Bookish

“Perhaps she was glass. But glass is only brittle until it breaks. Then it’s sharp.”

“Some people were matches, a bit of light and no heat. And some were furnaces, all heat but little light. And then, once in a blue moon, there was a bonfire, something so hot and bright you couldn't stand too near without burning.”

Book: Vengeful (Villains #2)  Author: V.E. Schwab Published: Macmillan Publishing Group (2018)

My Review: One thing that V.E. Schwab is incredibly good at is creating unique storylines. Both her Shades of Magic trilogy and the Villains duology are delightfully original. I happen to like Shades of Magic significantly more, but that doesn’t mean that these two Villains books (i.e. Vicious and Vengeful) aren’t creative and entertaining. 

“War is such a waste of women’s time.”

“No act of creation has ever been painless,” she continued. “Miracles should leave a mark, so that we can remember how precious they are.”

“Too soon? There is no such thing,” Ysabeau said. “We are, all of us, asked to grow up too quickly. It is the way the gods remind us that life, no matter how long, is still but a breath.”

Book: Time’s Convert Author: Deborah Harkness Published: Penguin Books (2018)

My Review: What I wouldn’t give for more of the All Souls Trilogy. The actual story, though, not the spinoffs (which is what Time’s Convert is). Time’s Convert is like when they tried that “Joey” show after ending F.R.I.E.N.D.S. We didn’t want the actual thing to be over, but the “almost but not quite” follow-up didn’t really resonate in the same way. 

There was just enough of the original trilogy to make this book enjoyable, and just enough difference that I was consciously aware through the entire thing that I was reading a knock-off as opposed to the real thing. 

There was a lot about this book that was delightful, but there was also a good chunk that felt pretty forced. Delving into Marcus’s past was interesting (as a supporting character in the All Souls Trilogy we only got glimpses of his background), but the segues from the “present-day” story to that were often jarring and unpleasantly contrived. 

Book: The Daevabad Trilogy (The City of Brass, The Kingdom of Copper, & The Empire of Gold) Author: S.A. Chakraborty Published: 2017, 2019, & 2020

My Review: I honestly never thought I’d get over the devastation of finishing the All Souls Trilogy, so it was a great relief when I found this one and raced through all three books. Now I feel like I may have doubled my magical hangover, but it was entirely worth it. 

The Daevabad Trilogy is a delightful story that reminds me of some of my favorite magical books. It’s like The Lightbringer Series meets The Golem & The Jinni meets Game of Thrones. That may sound weird, but it’s actually quite fabulous. The books are long and epic in a way that lets you get lost in its twists and turns. And honestly? After the first 9 months of 2020, I’m grateful beyond belief for anything that pulls me out of reality for an extended period of time. 

Nahri lived as a petty thief in Cairo, eking out a bare minimum sort of living for herself, until one night in the midst of a particularly unique kind of con, she was swept into a whole world she had never even dreamt could have existed. But even this new place of magic and wonder isn’t enough to spare Nahri heartbreak after heartbreak. Yet she is fierce and she keeps going, letting small bursts of hope and a whole boatload of bravery spur her into a better life for herself and those she loves. And, as much as I want to escape 2020, it does kind of feel like serendipitous timing for this particular moral of the story... 

“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”

“The moments that define lives aren't always obvious. They don't scream LEDGE, and nine times out of ten there's no rope to duck under, no line to cross, no blood pact, no official letter on fancy paper. They aren't always protracted, heavy with meaning. Between one sip and the next, Victor made the biggest mistake of his life, and it was made of nothing more than one line. Three small words.”

Book: Vicious (Villains #1) Author: V.E. Schwab Published: Tor (2013)

My Review: Have you read the Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab? Those books were magnificent and I kind of wish I’d read this before those. Shades of Magic set a very high bar for me, and this book didn’t even come close. I mean, it’s not a literary dumpster fire, but it’s nowhere near the kind of work that I know Schwab is capable of.

I’ve ordered the second book in this series (Vengeful) because despite being disappointed, I didn’t totally hate it. I’m hopeful that the second one will get me more invested in the plot.

I will say that I like the concept of the Villains series. There are certainly way too many traditional superhero stories on the shelves, and this is an interesting antithesis to that narrative. What happens when the superheroes are bad? Or even just existing in an ethical grey area; not entirely good and not entirely evil?

