#it’s a YA dystopian fantasy and it’s . one of the best i’ve ever read.

[ghostzzy]

hey uh yall heard of the feverwake duology.

[jenyifer]

I’ve read 10 more books let’s get a rec list here for future use for people to look up on my page or alone.

Disclaimer:I think reviews and opinions show a lot about who you are and your life exp so. I am a woman lover who is 30 with ADHD. I am cisgendered she/her. I like listening to books on my drive in and out of work. I’ve read and watched a lot of scifi and fantasy and these books reflect that too.

In order of most loved:

1. Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈⏳ Historical Romance. this beautifully crafted novel moved me to tears. Set in a historical, mundane world, it captures the essence of the original while offering a fresh perspective.

2. Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh 👯‍♀️🏳️‍🌈👽🚀now MC Romance very very low I like to think she’s a little bit some where in the ace spectrum but 🥹🥹 Avicenna gives you enough gay vibes trust me. It is a real journey. MC is broken out of her brainwashing and tries to save the Earth and Universe. It’s high Sci-fi fun. I really loved it.

3. The Last Binding Trilogy by Freya Marske 🏳️‍🌈👯‍♀️🏳️‍🌈🪄⏳🔎 Alright each book is from a different intertwined couple’s POV. Each book is very much historical wizard mystery’s found family. Each book has steamy interesting spicy scenes. I find this series more impressive now because I still think about the couples and its universe was fun. Side note the last couple is the best.

4. The Tithenai Chronicles by Foz Meadows 🏳️‍🌈⏳🪄🔎 it’s more historical than super magical but both books have decent mysteries. It’s about an arranged royal marriage one comes from a conservative country suffering from trauma which we get to see but is treated respectfully and not harped on and the other is a warrior who is a little neurospicy. So Velasin is so dear to me I forgive a lot because he’s baby and I love him. They have non binary characters and disabled characters in the story being treated like people. There is some very spicy scenes in these two books. The new character in the second book so amazing they reminds me of Tennal from Oceans Echo in spirit anyway. I liked them. But his spicy scenes had me blushing for days. A con of this book is it’s very emotional so depression trauma warnings.

5. Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🦹🦜 I can’t believe I forgot to do a review of this one considering I really enjoyed it. So it’s YA dystopian Latin America folklore kind of like superhero and god goddess. Really heart warming found family coming of age. Also in the vein of hunger games etc. I loved the universe and the structure of the world. Each character was well developed throughout the book. Main character is someone you want to see succeed. I’m so excited for book 2. Lots of neurospicy peeps represented in my opinion.

6. Simon Snow Trilogy by Rainbow Rowell🏳️‍🌈🪄🧛🏻🐲 Also YA feel book one has a lot of Harry Potter jabs but it’s not a direct parody. I also think in book 2 3 they take jabs at diff genres which was fun. The series is very funny has perspective from all the characters. The universe is interesting. Romance is decent. Lovable characters. It isn’t good to think too hard about anything.

7. The Unbroken by CL Clark 👯‍♀️⏳👑🪄 this book would be higher up if I wasn’t iffy on the main couple individually I’d rank both leads pretty high on best characters. It’s a book about colonialism political magic rebellion found family. It’s action packed it’s interesting with a good mystery. A disabled main character and a more male presenting lesbian with is something new. Touraine is going to do what Touraine thinks in her heart while Luca serves with her brain and wallet.

8. So this is ever after by f. t. Lukens 🏳️‍🌈👯‍♀️🪄👑⏳ Does what it says on the tin is YA. Medieval setting with standard fantasy quest group. Very easy read.

9. Out of the Blue by Jason June 🏳️‍🌈🧜���‍♂️🎬🎓very YA vibes. Very romance. About a nonbinary mer person on their journey out of the ocean to help a human and a film obsessed gay chubby human on his journey to get over a relationship. I would have this book ranked higher except for the ending and School vibes do kind of make me cringe.

10. Temperature of You and Me by Brain Zepka 🏳️‍🌈🦹🔎 about a boy whose skin is fire and human who works at a dairy queen. Mystery is weak some holes in the plot.Romance very immature. School age kids.

Okay so audible had a sale anddd I got a couple titles on there (if I have to spend a fortune on gas and tolls I’ll spend a small one on the books that keep me sane) and I have 4 Libby audiobooks checked out. I still have a hard time with wlw books. Or too much thinking. It needs to hit a sweet spot for me since I’m usually driving in hard conditions so can’t use the super brain on the story. Anyways any suggestions or recs would be welcomed!!!

[libertyreads]

October TBR--

It’s finally spooky season and I’m so ready for it. I have quite a few spooky/mysterious books to read this month. I’m planning a couple rereads, a few new to me authors, and a NetGalley read.

1. Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell-- This one I’m picking up on recommendation from Jade from JadeyRaeReads on Booktube. It’s a YA Fantasy novel about a magical clan called the Jan’Tep. Kellen is moments away from starting the four trials that will make him a spellcaster. The problem? His magic is gone. He’ll have to fall back on his cunning to avoid total disgrace or learn from a mysterious Argosi named Ferius Parfax about a different path forward.

2. None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney-- This one was pitched on Tumblr as Criminal Minds meets The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes which had my attention immediately. GoodReads says it’s: “a psychological thriller about two teenagers teaming up with the FBI to track down juvenile serial killers.” Say less. You have me.

3. The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher-- Kingfisher is an author who is getting all of the attention right now so I decided to dive into the hype. This is the one that I think I would enjoy the most out of everything they’ve written. Kara is freshly divorced and living back at home when she accidentally discovers portals to countless alternate realities. But they’re haunted by creatures that seem to hear thoughts and the more you fear them, the stronger they become. Shut the front door, right now! This sounds so good. And it’s not too long. 

4. Escaping Eleven by Jerri Chisholm-- This is the first reread I need to do in October. The final book in this series comes out in December. It’s not the best dystopian series I’ve ever read, it’s actually pretty derivative, but it has such a nostalgic feel for me because I love the dystopian genre so much. This one is about a girl who is forced to fight for the entertainment of those above her station. But when she’s forced to face off with someone from the upper floors she realizes there’s more than fighting to survive. She wants to fight for her freedom and this boy may be what she’s been waiting for.

5. The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson-- The second reread I need to get to in October. I’m rereading the whole series before the fifth book comes out in December. This is a mystery series about a boarding school on a mountainside in Vermont, a nearly 100 year old missing person’s case, and a new murder. I think that’s vague enough since this is the second book in the series.

6. Pucked by Helena Hunting (Kindle)-- This one is mostly a joke, but hockey season DOES start up this month. (FINALLY!) I found Helena Hunting through her Spark House series and decided to grab this one when I saw a hockey romance in her backlist. I don’t expect to enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed the Spark House series so far, but I think it’ll be a fun and quick read.

7. Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones (NetGalley)-- In August of 1999, a popular girl goes missing in Washington state. Thanks to Clarissa’s beauty, the mystery captures the attention of the nation. But the case soon grows cold. Over 20 years later, two high school juniors start a true crime podcast, determine to get to the bottom of this mystery. But, in their sleuthing, are two teenage girls about to destroy the life of an innocent man? And help the true killer walk free?

8. Order of the Phoenix Illustrated (New Release).

[kiingocreative]

With one year ending and another kicking off, I naturally find myself pondering my achievements and look at what’s in the cards for the future. I personally have never been great with New Year’s resolutions. The idea that, once a year, at a time where my headspace is invariably a little screwed up by the reality that time is flying by, I should hurry to make a bucket list of things to do with myself in the short-term always felt a little short-sighted to me. Whenever I’ve attempted it, it’shad a fleeting and desperate quality. Not my best work.

Instead, throughout the year, and especially towards the end of the year, I like looking at time gone by in themes and to view time ahead in visualisations. Normally, I come up with laundry lists of things that happened andwish lists of things to come. This year though, as I cast a long, hard look at what I’ve done both in my personal and professional life, I struggled with the lists. One thing stood out more than anything else and eclipsed the rest: the sobering realisation that the only constant in my life is change. I’ve worn many hats, done many things, found myself in many different situations. And that’s the keyword right there: different.

