#not as much as Bray's Diviners series but close

[astrid297]

October JOMP Book Photo Challenge

Day Eight: Matching Covers

The Hangman's Daughter series by Oliver Pötzsch

[cabeswaterdrowned]

remembering on my circa 2017 booklr I used to tell people to read Gemma Doyle by describing it as trc but with an all girls boarding school / all girl group in a historical setting… I was trying to do the lord’s work she deserved tumblr fame

[butterbeerandlemoncakes]

Books of 2023

The ABC Murders, Agatha Christie--This is probably one of my favorite Poirot novels. It keeps you on your toes and as always with Agatha Christie, there’s a surprise twist (or two!)

1984, George Orwell--I feel like this is another book that has been lost to the times. When it first came out, I’m sure it was a phenomenal read--it predicts a dystopian future in a surveillance state, which, at this point, maybe hits a little too close to home for some. The ‘big bad’ and scary suggestions for the future in this book are, at this point in our lives, fairly normal feeling, or things that we’ve since in more recent sci-fi novels and tv shows, done bigger and scarier. So, while I’m sure it set up the foundation for which many of these new things were based on, I was fairly bored reading this book, and did not finish it.

Finn Fancy Necromancy, Randy Henderson--This was a fun, light read. It follows the story of a boy who was framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and his journey of discovery after completing his sentence. 

The Diviners, Libba Bray--A supernatural-esque mystery story set in New York in the 1920s? What else can you ask for? This book was actually really good, it had a well rounded set of diverse and interesting characters, and was a good mix of a scary read and a fun read. 

The City We Became, NK Jemisin--This was a really interesting book--it’s hard to explain without giving too much away, but it was a very unique writing style overall, with subtle shifts in narration for when a different character was telling their part of the story. It explored a new concept, I think, in writing and storytelling, which I really enjoyed.

Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo--I’m a bit biased because I saw the show first, but that and a friend convinced me enough to read the book, and I loved it! The TV show stays pretty accurate to this book, at least (I’ve heard it strays from some of the later ones). Although it has some of the typical fantasy YA romance tropes, I still really enjoyed this book, and it had enough new and interesting ideas to keep me hooked and interested in the book. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

Moby Dick, Herman Melville--It’s taken me literal years to finish this one because I was reading it on my phone so would read it while riding to work and then forget about it for months on end and then pick it up again. BUT regardless, I really enjoyed it! I can see why a lot of high schoolers hate it, she’s DENSE. There’s a lot of explanation and things that aren’t necessarily plot-related going on in the book, which I enjoy, but I can see why others wouldn’t. Another one that I’d maybe recommend reading the abridged version of, but I really liked it!

Dune, Frank Herbert--Having watched the newest movie beforehand really helped me with this one. It’s a FANTASTIC book, but there are a lot of moving parts, politics, and characters with similar names, that I definitely would have gotten confused and frustrated if I hadn’t have had the movie to base things off of. That being said, would highly recommend reading. A lot times with old sci-fi books like this, they don’t live up to the hype because like, they may have been groundbreaking at the time they came out, but our expectations have risen so much since then. However, for a book that came out in 1965, this one still holds up. It definitely kept me interested throughout the book, which is saying something, because she’s THICK.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Eveyln Hardcastle, Stuart Turton--This was a really good book with a fresh new take on murder mystery/whodunits. Essentially, the narrator wakes up each day as a new person, reliving the events of the same day over and over again until he can solve the murder. It was a really interesting concept and I thought very well executed.

[stardustprompts]

the king of crows (  book 4 of the diviners series  )   -  libby bray  sentence starters change tenses/pronouns as needed !!  some lines have been edited for clarity / length / ease of roleplaying   tw ;  death , suicide idealization 

‘did anyone ever tell you that you sleep with your mouth open?’

‘you two. I don’t know whether to hope you get married or hope you never do.’

‘if this goes badly, don’t you dare come back and haunt me.’

‘doesn’t matter what’s true. it matters what people think is true.’

‘well, if there’s going to be drama, i’m all in.’

‘for the first time in my life, I got something to lose.’ 

‘I know from experience that saying no to you is a full time job.’ 

‘he only cares about power. he only cares about winning, no matter the cost.’

‘let’s fight fire with fire.’

‘you want to remake the world in your image, like a malevolent god?’

‘stop joking around. this is serious.’

‘you think your institutions will save you? they’re part of this.’

‘who died and made you boss?’

‘you’re still playing by their rules. you’ll never get anywhere that way.’

‘if trouble’s gonna come calling it won’t find me at home. it’ll have to chase me down first.’

‘i just don’t know how we make things work between us.’

‘please, please don’t hate me. I couldn’t bear it.’

‘you’re always you. always honest.’

‘i’ll kill you. I swear I will.’

‘greatness requires some sacrifices.’

‘i’m just saying, some doors are very good closed.’

‘well, I’m sorry I’m not as clever as you are.’

‘nobody’s who they say they are.’

‘if we survive this, you are dead to me.’

‘I can’t tell if that was a compliment or an insult.’

‘there’s things out there. and they’re coming for us.’

‘I will kiss you as much as you like.’

‘i’m afraid this isn’t real. i’m afraid in a minute i’ll wake up and i’ll be here but you won’t be.’

‘i’m here, (name), and I promise I will never leave you again.’

‘are you sure you should be doing that? after all you’ve been through?’

‘I like the way you apologize.’

‘don’t get used to it. i’m very rarely wrong.’

‘how are you gonna fight if you don’t believe there’s any goodness in this world worth saving?’

‘why are we trying to save this country? what’s it ever done for us? maybe we should just let it burn.’

‘you got me, didn’t you? your life couldn’t have gone too wrong.’

‘our last words to each other were angry. it haunts me. I wish I could undo it.’

‘it haunts me. I wish I could undo it.’

‘you know what heroes do? they pay attention.’

‘you really could make a joke of anything, couldn’t you?’

‘you aren’t invited to comment on everything in my life.’

‘I want better for you. you deserve happiness.’

‘whatever you do, will you come back to me?’

‘what were you thinking? were you trying to be dumb?’

‘am i the only one here with a lick of common sense?’

‘we might be spending too much time together.’

‘when you put it that way, sounds like we don’t have a chance in hell.’

‘i’m not cocky. can I help it if I’m just that good?’

‘I hate maps. and directions. and rules.’

‘they don’t want to hear what you have to say. this is what they want: blood.’

‘who wants to etch their name into this story?’

‘I was having the most beautiful dream. I was … happy.’

‘I told you. but you never did listen to me, did you?’

‘I was afraid I’d never see you again.’

‘I told you that you’d be sorry.’

‘what happens if such power goes unchecked?’

‘i’m not telling anyone about this. and you’re not gonna, either.’

‘fine, no hurry. it’s only the end of the world we’re worried about here.’

‘I can face just about anything. but I can’t do it without you.’

‘the world is a terrible place. it never learns.’

‘I used to think I wouldn’t care if I died. I just kept throwing myself at life, hoping I’d hit the bullseye eventually. I thought death would be a relief from all that feeling.’

‘I used to think I wouldn’t care if I died. I thought death would be a relief from all that feeling. a relief not to have to feel all that pain. not to care so much.’

‘you think you’re the only one who ever feels that way?’

‘how do you go on… with all that loneliness inside you?’

‘you know, I really thought this was going to be a much more romantic conversation.’

‘I invented trouble. I know how it works.’

‘(name), would you marry me?’

‘I always believed you and I would be special together, but now I know it’s true.’

‘I don’t suppose you could be happy for me, could you?’

‘you and I weren’t meant to be.’

‘that’s what he wants, to get you good and scared. so you won’t fight back.’

‘I don’t think one joke will be the end of us.’

‘something is wrong. don’t you feel it?’

‘i’m not yelling. I’m just … nudging.’

‘it was everything I was afraid of.’

‘maybe we need to lose control sometimes.’

‘I used to feel numb a lot.’

‘i’m so angry all the time.’

‘I don’t know what to do with all these feelings coming up inside me. I don’t know where to put them.’

‘life isn’t always fair, and the choices we make sometimes aren’t always clean.’

‘we can’t do anything about other people do. we can only do right by what we believe.’

‘it’s a hard path to be who you are and try to put your best self into a world that doesn’t always show thanks for it.’

‘you ever wonder if maybe we’re on the wrong side of history?’

‘you’re lying. you’re a liar. nobody likes liars.’

‘you take and you take and you take! well, you can’t have him—- I won’t let you!’

‘nothing about this is natural. it’s an unnatural world.’

‘we’ll always have (name) that way, and we’ll carry him around with us forever.’

‘you and me. if they come for one of us, they come for all of us.’

‘in addition to being a lousy fellow, you’re also a goddamned idiot.’

‘I will make you a swell little medal if we survive.’

‘sometimes you just gotta burn something down so you can build something else in its place.’

‘you were selfish. you are selfish.’

‘that’s all we are in the end. stories.’

‘will you remember me fondly?’

‘i’ve taken nothing that people weren’t willing to give me. out of greed. out of anger. out of fear.’

‘you did have a choice. you made it.’

don’t waste it. make a good life.’

‘I was afraid I’d lose you.’

[thekindworthreading]

Do I have that other book challenge?

I saw Hailey in Bookland doing that on YouTube and it was a lot of fun so here we are

1. Do you have a book with a fox on the cover or part of the plot?

Yes, The Language of Thorns – Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo has a fox on the cover!

2. Do you have a book that was published the year you were born or in a three year radius?

I thought this would take so long to search, but I actually found one real quickly!! It´s Personal Injuries by Scott Turow. Published 1999.

3. Do you have a book with music as a weapon or magic?

I am once again amazed how quickly I remembered An Amber in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir with music as magic! At first I thought I didn´t have one but I actually do!

