The best part about Sundays is that it can be such a lazy day of playing video games, napping, and reading! Since Sir Betrothed will be at their piercing apprenticeship, I will have the whole day to myself for whatever shenanigans that come to mind! While the possibilities are endless, I’m going to spend today in my pyjamas with a stack of books that I hope to get through before Thursday—my weekly day to visit the library—and a cup of yummy cocoa.

Today, I’m going to share the two books I’m currently reading as well as the two books I hope to tackle next and finish in time to return them. My mood of reading thrillers is starting to fizzle out a tiny bit, but the premises of one of these books is just too dark and delicious to pass up! Let me know what you think!

A Study in Scarlet Women (Lady Sherlock #1) by Sherry Thomas

The book is the first in a Victorian mystery series  and puts an interesting spin on the Sherlock Holmes narratives! We follow a lady named Charlotte Holmes who has never understood or cared for the demure expectations of women in noble society, which inadvertently marks her as a pariah. So, when London begins to experience a string of murders, she takes up the mantle of Sherlock Holmes in order to assist Scotland Yard with solving the crime, with assistance from a local investigator who has been sweet on her for a long time.

I’m only twenty pages into this book, but so far I like it. It’s too early for me decide whether the writing style is too easy or not, but I am a sucker for Victorian mysteries, and that may help me enjoy this more than normal.

The Gun by Fuminori Nakamura

Authored by the same person who wrote Last Winter, We Parted, The Gun is an #OwnVoices Japanese psychological thriller that follows a young college guy named Nishikawa. One evening while he’s out on a stroll, he comes across a dead body, beside which is a gun. After stealing the weapon, Nishikawa begins to feel an overwhelming purpose to his otherwise humdrum existence. However, his life becomes a web of deceit and complications after he starts up an affair with two women while his biological father—whom he has never met—is dying in a hospital. In the midst of everything going on, he can’t take his mind off the gun, nor the four bullets loaded in the chamber. His fascination mutates into a terrible obsession, one where simply owning the weapon isn’t enough. The desire to fire it becomes compulsory.

I’m also only a handful of pages into this, but I can definitely say that Mr Nakamura is quickly turning into one of my favourite writers of psychological fiction. He has a knack for writing stories that seem to get into the deepest nooks and crannies of the human psyche, and it’s amazing.

The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami

Written by the same brilliant author who brought the world Strange Weather in Tokyo¸ comes The Nakano Thrift Shop, which is an #OwnVoices Japanese contemporary about a simple store called Nakano Thrift Store; a commonplace where the staff and customers hold many secrets. Hitomi is an inexperienced young woman that works the register and has fallen in love with her co-worker, the oddly reserved Takeo. Unsure of how to attract his attention, she seeks advice from her employer’s sister, Masayo. However, Masayo has her own sentimental entanglements that make her an unconventional guide in romance. Nevertheless, thanks to her assistance, Hitomi will come to realise that love, desire, and intimacy require acceptance not only of eccentricities, but also between open and hidden secrets.

Not the Girls You’re Looking For by Aminah Mae Safi

This is an #OwnVoices Islamic young adult contemporary, coming of age story about a junior in high school named Lulu Saad, who’s headstrong and doesn’t need anyone’s advice or input when it comes to conquering life at her Texas prep school. However, after she makes a scene during Ramadan and alienates her closest friends with unwelcome advice of her own, the last straw in a string of errors causes her to evaluate herself and repair the damage done before she loses everyone that she loves.

I wish you a lovely rest of the evening (or day!) and will see you again very soon!

Thank you so much for visiting me today. I appreciate the support! Until next time, keep reading and keep otakuing. 🖤

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