“As far as I can tell there are only two emotions that keep the world spinning year after year... One is fear. The other is desire.”

“Magic is desire made real.”

“We don’t lock up books in this house,” Philippe said, “only food, ale, and wine. Reading Herodotus or Aquinas seldom leads to bad behavior.”

“I see you, even when you hide from the rest of the world. I hear you, even when you're silent.”

Book: The All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, & The Book of Life) Author: Deborah Harkness Published: 2011, 2012, & 2014 My Review: I feel like I’m going to have a book hangover for the rest of my life now that I’ve officially finished all three of these page-turners. The story of Diana and Matthew is wonderfully reminiscent of Clare and Jamie in the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon, only with significantly more magic. And there’s nothing that’s not made dramatically better by adding more magic. 

Diana Bishop is a witch of magnificent power, but she doesn’t know it when we first meet her in A Discovery of Witches. It’s not until a mysterious book (Ashmole 782) and a mysterious man (Matthew Clairmont) appear in her life that her fate, and the fate of all creatures, begins to unfold. 

Sure, Diana and Matthew have a pretty stereotypical romance that might make some feminists roll their eyes... As a vampire, Matthew is a bit (okay, a lot) controlling and, in the beginning at least, Diana is very much a damsel in distress. But I couldn’t help falling in love with their love anyway, feminist or no. 

Stereotypical love story aside, this is such a deliciously entertaining trilogy that distracted me completely from the horror that is 2020, and for that I am ever so grateful. Also, did I mention that there’s a lot of magic? That alone should be enough for anyone to buy it right now and tear through the trilogy like I did. 

“There are times when our victories have a cost that we did not foresee, when winning brings us loss.”

“If we cannae be what we were born to be, the whole of it, we die a little on the inside, every day we live the lie.”

Book: The Firebird Author: Susanna Kearsley Published: Sourcebooks, Inc. (2013)

My Review: It’s taking me far longer than usual to get through books these days. I don’t know about you, but 2020 has been hard on my mental health. There’s a lot going on, both in my personal life and in the world. As much as I love a good story, it’s been difficult to muster the energy to read most days. 

That said, this is truly a lovely book. Even though it took me a month or so to read it, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Nicola  Marter and Anna Moray. 

Nicola has a special gift that she’s hidden all her life. She had every intention of keeping it under wraps until she met the man who would accompany her on the most wonderful and emotionally intense adventures, and who would help her to show her true self to the world without shame or fear. Through Nicola, we learn about Anna, and a parallel story that played out hundreds of years prior. 

And it all starts with a stranger and a small wooden carving of a firebird. 

“I do know this for sure though: show me your witches, and I’ll show you your feelings about women. The fact that the resurgence of feminism and the popularity of the witch are ascending at the same time is no coincidence: the two are reflections of each other.” 

“More than anything, though, the witch is a shining and shadowy symbol of female power and a force for subverting the status quo.” 

“I honor nature and the divinity that is inside me and all living beings, and I strive to spread light and to be in service of something higher than myself: Spirit, the gods, the Goddess, the Mystery-- that which language is too restrictive to name.” 

“And both of these things-- female delight and female desire-- are so often demonized. We call “witch” any woman who wants.” 

“When you send out a great call, how do you know if it is Spirit or nature that answers? Maybe there’s no difference at all. Maybe grace is green.” 

Book: Waking The Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, & Power Author: Pam Grossman Published: Gallery Books (2019)

My Review: As a lifelong feminist from a family of (mostly) recovering Catholics, there’s nothing that draws me in like magic. It’s rebellious, it’s mysterious, and it’s so deliciously subversive. From tarot cards to altars to amulets, the world of the witch has my full attention. And, as Pam Grossman points out in this book, these days, “witch” is essentially synonymous with powerful, self-assured and self-directed woman who has the audacity to live without shame in a patriarchal and oppressive society. 

I mean, where do I sign up? 

Whether you’re a practicing witch with spells and a coven or just a feminist gal trying to make it in a world that has never been set up for you, there is room for all to be bold and empowered in Club Witch. 

