cover to use here. Despite this, I will refer to the author by their chosen name.

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The Alchemist of All Hallows Eve, by Gigi Pandian (audio)

Posted on September 17, 2026 by Thistle

I think this is like the tenth book in the series? Plus a few novellas that have come out along the way? What else can I say about it, given that I’ve reviewed so many?? This installment was excellent. Great mystery and plotting and pacing, plus there were so many lovely tidbits about ancient Samhain rituals! I ended up going down a rabbit hole on wikipedia looking at mangelwurzel. Heh.

The book was read, as always, by Julia Motyka. I adore her narration and I’m happy she continues to narrate these!

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Killing Me, by Michelle Gagnon (audio)

Posted on September 14, 2026 by Thistle

A former grifter on the run, a drug-addict prostitute, the true-crime-obsessed owner of a sleazy Las Vegal motel, and an antisocial computer genius team up to hunt down a serial killer.

Sounds like the start of a joke, right? Well, there is humor all throughout this book, but it’s definitely an edge-of-your-seat thriller with some scenes that were on the border of what I could handle, violence-wise. Never crossed over into too much, though, and I thought the topics of the story (the psychology, sexuality, prostitution, addiction, poverty, crime, gambling, alcoholism, the way the US treats immigrants, etc) were handled very well. It’s not a heavy-handed book, despite the Big Topics – instead, they are all integrated into the background and setting of the story.

There were a few things that I didn’t particularly like. In the last 25% or so, there started being “interludes” told from other points of view than the narrator’s. I wouldn’t have minded this at all if it were there from the beginning. Having these only at the end made it feel like the story couldn’t be told the same way as the majority of the story. There was also a misdirect at one point that felt lazy for the storytelling. But both of those complaints were relatively minor. I was expecting there to be some weird twist at the end that would ruin the book for me (too often something that happens in thrillers for me) but the story flowed and ended naturally.

Best part of this book, though, was the fact that the narrator is a lesbian and it has nothing to do with the premise of the story. Her being a lesbian has no bearing on the substance of the plot, it’s just a fact about her. Her sexuality is treated as indifferently as a straight narrator’s, with mentions of past relationships and current flings and personal attraction etc. It’s treated as normal. We need more books like this – books where sexuality isn’t the epicenter of a story, but part of its fabric. I loved that.

Performance: The audiobook was read by Jaime Lamchick, who managed to use quite a number of southern accents in a way that didn’t make me cringe at all. Perhaps because they weren’t as exaggerated as so many narrators try to make them. These felt exactly like they belonged to the people in the story. Great job.

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A Trade of Blood, by Robert Jackson Bennett (audio)

Posted on September 10, 2026 by Thistle

This is the third book of the Ana and Din mystery series. I can’t say much about the story given that there are previous volumes. Let’s just say that the investigation in this one focuses on a family feud and fungi-induced zombies.

Years ago, I attended a library event where Robert Jackson Bennett was hanging out and signing books. When my friend and I were there, we were the only ones at his booth, leaving us time to chat. (It was a small event, so this isn’t a reflection on the author – most of the actual event stuff was happening on a different floor, so the author’s area was woefully under-attended.) I’d already read the Divine Cities trilogy before then, and his Founders series was soon to release. He told me a bit about the way he likes dressing books up as one genre while it’s actually another in reality. While I don’t know what he calls this series in particular, I view it as a fantasy series dressed up as a mystery. And this genre-bending really tickles me.

I’ve loved this series since the first book, and had the third volume pre-ordered. I didn’t have time to listen prior to my trip to London, so I put it on the back burner. Then my library hold of The Unknown popped up, so I pushed off my read even further. I dove in immediately after I finished Sager’s book, and it was like slipping into a comforting warm bath. It didn’t take any time at all to fall into the rhythm of the story, which I think I liked even more than the first two volumes.

Honestly, I never know how to review later volumes of a series, so I’m going to leave this one here. It was really good. Phenomenal. Definitely recommended (the whole series).

