#everina maxwell writes good books

[kitewithfish]

Wednesday Reading Meme - Nov 16 2022

What I've Read

Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir by Jeremy Barlow - A comic book that covers some plot that didn't make it into the end of the Clone Wars cartoon. I'm glad to have read this stuff, I think it would have been nice to see in the Solo movies that got killed by virtue of not being very good, I found the comic books heavy on plot and low on character moments. 

Ocean’s Echoby Everina Maxwell - A queer sci-fi romance between a very messy and charismatic aristocrat and a deeply intelligent solider with actual morals (something this military system tries to discourage). They fight crime! Aka, stop a military coup, discover the propaganda behind their understanding of a  past war, work for the good of some second-class citizens, and also fall in love a bit. I really enjoyed this - it's got a lot of plot and lots of chances to see both main characters reveal their core character traits in high tension situations. Many many chances for the main couple to be wildly into how competent their partner is. (I personally read one of the main couple as potentially autistic, but it's not explicit on the page bc scifi.)   I kind of adore how they play with the soulbond/psychic link element, dealing with all the ways it could be awful while allowing the characters to avoid it and form a connection on their own terms. I think this would actually be a great book for someone who does not like pyschic bonds at all in their fiction, weirdly enough! Maxwell does great books for couples who are stuck together through circumstances and come out triumphant on the other side with a deep appreciation for their partner's qualities as a person. 

What I'm Reading

2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson - "Hard" sci-fi in the sense that we're paying a lot of attention to quantum computers and their potential for murder!  Book club book that I think is actually interesting - I think now that I find the exploration of what sex and gender might be like in the future to be a bit cis-centric. (A large number of space-based people have longevity treatments that involve sex organ modification such that many, many of the characters can both inseminate someone else and become pregnant -the author does not seem to be interested in what that would mean for gender in space or on Earth?) I suspect there is a romance in here building but it's hard to pin down. Definitely one of those books where some readers will bounce off the main character "making stupid/bad choices."

To Seek and Find- Tamryn Eradani - This used to be Destiel fanfic and I cannot tell you how well it reads as a non-fandom book, because I'm definitely reading it as a fandom book. Kinky and cozy! Might technically be a novella and I will probably opt to purchase the next few books in the series. 

What I'll Read Next 

Library books in the house:

Maul: Lockdown - Joe Schreiber

The Whale Rider -Witi Ihimaera

Tiger's Daughter - K Arsenault Rivera

Riot Baby - Rochi Onyeuchi

The Silence of the Wilting Skin - Tlotlo Tsamaase

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

Recently purchased and need to read: NK Jemisin's The World We Make, Frey Marske's A Restless Truth, California Bones, the Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison, Raven Song by IA Ashcroft, Kraken's Sacrifice by Katee Robert, Even Though I Know the End by CL Polk 

Own but reminding myself - Penric's Demon! Get on that! Fansplaining podcast just described it as Venom-the-movie but in the middle ages, good god, ride that like you stole it. 

[tschulijulesjulie]

I need book recommendations please. I read captive prince and I’m losing my mind.

ooooh gladly!

so first of all, nothing really compares to CaPri, however i do have some - imo - very good recommendations that might have similar vibes.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley - historical (18th and 19th century) Fantasy. Amnesia and time-travelling, with a veeeery Laurent-coded love interest.

The Scottish Boy by Alex De Campi - historical (14th century) Captive/Prisoner and (reluctant) man who has to hold him captive, secret identity, political schemes, revenge, war

Solomons Crown by Natasha Siegel - historical (12th century), Crown Prince of England (Richard Lionheart) and King of France (Philipp II) falling in love despite their countries being enemies, political schemes, strained family relationship to the point of going to war against family members, allies to enemies to allies again

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland - not my personal favourite but still good, Fabtasy, outstanding non-european-centric world-building, anxiety rep, queer-normative, Disgraced Prince and his guard(s) having to uncover a political intrigue that could dethrown his sister, the monarch, nightly shenenigans in taverns while hiding their identity, forced proximity, kinda co-dependent relationship

Winters Orbit by Everina Maxwell - SciFy, Prince has to marry the widow of his cousin for diplomatic reasons who then gets accused of having killed his first husband, political intrigue, past abuse

Fence by CS Pacat and Johanna the Mad - graphic novels, sports (fencing), YA?, might be an entirely different setting but the character dynamics are reminiscent of CaPri/ you can tell Pacats writing

The Aeneid by Virgil - the great Roman epic. to this day im convinced Pacat might have drawn some inspiration from this (or possibly the Odyssee and the Iliad)

I hope that helps. Thank you for your ask!

[wheneverfeasible]

A03 went down as I went to comment but love the brave little toaster reference and the fact that Eddie just....doesn't get it. Until he does.

I’m so glad someone commented on that part because that movie wrecked me as a child and I’m so happy to make Eddie suffer that same trauma. I will admit, half the shit I make Eddie like in my fanfic and my RPs are shit I personally like 😂 I have never had a chance to write it out yet, but one headcanon of Eddie’s I have is that whenever he sees a copy of The Hobbit at a thrift store or garage sale or otherwise secondhand he immediately has to buy it, because that’s what I used to do because it was one of my favorite books. Probably top three* still.

Anyways. Yes, I love a good oblivious Eddie while Steve is trying to work all his charm 😂 I’m so glad you enjoyed this thing ♥️

*my other top two books tie at No. 1 and are Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (which if you like queer space operas that were definitely originally fanfic then I recommend that one a lot)

[qqueenofhades]

just saw your offer for book recs and would love some fantasy/sci fi books, it seems like we have similar taste. i just finished nk jemisin's broken earth trilogy, and also loved the city we became by her.

Aha, I am at work right now and thus do not have my bookshelves at hand to make sure I'm not missing something blindly obvious. However, I will start you off with these:

The Rook and Rose trilogy by M.A. Carrick (The Mask of Mirrors, The Liar's Knot, Labyrinth's Heart). Yes, this is the series I have been screaming about nonstop for the past few weeks and thus craftily suckering unsuspecting passersby into reading. An AMAZING world, an OT3 who own my entire ass, lots of political intrigue, cultural and social commentary, a unique magic system, and also plenty of humor. It really has it all. I continue my one-man quest to make this fandom bigger. Ahem.

The Green Bone trilogy by Fonda Lee (Jade City, Jade War, Jade Legacy). Another fantastic fantasy series that NEEDS more readers. Inspired by Chinese/Hong Kong kung-fu movies, set in a gritty modern universe, kind of like the Godfather but with magical jade-wielding families. Tons of discussion of empire, culture, violence, appropriation, power, war, family, Asian identity, more. They're likewise nice and long to keep you busy.

The Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty (The City of Brass, The Kingdom of Copper, The Empire of Gold). Another you-gotta-read-this trilogy (yes, I have many of them). Set in the 18th-century Middle East and the magical djinni kingdom of Daevabad. Politics, empire, religion, history, intrigue, magic, scheming families, ancient wars, and my most beloved, Muntadhir al-Qahtani. What is not to love.

The Priory of the Orange Tree and its standalone prequel, A Day of Fallen Night, by Samantha Shannon. Absolute doorstopper (800+ pages apiece) epic-with-dragons-and-medieval-worlds fantasy, like Game of Thrones if Game of Thrones was a) good b) gay c) feminist and d) had people of color. She is also the author of the Bone Season series (four books thus far) which is a unique blend of futuristic sci-fi and fantasy set in an alternate totalitarian London and a ruined Oxford.

Winter's Orbit and Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell. Two M/M space opera romances (set in the same universe, but can be read independently). She got her start as a fanfic writer and it shows; these are both delightful, plotty, funny, and full of sassy gay disaster homosexuals in space.

A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (I have read the first one, need to read the second one). Historian of medieval Byzantium writes space opera set in Space Constantinople which is also Space Tenochtitlan. Explores language, history, memory, power, identity, assimilation, and more, and is also very funny.

Autonomous, The Future of Another Timeline, and The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz. High-concept social-commentary dystopian science fiction; of the three, Terraformers (the newest one) might be my favorite. They're not related so you can read them in whatever order.

Two books that I have not read yet but I really want to: Swim Home to the Vanished by Brendan Shay Basham and To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Both are fantasy novels by Native American authors; Basham's is magical realism and Blackgoose's is about a Native American dragon-rider facing assimilation at an English (Anglish) boarding school.

Likewise coming soon and I am excited: The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu. Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy, cyberpunk, techno-magic. In space!

There are definitely more that I will get home and be like oh wait yeah. But this should get you started.

[lvllns]

book recommendations!

i got tagged by @rosebarsoap and @narrativefoiltrope!! thank u both!!

i'm gonna taaaaag @pensdragon @pinkfey @waspgrave @venusmages @queerbrujas @princesshoneytea and anyone else who wishes to do this!!

the last book i read: excluding manga, the red threads of fortune by neon yang!

a book i recommend: always always always the darkness outside us by eliot schrefer. do you like science fiction? would you like to experience the slow unraveling of a mystery aboard a spaceship as two young men gradually fall in love amidst the backdrop of Shit Being Weird? do i have the book for you! i still think about this book two years later. it had me staring at the wall for three days after i finished it contemplating life and what it means to be human.

a book that i couldn't put down: i will not bang on about the previous book so here's a different queer science fiction novel, winter's orbit by everina maxwell. science fiction, political nonsense, trying to solve a murder, slowly falling in love. it's just so good.

