tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53469400768027116882024-03-13T04:49:49.094-07:00PLAYING IN THE PAGESSavannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.comBlogger621125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-50979542596879869352024-01-10T14:52:00.000-08:002024-01-10T14:52:59.854-08:002023: My Worst Year in Books, Ever (No, Really) <p>The whole thing feels a bit like you've spent the afternoon wandering down a long, sandy, rainy beach. (I feel like a bit of an expert in these; the PNW happens to have a lot of them.) </p><p>You've been flipping over any big stones, hoping to find some little crabs or something, looking for a tide pool or maybe scanning for movement amongst the gravel, only to look back once you've reached the end and see you simply left a lot of holes, but haven't unearthed a darn thing. Sure, you made the distance, got some steps in, and maybe found a little bit of cool bits of broken shell or thwacked your sibling in the leg with some dried seaweed, but for the most part? A lot of sand... and it's a longer way still to get back to the car. </p><p>What I'm saying is, personally speaking, 2023 felt like a bit of a bust.</p><p>So, can we just say "Happy New Year"? I'm trying to stay away from broad, hyperbolic statements like "Surely, it couldn't get any worse," because if there's anything I've learned from countless hours of children's media, it's that the sky would suddenly break out into rainfall, the dam would collapse behind us, and a cloud of locusts might appear on the horizon. </p><p>How about instead, we just recognize that the last couple of "new" years have, in fact, been a little bleak, and leave it at that. </p><p>(The most frustrating thing about this this, is that <i>we don't all seem to be on the same page: </i>for instance, some people I truly adore in this world have spent the past year getting engaged, getting married, starting new jobs, starting new lives in new cities, having babies, getting published, going viral, what have you... but this post isn't about them. This post is about me... and maybe you too?) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi2GvojhrJdZbK5Y7OajpCA6RcuXdiYViZmQQskiCh94qHuV2sweH2Xps5N4MgXmqWt5nDduz1Be9HMliB7TJWx6J_PG2MtEO10DNg-t_O6p3cGuvOL4vbgIwDcR-hgFK1Blo-BLyLFMwpY_EVJlvEwb9Keyfqgly4Kkvrlzf1xifxQFHMY4w_C3DNic/s1200/2023%20My%20Year%20in%20Books.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGi2GvojhrJdZbK5Y7OajpCA6RcuXdiYViZmQQskiCh94qHuV2sweH2Xps5N4MgXmqWt5nDduz1Be9HMliB7TJWx6J_PG2MtEO10DNg-t_O6p3cGuvOL4vbgIwDcR-hgFK1Blo-BLyLFMwpY_EVJlvEwb9Keyfqgly4Kkvrlzf1xifxQFHMY4w_C3DNic/w426-h640/2023%20My%20Year%20in%20Books.png" width="426" /></a></div>Let's start with the obvious: I missed my Goodreads Challenge goal. In fact, thanks to Goodreads and the power of dedicatedly logging all of your reading habits into a portal that the whole world can check on whenever they please, is that you know, straight up, all the "when"s and "how"s of a bad reading year... like, for instance, <i>when</i> you've been on decline for multiple years in a row, and even<i> how</i> you've had reading years where you've read almost double what you managed in this past one. <div><br /></div><div>I think it's time to trot out some excuses for myself. So, what gives? <div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>I did a lot of travel last year.</b> You would think this would help me read <u>more,</u> right?<a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/02/travel-reading-log-what-i-read-while-i.html" target="_blank"> After all, I have put up plenty of vacation-style reading recaps in the past</a>... but if anything, it made my regular daily schedules feel out of whack, and hard to settle back into, every time we went out of town. Either I was reading in unfamiliar locales, which was both hard to acclimate towards and made me feel incredibly guilty for not making the most of my new surroundings, or I was at home, scrambling to do all the things I couldn't get done while I was gone.</li><li><b>My family is going through some major upheaval at the moment. </b>But it's actually a good thing: one of my siblings got engaged in 2023, and will be getting married in 2024, with yours truly serving as a Maid of Honor (or Disrepute, Chaos, or Distraction, considering which sources you believe). With another sibling graduating college this year as well, it's been pretty busy around here.</li><li><b>My volunteering hours have absolutely skyrocketed. </b>Without giving too much away: whereas I used to serve a few key functions for the organization I dedicate the most time to, in the past year, that has increased exponentially. The good news is, I have gained several new key skill sets; the bad news is it feels like my free hours are still dwindling rapidly. Then again, I wouldn't be dedicating a minimum of four-to-six hours a week to this organization if I didn't care. </li><li><b>I started a new writing venture! </b>As you might know, I now am also the author of not only this platform, but a monthly cooking Substack. Not only am I doing a very different kind of close reading these days, but I'm also dedicating several hours a month to both jam-packing the fridge with all of my necessary ingredients, and dishing up about exactly what I've been cooking on my newsletter. </li><li><b>I experienced a serious Reading Slump, from September through December.