#the emperor and the endless palace by Justinian huang

[moonreadingjournal]

What is up?

(Totally unrelated to this post, but I hate it when someone says “what’s up?” Or “what is up?” And some smartass answers with “the sky jajajajja” I hate it so much. It makes my whole soul and my whole life cringe so hard. Also when it’s new years and people go up to you and say “see you next year jajajaja” ew or “haven’t seen you since last year ajajajajaj” ewwwwwww).

So after I finished reading The Extraordinaries I was on the fence in regards to what read next? Don’t get me wrong. I have a ridiculous amount of books to choose from, but it is hard sometimes to choose and make the right choice. So for me it was between If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, Spell Bound by F.T. Lukens, Happy Place by Emily Henry (which I already started but put down to read the extraordinaries), All the Hidden Paths by Fox Meadows (the sequel to A Strange and Stubborn Endurance) Kindling by Traci Chee (which I have the ARC for [what???] but I haven’t read it and the book is out but whatever) and Midnight in Everwood by M.A Kuzniar.

I don’t know why but I ended up choosing Midnight in Everwood. It is a book that I have previously started reading but just stopped. I don’t think I know or remember what else I decided to read instead (but that’s not important). As you can probably guess from the cover it is a re-telling of The Nutcracker. Which I love. Granted, I’ve only ever seen the Brarbie and the nutcracker movie. But I’ve seen so many tiktoks of the ballet, from the Royal Opera House and the Bolshoi Ballet. It looks so magnificent and magical. It is all snow and sparkles (and some creepy af mice).

One of my dreams is to someday a) watch a small production of the nutcracker in person where I live currently and b) to watch the nutcracker at one of the famous ballet houses (Royal Opera or the Bolshoi).

This book is a work of fiction, for adults. But it is quite the cozy and comforting read. As of where I am right now, I know it is a pretty nice reading. Something you can enjoy during the winter months w a hot cup of anything (cider or hot chocolate) and curl up on a fuzzy blanket while it is snowing (slightly not a full out blizzard).

After I am done reading this book I don’t know what I will read. I am pre-ordering some books and I pre-ordered some books that will be coming at some point. I ordered The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang and there are also the books I listed I wanted to read before I landed on this one. I guess we’ll see.

Also I feel like re-reading Red, White and Royal Blue. Which I only want to because I re-watched the movie and I do remember a lot and know they made quite a lot of changes, but not quite the deal break for me. What is a deal break for me though is the cover for the paperback. The pink one with those goofy looking Henry and Alex. I don’t like it. Alex looks so weird in that drawing and Henry too. All I can think of is that, this cover had to go through approvals. Multiple people had to probably make a vote and landed on that. If someone were to tell me it was Casey who drew them I would be like “okay well” but yeah. I now I sound like a lot. I am weird but I just. It’s not like any of the other books I have. I honestly like the movie tie-in cover they released when the movie came out (I know, blasphemy). I want to buy this collector’s edition hardcover one that is so pretty. It has no Alex or Henry in the cover. Only on the inside and they are so cute. But whatever. This little paragraph has no real purpose just me complaining sorry.

Well hopefully I will finish Midnight in Everwood before The Emperor and the Endless Palace arrived (I write as I literally get a notification that it arrived and I can pick it up, ugh, I feel sick today, I cannot go for it). And hopefully I will remember to write something about the book once I am done.

So it was decided I will read The Emperor and the Endless Palace after this book (by me, just now) I don’t know what I will read after. It is between….all the books that I own.

