#author: rebecca k. reilly

[haveyoureadthispoll]

For fans of Schitt’s Creek and Sally Rooney’s Normal People, an irresistible and bighearted international bestseller that follows a brother and sister as they navigate queerness, multiracial identity, and the dramas big and small of their entangled, unconventional family, all while flailing their way to love. It’s been a year since his ex-boyfriend dumped him and moved from Auckland to Buenos Aires, and Valdin is doing fine. He has a good flat with his sister Greta, a good career where his colleagues only occasionally remind him that he is the sole Māori person in the office, and a good friend who he only sleeps with when he’s sad. But when work sends him to Argentina and he’s thrown back in his former lover’s orbit, Valdin is forced to confront the feelings he’s been trying to ignore—and the future he wants. Greta is not letting her painfully unrequited crush (or her possibly pointless master’s thesis, or her pathetic academic salary...) get her down. She would love to focus on the charming fellow grad student she meets at a party and her friendships with a circle of similarly floundering twenty-somethings, but her chaotic family life won’t stop her mother is keeping secrets, her nephew is having a gay crisis, and her brother has suddenly flown to South America without a word. Sharp, hilarious, and with an undeniable emotional momentum that builds to an exuberant conclusion, Greta & Valdin careens us through the siblings’ misadventures and the messy dramas of their sprawling, eccentric Maaori-Russian-Catalonian family. An acclaimed bestseller in New Zealand, Greta & Valdin is fresh, joyful, and alive with the possibility of love in its many mystifying forms.

[paperbaacks]

books i bought recently 🫶🏼

greta and valdin - rebecca k reilly: got this new and a hardcover, we are clearly living large!!!

monsters - claire dederer: got this new too, based on recommendations by a few friends <33

jane eyre - charlotte brontë: this was secondhand. bought this because it smelled really fucking good, i wish i was kidding

the portrait of the artist as a young man - james joyce: this is secondhand too. there was no way i was going to read ulysses so this will have to do for joyce

unfinished tales - j.r.r. tolkien: secondhand. got this for my fiancé actually. he's a huge fan of lotr

summer crossing - truman capote: secondhand. this intrigued me because of its backstory (didn't come to light until 20 years after the author's death, published posthumously etc)

[thousandfireworks]

Authors whose books you have to avoid because they are problematic.

Abigail Hing Wen.

Alex Aster.

Alice Hoffman.

Alice Oseman.

Alison Win Scotch. ‘Terrorism is never acceptable. Not in Israel.’

Allie Sarah.

Amber Kelly.

Amy Harmon.

Annabelle Monaghan.

Anna Akana.

Aurora Parker.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Brandon Sanderson. Islamophobic.

Carissa Broadbent. Said that hamas is doing violence against innocence.

Chloe Walsh. Siding with Israel in the name of humanity.

Christina Lauren. Believe that Israel is the victim. A racist, also Islamophobic.

Colleen Hoover.

Cora Reilly. Travel to Israel despite criticism.

Danielle Bernstein. Islamophobic.

Danielle Lori.

Deke Moulton. Said hamas is terrorist.

Dian Purnomo.

Eliza Chan.

Elle Kennedy.

Elyssa Friedland.

Emily Henry.

Emily Mclntire.

Emily St. J. Mandel. Admiring Israel.

Gabrielle Zevin. Wrote a book about anti-Palestine. Mentioned Israel multiple times without context on his book.

Gregory Carlos. Israeli author. A zionist.

Hannah Whitten.

Hazel Hayes. Reposted a post about October 7th.

Heidi Shertok.

Jamie McGuire.

Jay Shetty. ‘Violence is happening in Israel.’

Jean Meltzer.

Jeffery Archer. Wrote a book with a mc Israel operative (mossad) in a positive and anti terrorist light.

Jennifer Hartman. Liked a post about pro-Israel.

Jen Calonita.

Jessa Hastings.

Jill Santopolo. Said that Israel has right to exist and fight back.

John Green.

Jojo Moyes.