Performance: The audiobook was read by Andrew Fallaize. I adore his narration. One of my favorites ever.

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Unknown, by Riley Sager (audio)

Posted on September 7, 2026 by Thistle

Marin has landed the role of a lifetime. But before filming begins, she must spend a week on an island once known for the mysterious disappearance of five women. She, along with her fellow actresses, must live like those women, to get into character, because their story is the one that will be told. And living like those folks from a hundred years ago is not easy: no phones, no electricity, no access to the mainland… and now, new disappearances.

This is a mix of thriller, historical mystery, commentary of the #metoo variety (mind the TWs), and horror that skirts the line between psychological and paranormal. And it was good! Riley Sager is hit-or-miss for me, and I’m happy to say this is one of his better ones. I flew through the audiobook, never wanting to stop. The viewpoints flipping between Marin (present) and Daisy’s diary (past) really helped develop the story.

And of course, I’m a sucker for anything involving Ouija and potentially-paranormal things! Only if they’re done right, and I loved the way they were handled here.

Performance: This audiobook was read by three people – Maggie Grace, Patricia Santomasso, and Erin Lin. All three did a great job. No complaints.

Posted in 2026, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

And I’m here!

Posted on September 5, 2026 by Thistle

I interrupt my normal blog schedule (ha! As if I have one…) to say that I officially have my visa to stay in Germany for the next year! I’ve done it – I’ve moved to Europe. Yes, there is still a long way to go before I can stay for good, but this gives me the next year to learn the language properly and go to school and plan for the next steps. Woohoo!

[Photo is of me right after I left the ausländerbehörde / immigration office.]

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Fanfic Minis – August 2026

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Thistle

I spent half the month traveling, and so most of what I read was under the 10k mark. Here are the few exceptions!

First: And Your Nemesis Closer by beerok23. This retelling of Bridget Jones’s Diary was far better than the original. I loved the way beerok intermixed classic Pride & Prejudice lines with classic Aziracrow speeches!

Second: I Could Never Stay Away by Ro_Fell. A S3 fix-it, essentially rejecting the entire premise of S3 and creating a new world with that framing as a setup but with events that go entirely differently. I found this one a bit disjointed, but I’m pretty sure that’s because I was reading it piecemeal as I was moving across the world, so I don’t think I’m in the best place to judge it in any way.

Third: Sparks and Pressure by IneffableToreshi. An electrician and an instrument tech are paired up on the nightshift at a paper mill. They take an immediate dislike to each other due to the inherent rivalry of their professions, but it’s not long before they’re working as a team. Y’all. This one blew me away. The setting is practically its own character, and it’s an unusual one for GO. The author has worked in the industry and brought in so much detail, both in the fic and in the notes. The story careens from lighthearted and fun to tense and heartbreaking, but in a way that’s also unusual for GO, before it slowly builds back to peace again. Very rarely do stories manage to pull my emotions from delight to crying to awwww so masterfully.

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August 2026 in Review

Posted on September 1, 2026 by Thistle

I know I haven’t posted in ages. I was traveling, then catching up from travel – still catching up, truth be told – so I might be a bit absent until I can do that! Soon.

  • Tarot of the month (full year, month by month, drawn Dec 2025): The Five of Coins. This is a card that indicates loss of worldly stuff. Money, physical health, possessions, etc. It makes a lot of sense for me this month as all my savings are tied up in a locked account for my visa, and the money I was supposed to get from my ex-husband for the house sale by the end of July still hasn’t arrived, so I’m living very tight-fisted while also traveling… // This version of The Five of Coins comes from the Harmonious Tarot (no affiliate link).
  • Song(s) of the month: Invitation (Switchblade Symphony), Save Yourself (Stabbing Westward), All Living Things (GO Musical), Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen)

General Life Stuff
The first half of the month was taken up by continuing to move into the new flat, as well as working on immigration paperwork. Second half was taken up with travel. It’s been a whirlwind. At some point, I’ll actually post about the London and TIC stuff here, but for now I’ll just say that it was an amazing trip, absolutely brilliant, and it was so good to see so many people I haven’t seen since last year. I completely understand why the organizers don’t want to continue running the con, especially as they do it mostly alone, but I’m also sad that there won’t be anything like this going forward. Thankfully, there are lots of lovely people organizing further small meetups for the future.

