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ofliterarynature · 13 days ago

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SEPTEMBER 2024 WRAP UP

[loved liked ok nope dnf reread* (book club)]

Bryony & Roses • The Paragon Hotel • The Invisible Library • (The Magic Fish) • The Gathering • Paladin of Souls • Mislaid in Parts Half-Known • Red White & Royal Blue* • North Woods • The Empty Grave* • Barda • Lost in the Moment & Found • The Creeping Shadow* • The Spellshop • Lalani of the Distant Sea

* * * * *

Lockwood & Co - not much to say, but it was fun revisiting an old favorite! It's becoming clearer with age and rereads that there are things about this series that I don't like, but the things I like definitely outweigh them - the way it does ghosts and uses a casebook structure among them! Would highly recommend if you're looking for something a bit spooky and mysterious.

Lost in the Moment and Found - this book was very hard to get into, because as it warns you, the opening involves a child experiencing grooming and gaslighting from an adult, and it is tense. Oof. But that said, between this and Mislaid in Parts Half-Known, I think Antsy's story and the Shop Where the Lost Things Go might be my favorite place and narrative arc we've seen yet.

Barda - I was obsessed with Ngozi's Check Please! for a number of years, and I think she's a very funny person in general! I read this on the strength of that alone despite no previous knowledge of the DC characters involved. I do honestly think this needed to be twice as long to get the depth of story necessary for an outsider, but dang did she pack the emotions in! I can fully see why she's obsessed with these characters, even if I don't feel like I have enough info to get into it myself.

North Woods - honest to god I'm so glad I picked up a copy of this at the library book sale, because I don't know if OR when I might have gotten to it otherwise. I don't really have the words, but it's one of those slow, literary, speculative, books that you have to work to put together that I love to listen to on audiobook and just marinate in for a few days. I would highly recommend to fans of Emily St John Mandel.

Red White & Royal Blue - I'll be honest, I somehow found myself on a FirstPrince fanfic binge and eventually hit a point where I thought to myself, you know, I've only read the book once, maybe I should go check that out again. It was fun! Remarkably similar in tone to the fanfic, so keep up the good work yall ;D

Paladin of Souls - Y'all. I'm so mad it took me this long to get to this after Curse of Chalion. I've seen this recommended so many times independent of the first book and they were so right, I loved it. Character-driven fantasy, great world building, a middle-aged female character who's on a journey of self-discovery and also so done with everyone's shit (including the gods, lol).

The Gathering - a murder investigation in Alaska with vampires *sounds* cool, but... the vampires are people, they're sentient, they have a culture, but they're also deeply hated and treated like predatory animals and are designated a protected species? It's trying to say something, but I'm not sure it works. Definitely taught me that I don't like crime novels or thrillers, but some bonus points for being unexpectedly queer.

The Magic Fish - I've see this around, but tumblr finally convinced me that I needed to read it and I got it onto the book club list. It was completely not what I was expecting, it was so much better! The description really led me to think it would be a lot more YA-ish and be about the son, but his mom is just as important to the story! It's got fairy tales, it's got complexity, the art was incredibly beautiful, ah!!! I'll be needing to get my own copy so I can read it again and think about it some more.

The Invisible Library - tumblr apparently finds this book very divisive, and both times I've asked about it there's been a 50/50 split on whether people liked or hated it lol. SO I went in with very low expectations, and I thought it was fun! It's not a great work of fantasy, I will give you that, but I do enjoy a tropey alt/historical fantasy adventure on occasion, and this filled that niche pretty well. It also didn't lean into a romance plot like I was afraid it would, and as long as it continues to do so (or at least handles it well), I think I could have fun with the rest of this series.

The Paragon Hotel - this is somehow my third Lydsay Faye, and while I don't think I've particularly loved any of them, she can really write a very solid book! A good read, with queer identities playing an unexpectedly major part in the plot!

Bryony & Roses - I have so far epically failed in my goal this year to read more of T Kingfisher's fantasy backlist, but I saw this on hoopla and thought I could fit it in. A very good time as always!

DNF

The Spellshop (16%) - I've read the author's YA in the past and (mostly) liked it at the time, and have been meaning to read her previous adult book for ages. Unfortunately, I've been having terrible luck with anything recent being marketed as cozy fantasy. I put 2 hours into this on audiobook and my initial impression of the story was earnestly quirky, charming, and anxious. Perhaps better than L&L, but I wasn't feeling much more than a vague interest and decided to cut my losses before my feelings entirely soured.

Lalani of the Distant Sea (10%) - this book sounds really cool (yes I did love Moana), the mythology and worldbuilding in the bit I read was interesting, but it is very much written for a younger reader. If I had any in my life currently I would be happy to give this to them! Just not the right pick for me right now.

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magicmindless · 2 years ago

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A hc list but it’s just Sue

Aka the other girlfriend

- She and Mary are the same age (32) but Mary was born 1 month before her

- Has a very attractive voice. Like, it’s calm, gentle, refined, almost sultry even… at least when she’s not angry

- She’s one hell of a singer

- Kinda acts like a teenager sometimes, being really sarcastic and making witty remarks at times not to mention her short temper

- To her underlings at Fluffmart, they see her as a scary older sister that you have to listen to and Sue sees them as a bunch of annoying younger siblings (most of them are queer teens or younger adults) but no one hurts them except for her

- She is indeed an older sister, having 2 younger twin brothers both 17 and still in high school

- Believe it or not, she doesn’t like hurting people (on most occasions) and will feel bad if she makes someone cry or genuinely upsets them on accident. (Especially if it’s Mary)

- She blushes easily when she’s embarrassed and god forbid anyone points it out

- She’s a good emotional support, being reliable when her friends need someone to talk to or listen to them and will stand up for them

- She was a really bad kid who constantly fought other children and threw tantrums though it was partially due to conditions about how her parents treated her (she wasn’t spoiled nor abused but it’s a bit complicated)

- Was a popular kid in high school. Not in the mean girl way, but she was chill and cool with most people and beat up bullies with her softball bat

- She isn’t super extroverted but she finds talking to people easy. She likes small talk and having in-depth conversations with people, almost anything will interest her

- Has amazing memory, especially if it’s something she heard (Edit: I learned this is called echotic memory and yeah that’s part of her memory that is really good, she can remember things she’s heard years ago)

- Random hc I decided to add because of the last thing but Sue can also memorize things she has read very well too. Like she word read a book in years and can still remember it word-by-word

- She knows how to bake and is pretty decent at it. She mostly bakes bread and cookies, but can bake a few other things

- She likes to read, her favorite genres being horror, thriller, and fantasy though she does prefer audiobooks more nowadays and often listens to them during her off time

-Romance is ok but it’s closer to being in her bottom 5 than top 5 favorite genres to read/watch

- She writes in a journal everyday, some entries are long and extensive while others are just “well, it rained”.

- Likes the thought of being more girly like wearing dresses and having nice makeup and hair. She’s even been given makeup and hair accessories from Mindy and Vicky

- She likes any shirt or dress with a collar

- She has a bellybutton piercing though not a lot of people know about it because she doesn’t wear crop tops or anything that exposes her stomach very often

#papa louie #papa louie headcanons #flipline studios #papa louie sue

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unabridgedisbetter · 2 years ago

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Ok so I’ve been catching up on Dracula daily and wow I have so many thoughts

Literally the locals are talking about vampires but Jonathan is too busy writing about the paprika chicken to notice. What an oblivious lil bean.

I want to know if Dracula locked his door for the ✨Aesthetic ✨ because who is going to rob him and why does he need that many bolts?

Why does he have hairy palms and why is no one talking about this?

When Dracula says the books “have been great friends to me” dang I felt called out like boy what a whole mood

Dracula: *brakes Jonathan’s mirror*

Jonathan: well that sucks how am I supposed to shave why are rich people so weird?

