#jonathan auxier

[carriagelamp]

Man I got lucky this month, I got to read a bunch of excellent books, including some really neat queer novels. Nothing like a break to really get to kick back and enjoy reading for the sheer pleasure of reading rather than a desperate escape

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation manhua v1

Unsurprising to absolutely anyone who’s been reading these, I picked up the first book of the manhua adaptation of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. It covers the first part of the first book, which basically amounts of Wei Wuxian’s revival and his flight from Mo Manor to the mountain and the Night Hunt. Besides for WWX, we get to meet Lan Wanji, the juniors, and Jiang Cheng, all of which have great designs. Like the rest of this series, it was a pleasure to read, the adaptation was done really well, and I’m excited for the next volume.

The Ice Monster

This book was very… meh. I was pretty disappointed, because I’ve really enjoyed the other two books I’ve read by David Walliams so far, and this was probably the one I was most excited about, but it was… incredibly middling compared to the others.

The Ice Monster is about a Victorian orphan, Elsie, who escapes from the brutal orphanage she had been raised in and was making her way on the streets. During this time, a great mammoth that had been found in the Arctic was being transported to the museum for display. Elsie feels a kinship for this “monster” and begins a series of events that lead to it being freed from the ice and set loose in London.

There were good moments in this book and I’m sure a kid would enjoy it, but ultimately it felt like way too many fart jokes and not enough substance compared to Walliams’ other books.

I Think Our Son Is Gay v2

A very sweet manga series I’ve been reading from the library. It follows the POV of a mother who suspects that her son is gay but who isn’t quite ready to come out yet. It’s a nice balance of humour — the art is cute and the characters have fun reactions to various silly things that happen in their lives — and love while still asking what it must be like to be gay in a homophobic society. A good read.

Legends & Lattes

SUCH a fun novel, it was exactly what I needed this month.

The story is about an orc mercenary called Viv who, after 20 years of fighting and killing, has had enough and is ready to settle down. Using the mysterious reward from her last adventure, Viv leaves her old company to find what she hopes will be the perfect city to open a coffee shop. Which is a daunting task in a part of the world that has never ever heard of coffee before and is suitably leery of this “bean water”.

If you want an action-packed, edge of your seat adventure book… don’t read this. This is the epitome of “cosy” fiction — its tag line is “high fantasy and low stakes”. If you want a dnd coffee au in novel form that’s about friendship and food… then this is THE perfect novel. It made me feel so warm and happy (and hungry).

Lucky Luke: The Oklahoma Land Rush // The Man Who Shot Lucky Luke

Lucky Luke is a BD series I’ve heard a lot about, and after seeing a couple episodes of it on Prime I decided I needed to actually pick up a volume or two. I’m delighted I did and I think I’ll need to read more now! 

The general premise is that of a western. The titular character, Lucky Luke, is a clever and nearly unflappable gun-slinger who can “shoot faster than his shadow”. Luke gets into a range of silly, comedic Wild West adventures and inevitably comes out on top for the sake of justice. Naturally, the genre being what it is, the whole First Nations thing is… rough, but the books were enjoyable if you can look past that.

The first book I read was The Oklahoma Land Rush which is fairly indicative of the series I believe and is about Luke being hired to help police the desperate rush of settlers to claim land in Oklahoma. The second was The Man Who Shot Lucky Luke which was written by Matthieu Bonhomme instead of Morris and is a slightly grittier, more serious take on Luke. I enjoyed this one just as much — it still managed to be funny, but the stakes felt much higher. And the art was just stunning.

The Night Gardener

A fun, creepy middle grade horror. A story about two young Irish immigrants trying their best to survive in the absence of their parents. In a last desperate attempt to get work they find themselves way out at a desolate, crumbling English manor that has been almost completely consumed by a strange tree. The family there is as desolate and strange as the grounds, pale and sickly and carrying a mysterious secret. The siblings realise just how strange and dangerous this estate might be as they’re drawn deeper into the secrets and begin to suspect that there’s something else living and working on the grounds…

I really like Jonathan Auxier's writing and I’ve been meaning to try this novel for years. I was glad to have finally done it.

Doctor Who: The Runaway Tardis

Just a cute little picture book. Pop Classics does some fun work and the art style really worked for Doctor Who. It’s about a little girl who has moved and is struggling with needing to make whole new friends in a place she doesn’t know. The themes of loneliness and goodbyes and needing to move on and make new friends was actually perfect to pair with Doctor Who; despite being quite simple and silly looking, it actually made me feel things for both the Doctor and the little girl.

