let me preface this entire review by saying that i do believe you should read at least part of your world in this loosely connected series. i didn’t feel like this about yours truly, because you just see overlapping friendships between characters - which is really cool, but i don’t think would hinder any reading experience! But i truly am not sure if i would have given this book five stars, if not for also reading part of your world! so again, totally do whatever you wanna do, read these however you want to read them, but i just recommend reading at least part of your world (which is probably the best romance book i’ve read in years, so it will be a fun side quest, i promise)!
now that that is out of the way - let me actually talk about the book itself! The basic premise is that a girl read a reddit post that makes her realize the poster and her have one thing in common: they both are the person people date before they find their soulmates. So emma (28, traveling nurse) slides into justin’s (op, 29, engineer) about this curse they both may have, but then they start talking about other things and realize that they actually have more in common than their nonexistent love lives. they come up with a plan to maybe try to break this spell by dating each other on emma’s next traveling assignment, where she will come to minnesota where justin is at. and maybe, much like another book i loved this year - funny story, justin can convince emma to fall in love with his state, and maybe even want to set up some roots even though she lives a life constantly moving from place to place with her best friend.
firstly, i love justin, i love emma, i wish them both the very best in life, but their friends, in particular maddy, oh they have my entire heart. this is a love story, without question, and this has a lot of heavy themes of grief and childhood neglect, but to me, this is a story about friendship, support systems, and being there for the people you love in life, no matter what. from justin’s friends knowing exactly what to do to lightening the weight in his life, to emma’s best friend maddy, who gave her so many different types of love throughout this book and truly is probably the best book friends i’ve ever read about in my life, to justin’s mom’s best friend who makes me cry even thinking about. this is just such a book about showing up for people, and also feeling like you trust people to show up for you, even when others in the past have made you a person who does not trust easily. these themes just really set this book apart for me, and is the reason this will be one of my favorite books of 2024.
other things i loved: first dates with kittens!! questionnaires/google forms letting the person know what you like on dates! i know a lot of medical travelers and it was really cool reading a mc who does it! also, accurate med surg stereotype commentary, alongside accurate vegas stereotype commentary lol. you’re never too old to make new connections, and healthy relationships, with respected boundaries (romantically, but also with friends and family and anyone you choose to share your life with)!
overall, if you’re looking for a really good romance, following two people healing from their pasts, both together and apart, and truly creating a healthy life for themselves, while also being such a love letter to friendships and all relationships (again, not just romantic ones), then please pick this up. i knew i was going to like this, but i didn’t expect to love it so very much and be impacted by the story so very deeply. and if you need a reminder, you are not the sum of the bad things in your past, especially stuff that was beyond your control. and it’s never too late to get the help, or extra resources, that you deserve. and you always deserve to live a healthier life, surrounded by people who appreciate you and love you unconditionally.
lastly, abby - please give us the maddy (view spoiler)[and doug’s (hide spoiler)] book. I am on my knees writing this review, begging you, please.
trigger + content warnings in the front of the book (it also says there should be a full list of more tw/cw on the author’s website and goodreads, which i couldn’t find to link as of august 5th, 2024, but i still always appreciate when they are in books): scenes containing panic attacks, anxiety, ptsd, depression, depictions of undiagnosed mental health issues, a toxic mother, and past child neglect.
additional trigger + content warnings i wrote down while reading: talk of loss of father in past (car accident where the other person was drinking and driving), abandonment, abusive parents, neglect in past, child starvation in past, gaslighting, manipulation, a few hospital settings (only because of the profession of one of the mcs), talk of foster systems, grief, a parent going to prison, one sentence regarding suicide, vomit, sickness (norovirus), talk of menstruation, headlice, and talk of loss of grandparents in past.
oh friends, this is truly a new all time favorite romance book
this book starts out with a very unexpected meet cute, in a small stars hollow like townoh friends, this is truly a new all time favorite romance book
this book starts out with a very unexpected meet cute, in a small stars hollow like town, when one of our main characters tows the car of our other main character. they get to know each other a little bit in the local pub and decide to spend the night together when they quickly realize how much they both like eachother even though it feels like they come from different worlds, rather than just different towns.
