#THE QUEEN OF SORROW BY SARAH BETH DURST

[betterbooksandthings]

"Sure, a monarchy may not be the best form of government, but the best fantasy royalty sometimes makes you believe they’ve gotten it right.

And there is something about fantasy that makes rulers more believable. Sure, fantasy books do have democracies, but the influence of historic monarchies in mythology and folklore has played a role in the current popularity of rulers in fantasy. It’s a genre where we are still processing the implications of empire and monarchy and a ruling class — albeit one with dragons, fairies, and/or magic.

In fantasy worlds that contain royal government structures, there will always be the ones we root to keep the thrones and the ones we root to lose them. The following list is a mix of fantasy worlds where characters are often still finding the path to the throne. Sometimes, royals are usurping the throne or just waiting their turn in the line of succession. Either way, they are using their political power to help the people even when it risks their safety. It makes sense that readers are more likely to root for a member of the ruling class with access to unlimited privilege if that person is very good at their job."

[reluctanthurricane]

#24 for the end-of-year book meme, please!

Did you DNF anything? Why?

I sure did! I read a lot and I try not to make myself finish things if I could be reading a book I'd like more. I'm bad at it and I'm also bad at tracking but here are the ones I did track/can remember

Under a cut because apparently I have more than I realized

Queen of Sorrow, by Sarah Beth Durst -- I was enjoying this trilogy well enough. Like nothing ground breaking but I was having a good time. And I thought I knew where it was going! The premise of the world was that humans and these like, nature spirits shared the world and some female humans had the ability to control the nature spirits and each land has a queen that controls the nature spirits of the whole land and it was framed in a way that the nature spirits needed the human queen to control them and in the first book we find that some of the spirits are way smarter than the protagonist knew was possible, so I thought oh, I know where this is going, in the last book we're going to find out that this White Man's Burden style subjugation is actually bad, but then I picked it up and that didn't seem to be where it was going and I talked to some folks who read it and apparently that doesn't get addressed??? So that felt icky so I gave up on it.

Octavia's Brood, this is a short story collection that marries the themes of Octavia Butler's work with the imaginations of social justice activists, which is a cool concept! Except I read the first two stories and both of them were ... not good. I was told there was one really good story in there but I gave it back to the friend who lent it to me without reading it so that was on me, but yeah, not for me.

Nudge, I was reading this and then it seemed uh, internally inconsistent with its argument and then I remembered the executive level coworker who recommended it to me got fired and then If Books Could Kill did an episode on it while I was reading it and I was like "Okay, I don't need to finish this"

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente. I just wasn't vibing with it. It was good but idk, I think I read it too close to Seanan McGuire (writing as A. Deborah Baker) doing a very similar concept and I needed more space between them. I may pick it up again. some other time

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - oh my, okay. So. I know a lot of people adore this book, and I'm so happy for them and I wish I could be one of them. But the prose is excruciating and I say this as someone who loves flowery bullshit. I think my biggest problem with it is that it felt to me like it was supposed to read academic or even maybe bloviating academic, which makes sense! But instead it was overwrought in a way that did not match at all with Emily Wilde as a character. She is an old school anthropologist who is so focused on her work that she doesn't think to do anything to personalize her long-term-temporary home. This is her journal/field notes, I just cannot imagine her taking the time to describe the natural world around her in all that much detail, let alone describe the sky as a "cerulean canopy". If she were in the humanities, I'd be here for it, if she were especially extra as a person sure! But she is neither and I got mad about it.

Castles in Their Bones, by Laura Sebastian - Another book that I was having a perfectly fun time with, but I think I just didn't have patience for YA at the time and then my library loan lapsed and I didn't put any effort into getting it back.

The Terraformers, by Annalee Newitz. I am planning on picking this one up again! I have it on my list of books I am going to prioritize this year! But somehow again! Timing has conspired against me with finishing one of their books! This is the fourth time!!! I have started one of their books and through no fault of the book!!! I have failed to finish it!!!! :( I am going to break the pattern this year!!!!

How to Keep House While Drowning, by K C Davis. Listen I know this book helps a lot of people. It wasn't for me.

