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Stars I've Been Eating: April 2025

Since my last update, over a month ago, it feels everything has become so heavy suddenly - we’re 4 months into 2025 and it feels like it’s been an entire year since New Years. This isn’t a new sentiment, I’m sure, and many of my own issues are an echo with many others - college tuition, chaotic work schedule, a transphobic father. There are times these things weigh too heavy, and I spent January through March reading far too many books dealing with heavy topics (a surprising amount about grief), all of which I reserve my opinions until possibly later this year since it was for judging for an award (of which I will not disclose).

I went through the beginning half of this month recovering from a reading slump, working on other hobbies to rest my brain during my off time until I was ready to return. I hope my few readers here have also partaken in some other hobbies in my absence. Without further ado, let’s see what books I’ve been consuming and could potentially become future reviews here.

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk

I’ve only just barely gotten into this one, but I read the blurb and was immediately curious about what was going on here. I have heard of an individual who was married to the Eiffel Tower. I had always been peripherally interested in objectophilia, mostly because learning about the ways people can be unique from one another often intrigues me. This book follows Linda who seeks to marry her soulmate plane. I especially felt interested in this book because people who know me in real life often know I love planes (in a vastly different way from Linda here).

There was a period of my life I considered joining the U.S. Air Force, until I learned it’s a decently low chance I would get to be a pilot. Unfortunately, it wasn’t financially an option for me to start any classes that may lead to me being a pilot, and I’m far from considering it as a career option currently. But a book about planes and a person who keeps going on planes? I’m absolutely gonna pick it up. The feeling of take-off and being in the sky is a high nothing else can give me.

Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad

Last year, my reading goal was to read a minimum of 63 books to encourage me to read more to make up for several years of not reading outside of school assignments. I was proud to have read a little over 120 books, nearly doubling that goal. This year, one of my reading bingo board squares is to read a book by an author and/or include a character of the same ethnicity to match each major heritage month. I fell behind this month, but April is National Arab American Heritage Month, so I set out to find a book by an Arab author, surprised I didn’t already have any on my shelf nor TBR (80% of it is filled with East Asian authors).

I’ve barely gotten into this one, and I’m listening to it as an audiobook, narrated by Suehyla El-Attar Young, who does a wonderful job. It’s become easy to be immersed in this book and Amira’s family dynamics as she grows into adulthood. There are a lot of themes and cultural details that have had me looking up info on Arab and Islamic culture, the struggles they face day-to-day (in the US particularly), and Arab-American history. I’m happy this reading goal has helped me recognize areas I am ignorant in, and I’d highly recommend other people try it. I look forward to finishing this book, learning more about the cultures it includes, and sharing my insight in hopes other people like myself can open their eyes to another major part of our world.

Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin

For the LGBTQ+ Book Club I’m a part of, they’re reading this book for May. I was already particularly interested since I’ve had a coworker talk about how much she loved this book. I’ve heard the main character is on the autistic spectrum, which I often pick up books with neurodivergent characters as someone who is neurodivergent myself (also because the first two books I read with ND protagonists were horrible misrepresentations of ADHD and I now spitefully look for good representation). I’m guessing she may have a hyper-fixation on space, which I’m so excited if that is the case because I also love space and hearing people talk about it. Aside from that assumption, I know rather little about this novel, but I’m still looking forward to reading this one.

Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge

I was bitterly disappointed at DNF’ing John Dies at the End by Jason Pargin (mostly because of the frequent use of the r-slur), but I had no other audiobooks or ebooks waiting for me (or that I wanted to read) on Libby or Libro.fm, so I randomly looked about and found this ebook. The cover caught my eye - a purple moon on a black-and-white backdrop. Something called out to me about it. I read the blurb and saw it follows a cryptozoologist seeking to find creatures that live amongst people. As a fan of cryptids (to the point I made a completely homebrew TTRPG setting for my plays on hunting cryptids), I knew this book was it for me. I’m excited to see what comes of this book!

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

I finally caved. A lot of people recommended I start reading danmei (or light novels in general), but I had kept away from it because the attention I saw around it felt similar to the phenomenon of straight women reading MLM romances written by straight women. While I don’t want to completely diminish this phenomenon of why it likely exists, I’ve stayed away from it because - as a queer person - I want to read books written from a perspective understanding of queer people.

That being said, this series isn’t absent of misunderstanding, but it can be suspended a little more because of the setting. I think this series particularly sucked me in because the enemies-to-lovers with so much respect already existing between both parties is written fantastically. I cannot tear myself away from Chu Wanning and Mo Ran’s love-hate relationship. I’m only on volume 2, but I’ve already begun collecting future volumes in the series, which I never do (always waiting until I’m confirmed to love the trajectory of the series before buying further). I plan to write a review on this as a series rather than book by book, so it will be awhile before I cycle around to this one on the blog.

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

In the Sci-Fi/Fantasy book club I lead, I chose this book. I will be completely transparent in saying I chose this 6 months ago and all I know is it is sapphic and in space. The cover looked nice, and I’m absolutely ready to read this. Plus, there was some nice fanart I saw for this book that has really pulled me in further. The last time I got a book because of the fanart was for Banh Mi For Two, and that worked out amazingly, so let’s see if the pattern continues! (I am very optimistic.)

We are at the beginning of May, so I’ll be finding two books to match up with AAPI Heritage Month and Jewish-American Heritage Month. I have plenty of Asian-American authors in my TBR, but I may aim for a book written by a Pacific Islander to expand my awareness in at least one of the many cultures that exist in the Pacific. This goes the same for finding a book by a Jewish author, since I know a surprisingly little amount about Judaism and Jewish culture (living in the Bible belt really has made me more ignorant than I realized). If you have any recommendations, please let me know! Also, if there are any resources to spread awareness on any of the aforementioned cultures, please feel free to share with me and I’ll try to reblog it whenever I’m next online!

I’m slowly coming back into reading again, so it’s quite possible I won’t have a blog post next week. It may be a hot minute before I get back into weekly blog posts. Nevertheless, I appreciate you being here, and I want to thank you for reading and supporting my blog. A reminder to you, dear reader, that in this vast, infinite universe, you matter to me. It’s storm season for those in the US, so if you’re East of the Rockies, please be careful and keep an eye on the weather. I hope you all remain safe and okay. Until next time, I’ll be reading!

If you’re interested in any of these books, buy them from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Powell’s Books - Libro.fm [audiobook] or from your local bookstore which you can find on IndieBound! Alternatively, support your local libraries by signing up for a library card and finding this title on Libby!

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Interstellar Megachef

Book: Interstellar Megachef by Levanya Lakshminarayan ⭐ 5 / 10

The giant donut on the cover was a brilliant marketing decision. I bought 36 donuts to my sci-fi/fantasy book club to match the cover, only for all of us to be disappointed that not a single donut appeared in the book. This very much felt like a recurring theme in my experience of reading this book.

I went into this book having expected some kind of Chef Showdown type of show, maybe even a Gordon Ramsay-type character calling the protag an idiot sandwich (as said by a friend at the book club). What I got was only just below 10% actual cooking competition and 90% space politics. I wouldn’t have minded this as much if the marketing hadn’t colored my expectations for the book (via pull quotes at the front of the book, its cover, and its blurb beginning with “Masterchef in space”) to be a much lighter atmosphere of story.

I could not bring myself to care for Serenity Ko (or any other character we randomly switching perspective to), who proved herself to be nothing more than an ignorant asshole from beginning to end with the end of her supposed arc being ‘there’s no I in team’ despite her consistent mistreatment of Saraswati, of which her being forgiven felt like it happened too easily. As much as this book succeeds in its accurate parallels of xenophobia in this universe to the racism in current-day English-speaking countries [which I can only speak for the US], it falls short in creating a satisfying awakening and education on bigotry to Serenity Ko (not that it needs to be super thorough, it just felt like it never really happened).

The casual inclusions of both every character formally introducing themself with their pronouns and the featuring of a few characters that actually used neopronouns (both went by some form of xe/xir and were both not human but I can’t complain) made my heart happy at the queer normativity within the setting. The sapphic romance developing between Saras and Ko felt pretty rushed (in writing) and didn’t feel like it actually fit into their stories. As much as I love a good sapphic romance (and I sure do love collecting them too), this just fell short of my expectations.

With as harsh of a review I feel I’m posting, I want to back up by acknowledging again that this book was written fairly well in terms of the kinds of xenophobic conflict between Earthlings and Primians. The representation of food in this conflict was also made impressingly well. I’ve had my own experiences and heard many more from other friends very similar experiences as Saraswati faced in the kitchen from Good Cheer Chaangte. These portions of the book were written so well that I feel they make this book worth the read. I would have given this book a higher rating if its marketing hadn’t clouded my expectations so much which ended up coloring much of my opinion as a reader.

Despite my low rating, I’d still recommend this book to other people with a heavy disclaimer as to the actual focuses of the book rather than what the marketing team led consumers to believe. This book stands incredibly as its own story and I would have preferred it be allowed to shine in that way.

In any case, thank you for reading and supporting my blog. A reminder to you, dear reader, that in this flavorful galaxy, you matter to me. I hope you get a good stretch in as spring slowly blossoms into the winter cold. Until next time, I’ll be reading!

If you’re interested in this book, buy it from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Powell’s Books - Libro.fm [audiobook] or from your local bookstore which you can find on IndieBound! Alternatively, support your local libraries by signing up for a library card and finding this title on Libby!

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Dust Spells

Book: Dust Spells by Andrea Lynn ⭐ 7.75 / 10

I’ve always been fond of the idea of dust storms (not their actual existence in reality of course). Perhaps that stems from my intense fascination (because obsession is a word too far) for severe and strange weather phenomena. A tornado in Wyoming turning red from all the red dirt it pulls up, lightning spreading out like a web and lasting several seconds before blinking out of existence because of the intensity of its electrical power.

This book takes place in the 30s, in the midst of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Following Stella, who dreams to make it out of this Southern town and become a Hollywood star, sells moonshine and helps her aunt take care of a boarding house where a drifter comes to stay that seems to particularly charm Stella. By this point, I expected this story to become a steamy historical romance, of which I am not the biggest fan of. I was pleasantly surprised when the plot took a turn as Stella, the charming drifter, and her two sisters are out getting wood from a deteriorated, abandoned house when they get caught in a dust storm. Escaping the dangerous winds and blinding dust, they take a leap into a pocket dimension with a particularly kind, ghostly gentleman who may have been crossed in his deal with the devil.

Alongside the fantastical plot, Lynn writes an intriguing look into life in the 1930s. Stella’s close relationship with her sisters, her developing feelings for Lloyd, the scars (literal and figurative) and the histories behind them from each character, the bits of Romani stories and culture shared between the sisters, and the details in the lives of background characters pulls the story together in a way that makes the daily life part of it real.

