Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts

Friday, July 1, 2022

June Reading Stats and Midway Through the Year Post

So my numbers this year are definitely going down. It's due to a lot of things, but most especially that it's harder to get my hands on certain books as audio books combining with the way I have been choosing my books. So I will be changing things up with this new month, and see if that helps me figure things out a little more. I'll explain below the stats, for anyone interested.

I only managed to finish 12 books this month, which is the lowest since I started listening to audio books. 

My top favorite book this month was A Destiny of Dragons, by my new favorite author, TJ Klune. It's a great followup to Lightning Struck Heart, and I highly recommend it, though it's definitely for mature audiences, because there's a unicorn in it that definitely doesn't know when to censor himself, and he encourages everyone around him to be the same way. Fantasy, Humor, and LGBT Romance. What more could I possibly want? Definitely a fun one that put a very big smile on my face.

Runners up for the month were River Marked and Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs, the sixth and seventh books in her Mercy Thompson series. Werewolves, Vampires, and all sorts of other beasties. River Marked has a lovely insight into how the Northwest Native tribes fit into this world. I highly recommend the whole series. Especially if you enjoyed but then burned out on the Anita Blake series. This gives me the same vibes, but always leaves me wanting more. 

The third runner up was Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger, the second book in her Finishing School YA series. If you're a fan of her Parasol Protectorate, I highly recommend this series, too. A great story about a girl in a finishing school that isn't quite what it appears to be.

The oldest book I read this month was City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende. It was published about August of 2002. It is the first book of a YA series she wrote for her grandchildren. This one's about a boy who finds himself going on an adventure with his grandmother into the depths of the Amazon, to find a fabled monster people have seen there that sounds like it could be a sasquatch.

The newest book I read this month was Misrule by Heather Walter, which came out May of this year. The duology is based on Sleeping Beauty, but told from the point of view not of Sleeping Beauty, but the girl who falls in love with her, but is hated by nearly everyone around her because she is a dark creature. If that sounds interesting to you, I definitely recommend the Malice Duology. The second book is darker and a good deal more frustrating than the first, but I enjoyed them both, and they are definitely worth checking out for those who like Fairy Tale Retellings.

June stats:

Of the 12 books I read this month, eight were audio, three were eBook, and one was a physical book. I did manage to finish two series, and I'm very pleased to say I didn't DNF any books this month. Five of the books I read were YA, and seven were adult. Five had male authors, and seven female, with nine male main characters, and eight female main characters, which is a good split on both sides of things. I did try to pump up my LGBT reads this month, but only eight of the twelve were LGBT content, so that could have been higher. And only five of the books had non white central characters, so I'm going to definitely need to work on that in the future.

My current and future reading:

Currently I am reading:
Hero is interesting. It's a slow read because I'm not particularly enjoying the art, but it's enough to keep me reading, at least. Stormbringer and Tower of Nero are final books in those series, so that will be two for July, at least.

I don't currently have other Audiobooks waiting on my Libby.

Here are my current holds:
And as for how I'm choosing my books starting this month (unless it fails, in which case, I will find another way): I have decided to pre-choose the books I read for the month, so that I can set up holds and actually read them, so all the books on the hold list are ones I've chosen for the month of July, so long as they come in July.

My current July Reading List:
So have you read any of these? Do you think I'll enjoy them? What are you planning on reading this month?
Posted by Elf Flame at 5:01 PM 0 comments
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Sunday, June 5, 2022

May Reading Stats!

It's been a busy couple weekends, so I haven't had a chance to do many posts of late, but here are my stats for my May reading. It was a light reading month, as I decided to start rewatching Marvel movies, and so that's taken most of my relaxing at home time. I only managed 13 books this month. Not a horrible number, just nothing like last year's numbers, and the lowest so far this year.

Because I had so few books this month, it was harder to determine my top books, especially since several were rereads, which I do not include in my top books for the month, so it took me a while to figure these out. 

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is far and away the best new book I finished in May. I wish I'd started these sooner when I was being told both by my ex and my mom about them. If you love books, this is a world you will adore. It's our world, but not. Literature has taken the place of god. And crime is very interesting. Many crimes are about fake literature. And people go around proselytizing about the person they believe was Shakespeare. In addition, for people like me who are Welsh? Wales is a republic, and people from England are generally not welcome. If any of that sounds good to you, I highly recommend this book, the first of a currently seven-book series, though an eighth is due next year.

The runners up for the month:

The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan, the third book in the Trials of Apollo series. I'm very much enjoying this one, aside from the main character, who needs to get slapped regularly. But then, he's a god, what does he know?

The Lost World by Michael Crichton, the sequel to Jurassic Park, and just as good as the first. If you've read the first, I highly recommend this one, too.

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell, about a world where mechanics and magic exist in companionship, and where the land of elves is beginning to rise up against the old world. Wonderful weaving of our history with steampunk and fairy tale (in this instance, Cinderella).

The oldest book I read this month was a reread: The Cry from Beyond by Wendy and Richard Pini, the 7th book in the Elfquest series, which was published September 1, 1993 as a gathered volume. I've been slowly rereading these, and have discovered several that I don't have, so I will have to get my hands on them, if I can, though it seems at least one of them isn't really available at this time (the price I saw was almost $200), so I may have to read that one online.

The newest book was Jay's Gay Agenda by Jason June, which was published June 1, 2021. Cute book, though it felt like the writer hadn't done a great job of researching the area, because she called the school he attended in Seattle "Capitol Hill High School." Just...rang very false. 

Stats for the month:

Out of the 13 books I read this month, 7 were audio, three were E-Books, and three were physical. I finished three series, and DNFd one book that I just wasn't enjoying. My top three genres this month were Romance, Fantasy, and Sci Fi. Eight books were written by male authors, and eight were written by females. The main characters, eleven were male and seven were female main characters. Seven books had LGBT content, and four had non-white main characters. The audience split were four YA, and nine adult.