</b> I'm not interested in getting into it, at least right now - you might have noticed that this platform has been pretty desolate for this last third of the year - but trying to get my brain to commit to consuming anything that wasn't a scrolling Tetris game or something easy on Food Network was a hard go of it, for sure. </li></ul></div><div>And things aren't slowing down. We've got a sister to get hitched - plus the accompanying Bachelorette Trip, Bridal Showers, Wedding Weekend, and more - coming up in 2024, as well as a college graduation and a sibling's subsequent move home, and that's just all the stuff that isn't even my fault. I'm still writing my Substack, volunteering even more than I used to, and to top it all off... I just started a new job! </div><div><br /></div><div>So, you know. Things are fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, right, except the fact that in 2023, <b>I read <i>eight</i> books less than the year previous. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>(Kind of funny, once you consider that my <u>total</u> page count was down only 469 from the year before, too. So I guess I could have just read eight more books, around 60 pages in length, to meet 2022's numbers?) </div><div><br /></div><div>The shortest book I read was 114 pages - <i>Time is a Mother</i>, a poetry collection by Ocean Vuong - and the longest book was 592 pages, as Leigh Bardugo needed every last one of them to round out her <i>King of Scars</i> duology with <i>Rule of Wolves</i>. All told, <b>my average book length was 320 pages</b>, which is way up from 274 in 2022. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only thing I can say for consistency's sake is that my<b> average score is still rocking at 3.6 stars</b>! This has become something of a norm for me - occasionally vacillating upwards to 3.7 every once in a while - which is kind of nice. It means that I'm not especially loving or hating books out of the norm, at least on an annual aggregate basis. </div><div><br /></div><div>Outside of what stats Goodreads can hit me with - like bb pellets on the shin - there were some cool, non-quantitative things that happened this year, though. </div><div><br /></div><div>For instance, my best months for reading were in June and August, no doubt thanks to my annual propensity for getting real weird about the <b>Seattle Public Libraries Summer Reading Challenge. </b> And I did, in fact, get three bingoes on my Summer Reading Book Bingo card, just like I shoot for every year.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>I successfully completed a Book Buying Ban</b>, and the only three titles I broke my promise for were during my Bloggoversary! (But more on this later.) </div><div><br /></div><div>In terms of favorite bookish projects that warranted a mention on the blog, <b>I not only reread <i>Jane Eyre</i> by myself to start off the year last January</b>, but I also collected every single word I had to google during that dedicated effort, and even <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/02/all-words-i-googled-while-reading-jane.html" target="_blank">published all of them for you on the blog, as well as some words of argument as to why we should all be learning new words,</a> all the time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Off the blog, I launched my first ever attempt at a non-scholastic buddy reading experience with my younger brother, of the <b>Sibling Shakespeare Book Club. </b>We read the entirety of <i>The Tempest </i>together through the month of July, with weekly check-in Zoom meetings, complete with PowerPoint slide decks oriented around cultural significance, literary references, and deep-dives into popular quotations (me), as well as a lot of great memes and undeniable enthusiasm (him). It was honestly really cool to not only feel like more of an English major again, but also get to experience something like one of my favorite plays for the first time through someone else's eyes. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was pretty quiet here, on this platform, though: only 24 posts total from the year, averaging two a month... which is still the most posts I've had on the blog since 2019. Hooray? </div><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;">books of the year </span></h3><p style="text-align: left;">Despite the fact that I did end up reading significantly less than I have in recent years, I still managed to read a few books that really defined my bookish experiences in 2023... showing that even if you read less than you'd like, there's still a great chance that at least one or two of the titles you pick up are going to stick with you! Out of the 38 books I read, here are five that really made me feel like I got some good reading done.