Outbox April 27, 2018

Inbox/Outbox April 27, 2018 Ive been really overwhelmed with LIFE STUFF lately. My family and I just moved into a new house, which is a great thing but also a little stressful. Its nearing the end of the school year, which means lots of pressure for me and my students, some of whom are taking the AP test in a few days and others who are turning in final essays for college credit. My baby boy is also about to be a year old and Im freaking out a little. With all of that going on, Ive been surprised to find my reading life richer than ever. I think as the stress increases, I deal by retreating into one book or another each night. Heres my inbox/outbox for the week: what Im reading currently,  what Ive just finished, and what I plan to read next. Inbox (Books Acquired) Bird Box by Josh Malerman I mentioned earlier that we just moved, and Im so excited that our new house is a two-minute walk to the local library! I took my son for a walk earlier this week and picked up Bird Box after reading Katies  5 Books If You Liked A Quiet Place. I loved the creep factor of A Quiet Place, and after reading the premise for Bird Box  I knew I had to pick it up. Its about a mother and her children trying to survive in a world where no one can look outside. If they do, they know theyll meet the same fate as others: a mysterious presence will make them kill others and themselves. It sounds so good and I cant wait to be totally creeped out! Crazy Rich  Asians by Kevin Kwan Ok, yes, I am one of the ten people on earth who hasnt read this book! Ive heard such great things about it, but for some reason I just never got around to reading it. After seeing the bananas-good movie trailer, however, I couldnt wait any longer to dig into Kevin Kwans romantic, decadent series. In related news, Constance Wu is perfect. Outbox (Books Finished) Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian I often hear the (unfounded) complaint that would never happen about historical romance novels when they involve people of color or non-binary folks. Cat Sebastian is here to challenge that idea. Sebastians forthcoming novel is about a housemaid formerly named Charity Church who has been posing as a man for six years in order to help her friend marry well and keep her house. (Theres a more complicated backstory there, but Ill let you read it for yourself.) Robert (née Charity) meets Alistair, Marquess of Pembroke in London and starts up a romance with him. I was a little worried this would end like a Shakespeare play, where the woman masquerading as a man only gets to have a happy ending when she goes back to wearing dresses. Im happy to say that Sebastian delivers a happily ever after for these characters in every way possible. In the Queue (Whats Next) Exit West by Mohsin Homid Back when this got shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, I meant to read it. However, at the time I wasnt in the mood for a book like this. As I was browsing through a book store the other day, waiting for a friend, Exit West jumped out at me. Im really in the mood for a magical realism, love in the face of war novel right now. A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole   I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advance copy of the next installment in Coles Reluctant Royals series and Im so excited to start it! I loved A Princess in Theory and was hoping Cole would give Portia her own love story. (A Duke by Default comes out July 31, 2018.) What books are in your inbox/outbox this week?