#botm spoiler !!

[heeracha]

SPOILER??? Who do you think I am pfft...

yes...yes I do

here u go 🫶🏻

[brightbeautifulthings]

For as strong as I started this, I finished with only a few days to spare. However, it's an improvement over last year, when I finished in December! 😂 It's been kind of a mediocre reading summer, and nothing cracked a rare five star rating for me. Most of my favorite books I've read this year have been graphic novels, and Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker and Runaways by Rainbow Rowell stand out in this challenge. Pumpkin by Julie Murphy and my reread of Bone Gap by Laura Ruby were my other two favorites.

Panic by Lauren Oliver (made into a film) Pretty much the reason I wanted to read this book was so I could watch the show, and I'm hoping it's better. Despite its title, it's not all that exciting, and I was never that invested in any of the characters or challenges. 3/5

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard (fantasy) This was a weird instance of loving the world-building but not liking the characters overly much, and what plot it has is extremely slow to kick in. Probably will just read spoiler reviews for the next book. 3/5

Winter Soldier, Volume 4: The Electric Ghost by Jason Latour (new to you author) I figured this was going to be a bit bonkers since it wasn't included in the Brubaker collection despite belonging to the same series, and I wasn't wrong! I wasn't prepared for Bucky in space, but I guess that's on me. 3/5

Looking Glass by Christina Henry (retelling/adaptation) I very much hated the childlike narration of the first novella, but it got a bit better after that. While I'm glad to know where Alice and Hatcher ended up, I think all of these would have worked better as short stories (or not at all). 3/5

The Crooked Door by Brad McLelland (middle grade) Again, I enjoyed the lore in this book but not the writing or the characters. It reads a bit like something an actual middle schooler would write at times. 2/5

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy (ya gems botm) A little long for a rom-com, and it lost me in the middle with all the cutes, but I enjoyed the characters and Ramona's development. Not my favorite Julie Murphy, but I'm glad I read it. 3/5

[lonely-dog-song]

I have to type J&H thourghts bc i finally watched this musical!!!!!!! (It was a david hasselhoff performance) THIS has SPOILERS btw !!!!!!!

The singing was so FAST omg why we going so fast!!!!! it was also hard 2 understand ppl w no subtitles so sometimes I was just like. Welp. Relying on my prior knowledge of the musical to get me thru this lol. This made the pacing so fast... dude... lets all breathe a bit

I loved hearing the audience laugh a few times, especially in Transformation when Henry starts laughing & then writes "no noticeable differences" or whatever LOL. I like that laugh in that song tho it's a nice touch

B4 i watched it, I thought of The World Has Gone Insane & was like oh I wonder how they'll encorporate that into the musical :•) & then they DIDNT. bit sad. although it does seem very detached from the plot itself so I cannot blame them

Same thing with Bring on the Men & Girls of the Night actually. BOTM is so fun tho!!!!!!! 😔

not nearly as much sex as I expected

Wait also A Dangerous Game is such a sensual song I thought Lucy was into it but their performance was so uncomfortable... womp womp.. when I listen to it I'm like oh u can make a cool dance with this. But they didn't even dance........

Lucy sang A New Life & then I was like "uh oh, that was her last song. She could die at any second now. & it's gonna make me so mad." & then Hyde kills her while singing a reprise of Sympathy, Tenderness & I was like HOLY MOLY!!! SICK AND TWISTED!!!!!!!! I kind of dig it though. 😑

not nearly as much blood as I expected either. although some guy was set on fire which was epic

I've never watched a performance of Confrontation bdespite it being so iconic to me. I think the way they did the character change was really good but it also made me laugh. Sorry david

I thought Utterson & Danvers narrating periodically was rly unnecessary.... but on the other hand I like those characters so it was more screen time for them.......... agh

I was hoping for more character development between the songs- as well as going more into detail about the experiemtn- but there was not a whole lot of that?? This is so sad, I would watch the musical if it was 3 hours long for it to be more engaging please

o wanted more Emma also... I would love 2 know more about why she & Henry love each other n stuff....! The actress for her was rly cute though & I liked her performance :•) (it was Andrea something I think)

