#The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith

Review: The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith

Series: Hell’s LibraryAuthor: A.J. HackwithPublisher: Ace BooksReleased: October 6, 2020Received: Library The Archive of the Forgotten is the second novel in A.J. Hackwith’s Hell’s Library Series, and the more I read, the more hooked I become. I’m fortunate to have The God of Lost Words waiting for me to jump right into. The Library of the Unwritten has a new librarian, Brevity. Meanwhile,…

[wordswhisperinthedark]

Damn, the Hell's Library trilogy by A.J Hackwith really speaks to lovers of words; writers, readers, poets, singers; storytellers. So good💕💕

[rockislandadultreads]

Warm Up with a Good Book!

Need a book to spark your interest & keep you warm? Check out one of these fiery recommendations! Make sure to also log whatever you read for our upcoming "Snow Many Books" Winter Reading Challenge, which begins this Friday, January 12th!

Where There Was Fire by John Manuel Arias

Costa Rica, 1968: When a lethal fire erupts at the American Fruit Company’s most lucrative banana plantation burning all evidence of a massive cover-up, and her husband disappears, the future of Teresa’s family is changed forever.

Now, twenty-seven years later, Teresa and her daughter Lyra are picking up the pieces. Lyra wants nothing to do with Teresa, but is desperate to find out what happened to her family that fateful night. Teresa, haunted by a missing husband and the bitter ghost of her mother, Amarga, is unable to reconcile the past. What unfolds is a story of a mother and daughter trying to forgive what they do not yet understand, and the mystery at the heart of one family’s rupture.

Dance Among the Flames by Tori Eldridge

Passion. Horror. Betrayal.

Across forty years, three continents, and a past incident in 1560 France, Serafina Olegario tests the boundaries of love, power, and corruption as she fights to escape her life of poverty and abuse. Serafina's quest begins in Brazil when she's possessed by the warrior goddess Yansã, who emboldens her to fight yet threatens to consume her spirit. Fueled by power and enticed by Exú, an immortal trickster and intermediary to the gods, Serafina turns to the seductive magic of Quimbanda. It's dangerous to dance in the fire. But when you come from nothing, you have nothing to lose.

Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao

Poornima and Savitha have three strikes against them: they are poor, they are ambitious, and they are girls. After her mother’s death, Poornima has very little kindness in her life. She is left to care for her siblings until her father can find her a suitable match. So when Savitha enters their household, Poornima is intrigued by the joyful, independent-minded girl. Suddenly their Indian village doesn't feel quite so claustrophobic, and Poornima begins to imagine a life beyond arranged marriage.

But when a devastating act of cruelty drives Savitha away, Poornima leaves behind everything she has ever known to find her friend. Her journey takes her into the darkest corners of India's underworld, on a harrowing cross-continental journey, and eventually to an apartment complex in Seattle.

The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith

The Library of the Unwritten in Hell was saved from total devastation, but hundreds of potential books were destroyed. Former librarian Claire and Brevity the muse feel the loss of those stories, and are trying to adjust to their new roles within the Arcane Wing and Library, respectively. But when the remains of those books begin to leak a strange ink, Claire realizes that the Library has kept secrets from Hell - and from its own librarians.

Claire and Brevity are immediately at odds in their approach to the ink, and the potential power that it represents has not gone unnoticed. When a representative from the Muses Corps arrives at the Library to advise Brevity, the angel Rami and the erstwhile Hero hunt for answers in other realms. The true nature of the ink could fundamentally alter the afterlife for good or ill, but it entirely depends on who is left to hold the pen.

This is the second volume of the "Hell's Library" series.

[annafromuni]

The Archive of the Forgotten - Dive Deeper Into Hell's Library

I fell in love with A.J. Hackwith’s writing style upon reading The Library of the Unwritten and The Archive of the Forgotten did not disappoint. There’s something so precious about this world, about the characters and setting and conflicts, that makes this feel like a comfort read on so many levels. Who doesn’t like a story set in a library? It automatically makes us feel some way, right? Now…

[supitsgdo]

Book review: Hell's Library trilogy by A.J. Hackwith

Rating:

The Library of the Unwritten - 4⭐

The Archive of the Forgotten - 3⭐

The God of Lost Words - 3⭐

I really liked the first book. The concept was pretty interesting. The classic trope Hell vs Heaven mixed with other realms from other mythologies, and a library filled with unwritten books. Claire is it's protetor, serving her punishment in Hell, with the company of Berity, a Muse also serving punishment. During their daily work, they are assigned a task to retrieve an unwritten book that had gone upstairs. Little did they know that their journey is about to take a BIG turn.