Since we're in Pride month, I think I will attempt to read only LGBT books this month. We'll see if I can manage it. I do have some already in progress, so I will finish them if I can, but at most of them are already LGBT, so I think I'll be okay.

My current and future reading:

Currently I am reading:
  • City of Beasts (Eagle & Jaguar #1) by Isabel Allende (haven't actually started yet)
  • The Tyrant's Tomb (The Trials of Apollo #4) by Rick Riordan (haven't started yet)
  • Jungle Heat by Bonnie Dee (10%)
  • A Destiny of Dragons (Tales from Verania #2) by TJ Klune (11%)
  • Saga (Saga #7) by Brian K Vaughan (no page numbers, but about 2/5th of the way through)
Only City of the Beasts doesn't have LGBT content, I believe. It's the second time I've gotten it from the library, so I really should try to finish it this time. Wish me luck!

After looking over my current list on Libby, I decided to dump them all in favor of Pride month, so I don't have anything there at the moment except for City of Beasts, and we'll see if I listen to that one. 

And my current holds:
I suspended What Once Was Mine, because it's Disney, and we all know that means it's no good for Pride month. Misrule's three weeks out according to my app, so we'll see if I get that before the month ends.

Beyond that, we'll see what I get up to this month. Should be fun! 
    Posted by Elf Flame at 12:23 PM 0 comments
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    Sunday, May 1, 2022

    April Reading Stats

     Another month gone, and since it's Sunday, I actually get to update my info the first of the month this time. Second best month so far this year. I managed a total of 21 books, which isn't bad at all. I even got to read two books on my new releases list, which was very exciting. 

    My favorite books of the month:

    Crowbones by Anne Bishop is the latest in the World of the Others, and a fabulous follow up to the first of the books about these characters, which is a lovely little community in the Fingerlakes region. Anne writes mystery so very well, and this world is so well created that it just works with every word of each story she tells. If you like Supernatural, I highly recommend this one, and all the rest. The Others are something entirely different from every supernatural story you have ever read, and yet so familiar that it takes almost no time to understand the implications each time.

    Generally this month's books seem to have one of two themes: Fantasy or Supernatural. Crowbones is Supernatural. The three runners up, two are fantasy, and one is Supernatural. Even my oldest and youngest books of the month, one is fantasy, and one is supernatural. And yet, somehow, Supernatural didn't end up being one of my genres of the month. I guess it's more a sign of what I enjoy most.

    Runners up for April were: 
    Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, and in specific, The Ship of the Dead, by Rick Riordan. This was the last book in his three-book Norse series, which I highly recommend. Next to Percy Jackson, it's my favorite of his series in this world so far. In particular for one character. A child of Loki who is strongly non-binary, and who ends up in a relationship with Magnus by the end of this book. I have never found a non-binary romance before, and this one just made me so happy, I feel like everyone should read the whole series, even if you never read any of Riordan's other God series.

    Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko is a high fantasy dystopia about a world where the leader of the major country of the world has a close council who are chosen by and for him as a child, and they grow together like siblings, and can never be separated from each other. The characters are all characters of color, and the richness of this world is wonderful. I can't wait to see where the second book takes them. 

    Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriager, the first book of her YA series set in a finishing school that teaches young ladies the ins and outs of espionage in a world filled with Vampires and Werewolves. I've missed Gail's writing. She has a fabulous wonderfully whimsical tone that never fails to make me smile. And these characters are a great addition to this world. Definitely for fans of steampunk and supernatural.

    The oldest book I read this moth was The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams, which was published October 25, 1988. It's a fascinating classic high fantasy world that's been on my radar for decades now. I'm curious to see where the story goes from here. Looking forward to finding out. The newest book I read this month was Lover Arisen by JR Ward, which came out on April 5th. It was not the best of the series, but it was still fun to see the guys again. I am dreading the next book, though. We'll see how that one goes.

    Stats for the month:
    Out of the 21 books I read this month, 16 were audio, four were E-Books, and one was physical. I finished two series, and DNFd one book that I just wasn't in the mood for. I may go back and try again, but I'm not sure I will. We shall see. Eight books were written by male authors, and 14 were written by females. The main characters were evenly split between male and female main characters, with thirteen each. Eight books had LGBT content, and 6 had non-white main characters. The audience split were one middle grade, nine YA, and 16 adult.

    My top three genres this month were Romance, Fantasy, and Myth & Folklore. I can't recall if I've had Myth & Folklore on here before, but it is a favorite genre, so I'm not shocked it showed, especially this month. I have been considering expanding this to five genres, just for more variation, but if I do, that won't be until next year at the earliest.

    My current and future reading:

    Currently I am reading:
    Nothing else on my Libby account right now aside from the Dark Prophecy at the moment.

    I do have things I'm waiting to come in, though:
    A fun selection. We'll see what I get and when. Of those, I'm not strongly looking forward to any of them, so we'll see what happens in the next month.

    So what about you? What have you been reading this past moth? Anything good?
    Posted by Elf Flame at 12:34 PM 0 comments
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    Saturday, April 2, 2022

    March Reading Stats

    Well, my reading definitely seems to be declining again. I only managed 15 books this month. Still a lot, but definitely not as much as I was doing last year. Not sure if it will continue to drop, but I suppose we will see.

    Favorites for the month:

    Aurora's End by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. This is the last of the Aurora Cycle. I enjoyed the whole darn thing. It felt like reading a YA version of Star Trek, or perhaps the new Battlestar Galactica. The characters were all fabulously unique, and the premise was strongly rooted in the best origins of Sci Fi stories of the past. If you enjoy YA and classic Sci Fi, I definitely recommend this series. I've definitely found a favorite pair of authors, so I will be digging deeply into the other books they have written, both together and separately.

