#I ended up getting priory of the orange trees because it’s been on my tbr forever and I found NOTHING in the romance section 😭😭

[hawnks]

I recently read a lot of silly fantasy/ romcom books so here are a couple I have enjoyed quite a bit:

- Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross (Werewolf x Witch, not a literary masterpiece but it was fun to read! also part 1 of a larger series but with different protagonists, also contains smut)

- Masters of Death by Olivia Blake (immortal creatures gambling against each other, it’s set in modern times, writing style gives me slight Neil Gaiman vibes, romance/ flirting involved but not the main theme, lots of twists & turns & a murder mystery too)

- and also read the mead mishaps series by Kimberly Lemming (black protagonists, contains smut, the storyline itself is a bit flat, but her writing style is super funny, most of books are quite short 200-300pages, read them just for funnsies to get my mind off the horrors)

👀📝

[lavampira]

book recommendations

tysm @winedark and @rosenfey for the tag <:

passing it along to @hythlodaes @scionshtola @coldshrugs @likeabirdinflight @lesbianalicent @veeples @narrativefoiltrope @kirnet @disequilibria @jennystahl @elvves @queenofthieves @weird-ecologies @erielake @verbose-vespertine @solarisrenbeth @onceinabluemoony @queerbrujas @oldblood but ofc no pressure!!

1. the last book I read:

GOTH WESTERN by LIVALI WYLE — well. technically, it’s an indie graphic novel. but it’s a western meets magical realism about necromancy, revenge, and the power of love. and lesbians. I burned through it in a couple hours sitting because I was so gripped by it tbh.

2. a book I recommend:

THE HACIENDA by ISABEL CAÑAS — an absolute all time fave book in my heart; I would say one doesn’t even need to necessarily love horror to get invested in this one, since it also involves very interesting critique of spanish colonialism, religion, and class struggles in post-independence mexico only using hauntings as the lens to view it.

3. a book that I couldn’t put down:

THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE by SAMANTHA SHANNON — I was glued to this book for a solid two weeks despite its length. I have a lot that I would change about the pacing and certain events or qualities of some characters’ outcomes, but it was such a fun fantasy read, and I had a difficult time even moving on from the setting and protagonists once I was done.

4. a book I’ve read twice (or more):

THE SONG OF ACHILLES by MADELINE MILLER — my first time reading this myth retelling was my freshman year of college, so I reread it again ten years later to see if it would still hold up for how much I loved it, and it absolutely did. the perspective of the man standing beside and in love with the hero interwoven with the tragedy of achilles and patroclus takes me right out and the passages that tumblr enjoys to quote from it have so much more impact in the full context of the narrative.

5. a book on my TBR:

OUR WIVES UNDER THE SEA by JULIA ARMFIELD — this poor book keeps getting knocked down on my TBR but I’m determined to read it this year. I’m intrigued by the horror of the protagonist’s wife ‘coming back wrong’ in a sense, and the recommendations based on its similarity to ANNIHILATION, but also the fact it seems to be a wlw scifi horror, too.

6. a book I’ve put down:

AFFINITY by SARAH WATERS — I wanted to like this one so bad, considering how often waters has been hyped up to me as The Author for historical lesbian novels and the fact it delves into victorian spiritualism, but the pacing felt so slow at getting to the point in the plot, and when it finally did, the twist put me off on finishing the end. it’s probably more of a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ but I def had to DNF it.

7. a book on my wishlist:

GHOST STATION by S.A. BARNES — space horror quickly became a fave niche genre that I got into last year, so I’ve been very excited for this release, too. I’m also a fan of how barnes writes atmospheric dread and I have high expectations for it.

8. a favorite book from my childhood:

WUTHERING HEIGHTS by EMILY BRONTË — it altered my brain chemistry as a teenager in high school and I haven’t been the same since I read it. I distinctly remember listening to ‘you said I killed you — haunt me then!’ read aloud and having to pretend like it didn’t make me feel so completely unhinged in the middle of class.

9. a book you would give to a friend:

PIRANESI by SUSANNA CLARKE — I was recommended this one by a friend to begin with, so it feels like an even more perfect book to pass forward. I think it’s one of those books that’s easy to get absorbed into even if it’s not a typical genre one would read, and it’s such a life-altering experience to go through with the protagonist, too. the underlying message that we’re all changed by our own trials and we’re never the same as we were before lingers with me.

10. a book of poetry or lyrics you own:

CRUSH by RICHARD SIKEN — it’s taken me so long to finally track down a physical copy at my bookstore but it was worth it because it remains my fave book of poetry to date. I could quote so many lines, after how hard they’ve hit me, and some of them have influenced my own writing or pairings in some ways.

11. a nonfiction book you own:

HAVANA NOCTURNE by T.J. ENGLISH — back in 2015-2016ish I went through a true crime phase in the prohibition era through the foundation of the US mafia, and this is a very informative book on how the mob became tied to cuba and how the revolution affected it.

12. what are you currently reading:

AN EDUCATION IN MALICE by S.T. GIBSON — I stumbled across this retelling of carmilla set in a late 60s massachusetts women’s college after reading gibson’s A DOWRY OF BLOOD and had to give it a try. I’m enjoying it so far; the prose is full of thick emotional yearning and electric chemistry, and the balance in the narrative of toxic mentorship, historical romantic and sensual attraction between women without shaming them for it, and vampiric elements is really fun.

13. what are you planning on reading next:

WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT by T. KINGFISHER — I only found out the other day that the sequel to WHAT MOVES THE DEAD was even released but I’m so desperate for the next part of alex easton’s story (and how eerily kingfisher writes horror) that it shot up to my next read.

[the---hermit]

end of the year book tag 2023

I did this tag last year more or less at this time. This book tag was created by Ariel Bissett over on youtube, and I recently heard her talking about it again in her podcast, which is how I got the inspiration of doing it again this year. As I think I have also mentioned last year when doing this, I tend to be a mood reader so planning my next reads never really works, but it's fun to sit down and reflect a bit on what is coming next into my reading life before the year is over.

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

As I am writing this I have three main books I am in the middle of: Hell Followed With us by Andrew Joseph White, Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson and Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker. I have technically also started reading Walden by Thoreau a while back, but I don't have a plan to finish it quickly, it's more one of those books I read a little bit every once in a while when I feel like it, because I want to grasp as much as I can and while I am also taking classes and studying for exams I always struggle a bit with enjoying non-fic on my own.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I am once again doing this tag in the middle of autumn, so idk how much it counts, but I don't think I have a proper autumnal book on my tbr/wishlist. I am still waiting to get the sixth volume of Something Is Killing The Children, which is an horror graphic novel so that might count as a spooky season book. But I don't really wait spooky season to read horror books.

Is there a new release you're still waiting for?