oh, and this man, daniel? HE IS AN INNKEEPER! He owns the local inn! If you have been reading my reviews for years, you will know… this such a niche box for me and this man was checking it and more! our other main character, alexis, is a er doctor who is trying to follow in her family’s very large footsteps at a hospital that they opened the doors of many generations ago. but one of the main things i really loved about this story was that she quickly sees how this small town doesn’t have adequate medical resources for her - from mental health help, to preventive care help, to being able to deliver babies, to emergency and much more - everything they have to go to the town over. And this is a very big problem that is pretty close to my heart as well, and it just meant a lot to me that a romance author made it a focal point of her book. alongside another very important discussion of domestic abuse and how that can take many forms, from physical to mental to emotional to everything in between, and how none of those are lesser or less scary and difficult to navigate to safety. this book also includes some really good resources for help in the back, too.
i also just loved how this book focuses on how surrounding yourself with kind and caring people makes you want to be more kind and caring. both platonic and romantic love is so important and just finding people who you truly want to constantly make your world better with really is what life is all about. but yeah, friends, i just loved this one with my entire heart. it was a very unexpected favorite, and i really will recommend it forever.
trigger + content warnings: this book really talks about domestic abuse and how that can take many emotional and physical forms, talk of lack of medical care in a community, talk of serious health issues, talk of mental health and not being able to get medication, brief mention of heart attack in past, abusive parents, parental abandonment, mentions of loss of grandparents in past, a scene of an emergency childbirth, blood, mention of loss of patients in medical career (one sentence of loss of child patient), one sentence funeral mention, minor car accident, one sentence mention of sex trafficking, mention of cheating in past (not mcs), panic attack, depression depiction, and i wouldn’t necessarily say hospital setting but this book very much talks about the medical field and being an er doctor so please use caution.
[2021 reread] i'm still so in love, still an all-time favorite.
[2017 first read] I loved absolutely everything about this graphic novel. To date, it i[2021 reread] i'm still so in love, still an all-time favorite.
[2017 first read] I loved absolutely everything about this graphic novel. To date, it is by far the best graphic novel I have ever read, and even surpasses my love for Saga. I am completely blown away, and will count down the days until Vol. 2 releases (June 6th, 2017).
[image]This story follows a seventeen year old girl named Maika, whose story starts out where she is being sold as a slave. The reader will immediately notice that Maika has a very strange tattoo of an eye on her chest, and she is missing an arm. Yet, it becomes very clear very early that Maika is much stronger than what she seems.
Maika is struggling to hold in her monster, while also trying to get answers from her past. With the help of an adorable little half-fox and a poet cat, Maika is on a journey to discover herself, her past, and what's truly inside of her, all while she carries a very mysterious and sought after item.
In this world there are five races: ➽Humans - Like you and me. ➽Ancients - Immortal, animal-like rulers with an immense amount of power. ➽Cats - Much like people, can speak and fight, but much more adorable. ➽Old Gods - Little to no knowledge of them. ➽Areanics - Half of each
[image]
Also in this world, there are factions at war: ➽The Federation - Humans, who just hate magic users and refuse to let them live and breed. These humans will take Arcanics and make them slaves to do whatever terrible things they wish. ➽Arcanics - Magic users, who are sort of hybrids of the Ancients. Also, two powerful courts, the Dawn Court and the Dusk Court, have risen up to defend against the Cumaea. ➽Cumaea - Witch-like people that use Arcanic's body parts to make Lillium.
People in this world will use a drug like substance called Lillium for power, regeneration, and in some cases, resurrection. Between the war and the use of this magical substance, this world is also now aware of things much bigger than the Federation and Arcanics.
This graphic novel is not only bigger than most bind-ups, but it has significantly more writing than most graphic novels, too! You receive a lot, and I do mean a lot, of information and very quickly. This really worked for me, because it became way more of an immersion, while also reading closer to a book. Yet, I can understand how this would be a different reading experience for some, so I felt the need to bring it up.
The story is so brilliant and impactful. I can already tell I'm going to be thinking about this world for such a long time, because this is the type of story that just sticks with you, while festering in your heart. I truly love everything about this.
The art was so magnificent and I found myself constantly just staring at some pages in disbelief that a human created it. This art also brought very many tears to my eyes very many times, constantly evoking so much pure emotion from me. On top of having an amazing story, it is the best art I've ever seen in a comic, ever.
[image]
Trigger warnings for human trafficking, slavery, child brutality, and many other dark themes that are in the violence and gore vein. This is a dark story, and it doesn't shy away from that darkness or its brutality.
I loved everything about this graphic novel: the story, the characters, the art, the representation, everything. I honestly cannot see any graphic work ever beating this. I am in awe and my thoughts probably aren't even coherent, but this is something unique and special. Please give this comic series a try if you haven't already.
