#thinking about it the invisible life of addie larue could probably go in the second category as well

[nellasbookplanet]

I'm gonna start keeping a running list of historical france-inspired fantasy books, ranked by how well they handle themes of colonialism and othering;

1. A+ aka very well but you'll probably be uncomfortable reading it because it shows it all from the inside

The Unbroken

The Moon and the Sun

2. Colonialism? What’s that? aka we're just going to pretend that’s all Not A Thing so we can focus on romance and won’t have to think about the uncomfortable implications of the setting

The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist

3. Yikes

Serpent & Dove

[why-arent-you-reading]

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab. It was the first book I read this year, but I'm pretty sure it's the best one. It's definitely the most beautiful, in the way that the words felt so precious that I felt like I had to treat the pages like they were fragile. As soon as I finished it, I felt the urge to re-read it, again and again. Maybe I'd be content with it being the only book I could ever read again.

Alone With You in the Ether, by Olivie Blake. When I read The Atlas Six, I knew immediately that I would want to read anything Olivie Blake had written and will ever write. And this one? This was magical. Minimalist plot and characters, focused on a relationship and it's ups and downs, with complex main characters that won't make you feel indifferent, and the writing is just impeccable. I wish I could read it again for the first time.

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I am just so grateful that this book exists, I just want to hug it forever and give it to everyone as a gift; it's so important. I had heard of it for so long, and have it being recommended to me by several friends, and when I started reading I immediately knew why. I listened to the audiobook for a great part of it, and I love how the accents gave a different look to the story than I would have got just by reading it myself. It made me feel so much, so much... I don't think anyone should go around in life without reading this.

Deathless, by Catherynne M. Valente. Yes I will confess I had never heard about this Russian folktale in detail before (which was actually better for me in terms of plot, I guess?), and I grew so intrigued by this dark fairytale world... It kept getting better and better. It's also a love story -one that's definitely not for everyone-, featuring the villain himself. It depicted the world in a cruel but beautiful manner, and while it wasn't easy to read at times, I think the overall effect is haunting and charming at the same time.

Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo. This book changed my perception on Leigh Bardugo in so many ways, I'm still in shock. Not that I didn't enjoy her Grishaverse series, but that's a mainstream young adult fantasy series, and this, this is it. New adult? Whatever it is. There's fantasy, there's grown-up issues and a compelling plot and characters (Alex is an amazing main character), and I just never would've guessed the author by how it was written. She made me root so deeply for a character who's barely in the book, I just think maybe I should've waited for the second book so I didn't feel the ache until then.

Sadie, by Courtney Summers. I was so surprised by this book, and by how much I loved it. This book hit me hard... it was hard to read, and right from the beginning you know the story won't be easy, won't be a happy one, but it's so captivating and it's just so well-done. My heart aches for Sadie. You must listen to the audiobook. It's the best one I have ever heard by a long shot, featuring many narrators that do their job impeccably. It just adds so much to the whole experience.

The Atlas Six, by Olivie Blake. I don't think I've ever read a book that had been as hyped up as this one, with the way everyone was worshipping it. And I wasn't really surprised when I loved it, even though I wasn't sure what I was signing up for, but dark academia + some fantasy depicted as a science? Count me in. It felt very much like an introduction to an actual plot, and it was more about the characters and their very complicated relationships, which I particularly enjoy in a book. I cannot wait where the story will take us.

The Secret History, by Donna Tartt. Are the characters likeable? Are they even relatable? Probably not. But this didn't make this masterpiece less enjoyable. This book, the definition of dark academia, sort of compelled me, and the ambience was so captivating that I found myself so immersed in it, I didn't want to leave. I loved it but at the same time it upset me at times; it began very slow but then all of a sudden lots of things were going on and just... it will haunt me for a very long time. Henry Winter, my beloved.

[sheikah]

Ok so of course it couldn’t go off completely without a hitch because it is ME we’re talking about here lmao. So they were about a half hour behind schedule, right? So I’d been waiting about 40 mins, drinking water, panicking. So I had to go pee. I simply had to. And when I got back in my room there is Ben freaking Barnes’ face up on my Zoom WAITING FOR ME. GOD. THE SHAME. Anyway he was really cool and funny about it. When I sat down he said, “Well, hello,” in like a scolding, teasing, you-were-being-naughty voice, and he was laughing and I was laughing so in a way it’s good this happened because it broke all the ice IMMEDIATELY. He then told me, “I LOVE your hair.” Just instantly and with such emphasis. A WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was blushing so much please????

He asked where I was and I thought he meant like... the room I was in. Because we have a homemade arcade machine in the office right behind me and people always comment on it on Zoom calls so we talked about that for a second and then he clarified like where I am geographically and I said Louisiana and he went on about how he loves New Orleans (SAME, MARRY ME!!!!!!) and it’s one of his favorite places in the world and he started to tell me some story of visiting Nola with his parents and then cut himself off and said, “You don’t need to hear this story,” and internally I was screaming, YES I DO I NEED TO LEARN EVERYTHING I CAN ABOUT MY FUTURE IN-LAWS. Then he mentioned the Creole food and the street music and I used this as an opportunity to gushingly tell him he would fit in great there because he’s such a brilliant musician. I hope he appreciated that lmao.

Then he asked how I was doing and if I had questions. I answered honestly: that I was still kind of freaking out that I was late to this huge moment I’ve been looking forward to lmao. He laughed it off and said it was ok and they would add more time at the end (I was honestly less than one min late). 

So I just told him I was a huge fan, had followed his work a lot over the past two years but first discovered him when I was a teenager working at a movie theater and saw Caspian and loved it, how I would drag my friends to watch it between busy times on the clock. He said he was jealous of my movie theater job and that he was a waiter at an Italian restaurant back then and hated it, and I concurred that service industry is the worst lol.

I told him the Darkling was my favorite character and that he gave us book fans everything we could want and more, and thanked him for his thoughtful portrayal and for caring so much, and he seemed really grateful and sweet about it.

Then I said that my question was about books, and that I was an English professor. He was really surprised by this and asked, “Really????” So I said that I taught at my local college and in a lot of ways it’s my dream job to be able to teach the stories I love. And he sort of spaced out for a second and then was like, “I’m sorry, I’m just thinking about how much I love that you said that. That you have your dream job. That’s amazing.” LISTEN, it took everything in me not to instantly propose marriage at this moment like I was tearing up ok. I LOVE THIS MAN.

So anyway, I said, “I bring all this up because I know you were also an English lit major. So English major to English major, what’s you’re favorite book?" And he launched into this great talk about Atonement and how it makes him cry (Jesus save me, I was smiling so hard right here to hide the tears lmao) and then talked about this book called Birdsong that he’d done a stage adaptation for, and said that was probably his favorite. Then the lady tried to cut us off and end it, but he said no and asked for ME to recommend a book to him. The first one I could think of that I’d read recently that I think he might like is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue so I went with that. And he wrote it down.

Then the moderator lady who showed up did a screenshot for us, and I asked if we could pose with “Darkling hands” like that scene in the Fold. He said yes! I am allowed to post that so I will when they send it.

Then HE thanked ME as if he didn’t just singlehandedly fill my body with enough serotonin for a lifetime, said, “Kristen, you’re such a sweetheart,” and left. And now I just have to try to... go about the rest of my day as if THAT didn’t just happen. Wow.

Tbh I’m so insanely grateful because I only paid for one meeting, which is three mins. But he talked to me for six mins!

I didn’t think I could love this man any more than I already did. AND YET

[the-pen-and-the-stethoscope]

BOOKS

Hi all! Got COVID, took two weeks off of work, re-watched stranger things (and I HAVE THOUGHTS...though not what this post is about) and I read five books! (Which is what this post is about.) (okay...actually I read four and a half books and then just finished the fifth one) 

1) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 

Honestly, I liked this! It was a solid start to my book binging. I was able to read it in a day while slightly feverish from COVID and I enjoyed that it kept me guessing and had me on my toes until the end. I also loved that for random reasons I won’t fully explain there were several personal connections that I have to the book/story/characters. I also feel like I know families like the Sinclairs so I COMPLETELY vibed with their whole generational trauma that they had going on. Would recommend, would probably not read again, solid start to the reading burst. 3.5/5

2) The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Listen...is this a good book? Yes. Did I enjoy reading it? Also yes. But was the majority of that experience just me waiting for Chauncey to come onto the page with this little fucking bellhop hat asking about pressing someones clothes or taking their coat or packing their bags? ummm...YES. Literally would die for Chauncey. I request a million spin offs that are just about him learning to be a bellhop in the future. If there are a million fans of Chauncey...I am one of them, if there is one fan...that fan is me...if there are no fans...I am DEAD from the cuteness overload of Chauncey. 4/5

3) The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

TALENTED. BRILLIANT. INCREDIBLE. AMAZING. SHOW-STOPPING. SPECTACULAR. NEVER THE SAME. TOTALLY UNIQUE. COMPLETELY NOT EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. Yeah basically I fucking loved this book. I wanted to know what happened and yet I never wanted it to end. I was crying, I was laughing, I was in love. I would read again and again and again. 5/5 

4) Verity by Colleen Hoover

Okay............here’s the thing. Is Colleen Hoover actually a good writer? So many people are obsessed with her books. I’m not the biggest romance person so I decided to start with one that was more of a thriller vibe and this book....this book is terrible. I am sorry for everyone who may be upset with me about this hot take. But the prose was awful, the dialogue was weird, the love story was FLAT (I literally did not believe that there was any chemistry or attraction between these people at all) and the ending was...so disappointing. I spent half of my time reading it thinking about how I could probably write it better. I mean sure there was a solid thirty pages towards the end where I wanted to know how things were going to end (that gets it half a point). But THEN she pulls out this twist in the last second that is soooooo unsatisfying in its resolution. I just....I can’t in good conscience recommend this book to other people. 0.5/5 

5) They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera 

Ugh...I wanted to love this book so so bad. It was significantly better from Varity, but I was expecting it to hit me like Addie LaRue or Cerulean Sea did and it just fell slightly flat. I did love the characters and how everything connected in the end and the message of the book, but I wanted it to be....more. I may have enjoyed it more if I’d read it faster? Like if I’d actually successfully binged it like the rest of the books I read over vacation. Anyway a solidly average book, would still recommend to others. 3.5/5 

And that’s a wrap!!! Really excited to read even more after finishing residency this summer so send recs my way plzzzzzz. 

may write a really unhinged post about my stranger things thoughts...might not...we will see haha 

[ellanainthetardis]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag 2021

1 Best Book You've Read So Far In 2021

My favorite was probably The Invisible Life of Addie Larue but A Heart So Fierce and Broken and Heir Of Fire also killed me a little XD

2 Best Sequel You've Read So Far In 2021

Unsurprisingly XD I think in terms of love since the series is long I would go with Heir of Fire but A Heart so Fierce And Broken is also my favoooorite in the Cursebreaker trilogy. I just love the characters. * cough* Grey * cough* but I also love Rowan and that's what Heir Of Fire gave me so... XD

3 New Release You Haven't Read Yet But Want To:

Though to be fair, I plan on reading Any Way The Wind Blows after I finish Tower of Dawn. I realized I have close to none memories of the second one but I don't feel like a re-read so...

And I discovered Nalini Singh last year and I loved it so much I've been meaning to pick up this one for a while.

4. Most Anticipated Release For The Second Part Of The Year:

Winds Of Shadow by Nicki Pau Preto though technically it came out yesterday.

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell, the next Twisted Tale. This one's about Tangled, which is one of my fav so... Yeah, I know I have many others to read in this collection XD

Daughter Of The Deep by Rick Riordan because I will read anything by Rick Riordan and Yes, I know I still have two series from him to read XD

The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White. I didn't love the second one in this series as much as the first but I still want to read the third (and last I think?) one.

5. Biggest Disappointment:

The Duke And I (Bridgertons 1). I loved the show but it's one case of, really, maybe just stick to the show XD

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht. I really reaaaally wanted to love this one but it didn't work out for me. The universe was too messy and it was hard to follow and make sense of the world. That was a dnf I think.

Rebel Rose (the queen's council 1) by Emma Theriault, which is the first instalment in the latest Disney series. Except you wouldn't find one bit of the disney movies or live adaptation in that book if it hit you on the head. I hated it. Another DNF. I will try the next one since it's a different author and it is MULAN but it won't be high priority.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron. It wasn't bad but I expected to love it and... I didn't.

American Royals by Katherine McGee. I really didn't like it and honestly there are better novels out there if you want to read royalty romances.

6. Biggest Surprise

I hated Throne of Glass so much when I read it that honestly I didn't expect at all to like the sequel but now this series is one of my fav and it just goes to show I need to reread it all when i'm done XD

I was a bit wary of A Curse So Dark And Lonely just because there had been so much hype when it came out and I saw it around so much, it scared me a little, so I went in expecting the worst and I found one of my favorite new series this year.

Same goes for Aru Shah... I was a bit wary after my first try of the Rick Riordan Presents collection ( which was Race To The Sun, another disappointment albeit not as much as others) but this one was soooooo good. If you like mythology or Percy Jackson, I one hundred percent recommend.

7. Favorite New Author (Debut or New To You)

Definitely Roshani Chokshi... I had other books from her on my TBR and I want to get to them soonish.

Also Sarah J Maas. I am a convert.

8. Newest Fictional Crush:

Chaooool. And Rowan. XD

Grey from A Curse So Dark...

9. Newest Favorite Character:

MANON BLACKBEAK. ALL HAIL THE QUEEN. But honestly I could probably name half the characters in that series in this category)

Aru also because she's the best kid ever and I can't wait to read more of her stories.

10. Book That Made You Cry:

A Heart So Fierce & Broken

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue

Salt To The Sea

They all broke my heart in different ways.

11 The Most Beautiful Book You've Bought So Far (Or Received):

To Sleep In a Sea of Stars is so gorgeous I have him staring out in my shelf just where the sun can hit it nad make it shine XD

And Les Chroniques de L'érable et du Cerisier has sprayed edges and it's just BEAUTIFUL. Cost a pretty penny too so it better be worth it.

12 What Book Do You Need To Read Before The End Of The Year:

I want to finish the Throne of Glass series so I've only got Kingdom Of Ash left once I'm done with Tower of Dawn. It's doable.

I want to read Les Chroniques de L'érable Et Du Cerisier too...

I would also love to read Wings Of Shadow. Not that I'm especially imaptient to know the ending but because those books are huge and I kind of want to be done with that series if it makes sense? I loved it, particularly the meticulous work of world building but it always feel like I've eaten too much once I'm done with it, you know?

13 Favorite Book-To-Movie Adaptation You've Seen This Year:

Shadow and Bones, obviously...

And Bridgerton!

If you want to do the tag, feel free! (and tell me, I would love to discover more books!)

[sinterblackwell]

kaylina’s top ten books of 2020 🖤

update 01/13/21: i stupidly forgot about a book that upended my life and made me fall in love with historical fiction, and so thus,,,everything has changed 😔

what that means is that a few of the original titles listed here have either been moved around or removed; i apologize to myself for the inconvenience. i do recommend reading through a bit of this again if you already read it the first time as i also revised my thoughts on one book mentioned here, so just something.

one of the things i wish for the most in 2021 is that i get to share more about my love for reading, so here’s the first post of many to satisfy that wish. 

throughout 2020, i wrote some posts on a complete whim about the stories i was reading and they just kept piling on and on because i was so caught up in the euphoria of having something to turn to when school was dragging me down. i found myself to really enjoy talking about these books while i was on here so i felt it would be a worthwhile conclusion to give a good wrap-up of the top ten books that made 2020 more bearable among all of the bad.

this post is very long so if you’re curious to see what ten books stood out to me this year to make it to this list, you can keep reading in the cut below. it’s all sort of a ranking so it’ll explain why the list is backwards, and i’ll also link more information on the titles in case any of you are interested :’)

first things first, here are three honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut but are still important to me one way or another.