a book i've read twice or more: i've read tithe by holly black like. a dozen times by this point. i love the modern faerie tale books so much.

a book on my TBR: re-coil by j.t. nicholas! more science fiction! this time with the ability for people's consciousnesses to be backed-up and then downloaded into a new body!

a book i've put down: i've only ever put down two books. thr*ne of glass and ac*tar. it's a no from me.

a book on my wishlist: somewhere beyond the sea by tj klune! the sequel to the house in the cerulean sea! i'm greatly looking forward to meeting back up with arthur, linus, and the entire group of kids.

a favorite book from my childhood: i can't pick one so the immortals quartet by tamora pierce!

a book you would give to a friend: the city of brass by s.a chakraborty. doesn't matter if you like fantasy or not. you get this book. read it. read the whole trilogy.

a book of poetry you own: cracks knuckles i'm actually sad bc i can't remember if i saved all my poetry chapbooks from undergrad :( however! the year of blue water by yanyi was. amazing. incredible. i know i saved it because it just changed me so fucking much. salat by dujie tahat was also fucking incredible. they spoke to my poetry class and they were a DELIGHT!

a nonfiction book: broken by fred kay which is about the suspicious death of alydar, a famous thoroughbred stallion.

what are you currently reading: the horse god built by lawrence scanlan which is about triple crown winner secretariat, focusing heavily on his groom, eddie "sweet" sweat, and the influence eddie had on the stallion. also diving into looking at how grooms, black grooms specifically, are often overlooked when it comes to the entire package of a race horse.

what are you planning on reading next: oh man probably intimacies, received by taneum bambrick, who was my poetry writing professor (and many other classes professor lmao), and it's a poetry chapbook! and then following that, i will probably pick the tensorate series back up with the descent of monsters by neon yang!

[eddiebabygirldiaz]

top 9 books

tagged by @gayarthur @transbuck @buddierights

thank you my loves 💖

1. summer sons by lee mandelo

words really cannot describe how phenomenal this book is. so gritty and dark and visceral and addictive and soul changing. i will be obsessed with this book until i die

2. under the whispering door by tj klune

this is one of those books that tears out your soul and makes you examine it and leaves you sobbing at 2 am but like in a good way (mostly). such an incredible look at death and life and its effects with a truly heartwarming love story

3. beach read by emily henry

not your too typical romcom. the main characters are to die for and so messy and real and i couldn't get enough of them separately and together. also did a really amazing job at balancing romance and everything else going on in the plot

4. ocean's echo by everina maxwell

without a doubt my most favorite sci-fi fantasy book. amazinggggg world building and incredibly engaging with an irresistible cast of characters

5. babel: an arcane history by r. f. kuang

the best dark academia has to offer. this book turns the genre on its head and deeply examines and critizes the systemic racism within academia in such a real and gripping way that leaves you breathless

6. we hunt the flame by hafsah faizal

incredible fantasy with a really cool magic system, true enemies to lovers that leaves you desperate and wanton, and the writing is so goddamn lyrical and breathtaking

7. sandstorm by james rollins

everything i love about a treasure hunting action movie in a book. enough said.

8. furyborn by claire legrand

this book (and the other two in the series) own me body heart and soul. politics and intrigue and rebellion and the curse of blood and power with queers everywhere you look and a truly throat gripping romance mixed in

9. rebel of the sands by alwyn hamilton

magic and gunslinging, an oppressive empire, tons of fighting and running and dying, love found in the most horrible of places-of course it is a fave

tagging: @diazass @anxieteandbiscuits @fatedking @jeeyuns @gayedmundodiaz @shitouttabuck @spaceprincessem @bigfootsmom @hippolotamus @loserdiaz @ilostyou @eddiediaaz and anyone else who wants to do it!

[poisindonottouch]

Queer books: Winter’s Orbit & Ocean’s Echo

For today’s queer book recommendation, I bring you two by a very good author, Everina Maxwell.

These two books take place in the same universe, but other than that, are not connected. They also feature gay couples figuring out their shit. In Winter’s Orbit, it’s a political arranged marriage situation, which leads to our main characters being super fucking sweet to each other, and super fierce to the all the people trying to kill them. In Ocean’s Echo, it’s not a sexual relationship, but the two MCs are forced together because of some alien technology, and then they’re super fucking sweet to each other, and super fierce to all the people trying to kill them.

I don’t know which of these two books I like best, so you should just read them both. Also, Everina Maxwell is a newish author, and I hope she writes loads more.

