Twenty Books
30 May 2020 16:29![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
writerproblem193So remember last time when I was like, "oh haha I read 11 wild". So, between May 10 and yesterday, May 29, I've inhaled 20 books and also a lot of fanfic. It would be a lost cause to try and remember all the fanfic I've read, so here's the post of the books!
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
God, it's been way too long since I read this or I read too many books between that and now but. I liked this book, but there was a Lot to it. It was a little hard to get into, worldbuilding wise. Also, I didn't realize it was a first book in a series and I didn't realize that until I got to the end and the plotline I was the most invested in was left for later. Also like I've said, I'm not a fan of books you really need to engage every brain cell. It's just not my jam. This one had like ten twists in a row, reveal after reveal after reveal, and it was frustrating. It was also a book about trauma where in the end, spoilers, Alex basically stood up and decided to not be traumatized anymore. Now, there was a lot leading up to it and it definitely wasn't as bad as that made it sound, but it really made me go :/.
Network Effect by Martha Wells
Okay so yes I still do enjoy Murderbot, but here's the problem: this was a book, not a novella. That meant it scaled up like whoa. Instead of having only one POV, it had I think three? Also, the plot was very dense. It was definitely a full-on mystery that relied a lot on lore and inferences and being able to keep up with all of the above. I absolutely don't have the brain juice for that, so between that and the "oh no I hate change" of multiple POVs, I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Oh well.
Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A reread of three books and a novella, which apparently I last read in 2013. Which holy shit is a long time ago, and explains why I couldn't remember any of the big plot developments. I think the series had a really interesting take on the "wise mentor man who is always ten steps ahead" because he was ten steps ahead because of psychic powers and actually took consequences for it, and stuff didn't always work out. I think my biggest takeaways from the series were "oh my fucking god this is really weird" because teenage true love and pregnancy and stuff. But also... spoilers: the whole first book is Bryn being really into Chase and the whole usual YA true love stuff. But then in the final book, after he spent most of book two and the first two thirds of the final book being a quiet support, he fucking DIED. And did NOT COME BACK. I had completely forgotten that it happened and I really actually felt it. One of the things that I didn't expect in YA was a true love, instalove, mind-melding couple to be broken up by death. It was really affecting, even if the rest of it wasn't.
Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Goodreads also lists my last read of this as 2013, but I think I reread it a couple times after that. It used to be one of my favourites as a young teen, and rereading it I could see why. This author is so good at melodrama and just oozing with emotion. Also, the concept is so good. A superpowerful huntervampire but only every other day? A world with supernatural creatures? The energy of the world and the vampire worldbuilding was super cool. I mean, I wouldn't say it's a good book, but it was a GREAT book.
October Daye series by Seanan McGuire
This was a reread from Ashes of Honour to A Red Rose Chain, which includes five books and a novella. I started from here because this is where the romance plotline with Tybalt really gets going, and I wanted some soft background romance and support. I sure got it! This is not a relaxing series plot wise or tone wise really, but Seanan McGuire is queer and disabled and there just isn't... bullshit. (As far as I can see, with my own priveleges + marginalizations). It's just nice to read books where mental health is taken seriously, there isn't misogyny or homophobia, and when the characters like each other they actually like each other. I really do rec this series if urban fantasy or fantasy is your thing. I'll keep doing a reread of the whole series, I think.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Oh yes, I reread this again. I went through slowly, sending many big brain thoughts to a friend, and I have to admit that I love this book now. If this book was any less good I would be mad about the ending and the fact that I had to read it twice to really, truly get it but... it really was that good. Also, the reread didn't feel like a "had to", it felt like a "get to". Every little thing stood out to me, I was going !!! at all these little lines and going "OH NO SHE JUST SAID IT OUTRIGHT BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A METAPHOR". God this book was good. Please read it.
It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian
This was a reread, which I remembered just enough to make it feel comforting and familiar but just old enough that I was discovering it anew. I've been wanting to reread some Cat Sebastian, since I read them mostly in 2018 I think and have gained a greater appreciation for her writing. It has themes, characters, AND facts! This one was particularly good. Of course I've forgotten immediately all of my favourite parts, but there was a lot of stuff about accepting yourself, accepting your queerness, and embracing love.
He's Come Undone, an anthology
I'll be real, I bought this for the Cat Sebastian one. The others were alright, but the Cat Sebastian one is the one that really shone for me. I think that's more to do with my personal tastes than anything else but. Anyway, my summary of her novella in this is "big himbo gets married to a woman and is confused when his bf leaves him, more than a decade later goes whoops I'm gay and gets back together with bf".
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
A reread of the first Murderbot. Honestly, the first part of it continues to be my favourite. I can take or leave plot (by which I mean, go away complex plot) when the character is this strong. I still think the funniest part is right after they figure out Murderbot has feelings and the humans are all trying to talk about it and Murderbot just gets up and goes to stare directly at the wall in a corner. 11/10.
An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles
Now, I've heard of KJ Charles for a long time but I was really reluctant to give her a try because I'm so tired of being let down by queer books. Now I'm just mad I waited so long, because this was really good. Now, this is the second book in a romance trilogy with plot that I should have read the first one of first but. I did fine. Journalist and very fake medium hate each other so much, have to bang about it. Also, murder and inheritance investigations. I read this after a very strong and interesting rec from the podcast Be The Serpent where they talked about how sex serves story and character.
An Unsuitable Heir by KJ Charles
The sequel with the wrap up of the plot to this previous book! I really enjoyed this one too. There was a nonbinary protagonist with some really relatable gender weirds, and a very queer disabled man for the other main. I appreciated a lot of the scene setting and quiet, supportive queerness of the setting.