4. Do you have a series with mismatched covers?

Sadly yes and I absolutely hate it! My friend gifted me And I Darken by Kiersten White and I bought another book in the series, but we got different editions.

5. Do you have a book with a shapeshifter?

At first I was like “nah I don´t” but I do! Loki – Where Mischief Lies by Mackenzie Lee

6. Do you have a book signed by the author?

I do, but it´s in German, it´s called Mummy Island – Sacer Sanguis Maniac by Albert Knorr

7. Do you have a book with a mostly red cover?

I do have multiple books with mostly red covers, but I will go with Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

8. Do you have a book between 287 and 306 pages?

This took me so, so long but I found one! 21 Proms a short story collection with 298 pages!

9. Do you have a book with a main character who wears glasses?

Yes! Harry Potter has glasses! And I have many, many Harry Potter books

10. Do you have a book with a title that has the same number of letters as your first name?

So, my name is Carina, which means I´m looking for a 6-letter long title and I actually found one! Finale by Stephanie Garber!

11. Do you have a book with cyber crime/technology as a plot point?

Antisocial by Jillian Blake is centred around technology!

12. Do you have a book written in another language or translated to English?

I have a lot of German books, seeing as I´m from Austria, so this one is very easy for me haha. I choose Der letzte macht den Mund zu, by Michael Buchinger. (The last one closes the mouth)

13. Do you have a book written by an Asian author?

Yes, but only the German translation: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

14. Do you have a book with a moon on the cover?

Yes, I do. Artemis by Andy Weir, that one was almost too easy. (And I love the moon)

15. Do you have an illustrated children´s book?

My copy of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is illustrated!

16. Do you have a collection of fairy tales or myths?

I do have both and I´ll go with Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

17. Do you have a sci-fi or fantasy with an alliance of races?

For that question I will use An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

18. Do you have a book with a narrow front cover? (paperback with a front cover that is slightly trimmed shorter/narrower than the rest of the book)

I do though I don´t like them very much tbh haha, for example Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

19. Do you have a book that includes the first chapter of the sequel?

I had to search for a bit, but The Diviners by Libba Bray has the first chapter of the next book included!

20. Do you have a book with a broken spine?

I don´t do that, but I have quite a few books from book sales, where the spines have been broken so: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

I tag: @myownlittlebookcorner, @gagakumadraws, @utterlymealicebean, @honey-almondmilk, @paranoid--introvert, @yabookblr, @books-cupcakes

[poetlcs]

books I’ve read in 2020 (so far) + their ratings

non-fiction

crossing the line: australia’s secret history in the timor sea by kim mcgrath: important research into australia’s theft of oil in timor leste. didn’t rate

hood feminism: notes from the women that a movement forgot by mikki kendall: essay collection dissecting modern feminism, pointing out the exclusionary practices of mainstream feminism and offering new frameworks through which feminism should operate. really recommend. didn’t rate

the uninhabitable earth: life after warming by david wallace-wells: good introduction to environmentalism and the climate disaster. a little too introductory for me but good for those new to the topic. ★★★

homo deus: a brief history of tomorrow by yuval noah harari: it is simply not Sapiens nor as good as Sapiens. Looks at potentials for our future but, thought it was a little poorly researched. Some parts were still interesting though.  ★★★

SPQR: a history of ancient rome by mary beard: a little dense at times, but super interesting and detailed look at ancient rome. enjoyed it a lot. ★★★★

sister outsider by audre lorde: collection of audre lorde’s essays and speeches, about feminism, lesbianism, the queer community, being Black and a lesbian ect ect. outstanding, important collection anyone interested in intersectional feminism must read. ★★★★★

all boys aren’t blue by george m. johnson: memoir about johnson’s experiences growing up as a Black gay boy in a poor neighbourhood. Very poignant memoir, written in such accessible language which I liked. guarenteed to get you emotional, another one everyone should read. didn’t rate because it’s so highly personal that felt wrong but highly recommend. 

under a biliari tree i born by alice biari smith: memoir by an Aboriginal Australian detailing her life growing up learning traditional Aboriginal ways and how the lives of Indigenous Australian’s have been impacted through the years, specifically in Western Australia. Probably more aimed at school age people but still a 101 I think many Australian’s (and non Australian’s) can benefit from. didn’t rate 

classics

maurice by e.m forster: gay man coming of age story in college + themes around class and sexuality. forster’s end note saying he thought it imperative to write a happy ending because we need that in fiction, i love him. ★★★★★

emma by jane austen: read before seeing the movie. loved emma as a character but thought this was okay compared to other Austen I’ve read. ★★★½

perfume by patrick suskind: a man with an incredible sense of smell starts murdering young women to try and bottle their scent for a perfume. weirdest shit I ever read still don’t know how to feel about it. ★★★

the color purple by alice walker: follows the life of Celie, an Black woman living in rural Georgia. deals with her relationship with her sister Nettie, her lover Shug Avery, and with God. this tore my heart to shreds absolutely everyone must read it, like even just for the beautiful writing ALONE. ★★★★

a study in scarlet by arthur conan doyle: its sherlock holmes #1 no further explanation required. not my fave sherlock story, was the weird morman subplot needed? ★★½

dracula by bram stoker: yeah vampires!! this was way easier to read and also way funnier than I expected. we STAN gothic aesthetics and Miss Mina Harker here. ★★★★

fantasy

the diviners by libba bray: teens with magical powers/abilities solving mysteries in 1920′s new york. reread. ★★★★★

lair of dreams by libba bray: the diviners #2. reread. ★★★★½

before the devil breaks you by libba bray: the diviners #3. reread. best one in the series hands down.  ★★★★★

the king of crows by libba bray: waited so long for this series ender and it let me down lol. ★★★

clockwork princess by cassandra clare: the infernal devices #3. dont @ me this is my comfort reread series and I was travelling. ★★★★★

we unleash the merciless storm by tehlor kay mejia: we set the dark on fire #2. latinx inspired fantasy about overthrowing a corrupt government with an f/f romance. didn’t like as much as book one but still good, BEST girlfriends ever. ★★★½

wolfsong by t.j klune: basically feral gay werewolves and witches living in a town together. feels like a teen wolf episode but way more gayer. despite that hated the writing style and I don’t like age gap romances so yay the concept no the execution.  ★★

the fate of the tearling by erika johansan: the tearling #3. finally finished this series, dunno why everyone loathes the ending so much I thought it was cool. underrated fantasy because it’s very unique. ★★★★

girl, serpent, thorn by melissa bashardoust: persian inspired fantasy about a girl who is cursed by a div to kill anyone she touches. has an f/f romance. bashardoust writes the most aesthetically rich settings I love her. ★★★★

crier’s war by nina varela: reread. f/f enemies to lovers where the main character poses as a handmaiden in order to try and murder the princess whose father killed her family. PEAK gay content literally a modern classic. ★★★★★

we hunt the flame by hafsah faizal: I was so disinterested in this book I barely can describe the plot but basically it’s a prince and a hunter who are enemies but are forced to go looking for this magical artifact together anyway it was boring.  ★

ghosts of the shadow market by cassandra clare + others: short story collection set in the shadowhunter world. probably the strongest of her collections but they just don’t hit the same as her full length books. didn’t rate. 

a storm of swords: part two by george r.r martin: a song of ice and fire #3. I WILL finish reading these books eventually i swear !! probably the best one yet though. ★★★★

amarah by l.l mcneil: world of linaria #3. high fantasy with politics, dragons, warring races. tolkein/asoiaf vibes if they had more women with agency. didn’t rate because I haven’t decided my feelings on the end yet. 

science fiction

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: f/f enemies to lovers between spies on rival sides of a time war. good book but writing style wasn’t for me (others love this so eh take my opinion with a grain os salt:  ★★★

not your sidekick by c.b lee: main character is from a superhero family but has no powers herself, so she takes an internship working with a superhero corp. has an f/f romance with a villain character. so much fun and super cute

speculative fiction:

the deep by rivers solomon: speculative fiction wherein pregnant African women thrown overboard by slave ships gave birth to babies that became mermaids. main character holds all the memories of her people’s past but runs away after being unable to deal with the burden. about self discovery, intergenerational trauma and the burden of remembering. a little short imo but still all round excellent book ★★★★

how long ‘til black future month? by n.k jemisin: short story collection, many with an afro-futurism focus. hard to explain because there is such a wide variety of stories but this is an AMAZING collection. didn’t rate because I don’t like rating short story collections but wish more people would read it. 

mystery

the family upstairs by lisa jewell: woman inherits an english house and starts to unravel the secrets of a mass cult suicide that happened there years ago. loved it because it was wild. ★★★★★

the hand on the wall by maureen johnson: truly devious #3. boarding school mystery where the main character has to solve a murder that happened in the 1920s at her school while another mystery is happening in present time. my least favourite of the series but satisfying conclusion nonetheless. ★★★½

contemporary fiction

maybe in another life by taylor jenkins reid: dual timeline book showing the two outcomes of a decision the main character makes. cool concept but ultimately boring book because I didn’t care about the main character at all.  didn’t rate because I didn’t finish it. 