I swear to you with my entire soul, this is nothing short of a masterpiece. This is maybe even a once in a lifetime masterpiece. I never put graphic novels on my "best of the year" list, but I think this is the year I make an exception for Monstress.
[2021 reread] i'm still so in love, still an all-time favorite.
[2017 first read] I loved absolutely everything about this graphic novel. To date, it is by far the best graphic novel I have ever read, and even surpasses my love for Saga. I am completely blown away, and will count down the days until Vol. 2 releases (June 6th, 2017).
[image]This story follows a seventeen year old girl named Maika, whose story starts out where she is being sold as a slave. The reader will immediately notice that Maika has a very strange tattoo of an eye on her chest, and she is missing an arm. Yet, it becomes very clear very early that Maika is much stronger than what she seems.
Maika is struggling to hold in her monster, while also trying to get answers from her past. With the help of an adorable little half-fox and a poet cat, Maika is on a journey to discover herself, her past, and what's truly inside of her, all while she carries a very mysterious and sought after item.
In this world there are five races: ➽Humans - Like you and me. ➽Ancients - Immortal, animal-like rulers with an immense amount of power. ➽Cats - Much like people, can speak and fight, but much more adorable. ➽Old Gods - Little to no knowledge of them. ➽Areanics - Half of each
[image]
Also in this world, there are factions at war: ➽The Federation - Humans, who just hate magic users and refuse to let them live and breed. These humans will take Arcanics and make them slaves to do whatever terrible things they wish. ➽Arcanics - Magic users, who are sort of hybrids of the Ancients. Also, two powerful courts, the Dawn Court and the Dusk Court, have risen up to defend against the Cumaea. ➽Cumaea - Witch-like people that use Arcanic's body parts to make Lillium.
People in this world will use a drug like substance called Lillium for power, regeneration, and in some cases, resurrection. Between the war and the use of this magical substance, this world is also now aware of things much bigger than the Federation and Arcanics.
This graphic novel is not only bigger than most bind-ups, but it has significantly more writing than most graphic novels, too! You receive a lot, and I do mean a lot, of information and very quickly. This really worked for me, because it became way more of an immersion, while also reading closer to a book. Yet, I can understand how this would be a different reading experience for some, so I felt the need to bring it up.
The story is so brilliant and impactful. I can already tell I'm going to be thinking about this world for such a long time, because this is the type of story that just sticks with you, while festering in your heart. I truly love everything about this.
The art was so magnificent and I found myself constantly just staring at some pages in disbelief that a human created it. This art also brought very many tears to my eyes very many times, constantly evoking so much pure emotion from me. On top of having an amazing story, it is the best art I've ever seen in a comic, ever.
[image]
Trigger warnings for human trafficking, slavery, child brutality, and many other dark themes that are in the violence and gore vein. This is a dark story, and it doesn't shy away from that darkness or its brutality.
I loved everything about this graphic novel: the story, the characters, the art, the representation, everything. I honestly cannot see any graphic work ever beating this. I am in awe and my thoughts probably aren't even coherent, but this is something unique and special. Please give this comic series a try if you haven't already.
I swear to you with my entire soul, this is nothing short of a masterpiece. This is maybe even a once in a lifetime masterpiece. I never put graphic novels on my "best of the year" list, but I think this is the year I make an exception for Monstress.
“Your lola told stories about the country she had come from; your father told you the stories of himself, his destined for greatness. They a
[image]
“Your lola told stories about the country she had come from; your father told you the stories of himself, his destined for greatness. They are private stories told on stages behind thick curtains, seen only by the teller, and no one else.”
i truly think this is the most impressive book i have ever read. so many risky choices, so many leaps of faith, yet jimenez was able to pull everything together in a way that was able to break and heal my heart in two very different ways. this reading experience is truly unlike anything i've ever had, or even seen, before. But this really is one of the most beautiful, powerful, and just awe inspiring books i have ever had the honor of reading in my whole entire life. (and one i know i will carry with me for the rest of my story.)
this book ended up being very personal to me, and i think me and this author really have a lot in common in our lives, so i was just extra deeply impacted by so many passages in this book. because of this, i don’t want to be too personal in this review, but if we have similar book tastes - pick this book up. if you want a story that you've never read before, in a story that is equal parts beautiful in its own way - pick this book up. if you want a unique reading experience, one you've never seen before in the book world, that is also so expertly crafted - pick this book up. if you want a book that is a love letter to storytelling, and family, and honoring your ancestors - pick this book up. if you want to see inside my heart a little bit - pick this up.
