#anyways i really wish we could rate goodreads reviews

[mottemotte]

sometimes i find goodreads reviews to be really helpful and informative and they play a crucial role in my decision to check out a book, and then other times i trudge through this shit and wonder how in the FUCK has someone read 1400+ books and still manage to be this fucking illiterate

also, 2 more absolutely hilarious(?) quotes from the same review:

"Since this is one kid's experience, he comes in contact with people as the story progresses that use racist language against ethnic groups, though the protagonist doesn't agree with this...he also doesn't always fight back against this, either. He tries to walk the narrow path, especially since he has Mexican blood in him..." (i have reread this a million times and i still dont know what "mexican blood" was meant to add. what does it mean. what is this the point here. he doesnt like racism because hes mexican?? he doesnt fight racism because hes mexican????)

"There are mounting pressures for his life to get better, but unfortunately he keeps making bad decisions. Which leads to what we have seen in Industrial England and Pre-Revolutionary Russia, that once you are down, you really cannot get back up. Dickens and Dostoyevsky wrote a LOT about this in their works." (AH YES. 1800S ENGLAND AND RUSSIA, PRE-REVOLUTION. THE TWO PLACES ON EARTH WHERE LIFE IS HARD FOR THE MARGINALISED, BECAUSE THE KEEP MAKING BAD DECISIONS. AS PROVEN BY 2 FAMOUS AUTHORS AND THEM ALONE)

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

EVERY WEEK I WILL POST VARIOUS REVIEWS I’VE WRITTEN SO FAR IN 2024. YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY GOODREADS FOR MORE UP-TO-DATE REVIEWS HERE.

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35. Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Meryl Wilsner has done something that I rarely see in romance and automatically earned them a five star rating: a anxiety-free age gap romance that could have been super messy but was surprisingly stress-free. I know that a lot of readers like the messiness, but I found MISTAKES WERE MADE refreshing.

First, I'd like to thank my coworker for recommending this awesome read for me. I have this thing where I start craving a new book and I ask a coworker to find me something and if it sounds good, I'll buy it and try it out. This was an A+ recommendation.

I really enjoyed the character growth on both sides and how both were imperfect and jaded by past relationships. They worked off each other really well--even if it was sometimes the blind leading the blind.

I LOVED the friendship between the one FMC and her childhood best friend. It was so healthy and I loved that their friendship wasn't sacrificed for the sake of plot. It's like Wilsner saw all the tropes I disliked and decided to do the opposite. Also, props to the other best friend (the daughter of the second FMC). She surprised me a lot.

Also, the SPICE. Phewwwww. This was a SPICY book. Just, wow. Was not expecting it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it LOL.

I love a good age gap and this delivered. Everything was respectful and I just loved it so much.

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36. Okay, Cupid by Mason Deaver--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I realized, as I started the audiobook for this one, that I've somehow read all of the books Deaver has written (not including the anthologies). Knowing this, I'm not entirely surprised that I enjoyed this newest one, OKAY, CUPID. It was unique, cute, and had some super introspective moments.

I loved how incredibly diverse this book was and how it explored some pretty important topics. Deaver has a way of creating characters that have a lot of heart--even if they are sometimes heavily misguided (which also fits because these are teenagers.)

The concept of the MC being a Cupid was so fun--especially when they are trying their hardest to get their love targets into the perfect opportunities for a love match. The little tricks and the tips the MC receives from their best friend made me think about how, if any of it were real, people all around the world would be thinking about someone they couldn't truly remember somehow getting them all together.

Okay, the concept had some holes (I do wish we had a bit more to go off about this Cupid Alt. world because it was such an interesting idea) and I think it was glossed over a bit too much. I did like that ending though!

My heart belongs with Cal, though. What a loveable himbo.

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37. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn't write a review for this one.

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38. The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love how all of these mysteries fall into Nancy Drew's lap and she's just like "Sure, let's do this dangerous thing!" and her dad is like, "Sure honey, have fun!" and the police is like "Good job, Nancy!" when we know damn well that in real life, Nancy would be a nuisance to the police and her dad would either be grounding her or popping tums every thirty minutes.

LOL. Listen, even though I have been enjoying these books, the level of teenage invincibility that Nancy and her friends have adopted throughout the various mysteries has been entertaining.

Anyway, I enjoyed the mystery of this one. I found I liked the multi-levels to the mystery and how everything was revealed at the end. I also liked seeing Nancy with her friends--they're truly ride or die.

I'm excited for the next book because it's where we meet her famous boyfriend for the first time!

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39. Our Lives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield--⭐️⭐️⭐️

Much like the waves that beckon one of the MCs to the ocean, the themes in this book are like waves that beckon confusion (for me). There were various storylines happening (between the past and present from the pov of one character, and the past from the pov of the other character) and when I thought I was starting to get a grip on where the story was going, something else would happen to confuse me.

The friends who've read this have loved it, I'm straddling the line of thinking it's genius in its ability to cause chaos, and thinking that this was a beautifully written story that amounted to...a hand cupping water that slowly seeps out through your fingers until you have nothing left in your palm. One part of the ending made sense because we were leading there, but the other part was so confusing and gave me nothing. It's like that meme that says "Yes, girl, give me nothing!"

I could feel the palpable grief, however, and I did love the way the grieving process was described. Despite the confusing nature of the book, Armfield can write. There is no question about that.

I almost DNF'ed this a couple of times, but was curious about why my friends loved it so much.

Was my review confusing? Was my writing all over the place? Welcome to my experience reading this book. LOL.

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40. This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer--⭐️⭐️⭐️

On the surface, THIS WRETCHED VALLEY is incredibly intriguing and captivating. You have a group of "researchers" entering haunted woods that are known for the people that go missing within (according to the waitress). Then you have a series of creepy events that lead up to the eventual death of these younger people (not a spoiler, it is literally the first chapter). Like I said, on the surface, this book holds a ton of potential. A collection of things kept this book back from being higher rated by me, but let it be known that I still had a spooky good time.

One of the things I wish was done different was how the author kept pointing out what the character saw and what was the reality. I'm going to be real honest: I would have preferred to fall into the madness with the characters. I don't need to know that the character sees a clue of something and then have the author tell me something like "if the character had looked deep inside themselves, they would have noticed that this didn't make sense." Or, the characters will be walking through some creepy spot and the author would pop in to say "if the character looked down, they'd see that there was nothing there."

Let me fall into the monologue. Trust the reader to know that the characters are probably tripping hella balls. It's fine.

Other than those instances, this book was fun. It made me want to read THE RUINS. These characters were all unreliable and super flawed, but I liked how the author slowly made them worse and worse as they fell under the spell of the woods and land.

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41. Dead & Gone by Charlaine Harris--⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's interesting to see how far Sookie has come as a character. I found that this book was a little all over the place and the romantic interests in her life (old and not so old) were all coming out of the woodwork. There was one redemption arc I was never expecting. In retrospect, I wonder if this was just an outward sign of what Sookie is and the events of this book. Maybe her appeal was heightened?

I do like that one character brought up a situation Sookie is falling into like a fly caught in a spider's web, even if that character acted a little out of character. He was a total dick.

Overall, this was entertaining as always, but not a favourite of mine. I think a lot was happening (like a certain reveal, which I loved) but at the same time, it just felt purely chaotic. And Sookie, to me, was acting a bit different than usual. I'm staring down the last four books in the series, so who knows what comes next!

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Have you read any of these books? Would you recommend them?

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Happy reading!

[bookish-black-girl]

rambles beneath the cut because storygraph adds rereads to your yearly goal count and I'm the one person who wishes I could turn off that featureeee. I could journal these thoughts on the app but they'd be part of my first read and ew, no thanks.

I FINALLY got around to rereading the Charlotte Holmes books, one of my absolute favorite series that I just happen to...not talk about. Not here and not on my booksta.

So. In the spirit of blogging more, why not chat here!!

Firstly, this will be a later updated post because I've only reread books 1-2 and will tackle 3-4 later this year. Also, I first read these books before my frontal lobe developed and that's...is it weird that I miss the girl I was before 2019???

Anyway, my first read was strictly audio and my reread is a hybrid with heavy emphasis on audio.

A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE

Rating then, 4 stars (because Goodreads is half star-phobic)

Rating now, 4.25/4.5 stars (I can't really decide, also I decided not to change my ratings on Storygraph because I don't want to change every single rating I make for every book I reread.)

I love Jamie and Charlotte now as I loved them then. Back when I was closer to their age, Jamie was 100% my choice of book boyfriend in a world where I loved many book boy characters but didn't consider them 'book boyfriends' lol.

But I missed being in Jamie's head, how melodramatic he can be, funny without ever trying to be, his relationship with Holmes, being just as annoyed with his father as he is (I can't remember at the moment if I ever grew to like James Sr. in the end..)

THE LAST OF AUGUST

Rating then, 4 enthusiastic stars + a review that commented on how I couldn't understand why the 2nd book was the lowest rated one in the series

Rating now, 4 less enthusiastic, more so jaded stars (plus, if the book ended around chapter 7 we'd be looking at 3.5 stars.)

Maybe we chalk this up to age, but this book was a lot more angsty than I remember?? Or maybe I just didn't care back then and I because I care now, I notice it. Also, I was less confused about story events than I was the first round. So yay for reading comprehension.

3 very important take aways from the reading that I want to note here.

This book's title is SO on the nose and why did it take me 5 years later to put that together?! HELP--

The Holmes Family Needs Therapy. Or to be taken out. Or both??? Or either??? As the feelings of overall annoyance linger following my reread, I believe this book was written in a way to drive home the point of just how in over their heads Emma, and Leander, and Charlotte, and Milo are, especially concerning the rather stupid war between the Holmes and Moriartys. Everyone's batshit, just saying Charlotte made a grave mistake, young girl or not, and it was August who paid the price twice. Like...damn. He tries to warn Jamie and August is the one who dies. Damn.

However I feel about Charlotte and Holmes unequally yoked, toxic friendship with romantic overtures now (back then I was eating this shit up, and now I'm like....I'm too old to ship this with the extreme fever I did?????) the Charlotte POV chapters got me again. Probably like they did the first time I read this book. Some quotes down below??

Page 252, Charlotte berating Tom for his transgressions of book 1:

"You're disloyal," I told Tom. "You proved that with Mr. Wheatley. I swear to you that if you ever give up sensitive information again--if you ever betray Watson again--I will find a way to wear you as a hot. Stop looking at my screen."

Page 257, Charlotte expressing her love for Jamie without ever saying she loves him or that she's in love with him:

Watson had laughed. His eyes crinkled at the corners. Hours ago I thought he might have been dead. "There's also a view of the river," I said, and like a miracle, he laughed again. Oftentimes, I withhold information from Watson for this very reason. He resents it, I think. My "magic tricks." I don't know if he's understood yet who the reveals are really for.

Page 258, a line from Charlotte's internal monologue:

I'm a teenage girl. He is my boy best friend. We would be everything to each other until we couldn't.

Page 259, more thoughts on Jamie from Charlotte:

...Jamie was the only escape from myself I'd ever found. When I was beside him, I understood who I was. I spoke to him, and I liked the words I said. I spoke to him, and the words he said back surprised me. Sharpened me. ...Jamie showed me myself made better. He was loyal and kind, stalwart, like the knights from the old tales, and yes he was handsome, even with a bruised face and a furrowed brow, miles away from the place we met or from the places we called home.

We spend so much time in Jamie's head, with his thoughts, and how he internalizes information, events, etc. and there's no doubt that he's in love with his best friend, but the symmetry of seeing some of those feelings reflected back is something I can't ignore. And I'm not going to.

Anyway, I think I might join the masses in book 2 being my least favorite. I'll confirm after I read books 3 and 4, but it seems that's the direction we're going in.

[just-a-bookish-reader]

Babel Book Review

Spoilers below

Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by R.F. Kuang My rating: 5 of 5 stars 4.5 stars - Goodreads please let us do half stars please Anyway, holy fuck this book was a masterpiece. From start to finish. The feelings, the anxiety, everything. I’ll admit it was a bit of a slow start in the first half for me, but once I got to a certain point, I literally could not focus on any other book until I finished it. I don’t know if it was just that good or if I was just so anxious and had to know how it ended.

