#backlist anime

[ridley-was-a-cat]

What I Watched This Week – 4/14 – 4/20

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Ep.1-25 – I’ve heard this talked about over the years as an especially over the top installment in the franchise, and after watching Bravern last season, I was in the mood for some more less-than-serious mecha anime. And on that point, it’s kind of hard to believe that this cheesy, bombastic series packed with corny dialogue and goofy mecha designs is part of the franchise best known for being deathly serious and antiwar. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, as the premise of space colonies each sending a fighter to Earth in a patriotic-themed mecha to battle it out in a tournament where the winner earns the right to rule space is just the sort of anime nonsense I’m here for. Pair that up with the angsty main character delivering a passionate speech about his hand glowing with a terrible power before shouting “SHINING FINGER!” and delivering his finishing move nearly every episode, and I’m just thoroughly entertained. Looking forward to more nonsense in the second half. 7/10

Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 – I had about an hour to kill the other night, so I threw on this 40-minute OVA I found over on RetroCrush. In it, a part-time mechanic gets stuck in a mecha by accident, then goes on a rampage across the city while trying to meet his girlfriend before she leaves to study abroad. I’m not sure how or why this anime came to be, as the mecha design is extremely detailed with a ton of cool little features, and the animation was on point, but it’s an original that’s not associated with any other titles so far as I could tell, and the story is extremely thin and almost beside the point. It wasn’t a bad time, but it did kind of feel pointless. 6/10

[morebedsidebooks]

The Cat Who Came In off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt

“You have to tell me how you knew all those things about me. Who I am and where I work and what kind of article I was trying to write.”

They heard a small flopping sound in the kitchen. It was fluff, finally back from his roof walk and coming in with wet grey fur.

“He told me,” Minou said, pointing at Fluff. “He told me all about you. And actually, I’ve spoken to lots of cats who live around here. They all said you were the nicest.”

Tibble blushed. He felt strangely flattered. “You… you talk to cats?” he asked.

“Yes.”

What nonsense, thought Tibble. The woman’s quite mad.

“And, er… how did you come to be able to talk to cats?”

“I was one myself,” she said.

Totally bonkers, thought Tibble.

Minou had sat down in front of the fire, next to fluff. They were sitting together on the rug, and Tibble could now hear two purring sounds mixed together. It sounded very peaceful. Shall I write that article about her after all? Tibble thought.

Last night I provided shelter to a purring lady who entered my apartment through the attic window and, on being asked, informed me that she had once been a cat…

 I’d be out on my ear the same day, though Tibble. Now he could hear them talking to each other, the young lady and the cat. They were making little purring, meowy kinds of noises.

“What’s Fluff saying now?” he asked as a joke.

“He says you peppermints are in a jam jar on the top shelf of the bookcase. You put them there yourself.”

Tibble stood up to have a look. She was right.

  Minoes by Dutch author Annie M.G. Schmidt is the delightful tale of a shy reporter named Mr. Tibble who loves cats and on one rainy night takes in a new one, albeit in the form of a young woman. Miss Minoes doesn’t know how she turned into a human. At a loss in the human world, she however can still communicate with cats. Revealing to a surprised Tibble the gossip network of the many cats in the pet loving town, allowing him to get the first scoop on valuable news.

Since its original publication in 1970 Minoes has been translated to English more than once under different titles such as Minnie and The Cat Who Came In off the Roof. An award-winning book that’s become a classic of Dutch children’s literature along with a likewise charming and prized 2001 film adaptation directed by Vincent Ball bringing to life the story using real animals alongside the actors.

But no matter the decades that pass Schmidt’s novel is one of community, an ode to the cats we share our streets, buildings, and homes with along with the importance of treating animals (and each other) humanly.

  The Cat Who Came In off the Roof by Annie M.G. Schmidt is available in English translated by David Colmer, in print and digital (including audio) from Yearling Books

View a US English dubbed trailer for Miss MInoes here

[hive-heart]

The two birthday weapons I'm working on rn are probably the best textures I've ever made in my entire life. This is so fucking fun I can't wait to finish them and send them away!!!

[delightful-to-be-read]

Weyward - Emilia Hart

Three women, one in the 1600s, one the 1940s and one contemporary, in the same family with the family name of Weyward.