[haveyoureadthispoll]

“What if I told you that the feeling we call love is actually the feeling of metaphysical recognition, when your soul remembers someone from a previous life?” In the year 4 BCE, an ambitious courtier is called upon to seduce the young emperor—but quickly discovers they are both ruled by blood, sex and intrigue. In 1740, a lonely innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor procure a rare medicine, only to unleash an otherworldly terror instead. And in present-day Los Angeles, a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they’ve met before. Across these seemingly unrelated timelines woven together only by the twists and turns of fate, two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Within the treacherous walls of an ancient palace and the boundless forests of the Asian wilderness to the heart-pounding cement floors of underground rave scenes, our lovers are inexplicably drawn to each other, constantly tested by the worlds around them. As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realize the power of their undying love—a power that transcends time itself…but one that might consume them both. An unpredictable roller coaster of a debut novel, The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a genre-bending romantasy that challenges everything we think we know about true love.

[ozskob]

book 15

[myriad--starlings]

How do you know when you are in love? I learned early on that for people like me, there are no grand gestures, no bold declarations painted across the sky. There are only little hidden moments, intense yet fleeting as shooting stars, that quickly burn away into night.

— The Emperor and the Endless Palace, Justinian Huang

[rheadionne]

Check out my review of The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang 

[biblionerdreflections]

Book Review - The Emperor and the Endless Palace

Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang. It has been a while since I’ve posted on a weekend, but I’ve been so excited to read this book that I couldn’t wait to talk about my reaction to it. Read on to find out if it lived up to my expectations! Continue reading Book Review – The Emperor and the Endless Palace

[wearethekat]

Anticipated New Releases of 2024

**As anticipated by Me. Mostly SFF. Links are to goodreads because that's what I use, sorry. Anything marked "new to me" I haven't read anything by that author before and therefore can't vouch for the quality. I just think the premise is neat.**

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, Heather Fawcett (16 January)

Sequel to the charming novel about the fairy anthropologist.

Exordia, Seth Dickinson (23 January)

Well, it isn't a new Baru Cormorant, but this modern SF about first contact may be the next best thing.

City of Stardust, Georgia Summers (30 January)

New to me. A young woman descends into the underworld in order to break her family's fatal curse.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett (6 February)

New to me. A sherlock holmes flavored duo solves the mystery of the murder of an imperial official in a labyrinthine fantasy realm.

What Feasts at Night, T Kingfisher (13 February)

The sequel to the mushroom horror book What Moves the Dead.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden (13 February)

A ghost story set in WW1 about a woman searching for her missing brother.

The Fox Wife, Yangsze Choo (13 February)

New to me. A detective in 1908 Manchuria investigates a young woman's death in an area full of mythical foxes.

Redsight, Meredith Mooring (27 February)

New to me. Unpowered priestess and Imperial pawn is set on a collision path with a pirate with a grudge for the Imperium (Gay romance).

Sunbringer, Hannah Kaner (12 March)

Sequel about the professional godkiller Kissen.

Jumpnauts, Hao Jingfang (12 March)

New to me. A SF novel in translation from Chinese, with three scientists joining forces to deal peacefully with a first contact situation.

The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo (19 March)

I liked Mandelo's debut novel very much so I'm excited to read this queer horror novella set in 1920s Appalachia.

Floating Hotel, Grace Curtis (19 March)

New to me. A series of cozy character vignettes on a space cruise ship after a murder has occurred. One of the four (!) space hotel murder crimes books coming out this year.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace, Justinian Huang (26 March)

New to me. Reincarnation gay romance set in 4 BCE China, the 1740s, and modern-day LA.

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky (28 March)

Far future space xenoarchaeology by a man trapped on a prison planet.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell (2 April)

New to me. Bizarre lesbian cannibalism monster romance from the point of view of the monster.

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo (9 April)

Glad to see Bardugo writing more adult fantasy, and this one is especially exciting because it's a fantasy set in early modern Spain with a Jewish main character. Fun to see a more original historical period.

A Sweet Sting of Salt, Rose Sutherland (9 April)

New to me. Lesbian selkie romance.

Death in the Spires, KJ Charles (11 April)

Charles branching out from romance into historical Oxford murder mystery about a group of friends with dark secrets.

