Friday, January 31, 2020

Book Recommendations: Romance (or books with romance) [All Queer!]

These books aren't necessarily strictly romance books but they at least HAVE romance in them. I could've added more but I figured twelve was plenty for one recommendation's post and these are the ones I picked, for one reason or another. Obviously this means I have read these books and loved them personally. The fact that they are all queer is a happy accident. :D

1.

The Abyss Surrounds Us duology by Emily Skrutskie

Lesbian pirates fighting genetically engineered sea monsters (there is a giant turtle) in a near-future dystopia. Has a slow burn F/F romance that is enemies to lovers. Turns tropes on their head. Action, feels, morally gray, realistic characters, and romance. The MC is a Chinese-American lesbian. I loved it all! I haven't read the prequel yet because I only recently found out it existed. And the second book technically i've only read the arc but I do have a finished copy and want to re-read the duology!

2.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

A beautiful contemporary story of 2 Mexican-American boys falling in love. It's been awhile since I read it but I remember really relating to Ari and some depression feels. M/M.

3.

Sunstone Vol 1-5 by Stjepan Šejić

A F/F BDSM romantic comedy graphic novel series. Talks about the trust needed in BDSM, human feelings and more and is over-all very sweet.

4.

Fortitude Smashed and Curved Horizon by Taylor Brooke

This is a duology (that needs to be read in order) but focuses on a different couple in each book (though everyone is friends). The first book is M/M the second is F/F. Both books talk a lot about mental illness like depression, panic attacks, past abuse, anxiety (and as someone who deals with all that I loved the rep and really related to it!). Complex characters I either loved or grew to love. Bisexual, Pansexual and Demisexual rep all stated on the page. Daisy is a Chinese-American Demisexual girl with anxiety. Granted I read the arcs of these via netgalley. I really should get physical copies of them to re-read!

5.

Vampire Sorority Sisters Series by by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Yes it's a trilogy and sadly i've only read the first one but I freaking loved it! I may or may not re-read it but I have the rest of the trilogy and really want to finish it! An F/F vampire romance with a sorority of vampire girls. Interesting world, characters, girls supporting girls. Erotic but so much more!

6.

Mothmen: Myths and Legends by Kaelan Rhywiol

A M/M/F poly-amorous kinky triad involving shape-shifting moth people. Deals with grief. Short story that packs a punch. Own voices first nations rep. So many emotions. A lot of tenderness. Complex characters that I loved. Also very sexy.

7.

The Sublime and Spirited Voyage of Original Sin by Colette Moody

A historical F/F pirate romance adventure novel with some feminist themes in it. Also some sexy times.

8.

Moon-Bright Tides by RoAnna Sylver

A cute F/F romance between a witch and a mermaid! Anxiety rep as well. Short story but packed a punch.

9.


Mermaids of Eriana Kwai Series by Tiana Warner

Mermaids. F/F Romance (more so in the later books). War. Complex characters. Female friendship. Loved everything about this trilogy!

10.

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

A beautiful adult F/F historical romance with characters I loved and loved to see them grow.

11.

Bingo Love by Tee Franklin

A second chance F/F romance between 2 older black women because they couldn't be together when they were younger because of homophobic society but met again later in life and got their chance at happiness. Graphic novel.

12.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu

A fantasy graphic novel with a Witch MC and a werewolf MC. The Witch, Nova, is female and the Werewolf, Tam, is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. So F/N romance. Both are Chinese-American. Nova's grandmothers are also in a relationship with each other and I loved seeing them. Nova also has hearing aids. Magic, cuteness, emotion. I loved it! Though i've only read it via netgalley so far but I did pick up my own physical copy!

Have you read any of these and if so what were your thoughts on them? Have any romance (or books with romance in them) recommendations of your own?

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Thursday, January 30, 2020

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport book thoughts

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport

Synopsis:

The key to living well in a high tech world is to spend much less time using technology.

Georgetown computer scientist Cal Newport's Deep Work sparked a movement around the idea that unbroken concentration produces far more value than the electronic busyness that defines the modern work day. But his readers had an urgent follow-up question: What about technology in our personal lives?

