Okay so somehow I managed to finish like 5 books this month???? A few were short it might be cheating, but whatever. Books may be out of order.
A Quick and Easy Guide to They/them pronouns | This was a short comic book that went over they/them pronouns. I have a few friends that use these regularly, and for a few other reasons this has been on my radar. It really was a quick and easy guide. It was much smaller than I was expecting when I spotted it at the book store. |
| I've been reading this book off and on for months. There's a lot I don't really understand about nonbinary stuff, so when I spotted this book, I thought this might be a good way to learn. It had a lot of interviews, which was nice because I got to hear peoples actual experiences. I didn't always like Darwin's approach to certain topics, or the way she framed things, but the book had a lot of passages that made me stop and think. A good source of conversation as well for me and a particular friend I have. | Redoing Gender by Helana Darwin  |
Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson  | Wanted to check out a fantasy book at my local library and went for a ton of the big names. Surprisingly we didn't have any, and if we did, they were all checked out! I finally remembered being introduced to Nalo Hopkinson back in the day. I had read her previous book, Midnight Robber, and was forever stunned by the world and seriously dark storytelling. I figured I might as well give another book of hers a try. It was steep in Caribbean and Southern culture despite taking place in Canada, and some of her prose was just delicious. I was a bit put off by the incest, which I didn't realize was a theme throughout her works. In Midnight Robber, the incest is a traumatic experience and takes on a dark and dangerous tone. I assumed that would be the last I'd see it, but in Sister Mine iit reappears as something that's just kind of normal, but weird to some. So yeah not a one-time-topic for Hopkinson. |
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson  | A coworker spotted me reading Sister Mine and decided it was time to try to recruit me to his brand of stories! Which I have no problem with since we share similar taste in genres. To my surprise, he actually put me onto Brandon Sanderson, someone I've been meaning to read for a long time already. As soon as I agreed, he went to his car, pulled out the book, and handed it to me! I was stunned and immediately decided I had to put his good efforts to use. It was an easy read, so I'm glad I did! I can see why worldbuilders love Sanderson now. His magic system influenced so much of the world, from religion, to how people see, to prejudices they held. It was a great read, and surprisingly a stand-alone. I enjoyed it. I think it was a great introduction to his writing. |
| Someone else I work with recommended me this book. I'm not typically a reader of poetry (I don't have a lot of patience for analyzing word placement or breaking down meanings), so I wasn't sure what to expect. But she'd recommended it to me so I thought I should at least give it a go. And I'm glad I did! At first, I had my typical problem of getting lost in the complexity of poetry, but after a while I was able to settle down into the stories, the characters that occasionally reoccurred, and the meanings (the footnotes helped). | Let the Dead In  |
So yeah that's my month so far. Curious to see what next month will be like.
Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera is about a Dominican family who are immigrants to New York but their story is not unique to Dominicans. Good story.
The Hidden Witch: A Graphic Novel and The Midwinter Witch: A Graphic Novel (The Witch Boy Trilogy #2 and #3) by Molly Knox Ostertag are fun to read. Very short with excellent graphics.
I also read Clay's Ark and Patternmaster by Octavia Butler - this writer is amazing in how she develops her worlds in her story. These books were hard to put down.
i read about 7 books since the last post i made but about 5 this month and very proud and happy cause i enjoyed them all.
