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kbrown78 · 5 years

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Monthly Wrap Up: March

March, to put it mildly, wasn't a great month for me. I found myself in a personal slump which did have a significant impact on how this month went for me. It also meant that I found myself in a bit of a reading slump, so I wasn't able to read as much and wasn't loving the majority of what I was reading. I read a total of 10 books but 2 of those were novella's (which I though were good) and one was a DNF. I was still able to get through all the reading challenge's I was participating in, but I attribute that to making sure I'm reading a “challenge” book all the time. It wasn't all bad though. There were a few books that I really enjoyed, and I got my second 5 star book in the year, and I think I also had a pretty good variety of books.

The Singing by Alison Croggon: To anyone that isn't familiar with the Books of Pellinor series, this is a 4 book series and I read the first 2 books at the end of last month and read this one, the 4th one, at the beginning of this month. Meaning I skipped the 3rd book. Let my start by briefly explaining why I did this. I don't normally skip books in a series, but this is a reread that I wasn't enjoying and the 3rd book, The Crow, I knew was going to be my least favorite book in the series, so I already wasn't motivated to read it. Before calling it quits I wanted to see if there were any new characters or major plot points that I had forgotten that impacted the finale. There were no major new characters introduced and only 3 or 4 relevant plot points. So my desperation to get the series done with quickly mixed with the fact that I saw no real reason to force myself through a filler book, I made the decision to skip The Crow and jump right to The Singing. Onto my actual review of The Singing, my opinion of this book was about the same as the rest of the series. Through the entire series I don't think Maerad changed. She definitely became more powerful, but she still felt pretty flat and boring as a character. Despite Hem having a POV for about half this book, he didn't come across as having any distinct personality. In fact, none of the side character felt developed, except for Sylvia and her husband (whose name I'm forgetting). Granted this entire series is more plot driven than character driven, but that's not really an excuse for a lack character growth or identity, and there was almost never a sense of urgency or action. In each book there was 3,4 maybe 5 major plot points and the rest is basically filler. It's only 7 days after I finished The Singing and already I'm forgetting most of the details. The world itself is pretty generic, but it at least feels like there was effort in the development. The ending is also one of those endings where everything just turns out fine and there aren't any life altering consequences, despite this whole narrative being an epic battle of good versus evil. The only interesting and nuanced part was whenever the Elidhu or Treesong were brought up. What is the nature of good and evil? Are the Elidhu wholly one or the other? Even if they label themselves as good, are they good by human standards? What will happen to both Bards and the Elidhu if the Treesong is sung? I liked these parts, and it made the story feel like more than a basic, boring journey. Unfortunately none of it was fully developed, and to an extent I get why. Bards have distanced themselves from Elidhu and the Elementals, so they are fairly ignorant of everything surrounding them. Overall I just wanted more from this series. When I first read it I was obsessed with stories that involved long journeys (courtesy of my obsession with the Oregon Trail) but now if there's going to be lots of traveling, it has to have multiple instances of character or plot development (I do feel like it's easier to get away with this in TV or movies cause I can think of several examples of long journeys that I actually enjoy). I do recommend this for younger readers, or even people trying to ease themselves in epic fantasy since it's just 4 books that aren't even 500 pages, but as for myself I really was disappointed by this series and think it's just an average 3 star series. The Singing itself received 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente: Catherynne M. Valente is an author that has been on my radar for a little while. She seems to write fanciful, eclectic novels, like Radiance and Space Opera (which I'm still interested in reading), but this was the one I was most intrigued by. It's heavily influenced by Russian folklore and history, which admittedly I knew only a little about before reading this but I don't think that left me at any disadvantage. I was aware going into this that the romance was going to kind of twisted and it's a borderline villain story, but I figured I would be able to overlook. The relationship between Marya and Koschei is very twisted and they seem to want to please the other as much as they want to make them suffer, and I really prefer healthy relationships. The romance was definitely twisted and wasn't my cup of tea, but it wasn't the biggest issue I had with this book. Marya was one of those characters where we're told she's smart and observant, but as some as she's whisked away to Koeschi's region she does a lot of stupid things and is just downright pathetic at times. In fact I hated her time with Koeschi for several reasons, but the can all by summed up by saying it felt like I was reading 2 completely different stories. I really liked the beginning, with glimpse of magical realism and folk lore, but it's still very much set in a recently communist Russia. You do question what's real or not, but the story is never confusing and Marya does seem like a well read, sympathetic character. Then there was the whole courtship between Kosechi and Marya, as he willful makes her sick and says he's going to basically control, but then implies that this is love and Marya believes him. Then this devolved into a book with no plot. There's supposed to be this constant war between Life and Death, and that one could have been interesting, but it ended up being a minor sub plot. Then she somehow ends up back in her old home, and things get even more confusing from there, with the end making me wonder if all those magical things that happened to Maya were real or if they were all in her head. Ultimately I couldn't tell you what this book was about, it's just one of those stories where things happen. This could have been much more tolerable if I liked at least one character, but I didn't like any characters. Majority of the characters were treated as disposable and were given very little identity, while the more main ones I found to be all unlikable. While there was plenty that I disliked about this book, I just couldn't hate it. The writing was very interesting (and I have read a short story by Valente so I know I like her writing style), it was interesting seeing Old World Russia with it's folklore mesh with the blossoming Soviet Russia, and like I stated earlier I genuinely enjoyed the beginning. If you're looking to read more retellings (in this case of Koeschi the Deathless) or books with a Russian setting I could recommend this one, but be warned, it's weird, there's no sense of direction, and the characters are definitely unlikable and it's debatable if they're sympathetic or not. Deathless received 2.5 out 5 stars and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “a book inspired by myth, legend, folklore.”

Starless by Jacqueline Carey: This was a book that I delayed in picking up because I was just losing interest in it and was worried to would be a romance disguised as fantasy. I'm pleased to say that this book exceeded my expectations for it. It's a coming of age, epic fantasy story about Khai, a young warrior monk as he trains and eventually takes up his position as the destined protector (called a Shadow in this world) of a princess. This book feels like it's broken into 3 sections that are tied into each other. The first starts with Khai as a young child, training in the desert. I think this part was a very good introduction to the world and some of the characters. There isn't too much going on in terms of plot or conflict, but it's clear that Carey is building up to this. The second part was probably my favorite bit because it contained more of what I like to see in stories as well as tying into the first and third parts of the book. Khai finally meets the princess Zhari, and the two immediately form a close bond. There's some political intrigue, looming threats of an apocalypse, and a shortage of seeds that makes the royals immortal. This shortage results in the fire deity promising more seeds if the princess is married to a foreigner (with a large dowry of said seeds). There's some time spent whittling down which suitor she will marry, and that's where things were really building up. I was eager to read the next chapter and I could see an epic conflict really up and ready to burst. When Zhari finally picks her fiance, Khai and Zhari depart with the lord to his homeland and that's where the final part of the book begins and where things start to go downhill. The plot became entirely driven by prophecy, and I was just losing investment in the story, even though the stakes were really high because now it's very obvious that the world will end if the heroes fail in their quest. I also started having issues with the characters. Through the whole book, there has been a revolving door of characters but they all felt fully fleshed out and there was chance that they could emerge again or become relevant to the rest of the story. The crew that Khai and Zhari become a part of are hastily introduced and never become fully realized characters. This is most evident when some of these characters are killed off and I just didn't care (and there's even one that turned out to be part of the prophecy and I may have rolled my eyes at that). Most of the fantasy stand alones that I read have trouble with pacing, but I don't think that was the case here. While I wasn't as invested in the plot in the final part, I do think it moved forward at a decent pace. The romance was cute, with 2 opposite personality characters and it slowly building up until the end with a love confession and the two adventuring and spending the rest of their lives together, but I didn't love it for similar reasons of why I wasn't invested in the plot in the third part. It was all fated. I think I've just found something else I really don't like in seeing in books. Had the narrative stayed on the path that it was going on in the middle of the book, I would have given this book 5 stars, but I was more than a little disappointed with how the just of the book went, the rating definitely dropped. Starless received 4 out 5 stars from me and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “a book you meant to read in 2018.”