In recent years, our culture's relationship with personal technology has transformed from something exciting into something darker. Innovations like smartphones and social media are useful, but many of us are increasingly troubled by how much control these tools seem to exert over our daily experiences--including how we spend our free time and how we feel about ourselves.

In Digital Minimalism, Newport proposes a bold solution: a minimalist approach to technology use in which you radically reduce the time you spend online, focusing on a small set of carefully-selected activities while happily ignoring the rest.

He mounts a vigorous defense for this less-is-more approach, combining historical examples with case studies of modern digital minimalists to argue that this philosophy isn't a rejection of technology, but instead a necessary realignment to ensure that these tools serve us, not the other way around.

To make these principles practical, he takes us inside the growing subculture of digital minimalists who have built rich lives on a foundation of intentional technology use, and details a decluttering process that thousands have already used to simplify their online lives. He also stresses the importance of never clicking "like," explores the underappreciated value of analog hobbies, and draws lessons from the "attention underground"--a resistance movement fighting the tech companies' attempts to turn us into gadget addicts.

Digital Minimalism is an indispensable guide for anyone looking to reclaim their life from the alluring diversions of the digital world.

In a Nutshell: A non-fiction book about using less technology and social media for a happier life

Published: Feb 5th, 2019
Format: Physical
Number of Pages: 256
Finished: January 2020
Rating: 2.25⭐
Diversity: None

My Thoughts

I have somewhat complicated feelings on this book. I feel like I need to say these are all just my opinions. Anyway..Through-out there were so many times I was internally screaming "DISABLED PEOPLE EXIST!" and wanting to DNF it. I almost wish I had. There is so much privilege that goes unseen that I wanted to scream. That's not to say I didn't get anything good out of this book, because I did, but it was a chore to wade through the privilege, so much of it I don't have myself, and the pretentiousness as well as an almost complete lack of being able to acknowledge the good social media has done. I know it has it's cons and flaws and people can definitely have an unhealthy relationship with it and the internet. Many do. That's a part of why I picked up this book. That doesn't mean it's evil, and I had heard that this book doesn't paint it as completely evil, and it doesn't. But it still drove me up a wall. The author even admits he has never used social media so you can take that how you want to as well.

Personally I am physically disabled (as well as mental health issues that i've had long before social media-PTSD, Depression, Anxiety-that I have had my entire life due to my medical issues and I did grow up in a time before social media and the internet like it is today-mentioning that because it talks about how teens today are more anxious then ever before due largely to social media) as well as queer (non-binary trans and bisexual specifically), and i'll get to why I mention that in a second.

Social media, even with it's cons, has given me a world of good. I grew up with VACteRL Association (used to be called VAteR syndrome) (capitalized like that because it's an acronym). I have rare medical issues and grew up with doctors constantly telling me "never heard of that" and looking at me like I got 3 heads. I still, less than 2 weeks away from being 31, have never, to my knowledge, met, in person, a SINGLE other person with vacterl. Not one. I grew up feeling all alone and like a freak of nature, in constant physical pain, like a burden because of the way people (including parents-not all of them-had 4 with stepparents) treated me, and like no one understood or even cared to. Add to that fact that at 13 I realized i'm bisexual and grew up thinking that's a sin and that I was going to hell for it. So I tried to pray myself straight for a few years. Obviously it didn't work. I'm proud to be queer now but man was it a journey. I also was confused as to my gender all my life but never had the words to describe how I felt.

What does that have to do with social media? As an adult I found facebook groups for people with vacterl. Finally, I can talk to others that have the same medical issues, have had the exact same pain and problems, that understand because they go through it too. Some even older than me despite being told if I was born just years earlier i'd be dead. Do you know how valuable this is? In addition to realizing i'm not alone and that there are others out there that understand and care...we can also share medical information. This can save lives or at least help each other live a little better. With rare medical issues this is an understatement. Feeling all alone is the worst feeling.

