#i am about 200 pages in and i'm enjoying it so far

[logarithmicpanda]

I am about 200 pages into The Hands of the Emperor and I'm downright delighted. I have laughed out loud with pure joy several times, and I am definitely enjoying it much more than most of my 2023 reads lol

My one complaint so far is the lack of map. Please. Please I can't follow the politics and geography without a map lmao

[asexualbookbird]

The Bone Season / The Bone Season Tenth Anniversary Edition by Samantha Shannon - ⭐⭐

I bought the OG Bone Season shortly after release. I'd never heard of it, but the jacket copy intrigued me. It sat on my shelf for way too long and then someone said the main character was asexual so I bumped it up on my list. I finally read it in 2019 and did not have a good time. Heard she was releasing an updated version of not just the first one, but of all books that have so far been released, and told myself I would NOT be reading them. The problems I had ran far too deep to be fixed with a silly little Tenth Anniversary Edition. Then bookoutlet had the first one for ten dollars. I can do a side by side comparison for ten dollars. So, here I am. Seven days and 963 pages later.

Did this book need updating? Yes, actually! I'm glad she did it! The changes she made WERE mostly improvements. Some were just odd, like changing Paige's lunch order at the cafe from a salad to soup. Okay. Girlboss I guess. Others were great, like moving the scenes with Liss around. Most notable, when Liss reads Paige's cards. No, she shouldn't have done that when Paige was late for curfew and all the Rephaim were looking for her! That made no sense! Good job moving that to a more reasonable spot. I also loved Jaxon's entrance into the Guildhall in the updated version way more! He was more dramatic and it felt more in character than him showing up quietly and getting Paige out. She also removed that dumb computer scene that made no sense. No, I don't think they'd be able to have a functional computer hidden away somewhere in the city with no electricity or modern amenities or technology. I also think she should've cut so many words.

My issue with Priory was that it was too damn long (and not enough dragons). My issue with >Bone Season is. Well. Many reasons. But it's also too damn long! It's so much of Paige running around Oxford. Paige having dream memories, which I have qualms about as well, Paige hating Warden, Paige loving Warden, Warden being a dick, I know SShannon has said she doesn't enjoy writing action scenes because she feels she's not good at them, but they're always her best scenes because she puts more effort into them! Paige in Tom Tower, Paige during her Second Test, they're good action scenes! Put that effort into the rest of your damn books! And yeah, the memories, I think it's dumb when someone uses dreams to give us flashback information, but SShannon gave a Reason for that here. I'm not it makes it any less dumb or if I'm just annoyed with the book already. If it was another author, would I still hate it? I don't know!

I do appreciate she took out most info dumps, the updated version was a lot easier to read because of it, but the story about Adonis sticks out. I don't think an otherworldly creature that doesn't care much about humans and spends 99% of his time in this tiny city that hasn't been updated in 200 years, would know or care about the Adonis mythos. I get it, you're using that to make paralells between him and Paige and Nashira. It's still out of place.

I appreciate changing Paige's cousin and his friends from being instigators in the riots, bringing bombs to a protest, to them just showing up for a cause they believe in and then the government making things a problem. Good call in not making the Irish folk terrorists this time around. All the Irish in the book was left unchanged, though, and I've been told that it's uh. Inaccurate at best. It's also interesting in the updated version, she had Paige use her Irish accent later in life, instead of sticking with the London accent she taught herself so she wouldn't be bullied (it didn't work).

My biggest problem that I didn't expect to be fixed and it wasn't, is the plot as a whole. The Rephs. Nashira. This group of aliens coming to earth and taking over and SECRETLY CONTROLLING THE GOVERNMENT AND KILLING HUMANS. It just does NOT sit right with me. Certainly not in today's political climate. I don't think SShannon is a bad person, I haven't seen any evidence in her social media of her holding antisemitic views, but that runs deep. Lots of us hold beliefs and knowledge that's antisemitic without realising it. My issue is how did it get through this revision without anyone saying anything. Why was she allowed this revision at ALL, to be honest. Why, among all the authors out there, was she the one given the chance to change her books that were already out in the wild? And again, so far I'm mostly happy about the updates! There's nothing she changed that I think shouldn't have been changed! But it begs the question, if these books needed this much revising, why were they first published at ALL?

Now for my Hot Take, In Good Faith. I don't think she started the series where it should've started. I think The Pale Dreamer should've been fleshed out as an entire novel, and The Bone Season should've been a book later down the line. Paige choosing to leave Jaxon would've hit harder, the Rephs controlling everything would've been a bigger twist, the world of Scion could've been more fleshed out so we'd understand more why Carl chose the Rephs so quickly. Getting these insights in tiny flashbacks didn't flesh out the world enough for the beats to hit. It would've also been nice to see Paige IN that world. We're TOLD she's a mollisher, but we don't see much mollishing. Maybe even give more time to Paige's sexuality because boy that does not sit right with me this time around.

Maybe I misremembered, maybe Paige was demisexual, but she does NOT read as ace in the updated version. It was already iffy in the og, but here I had to put the book down in the bar scene because WHAT! It had way different vibes! I know everyone has different experiences with being ace, and I know I've put myself in situations I only thought I wanted because it's what You're Supposed To Want, but it felt icky. I don't want to say it's not very asexual of her, because who knows! Maybe that's the authors personal experience and I don't want to shit on that! I simply do not like it. It doesn't sit well with me.

If you liked the OG Bone Season, then yeah I guess. Read this. It's not too different, it is an improvement in flow, and Warden is less of a prick. If you didn't like the OG, then don't bother! Don't be like me! If I can find the others for not jacket price, I'll do this again. I did enjoy The Mime Order more (because of the lack of Rephs) so I'm curious if the updated one will be more readable. That's as far as I got in the OG series so after that who knows. I sure don't. I just like to suffer I guess.

[bikananjarrus]

I want to read High Republic books but I don't know where to start. Help!

hi bran! i would be happy to help! 💜

(*disclaimer to start: i am still in the process of reading the high republic books myself, so this is just based on what i have read so far. also, this might get a little long, but there's a lot of material and i know it's a bit confusing, so i'm hoping a more thorough breakdown helps a bit!)