Genres, styles and gigs.

After I published No Pain, No Game, I wasn’t entirely sure what would come next. I looked at others around me—romance writers, dystopian fiction writers, YA writers—and something in me didn’t quite relateto any label. No one box ever felt like it quite fitted.

Since my first novel was published, I’ve written fan-fiction, non-fiction, contemporary fiction, and started a fantasy fiction novel. I’ve started blogging. I’ve taken my literary interests beyond writing and into professional editing and beta reading. Ittook a while for me to look at my constant shift in direction without feeling unsettled. I spent so much time, effort and energy into figuring out what ‘my thing’ was. My style. My genre. My vocation. My voice on instagram, my brand, my content. All the pieces that made up this mysterious beast that had to be‘my thing’.

Now I look back, all I can see is that the moment I thought I had nailed ‘my thing’, it almost instantly evolved into something else. From different genres, to different paid assignments, to different types of posts on social media. I used to see successful accounts on Instagram and think they looked like they’d got it. They’d found their ‘thing’. They were consistent and congruent. I’d been striving to find that path for myself, but my literary journey has been a lot more like a sinuous earth trail in the mountains than a straight cemented road.

Had I been doing it wrong?

You don’t know what you don’t know

I came across this quote in Matt Haig’s fantastic A Boy Named Christmas: ‘An impossibility is just a possibility you don’t understand yet’. It seemed fitting. When I consider where this year’s taken me (and where I’ve taken myself) I realise that I could never have predicted any of it. A lot of things would have seemed impossible before they happened, and only now can I see how they could work out so seamlessly, with the benefit of this great and wonderful thing called hindsight.

There I was, trying so hard to build a path for myself—the path—one that involved me knowing where I was going and how I was going to get there… and it turned out that the best and most impactful events of the last year were all wholly and completely unpredictable. I used to think that this unpredictability was a hindrance, especially when it came to building a writer brand, a readership and a presence in the literary sphere where consistency is key. Now, however, I’m changing my tune a little. Had I stuck to my original plans, I would have run the risk of blinding myself to opportunities to learn and grow.

For someone like me, who thrives on knowing what’s happening, when, where and for how long (some call it OCD, I call it being on top of things) letting go of the idea that I have control over my writing journey—or my life journey in general—isn’t an easy feat. But if the past couple of years have taught me anything, in fact, it’s that I need to do exactly that.

Things will happen that I never saw coming, people will come onto my path out of the blue and events will stir me in one direction or other. Opportunities to write different things or to write differently, to explore different mediums will pop up, often only temporarily. I can control none of that. All I truly have control over is how I respond to these turns in the road.

Embracing change: The past does not equal the future

Looking ahead at the year to come, my first thought is that I truly need to give myself a little more grace. Yes I can be proactive on a lot of fronts, I can instigate things to a certain extent, but I also need to give myself room to react to the things that are just bound to happen without me being able to prepare for them in advance. Better even, I need to accept that the majority of the most amazing things that have occurred this past year came from situations that were presented to me, and all I had to do was embrace them with an open mind and an open heart. I’ve said yes to the things that felt right, that rung true, deep down.

By previously trying so intently to find some consistency, I lost sight of a very important truth: that change is good. Change shakes things up. Change helps me grow. And in that growth, new things will emerge, new ideas with sprout, new relationships will spark unexpected collaborations.

‘The past does not equal the future’, says behavioural coach Tony Robbins, and as far as my writing journey is concerned, that’s actually a relief. I think back to the very first pieces I wrote, back in my teens and, though I’m glad they happened, I’m also glad my writing style and storytelling abilities have improved. Could striving for consistency have prevented me from learning from my mistakes, by trying too hard to keep being the writer I was then? Where I wanted consistency, I risked stagnation. Without looking so far back, I’m even glad present Lucie is a better writer than the Lucie who wrote No Pain, No Game. Thank God my writing has changed and my literary endeavours have expanded. It’s made me a better writer and a better person.

See it, believe it

What’s left for me to do as, armed with this new outlook, I ponder the year to come is to take a breath and focus less on what I want to make happen and more on how I want to feel, and the kind of writer I want to be. Those decisions, when led by a strong sense of inner truth have never led me astray. I close my eyes and I picture the feel of it all, in all its splendid colours and all its minute details.

In A Boy Named Christmas, Matt Haig writes: ‘You can’t see something you don’t believe in’. I couldn’t agree more. We polish our own rose-tinted glasses and we see only what we chose to see. If we want our writing path to take us to wonder-filled places, we need to believe it’s possible before we can see the way there. And the best way to picture the right outcomes? Focus on how it makes you feel. Focus on what makes your sound shine and your heart sing.

I’d encourage any writer out there to try this out: think not of what you want to achieve, but how you want it to make you feel. Visualise it. Paint a picture of it in your mind. Layer it over and over again until it’s as real as it can get and let that guide you. Know it, see it and believe it. Write it down, make it real. Let that be your North Star.

If you keep your eyes on that particular prize, you may find that what may seem to make sense in the short term isn’t actually the best way to serve your long-term vision. It’s easy to get distracted with day to day logistics, with what others are doing orwith social media. It happens to the best of us. If ever you get side-tracked, as has happened to me many times before, then you may find relief in the knowledge that the only true constant is change and that this, too, shall eventually morph into something else.

[crosbytoews]

9 books i want to read in 2022, tagged by @fleurylankinen 

i tag @dancing-mylife-away and any other followers who read! 

almost all of these are 2022 releases. more info under the cut!

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

i really hope this isn’t the final cover lol. i absolutely loved her other books (everything i never told you and little fires everywhere) and i’ve been waiting on a new release from her for a while. this one sounds dystopian so it’s different from her previous releases and i am soooo excited

Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie

this is a YA contemporary about a high school senior releasing she’s bisexual. it comes out in a couple weeks and the early reviews are really positive! i have it on hold at the library so i will keep you guys updated on my thoughts. 

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles  

my first read of the year was another book by this author (the lincoln highway) that i ended up really loving, so i just picked up the paperback of this. it’s about a man on house arrest witnessing the russian revolution from his window. i lvoe historical fiction so i think this will be a great read!

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson 

i’m planning on starting this one today or tomorrow! it’s about two siblings who work together to learn more about their mother after her death. i’ve heard nothing but great things! 

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

this author is known for her YA fantasy series, but this is her first contemporary. it’s about a pakistani family who immigrate to california to run a motel. i love a good hard hitting YA contemporary and i think this will deliver. 

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake

this author wrote Girl Made of Stars which is probably the best YA book i’ve ever read. this one sounds a lot different- it’s an adult f/f romcom. it has a very hallmark movie plot (wedding photographer goes back to her hometown and finds love) but it could be about literally anything idc i trust this author and we need more f/f romcoms in this world!!!

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

i really enjoyed Dark Matter and Recursion even though both made my head hurt. i am hoping this will be yet another sci-fi thriller that makes my head hurt. it’s about a man getting infected with a virus that changes his genetic structure. knowing blake crouch it will have a lot of crazy plot twists. 

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

This is the YA debut from one of my favorite authors. i’m gonna be honest i don’t fully understand the synopsis but it seems like it’s about a girl who kisses the prom queen and then the prom queen goes missing and she has to work together with the other people who kissed the prom queen to find her? casey mcquiston can do no wrong and i trust them with my life. 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

last but not least my most anticipated release of 2022! i loved beach read and people we meet on vacation so so much and this one sounds like it will be wonderful too. it’s enemies to lovers about literary agents. i love that it’s about publishing and emily henry can do no wrong. it comes out on the same day as i kissed shara wheeler and i plan on inhaling both those books. 

[ettawritesnstudies]

WIP influences tag

thanks @kittensartswriting and @siarven for the tag! I think the rules are just that you ramble about a few influences for your WIPs so I’m going to do this for The Laoche Chronicles as a whole, including both Storge and the main trilogy that I really need to name. 

Life stuff! 