With social media I can now find many other disabled people who even when we have different issues we can often relate in certain ways. And I can find many other queer people now and see what teen me didn't get the chance to, that being queer isn't a bad thing. And now I know the word non-binary...finally, I understood my issue with not being able to describe my gender growing up. I knew how I felt LONG before I had the words. The word may be new to me, but the feelings aren't. Someone knowing that they aren't alone can save their LIFE. Many people don't have the privilege of having someone in their real life that understands or seems to care.

Time and time again this book talks about strenuous activity and walking. Umm...physically disabled here. I can't walk much or physically do a lot. Some people...can't walk at all. It even says (talking about someone named Thoreau) "But if we remain inspired by his vision, and try to spend as much time as is reasonable on foot and engaging in the "noble art" of walking, we too will experience success in preserving our health and spirits." I didn't know I had picked up a fitness book. "Noble art" of walking? So what about those that can't walk? That can't get out much? My medical issues keep me home-bound and i'm far from the only home-bound disabled person. Through-out this book it completely forgets disabled people exist, that not everyone can walk or do strenuous activity, or get out of the house often, or has people around them in real life that actually care about them or that understand them in some way.

It talks about craftsmanship, making things with your hands (not everyone has hands), and how making something in the physical real world is superior and seems to be what makes a person...matter. Time and time again it gives off the impression that if you are disabled, if you can't be handy in someway, you don't matter. Granted it seems to completely forget disabled people exist. The pretentiousness oozing off the pages made me want to throw it.

It also constantly mentions smartphones and to use your desktop computer once in awhile and you're smartphone a lot less so you are on the internet less. I'm sure that can work for some people but it believes that everyone HAS a desktop computer. Many people are too poor and the only access they have to the internet is their smartphone. I'm quite the opposite, smartphones confuse the fuck out of me. I do have a tablet but I use that for ebooks mainly. I do have a desktop...that i'm always on. Because i'm home-bound.

It also constantly says that downtime is overrated. Why must we always be productive? Why can't we just relax once in awhile? We aren't machines. We are human. Downtime can be necessary. Why must leisure activity be yet another thing to use as a measure of productivity and why must how productive someone is be tied to their worth as a human? When talking about leisure activities it kept saying "high quality" leisure activities aka strenuous and productive stuff.

If you are wondering why I even picked it up, it's because I do want to be on the internet/social media less because I want to do other things. I want to draw, paint, write, read more. I thought maybe I could get something out of this book. And as I said in the beginning, I did. It's not without some words of wisdom or information that is useful as well as some things I wish more people knew. I don't actually regret reading it, I just didn't like reading it and it was hell to get through. I can't really recommend it and I feel like I wasted my money on it because I bet I could've just googled stuff. But the good stuff in it is why it gets a strong 2 stars from me, rather than ya know, 1 star.

It talks about how we are social animals and how that evolved in our brains and why social media is kinda fucking with it. And how we aren't wired to be constantly wired, which i'd agree with. How we could generally use some solitude to be with our thoughts. A part of me hates to give it a low rating because of how valuable I actually do find the good in it. I would love a book on this topic but more nuanced and inter-sectional. I'm glad for what I got out of it and i'll try to take that and forget the rest of my frustrations with it.

My Review on Goodreads

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Sunday, January 26, 2020

Jan 19th to Jan 25th, 2020 Book Haul +

Amazon Freebies

Lesbian Sitter Submission by Mazy Rain: An erotic f/f short story

Paying Her Rent by Mazy Rain: Another erotic f/f short story

Wrath of the Sister by Shannon Heuston: A Psychological Thriller

If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of Karma and Fear edited by R.E. Sargent: A horror anthology

Finding Olivia by Micalea Smeltzer: A Contemporary New Adult Romance

My Coach's Lesbian Plaything by Mazy Rain: Another erotic f/f short story

Trained! by my Lesbian Coach by Mazy Rain: Another erotic f/f short story

The Substitute by Mickey Miller: A contemporary romance

Other Stuff

Supernatural is back from hiatus! There have been 2 episodes this month so far, Season 15 episodes 9-10, I watched episode 9 this past week but haven't seen 10 yet. I am so worried about how it's going to end. I've finally started season 5 of Fuller House and have watched the first 3 episodes so far. Fuller House is freaking hilarious! I've also read Locke & Key Vol 2-3 by Joe Hill. I read volume 1 last year and despite not remembering stuff that well i've plowed on with volume 2 and 3 anyway. Still enjoying the series so far. Reading them via comixology unlimited.