To start, the High Republic books have been published in three phases:

Phase 1 (Light of the Jedi) takes place about 200 years before The Phantom Menace.

Phase 2 (Quest of the Jedi) takes place roughly 150 years before that, so ~350 years before TPM.

Phase 3 (Trials of the Jedi)* goes back to the Phase 1 timeline, so ~200 years before TPM. (*this phase is still being published, and is set to be finished in 2025).

Each of these phases has a mix of books, comics, manga, and audiodramas. For the sake of this post, I will just be talking about the main storyline novels, which consist of adult, YA, and middle-grade books.

Do you need to read ALL books, including YA and middle-grade?

Short answer: it depends! If 19 books (and counting; and those are just the main books) is really daunting, or you just aren't sure you're going to have the time to dedicate to all of that, i would say no, you don't have to read everything. You could just read the adult books (which are the main-main storyline for everything), and be just fine!

However, if you are looking for a more well-rounded, full picture of this story, more characters to enjoy, or just want to read as much of this era as possible, than yes, i definitely recommend reading everything! the YA and middle-grade books have been just as well-written as the adult ones, and while you don't need to read them to understand the main storyline, they fill some gaps in and introduce a lot of really fantastic characters. those books just make the story as a whole more full and fulfilling.

Now, where to start?

I definitely recommend starting with Phase 1, Book 1: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule.

This was the first book to be published, and is 1) a fantastic book, and 2) a great introduction to the galaxy at this time.

From there, I recommend going in order of the Phases, which would also essentially be publishing order.

(Secondary disclaimer: i have not read Phase 2 yet. I finished Phase 1, and then skipped ahead to Phase 3, because I was impatient and wanted to get caught up to the new book that came out a couple weeks ago lol. I am about to circle back to Phase 2, which has important background information and history for some of the things happening in Phase 1/3. so i did things a little different, but i think most people recommend the 1-2-3 Phase/Publication order.)

List of Main Books in Each Phase:

Phase 1

Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (adult)

A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland (middle-grade)

Into the Dark by Claudia Gray (YA)

The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott (adult)

Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel José Older (MG)

Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland (YA)

Mission to Disaster by Justina Ireland (MG)

The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray (adult)

Midnight Horizon by Daniel José Older (YA)

Phase 2

Path of Deceit by Justina Ireland & Tessa Gratton (YA)

Quest for the Hidden City by George Mann (MG)

Convergence by Zoraida Córdova (adult)

Quest for Planet X by Tessa Gratton (MG)

Cataclysm by Lydia Kang (adult)

Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott (YA)

Phase 3 (so far)

The Eye of Darkness by George Mann (adult)

Escape from Valo by Daniel José Older & Alyssa Wong (MG)

Defy the Storm by Justina Ireland & Tessa Gratton (YA)

Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton (adult)

Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova (MG) [publishing Aug. 27, 2024]

Tears of the Nameless by George Mann (YA) [publishing Sept. 24, 2024]

There are a lot of lists out there with the reading order, but I have found that the High Republic Wikipedia page has been the most helpful, because it breaks down the different categories (novels, comics, etc.) really clearly.

As mentioned, I’ll be starting up the Phase 2 books, but I’m also currently working my way through the Phase 1 comics. So if you would like a breakdown of the comics as well, I can do that too!

i hope this was helpful! and i really hope you enjoy delving into these books! Light of the Jedi sucked me into this era of star wars so quickly, and i've just gotten more insane about them since lol.

[k-s-morgan]

Hello! I made a Tumblr account just so that I can tell you how amazing your writing is and how awesome you are! I watched Hannibal just so I could read more of your stories - the way that you keep shifting the power dynamics and building up these obsessive relationships creates some of the most intense and best stories that I have ever read. Do you ever think of writing a story with original characters that you might try publishing? (I would definitely buy and read it!)

Also, thank you so much for the personal updates that you do about yourself and Ukraine. I am so sorry for everything you and your country has been experiencing with Russia. I think you are remarkable with your communications and how much good you are putting out in the world despite the horror you and your country are being put through. I wish you and your loved ones all the best. Thank you for everything you do!

Hello! Oh wow, I really appreciate it! It's so flattering that you decided to watch the entire show just to read my fics, and I'm happy that you enjoyed them! I love obsessive characters, and I love obsessive, dark relationships between them even more. If you're interested, I have a Hannigram AU one-shot here that I didn't post to AO3.

As for original novels, I actually have three published romance stories, but I wrote them when I was like 17, and two of them are M/F. I don’t talk about them often because my style has evolved over the years, and the ideas and execution in them are probably problematic - and not in a good way!

My first book was Until Hell Freezes Over. It’s a semi-dark Gothic M/F romance with a twist that takes it from a more ordinary genre to a somewhat supernatural one. Ironically, I got most attached to my gay dark secondary character who’s in unrequited love with the main character. I just couldn’t get into M/F to the extent I wanted. I love this story in a way, it's my baby, and it has an interesting way of character development, but I wrote it because I naively hoped to gain more attention in the M/F market, not because I was really inspired. And both protagonists are not the best people in shallow and grounded ways.

My second book was Layers of Freesia. It’s a short and far less serious M/F romance. Basically, they met, they fought, they made up, all in 100 or so pages. I love my female character there - some readers mentioned she’s autistic, and while I didn’t think of it when I was writing, I believe it fits. She holds a special place in my heart.

My third book was All Roads Lead to Hades. It’s a short M/M obsession-based novel. Some readers mentioned it’s rushed, and it might be so because I was excited to be finally writing in the genre I wanted and I had a specific deadline by which I needed it to be done) I’ve never re-read it and didn’t have the heart to edit it. 

I have 200 pages of another dark M/M romance written, and I do intend to finish and publish it at some late date. Here’s the synopsis I wrote back in 2016.

There were times when the Lettvin-Nostrand Empire was one of strongest, full of pureblood nobility who possessed powerful magic and feared no one. But seduced by the promises of more freedom from a neighboring Empire, the society split up, unleashing war that had been ravaging their own territory until Emperor Glacirien had enough.

