kingstoken

First reading wrap-up of the year! I'm making pretty good progress on my bingo card so far, which you can see here.  Nothing has blown me out of the water yet, but I still have enjoyed quite a few books, I finished seven books in the first quarter:

Jeweled Fire by Sharon Shinn - I put this book down last July and forced myself to pick it up and finish it this past January (because I paid good money for it!)  I would say it's an alright fantasy mystery romance.  One thing I did like about it was all the rival princesses become friends and really supportive of each other instead of being catty and competitive like they could have been.  The mystery was a little interesting, but its conclusion was disappointing.  The romance was a little flat, I didn't really feel much chemistry between them at all, also their age difference squicked me out, normally an age gap wouldn't bother me (especially in a quasi-medivial setting), but he was 25 and she was 17, and I was just like no! Plus, it wasn't like the heroine was a mature 17, she acted very much like a slightly spoiled teenager that often makes poor decisions, she gets better over the course of the novel, but still their romance felt off.

The Tenant by Katrine Enberg - this was a good mystery, a few twist and turns, and trying to figure out how the murder of a tenant is connected to life of the building's landlady.  All the characters felt well developed and their reactions felt realistic.  My only compliant is the police detective sleeps with a witness, which he knows is wrong, and then when she breaks things off he watches her through her windows for a while, which is so wrong!  Thankfully he realizes his behaviour is wrong and stops, but I don't know why it was included in the story to begin with.  It had nothing to do with the rest of the murder plot and could have easily been left out.  Anyways, mystery interesting, detective being creepy, bad.

Sherlock Homes and the Ripper of Whitechapel by M.K. Wiseman - this was pretty good, the mystery itself wasn't all that compelling, because we all know about Jack the Ripper, but I'd say this story is more of a character study of Sherlock and his relationship with Watson.  All the clues seem to point to Watson as prime suspect, but Sherlock throughout the novel is constantly fighting with himself, between his logic and his belief in his friend.  There were a couple of points where I wanted to yell at Sherlock to just ask Watson if he was involved, but that would have given things away if he was I guess.  Also, interesting to read one of Sherlock's mysteries from his own perspective. 

The Disasters by M.K. England - this was a pretty fun YA sci-fi adventure, it was fast paced and the characters were all pretty likeable.  My only issues with this one is that you have to suspend your disbelief with this one a bit, because there were multiple times where they all should have been dead or at least severely injured.  Also, the author barely lets the characters breathe, they're bouncing from one situation to the next trying to save everyone, and there was some pretty severe stuff going on that would been nice to have some time to reflect on and deal with the aftermath.

Eloping with the Laird by Jeanine Englert - good romance, a young widow's father is forcing her to marry again, but is supposedly letting her choose her husband, so she chooses a man that is supposed to die before age 25.  I like the main characters, they were always honest and respectful of each other which was a plus.  There were some things I wish the author had lingered on or developed more, like the relationships with some of the side characters, but overall a pretty solid romance.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao - I have mixed feeling about this one, there was things I really liked, like the main character's rage against her treatment and abuse not being smoothed over, and also the slow building of the love triangle to an actual poly triad, which like never actually happens in fiction, so that was a pleasant surprise!  The world is very brutal, especially for girls, and the main characters were brutal themselves, but how they were able to overlook torture and murder was worrying at times.  Also, I wish the revenge plot had lasted longer, but it was actually nice to see a woman get revenge for a death of a loved one and not have it softened or forcing the heroine to be the better person, etc. I am interested to see where the sequel goes with this story.

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E Harrow - modern girl falls through portal into fairy tale world, not the most original concept, but I did enjoy this author's take on it.  I loved her friendship with her best friend, and the idea that multiple princesses in multiple universes are reliving similar version of the same story was a cool idea.  My only problem is I wanted more, I wanted the author to go deeper into the character's feelings, and the world-building and the magic, but it was a novella, and there just wasn't the space for that much development.  Anyways, it was sweet, and it you might like it if you're looking for a fairy tale fix.

I'm still making good progress on my bingo card, although I might not finish as early as I did last year.  I had a bit of a reading slump in July, I bought this Fantasy book and it was just wasn't working for me, I tried to push through, but finally gave up when most of the month had passed and I had barely finished 6 chapters.  Luckily, I was able to make up for it in August and September.  I finished eight books in the third quarter

Dancing in the Dark by Mary Jane Clark - this one had a really good set-up, girls going missing at the beach, but I really disliked the ending, which kind of ruins the value of a good mystery

The Lies We Tell by Meg Carter - this one was kind of an okay thriller, but I didn't like the ending.  I guess I never really understood why the villains were targeting the adult daughter for something her father had been responsible for, aside from the fact that they were unhinged, and why didn't they go after father when he was still alive?  This was never fully explained, and that bothered me.

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russel - this is an extremely well written book, but dammit it was so hard to read sometimes.  It is one of those books where I think it could really help people understand grooming from the victim's perspective, and how they don't understand that they are being groomed.  However, it is such a heavy topic and some people might need to skip it, because this book sits with you after you have read it.