girl, woman, other by bernadine evaristo: vignette stories of various women whose lives are vaguely interconnected. incredibly well written with such vivid characters. deserves the hype. ★★★★

tin heart by shivan plozza: australian YA, the recipient of a heart transplant wishes to connect with the family of her donor, after she discovers the identity of her donor. good story but didn’t like the writing style. ★★★

a little life by hanya yanigahara: follows the life of a group of friends living in life, especially that of jude, a closed off and damaged man with a troubling past. a little too torture-porny/Tragic Gays but I cannot deny the author has a beautiful writing style and I went through all the emotions. didn’t rate

a girl like that by tanaz bhathena: explores the events leading up to the main character dying in a car crash. set in Jeddah, saudi arabia and explores expectations on women, feminism and expressions of sexuality and relationships between women during teenage years. kinda no good characters but I loved it for it’s messy depiction of teen girls (whilst not condemning them for this). underrated. ★★★★

little fires everywhere by celeste ng: drama in white american suburbs when a new family moves in and the neighbours start investigating their past. eh, I heard a lot about this and thought it was just okay. ★★★

stay gold by tobly mcsmith: trans boy decides to go stealth at his new school and falls for a cheerleader, georgia. about navigating being trans and definitely felt like it was written to educate cis people. it was okay but ultimately not my thing and not really the story I was looking for, even though I respect it being written by a trans author and still would recommend to certain people. ★★½

everything leads to you by nina lacour: main character and her best friend have to unravel a hollywood mystery, all while the main character is trying to get over her ex-girlfriend and find work as a set designer. f/f romance and loved the focus on movie making and the power of stories. ★★★½

the falling in love montage by ciara smyth: a girl meets another girl at a party, but she’s not looking to date due to the amount of family issues she has going on. so her and the girl decide to spend the summer having fun, renacting scenes from rom-coms, but never dating. awesome family dynamics and the relationship between the two girls was sweet also set in ireland which is fun. 

normal people by sally rooney: explores the relationship between connell and marianne, who meet in school, date secretly, and then are inexplicably drawn to each other for the rest of their lives. explores power dynamics, relationships, love and trust, and what we owe to eachother. great book, great mini-series, love it to bits. ★★★★★

the glass hotel by emily st john mandel: impossible to explain this book, but there’s a mystery about grafitti, a ponzi scheme and a character falling to their death on a boat under suspicious circumstances. honestly idk what happened in this book but I liked it. ★★★½

historical fiction

half of a yellow sun by chimamanda ngozi adichie: historical fiction about the biafran war loosely based on adichie’s family experiences. incredibly well written with an ending that punches you in the gut. ★★★★

hamnet by maggie o’farrell: explores the shakespeare family after the death of their child, Hamnet, from the plague, and how this leads to Shakespeare writing Hamlet. cool as fuck concept and boring as fuck book with such tropey female characters. ★★

all the light we cannot see by anthony doerr: WW2 fiction, dual perspective between a blind girl living in france and a german boy forced into nazi youth. I cannot believe this book is award winning it’s so boring and predictable and i reget the time i wasted on it. ★

poetry:

on earth we’re briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong: poetry memoir. vuong writes a letter to his illiterate mother, knowing she’ll never read it, exploring their relationship, his experiences growing up as second generation Vietnamese-American, and hers during the Vietnam War. My favorite book I’ve read so far this year, just too good to explain, genuinely just feel like everyone is better off for having read this. ★★★★★

currrently reading:

girls of storm and shadow by natasha ngan

meet me at the intersection: edited by rebecca lim & ambelin kwaymullina

stamped from the beginning: the definitive history of racist ideas in america by ibram x. kendi

get a life, chloe brown by talia hibbert

[broadway-book-badger]

Mid Year Book Freakout Tag

From time to time I like to talk about books here on tumblr.com. We’re just about half way through the time that has been 2020, and thanks to lockdown etc, I have already reached my Goodreads goal of 50 books, and I feel like talking about some of them. I’ve seen many people doing versions of this tag on YouTube, but I don’t do that, so instead I’m going to answer the questions here because why the hell not.

1. Best Book read so far in 2020

Picking one is too hard, so I’m going to say Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Seveneves by Neal Stephenson, and Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare as a top three. All chunky fantasy and sci-fi titles, but well worth it. 

2. Best Sequel read so far in 2020

The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky are books 2 and 3 in the Broken Earth Trilogy by N K Jemisin, and they were fantastic. This series is well deserving of all the awards that it has won, and I highly recommend it. I’m also going to shout out The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black and The Toll by Neal Shusterman for being great series finales.

3. A New Release you haven’t read yet, but want to

Due to bookshops being closed, a reluctance to buy physical books from Amazon and the debate of waiting for the paperback, there’s a few. I need to read King of Crows by Libba Bray, the final book in the Diviners series. I also want to get a hold of The City We Became by N K Jemisin and Burn by Patrick Ness, new books from authors I enjoy.

4. Most Anticipated Release for the rest of the year

The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan, the final book in the Trials of Apollo series, comes out in September, and A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green comes out in a few weeks. I read An Absolutely Remarkable Thing last month, and loved it, so I’m excited to see what happens next.

5. Biggest Disappointment

I’ve read a few duds, which were generally books I’ve had for years and years (often picked up second hand) and finally decided to pick up, then get rid of. My expectations for these were pretty low, so they didn’t disappoint me too much. The real biggest disappointment was the huge stack of library books I had to return unread due to coming home from University for lockdown. So many sequels I’d been waiting for...

6. Biggest Surprise

While a lot of the books I’ve had for ages and had low expectations for were not great, that was not the case for all of them. Gloss by Marilyn Kaye was one such book. I thought it would be a fine story about teenage girls working at a magazine, but it was so much better than I was expecting. I really enjoyed it, especially the 60s setting and directions taken with the romantic storylines.

7. Favourite New Author

Not new to the world, but new to me. I’ve started reading the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley, and I’m really enjoying it. These period romances sort of read like a more grown up Eva Ibbotson, one of my childhood favourites, so I’m excited to read more.

8. Newest Fictional Crush

I’m not above a fictional crush, but I can’t say I’ve picked up any new ones lately. I reread the Hunger Games a few months back though, and was reminded of my love for Peeta, one of the first book boys I loved.

9. Newest Favourite Character

I wouldn’t say that I’ve discovered any new ride-or-die all time favourite characters, but one of the character arcs I really appreciated was that of Benny in Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. I loved watching her come into her own over the course of the story.

10. Book that made you Cry

It’s been a while since I’ve had a serious cry at a book, but tears were shed at the end of The Stone Sky by N K Jemisin back in January. The culmination of Essun realising she’s not alone, to her sacrifice, to the explanation for the 2nd person narration - good, but v emotional.

11. Book that made you Happy

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett. I’m so glad I’ve finally got into Discworld, the sense of humour here is so absolutely my cup of tea, and the plot in this book of witches vs vampires was excellent. I also just finished The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary, which was a sweet rom-com which also made me happy, although in a slightly different way to Pratchett.

12. Most Beautiful Book you’ve bought this year

There hasn’t been a lot of book buying in 2020 for reasons, but before all the madness started, I got a hold of Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon because it was FINALLY out in paperback (though possibly more pretty, the hardback was just too big for practical reading). You can see it in all its glory in the picture at the top of the post.

13. Books to read by the end of the year

I really hope I can keep up my current momentum through the summer, because I am reading so much and it’s great. I’ll probably slow down come September, but we’ll see. I’ve just discovered that I can still borrow ebooks from the library even though they’re closed, so I’m planning on finishing some series that I started borrowing such as Crazy Rich Asians, Three Dark Crowns and Renegades. I also want to read more Terry Pratchett, because I’m loving everything I’ve read so far. Luckily, there are a lot of Discworld books!

[mosylufanfic]

I got this quaranmeme from @bomberqueen17, who got it from @girderednerve. Feel free to yoink if you please!

Are you staying home from work/school? Nope! Still have to go in every day. The libraries are closed to the public, but something something public funds yadda yadda we still have to turn up at work and like? do paperwork or something? I’m not bitter.

If you’re staying home, who is with you?

If I was staying home, I’d be home alone.

Who would be your ideal quarantine mate?

Are we talking fantasy or reality? Because sure I have a fantasy of a snuggly dude who cooks for me, but realistically, now feels like a good time to get a kitty or something . . .

Are you a homebody?

Hell yeah. Staying in and seeing nobody (on days when I don’t have to leave the house for work) is basically my normal life.

An event you were looking forward to that got canceled?

My niece’s first communion, in Chicago. Canceled for obvious reasons, but I’m bummed because I haven’t seen the niblings in about a year and that’s a long time when they’re smol.

What movies have you watched recently?

I slapped down the 20 dollars to rent the new Emma from Amazon (ridiculously expensive because it was supposed to be in the theaters right now, and that costume budget ain’t gonna repay itself). I enjoyed! I feel like 20 dollars was a little steep, but when you consider how much I would have spent to go see it at my favorite dine-in movie theater, it’s about the same and I didn’t have to put on pants.

What shows are you watching?

I’m working my way rather slowly through Star Trek Discovery. Slowly because, see above re: still going to work. Luckily, it’s a DVD set I borrowed from work and since we’re closed to the public, all the due dates have been extended. I’m not a binger in general - one episode of sci-fi crazysauce a night is pretty good for me.

What music are you listening to?

I just subscribed to the Austin 100 list on Spotify, which is a list of 100 songs that the guys at NPR picked to highlight from SxSW. They do it every year and I’ve gotten some new faves from it, but this year is especially important because SxSW was cancelled so these artists aren’t getting the bump they would have. Some of it is decidedly not my thing but some of it is.

What are you reading?

I have a giant pile of e-ARCs that I should be reading, but instead I downloaded a whole bunch of older Nora Roberts novels from Libby, stuff I remember reading when I was in high school. Comfort reading, I guess, although there’s some stuff that hasn’t aged well. I just finished one whole series today, and am going to take a crack at King of Crows by Libba Bray, which wraps up her Diviners series.

What are you doing for self-care?

Making sure I get myself to weekly knit night. Right now it’s virtual, we’re all on Zoom, but having an hour or two to laugh and talk with some of my closest friends is really sustaining.

