 |
| Image source: Pexels |
October is my favorite month. It's the heart of fall, my favorite season, and it carries all the anticipation of the holidays that kick off in November with Thanksgiving.
I am pleased to say that I have already surpassed last year's total number of books read, and I am nine books beyond my original goal for this year, which was 60 books. In October alone, I read eight books! (All covers are linked to Goodreads.)
Nonfiction
Pageboy, By Elliot Page
★★.5 stars
Genre: Memoir
"Pageboy is a groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir from the Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page. A generation-defining actor and one of the most famous trans advocates of our time, Elliot will now be known as an uncommon literary talent, as he shares never-before-heard details and intimate interrogations on gender, love, mental health, relationships, and Hollywood." (Goodreads)
My Goodreads says I gave Pageboy three stars initially, but I think I have to go down to a 2.5. I wrote a full review here.
Paper TBR
There's a Hole in My Bucket, by Royd Tolkien (Ghostwritten by Drew Cullingham)
★★★★.5 stars
Genre: Memoir
"An inspirational, life-affirming memoir from the great-grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien. Having grown up on their great-grandfather’s stories, Royd Tolkien and his brother, Mike, have always enjoyed adventures. So when Mike is diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease [ALS], the brothers decide to use the time they have left to tick off as much as possible from Mike’s bucket list, from remote camping in Norway to travelling through Royd’s beloved New Zealand. Yet, when Royd loses Mike, he discovers his brother had been writing another kind of bucket list: fifty things he wanted Royd to do after his death. ... What follows is a set of emotionally charged tests that will push Royd firmly out of his comfort zone. ...But above all, it is a story of the sibling bond, of grief—and of treasuring every moment." (From Goodreads)
I was surprised to see how much hate this book has garnered on Goodreads. Maybe "hate" is too strong of a word, but a lot of people complained that the writing wasn't as good as J.R.R. Tolkien's, and/or that it was ghostwritten, but I think it's unfair to expect the same quality of any kind of work from any famous person's progeny. I loved how Royd's personality and sense of humor came through so strongly even though the book was ghostwritten. My only complaints: 1) I can't figure out how to watch the documentary! And 2), I'm not sure where the title came from. Maybe this was obvious and I just missed it??
Book Club
The Wonderful Land of Affliction: Exploring Adversity through Allegory, by Barbara Coleman
★★★
Genre: Christian Living
I'm not a huge fan of allegories (apart from The Chronicles of Narnia), but this was a sweet and thought-provoking book. It was written by the wife of my church's former senior pastor, which is why my church book club chose to read it.
It was incredibly difficult for her to write even this short book (it's 83 pages) due to her chronic illness, but the common consensus among my book club was that we would have loved her to go deeper. The allegory chronicles how the narrator left the Land of Ease to live in the Land of Affliction (not by choice), and the people she met there: people such as Miss Joy, Sweet Charity, and Young Courage. I enjoyed it and was definitely convicted by some of the chapters.
Filipino American History Month
The Queen's Assassin, by Melissa De La Cruz
★★
Genre: YA Fantasy
"Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz." (From Goodreads)
I can definitely say I was not a fan of this book. You can read my full review here.
Mood Reads
Rules for Ghosting, by Shelly Jay Shore
★★★★
Genre: Paranormal Romance
"Ezra Friedman sees ghosts, which made growing up in a funeral home a bit complicated. It might have been easier if his grandfather’s ghost didn’t give him such scathing looks of disapproval as he went through a second, HRT-induced puberty, or if he didn't have the pressure of all those relatives—living and dead—judging every choice he makes. It’s no wonder that Ezra runs as far away from the family business as humanly possible. But when the floor of his dream job drops out from under him and his mother uses the family Passover seder to tell everyone that she’s running away with the rabbi’s wife, Ezra finds himself back in the thick of it. With his parents’ marriage imploding and the Friedman Family Memorial Chapel on the brink of financial ruin, Ezra agrees to step into his mother's shoes and help out . . . which means long days surrounded by ghosts that no one else can see. And then there's his unfortunate crush on Jonathan, the handsome funeral home volunteer who just happens to live downstairs from Ezra's new apartment . . . and the appearance of the ghost of Jonathan's gone-too-soon husband, Ben, who is breaking every spectral rule Ezra knows. Because Ben can speak. He can move. And as Ezra tries to keep his family together and his heart from getting broken, he quickly realizes that there's more than one way to be haunted—and more than one way to become a ghost." (From Goodreads)
This sweet trans love story was unlike anything I've ever read! I love that the main characters are Jewish, and that Ezra's family runs a specifically Jewish funeral home. It was such a unique setting, paired with the paranormal element of Ezra (reluctantly) being able to see ghosts. The relationships in this story were well-rendered. I will give a content warning: don't read this book if you mind a few open door scenes (although the door is only half open, in my opinion. If that's a thing).