Honestly the anxiety was likely caused by the quality of the writing and the story and the storytelling itself. Basically it was pretty much perfection. I loved Letty (I have the illumicrate edition so I have bookmarks of all the characters and was using hers almost the whole time) and I found her arc to be incredibly believable. Sad but believable. She was so complex and the interlude chapters with Ramy and Letty and then the epilogue with Victoire. I just. Dear good lord. That’s all I have, all I really can say. By now you must realize I’m stalling on getting to why I knocked this gem down a half star. Honestly I don’t even know if this is worth knocking it down so this could be edited after having some time to ruminate. But going into it, I really genuinely thought there might be a Jewish character - and I was hoping it might be Victoire or Letty in the beginning, especially since we got Ramy. But I thought this merely on the title being Babel, as the Tower of Babel is a Torah story/myth. As a half Jewish (ethnicity/race wise) woman it would have honestly made it quite literally perfect and possibly one of the best books I’ve ever read. I mean it still is but having a Jewish character might have beaten out even Alix E. Harrow for me. While I understand there are Christians who use the Old Testament with the Tower of Babel, it just would have been so refreshing and a perfect opportunity to have a Jewish character. One last thing as to why it didn’t get a full five stars for me was I wanted so much more with Victoire. Just more time, more of everything with her. Before the actual revolution. But for the most part I think the epilogue satisfied me. Lastly, here’s my favorite page of the entire book: She was his rock, his light, the sole presence that kept him going. And he wished, he wished, that was enough for him to hold on to. ‘Be selfish,’ he whispered. ‘Be brave.’ (526) View all my reviews

[alextriestowritestuff]

House of Hades Read with Me Part 2

Hey guys! I’m back with my final thoughts on House of Hades (HoH) by Rick Riordan. My thoughts covering the first half of the book can be found here. My thoughts on Son of Neptune/why I’m re-reading the series is here. My Mark of Athena thoughts are here. If you want to know my general thoughts on HoH and don’t want to read my long winded review of it here it is: It’s AMAZING. This is the best book in the series so far by a landslide imo. Literally if I actually felt more than indifference or dislike for the new HoO characters, I’d say this book was better than any of the PJO books. I was really losing faith in the series before I read HoH to the point where I had wished Rick ended Percy’s story with the Last Olympian. If I were to rate this book, I’d give it a 4.5. I enjoyed the Percabeth, the suspense, and the journey through Tartarus the most. Despite issues with pacing, lack of platonic bonding between the Seven, romantic relationships being stunted for couples such as Piper/Jason and Hazel/Frank, HoH has renewed my faith in the series potentially ending on a good note. 

So let’s get into more specifics down below. I’ll have thoughts, my issues with the book, and spoilers under the cut. 

I’m going to try not to fangirl too much over Percabeth because I’ve done that for all of my read with me’s so far but my heart belongs to them. I loved every reference to their future together. Percy and Annabeth both mentioned possibly having children in the future and I just decided then and there that their relationship is why I have such high standards. This is the blueprint of what I want for my romantic life. Taking applications for suitors now. Actually no, I’m scared of men. Percabeth’s chemistry is out of the world, romantically and in their fighting abilities. I really started to pay attention to how they fight together and as I read, I noticed how they would stand back to back and work together without even saying anything. I’m curious to how they’re going to react now that they’re literally been through hell and back. I’m sensing a PTSD arc. I guess Percy will have a more aggressive reaction (My mans was wildin in Tartarus-also when he said he was going to kill Gaea with his bare hands, I was like umm. sir. Rick better let him have that kill though.) but I can’t quite predict what Annabeth’s reaction will be. Also it wasn’t explained why Percy was acting like a psycho in Tartarus and about to brutally kill Aklyhs but I guess I’m just to assume it was to add suspense and implies he has a dark side. And don’t forget that Percy told Annabeth he loved her back-it wasn’t as poetic as when she said it but he still said love you too. 

Next topic: Bob/Iapetus/Damasen. I like to check goodreads reviews after I finish a book just to see what everyone thought of it and it seems that a lot of people were heartbroken after they (presumably) sacrificed themselves. I don’t have much to say here-I mean, that’s sad and I’m thankful that they did that but I’m not in my feels about it. It was a clever outcome of the ‘foes bear arms to the doors of death’ line from the prophecy. I was wondering if Small Bob had any cool powers the entire time so that was cool when it got all big and helped Bob fight Tartarus (who by the way, scared the shit out of me jesus). 

Nico. Check out my first part to know my thoughts about his whole coming out. I just had a question for you guys here-was he technically outed? And if so, that’s not good. I consider myself an LGBT ally and I try to be aware of when it is and when it’s not okay to reveal someone else’s sexuality. On one hand, I thought it was shitty of Cupid to coerce Nico into it but on the other hand if we (the readers) found out that Nico was gay by just him saying he liked Percy, I would’ve been like there’s nothing in the text to support that statement (because prior to HoH, I thought he hated Percy--blaming him for Bianca’s death--then only helped Percy (River styx, the Labyrinth) because he was an ally to the gods like Nico) so having the scenes in HoH of how Nico started to develop feelings for Percy made so much more sense to me. And those scenes only came up because of Cupid. Idk. Let me know what you guys think.

I found it a little strange how Nico wrote off Percy at the end of the book when Percy thanked him for leading the other demigods to HoH. I get it’s probably a defense mechanism to keep his distance from being even more attracted to Percy but I figured Nico would be a little less cold to him now that he admitted his feelings. I saw a goodsreads review that said there was a confirmed Nico POV in Blood of Olympus so fingers crossed we get that and it’ll explain his curt response to Percy and I’d love a Nico POV if we don’t actually have a Percy/Annabeth POV (according to another review I saw) because I can’t deal with the other HoO characters (except Leo, y’all know that tho).

Next topic: Frank and Hazel. I always give credit where it’s due even if I don’t particularly like or care about a character and these two got the MVPs for this book. Hazel’s fight with Pasiphae-it was so cool. For someone who didn’t get a mentor to help her with the mist and figured it out on her own, she was a straight boss. It was a little off to me how her POV started off the book yet she had the least amount of chapters but had this huge task of controlling the Mist/helping the team get through HoH ahead of her. And then her POV pops up in the end to defeat Pasiphae. This is again, why I say, there’s no need for all 7 to narrate. Hecate could’ve easily come to the ship and say all that stuff in front of the crew and let’s say it had been Frank’s POV. He would notice how Hazel is apprehensive/scared of this task because he knows her well and they could talk about it together so we still know her feelings and that’s one less POV because once again, she barely had any chapters. 

Frank. I stand by my thoughts about the ‘growth spurt’, still think it’s hella problematic. I don’t generally care for him but even I got seduced by him more times than I’m willing to admit. When he commanded that dead army I was like yesss. The blessing of Ares and how he literally was on fire and the fact that he pulled an arrow out of his arm like it was no big deal really did it for me. I feel bad, because he’s just not very well written or else I think I could like him. I want to touch on the ship-- tbh, ship is not a word I’d use to describe this DOA relationship, maybe dinghy--ya this DINGHY ‘ship’ that is Hazel and Frank. Like it’s even drier than Jasper lmao. No chemistry there. They had no scenes alone together. I see that they care for each other and are worried when the other person is in danger but that’s not enough. Worry is normal for any relationship, Percy was worried about Grover when he went missing in Sea of Monsters but they weren’t together romantically. 

And it could just be me refusing to ship a 13 year old with anyone but I just get no vibes from them. Leo and Hazel have more chemistry in their conversations alone. This is a total aside but I’ve been getting salty about how little Percy has had to work with in PJO compared to the HoO characters (And I know Rick wrote PJO first, he didn’t develop all these cool things/weapons like charmspeak or Leo’s belt yet) but although Percy is a great swordsman, he only has his powers like every other demigod. Like Hazel has her child of Pluto powers, the jewel curse that has helped her find gold, and now she can control the mist. And technically she has a horse but so does Percy. Frank’s got his fire stick, shape shifting, Ares’ child powers, archery, and he can command armies. Y’all know the other skills/boosts/weapons the other Seven have (Not including Annabeth) so like Rick really gave Percy (and no offense to Percy but also gave him half the intelligence of the HoO demigods) the bare minimum in PJO and we were all still impressed.

There’s this tik tok sound where someone (I don’t know the original meme or video, if you know please comment or reblog. I’d love to give credit), in disbelief, says ‘Wait a minute, what is this? This isn’t enough’ and someone responds in a sassy tone, ‘Make it enough’. And I feel like for PJO, Percy was like this isn’t enough and Rick said make it enough lmaoo. Percy was struggle bussin’ for no reason in PJO! HoO characters get everything handed to them and they still have the AUDACITY to not have any characterization. Couldn’t be me. 

Next two couples I’ll talk about: Leo and Calypso & Jasper. I wasn’t expecting Calypso to be such a savage, like she was DONE with having heroes wash up on her shores. I missed her so much. While I liked the banter between Leo and Calypso, I felt that it was rushed/forced because it all took place in about four chapters. This wasn’t the best execution and part of why I can’t give the book five stars. I think he’ll come back for her, I don’t know how but out of everyone, Leo has really figured out how to make things work when they’re deemed ‘impossible’. So he’ll find a way. I wonder if he’ll confront Percy about leaving Calypso tho, I’d like to see that. So while he was on Ogygia, the other demigods had moved forward and were in Africa. And I was like WOW y’all really said fuck Leo. There was no search party for him (or mention of it), no tears shed for Leo. Damn. No wonder he feels like the Seventh wheel. I mean we got one or two throwaway lines about them worried about Leo’s whereabouts from Jason and Piper but I mean they weren’t in distress about it. I guessing I’m to assume they asked Nico if Leo was dead off screen and Nico confirmed that he wasn’t so they weren’t too worried about him? Anyway, they’re fake friends for that one. 

That aside, Piper and Jason are *yawn* boring as I’ve said before. But I thought he was going to address Piper’s ‘I love you’ confession last book but I’m not sure if he even heard it. I really thought Reyna was going to come in and shake things up between them but just as soon she came, she left w/ Nico and Hedge to take the statue to Camp Half Blood so missed opportunity for resolution there. Piper and Jason also had NO scenes together so I’m really shocked how Rick expects us to ship couples if they don’t spend any time together. I’m not shocked about how Jason is most likely going back to Camp Half Blood after all this is over. It’s superior to Camp Jupiter so I don’t blame him but it’s an interesting choice. I was actually thinking that Percy might stay at Camp Jupiter because I figured he’d stay as praetor. And since Annabeth’s dad lives in Cali, I was thinking they could stay there but I’m sure they go back to New York after BoO because I saw an excerpt where Apollo asks for Percy’s help and I believe Apollo went to Sally’s apartment. But Percy could’ve been visiting Sally and live in CA normally. Speaking of which, how did Jason just give that position to Frank?? He has to be elected lmao. I mean when I read it, I was like Frank gets handed everything but then I was like well, Percy got the position and he wasn’t even at Camp Jupiter for a week and I didn’t complain about that. At least Frank has been there longer and has shown leadership qualities. But yeah, it’s still a no for me for Piper and Jason. At least Piper’s POV chapters weren’t annoying this book but she only got 4 chapters lmao so no time to be annoying. 

To end this review, I want to touch about why I give this book gets a 4.5 and not a 5. I really feel like the 7 POVs were extremely unnecessary especially because the demigods not in tartarus were mostly together and didn’t have as many side quests as MoA. And some of them didn’t even get more than 4 chapters. I found the magic growth spurt way too problematic to overlook. I still feel like the new HoO characters except for Leo are underdeveloped or unlikeable. The pacing wasn’t the best-Alot of things happened in this book and very little of it could’ve been taken out. The pacing wasn’t slow, it was the right pace until about 60% of the way in and then I was just constantly being hit with attacks and rushed meetings like Leo and Calypso. But I can’t quite fault Rick because I felt every event in this book was necessary for it to be as good as it was so of course, some parts end up rushed. In addition, there’s not much bonding happening between the Seven. Like each trio that had their own book had some bonding in there (Can’t speak for Lost Hero because I haven’t read that in 6 or so years. But tSoN had a little, mostly between Frank and Hazel tho) but collectively, as the seven demigods of the prophecy-they haven’t really hung out and just talked about things that aren’t quests. For example in the Lighting Thief, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover would play hacky sack and he bonded with both of them when they were stuck in the zoo animal enclosure whatever. Grover told him about finding Pan and being worried since he was supposed to guide Thalia back to camp safely and he wasn’t able to. Annabeth told him about her dreams to become an architect in the Sea of Monsters. 