WAIT I HAVE ANOTHER THOUGHT. I Liked Jekyll using his right hand & hyde using his left hand, I thought that was a neat detail. Left-handed representation 💯💯

Every time Lucy finished a solo and the audience clapped & she smiled really big it was so cute :''''''•(

Basically ,🤲I wish this musical was better argh.... urgh.... agh *grits my teeth*

[pagesandpothos]

May Aardvark Book Club Predictions

Last month, I predicted 3 out of the 6 books that Aardvark Book Club chose. That's pretty good but I'd love to do better! Unfortunately, I'm not very confident only my May picks, but we'll have to see how it goes. Here’s my listing of what I think could be Aardvark Book Club’s May picks and why I think these are the most likely choices.

First, here’s what I look for when guessing Aardvark’s picks:

The Most Important Factors are the Imprint & Publishing Date!

Aardvark uses a few publishers more often than others. All books listed here are published by an imprint that Aardvark has worked with before.

Secondly, Aardvark almost always chooses books published in the second half of the previous month (normally 3-4 books) to the first half of the current month (normally 1-2). There have been some exceptions (like an occasional early release) but this fits most of their picks. For this month’s picks, I considered novels published from early April through early May. I’m expecting 3-4 of those to be April releases and 1-2 to be released in early May (probably published on May 7th).

The above two points really help narrow down the list of possibilities. Once I factor in dates and rule out books from Imprints that Aardvark doesn’t work with, I then use all the below factors to make my choices:

Aardvark picks often overlap with Indie Next Picks. Many of the books I have listed here are on the April or May lists. The celebrity book club picks sometimes overlap with Aardvark’s choices too.

Aardvark seems willing to work with more established authors who have never been featured in other book boxes. They’ve also recently grabbed a few authors who are former Book of the Month regulars. On the other hand, they also choose a lot of debuts and lesser-known/upcoming authors.

The cover. This sounds silly but some covers just scream Aardvark. I guessed Rabbit Hole in January and Come And Get It in February by their covers. Aardvark really likes quirky and eye-catching covers. I have a few books on this month’s list that have covers that fit the aesthetic that Aardvark seems to go for.

Aardvark seems to love books that have something to say about important social & political topics: gender equality, racism, religion, climate change, and homophobia are all topics previous Aardvark books have dealt with. Those books have also been really successful for them.

More edgy or racy books are far more likely to be an Aardvark pick than a Book of the Month pick. You can see this, especially in their romance picks: BOTM chooses rom-coms that may or may not be a little spicy. Aardvark sometimes picks romances that are very spicy and include tropes (such as Omegaverse) that BOTM would not.

Aardvark’s monthly picks are often a mix of hidden gems and really buzzy books. I’ve noticed that many of the books that people on social media are most excited about often end up as Aardvark picks.

Genres: Aardvark doesn’t adhere to a strict formula with their book genres every month. They won’t have a historical fiction novel every month, for example. They do almost always have at least one Literary/Contemporary, one Thriller, and one Romance though. Other regularly picked genres include Horror, Gothic, Science Fiction, and Magical Realism. They also pick books that overlap/blend genres a lot. As of yet, they have never picked any Non-Fiction or Young Adult books.

With all that said, here’s my list of books that I think could be potential picks for Aardvark Book Club in May of 2024:

Books marked with a ⭐️indicate that I think are the most likely options of all the books I have listed. These books fit the criteria I listed above the best. ✨ Indicates books that are almost 100% certain to be featured. These are known thanks to hints or spoilers.

Contemporary / Literary Fiction

Real Americans by Rachel Khong. Releases April 30, 2024 by Knopf.

"From the award-winning author of Goodbye, Vitamin: How far would you go to shape your own destiny? An exhilarating novel of American identity that spans three generations in one family, and asks: What makes us who we are? And how inevitable are our futures?"

An Indie Next Pick in May.

Whale Fall: A Novel by Elizabeth O'Connor. Releases May 7, 2024 by Pantheon.

"A stunning debut from an award-winning writer, about loss, isolation, folklore, and the joy and dissonance of finding oneself by exploring life outside one’s community"

Another Indie Next Pick for May.