from dedication, to acknowledgments, this was utter perfection. i simply do not have good enough words for what jimenez created here, but i truly will follow his art for the rest of my life. i am so thankful this book exists and i can’t wait to cry over everything all over again when my lola reads it.
trigger + content warnings: violence, gore, death, torture, grief depiction, depression depiction, loss of a loved one, mentions of loss of children, captivity, vomit, talk of defecation, ableist language (negative light), homophobia in past, blood, animal deaths, mentions of suicide, suicide ideations, intrusive thoughts, war themes, colonization, fire, cannibalism, captivity
“She was so tired. Overwhelmed. There was something incredibly therapeutic about sitting, pulling a blanket around herself, and watching someone el
“She was so tired. Overwhelmed. There was something incredibly therapeutic about sitting, pulling a blanket around herself, and watching someone else’s problems for a while.”
this was such a love letter to stories, storytelling, art, creating, and the connections we make because of them. this book really emphasizes why we need stories, why we need books, and movies, and dramas, and video games, and our family to pass down the stories that were passed down to them. this is not only one of my favorite brandon sanderson books, but it is one of the most beautiful things ive ever read. i recommend this with my whole heart.
like all the books in this secret project series so far, i personally feel like you can read this without reading any other brandon sanderson book. but you will just appreciate more things if you are caught up with the cosmere, especially if you are a little knowledgeable about his stormlight series…. with roshar and spren and investiture!
this is a story about two people, from two very different worlds, who have made a connection against all odds. And when these two meet, via body swapping, they discover the lives of each other alongside the reader. This story is also very inspired from the stories of your name, final fantasy x, and hikaru no go.
☆ Yumi - from an ancient historical korean inspired world where spirits are summoned to help from rituals. yumi is a yoki-hijo who can control the spirits with her stone stacking, and since birth her life has been all honor and devotion to the people of her world who need help from the spirits.
“And more. Yumi was one of the Chosen, picked at birth, granted the ability to influence the hijo, the spirits. It was an enormous honor among her people. And they never let her forget it.”
☆ Painter - from a more modern day japanese inspired world that is set in darkness with neon lights being the light source. nightmares manifest into actual monsters in this world, and nikaro is someone who uses art to banish them and their violence away from the city
“Trauma doesn’t decrease with company, but it does grow easier to work through when you know someone else understands.”
i really loved both of these worlds and settings, but the noodle shop in painter’s world was everything. i mean, obviously the owner and the coatrack were perfection on their own, but just that setting was so cozy and warm and perfect to picture in my mind while reading. i really hope we get to see at least a glimpse of it again in the future.
okay okay, let’s talk about the romance. i feel like i am a little in the minority with this, but i always like brandon’s romances. (truly, vin and elend are the reason i love bodyguard romances!) but i really loved the relationship in this book - its very slow burn, and it really focuses on their friendship, and them being the people they want to be, not the expectations placed on them by their worlds and circumstances. but oh my gosh i was weeping, truly weeping, at the romance in this book. i loved it completely. and i truly believe the second to last chapter in this book (i am trying to be vague hehe) is one of the best things brandon sanderson has ever written.
i was also very moved with brandon really implementing discussions on ai generated art and creation throughout this book. Humans really put themselves, their experiences, the experiences passed down to them, their blood, sweat, tears, their entire existence into their art. Meanwhile, machines just take and take and take and erase and erase and erase. i feel like he incorporated this very loudly and very softly at the same time, throughout this entire novel, and it is an important conversation we all need to be having and actively trying to dismantle.
and speaking of artwork, aliya chen has created some of the most beautiful pieces of art throughout this book. these illustrations truly enhanced and elevated this story to a new level and, again, really emphasizes the importance of human’s creating art and forging connections that transcend words.
“Human beings are bundles of emotion puppeting muscles like a marionette. We emote not only with our bodies, but with our very souls.”
in conclusional gushing, you will see me holding this beautiful special edition up in my end of the year, favorite books of the year picture. i am very obsessed with this and it really was close to perfection for me. truly a reminder why i love art and reading and escaping into worlds with characters like this.
“It’s hard when you look up and realise that everyone’s moved off and left you in that place by yourself. Like they’ve all gone on and you’re there
“It’s hard when you look up and realise that everyone’s moved off and left you in that place by yourself. Like they’ve all gone on and you’re there still, holding on to this person you’re supposed to let go of.”
this is a heartbreakingly beautifully written book that the reader can interpret in many different ways. But this ultimately is a story about how grief can impact us, change us, shape us.
this will not be a book for everyone, and even though there are so many eerie scenes, the sadness and loneliness and helplessness i felt while reading was the scariest horror elements for me. i cried for the entire end of this, and for sure at least half of my tears were because i was purely heavy sad, but i also think it’s because this story is so expertly crafted that half of my tears were the light feeling of feeling seen and felt cathartic to let out.
letting go can be so hard, even when it is the right thing, and especially if you are given no other option but to let go. but this book just amplifies, and continues to echo throughout, that reality so very much, because sometimes you really are forced to give up the entire sum of your heart, and you’ll never be prepared for the timing of it. we as humans just are not equipped to deal with that instant emptiness, no matter how many times we read about it in books.
“I want to explain her in a way that would make you love her, but the problem with this is that loving is something we all do alone and through different sets of eyes.”
i saw someone else say this, but this writing truly feels like the ebb and flow of a great body of water. i even noticed myself rocking slightly back and forth while turning these pages, because this is crafted in such a way that it truly does make the reading experience feel like waves (sometimes crashing against my heart over and over again eroding at something). such a hypnotic style and craft, i really can’t believe this is a debut novel.
again, i just know this is not going to be for everyone, maybe not even for the majority of readers, but i think this book could very much connect with certain readers. And if it does, i think you’ll love it wholeheartedly. also, maybe unimportantly, this book cover is truly an all time favorite for me. haunting, beautiful, and memorable just like the story inside.
lastly, this is an interview with them magazine that just really just makes my heart overflow with immeasurable joy, seeing queer writers subvert, empower, and reclaim the horror genre.
trigger + content warnings: grief, depression, death, loss of a loved one, loss of a parent, terminal illness, not great parents, a lot of blood depiction, body horror, talk of eating habits, hypochondria, insect mentions, menstruation mention, needle imagery, vomit, memory loss, nightmares, suicide, confinement that made me feel a little claustrophobic with the descriptions (being trapped in a submarine at the bottom of the ocean for six months)
i keep putting off this review, because i know whatever i type will just not do this book justice. this really is a masterpiece in every way, and for i keep putting off this review, because i know whatever i type will just not do this book justice. this really is a masterpiece in every way, and for sure one of the best books i've ever read, but it also felt physically painful to read while being an american right now. (i mean, always, but just... extra heavy right now.) but, i will try my best.
“This book is dedicated to anyone who has ever fallen in love with a culture that was devouring their own.”
a memory called empire follows mahit dzmar, who is from a very small mining space station, and this story begins as soon as she lands in the center of the multi-system, the teixcalaanli empire, where she will be the newest ambassador. she has been raised learning everything about teixcalaan, in hopes of one day being able to work in the heart of the empire she has loved her whole life, but when the last ambassador goes missing, mahit is able to make that dream come true bigger than she ever imagined.
in this world, there is implant technology that manhit’s people have, called imagos. and basically, as long as the people are compatible, they can share a chain of actual human life memory, that they can keep passing down, essentially sharing a body, at least your current body when the years of memories of the person’s implant that is implanted in you. yskandr, the previous ambassador, has been missing for three months, and they do not have this implant of the last twenty years, but they have an out of date imago of his first five years in teixcalaan, and that is what mahit has with her while she is embarking on this new job and new journey.
when she arrives, she realizes really quickly that maybe this empire wasn’t very worthy of her dedication. the people of teixcalaan remind her that she never will truly be one of them throughout this book. she also is experiencing riots and uprising from resistance groups, while also seeing people in power using war as a source of profit for themselves. mahit getting very intertwined with the emperor and learns lot about what yskandr was doing during the fifteen years he was not checking in with lsel station.
there is also a sapphic situation going on with mahit’s cultural liaison, three seagrass, who she meets when arriving to the empire, and who is supposed to kind of bridge the two cultures more easily for mahit, and assist her with anything she needs or does not understand. And they really make a connection of poetry, which is a big part of this world and story, and i just really loved reading about them - even though i know there is a lot of layers to this and it’s really complicated (which is also probably why i enjoyed reading it).
this is a space opera, this is a murder mystery, this is a romance, this is about connecting and learning and loving other cultures that are not your own, this is about imperialism and the forever more and more and more colonization that comes from it. arkady martine really has created something powerful, and important, and real, yet also very beautiful and filled with empathy. this duology really deserves all the awards it has received, and a memory called empire really is one of the best books i’ve ever read. (also, it is my favorite book title of all time, i think, too!)