I enjoyed the characters immensely, all of them. The story is different from what we usual read. However, there's a lot happening in the first book. The events are soooo fast paced, and we know why (because of the condition to go upstairs), but once they get past that time limit, I was expecting the events to slow down. So I understand if some people get confused about that part. Although I had a good impression in the first book, I got slightly detached from the story after the second book.

In the second book we have the miscommunication trope and I instantly got bored. I'm sorry but I really hate it. Also, the romance started. I was already expecting that to happen but the build up/foundation was nowhere to be read. Maybe it was me and I didn't notice it, my bad. But the relationship felt weak. At least, the plot was ok and the things we discovered were really surprising.

In the third book, well I just wanted to finish at this point. The romance increased to a polyamorous relationship of three (again, I don't have any problem about that), but creating a relationship where even the characters don't have romantic thoughts towards each other, it's... Idonno, eh for me. At least, I was satisfied with the ending. It felt appropriate.

I think you should give it a chance anyways!

[maasslitagency]

[posi-pan]

books with pansexual or panromantic rep that came out in 2020

Case of the Bull Doggish (Unleashed #9) by Erik Schubach

The King Trials (Chronicles of Wehlmir #1) by D.L. Sims

Life Minus Me (Evanstar Chronicles #0.5) by Sara Codair

Vindicta (Temper #4) by Lila Mina

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

American Sweethearts (Dreamers #4) by Adriana Herrera

A Pale Light in the Black (NeoG #1) by K.B. Wagers

From the Dark We Came by J. Emery

Peacemaker (Dalí Tamareia #2) by E.M. Hamill

Roots of Corruption (Wilde Investigations #3) by Laura Lassko

Cadence and the Pearl by K.L. Noone

Case of the Dalmatian Salvation (Unleashed #10) by Erik Schubach

Change of Momentum (Fleet of Malik #2) by Liana Brooks

Natural Exposure (Bijou Basin #1) by Koriana Brackson

Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan

All or None (Star Stories #1) by Aurora Lee Thornton

Catalogue of Disaster by Amy-Alex Campbell

The Fire in My Blood by Chapel Orahamm

Seraphim (The Seventh Day #1) by Leslie Swartz

Wonderland (London Trilogy #3) by Juno Dawson

Blood and Mercy (Reforged #4) by V.S. Holmes

Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride (Cute Mutants #1) by SJ Whitby

Night Owls and Summer Skies by Rebecca Sullivan 

The Unconquered City (The Chronicles of Ghadid #3) by K.A. Doore 

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows (Feminine Pursuits #2) by Olivia Waite

The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig

High Heat (Hotshots #2) by Annabeth Albert

Loveless by Alice Oseman

The Painted Phoenix by Sarah Kay Moll

Cherrington Academy by Rebecca J. Caffery

The First Sister (The First Sister Trilogy #1) by Linden A. Lewis

Gemini Dreams by Philip Zander

Museum of Starving Things by John Cordial

Seaworthy (Character Bleed #1) by K.L. Noone

Whispering Wildwood by Emma Sterner-Radley

Case of the Irish Sitter (Unleashed #11) by Erik Schubach

Crownchasers (Crownchasers #1) by Rebecca Coffindaffer

Hey Jude by Star Spider

The Love Study by Kris Ripper

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore

The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker by Lauren James

Stalwart (Character Bleed #2) by K.L. Noone

Wayward Witch (Brooklyn Bujas #3) by Zoraida Córdova

The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life by Dani Jansen

The Archive of the Forgotten (Hell's Library #2) by A.J. Hackwith

The Country Village Christmas Show by Cathy Lake

Cute Mutants Vol 2: Young, Gifted & Queer (Cute Mutants #2) by SJ Whitby

Full Moon in Leo by Brooklyn Ray

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

Steadfast (Character Bleed #3) by K.L. Noone

Knock Me Down (Love at Knockdown #0.5) by Skye Kilaen 

The Liar's Guide to the Night Sky by Brianna Shrum

Restricted (The Verge #1) by A.C. Thomas

Daughter of the Moon (Tales of Inthya #5) by Effie Calvin

Cute Mutants Vol 3: The Demon Queer Saga (Cute Mutants #3) by SJ Whitby

Get It Right (Love at Knockdown #1) by Skye Kilaen

[the-paper-furler]