Ruthless and cruel, Glacirien is feared by his enemies and his own people alike because the abilities he possesses are like no others. He puts an end to the war and keeps ruling over his burned Empire, not letting it heal, condemning people to suffer and die from starvation and diseases for their betrayal. When he visits one of the dying villages, he meets a golden-haired young man who evokes feelings in him Glacirien never expected to experience.

Caelus is warm. Caelus embodies the light and the brightness remaining in this world, and Glacirien is growing obsessed with him.

Caught in a dangerous web of political intrigues, betrayals, love, and his own dark nature, he has to tread carefully in order to preserve the remains of his country… for however weak Caelus’ magic is, in the end, he might be the person destined to destroy Glacirien’s Empire for

I have a prologue for it posted here.

Last year, I published a small book with short war-related stories. It felt healing to write it.

Also, thank you so much for your kind words about my country, me, and my people! It really means a lot. I still cannot believe this is our life now... Even sleeping a night properly, with no attacks and alarms, is a blessing. It should never be this way for anyone, but unfortunately, I doubt the guilty Russians will ever learn.

[benkyoutobentou]

31 Days of Productivity Reading もう一回！: Day 2

Before: Another day of letting a spinner wheel choose my reads. This is a lot more fun with manga where I can spin nearly once a day compared to novels where I could spin twice a week maybe. Two things about it though; first, to add to the chaos fun, I’ve decided that I’m going to keep series on the options list until I have no more volumes, and second, I think I’ll be changing my goal to read eleven volumes of manga instead of ten because I realized that after that volume of BASARA, I’ve read 190 volumes total in Japanese and I want to get to 200. I track my manga over on my MyAnimeList so if you'd like to see what I'm reading all the time, you can find my profile here.

Anyways, today’s read is オハナホロホロ！I’m really excited to read this one, I heard someone talking about it and asked them to tell me their thoughts after they finished it, but then turned around and bought it before they said anything else. It just sounds so exactly like something I’d love!

Last little non reading tangent- I finally got my laptop back today after an entire week of it being in the shop! The hard drive went out on it, but it works so well in every other way that I decided to just get a new SSD instead of an entirely new laptop. I'm also completely terrible with any kind of technology so I had a professional replace it, which was a good idea because the first SSD I bought ended up being completely unusable. Then, no stores around me carried the right size of SSD, so I had to order another one online. And the best part is that the swap over didn't even log me out of anything (and I can finally catch up with my shows)!

After: My time management was so bad today. By one am I was halfway through today’s read and figured that it would be no problem to finish it tonight. Then I decided to check what time dressage started. I expected it to start at two or three am but it started at one, so I ran to the tv to watch that with half a volume left. Luckily there’s always a lot of time between riders in dressage compared to show jumping or cross country but I definitely felt out of sorts as I like to be pretty much ready to go to sleep when it starts, and I very much wasn’t this time.

Between all the breaks, I did manage to finish volume one of オハナホロホロ！I’m really enjoying it so far, I love the unconventional family dynamic and how flawed all the characters are while still being endearing. I also really like the flowy art style and the way that there’s an air of everyday calmness to the story, even when things start to get chaotic. So in total, today I read 191 pages of manga. Certainly not as impressive as yesterday but I’m still pleased! This was more of a normal manga to me, both in page count and words per page.

[kyogre-blue]

To celebrate (?) my doc for Disaster Class Hero reaching nearly 200 pages (and having to get split into two, so that it wouldn't lag as much), I finally started the novel.

I'm at only 10 chapters so far (2% completion, haha), but it's been an interesting comparison vis a vis the manhwa.

First, the most amusing points:

Lee Geon's personal characteristics include "masochist" which is not what I would have seen coming.

Hugo owns a bunch of vending machines that refuse to sell to you if your level is too low and your social score is not high enough. What does that even mean? What are you even doing....

The system has audio to accompany (?) the popups.

Hugo actually went into the Tower at one point, seems to be twelve years down the line. Sounds absolutely insane, considering the timeline (but of course my fanfic brain immediately went "but what if he did find Lee Geon back then")

I keep taking notes as I read, but tbh there's too much, so it would be inconvenient to post.

In a more general sense, I have some mixed feelings.

I want to make it clear that I am enjoying it on the whole, so the endless complaining below is just because I'm a negative person. Take all this with a grain of salt.

The biggest thing is that I find it kind of hard to tell sometimes what is supposed to be going on in terms of worldbuilding details. It feels like the author either wasn't bothering to keep track of things or else didn't convey it well. It's not the big stuff, but more like the entire logistics of what actually happened in the Tower, or what Lee Geon was or wasn't wearing, stuff like that. The manhwa isn't always great either, but it's both visual and just gives less details in general, so it feels less noticeable.

Second, the novel always refers to the "Twelve Zodiac Saints" as a collective, even though it's pretty obvious at times that whatever is being said only applies to some of them. It's just really jarring to know that, given their personalities, some saints were definitely not doing this stuff, but the novel still says "the twelve all did X."

Third, I do not super jive with how the novel presents Lee Geon in comparison to everyone else. They really emphasize how Lee Geon is literally the only useful one ever. He did everything, made everything, everyone else is just ripping off his ideas and deeds. The moment he's gone, the saints can't even win a single fight for three years straight. Given that he's not even a human per se, it really kinda grinds my gears that humanity is capable of so little, as a result.

Fourth, there's some hmm feelings about the pseudo politics going on, but nothing really concrete. I think it just feels a bit silly to make it so parallel (presumed) to the real world, because that opens you up to questions like what the heck is going with massive populations like India, Africa and Latin America, since they're not represented among the Saints at all, as far as I know.

Of course, these aren't really angles you're intended to think on. It's just that I am reading into them for no reason. The actual readthrough is going quite well.