J. Elle.

J. K. Rowling. Support genocide. Racist. Islamophobic.

Kate Canterbery.

Kate Stewart.

Katherine Howe.

Katherine Locke.

Kristin Hannah. Support Israel. Shared a donation link.

Laini Taylor.

Laura Thalassa. Islamophobic.

Lauren Wise. Cussed that Palestinian supporters would be raped in front of children.

Lea Geller. Thanked people who supports Israel.

Leigh Dragoon. Islamaphobic and anti Asian racist rants on Twitter and threads

Leigh Stein.

Lilian Harris. A racist. Blocking people who educates about colonialism in Palestine and call them disgusting.

Lisa Barr. A daughter of Holocaust survivor. Support Israel.

Lisa Kennedy Montgomery.

Lisa Steinke.

Liz Fenton.

Lynn Painter. Afraid of getting cancelled as a pro-Palestine and posted a template afterwards.

L. J. Shen. Her husband joins idf (Israel army).

Mariana Zapata.

Marie Lu.

Marissa Meyer.

Melissa de la Cruz.

Michelle Cohen Corasanti.

Michelle Hodkin. Spread false rumors about arab-hamas. Islamophobic.

Mitch Albom. ‘We shouldn't blame Israel for surviving attacks or defending against them.’

Monica Murphy. Siding with Israel.

Naomi Klein.

Navah Wolfe.

Neil Gaiman. Suggested Palestinians unite with Israel and become citizens.

Nicholas Sparks.

Nic Stone. Talked nonsense that children in Palestinian refugee camp are training to be martyrs for Allah because they felt it was their call in life.

Nyla K.

Olivia Wildenstein. Blocking people who disagree with Israel wrongdoing.

Pamela Becker.

Penelope Douglas.

Pierce Brown.

Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Rebecca G. Martinez.

Rebecca Yarros. ‘I despise violence’ her opinion about what's happening in Gaza. Blocking people who calls her a zionist.

Rena Rossner.

Renee Ahdieh.

Rick Riordan.

Rina Kent.

Rivka (noctem.novelle).

Rochelle Weinstein.

Romina Garber. ‘These terrorist attacks do nothing to improve the lives of Palestinians people.’

Roshani Chokshi. Encourage people to donate to Israel.

Samantha Greene Woodruff.

Sarah J. Mass. Her book contained ideology of zionism.

Stephanie Garber. Promoting books by zionist author (Sarah J. Mass)

Skye Warren.

Sonali Dev.

Talia Carner.

Tarryn Fisher. Said ‘there was terrorist attack in Israel.’

Taylor Jenkins Reid. Posted a video about genocide.

Tere Liye. Rumoured to have ghoswriters to write his books and never give credit to them.

Tillie Cole.

Tracy Deon.

Trinity Traveler (Ade Perucha Hutagaol). Rumour to wrote book about handsome Israelis.

T. J. Klune.

Uri Kurlianchik.

Veronica Roth.

Victoria Aveyard. ‘Israel has the right to exist.’ quote from her about the issue.

V. E. Schwab. Shared a donation link and video about Israel.

Yuval Noah. ‘Israel has the right to do anything to defend themselves.’

Zibby Owens.

[nellie-elizabeth]