Then there is the divorce. I’m currently in a Schrödinger’s divorce. Everything’s happening out of order. The judgement from court was the 10th. I signed the decree on the 26th. There are still more papers to sign, but I don’t know what they are or when they’ll happen, because the meeting my lawyers set up on the 28th, they simply didn’t show up to and haven’t responded to any of my emails since. WTF? So as of the end of August, I still don’t know if I’m divorced. And considering that Jason’s lawyer put a clause into the decree waiving the state requirement of 30 days before he could get remarried, it feels important to know exactly what day we’re officially divorced so that his marriages don’t overlap… All this made more complicated by his lawyer having a baby halfway into the month… (Does this sound like the plot of a soap opera? Or maybe a reddit thread? I want off this rollercoaster now!)

Goals
Crossed off my travel goal of going to TIC7. That was the big one this month. I also have an appointment with the immigration office in early September to hopefully get my visa approved. Fingers crossed! I had four official mini-photoshoots this month, so I’ve well-surpassed that goal. I finished my two cosplays and wore them both at TIC. So I guess this was a big month for goals.

Writing
I wrote a couple little one-shots this month, all related to Kintober (yes, this is a thing). I’m compiling them into a series of vignettes for October. I also participated in a letter-writing workshop at TIC which allowed me to write a mini-story I’d been wanting to do for a long time. Still not writing much, but considering that I’m still writing at all given the circumstances, I’m happy for this.

Favorite Photos

I actually have 17 favorite photos from August – this is what happens when I travel – but the majority of them include people who have not given me permission to post publicly, so I’ll limit myself to those that I have permission to post!

Exciting stuff
All my exciting stuff this month was wrapped up in travel, so that will come in a different post (probably multiple posts). Next month, assuming my lawyers ever respond to me, maybe I’ll find out I’m actually divorced. Maybe I’ll get the 401k and pension money. Maybe Jason will need to get the house money to me, which was technically supposed to come by the end of July and still hasn’t. Who knows? Outside all that, I have my appointment with immigration soon, so hopefully my Visa will be secured this month. (Yes, I know this is upcoming exciting stuff, but that’s what’s on my mind atm.)

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Puck, by Samantha Allen (audio)

Posted on August 14, 2026 by Thistle

Puck’s best friend is getting married, and Puck is sure the wedding is a mistake. They should know – after all, they have a successful career as a director of a messy reality TV show and can predict exactly which couples will fail. They decide to put their skills to use to stop the wedding before the marriage will make everyone miserable down the road. You can guess how well that goes…

I’ve never seen/read A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but I think this is meant to be a loose retelling of the story? I’m not sure, though. In any case, it reads like a reality TV show, only with greater stakes, and some inevitable fallout. On the plus side, I loved the sapphic romance that happens alongside the messy wedding bits. Since I’ve started culling any sapphic romances that immediately slot into a “Hallmark movie meets chick-lit, but make it gay” type of story, I’ve been finding more nuanced versions, which I love.

Unfortunately, on the negative side, I really disliked Puck. I know the whole point is that they need to grow up and start to treat people like people, rather than pawns in a game. I know that most likely this is all to do with the Puck of Midsummer. Still, I didn’t like them, not even after they started to become a bit more self-aware. I loved so many of the other characters, but the story was told from Puck’s POV, which made it harder for me to enjoy generally. It wasn’t a bad book – I think it was quite well-plotted, remaining far more believable than I would have expected given the outlandish tricks involved – but I always suffer a little bit of meh when the narrator is personally unlikeable.

Performance: This audiobook was read by Dani Martineck. For the most part, it was a good performance, though every once in awhile, Puck’s voice would go strangely “fifteen year old boy” and that was jarring every time.

Posted in 2026, Adult, Prose | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments