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[Katia11]

Okay, so! I finished my first book where I did the thing. This time it was an ebook!

I, Medusa by Ayana Gray.

Quotes I highlighted:

"That's the curious thing about monsters," she whispers. "The worst ones don't bother hiding in the dark."

"What matters is power and those who wield it, because they're the ones who get to decide what's true and what's a lie."

-

Thoughts: This was a pretty typical Medusa retelling. I really liked the writing! And it did focus more on her life BEFORE the curse which was interesting and fun. There were elements of female rage that was handled quite well! The entire book I felt like screaming at poor Medusa, it was SO clear to me that Poseidon was NOT out for her best interest, nor was Athena. But, I do have the benefit of knowing how Medusa comes to be cursed. There were also times when she was just frustratingly naive, but it didn't detract from the experience at all.

I also wish that the part with her love interest Apollonia in the later part of the book had lasted a little bit longer. Suddenly, they were just kind of together. I want the longing. Gimme the longing!!!

I found it interesting how when it feels like Medusa has blossomed into her rage, she also blossoms into a better understanding that Athena does not see her as a person, but as a tool. And then she comes to the conclusion she can't wait to see what her destiny will be going forward... and then she's murdered.

It's horribly anticlimactic and I'm sure was the point. The reader is left with a profound sense that the world isn't fair, that people in power always take what isn't theirs to take.

A solid read for sure!

[Katia11]

I just remembered that a few years ago, I tried keeping up with the book reviews and sorta plunged myself into a slump.

I know the point is to slow down and be thoughtful about what we consume, but now I’m having doubts again lol

[Katia11]

man, I really wanted to like Don't Let the Forest In. And overall, it was a good time, the writing was good! The monsters were creepy! 

 

But final reveal was a tiny bit of a letdown, and WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ENDING?! I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. 

[Katia11]

I was re-watching Pride and Prejudice (the miniseries) for the millionth time and something caught my attention.

One of Darcy’s self proclaimed weaknesses of character is his inability to forgive. “My good opinion once lost is lost forever.”

And then I remembered a small detail from the book. Basically Lady Catherine sends a letter to Darcy after the engagement announcement in which she says some really awful things especially toward Elizabeth. So much so that communication between them essentially ends. BUT Elizabeth persuades him to overlook the offense.

I just found that very interesting. It fits with his character that he would be so offended by his aunts behavior that he essentially stops speaking to her, but then Elizabeth encourages him to make amends, which he takes steps to do.

This is a minor detail in comparison to the larger ways in which they change each other, but I just love books and media that show how the couple actually affect one another.

Like it’s not just “they have eye sex.” It’s not just “mates” or whatever. It is two people that have a real relationship in which they learn from each other and change each other.

[Katia11]

Well, folks. I'm calling it for the year! I'm not going to bother posting my storygraph stuff because no one looks at it anyway. This year, instead of listing my favorite books randomly, I am going to do my best to separate them by genre! As usual, this list does not include my yearly re-read of Pride and Prejudice

 

Total books read: 245

Audiobooks: 14

 

Most read genres:

Fantasy:143   

Young Adult: 59

 

 

-Fantasy: 

 

The Broken Earth trilogy, by N. K. Jemisin

To Shape a Dragon's Breath, by Moniquill Blackgoose

The Green Bone Saga, by Fonda Lee (this is technically a re-read but I enjoyed it quite a bit more the second time around)

Shadow of the Leviathan duology, by Robert Jackson Bennet

Blood Over Bright Haven, by M.L. Wang

The Everlasting, by Alix E. Harrow

The Spear Cuts Through Water, by Simon Jimenez

Katabasis, by R.F. Kuang

The Fox Wife, by Yangsze Choo

 

-Cozy Fantasy/ Romantasy: 

 

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales, by Heather Fawcett

The Keeper of Magical Things, by Julie Leong

Sorcery and Small Magics, by Maiga Doocy 

 

-Horror: 

 

The Bewitching, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Reformatory, by Tananarive Due

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng, by Kylie Lee Baker

Camp Damascus, by Chuck Tingle

House of Hunger, by Alexis Henderson

 

-Mystery/ General Fiction (combining these two because they only have one book each)

 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, by Agatha Christie

Giovanni's Room, by James Baldwin

 

 

-Shorter Fiction Works: (novellas etc.)