TW: domestic abuse, rape

Things to like

The characters are likeable and while there’s a thread of believable naïveté in the two more recent, they don’t tip over into being annoying and certainly not helpless. There’s a Recovery storyline that’s warm without being saccharine.

Animals, animals everywhere. Pro-spider!

The prose is easy to read, but not bland. I’d been too tired to do anything but re-read for a while - tiredness affects my ability to engage massively but I could engage with this.

Things I noticed

It’s never really occurred to me before that a novel about women being mistreated by men isn’t necessarily a feminist novel. Of course, to other people, it might be a feminist novel but to me, it was more like how a book about animals being mistreated is against the mistreatment of animals, but isn’t necessarily pro-vegetarian. I’ve always, without really thinking about it, had two categories - ‘feminist’ and ‘women-centric’ (the latter doesn’t include romance).

The witchcraft is very lightly handled.

This is another casualty of me watching Between the Covers and I sniggered as some man - I think maybe Nigel Havers, weirdly - had a moan about how all the men were bad guys and why did they all have to be bad guys. But, I mean, they really are, unless they’re dead or minor characters. This isn’t a complaint - I’m more than happy for the way women have been historically treated in literature to have some rebound and I think it’s eminently plausible that a high enough percentage of men treat women like shit that that would be the main experience of three women. But they really are.

[readnburied]

13 Moons Reading Challenge 2024 — Announcement

So it’s finally time for the announcement of the 13 Moons reading challenge for 2024. Another year, another list of prompts that will make your reading journey exciting. This reading challenge is created by me for the entire reading community. So if you love reading or are looking for a reading challenge to try for the upcoming year, then here is one for you. 

Rules & Levels

The rules for this reading challenge are simple. First of all, this is just for fun so no need to feel pressured into doing anything or reading anything you don’t want to. You can also be flexible with the prompts if you choose to do so. The challenge will run from January 1st, 2024 and till December 31st, 2024.

There are a total of 104 reading prompts divided into 13 categories. There is a list of levels given and you can choose which level you wish to participate in based on your preference. The levels you can participate in are as follows:

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse: 13 books — fulfill one prompt from each category 

Partial Lunar Eclipse: 26 books — fulfill at least one prompt from each category

Central Lunar Eclipse: 52 books — fulfill at least one prompt from each category

Total Lunar Eclipse: 104 books — fulfill all the prompts

The reading challenge is given below. I am trying to create a graphic for it, and if I succeed I’ll edit this post and attach the graphic later, but for now I will write it all down here in case you wish to participate and plan your TBR. So without further ado, here is the 13 Moons reading challenge 2024. 