trigger + content warnings: colonization, colonialism, use of the word barbarians talking about people who are others, death, panic attacks, mention of consuming ashes of someone, blood, bombings / explosions, talk of child birth, assault (unwanted touching), poisoning, wound descriptions, surgery, needles, riots, fetishization, grief, war, seizures, violence, loss of a loved one (friend), self harm (to get blood for an oath), suicide / sacrifice, and a lot of xenophobia
“So this is healing, then, the opposite of the ambiguous dread: fullness. I am full of anger, pain, peace, love, of horrible shards and exquisite b
“So this is healing, then, the opposite of the ambiguous dread: fullness. I am full of anger, pain, peace, love, of horrible shards and exquisite beauty, and the lifelong challenge will be to balance all of those things, while keeping them in the circle. Healing is never final. It is never perfection. But along with the losses there are triumphs. I accept the lifelong battle and its limitations now. Even though I must always carry the weight of grief on my back, I have become strong.”
this is a heavy read, but it really is life changing. i really will forever think differently upon reading this, because it really made me realize a lot about myself - how i cope, how i soothe, how i view perfectionism, how i feel dread, how i carry my father inside my heart and bones at all times, and how my grandmother who immigrated to the us from the philippines carried us both alongside her before that. i really and truly recommend this to anyone, but especially diaspora friends / friends who are the children + grandchildren of immigrants, and extra if you are asian american. but please also make sure you check content warnings and are in the right headspace.
i am just so grateful this book exists. and i hope everyone who is reading this review gets to feel their happiness and safety a little bit more deeply, alongside every other deep feeling we sometimes can't control feeling. our bodies are capable of such incredible things, but so are our hearts and who we choose to love with them.
“Our words, like our hearts, are weapons still hot from the forging, beating themselves into new shapes each time we swing them.”
The first of bran
“Our words, like our hearts, are weapons still hot from the forging, beating themselves into new shapes each time we swing them.”
The first of brandon sanderson’s secret cosmere projects was everything for me. This story is truly unlike any other that brandon has created before, for so many reasons, but mostly because it reads like a fairytale! This is inspired by The Princess Bride, which I actually have never read before, but it didn't hinder my reading experience whatsoever! And just seeing some long time favorites from the cosmere world, and some cameos and name drops that I was not prepared for, felt like coming home - even if this setting is one that I would have never anticipated! But… dare I say, because I know this is a keyword everyone is looking for these days… this was cozy fantasy perfection!
You do not need to read any other book in the cosmere to read this story, but you will miss out on so many easter eggs throughout and i am not sure if not having that appreciation will hinder your reading experience - so here is a little warning, in case!
To put this very briefly, this is a story about a girl who leaves the only home she has ever known to brave a very strange ocean, in a very different cosmere world, with a very sweet pirate crew (for the most part), for love. Because at the end of all my favorite types of stories, it’s always for love and it’s always worth it.
But I so quickly fell in love with Tress and her teacups and her story. Also, if you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you will know how much I adore a questing storyline and this book delivered that and more so! I also feel like every cosmere series has such a perfect and different found family, yet you always feel like you are a part of that family as well, and it’s so beautiful each time, but this one was extra close to my heart.
I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the second secret project, because the bar has just been set so very high for me. (plus howard lyon is one of my favorite magic the gathering artist so it was extra perfect for me!) I also have a very soft spot for the character who narrates this story… and to keep being secretive… I loved the whimsy of this story extra, too! muhahahahah!
I predict this will probably make my best of 2023 list, because my heart overflows more and more each time i think about this story. It just felt so warm and cozy and was filled with so much light and hope - and that’s exactly what I want to be reading in my life right now.
trigger + content warnings: mentions of war, poison/drugging, vomit, captivity, murder, talk of cancer/tumors very briefly, brief weight loss comment, mention of slavery, and… lots of mentions of spores (i only say this because i think a lot of people are watching last of us right now and it might make you think about things lol)
tw/cw: panic attacks, loss of a family member, bad parenting (manipulative), abandonment, cancer mention,new fave holiday book.... new fave romance <3
tw/cw: panic attacks, loss of a family member, bad parenting (manipulative), abandonment, cancer mention, cheating mention (side characters), biphobia, talk of housing crisis, vomiting, divorce of parents/parents not in a happy marriage, some inner thoughts about body image
>.> this book made me feel a way i have never felt reading any other book so...
