#studyblr w/knives reading challenge

[the---hermit]

Legends And Lattes by Travis Baldree

Ever since I first heard of this book I was intrigued. It's described as an high fantasy with low stakes, people who read it defined it super cozy, so I had to try it. Especially because in the past few years I have read less fantasy than I'd like to admit, mostly because I felt like I didn't have enough mental energy to follow a complicated high fantasy world, I don't like to get into books just because and not dedicate each of them the right amount of attention and energies. This book was the perfect lighthearted and cozy story with a fantasy setting that just made it so much better. This has definitely entered my comfort books shelf, I will definitely pick it up again in the future when I need something cozy to feel better about everything in life. The story is quite simple, Viv, an orc, decides she has had enough advenutres and decides to open a cafe. It's the perfect story for autumn and winter because it is indeed very cozy, and it will make you want to bake every food you read about. I highly recommend this novel, I think it would work amazingly for those who want to read fantasy without getting into a super complicated world of politics, it would also work very well if you want to get into fantasy but are intimidated by the genre, this could be a very light-hearted start. I also think it could be the perfect book to get you out of a reading slump.

This is one of the books I read for the studyblr w/knives autumn reading challenge for the anticipated release prompt.

[bulletnotestudies]

THE STUDYBLR WITH KNIVES SERVER PRESENTS: *✧ 2023 Jumbo Reading Challenge ✧*

a brand new year is upon us, so what better way to celebrate than with a fresh reading challenge! this year we decided to fill the gap between our thematic challenges with our biggest challenge yet - this 25 prompt challenge will last from january to the end of december and has 5 bonus prompts to make things a bit easier. most of the prompts are also quite broad, so they encourage you to diversify your reading without being too restricting and sucking all the fun out of reading :)

RULES: -> please reblog this post if you’re participating -> for each of the prompts, read a book of your choice and cross the prompt out on the above template -> post your updates in the form of text posts, bookish photos, or anything else you come up with under the tag #studyblr w/knives reading challenge! -> the jumbo challenge will last the entire year, but as always, feel free to take however long to complete it

! be sure to hide any spoilers under the cut when posting updates/reviews, so people can avoid them if needed :)

[transcript & explanations of the prompts under the cut]

This year's 25 prompts are: 1. released in 2023 2. by an author of colour 3. punny title * 4. transgender main character 5. recommended by a friend 6. horror or thriller 7. magical realism or high fantasy 8. poetry or nonfiction * 9. space opera or urban fantasy 10. rivals to lovers (academic/sports/workplace/etc. rivals to lovers) 11. mythology inspired * 12. #ownvoices 13. clever cover * (a book with a cover that you don't truly understand till after you've read the book) 14. ugly cover (or as we like to call it, this book deserved better) 15. minimalistic cover 16. water in the title (the word water, sea, ocean, river, lake,... in the title) 17. nonbinary author 18. main character of colour 19. black and white cover 20. one word title 21. bright, colourful cover 22. name of a place in the title (can be a real or fictional place) 23. intimidating book (a book that's intimidating to you for whatever reason) 24. heart or clockface on the cover * 25. title starting with the same letter as your name/nickname (the/a/an or their equivalents in other languages obviously don't count :))

*prompts marked with an asterisk are bonus prompts, meaning you don't have to complete them on storygraph in order to finish the challenge.

as per usual, the challenge is also on storygraph (check the reblogs of the post for the link) and if you have any questions about the challenge at all, my asks are open

[ben-learns-smth]

2023 fantasy challenge update

babel (r.f. kuang), 5☆

particularly liked the etymology bits as a vital part of worldbuilding and narration

when the angels left the old country (sacha lamb), 5☆ *

the friendshipTM made me cry multiple times and the writing is simply delicious

the priory of the orange tree (samantha shannon), 5☆

re-read? more like treat! shannon just knows how to write fantasy

a day of fallen night (samantha shannon), 5☆

pure joy to dive back into the roots of chaos universe and meet new characters (I might even like this one more than priory). I'm gonna need to cuddle an ichneumon real soon please