As I mentioned the sixth volume of Something Is Killing The Children has very recently came out here in Italy and I am desperately waiting to find a copy of it. I am also waiting to get Bookstores And Bonedust by Travis Baldree which is coming out at the beginning of November. There are a couple of other 2023 releases I still haven't got my hands on but I don't know yet if I'll get them before the year ends (mainly He Who Drowned The World by Shelly Parker Chan, and The Land Of Lost Things by John Connolly). I am also waiting for the release of the final book in the locked tomb series but I don't think a release date has been set yet? (and regarding that I have yet to decide what I want to do because I would like to get physical copies of the English editions, but it will be a future me problem to solve).

What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

One of my goals for 2023 is the read all the books I have bought this year, or at least as many as I can. I must say I have been very good with this goal, but I do have a couple of books that have been sitting on my shelf for a while. I don't know if I'll get into the right mood to read them before the year ends but I will add a couple of those to this list. The first one is Nel Buio Della Casa by Fiore Manni and Michele Monteleone. It's an horror novel of the hauted house genre which is one of my favourites but for some reason I haven't picked it up yet. Next is a book I cannot wait to pick up The Ballad Of The Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde, I love this author and after reading De Profundis earlier this year I have been really intrigued by this poem. Finally I bought a prose edition of The Odyssey and I might end up picking it up before the year ends.

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

Not really? I expect to love a lot of the books I'd like to read before the end of the year but there's a couple of books I read this year that I doubt can be topped (Gideon The Ninth being at the top of that list alongside The Priory Of The Orange Tree).

Have you already started making reading plans for next year?

I actually have, weirdly enough. I was thinking about goals for next year and I think I will definitely keep the goal of trying to read all/ most of the books I buy during the year. I certainly need to find a way to read more of the books that have been on my shelves for years, so I will have to think of a more structured plan to reach that goal. I am also considering to create a goal to finally complete my Neil Gaiman collection since this year I have read all of the books by him I own. That could be a fun goal I think. Lastly I'd like to try and get as many books as I can second hand. It's not really super easy for me to do, because where I live there are no second hand book stores, and generally what I look for is quite difficult to find in regular shops, but there's a few exceptions, like classics for example are easier to thrift. Again these are more brain dump thoughts than an actual plan, but it's more than what I had last year at this time.

(no pressure) tags: @just-a-cup-of-anxietea, @fluencylevelfrench, @dreamofghosts, @upside-down-uni, @la-galaxie-langblr

[upside-down-uni]

end of year reading tag!

I really don’t know where she takes the energy but our beloved Sab (@bulletnotestudies) made her own end of the year tag game! Thank you to @jeonchemstudy for also tagging me, I am beyong overjoyed that you enjoyed all the recs I’ve given you! Nothing hits quite the same as your taste in books being complimented.

Here comes my end of the year run down of my reading:

1. did you meet your reading goal?

I did! My goal was 40 books and I even surpassed it! Right now I’m working on book number 55.

2. top 3 books you read this year

....instead of ranking my top three I’ll just yeet some of my 5 star reads out there because how dare you make me choose Sab!! evil!

I reread Gideon the Ninth, so that is obviously on the list. If you haven’t read it I’m literally begging you to! There’s also The BrickTM aka The Priory of the Orange Tree, which I read after @hannistudies recommended it to me. A BLAST, I need more of this kind of books!! Irown Widow completely blew my socks off, I need the sequel NOW. (Oh and there’s this series “All for the Game”, which Sab and @asteristudy are completely normal about, so I read it too, and I am also very normal about it.)

3. what’s a book you didn’t expect to enjoy as much as you did

Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi or Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters. I was kind of scared of both but I thoroughly enjoyed them!

4. what books didn’t live up to your expectations?

What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo and Das Ministerum der Träume by Hengameh Yaghoobifarah. Both in different ways: What Big Teeth started out annoying me but in the end it kind of redeemed itself while Das Minisertium der Träume pulled me in from the first page but ruined itself through the ending.

5. did you reread any old faves?

I wouldn’t say “fave” but I reread book one and two of the Clockwork Series by Kady Cross. They hold up surprisingly well and I still enjoyed them!

6. did you dnf anything

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart just didn’t do it for me, I got about 100 pages in and was still bored.

7. did you read anything outside your preferred genre

I read The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix which was my first “true” horror book. (thank you to @tungumalaast) I think gtn worked as a gateway drug lmao

8. what was your predominant format this year?

I read mostly physical books this year although most of the books I’ve read after October have been digital.

9. the longest book i read this year

I was going to say The BrickTM but then I checked my storygraph and The Nightblade Epic: Volume 1 by Garrett Robinson (which includes the first three books in the series) beats Priory of the Orange Tree by 2 pages.

10. your 3 most anticipated 2022 releases

NONA THE NINTH! Right now it’s 258 days until release, I will DIE before that! And the second book in the Iron Widow series is set to release in 2022 but I don’t know when!

Apart from that I haven’t really kept up with anything...I’ll let myself be surprised by what the knife gang will show up with and yell about on discord!

11. what books on your tbr did you not get to this year, but are excited to read in 2022?

Oh for sure! *storygraph checking noises*

I really wanted to read No Gods No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull but didn’t get around to it after it came out earlier this year. Hunger Pangs by Joy Demorra is also very high on my list as is the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 has been chilling on my tbr for about 2 years now too... I will have a lot more time to read next year though.

I don’t really know who to tag outside of knife gang, so if you follow me, and fwant to do the tag: consider yourself tagged! I love seeing what and how others read!

[wingedshoes]

END OF THE YEAR BOOK TAG !

Yes, it's 2022 but the questions are fun and I'm hilarious so bear with me.

1. Did you reach your reading goal this year?

I DID, THANK FUCK. Read 35/25 😋 it feels good i was so crushed last year (2020) when i was 6 short of 49.

2. What are my top 3 books this year?

THREE??? THREE?????? Not counting re-reads, um. The Secret History, The King's Men, The Dragon Republic, Our Violent Ends, The Picture of Dorian Gray i am not picking

3. What's a book I didn't quite expect to enjoy going in?

I'm a picky reader so I almost always have high expectations when I decide to read something but I didn't expect to Love The Gilded Wolves with a capital L :((( my best friend gifted me I'll Give You the Sun and IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL??? I also made my brother read it and he loved it so much

4. A book that didn't live up to expectations?

lmao the second book of The Gilded Wolves, there was no plot and substance to it at all. Rule of Wolves was gross fan service and unsatisfactory. Chain of Iron was just horrible writing, I want to burn my copy-

5. Did you re-read any old favs?

😳 SoC, CK, first three books of Aru Shah (Shahcharya my babies), RWRB

6. Did you DNF any books ?

not TECHNICALLY but i guess i did start Mexican Gothic last January but I've been so busy-

7. Did you read any books outside your preferred genre?

I read literally every single genre except for Non Fiction. why the fuck would i read non fictiom

8. What was your pre dominant format this year?

Ebooks because I'm a big fan of not bankrupting my parents they're good for the environment!!!