The Limits by Nell Freudenberger. Releases April 9, 2024 by Knopf.

"The most thrilling work yet from the best-selling, prize-winning author of The Newlyweds and Lost and Wanted , a stunning new novel set in French Polynesia and New York City about three characters who undergo massive transformations over the course of a single year."

Romance

Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman. Releases April 16, 2024 by Berkley.

"Just when she thought she’d gotten far enough away . . . a life-changing phone call throws an antisocial scientist back into her least favorite place—the spotlight. A hilarious and insightful new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill."

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields. Releases May 14, 2024 by Redhook.

"The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all."

Funny Story by Emily Henry. Releases April 23, 2024 by Berkley.

"A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common."

This might be a longshot, but Emily Henry would be a big get for Aardvark. They had Ali Hazelwood's latest in February, so we'll see if they get another big-name romance writer's newest release. This is an Indie Next Pick for May.

Historical

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton. Releases April 2, 2024 by Berkley.

"As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s atmospheric new novel."

A gothic historical novel that sounds like something Aardvark would be interested in carrying.

Thorn Tree by Max Ludington. Releases April 16, 2024 by St. Martin's Press.

"Terrifically vivid…Remarkable." --The New York Times Book Review: A beautifully wrought novel on the aftershocks of the heady but dangerous late 1960s and the relationship between trauma and the creative impulse."

Clear by Carys Davies. Releases April 2, 2024, by Scribner.

“A stunning, exquisite novel from an award-winning writer about a minister dispatched to a remote island off of Scotland to “clear” the last remaining inhabitant, who has no intention of leaving—an unforgettable tale of resilience, change, and hope.”

This was on my list last month and I think it may also be a possibility for this month. This is an Indie Next Pick for April.

Horror / Gothic

⭐️ Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina. Releases April 16, 2024 by Berkley.

"All Noemi Broussard wanted was a fresh start. With a new boyfriend who actually treats her right and a plan to move from the reservation she grew up on—just like her beloved Uncle Louie before her—things are finally looking up for her. Until the news of her boyfriend’s apparent suicide brings her world crumbling down. But the facts about Roddy’s death just don’t add up, and Noemi isn’t the only one who suspects something menacing might be lurking within their tribal lands."

⭐️ The Garden by Clare Beams. Releases April 9, 2024 by Doubleday.

"The discovery of a secret garden with unknown powers fuels this page-turning and psychologically thrilling tale  of women desperate to become mothers and the ways the female body has always been policed and manipulated, from the award-winning author of The Illness Lesson."

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry. Releases May 14, 2024 by Berkley.

"A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets."

Thriller / Mystery

⭐️✨ You Know What You Did by K. T. Nguyen. Releases April 16, 2024 by Dutton.

"In this heart-pounding debut thriller for fans of Lisa Jewell and Celeste Ng, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist must confront nightmares past and present"

Aardvark's monthly Early Spoiler may hint to this one.

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton. Releases May 21, 2024 by Sourcebooks Landmark.

"From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution."

This is probably more likely to be a pick for June, but I'll list it here in case Aardvark gets an early release. I really think this could be possible since it is a blend of several genres and has a lot of buzz surronding it!

Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett. Releases April 30, 2024 by Mulholland Books.

"A "propulsive page-turner" (Alyssa Cole) and "thriller not to be missed" (Michael Connelly) from the award-winning author of Like a Sister, in which a woman thinks she’s waking up to a romantic vacation—only to find a body in her rental home and her boyfriend gone."

Science Fiction

Loneliness & Company by Charlee Dyroff. Releases May 7, 2024 by Bloomsbury Publishing.

"A timely, beautifully observed debut novel set in near future New York about a young woman who finds herself tangled in a secret government project combating loneliness."

A literary science fiction which Aardvark seems to love.

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger. Releases April 2, 2024, by Grove Press.

“Set in a not-too-distant America, I Cheerfully Refuse is the tale of Rainy, an aspiring musician setting sail on Lake Superior in search of his departed, deeply beloved, bookselling wife. An endearing bear of an Orphean narrator, he seeks refuge in the harbors, fogs, and remote islands of the inland sea.”

