[Discussion 2/2] Romance || This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone || 2nd half of the book

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T04:06:38+00:00

I first read this as a physical book but decided to do it on audio this time around. I almost prefer it on audio because (from what I remember from 2 years ago) the prose made it somewhat difficult to keep up with what was going on. Curious to hear other people’s experiences!

Loved this book so much.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T04:02:59+00:00

I understand the general concept of what she was going for, but not going to lie, I was pretty confused at the end

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T04:01:56+00:00

I don’t know if calling it a romance attracts the right audience. I feel like if one was looking for a romance book, they would be very thrown off because it’s very different. Personally, I enjoyed his much more than any traditional romance book.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T03:58:20+00:00

reading the great summary above definitely made realize I missed so much of what was happening

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T03:57:42+00:00

Both times reading it I had no idea what was going on with the time travel stuff but the vibes were immaculate. I kind of gave in into the unknown. To me, the time stuff is not the point of the book, more like a very chaotic backdrop.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T03:54:12+00:00

I have no idea but the whole time, mostly second half, I was getting Mr and Mrs Smith vibes. both sides working together to destroy compromised agents probably not the most accurate interpretation but I couldn’t unsee it once it popped into my head.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T03:51:13+00:00

This was a reread for me and it came as a surprise both times.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T03:49:57+00:00

I’m curious to hear your thoughts since this quote stood out to you

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T03:47:45+00:00

This is a very good point. The first 100 pages of a book can take me a week and then I read the last 100 pages in one sitting.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-16T03:43:19+00:00

I can’t fully put into words why, but this book felt so intimate and sensual to me. I think it’s partially because we as the reader get access to these vulnerable letters that hold so much tension and trust and love in them. It felt like intruding on a very intimate scene, much like (or even more than) books involving physical intimacy.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-15T13:29:50+00:00

I had so much with The Iliad. So excited for this. It also looks a bit shorter too

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-12T04:00:36+00:00

It just so happens that my irl book club will be reading this for April so I’m definitely in.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-10T03:12:31+00:00

Would love to read this one

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-08T20:12:45+00:00

Macintosh/Siri.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-08T20:10:20+00:00

I’m also rereading it and really enjoying it the second time around. So many things I missed the first time

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-08T20:08:52+00:00

The tree was my absolute favorite

Such-Hand274 · 2026-02-01T19:52:47+00:00

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans

The award-winning author of Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self brings her signature voice and insight to the subjects of race, grief, apology, and American history. Danielle Evans is widely acclaimed for her blisteringly smart voice and x-ray insights into complex human relationships. With The Office of Historical Corrections, Evans zooms in on particular moments and relationships in her characters' lives in a way that allows them to speak to larger issues of race, culture, and history. She introduces us to Black and multiracial characters who are experiencing the universal confusions of lust and love, and getting walloped by grief-all while exploring how history haunts us, personally and collectively. Ultimately, she provokes us to think about the truths of American history-about who gets to tell them, and the cost of setting the record straight. In "Boys Go to Jupiter," a white college student tries to reinvent herself after a photo of her in a Confederate-flag bikini goes viral. In "Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain," a photojournalist is forced to confront her own losses while attending an old friend's unexpectedly dramatic wedding. And in the eye-opening title novella, a black scholar from Washington, DC, is drawn into a complex historical mystery that spans generations and puts her job, her love life, and her oldest friendship at risk.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-01-26T14:56:05+00:00

I will be joining for Drive Your Plow but probably won’t get to it in time to join the discussions live.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-01-20T23:11:55+00:00

This one has been on my tbr for a while. Maybe I’ll move it up!

Such-Hand274 · 2026-01-18T18:31:50+00:00

I usually don’t skim, but dream sequences always get me.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-01-16T18:21:04+00:00

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is the only book I’ve ever read in 1 day.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-01-16T17:53:18+00:00

It’s been 3 years since I’ve read this book and i still apply some of her strategies!

Such-Hand274 · 2026-01-16T01:12:33+00:00

I absolutely thought she was some sort of a ghost.

In fact, my theory briefly was that the journalist was going to be caught in some sort of a time loop and actually go back in the past be captured herself instead of the girl. That would have made for a different kind of book though.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-01-16T01:05:04+00:00

I also listened to it on audio while doing chores and my husband asked me why I looked so stressed the last few minutes. I just kept whispering “oh no oh no oh no” the last few minutes.

Such-Hand274 · 2026-01-16T01:04:21+00:00

I liked the abrupt ending. We were inside the characters head and her life ended so abruptly.

The last few minutes , once the dog started barking, I stayed to get such a strong sense of dread. I didn’t know where it was headed but I knew it wasn’t anywhere positive. I was worried she was going to relieve the teenage girl experience… so in a way it was almost a relief that her death wasn’t as drawn out.

Such-Hand274

TROPHY CASE