“People thought that being one of a kind made you special. No, it just made you lonely. What was special was belonging with someone else.” 

“This big ol’ world and we only get to go through it once. The saddest thing there is, you ask me.” 

“Maybe wealth was the freedom to reveal yourself.” 

Book: The Vanishing Half Author: Brit Bennett Published: Riverhead Books (2020) 

My Review: This is an incredible book for so many reasons, but it’s especially incredible to have read it in the context of the world right now. With mass racial justice and social reform movements across the globe forming a fresh backdrop in my mind, the narrative and messages of this book seemed amplified in the most painful and important ways. 

White privilege, the complexities of being a “white passing” member of a Black community, systemic racism and oppression, hierarchies of skin color, the pull of love and family ties and obligation, the experiences of transmen... This book is about the ever-shifting identities we don and remove throughout our lives as human creatures-- various iterations of ourselves across time and space-- along with the permanent identities that we couldn’t shed even if we wanted to and that ultimately contribute so much to who we are and who we become. Beautiful, complicated, powerful, timely concepts-- all in such a short book. 

If you’re looking for a good bit of fiction that feels a lot more like wonderfully easy-to-read non-fiction, check this book out. 

Also, as a side note, if you’re a current BOTM member, please know that there are other book box subscription options that offer far more diversity and legitimate inclusion. After learning of BOTM’s recent silencing of BIPOC voices, I made the choice to switch to Page 1 and Raven Reads. There are so many others available that I hope you’ll choose to use your money in a way that supports social justice and unequivocal anti-racism. 

“She said, ‘A man’s holy of holies contains God’s laws, but inside a woman’s there are only longings.’” 

“‘No, I didn’t refuse. I didn’t have the courage.’ She smiled at me. ‘We make our moments, Ana, or we do not.’”

“I’d been taught God was a figure similar to humans, only vastly more powerful, which failed to comfort me because people could be so utterly disappointing. It reassured me suddenly to think of God not as a person like ourselves, but as an essence that lived everywhere. God could be love, as Jesus believed. For me, he would be I AM Who I Am, the beingness in our midst.” 

“He learned well, and his suffering didn’t harden him. It’s always a marvel when one’s pain doesn’t settle into bitterness, but brings forth kindness instead.” 

Book: The Book of Longings Author: Sue Monk Kidd Published: Viking (2020) 

My Review: This was a beautiful book about the strength and boldness of women. It’s a twist on the story of Jesus, and it’s one that’s centered around a woman. Or, rather, many women. Our protagonist is Ana, writer, deep thinker, rebel, and (as it just so happens) wife of the Son of God.

I didn’t entirely know what to expect going into this book. I’d heard it was “feminist,” but so many things that aren’t actually feminist at all try to claim the title these days. Its’ description also says something about it being ‘reverent,’ which, as a pseudo-spiritual-but-mostly-atheist human, didn’t exactly make me super excited to read it. Especially given my love of the entirely irreverent Lamb by Christopher Moore which takes on the task of re-creating a story for Jesus that detailed his childhood and life before making a pretty significant career move to “Messiah” around the age of 30. 

Anyway, this book isn’t funny like Lamb, but it is definitely poignant and profound in many ways. So many great female characters; I love the rebellion and subversiveness that resides in the premise of this book, and in all the badass women whose stories we hear. 

Book: The Amityville Horror Author: Jay Anson Published: Bantam Books (1977)

My Review: I found a beat up copy of this book in a pile of ancient books my mom found during her pandemic cleaning adventures. She was getting ready to donate the whole bunch, so I rescued a couple that seemed interesting. I’d heard good things about The Amityville Horror and am always on the lookout for a book that might scare me, so I pulled this one out as part of the rescue. 

In terms of scary, I have to give this book a pretty solid “meh.” It reminded me a lot of other “meh” books from the same era of horror stories. Change a few names and I could have been reading The Exorcist or The Omen. I’ve found that the movie versions of these books are generally much more entertaining and spooky, but for some reason I just can’t with the paperbacks.

 “For the preacher, uncertainty cannot exist. It is the preacher whose job it is to proclaim, to make known a thing that she knows without doubt. The preacher, unlike the teacher, asks no questions of herself, as she already has the answer. There is no human so bold as the preacher. Or so blind. For they do all the talking, and none of the asking.” 