2024 Books - Year in Review

I was going to make a post of all my "favorite" books this year, but instead I decided to go with my "noteworthy" books of this year, the ones that stuck in my head when I look back over what I read. I steered away from negativity, so while a couple of these weren't 4 or 5 star reads, they still stuck with me for positive reasons and gave me stuff to think about! I had a fair share of 1 star books this year too, but I'll leave that for my goodreads if you're curious to read me be a hater! lol. See below for some thoughts on each!

~~~

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez: new all-time favorite. If you are someone who loves the craft of the novel, the complexity of language to impart meaning, if you want a story that iterates, that invites deep thought and deep contemplation, you have to read this. It's one of the most cleverly and expertly constructed works of fantasy fiction I've ever read. The world-building, characters, and plot are all vivid and unique, and the woven narrative structure is a true masterpiece. I think this stands head and shoulders above every other work of fantasy I read this year, and I'll be thinking about it and re-reading it for a long long time.

Lord Byron's Novel: The Evening Land by John Crowley: This one had been on my tbr for a million years and I finally got to it this year. It's a perfect book 2 me even though it's pretentious as hell lol. It just happens to be pretentious about stuff I love to think about. When a contemporary author borrows the style of a known master with the English language and does it in a way that feels authentic and loving, I'm always impressed and interested. It also has this specific trope of "finding the lost works of the masters" and uncovering interesting secrets about the past that I always love. And I learned some stuff about Ada Lovelace, to boot!

Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly: I have a lot of friends who are allergic to trying literary fiction and this is the book I would pitch them to try, because it's not a huge bite to chew on but it does give a good example of the gifts this type of book can offer. It's about people my age in my current moment, queer and disaffected and confused and scared, but trying so hard to find joy. It's a story about a loving and somewhat wacky family that manages to never tip over into being too tropey or saccharine. It gave me goosebumps and it put the biggest smile on my face.

The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro: If you ever wanted to read a book that feels like having a confusing and disorienting and anxiety-producing dream, read this book. I don't even know how much I "liked" it or how to articulate everything going on about it, but it's about, like, disappointment? Suffering disappointment and disappointing others, and getting in your own way. And it's about parents failing their children, more specifically. And it's funny as hell, as Ishiguro usually is.

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld: This was one of the bigger surprises for me this year, because it's my third Sittenfeld novel and I pretty strongly disliked the other two I've tried. But this was a book club pick so I sighed and resigned myself to another mediocre read. And instead, I really really liked it! I think the thing that sticks in my head most, months after reading it, is how it accurately captured something super painful and true about being a young person who doesn't know how to behave, and who is afraid of what other people are thinking of you. This is one of those books where the protagonist is not "fun" to hang out with in the traditional sense, she's often incredibly infuriating. But gosh, is she hashtag-relatable all the same.

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett: I have slowed down a lot in my quest to read through the entire Discworld, so I only read I think two or three this year. But I finally got here, to one of the top-tier novels in the series, according to most people. And, yeah, I get why it's a favorite. Samuel Vimes, the man that you are. Love a book that can make me snicker at the funny jokes on every page but then also punch me in the solar plexus whenever it damn well wants to.

Love and Freindship and Other Youthful Writings by Jane Austen: Despite being an Austen devotee, I'd never really bothered with her juvenalia, and that was a mistake! This was so fun. This volume included Lady Susan too, which I also hadn't read. These pieces are less polished and obviously not quite as deep as her completed novels, but god, she's so fucking funny. And because many of these pieces were just jokey little gifts she was writing for her family and intimate circles of friends, there are some really saucy and bawdy kind of shocking jokes in here that never would have appeared in any of the published novels. You also see her trying out some tropes that she later refines in her more well-known works, and I love seeing a bit of how the sausage gets made.

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: I read Gideon last year, and Harrow & Nona this year. Harrow is definitely my favorite of the three because she's so fucked in the head, and I'm a sucker for a clever second-person conceit. This is the kind of book that is patting itself on the back about how clever it is all the time and I don't even care because I'm too busy giggling at the bizarre and depraved events playing out on the page. The part that sticks in my head most is probably Harrow and Ianthe fleeing the room in abject horror as Mercy and Augustine initiate a threesome with God. Truly hilarious.

