Maybe trees do have souls. Which makes wood a kind of flesh. And perhaps instruments of wooden construction sound so pleasing to our ears for this reason: the choral shimmer of a guitar; the heartbeat thump of drums; the mournful wail of violins--we love them because they sound like us.

August Book Club Pick @readerbookclub

Time, Liam has learned, is not an arrow. Neither is it a road. It goes in no particular direction. It simply accumulates—in the body, in the world—like wood does. Layer upon layer. Light, then dark. Each one dependent upon the last.

I wasn't super invested in the gaming aspect, but I loved the part at the end where they found each other within the game.

I’m very excited to be reading with you all again! As always, we’ll have all of August to read it and then all of September for discussion. 

Picked up Pale Fire at the library for @readerbookclub

1. What were your expectations before reading this book? Did it meet them? I’ve read Stardust before, back when I was in high school, but I really didn’t remember anything about it. I really enjoyed this book! I love the classic fairytale elements and how each archetypical story beat hits perfectly.

2. How did you feel about the romantic relationships in this book? I really liked the relationship between Tristran and Yvaine. It was classic fairytale. I was sad at the end, though, that Yvaine is unable to rejoin her sisters in the sky.

3. Is this a book you would have otherwise read? I’d read this book before! I read a lot of fantasy. I’m always open to reading more fantasy in the club, but I love how the club encourages me to branch out.

4. What did you think of the magical world of Faerie? I loved Faerie in this book. Classic faerie is wild and dangerous, and I feel like Neil Gaiman captured that feeling well.