A dystopian science-fiction that is an Indie Next Pick for April (and another that I had on my list last month). This sounds like the exact kind of thought-provoking speculative fiction that Aardvark often picks.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes. Releases April 9, 2024 by Tor Nightfire.

"A crew must try to survive on an ancient, abandoned planet in the latest space horror novel from S.A. Barnes, acclaimed author of Dead Silence."

Fantasy / Magical Realism

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall. Releases April 25, 2024 by Orbit.

"Dive into the curious correspondence of Sylvie Cathrall’s delightful debut novel, A Letter to the Luminous Deep. A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other."

An indie next pick for May.

The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez. Releases April 2, 2024, by Algonquin Books.

“Literary icon Julia Alvarez returns with an inventive and emotional novel about storytelling itself that will be an instant classic.”

This is another that was on my list last month and is also another Indie Next Pick for April.

[juice-egg-bread]

since nostomania is put together, what i might do next... (ramblings, i cannot sleep)

it was a book mostly about turning to the past, becoming obsessed and entrenched in it until your perception is warped and the divisions of before and now, real and not dont matter anymore

i think the next one might be about being locked in a room, fearful of the outside and maybe what constitutes the boundaries of outside and inside (even when it comes to the body)

to explain a little more about this: i was writing this section in cota (out of context spoilers) about how the boundaries of the body can be fluid ( an iv bag and needle feels attached to me and becomes me when i have pneumonia, a woman puts herself inside a machine and expands the boundaries of her body permanently, a room as a body, an entire city breathing and filled with blood)

but uh, anyway

i write the poems and THEN put them into the book based on what i want to do and the pseudo-narrative

its a little backwards i guess...

but writing poetry is writing in stages, moving forward and backward throughout, like from worm to pupa to worm again and it comes with its own symbols and meanings and language

for example in nostomania... a symbol of a parking garage means the same thing but if i were enter a new stage, it would mean something different and not be in communication with the prior

i probably have some poems already written that will be going in this collection, but im excited to write more. nostomania was a little indulgent in some ways and not in others so working on something new will be nice. ive been really loving writing and reading lately. i had to crack open the goodreads and use it to track my current reads since im on gamer time for a few things (botm's, genre study novels, palestine reads)

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

The Stranger Upstairs ★ ★ ★

You know me, I like a good thriller. So when I saw this bright and pretty covered one on BOTM, I just had to snag it. The Stranger Upstairs promised to be a darker thriller about a social media influencer and a murder house. What could go wrong?

A lot, as it turns out. And I don't just mean drama for the main character. The truth is that I struggled to stay connected to this one. Sarah is just not a likable character. That's okay; not all main characters have to be likable. But it did make it harder to root for her.

Having an unlikable character that later becomes an unreliable narrator is an interesting choice. It works in some areas but not in others. Perhaps a bit more workshopping could have perfected it? I'm not sure.

One thing I am certain of: About halfway through The Stranger Upstairs, I found myself thinking, "huh, this sure sounds like [removed for spoiler reasons]." Turns out, I was right. I was not expecting to be right! If you had the same thought as me, please reach out. I would love to talk about it.

Highlights: Murder House Unreliable Narrator Secrets Upon Secrets

[persephonereviews]

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Book: 4/30

Rating: 2.5/5

***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS***

This book was hyped up to me. It’s won book of the year on Goodreads, BotM, and basically everywhere else I’ve seen those awards, so I came in with high expectations. However, I can’t say it delivered. As you can see by my goals for the year, I expect to get through at least 15 games. I definitely consider myself a gamer, so it wasn’t the gamer stuff that put me off it. It was the characters, more specifically Sam. 

I feel like this book was well written and the characters three dimensional. From a writing standpoint specifically, this book is great! However it just wasn’t for me. 

I enjoyed Sadie and especially her eventual relationship with Marx, and even more so the fallout from his death. Her journey and relationships were compelling, even if her relationship with Dov always made me uncomfortable (albeit I think it was supposed to). Her struggles were relatable and I enjoyed every step of her development.