In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire: Going into this book I was worried that it wouldn't hold up to the rest of the series. I wasn't super intrigued by the premise and the character we are following is in an earlier book and I didn't find her compelling. But it is a Seanan McGuire book and it's in a series I think is really good, so when I saw they had a copy at a bookstore, I purchased it without hesitation. At the beginning I really wasn't feeling the book at all. I didn't think there was anything stand out or unique, the characters and world wasn't interesting, and there wasn't really anything happening in terms of the plot. So there was nothing motivating me to continue, but it's a short book and super easy to get through. I'm glad I did because the ending was what really made this book resonate with me. I'm about to state an unpopular opinion, but Down Among the Sticks and Bones was my least favorite book in the series (and after reading this book I think it still is) because while I did like the two protagonists and the world of the Moors was kind of interesting, I don't think it told a very good story, there was an awkward time gap in the center of the book, and the overall theme of this book was presented in a way that made it come off as a bit preachy. This book was a complete inverse of Down Among the Sticks and Bones. I still don't find Lundy to be that compelling of a character, though she is sympathetic and almost tragic at the end, and there was so little of the Goblin Market that I don't really have an opinion an it, but everything else was done right. The beginning starts out feeling a little disjointed, with a lot being outright explained or not very nuanced, but it pays off in the end when those things the beginning become relevant to Lundy. The whole concept of “fair value” was something that really struck a cord with me because it's very relevant to just to the story but to this world too. I also liked seeing the various relationships, like Lundy and Moon's friendship, Lundy and Diana's sisterhood (which did happen a bit abruptly but still felt genuine), and even Lundy and her fathers (which was, I think, a better done example of showing the consequences of bad parenting), and seeing how the Goblin Market and “fair value” affected each one. So while In An Absent Dream still had it's slumps in the beginning, I would say it's a good story and a great addition to the Wayward Children series. In An Absent Dream received 4 out 5 stars and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “book published in 2019.”

The Tiger's Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera: Similar to In An Absent Dream, I was wary about this book. When I first purchased it I was hearing a lot of good things but just never got around to reading it, and the it just sat on my shelf for over a year, maybe 2. Unlike In An Absent Dream, the problem wasn't my lack of interest in the story, it was that I was worried it was being over hyped. I've been introduced to lots of wonderful new books through the book community, but I've also been severely disappointed by books that are just raved about and sound amazing. That's why I put this one off for so long. At first I was just not in the mood for it, but then I started avoiding it because I was being consistently let down by books that were over hyped. This month I had to start it because it was my book my partner selected for me in the monthly “Pick-It-For-Me” reading challenge (which is part of why I like this challenge, it forces me to read books I wouldn't initially choose for myself). Once I started reading it I was pretty quickly immersed to the story and attached to the characters. This is a book that I honestly loved every aspect of it, and only have a few minor complaints. The entire story was so beautifully written, mostly told in the format of love letters between the 2 protagonists, Shefali and Shizuka. I will say that the chapters are enormous (like 2 chapters together was about 250 pages) and while they are broken up those sections within the chapter are still fairly large. This definitely helps pull you into the story more, but it can be a turn off to some people (and was part of the reason I got into a reading slump). I loved the protagonists, I loved how they were wonderfully complex characters with their own issues to overcome and more than just warrior women archetypes. I loved their relationship, how it felt natural (despite being fated) and watching it evolve from their first meeting as children to their eventual reuniting after Shefali's banishment. Much like Shefali and Shizuka, while their relationship is beautiful and good, it's not without it's problems, and both characters are aware of that and try to work through it. I was surprised by how good the side characters were, even minor ones that only show up a few times. Each one plays a role in Shefali and Shuizka's lives, for better or worse, and while some are awful and some were good, I thought all were fleshed out. The world itself was astounding, influenced I think by Ancient China and the Mongol Empire, and I loved the level of detail that was put into not just the human aspect of the world with the politics and various cultures, but also with the supernatural part of the world, with the black bloods and demons. As for the overall narrative, it was a bit slow, especially if you think this is going to be an epic war between humans and demons, but I don't think the story suffered from, in fact I think it flourished because of it. Instead of focusing on the supernatural conflict, we only get glimpses of it through the few times it directly or indirectly affects the characters lives. Instead the book focuses on building up the characters and world and the conflicts created by people, like corruption in the nobility and racism, and book that builds up both compelling characters, and detailed world, and nuanced themes makes for a book I'm going to love. The Tiger's Daughter received 5 out 5 stars.

