Intro to YA Fantasy

Fantasy is a big genre and it can be pretty intimidating to get into, so I thought it would be helpful to talk about easy to digest young adult fantasy!

By “easy to digest” I mean worlds that are easy to understand, which doesn’t inherently mean not complex but more like clearly defined. This usually leans towards more adventure-based fantasy than political-based and worlds with intricately described magic systems. I also aimed for shorter books, seeing as that’s one of the more daunting parts of fantasy, so most of these books hover around the 400-page mark.

Without further ado, let’s get into the list!

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The conversation that gave me this idea started with me recommending The Grisha Trilogy as easy to read YA fantasy, so I had to include it on this list. I know most people prefer Six of Crows, however, I’m not one of such people and I think Bardugo’s original series is more easy to grasp if you’re starting out. The politics of Ravka are fairly straight forward, and the magic system is much more talked about in this book than in the duology.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

The magic system of Orïsha is complex and detailed, probably the most detailed on this list, but Adeyemi does an excellent job of explaining it without making it feel like an info dump. The writing is also very accessible, it’s crisp and strong and it doesn’t feel like it’s dragging at all.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

This is probably one of the most hyped YA fantasy series out there, and it very much deserves it. Tahir took inspiration from Ancient Rome, but there’s a myriad of other elements that make this book rich in detail and well constructed, and she still manages to make it an accessible story.

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

This is one of the quieter books on this list and I do think that helps with it’s how easy to read it is. Coulthurst also weaves a mystery into the plot and that, along with the well explained and easily understandable magic system make this a good first foray into YA fantasy. Plus, the sequel comes out later this year!

Runebinder by Alex R Kahler

Although this book also has some dystopia elements, I do think the fantasy aspects shine through a considerable amount and for that reason I’m adding it to this list. The dystopia of the world takes a backseat to the magical powers and plot that blend together to make an exciting story that’s also fairly unique.

Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

Armstrong is actually the author that got me into the broader YA category after Twilightgot me into reading, but her original YA trilogy is urban fantasy, and that’s a whole separate post.

I really liked the story of Sea of Shadows it’s interesting and entertaining and the sister relationship in it is incredible. I think the magic has some pretty unique bits in it as well and I think the actual world, was fun to read about, if not wholly original in construction.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

This is the only real political-esque fantasy on this list, and even then I’m not wholly sure it counts. Watching Xifeng weave her way through the court was interesting, but only a piece of the overall story. However, it still falls firmly in the “easy to digest” category, with decadent writing and a delightful plot that bring a fresh twist to a villain origin story.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

I feel like zombies can fall in either a fantasy or science fiction direction, depending on a multitude of factors, and in my opinion, the zombies of Dread Nation are definitely more fantasy than sci-fi. This isn’t second-world fantasy, but it is set during the Reconstruction Era in America so it still feels unfamiliar and the fast pace of book lends itself to its easy readability.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval is another book with a mystery at its core and I really do think that makes changes the way it’s read. On top of that, the writing is easy to comprehend and the world, the part of it we see at least, is fairly well explained and fleshed out.

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

I love necromancers, so when I heard Reign of the Fallen was about a bisexual necromancer I jumped at the chance. What I didn’t expect was a unique magic system and intriguing squad dynamics with a gut-wrenching look at the way people handle grief. This book isn’t easy to read in the sense of being easy to process, but it is easy to read in the sense of being well written and engaging.

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Shades of Magic Summer Readalong!!

I recently finished A Conjuring of Light and, to be frank, it broke me. So to cope I decided I wanted to do a reread and what better way to do so than to make others suffer with me!

This is a summer readalong so it will last 3 months from June to August, reading one book in the trilogy each month. There will also be a Twitter chat on the first day of each month to discuss the previous read. Whether this is your first read through or your seventh reread, join us for a summer filled with alternate Londons, aspiring pirates, and magical coats.

You can look below for the schedules and applicable links! If you have any questions feel free to ask me on Twitter @niklasmalikov.

Reading Schedule

JUNE: A Darker Shade of Magic
JULY: A Gathering of Shadows
AUGUST: A Conjuring of Light

Twitter Chat Schedule

June 1st — Introduction chat
July 1st — A Darker Shade of Magic chat
August 1st — A Gathering of Shadows chat
September 1st — A Conjuring of Light chat

Links

Readalong Twitter | Goodreads group

TBR | Asian Readathon

I first saw this readathon on Twitter after seeing readwithcindy’s April Fools Day video about a Scarlett Johanson themed readathon and I was… Confused, to say the least, which could partially be contributed to the fact that I hadn’t actually watched the video, I’d just seen it floating around and figured it was a joke. I didn’t see the proper announcement video until much later, and then it made a lot more sense.

I decided to join this readathon for a multitude of reasons, one of which is that my current slump has put me behind in both my Goodreads challenge and my Year of the Asian Challenge. Of course, that’s not to mention that I epically failed the OWL’s readathon, and just reading in general during the month of April. As of writing this post, it is April 22nd and I haven’t read a book since the 4th. That’s ridiculous, who am I?

Anyway, I’m super excited to join this readathon, so without further ado let’s get into the challenges!

Challenge 1: Read any book by an Asian author – The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Honestly, my friends will probably kick my ass if I don’t read at least this book this month. Who am I kidding, I’ll probably kick my own ass if I don’t read it. Everything about The Bone Witch is up my alley, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find it on my list of favourites after I finish it.

 

Challenge 2: Read a graphic novel featuring an Asian character or written/drawn by an Asian author – Ms. Marvel Vol 1 by G. Willow Wilson

I’ve been wanting to read more comics, and Ms Marvel comics, in particular, for a while now. Kamala Khan has become a fan favourite from recent Marvel Comics and I’m more than ready to join the hype train. I’m not personally familiar with the author or artist in this volume, but I love finding new favourites and what I’ve seen of the art style looks right up my alley!

Challenge 3: Read a book featuring an intersectional Asian character or written by an intersectional Asian identity – Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Everyone and their mother has told me to read Girls of Paper and Fire, so why then have I not done it yet? Well, you see, I’m a dumbass. That’s all I have for you thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

In reality, I’m very excited to finally read this book and hop on the hype train in time for the release of the second book in November.

 

Challenge 4: Read a book by Asian author that was originally written in their native language – The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehasi

I’ve actually had this book on my radar for a while (although I apparently forgot to mark as to read on Goodreads. Good job, Sage) so I was super excited to include it on this TBR. I haven’t decided what copy I’m going to be picking up yet but looking at that cover… I think it’s gonna have to be the hardcover.

Challenge 5: Read the group book – A Thousand Beginnings and Endings ed. Ellen Oh & Elise Chapman

I’m not sure I’m actually going to read this book, because I’m not a huge fan of anthologies and I have to be in a very specific mood for them to be enjoyable to me. I’m including it on my personal TBR anyway because I would theoretically like to get to it, but I don’t want to read it and dislike purely for its actual purpose.

 

Chat With Me

🌸— Are you joining the Asian Readathon?

🌸 — Have you read any of these books? Any you think I should start with?

🌸 — Do you like anthologies? What are your favourites?

REVIEW | King of Disappointment (NOT SPOILER FREE)

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Young adult, fantasy
Hardcover, 514 pages
✭✭✫✫✫

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

My Review

I’ve noticed a common theme with Leigh Bardugo books and it’s me not liking them. I loved The Grisha Trilogy, enjoyed Six of Crows, was bored by The Language of Thorns and was incredibly disappointed by King of Scars.

One of my main issues with this book was the fact there were two plotlines that were almost entirely separate from each other. Bardugo can write multiple POVs perfectly well, as she demonstrated in Six of Crows, but this is probably the worst example of multiple points of view that I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading.

Because of how disjointed the two stories seem I’m actually going to review them separately because they’re so dissimilar it does no good to pretend like they’re the same book when they absolutely should not be.

Nina’s POV – 3 stars

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Nina in Six of Crows. I didn’t dislike her, she’s a good character with an interesting background, but she wasn’t my favourite either. However, after reflection, I loved her parts in this book. This is a bit surprising to me because while I was reading it I remarked a few times that I almost wanted to skip her chapters to get back to Nikolai and Zoya, but her story in King of Scars was entertaining, and had a semi-solid plotline that made sense both for her character and for the world, even if it seemed a bit out of left field at first.

If you’ve ever talked to me about Six of Crows you know I don’t like Matthias even a little bit, and I was looking forward to seeing Nina without him. This didn’t really happen with any sort of regularity until maybe a third of the way through the book but afterwards, I got much more into what was going on.

I think the side characters were a great addition, Leoni and Adrik complimented Nina nicely, although I do wish they had both more page time and more development. Speaking of development, I liked Nina’s, I didn’t think she got much in her previous series until the end, but I did like seeing her change and be changed by her circumstances.

Nikolai/Zoya/Isaak’s POV – 2 Stars

Have you ever seen a car catch fire? No? Well if you’ve read King of Scars it looks a lot like that.

I didn’t really like Isaak at all. Although I did think the plot around him was intriguing I would have been much more interested in it if it was told from the POV of one of the other characters, like Tamar or Genya. I don’t think adding a newbie as a point of view character was a good move, and it definitely did take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. Considering that though, at least his storyline made sense.

I adored both Nikolai and Zoya in The Grisha Trilogy. In fact, they’re my second and third favourite characters in the series. From a purely character standpoint, I think they were done well, they were given an added depth that was desperately needed for them to be readable as POV characters and I really enjoyed the bits about their backgrounds.

Plot-wise however, their story was a hot fucking mess.

The first two-fifths of the story were good. Or, more aptly, readable and didn’t totally obliterate all previous world-building. I thought Nikolai and Zoya’s development between the series’ was good, and I enjoyed their dynamic a lot. The plot of this section wasn’t superb but it was fun and felt like it worked with the characters.

The second two-fifths were… questionable. It was hard to follow at times, not always clear what was happening. The whole concept of the Saints being trapped in this sort of limbo felt very random and kinda disconnected from the rest of the plot. Like trying on a pair of runners that are too small and hoping if you tie the laces tight enough they won’t fall off your feet as you run.

That’s not to mention the fact that Bardugo essentially ruined all of her own world-building with the scenes between Zoya and Juris. One of my favourite things about the Grishaverse was the unique magic system, and she took up a hammer and decided to play bloody Wack-A-Mole of all things.

Now we come to the finale, the culmination of the various plotlines swirling around in this book like a breeze blowing trash into a pile.

I’m gonna preface this by saying the honest truth. I fucking hate the Darkling. I hated him in The Grisha Trilogy, I hate him in fic that I barely read. I cannot stand him in any way, shape or form. But my personal hatred for him is irrelevant when I say that narratively speaking, bringing him back is a huge fuck up.

In having the Darkling return to the world Bardugo has, essentially, undone 3 books worth of plot and spat on everything any of the characters went through in those three books. All the deaths? Pointless. All the sacrifices? Meaningless. Nothing Alina and co. did in The Grisha Trilogy matters worth a hoot now that the faux-edgy motherfucker is back.

So now we’re going to get a whole ‘nother book trying to deal with him, as if we didn’t already do that once. It’s as if Bardugo can’t come up with any other villain so she just decided to pull out the one she already had and slap him in someone else’s body so someone can inevitably have a “But this isn’t Yuri’s fault! We can’t kill him!” moment in book 2.

This whole book felt like a grab bag of concepts that clashed with each other and didn’t get developed enough to actually hold together as a coherent plot. I was excited about this book, I was excited to return to the characters I love, but instead, I got a slap in the face.

(P.S. I really miss Alina.)

Chat With Me

⚔️ — Who was your favourite of the returning characters? Were there any you wished had made an appearance?

⚔️ — Are you going to read the sequel to King of Scars?

⚔️ — What did you think of the new characters? Any new favourites?

LIST | Disney Inspired Recs

Disney is a fan favourite for children (and let’s be real adults too) all over the world. It’s a source of joy and metaphorical sunshine for our souls, and I think your favourite Disney movie says more about you than one might see on first glance.

