#the strange case of the alchemist's daughter

[radedneko]

She had never before found being a woman confining, but then she had never attempted to investigate a series of murders before either. And now she was finding that as soon as one began moving around in the world, doing things, one ran up against a regular list of You Shan'ts.

~The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss

[lottiesoka]

The Athena Club Moodboards: Mary Jekyll, Justine Frankenstein, Diana Hyde, Beatrice Rappacinni, and Catherine Moreau.

[sokovianfortune]

the strange case of the alchemist’s daughter: w-who are you?

universal monsters eternal bloodlines: I’m You But Stronger

[losercade]

ANYONE WHOS READ "THE STRANGE CASE OF AN ALCHEMISTS DAUGHTER" WHATS YOUR OPINION ON SHERLOCK IN THE BOOK???

I don't like him in the book very much.. he's kind of annoying >_>

but I need to know if other people don't like him or if this is just a me thing?

[shy-fairy-levele3]

Book #28 and #29

[inejstanaccount]

all the books i have at my dorm that i haven’t read…what shall i read next

[wormwoodandhoney]

Do you have any recommendations for any cozy or spooky (not scary) autumn book?

sorry this has lived in my inbox for 45 years, i have been ~*depressed*~!! here are my recommendations for spooky not scary and cozy books! if you have triggers, please check for them before diving in, as even cozy spooky books might sneak something in!

the shady hollow series by juneau black: literally soooo cozy. a mystery series set in a beatrix potter-type world in which an intrepid fox reporter solves various murders in her small woodland town.

spirit hunters by ellen oh: a middle grade spooky story about a young girl with the ability to see ghosts, and how she must save her younger brother.

garlic and the vampire by bree paulsen: a sweet graphic novel about an anxious anthropomorphic bulb of garlic who must save her friends in the garden from a vampire.

cackle by rachel harrison: more "adult" than the other books on this list, this is about a woman who, after a bad breakup, moves to a small town and befriends a mysterious older woman who has untold powers. note: this is not sapphic and it should have been!!

the strange case of the alchemist's daughter by theodora goss is about the daughters of jekyll and hyde and the club they form with other historical horror daughters.

the butcher of the forest by premee mohamed: definitely the darkest on this list, but i wanted to give you a darker option without gore (or at least without much gore). this is a novella about a wild, dangerous forest that has taken the king's young children, and the older woman tasked to save them, as she is the only person to have ever made it back out.

on my own cozy tbr this october: practical potions and premeditated murder, chaos at the lazy bones bookshop, the village library demon-hunting society

[deusvervewrites]

The First Line

A lot of people out there will tell you that the first line of a novel is the most important. I've seen the wisdom that the first line must grab the readers attention, be some kind of a "hook" to draw them in deeper, or to tonally reflect the main themes. That the first line needs to throw the reader into the thick of it!

But how true is that really? It's been nagging me for a while now as someone who has started more fics than I've completed.

Out of curiosity, I grabbed a handful of my favorite novels and compiled their first lines.

"There are many legends about my mother." Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Sue Lynn Tan

This line doesn't really establish much about the plot of this book. Not the narrator's name, goal, conflict, or even the setting. We can make some inferences from the existence of legends around someone, but 'legendary' only narrows anything down because of the book's title. It is, however, indicative of the narration style and the novel's prose.

"Mary Jekyll stared down at her mother's coffin." The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, Theodora Cross

This line puts us right into a scene. Some real In Medias Res. Except... it's not really an action scene. It's a somber affair. And from Mary's staring, it's safe to say she has some heavy thoughts on the matter.

We can also make some assumptions from the wording choice. Looking down at the coffin suggests that she is standing over it, so we know at once this takes place during the funeral.

Interestingly--and I'm going to break my soft rule of not addressing the rest of the text here--this line does not allude to the novel's framing device.

"The temperature of the room dropped fast." Bartimaeus: The Amulet of Samarkand, Jonathan Stroud

This is another opening that's setting a scene instead of trying to introduce us to the cast or conflict, or even to the setting. Why is it getting colder? We can infer from the fact that the temperature is dropping fast that this probably isn't a good thing or at least not a normal thing.

"I've seen Steelheart bleed." Steelheart, Brandon Sanderson

This line fascinates me. It says a lot and, at the same time, very little. We know that someone named Steelheart exists, obviously. However, the narrator is giving gravitas to the sight of them bleeding. So we've already learned that Steelheart doesn't bleed very often, and seeing it was worth remembering. But who Steelheart is and why the narrator cares? Nothing in this line indicates that.

"Kendra stared out the side window of the SUV, watching foliage blur past." Fablehaven, Brandon Mull

I think this is the most relatable opening line I have listed here, since I can instantly in my mind picture the expression on Kendra's face knowing nothing else about her, or where she's going. We can guess she's probably not happy to be going there since she's staring out the window with what I would assume to be boredom. That's some conflict there. But, like, extremely minor conflict.

"The tired old carriage, pulled by two tired old horses, rumbled onto the wharf, its creaky wheels bumpety-bumping on the uneven planks, waking Peter from his restless slumber." Peter and the Starcatchers, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Well this sentence rambled on a bit didn't it? But it's very evocative. It tells us very little about the story (beyond Peter's name) but it sets the scene beautifully. Not only is it evocative of the scenery, but the time period (from the horse-drawn carriage) and the tone as well. We also know that Peter wasn't sleeping very well, which indicates that he's either anxious about something or that sleeping in this carriage wasn't very easy. Or both.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

This is the kind of line that would get me murdered by a lot of writing advice that I've seen over the years. This line tells you next to nothing, not even whether or not its weird for hobbits to live in holes. What this line does do is ease us into the narration style that Tolkien employs, which is generally slow and descriptive.

Okay...?

So what was the point of all of that?

Well, this experiment has solidified my opinion on something. As I said, I've been having thoughts about opening lines, but I think that the actual first line of the book is not as important as the first scene of the book. None of these lines out of context are that good. Sure, The Hobbit is iconic, but that's not because that line itself is phenomenal. It's practically "Once Upon A Time."

But it works for the scene.

The first scene is far more interesting to me than the first line. I'm not so impatient that if the first line fails to captivate me I'll toss the book aside. And I know that's true for other people because H. Bomberguy posted a four-hour video on plagiarism and we all watched it.

What this means, I think, is that we don't need to treat our audience as if we're in an arms race against their dwindling attention spans as if we'll lose them forever to TikTok if the first sentence isn't the pinnacle of literature.

People will give a work a chance. That's what the summary is for; to tell people if they'll like it so they can know to give it a try.

If you were afraid to write, or to share your writing, because you didn't think the first line was good enough... I don't think that matters. I think that people won't hate it. Won't turn up their noses in disgust.

[aliteraryprincess]

November 2024 Wrap Up

Don't mind me once again posting my wrap up halfway through the next month...

Books Read: 13

The month started off really strong and kind of dwindled a bit at the end, but that's okay. I also DNFed two books, which was disappointing (particularly Lakesedge because my OwlCrate copy is sooo pretty). But my favorite of the month was The Goblin Emperor, which is now my second favorite book of the whole year. And it was closely followed by You Let Me In. My least favorites would be the ones I didn't finish. 😆 Starred titles are audiobooks and titles marked with ® are rereads.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt - 5 stars ®

You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce - 5 stars *

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey - 3 stars

How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman - 4 stars

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig - 5 stars ®

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison - 5 stars

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter - 4 stars ®

The Daisy Chain by Charlotte Mary Yonge - 4 stars

The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore - 4 stars

Sisters of Charity, Catholic and Protestant, Abroad and At Home by Anna Jameson - 3 stars

Graveyard Shift by M. L. Rio - 3.5 stars

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer - 3.5 stars

Autobiography by Harriet Martineau - 3.5 stars

Books DNFed: 2

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone - it lacked atmosphere and character development, which are things I want in a Gothic fantasy

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss - it was playing with structure in ways that just did not work on audiobook *

On Tumblr:

I'm doing good with continuing to post photos! Hopefully that will go on into the new year.

Book Quotes: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Book Quotes: "The Lady of the House of Love" by Angela Carter

Book Photography: How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman

Book Photography: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Book Photography: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Book Photography: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Book Photography: The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

aliteraryprincess' DNFs as of 2024

On YouTube:

And there's the usual amount here I'd say. We've got some Nonfiction November videos and, of course, my Victober wrap up. And I'm starting to think about my end of the year reading.

Victober Wrap Up | 6 books!

End of the Year Book Tag 2024

The Nonfiction Journey Tag

What's On My Nonfiction TBR?

Currently Reading 11/25/24

December TBR | closing out my 2024 reading!

[booksandchainmail]

Oooh trick or treat!!!

I've been getting a lot of seasonally-appropriate random books, which is nice. For yours, I have The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, a gothic/victorian horror mashup where the daughters and/or experiments of various classic horror stories team up. The lead character is one Mary Jekyll, who unexpectedly finds she has a half-sister with unusual habits and the surname Hyde...

And for chainmail, a handful of Antares bracelets for a parahumans enjoyer. There's four little byzantine loops, then a slightly larger one in turkish weave, which is essentially byzantine done in threes rather than twos

Happy halloween!

[accidentalspaceexplorer]

April Monthly Recap

(So it turns out I wrote this and completely forgot to post it...whoops!) April was pretty successful - I read a lot of books I enjoyed, and I completed my calling in the Magical Readathon. My favorites this month were all sequels, in either the Kushiel's Dart universe or in the Toby Daye universe. (My month was 63% sequels!) My least favorite was Air Awakens, which I DNF'd pretty early on.

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters: 4.75/5

Emergent Properties by Aimee Ogden: 4.5/5

The Marquis Who Mustn't by Courtney Milan: 4.5/5

Read It and Weep by Jenn McKinlay: 3.75/5

Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey: 5/5

Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey: 5/5

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss: 2/5, dnf

Air Awakens by Elise Kova: 1.5/5, dnf

Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair: 3/5

Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire: 5/5

The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire: 5/5

A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire: 5/5

Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire: 5/5

The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire: 5/5

Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany: 2.5/5, book club

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire: 4.25/5

Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire: 5/5

The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire: 4.75/5

A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire: 4.75/5

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older: 4/5

When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire: 5/5

Be the Serpent by Seanan McGuire: 5/5

Sleep No More by Seanan McGuire: 5/5

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen: 4/5

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella: 3/5

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming: 2.5/5

Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola: 4.25/5

Goals below the cut:

Complete series: +1 for the year! (started 2, caught up on 3)

Catch up on backlists: 22 (+1, although if I added Seanan McGuire to the list which I very well might do then it'll be +11 more lol)

Read FIYAH/Nebula/Hugo finalists & awards: 3 book (+2)

Read down TBR: (hard to tell what it was at the beginning of the year, but in August it was 1332) at end of April it's 1460 (still getting bigger...)

Read old top-of-TBR list: 1 (+1)

[katewibberlystan]

recommending you books i enjoy based on your favorite tbob character (ft a sentence for what each one is about/why it's awesome, and the intended audience)

kate: - the last magician by lisa maxwell; a well constructed time travel heist set in 1902 NYC, with immaculate worldbuilding and fascinating magic. YA. - the once and future witches by alix e. harrow; three sisters, who are also witches, organize for women's suffrage and fight against an ancient evil. Adult. - truthwitch by susan dennard; a pair of witches and best friends become caught up in political intrigue, reincarnated monsters, and a fantastically crafted world of complex characters and cool magic. YA. - time stoppers by carrie jones; an orphaned pre-teen discovers a secret town full of magic, one that she and her friends must save from attacking monsters. Middle Grade. - the diviners by libba bray; a group of teenagers with paranormal abilities find themselves fighting off evil spirits in the 1920s.