Dune by Frank Herbert: Dune was I pick I read because my Dad kept suggesting that I read it. I didn't have high expectations going into this one, and it both surprised and disappointed me. Most of the plot revolves around two things, control of a spice only native to the planet of Arrakis, aka Dune, and bringing forth this fated chosen one. I didn't like the chosen one trope in this story, at all, because it only served to emphasize just how amazing and unstoppable the protagonist Paul is. I did not like Paul, and I blame that as much on the narrative as the character himself. If you asked me to describe Paul, I honestly couldn't, there was just no defining feature about him other than being “the chosen one.” He has “the Voice” like his mother, which I think is a method of controlling people, but I honestly don't know. He comes from a noble background, everyone admires him, he's always right and always succeeds in everything. Literally everything goes right in his life, except for when he and his mother have to go into hiding and his father is killed, but in the long run it makes his life that much better because he ends up having some control over this spice that everyone wants and also marries the Emperors daughter which puts in line for succession. I didn't like him, or even get attached to him, because I knew from the beginning that everything is going to be fine for him and mostly gets things just handed to him, never failing and never having to make any significant sacrifices. The only interesting that came out of the whole “chosen one” narrative was a background element regarding the school his mother, Lady Jessica, hails from. The Bene Gesserit is an organization consisting of just women, that practice meditation to hone their superhuman abilities, and are key figures in influencing the politics and arranging marriages to continue certain bloodlines. I liked seeing women have that much power in a classic science fiction story, because I was fully expecting the opposite. That actually ties into one of the other things I liked about Dune, which was the whole political intrigue (which is something I personally love seeing in books, at least when it's well done). This book can essentially be described as Game of Thrones in space, with all these different Houses and organizations vying for power, and in this book in particular, control of the spice. There's Houses trying to undermine or alley with each other, there's the inner workings of the Fremen and how the deal with foreigners, and the Bene Gesserit wielding a silent power, and the only thing preventing a rebellion is it not being revealed that the Emperor is more willing to eliminate Houses at will. While I do love seeing political intrigue in books, I just don;t think this one went far enough with it. A Song of Ice and Fire, for all it's faults, establishes in the first book a complicated political network surrounding the Iron Throne and the severe consequences that wrong actions can have. I just didn't get that sense of depth from Dune, which is a shame because there was a lot of potential with that series. Before I break down what I didn't like about this book, I will discuss the one other thing about this book that I liked, and that was the role that the environment had. Dune is a desert planet, so water is very scarce and a huge status symbol. The environment plays a role not just in the societal structure to the people who are native there but also to the rest of the empire, which again tied into the political intrigue aspect. I told my Dad that those bits of the book made it feel like it was set in the real world (especially when taking into consideration America's push for oil in the Middle East), which was something I both liked and disliked (I'll get to why I disliked it in a minute). As much as there were things I liked about Dune, there were also some things I really disliked. I didn't really like any of the characters, except for maybe Jessica. I've already ranted about why I disliked Paul, but my issues with the other characters was that I didn't feel attached to them in any way. They were all pretty flat and empty, acting more like props instead of people, except for the Baron, who I disliked almost as much as Paul. Yes, he's the villain, but he's not a compelling villain. He's a foopish, over the top, disgusting character that I honestly question why he got a POV for 2 reasons. One is again, that he's just a disgusting character and a waste of paper, but the other is that reading from his POV took away all the suspense of the entire first half of the book because he states exactly how he's going to reclaim power and then does exactly that, which leads into one of my other major issues with this book. The writing isn't good. There was no suspense because the author choose to have the characters very blatantly tell you what's going to happen and then has it happen exactly how they said it would. It's why I generally hate prophecy driven narratives. The dialogue was also very awkward and almost uncomfortable to read at times, and the pacing of this book was all over the place, I honestly have no idea how much time passed in this book. The one other thing I want to discuss is why I didn't like the real world feel of this book. It wasn't that the themes and conflicts and characters felt grounded in reality, it's that if the names were different this honestly could have been set in the real world. There was tech present, like spaceships obviously, and the worms were kind of cool feature, but they didn't feel very tied into the story or the world itself. They were just kind of there. I went into this book identifying it as a classic science fiction, and I guess I was hoping to see more advanced tech be more relevant to this world, or spend some time on an actual spaceship, but that wasn't there, so it was a little disappointing. That isn't actually a bad feature of the book, but it's one I just wish had been done differently. The last thing I'm going to talk about is the romance. It's a minor feature of this book, but I would still like to discuss it because there's a good, bad, and terrible example. If any of you are slightly familiar with Dune, you can probably guess that the terrible one is the Baron. Everything surrounding this guy is awful, but did really have to go the extent of him being the only person on the LGBTQ+ spectrum and having him be the villain, but also he's lusting after young boys, namely Paul and his own f**king nephew. I will repeat what I said earlier, the Baron was just a waste of paper. The romance that is actually a romance but I didn't think was done that well was Paul and Chani. They meet when he becomes a part of the Fremen, and while part of my disinterest may be due to my dislike of Paul, I honestly didn't feel any chemistry between the 2 and all of their romance seemed to happen off screen, despite Paul being the most central character. The well done romance is Paul's parents, Lady Jessica and Duke Leto. They aren't officially together, due to them mutually agreeing it would be better for potential allies if they didn't, but they way they act to and regard each other makes it clear they're married in all but name. During the entire book, Duke Leto never takes another wife, and Jessica (even though she also had her own ambitious reasons) gave the Duke a son when it was made clear to her that she needed to have a daughter, because she knows it will make him happy. They seem to regard each other as equals. I didn't love the miscommunication but after the Duke is killed Paul gives Jessica a message from him which basically states his undying love and trust in her, and Jessica seems genuinely mournful of his loss. It isn't a relationship we see much of (none are honestly, except maybe Paul and Jessica's) but the glimpses that are shown, I really liked. Considering this was a book written in the 1960s, I think it still works well (mostly) with a modern audience, which is what makes it a classic. Is it one of my favorite science fiction novels? No. Is it without it's faults? In my opinion, no. Is it still a worthwhile book that I would recommend giving it a try? Absolutely. I know there are several squeals, some written by Herbert some not, but I feel fine leaving Dune as it's own self contained story. Dune received a 3 out of 5 stars from me and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “book set in space.”

Eragon by Christopher Paolini: Since I've been doing a lot of rereading, and haven't read this series since junior high, I wanted to get to this series sooner rather than later. When I first read this series I absolutely loved it. It wasn't Harry Potter, or the Warriors series, but I found it to be an engrossing series that spawned my love of dragons. After finishing it, and as time passed, I heard more and more critical things about the series and wanted to see where I stood on the whole thing. Now having completed the first book at least I give a brief breakdown on how this review is going to go: it has plenty of flaws in it and I would say it's mediocre at best but damn if I'm not going to defend it. The basic plot is a farm boy finds a dragon egg, the dragon hatches, and the two work together to overthrow an evil emperor. It's a very generic plot, but I still found it entertaining to read. It does have a fast pacing, but because so much of this book was long journeying I think that worked in the book's favor because it didn't have a ton of filler. Most of the world building is given through long exposition, and while I didn't like that, it was something I just rolled my eyes at and moved on with. I didn't like Eragon as a protagonist, he reeks of wonder boy, chosen one, and he frequently came off as very immature and ignorant. The supporting cast, however makes up for it, especially the females because I think they all stood out as fell fleshed characters. The one specific criticism I want to tackle in this post, and the one I hear the most often, is that this is basically Lord of the Rings fanfiction. Are there similarities, yes, but many, many, many traditional epic fantasy series are inspired by Tolkeins work. Heck, I just finished a series where the first book seemed copy and pasted from the Fellowship of the Ring. The big differences is that the book is set in a world where the bad guy has already won and is maintaining power, and dragons are an important feature. The king has a dragon, and is the only one which makes him very dangerous and the reason Eragon is so important is because he's the only one with a dragon and could potentially challenge the king. The big thing about this book is Paolini was 15 when he wrote this book. 15! I have seen experienced writers produce material that is the same level as what Paolini produced as a kid. It's not an original story and I can see why people reading it for the first time as adults would definitely get frustrated with it but I think it's a good place to start for younger readers looking into epic fantasy (be warned the last 2 books get big). Eragon received 3 out 5 stars.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells: So over the past year I started hearing more and more people rave about this first book in a series of novella's. I'm trying to read more science fiction, and I heard that this one was also humorous. That being combined with the fact that it's short made it seem like a good pick. This first book introduced us to the self named Murderbot, a rouge security droid who hacked it's own module and spends most of the time consuming entertainment. It's on a mission with an exploratory team when things get increasingly suspicious, and suddenly the neighboring exploratory team goes quiet. It's feels a bit like Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (one of my favorite books), if the story was told from the POV of a very anti social robot. I liked what the story built up to and I did find the character of Murderbot to be amusing and relateable at times, but I didn't love the story. Part of it may be due to the fact that it is both a novella and first book in a series, so the story itself comes off as very rushed and almost incomplete. The major theme of this book is Murderbot discovering what it really wants out of life, and how the humans that it interacts with and the entertainment it consumes affects this. You see it slowly go from this very passive, borderline apathetic character, to someone who actively takes charge of their own life but still retains their core characteristics, that being it's anti social nature and love of entertainment. It's a great idea, one that I think a lot of people can relate with and one that I think has the potential for a good character arc, but doesn't really get emphasized until the end. There's a couple moment's throughout the story that indicate this is what we're building up to, but it's not the what the story focuses on. The big story is why are all these malfunctions occurring and what happened to the other exploratory team. Overall I would say that it was still a decent story, but there were 2 major failures that I think ultimately cost the quality of the overall narrative. The first is that Murderbot is the only POV and she's very lazy and keeps human interaction to an absolute minimal. While this is part of what Murderbot a good character, it means that the readers don't get much of a sense of the world, or the people around them, or even what's going on. You're just left in a haze and being told to keep walking. The second, and bigger failure, comes at the climax. As far as I understand there's a secret third team that is killing off the other 2 exploratory teams, though the reasoning I'm not clear on. When the team we've been following, PreservationAux, and the third team make contact, it's very unclear what happened or even why it happened. The only clear thing was that Murderbot was shot, and PreservationAux worked not only to ensure it's survival but also permanently bought it's contract so that it could stay with them. This leads to the emotional climax, with Murderbot leaving, and was actually a touching moment. I did ultimately like this novella, and would like to read the rest, but going through probably a third of the story with blinders on left me a little frustrated, especially due to the hype. Speaking of which I also didn't think this book was as humorous as a lot of people made it seem, there were funny moments and one of the best intros I've read this year, but after the introduction it kind of went downhill. It's a good novella, I just wish that there had been more to work with. All Systems Red received 4 out 5 stars.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick: After finishing Dune, I moved onto another book my Dad liked (he has every single book written by Philip K. Dick). He did warn me going into this one that the story itself isn't great, but the ideas behind the story are generally compelling. So going into this, I expected to be decent, but not great, and that was basically what this ended up being. It's a short book, that can easily be read in just a few days, and I definitely think this worked in the books favor. The plot is very simple, being set in a bleak future America, after nuclear war has ravaged the landscape, and Rick Deckard has been assigned to “retire,” aka kill, 6 advanced androids. He takes the job because he wants to buy a real animal, the ultimate status symbol in their society. What transpires is him retiring each of the androids but there's a growing moral conflict centered around empathy and what makes something human. The plot does get a bit convoluted at times, but the story is straightforward enough so that you can still get through those parts with relative ease. I was surprised to learn that there's a second POV that focuses on a minor character. While not really relevant to the plot, it does contribute a little to the overall moral conflict. To be honest this is a hard book review without giving spoilers, and also it's one I think I need more time to really analyze all aspects of it. I will say that if you are a fan of science fiction and looking for more recommendations, especially classics, I would give this one a try. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep received 3 out 5 stars and is my pick for the PopSugar prompt “book with a question in the title.”