The Widow of Conrad County by Rachel Lee - This one was alright, sort of.  I did like how the author handled traumatic brain injury, and the issues around grief, but I think my biggest problem is that for a romance novel it didn't feel very much like the couple was falling in love.  Like, near the end of the novel when they declare their love for each other, it felt like it was way too soon for that, like they had skipped over a whole bunch of steps.  I used to like this author, although it has been a few years since I read some of their stuff, I don't know if I expect more now, or if this is just not their best work.

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske - I really liked this one, it was a mix of fantasy, mystery, and romance.  The magical world was interesting and fun, but also a bit creepy, like if a non-magic user finds about magic they trick you into drinking this stuff to strip your memories.  First and foremost, this is a M/M romance, and I loved it!  Even though the story takes place over a short period of time it felt very slow burn.  If you like slash fanfiction at all I would give this one a try, it has that feel, but with the additional world-building and fantastical elements.

Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky - this graphic novel gave me big autumn vibes, part of it may be the colour palette used, and partly because one of the main characters is a witch.  It also has a F/F romance, which is soft and sweet.  That being said, I do wish it had given us more, I wanted more character development, giving more time for things time to breathe, and exploring the consequences of the character's actions more. Although, if I want more that may be a sign that there was a good kennel of a story here. 

A Blanket of Butterflies by Richard Van Camp - this graphic novel starts out as your typical tough guy story, but then turns really sweet and nice at the end, with a good message about acceptance and redemption.  

Ocean of Secrets, Volume #1 by Sophie Chan - this manga was alright, but it felt a little rushed, and I wish more time had been spent on developing the relationships.  Also, the amount of times these people snuck in and out of the palace was ridiculous, like place guards what are you doing, sleeping with the back door open?

So far so good, you can see my book bingo card here. I had one DNF, On The Road by Jack Kerouac, which I struggled with throughout a good chunk of March, but I am so glad I put it down, because I didn't want to put myself in a slump. I have finished 8 books in the first quarter of the year:

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell - this story famously started out on AO3, which I didn't know about until after I read it, but it might explain why I loved it so much. It is a M/M sci-fi romance that is very tropey, but also deals with some tough issues. I was delighted by this story, I loved both the main characters, and couldn't help but root for them to get together

The History of the World in Fifty Dogs by Mackenzi Lee - this is the best bathroom reader, and I don't mean this in the negative way, it is prefect for bite sized reading. Each chapter is a non-fiction story about a famous dog from history

The Professional by Robert B. Parker - this was a decent mystery, an easy read, but not particularly memorable. I will say that it was supposed to take place in the 2000s, but it felt like it could have been taking place decades earlier, if you had said that it was placed in the 1960s, I wouldn't have batted an eye, the set-up and the snappy dialogue was good, but didn't feel particularly modern.

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu - a novel about a teenage Bruce Wayne, before he became Batman. I enjoyed this one, it was fun to see Bruce being less assured, and making mistakes. I wanted more Bruce and Alfred scenes, we get a couple really nice scenes between them when Alfred is hurt, but I wanted to explore their relationship more. Although, this is probably just me, I am a sucker for the idea that Alfred is Bruce's adoptive father, even if that isn't always acknowledged in canon. My one complaint, is this felt very modern, like taking place in 2018 (when the book was published), but if this is the story of a now adult Bruce Wayne shouldn't have been taking place in the 1990s or early 2000s?

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware - another okay mystery, I think this one had some potential, but the author dragged it out for a little too long and the ending was kind of cliched. I was disappointed, because I had heard good things about this author, but this is her lowest rated novel, so maybe not the best one to judge her on

Star Trek/X-Men by Scott Lobdell - this one was fun, the X-Men are pulled through a portal into the Star Trek universe, and meet Kirk, Spock and McCoy. I really liked this, I just wished that it had been a little longer, there was a lot of plot to get through, and I wish we had more time to see the characters interacting, but I get they were probably pressed to fit the entire story in one volume. Also, Trek authors really like to pile the trauma onto Kirk don't they?

Airframe by Michael Crichton - this was an interesting mystery, and the author did a good job explaining the aviation related plot points. I can see why this author's books are well liked, they are pretty engaging. I will say though, you can tell this was written pre-911, because some of the airplane practices would not fly nowadays, for example there is a scene where the cockpit door is left open during a flight, and you would never see that now.

His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale - If you ever read those old historical romances and wondered what it would be like if the genders where reversed, then this is the book for you.  Our heroine is a very large, experienced, warrior woman, and our hero is a soft boy monk who spent his entire life cloistered in a monastery.  I loved this, it was so fun to see the classic tropes reversed.  Someone on another review said that Lucien, our hero, was a cinnamon roll, and that is a prefect description for him.  He is a cinnamon roll that has a lot of internal conflict about his growing feelings for Glory, our woman warrior.  This probably isn't for everyone, but it was great for me.  Someone on DW recommended this to me last year, and I can't remember who, but whoever you are, thank you!