[monsterhunting]

I like your fanfic and we share some of the same ships. Do you have any book recs? My tbr list is long but I don't mind adding more books

firstly: thank you so much!!! secondly i have TONS of book recs. honestly i could’ve kept going but i was getting a little crazy so lemme stop here. thank you for asking!!!

fiction:

the lincoln highway by amor towles: bildungsroman, beautiful story, satisfying ending, long but worth it

ask again yes by mary beth keane: family drama, turning point halfway thru that made me gasp and screech

such a fun age by kiley reid: a Black babysitter gets stopped by a grocery store security guard and a video of it goes viral and a bunch of other stuff also happens. lots of really good discussions on racism. her other book that just came out this year was really good too!!!

fantasy/sci-fi:

the last binding trilogy by freya marske: finally read these a few months ago and i loved them so much 😭 great romance great characters exciting plot with high stakes FOUND FAMILY!!

silver under nightfall by rin chupeco (and the sequel court of wanderers)… vampire couple x vampire hunter throuple of my dreams what more can you want

ocean’s echo / winter’s orbit by everina maxwell: queer scifi romance!!!! stand-alones set in the same universe but both are great

station eleven by emily st. john mandel: this is a pretty well known book but it was GOOD! takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and centers on the importance of living as opposed to just surviving and also the beauty of creating and sharing art ❤️

romance:

cat sebastian writes really good queer historical romance, I’ve read like 6 of her books this year. we could be so good and the ruin of a rake are my favorites so far

lex croucher!!! she has three historical novels, one is a sapphic romance (I’ve only read two) and then she has a YA called Gwen & art are not in love that’s a queer Arthurian legend retelling

love hate & clickbait by liz bowery: m/m fake dating where the two MCs are politicians who kinda suck and are trapped in a PR stunt. a better red white & royal blue. i’ve read it like 3 times

sarah hogle is my oomf but also writes great romance. you deserve each other and just like magic specifically

the charm offensive by alison cochrun: the new bachelor falls for the producer of the reality show instead of his contestants. probably my favorite romance ever. also great asexual rep!!

horror:

the lost village by camilla sten: a group of people filming a documentary go to an abandoned village where everyone in the town just up and disappeared one day and were never seen again and weird stuff starts happening. i read this in like 2 days. also i based the town in the stoncy ghost files au off of this lmao

the whisper man and the shadows by alex north: crazy as fuck plot twists that made me close the book and run around my house. he has a third book too but unfortunately I didn’t like it very much

night film by marisha pessl: reporter obsessed with elusive director who’s daughter just mysteriously died investigates director and his family. very good mixed media element and very immersive

mister magic by kiersten white: child actors from children’s tv show mister magic — a tv show that ended suddenly and tragically, with no surviving video footage or evidence of the creative team behind the show whatsoever — gather together for a reunion as adults. kinda like if IT by stephen king was combined with a weird creeypasta and throw in some religious trauma also. sooooo good

graphic novels:

check please! by ngozi ukazu: duh

bubble by jordan morris: guardians of the galaxy esque but also a criticism of capitalism. very fun

hooky by miriam bonastre tur: i DEVOURED these last october. perfect cozy fall vibes. just a cute fun story. they’re technically for children but idc 😭 so many characters and i loved them all, i can’t wait to reread again in the fall

[liminalmemories21]

9 Books

tagged by @cha-melodius. Thank you!

I'm 90% sure I've done this, but I'll never be able to find it now. And it's not like I could possibly contain myself in nine books. So, variation - nine authors I will read no questions asked whenever they come out with a new book.

1 - Everina Maxwell Winter's Orbit is just my entire heart. Didn't love Ocean's Echo quite as much, but still devoured it in one big gulp.

2 - Margaret Owen I know I've done PR for the Little Thieves trilogy (Goose Girl told from the POV of the goose girl + a heist - so good). But, the Merciful Crow duology is also just spectacular.

3 - Marissa Meyer The Lunar Chronicles are just astonishing - fairytale retellings in sci-fi future - Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Snow White.

4 - Patrick Ness (see, I do read men, sometimes, under highly selective circumstances) Chaos Walking just blew my entire mind with how smart and nuanced it was (have not seen the movie, do not plan to). But also The Rest of Us Just Live Here, and Release are gorgeous.

5 - Tess Sharpe My love for this author knows no bounds. Her women are never morally white - they're complicated, and they make hard decisions and live with the consequences.

6 - Melina Marchetta Jellicoe Road, and Finniken of the Rock, and Piper's Son. She writes in so many different genres, and I love all of them.

7 - Anna Marie McLemore When the Moon Was Ours, and The Weight of Feathers are just some of my favorite books ever. Their writing is so magical and lyrical.

8 - Maggie Stiefvater I cannot wait to see what she's doing next (also, my mind is still blown by the fact that she wrote the fourth book of the Raven Cycle when she was seriously ill and it was affecting her brain and she could barely think in sentenes).

9 - okay, and cheating here with all my beloved romance authors that make my world go around - Evie Dunmore, and Sarah MacLean, and Lisa Kleypas, and Julia Quinn, and Olivia Dade, and Patricia Briggs, and Ilona Andrews, and probably more that I'm blanking on right this second.