When She Woke by Hilary Jordan: This is a book that I was really looking forward to reading. It's supposed to be a retelling of The Scarlet Letter, which is one of my favorite classics, but set in a future society, where people are dyed different colors based on the crimes they commit. The protagonist, Hannah Pyrne, gets an abortion and is dyed, called Chroming, red to signify her as a murderer. I thought it was going to be a thought provoking retelling, but it wasn't. There were some very obvious nods to The Scarlet Letter, but the underlying tone and world makes When She Woke actually feel like a retelling of The Handmaids Tale, which is not the narrative I wanted to read about. AT ALL. At this point I really try and steer away from overly depressing narratives (it's why I'm delaying rereading The Handmaid's Tale and the Queen of the Tearling series for as long as possible). Since there was an abortion in this book, I knew it was going to go to some dark places, but I still expected there to be bright, even hopeful moments. There wasn't any in the first half, it was all just sad and depressing with several instances of oppression and abuse. In fact not only is depressing, it's kind of generic too, and stuffed full of things I really dislike seeing in books like Insta Love, forbidden romance, and girl hate. I ended up reading a summary of the second half to see if I was going to miss out on anything, and there ultimately didn't seem to be. I really hoped that it would be one of those books with a utopian setting but focuses on the best and worst aspects of society. This was definitely not one of those books, and it's such a disappointment that it turned out the way it did. When She Woke received 1 out 5 stars, since any book I DNF I give a one star to, and was my pick for the PopSugar prompt “retelling of a classic.”

Thank You Everyone

Keep Calm and Keep Reading

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its-ashleyreads · 3 years

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Finished: 03/07/2021

One Last Time by Roxie Noir

Yes, I know Seth Loveless is single.

Seth Loveless is always single, because he’d rather sleep with every girl in a fifty-mile radius than be tied to just one. Nice of him not to cheat, I guess.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆1/5

Summary:

Seth Loveless has been trying to get over Delilah Radcliff for the past ten years after she broke his heart, but that’s been a lot harder ever since she moved back to town, especially since they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. But does time heal all wounds, or does it give them time to fester?

Review:

The only reason I didn’t DNF this book is because I really wanted to make sure that Seth got what he deserved, a happy ending, but after finishing it, I can’t say that he did. It wasn’t just that Seth and Delilah were toxic to each other, it’s that Delilah was toxic period. There wasn’t a moment in this entire novel where I didn’t hate her with every fiber of my being. She was rude to her family, she treated Seth like an object, and just generally was irrational and angry about everything. I also had issues with how the book was put together with the flashbacks and a lot of the pacing, especially considering that this was the longest of the five in the series. I just felt that overall, One Last Time felt sloppy and half-baked.

When it comes to Delilah, I have trouble thinking of anything relatable or understandable about her. She had such a “Not Like Other Girls” complex and thought that she was better than everyone else, while also being super insecure and jealous. In regard to her jealousy about Seth having slept with a lot of women, I can understand how it might suck that your highschool boyfriend ended up sleeping with people that you knew, but the fact of the matter is that she had moved out of town and married someone else. He didn’t owe her anything, but she always seemed to have this idea in her head that he belonged to her. She wouldn’t go out on dates with him at first or let anyone know that they’d even spoken since highschool, but any time she called she expected him to come running, and he did because he had no spine. She took moments where Seth was vulnerable and twisted them into arguments, she looked through his phone and repeatedly slut-shamed him. She would start arguments and say hurtful things to him and then play the victim when he said mean things back.

When Delilah found some things that a woman had left behind at Seth’s house that were tucked away, it’s not like he had them in a trophy case, she was upset but he got rid of them and made sure to search his house to get rid of anything else that might upset her, she never showed him the same courtesy. She had mementos with her and her ex’s initials on them and photos of the two of them just lying around without any thought for Seth’s feelings, especially since Seth had proposed to her mere months before she married someone else. But that distinct lack of understanding on her part is why I didn’t feel any chemistry between them other than sexual. Seth just seemed like a wounded puppy who craved acceptance and love from the person who hurt him, Delilah just wanted someone who went against everything her ex was. Her and Seth had nothing in common, I didn’t find their banter very good or witty, it was juvenile at best because all they ever talked about was sex, and they were never sure of their place in the other persons life. Even when Seth would say explicitly that he liked her and she was the only one he wanted, she wouldn’t believe him even though he’d never given her reason to believe he was a liar. I tried so hard to like her at first because I really did want to, but she fell short every time. Whenever I thought she had done her worst, she outdid herself again and again and I didn’t feel like she earned Seth’s forgiveness, or that she even really apologized, by the end of the book. Delilah was a character who really should have had a lot more therapy before she even attempted a relationship because that girl has some huge trust issues that were never explained.

And I put a lot of those plot-holes down to the layout and pacing of the book. The first 30% of the novel takes place at Delilah’s ditsy sister’s wedding and then throughout the rest of the book there are also awkward flashback chapters that never seem to fit where they were placed in reference to other chapters. And they were only made worse by the fact that they went in reverse chronological order in oddly timed increments like, “nine and a half years ago”, or “still five and a half years ago.” The fact that those flashbacks all wound down to Seth proposing to Delilah in highschool? College? And her subsequentially breaking up with him, especially so late in the book, made their “reconciliation” feel rushed and underserved. Every time that I thought Noir should have started stitching Seth and Delilah’s relationship back together, she was still pulling them apart. Their happy ending didn’t feel earned, especially with that dumb ass scrapbook and racoon castle, and I can’t imagine those characters staying together in the long run.

