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ofliterarynature · 10 months

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JUNE 2023 WRAP UP

loved liked okay no thanks (reread) bookclub*

Let’s just say I was feeling a bit unhinged this month…

I don't know what was up with my brain this month (it was stress, probably. ugh.), but it was comfort-reads-only central. Which spun out of control a little with the KJ Charles, but we'll get to that.

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World started things off with a great non-fic pick. It spoke so deeply to me that it made me very angry at the world while also being very comforting. Would highly recommend.

Dust and Shadow is Sherlock Holmes solves Jack the Ripper, but hewing much closer to canon than say, that other one I fell in love with last year (The Angel of the Crows). I couldn't help comparing the two, and while it was interesting seeing each author's interpretations of the Ripper case, this one did not come out on top for me.

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street is a sort-of sequel memoir to the author's collection of letters published as 84 Charing Cross Road that I read last month and loved. A little different but still a delight, and I've got another one of her related memoirs waiting for me on my desk right now.

The Goblin Emperor... what can I say, my brain needed comfort, I caught up on the AO3 tag, and thought why not. It was amazing to go back and see all the little bits of Maia I'd forgotten.

Sorcery & Cecelia I picked up partially as a consequence of my KJ Charles/historical romance rampage that fully put me off of the other audiobooks I already had checked out. I've been meaning to reread them for a while (it's probably been a decade) because I wanted to explore my mixed memories of the two sequels. And I don't blame younger me! The original book is a delight sort of in the vein of Diana Wynne Jones and The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, with adventures and almost a comedy of manners element to it. The much later sequels lose a lot of the whimsy and brightness, are much more serious and adult, and are much more explicitly mystery novels. Now I love a mystery novel, and I think if you distance them from the original book they're not too bad! The Grand Tour is the worst, I think, both because of the unexpected shift in style and because I don't think the epistolary format they chose works well (I really would have loved to see some letters they wrote to other people, imo, rather than diary entries). The Mislaid Magician brings things back around much closer to the original novel's format both literally and narratively, if not in style, and I liked it a great deal.

This next one goes out to Lauren, who will probably never read this but - I finally read The Age of Innocence! Not the copy you gave me, but I did it. It wasn't quite to my taste, but it absolutely fits with what I know of your other favorite things. Sorry this was like 8 years too late.

Bloom I've had on my shelf for years and it's totally my doing that we read it for book club - it was a nice read, I love the art style, but ultimately it was a bit forgettable. Maybe if it'd focused on resolving the non-romantic conflicts as well, idk.

It took me MUCH longer to get to Winter of the Witch than I had planned, but I did! It felt a little clunky trying to get all the ends tied up, but overall I liked it, I was very glad to get away from the politics of the second book. This was such a well written series, I definitely recommend it, but it also made me feel angry and anxious enough while reading it that I can't see myself ever revisting it. (I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of the author's work though).

AND NOW FOR THE KJ CHARLES!!!

I started off the month finishing up the Will Darling/English books, which, do not follow my example, you should absolutely read in chronological order (and pay attention to character names!). These were not books I fell immediately in love with, but exposure and persistence, not to mention some great side characters, won me over. I also cannot BELIEVE that KJ waited until the very very end to introduce the "proteges" concept, and it's the best thing I've ever heard I am emotionally devastated (and cackling, lmao).

I've mentioned elsewhere my accidental discovery (too late) that the next 3 series were related, but I did manage at least to start with the correct one. Society of Gentlemen was...okay. The first one might actually be the worst KJ Charles I've read so far, but the other two were definitely better, if not exactly to my taste. I like the mystery/action/adventure plots more, I suppose, rather than...politics? I think? and respectability is boring anyways.

I managed to accidentally skip over Sins of the Cities directly into the Lilywhite Boys, which is a pity, because they're much more closely related to each other than Society (which honestly you don't need to read beforehand). Even without the more detailed background from Sins, I LOVED the Lilywhite novels and novellas. Thieves and shady characters who are extremely competent, excellent lovers, a little violent, and with their own moral codes are catnip for me, I could not have resisted.

I then went back to Sins of the Cities, which were also good! The leads in the first book were sweet but a little bland, the love/hate thing going on the second book was fantastic, and I loved that the third book had a genderqueer/nb lead. I appreciated getting all the background to events hinted at in the Lilywhite books, but I also admit I spent less time focused on the murders and more on "ok but HOW does X become the Earl???????" I had so many theories lol, none of them right. I just wonder if these would have hit a little harder if I'd read them first.