[foxymoxynoona]

i have to tell you something. it’s important.

listen. i have read about close to 200 romance books this past year alone. (trust me im not exaggerating. you can take a peek at my storygraph and see for yourself the number ‘194’ on my read books list, and they’re all romance).

so you can trust and believe when i say that you’re by FAR the best romance author. the most insane thing about that? i read your writing for FREE. meanwhile i paid MONEY for those 194 books, and still, nothing on that list can top your writing.

the technical aspect of your writing ALONE is by far superior. i swear. i read these books and i wondered to myself, “does this author actually know how to write?” and i DID say that in my reviews once i was done with a book. but NOT YEW, miss foxy. oh no, not you.

not to mention your PROSE. your DICTION. good fucking lord. you know the term “page-turner”? yeah not only is your writing a page-turner, it’s also “eye-widener”. i just made that term up but it essentially means every WORD you write makes me want to quickly devour the next one. and the next one. and the next one. oh, did i mention that when i found your writing for the first time, i literally had to call in sick to work because i could NOT STOP READING SUGAR FAIRY??? I HAD TO CALL IN SICK TO WORK. BECAUSE MY EYES REFUSED TO SLIDE SHUT FOR SLEEP. THEY KEPT SCREAMING FOR ME TO DEVOUR EVERY FUCKING WORD IN THAT FIC.

and then your sense of humor. your dialogue. flowing and natural and never stilted. your characters actually talk like human beings. like us in real life. like i could actually HEAR them. because let me tell you something: A LOOOT of these published romance authors know jackSHIT about dialogue. got me questioning whether these authors actually ever spoke to a real person in their lives. it’s THAT bad. BUT NOT YEEEW. oh no, not you, miss foxy. your characters TALK LIKE REAL PEOPLE WITH TOP NOTCH HUMOR. YOUR HUMOR? UNMATCHED. AND YOURE SO GREAT AT TRANSLATING THAT HUMOR ON TO PAPER. meanwhile a lot of these romance authors attempted at humor and it just made me cringe. i cannot tell you how many book reviews ive done where i said “please don’t attempt at humor ever again”.

bottom line: you’re actually the ONE romance author who actually knows how to USE and WIELD words. you’re like THEE word-bender. (get it? avatar? sorry ill see myself out)

sorry. i just had to get this all out of my chest.

Sometimes I don't want to respond to an ask because I just want to keep it in m yinbox and read it over and over when I'm needing reassure. But this is also so flattering that I almost can't read it because it is crazy to me you'd have such nice things to say about my writing!

So thank you, thank you. Comments like this motivate me to work towards my hope of transitioning to a full time writer within the next couple of years... Maybe I can do it haha.

I love the dissection and analysis of writing. I think I'm probably miserable to talk about books with lol because whether I like a book or not is related but not the main focus of how I chew on them, I look at the sorts of things you mentioned and see what I can learn to do or not do. I think it's so cool how people's writing styles are so different and how there are so many ways ot be "good" but I do think I am finally feeling more like I have a style that works for me. I'm just relieved folks enjoy it 😅

Anyway all that's to say, thank you thank you. Your words of encouragement mean a GREAT deal to me and I will hold them close as I keep at it!

[ajokeformur-ray]

This post has been a long time coming but I just haven't had the time, the energy or the words.

But now, eight months later, I have all three, so here we go.

@rosesloveletters and I FINALLY got to meet in person in October 2022. It was everything we dreamed of and more. We had a lot planned for our holiday, and I mean a lot. An entire A4 page full of ideas and we managed to do every single one of them and even a few more which were impulsive and thought of on the day. Rose took me to four or five different clothing shops because I wanted a very specific type of shirt and I wasn't willing to compromise on what I wanted (we practically studied the reference photos, looking for The Right One™️ and to this day, you need a crowbar to get it off me), she took me to Smoothie King just because I vaguely mentioned I wanted another of what I'd fallen in love with a few days before (read: I begged her for my favourite drink and she was generous enough to take me even though we only went the day before💖). Not to mention the time she took me to Hot Topic and watched me spend $200 in ten minutes on band t-shirts. I went feral.

But unanimously, our favourite times were when we watched films, ate snacks and cuddled on the sofa every night. Hanging off each other's shoulders at 1am in her kitchen because we somehow fucked up s'mores so bad that all we could do was laugh about it. Were they delicious because we made them well or because we were high on laughter and each other's company? I still can't decide and I don't think I'm supposed to.💕 All I wanted to do when I flew from the UK to the USA was give the woman I have come to know over the last (almost) four years as my sister, more of a family member to me than some actual biological family members, a good old squeeze. All I have ever wanted from Rose is a hug, and the more she gave me, the more I wanted. I stop counting after our tenth hug and started enjoying them without worrying about memorising the number.

Within just five minutes of meeting her for the first time, I had hugged her, touched her face to ascertain that she was real (this bit felt like a dream; I only recently asked and it was confirmed that I did actually do this🥺). I had managed to achieve a dream years in the yearning and making for the both of us, and headbutted her shoulder affectionately like a cat. I am not a touchy person, generally speaking, but with Rose, I was following her around her house like a puppy, wanting every second with her that I could. In the two weeks we were together, the longest amount of time we spent apart was when one of us was in the shower or we were sleeping. If those two things weren't happening, we were side by side and living the life.

I have never in my life felt so at peace and relaxed. I was in a totally new country having used my passport for the first time, been in an airport for the first time, flown for the first time, gone to America by myself with severe anxiety and depression (at the time I was undiagnosed and unmedicated) for the first time... I was a total wreck emotionally speaking and I had many an anxiety attack. I had people back home - primarily my aunt - pretty much holding my hand through phone and video calls to help me navigate the flying process and make it to Rose in one piece. I was so scared but then when I saw her coming at me through the crowd, it was like nothing mattered. I'd reached my sister, I was there with her... and that had been all I cared about. All the way between the home airport and the airport where we met, I just kept thinking Rose is on the other side, keep going, Rose is waiting... and it got me through one of the scariest self-imposed situations I've ever been in (so far).

All the daydreams in the years before we got to meet... none of it lived up to the reality of seeing Rose running towards me... I'm surprised we didn't knock each other to the floor, honestly. We practically flew at each other. Even now, I think of hugging her every day and meeting her again. It usually makes me cry, or at the very least go about my day smiling to myself. I am so so grateful to and for Rose... she really is like a sister to me, we share many similarities and any differences between us are minor. The aesthetic differences between us makes me giggle; sometimes talking to her is like talking to me, but our clothes went in the opposite direction to one another. I love her so much, so much, and I miss her every day.💔

The point is, I crossed the world to give Rose a hug and she welcomed me with an open home, open ears and open arms and I'll never be able to thank her enough for her warmth and generosity; not just once but twice, because I have already fully paid for my next journey to see her again in September 2023!🥺😍🙏I just... I love her so so much, she's the sister I always wanted. I wanna grow old with her, but I suspect I already am.🥰🫂💖

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (10/23/23)

Take this woefully late update while I get the current one written and sorted out!

