#mythtakereads

[shortskirtsandsarcasm]

Book no. 177 of 2020 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

I don’t know about you, but on this rather warm day, I will be hiding inside, with a fan pointed at my face. I love the nice weather and I hate hiding inside when the sun is shining. But it’s too hot today. . The start of the month was unusually quick for me, reading wise. I read five books (and one audiobook) in the first couple of weeks and then just. Stopped. I wanted to read last week, but I just never seemed to find the time. I mean, I had an excuse (graduation), but still. It felt frustrating. . I started both these last week and I finished The Mime Order last night. I’m actually further through Circe than where I’m reading from, but I didn’t completely pay attention to the audiobook when I listened to it. I’m hoping to get through a chunk of it this evening because I’m really enjoying it! . In fact, I think I’ve more or less enjoyed every book I’ve read this month. . . . . #bookstagram #books #circe #themimeorder #reading #book #booksofinstagram #bookworm #booklover #read #mythtakereads #bookish #madelinemiller #samanthashannon #booknerdigan https://www.instagram.com/p/B0OQ5gvg77u/?igshid=6kiiuy6sl9ct

[karolinaofbookland]

#currentlyreading Circe by Madeline Miller ✨ #circe #madelinemiller #mythtakereads #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookpic #booktography #reading #bibliophile #currentlyreading #igreads #booknerd #bookblogger https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz8gBDSIkfS/?igshid=87in4x1v77vz

[journeythroughthechapters]

Wrap Up: June 2020 (#MakeYourMythTaker Read-A-Thon)

Wrap Up for June is up on my blog. This month I participated in the #MakeYourMythTaker Readathon hosted by @MythTakeReads

This month I participated in the MakeYourMythTaker Read-A-Thon and I’m happy to say I finished all the books for my character path and only changed one book on my original TBR. This month was not a good month for my reading. I am going through a few changes in my life and that took priority over reading but I’m hoping July will be better. The Reading Rush is also approaching so I’ll have a TBR up…

[dearbookshelves]

📚The Fellowship of the Ring📚 . This was my third book for the @mythtakereads readathon and it is also a reread from way back in high school. I grew up with the #lotr films and was so happy to be back in Middle Earth. I read this along with the audiobook and had so much fun. I love the adventure aspect and I have such a soft spot for Frodo and Sam's friendship. The ending always gets me excited for the rest of the trilogy. . I read this as part of a self-imposed 48-hour readathon and wrote a blog post about it. The link is in my bio if you want to check it out. . I don't read a ton of fantasy so what would you recommend from the genre? . #jrrtolkien #thelordoftherings #thefellowshipofthering #fantasy #bookblogger #bookstagram #bookhoarder #bookishlove #bookish #bookblog #bookblogger #bookishcommunity #reader #readersofinstagram (at Wilmington, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCB2F6oAO53/?igshid=12bp1q0hpigs3

[shortskirtsandsarcasm]

The Raven and the Reindeer Review

The Raven and the Reindeer is the November-December Mythtake book club read. I haven’t taken part in this book club before, but The Snow Queen, on which this book is based, is one of my favorite fairytales, so I decided to go along for the ride. The rough storyline is that two best friends, Gerta and Kay, live next door to each other, but Kay has a shard of cold, enchanted glass from a magical mirror embedded in his heart, which primes him to be susceptible to temptation from the Snow Queen. Kay follows the Snow Queen to her palace, and the community gives him up for dead, but Gerta is certain she can save him. She completes a hero’s journey style adventure to get Kay back from the Snow Queen and encounters various eccentric characters and challenges, including a talking raven. This review contains “spoilers” for the original story — don’t @ me, you have had 176 years to read it.

In preparation for reading this book, I reread The Snow Queen story in my Amazon Classics edition of Hans Christian Andersen’s stories. I think this is edition is either done by a different translator or is an abridged version, because The Snow Queen story and others in the collection were missing details that I remember from my well-loved edition that is currently residing in my parents’ garage in California. For example, the witch Gerta encounters at the beginning of her journey shrinks the rose bushes in her garden back into the ground, so that Gerta will not remember her quest to find her friend Kay, or that the rose bushes grow back, watered by Gerta’s tears when she cries about not being able to remember something important.

Similarly, the Robber Maiden character does not “tickle” Gerta with her knife, nor are there snowflake soldiers guarding the Snow Queen’s palace. The snowflake soldiers are my favorite detail from the story, and I am very sad they were not included in either this edition of Andersen’s stories or The Raven and the Reindeer. Where are the snowflake soldiers??? Bring these bad boys back.

Kingfisher takes several liberties with her retelling and the story is better for it. Gerta still believes that Kay is her soulmate, but also engages in a female-female romance somewhere along the way. The talking raven makes an appearance as well (duh, it’s in the title), and in this version, helps Gerta shape-shift. Exciting.

By expanding the parameters of the original story, Kingfisher can give the characters more depth and development. For example, in this version, Gerta thinks critically about her relationship with Kay, and how he displays toxic behavior (because of the evil glass in his heart, definitely not because of toxic masculinity and the patriarchy).

This makes Gerta reevaluate why she wants to save him in the first place, and if that will be worth it for her (and him). When they eventually do come back together, they will have a lot to talk through for their relationship going forward.

Kay is the only male character in the entire book, and he is a very passive character, so the narrative is female-driven. The exploration of old women is also a big part of the story and shows the different paths ahead for Gerta herself as she ages. The first witch she comes across (the one with, or rather without, the rosebushes) is obsessed with holding onto her relationship with Gerta and preventing her from leaving, much the way Gerta views her relationship with Kay.

Next on her adventure, Gerta meets a storyteller who agrees to help her in exchange for her story, so she can entertain her community. Gerta relays her adventure so far but warns that it is so bizarre that no one will believe it. The storyteller assures her it does not matter; that people are less interested in facts as much as feelings.

“No one wants true stories. They want stories with truth dusted over them, like sugar on a bun.”

Gerta’s entire motivation for her trek to the Snow Queen’s palace is her feelings for Kay, without regard for the realities of their relationship, including how Kay does not appreciate her as much as she deserves.

The next woman she encounters is the Robber Maidens grandmother, a grumpy woman who brags about her cannibalism like a totally normal person.

“Stop it,” said Janna, annoyed. “You ate a man once fifty years ago, and you relive it like it was your glory days.” “Everybody should eat somebody once,” said Nan. “Changes your mind about a lot of things. Aaha!”

Gerta views Nan as a “bad” person — possibly because of the cannibalism thing? Who can say — and projects her fears about her own future onto Nan. Gerta is worried she will grow to be lonely and embittered like Nan if she does not find her #soulmate Kay.

The last old woman Gerta encounters is Livli, a woman living presumably near or north of the Arctic Circle, whose secret knowledge of magic helps Gerta shapeshift. Livli is a morally neutral character who shows Gerta how to be self-reliant without being embittered, and by facilitating her literal shape-shifting, helps her “shape-shift” from childhood to adulthood. After this, Gerta can finally be comfortable with herself.

The addition of the characters of the otters who pull the Snow Queens sleigh was charming. It was almost enough to displace my displeasure about losing the snowflake soldiers…almost. The otter herd was cute and funny and was both an interesting obstacle, and eventually a helping influence. The portrayal of the otters as a single entity with many bodies enriched the “herd” vibe and enhanced the surreal comedy. Otters also sound very cute and I would love to have an otter herd as pets and travel everywhere by sleigh. Maybe “Snow Queen” is my dream job? Highly doubt I will be promoted in this economy, though.

To conclude, T Kingfisher’s acknowledgments section is possibly the best I have ever seen. I snort-laughed at the “Hans Christian Andersen was a weird dude,” opener. In continues

“Hans Christian Andersen. Wow. His idea of a happy ending is that everybody dies attended by angels (or if you are very very fortunate, in church with your feet cut off)…I have not the least doubt in the world that he would be utterly horrified at what I have done to the Snow Queen.”

LOL. I was delighted.

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

I made the mistake of sitting a few seats away from someone on the train who’s been very loudly been talking on the phone for 20 minutes. I’m not feeling confident for the rest of the journey 🙃 . I really enjoy train journeys for giving me an excuse to read uninterrupted for at least an hour. The same sentiment can be applied to anything else of course, as I also enjoy writing/planning on the train! . I picked up this book from the library this morning when returning Darkdawn. It sounded really cute and whimsical when I heard @afrolicthroughfiction talk about it, and it also works for #mythtakereads - win win, right? . . . . #reading #bookstagram #book #booksofinstagram #tbr #thehousewithchickenlegs #childrensbooks #bookish #booklover #bookworm https://www.instagram.com/p/B4cv8SjAT0p/?igshid=1qy0r6vp6uz6u

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

Day 2 of October and I’ve found myself in the library because of #libraryloves . I‘m trying to buy fewer books and use the library more for impulse pick ups. The top book is very demonstrative of that because I wouldn’t have searched it out, but I’m not displeased with borrowing it. . Likewise with The Deathless Girls - I kept walking past it in Waterstones, but didn’t pick it up because money. I feel like it’ll be quite a popular book because it’s new, so I had to pick it up when I saw it, but also because October. It seems like it should be spooky? . The final book is the sequel to the September/October book of the month for #mythtakereads which I really enjoyed. Why not pick up the sequel this month! . I’m not sure when I’ll get to read these because I already had a few books on this month’s tbr, but we’ll just see what I’m feeling. Like I said, I feel like I should read The Deathless Girls because of autumn (not that you can tell from this picture - you don’t know how much it was raining yesterday or how windy it is right now). . Would you recommend any of these books? . . . . #bookstagram #bookpile #books #library #bookstack #booksofinstagram #reader #libraryhaul #booklover #bookish #thedeathlessgirls #thetestamentofloki #apinchofmagic #book #tbr #reading https://www.instagram.com/p/B3HyVHggNF8/?igshid=1r7hsb5whusbj

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

I was looking through my bookish notebook yesterday and mourning for how nice my handwriting when I started this. I don’t think it looks bad now, but it was so neat and tidy when I first started! . I think that’s down to the pen I use. I’ve been using a biro recently, but my friend gave me these two the other day and I’m so excited to use them. One’s a beautiful fountain pen and the other is a very nifty biodegradable pen - once I’m done with it, apparently I can plant the whole thing and it grows into something! . These notes are from when I read Daughter of the Forest for the Myth Take Reads book of the month and I loved it! If you check their Twitter page, they’re giving away a beautiful, rare copy of the book. . . . . #pens #notebook #writing #handwriting #fountainpen #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #bookish #booklover #readdotf #mythtakereads #bijpens https://www.instagram.com/p/B2WxGvNgDBP/?igshid=15ox5uy79elym

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

Who wore it better? 💁‍♀️ . I read The Children of Jocasta on Saturday for the #basicallyreadathon and I really enjoyed it. I gave it 4 ⭐️s. . It’s also the second book I finished for the #mythtakereadathon and it fit the prompt to read a mythology retelling (Oedipus and Antigone). . I didn’t dislike it at the start, but I was a little confused. I was quickly sucked in, however, and I soon fell in love with the story. The characters were amazing and so was Natalie Haynes’ writing. . I’ll definitely be checking out her other books soon and I’ll probably buy my own copy of this too in time! . In other news, my joint booktube channel has finally gone live. It’s not yet linked in my bio, but you can find us at The Indecisive Readers! . I also reviewed Wicked Fox yesterday (that link is in my bio), but the former is much more exciting! . . . . #mythtakereads #bookstagram #thechildrenofjocasta #reading #nataliehaynes #book #read #booksofinstagram #reader #bookblogger #booktuber #booktubenewbie #booktubenewbietag #bookish #bookreview https://www.instagram.com/p/B1JhuJ4AXL_/?igshid=1grb13z41pvgg

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

Honestly, how can you get a nice picture of nine books, especially when one of them is an ebook 🙄 . LINK TO JULY WRAP UP IN BIO. . I know it’s late, but I’m afraid you’ll soon come to realise that I am actually quite slow at doing things. . But anyway, here is a clutter of books that I read in July (minus the audiobook I also listened to). I managed to read so many because of the #bookjunkietrials encouraging me to read a lot. Overall, it was a pretty good month. At the very least, I didn’t have any that I really disliked! . 1. Magyk, Angie Sage ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2. To Kill A Kingdom, Alexandra Christo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3. Obsidio, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5. Stardust, Neil Gaiman (audiobook) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6. How Do You Like Me Now?, Holly Bourne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 7. The Mime Order, Samantha Shannon ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 8. The Wickerlight, Mary Watson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 9. Circe, Madeline Miller (July #mythtakereads book of the month) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 10. Ink, Alice Broadway ⭐️⭐️⭐️ . What was your favourite book you read last month? . . . . #bookstagram #bookpile #books #booksofinstagram #julywrapup #bookreview #bookblogger #magyk #tokillakingdom #obsidio #thesongofachilles #howdoyoulikemenow #themimeorder #thewickerlight #circe #inkbook #bookreviewer #bookblog #booklover #bookish #read #reading https://www.instagram.com/p/B08mqkQAkbr/?igshid=15jaq1y89pf3d

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

LINK TO NEW REVIEW IN BIO. . So, Circe was the book of the month for July for #mythtakereads. It’s a book I’ve been looking forward to reading for ages, so I was obviously really excited when this was announced. . I loved the way this was written. It definitely felt like an immortal goddess was narrating it and describing her disappointment with the world. Her character felt powerful, the witchy vibes were strong, and I was generally pleased. . My favourite thing was how other myths were incorporated into her story, especially how Madeline Miller made big myths seems small. . I wish there was more we could read about Circe, as well as the other Greek goddesses, like Athena and Artemis. . Unfortunately, I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to because the last third just felt a bit domestic. Although I was glad she got a sort of happy ending and I knew her story wouldn’t always involve action, I just felt a bit disappointed by the end. It also took me a long time to get through the same third, so I obviously had to take that into consideration when giving it a rating. . ⭐️⭐️⭐️ . Also, I promise my clothes don’t always match my book, but this time 🤷‍♀️ . . . . #circe #circemadelinemiller #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #book #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #books #reading #read #booklover #bookish #bookworm https://www.instagram.com/p/B0i3ix-gTF2/?igshid=13or4l60m1gjz

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

Someone pleeeease tell me I’m not insane. . This is my TBR for the #mythtakereadathon (a two week readathon 🤦‍♀️). I want to read all the books on this pile and I couldn’t decide which ones to focus on, so I’m going to try to rush through them all. Also, some of them are library books, so they sort of need including too... . The Hand, The Eye & The Heart - The book of the month - Asian influences The Children of Jocasta - Mythology retelling The Blue Salt Road - Animal on the cover Gumiho/Wicked Fox - Host recommendation - Written by a POC Tangleweed and Brine - Written by a woman The Kingdom of Copper - Green on the cover - Over 400 pages . Whilst there are six on here, a couple of them are shorter, so I have my fingers crossed I’ll be okay! There are also a lot that overlap, so I know which books are my priorities and which I’ll be able to get away with not finishing. . I’ll be taking advantage of the collaboration with the #basicallyreadathon too - while I won’t be reading a book that’s been on my TBR forever, I’ll definitely be trying to read as much as I can! . At #yalc on Friday, I got my copy of The Hand, The Eye & The Heart signed. Zoe Marriott’s talk was so interesting (more to come on that later) and OF COURSE I told her that it was the #mythtakereads book of the month in August - she was so excited! . . . . #books #bookpile #toberead #bookstagram #tbr #book #reading #booksofinstagram #thehandtheeyeandtheheart #thechildrenofjocasta #thebluesaltroad #wickedfox #tangleweedandbrine #thekingdomofcopper #bookish #booklover #reader #bookblogger #bookblogging #mythologyretelling https://www.instagram.com/p/B0gZAZrgvHw/?igshid=by2j8dh38mdy

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

I’m on book four of this month for the Book Junkie Trials (book two not pictured because it was on my kindle). . Six months ago, I’m not sure I could have imagined reading that many books in a month, let alone in the first week or so! . I’ve enjoyed the first three books I’ve read this month and I’m sure this’ll follow. I’ve heard really good things about The Song of Achilles and everyone keeps telling me how good it is, so I’ve got high expectations. . I keep forgetting that I’m reading this for Weeping Falls, so I’ll probably cry. I think I’ll need to carry some tissues around with me this week 🙊 . I’ve got a lot of books this month that I really want to read, which is a little bit worrying. I’m hoping they’re all going to be really good, but what if they’re not ? 😅 . After this, I think, will be Circe - I’ve got the audiobook and a train journey coming up. It’ll be the perfect time to start, I think! . . . . #thesongofachilles #bookpile #bookstagram #madelinemiller #booksofinstagram #reading #mythtakereads #read #books #book #bookish #bookworm #booknerdigan #booklover #bookblogging #bookjunkietrials https://www.instagram.com/p/BzvlQo_Alap/?igshid=16mlrtq8uioqo

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

I’m on book four of this month for the Book Junkie Trials (book two not pictured because it was on my kindle). . Six months ago, I’m not sure I could have imagined reading that many books in a month, let alone in the first week or so! . I’ve enjoyed the first three books I’ve read this month and I’m sure this’ll follow. I’ve heard really good things about The Song of Achilles and everyone keeps telling me how good it is, so I’ve got high expectations. . I keep forgetting that I’m reading this for Weeping Falls, so I’ll probably cry. I think I’ll need to carry some tissues around with me this week 🙊 . I’ve got a lot of books this month that I really want to read, which is a little bit worrying. I’m hoping they’re all going to be really good, but what if they’re not ? 😅 . After this, I think, will be Circe - I’ve got the audiobook and a train journey coming up. It’ll be the perfect time to start, I think! . . . . #thesongofachilles #bookpile #bookstagram #madelinemiller #booksofinstagram #reading #mythtakereads #read #books #book #bookish #bookworm #booknerdigan #booklover #bookblogging #bookjunkietrials https://www.instagram.com/p/BzvlQo_Alap/?igshid=17zvgcedgr028

[thewitchestheycouldntburn-blog]

FULL REVIEW ON BLOG. . I may not have been able to find my way to the ziggurats in this story, but I found my way to the only ones near me. . The City of Brass was June’s book of the month for #mythtakereads and I quickly fell in love within pages. The world S.A. Chakraborty created was beautiful, every character in it felt real and the magic was so seamlessly a part of the story that I couldn’t imagine a world without it. . Nahri quickly became a favourite of mine and I’d be willing to protect her if she wasn’t so strong on her own. I really enjoyed her chapters and, although I didn’t enjoy Ali’s chapters as much, I never disliked them. . I feel like I haven’t managed to read a non romance book without a romance in it for a while and this was no different. I really wasn’t a fan of the romances in this, but I think they made sense in a narrative sense. . The ending was intense. I was just settling on the fact that it wouldn’t have a dramatic ending, but I was very wrong. So much happened at the end and so much information was presented to the reader, but it set up for the sequel really well. And the sequel was ordered within hours of finishing the first 🙊 . Next month’s read is Circe and it’s something I’ve been meaning to read for ages, so I can’t wait to finally check it out! . . . . #bookreview #bookstagram #thecityofbrass #reading #booksofinstagram #read #ziggurats #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #middleeasternmythology #reader #booklover #bookish #bookobsessed https://www.instagram.com/p/BzTAjCjgzVE/?igshid=1r8c4fg3ynhgh