Penance by Eliza Clarke: Tumblr-ites, you should read this, Tumblr itself plays a pretty big role in the plot, and you can tell that Clarke is (or was) a native or at least worked closely with someone who was. It's probably one of the best fictionalized version of fandom stuff I've ever read, even though it's... uh... about RPF mass-shooter fandom...... It's a disturbing read that takes the entire concept of True Crime to task in a way that feels complex and not overly scolding? Like, it's not a book that slaps true crime fans on the wrist but it does make you think about the role that our social fascination with violence can play in the lives of people who might need help they don't know how to access.

Cages by Peg Kehret: Middle grade re-read! This was one of my favorite books from childhood and I remembered a ton of details really vividly, but I'd forgotten how hard it goes with the alcoholic stepfather thing... and goddamn, this book is sad. I actually cried real tears reading it during the part about Lady having the love light in her eyes. I gave my cat lots of kisses on her little snoot after reading this.

The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates: This was a re-read that I first encountered as a senior in undergrad. At the time, I liked the book and I wrote a term paper on it, but reading it again today just shows me how ill-equipped 21-year-old-me was, to grapple with the book's core themes around race. I was skittish about it a decade ago, and this time the book kind of... unfolded for me in a way that was really valuable and interesting. Plus, say what you will about Oates, she's a fucking excellent writer of prose, this is a very readable and interesting book. For those of you who have become Dracula-enjoyers over the past few years because of Dracula Daily, I'd super recommend reading this book as a companion to Dracula. It's a direct homage in some fairly obvious ways (one of the main characters is named Wilhelmina) and also an alternative exploration of some of Stoker's original theming.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin: Not a ton to say here, this was a re-read and it's obviously flawless, incredible, a Favorite of All Time. This time reading it, I was doing it with a small group and we met every other week, so we read it sloooooowly. It was cool, I really got to take notes and Contemplate the Text in a way I hadn't in prior readings. The big theme that jumped out this time around was all the dichotomies, everything a complement and an opposite. The travelogue aspect really stood out to me this time too, the planet of Gethen becoming a character on the page to me more than it ever has before. And talk about gorgeous writing, holy hell.

The Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo: I read the first one last year, then three more this year, and I still have one left to go. These are really nice literary snacks, I guess you could say? I like the vibe, I like the simple yet powerful prose, I like the distinct and memorable characters. I'm interested in the theme of "why do we tell stories" (as Tyrion Lannister might say lolololol) and a few of my favorite books this year grappled with that as a core idea. These books have this classical, folkloric vibe to them that I greatly enjoy. I hope Vo writes a dozen more, I'll keep reading.

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman: Okay, this one probably doesn't have the depth or staying power of most of others on this list, but I really enjoyed it and it fits in with that general theme of why do we keep returning to familiar stories and characters again and again? What are we learning about ourselves and our cultural identity through these familiar figures? This was also a text that did that "setting as character" thing really well, with the land of Britain having a presence all on its own, standing up to any of the individual characters. There's a moment in this book with Bedivere and Guinevere that made me cry, and be on the look-out for the most insane take on Lancelot du Lac I've ever encountered. Ever wanted to read a book where the fae folk engage in pitched battle with literal Angels of the Christian God? Then this one is for you.

Paladin's Grace / Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher: these are the lowest star rated books that made it onto this "2024 notable" list for me; I grappled with my conflicting feelings a ton on this one, so feel free to read in full at that link if you so choose. Short version is that these are pretty poorly written on the level of the sentence, the prose could use some serious polish and that was enormously distracting. But, when I set that aside and met them where they're at, I can appreciate them for some cozy fantasy romance. The thing that stuck in my head the most was the promise of the premise, there's a really cool back-story for the lead characters, and intriguing world-building being set up in this series, and it's that larger structural story that had me going back for book two. I think I'll probably get to the next couple books in the series before too long. I just hope one day that promise of the premise actualizes and provides a bit more intensity, because these were fairly tepid, if comforting, reads for me. I haven't been able to get the Smooth Ones out of my head though, that's for sure! So creepy!