13 Moons Reading Challenge 2024 

Wolf Moon

A Stand Alone novel

A furry creature on the cover

Hair on the cover

The words Straight, Waves or Curly in the title

Hair color in the title

A book about found family

A book about adoption

A book with a hierarchy

Snow Moon

The word White in the title

Blanket on the cover

Read a book while drinking a hot beverage

Read a book while burning a candle

Hat/Cap on the cover

A book about mountains

A book about a fresh start or a new beginning

A book with necromancy themes

Worm Moon

Read a book in a series with more than 5 books

A book about rebirth or reincarnation

A cozy book

Book about insects 

Continue a series

A book that gives you the creeps

A book you’re not sure about

A book you’re thinking of unhauling 

Pink Moon

A book with a princess

Book about women empowerment

A pink object on the cover

Book recommended by a celebrity 

Book that tickles you pink

A coming of age book

A celebrity memoir

Start a book on a new moon

Flower Moon

Book by a BIPOC author

Book about friendship

A book club pick

Book with an animated cover

Book with a character named after a flower

A speculative fiction

A book set in spring

Read a book at any time of the day 

Strawberry Moon

Read a book from your backlist

Read a book with Bubbles on the cover

A book with less than 400 pages

Book you see trending on social media

Read a book from an author which is new to you

A debut novel

Book with the word Leaf in the title 

Book about swimming 

Buck Moon

A book that has multiple editions

A Paperback

A book recommended by a friend

A biography

A book you’re seeing everywhere 

A 2024 release

A 5 star prediction 

Book with a Man on the cover 

Sturgeon Moon

Book with a map

Book that people have been forcing you to read

Book with a title that starts with the first letter of your name

Book you hauled recently

Book with a Tree on the cover

Book with the word Can’t in the title

Book with a dark cover 

A novella

Harvest Moon

An anthology

A book you had to read for an assignment

A book with a movie adaptation

Book you’d recommend to somebody else

A book chosen by somebody else

Book with a Fish on the cover

A fruit in the title

Book about a celebration 

Hunter’s Moon

Book about food

Book set in Europe

Book with an Umbrella on the cover

Book about a topic you’re curious about

An award winning book 

Read the 7th book on your shelf

Book with Buildings on the cover 

book divided into parts 

Beaver Moon

Book about a psychological phenomenon 

Book with the word Five in the title 

Book with a Street on the cover

Start a book in the evening

A book about a specific country 

A book from your monthly TBR

Book with a cover you don’t like 

Book about a single parent 

Cold Moon

Book set in the medieval times

Book with a Spider on the cover

Read a book while wearing a pair of socks

A memoir

Book about a historical event

Book with a character’s name in the title

Book you think you will love

Book from a Goodreads shelf

Blue Moon

Book with a unique format

Read a classic

Book with 3 or more people on the cover

Book recommended by your favorite social media influencer

Book with a dramatic title

Book with a Dagger in the story

Book set in high school

Book about a spy

And there you have it. This is the 13 Moons reading challenge 2024 for you all. Let me know if you like it. If you wish to participate I’d love it if you can comment below to tell me you’re participating in the challenge. If you don’t want to comment, that’s fine as well. As long as you enjoy doing the challenge, I’m happy. 

Happy Reading!!

[simplysparrow14]

While I wholeheartedly loved the Once Upon A Studio Special, what infuriates me to no end is the fact that so many of the animations is done in 2D, meaning that Disney still has the means to do 2D animated movies, but flat out refuses to because they're a money hungry studio that is too chicken shit to take any ricks at the cost of losing a penny when their multi-billion dollar corporation that can easily make it's money back just through amusement park ticket sales and merch.

like you fuckers were founded on 2d animation. 95% of your movie backlist is 2D Animation. You screen test your stupid 3D movies in 2D Animation.

JUST DO 2D ANIMATION AGAIN YOU GREEDY CORPERATE FUCKS.

[profiterole-reads]

13 Books!

Taken from @godzilla-reads!

1.) The Last Book I Read

Dark Heir by CS Pacat

2.) A Book I Recommend

Let's go with Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans, which is currently at the (physical) top of my rec list tag

3.) A Book That I Couldn't Put Down

All for the Game by Nora Sakavic <3 <3 <3

4.) A Book I've Read Twice (Or More)

Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold

5.) A Book on my TBR

Recent release: The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan Backlist: Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

6.) A Book I've Put Down

Technically, I read everything in several times (I'm not much of a binge reader), and I haven't DNFed anything in a while

7.) A Book on my Wish List

I don't have a wish list

8.) A Favorite Book From Childhood

The Famous Five by Enid Blyton

9.) A Book You Would Give to a Friend

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

10.) A Book of Poetry or Lyrics You Own

Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Beaudelaire

11.) A Nonfiction Book You Own

Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer

12.) What Are You Currently Reading

A Grimm and Sunken Vow by Ashley Shuttleworth Tres (no) son multitud by Myriam M. Lejardi

13.) What Are You Planning on Reading Next

Overkill by Lou Wilham

Tagging anyone who wants to do it.

[silvanoir]

are there any other anime you've seen or know of like red garden that are somewhat hidden gems or backlist series that are somewhat obscure?

I have watched a lot of anime.. spent most of the early 2000s doing so... quite a bit of it now obscure/not remembered. I have all these on DVD, some may be out of print, no idea where to stream them. Good luck!

5 Centimeters per Second (movie)- Slice-of-life that progresses through time. The prettiest scenery I've ever seen.

Armitage the III (movie)- cyberpunk, if you liked Ghost in the Shell, you'll probably like this (robot lady cop)

BoogiePop Phantom (tv series)- This would be the most like Red Garden, I think in that its spooky things happening to students and made in the early 2000s.