Those moments of platonic bonding and intimacy are what’s missing from this series. Yes, the plot/the quest of the Seven should be front and center but I don’t feel like they’re a team. They’re just co workers at this point lmao. Hell, I think all of them participating in a conversation and just talking and enjoying each other’s company would actually make me like the HoO characters. Not Piper, she’s irredeemable in my eyes. She belongs to streets. Everyone else has a fighting chance tho. Guys, think about it. They have something in common (that’s number one requirement of friendship) they’re all demigods. They’ve all been scared, under pressure and expectations to save the world, and felt abandoned by their parents at one point or the other. Leo and Frank have said in their narrations that they feel inadequate next to powerful demigods like Percy and Jason. Imagine if Frank and Leo spoke to each other about that and were friends. Or started a dialogue about feeling inadequate and the other demigods could share their insecurities. The Seven are able to work together, that’s true but it doesn’t feel like friendship. It seems like each separate trio from the first two books are friends (Annabeth is in between because she’s friends with Jason and them but also Percy’s girlfriend) and they all just call the other trio friends because what else is there? Quest mates? 

And I’m getting a little upset rn because there have been so many instances where we could’ve gotten some platonic friendship. Piper is learning from Hazel how to sword fight (How this girl has survived without learning an actual weapon how is beyond me. Charmspeak didn’t work very well for her in this book), like we had both their POVs. We could’ve had a training/bonding scene from either perspective. Not just some throwaway line about how they got close because they’re the only girls now that Annabeth was in Tartarus. Why couldn’t we have gotten one scene Rick? What was the reason? Tragic.

Platonic love and relationships exist. And it’s more than just complimenting someone when they use their powers. The scene at the end of the book when the Seven, Hedge, Reyna, and Nico are having lunch together on the hill is a whisper in the right direction. How Jason ‘bear hugged’ Percy when he got out of Tartarus is another example. Though this wasn’t platonic and was more familial but Nico basically accepting Hazel as his siser (On a level that is acknowledging her on the same level as Bianca and not just another kid of Hades/Pluto) by kissing her on the cheek. I know you can do it Rick. You’ve done it before. All I want from the last book in this series is platonic love, answers about how Hazel’s curse will be lifted by a descendant of Neptune, Percabeth, and the Gaea/giants defeated. You can have all the POVs your heart desires if you just give me those things. 

See you guys next week with the Blood of Olympus read with me. My writeblr followers must be tired of me lmao, I swear I’ll get back to normally scheduled content after this. I love writing this kind of rants/reviews even though they take me like 2 hours to write.

[booksandwords]

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Read time: 8 Days Rating: 5/5

The quote: Who cares about the crowded, broad road? I’ll walk the single-plank bridge all the night. — Wei WuXian

Warnings: The novel has some not minor issues with consent. It can be read as non-con or dub-con. It gets even murkier in the added chapters.

A big thank you to @exiledrebelsscans for the translation.

In the interests of full disclosure I read Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (aka Mo Dao Zu She or MDZS) after seeing The Untamed Okay so I saw it twice in quick succession, sue me. This prior knowledge meant I know the endgame to a degree I know the villains, I know most of the main players and I know the general plot. This review, as all my status updates did may contain so minor spoilers. But given the popularity of MDZS's adaptations, it's more than what people likely already know coming in. This review uses the standard short forms for character names.

The plot is gritty and at times nearing grotesque. If you are reading a translation chances are it is the Exiledrebelsscanlations version, heed their warnings there are some things that you really don't want to read while eating. The writing is layered and complex. You are required to keep track of time and people, weapons and families. One of the most telling quotes is “We are all human.” It is something that is at the heart of the story. Humanity, love. And the price we pay for both. It challenges your ethics and your concept of perception if you let it. Or you can just treat it as a fun ride. But you do need to think enough to follow the characters and plot.

My familiarity with The Untamed lead of course to comparisons between the source material and the adaptation.

The most glaring difference is the treatment of women. MXTX is a woman, it makes sense that her women are strong characters. Madame Jin is so much more than we see. Like Madam Yu, she is a fierce woman who intimidates her husband. Both these women are feared in the novel but Jin is played differently in the adaptation.

Separate post for Wen Qing. The Untamed did not do WQ justice. You know those scenes where her and Wei WuXian are searching for a way to help Jiang Cheng? Core regrowth or transfer in eps 17 & 18 yeah they are redundant. Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's vision of WQ is a badass. She created that process herself, well before WWX and JC the theoretical nature remains but she created it. Why would you remove that? The lady is a boss.

Writing allows for characters motives and actions to be better explained. JC and Jin Ling in the endgame. WWX and relationship with Xiao XingChen, his sympathy. Su She and his whole deal. Everything is still set up. But it's easier to keep secrets where required.

The characters are more balanced. As in WWX is still his prodigious self but he doesn't know everything. People have the knowledge they impart to him and Lan WangJi. Such as LXC and NHS.

The glaring difference is the use of sexuality. This is a Yaoi novel. WWX uses Mo XuanYu's homosexuality as a weapon. And there is a typical level of homophobia given the appearance of the apparent time. That said, MXY/WWX is referred to as a cut-sleeve as a slur, it comes from an amazing place and I love it

I want to ramble about the Yi City Arc (aka the Grasses chapters). This arc is dangerous to emotions in all forms this is something that fans talk about a lot. It is so well written it's a brilliant use of narration and skill. But to me, The Untamed did it better. Wang HaoXuan's performance changed a whole character and added depth. My favourite comment on Yi City (which I could talk about for hours) is "in a world of noble families Yi City is just four orphans destroying each other body and soul" Among the extra chapters there was one I liked. Villainous friends add some depth to the Yi City Arc characters. It adds Xue Yang's courtesy name, how he met Song Lan & Xiao XingChen, and the slight that started their deterioration. Also Song Lan's mysophobia. The rest of them aren't great. I can see why they exist by I wish I hadn't read them. (See also my rant on consent)

Okay. We need to address the elephant in the corner. Consent. For reasons not made especially clear one of the main characters wears an intimate accessory in full view and within reach of everyone at all times. The nature of this item is not readily explained but for another to touch it without permission is a violation. This violation occurs multiple times and it's never addressed not really. There are some worrying issues with drunken sexual activity, WWX knows LWJ isn't in his right mind and proceeds anyway. To a degree, I think this might be a cultural thing (ie BL/ Yaoi) but it made me hesitant. Not nearly as much as the rape fantasy, just thrown out there with no discussion. Or the two-time travel extras. They are rape (? I think, I skim read) and adult!WWX having sex with only-just-legal!LWJ (kind of, it's complicated). Though Bichen being used as a toy is certainly something. Look there is explicit consent, implicit consent, dubious consent and non-consent. This book runs a very fine line sometimes. It is a book I know, and I'm judging by western standards but the medium doesn't negate the need for clear writing, particularly when the target audience is young/ new adult. Usually with consent this murky it would lose a star it hasn't because I'm truly not sure where the fault lies.

Right to wrap this up because this was a rambling mess. I think fans who read this will have the same problem I did. Comparing it to an adaptation. This is Chinese, the adaptations have the issue with censorship. This has more freedom and allows some women to be strong and do their thing. There are some problematic elements but they are cultural. But it is beautiful and well worth reading if you follow along. If you can get through the first few chapters you can get through the book.

Goodreads

If you haven’t watched The Untamed the full mainland China version is available through Viki.com

[aeipathyreads]

A Review on Scarlet

WITH SPOILERS

[ Scarlet is a continuation of Cinder, the 1st book of The Lunar Chronicles. ]⁣

In the beginning, we meet Scarlet Benoit, whose grandmother has gone missing, and Wolf, a street fighter with information that could serve as tools to knowing the grandmother’s whereabouts. ⁣

Despite her lack of trust with the stranger, she agrees to let him help in searching for her grandmother, and together they meet Cinder and Thorne, who broke out of prison and is on the run as wanted fugitives.⁣

The four band together to put an end to Levana's rule and to try to put a stop to a wedding that could potentially ruin both the lives of Earthen citizens and Lunars. ⁣

Scarlet is a fast-paced book with more adventures than Cinder, and although I didn’t like it more than the previous installment, it was a very enjoyable read.⁣

1+ Did the story develop well? [ 8 / 10 ]

Like Cinder, Scarlet is fast-paced.

When we got introduced to Scarlet, the building of the story was slow and steady. Nothing much was happening, and we were learning about her grandmother’s disappearance through her narrative.

It perhaps has something to do with Scarlet having a longer length than Cinder, but everything was going at a slower rate, and that’s not a bad thing, since we can really have the chance to see the story unfold.

The middle part of the book, from what I can recall, is when things really started to pick up.

Cinder and Thorne discovered and was, at that point, also looking for Michelle Benoit (the grandmother), Kai is firm in going through with the marriage alliance even though he can’t help but think of Cinder ALL the time, and Scarlet and Wolf finally getting some lead on the grandmother’s location.

It was from that point on that I literally couldn’t put the book down.

The climax was great too, and like Cinder, it ended in an absolute cliffhanger.

I remembered being so hurried in getting my hands on the next book, Cress (which I’ve finished reading by the time I wrote this review), just because I couldn’t get over Kai and that ending. (Also mentioning that IF you’re wondering whether Cress is any different in its ending, I’ll tell you now, it’s not. You’ll be surprised at how much of a cliffhanger the book ended.)

Overall, the story developed well, and the new information about the Lunar world given was enough to satisfy me.

There were some parts that were predictable and easy to guess was headed onto that path, but it was enjoyable reading until the end.

I loved how the story lines came together by the time the story concluded, and for that reason, I give the story development a rating of 8/10, despite its predictability.

2+ Were the characters developed well? [ 7 / 10 ]

In terms of character development, I’d say it wasn’t as neatly done, but it was, for the most part, okay.

Cinder, Kai, and Iko remained as main characters, but we didn’t really see much of them in the book, what with its multiple POVs and all, but I loved the moments they had.

The characters of Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf were done well, and I had a fun time reading about them, however, I fear that there just isn’t a lot to say about their (especially Scarlet’s) personality.

Thorne, with his funny banters and quirky character, served as a comic relief in the midst of all seriousness in the book, and because of that, he became one of my FAVORITES in the series.

Wolf was good too. He was shy and quiet, which was perfect to go along with Scarlet’s toughness, but when speaking of their romance as a whole, it didn’t feel as complete as Cinder and Kai’s crush-love.

Their romance was more of an insta-love. I’m not one to hate on that trope, and I think that if it’s done well, it is just as good as other romances. However, for Scarlet and Wolf, that wasn’t the case.

Their relationship didn’t seem realistic and felt forced, but they did have their own cute moments, so I won’t complain too much.

As for Cinder and Kai, they didn’t appear a lot, but in the scenes they did appear, nothing much was done in terms of their character development.

And unfortunately, unlike what I had hoped, Cinder and Kai didn’t interact (at all) in the book. That doesn’t mean I shipped them any less though. They WERE and still IS my No. 1 ship, and I can’t wait for the day Levana goes out of the picture and they finally get their happily ever after.

3+ Was the setting and world(s) well-built? [ 10 / 10 ]

Just like in the previous installment, the Lunar world still was as magical as ever, and I can’t help but wish I was in their world instead. (Maybe not in Luna, but somewhere in New Beijing.)

Some pointed out that the writing on the wolves wasn’t researched enough and the information given out was not accurate, but as I am not an expert in that, I wasn’t bothered at all.

For those who fancy the subject though, do be aware as you read through.

Anyway, there’s nothing much to say and my rating on the worldbuilding will still be 10/10.

4+ Did it give so many feels? Did you think about it all the time? [ 8 / 10 ]

I can’t begin to describe my emotions as I read through the book.

Excitement, happiness, angriness, a little bit of boredom, but complete enjoyment all the way to the end.

I lived for Cinder and Thorne’s cute interactions, and (apologies to Kai in advance) I couldn’t help but imagine if they were the ones that ended up together instead.

Cinder’s determination and fierce personality + Thorne’s quirkiness and flirty ways could blend together so perfectly and their ship would be so cute, however, my heart will be for #KaiDer forever.