Sam on the other hand, I rarely liked. Most of the time, existing in his head was a chore and I actively hated him by the end of the book. I especially did NOT like that the book almost seems to gloss over how creepy his actions with the Pioneer game were. Sadie starts off calling it creepy, and then everyone else is like “But you secretly knew it was him the whole time and were fine with it right? He did nothing wrong.” and she just acts like he did nothing wrong. While making the game wasn’t a problem, him inserting himself into her life by being every npc was really, really creepy. I understand him wanting to reach out after they BOTH experienced a tragedy and she didn’t act like they shared it, but there must’ve been better ways to do it. It honestly felt more like he was trying to marry her in the game since he couldn’t have her in the real world than actively trying to help her. 

The only time I really enjoyed his story were the moments we experienced his past and explored his trauma and when he was trying to support Sadie after her first breakup with Dov. The early parts of their friendship were great, but everything post selling Ichigo made me want to ask her to run for the hills. I understand why he was the way he was, but I did not like him.

I don’t think Sam is a badly written character, or even a bad character, but I hated almost every second of being in his head. And when the book is half in his head, that makes it difficult to enjoy the book. 

The book did some great things though. When Sadie and Marx first met, and even a bit into their friendship (such as after moving their office to LA), I didn’t want any of them to date or sleep with eachother. But the book really sold me on Marx and Sadie. Sadie’s love for him felt real. When he died, I wanted to just hold her for a second so she could cry it out. 

This book did so much right with the writing, and the majority of the characters. Its literally just Sam that made this book such a slog for me to get through. I started this book in February and just finished it yesterday (May 17th). 

I hope I enjoy the next book more. Its just going to be a simple romance, so hopefully I can get through it quickly. 

[greygilberti]

So I'm a Book of the Month member and I'll read the negative reviews of books I liked and I'm reading Honey Girl and some are just too ridiculous. One said they were uncomfortable with all the Hate. Capital "h". Ended the review with "Hate is Hate" And I'm like girl I can tell you're white cause you can't understand how much truth is in a narrative about a black woman WRITTEN by a black woman. I'm painfully white (I say painfully cause I'm so white that I don't tan) and like, you have to listen to POC. Don't come at me with your all lives matter bullshit and then not actually listen to a poc creator when they tell you what's wrong. The main character doesn't Hate white people-- she's frustrated that she's been TOLD she's not a good fit and then had her accomplishments for starting a queer club at her college as a point. That's not including the fact that she rarely sees black people in not just her field of study but also at her dads work (military). She's not telling us she hates white people, she's telling us how tired she is for feeling suffocated because even if we're in the 21st century, there ARE still prejudices against POC-- especially queer POC-- and you're just not listening.

[imjustnolan247-blog]

Anxious People: A Novel

Anxious People: A Novel

Instant number one New York Times best seller A People Book of the Week, Book of the Month Club selection, and Best of Fall in Good Housekeeping, PopSugar, The Washington Post, New York Post, Shondaland, CNN, and more! “[A] quirky, big-hearted novel…Wry, wise, and often laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a wholly original story that delivers pure pleasure.” (People) From the number one New York…

[chocobutt-trash]

I fell in love with the Ardyn and Angelgard post, and your addition was really great! Thank you so much for sharing! I was just wondering, could the place Ardyn sat at have been at pitioss?

Ooh, interesting! Thanks so much for this ask!

Well, it may be possible, for sure. It’s a sweet idea! However I have another idea on the location of Ardyn’s throne based on that card, so I’ll posit that here.

It’s now known that Ardyn was meant to be the first King of Lucis (see @valkyrieofardyn‘s post here). And it’s also known that the Blade of the Mystic is meant to be the blade used by ‘A king who rose to protect the world with the Oracle.’ (see the wiki). And, to further cement the association, the Blade of the Mystic is the sword that Ardyn uses in the final battle.

One thing I noticed upon replaying the game for the nth time was that the Tomb of the Mystic is located right where Titan is holding up the Meteor, right at the centre of the Disc of Cauthess.

Now this raises a number of questions. Why is a half-destroyed Royal Tomb in such a place? ENTER GEOLOGY NERD AGAIN: The placement of crater ejecta and fused rock overlaps and interrupts the tomb structure, indicating that the tomb existed prior to the meteor’s fall.