None of their actual issues were properly addressed and I still have a million questions about the timeline of events, but I really don’t want to spend another minute thinking about this book since it already took me so long to slog through it. If you are interested in reading the Loveless Brother’s series I would highly, highly recommend skipping this one. Break the Rules may have been boring but One Last Time was just garbage. I wanted to rate this as one star but the Loveless boy’s are absolutely lovely, even if some of them did betray me and accept Delilah, and the brotherly bonding deserves at least half a star.

#one last time #loveless brothers #seth loveless #roxie noir #romance #contemporary romance #kobo #kobo plus #1/5 #1.5/5 #ashley reviews

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beesandbooks1 · 4 years

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Discussion: Female Fantasy Authors

Hello book bees and welcome to another discussion post! For this post, I will be discussing the differences in reading fantasy books by male authors and fantasy books by female authors. To keep things simple, I will mostly be considering the divide in gender representation. I will discuss intersectionality in a later section, and may reference representation of BIPOC and LGBT+ people but today I will not be diving in depth into those topics. Additionally, when it comes to intersectionality and the discussion of BIPOC authors and characters I am a white person, so it is important that you listen to BIPOC writers and what they say on the topic over what I may say.

CW: This post will feature discussions of sexual assault, rape, misogyny, homophobia, racism, and other sensitive topics. I will be including further content warnings where appropriate, but please be aware that these topics come up and read with caution.

If you’d rather read this post on my blog, follow this link! Also, feel free to comment, on my blog or in the tags, with your thoughts on this topic!

Problems I have with Male Fantasy

I do enjoy fantasy books written by men, and I have read plenty of them. But there are a lot of problems that often crop up. This isn’t exclusive to fantasy, of course, but I’m focusing on fantasy in particular because this is something that actually led me to abandon the genre for a few years. Something about fantasy settings can bring out the worst in male authors, as though the presence of fantasy elements gives them liberty to introduce sexist and horrible plotlines for their female characters (if they have any).

The first issue I usually have with a male written fantasy book is the lack of female characters, or at least the lack of good female characters. A lot of the generic high fantasy produced by men imitates Tolkien’s gender ratios without the payoff of the female characters that are present in that seminal work of the genre. Nine times out of ten when reading a fantasy novel by a male author, I find that I can count the amount of female characters on one hand. I also find that those characters fall into archetypes such as the damsel in distress, are victims of sexual assault (something I’ll come back to in a bit), or are irredeemably evil in a way that is intimately tied up in their gender. It’s frustrating to read entire books and series in which all of the representatives of my gender are boring, annoying, or otherwise flat.

CW for following paragraph: Sexual assault, rape, abuse

The second problem I have is that the worst and most graphic depictions of rape and sexual assault I have ever read have been in male-written fantasy novels. I don’t know exactly what causes this to happen, but I have definitely noticed a pattern that male-written fantasy seems to often portray the worst in men. To give credit where credit is due, the authors generally make it clear that the rape and sexual assault is bad. Revenge and punishment is often had, and the male heroes and protagonists don’t partake in sexual assault. However, the descriptions are still there, and often with zero content warnings. I’m privileged that these descriptions while uncomfortable are not strong triggers for me and I am able to read and process them without detriment to my mental health. However, I often skip these descriptions and DNF these books because of them. I have experienced enough threats, misogyny, and sexual harassment that I have no need to read about those experiences in fantasy–a genre that I consider an escape from the ills of real life. There is not and never has been a plot purpose to the inclusion of such graphic depictions of rape and sexual assault. And yet, rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse in relationships are often used by male authors to explain a character’s personality. These are used as character backstory to either demonstrate how good and moral a character that opposed these actions is, or to demonstrate how horribly abused a character was (usually female, but not always), or to demonstrate what a monster an antagonist is. While including characters who are rapists is one thing, including graphic depictions of their crimes is an entirely unnecessary other thing.

I find that fantasy novels by men are also often less well rounded and yet lauded as better than female authors’ works. Women write some incredibly unique fantasy worlds with interesting and surprising twists and turns, and yet are passed over for awards and recognition in favor of male authors whose stories are predictable at best. This is not to say that every fantasy novel by a man is poorly written and unimaginative, but to point out the discrepancy that exists in recognition and famous names. The gender gap in fantasy has led to a variety of tactics and techniques to promote female authors. The most commonly known one is the use of initials instead of full names because of the demonstrated bias that readers have against picking up a fantasy novel with a woman’s name on the cover. Different worldviews and experiences lead to different writing styles, worlds, and plotlines. It’s time that the voices of women writers in fantasy were bolstered.

“Strong” Female Characters

I am hardly the first to point this out, but male authors (and some female authors, to be fair) tend to write what are supposed to be strong female characters that just…aren’t. A good example of this not in the fantasy genre is the way Joss Whedon writes Black Widow in the Marvel universe. In Whedon’s writing of her, she is considered strong and badass but only so long as she conforms to a certain ideal of feminine and mourns the fact that she cannot have children. Female characters written like this–supposedly strong but ultimately weak when stripped of their fighting prowess–are frustrating to read. You see this a lot in fantasy where a female character is constantly touted as the best fighter, or the strongest mage, but is stripped of her power as soon as the main male protagonist with his lack of experience and lack of talent bests her in battle (usually only because of sexual tension).

There are a lot of tropes and characteristics of this type of female character in fantasy. Usually, she is bitter and mean due to some trauma in her past that either isn’t all that traumatic (reinforcing the idea that women are hysterical) or is all that traumatic but she isn’t given the character development to move past her grief unless of course the main male protagonist offers her love and affection. If she is a skilled warrior, she learned so by being trained against expectations of women usually by her father or brother(s) and is constantly underestimated by others despite also having a reputation as a warrior. She fought and clawed her way to where she is and she disdains all women who didn’t do the same, isolating her from literally everyone because the men don’t respect her either.

Yes, there are women in the real world who did claw their way up to the top of male dominated fields, and there are women who did that to the exclusion and isolation of their peers of all genders. However, there are a lot of women who use their positions of power to bolster other women and help others and have a lot of friends, family, and coworkers that like and respect them. It doesn’t make a female character strong to be a loner who hates everyone and is equally hated for their nonconformity. In fact, it creates an unrealistic expectation for young and impressionable readers that in order to be powerful and strong you need to be alone.

Experience: Reading a Female Fantasy Author

I have at various points found myself reading a good fantasy book and then looking up the author to discover they were a woman. It’s no surprise to me, considering my lack of patience for overhyped male authors, that my favorite authors are almost always women and my favorite books inevitably written by women. The experience of reading fantasy from a female author is one I enjoy immensely. I find the characters more diverse, well rounded, and respected. I find the plot focuses less on imposing trauma and pain on people and more about the hope that rises up in a dark fantasy world. The villains have more interesting motivations, or at least are more interesting people to read about, and the worlds are explored more. A lot of the fantasy written by men that floods the cheaper shelves of bookstores and the free ebook world is self fulfillment in the form of a fantasy world, largely based in the author’s preferred fantasy world of choice and pursuing the traditional adventure and romance plot the author aspired to have when younger.