9. What's the longest book you read this year?

The Priory of the Orange Tree!! 836 something pages and it STILL FEELS SO LESS I MISS TANE EVERYDAY she's like fang runin except less murdery 😕😕

10. Top 3 Anticipated releases?

THREE? WHAT IS IT WITH THREE? THIS YEAR'S GONNA BE A BANGER

The sequel to Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, GALLANT BY VICTORIA MF SCHWAB, Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong, Babel by RF Kuang, The Book of the Night by HOLLY BLACK AKDNDKXMKSKXMDKXM

11. What books did you not get to this year from your TBR but are excited to read in 2022?

The Song of Achilles 😀 @chen-kitays amirite

[princessofbookaholics]

TBR Buster Challenge Update 2021

This is a challenge created by @bookbandit which I participated in this year and I ended up getting to know a lot about my reading.

Firstly, I'm slowly moving away from YA books which isn't a bad thing, it's just that I don't relate to teenage problems anymore so I prefer not reading about them. Fantasy is also something I rarely pick up, I prefer reading about contemporary stories instead.

Due to these reasons I unhauled most of the books from my list that I was supposed to read simply because I wasn't interested in reading them anymore.

I had made a list of 25 books at the beginning of the year and here's my update:

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo (Read in January): I've always wanted to try this author and this was his most popular book so I decided to start with this one, wasn't blown away but it, I thought it was okay. (3/5 stars)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Read in January): This book had a kind of lyrical writing which I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. (4/5 stars)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (Read in January): I don't think I got this one. I realized classics aren't for me either. (3/5 stars

Obsidio by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman (Read in January): So happy that I finally finished this series and it was a stunning conclusion as well! (4.5/5 stars)

Frog Music by Emma Donoghue (DNF'd in January, unhauled): I stopped reading halfway, the story wasn't gripping me.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (DNF'd in January, unhauled): This might've been DNF'd because it was young adult.

Lovely War by Julie Berry (Read in February): LOVED THIS SO MUCH! This book made me so happy and sad and I just felt so many emotions! (5/5 stars)

The Innocent Man by John Grisham (Read in February): This was amazing! I never expected to enjoy a non-fiction and this became the start of my true crime obsession. (5/5 stars)

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (Read in February): I somehow managed to finish this massive book but in the end it was just good. (3/5 stars)

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Read in February): Bad timing with this one. Didn't like reading about a pandemic but everyone else seemed to enjoy this book. (2/5 stars)

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (Read in March): This was great! Forget when I said classics aren't for me, I enjoyed this a lot and want to read more by the author. (4.5/5 stars)

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo (Read in April): I binge read this duology as the second book came out this year and enjoyed this conclusion! (4/5 stars)

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (DNF'd in April, unhauled): I didn't care for the prequel to The Shadow of the Wind but I might pick up the sequel someday.

Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl (Read in June): It's always heartbreaking to read about the experiences of a Holocaust Survivor and this wasn't any different. The first half did talk about his experiences but the author kinda lost me in the second half. (4/5 stars)

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (DNF'd in August, unhauled): I don't know if it was the translation or something else but the writing wasn't gripping me at all.

My Lovely Wife by Samatha Downing (Read in September): Loved this one! Also ended up reading more books by the author because I enjoyed this so much! (4.5/5 stars)

The Archived by V. E. Schwab (Read in September): this was okay. I thought the City of Ghosts trilogy is just a better version of this one. (3/5 stars)

The Unbound by V. E. Schwab (Read in September): this just got so repetitive, I didn't enjoy this. (2/5 stars)

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand (DNF'd in September, unhauled): I'd heard this was comedy but it's also magical realism which isn't my thing.

The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan (Read in November): This was so cosy and sweet and I enjoyed this a lot! (4.5/5 stars)

Wonder Girls by Catherine Jones (unhauled): just lost interest

The Phantom by Jo Nesbo (unhauled): Since I didn't really enjoy The Snowman by the author I ended up getting rid of this one.

The Toy Makers by Robert Dinsdale (unhauled): Another magical realism unhaul

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone (unhauled): Another young adult unhaul

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (unhauled): just lost interest

That is one long post! I'm happy that I got to the books and made a big dent in my TBR. I'll participate in this next year as well! If you're still here, I hope you have a great day 💕

[emeraldgreaves]

1, 10, 17, 60, 133 for the book ask 👀🍿

send me some questions and i’ll talk about books 📚 !

1. a book that is close to your heart

this is a play, not a book, but i first read it in script format so i’m counting it because Arcadia by Tom Stoppard could have been made in a computer for me. this would have shaped my entire personality if I read it in high school. the idea that history and discovery are in of themselves an iterative process!! romanticizing differential equations!! the way it plays with time and perception!! yes, there’s a certain futility that pervades our lives with the knowledge that everything ultimately comes to an end, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t live. basically if i think about it too long i start losing it.

10. a book that got you through something

we’re going all the way back to fourth grade, folks, specifically to The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang. this was the first realistic fiction book I read as a kid that felt targeted to me. my life has yet to have the emotional stakes of amy tan and maxine hong kingston, but it’s more than likely you are going to mess up the Mandarin for dumpling and sleep, or you’re going to run into playground-level malice. it was nice to have a book where the struggles were relatable and mundane.

17. a book with a yellow cover

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon! an 800-page fantasy epic that still somehow manages to move at a breakneck pace. honestly, how could you not be tempted to pick up a book that looks like this?

60. a book that you think about at 3am

i’m always going to be a little bit obsessed with the way The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson tackles imperialism from the inside, even in the first chapter (cw for mentions of institutional homophobia and the slow creep of colonization). the Empire of Masks gets its ideological hooks in Baru long before she realizes it—our question isn’t how she’s going to take them out, it’s whether she’ll be able to pull out of her nosedive in time. the next two are on my TBR list because I’ll want to devour them in a day at the cost of spending the next week in a baru cormorant-induced fugue state

133. a book that you came across randomly and fell in love with

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple is a book I saw on the table at 2nd and Charles, picked up, flipped through briefly, and immediately bought and read twice. It’s epistolary, so I was already going to like it, but it also (a) skewers Microsoft corporate culture and (b) spawned one of my favorite quotes:

“I'd say I never considered myself a great architect. I'm more of a creative problem solver with good taste and a soft spot for logistical nightmares.”

which, my own taste is questionable, but hard same.

[kestrellady]

June Reading Wrap Up

Screenshots from The Storygraph

Books I Actually Rated: A Single Star and Bloody Knuckles by Bill Minutaglio - 3.75/5 Texas History and Politics from the 1890s through the 2010s. Written by a journalist and includes some outdated and occasionally racist language (despite being published in 2021), but a decent summary of the ways Texas politics has changed over the last century and some. Content warnings for detailed depictions of racist violence, racist language, and sexism. Review

Stand Out Books from June: The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco Book 2 of The Bone Witch It took me a while to get into the first book of this series, but I really enjoyed the second one! I'm looking forward to the final book.

Book of Night by Holly Black I putting this one on here mostly because there was so much hype. It was a solid Holly Black book. If you like her other stuff, you'll probably like this. It really reminded me of her Curse Workers series, so if you like this one, you'll probably like those, and vice versa.