C-control (tv series)-- for those who like Digimon and are familiar with the horrors of capitalism. Like, if you ever thought the devil was in charge of electronic finances. But also like anime monster battles.

The Count of Monte Christo (Gankutsuou) (tv series)- if you liked the patterned look in the opening of Red Garden, all the art is like that. Very pretty if unfaithful adaption of the book.

El Cazador de la Bruja (tv series)- an amnesiac witch protected by a female bodyguard, on the run through desert towns. I think this would be for those who like Trigun, but wish it was more about 2 girls who were friends and developed a bit of more-than-friends feelings for eachother.

Haibane Renmei (tv series)-similar to RedGarden in that these girls have died and been reborn into new bodies and new roles in life, but there is no fighting, only self-discovery.

Jormungand (tv series)- a female weapons dealer adopts a child soldier boy onto her ship, and she has, to quote the back cover "a warped plan for world peace"

Kamisama Kiss (tv series)- would appeal to those who like Fruits Basket

Millennium Actress (movie)- made me cry! the mysteries of an actress' past are revealed through the roles she's played.

Noein (tv series)- I don't know how to explain it, its weird? Time travel, other dimensions. Unique art style. Did air on American TV, but was promptly forgotten about after.

Rahxephon (tv series)-what if Neon Genesis Evangelion was less depressing? Not sure how I feel about the ending. Technically a happy ending. but. hmmm.

Shangri-La (tv series)- posted about it on Tumblr years ago, an anime that addresses global warming with a spunky girl fighting for a better future, so may be even more relevant now than when it was made

The 12 Kingdoms (tv series)- Japanese people transported to fantasy worlds may be a common genre now, but this is when it wasn't all the rage, and it has very thought-out worldbuilding.

[kaylapocalypse]

I am writing this book as fast as I can to reach my sole current desire which is to force my best friend to watch Good Omens with me and also to finish the 6 animes on our backlist the instant that I am free.

[elizmanderson]

15 questions tag

thanks for the tag, @rachaellawrites!

1. Are you named after anyone?

I'm named after my great-grandma who lived to be a hundred

2. When was the last time you cried?

oops before pole on monday for unclear reasons (but then I had class and that knocked me out of my funk for a bit)

3. Do you have kids?

nope but sometimes I say "my kids" but by that I mean my students or former students

4. Do you use sarcasm?

when the occasion calls for it

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

it depends on the person

most recently the first thing I noticed about a person was his whistle

6. What's your eye colour?

hazel but one eye is more hazel than the other. like one is kinda brown but one is kinda green

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

HAPPY ENDINGS

8. Any special talents?

I'm. never sure. what qualifies as special. I can sing? I can paint? I make a mean collage? I can bake, sort of? I can ID various birds by sight or call and am also working on IDing wildflowers? I'm good at gaining the trust of skittish animals? idk, what do you consider "special"

9. Where were you born?

planet earth, as far as I know

10. What are your hobbies?

...there is no hobby, there is only writing

jk

sort of

I mean I do actually eat sleep and breathe writing, but. I also love fucking off into the woods for a long walk that will undoubtedly go slow as I stop to ID birds and plants. I sometimes work on visual arts. I read (although that's so closely tied to writing that it's almost part of work? but not. but also yes).

I don't consider singing a hobby because I just kinda. do it. all the time. like breathing. if I'm working I have music playing and I'm singing. if I'm driving I have music playing and I'm singing. it's just a thing I do.

do I count pole and yoga?? like no I'm. working out so I can be strong and fit, not,,,doing a hobby, but also I do enjoy them? wow do I even know what a hobby is

11. Have you any pets?

currently I have a cat and four chickens

12. What sports do you play/have you played?

I am not a sporty person but I'm currently in a pole fitness class so we're counting that even though I'm not really doing it for performance or competition

I did archery in 4H for years and still occasionally get to do it

I also did basketball and track for years but I actually suck at both of them lmao

13. How tall are you?

shorter than you think, probably

14. Favourite subject in school?

English and art which is probably obvious, and also at community college it was botany and zoology

15. Dream job?

author, obvi, but like author where I'm making enough off backlist royalties that I can write at my leisure without worrying about the bills, which is basically the most unrealistic thing ever but whatever it's the dream

no pressure tag: @victoriacbooks

[wormwoodandhoney]