~~~

So there you have it, my 2024 in review! There were plenty of other books I really loved reading this year, but I think this encapsulates the bulk of what got stuck in my brain, the stories I keep turning over and over in my head like a mental fidget toy. I'm excited to read more of some of these authors and strike out into some new territory in 2025!

[eusebbius]

lesbian reading wrap up 2024 part 3

october cont.

greta & valdin by rebecca k reilly

this book is full of so much love & warmth and i loved reading it so much. it's so funny and heartwarming and i can't wait to re-read it. when i read this my brother was studying abroad at the university of auckland, which is where this book is set, and this book is about the sibling relationship between greta & valdin, so it made me think of him and was very good timing for me to read it then. i really really loved this. i also loved the part early on in the book where greta forgets that she's gay and goes on a date with a man. so true queen. everyone should read this book !!!! also all the side characters felt very well drawn and distinctive to me. and the authors film podcast is very entertaining.

in the dream house by carmen maria machado

ok obviously this book is extremely popular and influential. i thought it was as good as everyone says it is but to be honest i don't have like an original take to contribute about this book. but i read it in one sitting it was extremely gripping. and also i thought the form of different horror tropes suited the content extremely well.

rainbow black by maggie thrash

this book is sooooo romantic to me actually. gwen and jo are in love even though theyre fighting <3 and this book was extremely extremely entertaining. i repeatedly found myself very surprised by the direction the book took. i also loved the first person narration. yeah i had a lot of fun reading this.

idlewild by james frankie thomas

ok i have more complicated feelings about this book. first of all in some ways this book more closely captures my high school experience than anything i've ever read. it certainly captures my intiail coming out experience more closely than anything else will- when i read that part of the book i was like damn this is me word for word pretty much. but i feel like nell deserved better </3 at the end of the book we see fay on the brink of a realization that will bring her meaningful change and growth. we see nell still struggling to be in a relationship or like be at peace with herself. i know that the author clearly relates more to fay's experience than nell's but i wish the narrative had more empathy for nell.

[kazz-brekker]

Mid-Year Book Freakout

I was tagged by @libraryleopard, thanks!

Number of books you’ve read so far: 127

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024: The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri (yes this was a 2022 release…let me live)

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: I suppose I can't also say The Oleander Sword for this well, but I also really liked Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcette

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: The Daughters' War by Christopher Buehlman (I owned a signed copy from a book event I went to recently)

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: Warlords of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker, also Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan (I read an arc and I very much want to yell about it to other people)

Biggest surprise: Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly (came recommended but was not on my radar until then)

Favorite new author (debut or new to you): Also Rebecca K. Reilly, I'm a fan for life after her debut

Newest fictional crush: Key from Long Live Evil (those who have not met him yet I promise you will understand in August)

Book that made you cry: I don't cry over books (or any media really) but there was a scene of the main character's friends rescuing her in in An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire which made me quite emotional

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): I have two really nice editions of Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis and Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon with lovely sprayed edges

Book that made you happy: When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb made me smile SO much

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?: Too many…but to pick a few, The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah, He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan, Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake, and Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman

Tagging: @wizardysseus, @shirleyjacksons, @asalesbian

[libraryleopard]

Mid-Year Book Freakout

I was tagged by @aroaessidhe (thanks, Laya!)

Number of books you’ve read so far: 143

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024: I absolutely loved Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly–incredibly funny and heartfelt and full of such well-realized characters.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher was an excellent sequel, otherwise I've pretty much been reading stand-alones so far.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron looks badass!

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher and The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

Biggest surprise: I read kitten by Olive Nuttall the other day on a complete whim (literally, I was just sorting through the "transgender lit" tag of a library app and found it) and thought it was a super interesting and complex little novel that given me a lot to think about.

Favorite new author (debut or new to you): I've read a couple of Anita Kelly's works this year and enjoyed them, definitely going to keep up with their work in the future. City of Laughter by Temim Fruchter and Wild Geese by Soula Emanuel were also two debuts I really liked.

Newest fictional crush: Ruth from Experienced by Kate Young charmed me immensely!!

Book that made you cry: Hmm I rarely cry over books, nothing yet this year

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): I bought a copy of Bitterthorn by Kat Alice Dunn while I was in Ireland and I love the cover

Book that made you happy: Wherever is Your Heart by Anita Kelly…I loved reading about two older butch lesbians falling in love!