michael: - matilda by roald dahl; a classic children's fantasy that celebrates learning and families of choice. Middle Grade. - the strange case of the alchemist's daughter by theodora goss; the children of gothic literature's classic mad scientists come together to solve mysteries and stop human experimentation. Adult. - every heart a doorway by seanan mcguire; a quick, poetic read about what happens to the kids from a portal fantasy quest after they come home. YA. - the girl from everywhere by heidi helig; a pirate ship that can travel between time and fictional worlds, so long as they have a map, sets out on a quest to reunite their captain with his lost love. YA. - miss peregrine's home for peculiar children by ransom riggs; after his grandfather's death, a teenage boy is thrown into a world of monsters, time travel, and people with superhuman abilities. YA.

emma: - the scapegracers by h. a. clarke; a group of teen witches become friends and form a coven to defeat a group of modern day witch hunters trying to steal their magic. YA. - the lost girls by sonia hartl; a group of vampires plan to kill the man who made them this way, before he can harm any other women. YA. - the society for soulless girls by laura steven; a college student's attempts to investigate mysterious deaths becomes connected to her angry roommate's attempts to create a potion that can alter a personality. YA. - coraline by neil gaiman; a kid finds a door to a different world in her new home, a world that seems pleasant at first but soon grows quite terrifying. Middle Grade. - bad witch burning by jessica lewis; a teenage girl trying to escape poverty raises the dead for money, only to find her zombies cannot be controlled. YA.

gabriel: - holes by louis sachar; boys at a juvenile detention camp are forced to search for a lost treasure and explore the complicated history behind it. Middle Grade. - nettle and bone by t. kingfisher; a woman sets out to kill the evil prince holding her sister prisoner, with the help of a motely crew including an exiled warrior, a fairy godmother, a witch, a possessed chicken, and a skeleton dog. Adult. - lone women by victor lavelle; after her parents die, a woman with a monster trapped in her suitcase tries to survive and build a home for herself in the Montana wilderness. Adult. - chomp by carl hiaasen; in the Florida everglades, a young boy and his animal trainer father are commissioned to help film a survivalist tv show. Middle Grade. - revelator by daryl gregory; set in the 1930s/40s Tennessee, a moonshiner raised by a cult has to return and face the monstrous being her family worships. Adult.

wilamena: - the black witch by laurie forest; a complex fantasy world in which rebellion foments among many beings at a magical college. YA. - island of the aunts by eva ibbotson; a fun children's fantasy where two outcasts are kidnapped by eccentric old women to help protect an island full of magical creatures. Middle Grade. - children of blood and bone by tomi adeyemi; a young woman persecuted for her powers fights to take back her home from a magic-hating tyrant. YA. - deep blue by jennifer donnelly; the underwater world of mermaids is plunged into chaos when political machinations and an ancient prophecy collide. YA. - the thirteen treasures by michelle harrison; a girl who can see fairies is sent to live with her grandma, where she uncovers secrets about her abilities. Middle Grade.

rafe: - the witch haven by sasha peyton smith; a student at a school for witches in 1911 NYC is searching for answers about her brother's murder. YA. - the bones of ruin by sarah raughley; an acrobat who cannot die joins a magical tournament held by the most powerful people in Victorian London in exchange for answers about her forgotten past. YA. - the court of miracles by kester grant; a thief forms alliances and completes impossible tasks in Paris's elaborate criminal underworld, all so she can keep her little sister safe. YA. - the gilded wolves by roshani chokshi; a tight-knit group of criminals is tasked with recovering a magical artifact capable of changing the world. YA. - the cure for dreaming by cat winters; a teen suffragette gains the ability to see people's essence after an encounter with a hypnotist. YA.

bonus, all of the above: reaper man by terry pratchett. literally everyone should read discworld, it's amazing and reaper man is my favorite. good omens by pratchett is also a gem.