Jonathan catching Dracula doing housework has the same energy as that “what do you have there” meme where the guy just casually has an ostrich. A lot of the book has that energy tbh

I know this is supposed to be scary/a thriller/gothic horror but Jonathan being a sleep deprived blind bean and the count being dramatic AT ALL TIMES really cracks me up.

Also I’m listening to an audiobook to catch up and there is dramatic music between each chapter which seems to me very On Brand for mr Dracula.

#dracula daily #count dracula #jonathan harker #dracula memes #bram stocker's dracula #paprika #paprika chicken #vampire #litrature #booklr #text post #Dracula may 20 #book thoughts

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terpia · 3 years ago

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Early Modern Drama Rec List (Non-Shakespeare)

So I just spend a year reading a lot of early modern drama and I thought I might as well put my degree to a good use and make a list of some of my favourite lesser known (i.e. not written by Shakespeare) early modern plays. All of these plays are in the public domain, so it should be very easy to find them online.

Comedies:

The Roaring Girl by Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker - a fictional story featuring a dramatized portrayal of a real person, Mary Firth, also known as Moll Cutpurse. Moll was a notorious pickpocket, wore a doublet and breeches, smoked a pipe, cursed, and was generally infamous for her 'mannish' behaviour. And she's a character in this play!

It is open to interpretation how positive the play's depiction of Moll really is, but she does play a very important role in getting the main pair of lovers together and ends the play happily continuing to live her life the way she wants, which is in itself pretty incredible. Overall, just a really fun read.

Galatea (or Gallathea) by John Lyly - a 16th century play that is both gay and trans??? Sign me up! In a village where the fairest virgin needs to be sacrificed to Neptune every 5 years (or he'll drown everyone), two fathers decide to disguise their beautiful daughters as boys and hide them in a nearby forest. While wandering around the forest the two girls meet and, falling for each other's disguises, fall in love. In the end (spoilers for the ending, but this is not exactly a play you read for the plot, lol), Diana stops Neptune, the two girls find out each other's true identities and decide they're still in love, and Venus turns one of them (we never find out which one) into a boy so that they can get married.

As must be clear from this summary, this comedy plays around with gender a lot. To add to the gender cocktail, remember that the two girls would have been originally played by boys. Although the ending was seen as heteronormative by early queer critics, the emergence of trans criticism within queer theory has led to a lot of interesting readings of the play. Well worth a read.

(also, if you have a device on which you can play DVDs and some money to spare, consider buying a DVD of the Edward's Boys production of the play. Edward's Boys is a group that replicates the format of early modern boys' companies, with all roles in their productions being played by boys. I will admit, when I bought a DVD of their 2014 production of Galatea, I expected to watch a glorified high school performance, but it turned out to be so good. All the boy actors were amazing, way better at performing Shakespeare than a lot of Hollywood actors. This just straight-up felt like a professional theatre production, I highly recommend it.)

The Knight of the Burning Pestle by Francis Beaumont - I don't even know how to describe this play other than 'fantastic and fun'. A meta-theatrical city comedy, which starts with a pair of audience members (who were actually two dressed-up boy actors from the boys' company performing the play) jumping onto a stage and demanding to see a different play than the the one being set up. Things get only wilder from there.

A genuinely really funny play. I don't know of anyone who has read it and hasn't immediately loved it.

The Sea Voyage by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger - one of the least well known plays out of this list, which is unfortunate because this play is really fun. Short and sweet, it's a story of a bunch of (surprisingly honorable) pirates, who get shipwrecked on an island inhabited by a tribe of Amazon-like women. Predictably, hijinks ensue. An interesting look into early modern gender relations (apparently the main reason why living without men would be difficult for women is because of how horny they would get? I think Fletcher and Massinger need to take a lesson or two from Lyly).

The Alchemist by Ben Jonson - want to see three assholes con a bunch of idiots in increasingly ridiculous ways? Then this is the play for you.

Jonson's city comedies, which satirize the people of early modern London, tend to be much meaner in tone than Shakespeare's comedies and the other comedies on this list, but in many ways, that's what makes them fun. Viciously clever and at times really funny, there's an edge to the writing that makes it very entertaining. I had a lot of fun reading this (Jonson's Epicoene is also great, if you want a comedy that's even meaner and also has some very questionable gay stuff in it).

Tragedies:

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe - probably the most famous non-Shakespeare early modern play, and for a good reason. It has everything; pacts with the devil, a melodramatic anti-hero protagonist, homoeroticism (I mean of course, it's Marlowe), and a suitably gory and tragic ending. What more can you ask for?

The Tragedy of Mariam by Elizabeth Cary - this play is more interesting than fun, but I think it's still well worth a read. It's the first original play written in English by a woman. The play takes place in ancient Palestine. It looks at the way Mariam, a Jewish queen, reacts to the news of the death of her husband, the tyrannous Herod (yes, the baby-killing guy from the Bible). Most people seem to be relieved. Except oops, Herod is not actually dead.

A fascinating look at gender ideology in the early modern period, with the play centering around the conflict of a woman who tries to live up to the ideals of a perfect wife and woman, while stuck in a marriage to a tyrant. This play would also be a great read for anyone interested in how gender and sexuality intersected with race in early modern England, because this play uses a lot of racialized language to describe women.

The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster - a classic revenge tragedy. A recently widowed Duchess wants to marry her steward, but her asshole brothers throw a fit. Intrigue and death ensue. At one point a fake wax hand and some fake wax corpses appear on stage.

This play basically reads like a good thriller. Fucked up in a way that only an early modern revenge tragedy can be, this is a fun and thrilling read.

The Changeling by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley - speaking of fucked up. If you're planning to read it, be mindful that this play contains sexual assault. It's a story of a young noblewoman called Beatrice, who wants to get rid of her fiancé after falling in love with a visiting nobleman. To do it, she enlists the help of her villainous servant De Flores. Things end up going extremely badly.

This play can get very uncomfortable at times, but just like The Duchess, it's as gripping as any good modern thriller. Very engaging. The ending is as engrossing as it is stomach-churning, although probably not for the reasons it was originally meant to (reading criticism about The Changeling, it is genuinely shocking and disheartening to see how long it took for critics to start addressing the clear issues of consent in the play). The story also includes a bizarre virginity test that uses a potion which makes you drowsy or which makes you sneeze and laugh depending on whether you had sex or not, so hey, at least that's fun?

Antonio's Revenge by John Marston - ok, so this is definitely the least... good of the plays I've recommended so far, but listen. Do you like trainwrecks? Do you like violence so over-the-top that people to this day wonder whether it's actually supposed to be a parody of the revenge tragedy genre? Are you looking for a reading experience that will make you go 'what the fuck' throughout? If so, this is the play for you!

Very much in the so bad it's good category. Ridiculously gory. The only thing that makes it better is knowing that it was originally played by children (on a related note, I haven't seen this production, but I know that this play has also been played by Edward's Boys). If you like horrible, gory horror movies, you'll probably enjoy this play.

That's it for now! Hopefully at least a few of these plays catch your interest.

Btw, LibriVox, which is an organisation that makes public domain recordings of public domain texts, has most of these plays available as free audiobooks, if you're interested!

#early modern drama #early modern england #book rec #i don't know how else to tag this #i keep spending way too much time on these extremely niche posts #but hey i had fun writing this and maybe it'll end up being useful to someone who knows #alex's boring history corner #kind of???#shakespeare

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therefugeofbooks · 4 years ago

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April flew by! I was in a weird mood for the most part of month, so I read more comics and manga than the usual. I read some great and not-so-great ones and at the same time I listened to some excellent audiobooks.

Talking about all the books I read in April under the cut!

In reading order:

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler. Fledgling was a big disappointment. I loved the idea and the beginning was great, but some things started to make me uncomfortable and they piled up throughout the story. I didn’t want to dfn and ended forcing myself to finish it :( Great vampire mythology, though.

Come On In: 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home edited by Adi Alsaid This was a very nice anthology! There were happy, sad, and angering stories. The variety of immigrant experiences portrayed is so vast! Read if you want: emotional short-stories.