Audrey Lane Stirs The Pot, Alexis Hall (22 April)

The new Hall thinly veiled british baking show romcom. Libby says it's releasing in April but I've heard nothing from the author so I think it may be Alecto'd (shifted to next year)

Necrobane, Daniel M Ford (23 April)

Sequel to the dungeons and dragons-esque low fantasy lesbian necromancy book.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Sylvie Cathrall (25 April)

New to me. Sweet underwater epistolary academic romance.

How To Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Django Wexler (21 May)

New to me. A young hero caught in a fantasy time loop gives up and tries being the villain in an attempt to escape.

Goddess of the River, Vaishnavi Patel (21 May)

Another woman-centered retelling of Hindu mythology, this time based on the river goddess Ganga.

Escape Velocity, Victor Manibo (21 May)

New to me. Evil and toxic private school alumni jockey for position in a space hotel event in an attempt to escape a dying Earth.

The Fireborne Blade, Charlotte Bond (28 May)

New to me. Gay dragon slaying knight novella.

Evocation, ST Gibson (28 May)

New to me but looks very cool. Attorney and medium David attempts to escape his deal with the devil with the help of his ex boyfriend and his ex boyfriend's wife (Poly romance).

Service Model, Adrian Tchaikovsky (4 June)

In an SF future, a robot kills its human owners and ventures out into a world where human supremacy is beginning to crumble.

Lady Eve's Last Con, Rebecca Fraimow (4 June)

New to me. A con artist seeks revenge on the man who hurt her sister, who's coincidentally also on a space cruise ship (Sapphic romance subplot).

Triple Sec, TJ Alexander (4 June)

An actual mainstream published poly romance (!!) by trans author Alexander.

Running Close to the Wind, Alexandra Rowland (11 June)

Gay! Pirates! Scheming! Alt fantasy world! Monks! I liked Taste of Gold and Iron a lot and I'm very excited for this one.

The Knife and the Serpent, Tim Pratt (11 June)

New to me. Space opera about an interdimensional organization. Also, there's a sentient starship.

The Witchstone, Henry Neff (18 June)

A childhood favorite of mine's adult debut, featuring a demon who suddenly has to shape up at his curse keeper job after eight hundred years of slacking.

Rakesfall, Vajra Chandrasekera (18 June)

VERY excited to read more weird queer sff from this author after a fantastic debut. Looks weird. I'm in.

Foul Days, Genoveva Dimova (25 June)

New to me. A witch in a Slavic fantasy inspired world flees her evil ex, the Tsar of Monsters. There's also a plague and a detective.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow, Gabriella Buba (25 June)

New to me. Filipino inspired anticolonialist fantasy novel about a nun who is secretly practicing the religion of her goddess.

The Duke at Hazard, KJ Charles (18 July)

A queer regency with an incognito duke by one of my particular favorite romance authors.

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan (30 July)

!!! Very excited to see a new adult fantasy by Brennan. A reader is dragged into a fictional world and finds herself the villain.

A Sorceress Comes to Call, T Kingfisher (20 August)

A retelling of The Goose Girl from reliably good fairy tale stalwart Kingfisher.

Buried Deep and Other Stories, Naomi Novik (17 September)

Collection of Novik's short stories.

Swordcrossed, Freya Marske (8 October)

VERY excited to see a new book by talented writer Marske. A man falls in love with the duelist hired for his arranged wedding. MEANWHILE. details of the fantasy world wool industry.

Feast While You Can, Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta (29 October)

New to me. Small town queer cave horror.

