I decided to start with Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas that is a fictional young adult book that is part of the series with the same name. The first of the eight books in the octology as well as the first book I've read that is written by her.
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ﾟ。𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝘼𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙
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I have to say, I like the way that the book starts off immediately with something going on, the characters are introduced in a scene that is relevant to the plot unlike in other books where most of the time there's this short chapter that explains the background of the characters and what they're going through and I appreciate that, it's been a while since I've read books that start off that way. It goes as Celeana Sardothien, the main character, is presented to the king of the kingdom of Adarlan in chains, where she simultaneously meets and develops a crush on Prince Dorian Havilliard. There's also this stoic, no nonsense Captain of the Guard and childhood friend of Dorian, named Chaol Westfall that often banters with Celeana. The main character is a well known assassin that was thrown into a salt mine as a slave and was given a chance of freedom if she would become the King's Champion.
After that quick start, the story started slowing down. The pace of the progression is not continuous, at least for me. The champion is chosen through a competition with different stages of elimination (killing will result to disqualification), but it doesn't start until 30% into the story. It took its time to write Celeana's passion for reading and training sessions that are basically random warm ups and common sparring, nothing new or magical or shows the progress of each warrior's fighting style, but it does give way to Celeana's internalized monologue that is mostly about her trying to solve the sudden mysterious deaths of the competitors during the entire competition. The other characters of the book don't seem to care as much as her about the deaths of those people which is just odd.
She also took on a different identity as Lilian Gordiana, a jewel thief from another city, to avoid unnecessary attention (a tactic used by Dorian while Celeana disliked it). In her time training and reading, she meets Princess Nehemia Ygter and they become close friends. The friendship between them is so adorable, they always have each other's backs, and they both care so much about their friendship. I love how the book kept them that way instead of going down the path where one betrays the other because heaven knows we need more female friendships and women solidarity in books.
The characterization meanwhile was a bit flimsy, Celeana is written as this badass warrior assassin when she's canonically 18 years old and is even commented by one of the characters to have undisciplined form of fighting. Dorian and Chaol are written as obvious love interests and potential love triangle when in every turn, Dorian has no chemistry with Celeana with their sparks of interest are only ever physical while Chaol is made as her evident real love; their banter are fun, goofy and their serious conversations have layers, they aren't confined to just “I care for you just because.” I also do not understand why and how Celeana became interested in reading, I understand the idea of “not everything is as it seem” but a character that was thrown into slavery to the mines since they were 8 years old having this intense fondness of reading is just weird, how did she manage to hold such likings when assuming that she had never had the opportunity to hold books as much as she held a knife or a pickaxe. And no, it isn't because she was deprived of education and she wishes to obtain more knowledge through reading, which is a far better explanation than nothing at all, she's literate but inconsistent.
The author also seems to like including balls and parties into her work because this book had one that is lowkey reminiscent of Disney's Cinderella, I assume that it was intentional considering that A Court of Thorns and Roses is based around a retelling of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
All in all, it's everything that the young adult genre is known for, light fantasy with a badass female main character that gets in a love triangle and all that shazz. Not that hooked with it, but thankful that it made me go back to reading. (It was a request from a friend)
I am not sure when I will pick up the next book of the series or if I would read a different book afterwards though.
"Tim Booth is shocked when his first emergency callout for someone short of breath turns out to be an adult man with a blocked nose. Far from beginner's luck, this turns out to be an omen for the rest of his paramedic career."
Everything in this story is leading somewhere amazing. It's emotional, beautiful, touching, surprising and so incredibly moving. Sniffed, snuffled and out and out cried my way through the last part of this book.
My #bookreview is brief/won't spoil, to spread good, great, & spectacular #horror#books far & wide.
COLD, BLACK, & INFINITE is the new collection by Todd Keisling & it's a fitting title. Dark forces permeate here, shaping fates w/ little concern for humanity. These tales contain cosmic chaos, but the REAL horrors reside within people's choices, realizations, & retributions. (Cemetery Dance)
A brilliant, convoluted plan to steal the Crown Jewels with the help of an obliging inside man.