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Time is a Mother,</i> Ocean Vuong</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqXUKphMhWZdIg3m85421zLbstJbOY3G1Hgw8zUHG3pLELz4BAqndaGuERTGIfGOzknqnJSO5IAsIZHna07H99z1_qILLmDpDfZyMhq2aIRov1DyH3OKSKlnks1lGhiTX-iq9DnhsaHwzJ9_KziP-NJPTUXSxUc6vkYohyxVZM01VumL8z3RSto7eHsBY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1538" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqXUKphMhWZdIg3m85421zLbstJbOY3G1Hgw8zUHG3pLELz4BAqndaGuERTGIfGOzknqnJSO5IAsIZHna07H99z1_qILLmDpDfZyMhq2aIRov1DyH3OKSKlnks1lGhiTX-iq9DnhsaHwzJ9_KziP-NJPTUXSxUc6vkYohyxVZM01VumL8z3RSto7eHsBY=w124-h200" width="124" /></a></div>I'm not much of a poetry collection kind of gal, but in the past few years, that's been starting to change... and I've got the carefully-printed-and-taped entries onto the wall leading into my room to prove it. The actual action of reading poetry regularly, though, is still something I'm easing into. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">The last two summers have seen me spending time with poetry collections, thanks to various Book Bingo requirements, and Summer 2023 was definitely a highlight for that. Ocean Vuong is one of those social-media-famous poets not because of any kind of aesthetic pandering or pseudo-intellectualism in their messaging, but because their words are so incredibly intentional and deliberate, their messages are universally accessible, and their voice feels so specific and unique. I'm a big fan, and I can see why everyone else is, too. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i>The Twisted Ones,</i> T. Kingfisher</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyY1eoLmJmShNZ_TX4_ozUQn9INh7SfK6aTDGDaqcXTNH9fISRxdaL4IgnB1t0OpK7LJmV_3tTihw8gFH4RDl-EzAWv0h4BWU3aXpws-LimPkFWwlHwlbZr1CU-4n08bHkMcAIeJUV36YYbp3AZPH_v3yEc0YxatYvBTo6R1evTkIlhQEooAZOknVMO-8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="1399" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyY1eoLmJmShNZ_TX4_ozUQn9INh7SfK6aTDGDaqcXTNH9fISRxdaL4IgnB1t0OpK7LJmV_3tTihw8gFH4RDl-EzAWv0h4BWU3aXpws-LimPkFWwlHwlbZr1CU-4n08bHkMcAIeJUV36YYbp3AZPH_v3yEc0YxatYvBTo6R1evTkIlhQEooAZOknVMO-8=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Just like Poetry, I'm not exactly too much of a Horror fan... though a youthful fascination with Stephen King short stories and a collegiate-born love of Mark Danielewski's<span style="color: #073763;"> </span><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">House</span></i><i> of Leaves</i> might surprise you. (It all dovetails pretty neatly with how I stopped watching scary movies in college when I realized they made my anxiety so much worse.) But look at me now! I read two Horror books this past Summer, and they were both incredible. This one beats out Stephen Graham-Jones' <i>The Only Good Indians </i>for two specific reasons: this was just a little more straightforward in its intentions, and it was one of the most fun (and funny!) reads I experienced this year. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I actually even read part of it while I was <u>camping,</u> if you can believe it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">On top of that, it was one of two Kingfishers I read in 2023, and it's the one that made me a cemented fan. I actually just received two of their other novels as a Christmas gift from my brother - <i>Thornhedge,</i> a Fantasy novella, and <i>A</i> <i>House with Good Bones</i>, another Southern Gothic-style Horror, both published last year - and I'm so, so excited to read them. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i>How Far the Light Reaches: a Life in Ten Sea Creatures</i>, Sabrina Imbler</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNyBqvYSFZb-1_knWA1BY9v9NqHpFjx_5TNHlTQD8zmHAuE4XQ3bGtv5IJYI18dgwQKyPgu8pF-mPgsUzPLoEQIwQ5pSq3nOePfJtqdiTZfK2EMrJv8gJcvHGWcLYZ4nW19jtsmfPI-fj6UvZiXdo-X9n_-2FgTk-QTalds48Iz_vZmHa_X--jVfrNTC8" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNyBqvYSFZb-1_knWA1BY9v9NqHpFjx_5TNHlTQD8zmHAuE4XQ3bGtv5IJYI18dgwQKyPgu8pF-mPgsUzPLoEQIwQ5pSq3nOePfJtqdiTZfK2EMrJv8gJcvHGWcLYZ4nW19jtsmfPI-fj6UvZiXdo-X9n_-2FgTk-QTalds48Iz_vZmHa_X--jVfrNTC8=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Again, yet another hit from the mysterious inner workings of SPL's Book Bingo. The square was for "Sea Creatures," and the mega-hyped title everyone was trying to grab was Shelby Van Pelt's <i>Remarkably Bright Creatures. </i>To be honest, I am still planning on reading that title eventually, but by the time I got to it back in June, the library holds list already stretched to hell and back, so I decided to veer towards Imbler instead, and I am so ecstatic I did.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;">It's both informative and engrossing, matching a very genuine enthusiasm for marine life with a careful and considerate perspective of their own life, too. Imbler is thoughtful and made interesting connections, treated everyone in their social circle with intention and focus while still holding their own perspective in the foreground, and overall, I just got the very intense feeling that they're someone I'd really love to sit down to coffee with. </p><p style="text-align: left;">(Maybe that's just one of those joyful things about memoirs; it's all of our opportunity to get coffee together.) </p><p style="text-align: left;">Now that I'm released from the self-manufactured cage of a Book Buying Ban, this is a title I'm actively interested in securing for my own shelves, so I can reread it again later, or lend it to as many people as I'd like. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i>There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job</i>, Kikuko Tsumura</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5QdN0Pn73l-EFhooCsDQSmI7h0-xBFcr0naWvdjycgmIg5qRksNwiCxd2H3NbHtBvjr8enRs2eF86iBUjcicagJVs4LjPt1-oXNLIrAuSe8_u00_ZhHqmEz1adRL9xoZ9g6L6WhWYnTH7tD_oX4Wpxac6OVxyQJL_NeUpZG_gOA8X9Cjlo4mLvmlHqug" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5QdN0Pn73l-EFhooCsDQSmI7h0-xBFcr0naWvdjycgmIg5qRksNwiCxd2H3NbHtBvjr8enRs2eF86iBUjcicagJVs4LjPt1-oXNLIrAuSe8_u00_ZhHqmEz1adRL9xoZ9g6L6WhWYnTH7tD_oX4Wpxac6OVxyQJL_NeUpZG_gOA8X9Cjlo4mLvmlHqug=w127-h200" width="127" /></a></div>Okay, so apparently, all of the biggest and most important books I read this year came from Summer Book Bingo?? Good grief. This one was used to fill a block that called for "Worker's Rights," which is a pretty generous stretch of relevance there, on my part, but a choice that I still stand by. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Truly a testament to the awe-invoking power of a book's ability to change the way you experience your own life, this not only set me on a more hopeful and positive job search path this past year, but is something that I genuinely believe helped make the difference in me finding the one that I did. </p><p style="text-align: left;">A Japanese translation that was absolutely gorgeous to read, it was also a bit of a trip, matching a sense of magical realism and surreality with the mundane aspects of holding or maintaining unconventional jobs. I think I've brought this book up in conversations this year more than anything else I've read... it really is something you need to experience yourself, though, so I'm pretty unwilling to give a lot of spoilers for it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It's also definitely the reason I'm going to be look to read more translations from Japanese novels in the future. Like with Imbler's <i>HFtLR</i>, I'm trying to add a physical copy of this title to my personal bookshelves as well. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Shubeik Lubeik</i>, Deena Mohamed</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQF1CYvQ4M0J4vpsVtKtfM2kvVYp4FyBNiKA9mOy_ah2b7M7VLUjr8YIwz1ypqTfaESXOeCrBEeaAF_omw267vV2tdRl-yBieaVm2AnTmiXtKWD7Pc8u-8lAOvwoF3Y5EuCKbKf6hr-ucFWIQxCGmXmFCd77aQHRk9Es6O6V6gyDLXG4C0xdHSQLAiHXg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1392" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQF1CYvQ4M0J4vpsVtKtfM2kvVYp4FyBNiKA9mOy_ah2b7M7VLUjr8YIwz1ypqTfaESXOeCrBEeaAF_omw267vV2tdRl-yBieaVm2AnTmiXtKWD7Pc8u-8lAOvwoF3Y5EuCKbKf6hr-ucFWIQxCGmXmFCd77aQHRk9Es6O6V6gyDLXG4C0xdHSQLAiHXg=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></div>I was looking for a bit of hope while suffering under my slump, and inspired by Goodreads' incredibly bone-headed decision to eliminate the <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/93762-goodreads-category-removal-sparks-outcry.html#:~:text=Nominations%20for%20the%202023%20Goodreads,%2C%20Romantasy%2C%20has%20been%20added." target="_blank">Graphic Novel from this year's iteration of the Goodreads Awards,</a> I placed a few on hold at my library, and picked this one up in December. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I mean, come on. When's the last time a Graphic Novel made you cry? I still have pictures of dialogue sections from its pages saved into the Camera Roll on my phone, because I like to go back and look at them when I need another dose of perspective. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It's a pretty unique combination of sociocultural landscape and Fantasy influence, wherein a modern-day Cairo lays the stage for interactions between regular, everyday people and genie wishes available for purchase. Where contemporary politics meets historic pain; economic status interchanges with differences in identity and opportunity; where the overarching magic seems to stem from, once again, human connection and the people we share our lives with. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Absolutely incredible, and well worth how thick it is. I read it in two afternoons - bisecting only thanks to various family gatherings - but it would also be a great way to spend a free evening. I promise you will be grateful for the bit of peace you might feel in reading this. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">That's it for 2023. I give the year no warning about whether or not the door should hit it on the way out; I'm too wrapped up in trying to scramble as hard and as fast as I can towards 2024 to care. I'm hoping it will be kinder, or - at the very least - it will be slightly easier to manage, and that unlike in the past few years, I will somehow manage to find both more time and inclination to read again. </p><p style="text-align: left;">But of course, <b>there's still a little bit we have to talk about before we wrap up the past year completely.</b> There are two major Challenges that are still under discussion... one distinctly more effective and complete than the other. </p><p style="text-align: left;">More on that later. Until then! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>How did your reading year go in 2023? What were some of your top titles of the year? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p></div></div>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-33540366157644762992023-12-21T22:47:00.000-08:002023-12-21T22:47:53.047-08:00A Last-Minute Bookish Gift Guide: Perfect Presents, Without Blowing Your Budget at Barnes and Noble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdlN15gLvo4lllAXqE1nw2KYjs4Llv-N0CV_lFaoMKSbbLgS7Os02XyE-9hU-Iq5RN3AeHN1KlsVlxCjwZlrZO89RjFLfI-j5enzUDY8oklVZ36B56D2gVzU5UwYJsioIPnXl0lnDNa37h7zMev7xSO-ewBpwFsHXYBCiHMk8v5FTVqoUUdhKy6q4ZYQ/s940/Add%20a%20heading.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdlN15gLvo4lllAXqE1nw2KYjs4Llv-N0CV_lFaoMKSbbLgS7Os02XyE-9hU-Iq5RN3AeHN1KlsVlxCjwZlrZO89RjFLfI-j5enzUDY8oklVZ36B56D2gVzU5UwYJsioIPnXl0lnDNa37h7zMev7xSO-ewBpwFsHXYBCiHMk8v5FTVqoUUdhKy6q4ZYQ/w640-h536/Add%20a%20heading.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Here's an uncomfortable truth I've observed about the world: we're only few days away from Christmas Eve, and for many, <b>there's still a lot of panicked, last minute shopping to be done. </b></p><p>Listen, you were preoccupied, you didn't prepare, and now, every parking lot you enter is a warzone. Stepping through the doors of Target, at this point, could be classified as reckless endangerment of self and sanity. This is not the time for donning rose-colored glasses alongside your gay apparel; instead, this is crunch time, and lest you be the one who gets crunched, you need to find a good present ASAP. The good news is, be it a Work Secret Santa, a Family White Elephant, or what have you, <b>there's always joy to be found in delivering a new book-shaped present to the pile under the tree. </b></p><p>And yet, here's an additional wrinkle: the damn things are certainly getting expensive these days, aren't they? I recently fell into a bit of a quandary while shopping for my brother, and realized that one of the titles I had been planning on picking up from B&N was currently going for over $40 in hardcover. While sliding <b>a new freshly-printed set of titles off of the shelves might be easy, it certainly isn't cheap.</b> </p><p>The good news is, there's something we can do about that. In fact, by <b>combining a new recently-procured read with a few other budget-friendly and easy-to-find basic pieces,</b> not only does your bookish present come across as thoughtful and deliberate, but they'll never know how many parking lot brushes with death you avoided to do it. </p><p>Consider the following method: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>A GREAT BOOK + A BUDGET-FRIENDLY BOOSTER + A FUN CONSUMABLE</i></span></p><p>Note: I understand why some people don't like combining multiple presents in one package. In the words of<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L5Xkb78KxY&ab_channel=SaturdayNightLive" target="_blank"> one of the family's most-quoted seasonally-appropriate <i>SNL </i>music videos of all time</a> (which is now, horrifyingly enough, seven years old), you might think that "that just makes each gift seem smaller and dumb." But to be fair, maybe you want to repay a special amount of kindness this year, or maybe you're dealing with someone who has a tendency to get extravagant with their generosity... and besides, I'm not advocating for buying two gifts. I'm saying go for three!</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">1. first, focus on a great read</span></span></h3><p>First of all, we need to pick out a Really Good Book, one that you know they're going to enjoy. </p><p>Consider how to best select a great bookish present (in a very sneaky way):</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Ask them what some of their goals are for 2024</b>... a really good friend would want to help them achieve those goals! Are they looking to try their hand at penning some words of their own in the new year? Try Stephen King's <i>On Writing.