Book Club

[Xeo]

I watched the Swedish adaptation, does that count? I'm not sure how different the two versions are but I really liked the film! It's dark and gory but also so loveable!

Spoiler

When the vampire girl entered the boy's house without being invited and started bleeding... oh, my heart!

The film was pretty decent, the Swedish one anyway. But it leaves out some fairly important stuff too. I'd recommend the book if you liked the film. THAT'S how a proper vampire romance can still work and actually still stay within the horror genre.

 

[Queen of Philosophy]

Continuing my saga to read Jae's books and collections on Kindle Unlimited before my free month ends, Shape-Shifter - Second Nature was another blast! A paranormal romance involving Shape-Shifters and a human writer that started a new fantasy book that's getting too much information right about the Shape-Shifters, prompting them to start an investigation. The world-building is excellent and the cast is great, especially the two main characters. Jae's slow-burn romance was even slower here, but it had a very good reason to be so! I never thought I'd like paranormal romance so much haha

I've also took the opportunity to read Mesmo que eu Vá Embora ("Even if I Go Away") and A garota do banco de trás ("The girl on the back seat"), two short stories by Brazilian authors. Good reads; the second was one better!

 

[Dango]

Finished A Wizard of Earthsea yesterday. Comes recommended if you enjoy the kind of fantasy tale you can imagine being told around a campfire. Decently short, too. It's nice to read stories that aren't a huge commitment after three increasingly long Dark Tower books.

 

[Vesalius]

So I finished my audiobook of Descent of Angels, it was meh.

Next up I read through Eisenhorn: Xenos. I actually liked it quite a bit. Very sci-fi noir, and well, y’all know how much I love supernatural noir (Falling Angel). The people who did Man in the High Castle are making a television adaptation, so I’m guardedly hopeful it’ll be good. If nothing else, it’ll have some good head explosions.

Then I went through Requiem Infernal (look i got some Warhammer audiobook and book bundles for cheap, gonna have to make your peace with that) and it was not at all what I expected. The author is still pretty green, IMO, but I really liked it, though not everything works. I felt exhausted by the end, as it starts off very gothic horror, and then it spirals into cosmic insanity and action insanity. It explores some neat themes like empowerment through conviction and weakness through conviction. I’ll be checking out his other works, once I take a breather.

 

[Yue]

I was just gifted this audio book. I am trying to get a list of good audio books to listen to after the baby is born. Audio books are perfect for nursing sessions in the middle of the night!

 

[Vesalius]

I was just gifted this audio book. I am trying to get a list of good audio books to listen to after the baby is born. Audio books are perfect for nursing sessions in the middle of the night!

+1 for audiobooks. I know some people really love Audio dramas, but I find them to be hilarious. I listened to one where a guy gets his face sheared with a chainsaw and his eye pops. It has sound effects, and all I can imagine is the old Audio dramas that had an effects specialist in a tuxedo making the noises, holding a chainsaw and smashing fruit.

 

[Queen of Philosophy]

What the Wind Knows: I did not expect to enjoy the story this much but... it was incredible! The time-travel comes and goes without much explanation which, combined with the Irish mythological tales and poems scattered throughout the book, adds to the feeling of reading a fairy tale.

But not everything is nice and pretty, especially in the turbulent history that led to the independence of Ireland, described with broad knowledge and empathy. The narration is fluid and powerful, one of the best first-person narrators I've read.

As someone who descends from a Spanish family and grew up hearing my grandfather's stories about the folks who I share my DNA with, What the Wind Knows felt quite familiar and emotional.

 

[Queen of Philosophy]

Finished A Wizard of Earthsea yesterday. Comes recommended if you enjoy the kind of fantasy tale you can imagine being told around a campfire. Decently short, too. It's nice to read stories that aren't a huge commitment after three increasingly long Dark Tower books.

Your description of "fantasy tale you can imagine being told around a campfire" reminded of the When Women Were Warriors series. I only read the first volume, A Warrior's Path, but I loved it! The narration truly feels like a story being passed from the older to the newer generation around a cosy fire

 

[Queen of Philosophy]

So I finished my audiobook of Descent of Angels, it was meh.

