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elenajohansenreads · 2 days
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Books I Read in 2024
#18 - Blood Heir, by Ilona Andrews
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
I love Julie and Derek, I have always loved Julie and Derek, but the whole complicated mess of this book maybe wasn't justified by the incredibly satisfying "throw every emotion you've ever had at each other" climactic conversation between them. Did I love that scene to pieces? Absolutely. Did I love wading through endless exposition dumps explaining after the fact how Julie became Aurelia? Not really. 
Julie's post-Magic Triumphs story is doled out in pieces, and several of those pieces get repeated, yet there are still (what I feel are) giant gaps in that story, so the setup for this book is simultaneously over-explained and woefully thin. 
Derek's tale over the same time period is more mysterious, in its way, because Julie rightfully points out in her narration evidence of a radical shift in his personality, yet they speak to each other like they always have, and he reads convincingly as an older, sharper version of his younger serious self. Despite there being so much less of it, by virtue of Julie being the narrator, I think Derek's characterization is better than hers.
Flaws aside, though, I'll keep reading when the next book comes out (eventually...) I want to know why Derek has changed, and I want these two to have their happy ending.
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elenajohansenreads · 3 days
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Books I Read in 2024
#17 - Summer Knight, by Jim Butcher
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
I have yet to rate any book in this series higher than three stars, but up to this point I felt the series was improving, or at least that familiarity with the mostly-charming main character was making it more likable.
I hit a bit of a wall in this one. It has good parts, certainly--I liked all the Murphy scenes in this a great deal, and even if I think the plant-monster action scene took entirely too long, she was undoubtedly the hero of it, not Harry. So that was fun.
But that particular action scene was where I started to get tired of the action itself, because there was so much of it that having nothing but high-stakes action slowed down the pace instead of speeding it up.
I also felt that the mystery here was convoluted to the point where Harry solving it felt even more confusing than trying to put it together myself--I read through his explanation carefully and came to the conclusion that plenty of the necessary clues were in the text, but most of the logic stringing it together was actually nonsensical. I'm not going to take the time to plot the book backwards to see if the mystery was truly reverse-engineered from villain logic, but it feels like it might have been. (I remember watching a video essay about how one of the Marvel movies makes no sense unless you do that, but now I don't remember which movie it was.)
I will say, though, since it's been a sticking point in my enjoyment of the series so far and I've brought it up in every review, that as promised by my friends who recommended this, the misogyny level has finally been dialed down. It doesn't look like Harry will grow out of his hero complex anytime soon, but the chauvinism in his narrative style is noticeably less frequent, as are the over-the-top sexy descriptions of various female characters. On the larger plot level, basically all the important new characters in this book are female, both allies and villains, and credit where credit is due, that's a good look for male-written fantasy; I've criticized quite a few of Butcher's contemporaries I've read for writing "male" fantasy where female characters are either mostly absent or restricted to incredibly narrow, stereotypical roles.
Even if I wasn't terribly impressed with the plot of this novel in particular, I'm hopeful enough about the positive aspects to keep going with the series. (Am I in it to see if Harry and Murphy get together down the line? Still seems like we're setting her up as endgame romance, and if I'm wrong about that and they develop a deeper battle-tested friendship instead, I'm fine with that too, I love romance but it's not the only satisfying path for two characters to walk together.)
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elenajohansenreads · 5 days
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First Australian bookstore visit (but not the last). Thanks to Potts Point Bookshop! Your selection is lovely and the shop is so cozy. I walked away with The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper!
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elenajohansenreads · 5 days
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Books I Read in 2024
#16 - A Brightness Long Ago, by Guy Gavriel Kay
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
I loved it, and I'm glad I took my time with it (about three weeks, reading lighter stuff concurrently at times.) I wouldn't recommend this to readers entirely new to Kay's body of work, despite thinking it's an extremely beautiful and thoughtful example of it; I still think Tigana is his best novel, and the highest-value combination of approachable and rewarding to an unfamiliar audience. This novel is deliberately slow, and intensely reflective, and at times startlingly fourth-wall breaking. 