Tear Down the Throne by Jennifer Estep Book 2 of The Gargoyle Queen Every time I think I'm done with Jennifer Estep, she pulls me back in. This one started with a lot of the same formulaic storytelling that I've gotten pretty tired of (I swear there are a couple of copy and paste sentences that show up in every single one of her books), but this one managed to go in a fresh direction and I enjoyed it.

What I'm Reading Now: Technically I'm in the middle of The Priory of the Orange Tree, but it went back to the library and there is 12 week wait on it, so it'll be while before I finish it. So far it's pretty typical doorstopper fantasy. I'm predicting the beats (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I've just read a lot of fantasy) and I'm a little annoyed that the title institution is just references dropped without context, but I think I'm almost to where that'll change and, hey!, the dragons are cool.

I'm still working my way through Augustine's City of God. It's dense, but fascinating to watch him build up an argument (and occasionally go, Augustine, you may be a saint, but I'm not sure you actually understood Roman society). I'm also in the middle of Prime Deceptions, book 2 in the Chilling Effect series by Valerie Valdes. It's good! I'm just getting into sci-fi and I'm enjoying the series. Oh! I also just started a translation of Sappho by Mary Barnard. I'm reading a few poems at a time just before bed.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: I've got the last Bone Witch book, The Shadowglass, sitting on my shelf and I'm excited to get into it. I've also got A Master of Djinn, which I've heard good things about and I enjoyed the prequel short story. I'm on the second to last Temeraire book and I don't think I'm ready for this series to end. I've got The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero waiting for me at the library and my number geek heart is very happy! For the Book Riot 2022 Read Harder Challenge, I've got A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War for "Read a biography of an author you admire" and Sorcerer to the Crown for "Read the book that’s been on your TBR the longest." (I'm fudging that last one just a little, it's actually #5 on my TBR, but all the ones before it are either doorstoppers, hard to get a hold of, or the beginning of massive series I don't feel like getting into right now.)

Follow me on The StoryGraph

[thebooksaidthat]

5 Fantasy Book Recommendations with WLW relationships!

Here are five of my favorite books which have FF centered pairings! Thought I would share them so you guys can expand your TBR’s with some sapphic goodness :) They’re not arranged in any particular order because they’re all equally enjoyable for me. I hope this post might help you in any way and I might do another one but for contemporary reads instead soon so stay tuned   

1. Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29774026-the-priory-of-the-orange-tree

Synopsis: 

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

--> The book is written in multiple perspectives, switching between Ead, Tane and Niclays. I found the story extremely engrossing and the FF couple was just a really nice added bonus! Seriously though, Ead and Sabran’s relationship was fairly slow burn but extremely rewarding to read. Would recommend this wholeheartedly to those who enjoy fantasy and dragons. Did I mention DRAGONS? 

2. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34433755-girls-of-paper-and-fire

Synopsis:  Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honor they could hope for...and the most demeaning. This year, there's a ninth. And instead of paper, she's made of fire. In this richly developed fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most persecuted class of people in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards for an unknown fate still haunts her. Now, the guards are back and this time it's Lei they're after -- the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king's interest. Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable -- she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.  --> Girls of Paper and Fire is a great example of how YA fantasy books should be. The story felt original and the diversity is great too. The characters here are interesting to read about and this was again, another book which I wanted to read on and on just to know what was going to happen. Lei, a girl who like several others were chosen to become the King’s personal concubines. Yes, there are certain parts that might be uncomfortable to read about (rape, sexual assault, abuse) but I think the topic was mostly handled well by the author. It was really nice to read about how the two unlikely concubines of the King slowly find themselves attracted to each other and how their relationship develops with the main plot. The third book from the series will be released on 2021 and I can’t wait to see how the author ties everything up!  3. Breaking Legacies by Zoe Reed Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30242712-breaking-legacies

Synopsis:  In a land impoverished by a war that started before she was born, Kiena has provided for her mother and brother by becoming one of the best hunters in the kingdom. But when a lifelong friend with connections recommends her to the king to track down a runaway princess, her life gets turned upside down. Finding the princess is easy. Deciding what to do in a conflicting mess of politics and emotions… not so much.  --> Now, I know the synopsis does not do a whole lot of justice for the book but trust me, this is one that you want to read. Without going into much details, this was a very fun adventure-ish read where you follow Kiena, the main character of the book, who is asked to look for the princess of the kingdom who ran off to god-knows-where. From blue orbs to finding long lost friends of her father to falling in love with the princess, there’s something that’s always holding your attention. 4. Crier’s War by Nina Varela  Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41951626-crier-s-war

Synopsis:  Impossible love between two girls —one human, one Made. A love that could birth a revolution. After the War of Kinds ravaged the kingdom of Rabu, the Automae, Designed to be the playthings of royals, took over the estates of their owners and bent the human race to their will. Now, Ayla, a human servant rising the ranks at the House of the Sovereign, dreams of avenging the death of her family… by killing the Sovereign’s daughter, Lady Crier. Crier, who was Made to be beautiful, to be flawless. And to take over the work of her father. Crier had been preparing to do just that—to inherit her father’s rule over the land. But that was before she was betrothed to Scyre Kinok, who seems to have a thousand secrets. That was before she discovered her father isn’t as benevolent as she thought. That was before she met Ayla. Set in a richly-imagined fantasy world, Nina Varela’s debut novel is a sweepingly romantic tale of love, loss and revenge, that challenges what it really means to be human. --> A stunning fantasy//science-fiction debut which hooked me from the start. The romance aspect was done well but I enjoyed the world building that the author did with this and I found myself curious about how the system worked. This is basically an enemies-to-lovers trope type of romance which progressed nicely although it’s not completely resolved as it ended in quite a cliff hanger, though the next book will be releasing on September!  5. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust  Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51182650-girl-serpent-thorn

Synopsis:  There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story. As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison. Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster. --> Another enemies-to-lovers fantasy to sooth your gay heart! Here’s a fairy-tale like YA which has a bisexual, person of colour protagonist! In short words, it’s about how a girl who is cursed causing her to be unable to touch anyone without killing them and her journey to saving her brother and ultimately, finding herself. 

[cricketnationrise]

Books I read in quarantine: Part 1

So on Friday, March 13, 2020 something not that chill happened. We all know what that was. Anyway for me the silver lining was that I got a lot of my TBR knocked out by not being at work. I read over 150 books from mid-march to mid-october.

1. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: yes, it had been on my list for a while, yes it was awesome, yes, its still worth the read

2. Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey: eh. listen. she’s one of the most prominent women in fantasy/sci-fi writing and that’s great. and maybe some the later books aren’t quite such a product of their time. but there are some aspects to the dragon “bonding” that feel especially uncomfortable and there’s a lot of violence toward women. so.

3. Briar’s Book by Tamora Pierce: I was in the midst of a Circle of Magic reread. Unfortunately for me, this one is about a plague. It’s still one of the best CoM books and I enjoy it immensely. Its definitely going to be harder to read from now on

4. The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera: loved this. empress and ruler of the steppes as lesbians that also battle demons? i needed a family tree, but that’s normal for me. still need to get to the next one in this series.

5. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull:  middle grade fantasy novel. i hesitate to say lighthearted because there are definitely some heavy themes, but all the fantasy creatures you encounter are cool AF and this one at least doesn’t end on a cliffhanger.

6. Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce: less strong than some of the others in the Emelan series, but has some cool worldbuilding that got better fleshed out in the Beka Cooper Tortall books. featuring UNMAGIC. v dark. also dance magic. and romance between two older characters

7. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan: delightful romance, not super explicit, very wish fulfillment if your wish is to run away from your life in london and live off the proceeds of a mobile bookstore in a tiny town. which. is not unappealing.

8. Street Magic by Tamora Pierce: features 9 cats, street urchins, and a VERY TERRIFYING wealthy widow straight up murdering kids for fun and games, stone magic

9. Scythe by Neal Shusterman: okay so take our world and then solve all physical ailments and have everything run by the cloud. except that death is still a thing but only if you are picked by a Scythe. first book in a trilogy. fast paced, amazing, violent (someone gets their head cut off), standard dystopia stuff. you’ll want to have the next two books ON YOUR SHELF

10. Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke: there is definitely someone out there who will like this more than me. one of them is my roommate. it was just too dark of a friendship/enemyship for me. lots of unreliable narrators. and like, they were just kind of horrible to each other? the actual plot was kinda cool and i definitely would have liked it more if it ended lighter

11. The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. LeGuin: a giant of fantasy and science fiction. this was my first of her sci-fi stuff and the first of the hainish cycle that i’ve read. quick read. definitely makes you think.

12. The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark: number two in a series, but i didn’t know that going in. absolutely going to read the others. a cairo where all sorts of spirits and demons exist and actively interact with the “normal” world.

13. The Girl Who Reads on the Métro by Christine Féret-Fleury: i’ve never been to france but this feels VERY french. magical realism about bringing the right book to the perfect reader. super cute.

14. Fire Starter by P. Anastasia: first of a series. i wanted to like this better based on the magic system. romance felt forced. also it turned out to be aliens. which like, not a problem, but don’t spend 100 pages telling me its magic and then boom alien virus. maybe the others are better, but i’m not going to find out.

15. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: i had to read this in middle school and definitely didn’t appreciate it enough. highly recommended.

16. A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies by Alix E. Harrow: a fantastic short story about reading, libraries, magic and supporting teenagers who need it. you can read it online or as part of Apex Magazine Issue 105 from Feb 2018.

17. On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden: really long graphic novel about a found family in space trying to do a good job repairing various buildings and stuff. enough queer content for anybody really. gorgeous art.

18. Doughnut by Tom Holt: book 1 in the YouSpace series. very discworld-esq except that its our own world plus a pocket dimension that’s only accessible with a lot of math and a prayer. hilarious at times, but a decidedly darker tone than discworld so just be aware if that’s not what youre looking for

19. The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind by Jackson Ford: teenage girl in california has powers that let her move things with her mind. works as part of a government program with a whole band of misfits. she thought she was the only one and then someone else starts doing crime (TM) and murder with telekinesis and she has to stop them. found family toward the end. graphic violence toward the end. wildfires.

20. Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts by Julian Rubinstein: what it says on the tin, basically. NONFICTION. this dude in europe had way too many day jobs that were actually crime and his story is WILD. last update i saw was that he was still alive, paroled from jail, and making pottery??

21. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: 800+ pages of epic eastern fantasy. some dragons. a witchy big bad. betrayal. queer romance as a main plotline. magic. seriously good.

22. Transcription by Kate Atkinson: flashback within a flashback within a flashback and reversing that path as you move through the book. woman just wants a secretary job during the war. somehow ends up as a spy??? i liked it, i keep meaning to get more of her books

23. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire: first in the wayward children series. under 200 pages if you’re looking for a quick read. what happens to kids that have gone through a door, had an adventure, and then forced back into our world? they don’t quite fit. and when that happens they go to Eleanor West’s School. fantastic series that is still being added to (number 7 comes out next year). can be very dark/sinister at times. but theres a lot of queer representation and found family stuff to balance out.

24. Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire: book 2 in the wayward children series. focuses on Jack and Jill’s backstory of their time before book 1. they are from The Moors where a Vampire Lord and a Mad Scientist are battling against each other to keep the balance of the world with a village of innocents between them

25. Go Fish by Ian Rogers: short story published on Tor.com about a group of paranormal investigators. there’s a fish factory that no one will go in because it’s haunted and/or cursed and people have been dying from going in there

[wayfarerreads]

August Reading Goals + June/July Wrap Up:

Haven't felt like updating this little blog in recent months :/ Mainly because, between work and family, July was extremely busy and I didn't have as much time or motivation to read.

But now it's August and things are starting to calm down, so hopefully I can find my motivation again ^_^

In June I managed to read, or at least start, a few of the books I wanted to get to. I finished This is How You Lose the Time War, Fangirl, and Golden Stage. I started Gideon the Ninth, Fire Logic, the Husky and His White Cat Shizun (Erha), Tian Guan Ci Fu, and Inland.

In July I got caught up on Erha, and got further in Tian Guan Ci Fu. I also read Spring Trees and Sunset Clouds and started My Darling Sick Beauty.

For August, I'm flip-flopping between giving myself a tbr or just seeing where things go :/ Tbr's haven't really been working for me, but I'm reluctant to let go of the format...

I guess if I do try to stick with a tbr these are the books that will be on it:

-Tian Guan Ci Fu by MXTX:  I’m about 86% of the way through TGCF.  Things have really taken a turn regarding the identity of White No Face :’(  I’m really looking forward to completing TGCF, but I also don’t want to say goodbye to these characters...  I really adore Xie Lian <3  Finished 8/30/2021

-Erha by Meatbun: I’m caught up with the current human translation (ch.160).  *deep sigh* There aren’t enough words in the English language to express how much I love Erha lol  It’s one of those rare books that I start and it immediately hooks its claws into my soul and just burrows there.  Mo Ran and Chu Wanning just constantly break my heart, with all of their misunderstandings.  Mo Ran 2.0 is best boi; seeing him trying so hard to be a good person and come to terms with Taxian Jun/Mo Ran 0.5 and the things he did in that lifetime is so well done.  And Chu Wanning! I love him so, so much <3 He is very much my favorite Erha character. He's so awkward and full of self loathing and I cannot wait to see him finally get past all of that 😭 I’m dying waiting for the next chapter lol  Can’t wait to see where this whole drama with Ye Wangxi/Nangong Si/Song Qiutong is going, especially with the ch.160 reveal :O  I also really want to know who the antagonist is!!!  He reminds me so much of Taxian Jun...

