Architects of Memory (The Memory War #1) by Karen Osborne
Indenture Ash knows if Aurora found out about her celestium sickness, she will never become citizen. But priorities change when she stumbles upon a huge corporate conspiracy that contradicts everything she used to know.
The Unexpected Dream (Sports #3) by Nicole Pyland
Content warnings: divorce, biphobia
The Unexpected Dream is a softball romance, which should totally be a trope.
Mia Landis (30, bisexual) accidentally got pregnant and misses her chance of playing at Tokyo Olympics. Used to be a prodigy pitcher on the national team, her life now revolves around handling her divorce, caring for her two-year-old daughter Hazel, and coaching softball at her old high school. When a player mentions tryouts for a professional league, Mia decides to give it a try. Skylar Donahue (25, lesbian) also wanted to play at Tokyo but had injured her wrist weeks before the games. She ends up being the pitching coach when all she wants is to be a player. With her lingering injury, she cannot pitch but just might make the team in the new league as a catcher.
Always More (Sports #1) by Nicole Pyland
Pyland did it again! I was kind of in a reading rut a few days ago, so I started this one to cheer myself up. And it totally worked!
Fair Game (Payback #2) by Charlotte Mills
Content warnings: stalking, poisoning, murder, attempted murder, death, self-harm in antagonist, blood, alcoholism, suspected cheating of minor character
This book takes place about two months after the epilogue of Payback.
Lexi Ryan (~34) now works at internet firm Shield Securities while her girlfriend ex-DCI Helen Taylor (~40) is settling down as a civilian. When Lexi feels like she is being stalked, Helen makes it her job to protect her and find out what is going on.
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
I know what they say about men who allow other men to penetrate them. Ugly things; ugly words. Calling them women, as if that’s supposed to be ugly, too. I’d heard it since secondary school, and I knew what that night was supposed to make me. Less than a man—something disgusting, something weak and shameful. But if that pleasure was supposed to stop me from being a man, then fine. They could have it. I’d take the blinding light of his touch, the blessed peace of having him so close, and I would stop being a man. I was never one to begin with, anyway.
Content warnings: death, incest, rape, infidelity, abuse, misogyny
I don’t know how Emezi does it, but they managed to make Vivek’s story breathtaking.