While this is a great book, my gripes are mostly from the fact I am simply not a fan of historical fiction. I’m not quite sure why it isn’t my preference, to each their own. The ending also felt a smidge rushed in my opinion. All the central conflicts were wrapped up and concluded, but I felt Archie came to his own forgiveness a little too easily. Speaking of forgiveness, while I understand she’s Stella’s sister, I feel like Lavinia was still let off the hook a little too easily for the way she treated Mattie and Stella.

All in all, I still enjoyed this novel and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in a fantastical twist on a Dust Bowl era story of 3 sisters sticking together in Great Depression Kansas.

In any case, I want to thank you for reading and supporting my blog. A reminder to you, dear reader, that in this (star-)dusty and colorful galaxy, you matter to me. I hope you have a wonderful, cozy winter. Stay warm and until next time, I’ll be reading!

If you’re interested in this book, buy it from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Powell’s Books - Libro.fm [audiobook] or from your local bookstore which you can find on IndieBound! Alternatively, support your local libraries by signing up for a library card and finding this title on Libby!

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So This is Ever After

Book: So This is Ever After by F.T. Lukens ⭐ 8 / 10

I’ve noticed a slow uptick in D&D related romances, of which I’ve only read one and decided it wasn’t for me. Many of their blurbs feel like they are written for people who want to play D&D but haven’t, so they dream via reading a group in a book. This book doesn’t feel like that at all.

To anyone who plays TTRPGs, particularly of the high-fantasy caliber, this book properly feels set within that setting, without the strange zoom-out of seeing the players outside of the game. Each of the characters feel colorful with their own unique personalities and backgrounds, yet they all weave together well as a group that was once strangers at the start of their quest, but this book isn’t their adventure - this book is for the players who wonder what comes after? When we defeat the Vile One and his legion of the dead, when we restore the throne and put the crown upon our hero’s head, what happens after?

It plays such a delightful twist on the heroic story where the after isn’t absent of its own story. All the while, we as readers get to appreciate a good friends-to-lovers slow burn across Arek’s shenanigans. We follow the new King Arek as he realizes placing the crown upon his head unleashed a curse tethering him forevermore to the throne. Not wanting to be king and not wanting to panic his friends, he tries to find a way to break the curse or live through it, all the while hoping to avoid cursing anyone else.

I first read this book last year as an audiobook. I return to it this month with a physical copy to truly appreciate my favorite part of the whole book - the side characters all finding love for themselves, too. Set within this queernorm fantasy, they are each an absolute mess that I adore (Sionna is my favorite). They each do so well within their roles of the adventuring party and as the king’s council. Sionna, Rion, Bethany, and Lila are the true stars of the show in this novel.

While I know many people can appreciate a slow burn, and I liked this one, I typically can’t stand it (most of the time). Matt and Arek are denser than neutron stars and their constant misunderstandings of each other’s feelings do start to grind my gears as it continues to happen. They are very cute together, but multiple times, I found myself rolling my eyes at Arek misinterpreting Matt’s feelings (or vice versa).

Despite their annoyances, I still do love this book. I have two other titles from Lukens which I intend to read this year, but I couldn’t help but want to come back and give this one another read. I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking for a funny and sweet fantasy romance, not just for the main pair, but for the rest of the adventuring party, too.

In any case, thank you for reading and supporting my little blog. A reminder to you, dear reader, than in this fantastical and often sweet Milky Way galaxy, you matter to me. Stay hydrated and keep warm under the covers with a good book. Until next time, I’ll be reading!

If you’re interested in this book, buy it from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Powell’s Books - Libro.fm [audiobook] or from your local bookstore which you can find on IndieBound! Alternatively, support your local libraries by signing up for a library card and finding this title on Libby!

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I Am Not Jessica Chen

Book: I Am Not Jessica Chen by Anna Liang ⭐ 6 / 10

DISCLAIMER: I want to thank Harlequin Audio and Libro.FM for gifting this ALC to me through their bookseller program. I was not paid to do this review, I have only received this free as a gift in exchange for an honest review of the book.

There’s this one quote that really stuck with me from high school that I don’t identify with quite so much since I’ve left the small bubble that was my teenage world, but it’s a phrase I can never quite let go of. Having attended a very competitive school where most of the groups I had wanted to fit into were all AP/Honors students that dedicate every minute of their lives to their success and hope of getting into an Ivy League school. I did not take all AP classes (just one), I did not get straight A’s (but close, A’s and B’s), I was not top 10%, and I took statistics instead of complex calculus classes.

Having identified much of my early life closer to my Asian ethnicity, I felt like nothing encapsulated my high school experience more than when one of my classmates joked halfway across the classroom from me - “I’m not even an Asian at this point, I’m a B’sian.” Having straight A’s, being a perfect student, perfect child, perfect person, doing everything to an inhumane level of perfection was always the high expectation placed around my Asian identity - and many other Asian-Americans could agree, I’m sure, the impossibly high standards set by parents or family members, then held up by our peers and teachers in schools - having doubts about whether it is even possible but watching someone else achieve it all effortlessly.

In this experience, Ann Liang absolutely kills it in this novel. Jenna’s experience in her constant comparison and living in the shadows of her perfect cousin, Jessica, are not only incredibly relatable but also a surprising recreation of the same feelings and experiences I’ve heard from dozens of people before. I’m aware these experiences aren’t just within the Asian community but also happen and are relatable to many others, too.

