December Wrap Up

 Well hey, hello there readers.

I come to you once again having read only half of my actual TBR list. Tragic news, I know. I think part of this is because I'm still having a hard time getting through Archived. I don't know why I'm filled with so much ennui every time I pick it up. It's an interesting premise, the writing isn't bad, the character's voices aren't bad, and yet here we are reader. I also keep getting distracted by library books. My holds are going in very slowly and I've been waiting on some of them for like a month.

I think I'm going to DNF Archived because it's getting a little ridiculous reader. I will not carry this looming weight into the new year. I've already got enough of those to be getting on with. I'm also sorry if you enjoyed Archived, I'm not trying to insult the book itself. I just don't think it's for me.

Anyway, let's take a look at the books I did finish this month.

From left to right: Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw, Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici, The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, We Are Okay by Nina Lacour.

The first book is Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw, the sequel Strange Practice. Reader, I wanted more vampire shenanigans and on god Vivian Shaw gave me more vampire shenanigans. If that alone doesn't sell you, there are also plenty of Phantom of the Opera references. The story takes place in Paris and sees the return of pretty much everyone from the first book. There's kidnapping, tiny hair monsters which I love very much, two psychopomps who are trying (tm), and Grisaille who I also love very much. There is also a little murder, more underground lairs but Aesthetic this time, and unethical vampire covens. I very much enjoyed reading this one and I cannot wait for the third book in the series. 

4/5 pumpkins.

Next is Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. I saw this book in a bookstore and made a Purchase(tm) before anyone could stop me. It's a fantasy book set in a world based on the history and mythos of North and South American indigenous peoples which is a lovely break from the ton of fantasy books set in Middle Age England. I was not disappointed, reader. Black Sun is some very solid fantasy, and the beginning of a series so I have more to look forward to. The book is told from multiple points of view, something I'm not a huge fan of usually. It takes skill to keep varying POVs all floating at the same time and I think Roanhorse did that very well. Each character had a very distinctive voice and was very well characterized. Even when new characters are added in later it felt natural. All in all some very tight plotting, clearly labeled time skips, and amazing world-building. I want to see concept art of this world so very much, it's so well described reader. The story also ends on a massive cliffhanger and I am Suffering. I highly recommend you check this book out if you're looking for some delicious fantasy.

4/5 pumpkins.

I've been meaning to read the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik since it came out. I got a box set of it one Christmas. Dragons? Historical Fiction? What's not to like? I did finally pick up a Naomi Novik book, reader. It just wasn't the dragon one, alas. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik is the start of a series and I'd say it's a pretty good one too. I've seen this book compared to Harry Potter, which is fair since it is about a magic school. Honestly, the series it reminded me of the most was Percy Jackson since magic users in this universe attract dangerous monsters if they're not in a magical safe zone. It also deals with magical classism in a far more interesting way than Harry Potter ever did. I'd say it's improved upon its possible sources. My only gripe is with the use of the term 'mana.' I know it gets used in games and novels as a general term for 'magical energy' but it is an actual part of Polynesian spiritual belief. Perhaps use another word, is my suggestion. There is also a couple of sentences in the book that say people with locs are more likely to get attacked by some sort of egg-laying leech creature. That's being removed from subsequent versions of this book, from what I've read. It's fully not my place to declare that's either racist or not. I'm a white person. I'm not about to swerve wildly out of my lane to tell black readers how they should react. Besides those two issues, I think it's a solid book. They didn't ruin the experience for me. I like the protagonist very much, she's just delightfully rude. I love her so much. I won't say too much about the plot or the world-building. Both are very good. Check it out, reader.

4/5 pumpkins.

I'll keep this next section short since I did a review of this book last week. It is of course Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici. If you're looking for a good nonfiction history book pick this one up. I would also recommend it if you're looking for a source on enclosure/the beginnings of capitalism and the end of feudalism. I know I would have loved to read this when I was a history undergrad. 

5/5 pumpkins

Next is The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. This delightful book is translated from the original Japanese and is from the point of view of a street cat turned house cat named Nana. I love him very much, he is the best cat. The story follows him and his person, Satoru around Japan. Satoru is visiting old friends of his in the hope they will be able to take in Nana since he soon won't be able to look after him. As they visit each friend we get a flashback to Satoru's childhood and learn how he met each person and the joy he brought to their lives. The cat doesn't die at the end, don't worry, but it does have a sad ending, reader. I did have to sit down and have a good cry after I finished it. It's a very sweet story and Nana is a very sassy little cat. It's heartwarming and even though the end is sad you are assured that Satoru and Nana love each other very much.

4/5 pumpkins.

This book was a recommendation from blog favorite Booktuber Naya. It's Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, which is a YA dystopian superhero novel. Kind of. It's definitely dystopian and there are people with superpowers. Honestly, this book was a wild ride. The plot is pretty straightforward, but the character's voice makes it seem much more convoluted than it actually is. That's not a judgment, reader. The main character just really likes speaking in metaphor almost exclusively. It's honestly one of the most unique character voices I've read, I can't think of anything like it. The closest I can come to is Kvothe in Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind and even that's not completely accurate. It's a narrative style that might cause some readers to bounce off since it is a style you might need to get used to. It's a very solid YA dystopia, though, and the beginning of a longer series. 

3/5 pumpkins.

Last on the list is We Are Okay by Nina Lacour, another recc from other Booktube friend of the blog Kat. This is a short contemporary fiction novel about Marin's winter break alone in the dorms her freshmen year of college. It's the first winter without her grandpa, and it's also the first time she'll be seeing her best friend and crush Mabel since she left San Francisco for the east coast. Like most of the books liked on Paperbackdreams, it's about loss and grief and growth from those places. It's also gay, which does not hurt. I liked this book a lot, reader. Partly because it was well written and partly because it reminded me of my own freshmen year winter break. Mostly because of the snow and feelings of isolation. It's short and alternates between the present with Marin and Mable and the past with Marin's last year in San Francisco.

4/5 pumpkins.

Thus ends another month's wrap up. I'll be back next week with my TBR list for January. Will I stick to it this time, reader? Who can say. You'll have to read to find out.

Until next time, dear reader 🎃