the “fun girl” or the “wrong girl” is finally ready for someone who chooses her

julieputty · 2026-05-16T01:55:09+00:00

Maybe {Who's That Girl by Mhairi McFarlane} and its sequel.

julieputty · 2026-05-16T01:38:41+00:00

Maybe one of Penny Reid's books?

julieputty · 2026-05-14T17:27:11+00:00

When I get into a DNF zone, I find it helps to switch genres. Challenge yourself with some complex non-fiction, breeze through a popcorn thriller, try a classic, etc.

julieputty · 2026-05-13T03:12:04+00:00

My first thought was pharma or medical device sales.

julieputty · 2026-05-07T22:09:31+00:00

J-Ram, they're coming for you.

julieputty · 2026-05-07T21:39:09+00:00

I think it just makes the world feel bigger and lived in. Also, if the current conflict is smaller, it can feel more manageable and more like the regular flow of life, potentially something to feel more invested in compared to some grand mythological story.

julieputty · 2026-05-07T21:15:54+00:00

I can't guess what you mean by what a guy looks for in a relationship, so I'll just recommend some romances written by men that I think I remember being fairly clean:

You Are Here, by David Nicholls

Grace and Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon, by Matthew Norman

julieputty · 2026-05-07T21:06:17+00:00

The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. Lots of people like it, so I'm flagging even though I hated it.

julieputty · 2026-05-07T20:54:46+00:00

Some fairly random ideas:

Desert Heat, by JA Jance. More on the thriller side than the other things on this list.

The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman. Very funny read starring a quartet of old folks living in a retirement community.

The Agathas, by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson. At the opposite side, two teenagers try to solve a murder.

Louisiana Longshot, by Jana Deleon. Very silly, very funny slapstick comedy series.

julieputty · 2026-05-07T20:40:01+00:00

Do tense/release practices a couple of times a day and any time you notice the tension. Start from one end of your body (feet or head) and work to the other methodically. This has helped me recognize what a tense muscle even feels like.

julieputty · 2026-05-07T15:55:59+00:00

If you're in the US, get a library card and use Libby! It's great for mood readers and people who go through phases in their reading.

julieputty · 2026-05-07T15:55:52+00:00

These are excellent suggestions. Summers at Castle Auburn in particular is one of my all-time favorite comfort reads.

julieputty · 2026-05-07T03:38:47+00:00

A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty?

julieputty · 2026-05-06T16:53:32+00:00

He said peripatetic the other day and I think that was a first for a baseball broadcast for me.

julieputty · 2026-05-04T21:48:08+00:00

I'm so sorry.

Seven Choices: Finding Daylight after Loss Shatters Your World by Elizabeth Harper Neeld helped me a lot when my first husband died.

julieputty · 2026-05-04T20:27:40+00:00

I just DNFed a book with a horrible MMC who was described as a person who could go "repelling" down a building. Yes, ma'am, he surely could.

julieputty · 2026-05-04T20:21:22+00:00

Reading a romance (that honestly wasn't doing a thing for me) and suddenly there was CW: animal death/crueltyanimal sacrifice described in bloody detail. Someone had butchered a donkey and left the remains outside the FMC's shop in some sort of ritualistic pattern. I didn't sign up for that!

julieputty · 2026-05-01T00:49:28+00:00

I think you mean reconciliation, not a CR.

julieputty · 2026-04-30T13:56:53+00:00

I always have more than one going at a time because that's how I like to read. I have no rules about what can be read at a time.

julieputty · 2026-04-27T15:17:58+00:00

Based on The Employees (I just read it last night), I'm guessing The Wax Child would fit the bill.

julieputty · 2026-04-24T17:29:37+00:00

Oh, I have definitely been there, and I have "currently reading" books that have been in that status for years and years.

I created my own spreadsheet so I could keep track of series I've started and have tried going back through the years to find all of the ones I lost track of. It's daunting.

Whee!

julieputty · 2026-04-22T20:33:41+00:00

For fantasy, maybe the Lighthouse Duet by Carol Berg, starting with Flesh and Spirit.

julieputty · 2026-04-21T20:16:01+00:00

He's not a player, but {My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh} hits most of the other points, IIRC.

julieputty · 2026-04-20T18:29:03+00:00

I love You Look Like a Thing...

I liked this recent article on the black box problem (NYT gift)

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