Nonetheless, they make such an adorable side ship.

Scarlet and Wolf’s romance was heart-fluttering in some parts too, but as I said above, it just felt so insta-lovey that I couldn’t ship them as much as I wanted to.

The action-filled scenes were so exciting and so fast and it gave me so much adrenaline, which was the same for Cinder too. Those parts were probably one of the reasons I loved Marissa’s writing so much.

5+ Was it enjoyable enough to want to read again? [ 6 / 10 ]

Not as much as Cinder, but it definitely has the capability to entertain a reader all the way to the end.

But when the time comes for me to reread the series, I’d probably choose to skip this one, and read the other installments instead.

It’s enjoyable though, and I feel like this sequel was the perfect sequel to Cinder.

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[an-avid-reader]

I am Number Four (#1) - Pittacus Lore

my rating: 3/5 stars

John is Lorien - an alien species hidden amongst humanity. As he comes of age, his powers develop, which inevitably attracts the Mogadorians. But do not fret! There are 8 other Loriens, hidden amongst the humans under aliases, and they are here to protect Planet Earth from being invaded by the Mogadorians. Each Lorien is numbered, and John is Four. Unfortunately for him, the Mogadorians have found and killed One, Two, and Three in order to stop the Loriens from serving their duty and breaking their charms. Four knows he is next and must be careful with his relationships and who he can trust.

Link to Goodreads || Spoiler-free review below

Short review: wish I read this when I was in middle school (I have completed the series, and I’m going to tell you that I didn’t enjoy the series as a whole, but as a pre-teen, I would have been all over this series!)

Long review: I’ve been meaning to read this series for a while (I didn’t even know there was a film lmao) - I love a good sci-fi novel and this one seemed to be different to me since there’s a whole cast of characters as we go along.

Four - or John, is your typical main character. It’s really weird because there isn’t anything too special about him?? He’s seen in your main middle grade books, like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson; you know, male, straight, troublemaker, main character, special/chosen one trope. Yet there was something that separates him?? Ya know what I mean? Especially in this first book, his values and goals are quite clear. Or maybe it’s because he’s a ‘late bloomer’ - it took him a long time to actually develop his powers, and when he did...well he wasn’t happy...they were “boring” and “useless” (he can glow/lights - Lumen power). Anyways - his intentions are quite clear in the book, and it is mainly from his perspective. What I really liked was that you could tell when he cared about others - genuinely (such as Henri - his mentor, if you will). This made him more consciousness of his decisions, even if he ended up doing stupid things like fighting the school jock/jerk.

ANYWAYS. Due to the way the book is written, and John’s personality, the authors made some things pretty obvious; such as the love interest. To be honest, it was hella cringy when we first meet Sarah. It’s like the authors were trying to mold a teenager’s perspective when it comes to looking at girls, and it made me sort of uncomfortable?? Not to mention felt unrealistic, but I mean, that’s middle grade (Imma let that slide). In this first book, there is some development in their relationship, like dropping the bomb of “oh btw, I’m an alien” - and Sarah was just cool with it. I was just surprised that she didn’t ask more questions, maybe she was blinded by love. You know, as a 15/16 (how old are they???) year-old would.

I did appreciate Four’s friendship with Sam; Sam is the ‘side-kick’, though he doesn’t like to be thought of that way. His story is actually heavily embedded into Four’s life, so their friendship is taken onto another level. The three of them - Four, Sarah, and Sam made a great team and I liked the balance that was offered in their three-way friendship (/ friendship + relationship), despite being quick. Lowkey would have been okay if it was just Four and Sam -- I found that Sarah didn’t contribute too much to the story!

I’m not going to lie, I was pretty confused at the start of the book; we’re just thrown into action, however, it’s from Three’s point of view. Suddenly, we’re seeing the world from Four’s point of view. One thing is clear: Four and Henri have a special relationship, despite how secretive Henri is. I’m not sure how they lived throughout all these years without getting caught - I don’t recall that the government knows about Loriens/Mogadorians/aliens, yet they were able to acquire endless fake IDs and move swiftly from one location to another and live as their alias without an issue. I would’ve have liked to read more about the psychological effects (even if it was just a short paragraph). I think that would have enriched the story a little bit more as well as offer something different to the middle grade genre.

Honestly, if I hadn’t won the giveaway (which kindly included the whole series), I’m not sure if I would have continued the series. The first book only started to pick up towards the end, which is why I carried on reading. Again, I wished I had read this earlier on as I think I would have appreciated these books a little bit more.

***I know there was a scandal with the authors at some point, but that does not affect my review. Likewise, I did win these books through a giveaway, but my thoughts are purely my own.

If you’ve read this book (or series), I’d like to know your thoughts! Did you enjoy it or not? Let’s chat! =D

Thank you for reading my review, I hope you are having a formidable day, wherever you are in the world!

~ Cassandra / an-avid-reader

[little-bookshelf-dragon]

February Wrap Up (Finally)

Okay! So I’m finally getting to this...five days late. Oops. Just to clear that up, I started a reading journal towards the end of February and wanted to do entries for the month of February before making this post. I’m hoping that this will help me organize my thoughts for my reviews. So I can actually... post reviews. 

Anyway. Here we go! I’m going to begin with my overall thoughts and then go into my stats and put reviews under the cut so if you haven’t read these books and want to avoid spoilers you can! 

Overall thoughts on this month’s reading: 

I DNF’d one-third of my TBR this month (two of six. I say one third like it’s so many more than that). It’s a little funny that I had so much more success with the books I hadn’t actually planned to read than my TBR. I’m also kind of surprised that I made it through some of the books that I did, when I DNF’d other books for similar reasons. I did go into this month knowing that this was going to be a difficult bunch of books to get through, 

I think I’m going to have to adjust my Goodreads reading challenge. I’ve already more than halfway through it and its only February. I'm honestly surprised. I didn’t think I was going to make it through the 52 I had planned.  

Stats for this month: 

Total Books Read (Finished): 18 

DNF’d Books: 2

Books I need to Finish: 4

All-Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell, et al. 

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson 

Academic Books: 3

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by  Willaim Shakespeare 

Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Ratings: 

Five Stars: 5

Four Stars: 7

Three Stars: 4

Two Stars: 2

One Star:  0

Spoilery Reviews Under the Cut! 

DNF’d Books: 

Frozen by Melissa De LaCruz and Micheal Johnston

It was a weird book. In general. And then the Scene that implied sexual assault happened, and I had to stop reading. I just couldn’t bring myself to finish it. 

Ender’s Game By Orson Scott Card

I was having trouble getting into the book in the first place, and then I realized that these were six year old kids. Being trained for war. Against aliens. As I have a sister who’s six, this didn’t sit well with me. 

Two Star Books:

Echo by Alyson Noel 

I was really dissappointed in this book. I really enjoyed the first book in the Soul Seekers book, Fated. I liked the worldbuilding, the relationship between Daire and Dace, the concept of the Echo. But I had too many complaints about this book. Mainly with Cade. I feel like I could have liked him more if he had some actual development and clearer motivations. Though, I think the attempted rape scene was a little much (that’s an understatement.) I think it would be nice if there were a YA book where the female MC wasn’t assaulted, or at least that addresses it properly afterward. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I’m honestly surprised that I finished this one, after I DNF’d another book for similar things happening. I didn't like Feyre much. She didn't seem to have much moe to her character other than painting and hunting. For someone who was meant to be so strong willed, she seemed to change her mind too easily. Rhysand...I don’t know where it start with him. He’s not much of one here, but it’s pretty obvious that they’re setting him up as a love interst in the later books. Can we stop having abusive boyfriends in YA lit? Tamlin was a little pathetic. Maybe don’t alienate the one person that’s your shot at freedom? Maybe? Feyre and Tamilin’s relationship was cute, but it wasn't really all that convincing. 

Three Star Books:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze runner was good. I’m not sure if it was good enough to deserve the hype it received. I did not like that there was so much that was left unanswered in the beginning. It’s one thing to withhold information to create interest. It’s another to taunt your readers by having a character ask the questions, and the others refusing to give an answer. I did think the ending was an interesting twist, to stage a ‘rescue’ and then have it turn out to be apart of the trials. 

Love Drugged by James Klise 

There’s...a lot to unpack with this one. At first, the general premise made me feel a little sick. I almost stopped reading it several times thoughtout the book, especially when the chaacters described being gay as a disease. But by the time I finished, I think I understood better. Jamie was being mainipulated, not just by the doctor, but by society to think that way. His journey to discover and understand himself leads to his desperate actions in an effort to escape that manipulation. It’s heartbreaking to know that Jamie's thoughts were based off of off the author’s when he was around the same age.   

Take Two by Julia Devillers & Jennifer Roy 

I was kind of disappointed in this book. I loved the first one when I was younger, so the fact that I didn’t feel the same about the sequel is a let down. Though I guess that might have to do with the difference in age between the times I read them   

Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne 

Four Star books: 

Mockingjay by Suzzane Collins 

I cried so much reading this book. Katniss yelling at Buttercup at the end broke me. Her “for Prim” before the execution was beautiful (I’ll admit it took me some time to realize she was hinting at what she was planning to do.) Cinna having a part in the rebellion even after his death. The amount that Haymitch cares about Peeta and Katniss. UGH the feels. I did have a problem with the pacing. I felt like all the action was squeezed in at teh end. And Peeta and Katniss’s relationship seemed to seesaw between them in it’s one-sidedness throughout the series. 

Duel Of Fire by Jordan Rivet 

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Especially at he beginning, I thought the characters were annoying. But that GROWTH. By the end, I loved the characters. I had a hunch about who the rebels were, but I wasn’t sure until they were revealed. I loved the magic system and world building, and I can’t wait to see how the story will be developed in the next book and the rest of the series. 

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

This was my first Brandon Sanderson book and I was not disappointed. The concept was interesting, the Epics having a specific weakness kept them from being overpowered, and I loved the fact that  the “Normal people” weere the heroes (For the most part.) I KNEW there was somehing up wiht Megan. But Steelheart’s weakness completely threw me off. I had so many theories, but I was wrong on all of them. That was a plot twist done well. 

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

(I’m actually not going to include my notes here because they turned into more of a rant at the characters than an actual reveiw) 

Galatea by Madaline Miller

I want more of this. Any additional content, I want it. It says something that she felt the only way to escape was to die (And take her husband with her). I REALLY want to know what happened with their daughter.  

The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake 

This is a reread for me. I read tthis book when I, I believe,  was the same age as Maleeka. And at the time, while I had never been in the same situations she’s in, I could still relate to her. Now, as an adult working with students Maleeka’s age, I see my students. It gives me a better insight to what might be going on in their homes, thoughts, and attitudes. This is a book that so many of them should read, just like so many of them could use a Ms. Saunderson. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Willaim Shakespeare

Five Star books:

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare 

This book. This book. I audiobooked most of it, which meant that I was listening to it in class while working. Which means I cried. During class. This is one of the few love triangles I think I’ve ever really liked and am actually emotionally invested in. I fully understand the hype around this series. I can't wait to pick up the next one.   

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

After finishing the audiobook, I'm sitting here trying to find the words to describe how much this means to me. How many of Xiomara's thoughts and feelings I relate to. And I just can't find the words. I can't remember the last time a book meant this much to me. Wanting to find my own voice. Beginning to question the religion that has been such a big part of my life for a long time. Feeling like I have to hide parts of myself, my thoughts, my feelings, everything I wish I could say but can't, from people I care about. Wanting my own writing to mean something to others. I wish I could put what I'm feeling into words, but I'm struggling. I cried. I need a copy of this book. I loved it so much.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

I feel like Dessen’s books follow a pattern. I’ve only read three so far, but I’m able to see the similarities. However, that dosn't stop them from being unique. Sydney’s problems are different from Macy’s, whose are different from Collie’s. So while the books are similar enought to notice a pattern,  they’re unique enough to keep the reader’s interest. I wouldn’t say that Saint Anything has impacted me as much as some books have, but I did still enjoy it. Also, a moment of appreciation for instances of sexual assault handled correctly? It's rare to see the subject addressed in a book after it happens. Though I would have loved to see Ames prosecuted. We need to tell girls it's okay to speak up about these things.