Tagging @rmd-writes, @jesuisici33, and @iboatedhere - 9 authors you will read without thinking twice.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Best Men by Sidney Karger - 3.5/5 stars

Man. When I started reading this, I was positive I was going to rate it 5 stars. The first third or so was hysterical, often to the point of me not being able to breathe because I was laughing so hard. Ultimately though, the romance fell extremely flat. There wasn't really enough development for it, and I don't think it boils down to a marketing issue—the romance is too big of a focus to say, "Oh, this was just general fiction they wanted to market as a romcom." It really was an issue with the romance just not being very well written. Another issue I had was that at times, the writing was very...cringey. Like, I couldn't tell if the author was trying to keep Max's voice (which was funny) or if he just can't write genuinely heartfelt scenes. The big, romantic sex scene could probably be added to that one post with the collection of horribly written sex scenes.

There were also some weird inaccuracies about Midwesterners that of course bugged me as a Midwesterner. We call soda "Coke?" No we don't. It's pop. Maybe there's some southern creep into the Midwest but I've N E V E R heard anyone say Coke when they meant pop generally. Also, Midwesterners like pools? I mean I guess, but we learn to swim in lakes (as opposed to the ocean).

In case you're wondering, I knocked an entire star off for the Midwest inaccuracies.

Mountain Ghost Stories and Curious Tales of Western North Carolina, edited by Randy Russell and Janet Barnett - 3.5/5 stars

I picked this up at one of the visitor centers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on our trip there last fall. Most of these are more like folk stories than ghost stories.

Timberdark by Darren Charlton - 5/5 stars

What if the real dystopia isn't the zombie apocalypse, but "normal" life?

I was going to leave it at that but NO, I have more to say. Why aren't these books more popular? Why isn't everyone screaming about how gorgeous they are and how this is what YA should be? Why do they not have a US publisher? Why are they not all over freaking BookTok tables at bookstores?

I honestly don't even want to say that much about the Wranglestone duology because I want everyone to read them and experience them. Wranglestone and Timberdark are genuinely a couple of the most gorgeous books I've ever read, Timberdark in particular.

Road of Bones by Christopher Golden - 3.25/5

Immaculate vibes and incredible setting. Not much more to it than that.

Ravensong by Carla Fay - DNF

At 4 pages in. I hated everything about this book immediately and I don't have a good reason.

Maelstrom by Jordan L Hawk - 4.5/5 stars

BODY SWAP.

A Pocketful of Lies: Collected Stories by KJ Charles - 5/5 stars

5/5 stars for Masters in This Hall alone.

If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robby Couch - 4.25/5 stars

Considering this is billed and marketed as a romance, there was surprisingly little romance in it. It was good, though. Robby Couch is one of my favorite queer YA romance writers.

Eleventh Hour by Elin Gregory - 3.75/5 stars

OMG they were mission partners! Interwar period gay spies in London, hard to go wrong.

Out in the Open by AJ Truman - 3.75/5 stars

Truman has this habit of describing sex scenes in bizarre and not particularly sexy ways ("I sucked his cock a thousand times harder than a vacuum cleaner" is an actual real comparison from this book), but his books are funny with endearing characters, so I give him a pass. I also think it MIGHT be something he does when he's writing younger characters, because the other time it was really pronounced was in The Barkeep and the Bro, where one of the characters was in his mid 20s (Out in the Open is a college romance).

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell - 5/5 stars (reread)

This book was as good, if not better, the second time around. Kiem is so funny and lovable and Jainan's history made me even more sad. I really love how well Maxwell handles the fact that Jainan was in an abusive marriage for five years while still writing a slow burn romance that doesn't span multiple books. This book is an inspiration to me and is pretty much my perfect book—gay and sci-fi. On this reread I could really see its influence on my own writing, haha. Which is cool to know that I can still be influenced in a major way even this far into my writing life!

Anyway if you haven't read this book, I honestly don't know what you're waiting for. Read it read it reeeeead ittttt.

A Veil of Gods and Kings by Nicole Bailey - DNF

DNF at 15 pages. The main character was annoying and the author took 'show don't tell' a little too far. Everything was described in flowery, overwrought purple prose. Seriously, it's a road. You can just say it's a road. Also I never want to see 'Artemis' shortened to 'Temi' ever again. Please just no.

[cleopatras-library]

@maddiesbookshelves' 2023 Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

Last year I managed to read 23/24 books in @maddiesbookshelves' reading challenged (and this year I managed to put off this wrap-up for a month). I know Maddie's goal wasn't to finish all 24 in a year but I'm a show-off so I tried and had lots of fun!