3. circe by madeline miller

i have to give thanks to scylla for being one of the main reasons i considered this book as one of my top favorites, a nymph-turned- monster that circe has to face more than once in this story. 

also, miller herself building this book upon a figure who was barely considered in the odyssey is like a big slap to all the scholars out there who didn’t consider circe anything else but a jealous madwoman who used sorcery as her vengeance for all the sailors who came across her island. 

cheers to the author for having actual critical thinking skills 🥂

2. the invisible life of addie larue by v.e. schwab

i did write a review for this book that i don’t find nearly as coherent as any other review i’ve written in 2020 but here it is if any of you are interested. 

the fantastical elements of this story, along with some of the portrayal of certain characters such as luc and those that passed addie by made me fall in love with what v.e. schwab had to offer.

however, i can’t help but think that there’s s a lack of depth regarding minorities in this historical fantasy also set in the modern day. there were bits and pieces of this story that made me pause and feel like something was missing, aspects to it that left something to be desired. thinking back to it now, and after seeing a reviewer’s update on their review of this story, i‘ve come to understand that it could be because i knew this book could’ve been so much stronger if the mc was BIPOC or there were more characters of color who could give their own piece to the story as well.

there’s so much more i can say about it, but that’s a post entirely of its own to be made in future, i hope.

1. the year of the witching by alexis henderson

probably the best reading experience i ever had in 2020. here’s a review that goes into a bit more detail :’)

and here we go!!

10. clown in a cornfield by adam cesare

this book was so fun. i didn’t realize how much of a good time with this story i had until i was thinking about it last night. i mention in my review that i’m not a big horror reader but you can genuinely tell how much the author themself was a big fan of the genre and poured so much of their love into this book. it’s because of that love that i’m grateful for how much i enjoyed this story as a reader who typically is drawn more towards fantasy and contemporary fiction.

i didn’t have much of an attachment to the characters but they did make me laugh and smile despite this being a slasher horror, and because of that, this has become a pretty memorable book for me.

9. sex with shakespeare by jillian keenan

sex, to me, has always felt like a taboo topic, not just because i don’t have experience in it but because it all seems so complicated to me so just talking about it feels like i’m way out of my depth. what made this such an enlightening read for me was seeing how the author was discovering her sexuality through the influence of shakespeare’s works. keenan is very open and considerate of what readers may think going in learning about her fetish but she holds her own when it comes to her personal experience and how much more complicated one’s sexuality really is.

i highly recommend reading this article she wrote for the new york times here for more insight about her sexuality before this book came to be. 

in this compelling memoir, the author literally brought shakespeare’s own characters to life and made them feel real, connecting them to her journey throughout her life. this to me, was something i could completely relate to because there are fictional characters i envision in moments of my life where i need them most and seeing the author herself explore that felt so real and imaginative to me. 

this book was funny, light-hearted in some parts but incredibly vulnerable overall. i found the insightful analyses she’s made with shakespeare’s works so smart and well-written, i couldn’t give this book anything less than a five-star.

8. blood water paint by joy mccullough

written in verse, this historical fiction took me a while to get through but only because it was just one of those weeks where reading wasn’t that easy for me. once i finally got back into the stick of things, i completely devoured the rest of this story in less than a day. 

the main character’s love for art was written with so much vision and spilled out in all these bright colors as depicted on the cover. what i particularly loved about this story were the interludes, little pieces inbetween chapters where the main character reflects on her deceased mother’s stories that were told to her when she was young. these characters that the mother envisioned in her storytelling became a source of light for the main character in her real life, where she then is raped by a popular artist in her village that was a mentor to her for a brief time. the aftermath of this assault culminated into a trial that got quite bloody, particularly involving self-afflicted torture in a matter of dignity.

the title makes sense once we’re in the aftermath of this trial, but how the characters from her mother’s storytelling come to life in the moments when she feels vulnerable are something i was completely enraptured in. this was because it wasn’t just their stories being told, but it was also the main character’s. seeing fiction and reality converge in such a time where women were used and borrowed felt like a vindication of sorts, very telling in how the arts works wonders upon a world that prioritizes logic over matter. 

7. everything i never told you by celeste ng

this is a story about a family who’s dealing with the grief of the middle child, who’s assumed to have committed suicide. having the story reflect on each family member before and after lydia’s death, each of them dealing with grief in their own ways, impacted me just the same as how i saw how much they were grieving even before everything was torn down to pieces, all to the point where there was no way to go back. family sagas in literary fiction are always something i find myself to really connect with, and this one was no exception.

i’d also recommend listening to “ven” by cami, if not because you yourself might understand my feelings about this story a bit better then just because it’s a really good song that i discovered as i was reading this book. 