There Are Things I Can’t Tell You by Edako Mofumofu Hmmmm, this bl manga was ok? I don’t think I’ll remember much of the story by next month, though.

Still Sick, Volume 1 by Akashi I hated the plot twist about one of the main characters that changed the whole dynamics of the couple. I don’t even know why I finished this manga 😤

Joy by Etsuko This one was fun! One of the main characters is a bl mangaka and he imagines being in love with his assistant to have inspiration for his new story. Obviously, he falls in love at some point. I loved the funny and lighthearted scenes! Read if you want: a fluffy and funny bl manga.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley This thriller was so interesting! I enjoyed reading about Daunis’s family drama and also how she conducted how own investigation while working for the FBI. I think it could be a bit shorter and quicker, but it is still a great book! Read if you want: NA slow-paced thriller with family drama.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker with Wendy Xu (Illustrator) This was wholesome! I liked it so much! I loved the coziness of Nova’s house, Nova’s grandmas are adorable! Nova and Tam’s relationship is so cute and full of mutual support! I think the ending is a little bit rushed, but the story is overall so cute and cozy that I can’t wait to buy a physical copy!

Seven Days: Monday → Thursday and Seven Days: Friday → Sunday by Venio Tachibana and Rihito Takarai I read this manga back in 2012? Mental breakdown, because it’s been almost ten years. I remembered that I loved it so much! And it got a live-action? What? I don’t know if I’ll be able to watch it… Anyway, the manga. Not as great as I recalled. To be honest, a little bland. And the drama is a bit silly. There are some cute scenes but that’s it.

Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku You can see my full review here. In short, this is an emotional coming of age manga about a trans boy teaming up with his new friend to create a brand together! It deals with serious themes but there are also funny, cute, and beautiful scenes. Read if you want: own voices coming of age manga, trans characters, queer stories with a focus on friendship.

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark Mr. Clark here is becoming a new favorite. The idea of this story is so creative and the execution is fantastic! I won’t talk much about it due to its length but I highly recommend it! Read if you want: historical fantasy with demons and lots of action!

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune I finally read this after seeing it all over Tumblr! And it lived up to my expectations! It’s adorable! The found family trope is so cute and Linus slowly changing throughout the book is a delight to read. And queer romance with people in their forties? Irresistible. Read if you want: a lighthearted novel, with a tale-like tone, found family trope, magical kids that need love and support, queer romance with older characters.

The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch Oh, we need more ya books that are not necessarily about coming out? In this one, someone leaks Sky’s plans to invite his school crush to prom and he and his friends go on an investigation to find out who did it. I loved that the focus is on friendship and uniting to fight together. Read if you want: teenagers fighting the system!!!, queer books not about coming out, friendship!!!

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh More spooky middle-grade books! Harper has to save her brother from being possed by a ghost in their new house while trying to collect pieces from her lost memory. It’s a cool adventure, with the right amount of spooky and danger and I loved the characters! Read if you want: safe spooky, kids saving the day, ghosts.

Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa. I knew this book would be strange, but it was more strange than I expected. The ending is bizarre and I still don’t know if I like it or not…

Rereads:

Lady Killer, Vol. 1 by Jamie S. Rich and Joëlle Jones

Read in: February | March |

Happy Reading (◕‿◕✿)

#booklr #monthly wrap-up #mine: original posts #the refuge of books

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joliepixie · 3 years ago

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I’ve been reading almost everyday since April 16th thanks to the stay at home order. Not that I’m complaining but I feeling like it’s time to return to work if only for my activity level! its become a struggle to remove myself enough to go for a walk or run. Anyways onto the books.

Left to right:

1) I ordered this book when I was in the middle of the Throne of Glass series as a nice book to break up the series (can’t read series books back to back I get bored that way) but also to fulfill the Sarah J. Maas craving I was having without having to invest in a series. I don’t know was expecting with this book but for me it made me realize I’m not that into superhero books... don’t get me wrong it was a good book and I think I gave it 3 stars?? It just didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t much enjoy the characters and I had a hard time believing catwoman was this super badass didn’t lose one fight to anyone type of character that had assassin training. I preferred the early chapters when she was just a kid trying to make a living by fighting I think following that would have been a bit more interesting. Ok Just checked rated it 4 stars... This is why I do these “reviews” cause sometimes I don’t know how I feel about a book till I sit down and start blabbing about it. So yes a 3 star book for me.

2) Ok I have a serious addiction apparently. After reading the Throne of Glass books I wasn’t done with Sarah J. Maas’ writing style yet so with me having a week of uninterrupted home time left and having a serious book hangover I decided to re-read the ACOTAR series again.. probably just the first two because I like the build up to Rhys and Feyra’s relationship. Needless to say other then having to spend the majority of this book with Tamlin I love this book or more specifically the under the mountain trails. Going into the book for the first time last year I wasn’t expecting the trails and being a huge fan of competitions, trails, etc. I was enthralled. Love this book and love the second book even more. Oh and I promise I will be branching out from Sarah J. Maas soon considering I’ve had all her books read and just waiting for breath and sky now.

3) Another re-read/slowly trying to read every book on my bookshelf after a reading slump of 3 years. As I’ve been saying to my friends. I’m weeding out the weak deciding what to keep and what to give away. Anyways, absolutely love this book. Say what you will about Nicholas Sparks but he knows how to tug at the heart strings. When I first read this book I was in highschool and getting through those last 100 pages is tough is a terribly sad type of way. I remember I had to give my dad a hug when he got home after sobbing on the couch for hours. This book broke and I went in knowing this and I spent my entire night crying, let my dad know I loved him, and woke up with sore and puffy eyes so bad that I couldn’t read at all the next day. Regardless of how much I love this book I’m keeping it for the sake of the memories I have with it and as a reminder to let my parents know I love them unconditionally and never stay mad.

4) If you remember I picked this book up on one of my thrifting trips with my friend. Funny story I accidentally bought two copies thinking they were different stories. I have a obsession with Paris (even though I haven’t gone.. just waiting for covid to end so I can get out there) which was the main reason for this purchase and I’m glad I got it. I read this immediately after Kingdom of Ash because I needed something quick and what better then a book of short stories some involving Paris? I loved the majority of the stories in this book and will definitely be re reading a few someday. I tried reading this author other book me Before You when I was really young but being so young I don’t think I appreciated it as much as I should have. After picking up this book and being reacquainted with this authors writing style I think I’ll be trying some of her other books and probably dusting off my old copy of Me Before You.

5) I’ve been having an tough time with thrillers recently where I’ve read a lot that just didn’t sit well with me. This one reminded me why I like thrillers so much. I found this one fast paced and didn’t have to sit through chapter after chapter of the characters drinking while she took her medication. Sometimes I find with thrillers we are always given these characters that are so dependent on there vices which are used against them to make them seem crazy rather then something actually happening which drags on and sometimes used as a crutch in writing do you get what I’m saying? Even though this book did have a bit of this happening it wasn’t used nearly as much as other books and like I said very fast pace. It was neat how there wasn’t a grand reveal but the main character just worked it out on her own. I was happy with the ending as well and thought it ended the book well. All and all I liked this book a lot.

6) Was hoping I could write about book 6, 7, and 8 altogether like last time but I have very different feelings about each book so here we go. I love this book probably just as much as Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows. I really loved getting to see all the characters interact like Manon joining up with the crew. The skull bay fight with Lysandra was definitely one of my all time favourite scenes and having Dorian slowly master his powers was fun to read as well. My favourite part of this book was definitely Lorcan and Elide parts. Elide was a character that I could give or take when I first met her but she’s slowly become my favourite character and I loved everyone of her chapters as well as the slow building romance with Lorcan. And if you know me you know I have a great hatred for Chaol so this book got a added bonus for not having a single chapter from his perspective!