Quotes I really like Part 4

"Truth is put together by destiny; It's nothing more than a whim of fate. A lie, on the other hand, is more human; It's created by mankind, and tailor-made to purpose." -Antonio Iturbe, The Librarian of Auschwitz.

"On the page beside it, flowers and leaves twining around a picture hardly the size of a playing card. Mo followed the tendrills with his eyes, discovered seed-heads, fire-eleves, strange fruit, tiny creatures he couldn't name. The picture so skillfully framed showed two men surrounded by fairies. They were standing outside a village, with a crowd of ragged men behind them. One of the two was black and had a bear by his side. The other wore a bird mask, and the knife in his hand was a bookbinder's knife.

'The Black and the white hand of Justice. The Prince and the Bluejay." - Cornelia Funke, Inkdeath

"Wonderful, Annabeth thought. Her own mother, the most level-headed Olympian, was deduced to a raving scatterbrain in a subway station. And of all the gods who might help them, the only ones not affected by the Greek-roman schism seemed to be Aphrodite, Nemesis, and Dionysis. Love, revenge, wine. Very helpful." - Rick Riordan, Mark of Athena

"She followed him anyway. If you ever cared about me at all. Inej actually snorted as she vaulted over a chimney. It was offensive. She'd had numerous chances to be free of Kaz, and she'd never taken them. So he wasn't fit for a normal life. Was she meant to find a kind-hearted husband, have his children then sharpen her knives after they'd gone to sleep? How would she explain the nightmares, she still had from the Menagerie? Or the blood on her hands?" - Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

"his philosophy about children was simple and profitable: a man enjoyed himself begetting them, put in as little money and effort into their upbringing as was possible, and then put them to work earning money for their father as soon they got into their teens." - Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

"Everyone who came out before you has taken the rocks and bottles and turned them into shields and wind chimes."-Sigrid Ellis

"You are an imbecile. You are a knacker-eared fecund-brained bastard of ill-cast winds. You are a fool, admence among the blighted. I hate the day I ever learned your name." -A.J Hackwith, Archive of the Forgotten

"'Immortal' is just a word for something we don't understand the shape of yet. The boundaries, the end." A.J Hackwith, Archive of the Forgotten

"A reader doesn't mark his life by days, but by memories. A book doesn't mark its life by pages, but by readers. We are made up of those whom we touch." -A.J Hackwith, Archive of the Forgotten

"Hell and other realms are filled with a compelling cast of personalties. Demons, muses, jinni spirits, and ancestral forces. Creatures that can feel, covet, love, hate. The truth is this: they are not human. Humanity isn't defined by feeling, facsimile there in. Humanity is defined by fragility. We are a cherry blossom and they are the frost.

Frost melts, but it is the blossom that dies. " - A.J Hackwith, Archive of the Forgotten

"To the modern eye, ink looked like water. Colored water perhaps, like poorly brewed tea or the garishly colored sugar drinks of her youth. (...) to the plastic milled barrels of ballpoint. When the ink dried up, a pen was tossed, not refilled. What a wasteful idea that was. Ink become something that was a minor component to the pen, not the fuel for it." - A.J Hackwith, Archive of the Forgotten

"Let's take a moment to talk about the age old question...were emos an oppressed minority?" - Verilybitchy, '00s Bisexual Chic.