6. darius the great is not okay by adib khorram

there’s one particular post i made regarding this story that i’d love to share here. through that post, i share a bit about my connection to darius as our narrator in this first book and then going on to the second book, “darius the great deserves better”, review for that sequel here. 

just as darius felt a disconnect to not just his persian side of the family, but also from his entire family as a whole, i felt the same when it came to my dominican heritage. reading his journey throughout this first book in his own voice meant a lot to me then and it means a lot to me now.

seeing him grow and create bonds with characters like sohrab, his depression not being put off to the side but not beholding itself as the center of the story, and then just the persian culture all in itself when darius and his family travel to iran due to personal circumstances--all of it, makes this story something so incredibly special to me. 

i learned a lot from this book, and seeing family at the forefront throughout all this was everything.

5. autoboyography by christina lauren

lo and behold my 2020 comfort book of the year + one of my favorite books of all-time. it’s the same feeling i had with “verona comics”, except even stronger because i came into this book thinking it’d be a nice and light read but it was so much more than that. 

not only did this story center around two teenage boys in love but it also took into account of the relationships that they both had with other characters in this story. the portrayal of both tanner and sebastian’s families moved me beyond belief, for entirely different reasons, but seeing their story play out along with these two characters made this story hit even harder than i would expect. the location of this story and the significance of that plays such a huge role when it came to how tanner’s bisexuality was represented throughout, and how sebastian’s own grapple with his sexuality affected parts of the story. the author’s note at the end was just about anything i could ever want when it comes to understanding the purpose of one specific story, except i already learned so much from it that reading that note made the characters feel even more real.

may i suggest listening to “someone” by michael schulte because the lyrics of this song and the singer’s voice itself remind me strongly of tanner and sebastian’s relationship? which thus led it to becoming a big comfort song for me? so much so that it was my 2020 song of the year on spotify? no? yes? cool :’)

4. clap when you land by elizabeth acevedo

this was my first acevedo book, “the poet x” being her most popular work, but “clap when you land” for me too important a read that i didn’t want to miss as i was first going into acevedo’s writing. you can say that it’s because of how much this book means to me that it motivated me to read her sophomore novel “with the fire on high” and motivates me to finally read her debut “the poet x”. 

i’ve talked to myself a lot about the personal connection i have with this book, but i’ll just say here that the context behind how these two main characters weren’t aware of each other’s existence and what it meant as they were also dealing with the fact that their now-dead father was still there for them despite having them in two different places,,,,,it’s just too monumental for me to put into words here. this author being afro-latina just like me and having written this story about a flight destined to dominican republic that never actually made it, and with so much heart above it all, i connected with it a lot.

as a dominican who feels both connected and disconnected to her heritage, this story breathed so much life into me. i wish you can know just how much. 

3. lobizona by romina garber

the fact that i thought everyone would talk about this 2020 release with so much fervor and yet here i am holding the weight of this story with both shoulders,,,,unbelievable. i always feel insecure when it comes to recommending a book because the fact that i thought this one was incredible but not a lot people have talked about it, it makes me wonder why that is.

i really loved this book because as fast of a read as it was, there was so much to take in that you can tell how much effort the author put into it. as a fantasy, it’s connection to our reality is so grounded that it makes you wonder if it actually exists, and the background of our main character raises the stakes of a story like this where one’s identity matters too much to simply be blurred into the background. i loved seeing how there was animosity between these characters that we meet and the main character because despite having ties between each other, that doesn’t ignore how much labels in our society and the connotations that come with it carry its weight. seeing the sacrifices that were made and the discoveries coming at our main character with such a force, there was something so exciting that came from reading this book but it was very solemn overall.

the reason why this story isn’t at the #1 spot is because of technicalities, as i do admit that the ending did feel a bit rushed. but!! it made me more excited to see what’s to come in the second book of this series, “cazadora” (set to release in august 2021) so there we have it. 

2. black sun by rebecca roanhorse

inspired by the pre-Columbia Americas, this story and its different narrators enraptured me in each and every page, my love for naranpa and serapio as characters soaring beyond the pages. all these different narrators appeared to have started this story as if they had no ties to each other but really, these web of characters are so interwoven with each other that there’s no telling what their destinies reveal. seeing how naranpa and serapio’s fates were tied together (not romantic, just a note in case i made it seem as such) put me on edge because there was so much political conflict and then here was a prophecy that put so many lives at stake, it was hard to know what could possibly happen. because of this, the ending of this first book in the “between earth and sky” series absolutely bowled me over and i cannot wait to see what could possibly happen next.

let me also just show my appreciation for one of the narrators, xiala, who for some reason made me think for a brief moment that her part in the story was over but really, that could not be further from the truth, i have to believe in that. 

here is a review written by one of my favorite book bloggers about this story, listing five reasons as to why reading “black sun” could be an absolutely brilliant reading experience for you. it’s much more detailed and brings so much justice to this story than i ever could so if you’re interested, i highly recommend you check it out.

1. “lovely war” by julie berry

a mythic historical fiction that explored ww1 spanning a circle of characters, including the greek gods themselves—it was bound to catch my attention.

the beginning of this story immediately solidified my interest in the plot, the gods and aphrodite herself regaling the tale of mortals caught in the brink of a war that not only came with death and terror but music and bonds formed under strenuous circumstances.

watching as this journey didn’t exclude the gods themselves and how they were affected in what’s ultimately a love story, but not exclusively a romantic one, made this book become something so close to my heart, i’ll never let it go. i highly recommend.