I originally thought about doing Disney princesses as book covers, part of a common trend on Twitter, but I wanted to do something that would take me a little more effort and not be so focused on the princess movies. 5 out of the 10 movies I’ve chosen are not considered part of the princess canon but there’s still lots of Disney movies I haven’t covered so I might do a part 2 if there’s any interest.

When picking books for this post I specifically avoided books with the same origin story as the movie, instead, I matched tropes or story elements. I was looking for stories with the same feel as the Disney movies, rather than the same story in a different package.

For each selection, I’m going to talk about why I picked it and what makes it fit with the movie I’ve paired it with. I’ve organized these by release year of the movie, don’t ask me why because I don’t know it just felt like the right choice. Let’s get into the list!

Cinderella (1950) – Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

There are a few picks on this list I’d be willing to discuss, a few that fit but maybe have some weird gapage in the metaphorical armpit (how many times can I say metaphorical in one post?) . This is not such one choice, to me Carry On is a lot like Cinderella. For one they are both, in essence, a romance. There’s a fair amount of Disney movies, even princess movies, where this isn’t true but Cinderella is a romance through and through. Another thing that’s similar is they both have central characters with an unfortunate past and deceased parents. Plus Simon and Cinderella? Both lovable dumbasses.

Alice in Wonderland (1951) – Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

This might seem dead obvious if you’ve read the books, but seeing as Every Heart a Doorway isn’t a retelling it still counts!! In the interest of honesty, I’m not a huge fan of Alice, it just isn’t really my cup of tea. Every Heart a Doorway however, most certainly is. Aside from both being portal fantasies, they both feature a character that doesn’t quite fit into her world.

Peter Pan (1953) – Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

Peter Pan is my favourite Disney movie and has been for a very long time. I love the whimsy of it, and I love that it’s a got with a message. Both of which are things these stories share. It also helps that one of the characters in Wild Beautyreminded me a great deal of Peter Pan himself.

Oliver & Company (1988) – Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Look, Oliver & Company is a deeply underrated movie. It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s got crime and dramatic poodles. What else could you want? Aside from the crime aspect, both of these books feature a found family with a diverse array of personalities. And if Georgette doesn’t remind you just a little bit of Zoya then I don’t think we read the same books.

 

Beauty and the Beast (1992) – An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

The atmosphere of An Enchantment of Ravens is *chef’s kiss* absolute perfection, and it reminds me a lot of the overall vibe of Beauty and the Beast in my opinion. I also think there’s a lot of similarities between Isobel and Belle, beyond their names. They’re both the breadwinners of their families, and they’re also both more introverted while still being headstrong.

 

The Lion King (1994) – Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

I’m gonna confess here that I didn’t realize that The Lion King was a Hamletretelling until very recently and I don’t think Ash Princess was inspired by it at all but I’m honestly not sure. Either way, I definitely think they have a lot of similar elements. Ash Princess feels a lot like a darker version of The Lion King, with power struggles and born rulers having to find their way to the throne.

 

Hercules (1997) – Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

When I was making this pick, I knew I wanted to go with something that was very Classic Hero’s Journey-esque, and Children of Blood and Bone was the first thing that sprang to mind. Zélie’s character arc is very much an example of the hero’s journey, and I think that we’ve kind of deviated from that a lot in YA fantasy with the rise of anti-hero and villain protagonists so it’s refreshing and enjoyable.

 

Mulan (1998) – Graceling by Kristin Cashore

There’s a metric fuck tonne of Mulan retellings out there, and I’m being literal here. Most of them focus primarily, if not entirely, on the cross-dressing element so I knew when I was looking for a book that I wanted to avoid pairing it based on that. Graceling features a protagonist trying to do right in a world where she’s being told to the opposite and I think she really captures the essence of the character in a way a lot of the retellings don’t.

Brave (2012) – Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Aside from the bear-related similarities, there are also a few other elements that these share. I think the most obvious is the Arsinoe-Merida comparison, wherein both actively work against societies expectations of them. I don’t see much of the other 2 queens in Brave (I did say some would have armpit gapage) but I do think the worlds overall feel similar, both chockful of magic and mystery.