The Last Hour Between Worlds, Melissa Caruso (19 November)

Multiple reality murder mystery spy vs spy type antics, with lesbians.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in March 2024 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Shift: A Memoir of Identity and Other Illusions - Penny Guisinger 🧡 Tempting Olivia - Clare Ashton 💛 Monilinia - Free Mints 💚 Guillaume - Aurora Dimitre 💙 The Marble Queen - Anna Kopp & Gabrielle Kari 💜 The Baker & the Bard - Fern Haught ❤️ Rainbow! - Sunny & Gloom 🧡 The Safe Zone - Amy Marsden 💛 The Weavers of Alamaxa - Hadeer Elsbai 💙 The No-Girlfriend Rule - Christen Randall 💜 A Different Kind of Brave by Lee Wind 🌈 Cirque du Slay - Rob Osler ❤️ Wizard’s Debt - Niranjan 🧡 One Last Breath - Ginny Myers Sain 💛 Nothing Special - Katie Cook 💚 I Feel Awful, Thanks - Lara Pickle 💙 The Tower - Flora Carr 💜 Be the Sea - Clara Ward ❤️ What Grows in the Dark - Jaq Evans 🧡 Heirs of Bone and Sea - Kay Adams 💛 The Haunting of Velkwood - Gwendolyn Kiste 💙 Thunder Song - Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe 💜 Mona of the Manor - Armistead Maupin 🌈 Like Happiness - Ursula Villarreal-Moura

❤️ Ellipses - Vanessa Lawrence 🧡 Saint, Sorrow, Sinner - Freydís Moon 💛 Blood & Brujas - Mikayla D. Hornedo 💚 Infinity Kings - Adam Silvera 💙 Really Cute People - Markus Harwood-Jones 💜 How You Were Born - Kate Cayley ❤️ These Bodies Between Us - Sarah Van Name 🧡 Icarus - K. Ancrum 💛 The Emperor and the Endless Palace - Justinian Huang 💙 How Not to Date an Angel - Lana Kole 💜 Enemy Colours - R.M. Olson 🌈 Broken Parts Included - Alyson Root

❤️ Who's Afraid of Gender? - Judith Butler 🧡 The Duke’s Cowboy - Andrew Grey 💛 The Secret Something - Emily Wright 💚 Colstead & Andie - Olivia Janae 💙 Play It Again, Ma’am - Sienna Waters 💜 Love Is…? - K.J. Wrights ❤️ Welcome to Forever - Nathan Tavares 🧡 Just Another Epic Love Poem - Parisa Akhbari 💛 The Phoenix Bride - Natasha Siegel 💙 These Letters End in Tears - Musih Tedji Xaviere 💜 Truly Home - J.J. Hale 🌈 Monster Mixer - Robin Jo Margaret

❤️ The House of Hidden Meanings - RuPaul 🧡 Promised to the Queen - Barbara Winkes 💛 A Conclave of Crimson - Nicole Eigener & Beverley Lee 💚 A Hunt of Blood and Iron - Cara Nox 💙 The Fealty of Monsters - Ladz 💜 Ariel Crashes a Train - Olivia A. Cole ❤️ Those Beyond the Wall - Micaiah Johnson 🧡 Dancing Toward Stardust - Julia Underwood 💛 Heir to Dreams & Darkness - Ben Alderson 💙 Comet Cruise - Niska Morrow 💜 Dead Girls Walking - Sami Ellis 🌈 Blackout - Carlos E. Rivera

❤️ Monster Crush - Erin Ellie Franey 🧡 Blessed Water - Margot Douaihy 💛 These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart - Izzy Wasserstein 💚 Kiss of Seduction - Rawnie Sabor 💙 Sunbringer - Hannah Kaner 💜 Evacuation to Love - C.A. Popovich ❤️ Sin - Brooke Matthews 🧡 Falls from Grace - Ruby Landers 💛 Lean in to Love - Catherine Lane 💙 A Small Apocalypse - Laura Chow Reeve 💜 Cascade Failure - L.M. Sagas 🌈 The Mars House - Natasha Pulley

❤️ All This Time - Sage Donnell 🧡 The Romance Lovers Book Club - MA Binfield 💛 View from the Top - Morgan Adams 💚 Number Call - Nagisa Furuya 💙 Crossing Bridges - Chelsey Lynford 💜 The Boyfriend Subscription - Steven Salvatore ❤️ Love the World or Get Killed Trying - Alvina Chamberland 🧡 Synthetic Sea - Franklyn S. Newton 💛 The Prince & His Stolen Groom - J.E. Ridge 💙 Chrysalis and Requiem - Quinton Li 💜 Where Sleeping Girls Lie - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé 🌈 A Botanical Daughter - Noah Medlock