[sparrowsfallingfromthesky]

2021 reading roundup, just for fun 📚

In addition to close to ten million (!) words of fanfiction, this year I read between 113 and 119 books (depending on how you count things), up from 90-105 last year. Statistics and recommendations under the cut :)

First book of the year: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern Last book: The Untold Story by Genevieve Cogman Longest book: The Poetry of Pablo Neruda, 996 pages Shortest book: Slipping Under Diamond Light by Christopher Locke, 37 pages Total page count: About 32,729

Approximate breakdown by classification: Fiction (including novels/novellas, plays, epic poems, and short stories): 59 books, including 4 with an intended audience of YA or younger Nonfiction: 13 Poetry: 43 Graphic novels: 1

Favorites (basically in reading order, not order of preference): The Starless Sea (a story about stories, featuring magic and bees); The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman (books 4-8); The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley (a really engaging steampunkish duology about a queer romance between some guy and a morally dubious clairvoyant); From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers by Marina Warner (a slightly outdated but mostly excellent exploration of the history/creation/content/meaning/reception of fairy tales and the inherent connections between all that and the experiences of women); Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots (NBC Powerless meets Leverage meets The Dark Lord Proprietor meets this tumblr post, I had a few problems with this book but I was too delighted by the concept to care much); the poetry of Linda Pastan; The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (really charming found family story about monsters); The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (an interesting fictionalization of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary); the Hell’s Library trilogy (The Library of the Unwritten, The Archive of the Forgotten, and The God of Lost Words) by A.J. Hackwith (The Invisible Library series meets Good Omens meets something original, with a little polyamory as a treat); A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (Edwardian England with magical conspiracies and homosexuality).

Least favorites: Flint and Silver: A Prequel to Treasure Island by John Drake (do yourself a favor and stick with Black Sails); Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by Saranna DeWylde (delightful concept, terrible execution); The Dark Library by Cyrille Martinez translated by Joseph Patrick Stancil (thinks it’s being clever but just comes across as dull); Folklore and the Sea by Horace Beck (actually pretty interesting, but it’s very rambling and hard to get through); A Cruising Voyage ‘Round the World by Woodes Rogers (pretty much exactly what you might expect it to be like).

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: More LGBTQIA+ Fantasy

The Binding by Bridget Collins

Books are dangerous things in Collins's alternate universe, a place vaguely reminiscent of 19th-century England. It's a world in which people visit book binders to rid themselves of painful or treacherous memories. Once their stories have been told and are bound between the pages of a book, the slate is wiped clean and their memories lose the power to hurt or haunt them. After having suffered some sort of mental collapse and no longer able to keep up with his farm chores, Emmett Farmer is sent to the workshop of one such binder to live and work as her apprentice. Leaving behind home and family, Emmett slowly regains his health while learning the binding trade. He is forbidden to enter the locked room where books are stored, so he spends many months marbling end pages, tooling leather book covers, and gilding edges. But his curiosity is piqued by the people who come and go from the inner sanctum, and the arrival of the lordly Lucian Darnay, with whom he senses a connection, changes everything.

The Tangleroot Palace by Marjorie M. Liu

Briar, bodyguard for a body-stealing sorceress, discovers her love for Rose, whose true soul emerges only once a week. An apprentice witch seeks her freedom through betrayal, the bones of the innocent, and a meticulously-plotted spell. In a world powered by crystal skulls, a warrior returns to save China from invasion by her jealous ex. A princess runs away from an arranged marriage, finding family in a strange troupe of traveling actors at the border of the kingdom’s deep, dark woods. Concluding with a gorgeous full-length novella, Marjorie Liu’s first short fiction collection is an unflinching sojourn into her thorny tales of love, revenge, and new beginnings.

The God of Lost Words by A.J. Hackwith

To save the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, former librarian Claire and her allies may have to destroy it first. Claire, the rakish Hero, the angel Rami, and the muse-turned librarian Brevity have accomplished the impossible by discovering the true nature of unwritten books. But now that the secret is out, Hell will be coming for every wing of the library in its quest for power.

This is the third volume in the “Hell’s Library” series. The first two books include The Library of the Unwritten and The Archive of the Forgotten.  

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

Welcome to Charon's Crossing. The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through. When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead. And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead. But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

[chaospidgeon]

Hi yes this is another post about the Hell's Library series by A.J Hackwith (<33333)

Look at these blog posts I'm crying

(ARCHIVE being the newest edition, The Archive Of The Forgotten)

God I love this series. I'm going to write some crossover fics- and normal fics- for this I swear. Just you wait. I already have one planned out >:/

(I've only read the first book so far but I'm in love. Leto is the best character and you can fight me. Also, queer found family hurt/comfort???? Hackwith are you trying to kill me?????)