For this novel in particular, however, I truly like the subtle nods to specifically Chinese culture - Jenna’s family never drinking cold water (always hot), always having to bring something to the family gathering even when insisted not to by the host, and other little details really made me feel like I could see my friends’ families in the place of different characters. It all truly felt so real. Jenna’s relationship to it all is also written very well in a tender way that elevates the emotional aspects of the story and makes her so relatable. For most of the book, these were all the elements I really loved.

Now, I want to talk about Aaron. I cannot stand Aaron. He felt somewhat like a pointless addition when he was first added in as his part of the dynamic kind of stuck out to me compared to the familial tension going on with Jenna and her family. As the book progresses, there comes a period where he becomes a stronger focus in the story, and - I feel - he takes over Jenna’s inner journey, making everything she was beginning to learn and understand to this point become a lot less meaningful. The story does come around, but I personally think that Aaron took away from the story so much.

Jenna’s self-discovery and slow journey to finding her self-love and the meaning of her life was already such a strong core to the novel, and Aaron could have been completely removed from the story, and it would have made this novel so much more meaningful. It already is meaningful, don’t get me wrong, but it lacks what it could have been because of the shoe-horned romance.

Honestly, I did get some The Picture of Dorian Gray vibes from this book, and I loved how her self-portraits are such a magnificent symbol throughout the book in parallel to her identity. There is so much to this book I really enjoyed, but Aaron really decimated so much of my enjoyment. Aside from him, I did have to take breaks to pace the amount of heaviness this book presents.

I don’t often read YA that deals in such heavy topics (I don’t generally read non-SFF YA to begin with), but the narrator really helped ease the weight. Katharine Chin did well in this audiobook, particularly in the different voices in dialogue for each character. It really felt like a different person voiced each character instead of the same actress - very impressive. I’d highly recommend the audiobook if you plan to read this.

Funnily enough, I almost didn’t pick up this audiobook. When I see pretty covers, I usually hesitate and back off since I find myself burning each time I pick up a book because I found the cover pretty (as in the only reason). I had thought the author sounded familiar and realized I had not one but two books by her on my TBR. After reading this, both If You Could See the Sun and A Song to Drown Rivers have moved up my list. Liang’s writing impressed me. As much as I disliked Aaron’s addition, his romance with Jenna wasn’t badly written. On its own, it was actually pretty sweet most times (some times he got on my nerves). It was Liang’s writing on emotion, subtle hints of culture that are seamless with the environment and story, and character development and experience throughout the novel that has me very interested in the other two novels. I’ll definitely be reading them at some point.

In any case, I want to take a moment to thank Harlequin Audio and Libro.FM for gifting me this ALC through their bookseller program. I also want to thank Ann Liang for giving a microphone to amplify the Bsian teenage experience I (and many others) have been waiting to hear, you’re changing lives. Last, but certainly not least, thank you for reading and supporting this blog; a reminder to you, dear reader, that in this spectacular and peculiar universe, you matter to me. Stay warm and be kind to yourself this winter. Until next time, I’ll be reading!

If you’re interested in this book, buy it from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Powell’s Books - Libro.fm [audiobook] or from your local bookstore which you can find on IndieBound! Alternatively, support your local libraries by signing up for a library card and finding this title on Libby!

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WHY YOU SHOULD WRITE HORRIBLY:

1. You’ll never write anything if you don’t

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Already pre-ordered 4 months ago, the moment I heard a new one was on the way!!! IM SO EXCITED!!! When this releases, it'll surely be my lucky day hehehe! 🍀✨💕

Also this cover is so fun!! I am seriously counting down the days to this book release! 📚

very happy to present incredible cover art for LUCKY DAY. beautiful work from LA BOCA capturing the spirit of this strange and terrifying and existential and absurdist horror novel. PRE ORDER HERE AND SUPPORT THE ART YOU LOVE

i have talked on this many times, but i would like to use this opportunity to say again, ESPECIALLY NOW, taking a moment to directly support queer, neurodivergent, counterculture, or outsider art is so important and POWERFUL. WE CAN BEND TIMELINES TOWARDS LOVE but it takes trotting together.

LUCKY DAY is about a lot of things. its my bisexual erasure book, but also about how we deal with a world that seems so full of overwhelming grief. its about finding hope amid chaos and trotting forward with love. please take a moment to preorder if you can. 

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All the Water in the World

Book: All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall ⭐ 7.75 / 10

DISCLAIMER: I want to thank Macmillan Audio and Libro.fm for gifting this ALC to me through their bookseller program. I was not paid to do this review, I have only received this free as a gift in exchange for an honest review of the book.

I feel I always do a review on climate fiction books when there’s some kind of climate issue going on. My home, which has never really snowed except for 2 times in my 22 years of life (and even then, it was more just slush and ice on the ground, never really snow), experienced a snowstorm. As far South as I am, I was more the happy to receive the snow, but there was this itchy feeling in the back of my mind, knowing that this is more of a sign of what chaos the world stores for us. I throw my first ever legit snowball as I try to forget that someday, where I stand will be underwater, and I’ve been told, from the time I joined the internet, that it would be in my lifetime. But where there is ice, there will be ice-melt and water and floods.

Where Private Rites by Julia Armfield is deep as oceans and philosophical as a sailor on the sea, All the Water in the World is a storm creeping in, the wind ramping up slow before it blows the roof off and the tension is at its peak. This book was fun to read all throughout.