❤️ Wednesday Nights - by Donna Jay 🧡 The Woods All Black - Lee Mandelo 💛 Song of the Huntress - Lucy Holland 💚 Rainbow Black - Maggie Thrash 💙 Spirits & Sunflowers - A.D. Armistead & Austin Daniel 💜 Floating Hotel - Grace Curtis ❤️ Far From Camelot - Rylee Hale 🧡 This Way to Change - Jezz Chung 💛 Mexican Bird - Luis Lopez-Maldonado 💙 Android Affection: Unveiling - Beau Van Dalen 💜 Welcome to the Damned - Astraea Long 🌈 She Came for Blood - Darva Green

❤️ Cover Story - Rachel Lacey 🧡 The Poisons We Drink - Bethany Baptiste 💛 The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist - Sophie Gonzales 💚 In Walked Trouble - Dana Hawkins 💙 Never Leave, Never Lie - Thea Verdone 💜 Guardian: Zhen Hun - Priest ❤️ All the World Beside - Garrard Conley 🧡 Rainbows, Unicorns, and Triangles - Jessica Kingsley Publishers 💛 The Feast Makers - H.A. Clarke 💙 Synthetic Sea - Franklyn S. Newton 💜 All the Painted Stars - Emma Denny 🌈 A Hard Sell - Jennifer Moffatt

[beareadsbookz]

AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls

(books I want to read if I can get them)

Rise of the Manō by Leialoha Humpherys

Poūkahangatus by Tayi Tibble

Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo

Hula by Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes

Vā: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young

The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao

The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le

The Do’s and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao

Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz

The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim

One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

The Wonders We Seek by Saadia Faruqi & Aneesa Mumtaz

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Amir

Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda

Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocco

Banyan Moon by Thao Thai

Force Of Fire by Sayantani DasGupta

Rangikura by Tayi Tibble

Writing In Color by multiple authors (including but not limited to Nafiza Azad, Axie Oh, Joan He, Chloe Gong, and Darcie Little Badger)

I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!

[out-of-the-forest-i-come]

Here is a non-exhaustive list of queer fiction books coming out in March 2024. This list covers only standalones or books that are the first in a series; if you want to check out which queer series are being continued, you can check out the post that comes out tomorrow. Also, as I support the SMP boycott, there will be no SMP books on this list. (This is a marketing boycott, so if you still wish to support the authors by buying their books, please check out the march releases on your own.)

Please note that I have not checked the trigger warnings or possible problematic content/author for these books, this is merely an informative list.

SFF:

Be the Sea; Clara Ward, March 5th

The Baker & the Bard; Fern Haught, March 5th (graphic novel)

The Marble Queen; Anna Kopp, March 5th

The Poisons We Drink; Bethany Baptiste, March 5th

Song of the Huntress; Lucy Holland, March 7th

A Hunt of Blood and Iron; Cara Nox, March 12th

Monster Crush; Erin Ellie Franey, March 12th (graphic novel)

These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart; Izzy Wasserstein, March 12th

Those Beyond the Wall; Micaiah Johnson, March 12th

Chrysalis and Requiem; Quinton Li, March 16th

Cascade Failure; L.M. Sagas, March 19th

The Emperor and the Endless Palace; Justinian Huang, March 26th

Horror & Gothic:

Thirst; Marina Yuszczuk, translated by Heather Cleary, March 5th

A Botanical Daughter; Noah Medlock, March 19th

The Woods All Black; Lee Mandelo, March 19th

Dead Girls Walking; Sami Ellis, March 26th

Thriller & Mystery:

Rainbow Black; Maggie Thrash, March 19th

Where Sleeping Girls Lie; Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, March 19th