* fyi, I only put this down as romance subplot bc i didn't know where else to put it for this challenge but I wanted to mention it because I Loved it so much and there is indeed a romance that is very much a subplot not a second plot or anything. the focus is very much on friendship, what makes a home, standing up for yourself and an angel and a demon being awesome

[upside-down-uni]

THE STUDYBLR WITH KNIVES SERVER PRESENTS:

the Pride Reading Challenge🌈

you'll hear it everywhere in the next month and you'll hear it here too: Pride Month is every month and you're not less entitled to happiness outside of these random 30 days! So, we're kicking off our queer reading challenge with a bang in June and will be serving you hot and steaming queer recs for the next couple of months! we hope you enjoy it as much as our previous challenges; worry not, there will also be a Summer Reading Challenge 2.0, since so many people enjoyed it last year :)

RULES:

◆ please reblog this post if you’re participating

◆ for each of the prompts, read a book of your choice and cross the prompt out on the above template

◆ post your updates in the form of text posts, bookish photos, or anything else you come up with under the tag #studyblr w/knives reading challenge!

◆ the challenge will last from the 1st of june till the 31st of december, but feel free to finish it at your own pace

! be sure to hide any spoilers under the cut when posting updates/reviews, so people can avoid them if needed :)

if you want to make this a Pride Month only challenge or if you’re just starting to dip your toes into lgbtq+ literature, we have a template with fewer prompts for you as well (see below the cut). the storygraph challenge has the corresponding number of bonus prompts, so you can tailor it to your own preference

if you have any questions, feel free to send them to me or @bulletnotestudies

stay tuned for our recommendations for each prompt!​

[transcript of the prompts and what each of them means under the cut]

This challenge consists of 16 rad prompts:

queer found family you might not like this but this is what the ideal atomic family looks *like points at 5 very close friends who mean the world to each other*

queer academia the nonfiction prompt; queer history/politics/etc. - this includes essays and articles!

fucked up queers horror, crime, thriller books featuring queer characters

abolish annihilate aspec characters on the aroace spectrum

coming out book a book where coming out is a (relatively) major plot point

Public Universal Friend and Sappho Are Dancing On Your Grave or, alternatively, queer characters in a historical setting

epic queers because being queer is better with dragons and life altering journeys through space (a larger than life story featuring queer epic heroes)

in sappho's footsteps queer poetry

yes homo a queer romance book

queer joy everyone is queer and nothing hurts - what's on the tin, no hurt only queer joy, angst? we don’t know her

sword wlw a book featuring any kinda badass wlw characters

old queers as in old(er) queer characters or old(er) books (published before 2000) with queer characters

yes, i'm queer, mind your business characters are queer but it's not a major plot point

down with cis aka books that transed your gender a book with trans character(s)

ownvoices books by queer authors - fiction, memoirs, etc.

not gay as in happy but queer as in fuck you books featuring characters with lesser known orientations/gender identities

ALTERNATIVE TEMPLATE IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS A MINI READING CHALLENGE:

TAGLIST:

@kkul-bee @melaschnie @fluencylevelfrench @myhoneststudyblr @serendistudy @condenasttraveler @welcome-fuckers @thebudbblylinguist @caroloveslife @booksnscience @three-blogs-in-a-trenchcoat @soleciito @companion-of-the-earth @pencilspeaker @pothimi @autumnalglaze @starguiders @ngisi @hold-fire @yourneighborhoodbibliophile @thankstosoullesslovers @anurennero @dreamsdemandhustles-blog @selkiestudies @the---hermit @emdashaddict @thiqqachu @happylightdragonalmond @tranquilstudy @aaalias @perpetualanon @gloriousinternetpaper @dostoevskyforthewin @idkbruhhhhwtf @pandetrigo @simons-studyblr

[cropcirclesmp3]

🕸 Boys and girls* of every age, Wouldn't you like to see something strange? 🕸 *and enby legends

With the days getting shorter and darker, and halloween just around the corner is there anything better than sitting down with a hot beverage of your choice and reading a spooky book? Trick question the answer is no! Thus the Studyblr with Knives server brings you the Horror Reading Challenge!