7) This was a struggle. I looked up if I could just skip this book but unfortunately it had major plot points you couldn’t miss. I was dreading this book. I read a lot of reviews about how people hated Chaol but still really found this book likeable so I went in hoping that would be my experience too. It wasn’t. I actually ended up buying the audiobook because I really couldn’t picture myself sitting and reading this book... it’s not that I hated it I just don’t like chaol and besides Yrene and Borte didn’t really care for any of the characters in this book. I’m glad I listened to it because I definitely needed this story to continue and I really did try not to hate Chaol so much but I just can’t stand him.

8) Ok. The final Throne of Glass book. I gave it 4 stars. The middle three books are my favourite and I will re read over and over this one I don’t see myself going back to it. I have it four starts because I’ve followed these characters through a eight book series and a month of my time. I’ve fallen in love with these characters and there stories, I will always love these character, and of course Elide and Lorcan! Now here’s why I didn’t like this book as much nor think I’ll read it again (other then Lorcan and Elide story.) throughout this book I felt like Rowan became a background character like I’m all for a strong female lead and her doing shit her own way but Rowan was suppose to be her equal and I just felt like he did nothing. Like the final fight he spent the majority of it chasing Aelin? I get it she didn’t have her full powers but she was handling her own couldn’t you do the same? It just didn’t sit right with me that this character that was introduced to us in Heir of Fire that trained Aelin and is her equal was just kind of brushed aside and became this clingy male that spent the majority of the book following Aelin around not doing anything other the pleading her not to leave him. Like what happened to the badass Rowan that I grew to love...? Also was really angered me Aelin losing her powers? What’s up with that?! It just felt so cheap to me.. after again reading about how strong she is and then forging the lock which did nothing by the way what was the point of that anyways, and then she just loses all her power only having a ember left??? I hate when authors do this.. I also felt the scene with Erawan, Maeve, and Aelin was just dull. I was still upset that Aelin wouldn’t get to use her powers against them and in the end it was more of a match of words then a battle just felt a little cheap to me. I was just disappointing , Aelin a character we have come to love and watch grow and get stronger hardly hold her own against Maeve... This book has a all around different feel to it compared to the other books and maybe it’s because it was the final battle and and the final book to the series I was a bit disappointed with it but I did enjoy it and felt a huge accomplishment when I finished the series. Reading that finally few chapters really put me into a hangover knowing it was over and like Aelin felt when everyone was heading home I felt that too. It’s goodbye for now.

#catwomen #acotar #a court of thorns and roses #last song #nicholas sparks #sarah j maas #ruth ware #jojo moyes #Paris for one #Paris #books #book #throne of glass #empire of storms #tower of dawn #kingdom of ash

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headoverjojo · 5 years ago

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Aaaaaah I hope I'm not to late! Since it's almost that time of the year, I'd like to request hcs for what presents La Squadra would buy for each other if they did the secret Santa thing. Thanks~

Hiiiii honey!! You’re absolutely in time and aaaaaa a Christmas request, I’m soft :,) Ok so! I apologize if they’re short, but they were a looot! And I hope you’ll like it :3

Secret Santa: Squadra di Esecuzione edition

(Under the cut for length!)

Risotto is a person who values more practice over beauty, so he’d make practical and useful gifts!

To Prosciutto he’d give a pair of elegant cufflinks. Prosciutto uses them a lot, so Risotto is sure he’s going to use them. Plus, Prosciutto is weak for fancy ornaments, so he’d immensely appreciate the gift!

He’d buy for Pesci a set to repair and clean his fishing rod. He knows, as Prosciutto, that Pesci’s secret hobby is to fish, and he’d be prone to encourage him with this activity, as not only it helps Pesci to relax, but it also helps him to better his precision!

He’d give Formaggio a beautiful agenda. It’s mostly a silent warning, as Formaggio is almost always late to meetings, to start to arrive at the right time! Now he has no more excuses: he can write down his duties on his new agenda!

For Melone, he’d buy the most recent biology dictionary. He knows that Melone is fond of biology and medicine and that he also loves to learn new specific terms, so what’s better than a biology dictionary? Melone will love it!

He knows that Illuso likes thrillers -and that he dies of boredom in the mirror world-, so Risotto would buy him a collection of novels that Illuso can keep safe in the mirror world and pick up in case of extreme boredom. Capo’s saved the day!

Finally, he’d get Ghiaccio a new coat. Even if his stand power allows him to freeze things, Ghiaccio is really sensible to cold! In winter he always ends up catching a cold ‘cause he’s too cold. So, nothing better than a new, super warm coat!

Prosciutto is more for classy gifts! Simple but elegant gifts are his trademark and he’s careful to every detail!

For Risotto, he’d buy an elegant fountain pen. A pen with a simple but sharp and elegant design, perfect for a man who has to check and fill in many documents. Risotto’s gonna do it with style!

Knowing Pesci’s passion for ocean creatures, Prosciutto would not buy him anything, instead taking him to the wonderful Genoa’s aquarium. It’s such a wonderful and unforgettable experience for Pesci!

He’d give Formaggio a new gilet, as he firmly thinks that the one he has is too ruined. The new one is basically like the one Formaggio already has, but, of course, new, softer and more beautiful. Assassins, but stylish!

For Melone, he’d buy a sweater, as he always cringes when he sees the skinny man with basically his whole torso exposed even when it gets cold. Even Risotto covers himself when it’s cold! Melone’s going to cover himself as well, and he’ll do with an elegant and warm sweater!

Illuso’s going to get a bag with fancy shampoo, balsamo, and whatever he may need to take care of his hair. Prosciutto knows that hair is important to Illuso, so he’s going to give him the best products!

Finally, for Ghiaccio, he’d buy a new pair of sneakers, Ferrari red as Ghiaccio likes. The ones he has, even if Ghiaccio takes good care of them, are pretty ruined, by now! No better occasion to buy him a new pair of shoes!

Pesci has a kind heart, and his gifts would show his sweetness in the simplicity and the great care he put in them!

He’s buy rock candies for Risotto, or, better, for Metallica beans. He knows the little ones love rock candies and happy beans mean a happier Risotto, and a happy Capo means a better day for everyone!

For Prosciutto, he’d buy something classic: a mug with printed on it “best big brother”. Even if Prosciutto just mutters a barely audible “thanks”, he loves it!! And it shows when, the day after and all the following ones, he goes around with his new mug full of tea or water. He loves it!

He’d give Formaggio a little stock of toys for his cats. He knows that, even if Formaggio calls them “demons with fur”, he dearly loves his cats and wants just the best for them, so what’s better than few new and beautiful toys for them? Happy cats mean happy Formaggio!

Knowing how Melone teach Babyface’s spawns, he’d give him new and educative illustrated children books to use with Babyface’s spawns. He may not approve how his stand works, but this doesn’t mean that he condemns him for this!

Pesci knows that Illuso is from Venezia and, also, that he has, in the mirror world -he has seen it once, when Illuso hosted him for few hours in the mirror world- a small collection of Murano glass figurines. And this is Pesci’s gift! A new, beautiful Murano glass figurine for his collection!

For Ghiaccio, he’d not buy anything, but he’d cook White Album’s favourite dessert: tiramisù. And not a simple tiramisù, but one that follows the recipe Ghiaccio likes the most! For once, Ghiaccio’s not grumbling, but he’s almost… touched. He’d not miss to share it with Pesci too!

Formaggio is one who likes to bring fun also in his gifts. Incredibly, his gifts, even if he likes to think they’re just the shitposting of gifts, are actually appreciated!

For Risotto, he’d buy a plate which says “Boss of the Year”, chuckling to himself while giving him it. Jokes on Formaggio, Risotto actually puts it on his desk and he doesn’t even bat an eyelash when someone asks him about it. He’s pretty content to have it!

He’d give Prosciutto a sleeping mask with golden decorations on it, to mock Prosciutto’s fancy tastes. Prosciutto actually likes it for real and, since he’s really sensible to light when he sleeps, he regularly uses it!

Pesci would get a pineapple themed pijama. He doesn’t expect Pesci to like it nor to actually wear it, but, again jokes on him, the pijama is incredibly comfortable and soft, and the pattern is not even that bad? In the end Pesci likes it!