Sandman v1/2

Everyone has been so hyped about The Sandman! I’ve been wanting to get in on it but I’m not very good at sitting down and watching shows so I thought I might try the original comics. Honestly I should have known better. I don’t really like this harsh style of American comics and if we’re being totally honest I don’t generally like Gaiman’s longer prose. This, unsurprisingly, combined two things I don’t like and ended up with a comic I didn’t like. Things only went down hill when fucking Batman appeared. It didn’t even really feel like it had the humour I would at least expect from Gaiman besides for a few brief glimmers. I appreciate that other people really like this series but oof. Not for me. 

The Secret Garden

I love The Secret Garden, it’s one of those comfort books that I need to reread every few years. I was listening to it as an audiobook this time and it was so lovely to see the first signs of spring appearing while listening to this story. If you want something feel good I highly recommend starting it because we are in the season for it.

If you’ve never read The Secret Garden, the premise is of a young, spoiled, but horrifically neglected child who was raised in British-occupied India. She is a bad-tempered, sour, and demanding child known to others as “Mistress Mary quite contrary”. When her parents die of a cholera outbreak she is sent back to England to live at her uncle’s manor on the Yorkshire moors. This relative is also distant and bitter, apparently hunchbacked and widowed. Once more alone, Mary is suddenly expected to do things for herself and isn’t given her every demand — instead she begins to befriend the cheerful, plain-spoken maid and starts spending time outside, exploring and playing for what feels like the first time in her life…   

Wallace & Gromit: Crackers in Space

I stumbled across this as an audiobook. After the fact I realised it’s also a comic. Oddly enough, the comic seemed profoundly bad — I’ve never really liked any of the Wallace and Gromit comics — but the audiobook version was a delight. It has the actual voice actor for Wallace, so it sounded completely like I had just put an episode on in the background that I had never watched before. They were also very clever about giving Gromit a “voice” despite him being a non-verbal character! It was actually a lot of fun!

Wallace decides to attempt making his own cheese out in the garden shed… only things go badly, as they’re wont to. Instead of making a lovely cheese, the whole thing ends up getting launched into the atmosphere because of a helium mishap… which might not be so bad if the zero gravity wasn’t making the Home Brew Cheese Kit kick into overdrive. They’re going to have to figure out how to deal with the massive, mutated cheese comet that’s now threatening all of West Wallaby Street. 

Wave Me Goodbye

An absolutely charming book, I didn’t want to put it down. This book takes place at the beginning of the Second World War, when children were being evacuated from London (which was at risk of bombing) and being sent out to live with volunteers in the country. Shirley is one of the children being sent out, but right from the beginning she finds herself struggling with feeling like the odd one out. She doesn’t feel like she fits in with her rough-and-tumble classmates, and when she does make a new friend on the train it’s clear that she doesn’t properly fit in with the posh covenant girls either. Things only get worse when she is one of the only children not picked to go with a family, and suddenly she and two other unwanted boys find themselves foisted on the unwilling inhabitants of the Red House. But in wartime, one has to make due, so she, Kevin, and Archie begin to explore this strange, half-empty house and get used to a very different way of life way out in the country.

Shirley is a huge reader in the book, and it actually made me pause reading to go and read some of the books she references! It was a lot of fun! Some of the books I read last month that Shirley reads are Ballet Shoes and The Squirrel, The Hare, and the Little Grey Rabbit. It’s also what made me decide to reread The Secret Garden, since they feel like similar genres.

When the Angels Left the Old Country

I read some great books this month and it would be hard to say for certain which was my favourite since they were in quite different genres, but this would be a strong contender. Holy shit was it good. The tl;dr is that it’s a bit like a Jewish Good Omens but also nothing like that at all.

The Angel (as angels don’t have permanent names, but rather names that describe what they are currently doing) and the demon Little Ash have been study partners for centuries, happily existing in their little Shtetl without feeling much need to change things. But things are changing and with the press of poverty and rise of violent anti-Semitic feelings many residents of the Shtetl are now leaving for America in the search of work and safety. Little Ash is determined that they should join these immigrants, and when a member of their Shtetl goes missing on her own voyage it seems inevitable that they go and track her down to ensure she is safe and well.

At its heart this is an immigrant story about people and prejudice and love, and it’s really written beautifully, the way you see all the hardship that goes into such a voyage even for supernatural beings.

[ms-tillus]

I just got done re-reading Peter Nimble and the Fantastic Eyes, and Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard. Honestly these two books defined so much of what I love in fiction, so drawing this scene from Sophie Quire MADE MY DAY!