Stiff, by Mary Roach - loan lapsed, I'll pick it up again at some point maybe but I don't have any real plans to do so in the immediate future.

The School for Good Mothers, by Jessamine Chan. I heard good things about this book and I get why! But I am not like, invested in stories about parenthood, and the first bit of the book that I did read was rough (in a like, intentional way that was impressive from a craft perspective) and I wasn't able to get past that part.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson. I found this book boring, and I think that is entirely my fault. I am not a mystery reader and I got the vibe that this book was in conversation with the genre in a way that I just wasn't going to appreciate because I was missing all of it! I may pick it up again if I ever become more well versed in the genre or maybe I will try reading it with my ears some time.

The Soul of an Octopus, by Sy Montgomery - Montgomery started out the book framing how cool octopodes are through her own experience that was just so obnoxiously saccharine that, I, a person who already thinks cephalopods are cool as heck was rolling my eyes right out of my head. Another example of a book that's probably fine but just not for me

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library, by Hester Fox. I don't remember this book at all, it just had a cool concept and I felt like it kept falling short of how good it should have been.

Tesla, by Richard Munson - I would love to read a biography of Tesla but somehow all the ones I haven't really vibed with any of them. I mean I think biographies of dead genius men are frequently written in a way that is obnoxious. This one was the best of them so far but also my loan lapsed and I have not found my way to caring enough to check it out again.

And finally this is the year I discovered that most romance novels work for me for about 80-90% of the book but once we get to the third act breakup (annoying) or the resolution (even worse), I frequently cannot bring myself to care. And like, I read and finished romance novels I like! But I read 80-90% of probably half or slightly more of the romance novels I picked up. I do think this has to do with me being on the aromantic spectrum. I like romance, I just think that when we start to see the priorities of our protagonists change, the book loses me a little. And I think that's yet another example of not all art being for all people and that being okay.

[bookbeani]

“Keep breathing. It won’t get better. Keep breathing anyway.”

- The Queen of Sorrow, Sarah Beth Durst

[pascale-the-bard]

Read the Queen of Sorrow people, so I can squeal with someone about Naelin’s family pillow fights.

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Queen of Sorrow | Author: Sarah Beth Durst | Publisher: Harper Voyager (2018)

[accidentalspaceexplorer]

July Monthly Recap

I forgot to do my July monthly recap, whoops! Honestly, the last couple of months have really blended into each other. I have had an excellent couple of months, though - I read 12 books in July, and my favorites were Hench and Invisible Women.

Monstress, Vol. 4: The Chosen by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda: 4.5/5

Flash Forward by Rose Eveleth: 4.5/5

The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst: 3.5/5

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky: 4.5/5

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez: 5/5

Jade City by Fonda Lee: 3.75/5

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean: 4.25/5

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots: 5/5

Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather: 5/5

Jingo by Terry Pratchett: 4.75/5

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev: 4.25/5

Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters by Aimee Ogden: 4/5

[anarchy-maenad]

This year may not have been my best year, but I did keep one goal in which I decided to read more books this year. So now I get to post the list of books I read throughout the year.

Bolded titles are personal favorites and would highly recommend reading. c:

• Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake • One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake • Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake • The Iron Trial by holly black and Cassandra Clare • The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare • The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare • The Silver Mask by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare • The Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare • Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige • Wing and Claw by Linda Sue Park • The Midnight Sea by Kat Ross • Blood of the Prophet by Kat Ross • Queen of Chaos by Kat Ross • Crown of Blood by Gwynn White • Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima • To Hell in a Handbasket by Willow Rose • The Apples of Idunn by Matt Larkin • Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard • Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard • King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard • War Storm by Victoria Aveyard • The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead • Soldier Son by D K Holmberg • The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Page • The Young Elites by Marie Lu • The Rose Society by Marie Lu • The Midnight Star by Marie Lu • A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin • The White Tower by Michael Wisehart • The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey • The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey • The Last Star by Rick Yancey • Crimson Spear by Jon Kiln • Desert Forged by Jon Kiln • Gate of Heaven by Jon Kiln • The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson • Yellow Brick War by Danielle Page • The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater • The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater • Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater • The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater • Panther in the Hive by Olivia A Cole • The Rooster's Garden by Olivia A Cole • Heartbreak Hotel by Jonathan Kellerman • Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce • Legend by Marie Lu • Prodigy by Marie Lu • Champion by Marie Lu • The Divine Comedy: Inferno by Dante Alighieri • The Jungle by Upton Sinclair • The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi • Binti by Nnedi Okorafor • Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor • Binti: The Night Masquerade by Nnedi Okorafor • Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh • Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh • The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh • The Rose and The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh • Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop • Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor • Phasma by Delilah S Dawson • The Obelisk Gate by N K Jemisin • The Stone Sky by N K Jemisin • The Dark Army by Joseph Delaney • The End of Oz by Danielle Page • A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas • Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi • The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst • The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black • The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald • Paradise Lost by John Milton • I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore • The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore • The Savior's Champion by Jenna Moreci • Divergent by Veronica Roth • Insurgent by Veronica Roth • Allegiant by Veronica Roth • Rebel of the Sands by Alwynn Hamilton • Traitor to the Throne by Alwynn Hamilton • Hero at the Fall by Alwynn Hamilton • Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo • Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo • A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A Cole • Bluescreen by Dan Wells • Snared by Jennifer Estep • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak • The Hundredth Queen by Emily R King • The Fire Queen by Emily R King • The Rogue Queen by Emily R King • The Warrior Queen by Emily R King • Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth • The Fates Divide by Veronica Roth • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins • Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins • Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins • The Giver by Lois Lowry • Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry • Messenger by Lois Lowry • Son by Lois Lowry • The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan • The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman • The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman • Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo • The Thousand Names by Django Wexler • An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir • A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir • The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu • The Wall of Storms by Ken Liu • Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind • Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind • Wild Seed by Octavia Butler

[bibliophilicwitch]

Goatathon | Day One: Goat Started

My tbr includes finishing A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir which is also a part of my tbr for #beatthebacklist, read the recently released Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst the third book in the Queens of Renthia series which I marathoned last month, sprint through the second two Binti books by Nnedi Okorafor, Home and The Night Masquerade to finish a series, and start the Liveship Traders trilogy with Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb which is part of the Realm of the Elderlings series that I’ve been meaning to continue with. If I am feeling a reread instead of any of these titles, I will pick up The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss because I have been wanting to reread the Kingkiller Chronicle for years.

[betterbooksandthings]

Fantasy For Queen and Country

Matriarchies in fantasy are hard to pull off. You can run into the problem of creating a patriarchy with all women or creating a patriarchy where there is one woman as the exception to the rule. Thinking through how women work in monarchies is important, but almost impossible to do right. Here are fantasy 5 books that have attempted the impossible.

The Queen of the Tearling: Erika Johansen 

An exiled princess assumes the throne as she comes of age bringing new ideas to a throne ruled by old blood. She continues the matriarchial rule that has defined her kingdom with the help of the Tearling sapphire, a strong magic with the wisdom of the woman who came before her. She is a woman who values taking care of her people, nurturing talent, and spreading knowledge. Unfortunately, she must contend with archaic policies, an untrustworthy court, and an evil queen who will do anything to bring Tearling to its knees. 

The Kiss of Deception: Mary E. Pearson

She should have the power to see the future and rule her people, but when her parents arrange her marriage to a prince she has never meet, she leaves it all behind. Escaping with her best friend, she uses her skill with languages and survival to find a place in a tavern, away from her old life. Or so she thinks, her destiny will come and find her as she embarks on a path with people she cannot trust through unwelcoming kingdoms. Forged in fire, she emerges regal.

The Queen of Blood: Sarah Beth Durst

One could say that the queen crowned on the bloodiest of days is to be feared and revered for her might and power. Of course, then one would be grievously wrong. We follow a girl who nearly has the power to control spirits struggle and train and persevere to one day protect the country she loves. Everyone knows that spirits either create or destroy and only the queen can stop the kingdom and all the people who reside in it from death. When towns start dying, someone has to investigate the queen, train an heir, and stop the death before it’s too late. 