The conceit is an aging narrator looking back to his small role in a web of political intrigue during his younger years. He is the protagonist, certainly, but not the hero, as I don't even think this book has a Hero figure in it. The cast of characters that builds outward from him is rich and varied despite the relatively limited scope (some Kay books have far more POV characters than this!) and depending on your taste, some of them could certainly be more interesting, ultimately, than the protagonist. But this is where Kay's atypical structural composition shines; the narrator is the central thread of this tapestry but nowhere near the strongest, brightest, or most important. He is the narrator, rather than any of the other characters, because he is the one best positioned by events to tell the whole story. 
I look forward to reading this again down the road, perhaps after I've also reread the other novels set in this cohesive alternate world; for example, it was a nice touch to revisit, briefly, the shrine with the mosaic that was so important to the Sarantium duology. I only read it once, years ago, but that location was memorable enough to recall clearly all this time later, so I look forward to discovering other connections I've missed.
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elenajohansenreads · 14 days
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📚 Sara Cwynar, All The Red Books, All The Blue Books, 2011.
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elenajohansenreads · 14 days
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Books I Read in 2024
#15 - Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire, by Lori A. Brotto
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
As with one of my previous reviews about a book on menopause, I'd like to point out up front that the structure and content of the book assumes the reader is a cis woman and refers to the reader's body throughout under that assumption, which might be alienating to any reader whose physiology doesn't match, be they cis men or any trans or intersex person. "Woman" in this book exclusively refers to cis women; only in one section does it allude to the distinction between cis and trans women by using the term "natal women" in reference to the specifics of one study. Which isn't to say that the core subject matter isn't potentially useful for or applicable to trans women or trans people in general, or that the book is setting out to be trans-exclusionary; only that what little research is being done on this topic is focused on cis women as the group who needs it and would benefit most greatly from it. (Which, given that most clinical medical science is done on cis men as the default, is still a good thing in my mind, that any research on sexuality is being done with cis women as the focus.)
Since the take-home message of this book is "Mindfulness practice could probably improve your sex life, and also the rest of your life while you're at it," in my mind that's equally useful advice for everyone, but the mindfulness exercises in this book range from generic at the start (anyone who can eat solid food can do the raisin meditation) to guided exploration of the body in both nonsexual and sexual contexts, which are specific to cis women.
If that message seems obvious, why does it need a whole book written about the science that "proves" it, well, I'm still a crunchy science nerd at heart and was interested to see the design structure of the studies done to research the topic and the results of those studies. That sort of narrative would likely seem dry and boring to someone more interested in the self-help, instructional aspects of the book; likewise, the mindfulness exercises themselves might not interest someone who was reading this for the crunchy science, though the book is definitely marketing itself to cis women experiencing some level of sexual distress or dysfunction who are hoping for a solution, to whom the book offers mindfulness.
Without getting too personal on the subject, I was interested in this book on both fronts; as with my previous reading about menopause, I'm trying to be proactive about engaging with the changes in my body as it ages, and I have noticed a pattern of changes in my sex life that I'm not pleased with. I don't have access to the sort of highly regimented clinical mindfulness study that the book refers to, but the barrier to entry for self-guided mindfulness practice is basically nonexistent--I already have one app on my phone I could be utilizing but mostly don't, and if it turns out I don't vibe with their library of guided exercises I know there's a wealth of other options. And even those aren't necessary, they're just helpful tools.