    Runners up for March were quite varied. First is Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, about a young trans man who is struggling with peoples' reactions to his transition, and other people's views of him and who he is. A fabulous book that reminded me of the bad parts of being a teenager. It made me very glad not to be in high school any more. Still, a wonderful story about being who you truly are. Definitely worth a read. Then there's the Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan. If you enjoyed either book or movie (or both) of the Joy Luck Club, I highly recommend this one. About a young woman and her mother, and the secrets that people keep from each other to protect those they love. Wonderful story. And then there's March book 3, the last part of John Lewis's story about being in the Civil Rights movement of the 60s. The series is a must-read for those interested in reading about that time. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out Run, which is a sequel series about John Lewis's life.

    The oldest book I read this month was Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, which was published in July of 1968, a year before I was born. No, I've never read the Dragonriders books, so it was very well overdue. It's definitely an early book, but I'm looking forward to reading more. The newest book was Aurora's End, which was published November 9, 2021. See above for my short review. 

    Stats for the month:

    As I said, I read 15 books this month. Definitely less than before, but oddly, both ebook and physical books went up in number. I listened to nine books, read three ebooks, and four physical books--all graphic novels. I also DNF'd two books, and finished two series, both of which are listed above. The split of authors was pretty good. Seven male authors, and ten females. I'm amused because the split of characters is exactly opposite: ten male main characters, and seven female. Six of the books I read had LGBTQ+ major characters, and seven had non-white characters. The audience split was one middle grade, six young adult, and eight adult.

    Like in February, my top three genres are Romance, Fantasy, and Sci Fi, with the last two switching place from February. No big change, not likely to change any time soon, I think. But I'm always interested to see what genres I get with the second and third genres of the month. That's where it changes the most.

    My current and future reading:

      Currently I am reading:

      My Current Libby list to read:
      Fun mix there. Hopefully I will be able to get to them all. Crowbones is the one I'm looking forward to most. 

      And my next holds on my library wait list:
      Lover Arisen is out next week. Not sure how long I'll have to wait to get my hands on it, though.

      And that's everything. So what have you been reading? Anything you'd like to recommend or talk about?

      Posted by Elf Flame at 12:04 PM 0 comments
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      Sunday, February 6, 2022

      January Reading Stats

      So the year's off to a great reading start. I read a bunch of really great books. I've started a new way of scoring my books so that it's a little more based on how the book felt to me, and how well I think it will last in my mind, and large percentage of what I read in January scored over 8 out of 10 on that scale, which makes me very happy.

      So my favorite books of the month:

      Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World, by Benjamin Alire Saenz. A beautiful follow-up to the first book, which picks up where the first book leaves off, with the two boys trying to figure out how to be in a relationship together. The voices in both of these books are wonderful and unique in a way I can't say I've read before. I'd definitely read more about them all if the author wrote more. If you've read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, I highly recommend this. If you haven't, I highly recommend them both. A wonderful coming of age story in a time and place that is uniquely suited to tell this story.

      Runners up:

      Wolfsong by TJ Klune, about a boy who befriends another boy, and the strange places their friendship leads him to. Very different from the other two Klune books I've read, but wonderful and sweet in turns, though this one is a lot darker than the other two.

      Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, which I had listened to once right around the time the original movie came out, so it had been far too long, and there was so much I'd forgotten. If you haven't read it, but love the movies, I highly recommend it. Lots of surprises you won't suspect.

      Ripper by Isabel Allende, about an online group that plays at trying to solve crimes--and find themselves enmeshed in a current crime that involves the group's leader's mother. Allende really tells a wonderful story, and this one is just as good as her other tales, so I highly recommend it if you enjoy a good murder mystery.

      My oldest book of the month was another Asterix book. I'm slowly digging my way through the Asterix Omnibus collection, and this time, the first of the stories, Asterix and the Cauldron, was published originally October 31, 1968. 

      The newest book I read was Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire, which was published January 4, 2022. It's the latest of the Wayward Children books, about a girl who found her way to a world where she became a mermaid. A story about fat acceptance, and dealing with trauma. Definitely worth a read.

      Stats

      All told for January, I finished 29 books. Of those, one finished off a series and one was a reread. I also had to DNF a book, but I'm hoping to get back to it, because it was audiobook issues, not lack of wanting to read it. My top genres were Romance, Fantasy, and Historical. 23 were audiobooks, six were eBooks, and two were physical books. 14 were written by men, and 16 by women. 20 had male main characters, and 14 had female main characters. 15 had LGBT content of a major sort, and 6 had non-white main characters. The Audience split was one middle grade, ten YA, and eleven adult. 

      My current and future reading:

        Currently I am reading:

        I think if I don't manage to get much further into Roseblood by the end of the month, I will be DNFing that, as I'm not feeling pulled by it.

        My Current Libby list to read:
        My Library Hold list:
        Not much at the moment, but the way I'm choosing books at the moment leads me to not put as many books on hold, so that probably won't change as much this year.

        That's all for now. What has everyone else been reading? Any new favorite books?

        Posted by Elf Flame at 12:11 PM 0 comments
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        Saturday, January 1, 2022

        December Book Wrapup

        The year is over. This will be two posts, one about my December reading, and one about the year as a whole, but overall, I am very happy with my reading for the past year, and very much looking forward to more reading to come!

        My favorite book of the month was The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwreck by Mackenzi Lee. This is the final book of the Monague Siblings Trilogy, focusing on the youngest of the siblings, Adrian, who doesn't even realize he has two elder siblings because they've been disowned by their father, a peer of the realm, who doesn't see that having a gay son or a daughter who wants to learn, as being good. Adrian's not much different from his siblings, as he sees his father's work with work houses for the poor as horrible, and wants to change it. His mother's recent death at a health spa has left Adrian a little uncertain. Until he gets his hands on a touchstone his mother had always kept on her person at all times--until the day she died. He sets out to find out why she kept the piece of a broken nautical scope, and ends up learning he is not the only child he always believed he was. Fabulous end to a wonderful series. I definitely recommend. This one is also tied for one of my newest of the month.

