#me fluctuating between solving a plot problem then discovering two more problems

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (10/09/23)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli (5/10)

If you enjoy the currently very popular genre of stories about girls in historical settings getting a second chance at life with knowledge from their previous one, this has that sort of premise. It’s what initially drew me to the book. However, unless you like the genre, this book is pretty mediocre. The plot is very simple and easy to predict, and the main character, Mingshin, is pretty bland and perfect; she knows how to solve every problem. As such there’s not really that much tension since there are few challenges she doesn’t immediately overcome. The love interest and honestly most of the side characters are pretty one-note, and the writing fluctuates between the flowery words you’d expect from the setting and jarringly modern phrases. Overall, I was really looking forward to this book, but I don’t think I’d like it at all if it wasn’t a plot I know I enjoy.

Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 1 (9/10) & 2 (8/10) by Hatori Bisco

These are rereads, and it’s just so much fun to read this series. OHSHC is definitely a dated manga with some jokes that aged badly and a style that has fallen out of practice, but it’s so enjoyable, especially for someone like me who read it a while ago. It has one of my favorite openings, the chaos of the Host Club gradually discovering Haruhi is a girl, and the chapters, while mostly individual shorts, do a great job of establishing the characters and through lines for once the story becomes more serious. These volumes are honestly so funny, and Haruhi’s one of my favorite manga protagonists (and a genderfluid icon).

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill (9/10)

Despite being a very quick read, a graphic novel less than 100 pages long, this was adorably sweet and actually made me tear up. The art is lovely, and characters are very well developed for such a short book with a lot of casual representation in terms of race, sexuality, and ability. The art is beautiful and really enhances the ethereal vibe of the whole story. Also, I absolutely loved the little academic accounts of the different kinds of tea dragons and how to care for them in the back! This is a book that feels like a passion project and is a great cozy fantasy read!

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (CR, 73%)

Cassie Clare was so close to figuring out that polyamory is an option in this book. She got it eventually, but the amount of times Tessa says she loves Will and Jem or one of them says they wouldn't be whole without the other...you have two hands for a reason! Otherwise, I think the pacing in this book is better than in the first one. I think a large part of that is Will's side of things with his curse and whatnot. Tessa's a lovely person but there's only so many times we can rehash her internal turmoil before it starts to bore.

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (CR, 33%)

This book stresses me out, which is part of why I'm making such slow progress. I turn in page in fear of what horrible things will befall the characters. I'm particularly attached to Dumai, and I just find her storyline so interesting.

Lodestar by Shannon Messenger (CR, 24%)

If there's one thing Messenger can do, it's make you empathize with the characters because ugh I just want some answers! I really hope some major leaps are made in this book; I feel like it's been a while since a big reveal (the brother doesn't count we barely know him). Also, it seems this series is really pushing Fitz and Sophie lately, which makes me suspicious. When it comes to the romance aspect, they just seem so bland to me, and I don't quite trust that the story is so adamant about them getting closer.

[rogunetocentral]

Do you have a favorite Mike Cary!Rogueneto moment?

I think so? It's hard to decide because each interaction was at a different evolving stage of their relationship.

The first interactions they had in X-Men Legacy #231. They were on their way to Muir Island to find Destiny after Selene revived her during Necrosha.

It was a nice surprise in that, someone remembered Rogueneto, and that now Magneto was the one attempting to connect with Rogue romantically when in the past she was the romantic pursuer in their relationship. The flirtatious nature of Magneto mixed with his hybrid sarcasm/sincerity was fun to read.

2. X-Men Legacy #239. Rogue and a group of X-kids accompany Indra back home to Mumbai as his elder brother has a medical emergency. Magneto tags along because he felt a disturbance in the force fluctuations in the E.M. Field over Mumbai. The have a run-in with a mysterious girl and the Children of the Vault.

I loved this scene because it showed Magneto still relying on his way of solving problems, but allowed Rogue to show she's not a pushover. That she's willing to fight for a suspicious stranger she just met because the girl is in trouble. It also shows that Rogue has moved on from recklessly using her powers to take from others and she's on a different path. I think Magneto got a pleasant shock (look at that smirk) from Rogue's assertion to do things her way. He backed down quickly and became amicable again.

3. X-Men Legacy #223. After the events of Messiah Complex and having a billion minds stuck in her own and then removed, Rogue took a sabbatical from the X-Men to find a way to control her powers for good. Traveling to the old Outback base, Rogue is caught in the new sentient Danger(room) revenge plot against Charles Xavier.

This wasn't the real flesh & blood Magneto but a fragment of his psyche. I loved that up until this point, Rogue has been running at Danger's pace trying to find a way to best her. But once the Savage Land Magneto shows up he drops the first real substantial clue about Rogue’s inability to control her powers. In a way, Danger's version of Rogue’s version of Magneto acted as a guide to what Rogue needed to know and what she needed to discover for herself.

4. X-Men Legacy #260. Schism has broken the X-Men into two camps. Those actively fighting for their current survival and those fighting for the new generations right to choose their own future. Rogue has been carefully weighing her choices and wrapping up loose ends.

This scene left me gobsmacked when it first came out. Obviously for the snu-snu and playful banter, but also for proving, again, how healthy and normal Rogueneto are together. They are both adults and have to make their own decisions about their futures, but the assurance from Magneto that distance wouldn't matter to him and it wouldn't change his feelings for Rogue even if they were not physically in the same space was *chefs kiss*. I loved how he knew her choice already because he knew Rogue, knew her heart, that he could easily see that what mattered to her was helping the new generation of mutants. I also think it's a relief for Rogue that she doesn't have to defend or explain herself. There was no hissyfits or relationship ultimatums. Just a simple understanding between the two.

I know you asked for a moment but it's honestly hard to find just one from Mike Carey's run. I have more than this but I think these are the main main ones.