i know it says a love story on the front, but this book is very much ab>.> this book made me feel a way i have never felt reading any other book so...
i know it says a love story on the front, but this book is very much about mental health + choosing to not be medicated for mental health conditions. it was a hard read for me, but a very impactful one. and olivie blake just is just such a talented author and the sentences she is able to string together, about really dark and hard to talk about things, really resonated with me in a way other words just never have before.
trigger + content warnings: loss of a loved one in past, addiction depiction (drugs + sex), depression, anxiety, inability to sleep, extreme codependency talk of arrest in past, overdose in past mention, unexpected pregnancy in past mention, a lot of talk of medication, blood imagery, abandonment, suicidal thoughts, disordered eating, some body image things, grey area cheating/emotional cheating, very intrusive thoughts, very manic thoughts, and just… a lot of discussion about mental health medications and choosing not to be medicated.
“...it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.”
this was just t“...it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.”
this was just the perfect book for the exact right time that i needed to read it in my life. we all know books and words and stories have healing powers that are immeasurable, but this book truly feels like you're putting on a band-aid immediately. i am so eternally thankful for becky chambers writing it, and i know it is going to help and comfort so many readers forever.
this felt like a love letter to communication, to finding comfort, and ultimately to just not feeling alone. it touches on how healing nature can be, and how we are all truly connected through it. yet, we have so much we still can learn from one another. but also how there is so much in this world none of us will ever understand, but knowing we are so linked and experiencing so many things together... it makes it not so scary, not so daunting, not so... alone. especially when we are allowing ourselves to feel experiences fully and wholeheartedly. because we were truly put on this earth to do so much more than produce. especially when we are creatures with the ability to feel so very deeply.
and this story really helps emphasize how powerful a cup of tea can be. :]
tw/cw: talk of spiders + insects, mention of animal death, blood + wound depiction.
found family and forever friendships love, but also escapism and healing… and how sometimes all of that can come together and be lifesaving (sometimesfound family and forever friendships love, but also escapism and healing… and how sometimes all of that can come together and be lifesaving (sometimes over and over and over again, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow...)
there is a chapter of this book that i was weeping so hard during, i couldn’t breathe. and the way the narration switches during this part of the story… it's harrowing, heartbreaking, and so very painful, but also so masterfully done.
sam really meant a lot to me, and some of his inner monologues and lines really impacted me straight to the heart. And i know this is a story i will carry with my forever, but i also know sam is a character i will think about forever for so many reasons.
"Perhaps a funny-looking mixed-race kid could exist at the center of the world, not just on its periphery."
trigger + content warnings: childhood cancer, hospital settings a lot (but also a children's hospital), chronic pain + injury (and… choosing not to take… the best care of yourself for these things/neglecting health concerns), amputation, racism, slurs (racist and homophobic), talk of appropriation (emphasizing japanese cultural appropriation in the video game community), mention of abortion, abusive relationships, emotional dependency depiction, drug use, sexism + misogyny - especially in an industry like the video game industry, car accident, death by suicide, student/teacher (college) relationship, power imbalances, some questionable sexual acts where the mc is dissociating, dissociating, blood depiction, talk of disordered eating (and brief mention of death because of it), fatphobia, 911 mention, unwanted touching, captivity, gore, vomit, gun violence, shooting in the work place - this book has A LOT in it, please use caution and make sure you’re in a good headspace for it.
“Not everyone gets to leave. The least I can do is give them some working lights to read by.”
i know this is a wild thing to say, but with o[image]
“Not everyone gets to leave. The least I can do is give them some working lights to read by.”
i know this is a wild thing to say, but with only two books, i think simon jimenez is a new all time favorite author for me. the spear cuts through water was my favorite book of 2023, and the vanished birds will, without question, make my best of 2024. no one, and i mean no one, stringing sentences, writing themes, and is crafting stories like him. (not to compare but to show you how serious i am about this) i actually truly believe with my whole heart that the two authors currently writing the best books in my world right now are nk jemisin and simon jimenez. what a sentence. you all, please, i am begging you, pick up his two books, and see the actual magic he is weaving to make these stories.
so what is this book about? how do i even begin to explain the galaxy brain that is this story. i guess i will say that this book is about a spaceship traveling the galaxy in a future world of our own. we get to see the crew members on different space missions, and we get to see some people on a 1000 year old space station. And, more importantly, we get to see how they change as people. the captain of this spaceship and the creator of this space station are very connected, and we get to see a glimpse of their life and what love can accomplish and what loneliness can also accomplish.