</i> What about spending more time in the kitchen? A cookbook or piece of food writing could be really beneficial here. Want to explore more classics? Pick out one of your favorites, one you know will hold their attention. Use your own experience, but don't be afraid to look up a good list of recommendations or two. Just try to make sure you're aligning with what they've got envisioned for themselves! </li><li><b>Check out their home shelves, especially their favorite genres.</b> For best practices, you should probably have an idea of what they have and haven't read already - if only so you can avoid buying a duplicate of something they already own - but it can also tell you what they gravitate towards naturally. For instance, if they've got every single copy in the <i>Murderbot</i> series, then you've got a decent sense they might appreciate Martha Wells' latest release, <i>Witch King</i>, or something like Becky Chambers' <i>Monk and Robot </i>series. </li><li><b>Think about ebooks and audiobooks</b>: not every likes reading on ink and paper! Maybe they've got a long commute that lends itself to an engaging audiobook, or maybe they live in a small space that can't accommodate a ton of shelf room. Amazon or Spotify giftcards may ensure they actually use your present in a way that works for them! An easy way to "upgrade" it, of course, is to accompany it with a list of recommendations that you think they might want to look at when they're thinking about how to spend it. </li><li>Casually ask them to tag along, and help you pick out a present for someone else. While you're doing your own "browsing"<b> watch carefully for what they pick up and put down.</b> If there's something they mention or focus on in particular, something that grabs their attention, you know what to do! </li><li>And here's the big alternative: ask your friend what kind of reading year they've been having in 2023: if there's something in particular that's been keeping them from reading lately, <b>it might not be the year for a bookish present;</b> maybe something like a Hello Fresh delivery or a homemade "in-house babysitting" coupon would help them enjoy some reading time, more than just another book sitting on their shelf! </li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">2. something they can reuse + a treat to up the ante</span></h3><div>Once you've got your book in hand, it's time to put it together with a few budget pieces that will really make the package perfect. By including something they can reuse time and again, you guarantee that your present has some mileage on it, and with a fun consumable accompanying alongside, they can start enjoying your gift as soon as they open it! </div><div><br /></div><div>For instance, lets say <b>your best friend's favorite kind of coffee talk is dishing about <i>The Great British Baking Show</i></b>, and she can't stop pointing out all of the butter-related Christmas ornaments that all seemed to hit stores this year. Naturally, you've decided to pick her up a copy of one of Paul Hollywood's cookbooks, like <i>Bake</i>, or maybe you grabbed something penned by a past contestant, like Ruby Tandoh's <i>Cook As You Are</i>, or <i>Nadiya Bakes</i> by Nadiya Hussain. What next? </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, stopping by a HomeGoods or chef supply store could easily add to the conversation, with something like a large mixing bowl, a set of kitchen towels, a cutting board, or interesting cake tins. Rolling pins and spatulas are typically in pretty good supply, and the same goes for cookie cutters. Then, all you have to do is swing by the local grocer and pick up a pretty baking mix, or favorite ingredient - nice baking chocolates are always appreciated, but you could also try a pretty jam or even just a slightly nicer-than-normal bag of flour - and voila! You've got a great set of ingredients for a very happy afternoon spent in the kitchen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Or <b>lets say you've got a real Romance reader on your hands.</b> Sure, you could just walk down the mass market paperback aisle at your local Fred Meyer with your arm outstretched, and aim for anything with a brightly-colored color block illustration on the cover... but chances are, if you give a girl a Romance, she's going to need at least one or two favorite beverages to enjoy it with. What about a set of pretty thrifted wine glasses or champagne flutes, and a great bottle of something to sip on? If she's a Historical Romance girl, a set of gorgeous thrifted teacup-and-saucer combos and a box of her favorite tea go together like the leads in your favorite Tessa Dare or Eloisa James story. </div><p><b>Someone who lives and dies by their latest Self Help obsession </b>- think bullet journals, 5am wakeup calls, and reformer Pilates - might appreciate yet another paradigm shift before the new year. James Clear's <i>Atomic Habits</i> is a best seller for a reason, but they might have picked that one up already; look for displays nearby to guide you into what titles generated some buzz this year, or has people looking forward to 2024. A thrifted crock and a new bag of coffee beans, or maybe a