[bethkerring]

8 Reasons to Read The Diviners

1. Evie. I know, I know, she’s the main character—of course she’s a good reason to read the book. And sure enough, right from the beginning, Evie is full of spunk and personality, fitting perfectly within her time period even as she’s trying to break out of her normal life. However, Evie’s most fascinating character traits are only revealed as the story progresses, and though she seems to be focused on boys, clothes, and (especially) booze, her deeper motivation and backstory are woven beautifully into her thoughts and life. Without spoiling some of the best parts of the book, Evie is a great example of how some not-so-great personality traits and unhealthy habits can come out of past experiences, and by the end of the story, she proved herself to be a much more engaging character that I expected when she first appeared.

2. Richly-painted, lovable characters. Of course, Evie isn’t the only gorgeously-written character here, but if I were to feature every single one, this list would go on for a while—and I don’t want to spoil some of the fantastic characters (and the relationships between them) that show up later in the book. So instead, I’ll just say that you won’t be disappointed with the diverse, infinitely fascinating cast. Even if Evie is the lead character, all the other characters play essential roles, and I’m never disappointed when I get to see scenes in their points of view.

3. Immersion in the time period. I don’t usually read a lot of historical fiction—though, thanks to the recommendations of a friend, I’ve been reading a lot more lately. But despite that, I would have gladly read The Diviners just for how richly Libba Bray paints the portrait of the 1920s. Contrary to some, I rarely feel like I’m truly “swept away to another world” when reading—even if I love the story—but this book achieves that and then some. The setting is described just enough to give a clear mental image without spending pages going into unnecessarily details, and the slang, dialogue, interactions, and general backdrop complete the effect. I really felt like I had been dropped into the 1920s when I opened this book, but the history and setting never took away from the characters or the plot.

4. Platonic relationships. If you know me, you know that I adore platonic relationships—there’s nothing wrong with a good romance (and this story has several), but well-written platonic relationships are probably my favorite thing ever, and this story delivers beautifully. I could go into a few examples, but my favorite, for sure, is between Theta, a (currently assumed to be) straight girl, and Henry, a gay guy. The two of them are so close that they are often mistaken for a couple (as much as they might claim to be “brother and sister”), but there is, of course, no romance between them. But that doesn’t mean there’s no love: Theta and Henry clearly love each other dearly and show it through both words and affectionate gestures. It’s common, in my experience, to see romantic relationships valued over platonic ones in fiction, but The Diviners makes it clear that the characters’ relationships with their friends and family are no less important or deep than those with their significant others.

5. Paranormal lore. Though this story paints the picture of the real 1920s beautifully, it does an equally good job describing the rich history behind the fictional paranormal beliefs, taking hints and making references to real belief systems while creating plenty of original material at the same time. I felt just as immersed in the fiction as I did the history, and was more and more eager to see this part of the world expand. Even though this was only the first book in a series and I know there is plenty more lore to expand upon, all that was revealed in this book left me fascinated and eager to see what else will appear.

6. Horror and thrills without unnecessary gore. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t mind a bit of gore if it’s relevant to the plot. I can read about people getting stabbed repeatedly without batting an eye, and for sure, The Diviners doesn’t shy away from describing violence when it occurs. But it also doesn’t harp on about it when it’s not needed. It manages to create a creepy, incredibly thrilling atmosphere without relying on blood and guts. While I don’t know if I would call this a horror novel, it definitely has elements of the same kind of horror I’ve seen in many Stephen King novels: genuinely scary content that is based on (and depends on) strong characters, setting and plot.

7. Frank discussion of race and gender issues. This is far from the focus, and is rarely dealt with at length, but this story definitely does not shy away from the real issues that women and people of color faced in the 1920s. Mostly through small mentions, incidents, and dialogue, the story regularly reminds the reader how different characters struggle because of their gender and/or race. It doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, including those that are relevant today—such as domestic abuse, abortion, and police racism—but instead presents them with almost painful honesty, another way in which the story, which is so deeply rooted in the paranormal, still manages to stay connected to reality.

8. Fiction beautifully melded with history. Though the respective immersion in the 1920s and immersion in the paranormal lore are two of my favorite aspects, what I love even more is how the two are woven together, to the point that it’s sometimes difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. The choices for the paranormal experiences and beliefs don’t seem out of place in the setting, even though they’re clearly fictional. This world seems so incredibly real that I sometimes have to remind myself that this isn’t how the 1920s actually occurred. As I said earlier, The Diviners truly succeeds in sweeping the reader away to a completely different world, one very similar to real history but still incredibly magical.

[acourtofbooksandmemes]

Books read 2019: November

1. The Diviners (The Diviners #1) - Libba Bray 🔪

Halloween was closing in and I wanted some spooky reads so I watched recommendation videos from the booktubers I was following and found this, it really intrigued me. And it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. New York, 1920, diversity, mystery, murders and diviners/cool powers. What more can I ask? I must admit, I didn’t get into it from the beginning, but when I did wow I was stuck. Not to mention it had a hell of a lot pages for being the first book, but oh no I’m not complaining! I’ve never read about this scenario and Libba Bray really made everything so believing with her writing style, like I actually lived in 1920; going full-out with descriptions and even adding a lot of POVs from outside to explain how things went daily for common people, and atmosphere during some events. The murderer's and the victims’ POVs made everything so much more chilling. These characters are so amazing; a flapper girl with psychometry powers who drowns her problems in fame and the pleasures of life, a Jewish chic-magnet and thief on a quest after his mother, a fierce flapper girl from an abused past, the new Orleans gay song-writer with the funniest personality, a poet from Chinatown with healing powers. I don’t know what more to say more than I hope I’ve convinced you to read it :)

2. Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2) - Libba Bray ⏳

The series just gets better and better and seeing the characters coming together was the best part. I liked the first book but with this one it has become one of my all-time favorites, wow and the fact that I have two more.. The story just keeps evolving and you get a taste for the for what all this is leading up to, or more like from. The second book goes deeper in the ability to dreamwalk and talk with the dead, not to mention in ways my heart can break :’( also I would die for Sam Lloyd

3. The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy #1) - Jonathan Stroud ⚡️

Lockwood & Co is my second favorite childhood series so I was excited to pick this one up. Not gonna lie it wasn’t my style but I enjoyed it quite a deal, mostly because of this arrogant century old demon. The other main characters who was a twelve year old boy or something who summoned Bartimaeus turned out to be someone I couldn’t care less about. BUT I’m sure it will change through the series, if he’s a part of the other books as well. Other than that I like London with magic and the whole set up.

4. Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell 🚬

Was handed it as a project in English class about literature. As a whole it is a good book, even though i had a hard time getting through it. It’s a hard dystopian where the government has total control over the population through obligatory tv screens and enforce them to behave in just one way and erasing what it means to be an individual. Everything is about killing the right amount of people and having full control of history. “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” I like it cuz the book was well written and not your usual story, but the characters aren’t likeable and you really can’t there’s any light in it.

5. Heartstopper: vol 2 - Alice Oseman 🧸

These two are the goofiest dorks I’ve read about and I love seeing their relationship evolve and the way Oseman take on social problems.

6. Heartstopper: vol 3 - Alice Oseman 🖼

Not so much more to add than the story isn’t getting worse.

[tshepiso-reads-books]

I Fully Understand The Hype | The Diviners by Libba Bray

Started: November 16th, 2019

Finished: November 24th, 2019

Despite the fact that it took me an unbelievably long time to finish I had a rip-roaring time reading The Diviners [Goodreads} . This spooky paranormal read was filled with equal parts atmosphere and charm and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun YA read.

Our primary protagonist in The Diviners is seventeen year old Evie O’Neill, a whip smart flapper with her eyes on notoriety. After an unfortunate incident in her hometown of Zenith, Ohio Evie is sent to live with her bachelor uncle, Will in Manhattan. Almost immediately after her arrival Evie worms her way into the hunt of an occult serial killer Naughty John and uses her skills of psychometry and boundless charm to unravel the paranormal mystery.

The Diviners is filled with great characters. While Evie is the primary protagonist of our narrative, we also closely follow five other characters: Memphis Campbell, Theta Knight, Mabel Rose, Jericho Jones, and Sam Lloyd. All of these characters are richly rendered and compelling enough to carry their slice of the narrative. What’s great about Bray’s character writing is her ability to capture the unique vulnerabilities that make the core of all our characters. I was able to easily connect with each of them because of their engaging personalities and depth of their characterisation. While Bray didn’t spend equal time with each of the teens (that would have made for one hell of a slog) she still managed to create six memorable characters, which is  a feet deserving of praise

I adored the relationships developed in this novel (both platonic and romantic) . The book was filled to the brim with hilarious dialogue that made every group scene a fun time. I appreciated the quiet moments between characters; those scenes in particular revealed interesting facets to our protagonists and made me believe their growing friendships. My favorite character interactions were definitely between Evie and Mabel, I adore these two’s friendship so much. I wouldn’t go into The Diviners for romance because it’s certainly a background element to the plot (though shout out to Theta and Memphis for having the most adorable meet-cute). I can tell Bray is setting up a lot of romantic conflict so it’s gonna be a fun time watching that unravel.

The mystery in this novel was intensely compelling. Because we get the concurrent perspective of our antagonist, Naughty John, The Diviners isn’t hinged on figuring out the mystery of who the serial killer is. The atmosphere works to build a sense of pure dread and anticipation in the audience. Bray establishes the ominous tone throughout the novel so well because of her omniscient third person narration. She intersperses asides that have a birds eye view of the conflict that both give her story scope as well has imbue the story with a sinister presence.

I adored how deeply political this novel was. The Diviners is often praised for its diversity in its cast, we have a fantastic plethora of minorities in this book including black, jewish, immigrant, and gay characters throughout. I don’t often see people talking about how integral a refutation of bigotry is to the plot of the novel. The racism and xenophobia of 1926 is baked into the plot and setting of The Diviners in a way that never felt like lip service or set dressing, but pointed and relevant. The fact that the antagonist of this story is supported by a rising white supremacist movement hits hard in the context of 2019. I’m not even capturing the depth and breath of this but the thesis of Bray’s point can be summed up in this one quote:

“When the world moves forward too fast for some people, they try to pull us all back with their fear”

The 1920s is an often glamorised period of history, people love the flappers and the cinema. Bray brings to light the ugliness of the time in an important way and reminds us that the 1920s was also a time of eugenics and xenophobia and in bringing that to light speaks to the bigotry of America today.

Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Diviners was pure joy to read. I fully understand the hype and I will promptly be binging the rest of the series once King of Crows comes out in February.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Content warning: sexual assault (IPV), animal abuse

[anjibooks]

The Diviners by Libba Bray (Book Review)

I'm not usually an audiobook kind of girl. See, I'm a fast reader, and can absorb novels far, far faster than can be comfortably listened to. But here's the thing, as I am a seventeen year old girl with the heart of a grandmother, I recently got obsessed with knitting and crocheting, and I can't very well read while doing such hobbies. So I decided to try the audiobook for the Diviners, since it's a book that been waiting on my shelf for a very long time. At first I found the voices and the pace a bit annoying, but as I got into it more, I found myself constantly listening to the audiobook, and getting through the absurdly long audiobook in a couple days. Not only did I listen to the book when I was crocheting, I would also listen to it while brushing my teeth, getting ready for school in the morning, while driving to the store to buy more yarn, and even while reading other school books (I'm surprisingly good at multitasking.) This was both due to the combination of an excellent novel and also because after getting used to being read to instead of reading, I really got into the whole audiobook format. I would set the sleep timer and go to sleep listening to the book. Really, there was never a quiet moment. If you're too busy to read, I would highly recommend trying the audiobook (or any audiobook)! It's actually quite useful and enjoyable. Now on to the actual novel. The Diviners was nothing like I was expecting. The story mainly follows Evie O'Neill, a girl who goes to live with her uncle in New York City in the 1920s after causing a little too much trouble at home. I thought this would be a very serious story with a serious investigation into murder and an Avengers-like come together moment, ��it was nothing like that. I don't even know how to describe this book, it's so unique. There's a definite element of horror, like sometimes I deeply regretted listening to this as I was falling asleep. The murder scenes are creepy as what, made creepier by the audiobook since the narrator actual whistles and sings the songs as the murderer approaches. There's also just teen drama going on. Evie's a party girl, she's a flapper after all, and doesn't like to take things too seriously. It's such a strange combination, and yet... somehow it all works. If you're tired of the same old tropes and whatnot, definitely check this book out, because there's nothing like it. Evie is truly her own person, I can't think of any other protagonists to compare her to. She's extroverted, stubborn and possesses an overabundance of confidence. She has the special ability to read any object she puts her hands on, which, while some other protagonists might keep their talent a secret, she literally uses it as a party trick. Yeah, Evie is definitely different from any protagonist you might read, but she's not one you'll be likely to forget anytime soon. At first she may come off as frivolous and a bit annoying, but as you get deeper in the novel, you can't help but fall in love with her. This is one of those novels that has a whole giant cast of characters with a plethora of POVs. I found that Evie's POV and those around Evie were the most interesting. Meaning that every single time we got to a Memphis chapter, I got a little bored. Sorry everyone who likes Memphis, he's just not all that interesting to me. Here's a brief overview of all the characters you'll be meeting Mabel Rose-- she's Evie's best friend, and her polar opposite. She's meek, quiet and introverted, quite happy to just follow Evie around and live under the shelter of her helicopter parents and silently pine after Jericho Jones. I'll be honest, Mabel is not my favorite character, never has been. In the first book she's okay, but as the series progressed, she became my least favorite and at times I was ready to throw some punches at her. Sam Lloyd-- Let's just introduce this beautiful boy as my one true love. Sam is by far my favorite character in the entire series, with Evie coming in as a close second. He's a thief and skilled liar, yet he is also extremely charismatic and his banter with Evie is something I live for. He gets on her last nerve and will poke at her to get a rise just for fun. If that isn't #perfect, I don't know what is. Oh, and he may have a mission and goal of his own along with some surprising secrets... ​ Will Fitzgerald-- Evie's uncle who she comes to live with. He runs The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult-- more commonly known as The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies, which isn't doing so hot lately. Like almost all the characters in this story, he's basically filled past the brim with secrets and backstory, many of which have yet to be revealed. Will is friends with a detective, which is why, when a ton of strange murders occur, Will is brought in to consult. (And then Evie tags along, much to her uncle's annoyance. ) Jericho Jones-- this is Will's sort of adopted son / employee. He's a stoic young man of giant stature yet quiet nature who is hiding (shocker) a big secret. Jericho is not my favorite character. He's sweet but when the book is filled with some much more colorful characters, Jericho falls behind in the race for my love. (also I will mention things later in other reviews of the later books). Theta Knight-- She's a strong minded woman who doesn't mind causing a bit of scandal-- not nearly as much as Evie does, though. At first when she was introduced, I expected Theta to be your typical mean girl, but instead she and Evie become fast friends. I loved that element of the novel. And yes, she's also hiding a deep dark secret. Theta lives with her best friend, Henry, and I have to say I adore their relationship and wish it was explored to greater depths. Henry DuBois-- Not much is revealed about Henry in book 1, other than he plays piano and is gay. He's funny for the tiny bits of time that you see him, and well, he's hiding something too. Shocker. You get to find out a whole bunch more about Henry in book two. I love this guy, can't t really say much more than that, sorry! Memphis Campbell-- yup. This is the guy whose chapters I found to be boring. He used to have power, but he lost it after a tragic event in his past. Perhaps one of the reasons I was so bored by his storyline was because it was so detached from the others who I already loved and whose fates were quite intertwined (and I'd argue their storyline was more intriguing as well.) He lives in Harlem with his little brother and their highly religious aunt. He's black, which adds an interesting and sometimes sad dynamic as you see how racist many people were back in the 20s. Remember how I mentioned earlier about that dash of horror? More like a heaping of horror. The story starts with some sort of spirit named Naughty John being released, and oh boy, do I wish those dumb kids had left that Ouija Board alone, because Naughty John created some creepyass scenes that will probably haunt my dreams for a long time. The creep factor of this story... Wow. If you get the opportunity, I would seriously suggest audiobooking this one because it elevates the spookiness by so much. Here's something to think about, cheerful singing whilst committing brutal murder... Overall, I just highly recommend this book. It's nothing like you're expecting, with a unique and interesting cast of characters and an even more unique story. Still, there were some things that just felt like they were missing. Like there were a ton of satisfying moments and scenes I would've liked to have seen, but they happened without actually being written, like they're mentioned, but we never actually get to be in the scene. The relationships are just assumed, too. Like pivotal moments between characters and just the characters getting to know each other and whatnot is more mentioned than what we actually see. I think the story's strong points are its setting and plot, while its characters' relationships and developing them is a bit of a weakness. (This becomes more prominent in later books.) See, I'm the type of person who wants to be IN the action, not hearing mention of it later! And I also love watching relationships build and seeing dynamic between characters instead of just assuming something happened "off-screen," and that a lot of what these books want you to do. 7/10 stars. The first book is nothing AMAZING, but it's a really fun read. I was left wanting to see more moments from the "side characters" aka everyone other than Evie, as some of them (Memphis) seemed pointless to the story arc. The novel definitely had a slow side, but it also created an enchanting world. Synopsis: ​Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer. As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

[westywrites]

11 Questions

Thanks, @note-katha for tagging me! Wonderful to learn a little more about you

ONE — Name

My name’s technically Sarah, but my friends call me Westy (a nickname off my last name)

THREE — Zodiac Sign

Virgo (though usually, I relate more to my Saggitarius moon. No, I don’t even care that much for astrology, but at one point I was curious and now I’ll never forget)

FOUR — Height

A whopping 5′1″ depending on who’s measuring (my little brother is determined I’m only 5′)

FIVE — Hobbies

Writing, obviously, reading, making little clay figurines, theatre, drawing, painting

SIX — Favorite colors

Green in nearly all shades, purple, orange, most pastels

SEVEN — Favorite books

All time favourite is Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, closely followed by The Diviners series by Libba Bray, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, many many others

EIGHT — Last song listened to

Oh dear. Some annoying country my mom was playing. Last song I chose to listen to? Birthday Suit by Cosmo Sheldrake

NINE — Last film watched

The Clue movie. Amazing film, stupid and clever at the same time, one of my go tos for a good laugh.

TEN — Inspirations

Being alive and the wonders I see each and every day because of it. Also, the things my subconscious chooses to come up with through dreams and who knows where it gets its ideas from.

ELEVEN — Dream job

I want to teach French, drama, and English to high schoolers while acting for fun in community theatre and writing whenever I have time. 

I’ll tag @frenchy-and-the-sea, @odysseywritings and @tlbodine, if you would like to. No pressure and no time limit.