~

and we’re done!! thank you to those who’ve read this far, this was actually a lot of work with a lot of links but i hope there’s something that you guys got out of it in the end. i’m really proud that i did this but i’m more proud of myself for having read so much in 2020 to have even been able to make this post. 

thank you to all the new characters i met who will stay in my heart forever but most importantly, my thanks go to the authors who worked so incredibly hard to get their books out there, some with debuts and others with a beginning of a new series; you guys have done so much among all the trials of 2020 and i, along with so many other readers, will continue working to get your stories out there this year and the years ahead, that’s for sure. 

happy new year to all of you and stay safe, everyone. 

[celiabowens]

mid year book tag

I was tagged by @tartts (thank youuu), so here we go.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2020:

I’d probably go with A Memory Called Empire. I’ve read some other great books, but it’s the one that keeps sticking with me the most. Anyway, it’s a space opera following the ambassador of a tiny planet who finds herself caught up in political intrigue. I’ve ranted about it plenty here. 

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020: 

In which I’m shocked by the fact that I haven’t...read sequels so far? Didn’t expect this at all. I think the only book I could use is more of a companion novel and it’s River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay, which is sort of an alternate history (based on Chinese history) with very little fantasy elements.

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to:

I’ve read most of the new releases I was interested in from January-June, but I have one: The Empire of Gold, which is the last book in the Daevabad Trilogy! It’s a cool political/historical fantasy trilogy inspired by Middle Eastern mythology.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

Honestly there’s a lot (why is everything coming out in October?!), but listing my top five:

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue 

Black Sun (this is probably the most anticipated one, if I don’t like it I’m gonna cry shclhv, it’s an epic fantasy set in Pre-Columbian Americas featuring crow mythology, I’m hype)

The Once and Future Witches

The Burning God (just prayers for Kitay)

Unconquerable Sun

Favorite new author (debut or new to you):

I’d say Arkady Martine (author of A Memory Called Empire), but in order not to repeat myself, I’ll go with Nghi Vo, the author of The Empress of Salt and Fortune. (Very hype for Vo’s 2021 release, a retelling of the Great Gatsby featuring a lgbt cast and Vietnamese magic.)

Biggest disappointment:

It’s between Autonomous (rant here), A Ruin of Kings and The City in the Middle of the Night? I read the latter in order to read all the Hugo awards nominees for best novel and it didn’t go well lmao. 

Biggest surprise:

A Cathedral of Myth and Bone by Kat Howard (a collection of short stories focusing on women reclaiming their agency with some clever reuse of myth and hagiography) or This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.

Book that made you happy:

Pretty much any book I loved? But also my rereads of The Night Circus and The Golem and the Jinni.

Newest fictional crush/newest favorite character:

I’m not sure I have one? Unless Hades from Lore of Olympus counts, then Hades. 

Book that made you cry:

I sobbed throughout the last two chapters of The Lions of Al-Rassan lol. It’s also the only time I’ve cried for a book this year so there’s no other option.

Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year:

I haven’t seen any, I think. I rarely watch movies at all (besides animated ones) so there’s a good chance I won’t see any this year.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought or received this year so far:

Cursed one, it’s probably the hardcover of The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock, but the book turned out so bad that it started an inside joke with a friend (in which a “dead mermaid signal” book is a scam). I haven’t bought many physical copies of books this year and I generally go for cheap over beauty so.

Book you need to read by the end of the year:

Pretty much all the new releases I’ve already listed above (and others), but among the books I already own I’d say The Empire of Gold, Provenance by Ann Leckie and The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel.

I don’t really know who to tag so if you reached the end of the post consider yourself tagged! (but I’d be curious to see @willowyhanyu and @awesomousse do this one 👀)

[callunavulgari]

YEAR-IN-BOOKS | 2020

So. Last year I read 112 books. The year before that I read 89. The year before that I read 39. This year I have (thus far) read 87 books out of my goal of 75 and will likely at least one or two more before the end of the year. So, click below if you want rambly book recs!

1. a book you loved?

This year has been rough. Like, I’m looking back at the books I read in January and am genuinely horrified to realize that I read them a scant twelve months ago when it feels like I read them at least three years ago. I’m glad I kept my limit lower this year, because enjoying anything this year has been harder than usual. I did read some decent books though, and I think the one I loved the most was Gideon the Ninth (and it’s sequel, Harrow the Ninth). They’re both fantastic books, and so deeply unexpected. Reading the first chapter or so of Gideon’s book is like getting whiplash. You go into it expecting angsty lady necromancers and get a crossdressing bee that secretes hallucinogenic substances and pulsates in time to the music in your head. Literally, Gideon’s dialogue is so out of left field that I spent half the book delightedly confused. But it is genuinely funny? And lesbian necromancers in space is just.. such an underutilized concept. Harrow’s book was a little harder - her head space is weird and everything is intentionally fucking with you so you really are confused for 90% of it, but I think the pay off was more than worth it.

2. a book you hated?