Hits

Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club, Megan Gail Coles - as mentioned in my 23 in 2023 Wrap-Up, the best literary fiction I read last year

Nettle & Bone, T. Kingfisher - exceedingly cozy

Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney - so glad I did this challenge because I don't think I would've read this one last year otherwise. Stellar literary fiction about hot mess Frances who is nonetheless proven lovable by the end :)

The Hidden Witch, Molly Knox Ostertag - the second book in such a cute and affirming middle grade graphic novel series

The Secret History, Donna Tartt - another book from my 23 in 2023, absolutely as worth it as the hype makes it seem (I still think of Richard having his hypothermic boy winter routinely)

Giovanni's Room, James Baldwin - belongs on every list of queer classics, a cutting examination of what gender means to both gay and straight people

Good books

Blood Like Fate, Liselle Sambury - a good sequel, especially with regards to character work

Ocean's Echo, Everina Maxwell - I read Winter's Orbit last week to confirm my suspicions that Ocean's Echo it not Maxwell's best work - funny and engaging nonetheless

Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote - when he feels like it Capote really can write

The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon - exceedingly gothic

The City of Brass, S. A. Chakraborty - I remember nothing about the plot but I did have fun reading this series

The Empire of Gold, S. A. Chakraborty

Books I have quite frankly forgotten everything about

Scepter of the Ancients, Derek Landy

Squire, Nadia Shammas & Sarah Alfageeh

Far Sector, N. K. Jemisin

Verdammt lebendig: Medusa, Lucia Herbst

L'Arpenteuse de rêves, Estelle Faye

Books I am conflicted about

Dune, Frank Herbert - a decent examination of the hero's journey coated in three layers of orientalism, misogyny, and homophobia. I will not be continuing with the books, although I think I'll watch the movies

Learwife, J. R. Thorp - literary shakespeare fanfic about the world's curmudgeonliest woman

Bitter disappointments

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald - profoundly uncomfortable

After the Victorians, A. N. Wilson - profoundly biased

The Way of Kings, Brandon Sanderson - for a 1200 page book you'd think I'd be invested in the story

Book I didn't get to

The Origins of Political Order, Francis Fukuyama - still want to read this one someday

[inclineto]

Books, July-August 2023

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen - KJ Charles

Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey [many elements of McCaffrey’s work haven’t aged well - let’s be honest and give past readers some credit for acumen: many of them were never good to begin with - and this book is not free of all of them, but as far as I’m concerned, this and Dragonsong are the most wholeheartedly enjoyable things she ever wrote] *

The Assistants - Camille Perri

An Archive of Taste: Race and Eating in the Early United States - Lauren F. Klein [excellent study of connections and divergences between taste (sensory), taste (aesthetic), and taste (social) and its role in defining the nature and boundaries of American national identity in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; creative use of the now-familiar language and methods of archival sources and silences, and chapter five (”Absence: Slavery and Silence in the Archive of Eating”) may be my new recommendation when professors ask for a chapter on digital humanities and archives to assign their grad students; open access full text] *

Caddie Woodlawn - Carol Ryrie Brink [I know I read this at least once as a child, but except for a vague impression of peacocks it didn’t stick with me, and that’s probably for the best...holy noble savages stereotypes, Batman]

The Impossible Art: Adventures in Opera - Matthew Aucoin [another one of those weird “I knew you before the MacArthur” reading experiences]

Brother’s Ruin - Emma Newman

Violets - Shin Kyung-Sook, translated by Anton Hur

Leave it to Psmith - P.G. Wodehouse

Ocean’s Echo - Everina Maxwell

Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth - John Garth [Between the thin skins of the fans and the litigiousness of the estate, I’m not sure it’s possible to write about Tolkien without falling into a hard-to-take, defensively pretentious voice; I used to assume the authors were imitating Tolkien (badly), but - much worse - I think they may really be trying to sound like Christopher Tolkien trying to sound like his father. The result is almost always unfortunate, and yet if you make it 150 pages or so you will eventually realize that you have begun not to notice it. Anyway, war is terrible.]

[theinquisitxor]

November Reading Wrap-Up

November was a great reading month for me, and I read 10 books this month, which is well above average. I read a several new releases, and continued on with a new favorite series.

1.Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore (4.5/5 stars): This is the next book of the Graceling Realms series, and follows Hava as the main character. An arctic and seafaring setting are two of my favorite things, and this book had both. I also found parts of this emotional and there was a theme of disability and motherhood. And more of the wonderful blue foxes. I felt like Cashore's writing reflected Hava's pov and mind, which was interesting to read. ya-fantasy

2.The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (5/5 stars, audiobook): This was my annual reread of one of my all time favorites. The audiobook is superb and if you haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for? young-adult

3.Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell (3.75/5 stars): This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. This is a sci-fi set in the same universe as Winter's Orbit but in a very different place. This has do with the military, mind control, coups, and romance. mlm adult sci-fi

