#litofcolor

[tywvin]

babel, or the necessity of violence by r. f. kuang

HISTORY isn't a premade tapestry that we've got to suffer, a closed world with no exit. We can form it. Make it. We just have to choose to make it.

the tower of babel / dante's inferno

[acotars]

Read in 2023:

He wondered if he could ever look at Lily and not feel like he’d been struck by lightning.

THE NEIGHBOR FAVOR by Kristina Forest ★★★½

[roxxell]

Miss Cai, heir to the Scarlet Gang from @chloegong ‘s These Violent Delights 

[dreamgirlneutral]

A L E X S T E R N | NINTH HOUSE

alex felt all of the interest go out of her. was she really supposed to have something to say, some wisdom to impart? stay in school? don't do drugs? don't fuck the wrong guys? don’t let the wrong guys fuck with you? dream smaller? don’t let the girl you love die?

[lunaathorne]

books read in 2020: the ghost bride by yangsze choo (★★★★☆)

"I have trespassed where no living person ought to have. I have spoken with the dead, served in their houses and eaten spirit offerings. My two worlds overlap like distorted pieces of glass."

[litandroses]

2021 Wrap-Up

Since 2021 is almost over, I thought I’d do a wrap-up of the books that made an impact on me this year. Not every book is for everyone, of course, but these books hit home for me in their own way even if “objectively”, they are not the best. To avoid long post annoyance, I’m keeping this short.

Here’s my top 10 of 2021 (in no particular order):

1.       Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee

-          This conclusion just stunned me and was probably the most satisfying I have ever read? It had the political maneuvering I didn’t know I needed, and very flawed and nuanced characters that made them feel so real.

2.       The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

-          This was just THE gem for me. I stumbled upon this while scrolling through Fully Booked, I read it without having read the blurb first and I was floored with the prose. I didn’t even believe this was a debut novel! I strongly believe this deserves more recognition; Simon Jimenez deserves MORE recognition.

3.       We Belong by Cookie Hiponia Everman

-          Discovered this again through Fully Booked. A novel told in-verse with themes of sisterhood and family; immigration. Unexpected tears were shed. One of the most honest, heartfelt stories I have ever read.

4.       The Sword of Kaigen by M.L Wang

-          Look objectively, this may not be the best in terms of structure BUT it has one of the most memorable main characters I have ever read. Misaki is everything to me, such a strong character. The action here was relentless.

5.       Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

-          This had a very gripping start to the story, the narration was so strong. There’s a lot packed in this short book.

6.       To be Taught, if Fortunate by Becky Chambers

-          I don’t think Becky Chambers is a stranger to many readers. This novella has her signature prose and quiet vibes. Lovely atmosphere. I was in awe.

7.       On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu

-          I know many readers who didn’t like the prose of this book, I’m not one of them. I thought it complimented the story well and created a beautiful blend of magical realism.

8.       Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

-          Unique and sad. The kind of sad that’s just my cup of tea. I recommend this for lovers of vague endings (like me).

9.       Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap

-          Philippine folklore and mythology will always have my heart. This is perfect for spooky season, and once again, for lovers of vague endings. Isabel Yap is a master in creating atmospheres for her stories.

10.   The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente

-          This made me angry and sad, more so as I read on. The narrator was unreliable, normally that would annoy me but not this one. It felt like whiplash.

Honorable mentions:

-          The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin

-          State of War by Ninotchka Rosa

-          City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

-          Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

-          Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

There were a lot of new releases I didn’t get to this year but maybe 2022 will be different! I discovered many new books and authors, I’m very satisfied with my reading year. I hope y’all are too! Aside from these, I have also managed to revisit the series that, well, made my taste the way it is? In other words, I don’t know who I would be without the Verity Cycle by Elizabeth Wein. I’d probably be drifting senseless. Code Name Verity is also nearing it’s 10th Anniversary! I’m very excited for the bonus content! If you haven’t heard of this, please do check it out, especially if you love historical fiction.

I’d very much love to know your top books for this year <3.

[augustsjanes]

― to all the boys i’ve loved before .

↳ happy birthday reya { @blaircwaldorf } !

[evasjacks]

A thousand leagues and a thousand sands. For you, a thousand times I would defy the sun.

[exy101]

@grishaverseonline​ mission 04: characters of color

i'm already a ghost, she thought. i died in the hold of a slaver ship.

[dogsyears]

@projectliterature event 01 : 2020 releases — you should see me in a crown by leah johnson      — And I know then what I've always known: Campbell is never going to make a space for me to fit. I'm going to have to demand it.

[tywvin]

@fandomaestheticnet​ from old to new →  ari and dante

" Why do we smile? Why do we laugh? Why do we feel alone? Why are we sad and confused? Why do we read poetry? Why do we cry when we see a painting? Why is there a riot in the heart when we love? Why do we feel shame? What is that thing in the pit of your stomach called desire ? "

‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍  ‍ ‍  ‍  — a remake of this .

[acotars]

Read in 2023:

It begins with a tremor, a realization that love happens in the fragile context of our mortality. That love and life occur just beyond the reach of our control. There is only one letter of difference between love and lose, and somewhere along the way, for me they became synonymous.

BEFORE I LET GO by Kennedy Ryan ★★★★

[padmeskywalkers]

But would it have mattered if she’d been someone else? If she’d been a social butterfly, they would have said she liked to drink away her pain. If she’d been a straight-A student, they would have said she’d been eaten alive by her perfectionism. There were always excuses for why girls died.

@booksociety‘s back to school event - ninth house ( leigh bardugo )

[1938485748377575876]

@dailyaoc event 01: get to know the members » warcross duology by marie lu

i'm tired of the horror in the world. so i will force it to end.

[fahey]

“Do you love him?”

“Yes,” Rin said immediately. “More than anyone else in the world.”

[lunaathorne]

books read in 2020: gods of jade and shadow by silvia moreno-garcia (★★★☆☆)

I'd like to count stars with you. I don't know where I even got this idea, but it's there.