[emachinescat]

A Year in (Book) Review: My 2024 Reading Journey 📚

#25 - Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Historical Fantasy / 378 pages / published 2018 / Finished Feb. 21

One Sentence Review: This is truly one of the most beautiful books I've ever read - funny, heart-wrenching, charming, and gorgeous, Sweep blends history and fantasy into a seamless tale of love, family, and growth and change, with a perfect bittersweet ending.

Favorite Quotes

"We save ourselves by saving others."

*

"Say not in grief, 'He is no more,' but live in thankfulness that he was."

*

"You can't have courage without fear, any more than you can have a ray of light without shadows... Some things are frightening, and only a fool wouldn't be afraid of them... Courage is feeling fear and facing it head-on."

*

"It is a quiet marvel to watch another person grow up before your eyes."

*

"The Sweep had never understood how a person could sleep through the sunrise. 'It's like Heaven itself is offering you a gift you're too lazy to open."

*

"I've always admired a person who can admit to not knowing something. Most people smile and nod and pretend they know everything for fear of being caught out. But those people only ensure their ignorance."

*

"But if you're always looking back, you might not see what's in front of you."

My rating: 5/5

A Few More Thoughts (Spoilers):

It was a masterpiece! This book is a perfect blend of charm, humor, beauty, sadness, history, and purpose. There were times when I couldn't stop smiling, and moments that shattered my heart. Nan was a lovely protagonist, and Charlie an absolute delight. The ending was bittersweet and beautiful.

I knew next to nothing going into this book, so imagine my surprise when my favorite poet was integral to the story and the theme! I was surprised and overjoyed to see how the book was in two parts, Innocence and Experience. It was truly so beautiful to see William Blake used in this context.

This book showed me so many beautiful things! How the people we love and lose are never truly gone, and how life can be so beautiful even in the midst of hardship, how real change can happen when people take a stand against injustice, how precious and beautiful life can be, how important it is to not judge by appearances, and how often those "monsters" who seem strange or scary are not the true monsters.

[jonathanpongratz]

Book Review: The Night Gardener

  Hello Readers! Winter is in full effect! Well, at least where I am here in Kansas City. The past week I’ve been feeling like poor old Jack Torrance. Now I don’t mind some cool weather, but this is advanced cold (I’m talking below zero, people!), so I haven’t been getting out much at all. Which means I’ve been busy reading to my heart’s content. And that means it’s time for another book…

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Burning Tide | Author: Jonathan Auxier | Publisher: Scholastic (2016)

[frecht]

they need to have a separate goodreads choice awards category for popular authors

[samantha-and-her-chaotic-desires]

Fictional Daddy-Daughter Dancing

!!!DO NOT REPOST/RETRACE MY ART!!!

“That’s how it works, doesn’t it? We are saved by saving others.” ― Jonathan Auxier, Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster

The girl has her hair down, after many days of it being up. Why? She is comfortable in front of him. She is like his daughter, and that is her happy place. She is full of smiles: and he loves smiles.

She is like his daughter. He is like her father. Together they are a duo that come from angst-filled hearts and teary-eyed pasts. They come together to ensure safety and familial love.

((SELF INDULGENCE BABY! :D I find Alastor to be one of my comfort characters. So I made something sweet <3)

(DON'T LIKE? DON'T HARASS.)

[r3dblccd]

DASHBOARD BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

recommend 9 books to the dash in any genre! tagged by: @misfittcd tagging: @formorethananame, @mxldito, @unavernales, @weedzkiller, @irrwicht, anyone who wants to share!

(some not so serious reviews incoming here, it gets long)

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - the way that book made my bawl my eyes in the end! The story is so good, the plot twist is plot twisting. And the illustrations in the book as so beautiful. I literally picked the book randomly like some time ago while I was on vacation from one of those travelling car bookstores and then it became one of my favourite books when I opened it to start reading.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier - I bought this book along with A Monster Call from the same travelling bookstore, it's also a rather nice read

White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick - this book is for the goth lesbians, no I will not elaborate. (I should really re-read it because it's been so long, but I really enjoyed it).

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark collected by Alvin Schwartz (the 3 books) - my favourite bedtime stories!

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - it's long, but I have no regrets reading it, it was so fun. And hey, I finally get the 42 reference, I saw it in That's Not My Neighbour!

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami - my favourite book from the Rat series. And you don't have to read the rest of the books to understand and enjoy this one, but I would still recommend them too.