        And my three runners up are next. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson, the last of the Mistborn Trilogy. A great end, if hard. Definitely a series worth reading if you like fantasy. The next runner up was Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs, the fourth book in the Mercy Thompson series.Between Mercy, Harry Dresden, and Anita Blake, I've been getting a lot of great urban fantasy and supernatural this year. I look forward to even more in the coming year. The final book of three is Vampire with Benefits, about a Vampire and a Beaver shifter who get paired up by a magical dating service. Sort of. Well, okay, they were there to marry two others, but those ended up married to each other in the first book, so this book is about what these two decide to do instead. A lot of silly fun with a vampire who knew Rudolph Valentino when he was an Actor in his first life. All fun books, and well worth reading if you like fantasy or supernatural stories.

        My oldest book of the month was Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs, book number 3 in the Mercy Thompson series, which was published January 2, 2008. My newest book of the month was actually a tie. Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwreck by Mackenzi Lee, and also The Wolf by JR Ward, which was the second book in a side-series of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Both came out November 16, 2021. Both were fun, but Nobleman is better.

        December is always a crazy month for me, but this year went relatively smoothly, so I managed to get in lots of reading. I finished a total of 28 books in December. I had to DNF one book, but I will be picking it up again, as I got my hands on a copy. I also managed to finish another five series for the year. More on that in my year end wrapup. My top three genres were Romance, Historical, and Fantasy. I listened to 25 audiobooks, finished two eBooks, and finished one physical book. Nine of the books were written by male authors, and 19 by female authors. 21 had male main characters, and 15 had female main characters. 17 had LGBT content, and six had non-white central characters. The audience division of the books I read were eight YA, three New Adult, and 17 Adult.

        My current and future reading:

          Currently I am reading:

          I'm currently out of books on Libby to read, and I have a new way of picking books, so that will be lower this year. We'll see what happens.

          My Library Hold list next 5:
          And that's it for December! Stay tuned for my 2021 wrapup! 
          Posted by Elf Flame at 12:33 PM 0 comments
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          Saturday, December 4, 2021

          November wrap-up

          One more month down, one last month to go! I'll bring everyone up to date with my numbers for the year, but first my favorite books of the month!

          My favorite book of the month was Single White Incubus by EJ Russell. A cute paranormal romance about an Incubs and a bear shifter who sign a contract to marry each other on accident, but fall in love. It's part of the same universe as another series I read this year about three Welsh fae who fall in love, and whose lovers help sort the problems back in the fae lands. They appear in this series as secondary characters. LGBT romance. If you like that sort of thing, I definitely recommend both series. Currently reading the second of this series now, about the pair they were supposed to get married to.

          The runners up for my favorite books of the month:

          Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, a graphic novel about the kindest villain you've ever met, his sidekick, and his arch nemesis. Utterly adorable, and if you like stories with a mix of science and fantasy, and anti-heroes, this one is just lovely.

          Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire, the sixth book in the Wayward children series, about a girl who discovers a secret about herself that causes her to run away from school and ends up in a place where all the beings and animals are horses. Centaurs, unicorns, pookah, and more. I think this might be my favorite of the series so far. Her secret is one I'll keep to myself, but if you want stories about the more silent groups in the LGBTQIA banner, this one is definitely worth reading. The whole series is, really.

          And my last runner up is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz. This one's about two lonely boys who befriend each other the summer of 1987, and what they learn about themselves and each other by being friends. This one's gotten a lot of buzz and a sequel, and it's definitely well worth a look.

          All great books, all with LTBT+ rep, all definitely worth checking out.

          I finally listened to Frankenstein by Mary Shelley this month, which of course was my oldest book of the month, or even the year, really. It was shorter than I realized, but it was fascinating to see what media have done with a story that was so very different from any movie version I've seen. It was first published January 1st, 1818, though she did rewrite it at one point, so there are two variations on her story. I definitely recommend if you are a fan of the classic movie monsters. Of the three classics I've read (Frankenstein, Dracula, and Phantom of the Opera), I do have to say my favorite has been Phantom of the Opera, but I'm surprised how much I enjoyed all three given the fact that I'm not really a fan of this period of English lit.

          The newest book I read this month was Across the Green Grass Fields, which you can read my mini-review of above. It came out November 17 of this year. 

          A busy month, as I was participating in NaNoWriMo, but I still managed a total of 24 books. As of today, I am now at 338 out of the 350 books I've challenged myself to read. That means I have twelve more books to read to get to 350 books. I think that next year, I'm going to start at 100 books, and if I hit that before July, I'll increase it to 200, but otherwise, I'm going to leave it as it is. Still, it's been a grand adventure this year. I'll wait until January to write up all the series I managed to finish this year. The first part of the year, I definitely devoured several, so I know it will be a long list. I have a feeling January will be full of posts about my 2021 reading. 

          Now for stats. I only finished one series but I didn't DNF any books in November, so that's something. The types of book I read: three were ebooks, one was physical, and the other ninteen were all audiobooks. Of the books I read, fourteen were written by men, and ten by women. Twenty one had male main characters, and only six had female main characters. Seventeen had strong LGBTQ content, but only two had central non-white characters. The audience for the books I read: six were YA, and eighteen were Adult. Aside from my usual Romance as my top Genre, my other top two were Contemporary and Supernatural. I'm pretty sure the Supernatural were the leakover of books from spooky season, and Contemporary was because most of those took place in modern day. 

          My current and future reading:

            Currently I am reading:

            My Current Libby list to read:
            Reading is all over the place now. Just things that have been lying around, things I've been waiting for from the library, and things I've been trying to get in before the end of the year.

            My Library Hold list next 5:
            And I have 4 more after those, so I've got lots to read now. Maybe enough through the end of the year. We shall see.

            Hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving in the past two months had a great one. And I hope you all are enjoying the slide into the winter holidays, no matter which you celebrate. See you all next year with a whole new set of reading posts! 
            Posted by Elf Flame at 4:05 PM 0 comments
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            Saturday, November 6, 2021

            October Reading Update!

             So I will try to keep this short today, since I need to get in my words for NaNoWriMo, but here's what I read in October.


            My favorite book of the month was Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. If you're a fan of the fantasies where kids from our world end up in a fantastical realm, this is a book based on that premise. Eleanore West runs a school for children who have come back home after being in a fantastical world, and wish they were still there. There are a bunch of books about the different worlds, but this one is about the after affects of being in those worlds. If you like Narnia, or Alice, or any of those similar stories, I highly recommend this one.

            The runners up for my favorite books of the month:

            Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, a retelling of Rumplestiltskin...sort of. Novik has a great grasp of fairy tales and their origins, and she weaves them deftly into a story about a Jewish Lender's daughter, and what she does to regain her family's fortune from the people her father has loaned the money to to such a point where their own family barely has enough to subsist on. I can probably count on one hand the amount of fictional tales I have read with central Jewish characters, and this does the idea such justice. I highly recommend it for someone who wants to read fairy tale retellings.

            NOS4A2 by Joe Hill is the second book I have read by him, and I highly recommend it. And no matter what else, I will definitely be checking out more by him, because he's definitely inherited his father's talent (Stephen King, for those who don't know). This one is about a girl who stumbles across an ability to travel anywhere she wants...and it leads her to a serial killer who can do the same. And what she does to defeat him.

            And my last runner up is my second favorite in the Undue Arrogance series, and the last of the series, His Cocky Prince, about an Asian American actor who is starting to age out of the roles he is best known for, and the young man who has taken his place, with more innocence in Hollywood, where that innocence is so easily taken advantage of. Gay romance, but so deftly done, and I know I will enjoy anything this author writes, so I will definitely be looking into his other work. Warning for those who have trouble with it, this is a twist on the Weinsten case, so if that might bother you, this won't be the book for you, even though it is well written.

            All great books, and incredibly varied in story type, so something for everyone there! I am surprised that I only have one Supernatural story in the whole pack, given how many I read this past month, but I'm not shocked, either, really.

            Once again, the oldest book I read this month was a reread: Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice, which was published October 31st, 1988. I've been having fun working my way through the series, but it looks as though I'll have to read from now on. I do own the next book, which is the first I have not read, The Vampire Armand, but I am not yet sure when I will get to it, so we shall see.

            The newest book I read this year was the Last Graduate by Naomi Novik, which came out September 28 of this year. It's the second book in this series, and while I enjoyed the first more, this one is still a wonderful read, especially if you read and enjoyed the first book. I can't wait to see where the third book takes things.

            Read a lot of great books, many of which were spooky this year, but more on that in a minute. I finished a total of 26 books, and am well on my way to finishing where I hope to finish, at 350 books. We shall see if I make it. It will definitely be close, but either way, I've read a ton of books this year. at this moment for the year, I have finished 313 books. hopefully I will manage at least another 20 this month, and 25 more next, and then I will be well over my goal. It's so wild, given I was struggling to get to 50 books for the year before last year... So wish me luck! 

            I finished three series and DNF'd one book in October. The types of book I read: three were ebooks, one was physical, and the other twenty two were all audiobooks. Of the books I read, twelve were written by men, and fourteen by women. Seventeen had male main characters, and fourteen had female main characters. Fourteen had strong LGBTQ content, but only five had central non-white characters. The audience for the books I read: one was Middle Grade, eight were YA, one was New Adult, and ninteen were Adult.

            For my Genres, my top two were there as usual, Romance and Fantasy. And because it was spooky season, that meant number three was Supernatural. I do enjoy supernatural in the form of mystery and romance, particularly vampires and werewolves, but I tend to shy away from the darker stuff, particularly zombies and bloodthirsty demons, so I tend to lean more supernatural and less horror.

            My current and future reading:

              Currently I am reading:

              My Current Libby list to read:
              Dregs of the spooky books here, but then I will move on to the few winter reads I have on my list, so we shall see what I end up with. 

              My Library Hold list next 5:
              And it looks like I need to add a bunch more to my wishlist on my library hold list, as that's all I have on my hold list at the time. And some of those won't be coming for quite a while. 

              Hope everyone had a great spooky season if you celebrate, and hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving if you celebrate that (and haven't yet *waves at my Canadian peeps*), and see you all in December!
              Posted by Elf Flame at 1:28 PM 0 comments
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              Saturday, October 2, 2021

              September reading wrap-up

               September went so fast, but I read a surprising amount of books for the month. 

              My favorite book of the month was a lovely dark little book about a magical school where there are no teachers, and monsters are out to eat the students. A Deadly Education is about a girl at the school who is prophesied to become a dark wizard, and so everyone believes it's true. And so she hates everyone. This is the first book in what will be a series. I'm not sure how many books there will be, but I'm very much looking forward to seeing more about this world. Novik is definitely becoming a favorite author, and I can't wait to see what else she writes.

              The runners-up for the month are a broad mix.

              Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers is a historical fantasy about a nunnery in Brittany that trains its girls to be assassins. They're told that their true god, now called a saint by the Christians, marks those who are guilty and in need of killing. The main character eventually learns, once she's sent on her first mission, that this is not exactly the truth. It's the first book of three. The second was equally lovely, and I can't wait to read the final book. I may have to look and see what else has been done.

