#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]

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

[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!

[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