[ijustkindalikebooks]

With one of my favourite modern celebrations coming up next week, Galentines, I wanted to recommend some books about friendship and empowerment that I have loved.

Alexa start playing Perfect Night by Le Sserafim*, it's time to recommend some books!

(*or any other empowering anthem you know of)

Girl Squads: 20 Female Friendships that changed history by Sam Maggs - a graphic novel that explores different famous friendships in history, this book is a fantastic read that delivers everything you ever wanted to know by so many women in history. Spanning the arts, activism and science and diverse, this is definitely perfect for Galentines.

Empress & Aniya by Candice Carty-Williams - a YA short read that sometimes stretches your disbelief to breaking point but charming nonetheless, this book is definitely about friendship and being there for your friends when they are going through terrible situations. If you have Audible you can listen to this book for free as part of their plus catalogue, I'd recommend you do if you want a charming cosy read for a couple of hours.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I mean, they are sisters I guess, but they are supportive of one another and that's what friendship is, like a good bra, supportive. The story of the March sisters and their lives, my favourite is Jo but I think anyone can relate to all of these women as they grow up, get married and live their lives. A very accessible classic with some beautiful editions, it's a must have for your bookshelf.

Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades - A poetically book about young brown women growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Brown Girls is a fantastic read as this group of friends come of age in a city that never stops and has a look into the inequalities these young women face as they find their space in their world.

The Strange Case Of The Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss - The story of The Athena Club, who are all daughters of fictional villains, be that Doctor Jekyll or Van Helsing later on in this series, this book is extraordinary fantasy and a fantastic book on a group of friends brought together in strange circumstances, plus a dash of Sherlock Holmes, literally.

Giant Days by John Allison - This comic covers the years of three girls as they figure who they are at university, be that Susan, Daisy or Esther, these girls are some of my still favourite characters and all of them have their relateable moments to laugh, cry or cringe at. One of my favourite graphic novel series, these three are some of my favourite friendships in ficition.

What would you recommend? I'd love to hear what books you love!

Hope you have a wonderful Galentines!

Vee xo

[fizzigigsimmer]

Perseus

I met you in a coffee shop

You were reading Theodora Goss, in a turtle neck that warned for winter in the last days of summer, and I resented your stylistic prophecy.

Your conjectures of a world filled with cold spaces and chilly rooms,

unwarmed by a dozen long winded conversations - disguised by the hip side of fashion.

I admired your contradictions.

Your part in the everyday, the tattered cuffs on your tight jeans, your silence amid the chatter.

Lone man, reading women's work.

Lonely man, trades glances with lone woman, doing men's work.

I met you in a coffee shop, while you were reading “The Strange Case Of The Alchemist's Daughter”

I was struggling to finish a poem.

Putting down lines, and ryhming my inclinations into some semblance of order, like soldiers.

Ready to make war on the decades of history that says women don’t.

My mind was cramped, but I persisted in the exercise, in the name of my ancestors, my mothers, my sisters of yesteryear,

who wrote in dark rooms and kept their words locked in boxes, published under acronyms and pen names masculine, because women can and they have.

For the alchemist's daughter. Another strange case like mine.

Our eyes met across a table, and I sighed.

Distracted as ever by the crumbs of romances possible.

Of sparks that could become flames if one of us would speak - if the woman dare bare her throat.

For a woman to love a man is to lay herself down in front of something wild, an instinct untamed in a wilderness designed against her.

It is to be Persephone, loving the one who would hold you to him by any means,

even those as small in their stature and as profound in their betrayal as pomegranate seeds.

It is to be Andromeda, fed to the beast for the crime of fair face, and spared not for innocence, but for the lust of Perseus.