Sometimes (a lot of the times) reality is stranger than any fiction I could come up with, and so one of my favorite things to do is take scary and relevant irl situations and then recontextualize them in a fantasy world to get a different POV (and give the characters dealing with them a happy ending). For example in Storge: what would a world look like where sexism and racism don’t really exist, but there’s serious systematic oppression based on magic and religion? How does a healthy vs unhealthy family deal with a crisis? how does a society get so polarized? For Laoche: I was sitting in Calc AP my senior year listening to my friends complain about the upcoming test when someone said “I’d kill to get into X program” and my first thought was “hmm. what if?”

This sort of stuff is the driving force behind the themes in all of my stories. No matter how fantastical it gets, it’ll always have that relatable basis in reality to ground readers in the story.

This is going to get long so there’s more under the cut...

Mythology and religion:

This should come as a surprise to absolutely no one given how many religions and variations on religions I worldbuild for this world but the way people understand the supernatural and approach concepts like faith and hope and a higher power fascinate me. Also a really weird thing that I’ve noticed reading modern literature as a devout Catholic (especially YA novels) is that it’s very commonly sterile and secular for some reason? I only realized this after going back to classics this year like Dracula and being surprised when characters write prayers into their diary entries. This shouldn’t have surprised me becasue that’s something I do, but after consuming so much modern media and then going back to it, I found myself weirdly missing how much faith was intrinsically baked into society back then, for better or for worse, because it adds a really interesting dimension to how characters view the world. 

which leads into my next point...

The Sword and Serpent Series by Taylor Marshall and pretty much anything Hannah Heath has ever written (names are links to their books)

I don’t actually like Christian fiction like 90% of the time. A lot of it is written by writers from different protestant denominations which is fine, but sometimes the theology has me going ????, or the genres are just not my thing, and regardless of the denomination it all runs the risk of being really really preachy. (sorry, Narnia, that means you too). These two writers are outliers and I want to be like them when I grow up. 

Hannah Heath is a scifi/fantasy/dystopian writer who actively goes out of her way to tell good stories that also happen to have a Christian theme so that they avoid that preacher pitfall, and her worldbuilding and prose are spectacular. She also tackles a lot of hard themes and is a huge disability advocate which is incredible! I haven’t read all of her works yet but I’m slowly working through them. Skys of Dripping Gold made me cry a few different times and it’s a novella. 

Sword and Serpent is a trilogy historical fiction retelling of the St. George and the Dragon that ALSO deals with the political climate the Roman empire in 333AD and it’s FANTASTIC. There are saint cameos everywhere and if you know their stories it’s really cool to spot them even if you don’t recognize their period-accurate names, and it does a great job of showing how much the underground church relied on each other to survive. The character arcs and dynamics are amazing, the way it blends mythos and reality is amazing, and my (unfairly underrated imo) confirmation saint, Catherine of Alexandria, is a main character in the 2nd book so what more could you want??

Rangers Apprentice by John Flanagan and The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

moreso for Laoche than Storge but these were my favorite book series in middle school when I first came up with the story and their general genre inspired a lot of what Laoche eventually would become. Grand adventures with epic final battles, a small band of heroes trying to save a kingdom becasue they have the knowledge of how, and earning the trust and help of other people through their heroic actions. Swords and magic and bows and knifes and cool capes/cloaks and horses and castles and all that good Fantastical Medieval Aesthetic stuff I absolutely ate up as a kid. Also Alexander’s mastery of voice with the different characters and Taran’s character arc and the platonic love and banter in RA  have me dying every time every time I reread them. Good quality fun all around

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

Didn’t influence me in time for Storge but now I’m rehauling everything in Laoche becasue I’m ~inspired~. I can’t speak to the extent to which it’ll influence me yet but I expect it’s going to be a LOT. Thanks Jana XD 

Honorable Mentions:

J.R.R. Tolkien because what list of influences for a Catholic high fantasy author would be complete without him? This explains itself I think

Avatar the Last Airbender and everything about the way it handles themes and characterization. Also self explanatory because it’s the best

So many??? people here on writeblr! I am so inspired by everyone who is brave enough to put their writing out there and I have read stuff on here that’s better than published books. It would take too long to name everyone, but just assume that if you’re reading this and you got this far in the post I mean you.

A lot of classic literature? Not a direct influence per se but the writing style is something I want to emulate. Some of my favorites are The Count of Monte Christo, Dracula, A Tale of Two Cities, Frankenstien (sans Victor’s incessant whining), The Divine Comedy, A BUNCH of scifi stuff by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells I loved in middle school and need to reread, and Little Women. 

movies and music should also probably go here but that’s a rant for a different day. I take more general vibes and aesthetics from those. 

Tagging (no pressure though!): @andiwriteunderthemoon @abalonetea @inkwell-attitude @zielenbloesem 

[ixalit]

If people are still looking for queer reads I recommend anything by TJ Klune. He has YA and adult novels that are beautifully poetic. Two Boys Kissing by David Leviathan is possibly one of the most deeply moving things I’ve ever written. All I’ll say is that the story is told from the “collective” of all the queer people who have died. They watch several stories unfold and there is one including a trans man that is gorgeous all on its own. If you want poetry Danez. Fucking. Smith. (1/?)

There’s a lot, so I’m going to post all of these below with links.

If people are still looking for queer reads I recommend anything by TJ Klune. He has YA and adult novels that are beautifully poetic.

Two Boys Kissing by David Leviathan is possibly one of the most deeply moving things I’ve ever written. All I’ll say is that the story is told from the “collective” of all the queer people who have died. They watch several stories unfold and there is one including a trans man that is gorgeous all on its own.

If you want poetry Danez. Fucking. Smith. Specifically, Don’t Call Us Dead.

Andrea Gibson is a nb, wlw focused poet as well. A great into to their work is Take Me With You. They have a bunch of their slams online and “Orlando” still makes me sob.

Foxhole Court is good if you like something dark. It’s a three book series and the gay couple don’t get together until the last book but they’re the MC and the time line works well.

Proxy and Guardian are good if you like dystopian and has a good twist on how liberation ultimately destroyed them. Lots of homophobia in this book, be warned (from in universe, not the author), and there is “bury your gays” so read with caution.

N.R. Walker has lots of wonderful books and plenty of fantasy. They’re usually a safe bet for some choice gay content.

If you LOVE farmer Steve, I HIGHLY recommend Honey for the Lion by Jackie North. Time traveling romance and even though is not normally my thing, it is so fucking gooooddddd. Don’t worry about it being the second in the series, it’s stand alone in the same universe and is where you should start since it’s the best out of all of them so far (though that’s because I’ve always been big on them Farmer level vibes lol. I read this long before SoRE was a thing so and if you’re missing it, the read this book).

Lyn Gala is super niche and I don’t think a lot of people will be into her stuff but it’s worth thumbing through for those who might like it (she has an interesting little sci-fi series. I lost interest around the third book but the first one is nice. Not a perfect writer, but lots of good ideas).

If you are into “wtf even is this and why is it hot” guilty pleasure reading—> Amalita Rae. She’s inactive these days (I’m still waiting for the follow up to one book and one book and it’s been 4 or 5 years) so proceed with caution.

I know a lot of people like A.E. Via but.... I’m not a big fan. Still, they’ve got a big audience and are worth mentioning.

If you straight up want Farmer Steve 2.0 then read Over and Over Again by Cole McCade and cry with me. It’s different but it’s got age gap, big ass gentle giant farmer, and Daddy Kink (I think.... don’t quote me on that).

If you like mafia aus—> Cold Hard Cash by K.L. Hiers. Thank me later.

I’ll stop flooding your inbox now but I have literally torn apart the kindle store for 7 years finding the good gay shit and if you’re looking for it, I’ve read it and I know what the good stuff is so everyone else can save the money I’ve wasted on some bad stuff over the years 🤣🤣🤣

[welcometothebookreport]

Scythe, Neal Shusterman

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/fantasy, Dystopia/Utopia

Themes: Death, Morality, Mortality, Coming-of-age

TWs: Death, Violence, Mass Killings, Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Child Death, Suicide, Sexual Harassment of a Minor

Recommended if you’re looking for: dark, medium-paced, adventure, reflective, coming-of-age, strong female lead

Scythe is a story exploring the post-mortal world. Citra and Rowan become apprentices to an Honorable Scythe, training to become initiated into an elite class of immortals chosen to cull humanity safely, efficiently, and by seven commandments of the scythdom. Neither Citra nor Rowan want to become a scythe—but according to their instructor, it’s that which makes them the best candidates for the role.