All that the Ultimania says concerning the Meteorite is that it ‘fell during ancient times.’ (see this awesome translation over on Medium). It’s the end result of the Astral War that Ifrit waged between the other gods. And it sort of gave me an idea. IF Ardyn was indeed the first king of Lucis and had his shrine in this location, in the very centre of Lucis itself, it would make sense for Ifrit to target the hub of the devotion to Bahamut and the others. Luckily, Titan steps in at the last minute so not all of the shrine is destroyed. Only most of it. And them, of course, Ifrit is banished.

I can imagine a distraught ruler Ardyn trying to keep the peace in the chaos that followed the meteor’s fall and the start of the Starscourge spreading. I can imagine him stepping off his throne in Cauthess and announcing that he would Heal the people, as was his duty. I can imagine his ardent followers still returning to this broken and dilapidated shrine for many years to come, still trying to hold on to the hope that he would cure the world of the Scourge. I can imagine people making those card sets with their king Ardyn Lucis Caelum sat on his throne like nothing’s happened, like the meteor hasn’t destroyed it.

And finally, I can see Bahamut’s betrayal once Ardyn becomes too infected to ascend. I can see Bahamut making a mockery of Ardyn (as referenced in the original post) and transporting the bare bones of that (hypothesised) throne room at Cauthess over to that lava bomb prison.

Let’s look more closely at the rocks used as building material between the Tomb of the Mystic and Angelgard.

First of all, at Cauthess, the building material differs from the country rock (the latter of which appears to be more of a sandstone matrix). It looks like it could be some kind of marble or meta-sedimentary rock. Marble is usually light in colour, doesn’t have vesicles or grains, and often features bands of discolouration or impurities as seen here:

This indicates two things: first, since there is no marble in the surrounding area, that the buidling material was shipped in from another locality, and second, that for such an expense to have been made, this site must have been of great importance.

Now over to Angelgard.

Ah. Will you look at that. Marble.

(It could be granite, you say, but no, I have not seen much evidence of mica or feldspar in this material while I was there. Might go back for some close-up shots at some point.)

Furthermore, in terms of the cut, the similarity with the slabs around the Tomb of the Mystic is just uncanny.

Okay, now let’s go on to overall placement. This shot of the Tomb in Chapter 4 shows an interesting angle of the Meteor rising grandly in the background:

Hey, it kind of reminds me of something…

It’s almost as though Bahamut wanted to mirror the sight of the meteor with the design of the Angelgard prison. It would probably remind Ardyn, every day he was trapped in there, of the origin of the tragedy that caused his curse.

It’s all a hypothesis but it’s awfully fun to think about! And another reason why Bahamut is the biggest dick of all.

[v171]

Midyear Freakout- book tag

I don't have a youtube or anything, but I like watching booktubers, and I like this tag, so I'm going to do it to dive into my thoughts about the books I've read so far this year.

I set a goal to read 60 books this year and I'm currently sitting at 35, so slightly ahead of schedule. But that's saying a lot considering I have only read one book during the months of May and June..

1. Best book you've read so far in 2021.

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

I should have expected that he would top my list so far considering his The Buried Giant was my favorite book from last year, but this was so good in a completely different way. Haunting and captivating.

2. Best sequel you've ready so far in 2021.

Drowned Country - Emily Tesh

This would probably be considered more of a short story than a book, but I absolutely loved it. Fantasy cryptids, but make it gay? Yes please. It's a duology and they're both extremely short. I think both of them together would be novella length.

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.

Rhythm of War - Brandon Sanderson

Whatever, I'm basic. But I love this series and I'm so excited to continue it. I have all the books, but because they're so long and come out relatively slowly, I like to take my time getting to them. I've only read the first two, but I really need to hop on the next two because its getting increasingly difficult to avoid spoilers.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

Under The Whispering Door - TJ Klune

Klune's first book, House in the Cerulean Sea, was a strong contender for my favorite book of last year, and that's why I'm SO EXCITED to finally get to read this, which looks to be similar in theme. I can't get over how great the cover art is, too.