 

Carmilla, by J. Sheridan Le Fanu 

Even Though I Knew the End, by C.L. Polk

Ring Shout, by P. Djèlí Clark

 

 

-Young Adult Fantasy

 

Bloodmarked & Oathbound, by Tracy Deonn

Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins

 

-Young Adult Horror/ Darker Fantasy 

 

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, by Andrew Joseph White

They Bloom at Night, by Trang Thanh Tran

A Mastery of Monsters, by Liselle Sambury

And the River Drags Her Down, by Jihyun Yun

Till the Last Beat of My Heart, by Louangie Bou-Montes

The Ghosts of Rose Hill, by R.M. Romero

 

-General YA Fiction/ Non-fiction 

 

Punching the Air, by Ibi Zoboi, Yusef Salaam (fiction)

 

-Middle Grade Fantasy:

 

Dragonborn, by Struan Murray

Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend

Amari and the Great Game, by B.B. Alston

Amari and the Despicable Wonders, by B.B. Alston

Impossible Creatures, by Katherine Rundell

 

-Manga/ Graphic Novels

 

Spy Family Series, by Tatsuya Endo

The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang

 

-Nonfiction: 

 

The Eyes of Gaza: A Diary of Resilience, by Plestia Alaqad

Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl, by Harriet Ann Jacobs

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom, by Shari Franke

The Woman They Could Not Silence, by Kate Moore

Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools, by Mary Annette Pember

 

-Honorable Mentions:

 

The Poppy War series, by R.F. Kuang (Fantasy)

Game of Thrones series, by George R. R. Martin (Fantasy)

You Weren't Meant to Be Human, by Andrew Joseph White (Horror)

Complete Writings, by Phillis Wheatley

The Apothecary Diaries, by Natsu Hyuuga

 

-DNFS:

 

Leviathan Wakes, by James A. Corey

 

-Try Again Later:

 

The Burning Queen, by Aparna Verna

The Jasad Crown, by Sara Hashem

The Scarlet Throne, by Amy Leow

[Mara=^.^=]

Total books read: 245

 

Jesus Christ. That's an entire book every 1.5 days. HOW???

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

Uh. Idk? Lol

[Katia11]

started the year off with a bang. finished The Eyes are the Best Part which..  tw: gore, violence, uh.. eyeball related consumption?

 

Spoiler

About a woman who starts craving blue eyes and eating them (like actual eyes). Eventually escalating to murder.

 

Gory, horrible, and will definitely stick around in my head for a while. About grief, trauma, losing yourself, rage, all sorts of tasty things! HAHHAHA

[Sanjana R]

Uh. Idk? Lol

hats off, 245 is wild!

[Katia11]

*blush* well, thanks!

[Katia11]

Read Lady Susan for the first time in a LONG time. I enjoyed it! One of Jane Austen more.. morally "bad" characters. A novella in epistolary format, a pretty quick read that I finished in about an hourish? 

 

"Lady Susan Vernon is aged about 35 or 36 years old (middle-aged for the time). She is the daughter of an earl. She is a widow of just a few months, who is known to flagrantly manipulate and seduce single and married men alike. As she has been left in a financially precarious state due to the death of her first husband, she uses flirtation and seduction to gain her objectives and maintain a semblance of her former opulent lifestyle."- Wikipedia

 

What a fun little nugget. I wish there had been more! 

[Katia11]

first soft dnf of the year I know it's weird but I'm still really proud of myself whenever I dnf a book  

[Sanjana R]

first soft dnf of the year I know it's weird but I'm still really proud of myself whenever I dnf a book

As you should be! It's hard to DNF lol

[Katia11]

Right??!?!?

[Sanjana R]

Right??!?!?

Also DNF'd a book today even though I didn't want to. Wasted a Thriftbooks reward on this title, but at least I didn't purchase it full-price a few years ago...lol

[Katia11]

Oh no! I'm sorry 3( what was the book? Spill the tea!!

[Sanjana R]

Oh no! I'm sorry 3( what was the book? Spill the tea!!

 

A Primer for Forgetting: Getting Past the Past by Lewis Hyde. The concept was cool—trying to figure out the value of forgetting things instead of remembering them. But it was just not my thing! 

[Katia11]

That's fair!

[Sanjana R]

I'm reading Lenin's famous essay 'What is to be Done" right now and while I think I get the gist, I'm having a hard time understanding what he's saying because of all the in-references/insults. Trying to stick with it, because sometimes you need to challenge yourself when reading. But tempted to DNF...or at least come back to it later.

[Katia11]

oooo?! that is very very fair.