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

I loved this. I’m not even sue how to put it all inot words. First of all, Saskia getting expelled? Excellent. That girl made me so mad. Messing with Lila’s feelings was bad enough, but hen going stalker, assualting her, and then outing her to the entire school? I think I would have liked to see even more of a punishment, honestly. Maybe someting from her parents. LISA. I loved Lisa. I’m so happy she and Leila ended up together. They both deserved to be happy and I’m so happy they got to be happy together. I was so emotional after finishing this book.  

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

I’m not going to go too in depth because then this would be way too long but this is my favorite book that I’ve had to read for a calss. Ever. 

[thesonderfiles]

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Finished: January 14, 2018

Rating: 9/10

Review: *this review contains spoilers after the cut*

Before I wrote this I checked Goodreads for an idea of what criticisms other readers had. Overall, this book has an amazing rating for the first book in a series, and I found most criticism unfounded (asking questions that were clearly answered in the book) or something I could overlook, and possibly even why I liked the novel. While I may not have liked the ending, I can understand and explain most of the character’s actions based on their previous characterization.

Taylor’s writing is phenomenally beautiful. I’m used to writing and reading in this style, and her prose is what I aspire to. Poetic without a loss of understanding. Not everyone likes it, and there are certainly better poets, but to keep this style so consistently and without overdoing it is impressive. I wasn’t taking notes, but there are so many beautiful quotes and even just turns of phrase. Her ideas and descriptions are captivating to me, and I want to know more about each concept she introduces, so I do not mind a slower pace. I didn’t expect this to read like a thriller, and it doesn’t. It takes time to let you explore the characters’ worlds and understand them, so when the time comes and they make a decision that you as an omnipotent reader would not, you understand why. I just enjoy the little tidbits that remind the reader that this world is nothing like our own. Despite expecting to be (as often happens to me in similarly formatted books) I never felt lost about who was speaking when the perspective changed.

The trope of putting an out of context scene from the end of the novel as the prologue works here. It stays with you throughout the book, though how could I not assume that characters created by Taylor were somehow doomed? It allows you to both hope and dread what is to come at turns. Could the dead girl be another of the godspawn? Of course. Did I flip back to the prologue throughout the reading to look for some detail I had missed, that might make it so? Yes. Was I surprised when the outcome could only be what it was sold as? No. Taylor manages to keep you invested even when you know from the first moment that the characters arrive at Weep that there is less than a month until it’s over.

I do have one unanswered question, which is how Sarai has never visited the dreams of the other godspawn and known that she can interact with them in dreams? It’s pretty obvious that Lazlo is godspawn, and she doesn’t notice because she’s missing this experience. How has she never tried to comfort her adopted siblings in dreams? I know she was out doing Minya’s bidding, but it seems unrealistic that at no point in 4,000 days did any of her 100 moths visit them.

My main criticism personally is losing some of the other characters in the final portion of the book. I wanted to continue to learn about the other godspawn and Calixte but their stories are somewhat pushed aside. However, it may be that there is not much left to tell. I just like them and wish there was slightly less focus on Sarai and Lazlo’s relationship.

Ahh, the romance. First of all, as this is a book of connections between characters, there is not only one. We do not see a world of insta-love. A canon lesbian relationship develops and is simply allowed to exist. Old lovers are broken apart by their pasts and eventually heal. A married couple is secure and healthy in their connection. Two people thrown together by fate and not love have a friends with benefits arrangement to discover their sexual desires. But the main love story is Sarai and Lazlo. Lazlo is innocent in a way, grown up around men and books and ideas rather than concrete experience. Sarai has seen everything through the eyes of her moths and in people’s dreams, but never gotten to live it. When presented with someone who is of questionable reality or the first person to really see you, why not take the only connection you’ve ever been offered? Their lust does not have time to develop, is simply sweet in its moment and affords hope to those who thought they might never find it. There is even a scene where their auras are read and show them on their way to love, but is it clear that they haven’t reached that level of entanglement. Lazlo’s actions in the end, blinded by his fear of missing out on what can grow from the relationship, are what condemns both of them. Is the one moment they have before Minya takes control worth it? Probably not. But Lazlo must live with his mistake. And honestly, Sarai’s spectral enslavement was pretty much guaranteed anyway. Minya was looking for her ghost the whole time. There was no way Lazlo’s arrival would not mean she was used against him; Minya knew of their connection. The only hope might have been disruption so she did not catch Sarai’s spirit, but I’m not sure what short of death would have stopped her. I do take exception to the fact that the other godspawn did absolutely nothing during the final scene though.

Minus herself is a fascinating character in a terrible way. Her power is horrifying for a child and she has no tools with which to mentally recover from her trauma. While she says and does terrible things, it is clear that she is not solely evil. She does not mourn the deaths of the gods, only the children. She blames herself for not saving more. She is, in her twisted way, trying to protect them. I wanted her to die, but that feels selfish. It’s not the resolution she deserves. I don’t know if she will get a redemption arc, but I hope she at least develops in a positive way. The sequel will be boring and difficult to read if it’s just her torturing the other characters.

The excerpt of the sequel gives me hope. It is clear that this world is more developed, and we are going to learn what was really going on.

[instantlit]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

I went back and forth a lot on whether or not I want to do this tag this year. I did it last year on another blog and I remember really enjoying it and, I don’t know, I couldn’t summon the same enthusiasm as last year? I know, weird. But anyway, here it is.

 So, against all expectations, I’ve actually read 3 more books than last year: a total of 19 books for the first half of the year, which is freaking amazing for me. I’ve set the exact same Reading Goal on Goodreads for 2018, which is 25 books, and I’m already more than halfway through. I usually don’t want to focus too much on the numbers because it takes the joy out of reading, but knowing that I’m way ahead of schedule allows me a bit more breathing room, which leads me to pick some books that I probably wouldn’t have picked otherwise or, at least, not at that moment. I’ve also had some very impulsive buys, because I went to Shakespeare & Company on a rare day where there wasn’t that much people in the shop? Like, wow! And also, because I went to London and visited Daunt Books, so I couldn’t leave empty-handed. For better or for worse.  

 So anyway, here’s my recap for the first half of 2018!  

1 | Best book 1st half of 2018

I’m actually having a hard time choosing. It’s a complete change from last year because I’ve read very different books and not much Fantasy, which I usually stick pretty faithfully to. In the end, I’m choosing Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. It’s not a perfect book, but it had such an impact on me, it’s one of those books that you keep thinking about even weeks or months after you’ve finished it. It was moving, incredibly ambitious and powerful in its own quiet way. It would be hard to recommend but I wish everyone would read it.

 I also want to do a quick shout-out to The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, because I love her and I love her writing style, and I can’t not mention this book in my Mid-Year Freak Out.

 2 | Best sequel 1st half of 2018

Okay so, like, I’m cheating a bit here. I haven’t read many series so far, I’ve mostly stuck to stand-alones, but I don’t want to keep mentioning V.E. Schwab whenever I have to answer this question so, this time, I’m going with Circe by Madeline Miller. I know, it’s not technically a sequel (I did say I was cheating), but the story happens in the same universe as the Song of Achilles, part of it even happens at the same time, so I’m sticking with this answer. And, anyway, the main reason I’m choosing this is because it’s such a nice progression to go from the Song of Achilles to Circe, because the universe is expanded (since we go from a mortal’s perspective to a god’s) but also because the writing is so much better. I seriously can’t wait to get my hands on another one of her retellings.    

 3 | Must-read new release 1st half of 2018 (released 1st half)

I’ve got a bunch, not as much as I thought I would, but they’re still there. I don’t know when I’ll get around to reading them, though, because my pile of books at the moment is a little too big for my taste.

In any case, here they are:

-          All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages, which is collection of short stories all featuring queer characters. Mackenzi Lee wrote one, who you’ll recognize as the author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, which I loved last year, and I’m excited to read Shaun David Hutchinson’s story as well, since I read one of his book this year and absolutely loved it.

-          The City of Lost Fortunes by Bryan Camp, which was sold to me as beautifully-written magical realism reminiscent of the Night Circus. What more could I want?

-          The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, which I probably almost missed out on, but I’m really into Asian cultures at the moment and I’ve read some really great reviews which make it seem more than your typical historical YA, so I’m excited to get to it.

-          Us Against You by Fredrick Backman, the unexpected sequel to Beartown, which was one of my favorite books last year!

 4 | Most anticipated release 2nd half

Ah, so many! I’m just realizing that the majority of my most anticipated 2018 releases are happening in the second half. So, to only name a few:

-          Check Please! by Ngozi Ukazu. I’ve been a fan of the webcomic for years so I’m really excited and proud that she got the chance to publish her work. I really want to have this story on paper, in my hands!

-          Vengeful by V.E. Schwab. I’ll sort of have to reread Vicious beforehand because, while I have a good memory of the book, I remember the experience not being super pleasant because I found the characters so annoying and unlikable. Anyway, I’m excited for the sequel, I want to see where she’s taking the story.

-          City of Ghost by V.E. Schwab. She’s very productive, isn’t she? I just know that it involves ghost and that the story takes place in Edinburgh. She just gets me.

-          Muse of Nightmare by Laini Taylor. Strange the Dreamer was one of the biggest surprises of last year as well as one of my favorite books of the year so, of course, I’m excited to read the conclusion to this amazing story.

-          Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Okay but, like, Uprooted is one of my favorite books of all time, so I really hope that this one is up to the task.

5 ­| Biggest disappointment

It’s not the book I’ve given the lowest rating to so far but, considering the history I have with John Green, I think its place as my biggest disappointment of the year is justified: it’s Turtles All the Way Down. The hype certainly didn’t help but, more than that, I felt it was lacking something, some spark, something more. Or maybe I’m just getting too old for John Green and I just have to accept it but, your oldest ties aren’t the easiest to break…

6 | Biggest surprise

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand (among others). I had my reservations about it, even if I thought I could like it. I thought it would be too YA, that it wouldn’t be as funny as everyone said it was. Well, I didn’t need to worry because it’s probably my most fun read of this first half of 2018. It was light and fluffy and hilarious. 100% would recommend.

7 | Favorite debut/new author

Can I say Shaun David Hutchinson? Because We Are the Ants is a book that had me shook. The writing in itself didn’t have anything really special, but the story and the way it was told was so moving and raw and real. I don’t know what his other books are like, but I’d be willing to try them out.

8 ­| Newest fictional crush

Not gonna lie, I was crushing a bit on Noa from Pachinko, even though it wasn’t the purpose of this book at all. But like, if one of your characters is a talented, smart young man with lots of insecurities and a tragic path, then you can definitely expect me to fall halfway in love with him. It’s just the way it is, I don’t make the rules.    

 9 | Newest favorite character

Circe because she’s everything I could ever want from a female character: she’s strong and fierce and flawed and insecure and loyal and vicious and naïve and wise. She was really well-written, okay?!

10 | A book that made you cry

Pachinko, again, because you follow all these different lives for such a long time. I was just really emotional at times. Also, because of Noa.

 11 | A book that made you happy

Opal by Maggie Stiefvater. I don’t know what the next series is going to be like, but I know that I need more Ronan and more Pynch in my life. I’m glad I got a small dose through this short story. I’m alive again!

12 | Most beautiful book

The prettiest covers, hands down, are Circe and All the Crooked Saints.    

   13 | TBR for the rest of 2018 (books you still need to read)

So many! I’m currently reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, which is not exactly a light summer read, but I’m enjoying it so far, and Stardust by Neil Gaiman. It’s not often that I read several books at once, but Stardust is super short and I want to finish both by the end of my vacation, so…

After that, I’m heading towards Radio Silence by Alice Oseman (another impulsive buy). People have given me high hopes and there’s a really diverse cast of characters, so I’m really hoping I’ll love it.

And then, I’ll try to finish the rest of my last book batches: The Thirteenth Tale, The Shadow of the Wind, Station Eleven and The Lies of Locke Lamora. Pretty big pile, I know!

 Wish me luck!