The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen
Another reread. I really loved this book for a while, and I still really like it, but I can see the seams a lot more now. As far as I know, the author is a straight woman, and I think I've been spoiled by Cat Sebastian and now KJ Charles because they're queer and it really shines through. The absolute terror of being queer + the aching for affection though, this book does very well.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
God, it's been way too long since I read this or I read too many books between that and now but. I liked this book, but there was a Lot to it. It was a little hard to get into, worldbuilding wise. Also, I didn't realize it was a first book in a series and I didn't realize that until I got to the end and the plotline I was the most invested in was left for later. Also like I've said, I'm not a fan of books you really need to engage every brain cell. It's just not my jam. This one had like ten twists in a row, reveal after reveal after reveal, and it was frustrating. It was also a book about trauma where in the end, spoilers, Alex basically stood up and decided to not be traumatized anymore. Now, there was a lot leading up to it and it definitely wasn't as bad as that made it sound, but it really made me go :/.
Network Effect by Martha Wells
Okay so yes I still do enjoy Murderbot, but here's the problem: this was a book, not a novella. That meant it scaled up like whoa. Instead of having only one POV, it had I think three? Also, the plot was very dense. It was definitely a full-on mystery that relied a lot on lore and inferences and being able to keep up with all of the above. I absolutely don't have the brain juice for that, so between that and the "oh no I hate change" of multiple POVs, I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Oh well.
Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A reread of three books and a novella, which apparently I last read in 2013. Which holy shit is a long time ago, and explains why I couldn't remember any of the big plot developments. I think the series had a really interesting take on the "wise mentor man who is always ten steps ahead" because he was ten steps ahead because of psychic powers and actually took consequences for it, and stuff didn't always work out. I think my biggest takeaways from the series were "oh my fucking god this is really weird" because teenage true love and pregnancy and stuff. But also... spoilers: the whole first book is Bryn being really into Chase and the whole usual YA true love stuff. But then in the final book, after he spent most of book two and the first two thirds of the final book being a quiet support, he fucking DIED. And did NOT COME BACK. I had completely forgotten that it happened and I really actually felt it. One of the things that I didn't expect in YA was a true love, instalove, mind-melding couple to be broken up by death. It was really affecting, even if the rest of it wasn't.
Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Goodreads also lists my last read of this as 2013, but I think I reread it a couple times after that. It used to be one of my favourites as a young teen, and rereading it I could see why. This author is so good at melodrama and just oozing with emotion. Also, the concept is so good. A superpowerful hunter
October Daye series by Seanan McGuire
This was a reread from Ashes of Honour to A Red Rose Chain, which includes five books and a novella. I started from here because this is where the romance plotline with Tybalt really gets going, and I wanted some soft background romance and support. I sure got it! This is not a relaxing series plot wise or tone wise really, but Seanan McGuire is queer and disabled and there just isn't... bullshit. (As far as I can see, with my own priveleges + marginalizations). It's just nice to read books where mental health is taken seriously, there isn't misogyny or homophobia, and when the characters like each other they actually like each other. I really do rec this series if urban fantasy or fantasy is your thing. I'll keep doing a reread of the whole series, I think.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Oh yes, I reread this again. I went through slowly, sending many big brain thoughts to a friend, and I have to admit that I love this book now. If this book was any less good I would be mad about the ending and the fact that I had to read it twice to really, truly get it but... it really was that good. Also, the reread didn't feel like a "had to", it felt like a "get to". Every little thing stood out to me, I was going !!! at all these little lines and going "OH NO SHE JUST SAID IT OUTRIGHT BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A METAPHOR". God this book was good. Please read it.
It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian
This was a reread, which I remembered just enough to make it feel comforting and familiar but just old enough that I was discovering it anew. I've been wanting to reread some Cat Sebastian, since I read them mostly in 2018 I think and have gained a greater appreciation for her writing. It has themes, characters, AND facts! This one was particularly good. Of course I've forgotten immediately all of my favourite parts, but there was a lot of stuff about accepting yourself, accepting your queerness, and embracing love.
He's Come Undone, an anthology
I'll be real, I bought this for the Cat Sebastian one. The others were alright, but the Cat Sebastian one is the one that really shone for me. I think that's more to do with my personal tastes than anything else but. Anyway, my summary of her novella in this is "big himbo gets married to a woman and is confused when his bf leaves him, more than a decade later goes whoops I'm gay and gets back together with bf".
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
A reread of the first Murderbot. Honestly, the first part of it continues to be my favourite. I can take or leave plot (by which I mean, go away complex plot) when the character is this strong. I still think the funniest part is right after they figure out Murderbot has feelings and the humans are all trying to talk about it and Murderbot just gets up and goes to stare directly at the wall in a corner. 11/10.
An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles
Now, I've heard of KJ Charles for a long time but I was really reluctant to give her a try because I'm so tired of being let down by queer books. Now I'm just mad I waited so long, because this was really good. Now, this is the second book in a romance trilogy with plot that I should have read the first one of first but. I did fine. Journalist and very fake medium hate each other so much, have to bang about it. Also, murder and inheritance investigations. I read this after a very strong and interesting rec from the podcast Be The Serpent where they talked about how sex serves story and character.
An Unsuitable Heir by KJ Charles
The sequel with the wrap up of the plot to this previous book! I really enjoyed this one too. There was a nonbinary protagonist with some really relatable gender weirds, and a very queer disabled man for the other main. I appreciated a lot of the scene setting and quiet, supportive queerness of the setting.
The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen
Another reread. I really loved this book for a while, and I still really like it, but I can see the seams a lot more now. As far as I know, the author is a straight woman, and I think I've been spoiled by Cat Sebastian and now KJ Charles because they're queer and it really shines through. The absolute terror of being queer + the aching for affection though, this book does very well.
