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camreadsum · 8 months

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You guys were right!!

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi!!!!!!!!!!!

Buff Pirate mommy, are you kidding me?! It's like this book was written for me specifically!!

Sister Shanon, MashaAllah, the woman that you are!!!

#currently reading #my tbr #5/5 stars #s.a. chakraborty #the adventures of amina al sirafi #my books 2023 #the daevabad trilogy

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geriatricturkeys · 1 year

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My Sister, The Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite

‘It takes a whole lot longer to dispose of a body than to dispose of a soul...’

#currently reading #my books 2023 #my sister the serial killer #oyinkan braithwaite #books #books and literature #books and reading #book photography #reading aesthetic #bookish #bookblr #book blog #bookworm #book addict #book quotes

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phiralovesloki · 4 months

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Some books I read this year (2023)

I've read a lot of books this year, which I've tracked using the GoodReads challenge. Some of them I loved, some of them I liked, some of them were very okay, a few of them I did not like, and another few of them I did not finish (which I did not count towards my total because, well, I didn't finish reading them!).

Here are some books I loved, in no particular order--

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

I don't know how to describe this book. It's about stories, from start to finish, it's a queer love story, it's a mystery, it's fantasy. It reminds me of something else I've read but I can't place it. Absolutely a work of art in book form.

Chalice by Robin McKinley

I hadn't read anything new by Robin McKinley in years, not since Spindle's End, so I was excited to give this book a try. It's ... weird! Not gonna lie! But once I got into the world building, it really gripped me. Not every mystery is solved/explained, but it's to the book's advantage, not to its detriment.

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens

I liked Sophie Cousens' contemporary romance debut (This Time Next Year), but hadn't loved her follow-up. This one seemed like it might be a miss, as the summary felt very ... silly, I guess? But this book handled so very well something that I think a lot of us experience--the mundanity of healthy relationships. I can't say more without spoiling what I think is a really excellent contemporary romance.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I had been putting this one off because I read to relax and decrease my stress, and I knew this book would be a difficult read. However, because it's YA, I found it much less distressing than I think it could have been. It's definitely a tougher read, but a very meaningful one, and I appreciate the hopeful ending.

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

This is one mystery thriller that hit the mark and had a mostly satisfying reveal. It had some difficult moments, and one of the aspects of the reveal was a little farfetched, but I liked it overall. I've heard that Kubica's books can be hit or miss; this one was a hit for me, but I have yet to try anything else she's written.

All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden (last in a series)

I usually prefer my historical romance to be Regency or later, but this whole series was a lot of fun. The premise is that an elderly dowager duchess is searching for an heir to the dukedom, as the duke, her only surviving child, is growing old himself and cannot bear any children of his own. She's tracked down the two closest heirs, and the first two books in the series involve each of them falling in love. This book switches gears a bit as there is revealed to be a potential third heir, but it's a lot of fun.

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

I wouldn't say I'd read anything by Kate Clayborn, but it's close. Based on the summary of this story, I was a little nervous, since it seemed like Georgie was going to be one of those adorkable, child-like female protagonists. But instead, I got to read a beautiful love story between two people trying to figure themselves out, without resorting to anything highly cliched.

The Duke's Secret Cinderella by Eva Devon

Look, man, I love the movie Ever After, and this is basically Ever After. Do I need to sell it even more than this?

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

This book is absolutely wild. The entire story takes place as emails, transcripts, text messages, fliers, and so on, telling the story of a community theater troupe as they rally around a little girl and raise money for her cancer treatment. Oh, and there was a murder. I didn't like the follow-up to this book (The Twyford Code, unrelated in plot), but I loved this one.

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

This one seems to have been really divisive, with people either loving or hating it. I loved it--I loved the whole shtick with the 90s boarding school, and the mystery was really satisfying. My only caveat, really, is that I could not for the life of me figure out what the author wanted me to take away regarding #MeToo, which I think is the book's biggest flaw.

A Problem Princess by Anna Harrington (last in a series)

I really loved this whole historical romance series, which is about a group of men returned from war who end up trying to break up a conspiracy to overthrow the crown. Each book builds well on the other ones, so while you could read this as a standalone, and in fact I read some of the books out of order, in order would work best.

Babel by R.F. Kuang

I fucking loved this book. Jesus Christ. Divergent historical fiction with a little bit of magic, about the power of language and also how colonialism is the fucking WORST. Every white person needs to read this and shut the fuck up.

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

This mystery thriller gets pretty complicated, but has a very satisfying conclusion (with one plot hole that I feel like I can excuse, tbh). It's also about the friction between a small Welsh town and the rich English folks who are moving in across the lake.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

A very odd story, but a lot of fun. It's in media res regarding the world building, but any time you really need to understand how an aspect of the world works, you've had enough information to get it. Hart and Mercy have a lovely relationship, and the intricate plot is very engaging. I can't wait for the follow-up!

The Martian by Andy Weir

No, I hadn't read the book until this year. No, I still haven't seen the movie. But I fucking loved the book. I appreciate that the science itself was very meticulously researched, which enhanced the story in the extreme. But truly that worked the best about this book was that this is absolutely what scientists and bureaucrat scientists are like, and it was an absolute blast to read.

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood (first in series)

Historical fiction murder mystery series, starring a bisexual, hard-boiled junior detective and her disabled, super sharp lady detective boss. I am dying, pun intended, to read the most recent book in the series. One thing I really like about the series is that, while it nails the hard-boiled 1940s detective shtick, it makes no bones (pun again intended) about discussing the lives of marginalized people in the time period. Again, the main character is bisexual, her boss is disabled, and that's just the beginning.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

As with Kate Clayborn, I'll read just about anything by Emily Henry. This one might be my favorite, just edging out Beach Read. I've seen a lot of Tumblr posts about wanting a story about the career driven city boyfriend from all the Hallmark movies; if you want that, then read this. Basically, the main character is the career driven city girlfriend, and she's aware of it. It's happened to her more than once. Just that set-up alone was enough to get me reading this, and it did not disappointed. I also liked Happy Place, which I also read this year, but found that some of the characters were unlikable enough to distract me from the parts I enjoyed.

Off the Map by Trish Doller (last in a series)

While I prefer the other two books in this series, this one wasn't exactly a disappointment. A nomadic woman ends up forging a relationship with her best friend's future brother-in-law, as they all get together for that friend's wedding in Ireland. This story addresses the fine line between running away from your problems and being on the move because that's what feels right to you. A content warning: the main character's father suffers from dementia, and his illness and impending death are a huge part of the story.

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller

This is one of those books where I can't remember that much of the plot, all these months after reading it, but I do remember enjoying the heck out of it. The whole thing was funny without being outright silly, and it was run to read a historical romance that took place in a different time and place than the typical British regency romance.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

I feel like I shouldn't have liked this book as much as I did. The book is, like, 40% "let's learn about Saturday Night Live!" 40% COVID, and 20% actual contemporary romance. But it was just very fun to read, like if 30 Rock were a romance novel.

Tall, Duke, and Scandalous by Amy Rose Bennett (last in a series)

This is just a fun, historical romance series. Nothing amazing, but very enjoyable. In this story, in particular, the male main character is face blind, but because of the female protagonist's facial scarring, he's able to recognize her, leading to their association and eventual relationship.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

I know I'm not the only one who loved this book. This is one of two books my 90-year-old grandmother recommended to me (the other one I did not like at all, and DNFed, so go figure). Octopuses are fucking awesome, so this was very fun to read.

The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George (first in a series)

Another refreshing change from the typical Regency romance. I think the first book in the series, which focuses on American heiresses being pressured to marry into British nobility, is the strongest, and the final book the weakest, but overall an enjoyable series.

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (first in a series)

One of the series I read this year that I would not shut up about (thanks to @thejollyroger-writer for recommending it), I am going to also not shut up about it here. Historical queer romance with magic, and a very engaging overarching plot. Please read.

Look Closer by David Ellis

All of the reviews of this book were essentially the same, something along the lines of, "The twists in this book are god-tier." And, you know, they weren't wrong. This is an absolutely RIDICULOUS mystery thriller, and whatever you think is going on, you are probably wrong. There were a handful of twists I caught early, but some really huge ones that were mind-boggling. I was so surprised that when I finished the book, I immediately went back and reread it, because I was certain that the author had messed up somewhere. He didn't. It's that clever.

Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase (one of a series)

I've been reading a lot of Loretta Chase lately, and most of her books strike me as unexpectedly hilarious without reading like parodies. The Carsington Brothers series is a great example, and while I've loved all four of the five books in the series that I've read (waiting for the first one to come off of my holds at the time of writing this list), this one was one of my favorites. In particular, you'd need to read this to read the final book in the series, Last Night's Scandal, which I absolutely loved.

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (first in a series)

That I did not know about this series until the very end of 2023 is unacceptable. I frickin' love Sherlock Holmes, and particularly the versions starring women (Laurie King's work and the Enola Holmes movies, for example). This series, starring Charlotte Holmes, is fucking awesome. I'm two books in, can't wait for the next one to come off my holds list.

#book recommendations #my books 2023 #i've read 183 books this year apparently #although at least one of the ones on the list is a dnf i don't know why it's on my read list #and i have 4 more i am hoping to finish before jan 1

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peraltasass · 1 year

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books i read in 2022

✩✩✩✩✩ - ★★★★★

Fiction:

Myth Retold: Iphigenia by Winter J. Kiakas: ★★★★✩ (cute!)

Heroes by Stehen Fry: ★★★✩✩ (too much whitewashing)

Loveless by Alice Oseman: ★★★★✩ (was frustrated that at the end, only one type of friendship (deep, intense, emotional) was once again posited as the “right” type of friendship to have)

Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan: ★★★★✩ (read these once when I was like 12?)

Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan: ★★★★✩

The Wave by Morton Rhue aka Tedd Strasser: ★★✩✩✩ (ik it’s like a big thing but. the writing didn’t catch me at all - maybe it was the translation or maybe it is just not as well written as claimed)

Percy Jackson: The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan: ★★★★✩ (ah yes, we all know that girls saying no to love = saying no to men)

Percy Jackson: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan: ★★★★✩ (just stop it with the jealousy between girls jfc)

Percy Jackson: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan: ★★★★✩ (didn’t remember the ending at all, was surprised by how okay I was with it)

we are the ants by Shaun David Hutchinson: ★★★✩✩/★★★★✩ (am incredibly indecisive about how I feel about this one. made me feel more feeling that I thought at first but also frustrated me quite a lot)

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes: ★★★★✩ (very powerful, I only have tiny notes)

Ulysses by James Joyce: ★★✩✩✩ (I don’t cARE if it’s the bEsT nOvEl Of ThE 20th cEnTuRy, I did NOT have a good time)

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao: ★★★½✩ (I hate to say it but it was too much like Percy Jackson for most of the main part)

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus: ★★★½✩ (did get me eventually; as someone who wrote their ba thesis on the breakfast club it was nice to see the stereotypes deconstructed but also frustrating at times)

Ausser Sich by Sasha Marianna Salzmann: ★★★½✩ (VERY overwhelming at times, but also intensely powerful)

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: ★★★★✩ (cute)

Die Götter müssen sterben by Nora Bendzko: ★★★★★ (my new fav book)

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters: ★★★★✩

Cracking India by Bapsi Sidhwa: ★★★✩✩ (for uni)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater: ★★★★★ (re-read)

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater: ★★★★★ (re-read)

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater: ★★★★★ (re-read)

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater: ★★★★✩ (re-read, still the least good of all of them)

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman: ★★★★✩ (cute quick and easy read)

Non fiction:

A Year Without a Name by Cyrus Dunham: ★★★★✩ (for uni)

Wir können mehr sein by Aminata Touré: ★★★½✩

Und jetzt Du by Tupoka Ogette: ★★★★★ (@German white people: READ THIS)

Read This to Get Smarter by Blair Imani: ★★★★✩

Queer Gestreift by Kathrin Köller and Irmela Schautz ★★★★✩

My Left Foot by Christy Brown: ★★★★✩ (for uni)

Read This to Get Smarter about Race, Class, Gender, Disability & More by Blair Imani: ★★★★✩

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon: ★★★★✩

Graphic novels, comics, and webcomics:

Tidesong by Wendy Xu: ★★★★✩

Princess, Princess Ever After by Katie O’Neill: ★★★✩✩ (too short!)