Medea by Euripides - I love unhinged women in literature. I wish I could have seen the play on stage. I don't care what my professor says, I will defend this woman until I die.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - would you still love me if I was a worm, but like put it in action, but I'm not a worm, I'm not a bug either, I don't know why you would even think I am a bug, I am a creature that can't even be depicted, also, my family fucking sucks! (did you you know that Kafka didn't want any images depicting any kind of bug on the cover of the story? Well, now you know. And look what happened, check the other covers for it. People can't even respect someone's wishes after his death smh). Also, shout out to his other story A Hunger Artist, my guy has been THROUGH it. But on a more serious note, I truly feel bad for Kafka, learning more about him during my Western Literature lectures by the end of the semester and reading a little from his letter to his father definitely put things into perspective.

Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola - now, I'm not a fan of the Realism and naturalism literary movements, I hate that sort of detachment from the text where the author just describes what happens in the story in a way that feels like they themselves are disinterested in the story that became sort of more trendy with time (it's why I hated The Stranger by Camus; not only was the story boring, but the way of storytelling was boring too. But that's from a different period of time, it's also different because it's told in first-person perspective, the way the sentences in the novella are formed is very intentional and do work well with the overall theme of The Stranger, it just makes a lot of sense for the main character in the story, so I do have to give Camus some credit for that. But anyway!). But I think even though in the preface he wrote that he will look at the story as some sort of experiment Émile Zola did a good job writing a story with an interesting concept in a way that's still interesting to read instead of turning it into a snooze fest (*cough* The Stranger *cough* The Trial *cough* Madame Bovary *cough*). I would have honestly loved a little more action at the end of of the story, but I still liked it, so it's fine.

[dyinggoosenoises]

Hello Goose, if I remember right, you enjoy reading. Do you have a favorite book??

Sweep by Jonathan Auxier :)

[rou-luxe]

📚ask game <:)

ask game

📚 - book

my favorite book is still crime and punishment ♥

runner-ups (they have intense themes, but are very simple to read... pretty short too)

"Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster" by Jonathan Auxier

"A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

"The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

"The Rag and Bone Shop" by Robert Cormier

[after-witch]

You've probably been asked this before but I figure no harm in asking again and if you don't want to answer feel free to ignore me! Can you recommend books or short stories to read? I loved the Small Spaces quartet (though admittedly only loved the first 2 books I have very mixed feelings about 3 and 4) and we clearly share a lot when it comes to taste in fiction. I'd love to know what books and authors and/or movies and games you love so I can find new things to enjoy.

(I have verrrry mixed feelings about book 3 and 4 as well. I also have a theory that Katherine Arden kind of rushed them, especially book 4, and I don't think I'm alone in this theory based on other people's reviews!)

I have some of my favorite books recommended here

To this list, i would also add:

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier (Involves making deals at a hefty price--gives "Small Spaces" vibes in some ways!)

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Thirteens (Secrets of Eden Eld series #1) by Kate Alice Marshall (Still working my way through this trilogy--tbh I don't absolutely adore it, I definitely feel like it's 'Small Spaces meets children's D&D campaign,' which doesn't always work. But worth a look if only because I feel like it's a good example of an author who was clearly inspired by 'Small Spaces' and the trends it ignited & re-sparked in the middle grade horror-and-horror-adjacent genre.)

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Hope you can find something you like!

[bayofwolves]

why didn't shane and zerif have a final showdown in the burning tide. why. it was predestined. it was needed. it was deserved. what was jonathan auxier cooking

[hanjsquokka]

hi hiii , for the botanical asks hehehe........ primrose , bird of paradise , baby’s breath , queen anne’s lace & winterberry !!

hello hello 🩷

botanical asks game

primrose; what book does everyone right now need to read?

the nightgardener by jonathan auxier!! i love that book!!

bird of paradise; what was the best thing that happened to you this month?

in august, probably nothing ? 😭 the last two weeks were shitty for me but i did find out my favorite cousins are going to visit in nov/dec so that's a good thing i guess?

baby’s breath; what’s your hogwarts house?

i'm a slytherin hehe 🐍

queen anne’s lace; who do you trust the most?

my one long distance friend, i haven't seen her since forever but she's been with me through the worst stuff that's happened to me lately ♡

winterberry; do you bite or lick your ice cream?

i bite it i think, idk i find licking it in public kind of weird 😭

[isfjmel-phleg]

Fortnight of Books: Day 1

Overall - best books read in 2023?

No new five-star books this year, although I might decide to promote some of them later after a reread. Five stars are reserved for books that absolutely rocked my world, and it often takes time for me to decide to confer the distinction.