Frozen (2013) – Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

This is the only book on this list I haven’t actually read, but I’ve confirmed with my sources (and by sources I mean my friend Kat @StardustReviews who is a little obsessed with this book) that it fits perfectly. From what I can tell, they’ve both got some form of ice powers, but what really sells this comparison to me is the atmosphere. Just read the synopsis of this book makes me think of Arendelle in the height of Elsa’s cold snap and I think the theme of girls supporting each other is one we need more of.

 

Chat With Me

✨ — What are your thoughts on this list? Are there any you disagree with or don’t see?

✨ — Are there any Disney classics you think I need to do?

✨ — What is your all-time favourite Disney movie?

REVIEW | A Dragon Is a Solitary Creature

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

Young adult, fantasy
Hardcover, 312 pages
✭✭✭✫✫

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: when the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon, or what horrors she has faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome prince, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny to sit on the throne beside him. Ama comes with Emory back to the kingdom of Harding, hailed as the new princess, welcomed to the court.

However, as soon as her first night falls, she begins to realize that not all is as it seems, that there is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows–and that the greatest threats to her life may not be behind her, but here, in front of her.

“Dusk was the most colorful hour, with the horizon set on fire by the breath of the yawning sun.“

My Review

I don’t think I’ve ever had a reading experience leave me this conflicted before. This book is the literary equivalent of standing in front of an ice cream shop and being told you can only ever have one flavour except half the flavours are secretly bad and you know that but you don’t know which ones. In the spirit of that let’s go through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

THE GOOD
The writing in this book is fantastic. It’s got a blunt edge to it that leaves it poetic without being overly flow-y. Arnold doesn’t bother with a lot of description, and what there is focuses more on all 5 senses than just one or two. The main character Ama frequently notes the temperature in a room, which is actually pretty important to the plot as it turns out which I thought was pretty cool.

I liked Ama. More specifically I liked watching Ama develop in a society that is to determined to not let that happen. I thought the way her personality shined through all the bullshit she was put through was very well done and interesting to read, you never knew what facet of her you were going to see next. Her relationship with Tillie was complex, as she struggled to understand the difference between a friend a servant.

The world building was more middling than strictly good or bad. It didn’t have a lot of details, but the ones we did get were… interesting. It sometimes felt like Arnold was playing a round of Guy’s Grocery Games and just did a shelf swipe in the spice aisle and threw together everything she had. A lot of it was fairly generic with a king and a country and some peasants. Then she got weirdly detailed about bird training for an extended metaphor and the stuff about the Wall was quite odd and didn’t play as much role in the story as I initially thought it would.

THE BAD
Aside from a favourable relationship with his mother, something we need more of in fantasy, there was absolutely nothing redeemable about Emory. And I understand that was part of the point but it made reading about him uncomfortable to the point of disgust. There was not one time I even found myself neutral about his presence in Ama’s story, and the first few chapters in his POV were practically unbearable.

Speaking of, the chapters were incredibly short, like some of them were barely a page. I went through and counted (because they aren’t numbered) and in 312 pages there is 49 chapters, which equals about 6.5 pages a chapter. Now, I’m normally okay with short chapters, Anna-Marie McLemore does the same thing, but some of these chapters cut out in really weird places like the middle of a scene. It almost felt episodic, like a tv show that shows a commercial break in the middle of a scene and I have to say I really didn’t enjoy it.

THE UGLY
Now, I like dark YA fantasy. I seek it out often and generally enjoy it as a rule, and I wouldn’t strictly say I didn’t enjoy this book but I see absolutely no reason this book should be marketed to teens. There is two explicit and one inferred sexual assault scenes in this book, and I’m not saying teens can’t read those but in a YA book I definitely don’t think they should just be in there for any teenager to pick up off a shelf expecting a teen appropriate read. There’s a big discussion in the YA community right now about YA books that clearly aren’t meant for teens and I absolutely think this book falls in that category. It’s gruesome, and there’s a purpose to it but I think it’s the type of purpose a teen or anyone really should be seeking out.

Chat With Me

🥀 — Have you read Damsel? If so, what did you think?

