Month: October 2021

Tags and Fun

My Hallowreadathon TBR

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I can’t believe how quickly Hallowreadathon’s come around! In case you missed it, you can find my announcement post here – Imogen and I would love to have you join in with us this weekend – the readathon lasts from today until Sunday night. If you need some inspiration, here are my picks for each of our prompts:

The first prompt is ‘Trick or Treat‘ – flip a coin to decide if you’ll be reading your newest acquisition, or the oldest book on your TBR. I got tails, so I’ll be reading Sorcerer’s Son by Phyllis Eisenstein, which has been lurking in the #1 spot of my TBR for a long time. When I put the list together for the first time, the first 50 or so books were just in the order I grabbed them off the shelves, so this might not technically be the oldest, but you have to start somewhere. I picked this up after seeing Elizabeth Bear list it as one of her significant writing influences, so I’m hoping it’s enjoyable as a read, as well as a reference!

The second prompt is to read a book with a white cover, and I’ve chosen The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow. I’ve been saving this for a rainy day for the longest time, but when better to read about witches than Halloween? I adored Alix’s first book, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and the blurb of this one sounds like it’s going to be even more my cup of tea.

The third prompt is simply to read two books, so whether I get through both of these or go off-piste, I think I should manage that!

Will you be joining us? I would love to see your TBR posts if you want to link them below, or you can join us on Twitter at @hallowreadathon!

Book Reviews

Review: Our Beautiful Game by Lou Kuenzler

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I’ll admit I wasn’t sure that this book about early female footballers would be my cup of tea, but it’s actually a stunning piece of WW1 fiction for middle grade readers.

Continue reading “Review: Our Beautiful Game by Lou Kuenzler” →
Tags and Fun

TBR Spotlight: A Desolation Called Peace

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This week the random number generator gave me #252, A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine!

An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is running out of options.

In a desperate attempt at diplomacy with the mysterious invaders, the fleet captain has sent for a diplomatic envoy. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass—still reeling from the recent upheaval in the Empire—face the impossible task of trying to communicate with a hostile entity.

Whether they succeed or fail could change the fate of Teixcalaan forever.

I found A Memory Called Empire utterly fascinating – it’s a dense slowburn of a book, but one with such clever worldbuilding and gorgeously woven culture. It’s sci fi that feels like a lush historical drama. The only reason I haven’t yet picked up its sequel, A Desolation Called Peace, is because I wanted to go back first and reread A Memory Called Empire to make sure I remembered everything I needed to before diving in, as I didn’t want to be confused. I think this is going to be great, though. A lot of people whose opinions I trust have said it’s as good as, if not better than the first book, so I’m very much looking forward to the day I do get to pick this up.

Is this on your list, or have you read it already? I’d love to know your thoughts!

Book Reviews

TBR Spotlight: Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan

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This week the random number generator picked a very recent addition to my TBR, #348, Girls of Fate and Fury!

“Don’t struggle, Lei-zhi. It’s time to take you back to the Hidden Palace. You’re going home.”

The final pages of Girls of Storm and Shadow brought a jaw-dropping conclusion that had the fates of Lei and Wren hanging in uncertainty. But one thing was certain – the Hidden Palace was the last place that Lei would ever consider home. The trauma and tragedy she suffered behind those opulent walls would plague her forever. She could not be trapped there with the sadistic king again, especially without Wren.

The last Lei saw of the girl she loved, Wren was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death. With the two girls torn apart and each in terrorizing peril, will they find each other again or have their destinies diverged forever?

This is the third and final book in the trilogy that started with Girls of Paper and Fire, the book so good I reviewed it twice! Find my first and second reviews here, and my review of book two here, if you want to catch up on my thoughts about the series so far. This is one of my favourite YA fantasy series, and I’m quite apprehensive to read the finale – my expectations are high, for one thing, but I also know it’s going to be an emotional read. I’ve deliberately steered clear of too much info to avoid spoilers, so I’m going to have to read this one soon!