A selection of the ones I enjoyed most includes:

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge

Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill

The Eleventh Trade by Alyssa Hollingsworth

The Invisible Boy by Alyssa Hollingsworth

Tin by Pádraig Kenny

The Monsters of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny

The Lockwood and Co. series by Jonathan Stroud

Bellwether by Connie Willis

Best series you discovered in 2023?

Space Boy by Stephen McCranie has been a delight so far, and I am eager to get my hands on the next installment.

Best reread of the year?

Tenthragon by Constance Savery is always a very moving reread.

[fictional-library-tournament]

Prelims round 1, poll 11

Propaganda

Aedificium, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco:

None

Mr Norrel's personal library, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel by Susanna Clarke:

None

The Library, The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins:

None

Sunai, The Archive Undying by Emma Mieko Cando:

He contains a living AI god referred to as an Archive. He is a relic who can interface with other archives and falls in love with a cute boy when he normally runs away from all attempts at intimacy and keeps being like oh? I...like him?

Professor Cake's Library, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier:

None

[readingrobin]

I'm still trying to get the hang of the whole "posting content" thing, but I think providing a reading wrap-up every month will allow me a little more to work with. January was a fairly standard reading month. I was able to get through ten books, though I added quite a few to my TBR. Kind of had a mini heart attack when I realized that, according to my Storygraph, I have about 1,731 titles on there. Well, at least I know I'll never run short of reading material.

Total Books Read: 10

Total Pages Read: 3,689

Books Read:

The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell - (Review) (3.5/5)

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier - All I have to say is that the best kind of children's fiction tends to be the ones that expertly balance the harsh cruelties of life, especially during the Victorian era, with an unshakable sense of hope and a lot of heart. Sweep is one of those books that doesn't shy away from the reality and history of children in peril, but there is a warmness in its pages that comes from feeling and seeing the love and protection of dear ones long since passed. Definitely a bit of a tearjerker, but in a good way. (4/5)

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu - (Review) (4/5)

Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes - Looking at the world around us, this book couldn't be more relevant, as book bans are sweeping across schools and kids are left without a choice in what they want to read. Though it presents a somewhat simplistic scenario of censorship gone wild, it's definitely meant as an accessible way for young readers to be introduced to the process of book banning and what can be done to make your voice heard. (4/5)

Season of the Bruja Vol. 1 by Aaron Duran and Sara Soler - A really beautiful graphic novel that highlights the conflict of surviving indigenous traditions vs. religious colonialism. Stories that point out the hypocrisy and brutality of the Catholic church scratch such a good itch for me. The world is a little shaky though, not much is exactly explained and you almost need some prior knowledge of Mexican mythology going in, but it's worth checking out. (3/5)

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos - (Review) (4/5)

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison - (Review) (4/5)

The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman - Though it takes a while to get going, The Ivory Key does have a great readability to it as the action finally kicks in about maybe halfway through. Up until then, the book spends a great deal laying the foundation of this world: tensions between cities, the role and history of magic in this society, the dynamics of the main characters. I will say, being introduced to at least seven different important characters in the span of 30 pages is a tad overwhelming at first, but it levels out the more you keep reading. While I did enjoy it, there was nothing particularly exemplary about the story that wowed me. The Indian-inspired setting and mythology makes it stand out, but everything else used the same tropes, beats, and twists that I've seen time and time over with little to add to them. I liked it enough to want to read the second book coming out later this year, but probably not enough to keep it on my personal shelf. (3/5)

Black Panther: The Young Prince by Ronald L. Smith - Read this one in a day and was fairly satisfied with it. It'll definitely appeal to middle grade readers looking for Marvel tie-in stories, as it has a quick pace and a good amount of action and mystery. For me, I don't think I enjoyed it enough to continue with the sequel, but it was nice to see a younger T'Challa and M'Baku out of their element away from Wakanda and how dynamic changed over the course of the book. (3/5)

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim - For a book inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo, the story itself was incredibly simple and told fairly straight-forwardly, but I think that works in its favor. I'm at the point where I'm starting to tire of long-winded society dramas so I appreciated it for having a bit of focus. Everyone's motivation is clear, with a natural twist or two popping up along the way, plus a great amount of casual queerness. Though the world-building wasn't exactly intricate, there is a good sense of aesthetic and personality in the setting of Moray from its high status venues to the seedy gambling dens. I'm interested to see where the story goes in the sequel! (3.5/5)

Average Rating: (3.6/5)