Consuela - I have Cold Steel on my TBR, after I finish Bee's book. Not reading your write up just yet.

Took a detour to read Max Barry's Lexicon on a recommendation. It's good! I liked it a lot better than Jennifer Government. Some places where I muttered 'oh please don't go there' but then he turned it around enough so I didn't wall the book.

I'm looking interestedly at that Cold Magic series, Consuela--I have a question--is the same character on the front of all three books?

I did impulse buy The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway last week. Saw someone blog about it casually, and before I knew it, I was downloading.

Anyone here read it?

I have a question--is the same character on the front of all three books?

Not sure, since I got the 2nd & 3rd on my Kindle. Lemme look. And the answer is... maybe? There are two female leads, Cat and her sister Bee. They're supposed to be "Phoenician", but the standard ethnicities don't apply. Cat is described as having black hair and amber eyes, though.

I suspect the publisher whitewashed her a bit, although she's never described as dark skinned (unlike the male lead, who is partly of African descent).

Despite all the trauma (and the drama), there's something weirdly cozy and domestic about it for me.

Oh, I agree. And I think the epilogue really helped, too, as well as the family tree in the back. Plus, I was really impressed that she had Simon living with Julia and Toby, and Julia's first baby his . That's a fairly bold move for a YA book, even if she didn't explain any of it in much detail.

I think that's the other thing that I really liked -- she balanced it so well, especially with Sophie, who dreamed of a white dress and a church wedding but was also very honestly straightforward about not regretting her night with Simon, or having any problem with her brother's and Simon's fluid sexuality, while still acknowledging how difficult it could make things.

Cat and her sister Bee

Cousin?

The woman on the first two covers looks darker skinned than the third, but the review I read said the epic was written in close pov of just one person, so it seemed to fit that it would be her on all the covers.

The first book was on sale for $1.99, and it doesn't really take up space per se, and insert standard excuses here:

Cousin?

Yes, cousin, but raised as sisters. One thing I really like is that the relationship between the women is as important as the romantic relationship between the two romantic leads.

Please see Amy's 2 posts above for a very coherent write-up of pretty much exactly precisely how I felt about The Fitzosbornes at War, but couldn't quite verbalize.

They're so good!

Did they really think they were going to get away with this? People, I swear.

Have any of you read Hangman's Daughter? I finished it yesterday -- 16th century Germany and a murder mystery. So enjoyable.

I read it. Enjoyable, though I kept feeling like it had the potential to be even more so, if that makes any sense.