“Is happiness the currency of a life? That kind of happiness had been like a salve that shielded me from some of what it is to be human.” 

Book: Leaving The Witness Author: Amber Scorah Published: Viking (2019)

My Review: This, to me, is one of those books that is probably so magically cathartic to write, but less than enthralling to read. There were a couple of high points, and the story got a little more interesting toward the end, but for the most part it felt very much like reading someone’s daily journal. The ins and outs of most people’s lives are often quite mundane to read, despite what it feels like living through it.  

I also may have become a bit desensitized to cult-based religious memoirs. I’ve read quite a few in my day, and after reading about some truly horrific (and often criminal) enterprises of many other cults, this book seemed a bit tepid and beige. Not to minimize Scorah’s personal experience; she clearly went through a lot in her own personal religious revolution, but I can imagine that it feels far more profound to her than to myself. 

“And there is the bare truth of it, for her and all the women around here. Doesn’t matter how smart you are, how clever, how self-reliant-- you can always be bettered by a stupid man with a gun.” 

“Look outwards, Alice,” Margery would say, her voice carrying on the breeze. “Not much point worrying what the town thinks about you-- nothing you can do about that anyway. But when you look outwards, why, there’s a whole world of beautiful things.” 

“A certain kind of man looked at God’s own land, she thought, as she drew closer, and instead of beauty and wonder, all he saw was dollar signs.” 

“There is always a way out of a situation. Might be ugly. Might leave you feeling like the earth has gone and shifted under your feet. But you are never trapped, Alice. You  hear me? There is always a way around.” 

Book: The Giver of Stars Author: Jojo Moyes Published: Viking (2019)

My Review: Pretty much every lukewarm review I’ve ever written starts out with something to the effect of: “This isn’t the best book I’ve ever read, but it’s really not the worst book I’ve ever read, either.” And, once again, I’m finding myself with an honestly-not-terrible but still-not-a-favorite kind of book. 

Interesting, too, because 80% of this book is about horses, books, and feminism; those of you who know me will know that those three things, along with chocolate, bread, and cats, pretty much make up the entirety of my love language). So why would I not absolutely adore this book? 

Well, 80% of it was great, but the remaining 20% was like a bad apple that poisoned the rest of the barrel a bit. As hard as our protagonists fought against the patriarchy and the societal norms that suffocated them, nearly every one caved by the end of the book. Sure, there was true love and a fair amount of mischief, but there were also babies and marriages where no babies or marriages would have made for a better, more compelling feminist story. 

Also, I could have done with a little less picture perfect happy ending. I know I’m one of those weird humans that likes a little dark mixed in with the light (I’m an INFJ through and through, what can I say?), so a nicely wrapped box with a convenient little bow on top is not really my cup of tea when it comes to the endings of things...

“Madness is surprisingly freeing.” 

“Given a choice between life and death, choose life. Given a choice between right and wrong, choose what’s right. And given a choice between a terrible truth and a beautiful lie, choose the truth every time.” 

“It’s amazing how many of the things needed for a basic biology lab are capable of blowing up, if you’re willing to try very, very hard, and don’t much care about possibly losing a few fingers in the process.” 

Book: Blackout (Newsflesh Trilogy #3)  Author: Mira Grant Published: Orbit (Reissue Edition 2012) 

My Review: Between school and work and pandemic and earthquake, it’s taken me quite some time to finish this lovely trilogy. But finish it, I have, and I’m damn proud of myself for making it all the way through. 

The whole story was excellent; it was familiar (ya know, zombies and stuff) but unpredictable in ways that made it exciting to read. The characters were diverse and well developed. And, always my favorite, the ending wasn’t one of those ridiculous, tidy, wrapped-up-in-a-bow kinds of finishes. There were some things that worked out, and some things that really, really didn’t. 

“When does telling the truth become an act of terrorism? At what point does a lie become an act of mercy?”

“The one thing I have absolute faith in is mankind’s capacity to make things worse. No matter how bad it gets, we’re all happy to screw each other over. It’s enough to make me wonder if we should have let the zombies win.” 