There’s also not a lot of respect for female fantasy authors as compared to their male counterparts. I had a creative writing professor in college who disparaged any popular series written by a woman but was unable to see that he didn’t feel the same about works by men. This bias is everyone from writing professors to literary scholars to publishers to literary agents and even down to authors and readers themselves. While I simply don’t have the time to really delve into the facts and figures about gender bias in the fantasy genre in this blog post, I can cite my experiences as writer and reader. In that same professor’s class I worked on a fantasy project with a group of four other women and one man. Guess whose parts of the project the professor praised most? Guess whose parts the professor though worthwhile despite his strong bias against fantasy writing? Male fantasy writers are more respected for going against the masculine grain to write still highly masculine stories but in a fantasy setting. Female fantasy writers are considered just another one of the pack of wildly delusional women.

There is a lot of room to be creative in fantasy. If you want to see just how nuts people can get, look up anecdote threads on any social media site for Dungeons and Dragons tales. Everyone who’s played had a crazy idea that somehow worked during a campaign. The same can often be true of fantasy stories, because ultimately if there’s dragons and magic and whatnot then the limit is only your imagination! And yet. Women who write diverse worlds in which racism (fantasy or otherwise) never existed, or world where women have always been in charge, or worlds where gender doesn’t even exist are often criticized for having created unrealistic worlds because apparently despite fantasy being what it is we still have to include all the pain and trauma of the real world.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality was coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, a black feminist scholar, to describe the experiences of black women within the framework of feminism. Historically and still today, discussions of feminism and the experiences of women worldwide tend to focus by default on the experiences of white women. Crenshaw thus introduced intersectionality as a framework with which to understand that the experiences of a black woman can be significantly different than those of a white woman due to the multi-faceted nature of the discrimination against people of color, black people in certain countries such as the United States, and black women specifically who face many levels of oppression within the frameworks of whiteness, wealth, sexism, etc.

Intersectionality is often used by feminist and queer scholars to describe the social stratification that needs to be considered when discussing oppression and privilege. This stratification considers a variety of factors from sexuality to gender presentation, education and wealth, to race and skin color. This framework considers that looking at different women’s experiences requires an understanding of the different factors at play in each one.

The reason I am including a brief discussion of intersectionality is that this conversation has largely lumped all women together in the face of fantasy writing. But it’s important to understand that even within the texts of female fantasy authors, there can be factors of racism, colorism, internalized misogyny, privilege of wealth and education, homophobia, and transphobia. I’ve read one fantasy author’s entire body of work–almost thirty novels–and she has never featured a gay or trans character. I’ve read other female fantasy authors who despite best efforts represent racist tropes in their attempts to include diverse characters without sensitivity readers. As a white woman, it is my responsibility to understand my privilege in seeing myself in fantasy writing which should be some of the most diverse in fiction but frankly isn’t.

As a queer woman I can speak to the under representation of queer characters in fantasy. Often times, queer characters are sidekicks and side characters that are just there for the representation points. A lot of fantasy writers (some female but most male) argue that the inclusion of queer characters in a high or epic fantasy setting based weirdly on incorrect assumptions about medieval Europe is unrealistic. If you’ve got dragons, though, you can include a gay person. Or five. Or fifty. Heck, I wrote a fantasy novel for NaNoWriMo one year that featured exactly zero male characters and only one straight woman! And it still made sense because the whole time they were dealing with a dragon, and magic, and witches.

The point I have briefly wandered away from is that fantasy authors tend to present diversity in fantasy elements but don’t seem to ponder presenting real diversity. Using fantasy racism as a metaphor for real racism is a tired trope often poorly done by white authors without a full understanding of what the very real effects of long term racism and racial oppression are like. Including queer characters in your story only for them to still fear discrimination and violence isn’t new or gritty or interesting or diverse, it’s tired and harmful.

Conclusion

There’s been a lot to chew through in this post. Admittedly, this topic is probably better discussed in literary theory journals and by more seasoned scholars, but a lot of those journals are also behind academic paywalls and filled with academic jargon that isn’t always easily accessible to readers. I’ve discussed these topics before in academic settings and in personal conversations, so I feel comfortable transitioning some of the ideas I’m accustomed to discussing to talking about the differences I have observed in my experience reading fantasy novels. I do think that people in the bookish communities are aware of gender gaps and intersectionality, and that there’s interest in promoting more diverse authors in our favorite literary genres.

How about you book bees, what are you thoughts on this topic? Please feel free to share in the comments!

#bookblr #books #fantasy #discussion

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a-beautiful-wasteland · 5 years

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(I know it’s traditional to wait for people to ask, but I’m just going to answer some prompt lists to get the cobwebs out of my blogging brain.)

Which book would you consider the best book you’ve ever read and why? There isn't one. The book I love the most changes by the minute. Every story may be the perfect story, the exact one I need, and none of them are.

Are you an Austen person or a Bronte person? Neither. I've never been able to finish a single book by either one. I'm more of a Mary Wollstonecraft person, really.

Are there any genres you will not read? I'm not crazy about splatterpunk or bizzaro fiction, and romances are hard for me to get into. I don't love body horror, or most of what passes for horror, really. Post apocalyptic fiction is hit or miss. But the only hard and fast 'no' is zombie fiction. (And really, it's not that hard and fast, because I'll read short stories if they're recommended, and eventually I probably will give in and read Mira Grant's zombie fiction.)

Are you a fast or slow reader? Very fast, provided depression and/or ADHD aren't interfering with my ability to concentrate.

What was your relationship with books like as a child? It was the best relationship I had. Probably still is.

Are you the type of person who will read a book to the end whether you like it or not, or will you put it down straight away if you’re not feeling into it? It depends. Generally, I DNF if I'm bored. Life is too short. But if I really hate it, I may very well finish it to the bitter end so I can write a really scathing review on Goodreads. (Mind you, I will write scathing reviews of things I DNF, too, if they piss me off badly enough.)

Have you ever despised something you have read? Oh, yes. So very much yes. I keep a list.

Do you prefer to read first person or third person? I have no point of view preference - first, second, third, whatever. Good writers can choose the vantage they need to tell the story right. Let's give them that freedom.

Are you for or against multiple narrators in the same book? The whole 'head jumping' complaint people have feels like it has really only come up in recent years. I genuinely don't get what the fuss is. Again, it's whatever the story needs. Need a different point of view character every chapter? Go for it. Need one person to tell a trilogy? Fine. Just tell me the story.

Bookmarks, dog ears or leaving the novel open and face down to keep your spot? Bookmarks. I read a lot of library books, and I take care of them while they're with me so other people can enjoy them, too.

Do you prefer to read at a certain time of day? Not really. I read whenever I have time and am in the mood.

Do you need to finish a book before you can move on to the next one, or will you have multiple books going at once? I'm a multi booker. I've got one going on Kindle and three going next to the couch right now.

How do you chose which book to read next? I wish I knew. I just read whatever is calling to me.

What is your favourite children’s book? Oh, this is so hard. I'm going with Have I Ever Told You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss. I pick it up and read it aloud to myself from time to time.

Do you agree that Jane Eyre should be considered a feminist novel? I've never read it.

What’s your favourite of Shakespeare’s plays? Much Ado About Nothing x 10,000. Hamlet is the one I’ve read through the most, though. Followed by Macbeth.

Do you know any poetry by heart? I used to know "anyone lived in a pretty how town" by ee cummings, and "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson, and a few by Gerard Manley Hopkins, but I probably couldn't recite any of them now. I've never been great with memorization, and I'm even less so now.

Did you enjoy the Hunger Games? I've never read that one either!