He’d give Melone a set of various hair dyes, from a forest green to amethyst purple. For once he thinks it’s a really unusable gift, but he has to eat back his words when he sees Melone coming at the following meeting with his hair dyed in a vibrant forest green. Melone loves to change his style!

For Illuso, he’d bought a Michael Jackson figurine, referencing to Illuso’s stand and appearance. He hopes that this could be intendended as a prank, but again, the curse of the well-accepted gift follows him; Illuso likes it a lot!

Finally, Ghiaccio would receive a Carolina Kostner’s biography as gift. He doesn’t know Ghiaccio would react to it, as it’s a clear joke based on his skating stand, but in the end he finds out that Ghiaccio is a sincere Carolina Kostner’s fan and so he appreciates a lot the gift!

Melone, even if everyone’s terrified of the possibility to get a gift from him, actually makes pretty gifts!

For Risotto, he’d buy a new hat. Simple, practical, useful: Risotto uses just one type of hats and god knows how much his hats end up ruined due to too much use. So he gets a new, customized hat with jingle balls and everything else, all for his Capo!

For Prosciutto, he’d buy a fancy necktie. He knows that Prosciutto always wants to look at his best, and what’s better than a perfect necktie to match his elegant suit? Prosciutto doesn’t have a lot of ties, so another one is good!

Pesci is kinda worried when he finds out that he was Melone’s Secret Santa, but he has to eat back his worries when he sees that Melone gave him a wonderful book about sea life, a book he truly wanted to buy since long time. One of the best gifts of the last years!

Formaggio gets a book too: one about cats’ breeds! It’s full of beautiful photos of cats and the various breeds’ descriptions; it’s actually one of Formaggio’s dearest books, as it also contains many advices and suggestions for every specific breed!

Melone wasn’t so creative with Illuso, as he bought him a fancy pocket mirror. It can be useful, however, as Illuso can slide it in his targets’ pockets, by fakingly bumping on them, and then using the mirror to attack them when they expect it the less. Useful and practical!

He’d also go on a safe path for Ghiaccio’s gift too; in the beginning he had thought to buy him a fake gift just for the lolz, but in the end he actually bought him a scarf, as he too knows that Ghiaccio is really prone to get colds and flu and so a scarf is always good for these cold winters!

Illuso loves music, and this reflects also on his gifts, mostly music themed ones!

He’d give Risotto a ticket for a Metallica’s concert during a metal festival. Risotto would be so baffled! How the hell did Illuso manage to get it?! They were basically unobtainable!! Illuso just gives one of his half smiles, saying that someone was in debt with him. If this is true or not, Illuso would never say it.

Prosciutto receives a ticket for a wonderful opera night! This time too Illuso doesn’t explain how and where he got this ticket, saying, again, that someone had to pay a debt and that Illuso asked for a ticket for that exclusive opera night instead of money. Is it true or not? Just Illuso knows.

Pesci gets a beautiful audiobook of sea related novels! Pesci absolutely adores it, it’s so soothing and the novels are so well-written and wonderful! He loves to listen to it before sleeping; it helps him to fall asleep faster and to not have nightmares!

Formaggio loves to listen to music in his own flat, but, alas, his stereo is broken! So there’s no better occasion to buy him a new and cooler one! Formaggio is ecstatic: that stereo is so cool, he can’t be happier!

Melone gets an invitation for a seminary about how music can positively influence children’s learning abilities. Melone is always curious to learn new things about biology and pedagogy, so he’s absolutely enthusiast to have the chance to go to this seminary!

And, finally, Ghiaccio gets a music themed gift too! It’s a vintage record player. Ghiaccio likes music, but he’s a bit fussy about the device used; he’s one of those who prefers vinyls over CDs. Now that he has a good record player, he can listen to music in the right way!

Ghiaccio is not for poetic or metaphorical gifts; his gifts are extremely practical!

For Risotto, he’d buy a new set of razors. He doesn’t care about how Capo’s gonna use them, if to actually shave or to use as “secret weapon” to carry around and to launch with Metallica. What matters is that Risotto’s gonna use them!

Prosciutto’s going to get fancy Cuban cigars. It’s not the healthiest gift, but hey, Prosciutto likes them, so he’s going to certainly use them, which is Ghiaccio’s primary goal. It’s a win-win situation, in the end!

Pesci gets a new fishing rod. The one he has is pretty consumed, by now, so a new one would be better. It’s more efficient, more beautiful and lighter, so Pesci can actually train more comfortably. He’s going to use it a lot, for sure!

For Formaggio he’d buy a cat tower that looks really good in Formaggio’s living room. Maybe, this time, Formaggio is not going to use it, but his cats for sure, so it’s fine anyway! In the end, what matters is that the gift doesn’t go wasted!

Melone gets a new mask. It may not seem such a great gift, but for Melone it is, in fact! He’s really fussy about his clothes, especially the mask, and the one Ghiaccio gave him is soft and comfortable, it’s perfect for him!

Illuso, finally, gets a new big file cabinet to place in the mirror world. Illuso has tons of files, about targets, allies, enemy gangs, he has almost more files than the Squadra Informazioni itself! So, new file cabinets are always well accepted!

#jjba #vento aureo #la squadra di esecuzione #risotto nero #prosciutto #pesci #formaggio #melone #illuso #ghiaccio #secret santa #christmas time #headcanons #sfw #giogio-xp

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sesamesaysme · 5 years ago

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BOOKS FINISHED IN AUGUST 2019 + word cloud of their subjects

(listed in the order that I finished reading them)

Most of this month’s books were so good that I wouldn’t be surprised if half of them make end up making my Top 10 books that I read within this year.

BAD FEMINIST by Roxane Gay / July 21, 2019 - August 1, 2019 / audiobook version / Summary - Essays exploring being a feminist while simultaneously loving things that could seem at odds with feminist ideology. / Reaction - Roxane Gay’s writing is SO RELATABLE! She allows that we may have principles we strongly support but we are human. Sometimes we find ourselves grooving to songs while knowing the lyrics are degrading or that are made by artists whose actions we don’t agree with. Sometimes we enjoy shows or movies that we know are mediocre and whose messages are flawed. Sometimes we believe in strong women but we want a man to lean on. These are the kinds of things she discusses in this collection of essays. I also previously read her book Hunger and loved that one too. I need to credit her as the writer who made me start enjoying essay collections.

ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie / July 29, 2019 - August 6, 2019 / Summary - A sci-fi book set thousands of years in the future in a time and place where the empire uses AIs to control human bodies as soldiers. First book of a trilogy. / Reaction - The reason I was drawn to reading this book is because I heard that it really makes you think about our use of binary pronouns. There are some characters in this book who do not distinguish between gender. Sometimes the same character will be referred to as she by someone and he by someone else and then she again by another person. Furthermore children are not referred to by gender. It disoriented me and I really appreciate that! Sadly that was the only aspect of the book I really liked. The world and characters felt cold to me. I couldn’t feel anything for any of them and I won’t be reading the rest of the trilogy.

SHOE DOG by Phil Knight / July 23, 2019 - August 6, 2019 / audiobook version approx. 13hrs / Summary - Memoir by Nike co-founder Phil Knight which chronicles the story of the Nike company from even before it was named Nike. / Reaction - I didn’t realize I’d be so interested in a book about how the Nike brand was developed but now I think it’s probably going to end up in my Top 10 books I read this year. How was I supposed to know that Shoe Dog would turn out to be an underdog story? In fact, you can even think of this as following the format of one of those heartwarming sports team movies or anime in which one team member after another is recruited into the fold, each with their own quirks. They meld and develop, then defeat their opponents against all odds. Phil Knight writes that these guys are all losers in some way or other, himself included, and almost none of them are athletic, yet they end up being the perfect team to build one of the top athletic brands in the world. They tackle all sorts of business-y problems with gumption and perseverance and are constantly trying to top their rivals adidas. Of course, since the author is one of the Nike owners, it is all from his POV, so you gotta be careful not to come out of reading it thinking the entire company is right in all of its actions. I’m sure there are criticisms about Nike that are still very valid. But that doesn’t take away from the book being a good read.