Nonie begins with talks of the World as We Knew It and the World as It Is, interspersed with the memories of her lost mother, the grief of people taken by the climate destruction and the world torn away in its same swoop makes the loss feel closer to home. The brief descriptions of how the world became this way pull in a sense of dread on the current “climate crisis” we face, familiar signs of more drastic storms and melting glaciers with chunks breaking off like ice under a conflagration. This also provides a great setup that already begins forming emotional connections to multiple characters through memories Nonie shares in her journal/narration.

As we experience our first hypercane, the first taste of Caffall’s writing in action scenes had me already wanting more while still at the edge of my seat. Each challenge Nonie encounters on her journey up the Hudson River creates more tension, knowing we have already lost people and are at risk of losing more. It also becomes clear as she encounters other people and concerns arise that the weather was only one of many worries; not only are the survivors themselves another source of problems with their limited supplies, but there are starving animals of prey and a mosquito plague that never quite went away.

Following every major step of Nonie’s journey, the writing immerses the reader in a world that could be. While there is an element of fear and dread of that potential future, Nonie’s story also inspires us that even at what quite seems like the end of the world, hope and kindness is not dead, and the nature of humanity continues to exist, resilient in the most battering storms.

It wasn’t until after finishing the audiobook that I had read parts of the blurb, particularly the inspirations pulled for this book, which plucked a few of my heartstrings. The stories of the curators who remained resilient in protecting the valuable works of history and art from the destruction of siege and war. I had read about it while in high school, and it was one of the few war stories that stuck with me of the millions I was taught as per standard US education (seriously, how can we be a great country if ALL our history is war of some kind or another?? Topic for another time). My only gripe is that it didn’t quite feel so much like they were preserving the work since they had to abandon a lot of it, and much information died off with the loss of other survivors in the group before the story began, which that part of the loss didn’t seem very devastating to most of the characters, despite that being their supposed main goal.

Also, the audiobook narrator was wonderful. Eunice Wong did a good job pulling the tension in different scenes and bringing Nonie to life. Personally, I felt like Wong’s execution in the audio didn’t always meet up to Nonie’s hopeful outlook present in Caffall’s writing of her, which may have been purposeful stage (audio??) direction but wasn’t much my preference.

Writing this review, the ice is settled into the night, the frost creeping into my room as I talk about a world, drowned with no way back to the World as We Know It. Initially, I was going to write that I am an optimist, but I’ve decided that it is more honest to say that in spite of everything, I have hope. I’ve been told it is foolish to hold on it, and perhaps it’s true, but I’m a believer that hope is the mother of resilience, and one cannot be apart from the other. Like Nonie, it is in my hope and faith in my fellow people that I find the strength to continue forward in the fight for world betterment. We may not be able to restore the world to what it once was, but I think we’ll find a way to make it better, stronger than it was, even if we can’t yet see it.

In any case, I want to take a moment to thank Macmillan Audio and Libro.fm for gifting me this ALC to me through their bookseller program in exchange for an honest review of the book. I also want to thank Eiran Caffall for merging the fear for the end of the world as we know it with the hope of us persisting beyond it in this fantastic novel. Last but not least, I want to thank you for reading and supporting this blog, and a reminder to you, dear reader, that in this chaotic and stormy world, you matter to me, and we shall persevere. Take care of yourself this season - stay warm and hydrated, take your meds. Until next time, I’ll be reading!

If you’re interested in this book, buy it from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Powell’s Books - Libro.fm [audiobook] or from your local bookstore which you can find on IndieBound! Alternatively, support your local libraries by signing up for a library card and finding these titles on Libby!

[stareaterreads]

'negativity is the enemy of creativity' - david lynch

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Water Moon: A Review

Book: Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao ⭐ 9 /10

DISCLAIMER: I want to thank Penguin Random House for gifting this ARC to me as a bookseller. I was not paid to do this review, I have only received this free as a gift in exchange for an honest review of the book.

I cannot remember the first time I ever watched a Studio Ghibli film. It has always been something that has been wrapped in my late childhood; one of the movies I would watch again and again - my particular favorite had been The Cat Returns, which is likely the start of me becoming a furry. Notably, some big favorites are Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, both of which have a unique style of world-building that draws you in every time you watch it; it could be the 82nd time you’ve watched it and it’d feel as wondrous as the first.

Water Moon felt a lot like those two films, its world-building using an almost child-like sense of wonder to create a whole new world that one would feel only exists in dreams, yet when it’s painted on a movie screen or written in the pages of a book, it feels realer than real.

As I went through this book, it left me curious with every page, introducing new things all the time yet never so much it felt overwhelming. I was very impressed with how good Yambao is as pacing the information the reader receives through the book, letting the adventure truly lead you along gently like a dream.

The imagery and symbolism present throughout the book, along with a stunning amount of foreshadowing (that I personally did not clock at all at first), combine into a fantastical story that really immerses you into a whole new world as if each moment you were truly experiencing every moment of amazement, pain, joy, curiosity, grief, sadness, or otherwise. Speaking of emotions, Yambao’s writing turned my heart into an ocean being pushed and pulled into different emotions and experiences like the tide guided by the moon telling a tale - making the title fit on so many extra levels I never could have imagined going in.

Like a storm rolling in with its towering clouds enchanting a person on the shore to watch its beauty, the slow increase in tension leading up to the climax of the book had me unable to put the book down - and even after, I found myself desperately gripping to read the resolution, the fallout after.

There is a romance present in the book - though it isn’t the main focus of the book at all, but the story also wouldn’t be the same without it, I feel. It was sweet and, like the rest of the book, nicely paced. Their bond and affections felt like it naturally developed within the story, and allowed a strengthening bond between myself as the reader and them as the main characters quicker than I caught onto.