4.A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger (3/5 stars): This is a middle grade book about a Lipan girl and a group of animal people from the world of spirits. More ace rep, real world issues, and a good story. middle grade

5.A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner (3.5/5 stars) book 4 in the queen's thief series. Enjoyable, but not quite at the level as the previous two were. Following a different character and his development and growth. ya fantasy

6.The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake (4.5/5 stars): Sequel to The Atlas Six, and I found this one so entertaining and I could not put it down. I enjoyed this one more than the first book, and I eagerly anticipate the third. adult fantasy

7.Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance (1.5/5 stars) Admittedly, I sort of hate read this. Which I never do, but I decided to read this mainly because I read What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte over the summer, and Catte's book is a response to this. I wanted to have a better understanding of why books like Hillbilly Elegy are detrimental to the people actively doing work in the Appalachian region and beyond. memior

8. Sistersong by Lucy Holland (4.5/5 stars): I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would at first. Lovely medieval Briton world, trans main character, pagan magic, and external threats. I had a good time reading this one. historical fantasy

9.Thick As Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner (5/5 stars) Book 5 of the queen's thief series. My favorite so far, and I was thoroughly wowed by this book. I love the two main characters so much and I was rooting for them and their relationship the whole time. Features a travel narrative and epic poetry, so of course I loved it. ya fantasy

10.The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A.S. Byatt (3/5 stars): This is a collection of fairy tale short stories by one of my favorite authors. Some of the stories I liked more than others. literary fiction

December reading plans:

queen's thief 6

Moon Witch, Spider King (dark star #2) by Marlon James

Another AS Byatt

A nonfiction

[jadejedi]

Sci-Fi Book Review: Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

JJ’s rating 5/5

How feral did it make me: 5/5. 6/5. 1000/5.

My book reviews

Okay, this was another book I read in my search for something to make me as feral as A Taste of Gold and Iron did. And guys…. oh my god. Oh my gOD! This book…is perfect to me. I read some reviews of Everina Maxwell’s first book, Winter’s Orbit, including one hilarious one that called it “too slow burn” (a better endorsement I couldn’t ask for), but I was hesitant because it is also an arranged marriage story, and I was worried that maybe that trope just isn’t for me unless there’s some serious enemies to lovers going on with it. So instead, I read this one, because the summary seemed way more my speed. And BOY was I right!

So, the summary: Tennal is an asshole socialite desperately trying to find anything to distract him from his troubles. He lives in a society where the military has created two types of neuro-modified people: those who can read minds (readers) and those who can control minds (architects). People who aren’t neuro-modified are called neutrals. For reasons that are explored in the book, readers are not trusted by society. When Tennal is conscripted into the military, he is ordered to sync with an architect, which is an irreversible procedure that will mentally tie him to another person forever. The architect the army chooses? The galaxy’s goodest boy and the son of a notorious traitor, Surit Yeni. Surit is very morally upright and has a very clear view of right and wrong. When he realizes that Tennal is being forced into the sync, he offers to fake the sync until they can find a way for him to escape. Basically, fake dating, except instead of dating, it's soul bonds.

Guys. GUYS. This book is so, so, so good. The relationship between Tennal and Surit is absolutely a very slow burn. I believe the author described it as something like a low heat romance, which is accurate. Like, the romance is at the very center of the book, but not in a “they want to rip each other’s clothes off for most of the book” kind of way (though there’s not none of that tbf). It’s more of a “they slowly develop a bond built on trust and respect that slowly turns into love” kind of way. Like if their romance is a pot of water on the stove, the burner is on the whole time, but it’s on low. It’s a SIMMER. The whole book is about these two characters who are carrying around these personal burdens of “no one could love me because of X”, only to have all those layers stripped away. Everything that they were using to keep the world at a distance, removed. FUCK. Despite being a book in which the characters don’t do more than kiss a few times, this relationship had me FROTHING AT THE MOUTH levels of rabid, feral gremlin. The “we hate each other because we have been thrown into a circumstance where conflict was inevitable and our personalities clash and we get off on the wrong foot” to “oh wow this person is… so much more than I could have expected.” to “I absolutely respect and trust this person more than maybe anyone else” to “I love him” is PERFECT. GOD. Okay this is kind of a spoiler, but has anyone seen this tiktok? Because minus the shape shifting aliens bit, I fully believe Everina Maxwell based Ocean’s Echo on that tiktok (if you care about spoilers, do not watch until after you’ve read the book). 

I also want to mention that Everina Maxwell is out here writing ART. The prose in this book is great. Most of the time it doesn’t super stand out (in a good way), but then there will be a line that just punches you right in the gut. There are lines that I am still thinking about over a week later. 

I guess I should also talk about the plot. Maybe. I guess. The plot is great. Much more developed than I have come to expect from sci-fi/fantasy romances. On the scale of “sci-fi with romance” to “romance with sci-fi”, I would put this one pretty squarely in the middle. Like, the plot is intense. There is a lot of lore and mysteries to unravel in this one. You do actually have to focus to follow along with all the politics and scheming and science shenanigans that happen. But it’s a good time! It was tense when it needed to be, the pacing was great, and the payoff was satisfying. 

If I were to make some comparisons of this book, I would say that Tennal and Surit kind of remind me of Laurent and Damen from Captive Prince. Tennal, like Laurent, hides trauma and pain behind a very prickly persona. Surit, like Damen, is a good person living and thriving in a not-so-good system, until a prickly ASSHOLE comes along and makes him reevaluate. Like Damen and Laurent, neither Tennal nor Surit want to be in the situation that brings them together, and like Damen and Laurent, they both hate each other upon meeting. Also, Tennal and Surit have to work together in a military situation like Damen and Laurent, and it is during this time that they learn to trust and respect each other. I’m not a huge sci-fi reader for the most part, so I don’t really have other sci-fi books to compare it to, but I would say don’t let the genre scare you off if you don’t normally read sci-fi. 

I am BEGGING people to read this book. There are like, 13 fics for it on Ao3 and all of them are great, but I would love for this book to have a bigger fandom. Read it!! Do yourself the favor!!!!!!!

Here is a stupid meme I made for anyone who, like myself, has gone through the entirety of the “Ocean’s Echo” tag on the author’s tumblr:

[fearsomeandwretchedandwrong]

My reading goal for 2023 is to read 75 books. I will post each book I've read here:

Frankenstein (1818 text) by Mary Shelley

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice

All the Dangerous Things by Stacey Willingham

The Essential Bogosian: Talk Radio, Drinking in America, Funhouse and Men Inside by Eric Bogosian

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall

Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

Mall by Eric Bogosian

The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice

Pounding Nails in the Floor With My Forehead by Eric Bogosian

Merrick by Anne Rice

Vicious by V.E Schwab

Such Pretty Flowers by K.L Cerra

Blood and Gold by Anne Rice

Vengeful by V.E Schwab

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl

The Spite House by Johnny Compton

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

ExtraOrdinary by V.E Schwab

The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman

Gallant by V.E Schwab

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince by V.E Schwab

Shades of Magic Vol. 2: Night of Knives by V.E Schwab

Shades of Magic Vol. 3: The Rebel Army by V.E Schwab

Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice

Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson

Blood Communion by Anne Rice

Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

The Magic That Binds by A.J. Sherwood

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Witch King by Martha Wells

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

Reforged by Seth Haddon

From Below by Darcy Coates

Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

The Lightning-Struck Heart by T.J. Klune

Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman

Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

Ravensong by T.J. Klune

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Finna by Nino Cipri

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron

Vampires Never Get Old by Natalie C. Parker and Zoraida Córdova

Creature Feature Collection (Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix + five more short stories)

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (re-read)

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales of Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (re-read)

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

A Clash of Steel by C.B. Lee

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles

[coins-that-never-land]

Joining in on the tag game that was reblogged to me by @redfurrycat! Just rewriting it all here instead of reblogging (thought it might be easier to read) but it’s here regardless!!

Favorite color: literally any shade of green, probably. That emerald shade of green? Absolutely love it, so much as you can probably tell because my whole blog’s green

Last song: I tend to listen to music non-sensibly when I’m writing, so I think it was either This December by Ricky Montgomery or Maniac by Michael Sembello. The others all don’t have words lol

Currently reading: I’ve been jumping back into miraculous ladybug fics lately, probably because of the movie that just came out; the last book I read was Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (which I think actually started out as its own story on AO3?? It’s a very good book but it does have mentions of a main character going through past domestic abuse, so please don’t take my recommendation for that if that is something that bothers you, I completely understand!)

Last movie: actually, The Little Mermaid remake! I thought I wasn’t going to like it (some remakes are hot garbage in my opinion) but actually it wasn’t too bad! If you haven’t seen it, they actually gave prince Eric a character now!! Kinda cool

Last series: either a rewatch of miraculous ladybug (seriously I have a problem) or Lockwood and Co.’s singular season on netflix (which is phenomenal, let me tell you!! The books are just as good)

Sweet/spicy/savory: honestly I can’t pick?? Either Reese’s cups or chicken poblano soup (or ghost pepper stir fry, which is also incredible if you like spice)

Currently working on: a Siren!AU for hangster!! Bradley’s a siren, Jake’s a marine biologist, it’s about 16k words and not quite finished yet, but almost!! I’m really excited about this one, actually!

If you’ve gotten these tags already, or just don’t want to share, then no worries!

Just in case, here you go: @harry1989 @emseebeans @rooster-84 @phoenix1388 @angiecakes1990 @spacewinter @kazanskys-mitchell @cowboysandpilots @mehrcurry