CARRY ON, WARRIOR: THOUGHTS ON LIFE UNARMED by Glennon Doyle Melton / August 7, 2019 - August 10, 2019 / audiobook version approx 8hrs / Summary - Glennon Melton believes that if we stop striving to project a mirage of perfection we can get closer to people and build better lives. / Reaction - From the title alone, I thought this would be a book about gun laws! It wasn’t. It’s a nonfic by a mother who is a recovered substance abuser and now shares her struggles with friends/neighbors/readers to connect with them. I’m not a mother or a wife yet but I could still relate to many of the things she talked about. One part I particularly liked was when she described step by step how to get through your day(s). It felt like much of the advice could help anyone whether they are struggling with addiction, depression, or just having a really bad day.

THE ARTIST’S WAY by Julia Cameron / August 7, 2019 - August 16, 2019 / Summary - An international bestseller which millions of people have found to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life./ Reaction - I would say this is like a textbook or workbook for how to unblock your creativity. A lot of creativity, motivation and productivity gurus these days use morning pages and this is the book from which morning pages originated. I’ve already been doing morning pages for about half a year prior to reading this so I’ve been interested in this book for awhile now. This time I borrowed it using the Libby app so I just read it without doing any of the activities. But I plan to get my own physical copy and go through the program in the book. I have a feeling this’ll turn into like a creativity bible for me that I’ll come back to over and over until it’s dog-eared and in rough condition.

A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles / August 15, 2019 - August 24, 2019 / audiobook version approx. 18hrs / Summary - Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to house arrest at the grand hotel Metropol in 1922 Russia. The book then spans several decades of his life there. / Reaction - As I listened to this, it was so easy to picture everything that happened. If you like books that cover a long period of time this is a great one. Rather than trying to tell about every month and every year, the story is formed out of perfectly crafted little vignettes that represent different times in his life and they are all so charming. For example, testing out the sounds that different objects make when they are dropped from the floor above and hit the ground, or subtly helping out a young man on a first date by subtly stepping in to suggest the perfect wine that will neither bankrupt him nor make him look like a cheapskate, sneaking in ingredients to cook the perfect dish behind the back of your enemy, or trying to outsmart a 5 or 6-yr-old in a game of hiding. It’s not a particularly quick read, but it’s so freakin’ charming. And the ending turns unexpectedly thrilling as you find out if our Count makes it out of the hotel or not.

THE COLLECTOR by John Fowles / August 16, 2019 - August 24, 2019 / Summary - A story of obsession about a young butterfly collector who kidnaps a young art student and traps her in the cellar of a house. /Reaction - I guess this would be categorized as a psychological thriller. The setup is very simple but the character development and interaction digs very deep. Essentially you take two very different people, put them in a small space together and watch the interactions. One is male, the other is female. One knows less culture (as in books, art, music etc.) while the other loves those things passionately. One has no relationship experience while the other does. At times you think, ok, this person’s motives are understandable, and at other times you find their actions incredibly disturbing. Then you start wondering what’s wrong with yourself because of those earlier moments when you found the person kinda relatable. Great read. And you can’t predict at all if the girl will survive. At least I couldn’t.

BAD BLOOD by John Carreyrou / August 24, 2019 - August 30, 2019 / audiobook version approx 12 hrs / Summary - Wall Street Journal writer John Carreyrou goes in depth into how it was possible for young entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes to build a multibillion-dollar biotech startup (Theranos) that deceived countless people even though its supposedly revolutionary blood-analyzing device didn’t even work. / Reaction - Man, it really makes you realize how far money and connections can get you. People were fooled and bullied so easily. Throughout the whole book I was like I can’t believe this happened and I can’t believe that happened and holy crap, they seriously got away with that? The second I finished the book I was online googling what happened to Elizabeth Holmes and apparently she’s happily engaged like nothing even happened.

WHAT AM I READING IN SEPTEMBER?

- currently halfway done with The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (but really JK Rowling)

- To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

- Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo

and the rest will just depend on what becomes available from my holds list on Libby

#books #books read #august 2019 #bad feminist #roxane gay #ancillary justice #shoe dog #nike #carry on warrior #the artist's way #a gentleman in moscow #the collector #bad blood #elizabeth holmes #word cloud #currently reading #audiobooks

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builder051 · 6 years ago

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Carniege... but with a little twist I want to ask what your favourite book is?? Obviously it might not be your genre but have you ever read ‘A very large expanse of sea?’... that has to be up there with one of my favourites and I would definitely recommend if you liked the sound of it!

carnegie: what authors and/or books/stories have inspired you to write or influenced your work?

Hoo boy, ok. I could write an essay on this.

I have not read that book, but I’ll look it up. I love audiobooks, and I spend a lot of time listening to them while I do other stuff like cleaning and drawing and sewing. I listen mostly to crime thrillers and adventure books, but I have to be careful about triggers.

My favorite book is The Outsiders, but that’s EVERYBODY’s favorite book, so I feel like I should have a more unique choice. If you haven’t read it, it’s perfectly written; it’s short; it’s full of whump and angst and legitimate thought-provoking stuff... it’s just great.

I have a fondness for really beautifully written books and really exciting books.

All-time faves include: Call Me By Your Name, A Separate Peace, In the Time of the Butterflies.

Current obsessions: Dark Places, Underground Airlines, Turtles All the Way Down

Then, as far as authors who influenced my work, I use the Harry Potter books as guides for pacing/time passage in my longer works. I also really love the way John Green manages to write easy-to-understand passages that are also quite profound and deep.

I’m heavily influenced by my fanfic faves, @itsaboutsam (sxldato on AO3) and @mohini-musing (Mohini on AO3).

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serpentinelife · 3 years ago

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UPDATE!

Hello hello hellooooo!

Ok, finals are coming up which is great and all but it also means I won’t be able to spend hours reading... BUT I have recently read some amazing books!!

1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

THIS BOOK YALL! I am currently on a mystery/psychological thriller binge with books. And this book got me started!! I loved listening to this book. There were so many twists and turns and the ended?? I did not expect that AT ALL. It was such an enjoyable read. I loved the way that the audiobook sounded, and the way that the book had a lot of bigger meanings than just surface level things. I could not recommend this book enough!!

2. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

This book was so interesting! I was so confused like literally the first half of the book, and not gonna lie I am still a little confused. But it was a very enjoyable read. I do think I will eventually finish the series but it’s not on the top of my TBR list. It was an enjoyable read and definitely made you think!

CURRENTLY READING:

1. The Guest List by Lucy Foley (I seriously don’t know who killed who yet, SO GOOD!)

2. The Assassins Blade by Sarah J. Maas (yes, I’m re reading the series, and yes I am tabbing and annotating the book, don’t judge me)

#book #bookworm #currently reading #booksbooksbooks #book review #book recommendations #book tumblr #Long Reads

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nadiawrimos · 5 years ago

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May Books

I went hard with books this month! 12 books read, 9 of which were audiobooks. Send me audiobook recommendations! I have 2.5-3 hours of driving to do every day.

The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton (A) ⭐⭐⭐

It was okay - I was less interested in the progression of Juliet’s POA and more interested in the setting/situation since I’ve never read a book that took place in the world of flight attendants/airline employees. I liked the jet-setting to various cities and British narrator. The pacing of the novel was good, and I’d recommend it to readers who like domestic mysteries/thrillers.

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger ⭐⭐

I didn’t really like this book for a few reasons but luckily it was short.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I thought this was a very entertaining book. Bryson didn’t take himself too seriously and his descriptions of hapless (mis)adventures on the AT did make me chuckle more than once.

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (A) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had a hold on this book from the library and when it was checked out to me, I forgot what it was about. I listened to the first hour with no idea it was a Snow White retelling, and as I continued, I still didn’t really see how it was a Snow White retelling. The novel is original and unique and beautifully written. It made me feel things.

Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer by Barbara Ehrenreich (A) ⭐⭐⭐

I liked this book a lot! It reminded me of both Mary Roach and Rose George. More books about social histories and life sciences written by witty ladies, please!

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of my favourite books from my childhood and in re-reading, it totally holds up <3 In fact, there’s some humour in there that I didn’t fully appreciate as a child - not inappropriate, but let’s call it slightly more ‘intellectual’- which makes me love Winnie the Pooh even more. As a kid I really identified with Owl because he was so smart but as an adult I’ve realized I’m definitely an affectionate mix between Eeyore and Pooh I’m a depressed dumbass.

Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock’s Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout by Laura Jane Grace (A) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My first introduction to Against Me! Was through the song True Trans Soul Rebel which is a bop that’s stayed in my head through listening to this audiobook. I found the writing really well-done, and it reminded me to continue to keep my own journals, like Laura did throughout her life, because I want to one day be a successful author and write a memoir about my life look back on what I wrote during this time in my life.

GuRu by RuPaul (A) ⭐⭐⭐

Would have probably given this book 4 stars if the audiobook version included the photos in the ebook and print edition as supplementary material. I didn’t know what to expect after renting it from the library (after seeing Ru shamelessly plug it during Drag Race) but was pleasantly surprised by the spiritual wisdom the book offered - and it was short, and sweet. The next day I even wore makeup to work so how’s that for #glamour

Wear Your Dreams: My Life in Tattoos by Ed Hardy (A) ⭐⭐

DNF with an hour left. I liked reading about his time in Japan especially. The writing just wasn’t super engaging to me. I originally chose to read this because I like tattoos as an artform but maybe the history of American tattooing in the 60s and 70s wasn’t quite doing it for me. There was also a lot of name dropping which I didn’t have the existing knowledge to appreciate.

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle (A) ⭐⭐

Eh, this was an OK book. I think the author takes himself too seriously and speaks very condescendingly as he answers the questions of his students. I thought the first half was pretty good but towards the end, his focus on heteronormative relationships (as in, a woman is incomplete without a man and man and woman are two halves of the same whole and a gay person is more likely to reach enlightenment because they have to navigate unique challenges) just didn’t sit well with me. I also skipped listening to the part about PMS because idgaf how ‘enlightened’ someone is, I don’t care what a man has to say about a woman’s reproductive cycle.

The Untethered Soul at Work: Teachings to Transform Your Work Life by Michael A. Singer (A) ⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this book much more than the previous ‘guide to spiritual enlightenment’. I’ve read Singer’s book “The Untethered Soul” and what really stuck with me was the idea of residing in the role of the Observer of your consciousness and being present and it’s something I’m still trying to keep in mind throughout my daily life. I find my work/career to be both professionally and personally fulfilling right now so I’m trying to enjoy myself. Infusing a mindfulness in my daily life will only improve my work, too, so this was a good read to enjoy on my commute.

The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea by Philip Hoare (A) ⭐⭐⭐

This book was less about Whales as a species and more about the (sexual undertones) of the whaling industry in the 1800s. Good as a literary criticism of Moby Dick, less good if you wanted a scientific text about whales. I thought it was well written and researched, and the author knew what he was talking about but if I had known what I was getting into I might have thought twice about picking it up.

#bookblr #book reviews #goodreads

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cover2covermom · 7 years ago

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Goodbye March & hello April!

April is such an awesome month, don’t you think? I mean, I guess I am a little bias since it is my birth month and all. I will be turning 29 for the 3rd year in a row, and I must say 29 still feels great 🙂

Anyways! Let’s see what I read & accomplished in March…

» As Good As True by Cheryl Reid

Feelings in a few thoughts:

This book took me longer than normal to get through, which I attribute to the heavy tone throughout the book

The writing was really good

Explores complex themes like segregation, dysfunctional family dynamics, race issues, motherhood, etc.

I struggled with the main character, Anna. On one hand I respected her strength, but on the other I was frustrated with her weakness. I also struggled with her neediness in regards to her daughter

There was just something “off” about this book – possibly the lack of balance. There needed to be some lighter-hearted moments to balance out Anna’s life

Content/Trigger warning: domestic violence & rape

» Warcross by Marie Lu

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I’m so glad I decided to give this one a go – it was definitely outside of my comfort zone

The concept behind this book was absolutely fascinating – loved the world building

You don’t need to be avid gamer to enjoy this book – I’m sure not – but I feel like those who are into gaming will appreciate this book even more

It did include some of the typical YA tropes: orphaned main character – Why do parents always have to be killed off or abandon their kids in YA books? and the rich guy/poor girl trope – which here it didn’t overly bother me because the rich guy wasn’t showering her with lavish gifts, so I guess it was ok.

I enjoyed the plotline – I saw one of the big twists coming, but did not expect the other one.

Loved the chemistry between Emika & her love interest

My one hang up is that I wanted to see more inside the Warcross Games & the training. We get to see the first round of the games & the training for the first match, but the 2nd round is glazed over… I just wanted a little more about the rest of the competition. The book needed to be longer.

» Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

Feelings in a few thoughts:

The concept for this one is so clever & unique – very Gaiman (who came up with the original idea from what I understand)

Good vs. Evil

I adored the quirky characters. My favorites would be Aziraphale, Crowley, Shadwell, & Madame Tracy

Aspects of this book felt like Gaiman, while others did not – I felt like this book went off on tangents quit a bit that hindered the flow of the story for me – I’ve never read any of Terry Pratchett’s work, so I wonder if this was more his style

Despite the intriguing plot line & great characters, my attention tended to wander

I listened to the audiobook format (which was wonderfully narrated) but maybe this (paired with the random tangents) was why I had a hard time concentrating

Will possibly revisit in print form – will not rate until then

Possibly too many perspectives – I could have done without Newt & Anathema’s perspectives

Adam’s perspective felt off in the story

Can’t wait to see how this translates to a TV mini-series

» Eligible (The Austen Project #4) by Curtis Sittenfeld

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Pride & Prejudice retelling – I think the author did a great job of bringing this story up to modern times.

I am actually shocked at how much I enjoyed this book – probably one of the more captivating “chick-lit” books I’ve read, BUT this may have more to do with the fact it was a retelling of one of my favorite classics.

I’d call this book a guilty pleasure type of book – family drama to the extreme

Despite the fact that it was very readable & I enjoyed the retelling, there felt like there were some problematic issues. I felt like some of the diversity was thrown in for the sake of diversity – a transgendered character, a bi-racial couple, a woman who decides to get pregnant via a sperm donor… It just felt like these were thrown into the story to make it more modern and to provide drama, which didn’t feel right to me.

The final chapter felt oddly placed – I appreciated the insight into that particular character, but didn’t like how the book ended on that note.

» Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

*Feelings to come in a separate post*

» Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzie Lee

*Feelings to come in a separate post*

» The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

*4.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts:

The layout of this book was wonderfully executed. We slowly learn about Hawley over the course of the book by seeing how he received each of his bullet wounds. These alternating chapters between Hawley’s sketchy past & Loo’s present day kept the pace of the book steady throughout & kept me interested from start to finish.

Themes: coming of age, father-daughter relationships, love, forgiveness, loss & grief, small town living, and the blurred lines between good & bad.

As much as this is Loo’s coming-of-age story, it is also very much about a father’s love for his daughter.

I feel like this book appeals across a wide range of readers – thriller readers, mystery readers, and literary fiction readers. While there are thriller & mystery elements, there is much more depth to this book as well.

The characters in this book blur the line between good & bad, you might not always approve of their actions & decisions, but we are given enough character development to understand them.

» Women Who Dared by Linda Skeers

*Feelings to come in a separate post*

» The Daughter’s of Palatine Hill by Phyllis T. Smith

Feelings in a few thoughts:

The Fictionalized account of Emperor Augustus (Julius Ceaser’s successor), his descendants, & the descendants of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Despite the fact that this is a work of fiction, the people and events are based in history. I knew almost nothing about these historical figures.