RULES: like with all our reading challenges, the rules are pretty flexible, since the whole point of this is to motivate you to read just a little bit more :) this challenge doesn't have a set timeframe, so it's perfect for both horror beginners and seasoned enjoyers → reblog this post if you're participating → use the tag #studyblr w/knives reading challenge when you post your updates/pics → the challenge is ofc, as usual, also on storygraph (check the notes for the link)

once you’ve read a book that fits a prompt, cross it out on the template and/or share your thoughts on it in a post here on tumblr; make sure to mark any spoilers (hide them under a cut etc.), so people can avoid them if needed :) you can also have just one post and update it as you go, or you can post good ol’ aesthetic book pics!

as always, if you have any questions, feel free to send them to me or the wonderful @bulletnotestudies

[find the alternative template (no blood) below the cut!]

This challenge includes 9 prompts:

[prompts with the bulletpoint function in the tumblr editor; explanations below with shift+enter]

Children’s horror (Horror books written for children as the target audience)

Psychological horror (books that rely on mental, emotional and psychological states to scare the reader)

Horror with queer mcs

Body horror ( horror fiction based around the graphic destruction or alteration of the body)

Supernatural/paranormal horror

the ocean is scary/space is scary (scary books that take place either in space or on the ocean)

graphic novel/comic/manga

Historical fiction or Classics

Folk horror or Cosmic horror (folk horror:uses elements of folklore to scare the reader, Cosmic horror: horror that emphasizes the terror of the unknowable and incomprehensible)

The alternative template:

We hope you enjoy the challenge and can’t wait to see your posts and what books you decide to read for this! Feel free to send me an ask if you want recs or if you have any recs for me!

[l-in-the-creative-world]

My first week of the Summer Reading Challenge 2.0 and we have two books down!

Childhood favourite: The Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo

Under 300 pages: Starling Days by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

I started with Starling Days since I had grabbed that from the library last week. It’s a good book. I gave it 3.5 stars because I really loved the writing and even the story, but at times I wished it had been and done more. But still an amazing read. The Butterfly Lion was a quick one to finish and an instant 5 stars. It was one of the first books I fell in love with when I was little and it was lovely going back to it, especially reading from the same copy I first read the story in. Despite knowing what happens, I still cried twice at the sweet story. I know it’s a childrens book but I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a quick read. While I’m here a little update on writing. I managed to reach 40,000 words, but steam has died down since hitting the mile stone. I’m hoping to get back on it.

Talking about getting back on it, the next book will be Me vs Brain for the first spot on the Challenge list.

I hope everyone’s week has been lovely and happy reading. ☀️📖

[plantpages]

Jumbo 2023 Reading Challenge - April

Not that many updates from April. I was travelling a lot, so I finished only three books, out of which two ticked some new boxes in this reading challenge. The third one, however, was one of the most life-changing books I've ever read, and without writing a whole rant about it, I would just like to recommend it to everyone. It's called Humankind: A Hopeful History.

April colour is light turquoise.

Here's what I read for the reading challenge

horror or thriller: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney - 2.5 stars

magical realism or high fantasy: The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick - 4 stars

Other books I read

Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman (read in Finnish) - 5 stars

[1i1acbooks]

<If Beale Street could talk - James Baldwin>

Wow what a read that was! I'm really glad that I decided to read it. I really learned a lot about how people can suffer and love and learn and grow.

It was a short read, and it was published in the 70s, but those problems are what people have to handle nowadays too! I am in such a privileged situation but even if it was just a book. Those stories are real and happen all the time.