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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18. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich--⭐️⭐️⭐️

I decided to re-read ONE FOR THE MONEY and I'm going to be honest, I don't exactly remember why. It was a fun and quick refresher, though! The writing style is reminiscent of some of the other books I've read that deal with women who either are PIs or deal with crime. I love that writing style, especially when I'm listening to the audiobooks, because of the sass, the sexual tension between the MC and her love interest, and the quick pacing of the writing. While I enjoyed getting re-acquainted with Plum, there was definitely some words used that made me cringe. It just goes to show how much we, as a society, has changed. For example, there's a scene where the MC says to another character something along the lines of "you speak ghetto one second and normal the next". The use of the word ghetto is a little high in this book but I also see that this was regular verbiage in the 90s when this book came out. Heck, I didn't even realize it when I first read this book over ten years ago. Anyway, I want to read the rest of this series, but we will see if that actually happens LOL.

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19. Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PRINCESS IN WAITING is by far my favourite book of the series (so far). Although I wanted to just serve Mia a dose of reality because Michael is so obviously in love with her, but remembering that she's only 14 is a very important thing. Despite her insecurities about Michael, I found that Mia was actually the most mature in this one. I could really see her growth in this one, especially when it came to her empathy and her moments of standing up for herself. I'm very excited to see how the next books go!

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20. Off Limits by Riley Hart--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm rating OFF LIMITS 4 stars simply because of how it made me feel and HOW I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. I was such a complete sucker for this book and its many tropes. I loved that these characters essentially fell in love without knowing who the other really was and how their chemistry was so powerful, that it jumped off the page. I loved their love and that they communicated and decided to just go for it. The smut in this was great (especially that first time) and I think it was a good amount that didn't feel overwhelming. Riley Hart really knows how to give us some great scenes 😏 My main complaints, however, are how quickly everything at the end was wrapped up. I had an alternate ending in my head that I couldn't let go of, even as I finished the last page. That's on me, but in a way, I feel like the actual ending felt so anti-climactic. I did love the support that the characters gained from one if the families, and how one of the MCs was able to face the difficult relationship he has with his parents, but I do wish there was more of a...punch to the ending--especially with how emotionally charged the rest of the story was. I love Hart, so I know I'll definitely be picking up more of their books in the future!

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21. Vendetta Road by Christine Feehan--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One thing I have to give to Christine Feehan--I started this series kind of apprehensively because the characters (particularly the men) were a little hard to get behind. They're commanding, a little insta-lovey, and a bit too dominating. But somehow, the further I get into this series the more I start to see the charm of them? They may be very "You're my woman!", but they will treat their partners with respect and will literally die for them. VENDETTA ROAD is my favourite book in this series so far. This was one of those stories where I kept reminding myself that while these declarations of love were happening, they had literally had just met. But I think it is the dark past, the years of loneliness, and the need to find a reason to live that makes this men falling in love seem so desperate, intense, and immediate. The moment they see their light (their future partner), it's all over for both of the people in the relationship. I think this one was my favourite one so far because of how Ice just loved Soleil in the purest of ways. It was established nearly from the beginning that she was for him and he was for her, no matter the fears she holds and the trepidation he feels whenever he tells her about his past. I loved the scenes of them loving each other, then Ice going to avenge all those who wronged her. It was just so satisfying. This series is also incredibly dark with some of its scenes. I don't know how Feehan can write these books when certain characters say such vile things. I would need to take a break from writing after every chapter. Especially the chapters when we hear about who they're hunting, or another POV of the past we got a glimpse of in the first book. I've already started the next book because of the love interest. Hopefully I'll continue to enjoy this series. Please keep in mind any TWs you might come across before reading this series!

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Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts, if you have?

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Happy reading!

[cowboylikedean]

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda is the most offensive book I’ve ever read.

I wrote this review for goodreads, but I’m also posting it here. Bare with me, it’s long.. much of it is under a cut. 

This is honest to god one of the most offensive books I've ever read. 

My reading goal I set with myself this year was to read all the LGBT YA fiction I could find. Even though I'm 26 years old, YA fiction remains my favorite genre, especially YA romance. It's something about the nature of adolescence being all about change and everything being for the first time and brand new... Writing about/for teenagers, authors can give the endlessly magical feeling of being on the precipice of something great without even trying. That said, some of it reads really young for me and I lose suspension of belief within the story because I am an adult and the intended audience is 14... Though, in my experience, in a really good book, that difference will be noticeable, but unimportant. In this book, however, it was instantly A Big Deal. I had to remind myself so many times in the first few chapters to forgive its terrible sentence structure and awkward wording. It was meant for someone much younger than me, and while it *was* using terrible sentence fragments almost every sentence, the author did that to set the age of the narrating character. I wish she hadn't. It's one thing to have Simon's emails and quoted speech read with every other sentence being a fragment... but for every page of narration to have that many fragments, it's hard to read... One of my goals in reading all the LGBT YA fiction I can find is so that I can better recommend books to the LGBT teens I know who need to read more/find more relevant reading to their lives/learn that reading doesn't just have to be the boring books they're assigned in school *and* use that reading to benefit their writing. When every sentence is either a fragment or a run-on, it kind of defeats that purpose... 

But aside from that, I have to agree with other reviewers about how much it shows the author's straightness. I took notes. So buckle up folks... Here's some of the worst offenses and my thoughts. This is by no means a comprehensive list as I have a character limit.

Okay, let's start simple.. Throughout the book, starting on page 21 with its latest reference being 179-180, Leah's objectification of gay boys in the form of yaoi and "slash" fanfic is written to indicate her support and allyship. Its first reference on page 21 comes right after Simon's declared that lesbian and bi women have an easier time of things because straight men like to objectify them. Is it 2018/2017 and we're really still going to praise something that passes straight objectification of LGBT people off as support??? Really??? And these reference to Harry/Draco are SO bad! The last one, I think is the worst. Simon tells Leah he knew she would be supportive because she's the one who introduced him to Harry and Draco, so it was never a question. The first one where we read Simon's exploration into masturbation wasn't fun either.

And that's something to talk about... Sex. I have nothing against sex in teen fiction. Teens have sex and when authors do it right, reading about a teenager explore sex in various forms can add to the story tenfold. However, here it comes off almost like Fifty Shades Of Grey level awkward. Multiple times it's written in the narration Simon tell the reader "I'm hard." Not "I have a boner," not "I'm turned on," "I'm hard." It's something that's just uncomfortable to read... And I don't even think it's just that Simon's a teenage character because I don't think it would have been so uncomfortable to read "I'm turned on" or "I have a boner," but the specific wording of "I'm hard" is very uncomfortable. And then the moment where Simon and Bram "each spend time in the bathroom" prior to Simon's parents coming home after Simon says "I'm hard and I can tell he is too" is just.. "I feel something *down there*" level awkward. 

But it's more than that... The emphasis on the word "sex" and phrasing like "I'm hard" give the effect that The Secret Life of the American Teenager had with how many times they said "had/have sex." It feels almost... clinical. It was actually during the first sex-centric email chain I went and read the author bio because I guessed she was a clinician. That's not a good thing. Throughout the book, I see moments of a straight person attempting gay humor... And it's just painful, because she'll get there... and then miss it. Like the passage the book gets its title from. "Blue" takes a shot at gay humor saying that all people coming out is "the homosexual agenda." A classic gay joke in a very safe form. Then Simon comes and runs straight past the joke and "all lives matter"s the joke by saying "I don't know about the homosexual agenda, the homo sapiens agenda. Isn't that the point?" But no, Simon. No it is not the point. If that was the agenda of the whole species, that's how it would work. Furthermore, the joke is a reference to gay hate replaced with gay love. I have to wonder how Becky Albertalli wrote that line without realizing it was the same general premise of "all lives matter." We are not equal in that fight. LGBT people are marginalized. That is the whole freaking point, as Simon would put it. Which brings me to... The cursing. If you're going to write a teenage character who is conscious of their language and doesn't curse, then do it. Don't be inconsistent about it, just do it. Simon will say "fuck" sometimes, and sometimes, he'll be very careful to say "freaking." He also assumes Blue is uncomfortable with cursing... I'm sorry, either a lot's changed since I was 16 ten years ago (which I doubt because, as mentioned, I interact with a lot of teenagers frequently in mentoring and tutoring), or Ms. Becky Albertalli is imposing some odd morals in this book real hard. At any rate, it's incredibly awkward. I want to talk about characters. A review quote from Publishers Weekly says "Readers will fall madly in love with Simon" and I'd just like to ask one simple question: What readers? Okay, maybe two... Why? Now again, let me preface this by repeating, I am a regular tutor and mentor to many teenagers and I interact with them regularly. They text me, facebook message me, snap me, instagram DM me, etc all throughout the day I am in constant communication with my little ones. These are all (for the most part) LGBT kids, most of whom struggle with mental illness issues that are giving them school trouble. Simon is insufferable. He's not just a complex character with insufferable traits, no. I love those characters, they tend to be my favorites. Quite the contrary... He has no substance. Simon was given almost no characterization throughout the entire 303 pages of the original version of the book. I mean I know he loves Elliott Smith and oreos and not much else. He doesn't like things being made into a Big Deal. He's in a play and we're told he liked being the center of attention as a child, but he doesn't seem to like it now and/or we get no description on it. We get a lot of narration about what other people are doing and how other people are thinking and feeling and it leaves very little space to explore Simon. Sometimes, the book feels narrated in 3rd person limited rather than 1st person because of how much exposition there is on others. Simon feels like an empty character that is supposed to be a self insert to the reader.. which again, makes those awkwardly worded sex scenes even more uncomfortable. But with that, there's very little character *development*. Simon doesn't grow or change too much from beginning to end. Things in Simon's life change, but as a reader, I didn't feel Simon himself changing. I think the biggest factor here is that once again, we have a coming out story written by a straight person in which the main character was outed without permission and in a publicly humiliating way before he was ready. If there is one thing I wish straight people would write down, crumple up and throw away/burn/dispose of in any given way to make sure it never comes back... it's this trope. Martin committed an act of violence. Outing someone against their will, especially as a form of public punishment by harassment, is an act of anti-gay violence. For Simon's character development to happen so that this ends up being the nudge he needs because he doesn't really deal with the trauma of it. I mean, it's mentioned... I'll give Ms. Albertalli that, but it's not *explored.* The book I read prior to this was The Symptoms of Being Human, which is a great book (with a few pacing problems) about a genderfluid teenager named Riley. To save spoilers, I'll just say there's also violence in that book... But unlike in this book, in Symptoms, Riley has time at home where we see and hear their pain and coping. The topic of coming out is hugely important in Symptoms too, but there, we get incredibly intimate with Riley's internal debate on the topic. In this book, Simon's internal debate happens completely away from the reader outside of his debate to tell Nick and Leah that one time in the basement after he told Abby. How am I supposed to feel the development of this character in a story of coming out in which I was kept away from the internal debate of the character in question? It's just bad writing. I want to talk about the other characters for a second too... Who are such annoying stereotypes. So first Leah. The straight girl obsessed with gay boys who spends her time objectifying them and feels ownership over her male best friend. The central point of her character throughout the book seems to be her jealousy and blind hatred of the other biggest female character. Yikes. Then there's Nick who is obsessed with Assassin's Creed (great series) and is That Guy who has to pick up a guitar everywhere he goes (AKA The "Anyway, here's Wonderwall" guy). Then there's Abby who, as far as I can tell is one of the two actual compelling characters. There's Bram/Blue, the other compelling character who loses all characterization once we find out he's Bram. It's like Blue is super interesting. Bram is a blank sheet like Simon devoid of any characterization. Martin who is a straight man who violently outs a gay man after blackmailing him because he feels ownership over a woman he doesn't know... And the worst part about Martin is in his final "apology" email, he says if he could go back, he'd blackmail Simon into friendship with him and then stop. DIRECT QUOTE bottom of p 289. Earlier in the book when Simon, Martin, and Abby are running lines at the Waffle House and Simon starts to feel like Martin's friend, it's passed off as a good thing??? What? I also want to mention Simon's stereotypes. Does he really have to mention Every Single Time Nick is playing video games (particularly Assassin's Creed) that he doesn't care? Really? Also... He seems to understand sports fine... and then all of the sudden after he comes out he slips up and calls soccer try-outs "auditions"???? Something I've literally only ever seen done on the TV show The Middle by its main gay character Brad? Really? Something else I want to point out... I'll go back to the Harry Potter Harry/Draco thing for a second... That's an abusive relationship that's literally mostly shipped and romanticized by straight girls. Okay, I just had to point that out explicitly. Abusive gay relationship. Okay... So I've saved the most offensive two bits for last. One: "Cross-dressing." Now I don't know know if Becky Albertalli had a trans person read this before publishing but Simon's disgust that he used to enjoy wearing dresses was so incredibly painful. As a transgender person myself, I am so deeply saddened that a book that has had so much praise as being incredible representation would include such hostility. Reading the passage of gender-bender day felt like a punch in the gut. To feel the vitriol disgust in Simon's words "A lot of the time, I can't believe that was even me" and "I never crossed that line," "there's something so mortifying to me about the intensity of those feelings." I get it Simon, you hate trans people. Probably you too Becky Albertalli... As a transgender person, a book with such a passage will never be okay. Two: The entire scene in Webster's with Peter. At first, Peter is an age inappropriate gay man who gets Simon drunk knowing nothing about him, including his age without any conversation. Within a few minutes of meeting him, he puts three drinks in Simon's system, then almost as if Ms. Albertalli was aware she was crossing the line into the "older gay male predator" trope, she magically reveals Simon's age to these college kids who send him on his way. He's so disgustingly happy being sloppy drunk. The whole thing is embarrassing and honestly seems to serve 0 point other than to give justification for Simon's parents to ground him. Simon is taken advantage of by a group of older gay men and then punished by his parents. What in the actual hell is that? Okay... so that's my list of most offensive things of this book. Honorable mention: Simon's parents saying they need to find "ground rules" for when Nick sleeps over. Straight people are so obsessed with the idea that people cannot be "just friends" (I hate that term, but you get it) with people of the gender they're attracted to and honestly, it baffles me. Do straight people not have friends? At any rate, between the writing style and bad sentence structure, the poor characterization, the anti-gay tropes, the fake allyship, the praise of straight objectification of gay people, the forgiveness of anti-gay violence, the anti-feminist aspects of the tension between the two main female characters, the poor narrative structure... I see very little to like, let alone love, about this book. It is one of the most offensive books I've ever read