The concept of the book alone was intriguing enough for me to grab without having any recommendations. I don’t know Shusterman; this is the first I’ve read of his—it won’t be the last.

Within the first ten pages of the book, I fell in love with the concept, the writing, the worldbuilding, and the characters. Shusterman set the tone straight away; no heavy info-dumps, no paragraph blocks of exposition, and with a firm understanding of where our heroes start their journey and what their motivations are.

And while this book was on the dark-ish side, I was surprised to find subtle humor woven in. Too often in dystopian novels, humor is subdued or gone in favor of keeping the tone of the books dark and dreary. But, the humor in Scythe contrasted nicely against the book’s inherent darkness.

A bit of a warning: this book is slow-paced to start. The first hundred pages (or more) are filled with less action and more worldbuilding. We take a journey with the characters, get to know them, understand their motivations and what drives them forward. If you only enjoy the face-paced, page-flipping sort of book, you may struggle with the beginning of this novel. However, once the plot gets going, once the characters are situated in the moment of never being able to turn back, once you truly get a handle on the villain and the root of everything our heroes are fighting for, the book picks up steam. It’s so worth it to get to that place. Twists, turns, uncertainty in the characters and their arcs—a marvelous bit of storytelling, done at the pace of a journey rather than a sprint.

To be honest, I enjoyed the pace of the book from start to finish. I don’t believe a book has to have the “Michael Bay Hollywood” style of action-packed, constant explosions to be valid and amazing. 

I also really love a book that makes me think, and Scythe had me evaluating where I stand on any number of theoretical situations that could arise in this imagined future. And the beauty of it is that the author doesn’t tell you what to think or how to feel—there is the truth of the book and you’re left to examine the various paths a character could take. So resonating, so reflective. I found myself trying to figure out how I’d behave if I were in the characters’ shoes. For a lot of books, that’s very straightforward; heroes do this, and so that’s what I’d do. With this book, the avenues were endless and complete with full scales of gray morality tied in.

Shusterman spent time making me care about this world, the many facets of it, and the many characters that feature through the story—leads and minor characters alike.

Citra, our main female lead, resonated with me; she’s determined, rejects failure as an outcome, and has a sense of duty to the world around her. She pushes herself hard to succeed, allows herself to grow, and challenges the status quo. It’s refreshing to have a female lead who isn’t just pitted against other females to prove how much better they are. And, to Shusterman’s credit, there was no concern over her looks or her emotions: she was allowed to be who she was without objectifying her womanhood. A rare case, as I’ve come to find in sci-fi/fantasy books, especially written by men. *claps for Shusterman*

Rowan, our main male lead, was refreshing. He wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. Falling into a morally gray area, his anti-hero qualities made me root for him even harder. Written as “the lettuce” of life—forgotten, always overlooked, never destined for importance or infamy—the useless part of a sandwich, essentially. But, Rowan is compassionate and fierce, wanting to do what’s right even if it’s the hardest thing he’ll ever have to do. We need more male heroes who personify goodness in this way; a true ride-or-die friend before anything else.  

And despite loving the book so much, there was one aspect that fell flat for me in some ways. The romantic relationship between Citra and Rowan felt more like ride-or-die friendship to me. I loved that even more than a romance between them. From the very beginning, they were in this together—I didn’t even care if they kissed or fell in love; I just wanted them to have the friendship they’d cultivated at the start. So, if you’re into the romance aspect of YA sci-fi/fantasy, you may be frustrated by the lack of clear romance involved.

Saying all of that: I actually enjoyed the off-screen build of their relationship. It was a theme, I think—absence makes the heart grow fonder. In this world, there’s no absence, no death, etc., and so to have them forced apart at such a big point in their relationship, solidly built the care, worry, and curiosity that would naturally build deeper feelings between them. Maybe it’s the girl inside me that went through a long distance relationship, or maybe it’s because I don’t read a book for romance; I’m not sure. Except to say that, while I ship Citra and Rowan completely, the story of their journey meant far more to me than the status of their relationship through the book.

So, uh… TL;DR: if you’re looking for a deeply interesting, moderately paced, dystopian coming-of-age story that’s light on romance but heavy on story development and character arcs, give this book a read because it’s entirely worth the potential existential crises that would lead to a thousand-word book review when you’re done. 

[lunaathorne]

Hey! In last year I got back to reading after a long period, I was trying to catch up on popular sff ya series. I’ve already read all Bardugo’s books, the acotar series, strange the dreamer, the folk of the air and the trc. Any other that comes to your mind? Thanks ✨

Haven't read all of these so please forgive me if they are more adult or not strictly adhering to the sci fi/fantasy genres:

Fantasy

The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski: probably my fave series of all time because it does SUCH a good job of character, relationship and plot development.... Kestrel and Arin (the mcs) are so good..... so iconiqué. Couldn't put it down at all.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson: since acotar is also about fae here's some more fae (but I'm not the biggest acotar stan so dare I say this one is better) it's cute and fluffy and has serious Studio Ghibli vibes I love it

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente: can you believe she invented lyricism. LIKE THIS BOOK IS SO WELL WRITTEN and it's a dark, adultish retelling of a folk tale from Russia so it's like the kind of stories Alina Starkov would listen to. The main relationship is twisted as heck but yeah that's kind of the point.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan: I could go on all day about this series it's just *chef's kiss* YES I only read book 1 because India doesn't care about international shipping YES it's still a solid good book about an Asian fantasy world where women are peddled off as concubines to a demon king and it's Studio Ghibli but really dark. I don't want to give the plot away but when I realised what's going on I SCREAMED. (tw: animal violence, sexual assault, not graphic but effects of trauma and grief are very visibly dealt with)

Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi: didn't like this book tbh but a lot of my friends adored it. It's set in La Belle Epoque period of France, and has an elaborate heist engineered by six outcasts (no don't say anything) but what I assure you is that the world building is really good and it's probably the only book on this post to combine elements of sciences and magic too.

SciFi (I don't read SciFi this is based off Tumblr stalking)

Warcross by Marie Lu: CYBERPUNK/STEAMPUNK THRILLER AYYYY with a gorgeous aesthetic like I haven't read it but it calls to me like that one episode on Love, Death + Robots with the gorgeous animation if you know you know also mc has rainbow hair yes this is relevant

This is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar: sci fi time travelling enemies to lovers lesbians. Best ao3 tag ever.

Defy the Stars trilogy by Claudia Gray: kinda dystopian space SciFi, Genius WOC main warring in interplanetary battle falls in love with adorable robot thing, I promise it's not creepy, @readwithcindy gave it 5 stars therefore it's good

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente: galactic Eurovision....yeah...it's funny and this one reviewer said it's kinda reminiscent of Rick and Morty...can you believe this is the same lady who wrote Deathless? Genius methinks.

[dangermousie]

Hi! Since you’re an avid reader too, would you mind recommending some YA books? I’ve gone through a solid 6 month period of fantasy or classics that I need a break and read some YA to diversify my taste lolol. Any recs? Just go with whatever you’ve read in the past and you still enjoy?

Yay! I love this ask.

Brace yourself, because it’s going to be long.

Melina Marchetta, the Lumatere Chronicles. This is a trilogy with some amazing writing and characters you will love. The world-building is a little ehhh but it doesn’t even matter. First book is pretty good but it’s with the second and third books that my heart lies. If you love strong and damaged male and female characters and lots of ships, come right in. 

Cassandra Clare, specifically her Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series. People love her or hate her, but if you are looking for aaaaaaangst and snark and lots of ships and hot people with weapons, she is the author to beat. So delicious. 

Sarah J Maas, same pros and cons as Cassandra Clare. I love her Throne of Glass series, though (IMO) it only gets good from book 3. Think Anne Bishop for the teen set. 