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (8/10)

I do think this book is better than Angel, I just think I was too lenient on that one because of the nostalgia (I've now adjusted its rating to 7/10). I really like that the conflict in this book is split between Tessa, who is focused on Mortmain and the main plot, and Will, who has his whole curse thing going on and is a good window into the emotional conflicts. It makes this book feel much more...filled than Angel which lags in many places. Concerning the emotional aspects, while I love both Will and Jem and am well aware of how the series ends, it feels to me like Clare heavily favors Will. Will gets a very complicated backstory, a lot of plot dedicated just to him, and while Jem arguably has just as pressing of an issue, he's just so placid about it. He can be soft-spoken and kind and still have a desire to live.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (10/10)

This is a reread and it still astounds me how this book manages to fit an incredible magic system, an engaging plot, and some of my favorite characters ever into less than 200 pages. The concept of this book is such a unique one, and it allows for these very complex and unusual characters whose circumstances have made them very difficult to understand. Even though not every character is likable, McGuire does an outstanding job of portraying how their situations have made them this way (except Angela fuck you Angela). Despite it technically being set in the real world, and the characters contribute to this, the whole story has a dreamy, otherworldly quality to it, as if Eleanor West's home was its own pocket dimension. And, of course, I love how much queer rep there is in this book and just general willingness to portray non-romantic or atypical romantic relationships as the most important in a character's life. Now that I've reread this one, I'll finally be continuing the series.

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (CR, 38%)

I swear I'm enjoying this book, it's just so intimidating and I really haven't had time to really sit with a book recently. In the small bit that I've read, I like that Glorian is starting to change a little. Compared to Dumai and Tunuva in particular, she's been rather static, but I can see her starting to find her place.

Lodestar by Shannon Messenger (CR, 36%)

These books stress me out so much. Part of me is well aware that these are middle grade and we have yet to permanently 'remove' a major character, be that through betrayal, major injury, or death. (I consider a major character to be Sophie, her friends, her family, and a couple of the major adults.) However, considering the tone of the books keeps getting darker and darker, it's only a matter of time, and there's a great opportunity for it right about now. Still, any fear I have is overcome by my desire to consume fandom content for this series, so onward I push.

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (CR, 10%)

I'm not that far into this one, but I am definitely curious. Namely, how the hell is everything in this book going to be fit into less than 100 pages. This book promises a lot, and so far it's reading like the opening to a much longer space opera-style sci fi novel. We'll see!

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher (CR, 1%)

I've only just barely started this one but I've got to hurry it up since I'm supposed to review it soon. It's been a while since I read a romance that's just a romance, so I hope I enjoy it!

[snowflurried]

Reading The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes!!!

Ok so on Monday I got the book so I can read it before the movie comes out, but I only started reading it today. I am about 200 pages in and I am really enjoying it! I'll write some spoilers below, along with some stuff I noticed from the trailer I just watched.

Going into me reading this, I knew which characters were going to die and which weren't because I saw it spoiled in a tweet a while ago. I watched a trailer a while ago as well, so I knew the basic premise of it.

The first thing I thought of when I started reading was the fact that we already know how things work out for Snow, and that he is obviously a piece of shit. I was also surprised that Tigris is his cousin, having been aware of her role in the Mockingjay book. This got me thinking that sat some point, they probably had a falling out due to the barbaric shit he ends up doing, and in turn, helps the rebels in the end.

When they introduced Lucy Gray and the fact she is from District 12, I gathered that she wasn't going to survive the Games. If I remember correctly, Haymitch was the only living tribute before Katniss and Peeta, and that there was another who ended up dying some point after, but I don't think it was Lucy Gray. (Ok, I searched it up and she does win)

As I got further into the book, I was surprised at how violent it got, despite the fact that there is so much violence in the other books. I also was surprised at how they are treating the tributes leading up to the games, in comparison to the original trilogy. They really did not have their shit together early on if they are keeping them in cages and not feeding them or letting them train.

Speaking of the violence, I wasn't expecting the deaths that have happened so far. Like at the point I'm at, 3 mentors are dead, like 8 tributes are dead, and it's absolutely crazy. It was kind of funny when that Arachne girl got her shit fucked up, like her tribute did not play about that sandwich lmao.

Looking at the trailer, I was surprised at the size and look of the arena. Of course, I was basing my expectations off the original trilogy so I was expecting this big arena in a huge forest or something. When I was reading the part about them visiting the arena and having a 'tour' of it, the way they described it made it feel like it was an amphitheatre (I think that was directly said) but I expected it to be a larger and more open one than what the trailer shows.

My theory was that Lucy Gray would die to one of the District 1, 2 or 11 tributes as they were mentioned a lot and explicitly said to be the strongest and most likely to win. But obviously, that's probably not realistic anymore.

When I've been reading this, I kept the thought in the back of my head that Snow is an absolute bitch and deserves the worst. I also think that the way he treats/views Katniss in the original books is because he sees a lot of similar traits to Lucy Gray. For example, they both stood out in their respective Reapings, drew lots of attention because of it, have the ability to rebel against the Capitol, and know how to play the game in order to win.

[sinterblackwell]

hi!!! you have me totally hooked with your description of the winners/the beartown series... i've never read anxious people, which i know a lot ppl have enjoyed that one of his, and i'm just trying to get back into daily reading habits, so THANK YOU FOR THE UNCONSCIOUS REC!! if you have any more really good books you've read just in general.. i'm definitely in the looking-for-recs mode 😭😭😭 anyway, CONGRATS ON PAGE 200!! ❣️❣️❣️

aaaa okay okay first, thank you so much for the congrats!! “the winners” is going to be the longest book i’ve read this year at about 678 pages (just realized the numbers are in chronological order….) so i’m almost halfway there!! i’ve only teared up like three times so far.

i have read “anxious people” and really loved it!! it’s very popular for a reason, and it’s one of those books i’m glad is popular, although i would love to see more people talk about the author’s “beartown” series. the closest i’ve come to it is through seeing it mentioned in a twitter thread that was full of spoilers so i immediately clicked out of that. 

it’s really cool that you’re into hockey because i think you’ll find a lot of love with “beartown” and be able to connect even more than i possibly did with the characters as we see how this sport drives them to the highest of highs only for them to be shown at their complete worst…..

(this came out a little long….i am very sorry about that. my little rant about the beartown series and my personal book recs are down below!!)

what i love about the story is how empathetic this author is when it comes to his deeply complicated characters. he doesn’t shy away from the violence of hockey, as you would know better than i do, and the thrill that drives fans absolutely mad, while also being able to display the complexity of their emotions and how different circumstances can drive people to make different decisions, both on and off the ice. as someone who doesn’t know too much hockey, the author has a way of making you feel invested in it because most of the characters are, and the descriptions of when they’re on the ice and playing the game is absolutely ruthless at times but most often, it’s all about the feeling of elation these players describe as they play. that’s what makes the choices they make outside of the ice rink feel as if it weighs so heavily, because by putting so much of themselves into hockey, they take all the good and bad with them that eventually leads to some pretty intense events. 

one of the key elements of the entire series that’s so vital to digging into the heart of this small hockey town that lives near the forest is that it spans across a wide range of perspectives; multiple voices given a highlight because what this series is about isn’t just hockey itself, it’s the people who sacrifice and devote their entire lives to it, and who by extension, cause ripples in the fabric of each other’s lives. we see that ripple escalate as we see through the eyes of different families and friends and community members with different impacts to the story and it’s just….absolutely phenomenal. i highly recommend it.

as for book recs, if you’re looking for more hockey, i would love to recommend you “icebreaker” by a.l. graziadei. it’s a young adult book, and much much shorter in length to backman’s “beartown” series, but it offers a very impactful perspective with our main character, mickey james III, who goes through a tough mental health journey that i resonated with and that i hope others have, too.

if you want something more fun and a little lighthearted with hockey still in the background, there’s also the “check! please” series by ngozi ukazu. it’s a graphic novel series in a college setting and very adorable (the mc loves baking!!) so there’s that. also….just a slip-in……but i will recommend “gravity” by tal bauer as well!!! just something to check out maybe…..this was my review of the book, right here.

for books without hockey, here’s some other recs for you!! hopefully any of them catch your eye, i loved all of these books for different reasons and the writing in them is amazing; there’s so much more i could share with you but this it it for now :’)

- “the girls i’ve been” by tess sharpe

- “velvet was the night” by silvia moreno-garcia

- “henry hamlet’s heart” by rhiannon wilde

- “man o’ war” by cory mccarthy

- “these violent delights” by micah nemerever

- “dangerous damsels” series by india holton

- “the city beautiful” by aden polydoros

- “fragile remedy” by maria ingrande mora

- “you & me” by tal bauer (because of course.)

[storieschats]

Fourth Wing Book 1 Update 4

Where I am: Page 404 of 516

It turned out that her power was lightning which ok isn't really light but I mean it's not very far. She's training with Professor Whatever.

What I think so far: Liking it! Honestly it exceeded my expectations like 200% but I think that was because they were really low xd. The book isn't as bad as everyone on social media made it seem!!! Like nominated for the nobel prize, no, but that's not what the author is trying to do either obviously. Criticizing an unserious romance novel for being an unserious romance novel is silly. I doubt that other romance books have a more sophisticated or incredibly deep plot than this one! And you know what, I missed reading romance novels!!! And the mix of fantasy helped me enjoy even more a genre I don't go to very often!

Positive points:

1. Dragons

2. Friends

3. Romance

4. Violet is growing on me, I'm not sure why! I've never disliked her but in these last few chapters I think I'm getting more attached, I think it was probably her sadness at having killed Jack. I like honor xd it's a good trait in people ahahahah.

Negative points:

Writing

Dairn is very annoying and the author is exaggerating the number of times he can be forgiven. Everyone on earth would have told him to go to hell by now! There's literally no one I know who can stand this level of someone always standing behind you touching you and annoying you xd makes Violet look like a bit of a moron! The only reason I'm not more upset is because I like jealousy in my novels xd

They were in the front line and ok there were like 7 or so riders but where the hell are the infantry and they had free quarters and doubles for the students to stand around in! I'm beginning to understand why no one is too worried about this war if we have these luxuries on the front lines! If only we had trenches and infantry and lookouts and something oh never mind we've got the shield of some girl and what about six dragoons, if they die we'll manage.

Stars I'd give it: 3 stars (if the writing was a bit better it would deserve 4)

What I think will happen: Now that Mira has reappeared I don't think she's going to be bad anymore! I hope not, at least, I mean, poor girl, her whole family has to be evil just for her to get the guy! She's about to discover the secret rebellion and I'm interested to know what the point of it is apart from what I've realized, which is that we just hate these people because they killed our parents and were super cruel to us just because we were their children, which is ok fair enough, but... oh no they're also hiding stuff about the war aren't they?! I bet the king is a tyrant and the war is a cover-up for something. Kings are always tyrants in this sort of thing! Oh and her dad was researching something important about venin monsters whatever must be important I bet like some riders go to the dark side or something so we can have dragon vs dragon fights.

[mistwraiths]

3 stars

I thought long and hard about how to rate this book and I think I've settled on 3 stars, maybe 3.25 for a number of reasons. Overall, I do think this is a good book and I enjoyed my time with it. I'm eager to read more and I think Cassandra Clare did a good job of departing from the Shadowhunter world and diving into adult fantasy.

First, I'll address something that has been mentioned in reviews and from people. The similarities between this book and V.E. Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic series. Are there similarities? I think the answer is both yes and no. Some things are harder to justify or ignore and some while similar-ish have enough differences to argue. An orphan named Kell is taken to serve as the prince's bodyguard. While the concept is familiar, the exact same with the same name makes it... odd. A main character girl is named Lin, and she has magic. There is differences, yes, but the name is fairly close enough to Lila. There's a race of people called Ashkar who are called Askari. In ADSOM, the name for certain magicians is Antari. Again, differences yes but similar names. Does CC or Schwab own A names, no! But there's a character who has a lot of page time in running things named Mayesh, when the royals in Castellane last name is Maresh. Castellane colors are predominantly red, and gold. Red London. There's an explicit they use "Gray hells" which is an odd usage, and Gray is another color featured IN ADSOM. It's enough that while I was reading, it felt in my mind that did no one reading this before in passes and edits think, hmm maybe we should change some names? I might not have blinked twice if they had changed Kel's name. Maybe not even thought of ADSOM. I could be thinking too much into it and it could be totally coincidental, but it was enough to make me feel slightly leery about it. It ISN'T exactly like the other book, there's many differences and of course, it is its own story. But I personally felt like I had to deduct a star.

My second biggest problem here is that this book takes about 200 pages to stop beating you over the head with all the world information and all these character names. I think a personae dramatis would really be beneficial, especially since most of the side characters especially in the nobility feel interchangeable. Even after 200 pages, there's still info dumps and such, and things still take time. It's a much better read by far after 200 pages, because things are moving.

But nothing truly ever happens in this book except for the end. Kind of. This book mostly felt like a huge set up. Which isn't the WORST thing but you can make it feel more entertaining or well paced. I think 200-300 pages could have been cut out and it would have felt like a faster paced book.

Lin was by far the most interesting character and my favorite. I really loved her and enjoyed learning everything about her work, her struggles, her people, etc.

The majority of the book follows Kel and honestly, he's a bit of a bore. He's a nice character but I don't love him and find him a little bland. Conor is far more interesting but we do not get any POV from him. I'm also interested in Antonella and Joss, but we don't get much from either and no POVs.

I know this book was marketed as a forbidden romance but there's almost no romance in this book. You can see where there's hints of it but there's nothing of what I consider romance or even Cassandra's typical pining and tension. There's light tension if anything. I am rooting for Lin and Conor. I don't care much about Kel and Antonella, I'd rather him and Merren.

I was SO SAD about Luisa and Vienne.

I'm looking forward to see what happens next. I'm hoping there isn't any CC standard love triangles in this series. Some of the subject matter is a more mature so I do think she was successful in switching to adult fantasy but in places it does sometimes feel like it's YA or it doesn't dig really deeper into some things I'd like it to.

[pastelwitchling]

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

⭐⭐⭐

It's official. I'm over romances.

There were a few legitimate critiques that knocked down the rating for me, but I do feel like the romance genre is just not for me anymore, not when the romance is ALL that's going on. Not since they're all written the. Exact. Same.

Legally Blonde meets a Hallmark story in this book, and while I truly enjoy both of things, 400-500 pages is just too much for a story about nothing but pining for each other. I should say, I really liked the characters. Piper was spoiled, but far from a snob. I really appreciated how kind she was, how kind her sister was, how kind Brendan was, how kind the people of Westport were. But I think this is just where the genre itself comes in, because there was no reason for them to be apart other than drama.

Piper acknowledges she doesn't like or trust the phony LA life or its people, yet she doesn't think she can stay in Westport because "real life is back in LA, isn't it? The flashy LA girl is just who I am, isn't it?" blah blah blah. It's just nonsense, the book could've easily been 200 pages, I don't know why it was almost 400.

That, and the next to final chapter was soooo unnecessary. I thought she was going to build her own independence, save herself for once, and instead he had to show up and save her FROM HER OWN CROWD. What, she can't say no? She can't make up her own mind? Why did she leave in the first place if she didn't want to? I know that the way things unfolded upset her, but to make a snap decision like that just showed SUCH a lack of growth on her part. So people don't seem to like you this particular night; you don't have a little faith that the people you built a relationship with had a good reason for not showing up? Your own grandmother, for instance? You instead go running off to a crowd you don't even like so you can whine about the decision a few hours later?

Also, I usually don't mind at all the use of "male" or "female", "masculine" or "feminine", but these words were often used as the main and sometimes SOLE description of things, and I just didn't understand what they were supposed to mean. What is feminine handwriting? What is a male scent? She felt "female" and he felt "male" and what does that mean , Tessa?

And this is really nitpicky, but the writing was very, VERY repetitive with the names God and Jesus Christ. They would often come up three to four times in one paragraph at least once a page, and it was just way too much.

Other than that, I think the story was reasonably entertaining, I certainly didn't feel like I HAD to keep going, the characters were pretty likeable, but I just felt so much nothing for so much of the book because it was just the same longing repeated over and over. Yeah. Think I'm hanging up my contemporary romance hat for a while since I'm kind of sick of just reading the same thing happen in every book.

[goddessofthedawn]

publishing wrap-up 2022

originally posted on my blogspot blog

Hello, hello--it is that time of year, the end of the year, where I take a look at what books of mine did the best, what did the worst, and let me tell you, it is absolutely the worst book-selling year so far. My first year that I had books out, 2020, I made 200$. Last year I made 80$. This year? $63.74. 

Thank God for day jobs, right? 

But! I don't do this for the money, obviously. I do this because I love it. But let's take a look at this broken down. I have twenty-two books out. 

First, let's get the ones that made zero money out of the way. Didn't sell a single copy, no KNP pages read, nothing. 

Iscariot

This one is actually shocking, because it has been my most popular book, consistently, since it came out. It was my first book, the first in a five-book series, all of which is out now, following a bunch of kids going to Hell and meeting up with the people who are trying to take over. Urban fantasy/horror/adventure. It's a fun time. 

Spahn

This series has never been popular so I'm not super surprised. The Vendettic books follow an 80s heavy metal band and all of their adventures dealing with demon shit. The first two books in the trilogy are out. Main character? Stupidest motherfucker to ever exist. Love it. 

Life in Anachronism

This is my first collection with both short stories and creative nonfiction essays. The people who have read it have enjoyed it. Honestly, I'm not super upset about this one not making money because collections don't take as much work as novels and novellas do. I write stories in an attempt to sell them to lit mags and when they inevitably don't sell and I have enough of them, I throw them together. That being said, everyone who has read this one has enjoyed it. 

Sacrifice

Book 2 in Vendettic! I will say, looking at it, it looks like the paperback is highly discounted right about now, so it might be the time to purchase. This came out last year. Book three will come out at some point, maybe even in 2023, despite the relative unpopularity of this series.

Beyr

Beyr is almost a companion novella to the Pentalogy of Hell series, but it can, definitely, be read on its own. It was an experiment. I'm not gonna lie, I do count it as one of my worst books. Not the worst. But one of the worst. That's maybe something I shouldn't say. 

Carl & Jimmy

Speaking of my worst book! Carl & Jimmy is my worst book. Um. It does have its charms, I think; it's definitely got stuff happening constantly. It's kind of--well, it is--a 70s retelling and reworking about American serial killer Carl Panzram? 

Right or Wrong

Okay, this one is sad because it is the only book on this list of "not making any money" that came out this year. this is the third Aughts Boys book but it does not have to be read in order--honestly, this is the first one chronologically. Follows a kid who becomes friends with a real jerk named Matt and has to struggle with that. My little sister got emotionally connected to Matt and cried, so. 

 So, now that that's over with, let's get to the books that did make money, in order from the least to the most. 

15. Circus Wings (.02)

 My foray into fantasy. This is the first in a trilogy, the third book of which I am currently rewriting, so that will be my next book out. I don't quite know about this book. I don't know. We do have an environmentally conscious lesbian princess, so, there's that. I like the characters. This is also almost an experiment--I'm not a huge fantasy guy. 

14. The Crucifixion of Craig Knox (.35)

These next couple (that I clearly only sold one kindle book of, lol) are technically tied. I'm a little sad about this being down so low, because I do still consider this my best book. I dunno. Like Hell (which you will see a little farther down) might have beat it out. But I really like this one. It's my WM3 one. 

13. The False Prophet (.35)

Book 4 in the Pentalogy of Hell! While I didn't sell any of the first book, I did sell some of the subsequent ones. 

12. The Son of Perdition (.35)

And Book 5 in the Pentalogy of Hell! This one's kinda sad seeing as book five did come out this year, but, you know. I'm just banking on one day, maybe, someone just binging them all on KU. That's what you do when you self-publish six books a year. You hope for the binge-readers. Unfortunately, I'm not a romance author, and write in a million different genres, so I'm definitely doing something wrong, but. You know. 

11. Lake of Fire (.36)

Book 3 in Pentalogy! And it looks like the hardcover is severely discounted right now, like, 5$, so I'd snap on that right now if I were you. 

10. Rewind (.39)

My collection from this year! This one is all short stories. Also, don't get put off by the fact that the title is "Rewind" and the cover shows a record player. It's referencing two different stories. In hindsight it was maybe a poor decision. 

9. Forty Days (1.45)

Book 2 in Pentalogy! Hardcover here is also really discounted, so. You know. If you wanna purchase. Feel free. 

8. The Morph Suit Murderer (2.16)

Sequel to Serial Killers With Cookies. The official series title for this is "abnormal murders" but in my heart and also in my hard drive I call them "stupid-ass murders" because honestly. Also the main character is straight-up nuts by this book which is super fun.

7. One More Sad Song (2.18)

I'm gonna say that out of all of my series, I am most attached to the Aughts Boys books. Maybe this is because I'm still writing books onto it. Like, first-draft-wise. The 'verse keeps growing. But this is the first book based on publication order. Like I said--don't gotta read these in order. The only one that you should probably make sure to read this one before would be the most recent book in the series. 

6. Columbiner (2.86)

Yeah, so, I'm gonna say consistently? This is my most popular book. Like, there's not weird rushes to buy this one, it just so happens that I sell a Kindle copy like, once every couple of months and it's been that way since I published it in 2020. People love school shooting books, I guess. 

5. Serial Killers with Cookies (3.23)

Yeah, so, Amazon's all jacked up mixing up SKWC and the Vendettic books. There's nothing I can really do on my end; I've double-checked the series settings. But trust that this is the first book in the Abnormal Murders books, before the main character goes nuts. I mean, she gets there by the end. God I love Justine.

4. The Horror at Camp New Woods (4.54)

Hey, paperback is currently discounted for this one! Buy now! But this is the second book in the Aughts Boys series, and it is one of the weird, uh... left turns into straight-up horror that happens a couple of times in this series. I mean, this is the only time so far in the published ones, but like, it's gonna happen at least three more times? Look forward if you don't care about 2004 and only care about murder? I guess? 

3. Like Hell (9.41)

Paperback is also currently discounted on this one. But this is the one that I might be like, okay, this might actually be my best book. It's like Beyr but good. This was my first book published in 2022 and honestly? I do think it is a good one. Short and quick, too. 

2. Royal Blood (11.99)

Sequel to Circus Wings. New POV characters. Can I say I like this one less than Circus Wings? I do. But that is definitely a YMMV thing; that one was more action-focused, this one has more political stuff going on. Book 3 we will get a mix because I threw all the POV characters that were still alive into a blender. 

1. Hit or Miss (19.10)

The latest! Book four in the Aughts Boys books; maybe read book one before this one but otherwise you are good. Maybe book three if you want to understand Matt a little more. Maybe book two if you just wanna deal in a little murder. Uh, I got a new cover artist for this one because my original one ghosted me, but I asked her to kinda try to at least match the original covers and I think she did a great job. Also, this book is, I hate to brag, the number one new release in children's hockey books. It beat out a whole grand total of zero other books, but I do have the little orange banner on the Kindle page, which is hilarious. It's not a children's book. It's YA. Amazon counts them together. 

But that's that! That's what my sales looked like this year! Absolutely nothing! But no, it's fine. Obviously I would love to sell more books. Obviously I would love it if you would purchase one or two or twenty-two books right now, or start flipping through them in KU, or whatever. Obviously I want to make money doing this. But it is more important for me to have them available. But if any of these look interesting, please, please, please give them a look. All of my kindle editions are only .99, and like I said--a lot of these are discounted physically right now.

Let's see what next year brings! How many books will Aurora write/publish this year... it bodes not well that the first book is the last Tinon book because those take me forever... 

[ericswiftie]

I'm about 200 or so pages into The Witching Hour and really enjoying it so far. Its been a long time since I read fiction, especially fiction like this. So many threads and some things are starting to go together. I really like Rowan and am looking forward to seeing her learn more about herself. Just wish I could read faster!