5/5 🌟

[dustjacketmusings]

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Book Review

Rating: 4.5

Summary: After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region. Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Review: This book was pretty spooky and great. Noemí was the best part, though. She's out of her depth in a way that isn't overblown and is a slow decent into horror that's classic. It's very fun to watch Noemí try to gain the upper hand and realistic when she doesn't succeed. It could have been slightly spookier, but the book managed to hold an unsettling vibe throughout.

[the---hermit]

My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness by Kabi Nagata

As you might know I am really into graphic novels, but I don't really read any manga. I have never really been drawn to the art style, so it's not a type of read I usually even look for. I had heard a lot about this book when it was first translated into Italian, and when I randomly found it in a bookstore I had to get it. I am actively trying to get more queer books onto my shelves, and this was an amazing addition. I ended up reading it in one sitting, and it got me very emotional multiple times. The focus point of this manga is the personal experience of the author who got to 28 years old without having any kind of relationships, and for this reason she decides to have her first time with a sex worker. In actual fact the book is about much much more. The author presents herself in total honesty and shows so much vulnerability addressing her problems with depression, anxiety and eating disorders. She is very open about how these things affected her, as well as her repression of the idea of sex in general, not only due to her queerness. The latter point as well as the depression and loneliness talk is what really got me. I had to hold back tears so often I am almost embarassed to say. You can tell how open heartedly the author was writing her story, she is incredibly honest about her thoughts and her fears, she just lays it all in front of you. I appreciated that a lot. I think this manga can be a great addition to your shelves, I will reread it for certain, and I will be looking for the other book the author published on the topic of her queerness. This book also confirms that even though I am normally not a big memoir reader if it's in manga/graphic novel form I will love it. I don't know what it's about graphic versions of memoirs and biographies but I adore them.

I read this book for the own voices prompt of the jumbo reading challenge.

[bulletnotestudies]

similar to last year, here are the best books we read this year in the Studyblr w/Knives Server! these are just a couple of our absolute fave reads, feel free to take them as friend recommendations for the 'recced by a friend' prompt(s) in our reading challenge :)

our favourite reads of 2022:

in no actual order, these are all bomb reading experiences:

The Anthropocene Reviewed by J. Green

She Who Became the Sun by S. Parker-Chan

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

The Cruel Prince by H. Black

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei

The Scholomance Trilogy by N. Novik

Her Body and Other Parties by. C. M. Machado

I'm Glad My Mom Died by J. McCurdy

The Dreamer Trilogy by M. Stiefvater

Hamnet by M. O'Farrell

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by S. L. Tan

All the Bright Places by J. Niven

The Six of Crows Duology by L. Bardugo

Malibu Rising by T. Jenkins Reid

Deeplight by F. Hardinge

Spy x Family by T. Endo

Whose body? by D. L. Sayers

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by S. Turton

Girl Meets Boy by A. Smith

The Tarot Sequence by K. D. Edwards

Lost Boy by C. Henry

for our honorable mentions, check below the cut!

This year we also really enjoyed:

Iron Widow by X. J. Zhao

The Charm Offensive by A. Cochrun

Piranesi by S. Clarke

Ella Minnow Pea by M. Dunn

The Hunger Games Trilogy by S. Collins

The All for the Game Trilogy by N. Sakavic

The Importance of Being Earnest by O. Wilde

The Locked Tomb Series by T. Muir

[novella-lover]

Seven Days in June

by Tia Williams

Rating: 4.5/5

-> a #studyblr w/knives reading challenge

• | • | •

The joy and out-of-this-world sadness I endured while reading has me both overwhelmed and elated to have picked up this gem of a book.

A true, raw love story with so much trauma and healing. It was beautifully written and every character really had their own voices, which is hard to find in books sometimes!

Also my absolute favorite character was Audre! She was such a joyful and funny 12 year old that she nearly stole the show every time she showed up!

• | • | •

Overall:

The hype is so well worth it! What Williams is able to capture in 325 pages is magic.