Joanna Hathaway, Glass Alliance series. I just did a pusher post for it, but short version is fantasy WWI, pilot x princess, OTP I would die for.

Jus Accardo, Denazen series - she’s a daughter of an evil dude using mutants for his dirty organization and he’s an escapee from that program whose touch kills anything except for her. They are on FIRE and will bring down the evil dudes. It’s a lot like Jessica Alba’s long ago show Dark Angel. 

Marie Rutkoski, The Winner Trilogy - I love this one so. It’s basically a fantasy take on ancient Roman occupation of ancient Greece, and the OTP is angsty and delicious. She’s a general’s daughter, he’s a slave she buys who is a lot more than he seems. 

Amy Bartol, Secondborn Trilogy - the worldbuilding is not amazing, but this dystopian story of a world where secondborn children are basically military slaves and our heroine is the best of them all, is awesome. Also it’s the most original resolution to a love triangle I’ve ever seen. 

Sarah Tolcser, Song of the Current series - lady pirates, exiled princes, adventure, sweet OTP and fairly light read. It’s adorable.

Phil Tucker, the Chronicles of the Black Gate - this is not YA but it’s my favorite fantasy series and insanely underrated, so I am pushing it anyway. I did a pusher post for it before: https://dangermousie.tumblr.com/post/166019053446/book-rec-its-a-high-fantasy-this-time

Kristin Ciccarelli, The Last Namsara - the rest of the books in that series are blah, but this one - about a lady dragon hunter and a servant, who discover dragons aren’t what they seem to be, is intense and awesome and shippy.

Sarah Raasch, Snow Like Ashes trilogy - restoring the lost royalty with some angst and OTP.

Erin Beaty, The Traitor’s Circle trilogy - smart as a whip heroine, competent hero, some delicious twists and even more delicious angst. This one is a comfort read. 

Susan Ee, Penryn and the End of Days trilogy - a dark postapocalyptic evil angel tale. Love it. 

Mary Pearson - basically anything of hers, romance and angst and fantasy and cool OTPs.

Jodi Meadows, The Orphan Queen series - tough angsty heroine, cool and awesome hero, angst angst angst fantasy and ship. 

Kate Avery Ellison - https://dangermousie.tumblr.com/tagged/kate-avery-ellison

Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me series - I posted about this recently. People either love it or hate it and I am the former. So much angst and postapocalyptic gloriousness and that SHIP OMG. 

I have a lot more so I will make part two shortly :)

[havingphung]

Young Adult Fantasy/Dystopia

This is probably the most successful genre of YA fiction. If there’s a dark-haired, brooding asshole male love interest, you know everyone’s gonna be all over it. There won’t be any Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, or Cassandra Clare on here but maybe one day I’ll commit myself to their books (but it likely won’t happen anytime soon).

**Personal Favorites

Penryn & the End of Days Trilogy** by Susan Ee: This is my all time favorite Dystopian Fantasy trilogy ever. It is so underrated and I literally love it so much. Like if there’s one series on this list I want everyone to read it’s this one. Post apocalyptic world where angels descended to demolish the world and the main character makes a deal with a wingless fallen angel to go on a journey to save her sister and get back his wings. The yearning is A1 in this, and also Penryn is Asian and can kick ass. 

The Blood of Stars Series** by Elizabeth Lim: Project Runway meets Mulan was the tagline and that convinced me so fast. It’s one of the more promising new series and it does a good job building a fictional Asian country. The author used to write Sailor Moon fanfic and that’s how I knew this was my type of book. 

To Kill a Kingdom** by Alexandra Christo: Probably one of the best fantasy standalone books I’ve read (because almost all fantasy books are series). She’s a siren. He’s a siren killer. That’s a recipe for disaster and also one of the best enemies to lovers stories. It’s basically a better and more elevated Little Mermaid. 

The Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang: I’ll admit that I haven’t actually read this yet but I KNOW it’s good. It’s just a big commitment with the length and the heartache that I know will come because this is not a happy story. It’s about war and politics and scheming and betrayal and it’s really dark. I need to read it, but I keep putting it off because I know it’ll take an emotional toll. This is not for the faint of heart, and it’s on this list cause it does have some fantastical elements like magic and dragons. 

The Folk of the Air Trilogy** by Holly Black: Okay everyone that reads YA Fantasy has probably read this, so I won’t say too much. It’s one of the best enemies to lovers series I’ve read and it’s fascinating to read about an anti-heroine on the quest for power taking advantage of a useless prince. Both characters are hella compelling and I love how no one is truly good in this series because everyone has their own agenda. 

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Futuristic retellings of classic fairy tales with badass diverse characters taking the stage with amazing world building. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out. 

Flame in the Mist Duology by Renee Ahdieh: Set in feudal Japan with Japanese mythology, samurai, crossdressing female warriors, secrets, lies AND just the right amount of sexiness. The sexual tension was to die for and for something that could be done so tackily, it really did portray the Japanese elements in a tasteful way that made sense to the story and weren’t just used for plot devices.

Warcross Duology by Marie Lu: Okay the male lead is hella morally gray and you definitely feel conflicted about him (without saying too much) but damn he’s hot. People complained about that big old plot twist but to be honest, I wasn’t that mad. Anyways the whole world basically plays this one AR video game and the female lead is a genius hacker that’s hired to find the glitch in the code of the game by competing in the big tournament. Super cool premise and diverse representation. 

Red Queen Series by Victoria Aveyard: Regardless of what other people say, I really did enjoy this series. I liked Cal and Maven but Maven’s hella fucked up and Cal may be a little bratty but I was team Cal all the way. Maven is a fascinating character though. Mare’s pretty cool, too. Anyways, I would pick this over the Hunger Games (partly because Mockingjay was the biggest let down ever) if you like dystopia. People might think it’s overrated but I love flawed characters that gotta choose between love and power and obsession and peace. 

Caraval Trilogy by Stephanie Garber: This one’s pretty decent if you’re looking for a carnival/circusy-y/magic themed fantasy book. It wasn’t a waste of time and while a lot of the characters did get annoying, I got so intrigued by the Prince of Hearts (Jacks) that I had to finish it. Jacks deserved so much better, and he could have had the greatest arc but the author butchered it. Definitely a what could have been series. There are better books on this list but I just wanted to shoutout Jacks. 

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin: There’s A LOT of controversy around this book because of 1) the explicit sex scene that’s basically smut and 2) the characterizations and world building. I’m okay with the sex but I did agree that the dialogue was kinda ridiculous and there were a lot of problematic viewpoints. ANYWAYS, that won’t stop me from reading the second book probably. It’s not good but also I wanna know what happens. There are better books on this list.

[broadway-book-badger]

Let’s talk about books

Back in the day, about three years ago, I went through a phase of posting monthly write-ups of what I’d been reading on here. In these trying times there seems to be a little bit more time for reading, plus escapism and procrastination are always fun, so I though I’d share a few recommendations. There’s a few different genres (amazingly, hardly any YA fantasy), and I’ve mostly read these in the last year or so. I’ve kept my thoughts as spoiler free as I can. Read them under the cut.

1. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Everyone and their mother has read The Hunger Games. I have read The Hunger Games before. But, a couple of weeks ago, I reread the trilogy for the first time since my first reading, which was around Christmas 2011. And to be perfectly honest, these books hold up! I think maybe it’s because I read so many not so good dystopian YA novels after I first read the Hunger Games that I thought less of this trilogy, but I don’t know. This is a solid series. If you’ve never revisited it (or if you’ve never read it at all), now could be the time! I love the fast paced writing - once things kick off, they do not stop and I burned through the whole trilogy in about three days. The world building is decent, and it doesn’t back away from some pretty heavy stuff. I remember certain scenes being much more gory, but that’s probably just because I’ve read much worse in the past 9 years. Also being older, I appreciate Katniss as a character a lot more. I remember 13-year old me getting annoyed, but now I kind of like that she is allowed to be confused about her feelings and struggle with what she’s been through and generally be a pawn rather than a flawless 16-year old rebel commander as seen elsewhere. The love triangle also isn’t as bad as I remember, although I was reminded of my own love for Peeta. Some people complain that he’s boring, but I think he’s a lovely boy.

2. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

I’ve been wanting to read this since I saw someone on the internet pitch this as something along the lines of “The queer dragon fantasy epic you’ve been waiting for.” I did a lot of waiting for it to come out in paperback, because it is an absolute behemoth over 800 pages, and while incredibly pretty, the hardback was just too big. It was, however, well worth the wait. I haven’t read a ton of adult fantasy, because a lot of it is so big, but this was a good place to start, because the writing style is pretty easy to read and also its a standalone, so the story is told by the end, it’s not the first of like 6 800 page bricks. While the plot and the characters and the love story between a queen and her handmaiden who’s a badass sorceress in disguise are all enjoyable, the thing I loved the most was the worldbuilding. I love the time and effort that was spent developing the religions and mythologies of all the different kingdoms and how they clash in ways such as different takes on the legend of St George and the dragon, and the contrast Western dragons as monsters to be slain by knights vs benevolent Eastern dragons that kind of echoes real world mythology. I saw one review of this describing ‘Priory’ as ‘a feminist successor to Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.’ While I think you could definitely say that that is the case, I would say that equally being more feminist than either of those titles is not a particularly high bar, given that there are only about 5 named women in the whole of Middle Earth, and most of the women in Game of Thrones are assaulted and brutalized for no good reason. 

3. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This book made me so happy, you have no idea. An enemies to friends to lovers story about the son of the first female American president and the Prince of England, that reads kind of like fanfiction but in the best possible way is exactly what the world needs right now. Everything about this book is delightful, from the characters to their relationships to the pseudo-alternate history that its set in. I think the thing that increased my enjoyment of this is the fact that the main characters are in their early twenties. It seems to me that most protagonists, regardless of genre are either 16 or pushing 30, and while I still enjoy their stories, there was just something infinitely more relatable about a character the same age as me. If anyone knows of any more books with characters in this age range, please let me know, because they seem few and far between. Back to this, however, I think I was grinning like an idiot through most of this book. I laughed, I may have shed a little happy tear, I fully recommend.

4. The Broken Earth Trilogy by N K Jemisin

Another foray into adult fantasy, this is such a good series. The books aren’t too long and the writing style is easy to digest, but it is DARK. It’s set in a world which experiences apocalyptic natural disasters every couple of centuries. There are people with powers that can help control this, but they’re super oppressed and treated as evil, rather than potential saviours. The story follows a woman searching for her missing daughter in the wake of an apocalypse, a young girl coming into her powers and others, and it is so well done. It’s such a unique and diverse world, and there are some great reveals as to why the story is being told the way that it is, as well as interesting takes on things like living vs surviving and systems of oppression.

5. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

An aging and reclusive Hollywood star decides that the time has come to share her life story to an unknown journalist and it’s amazing. This is so well done that its easy to forget while reading that Evelyn Hugo is not a real person and you cannot go and watch her films. I first heard about this book and thought it sounded interesting, as I have a love of Old Hollywood musicals. I then promptly forgot all about it, until I heard other people on the internet talking about how it had a bisexual protagonist, which both reminded me about it and made me want to read it more and here we are. Evelyn Hugo had a hell of a life, with seven husbands and another great love story, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it. This book does a great job at showcasing both the glamour and less glamorous underside of the era, as well as the lengths people are willing to go. It also had me sobbing at 1am because I couldn’t put it down, and if that isn’t the mark of a quality book, I don’t know what is!

6. Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy

A coming-of-age story following two childhood friends as they move from their small town to Dublin for University in the 1950s. Quite a chunky book, but a lovely story and I found it read pretty quickly. As I was saying about Red, White and Royal Blue, it’s rare to find books about characters of this sort of age range. Equally rare I think are books with a university setting - the only others I can think of are Fangirl, the Magicians and the Secret History - any recommendations, let me know! I enjoyed the characters growing and finding their confidence and independence, as well as the period setting. I also greatly appreciated the ending, in terms of the main character’s love interest, as it’s something that you don’t often see in this type of book. I may have to read more by this author.

7. Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

This is one of those books that I just happened to read at the perfect time in my life, and for that reason it means a lot to me. I read it at the very end of 2018, when I was feeling really down and not myself, and something in there just spoke to me and maybe gave a little perspective. I don’t read much non-fiction and this is just the memoirs of someone as she navigates her teens and twenties. I can see why someone might not like it, but I really did. There’s some relatable content in here. As the book went on and I read all these parts about bad dates and third-wheeling friends, I kept waiting for the part where she said, ‘but then I met so-and-so and it all changed’ but that NEVER happened. By the end of this book, this woman is still single and praising all the types of non-romantic love in her life, and that I think is a bit of a revelation. It is so rare for a woman to stay single at the end of a book (see every YA love triangle ever, even when both boys are terrible), and so this resonated deeply with me. I laughed, I cried, I go back and reread bits every so often, and I wholeheartedly recommend.

8. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

There are those who say that Cassandra Clare needs to stop, but I wholeheartedly disagree. As long as she wants to keep writing Shadowhunter books, I will keep reading them, because they are a hell of a lot of fun. I’ll admit, bits of the OG Mortal Instruments series aren’t the best thing I’ve ever read, but the historical series are in another league altogether. I adore the Infernal Devices trilogy, which features one of the few good love triangles in YA, and Chain of Gold is a promising start to a new series about the children of the Infernal Devices characters. I think there’s something about the historical setting that just works so much better than the modern series, it could be the angst that comes from things like marriages of convenience and ruined reputations, but I digress. I really enjoyed getting to know this new cast of characters, while also getting some appearances from old favourites. The plot was solid too, and I liked the new expansions to the mythology, while wondering what they mean for what’s coming in the rest of this trilogy. I think the fact that I read this in less than 48 hours, mostly sitting in the same spot tells you everything you need to know.

[madmaxst26]

~Writeblr Introduction~

Hey guys!

I’ve been on this site for a little while, but I have yet to introduce myself. I figured I should with Preptober and NaNoWriMo coming up. 

My name is Iella (i-ella, spelling and pronunciation ^.^.) I’m 22 and a professional writing major at the University of Oklahoma, or OU for short. 

My Hobbies:

Writing

Learning languages (French (B1-B2) and German (A0) right now)

Reading (Currenltly reading GOT book 4, and Thunderhead by Neil Shusterman)

Playing videos games (Overwatch, Minecraft, etc)

Tropes I like:

I never know the actual like names of tropes so here’s just descriptions

Yearning, lots of that

Also when its one genre and barely any romance, love that (also could go under yearning)

hate to love (fun fact, that is actually how my boyfriend and I currently act. Like our banter def feels like it and it’s just our version of flirting)

The one where the two end up together no matter how many times they break up, (I know some of you like the trope where they don’t get together at the end, I’m not that person.)

Toxic relationships, they don’t even have to get healthy again, they just have to exist sometimes for me to like it (esp. if it’s a lesbian romance)

Woman protagonist or villain. That’s it. That’s the trope. 

I know there are others that have nothing to do with romance (because I do like other genres, and actually prefer genres that only have romance as a subplot and not the main one) but I can’t think of them right now. 

Genres I do like:

Sci-fy, especially hard sci-fy. I may not understand what’s going on, but I will try my hardest (Ex: Saturn’s Run by John Sanford and Ctein)

Fantasy, I’m very picky about this one. I don’t think I’ve ever liked a novel with fairies and vampires, (although werewolf fanfiction is a guilty pleasure of mine) so it’s more like DnD type fantasy and fantasy mixed with Sci-fy. (Ex: Game of thrones, aka low-fantasy, or at least that’s how it’s referenced in DnD lol.)

Dystopian, although we are basically in a sort of dystopia right now (Ex: Scythe by Neil Shusterman.)

Current WIP:

[Currently Untitled]

The only one I have that’s going right now that the research stage isn’t going to take ages (*cough* Reylo au incoming 4 years from now *cough*) is a YA Mystery novel. 