[kbrown78]

Yearly Wrap Up: 2018

Sorry this post is so late, it took awhile to get all the information I needed and I kept going back and forth on the format I wanted to do for this post, but I finally have an end result I am happy with. In this post I will be going over all the books I read in 2018, all the stats, completion of 2018 reading goals as well as 2019 reading goals. Also fair warning, this is going to be a long post. So to begin with I'll talk about my 2018 reading goals and of I was able to accomplish them. This year was the first year that I did the Goodreads Challenge, I thought it would be good to see how many books I could read in a year. My initial goal was 50 books and I ended up reading 80 books, so I was definitely able to tackle my Goodreads goal. Unfortunately that was the only reading challenge I was able to finish. One of my reading resolutions for 2018 was to finish a reading challenge and I did that with the Goodreads one, but I also did the PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge. That one provided a large number of reading prompts that I hoped would help expand the genre of the books I was reading (which was another reading resolution of mine) and of the 50 prompts I was only able to complete 34, which is not bad, it's more than half, but I still wanted to complete all of them. As I mentioned I wanted to expand the genre of books that I read, since I mostly read YA fantasy, and I do think I achieved that goal by trying to read more adult fantasy, science fiction, different fantasy sub genre's, and a few books in other genres, but I will go more into that when I do a break down of all the books I read this year. I also wanted to go to more book events and that did not really happen. I only went to 1 this year and the rest I was unable to go to for various reasons, so I need to get better with planning in order to go to more events this year. I did want to be more active in the book community and I definitely think I achieved that, with providing regular posts and book reviews. I was originally going to do a channel on YouTube but I suck with editing software and I honestly prefer writing. Finally my #1 resolution for 2018 was to tackle all the books in my physical TBR, with books from 2017 and 2018, I was able to narrow down my overflowing basket to just 5 books. Since I now have a rule where I have to read 10 books before I buy a new one (holiday's are an exception) I'll probably have the rest of those books read by the end of 2019, so that all new books in my TBR pile will all be from 2019. Now that I've summarized my status on all my reading goals for 2018, I'm now going to start going into the actual books. I'll begin by listing all the books I've read and putting them in different groups based on their star ratings. Then I'm going to go into the statistics of all the books, like genre, authors, status, and other things.

Ratings:

5 Star Books: These are without a doubt my favorite books of the year, the cream of the crop, and some of them are possibly my new favorite books or series of all time. 

A Natural History of Dragons (Memoirs of Lady Trent #1) by Marie Brennan, The Tropic of Serpents (Memoirs of Lady Trent) by Marie Brennan, The Tethered Mage (Swords and Fire #1) by Melisa Caruso, The Defiant Heir (Swords and Fire #2) by Melisa Caruso, East by Edith Pattou, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu, Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire, Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3) by Seanan McGuire, The Star Touched Queen (Star Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi, Crown of Wishes (Star Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers     

4.5 Star Books: These are the books that I did really love and couldn't find much fault with but I couldn't fully connect to the story (would still recommend all).

A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers #2) by Becky Chambers, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire #1) by C.J. Redwine, The Voyage of the Basilisk (Memoirs of Lady Trent #3) by Marie Brennan, Rosemary and Rue (October Daye #1) by Seanan McGuire, The Call by Peadar O'Guilin, Robots vs Fairies

4 Star Books: This one is a bit split because some are books that are solidly 4 stars and lean more toward the 4.5 star rating, and other were saved by a fantastic ending from a 3.5 star rating. There are things that could have been improved on within the story but overall I enjoyed reading all of them.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2) by Seanan McGuire, Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi, Vivian Apple at the End of the World (Vivian Apple #1) by Katie Coyle, A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1), Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch, Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) by Sara Raasch, Uppity Women Speak Their Minds by Vicki Leon, Invisible Planets translated by Ken Liu, In the Labyrinth of Drakes (Memoirs of Lady Trent #4) by Marie Brennan, Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers #3) by Becky Chambers, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J.K Rowling, Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs, Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity #1) by Elizabeth Wein, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

3.5 Star Books: This is a bit of an unusual rating because it usually means that I was expecting to be disappoint by these books, and while there were still issues that I couldn't ignore, I surprisingly enjoyed.

The Registry (The Registry #1) by Shannon Stoker, Caliban's War (The Expanse #2) by James S.A. Corey, Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero, The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

3 Star Books: These were books that I thought were decent, but they had flaws in them that I was unable to over look.

A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas, Walk on Earth a Stranger (Gold Seer #1) by Rae Carson, Like a River Glorious (Gold Seer #2) by Rae Carson, Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha) by Tomi Adeyemi, An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard, After: 19 Stories of Dystopian and Apocalypse, Illuminae (The Illuminae Files) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, Red Sister  (Book of the Ancestor #1) by Mark Lawerence, Sabriel (The Abhorsen #1) by Garth Nix, Monstress Volume 3: The Blood by Marjorie Liu, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski

2.5 Star Books: These are books that I had a lot of issues with but were redeemable enough that I would still give them a try.

The Collection (The Registry #2) by Shannon Stoker, Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by Kendare Blake, Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor, The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1) by Rin Chupeco

2 Star Books: These are books that I had lot of issues with but it didn't upset me enough to make me want to quit it. These books and downward I personally wouldn't recommend reading, but that's just my opinion.

Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodrigez McRobbie, Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor, Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle (Vivian Apple #2) by Katie Coyle, The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking Trilogy #1) by Patrick Ness, Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey, Bitterblue (Graceling #3) by Kristin Cashore, Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic #1) by Tamora Pierce, Lirael (Abhorsen #2) by Garth Nix, Torn (The Unraveled Kingdom #1) by Rowena Miller, Into the Bright Unknown (Gold Seer #3) by Rae Carson, Front Lines by Michael Grant, American God's by Neil Gaiman, The Falconer (The Falconer #1) by Elizabeth May  

1 Star Books: These, sadly, are the bottom of the barrel. I had a hard time finding good qualities with these books and some of them I got so frustrated by I ended up quiting them.

The Wicked and the Divine Volume 1: The Faust Act, Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab, Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) by Susan Dennard, Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle #2) (DNF) by Libba Bray, The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides, Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veroncia Rossi, The Library at Mount Char (DNF) by Scott Hawkins, Daughters of the Storm (Blood and Gold #1) (DNF) by Kim Wilkins, The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan, Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1)(DNF) by Ann Leckie (I didn't hate this book, it was just too weird and confusing to carry on)

Statistics:

This is the part where I'll break down authors (gender and ethnicity), status (finished or not finished, companion, stanalone, special cases), and genre of the books.

AUTHORS: (Not counting anthologies with multiple authors, also series counts as one)  

Male: 16

Female: 42

White: 48

POC: 10

STATUS:  

Finished (If the book was part of a series that ended than had a companion series follow it, I'm still counting that as a finished series, also I'm counting anything 2 or more books as a series): 8 (A Court of Thorns and Roses, Gold Seer, Monsters of Verity, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Vivian Apple, Snow Like Ashes, Ignite Me)

Unfinished and Completed (Unfinished means that I haven't finished reading the series, uncompleted means that all the books in the series haven't been released yet): 12 (Gemma Doyle (won't be completing), The Knife of Never Letting Go (won't be completing), The Wrath and the Dawn (won't be completing), The Facloner (won't be completing), Under the Never Sky (won't be completing), Abhorsen, Memoirs of Lady Trent, Imperial Radch (won't be completing), Harry Potter, Front Lines (won't be completing), The Registry, Circle of Magic (won't be completing))

Unfinished and Uncompleted: 10 (Legacy of Orisha, The Witchlands (won't be completing), The Bone Witch (won't be completing), The Expanse, Swords and Fire, Book of the Ancestor (won't be completing), The Unraveled Kingdoms, Three Dark Crowns (won't be completing), October Daye, Blood and Gold (won't be completing))

Companion series: 8 (Wayfarers, Wayward Children, Star Touched Queen, The Illuminae Files, Code Name Verity, Graceling, Nightfall, Ravenspire)

Stand Alone (includes non fiction): 13 (Princesses Behaving Badly, Beauty Queens, An Unkindness of Magicians, Uprooted, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Uppity Women Speak Their Minds, The Virgin Suicides, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, You Are A Badass, The Library at Mount Char, American Gods, The Red Tent, The Legend of Holly Claus)

Anthologies/ Short Story Collections: 6 (After: 19 Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, Robots Vs Fairies, Invisible Planets, Tales of the Peculiar, The Language of Thorns)

Comics/ Graphic Novels: 2 (Monstress Vol 3: The Blood and the Wicked and the Divine Vol 1: The Faust Act)

Special cases (Special cases are for books that I'm leaving as a self contained standalone even though they have a sequel): 2 (East by Edith Pattou, The Call by Peadar O'Guilin)

GENRE: I'm going based off of where these books are shelved in stores, even if I don't agree with some of them.

YA: 44

Adult: 33

Fantasy: 42 (A Court of Wings and Ruin (Epic fantasy/ Romance)(YA), Every Heart a Doorway (Portal fantasy/ Contemporary fantasy/ Mystery)(A), Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Gothic fantasy/ Mythic fantasy)(A), Beneath the Sugar Sky (Portal fantasy)(A), Walk on Earth a Stranger (Historical fantasy)(YA), Like a River Glorious (Historical fantasy/ Romance)(YA), Into the Bright Unknown (Historical fantasy/ Romance)(YA), A Crown of Wishes (Epic fantasy)(YA), Day's of Blood and Starlight (Epic fantasy/ Portal fantasy)(YA), Dreams of God's and Monsters (Portal fantasy/ Epic fantasy)(YA), Children of Blood and Bone (Epic fantasy)(YA), Truthwitch (Epic fantasy/ Romance), A Great and Terrible Beauty (Historical fantasy/ Portal fantasy)(YA), Rebel Angels (Historical fantasy/ Portal fantasy/ Romance)(YA), The Bone Witch (Epic fantasy/ Romance) (YA), The Wrath and the Dawn (Retelling/ Romance/ Historical fantasy)(YA), East (Retelling/ Historical fantasy/ Romance)(YA), The Falconer (Historical fantasy, Steampunk, Romance)(YA), Uprooted (Epic fantasy/ Retelling)(A), Tales of the Peculiar (Fairy tales/ Short stories)(YA), The Tethered Mage (Epic fantasy/ Mystery)(A), The Defiant Heir (Epic fantasy)(A), The Library at Mount Char (Urban fantasy), Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book (Children's fantasy)(YA), Sabriel (Epic fantasy/ Gothic fantasy)(YA), Lirael (Epic fantasy/ Gothic fantasy)(YA), The Star Touched Queen (Retelling/ Romance/ Epic fantasy)(YA), Nightfall (Thriller/ Low fantasy)(YA), Monstress (Epic fantasy/ Horror/ Comic)(A), The Wicked and the Divine (Urban fantasy/ Mythology/ Comic)(YA), Torn (Romance/ Epic fantasy)(A), Three Dark Crowns (Epic fantasy/ Gothic fantasy/ Romance)(YA), Rosemary and Rue (Urban fantasy/ Mystery)(A), A Natural History of Dragons (Fantasy of Manners)(A), The Tropic of Serpents (Fantasy of Manners)(A), The Voyage of the Basilisk (Fantasy of Manners)(A), In the Labyrinth of Drakes (Romance/ Fantasy of Manners)(A), American Gods (Urban fantasy)(A), Daughters of the Storm (Epic fantasy)(A), The Shadow Queen (Retelling)(YA), The Legend of Holly Claus (Juevnile fantasy)(YA), The Language of Thorns (Retelling/ Short Stories)(YA)  