Ash, by Malinda Lo
★★★★
Genre: YA Fantasy
"In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted. The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love." (From Goodreads)
I have no idea why it took me so long to read this Cinderella retelling! (Thanks for the recommendation, Italia!) I absolutely loved all the tweaks Malinda Lo made to this classic fairytale. Here are some thoughts, in no particular order:
1. I like that Lady Isobel (Ash's stepmother) had a reason to hate Ash and make her a servant. Which did the double duty of being a good reason for Ash not to simply leave–she was fulfilling a debt.
2. I LOVE that Sidhean was Ash's "fairy godmother". It's always refreshing to read traditionally rendered fae characters. I did feel like the fulfillment of Ash's debt to Sidhean was a bit anticlimactic, but on the whole I thought this subplot was brilliant.
3. Every point of the story was so grounded in the seasons, which I loved. The descriptions of the weather and the forest were so rich.
4. The fairytales and hunting themes scattered throughout the book worked really well with the overall vibe of the story.
5. I liked the love story element even more after reading the 10th anniversary introduction by Malinda Lo (I waited until I finished the book to go back and read it, in case there were spoilers). In the original draft, she apparently tried to make Ash end up with the prince, but it just wasn't working. Her description of how she wrestled out the final form of the story was so relatable as a writer.
As of today, Ash is my third favorite Cinderella retelling.
The Spellshop, by Sarah Beth Durst
★★★.5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
"The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love." (From Goodreads)
Okay, I did enjoy this book, but I wouldn't have chosen to read the last two thirds of it in three days if my library copy hadn't refused to renew. 😅
This was pretty much exactly as expected: a sweet, cozy fantasy with a tender, slow burn romance that was honestly kind of refreshing. The theme (community) was laid on a little thick at certain points, but hey, it's a good theme! I loved Kiela as a main character, although at times I felt like I as the reader was a little too much in her head (she spent quite a lot of page time thinking). But it kind of worked for her character, since she's so introspective and introverted. The supporting characters were A-plus too! Caz, Larran, and Meep were my favorites (in that order). I love Caz because he's a sentient spider plant with anxiety and no filter; I love Larran because he's basically a friendlier Luke (Gilmore Girls–iykyk); and I love Meep because they're a sentient, nonbinary cactus who loves free verse poetry.
I enjoyed the magic system and world building, although I felt like it slightly cheapened some mythical creatures such as mermaids, centaurs, and unicorns. But that's to be expected of the cozy fantasy genre, I think, so it didn't bother me much. But why is Kiela blue? And why does Bryn have fur??
All in all, this was a very fun read!
The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
★★★★
Genre: Fantasy
"The unicorn had lived since before memory in a forest where death could touch nothing. Maidens who caught a glimpse of her glory were blessed by enchantment they would never forget. But outside her wondrous realm, dark whispers and rumours carried a message she could not ignore: 'Unicorns are gone from the world.' Aided by a bumbling magician and an indomitable spinster, she set out to learn the truth. but she feared even her immortal wisdom meant nothing in a world where a mad king's curse and terror incarnate lived only to stalk the last unicorn to her doom..." (From Goodreads)
At first, I was afraid that this book would be boring, but once I got past the Midnight Carnival, and particularly once Molly Grue joined the unicorn and Schmendrick, I really started to enjoy it. I loved seeing Schmendrick's and LÃr's characters develop (especially LÃr's; I loved the last few pages). The writing was beautiful and reminded me a bit of Robin McKinley and a bit of Diana Wynne Jones. Peter S. Beagle grew up in the Bronx, but this book read like a very British fairytale to me. Mr. Beagle also has a way of using two adjectives to creatively describe objects and actions: e.g. "a glinting, curling yawn" (of a cat).
I'm down to read more books by Peter S. Beagle!
Comments
Post a Comment