              The Golem and the the Jinni by Helene Wecker is also historical fantasy, but it's near-past (turn of the nineteenth to twentieth century or so), and takes place in New York City (mostly), so it has a very different feeling to it. The title characters are an ancient Jinni who wakes in New York City in a tinkerer's shop when the bottle he's in is given to the tinkerer to fix up. The Golem is created for a Jewish man who wants a wife he can be happy with in New York City, but then dies right after wakening her while they are still on the boat in New York Harbor. And that's just the beginning of the story, with a random Golem and a random Jinni let loose on New York City, immigrants just like anyone else in the neighborhoods they end up in. A fascinating story, and one I highly recommend.

              The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers is Sci Fi, and the third and final book in the Wayfarers series. Anyone looking for a great sci fi that deals with the variations of other beings we might find out there in space, this one does an amazing job. Each race is very unique, and this book deals with several, and the issues with being those races. Because the races aren't human, there are lots of variations of sexuality in all its forms. I highly recommend the whole series. Each book deals with a different central character. The first is human, but the others are an android, and one of the alien races. All fascinating studies on what it is to be who you are, and being who you want to be.

              The oldest book of the month was a reread: Dune by Frank Herbert, which came out in 1965. I'd actually only read half of this before, so with the new movie coming out this month, I wanted to see if listening to the audiobook would help. Definitely worth it. I highly recommend checking it out if you're curious. Certainly before you see the upcoming movie.

              The newest book was a gay romance by one of my favorite authors of that genre: The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian. The story is that the son of a nobleman discovers that his father married before his mother, and that he may not be the heir to his fortune, so he arranges to rob his father of a book that will prove that one way or the other. Historical of the Regency/Victorian type, and very lighthearted. I definitely recommend this one as well, if you like that kind of story.

              Really had a lot of great reads this month. And lots of variety, as you can see. Now on to my stats.

              I read a total of 27 books this month, which is much higher than in August's 23. Given that I was in training all month, I am kind of surprised it got that high. I suppose it has to do with the quality of the stories I was reading, which definitely kept me reading. I did DNF one book, which I'm rather sad I didn't enjoy, but I suppose you can't enjoy everything, right? I only finished one series, which isn't really surprising, given that I'm at the stage where I'd have to start a bunch of new series to finish any, so that number is just going to be small for the rest of the year, I think. I still have plenty of series to finish, but most are long-standing series, or the books are still to come, so I can't finish them this year.

              In September, I read seven YA, three New Adult, and 17 Adult books. Twenty-one were Audio Books, five were E-Books, and only one was a physical book. Eleven were written by male authors, and 21 by female. Eighteen had male main characters, and fourteen had female main characters. A total of twelve of the books had LGBT major characters, and eight of them had non-white major characters. All in all, a good mix of characters and themes, though I definitely want to push more non-white characters next year.

              As always, Romance and Fantasy were my top two genres, but my third surprised me: Contemporary. This is the second time it's ended up in the top three since I changed how I record genres. I probably should have been tracking this before now. And Fantasy probably would have been highest, but I've been dividing it into Fantasy and Urban Fantasy. Perhaps I should track both for those books, but I'd rather keep them separate for now. I have a feeling that this month, Supernatural will be one of my genres, as I plan to read a lot of vampire, witch, and werewolf stories for the season. Should be fun.

              My current and future reading:

                Currently I am reading:

                My Current Libby list to read:
                I'm a huge Stephen King fan, so when I had the chance, I read his son's book, Horns, and quite enjoyed it. So since it's spooky month, I'm going to try NOS4A2. We'll see if it's too much. He definitely inherited his father's talent at spooky. As for Tale of the Body Thief, I'm really enjoying my reread of the series, and looking forward to getting to the books I have not gotten to reading.

                My Library Hold list next 5:
                Of those five, three definitely fit with the theme of the month. Scythe is about a future where death has been eradicated, so there are people who go out and kill those who have been designated to die. The Last Graduate is the sequel to A Deadly Education, so more monsters trying to eat students, I'm sure. And Blood Bound is the second in a series containing vampires and werewolves and shape shifters. I'm definitely looking forward to that one. Really, I'm looking forward to all three. It should be a great month.

                So what are you reading for the Fall/Halloween season? Anything fun? 

                Posted by Elf Flame at 12:12 PM 0 comments
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                Saturday, September 4, 2021

                August Reading Post!

                 So I thought I would change things up and start with my favorite books of the month, and then go into the data I love, which is probably dry to everyone else. Lots of fun books this month, but I had no problems at all finding my top four and my all-time top, just because I couldn't stop telling people about that one, nor can I wait to read the next in that series.


                My favorite of the month is a book with a fantasy gay romance. It's called The Lightning-Struck Heart by TJ Klune. The humor in this story is just wonderful. This is only the second of his books that have featured on my top books of the month. The first was last month's The House in the Cerulean Sea, which also had a wonderful lighthearted humor to it. I usually wait until I've read three different series, but I have definitely found a new favorite author here. For those interested, the story is about an apprentice wizard who is still growing into his power and learning who he is. And is in love with a knight who is the Crown Prince's fiancee. His best friends are a unicorn who's lost his horn, and a half-giant. And then the Crown Prince is abducted by a dragon, and all four (the wizard, the knight, the unicorn, and the half giant) have to go on a quest to save him. It's wonderful. If any of that sounds fun to you, and you don't mind lots of innuendo and sexy scenes, I highly recommend it.

                My other three favorite books of the month are all science fiction. 

                The first is an LGBT space story called A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. It's the second in the Wayfarers series, about life of humans in the wider universe after we've had to abandon Earth. This one is about an AI and her friends, and their stories of learning how to be who they are and who they want to be.