[cricketnationrise]

Reading Roundup: Sept 2021

quarantine reads | reading roundups

featuring: a semi-normal schedule at work, a plethora of romance & erotica, and my continued obsession with Gail Carriger

Meat Cute: The Hedgehog Incident by Gail Carriger: prequel short story set in the parasol protectorate series, the story of alexia and conall meeting; features characters from the finishing school series

The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn’t by Gail Carriger: prequel short story set in the parasol protectorate series, alexia’s father, alessandro’s egypt adventure, featuring floote

Romancing the Inventor by Gail Carriger: novella focusing on Genevieve LeFoux finding love while indentured as a drone

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger: first in the finishing school quartet, takes place before Parasol Protectorate series; theres a giant dirigible finishing school for young ladies where they learn manners sure, but also how to be spies

Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen: a novel about grief, nature, family, standing on your own feet, trees, and the power a newcomer to a small town has to affect change

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger: book 2 in the finishing school series, must read in order

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger: book 3 in the finishing school series, must read in order

Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger: book 4 in the finishing school series, must read in order

Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger: sequel novella to the finishing school series focusing on Presha, read finishing school books before this one

Defy or Defend by Gail Carriger: sequel novella to the finishing school series focusing on Dimity, read finishing school books before this one

The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith: book 2 in the Hell’s Library series, must read in order

Prudence by Gail Carriger: book 1 in the Custard Protocol series, takes place 15ish years after the Parasol Protectorate ends. Alexia’s daughter, Prudence, who goes by Rue, is almost 21 and off to see the world in her new dirigible, hijinks immediately ensue

Imprudence by Gail Carriger: book 2 in the Custard Protocol, must read in order

Competence by Gail Carriger: book 3 in the Custard Protocol, must read in order

Reticence by Gail Carriger: book 4 in the Custard Protocol, must read in order

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman: an essay collection about reading, books, library organization, and the power of the right story, super quick read, delightful, all time favorite

Romancing the Werewolf by Gail Carriger: sequel novella, follows Professor Lyall and Biffy (werewolves) as they are reunited, most of the action is concurrent with the Custard Protocol books

How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger: sequel novella following Major Channing Channing (yes that’s his real name) as he finds love

Marine Biology by G.L. Carriger: prequel short story in the San Andreas Shifters series

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa: romance novel, on the day of the wedding, the groom backs out and leaves his best man and brother to be the one to tell the wedding planner bride. years later she runs into the brothers again while interviewing to be the head of wedding events at a DC hotel chain. the long form interview forces her into working one on one with the best man. sex on the page.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall: son of a famous rock and roll icon needs to clean up his public image to get donors back for the charity he works for, and the only way to do that is to be seen in a stable relationship with a man rather than going out clubbing all the time. enter uptight and neurotic friend of a friend who needs a date to his parents’ wedding anniversary party. spoilers: they fall in love for real, lots of dramatic showing up on people’s doorsteps

How to Bang a Billionaire by Alexis Hall: erotica, sex on the page, BDSM, Arden St. Ives gets a literal billionaire to donate to Oxford and when they meet at the donor dinner sparks fly; drama unfolds when they both have more feelings than they know what to do with; proceed with caution; trigger warnings for drug use, bad BDSM etiquette, alcohol use, almost non-con

How to Blow It with a Billionaire by Alexis Hall: book 2 in Arden’s story, probably don’t need to read the first one first, but it helps, erotica, sex on the page, BDSM, arden and caspian continue to have too many feelings, and caspian ends up actually sharing some things for once; trigger warning for emotional abuse, discussion of underage sex, bad BDSM etiquette, alcohol use

[manuscripts-dontburn]

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Author: Shirley Jackson

First published: 1962

Pages: 158

Rating: ★★★★☆

Considering how short this book is, it manages to swallow the reader up in one gulp. Weird and slightly creepy, it is unsettling and the characters of Constance and Merricat evoke both feelings of compassion and almost horror. It is also beautifully written. I only do wish it was longer, at least a little bit.