A Deadly Walk In Devon; Nicholas George, March 26th

Romance:

The No-Girlfriend Rule; Christen Randall, March 5th

Just Another Epic Love Poem; Parisa Akhbari, March 12th

Really Cute People; Markus Harwood-Jones, March 12th

Cover Story; Rachel Lacey, March 26th

Icarus; K. Ancrum, March 26th

The Boyfriend Subscription; Steven Salvatore, March 26th

Historical fiction:

Pelican Girls; Julia Malye, March 5th

The Tower; Flora Carr, March 7th

The Phoenix Bride; Natasha Siegel, March 12th

All the World Beside; Garrard Conley, March 26th

Contemporary & Literary fiction:

A Different Kind of Brave; Lee Wind, March 5th

Ellipses; Vanessa Lawrence, March 5th

Ariel Crashes a Train; Olivia A. Cole, March 12th

These Letters End in Tears; Musih Tedji Xaviere, March 12th

Like Happiness; Ursula Villarreal-Moura, March 26th

[llycaons]

now that I'm home, a brief summary of the new (historical) fantasy books I AM interested in. there are still nonfiction (essays, social commentary, biology) that are on my list but THIS is more my jam. putting this under a readmore but 1. if you've read any of these I'd love to hear your (non-spoilery!) opinion of them, and 2. if you have any recs based on this list, feel free to reply or send me an ask!

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang: if this book is bad I'm going to cry. it looks like it could be everything I've ever wanted. I love when lesbians are anti-authoritarian and I love wuxia settings. the rebel love interest has tattoos 😍

The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec: I haven't actually read much norse mythology-inspired stuff except that pjo spinoff that wasn't very good (and one set in 9th century greenland that was HORRIBLE) but this was suggested a few times and I think it looks very promising! it's always neat to see older women as protags and she's bisexual and maybe polyam as well, which I've only ever seen in baru cormorant and the broken earth iirc

The Forever Sea by Joshua Phillip Johnson: this doesn't look GREAT but I looovvee environmental fantasy so I'll give it a shot

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo: this one looks WILD

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker: this one seems a little more YA than the others but the concept is pretty original so I'm curious to see what they do with it

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard: the description made me cringe a bit but the idea is pretty cool and it seems like YA but it's marked at adult?

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho: another wuxia-inspired book!!! please be good PLEASE be fucking good 😭

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse: this one is sparing in the description but I have a sense it'll be VERY intense

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang: I may struggle to keep focused on this one but I thought I'd check it out bc in theory it's interesting

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang: I didn't really understand the summary but it's hopefully good? I'l always check out a wuxia and I like a sibling dynamic

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig: PIRATES, BABY!!!!

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, Katherine Tiernan O'Connor (Translator), Ellendea Proffer (Annotations/Afterword), Diana Lewis Burgin (Translator), Hans Fronius (Illustrator): *points* like from tumblr...in all seriousness I HAVE heard some really interesting things about this book and the relationship so I'm glad to add it to my list

The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar: the first book of this series sounds really boring ngl but this one oohh 👀

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: I heard high praise for this one so while it doesn't specifically appeal to me, I'll give it a shot

Sistersong by Lucy Holland: I like a sibling story!

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh: this one could touch me tenderly I feel. I like when love interests are nice. whenever I see those setups that are like 'oh he's got an OBNOXIOUS and HOT partner' I'm like well this projection isn't working for me bc I'd leave then. I don't want to be annoyed by someone I'm supposed to like. I am aware this is a big setup for CR arc of mdzs but the annoying guy is my actual younger brother and my dear dear friend wwx so he can do whatever he wants. and also lwj really does have a stick up his ass and wwx is acting significantly more normally all things considered. anyway. this gay tree man may touch my heart

books that are ALREADY on my list/I have read excerpts from already

The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick: this one is pretty YA but I enjoy the writing and the setting, and the plot is exciting. I look forward to reading more

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley: I think my mutual suggested this to me and I tried reading it but I found it really hard to read but I am going to try it again because it sounds so intruiging!