-My Darling Sick Beauty by Dao Xuan:  This one is just kind of fun and funny and fluffy. I really love Jiang Zheliu and Wen Renye and seeing their relationship develop.  I wasn’t sure about it at first, wasn’t completely getting into it, but I stuck with it and now I’m hooked :D

-Remarried Empress by Alpha Tart:  This is my first Korean webnovel.  I’m not really far enough in to have much of an opinion yet.  I like Navier and I’m curious to see where this goes.  It came highly recommended by a friend, so I’ll probably love it ^_^

-Nan Chan by Tang Jiuqing:  Not super far into Nan Chan either, just got to chapter 12.

-Inland by Téa Obreht:  Intriguing, but I’m only 5% in.

-Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks: I adore this book & very much want to read the whole quartet (which my library happily has :D).  Right now, I’m only 90 pages away from the end.  Will probably finish it either tonight or in the next few days. Finished 8/4/2021

-Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: Love, love, love this book!!!  I’m a little less than halfway through and am excited to get back to it.  Finished 8/25/2021

-Bloodchild: and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler: I haven’t touched this one since April -_- It’s my first Butler and I really want to get into her works, especially since I have a ton of her other books!  After finishing Fire Logic, I’ll probably prioritize this one. Finished 8/10/2021

-Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston:  Read like two pages of this in May and haven’t touched it since :/  I think it’ll be a quick read, though, once I get back to it.  Finished 8/18/2021

-the Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon:  Haven’t read this since May either.  I do want to get back to it.  I definitely don’t expect to finish tPotOT this month, but I would like to continue it rather than leave it hanging.

-Victory's Price by Alexander Freed:  Haven’t touched this since March :(  I love Star Wars and I really love the characters in Alphabet Squadron.  Very much want to find out how the trilogy ends.

-a Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: Haven’t read since February :(  Like with Victory’s Price, school got really busy and I didn’t have time to read.  I’m only 90 pages in, so not very far, but I really love what I’ve read so far.  I’m going to go pick up my own copy this weekend, ‘cause too many other people have holds on the library copies and I know I’m not going to be able to finish it before I need to return it :/

[thecockerelinn]

Well, even though quarantine and lockdown may slowly open up for many of us, it’s not over yet, and besides one can never have enough means to escape reality, so here are a few book reccomendations.

All books on this list are LGBTQ or at least have (important) characters who are.

The “Classics”:

Wraeththu  - Storm Constantine (how is it no-one’s talking about this anymore? Please do take into account that those books were written in the early 1990s, they were way ahead of their times, and yet there may be some offensive things - it’s been a while that I’ve read them so I can’t come up with any example, but should you find them somewhat un-feminist, wait until the end xD)

The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin (a true classic)

The Last Herald Mage series - Mercedes Lackey (gee yes Vanyel can be a real brat - not quite without reason though, but you’ll come to love him xD And yes we all just pretend that scene in book 3 never happened -_-) (also: influenced the Nightrunner series)

The World of Riverside series - Ellen Kushner (another influence on the Nightrunner series)

The Doctrine of Labyrinths quartet - Sarah Monette (beware, those books are not for everyone, trigger warnings are in order: rape, violence, mental issues, abuse / none of this is ever glorified or belittled, but it’s there, and it is so much a part of the characters’ lifes that it might occasionally seem like it’s not appropriately treated. Speaking of characters: very complex, intriguing characters with very dark sides, but you gotta love ‘em; intricate, complex world building / Nowadays Sarah Monette writes under the pseudonym Katherine Addison) (as far as I know they are unfortunately out of print so you’d have to check second hand book stores)

Historical fiction (with or without the paranormal)

Whyborne and Griffin series - Jordan L. Hawk (lots of paranormal stuff, magic, Lovecraftian creatures, awesome ladies, and so much more - and you will love those boys so much xD)

Magic in Manhattan - Allie Therin (the Roaring 20s, magic, prohibition)

The Collin Pendragon Mysteries - Gregory Harris (imagine Sherlock Holmes and Watson were canon; whodunnit, Victorian England)

Restless Spirits - Jordan L. Hawk  (let’s go ghost hunting: science vs. medium)

A Charm of Magpies - K.J. Charles (magpies - lots of them xP, magic, curses, intrigue, late Victorian England)

At Swim, Two Boys - Jamie O’Neill (set in Dublin around the Easter Uprising 1916; coming-of-age, tragic love story - don’t forget the tissues)

Cambridge Fellows Mysteries - Charlie Cochrane (Edwardian England, mystery, romance; amateur sleuths, found family)

SFF

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon (epic fantasy, intricate world building, clash of religions, dragons, strong female leads)

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter -  Alexis Hall (fantasy / mystery; Lovecraftian vibes, bizarre and witty retelling of Sherlock Holmes)

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards (alternative world, Atlantis, magic, god-like beings, found family; trigger warnings: mentions of rape, violence)

The Rifter series - Ginn Hale (fantasy, parallel world; god-like being, magic, religious strife, necromancy (in a way))

Iron Breakers trilogy - Zaya Feli (fantasy; intrigue, cultural differences, battles, fight for a kingdom, romance)

The Icefjord Saga - Zaya Feli (fantasy, Norse inspired world, magic, mythological creatures, battles, curses)

Tales from Verania - TJ Klune (fantasy, comedy, romance; hilariousness galore! - okay sometimes it’s a bit too much, but between all the jokes and sexual innuendoes, the story doesn’t suffer; basically everyone is gay, everyone tries to get into Sam’s trousers ^^;, did I mention the hornless gay unicorn that sweats glitter, and the sexually deviant dragon? xD)

Peter Darling - Austin Chant (fantasy, retelling; very interesting take on Peter Pan, takes place many years after the events in Peter Pan, focused on the relationship between Peter and Hook; the search for a place, for someone to accept you for who you really are)

YA and New Adult

Nevernight Chronicles - Jay Christoff  (sometimes I’m amazed what’s YA nowadays; fantasy; anyway beware of all the blood)

Feverwake duology - Victoria Lee (see above; dystopia; Holy Baby Yoda but these two books are intense! triger warnings: abuse, drug use, violence, mentions of rape, deadly virus outbreak)

Only Mostly Devastated - Sophie Gonzales (contemporary; all the feels: it makes you laugh out loud, it makes you cry; Grease says hello, super sweet quick read)

Timekeeper trilogy - Tara Sim (steampunk - or should it be clockwork punk?; mythology, gods, concept of time, ghosts, cute boys, discourse on colonialism)

The Torch Keeper trilogy - Steven dos Santos (dystopia; betrayal, love between brothers, biological modifications, deadly deadly trials)

Proxy duology - Alex London (dystopia; the rift between rich and poor, unjust society, technology)

The Disasters - M.K. England (sci-fi; band of misfits to the rescue!; Breakfast Club in space - kind of xD)

Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan (fantasy, mythology; ahhh Uncle Rick - just got to love the man, seriously; Norse mythology, diverse cast, homelesness, found family, disablitiy) (I’m aware it’s officially labelled Middle Grade, but who cares. It is linked to the Percy Jackson series, but you don’t need to know it to read these books)

The TBR pile (meaning books I haven’t read myself yet, but they certainly are on my tbr list, so perhaps they will be on yours now, too):