I can't believe how many blog posts I got out this past week! I've realized in addition to these weekly Sunday haul posts I like to get a post up on Friday about something that isn't a book review. Otherwise it's as I want to or have a review to post.

Blog Posts Over the Past Week

Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao book thoughts
The Deep by Rivers Solomon book thoughts
Thoughts on Re-Reading
Looking Back at 2019 Over-All
1984 by George Orwell book thoughts

For the Amazon freebies, I just happened to see they were free (usually because of bookbub). Often they are only free for a short time so I can't guarantee they still are when you see this. Of course I can't review what I haven't read yet so when I say what they are about it's just from what I see on Goodreads/have heard.

So what have you picked up recently? Any of these sound interesting? Comment down below! :)

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Saturday, January 25, 2020

1984 by George Orwell book thoughts

1984 by George Orwell

Synopsis: The year 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of "negative utopia"—a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words. No one can deny the novel's hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions—a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time.

In a Nutshell: A Dystopian classic that, terrifyingly, rings very true today

Published: June 8th, 1949
Format: Physical
Number of Pages: 326
Finished: January 2020
Rating: 5⭐
Diversity: None

My Thoughts

Yes this was my first time reading 1984 or anything by George Orwell. I heard this dystopian nightmare rings very true today...and I must agree. When I thought it couldn't get more terrifying, it did. And it's all too real. The writing was easy for me to follow. It did get a little dry for a little bit in the middle though I understood it's purpose and it wasn't for very long.

I felt for Winston, feeling like he's insane or all alone because so many people blindly follow Big Brother and all Big Brother's crap. Worried about the (actual) Thought Police, as if thoughts are real actions. I doubt there is anyone alive, barring babies and young children, that hasn't had awful/mean/unkind thoughts at some point. It doesn't mean you're going to act on them or that you're a bad person, it means you are human.

Granted Big Brother is worried about so many things that aren't even bad, because to him, they are. It explains why, and everything brought up so many real life memories and stuff going on today-in the real world. Yes, it's frightening and even seems hopeless though it was meant as a warning. Over 70 years ago it was written...and yet in so many ways it's like it was written today. Honestly it could be.

The plot, the themes, all of it had me questioning so many things from real life. Had me thinking. Had my eyes wide in horror as I connected things. Had me questioning "what would I do?". I don't actually want to spoil anything but if you haven't read it and do want spoilers i'm sure they are easy to find on the internet as this is well known classic. I see why this is a classic and a must read. I am so glad that i've read it now and I hope it makes me think more consciously going forward. Glad to finally know where "Big Brother is watching you" and the concept of the Thought Police came from.

The thirst for power. The loss of humanity and what it means to be human, truly alive and conscious. What is truth and can lies become truth. Brainwashing.

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
2 + 2 = 5

I highly recommend this book.

Quotes

"If all records told the same tale - then the lie passed into history and became truth."

"Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, working or eating, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or in bed - no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull."

My Review on Goodreads

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Friday, January 24, 2020

Looking back at 2019 over-all

Basically reviewing my 2019. I did do a Goodreads challenge in 2019, initially I set it to 65, got really stressed in the beginning of the year when it said I was (barely) behind and truthfully if I wasn't well ahead I was uber stressed so I set it down to 52 and...I got to 130. Sort of. 4 of them are short stories in a huge anthology that I counted separately so really 126. But still, that's awesome! But I also learned the Goodreads challenge can kiss my ass, i'm not doing it again. I've mentioned it before in my 2020 Goals post. Not against it and I don't regret doing it in the past, it's just not for me going forward. My 2019 Goodreads challenge is Here if you want to look at all the books on it.