This Place: 150 Years Retold: ★★★★★

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, Wendy Xu, and Joanette Gil: ★★★★★

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell: ★★★★✩

Suki, Alone: ★★★✩✩ (liked it, wish it had given me MORE)

Fine. A Comic About Gender by Thea Ewing: ★★★★★ (STRONG recommend!)

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill: ★★★★★ (too short but SO CUTE)

#text #me #books #my books #yeah so may be mostly inactive on tumblr but I always track my reading progress in my drafts lol #i read so much this year and it feels really good #my books 2023

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julianplum · 6 months

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🧡 🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟✨ // for day 3 of folktale week 2023: sea! // gouache on paper

a little study of scales, texture, and light for a larger project I'm working on! also made this one into wrapping paper because I CAN'T be the only one who wants to wrap fish presents for people????

#my art #folktale week 2023 #folktale week sea #gouache #illustration #painting #art #artists on tumblr #picture book illustration #fish #aquatic #sardines #scales #ocean #oceancore

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gautierprotectionsquad · 4 months

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my 2023 year in books. i'm trying to get better at including the comics i've read into my goodreads. I'm also trying to use my storygraph more.

#romanticsap #books #my books 2023 #i redid the post bc i realized i forgot several books

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supermarketcrush · 1 year

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what's a book you read as a teenager that was so magical and personally profound to you it literally changed your life, doesnt matter if the book was actually well written or not. mine's probably the catcher in the rye

#looking for books to add to my 2023 to read list mutuals plssss rb #rb game #by phoenix

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verkomy · 4 months

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I think about this scene at least four times a week

But Aragorn smiled. ‘It will serve,’ he said. ‘The worst isnow over. Stay and be comforted!’ Then taking two leaves, he laid them on his hands and breathed on them, and then he crushed them, and straightway a living freshness filled the room, as if the air itself awoke and tingled, sparkling with joy. And then he cast the leaves into the bowls of steaming water that were brought to him, and at once all hearts were lightened. For the fragrance that came to each was like a memory of dewy mornings of unshadowed sun in some land of which the fair world in spring is itself but a fleeting memory. But Aragorn stood up as one refreshed, and his eyes smiled as he held a bowl before Faramir’s dreaming face. ‘Well now! Who would have believed it?’ said Ioreth to a woman that stood beside her. ‘The weed is better than I thought. It reminds me of the roses of Imloth Melui when I was a lass, and no king could ask for better. Suddenly Faramir stirred, and he opened his eyes, and he looked on Aragorn who bent over him; and a light of knowledge and love was kindled in his eyes, and he spoke softly. ‘My lord, you called me. I come. What does the king command?’ ‘Walk no more in the shadows, but awake!’ said Aragorn. ‘You are weary. Rest a while, and take food, and be ready when I return.’ ‘I will, lord,’ said Faramir. ‘For who would lie idle when the king has returned?’

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of The King

#aragorn #faramir #lotr #the lord of the rings #lord of the rings #the return of the king #tolkien #fanart #book illustration #my art #verkomy #verkomy 2023 #procreate

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geriatricturkeys · 1 year

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

‘Oh, I know the whole world prefers a woman who doesn’t know her power, but I’m sick of all that.’

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magnus-rhymes-with-swagness · 10 months

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it’s so interesting how gloreth is seen not only as some great noble hero, a warrior who bravely slayed the monster, but also as an adult. a grown-up knight who knew what she was going. when in reality she was just a little kid. a kid who didn’t know what she was doing, not really. a kid with a wooden sword. a kid under her parents’ influence. a kid who only started seeing nimona as a monster because that’s what she was told. and yet she ended up depicted as an adult in the statue, in the storybooks, in the scroll used to justify trying to kill nimona again.

at the beginning of the movie when she’s being introduced via storybook, she says “go back to the shadows from whence you came” in a courageous, commanding voice, even though that’s not quite what happened! in reality her voice was scared, and a little bit uncertain. the narrative was always twisted in her favor because she was seen as the hero.

#nimona #nimona movie #gloreth #gloreth nimona #nimona netflix #nimona 2023 #nd stevenson #i’ve since added a bunch more thoughts in a reblog so if you’re here on the original post you can check that out if you want :)#unrelated but the ART in the beginning is so gorgeous omfg #the pages of the books where gloreth is haloed in gold are so vivid and beautiful #all the visuals are incredibly stunning #my words #nimona spoilers

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