I was deeply, DEEPLY disappointed by The Secret Commonwealth. I finished it near the end of January and was just so fucking mad for days. Because the thing is, my expectations were not super high. I was excited for it, mostly because a grown up version of Lyra is something that I thought I would only ever experience in fanfiction. Now, I wish I’d only experienced her in fanfiction. Graphic attempted rape, retroactively confirming a rape happened in a previous book (one where it was implied that the victim got away in time), retroactively raping a character from the previous trilogy... like. I’m sorry. But fuck that noise. Fuck Philip Pullman. Fuck any douchebag asshole who thinks a woman has to be raped in order to write compelling fiction. I was riding the high of the new HBO series (which was good) and I guess I just... thought the author would have some goddamn integrity.

3. a book that made you cry?

We Are Okay was a really gorgeous, tender little book about grief that I read in one sitting in my bed when I really should have been sleeping. I read this book in March, when things only kind of hurt for me. When things were still largely okay. Before the bulk of covid hit my side of the world. Before self-isolation was an every day thing, not just something in books. Before Mal. Before getting covid. But ultimately, this was a book about healing. It aches, yes, but it also soothes.

4. a book that made you happy?

Both Beach Read and Written in the Stars made me pretty happy. Both romcoms done right, the first is a book about a romance writer falling in love with a thriller/mystery writer. They’re staying at neighboring beach houses and spend a summer getting themselves out of their comfort zones by challenging the other to write in the other person’s chosen genre. It’s sweet. It’s sexy. Over all, a really fun read, with enough depths to keep me engaged.

The second book is a meet-cute that involves astrology, fake dating, and lesbians. It’s written phenomenally well, and gave me a brief surge of happiness when I needed it most.

5. the best sequel?

Probably Harrow. The Dragon Republic is a great second choice though. Again, it’s a hard book, and I wouldn’t have been able to read it any later in the year than I did, because it is... not a happy book. But it is, in my opinion, a good one. And I am still excited about the third.

6. most anticipated release for the new year?

I am hoping to get the as of yet Untitled sequel to Ninth House in 2021. I am also hoping to actually be able to read The Rhythms of War in the new year, since I doubt I’ll get a chance in 2020. I’m looking forward to Mister Impossible, the second book in the Ronan trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater. I’m looking forward to the Hourglass Throne, which I think is coming in 2021? A Desolation Called Peace in March. The Thorn of Emberlain might actually be out in October, which will be wonderful it doesn’t get pushed back again. Rule of Wolves, the King of Scars Duology in the Grishaverse will also be March. One Last Stop by Casey McQuistion in May!!!!

7. favorite new author?

Defintely Tamsyn Muir. I will also be keeping an eye out for Alexandriua Bellefleur’s stuff...

8. favorite book to film adaptation?

Uh, can I say MDSZ/The Untamed without actually having read the original text? Well, I’ve read a few chapters, but damn.

9. the most surprising book?

Taproot. It’s this little graphic novel about a gardener who can see ghosts. And like. It still makes me warm to think about how tender it is.

10. the most interesting villain?

Does Loki: Where Mischief Lies count? Since Loki is technically a villain, even if he’s only villain adjacent in this book.

11. the best makeouts?

I... don’t know? I didn’t real read any of these books for makeouts. Not this year. 

12. a book that was super frustrating?

Boyfriend Material. It has great ratings! It has fake dating! But the story was very so-so for me. 

13. a book you texted about, and the text was IN CAPSLOCK?

I think I yelled at Nick a few times about how pissed I was at the Secret Commonwealth.

14. a book for the small children in your life?

The House in the Cerulean Sea is a book about a case worker at the department in charge of magical youth and he is charged with traveling to an island and making a very important decision about the children living there. It was adorable and I wish I’d had a book like it when I was young.

15. a book you learned from?

That is not the sort of book that I was reading in 2020.

16. a book you wouldn’t normally try?

I read a couple mysteries. Some were good. Most made me remember why I don’t read mysteries.

17. a book with something magical in it?

Call Down the Hawk, because all of Maggie’s books are at least a little bit magical. And while this definitely didn’t hit quite the same vibes that the Raven Cycle did, it was still very, very good.

18. the best clothes?

Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth have the best goth aesthetic I have ever seen in a book. Also, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, because Addie’s clothes always sounded cute and comfortable.

19. the most well-rounded characters?

The City We Became had some fantastic characters. It was really interesting to see Jemisin get out of her typical fantasy setting and this novel was so out of this world. 

20. the best world-building?

Deeplight! It’s described as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea meets Frankenstein and that is pretty accurate. Old gods that traversed the sea tore each other apart and now the world tries to get a hold of their corpses for amazing powers. It was really, really cool and probably the best book I could have chosen to read at the beach.

21. the worst world-building?

Eh. Most of the books I hated I didn’t keep reading this year.

22. a book with a good sidekick?

I really like all of the characters in the Tarot Sequence. There are some solid characters, even if there’s basically no women. Also Graceling.

23. the most insufferable narrator?

I was not a fan of The Mysterious Benedict Society, mostly because of the narrator. It was so boring and I quit halfway through.

24. a book you were excited to read for months beforehand?

Return of the Thief. Which... was still mostly good. But the ending felt lackluster for me. I may go back and reread the series and see if it feels more genuine after I’ve read them all together.

25. a book you picked up on a whim?