And yet, I wonder, as all women must, what words Perseus and Andromeda traded across their pillow.

Did she speak to him of dragons and waves, her fears for daughters unborn and the perils of bearing fair face and fair sex?

I wonder if Perseus ever thought past it, her sex and that face

if he ever heard a word that passed her luscious lips.

Lips worth more than a woman’s life, a daughter’s life.

Did her hero ever stop to wonder why he is -

Where manhood ends and heroism begins -

Why he had to love her first, to save her

Or why dragons haunt her daylight?

I wonder, as a woman, if my nights will be the same

Spent trading words across pillows with my very own Perseaus.

Princes who wrap me in their turtlenecks and hold my hand under coffee tables, and love me over dark roast

Content in their proficiency to keep one woman warm and safe,

Impervious to winter and dragons outside their castles

I met you in a coffee shop.

We traded small talk and mutual interest.

I was afraid.

I was practical in my retreat.

I keep watch for dragons, who would make a feast of my womanhood.

Who would break me down for consumption and leave nothing but hollow bones

Suck the marrow from my youth and leave me hollowed.

I live simple with my sisters in the green wood

Ever careful, wary of shapeshifters

And princes who call to me

Promising the world

So you didn’t meet me in a coffee shop

but the memory of you lingers.

Bitter and sweet.

[shy-fairy-levele3]

2023 Book List

Unbelievably I read a staggering 70 books in 2023! The most ever! My only disappointment is NOT finishing Dracula Daily, I came so close...

Wolf Brother Michelle Paver

Skin-Walker Michelle Paver

Be the Serpent Seanan McGuire  

She Who Became the Sun 

Soul-Eater Michelle Paver

Nona the Ninth Tamsyn Muir 

The Girl in Red Christina Henry

As yet Unsent Tamsyn Muir   

Outcast Michelle Paver  

Leonard Cohen: On a wire Philippe Girard

Oath Breaker Michelle Paver 

Ghost Hunter Michelle Paver   

 Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life Alan Cumming

M is for Magic Neil Gaiman

Silverwing Kenneth Opal 

Last Violent Call Chloe Gong

Malice: Malice Duology #1 Heather Walter  

Pandora Susan Stokes-Chapman

A Lady for a Duke Alexis Hall                                    

Boyfriend Material Alexis Hall

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries Heather Fawcett  

Motorcycles & Sweetgrass Drew Hayden Taylor

Conventionally Yours Annabeth Albert  

The Unbalancing R.B Lemberg  

Stone Blind Natalie Haynes

The Winter Soldier: Cold Front Mackenzi Lee 

Ruby Nina Allan

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter Theodora Goss

Husband Material Alexis Hall

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason India Holton  

My Dear Henry: A Jekyll and Hyde Remix Kalynn Bayron

The Monsters we Defy Leslye Penelope

Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix Aminah Mae Safi

Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman Alan Rickman

Morgan Is My Name Sophie Keetch

Threads That Bind Kika Hatzopoulou

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman Theodora Goss

Feeling Sorry for Celia Jaclyn Moriarty

Daughter of the Pirate King Tricia Levenseller

A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix C.B. Lee

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour Tee Franklin

Magic for Liars Sarah Gailey

The Story of Owen Emily Kate Johnston

The Brilliant Death A.R. Capetta

Circle of Magic: Sandy’s Book Tamora Pierce

The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror Daniel M. Lavery  

Death's Detective- Malykant Mysteries #1-4 Charlotte E. English

The Salt Grows Heavy Cassandra Khaw

A Touch of Darkness- Hades & Persephone #1 Scarlett St. Clair

Mortal Follies Alexis Hall

Witch King Martha Wells

The London Séance Society Sarah Penner

A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future David Attenborough, Jonnie Hughes

A Game of Fate- Hades Saga #1 Scarlett St. Clair

Immortal Longings Chloe Gong

Hooked Emily McIntire  

Foul Heart Huntsmen Chloe Gong

Signal to Noise Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Daughter of the Siren Queen Tricia Levenseller  