Roar: Cora Carmack

Powerful Stormling families rule and protect kingdoms. As the last remaining heir, she has been bred to be an intelligent, honorable queen. She is to marry a prince from a nearby kingdom, but they both have hidden reasons for an alliance. When she learns of a way to learn how to control storms hearts, she leaves the nefarious marriage behind and joins a wayward group of storm hunters, a group she was told were impossible. She wants to earn her kingdom’s trust and support, but to do so, she has to face the storm.

A Court of Thorns and Roses: Sarah J. Maas

A kingdom is withering. A family is starving. A wolf is dying. As one event leads into the next, one normal girl is whisked away, over the wall into the Spring Court of the fae. As her days pass, she experiences the greatest joys, sorrows, and loves in the midst of a horrible curse. A curse that has trapped and stifled the fae. A curse that only a human can break. She may not be ready to deal with these kingdoms of fae with varied intentions, but she will always fight to survive. 

[readingaway]

Danielle Babbles About Books - The Queen of Sorrow (The Queens of Renthia, #3) by Sarah Beth Durst

Rating: 5/5 stars

Adult Content: Some sexual references, death, danger

Review: I loved this ending to a fantastic trilogy! It’s been a couple weeks and I’m still trying to gather all my thoughts. I love the characters in this series; the mix of personalities and ages is great for a lot of reasons, and I like the different relationships between them. I really liked getting to follow the three different plotlines and how they all worked together. I loved the creativity with the climax and conclusion; it didn’t end up going the way I’d expected it to but I liked the twists. It was all very satisfying and there’s plenty of room for spin-off series that could take up the hints and challenges that were unfinished here. This was just such a fantastic and horribly underappreciated trilogy that I’ve already started shoving at people.

Favorite Quote: “I'm allowed to have new dreams.”

[bookbeani]

The Final TBR

(aka the only books I’m allowed to read for the next seven months, essentially)

Fantasy

Pathfinder by Angie Sage

The Singing by Alison Croggon

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner ★★★☆☆

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst ★★★★★

The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst ★★★☆☆

The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker ★★★★☆

The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente

The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente

The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home by Catherynne M. Valente

The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

Hild by Nicola Griffith

The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

The Golem’s Eye by Jonathan Stroud ★★★★☆

Ptolemy’s Gate by Jonathan Stroud

The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud

The Magicians by Lev Grossman ★★★☆☆

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He ★★★☆☆

Classics

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

The Odyssey by Homer

The Iliad by Homer

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky

A Room of One’s Own and Three Guineas by Virgina Woolf

The Waves by Virginia Woolf ★★☆☆☆

Poetry

Frost by Robert Frost

Plath by Sylvia Plath

Miscellaneous

Fullmetal Alchemist Volumes 4-6 by Hiromu Arakawa

Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeve

The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie ★★★☆☆

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders by Kevin Sylvester ★★★☆☆

Alice by Christina Henry ★★★☆☆

Arabic

مخالب الساحرة ١-٣ لعالية محمد صادق

 المجموعة القصص الكاملة ١-٣ لبنت الهدی

النبي لجبران خليل جبران

السابق لجبران خليل جبران

الهة الارض لجبران خليل جبران

رمل و زبد لجبران خليل جبران

غادة الكاميليا لالكسندر دوماالابن

ماجدولين لمصطفی لطفي المنفلوطي

[lobster-mobster-aq]

"Aw, how sweet," Merecot said. "You'll both die."