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty: I'm on the fence bc while I liked the city of brass, I thought this one was a bit weaker so idk if I'll keep reading. I like the concept tho

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro: this one's strange and mysterious and I love the almost primordial atmosphere of england 1000 years ago...the ancient and massive landmarks around the elderly characters as they go about their relatively small lives. kind of frightening, kind of magical

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong: I haven't read any of this and it DOES look pretty YA but the setting sounds fun so why not

[musingsofmonica]

March 2024 Diverse Reads

March 2024 Diverse Reads:

•”The Great Divide” by Cristina Henriquez, March 05, Ecco Press, Literary/Historical/Sagas/Hispanic & Latino

•”Anita de Monte Laughs Last” by Xochitl Gonzalez, March 05, Flatiron Books, Literary/Historical/Coming of Age/Hispanic & Latino/Multiple Timeliness

•”Thunder Song: Essays” by Sasha Lapointe, March 05, Counterpoint, Essays, Anthropology/ Ethnic Studies/Indigenous Studies/Popular Culture/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/Native American & Aboriginal

•”James” by Percival Everett, March 19, Doubleday Books, Literary/Historical/Satire

•”Parasol Against the Axe” by Helen Oyeyemi, March 05, Riverhead Books, Literary/Magical Realism/Friendship

•”36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem” by Nam Le, March 05, Knopf Publishing Group, Poetry, Asian American/European/English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh

•The Moon That Turns You Back: Poems” by Hala Alyan, March 12, Ecco Press, Poetry, Middle Eastern/Family/Places

•”Ward Toward: Volume 118” by Cindy Juyoung Ok, March 05, Yale University Press, Poetry/Asian/Women/Spaces/Mental Health/Hospitalization/Cultural & Social Themes

•”There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension” by Hanif Abdurraqib, March 26, Random House, Personal Memoir/Ethnic Studies/African American Studies/Basketball

•”You Get What You Pay for: Essays” by Morgan Parker, March 12, One World, Essays/Ethnic Studies/African American Studies/Cultural, Ethnic & Regional/African American & Black

•”Pride and Joy” by Louisa Onomé, March 12, Atria Books, Contemporary/Women/Family Life/African American 

•”Like Happiness” by Ursula Villarreal-Moura, March 26, Celadon Books, Literary/Coming of Age/Feminist/LGBT/Hispanic & Latino

•”Memory Piece” by Lisa Ko, March 19, Riverhead Books, Literary/Women/Asian American

•”The Angel of Indian Lake” by Stephen Graham Jones, March 26, S&S/Saga Press, Horror/Thriller/Suspense/Native American & Aboriginal

•”Women of Good Fortune” by Sophie Wan, March 05, Graydon House, ContemporaryWomen/Crime/Friendship/Feminist/World Literature/Asia/China

•”Victim” by Andrew Boryga, March 12, Doubleday Books, Literary/Satire/Humorous/Black Humor

•”The Emperor and the Endless Palace” by Justinian Huang, March 26, Mira Books, Historical/Fantasy/Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology/Romance/LGBT/Asian American/Cultural Heritage

•”Until August” by Gabriel García Márquez & Anne McLean (Translator), March 12, Knopf Publishing Group, Literary/Women/Family Life/Marriage & Divorce

•”A A Year of Last Things: Poems” by Michael Ondaatje, March 19, Knopf Publishing Group, Poetry/Death, Grief, Loss/Love & Erotica/America/World Heritage

•”Green Frog: Stories” Gina Chung, March 12, Knopf Publishing Group, Short Stories/Family Life/Folktales/Fantasy/American/Korean American

Happy reading!

