37. Hamnet

By Maggie O'Farrell (372 pp, ebook)

I might be on track to read 40 books this calendar year. We'll see how the last couple weeks go. I had a mishap that has led to it being uncomfortable to sit for long so I'm not sure I can read as much as I would like since my favorite reading position in slouched in bed or on the couch. Bob gave this book to Mom and I know she really liked it. We talked about possible seeing the movie when Mom was in town so I hurried to read it. It is a fictional interpretation of what happened to Shakespeare's only son who died at 11 and is told through the POV of his wife who in this story has some supernatural tendencies. It's a very literary style and initially I enjoyed it but to be honest, it got a bit tedious for me. Didn't love it as much as I wanted to and as of this writing, I have not seen the film.

36. The Magpie Lord

By KJ Charles (271 pp, ebook)

This was another Fated Mates deep dive episode. What a treat to discover this author. The book is a Victorian fantasy romance. Lord Crane has inherited his family's estate/title after his father and brother both die under magical circimstances. But also they were terrible people. Lord Crane also suffers from a magical problem and needs to hire a magician named Stephen Day to figure it out. Only Stephen has a bitter past with Crane's family and comes to the job reluctantly. This story has powerful magic, creepy bad people, magpies. Sweet romance to see these two fall for each other while trying not to. Can't wait to read more books by this author.