I’m looking for more books about ghosts, anything from the very cute to outright horror. That seemed rather up your alley, and I was wondering if you had any recommendations from this year? P.S. Your blog is such a source of inspiration for me! Always makes me want to write!

i love ghosts!!! and thank you so much, that means so much to me! i didn't read any ghost books that i LOVED this year, but here are som backlist in order from cute to devastating:

elatose is one of my very favorite ghost stories. elatsoe is a young girl in a magical america who can see the ghosts of animals, and she solves a murder with her ghost dog. not scary!

the silent companions is a genuinely unsettling victorian story about a pregnant widow who begins to be stalked by large painted wooden figures in her husband's home. look up trigger warnings for this one, esp if you have triggers regarding childbirth.

the good house is a horror story about a woman grieving the loss of her son. lots more trigger warnings for this one, including suicide.

[ridley-was-a-cat]

What I Watched This Week – 3/24 – 3/30

Re:CREATORS – I’ve had this series on my watchlist for years, but for some reason I just kept putting off watching it until I saw somebody on Twitter say that it was leaving Prime Video at the end of March. I don’t know what took me so long, because a show like this is absolutely my kind of food. It had some really cool story ideas centered on the characters of video games, light novels, and manga being pulled into the real world, where they could track down their creators and give them an earful about all the nonsense they’d been put through. The idea of story characters having beef with their writers absolutely tickled me, and the way they had to fight the main antagonist through a multimedia crossover story project had some great moments when the writers got philosophical about their craft. The soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano was exactly what you could expect from him, and while he is sort of a one-trick pony and his music basically always sounds the same, I really like that pony, and it hits for me every time. The character designs are unique and distinctive, the animation was great when it needed to be, and the voice cast did a great job bringing all these different character types to life. My only complaint is that the final battle against the antagonist was hugely anticlimactic in the end. Everything leading up to it was so exciting that it was disappointing to go out on a whimper. 7/10

Slayers Try – The third season of Slayers has our four heroes about to head out on a journey to explore the world beyond the magical barrier that had, until recently, surrounded their home kingdoms when they run into a dragon that drags them into an affair tied up in an apocalyptic prophecy. The season was structured a little oddly, as it was sort of split in two, with a handful of more humorous episodes between the two halves that focused on the looming threat. It introduced a new faction into the series lore that made things kind of interesting, and brought back the enigma Xellos from last season, who continues to obscure his actual motives or loyalties, and whether he’s friend or foe. The animation seemed notably worse than the previous seasons, with several scenes where the characters would be talking to each other with the images remaining static. The adventure was exciting enough, and the final battle was grand enough, though, that it was still a solidly fun ride. 7/10

[okayto]

Rules: Tag 10 (or fewer) people you want to get to know better.

Tagged by @pastrypuppy! Thanks Kula!

Relationship Status: Lots of relationships! Love me some relationships! But not romantically.

Favourite colour: Orange! Especially if combined with another color

Song stuck in my head: I've been listening to an anisong livestream a lot and Kishi Koushinkyoku by angela (apparently the second opening to Knights of Sidonia, an anime I've never watched) gets stuck in my head a lot. But otherwise, have you ever heard the Pretear theme song by Yoko Ishida? Banger.

Three favourite foods: Popcorn, asparagus, orange-flavored chocolate. Omnomnom.

Last song I listened to: Yuve Yuve Yu - The Hu

Dream trip: Yearlong exploration of most of Europe, but I have a home base in Germany where I can spend extended breaks in-between excursions. Also in this scenario, I am both fluent in German and can pronounce more than like, two r's or ch's in a row without tripping over my tongue.

Last thing I googled: The Savannah Bananas, who look amazing. Prior to that, Murderbot author Martha Wells's backlist titles. I wanted to know what else is getting rereleased, but the publisher has only announced the one title at this time. (I am currently going a little feral.)

I'm tagging @myletternevercame, @wecanthavethat, and @chimaerakitten

[quoteablebooks]

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Retelling

Rating: 5 out of 5

Trigger Warning: Child abuse, Antisemitism, Domestic abuse,Violence, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Rape, Animal death

Summary:

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk--grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh--Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar. But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love. Channeling the vibrant heart of myth and fairy tale, Spinning Silver weaves a multilayered, magical tapestry that readers will want to return to again and again.