                The other two are a dystopian duology called The Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler. This is about a world twenty years from now where everything has fallen apart for the US, and people attack others--strangers, neighbors, whoever they feel threatened by or feel they have more. It's not a pretty world. The main character of the books is raised in a fairly sheltered community until her late teen years when her community is attacked and she loses nearly everything she knows. This is a dystopia, so if that bugs you, this is definitely not the series for you. But also, this is one of those far-too prescient sci fi stories, because it feels like a lot of what is going on in the US right now, with the President of her world saying some things that I have heard that man who called himself our President for four years saying. Like almost word for word. So if that would bother you, wait until we've had a few more good presidents between him and the time you read.

                That said, all are fabulous books, and I do recommend them all.

                In addition, my oldest book of the month was I Am Not Spock by Leonard Nimoy, which was published November 12, 1979. It's newer than I thought it was, and I can tell that I Am Spock, which I read a few years back, had the advantage of many more years of introspection. Nimoy had been going through a lot of uproar in his life in the 70s, and you can see he's still trying to figure it all out and where he stands. If you only read one of these, I suggest I Am Spock over this, but if you're a fan, there are some lovely moments in this one as well.

                The newest book of the month was Lover Unveiled by JR Ward, which is the most recently published book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. It was published April of the year, though it is definitely not the final of the series. I don't think she has plans for stopping ever at this point. I love this series, but it's been suffering from a lack of finality for a long time. I don't know if she has story arcs between the books any longer, or is just pushing forward as more story ideas occur to her. She's started to introduce random characters that feel a little too disconnected from the initial characters, and it's starting to feel a little frankensteinish, unfortunately. That said, if you enjoy them, this is another fun one.

                And now, on to my stats for the month. 

                So as predicted, my life has changed, and my ability to listen to audiobooks has dropped significantly. With the obvious result that August was my lowest amount of finished books for the year. I ended up reading a total of 23 books. I also DNF'd 1 book, though I have since gone back and finished one of the DNF's for July, so that almost feels cancelled. I did manage to finish another four series, though as you can see, my series finished seems to have dropped since the first half of the year because I am running out of series that I am excited to finish, though I still have several where the series itself is massive, so I'm still working on them, and several are unfinished, so I'm waiting on sequels. There may be a couple handfuls of series I will be able to finish, but overall, I think the numbers will remain on the lower end of thing for the last four months of the year (which just sounds very bizarre to say. I can't believe we're at the end of the year now...).

                Of the 23 books I read in August, six were YA, one was NA, and sixteen were Adult. Fifteen of them were Audio form, four were EBooks, and one was a physical book. Of those books, seven were written by male authors, and fourteen for female authors. The character distribution was closer, as it often is, with sixteen male main characters and fourteen female main characters. Seven of those books had major characters who were LGBT, and seven had major characters that were POC. Not horrible, but I definitely want to do theme months next year that will include POC and LGBT characters, I think. 

                My major genres were Romance and Fantasy as usual, but for the first time, Sci Fi made it into the top three. I'm kind of surprised it took this long to happen. Not that it's below Fantasy, as I've always leaned towards Fantasy, but that it hasn't shown as a genre until 8 months into the year. Not sure if this is because of the way I redid how I track genre or not, but there we are. I suppose it could be because Sci Fi as a genre has less series, or shorter series in general. I'll be curious to see if it shows up again this year.

                My current and future reading:

                Currently I am reading:

                Very strange mix, but there you are. 

                My Current Libby list to read:
                This will be the third story I've read by Novik, so I'm very much looking forward to that. All of them are stories I've been curious about for a long time. I hope they're all as good as I want them to be.

                My Library Hold list next 4:
                Dune and Lestat are rereads. I never finished Dune when I tried to read it in my late teens because of my mom and my crush's love of the series. I didn't hate it, just got distracted, and with the new movie coming, I figure trying it as an audiobook couldn't hurt. And I wanted to continue the Vampire Chronicles, because there are several that I haven't read, but it's been a while, so I needed a refresh. Lestat is my favorite of the series that I've read in the past. I've both listened to the audio book, and also own the graphic novel. 

                None of these are likely to come this month, but you never know. And I may find others that I want to reserve in the meantime. I'm looking forward to seeing how this month goes.

                Happy almost-fall, everyone!

                Posted by Elf Flame at 11:55 AM 0 comments
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                Monday, February 15, 2021

                Audio Book Review: Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik

                 

                Tongues of Serpents (Temeraire #6) by Naomi Novik narrated by Simon Vance
                Historical/Fantasy
                Summary: Convicted of treason despite their heroic defense against Napoleon’s invasion of England, Temeraire and Laurence—stripped of rank and standing—have been transported to the prison colony at New South Wales in distant Australia, where, it is hoped, they cannot further corrupt the British Aerial Corps with their dangerous notions of liberty for dragons.
                274 pages

                My Rating: A-

                Getting to the end of this series. This one felt a little too short to me. The journey across the outback was interesting, and the ideas of early English Australia, but I feel like we could have had so much more in this book. Hopefully the next book, which is second to the last, will be a bit more well-rounded. But it definitely feels like we are getting to the edge of this story, as Novik is struggling to tell us more. I have a feeling there was really only one more book idea, but it ended up split into three stories.

                This one's fun for the ideas of early English settlement in Australia, and the native creatures on the continent. But don't expect a gigantically expansive story any more. I have a feeling that's true of the last three books, but I guess we shall see.