ultimately, this is a book about change and how everything will change despite anything and because of anything. but this is also a book about time and how that is the saddest and most beautiful thing we experience. this is a book about our ancestors, and the honor it is to know the people who came before us (both blood and/or found family) and who helped shape our very bones (metaphorically, but very physically as well). and this is a book all about love and how we really are never alone, despite how much the world will make us feel so, and how we as humans are willing to do anything in the name of that love and in the name of not being lonely.
this is simply a perfect book to me, and one that i recommend with everything that i am. and now when ube stains my hands, i will forever think of this story
trigger + content warnings: a baby losing a finger, loss of a loved one, loss of a parent, loss of sibling in past, grief, infidelity, blood, anxiety, depression, nightmares, panic attacks, a lot of trauma, needles, child abuse in past, one sentence cannibalism mention, measuring a child’s food/calorie counting, implied suicide, colonization, loss of memory, medical experimentation without consent, talk of climate crisis, gun violence, slavery, torture, surgery, captivity, insect mention.
“When you love a thing too much, it is a special kind of pain to show it to others and to see that it i➵ The Empress of Salt and Fortune ★★★★★
“When you love a thing too much, it is a special kind of pain to show it to others and to see that it is lacking.”
oh, this was a complete and utter masterpiece. 128 pages of power and perfection. not only a love letter to love, but a love letter to stories being told through generations and the power of stories being audibly passed down. and how those stories get distorted over time when others write them down, sometimes trying to make them fit in boxes they never belonged in.
and if you all are looking for sapphic yearning, and angst, and one liners that you will physically feel in your heart and soul, i recommend this story with everything. truly unforgettable, and the layers and depth to it all is so expertly done. nghi vo is actually out of her mind for these novellas, and i am blown away way passed the point of coherent words. but i can't wait to see what stories our cleric experiences next!
“Being close to her was like being warmed by a bonfire, and I had been cold for a long time.”
impoh, such a powerful first read of 2022 !!
“Being close to her was like being warmed by a bonfire, and I had been cold for a long time.”
impactful, lyrical, and so so so powerful. truly a masterpeice of a novella and the story is told in my absolute favorite way - where we get to see a character be told the story alongside the reader. the memories were beautiful and haunting and everything in-between. and the last line had me gasping for air! truly i loved this with my whole heart, and lake scarlet is now one of my favorite settings in literature.
so many people are going to have so many individual heart shattering reactions to their identity because of this book. it made me feel pride, it made so many people are going to have so many individual heart shattering reactions to their identity because of this book. it made me feel pride, it made me feel shame, it made me hopeful, it made me grieve, it truly kind of made me feel everything. but right now i am just feeling in awe of rf kuang and everything they are doing in literature, showing all the different words people use for violence.
best footnotes. best dark academia. best book of 2022.
trigger warnings + content warnings: loss of a loved one, murder, death, grief, disease/plague mentions, colonization, war, invasion, battle, talk of slavery, abuse, physical abuse from guardian, racism, xenophobia, colorism, use of slurs, blood, talk of suicide, talk of child labor, talk of inhumane work conditions, police brutality, torture, gun violence, brief sexual assault (unwanted touching with intent on more) mention of feet binding, misogyny, talk of drugs, stress + anxiety depictions, vomiting, talk of extreme stress put on students
[2022] had to bring my favorite book to see some of my favorite humans (it was a little too fitting... hehe) <3 [image]
[2021] my favorite book of the w[2022] had to bring my favorite book to see some of my favorite humans (it was a little too fitting... hehe) <3 [image]
[2021] my favorite book of the whole year :] [image] ARC provided by TOR - thank you so very much!
this was truly so magnificent, and will for sure make my best books of 2021 list (if not my favorite book of the year, too)! but i truly am simply just a ouyang apologist.
Content and Trigger Warnings: starvation, loss of a loved one, death, murder, mass murder, gore, war themes, brief mention of cannibalisms, hurt to an animal, death of an animal, mention of slavery, non-consensual castration in past, mention of vomiting, plague, mass illness, quarantining, off-page torture, bombs, many mentions of alcohol consumption/maybe alcoholism, off-page death of a child, depression depiction, fear of being outed, misgendering (always in a negative light), and just a lot of internalized body/gender feelings - this book can be heavy at times, so please use caution.
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