-The Queen of Sorrow

[juniperandmoonlight]

Book review: “The Queen of Sorrow” by Sarah Beth Durst

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2179586052

Electronic ARC provided by Edelweiss. "The Queen of Sorrow" is a great end to an original and well crafted female centered fantasy trilogy. The plot of this book obviously deals with the issues left at the end of the previous volume. Aratay now has two Queens, something that has never happened before, while Semo is still being torn apart from the presence of too many spirits. Now that all of the characters have been fully established in two previous books, this book is allowed to explore relationships and dive head first into the plot. Naelin is still a great character; I said this in my review of "The Reluctant Queen", but it bears repeating that it's incredibly rare to see a female main character in fantasy who is the mother of adolescent children, and whose primary motivation is her family. I also want to mention Merecote as an especially well written antagonist. Despite her actions, she has reasonable motivations for what she's doing, and that makes her far more interesting. I don't want to say too much about the plot, except that I was completely satisfied with how everything settled out in the end, and enough hints were dropped about the rest of Renthia that I'm excited to read more books set in this universe. If you enjoyed either of the first two books then I definitely recommend this one, and if you haven't read "The Queen of Blood" but are looking for a good finished fantasy trilogy that won't take you a year to read, give this one a try.

[cover2covermom]

*Books included in this batch of mini book reviews: The Queen of Sorrow (Queens of Renthia #3) by Sarah Beth Durst, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching #3) by Terry Pratchett, & I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemias of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel

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» The Queen of Sorrow (Queens of Renthia #3) by Sarah Beth Durst

The Queens of Renthia series is a very underrated & underhyped series.  I wish more people would give these books a go… » Durst created such a whimsical world in the Queens of Renthia series.  I loved the lush descriptions.

»  The magic system included in this series was very unique: elemental spirits that can be controlled by a select few humans with an affinity.

»  I loved the complexity of certain characters & the relationships between the characters, Daleina & Merecot (and their relationship) in particular.

» I felt satisfied with how everything panned out in this conclusion.»  One of my biggest issues with this series was the inclusion of Naelin’s character & her story.  While we did get more of Daleina in this book as opposed to the second book, I wish that Durst would have kept this series limited to Daleina’s story.   I was very sad to see her pushed aside for most of the second book and a good chunk of this one.  I think it would have worked better to have done a spin-off series for Naelin.The Queen of Sorrow is the conclusion to a solid fantasy series.  Ranking this series is fairly easy in my mind: the first book is the best, followed by the third, then the second book slots in as the weakest.

› Recommended to ⇒ fantasy fans that enjoy whimsical worlds & unique magic systems

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

» Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

*4.5 Stars*

After reading Furiously Happy back in 2016 and loving it, I’ve been looking forward to reading this book.  I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint.

» Jenny Lawson’s humor is laugh out loud funny.  Like, laugh until you cry funny.  I must add a disclaimer that if you are easily offended, this humor is not going to be for you.

» I have such a soft spot for eccentric people, and Jenny is one odd duck.  If you are not a fan of the bizarre, this might not be the book for you.

» Jenny doesn’t apologize for who she is.  I respect her so much for that.

» I know many readers do not like the flow of Jenny’s books, or rather the lack there of, but I think of Jenny’s books as humorous short stories versus a cohesive & linear story line.Let’s Pretend This Never Happened will shock you, gross you out, AND keep you laughing for hours.  Jenny Lawson’s humor is not going to be for everyone.  I encourage you to check out her blog, The Bloggess, to gauge if her humor is for you.

› Recommended to ⇒ those with a crude sense of humor 🙂

› Trigger/content warnings ⇒ mental illness; anxiety; morbid humor; taxidermy

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

» Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching #3) by Terry Pratchett

*4.5 Stars*»  I am coming to adore Pratchett’s wit & humor.  I can’t help but chuckle to myself while reading these books.

» It’s no secret that I am a sucker for eccentric characters.  Pratchett assembles such a ragtag cast of characters in this series, but they somehow all compliment one another.  I can’t help but love all of them, even the prickly ones.

» Tiffany Aching is a very untypical main character, yet such a wonderful leaning lady.  I love that she is responsible, level headed, hard working, clever, and very sensible.  Did I mention that she’s sassy too?  Bravo for Pratchett creating a strong female lead that draws strength from her mind and determination

» The audiobook narration for this series is on point!  Honestly, I doubt I would enjoy this series as much as I have if I would have read them in print form.  I can only imagine trying to decipher the Wee Free Men’s thick accents otherwise.» I find that I often have a hard time keeping up with Pratchett as he tends to go off on random tangents in his narrations.  While the tangents are always amusing, it can make it difficult to follow.I have really enjoyed my introduction to Pratchett’s Discworld series.  After I complete the Tiffany Aching books, I will definitely dive into another one of these Discworld series.

