Weekly reading review: 2/3-2/9

Books I finished

The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark: part of Tor.com’s novella line, this is an atmospheric story with a great concept and worldbuilding. It’s voicey as can be which is great, except that it left me wanting more, as sometimes happens with novellas.

The Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri [review coming soon]

What I’m reading now

I’m valiantly plugging through European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman and I’ve made progress. I’m still less than halfway through, though! 700 pages is just a lot. We’ll see if I manage to finish this week, or if I read some other books first.

What I’m reading next

Ana Maria Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle by Hilda Eunice Burgos

Always Coming Home by Ursula K Le Guin

Weekly reading review: 1/20-1/26

Books finished

The Dinosaur Artist by Paige Williams: I found this one really fascinating and complex. Without knowing a lot of the background, I thought Williams did a decent job at boiling down some big themes and pieces of background to make sense of why this was a big deal. I did find the end, with its abrupt switch to a more personal tone regarding Eric Prokopi and his family a bit jarring. But overall, this one is recommended!

Sanity and Tallulah by Molly Brooks: Awwwww, what an adorable graphic novel! I loved the visuals of the space stations and ships, the humor, and the friendship between the two main characters. Totally recommended, especially for the Lumberjanes/Noelle Stevenson fans.

Currently Reading

The Girl with the Dragon Heart by Stephanie Burgis: A follow-up to The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart; it feels a bit different tonally but a smart and thoughtful fantasy.

What I’m reading next

The Spy with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton

 

I’m trying a new approach to my active to-read pile. We’ll see how well it works (so I won’t talk about it just yet). Do you have a system for deciding what books to read next? Or do you pick up whatever you’re in the mood for?

Weekly reading review: 1/13/-1/19

Books I finished 

Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan [review]

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina: Meg Medina’s first middle grade is a good one! I loved Merci and her family. The story is very tightly focused on Merci but a warm cast of supporting characters round out the story nicely.

Currently reading

The Dinosaur Artist by Paige Williams: An interesting non-fiction book about–in the simplest terms–the trading of dinosaur fossils. The story becomes a lot more complex than that, however, as the history of paleontology, US and Mongolian politics, and the personal histories of the people involved get drawn in. I’m close to being done with this one and have found it pretty impressive overall.

The Light Between Worlds by Laura Weymouth: I’m not far into this one and the premise sounds really interesting (I’m always a sucker for new takes on portal fantasies). I am curious, though, to see how well it stands on its own.

The European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss: Yes, still.

What I’m reading next

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Weekly reading review: 1/6-1/12

 

Books I finished 

Nate Expectations by Tim Federle: I really enjoyed the first two books in this trilogy when they came out, so I picked up the third one on the strength of that. I’m not sure if this is a less-polished book, or if I would feel differently about the earlier books if I reread them now. Regardless, the ending especially felt very sentimental and forced to me. (I also don’t know what to do with Federle, who was one of the names listed in the comment section of the SLJ harassers in kidlit article. So that could be clouding my perception here as well.)

I, Claudia by Mary McCoy: review coming tomorrow!

Frederica by Georgette Heyer: A reread–one of the more dashing and funny Heyers. It’s interesting to note how little Frederica and Alverstoke actually talk about themselves.

Currently reading

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss: I’ve been trying to read a chapter or two a day but this book is just long! It’s not that I’m not enjoying it, because I am, but it’s taking me a bit to get through.

What I’m reading next

Here to Stay by Sara Farizan

Weekly reading review: 1/1-1/5

Books I finished

The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar [review] (A reread of one of my favorite books from 2017; it holds up marvellously and I loved it so much.)

Sawkill Girls by Claire LeGrand [review]

The Prince & the Dressmaker by Jen Wang: A cute mgish graphic novel! I liked the overall story and representation. But sheesh, I really am a pedant, because I could not get over the fact that this is supposed to be Paris and Brussels in the  19th century and the visuals of the fashions were a weird amalgamation and the history doesn’t line up. I guess you could make an argument that this is the Disney treatment? It’s “Paris” the way Belle lives in “France”? But it really bumped me out of the story because I kept trying to make sense of the choices instead of just reading.

Currently reading

I, Claudia by Mary McCarthy: A loose retelling of I, Claudius. The premise and voice are both pretty great, but I’m curious about how well it would hold up as an independent story if you haven’t already read Graves’ book.

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss: I really like the Athena Club books! They’re long, but they’re zippy reads. As someone who has enjoyed Goss’s short fiction for ages, it’s fun to see her working with a larger canvas.

Frederica by Georgette Heyer: A reread, from when I was craving some comfort books last month.

What I’m reading next

Here to Stay by Sara Farizan

The Spy with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke

Weekly reading review: 11/4-11/10

Another week where I didn’t read much, sigh. It’s been a busy month and that’s not changing anytime soon, so I guess I should just accept it for now.

Books I finished

Making Friends by  Kristen Gudsnuk: One of a few kids’ graphic novels I’ve been catching up on recently. I liked this one a ton! It’s a kind of a zany premise but also I was full on giggling at some points. Bonus: a fictional tv series that’s an important plot point and clearly based on Sailor Moon! The art is perfect for the tone, and overall this is another nice entry in the “middle school friendship stories” subgenre.