Looking at my Goals for 2019 post...I didn't re-read the books I wanted to (and I still want to), I continue to suck at continuing series, I did read enough non-fiction though i'd love to read more. I read some poetry, loved some of it, didn't get some of it, so i'm glad I am continuing to read poetry sometimes (should do it more often) because when it's a hit it's awesome! I did read enough classics, want to continue reading classics sometimes. I have several I want to read.

I didn't read enough queer stories but do I ever...is there ever such a thing as enough queer stories? No, no there is not. I don't think I read enough short stories either. I wish I had read more creature features and bizarro stories. I did good with my group. I read 3 stories by Stephen King (one being a comic only partially written by him but still). I sucked at reading what I wanted to when I wanted to. I'm stuck in TBR's and I can't find my way out! And everything else...yea I suck. I did get glasses but that's it...

All that probably makes it seems like 2019 was a bust but it wasn't! I read over 27,000 pages and had an average rating of 3.88! I found so many new favorites when I went to do my favorites post I had to split it into 2 because I just couldn't narrow it down anymore! I came out as non-binary and trans. As a demiguy. I go by Tyler now. 2019 was a great year, just maybe not so great for all the goals I set. But hey, 2020 is a new year right? I also learned doing youtube is not for me, but this blog is.

2019 had ups and downs, like any year will, but over-all I feel pretty great about it and look forward to what the rest of 2020 has in store for me. Hopefully I can take what I learned in 2019, apply it and learn more in 2020.

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Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Thoughts on re-reading

A discussion post!

I want to do a discussion post every once in awhile. Just a post where I talk about some sort of topic. I figured with my recent books I want to re-read post why not discuss re-reading?

Some people say re-reading is pointless, you've already read the story. Others love it. Others want to do more of it but feel bad because of all the unread books glaring at us. I'm definitely in that last camp. There are so many books I want to read that I feel bad for the unread books staring at me but also..I want to re-read some books. I want to dive back into my favorites. Revisit characters and stories I love.

A lot of the times it's like diving into it for the first time for me because my memory sucks. I forget things. A lot. So maybe i'll remember the basics or something but not details, and heck sometimes i'll even forget the basics. I'll just know what I felt about the book, if I loved it, liked it etc. And sometimes with re-reading one can take away new things from the book.

Why do we sometimes feel shame for wanting to re-read a book? As if we can't take anything new from it or as if reading isn't meant to be enjoyed. I read for fun, as a hobby, to keep my brain active. That's all. If I want to re-read a book...so what? I read for FUN. If I find re-reading a book fun and enjoyable who is to tell me I shouldn't spend my free time re-reading it? It's not hurting anyone. Reading and hobbies are meant to be enjoyed.

In This article it mentions that "Without rereading, it may be impossible to appreciate a writer’s more subtle talents or to comprehend a text’s intricate ideas and themes." and that sometimes works of literature have been defined by their re-readability. It also mentions it can act as a means of self-reflection, since the text doesn't change but the reader might. It has pros and cons in the article, a con being a re-read may not live up to the rosy view of the first read, which is definitely a fear. What if a beloved favorite...no longer holds up for whatever reason? That can happen, and it can suck. It can also mean you've grown as a person and are seeing it in a new light, even as the nostalgia takes a hit.

Reading this article though made me think of the fact I re-watch movies and tv shows, and enjoy them all over again without a second thought. I listen to songs more than once. How is that any different to re-reading? If I enjoy re-watching and re-listening to stuff, why can't I do the same with books?

Yes, i'll watch new movies, watch new tv shows, listen to new songs once in awhile, and I have a bunch of books I haven't read yet that I want to, and when I pick up a book to read it's usually one I haven't read before. So what if I want to re-read something sometimes? Re-reading has it's perks, and is "for fun" really a bad reason? Isn't part of life supposed to be fun? I'll still be experiencing new things as well. There is room for both.