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                Posted by Elf Flame at 5:19 PM 0 comments
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                Dual Book Review: The King & The Shadows by JR Ward

                 



                The King (Black Dagger Brotherhood #12) 
                Summary: After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father’s mantle—with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything—and everyone—at risk.
                591 Pages
                My Rating: B+

                The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13) narrated by Jim Frangione
                Summary: Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others- or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice...
                590 Pages
                My Rating: A-

                Supernatural/Romance
                By JR Ward

                I was so glad to finally get back into this series after so long. I love these characters, and couldn't wait to find out what else they would get up to, and how they would deal with some of the problems they had when last I read. I've read the first eleven twice now, but I'd also seen the emotional impact these two and the next had on one of my friends who has also read these. The King was a roller coaster ride, but it was the Shadows that really killed me. I finished this this afternoon with tears running down my face. I won't say why, but I will say it's a harder ending than we've gotten from this series in the past, so just beware of that.

                Now that I've finished the Shadows, I get to start the side-series about the training group, which I am very much looking forward to. On the other hand, I am dreading getting into the Beast, as I have big fears about Rage's story and what might be coming, especially after his own reactions in the Shadows. Still, great additions to this series if you have not read them. I can't wait to see where this series goes from here.
                Posted by Elf Flame at 4:50 PM 0 comments
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                Audio Book Review: Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey

                 

                Kushiel's Justice (Imriel's Trilogy #2) by Jacqueline Carey, narrated by Simon Vance
                Romance/Historical/Fantasy
                Summary: After a year abroad to study at university, Imriel returns from his adventures a little older and somewhat wiser. But perhaps not wise enough. What was once a mere spark of interest between himself and his cousin Sidonie now ignites into a white-hot blaze. But from commoner to peer, the whole realm would recoil from any alliance between Sidonie, heir to the throne, and Imriel, who bears the stigma of his mother's of his mother's misdeeds and betrayals. Praying that their passion will peak and fade, Imriel and Sidonie embark on an intense, secret affair.
                703 pages

                My Rating: A

                I really love this series, and this is definitely a great addition to the universe. I do wonder what will happen next, given who Imriel's parents were, but I can't wait to find out. Jacqueline Carey does an amazing job of drawing you along, and the world she's created here, a very distinct offshoot of our own, feels as real as ours is. And every time she reminds you of things that happened in the past of these stories, it really is like recalling a memory. Far more than the usual "oh, right, that happened," of other books.

                I have to mention that this is the first time I have listened to this series, and I was delighted to realize that the narrator is the same one in the Temeraire books. It feels somehow fitting that he is reading them both, what with the historical, English, and French connections in both series.

                While this is not a light series (I mean, 700 pages is not shocking for this series...), its richness, and the things she's implanted in this world that I am sure will crop up in future stories, just makes it wonderful to read. Nothing just vanishes in this world, and everything that happens has an effect on what will come. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants an adult series, doesn't mind a little sex, and loves fantasy and history. This one just does not disappoint.

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                Posted by Elf Flame at 3:51 PM 0 comments
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                Sunday, February 14, 2021

                Audio Book Review: Straight on Till Morning & So This Is Love

                 



                Straight on Till Morning (Twisted Tales #8) by Liz Braswell, narrated by Lorna Bennett 
                Fantasy/Fairy Tales
                Summary: What if Wendy first traveled to Neverland… with Captain Hook?
                496 Pages
                My Rating: B

                So This Is Love (Twisted Tales #9) by Elizabeth Lim, narrated by Esther Wane
                Fantasy/Romance/Fairy Tales
                Summary: What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper?
                416 Pages
                My Rating: A

                More Twisted Tales. Of these two, I'm surprised to say that I enjoyed the Cinderella one more than the Peter Pan one. Generally, with this series, I've had issues with the classic fairy tale princess ones more, but So This Is Love did better than the others have, and I found it very enjoyable. Straight on Till Morning was good, but I've never been a huge fan of the Disney Peter Pan, and there are some distinct issues with the world that the story couldn't work past. I did enjoy the actual friendship between Wendy and Tinkerbell, and I enjoyed the end of her story in this far more than in the original story, but I don't think this is one I would pick up again.

                Still, if you've been reading these, and if you enjoy these two tales, these are as fun as the others. And I'm finding myself wanting to try some of the other Disney-licensed tales to see what they're like as well. We'll see which ones I end up picking up.

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                Posted by Elf Flame at 11:34 AM 0 comments
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                Audio Book Review: Specials & Extras by Scott Westerfeld

                 



                Specials (Uglies #4) narrated by Emily Tremaine
                Summary: "Special Circumstances": The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.

                And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.
                384 Pages
                My Rating: B

                Extras (Uglies #5) narrated by Joy Osmanski  
                Summary: A few years after rebel Tally Youngblood takes down the Specials regime, a cultural renaissance sweeps the world. “Tech-heads” flaunt their latest gadgets, “kickers” spread gossip and trends, and “surge monkeys” are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. Popularity rules, and everyone craves fame.

                Fifteen-year-old Aya Fuse is no exception. But Aya’s face rank is so low, she’s a total nobody. An extra. Her only chance at stardom is to kick a wild and unexpected story. Then she stumbles upon a big secret. Aya knows she is on the cusp of celebrity. But the information she is about to disclose will change both her fate…and that of the brave new world.
                417 Pages
                My Rating: B+

                by Scott Westerfeld
                Dystopia/Sci Fi

                The Uglies Series is an interesting one. I wasn't sure I would like it when I picked up the first, as the idea of teens thinking themselves ugly hardly seemed revolutionary. But Westerfeld makes it work. The idea of this hyper-controlled world is interesting, and his way of exploring the different ranks of people in this world works very well. And Extras especially does a better job of exploring other cultures than American ones than most US dystopias manage. 

                Definitely an enjoyable series if you enjoy dystopias. I do think it needed a bit more explanation of some things, but nothing that was important to the story Westerfeld was telling. I say that if you enjoy books like Hunger Games or the Maze Runner, you will enjoy this one, too. 

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                Posted by Elf Flame at 10:45 AM 0 comments
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