I know that I, personally, will face challenges attempting mindfulness practice despite all its potential benefits--mindfulness is widely considered to be especially beneficial for people with ADHD, but also difficult for them, as the differences in the ADHD brain from a neurotypical one aren't conducive to learning to achieve a state of mindfulness. But another, narrower take-home message from this book was inspiring to me: that self-belief about your own state of sexuality and sexual satisfaction is more impactful to actual sexual satisfaction that any combination of other studied factors (relationship status, age and hormonal changes, etc.) The book repeatedly assures the reader mindfulness is learning to treat negative thoughts as "mental events" to be noticed, acknowledged, and then moved on from, which in a broader, non-sexually-specific context, means that even my belief that "mindfulness will be difficult for me because I have ADHD" isn't an obstacle that can't be overcome. Forming a habit of mindfulness practice might also be difficult for me, but again, that can be overcome to at least some degree with motivation, and all those scientific studies did show that women engaged with mindfulness showed strong desire and follow-through in making time for daily practice (even accounting for the self-selection of feeling the need to participate in the study in the first place.) The benefits of mindfulness appear to be their own reward, in terms of successful habit-forming, so I'm hopeful.
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elenajohansenreads · 17 days
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elenajohansenreads · 17 days
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Books I Read in 2024
#14 - Hook, Line, and Sinker, by Tessa Bailey
Rating: 4/5 stars
I don't know whether it's been too long since I read the first one (which I adored,) or that was a right-book-right-time incident, or I just liked the vibe of that one better; this was good, certainly better than several Bailey books I've read from other series, but not as good as I remember the first one being.
I think it's fair to say, despite enjoying this book a great deal, that it's time for me to give up on Bailey, because there have been too few hits and too many misses; I would rather have a reasonable level of consistency in quality if I'm going to keep spending time reading an author.
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elenajohansenreads · 26 days
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I've had a couple of messages over the last few days from folks saying things like, "Sorry, I can only afford to get your book through the library," and I need you to know I am gripping you by the shoulders, I am shaking you gently, and I am begging you stop apologizing for using library services.
After Amazon and Payhip, the quarterly checks I get from Overdrive/Libby are my biggest and most reliable source of income.
My readers have been nothing but feral in their quest to get Hunger Pangs into as many libraries as possible, and while library lending pays an exceptionally modest amount, if enough people do it (which many of you evidently are), those pennies add up.
I am guaranteed at least $20 a month in library lending royalties. That might not sound like much to some folks, but to me, that's my b12 supplements covered for the month. That's the thing I need to keep me alive paid for.
I will never resent anyone who uses libraries instead of buying books.
I'm a disabled author who lives month to month at the mercy of my medical expenses. Even though I have incredibly generous patrons and supporters, I know what it's like to not be able to afford things.
Use the library. Please.
Use it guilt-free. You're helping the library and the authors, probably more than you realize.
And if you're in the US and haven't signed up for a @queerliblib free library card yet, you should! it doesn't matter what state you're in, the Queer Liberation Library offers free access to their catalogue of queer media across the US.
And if you've got the means, maybe help them out with a little donation. They're only able to expand their collection via the support of their patrons, and the work they're doing is hugely important.
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elenajohansenreads · 27 days
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Since I got behind on book reviews, I got behind on challenge tracking as well.
I read two books in February that ended up not qualifying for anything here--one because I have a personal rule not to use DNF books for challenges, the other simply because it didn't fit anything.
No bingo yet. The new additions:
Character name is a color: Iron Flame
An unexpected inheritance: The Goblin Emperor
Second chances: Secretly Yours
Tickles your funny bone: Grave Peril, which wins this highly subjective category because the character I find funniest is a disembodied spirit who's been given a human skull to inhabit, does it get more perfect than that?
First in an unfinished series: Iron and Magic
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elenajohansenreads · 27 days
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elenajohansenreads · 27 days
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elenajohansenreads · 27 days
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Books I Read in 2024
#13 - Iron and Magic, by Ilona Andrews
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
One of the more believable haters-to-lovers plots that I've read--I can't call Hugh and Elara enemies in the usual context, because they're clearly not and in this setting that word does actually mean literal enemies. But they infuriate each other brilliantly from the moment they meet and go through a great deal of consternation before they realize their attraction, and eventually, some affection.