I literally picked up Written in the Stars because the cover was pretty and it looked like the romance was between two girls. And it did nooooot fail me.

26. a book that should be read in a foreign country?

Shrug emoji.

27. a book cassian andor would like?

I still don’t know what to make of this question.

28. a book gina linetti would like?

Shrug emoji.

29. your favorite cover art?

Gideon and Harrow, honestly. I also really liked Under the Udala Trees.

30. a book you read in translation?

I genuinely don’t know.

31. a book from another century?

Teeeeechnically The Great Hunt?

32. a book you reread?

I reread the Diviners and the Captive Prince series near the beginning of the year. They were still delightful.

33. a book you’re dying to talk about, and why?

Into the Drowning Deep was fucking amazing. I love Mira Grant’s work anyway and there’s this scene where a character pilots a submersible into the Marianas Trench and experiences your first face-to-face encounters with the sirens and like. AHHHHHHHHHH. It was so spooky and beautiful and just genuinely amazing.

TLDR; 2020 sucked, most books still couldn’t pierce through the depression, but there were a few bangers.

[emileemorgan]

Books That Inspired Marvelina’s Curse

You can’t write without reading. Here are a few of the books that inspired Marvelina’s Curse the most. 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

I was in a book slump after reading this because I knew it would be a while before I read anything that made me feel half as much as this did, and because I started writing an outline for Marvelina’s Curse immediately after finishing it. The Song of Achilles is a retelling of Patroclus and Achilles from The Iliad, and even though the plot is familiar the story is riveting all the way through to the end, which will rip your heart out. I have pitched Marvelina’s Curse as “The Song of Achilles + [your favorite fairy tale]” from day one. Madeline Miller recently announced that she is writing a Hades and Persephone story and it’s already my favorite Hades and Persephone.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

I picked this as my Book of the Month not expecting much, but I have never cried over a book like I did this one. And now I have 4 different copies of it. It’s a simple story; Addie makes a bad wish when she is young and ends up getting cursed so that she lives forever, but everyone forgets her as soon as she is out of sight. The story takes us through 300 years of her life, and you really get to experience Addie’s life with her. You go to all the places, love all the people, and make all the choices she does. She’s not extraordinary. She doesn’t have magic or powers and she’s not a hero... she’s completely human despite the inhuman predicament she is in. The cost of wishes is a major theme in Marvelina’s Curse.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 

Marvelina’s Curse is a fairy tale, so of course the Brothers Grimm are here. Sleeping Beauty and Rumpelstiltskin were the first and major influences for my tale, but Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and The White Snake are notable as well. I’ve also spent a lot of time reading and researching Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Anderson. I do love my fairy tales!

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice

Speaking of Sleeping Beauty... If you are familiar with this series, I can explain. If you’ve never heard of it, allow me to provide a brief overview. Sleeping Beauty is awakened with *more than a kiss* by the prince, and he takes her back to his castle where... lots of explicit (but always consensual!) things happen. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started reading this. I liked Interview with a Vampire so when I saw that Anne Rice had a Sleeping Beauty retelling I bought it without a second thought. I’ve never read anything like this. It’s shocking and taboo, but it works because Anne Rice was a legend. She dared to go where no one else went and gave no cares what anyone had to say about it. Her narrative voice and characterization in this series inspired much of Marvelina’s Curse. But I promise there is no BDSM in my book. 

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola

I’m pleased to say that Marvelina’s Curse has a happily ever after, but that was not always the case. When I first got the idea, I started at the end and it was a tragedy. It was very dramatic, Therese Raquin was on my mind. I’ve loved this story for a long time, since before I was really old enough to understand it. Kate Winslet’s narration is my favorite audiobook, I could listen to it over and over and over. It’s one of my comfort books. I want readers of Marvelina’s Curse to empathize with my characters as much as we can for Therese, Laurent, and Camille. 

Also, I may or may not have an idea to write fanfiction for the following series as a retelling of Therese Raquin... 

A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas 

If you’ve had any sort of conversation with me in the last 12 months, I probably found a way to mention ACOTAR. I probably told you that you should read them. This is me telling you that you should read them. Listen, I have not been gripped by a series this much since Twilight. I don’t think I’ll ever experience a book high like I did when [spoiler redacted] in ACOMAF. I am a simp for Sarah J Maas; she tells the most magical, romantic stories. If I’m ever so lucky to find myself on a list with her, I would immediately throw up and then die happy. She could run over my foot with her car and I would say thank you. On the surface Marvelina’s Curse doesn’t feel like ACOTAR, but I cannot deny how much this series has inspired me to think of plots and twists that will give you whiplash and make you fall in love with fictional characters.

Honorable mention: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

This is my favorite book. It has been my favorite book since I was 11, and it’s the first adult lit I ever read. Unfortunately, there are no dinosaurs in Marvelina’s Curse, but Michael Crichton’s influence is woven into everything I write. I don’t write sci-fi. I barely read sci-fi, but I make exceptions for him because Michael Crichton was a master at taking content that would be obtuse for most readers and turning them into enough of an expert that they can enjoy the story. You will learn something new from every book of his you read. I wish I could have met him. There are so many things I would ask, but mostly I would just sit and listen to whatever he had to say.

Follow me on Goodreads to see what I’m reading now!