Next up I read through Eisenhorn: Xenos. I actually liked it quite a bit. Very sci-fi noir, and well, y’all know how much I love supernatural noir (Falling Angel). The people who did Man in the High Castle are making a television adaptation, so I’m guardedly hopeful it’ll be good. If nothing else, it’ll have some good head explosions.

Then I went through Requiem Infernal (look i got some Warhammer audiobook and book bundles for cheap, gonna have to make your peace with that) and it was not at all what I expected. The author is still pretty green, IMO, but I really liked it, though not everything works. I felt exhausted by the end, as it starts off very gothic horror, and then it spirals into cosmic insanity and action insanity. It explores some neat themes like empowerment through conviction and weakness through conviction. I’ll be checking out his other works, once I take a breather.

Did you watch The Man in the High Castle adaptation by Amazon Prime? I'm almost finishing the first season and I'm liking it so far. I never read the book, though, so I cannot compare x)

 

[Dango]

Your description of "fantasy tale you can imagine being told around a campfire" reminded of the When Women Were Warriors series. I only read the first volume, A Warrior's Path, but I loved it! The narration truly feels like a story being passed from the older to the newer generation around a cosy fire

It's one of the best qualities a story can have imo. I'll keep an eye out for that series.

 

[Queen of Philosophy]

The premise of following the events of the Third Reich through the point of view of one of the women responsible for tasting Hitler's food was intriguing. But that's The Taster's biggest accomplishment.

The storyline, instead of exploring a more personal perspective of Hitler's working-class and common citizens, attempts to reach epic proportions by asking the "who killed Adolf Hitler?" question. As exciting as the (fictional) discovery might sound, here it is meaningless and, when I reached the end, the only thought in my mind was how that whole plot was unnecessary.

Magda, the protagonist, is not believable or empathetic, and the biographical style of the story does not help. She's this naïve - sometimes stupid - girl who starts working for Hitler and very early decides she needs to kill him - with the help of her rushed, forced romantic partner. Even interacting with her boss and seeing him in his most "human" face, Madga never faces any dilemma about the situation in Germany and Hitler's personality. Sure, we all know he was one of the worst people to inhabit this world, but conflict is important in a story; if you don't have conflict, you usually end up with the result we see here: a black-and-white narrative.

 

[Yue]

The premise of following the events of the Third Reich through the point of view of one of the women responsible for tasting Hitler's food was intriguing. But that's The Taster's biggest accomplishment.

The storyline, instead of exploring a more personal perspective of Hitler's working-class and common citizens, attempts to reach epic proportions by asking the "who killed Adolf Hitler?" question. As exciting as the (fictional) discovery might sound, here it is meaningless and, when I reached the end, the only thought in my mind was how that whole plot was unnecessary.

Magda, the protagonist, is not believable or empathetic, and the biographical style of the story does not help. She's this naïve - sometimes stupid - girl who starts working for Hitler and very early decides she needs to kill him - with the help of her rushed, forced romantic partner. Even interacting with her boss and seeing him in his most "human" face, Madga never faces any dilemma about the situation in Germany and Hitler's personality. Sure, we all know he was one of the worst people to inhabit this world, but conflict is important in a story; if you don't have conflict, you usually end up with the result we see here: a black-and-white narrative.

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I am very jealous of all the time you have to read.

 

[Queen of Philosophy]

I am very jealous of all the time you have to read.

Write and read is pretty much all I'm doing nowadays Cannot even go to the gym because of damn COVID-19 (though The Taster I admit I started reading last month. Took me a while. Boring book, you know...)

 

[Queen of Philosophy]

Earlier this year, I read a book that reminded me why I don't like YA. Now, Making Faces reminded me why I shouldn't consider the genre doomed. I am only on my second Amy Harmon's book and I'm already in love with the elegance and sensibility with which she composes her stories; stories that I am sure will stick with me for a while.

Making Faces is the kind of book that I believe more people, young and old, should read. Beauty is not everything about a person, and the book works this message in a very emotional, truthful and even funny way. The characters are so well-constructed - Bailey is perfect and who wouldn't love to have a friend like Fern?! One or two flashbacks felt oddly placed but nothing that ruins this great story!

A second book because I forgot to mention Don't Call me Hero, which I finished before The Taster x) I'm usually not a fan of the "ice queen" trope but Eliza Lentzski made it work in this romance between an ex-Marine who becomes detective and the aloof city attorney... more or less. While the development is nice to follow, the protagonist sometimes feels a bit weak. Also, not a fan of the ending

Spoiler

HEA are fine but the attorney should've fought more to regain the detective's trust after betraying him in court...

 

[Yue]

I am almost done with Two Towers. Hopefully I will finish it this coming week and can start the last book in the trilogy!

 

[SolidVercetti]

Recently read Lemmy (the Motorhead frontman)'s autobiography, White Line Fever. Really fun stuff. I also read another book called Lemmy by Mick Wall a while ago, definitely one of the most memorable cool cats in history.

About to start Burning Chrome, getting my Cyberpunk on.

Also always enjoy comics, Savage Dragon, Judge Dredd (via 2000AD), and on 80s X-Men.

 

[Queen of Philosophy]

All right, my free Kindle Unlimited month has ended I decided to stop spamming the books every 2-3 days and just post all the titles I read in this single thread So, after Making Faces, here are the new titles:

Dating Sarah Cooper by Siera Maley - the beginning and ending were loveable. The middle could've been better.

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon - this was my least favourite of the three books I read from her. I couldn't empathise with the main characters or the romance; the historical setting was still phenomenal, though.

Colorblind by Siera Maley

I Wish I Was Dead by Saint Knives - a poetry collection that's quite intense! But some of the poems seem too... random.

Shadows of Aggar (Amazons of Aggar #1) by Chris Anne Wolfe - this is a book I'll have to re-read later with more calm. The descriptions are quite dense and sometimes it seemed unnecessary to go into so many details - not sure if it's my fault, that's one of the reasons I want to re-read it. There's a poetic factor into the story and the way it's told that's almost magical. Yes, this one is a new favourite!

Treasured by Poppy Woods - I'm glad to find more paranormal romances that do not suck. I wish Poppy had explored more the world she built (after reading Jae's Second Nature, I thought this book really lacked in this aspect!)

Pirate's Booty (The Plundered Chronicles Book 1) by Alex Westmore - the title is good? Not really. The story is good? Absolutely! It's an excellent historical fiction involving names like Grace O'Malley and Francis Drake (any Uncharted fans around here?); and yes, there's romance in-between fights and drinking and cursing!

Witching Moon by Poppy Woods - It's better than Treasured in terms of worldbuilding, but I confess I prefer that one over Witching Moon. Maybe because urban fantasy is not really my cup of tea.

Taking Flight by Siera Maley - I didn't think I was gonna like this one, but since I usually finish Maley's books in less than two days, I decided to give it a chance - and it was much better than I expected! The spot for Favourite Siera Maley title is between this one and Colorblind.

Pain & Pleasure: A Collection of Lyrics & Poetry by Stephanie Owen - this one was truly incredible. And, damn, one of the poems even made me cry! D:

In total, I read 18 books - 2 short stories and 2 poem anthologies among them -, far more than I thought possible or even planned to read! I signed up to read Jae's books and I was pleasantly surprised to find so many great titles and authors! There are at least three titles that I reeeally wanted to read but won't have the time... not now, at least. I'll give myself one month or two to rest before giving in and paying for my second Kindle Unlimited month x)

EDIT: lol, forget about resting. I clicked to cancel my membership and Amazon offered me three more months for less than two reais

 

[Yue]

All right, my free Kindle Unlimited month has ended I decided to stop spamming the books every 2-3 days and just post all the titles I read in this single thread So, after Making Faces, here are the new titles:

Dating Sarah Cooper by Siera Maley - the beginning and ending were loveable. The middle could've been better.

From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon - this was my least favourite of the three books I read from her. I couldn't empathise with the main characters or the romance; the historical setting was still phenomenal, though.

Colorblind by Siera Maley

I Wish I Was Dead by Saint Knives - a poetry collection that's quite intense! But some of the poems seem too... random.