The Locked Tomb series - Tamsyn Muir  (fantasy)

The Bloodright trilogy - Emily Skrutskie  (sci-fi, YA)

Wild Sky - Zaya Feli (fantasy)

The Extraordinaries - TJ Klune (romance, superpowers - or not..., YA)

Reverie - Ryan La Sala (fantasy)

Soulbound series - Hailey Turner (urban fantasy, romance)

Cemetery Boys - Aiden Thomas (fantasy, paranormal, romance, YA)

Micah Grey series - Laura Lam (fantasy)

Specials:

A Song for Ghosts - Manja Siber (historical, mid 19th century Dresden) - Don your fanciest dress and fetch the binocular, it’s opera time! Originally inspired by The Phantom of the Opera and Yuri on Ice - see if you can spot the hints xD (as a fellow Watcher, Manja kind of makes the list by default* xP Give it a try, you can find it via epubli or on amazon.de)

*No, this isn’t nepotism, I’m just trying to give the support I wish I had. So if you’re an author and a Watcher and you’re not on this list, it’s because I don’t know about it. Tell me, and I gladly put your book on this or any next rec list.

[lycanhood]

End of The Year BookTag: 2020

Are there any books I started this year that I still need to finish?

The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz (I got about 60 or 70 pages)

The Sisters Grimm by Menna Van Praag ( I only finished the prologue and maybe like the first chapter, less that 30 pages)

However I don’t think I’ll be circling around to either of these before 2021. I definitely want to come back to them, I just was in the mood for something else when I started these, but I’m definitely still interested. 

Do I have an Autumn book to transition me into the end of the year?

No, not really. There isn’t a book that I read like every fall or every year this time of year. But I did read The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin at the very beginning of November and it’s got me in a frantic fantasy mood. I haven’t moved on to The Stone Sky (yet) just because The Broken Earth Trilogy is so heavy and there were some other fantasy books I was more eager to get through.

Is there still a new release I'm waiting for in 2020?

No, most of the books I’ve been looking forward to have already come out. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse came out back in October. I haven’t started it yet, but I do plan to read it before New Year’s.

I will say I’m looking forward to A Universe of Wishes Anthology series which is due out on Dec 8th. I don’t know that I’ll actually get to it this year, but I am excited to read it eventually.

Other than that most of the book releases I’m excited about are coming in 2021.

What are three books I want to read by the end of the year?

So I’m working my way through The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. I’m currently about halfway through Eldest (Book 2). I want to finish out the other two books and dive right into Black Sun. After that my reading plans are a little less defined. I have an endless TBR that I hop around depending on my mood. 

Is there a book that I still think could shock me and become my favorite book of the year?

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse for sure! I’ve heard nothing but good things and it seems to be about everything that I’m craving right now. So I definitely have high hopes for it. As of right now, The Priory of The Orange Tree holds my #1 spot for books released this year, and I’m excited to see if Black Sun can contend with it.

Have I already started making reading plans for 2021?

Boy, have I!

There are a few trilogies that I’m on the verge of finishing, I just need to read the final book. The Echoes of The Fall trilogy by Adrian  Tchaikovsky, I have book 3 (The Hyena & The Hawk), all I have to do is pick it up and start. Another being the final book in The Broken Earth trilogy. I want to finish that series before moving onto Jemisin’s other works.

The Bone Season Series by Samantha Shannon

The Name of Things by Jenn Lyons

The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams. 

The Empress of Salt & Fortune by Nghi Vo

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes 

[beautifulpaxielreads]

June Wrap Up

Books completed (ratings out of five stars)

Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman (★★★★)

The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman (★★★1/2)

Green Valentine by Lili Wilkinson* (★★★★)

Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman (★★★1/2)

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (★★★★)

Books currently in progress

Saga Land by Richard Fidler* and Kári Gíslason*

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

*Australian author

Challenges, Games, and other Booklr interactions

Posted a photograph of Onyx & Ivory (Rime Chronicles #1) by Mindee Arnett for @myownlittlebookcorner’s monthly Shelf-Confidence Book Photography Challenge (June 10th)

Good Reads/Storygraph 2020 Reading Challenge: 31 books out of 70. I’m a bit behind!

Finished 1 book on my backlist, unofficially as part of @bookbandit​’s Beat the Backlist challenge

Original Posts on Tumblr

Posted photograph of my copy of The Priory of the Orange Tree to celebrate my completion of it (June 26th)

Posted quote by Samantha Shannon about libraries (June 26th)

Posted update of my initial experience using Storygraph (June 24th)

Posted a notice regarding the creation of my new user account on Storygraph (June 18th)

Posted a photograph of my then-current library haul (June 2nd)

Reflections on June’s Reading Goals

I finished The Priory of the Orange Tree! I know I said I was going to take my time over it, but the last 200 pages or so set such a cracking pace that I had no choice but to read it to the end. I’m proud of myself for finishing this one, more so than anything else I’ve read so far this year.

Finished Harley in the Sky and Green Valentine. I DNF’d Onyx & Ivory in the end because I felt the plot was too familiar and was riddled with cliched tropes. Or maybe the Throne of Glass series ruined me for books of this nature.

Still did not start any e-books, and to be honest, I’m not sure if I’m going to get to them anytime soon. I still prefer the feel of physical books. But the e-books aren’t going away so I will get to them. Eventually.

Finished The Toll. Overall I enjoyed it, although I felt like it was a bit long, and the ending felt rushed. I also feel like the villain of the story did not get a satisfying comeuppance for all his acts of evil. I think Shusterman perhaps tried to cram too many ideas into this one, and it confirmed what I’d initially thought about these books – the romance did not need to be there!

Didn’t reread The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, but TBH I pretty much expected that. My heart isn’t ready yet!

Not as much Booklr interaction this month – but I think it’s always going to be a bit up and down, so I’m not TOO worried. Yet.

Still behind on my reading goal for 2020. I’m getting there though!

Started Saga Land (see above). I’m finding it a little difficult to get into fully, but I’m going to persevere with it for now. I suspect it’s one of those books that works well if you read it slowly, so that’s what I plan to do.

No more moodboards for now. I’m not so motivated to do them, especially as the first one I did received literally no attention.

As for reading authors of colour, see my notes under “Interesting observations” and “reading goals for July”.

New followers

66 FOLLOWERS! HOLY -! I have no words. Seriously, you are all amazing.

On a side note, I’m now less than 70 followers away from reaching that big old 1K mark. Think I can get there?

Interesting observations

I signed up for Storygraph this month. I read raves on Tumblr about how good it was (especially as compared with Good Reads), so I decided to give it a go. It’s got some neat features and I’m looking forward to seeing what the developers bring to it in the future. I’m keeping my Good Reads account for now, mainly because it lets me update my progress which Storygraph doesn’t yet (although here’s hoping they’ll do it in future).

The Black Lives Matter movement had a definite (and positive impact) on my reading and book blogging this month. For the time being, I’ve decided to focus on reading books specifically by Indigenous Australian authors because I want to relate to the BLM movement as it exists here. I plan to read more books by non-Australian authors of colour in the future for sure though!