I am glad I decided to pick it up and add this to my tbr!!

• | • | •

posted for the winter mini reading challenge (second chance prompt) 🤍🖤

[miramizar]

I did the studyblr w/knives winter mini reading challenge! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

(~list of books + comments under the cut~)

One - Sarah Crossan

I think this was the book I finished the fastest; both the theme and the poetic way of writing piqued my interest and made it near impossible to put it away once I’d started reading.

Around the world in 80 days - Jules Verne, illustrated by Robert Ingpen

A classic that I tried reading in a simpler version as a 4th grader, I think? Then I saw that @aroundtheworldwithphillyfogg were going to do a thing with it and it made me want to read it for real. I had a great time this time around, and Ingpen’s drawings made it even more fun!

Lullaby - Chuch Palahniuk

A friend got me to read “Fight club” and since I liked it I felt like reading another one of the author’s stories - this was the only other one translated into swedish, and it was just as weird, dark and intriguing as “Fight club”.

The little prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This book is a gem, and I have to agree with what I’ve heard a lot of people say about this book - you do find something new to marvel at every time you re-read it!

Take me with you when you go - David Levithan & Jennifer Niven

Sibling relationships (especially good ones) are my weakness, which is why I picked this book up in the first place, and I really like how it's all told through e-mails; it had me hooked until the very end!

Mörka Julnätter - Camilla Lagerqvist, illustrated by Lina Blixt

I was looking for a book with 24 chapters to make the wait for Christmas a bit more festive, and I found this one - a story about family and folklore, made perfect by the accompanying pictures!

Mitt hjärta går på - Christoffer Holst

It’s been a while since I’ve read a love story, and this was a bittersweet one with lots of charm; I quite liked how down to earth this felt despite the darker themes that were going on.

Essay collection & other short pieces - C S Lewis

C S Lewis is one of my favourite authors of all time, and this collection of essays has been standing in my familys bookshelf for a long time so I thought, why not give it a read? And while I have to admit that it was hard to keep up at times, I did enjoy it overall~

A psalm for the wild-built - Becky Chambers

A friend that I recently re-established contact with recommended me this book and even if I had to read it in english I found it to be very immersing and thought provoking. (I read the second book immediately afterwards and loved it just as much!)

[l-in-the-creative-world]

The Summer Reading Challenge 2.0 catch up! Three more books done.

Released in the last six months: Me VS Brain by Hayley Morris

By an author of colour: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Anti-hero or chosen one: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

It’s been a long two weeks and I’ve been slow with my reading. Though I really enjoyed all the books. Me VS Brain was a mixture of super funny and a little sad, which made it perfect. The Kiss Quotient wasn’t at all what I expected but in the best way. It had me hooked and if it wasn’t for work I would have finished it a lot quicker. And finally Dorian Gray. I wasn’t sure if this really fits for Antihero but google said so, and it’s been on my tbr for years, making it one I really wanted to tackle. There were beautiful moments in it and other times it took a lot to keep going. But generally a good read. I’ve also just started the first of the Percy Jackson books as the next book.

I hope everyone’s reading summer is going well ☀️ Happy reading 😊

[plantpages]

Jumbo 2023 Reading Challenge - March

The most important book-related update for March is that I finally got a library card in my current city of residence! I’d been avoiding it a bit too long for being scared of the language barrier and not knowing how everything works here. Well the librarian did not speak great English but they were still super nice and helpful and I may have been avoiding it for no reason. The library’s English and French book selections are not very extensive, but maybe it’s good if it encourages me to read books that I might not have picked otherwise.

March colour is green.

Here’s what I read

released this year: Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare - 4 stars

non-binary author: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston - 4 stars

poetry or non-fiction: The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures by Louis Theroux - 3 stars

pun in the title: L’habit ne fait pas le moineau by Zoe Brisby - 3.5 stars

title starting with your initial: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthont Doerr - 3 stars