Summary:

The University of Oxford is holding its first ever Scavenger Hunt, academic style of course. Anyone who signs up gets automatically paired based on a form they fill out so they can be paired with someone who best matches their personality and major. 

Two sophomores, Nathaniel and [girls’s name TBD] are paired up and despite their running banter being the bane of each other’s existence and wishing for this Hunt to end, they are pushed by unknown forces to find out the truth about why they were put together, as they have different majors, and why they keep finding superhero cards stained with blood everywhere they go. 

Status: 

Research/Planning stage

 I am using this idea for Preptober and NaNoWriMo (my first one!) so you’ll see more of this become more fleshed out as the weeks progress. 

What I’ll be Posting:

It’ll mainly be excerpts, progress, random thoughts, and reblogs of things I like and/or agree with.

If I come across anything I think is important pertaining to writing advice I’ll definitely post it as soon as I think of it. 

I’m very new to the community so at the moment I’ll be seeking advice more than giving it out. 

Lastly, if you ever want to just chat about each other’s wip’s or random life stuff my dm’s are always open!

Reblog if you’re an active writeblr so I can follow some more writeblrs! I’m always looking for more advice and friends!

[mautadite]

may book round up

24 books this month, a pretty good stack. even though i’m working from home i keep expecting work to swamp me and leave me with no reading time but... that hasn’t happened yet? so, good.

silver moon - catherine lundoff ⭐️⭐️⭐️ a paranormal novel about a small town in which certain women who reach the age of menopause find another change happening to their bodies. i.e. they become werewolves. i fucking adored this concept and there was f/f romance, but the execution and the writing was sadly pretty boring.

no-no boy - john okada ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ post-wwii, following a young japanese american man who was just released from prison. called a no-no boy because like all other japanese men at the time, he was asked two questions: will you serve in the armed forces and swear loyalty to the us? he answered no to both questions and was detained. the novel follows him grappling with that decision after the war, looks into his friends, family life, race relations, and what it’s like living in a country that despises you. enjoyed it a lot.

the husband gambit - l.a. witt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the kind of tropey romance nonsense that i live for. contemporary m/m slow burn fake marriage between a struggling actor, and the son of a famous hollywood producer. there were some meh parts (like, the plotting and the reasoning behind why they had to get fake married was like... are you SURE marriage is the best way to fix this) but i really liked it for the romance and the tropes.

drive your plow over the bones of the dead - olga tocarczuk ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ contemporary polish mystery fiction, following an old woman living in a secluded community in the woods, when poachers and prominent hunters begin turning up dead. really interesting writing and format, and a really excellent protagonist. not sure how much i liked the actual mystery.

the babysitter - jack harbon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ quick and dirty m/m romance, a literature-loving babysitter falls for the divorced father of the kid he babysits. pretty fun.

zipper mouth - laurie weeks ⭐️⭐️⭐️ contemporary fiction that follows a queer, mentally ill woman as she hurdles through life, unrequited love, jobs, and lots of drugs. i enjoyed the themes when there was a coherent one, but i really didn’t gel with the style. i guess it was trying to be stream of consciousness, which i have read and enjoyed in the past. but this didn’t do it for me. interesting tho, and honestly, i just might not have been the audience for it.

spirits abroad - zen cho ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a PHENOMENAL collection of stories drawing inspiration from malaysian spirits, culture and folklore. absolutely loved it, fave read of the month for sure. loved the use of language and dialect, and the writing was simple and precise and wonderful. and there were some great f/f stories in here. 

a cat, a man and two women - junichiro tanizaki ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the setting: 1920s japan. the characters: lily, a fat tortoiseshell. shozo, her lazy, well-meaning, but ineffectual cat-dad. fukuko, his hot young former mistress, current wife. shinako, his strong-willed, slightly bitter ex-wife. the plot: shinako decides, HEY ACTUALLY FUCK YOU KEEP YOUR HOT WIFE BUT I WANT THE CAT. a great novella about loneliness and comeuppance and marriage. the best part was the cat lol.

the terracotta bride - zen cho ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really interesting novella about a young dead woman living in chinese hell. she’s married, and her husband has three wives. the first: estranged, conniving, distant. the second: herself, unwilling but resigned. the third: newly arrived, and made out of terracotta. very interesting novella, beautifully written, grim but hopeful, f/f romance on the side.

king and the dragonflies - kacen callender ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ wonderful queer children/YA book about family, grief, racism, coming to know yourself and also accepting yourself. contemporary, but it almost FEELS like a fantasy/magical realism book. 

orphan number eight - kim alkemade ⭐️⭐️⭐️ a novel about an orphaned woman coming to terms with experiments done on her as a child, when she encounters the doctor who performed said experiments, dying in a nursing home. the writing in this was pretty so-so, did a lot of head-hopping which is my biggest pet peeve. i liked the concept, but the plot and the follow through were meh. loved that the main character was a lesbian though, and some of the writing was great.

firm hand - nora phoenix ⭐️⭐️ meh... not for me. m/m contemporary romance following a guy recovering from the car crash that killed his best friend, and his best friend’s son. it went some places that i’m just not up for, lol.

meet cute club - jack harbon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REALLY adorable m/m romance, following a dorky, earnest romance novel lover, and the new cashier at his favourite book store. they end up trying to revive the main characters struggling book club, and falling in love along the way. very fun and sweet.

mrs. mix up - candice harper ⭐️⭐️ the concept sounded so so cute: an f/f romance about two librarians with similar last names that go to a library convention and the staff mistakenly thinks they’re married and book them into one room. but the writing and chemistry were lacklustre and it was extremely poorly edited. it’s a shame, i could have liked this.

mine - kim hartfield ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a sexy f/f romance that i liked a LOT, about a young woman who after a traumatic event in her life decides to quit her job and go volunteer on a farm in the middle of nowhere. she ends up falling for her sexy lesbian farmer boss. it got deep in some areas i wasn’t really expecting it to, though it was a tad... idk, preachy? and the conflict at the end was annoying. enjoyed it a bunch tho.

the hobbit - j.r.r. tolkien ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ nth reread! i’ve been listening to this on audiobook around bedtime since like... march, i think, it’s just such a comfort read for me.

the knight and the necromancer 1-3 - a.h. lee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a very solidly good fantasy m/m romance series, about a young prince and a necromancer in a war against an invading sorcerer. sorta enemies to lovers? the three books span their relationship and the war, and though it was only a few weeks in time, it didn’t feel insta-lovey at all. liked it a lot.

the fake game - kim hartfield ⭐️⭐️⭐️ contemporary f/f fake dating office romance! pretty cute; didn’t blow me away but i solidly liked most of it.

what the wind knows - amy harbon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ historical time travel romance centred around the aftermath of the ireland easter rising. i spend so much time reading solidly gay stuff that it’s so weird reading things where the existence of queer ppl isn’t even acknowledged lol. anyway this was pretty good, i liked it mostly for the historical facts and aspects, but the romance was pretty touching too.

the golem of mala lubovnya - kim fielding ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ LOVELY m/m romance in a small jewish community between a newly created golem and a stonemason. lovely writing and atmosphere and characters. i had my nitpicks with the resolution but holy heck i’m so happy with this.

the electric heir - victoria lee ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the second part of a queer YA duo-logy that i started earlier this year, set in a future dystopian magic-riddled US, dealing with abuse and trauma and survivors. extremely difficult to read, almost unenjoyable at times (because god these kids go through so much) but very very good.

first everything - kim hartfield ⭐️⭐️ aha, possibly my last try with this author, though i liked the first book i read by her so much i might read one more! f/f romance between a journalist and a fictional first daughter (who’s also like, a domme, lol). the plot was fine but a lot of the character stuff and the shitty parent stuff really bothered me.

and that was may! for june i’ll... read lots of queer stuff, but i mean i do that every month. i also want to try to read less romance, more thriller and historical and just general contemporary? i feel like i say that all the time, but i’ll try. (though i did just get my first ever advanced reader copy from netgalley and it’s f/f romance, so... exciting!) currently reading the 7 deaths and evelyn hardcastle, a thriller. pretty okay so far.