The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance that Changed the World

Author: Greg King, Sue Woolmans

First published: 2013

Pages: 432

Rating: ★★★★☆

As is his nature, Greg King spices up things a bit and focuses on the scandalous whenever he can. that said he can also tell a story in a quite balanced and engaging way. It is not easy to make Franz Ferdinand likeable, given his reputation, but somehow this book does make him worthy of (if nothing else) an actual pity. I suspect this is hardly an exhaustive work on the subject matter, but in my opinion, it is more than an appropriate gateway into the world of this controversial man, his family life and his untimely death.

The Silence of the Girls

Author: Pat Barker

First published: 2018

Pages: 325

Rating: ★★★★☆

This is a brutal book one should not pick up unless they are willing to take on the topics like sexual violence, dehumanization and slavery, as well as some graphic war imagery. It is quite faithful to the original myth and at the same time manages to stand on its own. I was glad to see a powerful female (even if forced into submission) character who manages to be strong without being forced to think and speak like a woman of our times (something many historical fiction books love to do and I despise). I was only a bit let down by the fact that as the book progresses this becomes a story about Achilles rather than the "girls" promised in the title. Why is he given a voice where so many other voices have not yet been heard? Perhaps I would not have been bothered if the book´s main selling point wasn´t the "female view" of the Trojan war.

Noci běsů

Author: Kateřina Šardická

First published: 2020

Pages: 312

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Toto dílko mělo spoustu velmi pěkných ingrediencí, z nichž bezpochyby nejzajímavější bylo bohaté využití slovanského folklóru, bohužel nakonec se přeci jen celá kniha čte pro mne osobně příliš "mladě". Jsem si vědoma toho, že ve svých 30+ letech nejsem cílové publikum, na druhou stranu dobrá kniha je dobrá kniha a na cílových skupinách by nemělo až tak záležet. Druhá věc, která mne frustrovala byla má neschopnost z knihy odvodit odpověď na otázku "Kde jsem?" a hlavně "KDY jsem???" Jak si představit technologii či módu? V jakém jsme dějovém období??? Nikdy se mi to nepodařilo vypátrat. Dobrý nápad na příběh, který si zasloužil více propracovat.

We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World

Author: Malala Yousafzai

First published: 2018

Pages: 224

Rating: ★★★★★

This is one of those important books everybody should read right now. Timely, accessible and heartbreaking.

Theater Street

Edited by: Tamara Karsavina

First published: 1930

Pages: 362

Rating: ★★★★☆

A charming portrait of a culture and a lifestyle lost. Karsavina strikes one as a level-headed artist conscious of her great abilities and yet heaping praise and admiration on all others at the same time.

Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft

Author: Samantha Silva

First published: 2021

Pages: 317

Rating: ★★★★★

The fascinating life story of Mary Wollstonecraft is told rather than shown within the pages of this book, yet I cannot help but give it, at least for now, a very high rating. It was the experience of reading the book which I thoroughly enjoyed. What a fascinating person she must have been! The writing in this is beautiful, often bordering on swallowing the reader up in the visual poetry it conjures up.

The Archive of the Forgotten

Author: A.J. Hackwith

First published: 2020

Pages: 365

Rating: ★★★★★

I am enjoying the ride with this series so much! The characters, the humour, the touching moments and above all the respectful yet lively treatment of different cultures! Cannot wait for the third instalment.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home

Author: Carol Rifka Brunt

First published: 2012

Pages: 355

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I suppose this book was just not for me. For one I went into it expecting a story dealing with the new, unknown and terrible disease which AIDS was back in the 80s (the terrible remains even today), but it turned out to be a mere backdrop for a troubled teen emotional learning curve. Not that in itself would not be a serious and interesting topic, but it was not the selling point of this book. The relationships seemed either cliché or plain weird (I am sorry, I did find the main character´s fixation with her uncle uncomfortable, even more so since she was 14, not 5). No, not for me at all.

Čas prázdných kostelů

Author: Tomáš Halík

First published: 2020

Pages: 179

Rating: ★★★★★

Zamyšlení Tomáše Halíka jsou vynikající přípravou a doplňkem k době velikonoční, ale zároveň pohlazením po duši, povzbuzením a důkazem, že křesťanství je živé, má budoucnost a změna v nás samých nezbytná.