Reading (and reading-related) Goals for July

Read more books by authors of colour, particularly those by Indigenous Australians. I just finished (as of July 1st) Catching Teller Crow but I also have Growing Up Aboriginal (edited by Anita Heiss), The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf (The Tribe #1) by Ambelin Kwaymullina, and Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson on my TBR shelf.

Finish my current reads, Saga Land and Thorn.

Make a start on the other books on my TBR shelf (besides  the ones I mentioned in my first point on this list): The Midnight Lie (The Midnight Lie #1) by Marie Rutkoski, Dark of the West (Glass Alliance #1) by Joanna Hathaway, Caesar’s Women (Masters of Rome #4) by Colleen McCullough, and Please Don’t Hug Me by Kay Kerr.

Participate in more book photography challenges – I felt this month was a bit lacking.

Catch up with my goal of reading 70 books in 2020 – I’m up to 32, so I want to reach at least the halfway point this month (I’ve been a bit behind lately).

I think I have a habit of setting myself too many goals with my reading and end up falling short, so this is where I’ll leave things for now. Hopefully, these July goals will be a bit more manageable.

See you all in August for my July wrap-up!

[coffeebooksorme]

APRIL 2019 WRAP UP

Reading The Priory of the Orange Tree took up a huge chunk of my reading time this past month so I barely read anything else throughout the month. I binged on a shit ton of contemporary fiction afterward because they’re usually light and fluffy, and super easy to get through. And then I ended the month with a historical fiction/magical realism type book that was a bit of a dud. I didn’t even get to mark off anything from my Book Bingo card and I’ve been doing so good with that, too. Needless to say, April kinda sucked for reading for me.

BUT! May kicks off #asianreadathon hosted by @readwithcindy​ which I am SUPER excited to do! I’ve pulled every book written by an Asian author off my shelves and holy shit, there was a lot! Way more than I can read in a month, but I’m totally making it an Asian month of reading despite what my my ‘official’ TBR says.

FAVORITES OF THE MONTH

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman (Read my review HERE!)

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

DUDS OF THE MONTH

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson & Helen Hogan

Enchantee by Gita Trelease

DNF’S OF THE MONTH

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

Tarot by Marissa Kennerson

MAY RELEASESS I’M EXCITED ABOUT

Finale by Stephanie Garber

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

With The Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo 

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Kingsbane by Claire Legrand

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman

[booksandtea]

Browsing Bloggers Bookhselves | Browsing For Books

So you may remember that last month I did a similarly titled post with Sarah which I really enjoyed. This is the second time I’ve been able to do a post like this and I love it! Today I’m feauturing Cerys’ bookshelves! Don’t forget to stop by her blog to browse my books.

Do you want to know the creation of this collab? Shortly after I broke my wrist I put out a call to guest post with other bloggers more and one of the lovely people who reached out was Sarah @BookHookedNook. After a bit of talking we decided upon a collab kind of post, which is this creation.

We shared photographs of our (main) bookshelves with each other so the other person could “browse” them and pick out books they’d recommend, books they suggest to avoid, or books they’d love to read.

As I really enjoyed this process if anyone would like to partner up with me and do these posts together please contact me. I’m best replying via Twitter DMs or emails. I hadn’t anticipated having a queue of these posts ready but I do and I’m still thrilled to do more so this will become a somewhat regular feature.

Cerys’ Bookshelves

As I mentioned today I’ll be browsing Cerys’ bookshelves. First of all I want to say I love her lil decorations; plants, badges, funkos, and a coaster.

I’ll use these emoji’s as a code: 📚 – books to add to my tbr | 📖 – read and recommend | 💔 – do not recommend

📖Everless by Sara Holland [purchase] I really enjoyed this book as it was one of two that got me out of a reading slump. Also the fact its only part of a duology really makes it better imo. No more waiting for book #2349!

📚 The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo [purchase] & Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett [purchase] & Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl [purchase] Yes sorry I am the Trash Queen who owns all of Leigh’s work and still hasn’t read any, and I also have Onyx & Ivory from a past FL that I really should read. However, Neverworld Wake is a totally new to me book that I’ve seen the cover of and its so pretty I gotta give it a try, right?

💔The Fault in Our Stars by John Green I really tried with this book but it just kind of fell very flat for me. I had barely any interest in it and mostly wish it had followed suit of the book they were reading (that had no ending) as I think that would’ve been a much more interesting concept.

📖The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black [purchase] & Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan [purchase] I love these three books so gorram much! I even convinved LGBT+ Book Club to read GoPaF this month so I’m excited to hear what they think.

📚Nevernight by Jay Kristoff [purchase] & Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody [purchase] I finally got a copy of Nevernight so yes I know I need to read ASAP and I promise I’ll at the very least read it this year – yes I know you’re very surprised I haven’t read it. DotBC is also one that I’ve been looking at for a while and I’ll be getting a copy in two weeks!

📖The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater [purchase] & The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon [purchase] The Raven Cycle was the first read-along that I hosted with Books and Tea so it holds a special place in my heart, and The Raven King was the first book I ever tabbed! I loved it. Okay, its kind of cheating that I included Priory but what I have read I love.

💔So many books by Cassie Clare I think 2019 is the year that I’ve finally accepted I wont be reading Cassie’s books. I’ve never tried, its simply just theres so many and I do not have the room for them. Sorry love.

📚The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton [purchase] & This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada [purchase] & 📚Shadow of the Fox by Julia Kagawa [purchase] & The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff [purchase] *sweats in a great big panic* Look at all these fabulous books I really want to read, plus a whole lot more of these shelves but listing everything was getting embarressing. Which should I prioritise?

📖Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao [purchase] & Caraval by Stephanie Garber [purchase] Forest was another BnT readalong we did and I really enjoyed this, the whole experience was one I loved. Whilst I’m not a super fan of Caraval I did really enjoy it when I read it & its what made me meet and be friends with Amy & Beth!

📖Every single book by V.E Schwab [purchase] & Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer [purchase] I have my own Schwab shelf (though its not in the pictures Cerys has because I recently moved it). I love her work so much, it does everything I want amazing books to do. Then in contrast we have Twilight which is not great writing but I’m gonna recommend it because its the series that got me back into reading during high school.

📚📖📚📖📚📖📚

Gosh this post ended up much longer than my first, or it feels that way when I’m writing it at 1am ahha. I tried to keep it to the point as I realised there was a good handful of books that I wanted to include. The books that I’ve reviewed I placed the reviews as the book titles instead of the Goodreads page so you could further read my thoughts on why I liked them.

Did I skip over any of your favourite books?

Which of these books would you recommend?

If you enjoyed this post consider supporting Northern Plunder Ko-fi | Twitter | Book Club | Blogs & Tea | RedBubble

Browsing Bloggers Bookshelves | Cerys @ Browsing For Books @mcgonagalI #BooksandTeaBC Browsing Bloggers Bookhselves | Browsing For Books So you may remember that last month I did a similarly titled post with…