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory [review]

The Witch Boy by  Molly Knox Ostertag: Another kids’ graphic novel–this time about a boy from a magical family where all the boys are shapeshifters & all the girls learn magic. No exceptions. Except Aster really doesn’t want to shift, and he does want to learn magic. It’s a compelling story about what happens when we’re forced into roles, and I loved the art and the depictions of Aster’s family. The feel of the world cozy & warm, but the story itself is challenging and nuanced, which I thought was a neat combination!

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by  Deborah Hopkinson [review]

Currently reading

The Language of Power by Rosemary Kirstein: The last published book in the Steerswoman series. I’m not very far in yet, but I’m curious to see if there will be any answers, or just (*dramatic music*) more questions.

Hamster Princess: Little Red Rodent Hood by Ursula Vernon: I love the Hamster Princess Series, as everyone should know, and I’m liking this latest book.

What I’m reading next

Mariam Sharma Hits the Road by Sheba Karim

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Weekly reading review: 10/28-11/3

A late entry–my grandmother passed away early last week and I’ve been working and out of town since then. I haven’t been reading much either, so this is a relatively short post. I’m not sure if it’s just been a lot of things happening in my personal life, or if I’m in a bit of a slump.

What I finished

A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer [reviewed]

Fake Blood by Whitney Gardner: This is a pretty fun middle grade graphic novel, about a trio of friends. It hits that “where do I fit in now that we’re growing up?” theme that middle grade often does well, and it has some pretty humorous moments.

What I’m currently  reading

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden: I’m kind of confused, but it’s also super cool?

What I’m reading next

The Language of Power by Rosemary Kirstein

Weekly reading review: 10/21-10/27

What I finished

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman: reviewed here

Jade City by Fonda Lee: reviewed here

Exit Strategy by Martha Well: I believe this is the final Murderbot novella (but then we’re getting a novel! yay!!) and I really liked it–Murderbot has emotions and has to admit that some humans are its friends. I did feel that the ending was a tad abrupt but I can live with that knowing that this wasn’t truly the final end of the story.

Border by Kapka Kassabova: reviewed here

What I’m currently reading

Persuasion, still. I should really focus on wrapping it up this week!

A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer: I’m rereading this one and enjoying it, although I think I liked A College of Magics more when I read it earlier this year. It seems like every time I read these books my favorite flip-flops.

Dragon’s Green by Scarlett Thomas: So far this is intriguing but not gripping; we’ll see if I end up being in the right mood for it ultimately.

What I’m reading next

The Language of Power by Rosemary Kirstein

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson

Weekly reading review: 10/14-10/20

I didn’t mean to skip last week, but trust me when I say that this has been A Week, and posting on Wednesday seemed a bit silly. I guess I should be more organized and try to write these posts through the week instead of panicking on Sunday afternoon. What an idea!

What I finished
Capsized! by Patricia Sutton: review up tomorrow

Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King: I decided to try the Mary Russell books again–I’d started the first one several times. I don’t absolutely love them (notably I am not wild about the Russell/Holmes romance thread, and they seem to reproduce some gross attitudes about class/the Empire rather than interrogating them) but they satisfy the craving for a decent mystery so I read the second one too.

Drum Roll Please Lisa Jenn Bigelow: A cute music camp story–are there any other music camp stories out there? this one was adorable–and yet another take on middle school friendship! I’m a fan of this mini-trend, so please keep them coming, publishing. Also nice to note that this is partly a story about a f/f middle grade crush, and also navigating the tricky waters of having a first crush and keeping your friends, in a totally age-appropriate way. Yay!

What I’m currently reading

Jade City by Fonda Lee: Dark, complex fantasy about a fictional Asian country where jade confers magical abilities and powerful clans vie for territory and influence. This one is a bit darker than what I’ve been reading recently and I’m liking it a lot.

Persuasion by Jane Austen: I’m really enjoying rereading this, and I’ve been livetweeting my thoughts about it.

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman: YA contemporary about a girl whose sister has just died. It’s a strong book and the prose is really nice, although I’m not finding myself totally caught up in the story. We’ll see what I end up thinking!

What I’m reading next

Dragon’s Green by Scarlett Thomas

City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty

 

Weekly reading review: 9/30-10/6

I am writing this from the Couch of Great Sniffles, having caught a cold last week. I always seem to catch a cold around my birthday! (which is next week) It’s unjust.

What I finished

The Likeness by Tana French: Creepy and effective–I liked the ways it seemed to be in conversation with past mysteries and thrillers, even if that meant the basic premise was pretty unbelievable.

The Lost Books: The Scroll of Kings by Sarah Prineas: A fun middle grade fantasy, and the start of a new series. I am always so-so about fantasy librarians and this is no exception, but it’s still a solid and engaging read.

What I’m currently reading

Persuasion by Jane Austen: An old friend that I haven’t read in a long time.

Spinning Silver by Noami Novik: So far I’m really liking this one!

She Loves You (Yeah Yeah Yeah) by Ann Hood: Light-ish YA about a Beatles-obsessed teenager.

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough [ebook]: I’m not very far into this one but I think I’ll like it, depending on how the romance aspect plays out.

What I’m reading next

A Room Away From the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma

Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson

The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey