#read 2023

[date-prisa-estamos-leyendo]

La muerte es para el que se queda, no para el que se va. Y para soportar eso hay que inventarse algo que justifique la ausencia. La muerte es un medio, no un fin. A mí los árboles nunca me han curado un duelo, pero poco a poco he ido entendiendo que la tierra nos acoge cuando ya la vida no nos quiere. La muerte es un abismo si la separas de la naturaleza, por eso me compadezco de ti y de tu amigo, porque la desvinculáis. Ya verás que el día que él descanse en la tierra entenderás mejor la lluvia.

Por qué lloran las ciudades, Elisa Levi.

[bruiselikeviolets]

read in 2023: my roommate is a vampire by jenna levine

“I’ve never met anyone who’s a hopeless case.” His eyes fluttered closed. “You have never met anyone like me, Miss Greenberg.”

[lotus-pages]

2023 reads ⋆ mindfuck series by s. t. abby ♡

“he's bringing back parts of me that i thought were dead, resurrecting my soul from ashes.”

for my honest reaction and ratings, check out my goodreads.

[booksandwords]

The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Deer by Ember White. Illustrated by Marta Maszkiewicz

Age Recommendation: Pre-School Topic/ Theme: Integrity/ Authenticity (it's all about being true to yourself so...) Setting: Unspecified, America at a guess

Rating: 4/5

I never would have found this or read it without stumbling across the author on social media showing some of their... weirder reviews, and tbh asking for Aussies to balance out the crazy. I saw at least one review calling The Boy Who Wanted to be a Deer grooming and to be honest, if you want to see it that way, that's how you will see it. Though why you would choose to see it like that I don't know. That's just weird. To look at this absolutely beautiful book as something with a malicious message is beyond me. I'm glad I did read this though. Not so much for Ember White's story as lovely as it is but for Marta Maszkiewicz's stunning illustrations.

I will make some comments on Ember White's story first. Let me start by sharing a quote from one of Ember White's tumblr posts. "I wanted to tell that story of anyone's who ever felt that they didn't belong anywhere. Whether you are a nerd, autistic, queer, trans, a furry, or some combination of the above, it makes for a sad and difficult life. This isn't just my story, and this is your story as well." Ember's story is quite unlike anything I've read in a while. Their story is well thought out well, and you can see that all their heart is in their book. You can see that their book is the book that they wish they could of had as a child. Embre gives us Tommy a young boy with a secret. In his case it is a pair of deer antlers that he keeps in a box and a want to be something else. The message of The Boy Who Wanted to be a Deer is to just be you. It shows the pain of repression, the pain that happens when you try to be someone you aren't. The phrasing is beautiful and enjoyable. I can see how this could be a very good read-to, it has the right message and easily memorable writing. The choice of a deer as the animal the boy wants to be is a good one. It's one of the animals with the most diverse symbolism some of the basics are harmony, happiness and innocence (phrased as being in touch with your inner child).

I would love to know who paired illustrator, Marta Maszkiewicz and Ember White. Marta's a perfect match style-wise for Ember's script. I adore her beautiful style it feels young and playful when it needs to and adds that moment of darkness when it is necessary. Her dark stormy moments with the purples and blues have the perfect depressing tone for Tommy's sadness. Storms have a rainbow-like background a nice touch. There is a scene where Tommy is looking at potential future careers (doctor, accountant, engineer), I love the choice Marta makes to give Tommy oversized clothes, a child playing dress up. Not just playing dress up but uncomfortable and awkward more than expected. Marta has done a fantastic job of aging Tommy up from his child self to his adult self to his true self. His true self is kinda in the middle in appearance, like he has shed the weight that he was carrying around as an adult that he has now shed. The dance/performance element is executed particularly well. I can sense the movement coming off the page and that outfit is lovely. The final illustration is just beautiful it is light and hopeful and innocent. Honestly, I can't praise the illustrations enough. I really want to find more of Marta Maszkiewicz's illustrations.

This is highly controversial and will remain so. It does what Ember wanted it to, it challenges the status quo and some people aren't ready for that. But some of us, librarians, parents and those outside the neurotypical, cishet sociocultural norms that are ready for it. The ending is unexpected but I really like that The Boy Who Wanted to be a Deer chooses to break the conventions that the children's publishing by giving the reader an unexpected ending of fulfilled dreams. I'm happy I read this and I think many others willing to look beyond the judgemental reviews probably will too.

Ember White is @emberwhite on here.

[vaelnothing]

I made my reading journal with notion and I'm so happy with how It turn out, my god 💜 (made it base of a anime tracker template I found long ago on redit)

[july-19th-club]

oooh what did you think of The Farm I also read that this year and I have thots

haha it did send twice so i'll just answer once: It was pretty good! Strong voice, a good group of characters/perspectives, each very different, to bounce between, a very chilling premise that is chillingly delivered on, and an ending that both satisfies and frightens. it's been a while since i read it but i think the one gripe i had was that there were a few things i wished had been fleshed out a little further, as it isn't a MASSIVE novel - but in the space it had, it absolutely did what it promised to and i wouldn't say i had an 'enjoyable' time reading it, as it's not really a 'fun' book, but it was definitely time well spent.

[thequeerlibrarian]

Reading wrap up 2023

My favs this year:

[foxounderscorecube]

Halo: The Flood - William C. Dietz

3 ⭐

Sadly, this was a slight let-down after The Fall of Reach. It's not a terrible book, but it is essentially just a written version of Combat Evolved, which wouldn't be a crime in itself if only it added a little more to it!

John doesn't feel as fleshed-out as he did in TFoR, although his dynamic with Cortana is as sweet as ever. God, he has no idea how down bad Cortana is for him, bless him.

There is a little bit of background regarding machinations within UNSC that we don't see in-game, most notably, Silva being a salty fucker for no good reason. ODSTs, honestly. Saying that, Lt. McKay is a good character: a tough, no-nonsense woman who I found very likeable.

One thing I did really enjoy, though, was the storyline of Zuka 'Zamamee and Yayap. Ugh, Yayap is so cute, I wish I could give him a big hug. He's a Grunt who manages to fall up the social ladder by insisting on saving 'Zamamee so that he and his friends can get out of combat. 'Zamamee is an Elite who is absolutely set on defeating John after he is felled by him in battle, saved only by Yayap trying to get the hell out of danger.

This gives us a bit more insight into the structure of the Covenant, which is extremely hierarchical and pretty bureaucratic. Seeing 'Zamamee's struggles to be listened to on his very sound worry that the Spartan poses far more of a threat to the Covenant than the average human soldier makes it both tragic and comic when we see him through John's eyes: that is, as completely indistinguishable to any other Elite.

You know, I think that's the ultimate issue with this book: John's perspective is the least interesting one, and he IS the John Halo! I so wish Dietz had done more with him - his thoughts, his interactions, etc., because as is I may as well have just replayed CE and had a lot more fun than I did reading a play-by-play of, well, a playthrough of CE.

[lunaticbookblog]

Tam Lin

A modern (1970s) take loosely based on the Scottish ballad by the same name. Set at a university following the tale of Janet. A decent book that feels more like it’s about nostalgia for university than about the ballad. Showed it’s age/repeatedly made me sad about the overturn of Roe v Wade. Fun to read for all the literary references. I’m obsessed with the ballad and it both resembled it enough to scratch an itch and was different enough to maintain interest. The book felt a bit clunky when reading making it difficult to find a consistent rhythm.

“But the flaw of the novel-reader is to want to know what will happen if a situation is allowed to develop unmolested.”

[mellosghosts]

in my heart this joke is in the movie, but unfortunately im afraid only we, hughjackmaniacs, would get it 🥀

[book-ramblings]

2023 IN BOOKS - A LONG POST

What I read last year, divided into a few categories. I didn't in the end feel like writing down all 80-ish books, so this is a selection.

1 Poetry - I'm trying to get into poetry, but I'm not a 'natural' poetry reader.

Aftonland - Pär Lagerkvist

Bluets - Maggie Nelson

Sonnets - William Shakespeare

Night Sky with Exit Wounds - Ocean Vuong

If They Come for Us - Fatimah Asghar

Wild Embers - Nikita Gill

The Wild Iris - Louise Glück

Poems - Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Howl and Other Poems - Allen Ginsberg

Sonnets from the Portuguese - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Blue Horses - Mary Oliver

Love Letters to the World - Meia Geddes

Aún - Pablo Neruda

from Songs of Innocence and Experience - William Blake

Loose Woman - Sandra Cisneros

Bestiary - Donika Kelly

Winter Recipes from the Collective - Louise Glück

Selected Poems - Percy Bysshe Shelley

2 Short Stories and Novellas

Skördad - Anna Jakobsson Lund

The October Country and Other Stories - Ray Bradbury

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories - Ken Liu

Burning Girls and Other Stories - Veronica Schanoes

Galatea - Madeline Miller

Stories of Your Life and Others - Ted Chiang

3 For Work

Konsten att undervisa - Filippa Mannerheim

Poesi direkt - Daniel Boyacioglu

4 Comics and Graphic Novels

The Complete Maus - Art Spiegelman

Nimona - N D Stevenson

Sandman vol 5 - Neil Gaiman

5 Rereads

The Fellowship of the Ring - J R R Tolkien

The Two Towers - J R R Tolkien

The Return of the King - J R R Tolkien

The Rook - Daniel O'Malley

Stiletto - Daniel O'Malley

Blitz - Daniel O'Malley

Station Eleven - Emily St John Mandel

The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde

Royal Assassin - Robin Hobb

Assassin's Quest - Robin Hobb

How to Marry a Werewolf - Gail Carriger

6 Favourites

Toll the Hounds - Steven Erikson

Augustus - John Williams

Circe - Madeline Miller

This Is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

The Crippled God - Steven Erikson

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter - Theodora Goss

Infomocracy - Malka Older

Kushiel's Dart - Jacqueline Carey

+ The Paper Menagerie, Stories of Your Life and most rereads...

7 Other Noteworthy Reads

Giovanni's Room - James Baldwin

Falling Free - Lois McMaster Bujold

Shards of Honor - Lois McMaster Bujold

Barrayar - Lois McMaster Bujold

The Warrior's Apprentice - Lois McMaster Bujold

The Vor Game - Lois McMaster Bujold

Dust of Dreams - Steven Erikson

Women Talking - Miriam Toews

Legends and Lattes - Travis Baldree

Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut

An Inheritance of Magic - Benedict Jacka

The Power Naomi Alderman

Ghost Wall - Sarah Moss

Ice - Anna Kavan

[date-prisa-estamos-leyendo]

Pero no sucedió nada, porque a la vida siempre le falta alguna cosa para ser perfecta.

Sin sangre, Alessandro Baricco.

[bruiselikeviolets]

read in 2023: to kill a kingdom by alexandra christo

I’ve made a mistake. It started with a prince, as most stories do. Once I felt the thrum of his heart beneath my fingers, I couldn’t forget it.

[lotus-pages]

2023 reads ⋆ verity by colleen hoover ♡

“no matter which way i look at it, it's clear that verity was a master at manipulating the truth. the only question that remain is: which truth was she manipulating?”

for my honest reaction and ratings, check out my goodreads.

[july-19th-club]

a book that made you chew your own face off (affectionate) and a book that made you chew your own face off (derogatory)

ooooooh good one okay i LOVED Some Desperate Glory and but also even moreso I loved Leech, which is what i'd put in the face-chewing category if ever there was one . read leech by hiron ennes everybody read leech by hiron ennes right now.

babel and bunny made me chew my face off derogatory so so badly and so much babel just WANTED to be what it wasn't so soooo bad. tried so hard and in the end it didnt even matter (preaching to the choir, prose nowhere near as evocative as everybody said it was, some very weird underlying politics for a Politics Book, especially as regards the working class of both england and canton). also, and this is just a Me Thing because lots of people *don't* like this, but when they said 'this book is like a textbook/this book is like a real history book' they were exaggerating so sorry babel enjoyers but it was actually very narrative and not at all textbooky. she's just not the extreme visionary she's painted as! sorry rebecca! get your third ph.d and i hope your academic writing is better than your fiction! but given the very bad newspaper article in chapter 32 i doubt it. i actually wrote up a whole three or five page document that's still in my computer of all the gripes i had with this book, with page numbers for the edition i read. maybe someday i'll post it.

bunny was such a let-down. the people calling it crazyinsaneWEIRD have not read weird enough books because this book is weird(complimentary) for about five chapters in the middle and then becomes very predictable and the pacing was incredibly slow for a book that is like. maybe 200 pages long.

both of these books had very exciting premises and then simply did not deliver on them as hard as they could have. as one of my favorite reviews of rf kuang's other recent standalone, yellowface, says, "THIS RESOLUTION DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH!"

[whativebeenupto]