🥀 — What’s your favourite dark YA fantasy?

🥀 — Do you like short chapters? Or do you find yourself annoyed by them?

TAG | Books I WANT To Read but Don’t Want To READ

We all have books that we want to have already read, that we don’t want to put the time and effort into reading but still want in our brain. This is tag dedicated to airing my dirty laundry, aka the books I will probably get yelled at for not having read. For added tension I’m only including books I currently own, meaning I could read any of these at any time and yet still haven’t.

I was tagged by Chaima @runawaywithdreamthieves! So thank you because this was a lot of fun.

1: A book that you feel you need to read because everyone talks about it
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody
It seems like everyone and their mother has read this book and I feel like I’m missing out by not reading it? And I know, I know, Levi or whatever his name is bi which is great and exciting but I’m not sure the actual plot to this book interests me at all but I still feel like I need to read it. I could deconstruct the reasoning behind the feeling but that’s a post for another time.

2: A book that’s really long
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Yes, I’m copying answers like that kid in your math class that has to “stretch” and then furiously scribbles stuff down on his paper when he hadn’t written anything down for the 20 minutes previous. Part of the reason I haven’t really attempted to read this is because I have a paperback copy, and I’m always slower to read pb’s because i don’t like them as much, but the other reason is because I could build an actual house with like a dozen of these books and it wouldn’t even be too small. It’s so huge that it’s almost scary.

3: A book you’ve owned / had on your TBR for too long
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
I added this book to my owned-tbr shelf in May of 2017. That is almost 2 whole years. Which is quite weird because Cinder really sounds like something I’ll love, since I’m a self professed lover of science fiction and fairytale retellings, and I really like the Renegades series, also by Meyer. I think at this point I’m more just worried that it won’t live up to the hype which I really need to get over.

 

4: A book that is ‘required’ reading (eg, school text, really popular classic – something you feel obligated to read!)
Divergent by Veronica Roth
I really do “classics” per se, you won’t see me reading Jane Austen or Charles Dickens anytime soon, and I’m not in school, so I picked a YA classic which is pretty much the same thing, right? Right. So, Divergent. I read it once many many moons ago, and I remember approximately 15% it. The whole series is actually part of my Series To Finish list, and I wanted to reread this one first so I could jog my memory but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Also I don’t have any of the other books so I’m not in too much of a rush, yet.

5: A book that intimidates you
Half Bad by Sally Green
It’s not the size of this book that intimidates me, it’s only 394 pages, but the public reception to it overall. When I bought it I’d only heard good things about Half Bad, but after looking through the reviews on Goodreads it seems like the good impressions are much much fewer than the bad ones. I generally have low standards, but the things people were complaining about weren’t really quality issues so much as representation issues which is a really quick way to ruin a book for me.

6: A book that you think might be slow
Artemis by Andy Weir
I’ve never read an Andy Weir book before, or even seen The Martian, but I do know that adult science fiction tends to be on the slower side. In reality I only bought this book because I was at the used bookstore and the hardcover is usually $36 CAD but it was three for $17 and I knew it’d never be that cheap again so, like a dumbass, I bought it! And now it’s been sitting on my shelf for like a year.

 

7: A book you need to be in the right mood for
The Future is Blue by Catherynne M. Valente
I have to be in a specific mood to read anthologies or I end up hating them á la The Language of Thorns (which I gave a 2 star rating), so I’ve been putting this book off since around December when I got it. I’m genuinely excited to read it when I get in that mood, because I love Valente’s writing and I love the premise of the anthology, but until I know I won’t hate it on principal I’m gonna continue to delay it.

 

8: A book you’re unsure if you will like
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
I’m not particularly into Vikings. In fact, I’d more likely say I’m distinctly not into Vikings. So that aspect of this book really doesn’t interest me and the plot doesn’t sound particularly riveting either. I’ve seen a lot of good reviews though, which leads me to believe that it’s better than it initially seems? But I’m honestly unsure if it’s going to be my thing.

 

 

I’m honestly tagging anyone. You feel like doing this? Congrats! You’re tagged.