5. Biggest disappointment.

Piranesi - Susanna Clarke

This book was single handedly responsible for forever making me skeptical of books that claim to be similar to Circe. People raved about this book so I had high hopes, but it was such a total letdown, and in my opinion, completely misleading in its advertising.

6. Biggest surprise.

The Municipalists - Seth Fried

I picked this up as a BOTM book and didn't really think anything of it. It actually turned out to be fantastic, chock full of action, commentary, and humor. I think this was the author's first book, too. I'm excited to see what else he comes out with.

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you).

Martha Wells

Yes. I've jumped on the Murderbot bandwagon and I'm obsessed. I have all of them. I could probably read them all in a weekend but I'm stupid and lazy.

8. Newest fictional crush.

Tobias - Silver in the Wood & Drowned Country

A stoic yet warm hearted forest spirit that looks like a brawny lumberjack? Need I say more?

9. Newest favorite character.

Brittle - Sea of Rust

This book was a total sleeper hit and the main character made it for me. She's the perfect mix of a lone wolf scavenger with a heart of gold.

10. Book that made you cry.

None yet! I bet y'all WISH that The Midnight Library made me cry but that book fucking sucked. The closest I came to crying was probably Never Let Me Go.

11. Book that made you happy.

This Is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar

Everyone loves this book, as they should. It's a total surreal science fiction that is squarely centered around lesbian love that is so strong it can't be bound by time or space.

12. The most beautiful book you've bought so far this year.

Circe - Madeline Miller (UK edition)

I literally only bought this because it is so gorgeous. I read it years ago. I think I might devote a couple of months next year to re-reading books I love. This will be top of the list.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of this year?

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon

I am so excited to pick this up, its sitting on my shelf waiting, but its like 1.5k pages so I'm nervous to start it. I think I'm almost ready though.

14. Favorite book to movie adaptation you've seen this year?

I don't watch movies.

And that's it! Keep an eye out for my end of year book stat wrap up. :) Credits for the book tag go to Earl Grey Books on Youtube.

[heeracha]

"u want a spoiler? ;)" i mean some of us wont mind ig ➖👄➖

NOT DEBBY RYAN 😭

[welcometothebookreport]

2021 To Be Read

I am sitting here on Christmas Eve in 2020, listening to a Crime Junkie episode, and I already know this list will be a labor of love. I’m sure I’ll forget to cross books off at some point, forget to add new books, and it will multiply until I’m in the same spot next year wondering where all of the time went. 

I am not going to read all of these this year. There’s absolutely no way. I mean, I probably could if I tried but I will undoubtedly get distracted by my BOTM picks and veer off the tracks. 

List below the cut because it’s already long and will only grow longer!

To Be Read

Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard. My two friends and I are reading this first thing! We’re hoping to enjoy it. 

Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin

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

Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo 

Shadow & Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo (I hope I can finish this before April!) 

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis

After by Anna Todd (I do not have high hopes for this, but I went through a pretty embarrassing phase of binging Harry Styles fanfic, so this is for past Kelsey.) 

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (I seriously cannot wait to sink my teeth into this.) 

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (and then the sequel!) 

Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford 

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir (At one point when the second book had just been released, I had been caught up. That was years ago. I AM CATCHING UP.) 

One Day in December by Josie Silver

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Paper Princess by Erin Watt

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

One Small Thing by Erin Watt

You Have a Match by Emma Lord 

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

The Roommate by Rosie Danan

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

More Than Words by Jill Santopolo

Den of Vipers by K.A. Knight

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Grey

Vicious by L.J. Shen (the cover looks like a thirst trap and I walked into it.) 

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby

Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Crave by Tracy Wolff 

The UnHoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Beach Read by Emily Henry

[loudpizzacreation]

Eh.

That’s how this book made me feel. I got it from my BOTM subscription. It was pretty predictable and a lot of the drama didn’t go anywhere. Where was the conclusion to the blackmail story line? Why didn’t Eddie go at him with a tire iron or some shit?

Ah, Eddie. The gold digger. The love interest. The big ol’ dummy dumb dumb. Jane was clearly after his money. She was spending it left and right and, due to his situation, one would think that he wouldn’t keep a girlfriend around. According to Jane herself, she was plain. The story sets Eddie up to be a psycho-stalker and that’s my brand, so I was into it, but... That went no where.