Another article I read and enjoyed Here.

Do you re-read books? Do you feel bad for re-reading or wanting to re-read? I definitely need to make time to re-read some books! What about you?

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Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The Deep by Rivers Solomon book thoughts

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

Synopsis: Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.

Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities—and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.

Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past—and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity—and own who they really are.

In a Nutshell: A hard-hitting diverse adult fantasy with merfolk

Published: Nov 5th, 2019
Format: Physical
Number of Pages: 166
Finished: January 2020
Rating: 5⭐
Diversity: All the characters are black, some are queer, some disabled, and it's written by a black autistic non-binary author

My Thoughts

This story hit me hard from the very beginning. I was so angry at the Wajinru for putting the burden of their entire history all on Yetu's shoulders. All alone, in so much pain, pain they should have been sharing together rather than dumping it all on Yetu and it was killing her, literally. As the story progressed though I understood why they did it. I felt so much for Yetu. At times I related to certain things from being disabled, neuro-divergent and a rather sensitive INFP. I just wanted to hug Yetu and scream at the rest of the Wajinru that they were killing Yetu and didn't even seem to notice.

The writing flowed and sucked me in. The book may be short but it packs a powerful punch and has so much weaved within it I can't believe it's short. No sentence felt wasted, everything important. It is a complex story with several layers but I was never confused by it. Though I think I might have been if I had read it too fast rather than taking my time with it as I did.

It has themes of being oneself, of being a part of a group and having a group history, of kinship, trauma, climate change. I'm sure there is even stuff I missed. It has powerful messages wrapped in a fantasy story with merfolk. I loved learning about the Wajinru and how they worked. I loved the arc the story went on as well as Yetu's character arc. I may have been angry for much of the story but it ends on hope and so beautifully, the ending had me sobbing. It moved me and it made me think. I had to put it down sometimes to really digest it as well as calm myself down. I enjoyed the hint of romance. I'd gladly read more from this world and these characters.

If you pick up this book please read the afterwords about how this book came to be. It's inspired by This song.

Quotes

"Forgetting was not the same as healing"

"That mattered. Who each of them was mattered as much as who all of them were together."


As my ass is white and this centers black people i'd like to direct you to a couple of reviews by black people: ONYX Pages and The Artisan Geek.

My Review on Goodreads

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Monday, January 20, 2020

Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao book thoughts

Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao

Synopsis:

This hot debut is the first book in an epic new series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to clear her name for her father's murder.

In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural—dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls.

When Ana’s father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father’s murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work—one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.

A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans—though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.

In a Nutshell: A YA High Fantasy Retelling of Anastasia

Published: Nov 19th, 2019
Format: Physical
Number of Pages: 453
Finished: January 2020
Rating: 4.25⭐
Diversity: An Asian-inspired fantasy by a Chinese-American author.

My Thoughts

I found the writing mostly accessible. I've heard people mention it's a bit repetitive, which I could see but it didn't personally bother me any. The "mostly" accessible part is all the words and names I couldn't pronounce which is normal in a high fantasy story. So words became shortened versions of themselves to get me through the story. Otherwise I had no trouble with the writing and it flowed well for me.

I fell in love with the characters. Ana and Ramson being the main characters. At times I wanted to smack them but they felt like real characters with their own motivations, feelings, stories and flaws. I liked seeing the side characters as well, all playing their part in the story and the world.

The plot kept me wanting more and wanting to know what was going to happen next. There were a couple of twists I didn't see coming and the second half of the story I didn't want to put the book down! There are deaths, lies and truth hidden inside lies, blood, affinities which is like the avatar bending. Ana has a blood affinity. Plenty of action and feels too.

I loved the atmosphere and world-building. It was snowy, has a map of the world in the book, has cities, forests, desert...animal spirits...the people have their deities and traditions. It was all weaved into the story.