The Downstairs Girls

Author: Stacey Lee

First published: 2019

Pages: 374

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I really enjoyed this one and would heartily recommend it to anyone craving a good historical fiction that touches upon not very familiar issues and is written in a very uncomplicated and straightforward way. To me the relationships between many a character felt a bit too convenient and more like something from a soap opera than bitter reality. I would have also liked more of the main character actually being a journalist and perhaps her columns and advice felt a bit too basic. Still, very readable and pleasant.

[sholiofic]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Hell's Library - A.J. Hackwith Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Claire Juniper Hadley & Hero Characters: Claire Juniper Hadley, Hero (Hell's Library) Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship Summary: Brief tag scene set just after The Archive of the Forgotten. There was a line from the book that I couldn't get out of my head, and also a need for MORE COMFORT.

This is a tag scene set after the second book of A.J. Hackwith's Hell's Library series (The Library of the Unwritten and The Archive of the Forgotten), which I recently devoured and loved. Books and libraries, weird afterlives, canon queer characters, canon h/c, and all the found family you could ask for! More people need to read them so I have someone to talk to them about!

This fic will probably make absolutely ZERO sense if you haven't read the books, but there is a little capsule summary of what’s going on at the top of the fic in case you want to read it anyway. 

[maasslitagency]

[tartts]

mid year 2020 book tag

Best book you’ve read so far in 2020:

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. Historical fantasy about the women’s suffrage movement and witchcraft. Three sisters drawn together to fight for their rights and bring back powerful witchcraft by chasing down the legend of a lost tower. review

Honorable mention: The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski. Probably the best wlw fantasy book I’ve ever read. Loved it. review

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020:

I haven’t read very many sequels (or the ones I have weren’t that great) but I re-read The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden earlier this year so definitely The Winter of the Witch (book 3) because it’s one of the best books of all time

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

tbh between netgalley and edelweiss I can pretty much read any given book I want to before it comes out so a lot of my most anticipated books have already been read even if they aren’t out yet so I guess I will have to say: The Damned by Renee Ahdieh. I think it comes out like this week or something so close enough. I would like to read it.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

I was very much looking forward to The Once and Future Witches, A Deadly Education, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Archive of the Forgotten, The Silvered Serpents, and As the Shadow Rises but I’ve read them all already! So for ones I haven’t read yet: Lightbringer by Claire Legrand and Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Favorite new author (debut or new to you):

probably Alix Harrow! She only published her debut last fall (The Ten Thousand Doors of January) and this fall The Once and Future Witches comes out and both are stunning. She came to the fantasy scene swinging. Her writing seems like she’s been an established author for 20 years.

Biggest disappointment:

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. Loved Uprooted and Spinning Silver but she used a vastly different writing style and I absolutely hated it. It was dreadful. I was legitimately sad because of how much I was looking forward to this one. review

Biggest surprise:

I think The Midnight Lie definitely surprised me with the end. No spoilers, of course, but since it was set in the same world as The Winner’s Trilogy, I didn’t expect any actual fantasy elements (even though TWT is marketed as such, there is no fantasy) so I was surprised exactly how fantastical The Midnight Lie got as it progressed.

Book that made you happy:

The Once and Future Witches, The Midnight Lie, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, my re-read of The Winternight Trilogy.

Newest fictional crush/newest favorite character:

Juniper Eastwood from The Once and Future Witches. She’s a completely feral witch girl who told her torturer to fuck off right in his face. We love to see it.

Book that made you cry:

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas. Didn’t really think I’d end up liking it as much as I did but jesus that book had some emotional scenes. I very rarely cry over books but it got me. Also my re-read of the Winter of the Witch got me again too ://

Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year:

I don’t think I’ve watched any.

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

re: arc websites. I haven’t bought many books this year, especially ones that have extra spectacular covers?? I do like TOAFW cover and will definitely buy it when it actually comes out, and I’m thinking about buying The Gilded Wolves + The Silvered Serpents (when that one comes out) and they have LUSH covers.

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

my current arc list for one! The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith, These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy, A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier, The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart, The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk, and Goblin King by Kara Barbieri, From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout. I should read more Catherynne Valente books as well as finish The Queen’s Thief series. And the books that are currently sitting on my nightstand waiting for me. I really want to re-read the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy when it gets re-covered in December.

tagging: @hqmlet @deinnos @potchwocket @oylmpians @celiabowens @monstress @drunkolympus & anyone else who wants to!