I am not one for spoilers, so as a very minor spoiler - the twists and turns this novel took me through had me reeled in like a fish on a hook. The ending didn’t feel rushed and actually felt very gentle on my heart, wrapping up the story rather nicely. I feel content whether this book will receive a sequel or not.

Do I plan to read more fantasy from Yambao? Abso-fucking-lutely. Sign me up! This was an incredible read and I couldn’t recommend it enough. I’d suggest this to any fans of Studio Ghibli films, or someone who may need a new, adventurous dream in their life.

In any case, thank you so much for reading and supporting my blog. I wanted to take a moment to thank Penguin Random House for gifting this ARC to me as a bookseller. I also want to thank Samantha Sotto Yambao for brightening the real world with the elements of a new dream world with childish wonder in this awesome novel. Last but not least, I want to thank you and remind you, dear reader, that in this curious and dream-like universe, you matter to me. Remember to take care of yourself, try out something new today like a new snack or a new hobby or a new breathing technique; just remember to be kind to yourself. Until next time, I’ll be reading!

If you’re interested in this book, buy it from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Barnes & Noble - Libro.fm [audiobook] or from your local bookstore which you can find on IndieBound! Alternatively, support your local libraries by signing up for a library card and finding these titles on Libby!

[stareaterreads]

WARNING - all kinds of disturbing

a new big article about NG came out, it is well written, has some new distubing levels, be careful about your triggers

(chrome didn't let me read it without paying but I opened in firefox and it was okay, edit: or link)

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💙📚Current Reads for the Week:

• North is the Night by Emily Rath ❄️👀

• Malas by Marcela Fuentes 🎞️🔥

• Starter Villain by John Scalzi 🐈😈

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Iron Widow + Heavenly Tyrant : A Book Review

Warning: Because I am discussing both books, there is bound to be some spoilers for the first book in my discussion of the second one. The review has been split between the two books to help prevent reading spoilers in the sequel; also, the discussion of both following after will contain no spoilers.

My sci-fi/fantasy book club loved Iron Widow. After adoring the beloved anime Code Geass and Neon Genesis Evangelion and being practically obsessed with Sara Wolf’s Heavenbreaker, I was so ready to love this book, too. I will preface that I didn’t hate it either, far from it. Truthfully, I still really want to love this book.

Xiran Jay Zhao is so hype and I respect them so much; I’ve watched some of their YouTube content focused around Chinese history, which having watched both videos on the real life Wu Zetian made the book fun to see where inspiration was drawn from. However, just because one likes a creator’s writing in video form doesn’t always mean one will enjoy it in another form (as evidenced by many vloggers of the 2010s making books with various reactions of hatred or adoration).

As clear by the title, I’m also rating Heavenly Tyrant, which I want to take a moment to thank Tundra Book Group and Libro.fm’s bookseller program for gifting me an ALC in exchange for an honest review of the audiobook. But for this review, we begin with my opinions on the first book of the two.

Book: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao ⭐ 6.5 / 10

First and foremost, the mechs are awesome. The world-building surrounding them, their legends, and the way they operate is very cool and original. The mix of internal psychology and spiritual science made for a very creative concept on how the Chrysalises operate. The scenes with and in Chrysalises are all fantastic - the book keeps the action-packed fast pace the moment the combat starts. It is a whirlwind of the kind of combat and war politics that come with being a soldier. This, mixed in with the female rage narrative, gave the book powerful potential.

“Female rage” feels more fitting to describing Iron Widow, as I feel that calling it a ‘feminist’ piece would ignore that Zetian spends a lot of the book with the “I’m not like other girls” whenever interacting with other female characters, even ones she seems to get along with. She also seems to always have the perfect comeback ready, and if she doesn’t then she’s plotting revenge. A lot of the critical challenges she goes through (dealing with family, romantic relationships, political tension, revolution) all seems to be resolved a little too easily to me. She doesn’t feel like a passive protagonist since she does take action to further the plot through much of the book (which I always appreciate an active protag), but it feels a little too convenient how often things just worked out for her. Particularly, I felt that she was high-key overpowered throughout a good majority of the book.

On the other hand, I do enjoy a good female rage story from time to time. As someone who was raised female, it always scratches a good itch in my brain to see legitimately terrifying and powerful women tear down figureheads of the patriarchy and burn misogyny to the ground, literally. [My favorite vent character to write is an overpowered female who becomes actual female rage incarnate]. While there is something to Zetian’s particular method or thought process to how she achieves this that doesn’t move me, I cannot ignore that the final 30 pages definitely had me mentally hollering for victory for her.

Book: Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao ⭐ 6 / 10

First of all, the physical cover was gorgeous. The gold mixes very well and I applaud the artist (Ashley Mackenzie) for the symbolic details and beautiful design. Second of all, I thought I saw somewhere that this series would be a duology, but considering this one ends in a cliff-hanger, I am a bit bothered and also a tad excited to know there may be more in store. I’m not sure I’ll be picking up the next one in the series, though.

Not only is this book actually longer than the first book, it reads slower, too. The fast pace of the first one in direct contrast to this one is slightly mind-boggling. In comparison to Iron Widow, there is very little action and spotlight on the Chrysalises, which I do wish there was a little more of, but I was plenty happy with the increase in political tension - both inside and outside of the court. There is often times a political intrigue sci-fi book will operate only within the court (out of the handfuls I have read), but I am glad to see there is a near-equal focus on the tension caused by needing to appeal to the people (lest the mob arrive at the emperor’s door with their pitchforks).