The themes hit me in the feels. Trafficking of the affinities, indentured servitude, fear of the affinities because they are different and controlling them. Ana is supposed to be the princess but ends up being an affinite, like I mentioned with an affinity for blood. She was framed for her father's murder so she goes on a mission to find the murderer and try to clear her name. I cried, laughed and got very angry through-out the story, because I was supposed to.

And there are so many shades of gray which I absolutely loved to see! Life isn't black and white. A revolution, people fighting for their rights, fighting for goodness in a very corrupt world. Yaeger's that are affinities with an affinity to control other affinities, used against their own kind. The entire book made me think and ask myself some questions.

I'm rooting for the romance which is barely in the first book but is still obvious. I look forward to continuing the series (but I do not look forward to the wait lol).

Quotes

"Your affinity does not define you. What defines you is how you choose to wield it."

"Humans, it seemed, tended to fear things that were different."

"My child, we are but dust and stars."

"Do you think I have a choice?" His voice was raw. "In this empire, if I am not the hunter, then I become the hunted."
She would never forget the way he gazed up at her, yaeger and Affinite in one. Trapped in a corrupt system."

"You can achieve everything in this world, but if it's for someone else, it's pointless. Figure out what you want to do in this life. Live for yourself."

"We take what we are given and we fight like hell to make it better."

"The world doesn't exist in black and white. But I would like to believe that it is our choices that define us."

"there is good and bad in everything, Ana. And it is the good of this world that makes it worth saving."


There was also some controversy surrounding this book, if you want to know about it I'd just direct you to This article on it.

My review on Goodreads

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Sunday, January 19, 2020

Jan 12th to Jan 18th, 2020 Book Haul +

Amazon Freebies

Using Caprice by Mazy Rain: A f/f erotic short story

First Time Lesbian Pool Girl by Mazy Rain: Another f/f erotic short story

Jeopardy in January by Camilla Chafer: A cozy mystery

Voyeur by Fiona Cole: A contemporary erotic romance

The Ghosts of Kali Oka Road by M.L. Bullock: A ghost story

K.A.R.M.A by Grant McKenzie: A Mystery/Thriller

Scrooge McFuck by May Sage: The second book in a contemporary romance series. I already had the first book so...

Tower by Measha Stone: A bdsm erotic romance

Stitch by L. Wilder: The second book in a romance series and I have the 6th book (also was a freebie)

Audiobooks

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: I read this last year and loved it! So in an effort to get into audiobooks by listening to books i've already read (makes it easier for me) I got this. A classic romantic suspense.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker: A classic historical fiction novel. I've read it before and loved it, so like Rebecca, I got it on audio.

Physical

The Knight in Screaming Armor by R.L. Stine: A give yourself goosebumps/choose your own adventure type book

You're Plant Food! by R.L. Stine: Another give yourself goosebumps book

A Nest of Nightmares by Lisa Tuttle: A paperbacks from hell anthology horror book

The Tribe by Bari Wood: Another paperbacks from hell horror book. I actually got this awhile ago on kindle, because I didn't really know about Barnes and Noble and Amazon always seems to say it'll take months to get a paperbacks from hell physical book. Normally I don't mind reading ebooks but if possible i'd like the paperbacks from hell books physically, and now realizing I can get them easier via B&N...I haven't even read it yet but oh well.

The Reaping by Bernard Taylor: Same story as The Tribe actually

Night Thunder by Ruby Jean Jensen: A horror story

Jump Rope by Ruby Jean Jensen: Another horror story

Other Stuff

Sorry I haven't had anything else to really say, i've been mostly focusing on reading books for the Cancelathon readathon, trying to sleep, going to the Dr...boring life stuff.

Blog Posts over the past week.

The New Year's Party by R.L. Stine book thoughts
Books I want to re-read!
My Most Disappointing Reads of 2019

For the Amazon freebies, I just happened to see they were free (usually because of bookbub). Often they are only free for a short time so I can't guarantee they still are when you see this. Of course I can't review what I haven't read yet so when I say what they are about it's just from what I see on Goodreads/have heard.

So what have you picked up recently? Any of these sound interesting? Comment down below! :)

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