Starter Villain John Scalzi

The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl Theodora Goss

Starling House Alix E. Harrow

A Marvellous Light: The Last Binding #1 Freya Marske   

A Restless Truth: The Last Binding #2 Freya Marske 

Thornhedge T. Kingfisher

What the River Knows Isabel Ibanez  

The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments Hadley Vlahos

Misrule: Malice Duology #2 Heather Walter

The Raven and The Reindeer T. Kingfisher

A Power Unbound: The Last Binding #3 Freya Marske

I started some series, and I finished some series. I found new favourite authors and revisited some old favourites. Please take them as recommendations, or if you have read any of the same books come talk about them with me!  

Reminder you can also follow me on The Storygraph to see what I am reading in real time, where I am simply shy_fairy   

Previous Years Reading lists can be found here: 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015

[things-bright-and-fine]

One thing that's continuously surprised me since becoming a Hellenic Polytheist is just how easy it is to believe in the gods.

I'm a skeptic by nature, and I am a HUGE believer in "mundane before magical". There's a lot in the world that can be explained! Sometimes weird things do just happen! The world's not inherently worse for it; in fact, the mundane can often be just as wondrous and delightful as the magical.

This attitude, though, was the bane of my existence back when I was a Christian. Because everyone else had such an easy time believing in God, and I would scream and weep in private because I didn't feel the same thing everyone else did. (I also developed depression, which didn't help, but still.) I wanted to be fed mentally, but since I was a girl, naturally I could just follow docilely because all I really wanted was to be told I was a beautiful daughter of God who was SO loved, right?

That's more a complaint about the church I was in, granted, but still. Since I was a girl, shouldn't I have a much closer, emotional relationship to God?

What was all the more frustrating was that I had moments where I did feel him. Times where I'm certain I felt the divine...but always in a highly curated church environment. And I felt bad not having those same experiences outside of those highly curated church environments.

When I did finally step away from church and decided I was done with Christianity, those spiritual feelings went away. And I didn't miss them, was the strange thing. Perhaps there weren't as many highs, but there also wasn't that cloying feeling of "You're doing this wrong. You're not good. You'll never be like your friends, the GOOD Christians." (All of those friends left the church, btw. And had a much harder time in the post-Christian fallout than I did, because they were in so much deeper.) It took...nearly a decade to really decide I wanted to try with deities again, because there was something in me that craved the divine and could feel something pulling at me, though it wasn't the Christian god. I tried Asatru and Celtic polytheism, since my ancestry is Scandinavian and Irish, but neither clicked. So then I pulled out my archetype cards and straight up said, "All right. Whoever's there, show me which of these you are, and I'll find you based on that."

I got Alchemist, Advocate, and Trickster. One google search took me to HERMES over and over and over again. And of course I was skeptical, but at the same time I just felt...relieved. It made sense; the areas I'd tried looking for in other forms of polytheism (words, travel, protection) all went back to His areas. And once I settled in with Him, suddenly believing in the gods was as easy as breathing. Reaching out to Them wasn't a frantic one-way prayer that felt unheard; I would see things I took as answers, and they had personality: playful, stern, ambivalent.

As I've said before, I'm a skeptic by nature. It's very possible that, imaginative thing I am, I'm projecting. But here's the difference: if that's the case, I'm able to project for the first time. I'm able to imagine Hermes' laughter, Hestia's gentleness, and so much more. Things I've never been able to do with any gods before, Christian or otherwise. And now, I can go out and see the Divine through my own experiences instead of needing one created for me. And I worship! I praise Them for who They are, and it feels genuine instead of an ACTS step.

Regardless of what the truth is, it feels real. I am able to believe that the gods have a hand in the world, that They see me and my silly little human life and say "Yes, that one, she's one of Ours." And that, I think is a blessing in and of itself.