Science Fiction: 10 (The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Soft SF)(A), A Closed and Common Orbit (Soft SF/ Biopunk)(A), Record of a Spaceborn Few (Soft SF/ Generation Ships)(A), Leviathan Wakes (Space Opera/ Crime Noir/ Alien Invasion)(A), Caliban's War (Space Opera/ Alien Invasion)(A), Invisible Planets (Anthologies/ Translated/ Soft SF/ Hard SF)(A), Ancillary Justice (Hard SF/ Space Opera)(A), Under the Never Sky (Survival/ Romance)(YA), The Knife of Never Letting Go (Survival/ Alien)(YA), Illuminae (Survival/ Soft SF/ Cyberpunk)(YA)  

Science Fantasy: 3 (contains magic and technology): 3 (The Paper Menagerie (Short stories)(A), Robots vs Fairies (Anthologies)(A), Red Sister (Grim dark fantasy/ Epic fantasy)(A))  

Dystopian/ Post Apocalypse: 8 (survival's the name of the game): Our Dark Duet (urban fantasy/ post apocalyptic)(YA), Vivian Apple at the End of the World (Contemporary/ apocalyptic)(YA), Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle (Contemporary/ apocalyptic)(YA), After (Anthology/ dystopian/ apocalyptic), The Registry (Dystopia/ Action)(YA), The Collection (Dystopia)(YA), Ignite Me (Dystopian/ Science fiction/ Romance)(YA), The Call (Contemporary fantasy/ Portal fantasy/ Horror/ Apocalyptic)(YA))

Literary Fiction (lacks magic or new technology): 6 (Beauty Queens (Contemporary/ Satire)(YA), Code Name Verity (Historical fiction)(YA), Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Philosophical fiction)(A), The Virgin Suicides (Contemporary)(A), Front Lines (Alternate history/ historical)(YA), The Red Tent (Historical/ Biblical fiction)(A), The Giving Tree (Poetry)(YA))  

Non Fiction: 4 (Princesses Behaving Badly, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, Uppity Women Speak Their Minds, You Are a Badass)

2019 Goals:

I did a T5W outlining my 2019 reading goals, and I promised I would talk about them more in this post. So I'm going to conclude my Yearly Wrap Up post by discussing what I hope to accomplish in my 2019 reading year. For starters I have a goal that I'm carrying over from 2018 and that is to read a wider genre of books. I wanted to accomplish this last year, but going into 2019 I have a better idea of what specific genre's I would like to try more of. This year I really started to transition from YA fantasy to Adult fantasy, but I haven't given up on YA yet. I want to try some YA contemporary and magical realism, but as of right now I only have specific picks in mind for this. I want to read more historical fiction and historical fantasy, like the Golem and the Jinni. I enjoy reading about settings from different time periods, especially if they have magical elements, I just need to be careful about finding books that don't get heavy handed with a crappy romance. I want to read more science fiction, specifically Adult Science fiction, since I haven't come across a YA science fiction that intrigues me. I'm sill trying to learn what exactly I like in science fiction, but I know I like character driven stories, like Becky Chamber's series. I knew I would like to attempt the New Weird and Hard science fiction genre's but at the same time I'm a little intimidated by them. I also want to get back into literary fiction, including adult dystopian's and classics. I used to have no problem reading classics and would read 1 or 2 a month, then I just got burned out by it, but I want to pick up that genre again. In terms of fantasy, I still expect that to be the genre that I read the most of put there are still some things I would like out of 2019. I've already said that I'm leaning more toward Adult fantasy and wanting to read more historical fantasy, but I would also like to read more fantasy standalone's. That's something I wanted to do in 2018 but sadly did not find any new ones that I really loved. I also want to read more anthologies or short story collections, in any genre really, because that was something that I discovered that I really liked in 2018 and want more of. The next reading goal I want to accomplish in 2019 is to complete is to finish at least 5 series. For this I'm counting anything that is 3 books or more as a series. I finished 7 series in 2018 but 2 of those were duologies, and I feel like those are super easy to finish. There are several series that I started I won't be completing or the series isn't completed yet. Fortunately most of the series that aren't completed yet I already know I'm not going to continue, and the rest are either being completed this year or have a large number of books that I need to get through for me to catch up with the series. With that being said there are at least 3 series that I will definitely be finishing this year: the Memoirs of Lady Trent, The Registry, and the Swords and Fire series, and I have also already completed one series, so this is goal I can definitely tackle by the end of the year, maybe even half way through the year.  Something else I want to accomplish this year was to go to at least two book events, but that's going to be difficult to do. Most of the bigger book events or conventions, are over 8 hours away. I could also attend book signing events but all of the others that I want signatures from are either not doing events or are doing ones not within a close driving distance for me. That might change as the year progresses, but for now I'm not expecting to be able to accomplish this goal and will instead invest my time in completing a reading challenge, which I was not able to accomplish this year. Another goal for 2019 is to read more diverse books. I want to read more books with POC people as POV characters, or disabled characters, or on the LGBTQ spectrum. I think I've been progressively getting better about that over the years but where I really want to focus on is more diverse authors. As you can see from the statistics section my reading from last year was heavily skewed toward white authors. I want to change that and work toward at least having more POC authors, and almost all the brand new books on my TBR pile are from POC authors and I'm excited to get to most of them (although all authors I've read this year so far are Caucasian). I would also like to read more books by authors that are diverse in other ways beside their ethnicity but it's more difficult to identify those things. Like last year there's only a few couple authors that I'm pretty sure qualify in that way, but I'm not absolutely sure. My final reading major reading goal of 2019 is to get through half of my reread TBR pile. About half way through last year, I decided to go through all my books that I hadn't tabbed and reread them. I wanted to do this for a few reasons. I have a small bookshelf and large container and that's about all the room I have for books, including my non fiction ones. As I read more new books and find new series that I enjoy, that means that there will need to be more room. So rereading books will hopefully help me be able to tell which books I should keep and which ones I should give away. I also want to reread all these books in order to better review them and have a fresh opinion of them. At the beginning of this year I have about 50 books, and I know I'm not going to get through them all this year, so I set a more realistic goal with tackling half of my TBR which would be about 25 books. The last thing I want to talk about is the reading challenge's I'm currently participating in. On Goodreads I have set the yearly amount of books I read to 50. That was my goal last year, and I ended up reading 80 books, so I think setting it at 50 again is something I can manage. I'm also doing the PopSugar 2019 Reading Challenge, which I tried to do last year but failed to complete. How I want to accomplish that this year is by always reading a book that is can be applied to one of the prompts, that way I'm knocking out these prompts as quickly as possible. The last reading challenge I'm doing is a group on Goodreads called The Reading Frenzy, which I joined toward the end of last year. They have several monthly reading challenges, but this year it has been announced that every month there will be a pick my TBR Reading Challenge, which means every month you will be randomly matched with a person, and will pick one book for the other to read that month. I look forward to doing this, just because I like that random element to it, and this will help my slim down my Goodreads TBR (as long as I can get a physical copy of the book). So that sums up my 2018 reading year as well as what all I hope to accomplish in 2019. I look froward to it, and hopefully it's going to be a good year for everyone.  

Thank You Everyone

Keep Calm and Keep Reading

[perfectirishgifts]

‘Destiny 2’ Raid Review: The Deep Stone Crypt

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/destiny-2-raid-review-the-deep-stone-crypt-2/

‘Destiny 2’ Raid Review: The Deep Stone Crypt

Deep Stone Crypt

Well, it took a couple weeks but I managed to get a team together to finally run the Deep Stone Crypt raid. I didn’t go in blind, I watched the day one raid race, which was very exciting, and I’ve seen many friends and content creators run it since (and heard all the very fun debates about day one difficulty).

But now I’ve done it myself, and I am inspired to talk about it because it…may actually be my favorite Destiny 2 raid of them all. What Bungie has done here, a combination of environment, aesthetics, mechanics, story and loot, is something I can’t remember seeing across nearly any other Destiny raid, and I do believe this deserves to be mentioned alongside some of the all-time greats, Vault of Glass, King’s Fall, Last Wish and so on.

So, why does Deep Stone Crypt work so well?

I’ll go big and wide at first. Conceptually, the idea of this raid is just incredibly good, a tour through the Deep Stone Crypt, one of the most mysterious places in Destiny history, but a journey that contains a number of just massive surprises along the way, namely the core structure of it, which is ascending to a giant space station (not really something you’d imagine would happen when heading to a “crypt”), then watching that space station crash down the Europa as you do battle with the final boss in the wreckage.

Deep Stone Crypt

The pacing here is top notch. From the initial sparrow run to find the crypt, to the mechanic-introduction of the security system, then to Atraks, which for all intents and purposes is almost the final boss herself, and one of the few occasions in Destiny where a miniboss outshines the final one.