The continuation of the core of female rage in Heavenly Tyrant brings more highlights to Zetian’s struggles as a woman in a patriarchal society alongside the struggles of other females around her. How Zetian feels and experiences the misogyny of her new partner and all the men of the court is explored more in this novel, providing a deeper insight into how she thinks her way through solutions and loopholes to redefine society and court as Empress. On the other hand, these moments feel more like descriptions without proper time to emotionally process her experiences before she moves on to the next action. Logically, this makes sense, but it makes up a strange use of the emotional pacing of the book, and it threw me off when it came to connecting to Zetian as a character.

As much as I feel the other females improved the story surrounding Zetian, I did hope there would be something more in terms of a relationship for her to develop with people, since the romantic partnerships she developed in the first book get completely thrown out this novel. The complete abandonment of both partners in the polycule when it was such a big point in the marketing of the first book really bothered me - particularly that it was then replaced with a relationship that I think is supposed to be a love-hate relationship, but I feel zero love and zero chemistry in. While the polyamory inclusion was abandoned, I did appreciate the attention taken into highlighting the struggles of the queer community within this futuristic take on Medieval China. It wasn’t in major detail, though I would have killed for Zetian to have entered Club Lily.

I saw a Reddit user (u/RheingoldRiver) mention in their review that Heavenly Tyrant focused more on an “eat-the-rich” kind of rage, which I heavily agree with. I particularly think the thought taken into executing the revolution against the upper class across the entire length of the novel was incredibly done, and had me hyped up at different points while reading.

I won’t spoil the ending, though I will say I didn’t like it very much. Everything in the lore being explained the way it was - while it does make some kind of scientific twist of sense - really bothered me. All the clues leading to it were there, but it felt very much like an anachronism. I actually had to re-listen several times to the transition into the last section to really understand that that’s what was going on, because it felt like it led into a plot of a totally different book, completely different series.

Overall, my opinion on Heavenly Tyrant is super mixed with a slight skew positively. Hate the relationship, love the characters, hate the lore, love the political coup, etc. I had wanted to love this a lot more, and I sat on my opinion for it to simmer, but in the end, it’s a 6 star for me - which isn’t bad at all. I would probably still recommend this to a decent amount of people who read Iron Widow.

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Having read both of these books and coming out just a smidge disappointed has re-taught me the lesson (which I’ve learned several times already) to not let hype carry my expectations too high. Iron Widow had been recommended (in person) to me about 5 or 6 times (which is much higher on average for a book rec to me), and, as said, everyone in my sci-fi/fantasy book club loved it. Some of my coworkers at the bookstore have spoken positively of it, too. Upon finishing both of these in the same couple week timespan, I wondered if I were in the minority for having such a middling opinion; it turns out I was not. A lot of reviews had similar thoughts to me, some even voicing some opinions better than I do here.

And yet... As negative as my writing seems on these books, I still think they are written pretty well. I may not have particularly enjoyed them as much as some others, but I will acknowledge that XJZ did some awesome work here. I know it seems I can be pretty biased for them, but I promise I tried my very hardest to not let that sway my opinions here (other than the hype leading up to it). I’d still recommend people to give Iron Widow a try, and if they enjoy the world and Zetian, I’d also recommend them to follow up with Heavenly Tyrant.

With that being said, I want to once again thank Tundra Book Group and Libro.fm’s bookseller program for gifting me an ALC of Heavenly Tyrant. I also want to thank Xiran Jay Zhao for being such an awesome and colorful author and content creator in this world, also thank you for bringing these two very cool novels to life. Last but not least, thank you for reading and supporting this blog; a reminder to you, dear reader, that in this resilient and incredible galaxy, you matter to me. Remember to take care of yourself - drink your water, take your meds, maybe get yourself a treat today. It’ll be a long year, but we’re still here. Until next time, I’ll be reading!

.

If you’re interested in this book, buy it from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Barnes & Noble - Libro.fm [audiobook] or from your local bookstore which you can find on IndieBound! Alternatively, support your local libraries by signing up for a library card and finding these titles on Libby!

[stareaterreads]

Star's 2024 Ranked (Fiction) Reads

Wow, 2024. What a fucking year. I feel safe to say that it’s been an absolute shitshow of a year for a lot of us. For myself, it honestly feels like I’m just a punching bag, rolling with the punches at this point. I feel like much of my reading journey in 2024 has been guided by that. I found myself picking up comfort reads to escape this hellscape more often than not this year.

There were also many books that I picked up out of curiosity due to BookTok (much of it, regretfully) or to some other form of recommendation to me. I’d consider this year more filled with the bookish admiration of other readers, inspired by their joy.

This ranking was a bit difficult for me to pull off, but I want to disclose this is not at all based on the quality of the book (even if it strongly influenced my opinion). These books are ranked purely on how much I enjoyed it and had fun on the book alone.

I tried to give more honest rankings for these books (not that I’m dishonest otherwise), and also I just have fun re-arranging and re-organizing any of my book lists! Each ranking has its own name and within each rank, from left to right, they are all listed in the order of my enjoyment.

Additionally, I wanted to write about some other tidbits I want to share about a handful of books on this list.

The Spear Cuts Through Water is by far the best fantasy book and I will not step down from this. I said this in a previous post and I stand by it.

Babel: An Arcane History was an absolute masterpiece, and I wholeheartedly believe it should have gotten a Hugo. If not, it deserves to be preserved in literature and studied. I know that statement is ironic to the message of the book, but I truthfully think there are so many themes within the book that many people ought to know.