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?: The Jasmine Throne…It's getting embarrassing that I haven't…

tagging: @kazz-brekker @displayheartcode @booksapphic @blacksailsgf and anyone else who sees this and wants to!

[bioeco]

How many books did you read this year? 80

Did you reread anything? What? Elif Batuman's 3 books

What were your top five books of the year?

Lote by Shola von Reinhold <3 Voice of the Fish by Lars Horn Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly The Details by Ia Genberg Don't Look at Me Like That by Diana Athill

Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Shola von Reinhold, ZZ Packer, Hisham Matar, Annie Ernaux, Bryan Washington, Marguerite Duras, Isabel Waidner, Justin Torres, Evelyn Waugh, Emily Zhou

What genre did you read the most of? Literary/LGBT haha

Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to? All the books that my friend Becca gave me

What was your average STORYGRAPH rating? Does it seem accurate? 4.13 but I don't rate the books I don't have a strong opinion of

Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones? One book in another language (Lessico Famigliare Natalia Ginzburg)

What was your favorite new release of the year? Cecilia by K-Ming Chang

What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read? Brideshead Revisited!

Any books that disappointed you? The Morningside by Téa Obreht (should have left it as a short story!)

What were your least favorite books of the year? How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir by Shayla Lawson

What books do you want to finish before the year is over? Middlemarch

Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them? This is a good question. I'll have to check.

What is the most over-hyped book you read this year? Knausgaard

Did any books surprise you with how good they were? Emily Wilde

Did you use your library? 5 different local libraries oh yeah!

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations? The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami and YES

What’s the longest book you read? The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

Did you DNF anything? Why? Knausgaard's second struggle book because it was a struggle to read. and Sexist

What reading goals do you have for next year? 80 books again and another book in Italian!

end-of-year book ask

How many books did you read this year?

Did you reread anything? What?

What were your top five books of the year?

Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

What genre did you read the most of?

Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

What was your average Goodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?

Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?

Did you get into any new genres?

What was your favorite new release of the year?

What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

Any books that disappointed you?

What were your least favorite books of the year?

What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?

What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

How many books did you buy?

Did you use your library?

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

What’s the longest book you read?

What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book?

Did you DNF anything? Why?

What reading goals do you have for next year?

[smokefalls]

Title: Greta & Valdin Author: Rebecca K. Reilly Publication Year: 2021 Publisher: Victoria University Press Genre: fiction, queer lit

Greta & Valdin is a novel that felt like a warm embrace from various members of the Vladislavljevic family, a Russian–Maori family, particularly from the two queer siblings who narrate the story, Greta and Valdin. They’re a messy and imperfect bunch, especially Greta and Valdin (really living up to be disaster queers in their own ways, ahaha), but they all carry so much love. I really appreciated how Reilly navigated race and class dynamics in this novel through her characters, making playful jabs at these issues in New Zealand society.

There isn’t much of a plot, which may frustrate some, as most of this book focuses on the characters and their relationships with one another, and, really, the joys and frustrations of being human. There was something so genuine about these characters, so much that I found myself laughing out loud a number of times. (I will also say the humor is reminiscent of television shows such as Fleabag and Chewing Gum, so if you’re not a fan of this sort of humor, perhaps avoid this novel.)

I did feel the ending was a little hastily put together, but overall, I greatly enjoyed the ride that was this book. Reilly wrote some of the most sincere and endearing characters I’ve read in some time. On an unrelated note, it was also quite fun to learn more about New Zealand society and culture, including slang.