There are the quiet moments, the beautiful spacewalk sequence with the instantly iconic Deep Stone Lullaby track playing after the chaos of Atraks as you do a jumping puzzle (that I did not die on 15 times so don’t ask). And then the loud moments, the utter chaos of the nuclear core sequence as the station crashes to the planet and fire burns through the window. It’s beauty and insanity in alternating doses.

If there’s anything I don’t like about Deep Stone Crypt, it’s the final boss, both in the choice of who it was, Tankis, then Shank-Taniks, for the millionth time, and the environment, which is far from the beauty of the Clovis Bray facilities or deep space and is instead…a giant pile of garbage with the boss throwing said garbage at you. Outside of the mechanics, this feels little more impressive than a strike arena.

After the raid was beaten for the first time, I went down to see Clovis Bray’s giant exo head, and both that room and that villain felt more like the aesthetic of the final raid boss I would have expected from the Crypt. As soon as I read the lore and heard a copy of Clovis was being stored there, the idea of a super-mecha Clovis boss wouldn’t leave my mind, and Taniks/Shank-Taniks just does not live up to that. Again, even Atraks feels like it would have made a better final encounter.

Destiny 2

The Atraks encounter is a curious one, a prime example of the difference between raiding on day one and on day 14. I am overleveled for the raid and knew all the mechanics instantly. So what took some teams 6-12 hours in contest mode, if they ever beat it at all, took my team maybe 20 minutes? I think the only time we even wiped was when I accidentally jumped in an open space elevator tube and killed myself and screwed everything up (that’s a safety hazard Clovis!). I think this speaks to perhaps the need for contest mode as an optional challenge with additional rewards as yes, frankly, this was…kind of easy. At least in terms of the combat.

But even after all of this, I think the thing Bungie got the most right about the raid overall is the loot and its loot system.

Destiny 2

The Armor – Is aspirational from its looks alone, I have never wanted a set this much in pretty much any D2 raid. It’s 100% not a reskin, and now has bonus slots for raid-specific mods too. The only issue here is that it can still drop obnoxiously low when it should probably be 60 minimum.

The Weapons – Same thing here. Not just new raid weapons, but weapons with raid-only perks that elevate them above normal weapons and again, make them aspirational. A direct answer to fan feedback and implemented well between the 4-5 new perks they added here and here only.

The Cosmetics – Another answer to fan requests not to sell raid-themed stuff in Eververse, with ways to earn the sparrow and ghost through challenges.

The Exotic – Not revealed beforehand, still has that “Anarchy-like” drop feel we didn’t get with Divinity due to the quest. We’ll see if drop rates are too low over time I guess, and I think the weapon itself could use a bit of buffing.

The Spoils – Now this is where Bungie didn’t just hit a home run, but a grand slam. By allowing spoils and therefore drops to be farmable in DSC, they have created a raid that isn’t just fun, but can be run essentially infinitely, farmed for actual drops for the very first time. This is a massive development for the game, an evolution of the Prophecy farm last season, and should be standard going forward. All the stuff I just listed here should be standard.

Destiny 2

So in short, my only real issue with the raid is Taniks, but everything else is just so damn amazing it doesn’t really matter. This is very close to what I could consider a perfect raid, and it easily has the best loot system I’ve seen in any raid because of the changes that have been made as a direct result of fan feedback. Good work, Bungie.

So uh, anyone up for a run? I need that scout rifle, badly.

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From Games in Perfectirishgifts

[bohemelesbian]

50 bookish questions

Okay, like @thevajunglebook didnt tag me specifically but she did say to do it if you wanted to, so here I am, doing it. 

1. What is your favourite book and/or book series of all time?

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth is my favourite stand alone and Becky Chambers’ Wayfarer’s series is my favourite series.

2. What is the longest book you have ever read? How many pages?

Probably A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, which is like 700 and something pages.

3. What is the oldest book you have ever read? (Based on its written date)

Does Shakespeare count? If not, maybe Frankenstein by Mary Shelley?

4. What is a book series that everyone else loves but you do not?

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, oops.

5. What book or book series would you like to see turned into a film/ TV series?

I want a movie for the Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers and a movie for The Last Nude by Ellis Avery. The Witches of New York by Ami McKay would be a fantastic 13 episode netflix show, if she decides to write a sequel, and I’m betting that The Power by Naomi Alderman will be optioned for a streaming service TV show too. And Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen would make a sick mini series.

6. What is your favourite stand-alone book?

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth, The Power by Naomi Alderman or The Last Nude by Ellis Avery.

7. What is a book that you feel glad for not reading?

Probably anything by Colleen Hoover tbh.  

8. What is a book that you feel guilty for not reading?

There’s nothing that comes to mind.

9. What is a book you have read that is set in your country of birth?

My favourite book by an Australian author is Burial Rites by Hannah Kent but my favourite book set in Australia is probably Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden.

10. What is a book that you own more than one copy of?

Carol/The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith.

11. What horror book made you really scared?

I get scared really easily so I don’t tend to read horror. The first book in The Diviners by Libba Bray freaked me out, so. 

12. What book do you passionately hate?

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Like, I know it’s a play and I know that excuse has been used a few times to explain why it was so crap, but I read a lot of plays so that’s not it for me. And then there’s Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry. Oooooooohhhhhh boy, don’t even get me started on that piece of trash.  

13. What is the biggest book series you have read? How many books are in it?

Probably Harry Potter.

14. What book gives you happy memories?

Probably Yes Please by Amy Poehler.

15. What book made you cry?

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, The Last Nude by Ellis Avery, How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake, A Close and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers …

16. What book made you laugh?

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, any Lumberjanes comic.

17. What is your favourite book that contains an LGBTQ+ character?

Most of my favourite books contain LGBTQ characters tbh. Like, really.

18. Have you read a book with a male protagonist? What is it?

The Diviners has Memphis, who is a side protagonist I guess. Like, Harry Potter, I suppose? I haven’t read a whole lot of male centred books recently.

19. Have you read a book set on another planet? What is it?

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi. I haven’t actually finished it; it’s not exactly clicking with me, but every few weeks I read a few more pages. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor is another one, though half of it is set on Earth. 

20. Have you ever been glad to not finish a series? Which?

I’m actually considering not finishing the Throne of Glass series, to be honest.

21. Have you ever read a book series because you were pressured?

Yeah, because of hype lol. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Winner’s Curse …

22. What famous author have you not read any books by?

Douglas Adams; I have Hitchhiker’s Guide on my shelf but haven’t gotten around to it. Zadie Smith as well; I have Swing Time but when I started it, I just wasn’t really feeling it so I’m going to try it again down the line.

23. Who is your favourite author of all time?

I don’t have one.

24. How many bookshelves do you own?

One big one. I’ve a few stacks around my room though, for ones that don’t fit on my shelves.

25. How many books do you own?

At last count, just under 200. That was the end of last year though.

26. What is your favourite non-fiction book?

I love memoirs. Fun Home and Are You My Mother by Alison Bechdel, Yes Please by Amy Poehler, Buffering by Hannah Hart.

27. What is your favourite children’s/middle-grade book?

Nothing comes to mind. I’ve read and liked a few but nothing really comes to WAIT does Lumberjanes count?? It’s a comic book for younguns. I’m gonna say that. 

28. What is your next book on your TBR?

I’m in the mood for Urban Fantasy about witches and, like, contemporary wlw romance so probably something in those genres.

29. What book are you currently reading?

Juliet Takes A Breath by Gabby Rivera and Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. 

30. What book are you planning on buying next?

I dunno lol. Almost everything I buy, I buy on whim.

31. What was the cheapest book you bought?

I bought The Luxe by Anna Godbersen from a school fete for $2.

32. What was the most expensive book you bought?

Probably A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It was the massive paperback at the height of its popularity and it was like $43.

33. What is a book you read after seeing the movie/ TV series?

Carol by Patricia Highsmith.

34. What is the newest book you have bought?

How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake, Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera, Grrls on the Side by Carrie Pack and The Teahouse Fire by Ellis Avery were what I ordered together from Book Depository.

35. What three books are you most looking forward to reading this year?

Lumberjanes Vol 7, Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather, If We Were Villains by ML Rio (I know that one’s already out but I haven’t gotten it yet).

36. What is a book you love that has a terrible trope? (Love triangle, etc)

If we’re talking love triangles, it’s The Diviners by Libba Bray. Actually, she’s the only writer I can think of who writes tropes I dislike and makes them good.

37. Have you read a book in a different language? What was it?

Not really.

38. What is a book you’ve read that is set in a time period before you were born?

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters.

39. What book offended you?

Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry lmao. I think my rant review is still one of the top reviews on its goodreads page lol.

40. What is the weirdest book you have read?

The Regulars by Georgia Clark; it was just a crazy plot to the point of hilarity.

41. What is your favourite duology?

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskrie.

42. What is your favourite trilogy?

Errrmmmm The Hunger Games, maybe? Or the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray.

43. What book did you buy because of its cover?

Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon. Gorgeous cover, but I couldn’t finish the book because the writing was so illogical.

44. What is a book that you love, but has a terrible cover?

The Abyss Surrounds us and The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie. Love the books!!! Covers ….. eh.

45. Do you own a poetry anthology? What is your favourite poem from it?

I have Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur but I’ve only just started reading it.

46. Do you own any colouring books based off other books?

Nup. Maybe eventually. 

47. Do you own any historical fiction?

Yes, loads.

48. What book made you angry?

Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry again lol. Also Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

49. What book has inspired you?

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay. The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth.

50. What book got you into reading?

Harry Potter, initially, when I was a kid. Then after I stopped reading in my couple of years of high school, I took an elective called creative reading, where we pretty much read a bunch of texts and responded to them and I had a great teacher and suddenly, I was back in and ever since I’ve been reading like 7 or 8 books a month.

I’m tagging: @finchinlove & @violaeade & @glindaelphaba & @beautyandthebec & whoever else wants to knock one out. (no pressure though, obvs)