Though it's not clearly love yet, and I look forward to this series continuing (someday, IA always has so many concurrent series going waiting for the next installment of a specific one can feel like forever.)
The only thing that bothered me overall was that I couldn't place Elara as either an entirely new character or a returning minor one getting her own story; this is a personal gripe because of my memory issues, but even beyond my wonky brain, the main Kate Daniels series is ten books long and has a huge supporting cast. Without specifically looking it up (which I haven't yet) I couldn't remember if we'd met her before; she felt like someone who had showed up briefly at some point, but then in this book she seemed completely unfamiliar with the events Hugh related to her about his past and about Kate specifically, and if Elara doesn't know Kate, then it's not likely she was ever in the main series, since it's told from Kate's personal POV. I suppose the White Warlock could have been mentioned but didn't appear directly, which would account for the vague sense I had that I should know her already.
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elenajohansenreads · 29 days
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Books I Read in 2024
#12 - Kakeibo: The Japanese Art of Saving Money, by Fumiko Chiba
Unrated review
I'm not going to give this a star rating, because I was misinformed about what the content of the book actually was. 
I'm not skilled at budgeting and have been looking over systems to help me get better, and kakeibo seemed like a promising idea. This work was the only one my library system had, and I was hoping for some in-depth information beyond what simple introductory internet articles had given me.
I did not get that, because the first few pages of the book are virtually identical to the content of those articles, and the rest of the book is a budgeting journal. I can't actually use it as such because it's a library book.
If I had bought the book for that specific purpose, great! But the blurb I read didn't make it clear it was a journal rather than a more proper book, so I did not get what I expected.
With that being said, I still plan to try the method out, in a blank journal I do own, under the guidelines given here with some slight modifications that I think will make it fit my financial situation more closely. (One of the great benefits of this system does seem to be that its very simplicity at heart lends itself to flexibility once you have the core idea in place.)
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elenajohansenreads · 29 days
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Happy Saturday 🖤 I finally finished #StrangetheDreamer last night and I loved it! Laini Taylor’s writing is just so beautiful 😍 It took me so long to read because of uni 😭 God knows when I’ll get around to reading Muse 🙄😢 https://www.instagram.com/p/BpcScAbHorg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1i8lxv282rw0v
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elenajohansenreads · 29 days
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Books I Read in 2024
#11 - Grave Peril, by Jim Butcher
Rating: 3/5 stars
I don't think it's an accident that my ratings are slowly creeping upwards as I get more invested in this world, but we're still pretty far from the "good" that I have been promised.
The first issue I have with this installment is that I wasn't invested in the danger to Susan as Harry's love interest because I never really thought they were invested in each other; having a pretty big time skip between the end of the previous book and the start of this one allows for the off-page stuff to have gone down that sets up this plot, but also glosses over the time their romance would have been deepening. Since I didn't get to see it happen and don't feel like they're actually a couple, a good chunk of the ending falls flat without their "love" to prop it up.
The second issue is that Murphy was boxed up by the plot to keep her out of the way for most of the book, and since she's already one of my favorite characters, I missed her.
What I was happy with was how comparatively easy and straightforward the main plot about the vampires was, after the complicated morass of the last book's weird werewolf mysteries.
I will plunge forward to book four in the near future (though my library system doesn't seem to have a copy so it might take a little time) because I own #14 and I am going to get there, dammit.
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elenajohansenreads · 30 days
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time to catch up on book reviews
so that my reading stats on the storygraph accurately reflect which month i read which books in without me having to go back and guess like i did when i had that huge reading/reviewing slump last year
i haven't been reading as much as usual anyway (thank you, hoyoverse games, you're lovely but playing two of you at the same time takes a fair amount of dedication) but i do still want to keep up on the reviews in a semi-timely fashion, so end of month review binges might end up being a feature, not a bug
or maybe in march i'll keep up better, who knows?
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