Shadows of Aggar (Amazons of Aggar #1) by Chris Anne Wolfe - this is a book I'll have to re-read later with more calm. The descriptions are quite dense and sometimes it seemed unnecessary to go into so many details - not sure if it's my fault, that's one of the reasons I want to re-read it. There's a poetic factor into the story and the way it's told that's almost magical. Yes, this one is a new favourite!

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Treasured by Poppy Woods - I'm glad to find more paranormal romances that do not suck. I wish Poppy had explored more the world she built (after reading Jae's Second Nature, I thought this book really lacked in this aspect!)

Pirate's Booty (The Plundered Chronicles Book 1) by Alex Westmore - the title is good? Not really. The story is good? Absolutely! It's an excellent historical fiction involving names like Grace O'Malley and Francis Drake (any Uncharted fans around here?); and yes, there's romance in-between fights and drinking and cursing!

Witching Moon by Poppy Woods - It's better than Treasured in terms of worldbuilding, but I confess I prefer that one over Witching Moon. Maybe because urban fantasy is not really my cup of tea.

Taking Flight by Siera Maley - I didn't think I was gonna like this one, but since I usually finish Maley's books in less than two days, I decided to give it a chance - and it was much better than I expected! The spot for Favourite Siera Maley title is between this one and Colorblind.

Pain & Pleasure: A Collection of Lyrics & Poetry by Stephanie Owen - this one was truly incredible. And, damn, one of the poems even made me cry! D:

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In total, I read 18 books - 2 short stories and 2 poem anthologies among them -, far more than I thought possible or even planned to read! I signed up to read Jae's books and I was pleasantly surprised to find so many great titles and authors! There are at least three titles that I reeeally wanted to read but won't have the time... not now, at least. I'll give myself one month or two to rest before giving in and paying for my second Kindle Unlimited month x)

EDIT: lol, forget about resting. I clicked to cancel my membership and Amazon offered me three more months for less than two reais

I still envy your time that you have for reading! I just finished The Two Towers. Started The Return of the King! I also started reading a scary book called Anna Dressed in Blood. It is about a boy who hunts ghosts and kills them again so they stop haunting people. It is the first book in a long time that has really sucked me in. I was reading it one day and heard a noise right during a scary part in the book and almost peed my pants. I would highly recommend Anna Dressed in Blood.

I hope you have a great weekend!

 

[Queen of Philosophy]

I still envy your time that you have for reading! I just finished The Two Towers. Started The Return of the King! I also started reading a scary book called Anna Dressed in Blood. It is about a boy who hunts ghosts and kills them again so they stop haunting people. It is the first book in a long time that has really sucked me in. I was reading it one day and heard a noise right during a scary part in the book and almost peed my pants. I would highly recommend Anna Dressed in Blood.

I hope you have a great weekend!

I got really excited about having all those free books at the tip of my fingers Most of those were less than 300 pages, so it made the whole process easier. The one I'm reading now is 400+ pages, so I expect to take... four days or so to finish it x)

The Return of the King is my favourite from the cinematographic trilogy, so I expect the book to be fantastic! The Two Towers is my least favourite; how was the book? Anna Dressed in Blood - loved that title! I checked and it isn't on Kindle Unlimited, but I've added to my to-read list

Have a great weekend!

 

[Yue]

I got really excited about having all those free books at the tip of my fingers Most of those were less than 300 pages, so it made the whole process easier. The one I'm reading now is 400+ pages, so I expect to take... four days or so to finish it x)

The Return of the King is my favourite from the cinematographic trilogy, so I expect the book to be fantastic! The Two Towers is my least favourite; how was the book? Anna Dressed in Blood - loved that title! I checked and it isn't on Kindle Unlimited, but I've added to my to-read list

Have a great weekend!

I really enjoyed The Two Towers, I ended up being a little disappointed with Helms Deep, the movie made it seem so epic and the book was kind of a let down. So far The Return of The King has been alright. I am feeling a little burnt out on LOTR if I am being honest. I am having a hard time feeling motivated to finish it. Hopefully I’ll get past it and be able to finish the series. It will be a big accomplishment for me if I do.