[book-error]

Opens at Nightfall. 

Closes at Dawn .

If you have no idea what I’m talking about it means that before you go into the post you better go and read. the. book. And the book is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I am going to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, but seriously go and read this book. I am serious. You will love it and you will thank me.

Also I just want to mention that never have I ever written any book review and this is the first (but definitely not last) ever.

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Published: September 13th 2011

Publisher: Doubleday

Page number: 400

Goodreads rating: 4.03

My rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  Summary (taken from Goodreads):

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night…”

I don’t even know where to start. I finished reading the book the day I’m writing the review, all the emotions are still there and I am just bewitched. I feel like this word fits here the most. Bewithed. Enchanted. Amazed. I’ve wanted to read it for quite a while, but obviously being a poor student I was waiting for the day I would find it in a used bookstore. And then one day this summer there it was. Sitting on the shelf, waiting for me, wishpering to my ear as I stormed my way through the room. I took it in my hands and stood there for a long long time… hesitating. Why? Because its cover was really distressed. And when I say really, I mean it was all crumpled. So I put it back, went out of the store with two other books, went to Costa, bought myself a blueberry muffin and iced coffee, sat there and thought about this book. About how much I wanted – no – needed it. I needed it. My stomach hurt, I was biting my lip, I wanted it so badly, almost as badly as it looked. I couldn’t just sit there knowing that someone else might buy it and read it before me. So I went back, hoping through all the way to the store that it still would be there. And it was, in the same place I left it. I have no regrets about buying it and I know, especially now, that I would regret not buying it, I would think about a long time being angry at myself for leaving it there. I’m ashamed and I cannot imagine that for a second I really wanted to leave it there. Because you know what? It doesn’t matter how the book looks, it’s what inside that matters the most and the inside is… well, it is something only Erin Morgenstern can describe using the most beautiful words, sentences, settings and characters I have ever read about. I’ve always wanted to be a writer and if I had to choose the one author whose writing style I admire the most, it would be Erin.

The Night Circus is one of those books that, when you read it, it sucks you in. It makes you experience every page like you’re one of the characters. You can smell what they smell, see what they see, hear what they here and, what is more, feel exactly how they feel. It is so much more than just a book and reading it is the whole experience with every one of your senses taking part in it. It wakes your imagination to the point that the world around you stops existing and, when you finish, you regret you’re not a constant part of it. My first thought after finishing it was “I wish I could forget it only to be able to experience it all over again” and I think that pretty much sums up the whole book.

I went into it not knowing much about it. I heard one person on youtube raving about it, but that was after I bought it and decided that I wanted to read it so badly. All I knew was it followed the story of two magicians getting into some kind of a competition with one another and that the main location of this book was the circus that opens for visitors only at night. And that is all I’m going to tell you about the plot because, believe me, it’s better to go into it knowing as little as possible. Not because you would be disappointed if you had your hopes up, but because no ordinary words, especially not from me, could fully paint the picture of the world Erin Morgenstern presents. The story is hers and only hers to tell. But trust me, you won’t be disappointed. Get your expectations high. Try to guess what is going to happen and I’m sure, at least parts of it, will be a surprise.

The Night Circus is just magical, not only because of its plot, which obviously revolves around magic, but also because of the extraordinary writing. There are only a few books that really made me notice the writing style and this one is definitely on the top of the list. What is more, it’s set at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century  and I can’t tell you why, but there’s something about this period of time that makes books just… better. I’m not saying books set in modern days are bad, because some of them are also brilliant, every one in a different way, but I always find magic more suitable for the past. The characters seem to be really complex; every one of them is different, but they all in one way or another, to a greater or lesser extent, contribute to the story and while I definitely have my favourites, I can’t tell I dislike anyone, maybe because I can see that without every each of them the story wouldn’t be complete. Usually I find it troublesome when a book is set throughout a long period of time – here it is a couple years – I often imagine that there are some untold stories there, some things the reader is not able to either imagine or read about, but in this case Erin does it so brilliantly that it doesn’t even bother me. What is more – it fits. See? This book breaks all my previous stereotypes. Overall, I am still amazed that someone can create such a beautiful, vivid and sensuous world and I really really hope we will get another book of hers.

To be honest I don’t think there is much more to say about The Night Circus. I knew it would be my favourite book from page 1 (alright, I was actually about 50 pages in, but you get the idea). It only took me so long to finish it because I had to put it down for about 3 weeks to focus on my university assignment and during this time the only books I read were the once concerning themselves with marxist theories. But once I sat down to read it, I was not able to put it down. I still feel the little thrill while thinking about the whole book, I immediately spammed my tumblr with it, found two spotify playlists and created a pinterest board. I recommend it to everyone who wants to listen to me and I’m  DEFINITELY going to buy at least one brand new edition of this book, because I need one beautiful copy in perfect condition and also because I plan to reread it in the future and make some annotations and I feel like the used copy would be perfect for this purpose. To be honest, I’m already looking through online stores planning to buy as many copies as possible (I’m also really tempted to buy the Japanese edition. Do I speak Japanese? Absolutely not. Am I learning Japanese now? Nope, though I tried but put it off for later. Does it matter? Definitely not, because the cover is just a m a z i n g). I’m also looking at tarot cards and I’m really disappointed I’m so late to the party, when the beautiful cards with art from Erin herself are already sold out. And, as you’ve probably already noticed, my blog header is now inspired with this book. Am I obsessed? Probably. Do I care? Not at all.

So here it is. My lacking details, completely spoiler free and very subjective review of the book I’m in love with. If you wonder whether to read it or not I’m telling you now – go read it. If you’ve never heard of it – go read it anyway. Just please read it, because this book is nothing you would expect from an incredible book – it’s way more than that. And if you’ve already read it, please share you opinion because I would love to see what people think of it and maybe talk about it to someone who enjoyed it as much as I did.

And now excuse me, I need to go find videos of Cirque du Soleil since it’s probably the closest thing to Le Cirque des Rêves I’ll ever get.

– Iga xx

The Night Circus – Review Opens at Nightfall.  Closes at Dawn . If you have no idea what I'm talking about it means that before you go into the post you better go and read.

[an-avid-reader]

Legend (#1) - Marie Lu

my rating: 4/5 stars

In a world where the Patriots/Colonies and the Republic are at odds and there’s a plague in the poorer parts of the US, Day is an unstoppable street criminal with good intentions. When his family’s house gets marked by Republic soldiers, Day’s only thought is to steal a cure before his family member dies. June is a top student at Drake University—a prodigy. When her brother, Metias, gets caught in a cross-fire during a mission, June is fast-tracked to becoming a soldier. Her first mission: track down Day. As Day and June come from such opposite backgrounds, is it possible that their paths would’ve crossed otherwise? 

Link to Goodreads // Spoiler-free review below

It felt so weird to switch this book from “to-read” to “reading” and now to “read” on Goodreads—this was the first book I placed on my virtual tbr and now, 6 years later I’ve read Legend! Honestly, I didn’t know much about this story going in, besides the fact that it’s a dystopian trilogy...and that, after reading a bunch of those stories, I was skeptical going into this book however I was still really excited to pick it up and I’m glad that I did! 

Legend alternates between Day and June’s perspectives and we get to see how drastically their lives are; when their worlds collide it was super fascinating, even though they put A LOT of trust from nowhere into each other. I sort of wish we got a few chapters from other characters, such as Commander Jameson, Thomas, and Tess, but of course without ruining the story. The other reason I didn’t give a full 5/5 was because I was able to guess bits of the twist pretty early on, albeit I wasn’t sure how it was going to pan out until we came to that part of the story. (We also gotta leave some room for improvement for the subsequent books!)

So the main premise of the story is that there is a war between the Colonies/Republic and the Patriots. To be completely honest, I still can’t really explain why this war occurred, nor what either’s agenda is (except for maybe power, but in terms of politics I’m ???). One reason why I wish we got more POVs is to explore this issue a bit more, and what their motivation is—if two Patriots were in the same room, would there be a way for them to connect with each other (assuming that this is a large society), for example. There were some details that were slowly brought out, such as the coin found by Day’s father (which is incorporated into a very clever manner). To be completely honest, the one thing I took away from the political scene is how cult-like the US in this book (but also irl—I’ve never seen another country where pretty much everyone has their country’s flag on their front lawn or uhhh worship? their flag).

The other minor but also major detail is the virus (or the plague, but it has to be treated with a vaccine, therefore it’s a virus). We know that there’s a plague, and of course, the poorer parts of the rEpBuLiC, such as Day’s neighbourhood, are affected heavily, but that’s pretty much the extent that we know. I wonder if Legend was written/published today (or next year, let’s say), would the plague be different—would people be wearing masks, for instance?  What are the symptoms of the plague (I think there was some coughing and fever)—how do you know for sure it’s the plague and not a common cold or the chicken pox, for example o.O I definitely felt like I was over analyzing details at times because I was able to pick up on Lu’s foreshadowing pretty early on. 

Brief comment on Lu’s foreshadowing—she is clever in the sense that sometimes the details are right in your face, but you don’t realize it until a significant event happens. Sometimes it’s a really important part of the story, other times it’s just a subtle detail, like the coin. You can tell that Lu most likely planned Legend meticulously, and I’m sure that the next two books are crafted with this precise manner. I’m sure this is the type of book that when you reread it, you can pick out all the details that were planted along the way (or maybe I’m over analyzing again).

Something else that I appreciated in this book is that, although this is dystopian, it doesn’t feel like those typical dystopian tropes are there, if that makes sense. Yes, there’s a romance (and maybe a tad of insta love), but it’s not the driving factor of the plot. And there’s no love triangle (*throws confetti*). Besides the war and thus, the division of the population, the most obvious dystopian feature is the Trial—this is when you turn 10, you must take a test (physical, mental, and an interview). Based on your score, you either get placed into highschool, university, or you’re sent to labour camps if you fail. Honestly, as messed up as the Trial is, it’s almost like a reality today. I feel like people who are just entering middle school are already set on studying medicine or law, when at that age, you should be idk enjoying life and maybe start putting effort into what you enjoy, not choosing a career. Anyways, those are my 2 cents. 

Although Legend is written from our two main characters, I love how different their dynamic was, which made the story much more interesting. From Day’s point of view, I liked that we got to see the pain he feels for his family. I also appreciated Day’s relationship with Tess, who I feel like they’re more like brother and sister (and I’m glad there isn’t a love triangle...at this point of the trilogy anyways). While Day is a criminal, he’s such a softie when it comes to the people he cares about, whereas when he’s on a ‘mission’ he’s very sly. From June’s point of view, we are introduced to Thomas (which I thought he was like a butler but oop that’s not right), Metias (her brother), and Ollie (their doggo (yes?)). At first, it seems that June is like this kick ass girl, who is super young (ish, she’s 16) and she’s a trouble-maker, but I feel like her peers respect her. One thing I noticed is that June is such a compassionate person—I’m not sure how to explain it, but she’s more “human” than Commander Jameson, for example. Her element of humanity and being able to analyze a situation/emotions within a few minutes, it was super impressive—I feel like she makes working for the Republic very easy. We only get a few glimpses of her and Metias together, but what we see is so wholesome—you can tell that Metias is scared/deeply cares for his younger sister. And there’s Thomas...from the gecko he gave me weird vibes but man he is such an icky man. Also, seeing as June is a prodigy, it’s almost like her uh ‘bosses’ (?) treat her as a prized possession, which 100% made me feel like (more on that in the spoiler section below). For once, I didn’t really mind the insta love between June and Day, though whilst I was reading the book, I was a bit frustrated because I could see exactly where the story was going (I see you, Lu, I see you).

Finally, I appreciate that Lu’s characters are people of colour, specifically Asian/asian-mixed. I obviously can’t speak on her behalf, but I’m glad that she didn’t conform to the “norm” or “default” as she is Asian-american herself. Furthermore, I think it gives younger people the encouragement that yes, you can be an author, you don’t need to be a heterosexual, cis, white male. (I’m sorry for the crappy explanation, I guess what kinda sucks is that she had to explicitly mention it in the book). ANYWAYS moving on, I appreciated this book, though I didn’t really know what to expect from it. To be completely honest, I was also scared to read it because it had been on my TBR since 2014 (oops), but I think that in the end, it’s good thing I waited to start this trilogy; I think that otherwise, this would’ve been same-old-same-old vibes to other dystopian books/trilogies I’ve read in the past. I’m excited to see where the trilogy takes us and I’m excited to see how Lu will further develop our main characters, as well as see how her writing style changes over time!

If you’ve read this book, I’d love to know what your thoughts are, did you like this book or not? (and if you’ve read the other two books, did you find that overall, the series gets better/what book is your favourite from this series?).

Thank you for reading my review, I hope you are having a legendary day (sorry, I had to), wherever you are in the world!

~ Cassandra / an-avid-reader

-

I’ve decided to include a spoiler section of my reviews; continue reading for some spoiler-y content (you have been warned)

SPOILER SECTION BELOW

While I could see it coming that June was going to betray Day, she felt so bad when she called the cops on his family. Again, this goes back to the humanity thing. The fact that she actually listened to Day (and I guess respected him?) as opposed to merely judging him for “failing” his Trial and being poor is commendable. To be honest, I’d like to think that they had mutual respect for each other, Day has his reputation, and June unexpectedly kicked Kaede’s butt in the ring. I feel like there’s so much to uncover, there’s something so fishy with their government, and I think we’re just at the tip of the iceberg. It makes me think of what other contraband exists, besides the pendent/coin. Also, side note, isn’t one presidential term = 4 years, and the Elector has been the leader/uh President for 11 terms? I don’t remember it being mentioned, but I feel like the next Elector would be his son, sort of like a dictatorship…

Speaking of the fight scene, I’m honestly surprised that June didn’t put the pieces together. When she met Day for the first time (for the cure deal), she noted his dialect/the fact that he used the cousin. We’re not told how many other people use the same slang, nor do we encounter another character (such as the older man who helped Tess and Day early on in the story), using that slang. Thus, when Day said cousin in front of June, I’m surprised that she didn’t question whether that was Day or not. Then again, I feel like she needed more hints to corroborate her hypothesis—I’m just surprised that it didn’t even cross her mind, I guess. 

June = prized possession? Aka Thomas kissing her *vomits* I assumed that Thomas was an older guy, again, like he was her butler/guardian because her parents are dead. (LIGHTBULB MOMENT - we know that the Republic just kills people, so is it possible that Day’s father is still alive? We know for sure his mom is dead because she got shot in the head by none other than T h o m a s, but maybe there’s a chance that Day’s father was still alive). I feel like June was just even more ruplused when she found out that Thomas was actually the killer of her brother; I wonder if that’s what made him so “cold”, as June referred to later on in the story. Was he brainwashed or something? Commander Jameson gives me these weird vibes, like she has a bigger role in this story, but we don’t know yet. And then during the ceremony after June caught Day, there was Chian, Metias’ mentor (most likely also a snake) who was kinda hitting on her, and then there was the Elector’s son! I’m just speechless, can these people not force themselves onto June?? If she didn’t meet Day, would she fall for one of them, or would she just live her best life (part of me hopes for the latter, all those guys are creeps).

I also find it convenient that June knew exactly what to do with the computer/with Metias’ message? Albeit, she is clever (when her judgement isn’t clouded lmao). I knew that the letters were going to be a scramble, but I would’ve never thought it would lead to a website. Also, how was Metias sure that June would read through his stuff? If he were still alive, would he have told June about what he found (ever)? And how did he get wrapped up in all of this? So many questions!! Anyways, I guess that the two of them had a similar way of going about things/thinking similar enough so that they could find clues like that without raising too much suspicion (even though June did end up getting caught towards the end). 

One of the ways that Lu was able to sneak in some foreshadowing is when we’re in Day’s POV and we learn about his older brother, John. I remember that there was something along the lines of “oh we look so similar, it would be easy to mistake one for the other” and that sort of raised suspicion for me, which was confirmed when John sacrificed himself to let June and Day (and the others) escape. I didn’t catch that Day’s pendant was a coin, however, that was really clever. I wouldn’t say that being able to spot these things early on made me dislike the book, but it did take away the element of surprise. 

Onto book #2!

[cynthianna]

New Beginnings: A Book Re-Release and a New Doctor

New Beginnings: A New Book It's here at last--the re-release of my first novel in my series, Loving Who, a sci-fi romantic-comedy full of Who fans and fun, is now available from Devine Destinies Books. Also available at Amazon in print and e-formats, and from other online retailers. You can read an excerpt below before I give my take on the "New Doctor." Loving Who by Cynthianna http://www.devinedestinies.com/loving-who/ Screwball comedy meets the world of Doctor Who fandom. Cici Connors' life will never be the same and it all changes when she takes a mysterious man into her life—and her bed. John Smith makes the perfect Doctor for their club's fan film, but is he really good boyfriend material? His fondness for popcorn and whipped cream are the least of his eccentricities, as Cici discovers not everyone sees the same man she sees. When will John confess he's not from this planet? Will Cici regret having an affair and becoming mixed-up in an extra-terrestrial kidnapping plot? After all, how many alien assassins tracking her does one fangirl need? And now an excerpt from Loving Who.  In this scene, our heroine Cici is transmatted from Earth to an alien world for the first time: I don’t know when I began screaming, but my ears throbbed from my shrieks upon our arrival on a dark, featureless plain. I clapped my mouth shut and stared at John Smith, the man, alien, sentient being, who had made the unthinkable possible, the undoable doable, and in the process, had taken me to where I’d always wanted to go. “Look up,” he said calmly. I did. A million stars stabbed my eyes from a sea of the blackest velvet. A billion times better than staring through my souped up telescope. A trillion times better than pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope on the internet.

I was actually here. “Like what you see?” He chuckled at my dumbfounded response. “Fancy the Bygons placing their teleportation deck where they keep their observatory.” He strolled toward what appeared to be a console and flipped a couple of switches. Low-level lightning came on about the walls and a hum of machinery filled the emptiness of the circular chamber. I continued to gaze up through the huge skylight window. “Cici? You okay?” I pointed upward. “Stars,” I said at last. “Lots of them.”

“Eloquently put.” He came to my side and looked up. “You may or may not recognize any of the constellations but try not to worry. I’ll sort it out.” “So many stars.” I had to close my mouth to keep from drooling. “Uh, yes.” He frowned. “It appears I’ve made bit of a miscalculation. We’re not in Earth’s orbit. We’re not on a ship, either.” I gasped. My knees turned to jelly. The piercing lights above began to swirl about me. I could feel my breakfast rising as a wave of nausea swept over me. John caught me by the elbow and lowered me to sit cross-legged on the deck. “Where…are we?” I asked. “A planet somewhere to the south and west of St. Louis by several million light years I estimate.” He stood and shrugged. “Not too far off the beaten path.” “Not too far off?” My brain switched back on, and things began to sort themselves out internally. “We’re several million light years away from Earth, and you considered that close?” “It’s all relative. Ask my friend Albert. It’s what he said. Anyway, we can go back the way we came, so we might as well avail ourselves of a tour of this curious facility.” He offered me a hand, and I shakily regained my feet. “Where is everyone? I thought we’d run into the ghostly geeks with the shades.” “So did I. Maybe it’s their tea time or something. Come along. Let’s explore.”

Loving Who now available from Devine Destinies Books and other fine online book sellers. (Now available at Amazon.)

You can read more about the other books in the series coming soon on my Loving Who series page by clicking here. If you can, please leave a review of my books on Amazon, Goodread, Facebook or elsewhere and let me know when you do so I can thank you. Loving Who was first written in the David Tennant era, so no, it doesn't mention the latest Doctor. It's about fans of both the classic series and the new. What do I think about the recent announcement of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor? Well... I've not said much about the announcement online since I've been busy lately, and I've seen some fans attacking other fans over either liking or not liking the Beeb's decision.  Some even attacked Fifth Doctor Peter Davison for simply voicing his opinion. That's simply not right. It's a TV show, folks. In the grand scheme of things, it's entertainment--not life or death. Peter and all Whovians deserve the right to express their thoughts in a respectful manner. So with that in mind, here's what I say about this latest bit of Who news. A New Beginning: A New Doctor As an author myself, I'm not always sure it's a good thing to mess with another artist's creative vision. Verity Lambert and Sydney Newman (the original producers/show creators) created  Doctor Who to be "family friendly" and "educational," but it has wandered far afield from this early concept. They made the Doctor a crusty, older British-sounding male, and cast William Hartnell in the role. If that's how they saw the character of the Doctor, who are we to argue with them? It would be like saying, "Huckleberry Finn is now a middle-aged, Chinese female instead of a young American boy." What would Mark Twain think of what you did to his character of Huck Finn? (Does a radically different Huck make sense in the context of the entire novel?) Since Verity and Sydney are no longer with us, we'll never know what they think about how others have interpreted their vision, but don't we owe it to their legacy to take care of their artistic creation? I wonder why the BBC doesn't start a new, completely unique show with a "Time Lady" (such as Romana or the Rani) instead. Then the new show creators could do whatever they like with the Time Lady character without the worries of upsetting fans of the old show or going against series canon. I hear rumors of actress Georgia Moffat returning as the "Doctor's Daughter" in her own television show, so it is possible to start fresh with a spin-off if you're feeling trapped by the older show's scope. Since the Doctor has regenerated thirteen times now--and has always been "male" in appearance and British in his speech patterns--why would he/she/it become "female" now? What good reason can one give for this radical change in the character? Why isn't the Doctor African or Asian instead? Why can't the Doctor speak with an American or Australian accent? Why does the Doctor have to speak English at all? Why not make the Doctor Brazilian or Mexican? The fans south of the border would love it! It just doesn't make much sense within the internal logic of the Doctor's  character to change his basic make-up since it has worked so well for the show for almost 54 years.  Such a radical change comes across as a ratings' ploy more than an artistic choice. Is the show in such trouble that it needs to pull a "stunt" to gain new viewers? What's the real motive behind this "gimmick"? Still, Jodie Whittaker is a good actress, and it's worth a look to see how she handles the part.  I wish her and the new showrunners the best of luck. Fingers crossed they give her decent scripts to act and not the poor quality scripts Peter Capaldi was sometimes stuck with. It's the poor scriptwriting of the newer Who series that's disappointed me at times--never the actors, settings or SFX, etc., which are generally first rate. Having studied screenplay writing and film critique, I hate to see opportunities wasted to create brilliant science fiction on screen. The talent is out there writing-wise, BBC. Please use it! Loving Who now available from Devine Destinies Books and other fine online book sellers!