As I write this in July, I'm still working my way through the rest of KJ's catalogue but I think the worst of my brain fever is over, and I'm hoping to soon have the mental capacity to read the new Victoria Goddard I've been ignoring for a couple of months. Wish me luck, and happy reading!

#book log #2023 #wrap up 2023 #bec posts #kj charles #david epstein #Helene Hanff #the age of innocence #bloom #sorcery & cecelia #winternight trilogy #dust and shadow #booklr #books

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isfjmel-phleg · 5 months

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November 2023 Books

To Nowhere and Back by Margaret J. Anderson

Short time-slip story. Bit of an odd ending, but I enjoyed it.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (reread)

Reread in anticipation of the film, which I'm going to have to wait to see.

Between Floors by W. R. Gingell

Slowly making my way through this series. The character interactions in this one grabbed my attention, and I'm looking forward to the next installment whenever I can manage to get it.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Read for a book club that I'm sort of in. This was the first assigned book that I've actually wanted to bother with in quite a while, and then I wasn't able to join the discussion (no voice from a cold). Even so, I don't know what I would have said. I liked the book well enough but don't have any particular strong feelings about it. I guess I was expecting something a lot...more in-depth?

Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill

An extremely dedicated and single-minded young cellist has an accident that forces her life to take a different direction and finds growth and healing in helping her brother raise a giant pumpkin, a project that will bring them closer to their entire neighborhood. I enjoyed this a lot.

The Faces of Fear by Monica Hughes

This is an aggressively 1990s book with some rather dated perspectives, but I enjoyed the premise of the protagonist developing a friendship with someone she's never met through a VR game they're playing together, which has been designed to prey on their specific fears.

Sandwriter by Monica Hughes

I'd need to reread this one for it to sink in fully, but the worldbuilding and characterization were enjoyable, and I'd like to read the next book.

The Shadows of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny

Not as emotionally affective as the first book but nonetheless good. Although it had been long enough since I had read the earlier installment that I had forgotten names, and it was a bit difficult to get reoriented since the narrative expects you to remember everything right off the bat.

Tin by Pádraig Kenny

Beautiful. Moving. I never expected to get so invested in mechanical characters.

The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid

If you're going to discuss female characters in comics, maybe don't devote a significant portion of the book to overly detailed, purple-prosey descriptions of objectifying costumes or use derogatory terms to describe real or fictional women. Madrid claims to feel a connection with female superheroes but seems most interested in them for objectification while presenting his views as empowering/exalting them. Also way too many contrived comparisons to things in music history.

The Cloud Forest by Joan North

Some interesting characterization but too mystical (if that's the word I'm looking for) for my taste.

The Hideaway Summer by Beverly Hollett Renner

Such a delightfully middle-grade premise of young siblings who end up spending their summer living on their own in a vacation house near the woods and their domestic adventures. A lot of fun.

The Dark House of the Sea Witch by Joan C. Robinson

Slighter than Robinson's other books which I've read, but a well-written read.

Moonbranches by Anne Rundle

Fantastically Gothic atmosphere, but a weird, weird ending. I don't know how to feel about this one.

Mystery on the Isle of Skye by Phyllis A. Whitney

More of a travelogue/informational guide to the Isle of Skye than an actual story or mystery. Which doesn't make it bad, but I was less invested in it compared to other books I've read by this author.

Secret of the Stone Face by Phyllis A. Whitney

Standard Whitney mystery, not one of the more memorable ones for me.

Comics

The Ray 1994

The miniseries that preceded this ongoing series had a fascinating premise but not so much emphasis on characterization, so I was delighted to find that that changed with the 1994 series, which has a different author. Lots of shenanigans, to be sure, but we also get Ray's difficulties adjusting to adulting in the real world after living in lightless isolation for eighteen years, his doubts and insecurities and bouts of depression, and most of all, his complicated relationship with his father, the legacy he's been forced into, and his potential to become more like his father than he's willing to recognize. The Terrills have a fascinatingly complex and dysfunctional dynamic that provides a lot to analyze, and I'll be thinking about this series for a long time.

there is so much drama here that is being slept on, where are the Rayfam fics?

#random personal stuff #well it certainly was a month that I read some things in

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oakensherwood · 4 years

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No one sent me asks from this list about my 2019 reading year, so I answered all of them, because I wanted to and because I can. Enjoy!

How many books did you read this year?

35! My highest number on Goodreads record is 38, so I almost beat out my highest number to date, but I’m pleased with the 35 I did read.