No explanation as to why he followed her that one time. Other than for the author to set up Scary Angry Eddie as he discreetly yelled at what’s-his-name.

What’s-his-name had a plotline that went no where, too. He blackmailed Jane (who was being a little bitch about it, even though she could take him in a fight) and it ended with a random lost family member? That was mentioned never again?

Anyway, the big ol’ dummy dumb dumb had a wife upstairs that he was FUCKING while he was pounding Jane nightly. The stamina? Great. The bod? Great. The brain? Kinda dumb. Forget that “power of love” bullshit. He should’ve called the cops. PERIOD.

I assumed he was looking around the lake house at night for evidence to plant on Tripp, but you know what the author never did? TELL US WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR. It never had a connection to Tripp’s arrest. (I’m getting heated)

Jane was supposed to have killed a man. Well, I personally think what she did could warrant jail time, but I’m not a lawyer. I just read books and watch trash television and have three cats. No, Jane was pretty boring. The part where she was a thief? Never went anywhere. She just kinda... stopped. Boring. At least have the police catch her or something.

In the end, [SPOILERS] Eddie was a good guy. Boring. Bea was the bad guy. Predictable. And Jane got all their money. Okay.

Side note: How tf did he even start that fire? He had books in the panic room, yes, but nothing to ignite them.

PLOT HOLES PLOT HOLES PLOT HOLES

I recommend for an extremely light read. Thank Satan it was only 290 pages, am I right, ladies?

Anyway, 2.5 out of 5.

[blue-cat-art]

Here have more asagao botw! Daruk - Jirard (ok I need a clip of Jirard saying Daruk protection is now ready to roll now) Yunobo - Caddy Also technical ocs were made to fit Continue in where they are a council of ambassadors but Paul is Muzu basically

Under readmore for more info

Jirard is the Champion of the Gorons. He’s known to have an entire collection of materials and gemstones and became the only person to be able to find the material used to make the master sword. He is a master smith and can create the most powerful and durable weapons that could rival the master sword and enhance the guardians.

Caddy is a descendent of Jirard who inherited the protection ability, but he uses it to explore death mountain. He becomes one of the only gorons that learn the art of archery and has two special bows that he uses. He hunts monsters that spawn near the village, but had to drop it to become a cannonball when Vah Rudahnia started to act up.

The Council of Ambassadors was created not too long after the call for champions was made. The officials of the gorons, ritos, and zora were chosen and they became very close companions. They traveled with the Champions. As of now, though, only Paul remain of the three due to the long lifespan of the zora.

Josh is a grumpy rito who generally distrusted everyone outside of the village who was chosen by the chief in hopes that he'd lighten up and become more open minded

Paul is a trusted advisor who created the Council in the first place because he thought that a ragtag team like the Champions needed support (especially prince shane)

While the gorons normally weren't ones for politics, Nick was one for the rares where he preferred to read rather than rock. As the son of the gorons chief, he had a lot of sway so he was chosen. 

[ciaomichaella]

#Book 6 in the #22booksin2022 #challenge - #RecklessGirls by #RachelHawkins It had a slow start and alternating times, but it really did pick up and was crazy in the end. The story in the book has some of its roots in #SanDiego and talks a lot about loss and privilege. Best part was towards the very end - not getting into any specifics to avoid spoilers for people, but: “What am I when you strip everything else away? I’m a motherfucking survivor.” 👏 Not gonna say who says that either because that would be a spoiler. I enjoyed #reading this more than my colleague did who said she’s a little too old for it. I can see that. Glad I finally finishes it. Hopefully I can get back on track w/ the #22booksin2022challenge - 3 weeks of chronic sleeplessness because of the Olympics did not help with reading. I think I’m finally ready to officially finish one of the books I’ve been putting off finishing… There’s a happy ending of sorts and I don’t have to worry about an update to said book… #sunday #weekend #novel #fiction #hardcover #bookofthemonthclub #bookofthemonth #BOTM https://www.instagram.com/p/CaggyZMLQB0/?utm_medium=tumblr