I really enjoyed this book. A pacy read which had so many threads I wasn’t sure how they would all pull together but then Mr Archer is a master storyteller so I needn’t have worried. There were some nice little nods to his early books & birthplace too - IYKYK. Thoroughly recommended. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#BookReview Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
Read in Braille
Viking
Pub. 2021, 256pp
My Name is Lucy Barton, 2016, was the first book I read by this author and I was struck by the writing style which seemed very different from anything else I was reading at that time. The character is very well drawn and I’ve often thought of the book since. Lucy has certainly stayed with Elizabeth Strout too as she wrote another book loosely based around her called Anything Is Possible which I haven’t read, and one that follows this book called Lucy by the Sea. I can see why she’s returned to Lucy as this book is about her life in her 60s where she’s left her first husband, remarried and is now alone again after her second husband dies. Her girls are grown up and married and William has remarried and has a young daughter. So there’s plenty to reflect on.
Elizabeth Strout’s prose is so distinctive and full of touching, beautifully observed details: “I saw him from afar and I saw that his khakis were too short. A little bit this broke my heart. He wore loafers, and his socks were blue, not a dark blue and not a light blue, and they showed a few inches until his khakis covered them. Oh William,I thought. Oh William!”
Lucy’s thoughts jump around as she recounts episodes from her life and tells the reader the reasons for her actions, and sometimes quite perplexing reactions to situations. She’s living with past trauma which resurfaces and takes her by surprise at times.
Lucy and William are brought together by a discovery made about William’s family and I enjoyed reading about them navigating spending time together now they are divorced; how they annoy each other but are also clearly still so connected and glad to be in each other’s lives. It’s gentle and touching.
Elizabeth Strout really knows how to make her readers feel the emotions Lucy’s going through and I very much enjoyed being in her company again. #Bookstodon#reading@bookstodon
This book is the start of the new DS Tomek Bowen series & what a great read it was. Our lead character is not a particularly happy bunny & much of this is of his own making but he also has a significant backstory. He isn’t the usual angst ridden policeman.
An easy writing style made me read until silly o’clock in the morning; I’ve already started book 2 & I know book 3 is on the horizon. So what are you waiting for? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
HOMETOWN HAUNTINGS, BOTH of past relationships and in a newly purchased house, challenge a woman trying to come to terms with her past and future. Well-written, spicy romantic suspense. B PLUS
A dream of a horse in flames, a lost puppy, and falling in love change the life of master potter Elango and the small community of Kummarapet in Anuradha Roy's 'The Earthspinner'. The story is told through the lives of Elango and Sara, his former pupil who the potter passes the art and craft of clay on to. A quietly powerful novel about change and transformation.
@bookstodon I've included books of poetry on "best of year" lists, but this is the very first time I've added a book of poetry to an all-time "kickass books" list: LORD OF THE BUTTERFLIES, by nonbinary poet Andrea Gibson is that book.
#BookReview: This is simply a remarkable collection by a talented poet.
The themes are varied, but connected by a thread of pain:
of gender exploration and the backlash it creates
of the longing and despair of unrequited love
of watching someone you love defined by their addiction
of seeing the violent hatred that others can have, simply because you exist
of battling anxiety and depression, those twin enemies from within
of battling even harder against unhelpful advice
of chronic illness and the invisibility of disability
of colonialism, and the domination of (rather than stewardship over) the natural world
of the history of this country that has been wildly distorted, and celebrated for exactly the wrong things
of the justification of evil
of grief
of being human
The poet is an artist, carefully surrounding that thread of pain with beauty, acceptance, celebration, strength, and purpose. Gibson creates what I call an "exploratorium," a place where someone can find the truth of themselves, a space they fit into, and safely wander a path until they are ready to love themselves and live that truth. No one can live fully without living authentically.
The poetry was so good, I became greedy for it, and I had to intentionally slow down.
Another excellent review from Braham Dabscheck on Newtown Review of Books on journalist Chris Masters book on Ben Roberts-Smith and the defamation trial that didn't go as he'd expected.
There is another book out from the other journalist involved in the defamation allegations - Nick McKenzie-Smith called Crossing the Line - both of which are lurking on my MtTBR.
Today's indie author review! "The Flying Mermaid" by Eule Grey, I Volcano book 1.5:
"Very well written... a beautifully told tale of strength in times of hardship and resistance during times of conflict. I have not read the other stories in the series, but I have put them on my list."
Currently listening to Dust Child #audiobook by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, international bestselling author of The Mountains Sing. This is another #historicalfiction story set in Vietnam/the US about an Amerasian man who’s trying to immigrate to the US with his family in 2016. As the child of an Amerasian mother, this story, though fictional, will help me get better insight into what it might have been like for my mom growing up as an orphan because of being mixed race. @bookstodon#bookstodon@audiobooks