I've done pretty well with my reading this quarter, most of my reading was in April and May. I am currently reading a non-fiction book and have been for most of the month of June, it is interesting, but a little dry, so not something you zip through. I am making good progress with my bingo card, and I think I am still on track. Books read this quarter:

*A Choice of Catastrophes by Michael Schuster and Steve Mollman - Star Trek TOS novel, I really enjoyed this one, it was very McCoy focused, which is my jam, however Kirk and Spock also had their own storylines. Basically Kirk, Spock and others are trapped on a planet that they think is unoccupied, while McCoy deals with a mysterious medical emergency on the ship. My only major compliant with the story is that McCoy, Kirk and Spock spend the majority of the novel separated, and I always prefer when they are together.

*Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh - I usually like this author, but I didn't really like this story of hers. It starts off with the hero wanting revenge on the heroine, which is not an unknown concept, but the hero held onto his resentment for way too long, even after he learned the valid reasons behind her decisions, and that she was very young and confused at the time of making them.

*Love After the End by Joshua Whitehead (editor) - a collection of sci-fi short stories by various indigenous authors. This one was a mixed bag, some of the stories I really enjoyed, others felt like they needed to be developed more.

*How To Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy - I'm not sure I could actually write a song after reading this book, but it was interesting reading about this songwriter's process, and he had some good writing exercises included.

*The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks - Grim-dark fantasy, interesting world building. This was one of those books that is a compelling read, but also brutal at times. There is a lot of child abuse in the first half of the story, child on child abuse, and adult on child abuse, and it had some tropes that I dislike, but I really grew to love the main character, and a couple of the side characters, and that kept me reading.

*Peak Survival by Pam Withers - YA adventure story, about a group pf teens that are stranded in the mountains during winter and have to find their way back to civilization. The beginning was a little clunky, but once we got to the actual survival stuff it was pretty good.

*The Exile Waiting by Vonda N. McIntyre - Dystopian sci-fi, the world in this one is very grim, the only people left on earth live in a huge underground bunker, that is controlled by a few wealthy families, and we are following a teen girl that is desperate to get off the planet. This was written in 1975, and it definitely has that gritty old school feel to it. I didn't 100% love the ending, and some of the secondary characters weren't flushed out, but I really liked the three main POV characters. I'm kind of sad this wasn't a series, because it felt like there could have been more story to tell.

**Trumpets blare** I finished my 2020 Book Bingo Card! And, it wasn't any easy thing this year, let me tell you. According to Goodreads I only read 35 books this year, which is less than half of last year's total, this is surprising, because I had so much more going on IRL last year, but this year with the the pandemic, my local library, and the Free Little Library, were closed for most of the year, and my access to books decreased, plus I had a rather large reading slump earlier in the year. I know there is technically still time, but I don't think I'll be doing anything more than maybe rereading a few of my favourite Christmas stories before the end of the year. Anyways, I had to use both of my substitution and wild card squares to fill the card, but I'm very happy I did. Thank you to stonepicnicking_okapi and smallhobbit for doing this Book Bingo with me, I have created this badge for everyone to celebrate



If you have been lurking and have also completed a bingo card feel free to snag it. I put my completed bingo card and my reading for the last quarter under the cut
( Bingo Card and Last Quarter Reading Wrap-up )

We are at the half way point, so time for some book discussion. You can see my bingo card here, still no bingos, but I am getting close on a couple. I am definitely not reading as much I was this time last year, but I'm happy to say that I got out of my reading slump. According to Goodreads I have read 7 books since March, although one was a DNF, four of them I was able to use for bingo squares. There are a couple of other squares that I might be able to fill with books that I've already read, I read a romance novella earlier in the year that was 101 pages, which is just a hair over what is needed for the 100 pages or less square, but if I don't read anything shorter before the end of the year I am definitely using it to fulfill that square. I have also read a few romance novels this year, but nothing noteworthy, so I am saving that square til I read something I really love, which is silly, but I don't care. Anyways, on to the books.

*Cold Fire by John Passarella - I read my first Supernatural tie-in novel, you can read my thoughts here

*Without A Backward Glance by Kate Veitch - I kind of think of this as a year in the life of a very dysfunctional extended family, it deals with a lot of difficult topics, dementia, child abandonment, cheating, keeping secrets, and it does it in a way that isn't too overwhelmingly depressing, which some books that deal with tough topics can be.

*The Fortunate Brother - partly a murder mystery, and partly a look at life in a small rural town in Newfoundland in the 1980s. How the mystery wrapped up was a little too convenient for my liking, but I still enjoyed it. One note the author writes the dialogue in the local vernacular, so if you have never met someone one from Newfoundland it could take some getting used to.

*The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - this is a tragic fairytale. The author writes setting and atmosphere beautifully, and the whole has a feeling of both beauty and melancholy. Each chapter is like its own little story in the beginning, and you are not are sure how they are all going to connect in the end, but they ultimately do. The one drawback of this book was the romance between the two main characters, it wasn't developed enough for my liking, they fall in love with each other's skills, but you see very little of them actually getting to know each other.

*The Ghost of Belfast by Stuart Neville - this book won the LA Times Book Prize about a decade ago. It is about a man that is, quite literally, haunted by his past, and compelled to make it right. This book is really action packed, but also very violent, but the violence makes sense given the context of the story. There is hardly any morally good characters in this novel, but I still found it a really gripping read.