Monica ✌️

[blue-glasses-dork]

tagged by @vanillaflowerstuff

Last song I listened to: Monster from EPIC: The Musical

Last book I read: The Fallen Fruit by Shawntelle Madison

Last movie I watched: Dead Poets Society

Last TV show I watched: Avatar: Legend of Korra

Last thing I googled: it was my professor's name and headshot for an article i have to write lmao

Last thing I ate: pasta ramen

Amount of sleep: around 6 hours?

Sweet, savoury, or spicy: Savory

Currently reading: The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

tagging: @river-gale @marcelineuntitled

[tm-trx]

currents.15 [2024]

selections from my week in media [7-13 april 2024]

[anticipating]

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters got renewed for a second season!

Onew is signed with a new company and already has appearances/performances scheduled. And on top of that, he's back with SHINee for the anniversary concerts in May. So glad to see him happy and healthy again.

[listening]

"Cure" / Yoo Young Jin & Taeyong

"LATATATA (Japanese version)" / (G)I-DLE

"Pretty Boy (feat Kai)" / Taemin

"Tempo" / EXO

[reading]

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang {3 stars} - Unfortunately, I didn't think it was the 'epic love story' touted by some reviewers, so that was disappointing. Putting that aside, I liked the writing and the plot was interesting enough to finish. And then that ending. Bold. This is a new release by a debut author and I really hope he keeps writing because I'd love to read more of his work.

Leave the Light On (I'll Be Coming Home) by HMSLusitania - 9-1-1 amnesia fic - I'm a sucker for a good tropey amnesia fic. This was a reread and I still love it.

Twisted Paths, Twisted Souls by meyari - MDZS canon divergent AU with a pairing I've never read before and wouldn't normally pick. But I love this author's AU ideas so I read it. After finishing, I still don't buy the pairing completely, but the story is great and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

previous Currents posts

[pagesandpothos]

Library Haul

I love my local library and I go there frequently. I thought it might be fun to share photos of what books I’ve recently borrowed and plan to read soon. Here’s what I grabbed on my most recent visits:

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Riley Sager is one of the most reliable thriller authors for me. I've read most of his novels and would like to finish all the others before his new book comes out in a few months. I've seen reviews say that this is one of his best, so I'm looking forward to seeing if I agree.

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa

This is a retelling of Pride & Prejudice but queer and with a trans main character. I've seen a lot of praise for this and I've enjoyed all the other Remixed Classics that I've read, so I think I'm going to love this!

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

This was one of my most anticipated books in March. It's a queer romantasy that involves reincarnation and a love story that crosses multiple lifetimes.

Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco

This is the final book in the Reaper duology and the sequel to Silver Under Nightfall, which I read in January. I'm excited to read the conclusion of this story and I hope I love it as much as I love the first book!

Icarus by K. Ancrum

I've seen a lot of good buzz about this book, so I grabbed it when I saw it on the library shelf. It sounds sweet and I've seen it compared to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, which I loved!

[wildereader]

There’s nothing like the rush of checking out a bunch of cool books from the library :)

Some more recent finds!! I still have most of the books from my previous library haul post, but how can you expect me to resist some more…

I’ve been in a nonfiction mood lately, as you can see! I don’t usually have specific topics that I look for—I just happened to see these books about clothing history and deer and thought “That looks interesting!” I think especially when it comes to library books, I’m much more willing to pick up nonfiction that seems intriguing, because I don’t have to worry about spending money on something that doesn’t end up being as fascinating as I’d hoped—but hopefully these are as interesting as I’m expecting them to be!

This Is the Honey is an anthology of poetry written by Black poets, and one of the books I recommended to our purchasing librarian as part of my monthly collection development assignment… and it was 10000% because I heard about its release this year and was so excited to get my hands on it. I want to take my time with it, read a couple poems a day, until I’m able to finish them all!

Though, out of these five, I am most excited to read The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang. Reincarnated soulmates who keep finding each other across thousands and thousands of years? Yes please!

Here’s hoping I can get these (and all the other ones I have checked out currently) finished by their due dates… 🤞🤞