› Recommended to ⇒ fans of Neil Gaiman; fans of witty stories; fans of quirky characters

› If you liked this book, try ⇒

» I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel

» I would probably say that this books is probably the most relatable of all the “reading memoir” style books I’ve read.   I really appreciated how relaxed Anne’s writing style was.  Anne comes across as very down to earth & real.  Listening to this book felt like I was having a chat with a friend.

» This is probably the first “reading memoir” style book I’ve read where the author’s faith/religion isn’t the center of the book.  While I do not fault these other author’s for infusing their faith in their works as an important aspect of their lives, I don’t particularly enjoy feeling as if I am being preached to.» Despite this being the most relatable “reading memoirs,” I felt like Anne didn’t give us enough unique content.  It felt very similar to the other books I’ve read within this genre.  I wanted Anne to give us some type of new spin.  This isn’t to say that what Anne has isn’t good, just that it is one among many.Anne has written a lovely book on what it means to live the bookish life.  If you love books, or even if you are only an occasional reader, I recommend you pick this one up.  There is something for every type of reader to relate to in this small book.

› Recommended to ⇒ book lovers

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson

Have you read any of these books?  If so, what did you think?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

      Mini Book Reviews: November 2019 - Part 2 #BookReview #BookBlogger #BookTalk #Bookworm *Books included in this batch of mini book reviews: The Queen of Sorrow (Queens of Renthia #3) by Sarah Beth Durst, 

[risepepper9-blog]

Catching up with the review pile . . .

Wow. Apparently, it's been over a year since I last did a catch-up post, and almost eight months since my last DNF review. I'm not sure if that's more a reflection of what's been landing on my shelf, or simply me being more selective on what I choose to read, but it's encouraging.

First up is Priest of Bones, the low, grimdark fantasy from Peter McLean that everybody seems to be raving about, and which is being favorably compared to the likes of The Lies of Locke Lamora. You know what? For the right reader, in the right mood, it's probably a solid read . . . but I'm not the former, and apparently not in the latter. Even were I to put my boredom with the grimdark genre aside, this feels like it's just trying too hard, putting far too much effort into shock and not enough into awe. The cruelty, rape, and sexualized violence against young boys and prostitutes certainly didn't help. Tomas was marginally interesting as a protagonist, and I genuinely liked Bloody Anne, but I think it was when the book went all-out Godfather that I realized the match between book and reader just wasn't going to work. I seem to be in the minority, though, so don't let my opinion hold you back.

I am disappointed to include The Queen of Sorrow in this post, especially after enjoying the first two books of The Queens of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst, but it just felt too familiar, and didn't really add anything to the story. I had high hopes early on, especially with the intensity of the kids' abduction, but it was with the Queens themselves that the story failed me. I know they're both new to their power, but they act like blind, foolish, impetuous, selfish children. Instead of the growth I would have expected after the second book, they actually seem to regress here, with Naelin becoming almost as annoying as her kids. On top of that, Merecot was just a weak antagonist, adding nothing in the way of drama to a story that desperately needed a strong foil. What's more, the writing felt softer and weaker than in the first two books, with much of the dialogue feeling recycled.

Less did-not-finish and more will-probably-read-later, Starless never came close to recapturing the narrative magic of the Kushiel books, and failed to offer up a hero even half as compelling as Phèdre or Joscelyn, but it's Jacqueline Carey and it has still potential. There were aspects of it that I liked, and I remain curious as to how it will all turn out, but something about the pacing made it a challenge to stick with. It feels like there's too much coming-of-age and training-montage, and not enough heroic quest. Also, and this shocked me coming from an author who has previously done such powerful things with gender and sexuality, but there were some homophobic sentiments in the narrative, and I didn't like the suggestion that gender is made, not born. More than anything, however, what has put this one back on the shelf is what it's lacking - the eloquence and passion that made me a fan. Source: http://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/2018/09/catching-up-with-review-pile.html