Holy complicated family tree batman! Trying to figure out all the family ties made my head hurt – this is history, you can’t make this up.

Lots of political intrigue and family drama

Book is told in 3 alternating perspectives: Lavia (Augustus’s Wife), Julia (Augustus’s daughter from a previous marriage), and Selene (daughter of Mark Antony & Cleopatra) – I found each POV & story equally interesting. The 3 POV’s worked well here. All the characters felt well fleshed out.

The biggest weakness in The Daughter’s of Palatine Hill was the setting. When I read historical fiction, I need the author to put me in that time period. Unfortunately, there was almost no descriptions of the setting or context to the era.

» The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

*3.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I had a hard time connecting with the characters, especially in the beginning. I would have preferred the author introduce us to Tea & Fox BEFORE the raising, it would have helped me emotionally connect to them.

I really enjoyed the unique world, the culture & customs, the magic system, etc.

I really liked HOW Chupeco presented the story itself – weaving back and forth between Tea’s current situation, and the past events that led to the present.

This is a slower paced book – typical first book where the author introduces us to the world and characters. I’m sure the second book will be more action packed.

I feel like fans of this book would also like The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine. Not a similar story by any means, but I feel like the writing styles are similar.

February 2018 Bookish Wrap-Up + Book Haul

March 2018 TBR

Books I Read for #BlackHistoryMonth 2018

Kids’ Corner: Pink is for Boys by Robb Pearlman

Author Event: An Evening with Neil Gaiman

eBooks:

» The Reluctant Queen (The Queens of Renthia#2) by Sarah Beth Durst

Print Books:

» Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman *Signed Copy*

» The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee *Signed Copy*

» Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee *Signed Copy*

Which books did you read this month?

Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month? If so, what did you think?

Did you buy any books? If so, which ones?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

March 2018 Bookish Wrap-Up + #Book Haul #BookBlogger #Reading #Bookworm Goodbye March & hello April! April is such an awesome month, don't you think? I mean, I guess I am a little bias since it is my birth month and all.

#Bibliophile #book blog #book blogger #Book Haul #Book Nerd #Book Worm #Bookish #Books #Bookworm #Reading #Wrap Up

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cover2covermom · 8 years ago

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Goodbye January, and hello February!

Not to brag, but I slayed my January TBR . Not only that, but I finished off my TBR and read 6 more books to top things off. Ok, maybe I am bragging a little bit. I cannot believe that I was able to read 11 books in January! I was also very happy with the variety of the books I read, 5 of which being #DiverseBooks. Definitely one of my better reading months to date. I would like to thank two viruses and a sinus infection for my successful reading month. Actually, not really. I am glad that hell is over with.

Let’s take a look at what I had going on in January…

What I read in January:

*Titles link to Goodreads

» Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Summary of feelings: I can definitely see why this is such a beloved book. Like many of the popular YA series we’ve seen emerge (Think the Twilight series, Hunger Games, Divergent, etc), I think this book will appeal to so many different types of readers. I really enjoyed this cast of characters and the thrilling heist plot. The first half of the book was on the slower side, but once the group reached the prison the story really took off! I had a few tiny issues with the book, but nothing that hindered my enjoyment. I will definitely be continuing on with the series.

» 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad

Summary of feelings: While there were brief glimpses of hope for this book, ultimately this was a flop for me. There were many times I was confused about what was going on. There were a few moments where I mouthed “What the f***?”. I will say this, if you have never struggled with your weight, this book will not appeal to you at all. Like the main character Elizabeth (Beth, Liz, Lizzie…) I was very overweight at one point in my life, then lost a substantial amount of weight. The transition was not as smooth and flawless as I thought it would be. There were many times I could relate to Elizabeth, which is why I picked this one up in the first place, but this book just didn’t feel coherent in any way.

» The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Summary of feelings: After seeing the gorgeous cover and the odd title, I knew I had to pick this one up. What a beautiful little book set in 1970s Alaska. There is a lot going on here in only 240 pages. While I appreciate quick reads, I think the author could have gone more in depth here and even added another 100 pages to this book. Even tough I wanted more, what I did get was good!

» Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Summary of feelings: While the last 25-30% of this book came up a little short, the first 70% of this book was a wild ride! It honestly felt like a psychological thriller. I cannot believe this actually happened to someone.

» Miller’s Valley by Anna Quindlen

Summary of feelings: This one came up a bit short for me. Actually, I was all set to give it 2 stars, but that ending was on point! There was so much potential here! This book had all the elements that I usually enjoy in a book: family secrets, coming of age theme, small town drama, etc etc. but it just didn’t work for me. I think this had a lot to do with the author’s timeline. Generally, I enjoy when an author jumps around from present to past and back again, but I had a hard time following where we were in time. I was often confused while reading until I would realize that I was actually reading a flashback.

» Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

Summary of feelings: A fantastic middle grade book! I think this would be an excellent book to show children what life was like in the 1930s, in particular the racial injustices that occurred in the segregated South. I think the author did a fantastic job taking such a hard topic and writing it for a younger audience that still portrays the racial tension of the times, but still keeping it appropriate for a middle grade audience.

» The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Summary of feelings: I went into this book completely blind. I didn’t read any reviews and didn’t even read the synopsis. Until I read the author’s note at the end, I had no idea that this book was based off a real set of sisters: Sarah and Angelina Grimké. The Grimké sisters were active abolitionists starting in the late 1830s until slavery was abolished in 1865. They were also women’s rights activists until their deaths in 1870s. HOW DID I NOT KNOW WHO THESE WOMEN WERE? Oh, that’s right. They were important WOMEN in history, that’s why. Despite the slow start to this book, I really enjoyed learning about the Grimké sisters. I also like how Kidd wove a slave narrative along their story as well. I think Sarah Grimké would have been proud of this fictional account of her life. I read this for my book club’s January selection, and it made for a fantastic discussion.

» Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Summary of feelings: Hidden Figures is the historical account of the impact that women of color had in the field of aviation. I learned so much from this book. The women in this book boggle my mind. I felt so empowered and inspired by these women. I will warn you that this is very much a non-fiction book that reads like a history book. It tends to throw lots of information and names your way in quick succession, which felt a little tedious at times.

» In Light of What We See by Sarah Painter

Summary of feelings: The two separate storylines did not particularly work well together, making this book feel jumbled. There was really no connection between them except an insignificant one. I also strongly disliked the main character Mina. She did get better as the book progressed, but my aversion to her in the beginning made it really hard for me to want to pick this book up. There were a few things I did enjoy about the book, but overall this was not my cup of tea.

» Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

Summary of feelings: I had never read a Margaret Atwood book before this one. I went into this one not knowing what to expect. I heard it was a retelling of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, but that it was set in a prison? This definitely peaked my interest. I am embarrassed to say that I’ve only read a few of Shakespeare’s plays, and The Tempest is not one of them. I did read a summary of the play before reading Hag-Seed, which was definitely a smart move. I for one thought this book was very clever, HOWEVER I don’t necessarily think this book is going to be for everyone. Fans of Shakespeare and theatre should definitely give this one a go.

» Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

Summary of feelings: This is classified as a middle-grade book, but I almost want to say it would be better for a younger YA audience… The main character, Mai, is a 12-year-old but she felt older to me. Anyways! Mai takes a trip with her grandmother to Vietnam to find out once and for all what happened to her grandfather during the Vietnam War. This is a wonderful book full of Vietnamese culture and customs. If you know me, then you know I love learning about different cultures. I listened to this via audiobook, which I think was very helpful since there is a lot of Vietnamese words and the correct way to pronounce these words throughout the book. Mai goes through tremendous growth through this book, which was great to see since I was not a fan of her in the beginning.

January Book Reviews:

Book Review: The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Kids’ Corner: Buy, Borrow, or Pass – Picture Book Reviews (January 2017)

Kids’ Corner: Diverse Children’s Picture Books in Review (January 2017)