[bookcub]

Top 60 Influential and/or Best YA Novels post 2008

Written for a friend!!! A lovely challenge for me!!! Happy reading!!!

Edit: The reason Twilight isn’t on here is because my friend had already read it. But it possibly the most influential books, whether or not you liked it or liked the influence it had. Also, same could be argued for later Harry Potter books, although I still consider them children’s as I read them as a child. 

A guide: favorite ~~~~least favorite~~~~-haven’t read

Cassandra Clare- So you have some options here. City of Bones was probably one of the most influential books but it’s part of a larger series. You can read it as a trilogy or a six part series or with the prequels (which are better). She has even more written, but my recommendation is, if you like the first one, to read City of Ashes and City of Glass and The Infernal Devices trilogy. 

Suzanne Collins- The Hunger Games. You knew this would be on the list. 

Veronica Roth- Divergent. You have to read it. The whole trilogy is meh overall but the first one is pretty good. 

Sarah Dessen -Just Listen is apparently her most popular but has more triggering content and I preferred The Truth About Forever anyways. 

Maggie Stiefvater- As much as I love The Wolves of Mercy Falls, in the past few years, people have become obsessed with The Raven Cycle, so I’d argue they are more influential. I think you’ll like this one a lot. 

Marissa Meyer- She wrote futuristic retellings of fairy tales and Cinder is a must, and if you like it even a little bit, you should read the rest of the series. It’s one of the few series where each book is better than the previous. 

John Green- I hate putting him this high on this list cause I’ve never been a big fan BUT you can get away with not reading The Fault in Our Stars. Every hardcore fan of his I’ve talked to has said they prefer either Looking for Alaska or Paper Towns. 

Laini Taylor- Our first angels book on this list!!! Daughter of Smoke and Bone is just SO GOOD. I keep putting off the last book because I don’t want it to end. 

Richelle Mead- She wrote the Vampire Academy books and yes, I love them, and yes, they are cheesy, but they are tons of fun. Only thing: the main romance is between a 17 year old and a 24 year old. 

Jennifer Lynn Barnes- My bias is showing but her books are like, quintessential YA but without most of my least favorite tropes. You can either read Raised by Wolves (werewolves) or The Naturals (Criminal Minds with teenagers) as standalones or series. 

Sarah J. Maas- She wavers between the line of YA and NA. Throne of Glass is 6 books and A Court of Thrones and Roses is three books. I haven’t finished either. 

Every Day by David Levithan- Magical realism 

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers- Intense contemporary about bullying

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins- Magic school

Graceling by Kristen Cashore (standalone or trilogy)- High fantasy with super powers 

The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan- Gothic inspired fantasy with lots of subversions of popular YA tropes 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black- Vampire dystopia 

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy- Contemporary 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han- Contemporary 

The Duff by Kody Keplinger- Contemporary written by an actual teenager. 

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr- Faeries  

Legend by Marie Lu- Dystopian 

Heist Society by Ally Carter- Thieves!!!! 

Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalstier- A very well done and respectful Twilight parody 

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl- Witches Twilight-style and gender swapped 

I Am Number Four by Pitticus Lore- Aliens 

Ever Lost by Neil Shusterman- Afterlife 

Fallen by Lauren Kate- Angel Twilight 

Perks of Being a Wallflower- Intense contemporary 

Uglies by Scott Westerfield-Dystopian 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson- Dark contemporary

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray- Lord of the Flies with girls 

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock- Contemporary 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets the Universe by Benjarmin Alire Saenz- Contemporary 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas- Intense contemporary 

Elementals by Brigid Kemmerer- Urban fantasy 

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry- Contemporary 

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi- Dystopian 

The Selection by Kierea Cass- Dystopian but with the plot of the Bachelor

The Originals by Cat Patrick- Romantic sci fi

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli- Contemporary 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- Historical 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir- High fantasy 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexi 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell- College setting contemporary 

If I Stay by Gayle Foreman- Intense contemporary 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo- High fantasy thieves 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- Contemporary 

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout- Twilight with aliens 

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover- College contemporary 

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher- Intense contemporary 

Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong- Urban fantasy adventure 

Between by Jessica Warman- Afterlife mystery 

Gone by Michael Grant- Dystopian 

Beastly by Alex Flinn- Modern Beauty and the Beast 

Miss Pergrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ramson Riggs I really have no idea what this book is about 

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan Contemporary 

Life as We Know It by Susan Beth Pfeffer- Dystopian 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern- Historical fantasy 

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta- High fantasy 

[televinita]

For fun and support of a community resource, I decided to gamble $5 on a Friends of the Library "blind box" -- you drive up, pay, and receive a pre-filled bag of 10 books from the category of your choice. I picked YA because that seemed like the one most likely to hit vs. miss on the selections.

Which I now realize was a DUMBASS thought process because a) adult fiction comprises a good half of the fiction I read these days, and b) I completely forgot that unlike general adult fiction, "YA" doesn't separate out the trash category fantasy that has been the rage in YA over the last several years (”trash” is a reflection of its personal value to me. I don’t judge anyone for reading it).

And I DEFINITELY forgot that YA could include manga. GROSS. THESE SHOULDN'T EVEN COUNT AS BOOKS (not among the 10 I'm paying for, anyway. i am sure they have value to someone, and I hope the person who finds them in the Little Free Library they’re going to enjoys them). I cannot believe a full 30% of my bag was wasted on that.

Basically, I wish I’d gone for general fiction instead. My brain defaulted to assumptions about dreary prizewinning literature and dude books, when actually I bet at least some of it would have been contemporary women’s fiction (...of course if it wasn’t I would have been just as mad at myself for not shooting for YA. hmmm...maybe i can convince fiance to buy a bag. maybe i can convince him to convince his parents to buy a bag or two and we can all divide up the spoils! *schemes*)

Anyway, here are my specific thoughts on the 7 actual books; links to Goodreads included:

1. The Edge of Light - Elizabeth George (2016): Pass. This is book 4 of a quartet that is very pretty on the outside but which I have never had any interest in.

2. The Fix - Natasha Sinel (2015): Maybe? Never heard of it, suuuper don't love the "recovering addict boy" aspect when she's already dating "the cute boy next door," but it otherwise looks as solidly contemporary as it gets so I may give it a shot. [edit: tried and DNF; I hate everyone but especially the MC]

3. Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls - Lynn Weingarten (2015): Nothing wrong with this one per se, but I’ve passed it up numerous times at the library because it does not sufficiently compel my interest. However, I did read another book by this author that was decent, so now that it’s here I might as well try. At least it’s contemporary. [edit: BONKERS and I will re-donate, but it was worth 1 read]

4. The Girl in the Shadows - Gwenda Bond (2016): Magic, pass.

5. Gates of Thread and Stone - Lori M. Lee (2014): Fantasy realm, pass.

6. The Last Exit to Normal - Michael Harmon (2008): Actually the best looking one of the batch?? Hits my “parent comes out as gay and breaks up kid’s home” annoyance button right off the bat, but since the story is set 3 years after that, I’m kind of interested in seeing his dad’s new relationship and more importantly, the small town Montana setting.

[edit: oh my god no. The dad was too annoying for me to care about the (fairly background) relationship and this is the worst setting I’ve ever read in my life; cat lovers and readers sensitive to homophobia and child abuse -- the last two are unrelated -- BEWARE]

7. Love in the Time of Global Warming - Francesca Lia Block (2013): Love her! But haven’t read her in ages, and I’m not sure a dystopian post-apocalyptic future with “clone giants” is the way I want to come back -- I’ve seen this novel before and gone “eh” to it. But it’s short, so I might try. [edit: nope, donated unread after 2 years]

Bonus: when I picked up my bag it came with a flyer saying they’re going to be starting a bookstore website next month, where you can select your choices online and then pick them up curbside like you do with library books.

Part of me is like, “cool of you to withhold this info until I was tricked into thinking this was my only shot to nab books for less than $4 a pop,” but most of me is just SUPER THRILLED, because I’ve actually been wondering if it was possible to set up something like that without having a whole pay-online storefront and all the processing fees that would entail (you pay in cash or by check when you pick them up).