*Opinions*

Spinning Silver had been on my TBR since I finished Uprooted last year, but I didn’t want to read them too close together because I didn’t want to draw unfair comparisons. I’m glad I took the time between the two novels because while they are very different stories, Novik does have a strong narrative voice that would have muddled the two books in my brain. Still, as much as I liked Uprooted, the small issues I had with that novel did not pop up in this one. While I know I have a lot of Novik’s backlist to still read, this is currently my favorite of her novels and I really liked Uprooted.

Now, a big part of this novel is that Miryem Mandelstam and her family are Jewish and the Antisemitism an constant fear for their people that they face. Per Wikipedia, Novik’s father's family was Lithuanian Jews and therefore I am not going to make any comments on the representation. What I am going to say is that it was uncomfortable, given the current climate in the world toward Jewish people, to watch these people sneer at the Mandelstams when they were poor and then hate them when they had money and that they tied it to the family being Jewish. It is not just the Mandelstams that face this hatred, there is a tale of a Jewish community that had been burned and even in the city, the Jewish quarter is behind a wall from the rest of the citizens. It’s  interesting that Novik decided to make her Jewish character a moneylender and have the ability to change silver into gold. There is a lot that can be said around that, but I am not the person to dig into that part of the story because I am not Jewish and do not have the knowledge to do it justice. Novik also made sure to show the Jewish community and Jewish joy, the wedding is a great example of this joy and community, and it is extended to those who are not Jewish. It would have been easy to just focus on the horrible things that happened or could happen to the Jewish community. Instead, Novik highlighted the whole experience that could be experience and the beauty of a religion that is so often demonized. 

Three main storylines weave and intersect in this novel and each had a distinct micro drama that fed into the story as a whole. We start with Miryem and her family, how her father’s kind and generous heart made him a pretty bad moneylender, leading the family to be destitute. This leads Miryem to become cold to others and exact what is owed to her and her family from the village, which causes them to become even more disliked. Then there is Wanda, whose father borrowed money from Miryem’s father and now owes a debt he cannot pay, so he sends his daughter to work at the house to pay off his debt. While there, Wanda sees a family that loves one another and starts to make money in the hope that she can escape her father, who beats her and her brother regularly. As Miryem’s fortune starts to grow, and Wanda’s with her, her parents become more and more worried about the coldness that she has toward others when she exacts what is owed. During an outburst, she tells her mother that she can change silver into gold, which catches the ear of the Staryk King. He tasks her to do what she claimed or be killed and Miryen sets about changing his silver into jewelry that can be sold for gold. This changes Irina’s fate, who was a forgotten Duke’s daughter that is transformed into something beautiful when she wears the Staryk silver. This leads to her becoming the tsarina, which she did not want, and finding that a demon is possessing the tsar. Soon, all three women are intertwined to save their lives and their kingdom from warring magical forces. 

Does that sound like a lot to be packed into one novel, well that isn’t even half of what happens. While I appreciate a stand alone novel in a world of duologies and trilogies, in both Uprooted and Spinning Silver, these stories are a lot to take in from start to finish. While I think that the stories are woven masterfully together, nothing felt out of place, there was just a lot going on. I’m not saying that this is a negative, but did make it so at times it felt like there was just a lot to follow between the various story threads. 

What I think Spinning silver does better than Uprooted was the handling of the relationships between the female characters and the male characters they are stuck with. This story is a true enemies to lovers situation, but that is never the point of the story. The women are stuck with these men and hold their ground from the threats of violence and outwit the men that underestimate them. While I disliked some of the romantic elements in Uprooted, everything made a progression in this story that just makes sense. The relationship between daughters and fathers was also masterfully handled in this novel. All of the fathers in this novel have faults that lead their children to be in danger, no matter their intentions. Novik highlights the complicated relationships between children and parents when they realize that they have faults, they have flows, and sometimes they cannot save you. 

Novik also conveys the winter cold so well that I would get cold sometimes while reading it. Novik transported me to this country attempting to eke out a living from the ever expanding winter, from the small comfortable house that the Mandelstams inhabit to the sweeping grandeur of the tsar palace to the staryk mountain of ice. Novik really made this world that was felt with all the senses and I think that is something that has made this novel so memorable. 