Book: Deadline (Newsflesh Trilogy #2)  Author: Mira Grant Published: Orbit (June 2011)

My Review: The tale of George and Shaun continues in this far-too-close-to-real-life zombie apocalypse thriller. With all that’s going on in the world right now-- shelter in place orders, rampant fear, hazmat suits, unpleasant viral testing, social distancing-- I open this book and often feel like I’m just in a slightly bizarre (if that word even has meaning anymore) continuation of my own reality. Sure, we don’t have any zombies-- yet-- but aside from that, it’s quite the mirror image of the current world we live in.

“Buffy has a tendency to leave her phone on vibrate and ignore it while she ‘follows her muse,’ which is basically a fancy way of saying ‘screws around online, writes a really depressing poem or short story, posts it, and makes three times what I do in click-through revenue and T-shirt sales.” 

“Everything is ‘just a story.’ Tragedy, comedy, end of the world, whatever, it’s just a story. What matters is making sure it’s heard.” 

“When you can help people stay alive, you help them. We’re all we’ve got.” 

“Was it worth it?” “No,” I said. “But then again, when you get to the end, what really is?” 

Book: Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy #1)  Author: Mira Grant Published: Orbit (2011) 

My Review: I can’t tell you how many textbooks I’ve been reading lately. Starting school again recently has reminded me just how much time is spent *not* reading for pleasure. Slowly but surely I’m making my way through this trilogy, and it’s a great break from the jargon and dry academia. 

It’s also a little weird to be reading a zombie apocalypse book in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. And then that 5.7 magnitude earthquake that hit us here in Utah on Wednesday. I hear there are locusts invading Africa, too... 

Is this the end of the world? 

Despite the fact that the similarities between novel and real life are a little too close for comfort at this particular moment, this story is a pretty good one! Shaun and Georgia (George) are siblings living in a post-zombie apocalypse world. Shaun is an adventurer and George is a journalist. Along with their friend Buffy (a fiction writer and technological whiz), they run an online platform that has soared in popularity with their recent appointment to follow a candidate for president through election season. 

“You can look up keening in the dictionary, but you don’t know what it means until you hear somebody having their heart ripped out.”

“I could have told him there was no sense in rushing toward being dead. It would find you soon enough, and before it did there were pleasures to make your heart hurt less."

Book: All The Ugly & Wonderful Things Author: Bryn Greenwood Published: St. Martins Press (2016)

My Review: I guess I’ll start with the elephant in the room. For many people, this book has a ‘yuck factor’ that precludes any admiration or praise. I get it. For those unfamiliar, the story involves a romantic relationship between a 12 year old girl and a 24 year old man. I think we can all agree that, on the surface, that is more than mildly off-putting. 

But hear me out. 

For me the ‘yuck factor’ kicked in pretty early on, but slowly faded as I read further and further into the story. What I started thinking about was the ways in which we fight so hard for everything to be solidly black OR white. Good OR bad. Right OR wrong. But how many things in life can really be categorized like that? And do we ever stop to consider the damage and destruction that is, at times, being left in the wake of assumptions and lack of context? Nine times out of ten, the answer to that question is a big, resounding no. 

Maybe life is more complex than we want to admit. Maybe children need to be allowed to be their own people as much as they need to be protected. Maybe love is bigger than what we’re taught it can be. If nothing else, the relationship between Kellen and Wavy will no doubt make you think.

Before wrapping this up, let me be perfectly clear. In no way am I advocating for or justifying pedophilia. As a fully licensed and experienced mental health professional, I think it’s also worth pointing out that Kellen in no way meets criteria for a diagnosis of pedophilia. Just for the record. 

Anyway, after thinking through my emotional responses to this book, I pretty firmly fall in the category of loving it rather than hating it. And it seems I’m not alone in that judgement as it has won a number of awards and honors since its publication in 2016. It’s sad and beautiful and profound all at the same time.

“Great events turn on small hinges.”

“He wanted to tell Luke that he loved him. But there were no words, and maybe no need of them. Or telepathy. Sometimes a hug was telepathy.”

“It came to him, with the force of a revelation, that you had to have been imprisoned to fully understand what freedom was.”

Book: The Institute Author: Stephen King Published: Scribner (2019)

My Review: It’s been a minute since I finished a Stephen King book and, as usual, I was not left disappointed.