The Hunger Games was a magnificent read and feels more relevant now than it did when it first published (scary). I had watched the movie forever ago, during a time I couldn’t stand to read. Having finally read it this year, it is so worth reading. The writing and symbolism is fantastic all throughout.

Guardians of Dawn series by S. Jae-Jones was surprisingly enjoyable! I went into it worried I wouldn’t like it simply because there are too many times I pick up a book because “ooh! pretty cover!” and come to be disappointed by the story. (I still hesitate if the book is too pretty). This book feels like a true love letter to fanfiction in both its style and unique story, characters, and romance. I’m sad I missed the initial hype for Zhara, and I have yet to hear any hype about Ami but there really should be and I am so excited for Guardian #3!

Stay with My Heart was sweet and endearing. I would loop the song named at the beginning of each chapter as I read along and it helped boost the mood a lot. Plus, the playlists are AMAZING. Also- Stray Kids mention??? (lowkey Stay here :P)

American Rapture was so fun and deserves so much love. I truly think any fans of Chuck Tingle’s horror books would enjoy this one.

The Neon Gods series is only listed separate from the latest two novels is simply because I enjoyed the rest of the series about the same and they average out to this spot.

I really wanted to like Hexologists a lot more, but I felt like there wasn’t enough of the rest of the magic system in the story. I loved the diagram - that looks amazing. I got lost several times in the logic of the mystery though.

Six-Gun Snow White is absolutely worth reading until the last chapter. Its a fun novella that is a Western retelling of Snow White. I personally didn’t enjoy the ending, but you can just skip the last chapter and dream your own ending. :)

Graveyard Shift is a book I am well aware should be higher on this list. I personally didn’t enjoy it as much, and to each their own, but I absolutely can see people loving this horror novella.

Dark Restraint just wasn’t my type. I know I’m not the biggest fan of “dark romance” (which means something different to the smut community, and now I know what I look for is actually ‘angsty romance’, but I digress). This book feels like the dark romance couple of the Gods/Heroes of Greek mythos.

Pumpkin Spice Cafe is a strange book for me that I find myself slowly liking less as I look back on it more. There is something about the vibe that irks me a little, and I have yet to pinpoint it.

City of Bones is a book that my opinion improved upon discussing with my book club. However, even with their observations bringing my rating up to a 3/5, I still couldn’t find myself enjoying the writing in this one.

I cannot express the amount of times I tried to write a review about Ghost since I finished reading it in October. I hated Ghost himself, and I wanted so badly for Blythe to be with Dragon or Wolf instead because I significantly loved them more. The story was good at times and meh at others. It somehow had a mixture of cozy, spooky, and dark rolled into one. My feels get complex because I love love so many aspects, but most of those aspects don’t get delivered. Sadly, I don’t plan to continue to Halloween Boys series.

This will (hopefully) be the last time I complain about To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods on this blog. I know coming back to it only draws attention and therefore curiosity to it, but I cannot help but talk about a book I was so utterly disappointed by. Supposedly Molly X. Chang has a new novel releasing in 2025, which I fully intend to read. I don’t want this to be a hate read. It’s actually because I so strongly believe in the potential that was present in this first novel that I want to see what she comes up with in future stories.

Before I leave off, I want to leave one more note about my hopes for the future of this blog. Once this seasonal depression has shaken its insistence on causing a reading slump for me, I do want to have some casual posts between my weekly book reviews. I didn’t originally intend for this blog to be exclusively books; there were ideas for possible video game reviews and writing casually about my job as a bookseller or about reading/writing. There is no promise for what the future holds, but I hope there is more in store for this blog.

Nevertheless, I thank you for reading and supporting my little blog. I made my rankings on Canva, but I’d love to see your rankings, or - at the very least - what book you’re reading to start off the 2025 year (mine is Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao). As always, I remind you, dear reader, that in this colorful and strange universe we occupy, you matter to me. Remember to treat yourself as you would a dear friend, and if there isn’t enough enrichment in your enclosure, to change something in it - I am adding in new fairy lights to my own. Until next time, I’ll be reading!

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If you’re interested in this book, buy it from one of these links here! Bookshop.org - Barnes & Noble - Libro.fm [audiobook] or from your local bookstore which you can find on IndieBound! Alternatively, support your local libraries by signing up for a library card and finding these titles on Libby!

Bonus: Here's my clumsily made ranking list I made in 2023 before I even thought of making this blog. I had a lot less reads due to a whirlwind of changes, but I like to see how much I've grown and changed since then.

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"More than 40% of women leave tech companies after ten years compared to 17% of men. A report by the Center for Talent Innovation found that women didn't leave for family reasons or because they didn't enjoy the work. They left because of "workplace conditions", "undermining behaviour from managers", and "a sense of feeling stalled in one's career". A feature for the Los Angeles Times similarly found that women left because they were repeatedly passed up for promotion and had their projects dismissed." - Caroline Criado Perez, Invisible Women

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yes its the horror books under the mattress

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Got an ALC (thank you Libro.fm & Tundra Book Group!) and holy is it amazing so far!! So excited to see what other people think about it!!

Review coming soon! :3

FINALLY, I HAVE MY HANDS ON AN OFFICIAL COPY OF HEAVENLY TYRANT 😭

Get this book on Dec 24 if you want to see how an 18-year-old peasant girl who destroyed the government with a giant dragon mecha handles BEING the new government. Many bad decisions are made but at least poor people can hunt CEOs for sport under her administration...?