Overall, I have a lot of praise for this novel. There were some pacing issues, but I finished this novel a couple days ago and I can only think about everything I loved about it, so I have to write it five stars. Truly an immersive and fun read. 

[the-forest-library]

Once again I am doing the Beat the Backlist bingo, but I’m not limiting it to backlist books because I don’t track my reads that way. I just love book bingos and reading challenges. 🙂

Pretty good progress on this one so far. If you have recommendations for the remaining squares, I’ll take them.

Number in the Title: 30 Things I Love About Myself

One Word Title: Circe

Book with Chapter Names: Hormone Intelligence

Book Published in the Month You Were Born: Sadie on a Plate

Set on an Island: Meet Me in Paradise 

Co-Authored: Rebel Homemaker

Book About Siblings: They’ll Never Catch Us

“Everyone Has Read It But You”: Assassin’s Apprentice

About or Inspired by a Historical Event: The Mad Girls of New York

2+ People on the Cover: The Wedding Crasher

Second or Fourth Book in a Series: Egg Marks the Spot

Longer Than 500 Pages: Bitterblue

Set in the Mountains: Leave Only Footprints

Discovered Via Social Media: Crushing

Book Written for an Age Group You Don’t Belong To: Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain

Story Centered Around Real or Fictional Holiday: Lords and Ladies

Title is an Alliteration: To Marry and to Meddle

First in a Series You’ve Been Putting Off: Etiquette & Espionage

A Book About Books: The Roughest Draft

Novella: No One is Talking About This

6+ Words in the Title: Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living

Your Favorite Trope on the Page: The Wedding Crasher

About Food or Food in the Title: Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

Mushroom on the Cover: Listen to the Language of the Trees

Picked by a Celebrity Book Club: The Maid

Author Has an Active Podcast or Youtube Channel: The F*ck It Diet

Reading for Research, Reference, or General Interest: Plant You

Involves Family Secrets: Meet Me in Paradise

Indie or Self Published: The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting

Non-Fiction: The Feather Thief

Murder, Mystery, or Both: These Deadly Games

Set in Space or On/In the Ocean: Daughter of the Deep

Features Royalty: The Royals Next Door

Women in the (Fictional) Science: At Least You Have Your Health

A Book in a Genre You Never/Rarely Read: Zen

Debut Novel: Olga Dies Dreaming

Graphic Novel, Manga, or Web Comic: Paper Girls

New to You Author: She Gets the Girl

Your Favorite Animal (Real or Fictional) on the Cover: Tree

You Watched the Show or Movie First: The Home Edit

An Unusual or Unexpected Pet: How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals

Protagonist Has a Profession that Twists the Truth: Subtle Blood

Author Has a First, Middle, and Last Name on the Cover (No Initials): Weather Girl

A Book Set in the Season You Read It In: Eight Perfect Hours

Finish a Series: The Excalibur Curse

[stampstamp]

I try to support the anime industry, but they don't help themselves!:

I wanted to continue Oofuri but despite the CR/Funimation merger starting months ago (when I cancelled my funi subscription), they still don't have it. So I can either pay £5 for 30 days access to it or watch it with ads.

That wouldn't be too bad but I accidentally let CR renew for three months, despite them having no shows that interest me this season (Spring had enough titles to make 3 months cheaper and smarter but I didn't think to change it back to monthly billing - that's on me but I feel like CR invests in too many shitty and forgettable isekai anime and not enough backlist gems).

I have Eccentric Family on blu ray but I thought I may as well watch it on CR to make use of my subscription. But they don't have it anymore, only S2, which I'll have to watch on CR next because no one bothered releasing S2 on blu ray or dvd over here.

CR UK doesn't have Durarara anymore so I bought S1 on blu ray. I want to get the rest but they're charging around £40 for 12 episode chunks.

I want to rewatch Natsume Yuujinchou but that's another one where only half of it is available to stream legally and there doesn't seem to be a European home video release.

I feel like it used to be that if a series was unavailable, it was because another platform had it, which was annoying, but preferable to now, where you just can't support the industry even if you want to.

It's like what's going on with HBOmax and it's so frustrating!!!