 A Darker Shade of Magic: 5/5I fell in love with the world VE Schwab created and even more so the characters. the book is not unique from the YA category but Schwabs writing carries their stories far more than any other author could have and it sets a perfect beginning for the adventures to come. definitely check it out if you are into YA fantasy or just want to pick up a light read. I finished it in 4-5days and I work full time so it was very light. | Crooked Kingdom 5/5: the perfect ending to the six of crows duology. the book is very action packed so there is never a dull moment and there are tricks up everyone's sleeves. one thing i love about the book was the finish to the characters especially Kaz and inej (love interests) the slow-burn romance was executed so well i shit my pants every time i think of them. very emotionally tied to the characters so i cried a ton when the book ended. definitely give Leigh a try on this duology, not any of her other books just these 2. |
 The Cruel Prince 2.7/5: a friend actually bought me the set so i was very excited to read it but the writing was really poor and it felt like highschool with Wattpad all over again. the plot kind of felt underwhelming. | The Giver of Stars 4.5/5: I can't recall how this book ended up in my TBR but I am so glad it did. i got to experience the lives of excellent women in a time when being a woman was almost like hell. It's the first book I've read where the bond and friendship between women was not only celebrated but tested through so many things. Jojo Moyes captured my heart with this and launched me into her fandom. |
 The Wicked King & The Queen of Nothing 3/3/5: these 2 however definitely showed improvement in holly's writing and stepped up in terms of world-building and suspense. obviously, world-building should be down and done in book 1 but it was okay cause I stan a self-improving queen. it definitely ended cutely and nicely so I'm not complaining. | Sorcery of Thorns 3.9/5: this was a random pick from the bookstore so I did not expect much but it really wowed me. the more I read the more wholesome the characters seem. with YA fantasy it's pretty much the same setup for most books, girl meets boy, the villain is introduced, they scheme, then the final fight, and then most of the time happy endings. what captures readers is the characters and Margaret Rogerson definitely did her justice. I loved most of the book. the beginning was a bit boring but I'm glad I stuck to it.  |
I finished three books in July--a P. G. Wodehouse comic novel, a historical romance, a Henry James book.
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Laughing Gas is a about a posh British guy who finds himself body-swapped with a Hollywood child actor after they had dental procedure at the same time in adjacent surgeries. It's hilarious, as to be expected from Wodehouse, but there are some pretty disconcerting details--which I believe is not inaccurate, whether it's in early to mid-20th century or even now--about the treatment of child actors (eg. forcing them to diet, throwing them away just like that once they stop being "cute").
A Summer to Remember is a well-written romance. I can't really comment on its period-appropriateness or accuracy, but it's an easy, enjoyable read.
I devoured Washington Square in a day, a rarity for me these days, but I just couldn't stop reading it. I found the main character, Catherine, frustrating but believable, and the tragedy of her story is that, if only her father doesn't look down on her so much, if only her aunt isn't such a silly, selfish woman, she could very well live a happier, more fulfilling life.
definitely give Leigh a try on this duology, not any of her other books just these 2.namsham:
Why did you say that? ? Seriously, though, I did read the Six of Crow Duology before I read her Grisha Trilogy, and just from the writing, it's obvious that Bardugo has grown so much as writer in the time between those two works. If nothing else, the duology is more well-written. But I did like the Nikolai Duology too, so ?
kura2ninja:
Why did you say that? ? Seriously, though, I did read the Six of Crow Duology before I read her Grisha Trilogy, and just from the writing, it's obvious that Bardugo has grown so much as writer in the time between those two works. If nothing else, the duology is more well-written. But I did like the Nikolai Duology too, so ?
I meant to start with these 2 because I found the shadow and bone trilogy quite boring and lacking. i haven't read king of scars but seeing that it came after this duology, i have hopes it would be nice. she definitely grew from the shadow and bone series!
Book Update for July-August:
This month, I managed to read two books: a book from Amanda Michalopoulou with the (translated) title "Bad Weather", which definitely isn't my fave book of hers (too pointlessly complicated and pretentiously existential), and a mystery-thriller by Susanne Jansson "The Forbidden Place", an slow-burn but very intriguing Scandi-Noir debut novel.
Currently reading Sebastian Fitzek's book "Das Geschenk" (ΑΝΑΛΦΑΒΗΤΟΣ=analphabetic or illiterate), which seems very promising so far!
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2,5/5 stars | 4/5 stars | currently reading |
Have a great reading month and enjoy your summer, dear Book Club family!
Krystale Mitaesa:
Can I join this club as well? And I'm curious to ask,
is any recommendation book can be universal? I mean, instead of English, like sharing my local books to recommend as well? If it does, is it fall under a condition: translation book officially as well?
That would be all :D
Welcome! Of course you can join, dear friend!
We have no restrictions or conditions. You can share books from all countries, translated in English or not. After all, we all are from different parts of the world :)
Looking forward to your reading updates and recommendations.