E-reader or traditional book? Both! I love the ability to put a vast library in my purse, and Kindle highlights show up on Goodreads, which makes it so much easier to refresh my memory on a book. But I read a lot of tree books, too. Some books don't work well on an e-reader. I also live near a really magnificent library, and the vast majority of what I borrow is in a physical edition. (I borrow a lot. It's the only way I can afford my reading habit.)

Do you read in the bathroom? Nope.

Ideal reading position? Sitting up on the couch with my legs stretched out across the cushions.

Hardcover or paperback? Whichever one the library has handy.

Nicest edition or cheapest edition? Whichever edition the library has is fine by me, unless I'm looking for a particular translation or critical edition.

Do you prefer happy endings or sad endings? I prefer endings that fit the story. Cheap happy endings and needlessly painful endings are equally bad.

Do you enjoy concepts in books to be concrete or abstract? Both are great! (I do love me some good symbolism, but I don't need it to enjoy a story.)

A book you studied in school and ended up loving? Most of them, honestly. I forthrightly recommend The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Homo Faber by Max Frisch, and Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes, all of which I studied in my senior year as an English major. (So, yeah, I like dark fiction.)

Classics or modern literature? If I could only read one, I'd read modern literature. But why choose? Read both!

Thoughts on adults reading YA? Labeling things 'young adult' is a marketing ploy. A good story is a good story regardless of how old the publisher thinks you should be to read it.

Have you ever read a book in another language? I am, unfortunately, monolingual. I did read a few children's stories in Spanish when I was studying it, but I was never fluent enough to just relax and read. I settle for reading a lot of books in translation, and I do like side by side translations of poetry, especially Spanish, so I can try out the pronunciation and pick out the words in the original to see what decisions the translator made. (Not to criticize! Translation is so hard. I'm not ever even sure it's really possible much of the time. Some of my favorite books are translations, though.)

Have you ever written your own book? Written as in written down? No. (And it's highly unlikely I ever will.) Written as in written in my mind? I have about nine different worlds I am writing for pretty much constantly, and have been all my life.

#i talk on the internet #i blog #answering prompts

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lexxikitty-blog1 · 6 years

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Actual Stop by Kara A. McLeod Series: Agent O’Connor: #1 Rating: 2.8 out of 5.0 Read: May 23 to 24 2016

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review. Insert here my standard 'this is the first work I've read by this author' statement. In praise of this book and this author: the author appears to be capable of writing a coherent, competent, clear book with relatively detailed characters. In the opposite of praise of this book (though not of this author): baring a few minor characters, I somewhat grew to rather dislike the characters. To a deep level of dislike. Plus, while the book appeared competently written, there were a few issues I had with it on a structural level as opposed to substance level. There were several occasions in which the author spent time creating build up, and then not delivering. Specifically referring to: (1) a great deal of time and energy was put in by the characters to get ready for the president of the USA to visit NY, it is the reason why the main character's ex-girlfriend was in NY - for that visit of the President. And then . . . nothing. Mind you, I wasn't exactly expecting much. Heck, I'd have lived if there was just a line that said roughly 'the president entered the car and was driven to the hotel'. Instead we got build up and then . . . the after party. The story-line went something like 'the president is coming' to 'Wheels up' (in other words, the president has left). It is not a huge issue, just felt like something of a let down. Though I didn't specifically deduct any 'points' for this issue. (2) for some unknown reason, a real jackass of a man popped up in the book. Ryan's boss (Ryan being both the main character and only POV) asked Ryan to 'put him in his place', or words to that effect. Because he is being a real arrogant asshole. The storyline went from having that boss asking Ryan, to Ryan at her desk looking tired. As in, none of the actual event takes place in the book. I've no idea why this scene was in there in the first place, there's no inherent reason for it's inclusion, and then the action part of the scene (like the action part above) got cut. (3) for no known reason, Ryan's direct boss (different guy than in 2, who is a higher up guy), is a real asshole. Towards many, but especially towards Ryan. I've no inherent problem with this characterization. Nor do I have any inherent problem with the 'why' being left blank. My problem has to do with how a 'mystery' got generated around him. That was never answered. he acted suspicious in several occasions - (a) screaming at his wife; (b) practically begging Ryan to not investigate the suspected terrorist; (c) storming into Ryan's office then coming to a surprised stop when he realized she was actually in there (what was that about?). etc. Clouds of mystery. Added to the 'real asshole' characterization. I kind of assume(d) that this might have been build up for another book. (4) I have no real inherent problem with the build up and then lack of follow-through in four. Though it follows a pattern, so I included it A possible terrorist plot was revealed. Unless it was connected to the events that occurred at the end of the book, it was just a plot thread without resolution (5) Meghan (Ryan's partner). (a) She acted kind of pissed every time Allison (Ryan's ex) turned up; (b) acted very suspiciously at the end of the book engagement ring on finger - refused to discuss it; acted super ashamed; somewhere along the way I had the thought that all the characters were dislikeble except for Meghan - and the only way I'd probably dislike her if it turned out she was having an affair with the dispicable boss . . . and then she turned up with an engagement ring. More likely, the ring is connected to that asshole rookie agent who Ryan had to 'put in his place', and who Ryan showed great displeasure with - Meghan would probably be ashamed to be engaged to that guy On the substance level: every character, for the most part, had a good bit of characterization stuffed into them; but were quite loathable. Loathsome. Unlikable. I didn't like any of them. Mystery: the only real book long mystery involved that guy who had passed counterfeit money and possibly had ties to terrorism. That played a big part in the beginning of the book, but very little the rest of the way. Action: except for one specific scene at or near the end, there was a lot of build up for action scenes, then the actual action scenes got 'cut' (again, except for the last action sequence). Romance: Let's see. Love triangle. Cheating. Assumation of cheating. Etc. I didn't particularly like the relationship between Ryan and Lucia (the two were dating at the start of the book). Ryan was quite dismissive of her, and refused to call the woman she had been dating for six months her girlfriend. Lucia seemed quite lovable and deserved anyone other than Ryan well, other than cheating on Ryan, and going bat shit insane, but whatever. I do not really get the Ryan-Allison relationship. It really read like an abusive relationship. Ryan loved Allison. Allison showed a certain amount of affection. Allison did not wish to publically acknowledge the relationship. Got pissed at Ryan if Ryan crossed a line and showed too much affection (or even, at times, was in the same room). Got pissed at Ryan if Ryan didn't show affection. Basically Allison was a massive bitch to Ryan, and Ryan was psychologically abused. I'm not actually sure if we are talking about love here or Stockholm Syndrome. None of Allison's 'reasons' for her actions, which get revealed at the end, are the kind of thing that would give her a pass or otherwise . . . . um . . . forgive her. And, quite frankly, I've heard the abuser in an abuse relationship saying some of the same things Allison gave. She was afraid. She didn't know how to handle her feelings. She did what she thought was best for both of them; without consulting Ryan. Boiled down: I'd give this book some rating nearish 2.8 stars, rounded up to 3. In thinking about whether or not I'd read this author again, I reminded myself of how many books I've DNF, or rated lowly, by authors I'd given a ton of 5 stars to. (I believe the author with the most books I've rated 5 stars is also the same author I've DNF'd the most books by - Georgette Heyer). Point being, sometimes the same author will create love/hate inside of me. So yes I'll probably read something else by this author. Heck, I'd recently read a book in which something like 99% of the readers gave a super low rating, or DNF'd the book (no, I'm not talking about this book here). I also gave that book a low rating. And then, not immediately but eventually, I read another book by that same author. Authors that can create emotions in me will be given plenty of chances to interest me. Well, 2 to five chances. And yes, there are parts of this book that enraged me. Many parts. - Like the part wherein Ryan got pissed at her girlfriend when her girlfriend got angry at her for canceling yet another date. Without actually remembering to call to cancel. - And the several occasions in which Ryan did improper things (interviewing a counterfeit suspect, as a favor, when she had no power to do so (power? authority. I mean authority); ironically, or not ironically, by doing so she found a reason, a justification but that was after the fact), some of which are illegal (driving while texting/talking on the phone). Re: improper. I'd put that one in my status updates: Seriously, what the does she expect to accomplish here? I thought of that before she even entered the apartment. (A) she's let a possible criminal know the 'government' is onto him; (B) gained no information for her troubles (from the interview, later learned some things); (C) if she had gained information . . . what was she going to do with it? She wasn't authorized to be talking to this guy. she later traced some of his calls. Saw connection to terrorists. Her reaction? When learning that an old partner had rejoined the counterfeit division of the Secret Service, inform him that she might have some questions for him about a case. As I noted in my notes (and then saw in the book itself (as in, Ryan also thought of this issue); learn of a terrorist connection, who should you contact? Ryan thinks of asking the coutnerfeit division some questions. Apparently forgetting (and then later remembering) that she was tasked to the joint-terror task force hmm. The book was/is a lot more coherent than my review. May 24 2016