Did you reread anything? What?

I like to reread books, and this year I reread Little Women and The Tale of Despereaux

What were your top five books of the year?

In no particular order: The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Yale Needs Women by Anne Gardiner Perkins The Scarlet Forest by A.E. Chandler Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Anne Boyd Rioux

Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Not particularly… Although I did read two books by Monica Hesse. Both were good, but they didn’t blow me away. I was just intrigued enough by the first book, to pick up another one. What genre did you read the most of?

It doesn’t really count as a genre, but I did read 34.3% nonfiction, followed by 31.4% historical fiction.

Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

Yes, unfortunately. I made a 2019 TBR just because, without designating it as a concrete goal, but I’m still sad that five of the books never made it onto my “read” list.

Affinity by Sarah Waters *When We Were Outlaws by Jeanne Cordova *84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff Pages For You by Sylvia Brownrigg Journey to a Woman by Ann Bannon

* denotes books I tried to read but were inaccessible due to library availability. All of these books are being carried over to my 2020 TBR.

What was your average Goodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?

3.6 is my average, which feels okay, but I do feel like I had a lot of great books this year! Ten 5 star books, and eleven 4 star books. My average does feel mostly accurate, but I might tip it up a bit to 3.8.

Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?

I didn’t set any particular reading goals other than to not set a reading goal, haha. I set my Goodreads challenge to 1 to relieve all pressure and allow myself to just enjoy reading. I made a TBR just to keep my focus narrowed, but I didn’t make it to force myself to read any of the books. I definitely enjoyed my reading this past year, I am pleased with the non-goals that I set.

Did you get into any new genres?

I think I definitely read a lot more nonfiction this year, and I think it’s something I definitely want to continue doing. Many of my favorite books of the year were nonfiction.

What was your favorite new release of the year?

Yale Needs Women by Anne Gardiner Perkins! This book is about when Yale became co-ed, and follows the lives of various female students who were the first women at Yale. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

I tend to read more of the backlist than new releases, so this one is tough. As it turns out, I think my favorite is a tie between Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and The Scarlet Forest by A.E. Chandler. Both were published in 2017.

Any books that disappointed you?

Ugh. Yes. The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson, Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk, and Sherwood by Meagan Spooner.

What were your least favorite books of the year?

The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson and Women in the Shadows by Ann Bannon.

What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

The year is already over. I was in the middle of two books, which I would have liked to have finished: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki and Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone by Richard Lloyd Parry. I finished A Tale for the Time Being today (01/03), and will probably finish the second in the next few days.

Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?

After a quick couple Google searches, I don’t think I read any books nominated for or won awards.

What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

I feel like I read several books that had a good amount of hype (either this year or in previous years). The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, among others. But I enjoyed many of my hyped books as much as I expected. With one exception. I was not a fan of Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan. Ugh, that was an over-hyped and unenjoyable book.

Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

Pachinko surprised me. But otherwise, I don’t think so. I have a pretty good sense of which books I like, and if I don’t like something, I can DNF it a chapter or two into the book, guilt-free. Life is too short for unenjoyable books.

How many books did you buy?

Did you use your library?

So much. That’s why I only bought four books. Overdrive and my Kindle are my best friends while I’m living in the Japanese countryside, far away from access to English books.

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

I really don’t track new releases, so I didn’t anticipate any new books this year.

Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

I watch plenty of Booktube, but I don’t follow channels that participate in drama. The most “drama” I participated in was watching Ariel Bissett’s video about the difficulties of being a book reviewer and reviewing a book published by a close friend (referencing Christine Riccio’s new book.) But I don’t think that’s drama. I think it’s an honest opinion about her experience and very positive content.

What’s the longest book you read?

I think it’s probably The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samatha Shannon.

What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book?

I haven’t the faintest idea. And I don’t want to dig through my Goodreads to find out.

Did you DNF anything? Why?

I DNFed Sherwood by Meagan Spooner. For many reasons. But mostly because I felt it did a disservice to real medieval women by over-writing history and promoting incorrect assumptions in order to write a modern feminist Robin Hood retelling. A badly written retelling to boot.

I also DNFed Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood and Invictus by Ryan Graudin.

What reading goals do you have for next year?

My Goodreads reading challenge is already set to 1, and I plan on enjoying my reading as much this year, as I did last year. I also want to read Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott and England Under Norman and Angevin Kings, 1075-1225 by Robert Bartlett. Otherwise, I have a focused TBR that I am free to ignore if I wish.

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