Content Warning: references to racism, classism, and queerphobia

[nellie-elizabeth]

Book Tracking Check-In 7.30.24

GOAL 1 BOOKS: OWNED & NOT READ (9 as of 7.30.24, 1 is preordered)

Oathbringer - Brandon Sanderson

Dawnshard - Brandon Sanderson

The Sunlit Man - Brandon Sanderson

The Wee Free Men - Terry Pratchett

Nona the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir

Mammoths at the Gates - Nghi Vo

Morning Star - Pierce Brown

The Adventure Zone - Suffering Game

[What Doesn’t Break (Bells Hells)] - preordered

GOAL 2 BOOKS: BOOK CLUBS! (2 as of 7.30.24)

The One - Julia Argy

Greta & Valdin - Rebecca K. Reilly

GOAL 3 BOOKS: RE-READ OLD BOOKS (27 as of 7.30.24)

Peter and the Starcatchers

Peter and the Shadow Thieves

Peter and the Secret of Rundoon

In Cold Blood

The Wish List

Walk Two Moons

Bud, Not Buddy

The BFG

Adam Bede

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

The Princess Bride

Olive’s Ocean

Our Only May Amelia

The Valley of Secrets

The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

Gathering Blue

The Host

Beloved - Toni Morrison

Mama Day - Gloria Naylor

The Accursed - Joyce Carol Oates

Ivanhoe - Walter Scott

The Cricket in Times Square

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Slaughterhouse-Five

Charlotte’s Web

The People in the Trees

GOAL 4 BOOKS: CONTINUING SERIES/AUTHORS [32]

Paladin's Grace

Discworld [11]

The Locked Tomb [1]

Gods of Blood and Powder [3]

The Singing Hills Cycle [1]

Red Rising [4]

Brandon Sanderson [8]

Kate Alice Marshall [1]

Critical Role [2]

---------------------------

My Reading Stats in 2024 So Far: 55 TOTAL

GOAL 1 BOOKS: OWNED & NOT READ [24]

Promise of Blood

The Mighty Nein Origins - Fjord Stone

Words of Radiance

The Last Hero

Harrow the Ninth

The Narrow

A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings

Edgedancer

Red Rising

The Crimson Campaign

Lord Byron’s Novel: The Evening Land

Mistborn: Secret History

Night Watch

Arcanum Unbounded

Golden Son

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

How Long 'Til Black Future Month

The Mighty Nein Origins - Beauregard Lionett

Into the Riverlands

The Autumn Republic

Apostles of Mercy

The Mighty Nein Origins - Caduceus Clay

No One Can Know

The Dispossessed

GOAL 2 BOOKS: BOOK CLUBS! [12]

The Robber Bride

The Glass Hotel

Wylding Hall

The Unsettled

Babel-17

When We Were Orphans

Trust

The Riddle-Master of Hed

The Emperor and the Endless Palace

Prep

Parasol Against the Axe

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

GOAL 3 BOOKS: RE-READ OLD BOOKS [14]

The Magicians Nephew

The Hobbit

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Cages

The Horse and His Boy

Prince Caspian

Crime and Punishment

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Blithedale Romance

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Silver Chair

The Last Battle

The Left Hand of Darkness

The School Story

GOAL 4 BOOKS: CONTINUING SERIES/AUTHORS [5] (Most included in Goal 1)

The Rise of Kyoshi

The Shadow of Kyoshi

Dark One

Dark One: Forgotten

Ninefox Gambit

[libraryleopard]

6, 19, and 23 for the end of year book asks? :)

Thanks!

6. Any new favorite authors?

Premee Mohamed! I read several of her novellas this year–The Apple-Tree Throne, What Can We Offer You Tonight, The Butcher of the Forest, and The Ride, the Rider, and the Rich Man's Wife–and I love how unique and inventive her works are. She does interesting things with genre (Ride is a post-apocalyptic Western fairy tale, for instance) and I enjoyed the variety I felt across her works. I'm excited to read more by her in the coming year!

19. Did you utilize your library this year? What were some library events you went to if yes? Any new library cards?

Yes, very much so. I listened to a lot of audiobooks through my various library cards while commuting, like K.J. Charles's Will Darling trilogy. Also, I went to an event with Jas Hammonds and Sacha Lamb at a library which was cool!

23. What new releases did you read this year?

Most recently Metal From Heaven by august clarke, which was badass! I also enjoyed City of Laughter by Temim Fruchter, Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly, and Experienced by Kate Young.