#Agent O'Connor #ARC #Bold Strokes Books #Book Review #Lesbian Book Review #Netgalley #Lesbian Fiction #Lesbian Mystery #Mystery #2.5 Stars #First in Series

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kbrown78 · 5 years

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Top 5 Wednesday

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/118368-top-5-wednesday

Topic: Most Disappointing Reads of 2018

Whenever we read a new book we hope to enjoy it. I read many good, even great, books in 2018, but they can't all be good. I tried to distinguish between books that were disappointing versus books that I hated, although there are a couple books on this list that would make my worst books of 2018 list. I will also allow DNFs to be on this list because while I do still believe that you can't really review a book without completing it, there is a reason that I DNFd those books in the first place and I don't regret DNFing most of them.

Daughters of the Storm by Kim Wilkins: This pains me to put this one on this list but it does ultimately deserve the number one position. When I first heard about it sounded like it would be a great sisterly narrative about a quest to save their father that would get all wrapped up in this novel. Like I actively had to prevent myself from buying this book before it came out in paperback. I didn't look up any reviews, which in hindsight might have been a mistake. I hated this book. Everything I expected going into this book did not happen. The sisters treat each other like trash and all of them are fairly unlikable. The world building was so simple, that there wasn't anything distinguishing about it. The only romance was built on forbidden love, which I don't like, but then there was also this really bad love triangle, and I found myself kind of irritated with the whole thing. There was nothing likable or interesting in this book and I ended up quitting half way through the novel, and from the little bit I read at the end, I definitely made the right choice to DNF this novel. To add insult to injury, I thought this was a debut novel because of how one dimensional everything was. Turns this isn't a debut novel, in fact this author has written several books in the fantasy genre, so as a fairly experienced author I don't think this kind of simplicity should be in a novel. Daughters of the Storm was without a doubt the biggest disappointment of 2018.

2. Gold Seer Trilogy by Rae Carson: This series was so disappointing. I loved the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, and when I heard that Carson had another series out I was super excited. It's set during the Gold Rush and focuses on a girl with the ability to sense god in the earth. It sounded like a great premise and I had such high hopes. The first book was decent but it didn't hold a candle to the previous series, and the second book was at the same level. There were pros and cons to both of them, but I overall found them very underwhelming, and they kind of made the Girl of Fire and Thorns seem like a lucky accident. Then things took an even worse turn with the third book. I wanted to get it to complete the trilogy but I didn't expect much out of it, and it didn't deliver much. This is one of the few books in a series that I can honestly say was completely unnecessary. There have been books that are packed with filler but usually have some set up for the later books or wrap the narrative up, thus are still needed for the story. That was not the case here. The main conflict of the first two books was wrapped up at the end of the second book, so the conflict in this novel was completely out of left field, was very rushed, and very predictable. No new important characters are introduced and there is no development whatsoever to the characters or relationships. It was a very mediocre series that could have been so much better and needed to just be a duology, and it make me kind of worried about what my opinions will be when rereading Girl of Fire and Thorns.

3. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi: I'd like to preface this by saying that this book wasn't bad, but it did have a lot of hype surrounding it and just didn't deliver. I think the first third of the book was good and I loved the mythology and magic in the story. Unfortunately the rest of the novel just fizzled out into nothing and became kind of generic and boring. It reads a bit like Adeyemi had a beginning and an ending in mind, but didn't really know what to put in the middle, so there's just a bunch of filler. This book also has one of the worst cases of Insta Love I have ever read, and since I had prior expectations about the romance, it was incredibly disappointing. I didn't really like the ending because it was very unclear what happened, but once it was made clear what happened that made it sound like this first book is just set up for the rest of the series, which is something I discovered this year that I don't like. It's good that more fantasy books are featuring POC in the primary roles, or having the entire cast be POC, but I just wished that the story overall had been better in this case.

4. Torn by Rowenna Miller: This is a book that I was very intrigued by. I was in a bit of a book slump after reading The Defiant Heir, and was looking for books similar to it. This one came up on my radar, being about a tailor who gets caught up in a potential revolution. As I started reading it, I wasn't blown away but I could clearly see a lot of potential with the protagonist and the themes. Unfortunately those things did not progress, in fact they regressed. The protagonist, Sophie, is a very passive and slightly racist character and despite being dealt several situations where she could have had some development, refuses to change. She just reacts to everything. She seems to have a general lack of self awareness and has a rather snobby, racist attitude toward her darker skinned “friends” because they aren't good for business. So the fact that she has all those qualities is bad enough (along with doing several stupid things) but she tries to portray herself as this nice girl, and “oh woe is her,” and that made her unlikable in every sense when she wasn't supposed to be. A similar thing happened with the themes and plot of the story. It just kind of progressed forward with no real action or pull, and what could have been a nuanced discussion about women in the revolution and how different positions of power view and deal with revolution turned into a black and white story about who's good and who's bad. The nobility was all good, while the working class are all dirty criminals eager for violence. Also I thought the narrative would be about women's subtle power, or how they help shape a revolution, but the women all take back seats to let the men drive the action. Instead of being an empowering, exciting fantasy, this book ended up being a bit problematic with some subtle racism, classism, and misogyny, with a fairly unlikable protagonist.

5. The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan: This one is the only reread on this list and usually with reread I have a pretty good gauge on whether I'm still going to like them or not. For example, American Gods and Bitterblue I knew I was going to like less with rereading them because of previous bad experiences. This book makes this list because not only is it the biggest shift in ratings, from a 4 star to 1 star, but also because that drop honestly surprised me. I do like the theme that love will conquer all, but that was about it. Holly was so frustrating because she was so naive and “too pure for this world,” and all other characters were just one dimensional. The romance was sort of fated to happen, but it still managed to be fairly Insta Lovey, which I despise. There was also a ton of filler, and all that served to do was make me more frustrated with the plot and characters. In a word this book was frustrating, and while I had some disappointing rereads this year, this one is sadly the worst.

Thank You Everyone

Keep Calm and Keep Reading

#t5w #2018 #books #disappointing reads #daughters of the storm #kim wilkins #gold seer trilogy #rae carson #children of blood and bone #tomi adeyemi #torn #rowenna miller #the legend of holly claus #brittney ryan

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