thrifted mug and a sampler set of coffee syrups would definitely give this present some pizazz, but something like a fresh, pretty notebook and a can or two of their favorite energy drink works just as well: whatever will help inspire them to start generating their next life upgrade! </p><p>The list could go on and on, really. Your <b>favorite fast-paced Thriller or bone-chilling Horror</b> from this year would pair perfectly with a cozy blanket and a chocolate bar to keep them toasty while things get tense; <b>a buzzy new celebrity memoir</b> - what about those published this year, from Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? - would go great with a new pair of fun sunglasses and some bubblegum to chew. Why not get <b>your Fantasy reader</b> some unique thrifted glassware (aka, goblets and decanters, which I always find while shopping secondhand!) and pair it with one of their favorite sodas? The list goes on and on. </p><p>The point is, of course, that you make the whole thing feel like an experience in itself. <b>It's not just the book, but the environment you create around the book</b>... and besides, this way, even if that title ends up getting a two-star review on Goodreads, your friend still ends up with something cool they can reuse, and when's the last time you turned up your nose at a tasty treat? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUQMl93CnNObqEZ9ad2R6-J2-Dtrg-exV38M3Zs_tFzUVocH_QnAeG3L4oGeu5sXC5lLq2gvZEwL8SrjZlRqd8RKyi_6WZAypjhUBkO5hiTWqXkRN2spVN8ooYAItd7pcyJXwMVy-ue0VaYqGuOEDnG8bMVtQzeVnKz_A4P_811sGZClO2cjFBYmLGYs/s940/IDEAS!.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUQMl93CnNObqEZ9ad2R6-J2-Dtrg-exV38M3Zs_tFzUVocH_QnAeG3L4oGeu5sXC5lLq2gvZEwL8SrjZlRqd8RKyi_6WZAypjhUBkO5hiTWqXkRN2spVN8ooYAItd7pcyJXwMVy-ue0VaYqGuOEDnG8bMVtQzeVnKz_A4P_811sGZClO2cjFBYmLGYs/w640-h536/IDEAS!.png" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">3. don't have time to think that hard? just go with the bookish vibes</span></h3><p>Listen, I get it: the last minute always isn't the best time to think creatively. <b>Sometimes, you just need a guaranteed win</b>, something that doesn't require combing the thrift store's homewares section or a Target snack aisle for just the perfect touch. </p><p>Here are a few easy ideas for pieces that can amplify every bookish present: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>a snack pack, with something salty, something sweet, something crunchy, and/or something chewy, for them to enjoy while making their way through a new stack of books!</li><li>a container of their favorite hot chocolate brand, preferably with marshmallows or peppermint sprinkles alongside!</li><li>a big ol' candle for them to light to set the mood while they're reading. Bonus points if you manage to make it match the book cover! </li><li>fuzzy socks or slippers. It is a truth universally acknowledged that whether you're playing video games, watching a movie, or reading a book, that your feet are going to get cold. Everyone could use some cozy toes!</li><li>a new journal or notebook, especially when paired with a set of really good pens!</li></ul><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">4. make it personal</span></h3><p></p><p>If you've managed to read this far in this blogpost - or if you've somehow made it out into the Target parking lot with all of your bags, extremities, and sanity intact - then chances are its <b>because you really care about the person who will be on the receiving end of this present.</b> It never hurts to tell them that sort of thing yourself! </p><p>Regardless of what book you buy them, or what you're stashing into your cart alongside, I think<b> it's always a great idea to write a card, too</b>. Listen, you've already established that you're shopping for a reader; why wouldn't they want to read what you might have to say, too? Just a few brief sentences about why they are important to you, and why you chose that particular book out for them, will really make your gift feel special and deliberate.</p><p>It's the thought that counts, and when you're putting this much care and attention into giving someone a present, it will undoubtably be one of the most meaningful things they find under the tree this year. </p><p>(Never mind the fact that you waited until the night before Christmas to wrap it.)</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Are you done shopping for everyone on your list? What's your favorite present you've purchased for someone this year? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-54664706065782553512023-11-14T00:31:00.000-08:002023-11-14T00:31:32.855-08:00Top Ten Tuesday: Mainstream Popular Authors I Still Have Not Read <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxEYwQHR2Ao8DTtL9qp7wTK2I5x-rBlT8_nmFy8hnsN5GcwXswOpslq_FD8czEN9j0XHIm4dPGk2emnGjs9VTYQZzlMfbV4mFesIYIvyiddXNjK_JyAa4v5__l50kGn21ew1_gZNebCm6G9BGe4GnSXxiV4fMZ-R6rdRxLwHOPRi_tB7-cIEPFf92FfM/s940/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxEYwQHR2Ao8DTtL9qp7wTK2I5x-rBlT8_nmFy8hnsN5GcwXswOpslq_FD8czEN9j0XHIm4dPGk2emnGjs9VTYQZzlMfbV4mFesIYIvyiddXNjK_JyAa4v5__l50kGn21ew1_gZNebCm6G9BGe4GnSXxiV4fMZ-R6rdRxLwHOPRi_tB7-cIEPFf92FfM/w640-h536/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly bookish shareable, hosted by <i><a href="https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl!</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>The year always starts out with the best of intentions: I'm going to post a new blogpost four times a month! I'm going to read at least one book a week! I'm going to actively engage with my blog-affiliated social media platforms! </p><p>And then you're staring into your computer screen at midnight on a Monday because you realized earlier that day that you haven't read anything new or posted on your blog in over a month. And that is NOT the way this year is going to go down! I've still got a month and a half to course correct this tilting vessel before it sinks entirely. </p><p>Hence, the last-minute post assembly... someone's going to do the heavy lifting around here, and if it can't be the Spirit of Slow, Deliberate, Intentional Action possessing me, it's going to be the scrambling, beady-eyed Demon of Late-Night, Stream-of-Consciousness Word Vomit that has been a recurring figure in my life since college (They're a regular around these parts in November, anyways). </p><p>Anyways. </p><p>Recently I was putting together a short list of recommendations for a friend, someone who is already a fairly robust reader in their own right, and who required a little bit of extra thinking outside of the box, in order to hit upon something widely enjoyed, that she wouldn't have already read before (I eventually settled on Martha Wells' <i>Murderbot </i>series, Norton Juster's<i> The Phantom Tollbooth</i>, and Erik Larson's<i> Devil in the White City</i>). </p><p>Trying to pick out books that are much-loved, without being already-read, is tough. But then again, there are oodles and oodles of much-loved authors out there, who I've heard of regularly, and haven't had the opportunity or inclination to pick up yet myself. </p><p>There are plenty of buzzy authors that I HAVE read, of course... to varying degrees of success. Sarah J Maas was a college fixation for me, who now feels like she occupies a weird grey area between too juvenile and too adult, too complex and too basic; J. R. R. Tolkien has served as the focus for an excruciatingly inaccessible read for me, ever since I struggled my way through <i>Fellowship</i> in my freshman year of college across the course of an entire month; Sally Rooney's distracting attention to aesthetic choices overshadowed her artistry, in my opinion, which is why I haven't attempted her since; Taylor Jenkins Reid, probably one of the most popular authors currently publishing today, still owns acreage in my brain and bookshelf due to <i>Evelyn Hugo</i> and<i> Daisy Jones</i>, but has lost some of my attentions because of how unmoving I found <i>Malibu Rising</i> to be in comparison. </p><p>So the "Top Ten Tuesday" topic of the day - that of popular, "mainstream" authors whose work has somehow never ended up getting consumed by my brain - felt appropriate to the kinds of thoughts I've been having recently anyways. How convenient that one of the collections posted on Goodreads last week was "Goodreads Members' 76 Most Popular Books of the Past Decade," so I could have an easy-to-scroll place to go over where my personal proclivities had been represented... and more importantly, had not. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTXIHO8zxH3m9nfzDQH8P2lSgVdwIvUWLp85ZE3o-zUo-IkJASblFc0-ChmVZBxfK248_NOMH-dVaQd8VqUabDEo33XNqo_cq-K8I9rytwC9X9DNl8Xl4aHtDzSGX3xKbi6Y41gtDZSXhYVL-IekUxZcXolQJkSlHyZ6GPiWsunFu3VGh_fIrvYBpOFO4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2425" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTXIHO8zxH3m9nfzDQH8P2lSgVdwIvUWLp85ZE3o-zUo-IkJASblFc0-ChmVZBxfK248_NOMH-dVaQd8VqUabDEo33XNqo_cq-K8I9rytwC9X9DNl8Xl4aHtDzSGX3xKbi6Y41gtDZSXhYVL-IekUxZcXolQJkSlHyZ6GPiWsunFu3VGh_fIrvYBpOFO4=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfABJUU4ojp6F6b6iuGed08kbuYc9tloQWK736mee6WWyJqgEU7MGkevpCo3c7v8EoG_eACxlEESCKpDnidEXQRd1zV_FrnW9LwO5oGd_rJSw5niKExTxEqyEaw9t8FP7uEuSwY89lWWxjMQZJyw5lTqAHHIRIm6rn_xO8qnE7akghQ_dqY4awLhLySUU=w133-h200" width="133" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlZVRQbeifxn6ddtLLN0h-Mhag-06RZjpMm0QehCLLt5DYmfQUfOgWs17n0EzD0eGU0UWBkfUEBr_xjZSXIVxaHCANLpkDb3bzqTcMdu4pqbANp56oxM83IDRRjJNAafgECYQPOSZYT2ZZBQ9WzPWrb-aMYNkCFWULCVBoCZgp8gqgPT55l8L0acGzzo0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="293" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlZVRQbeifxn6ddtLLN0h-Mhag-06RZjpMm0QehCLLt5DYmfQUfOgWs17n0EzD0eGU0UWBkfUEBr_xjZSXIVxaHCANLpkDb3bzqTcMdu4pqbANp56oxM83IDRRjJNAafgECYQPOSZYT2ZZBQ9WzPWrb-aMYNkCFWULCVBoCZgp8gqgPT55l8L0acGzzo0=w123-h200" width="123" /></a><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJ7TvP4EhzjBwNOZEDhUqB2MfDtJnpakuV37KOIr7uRmuqEgrSShBIGGUxwz_vp6AWCcA_L16deXoqL6or_FndD3w1QpYKribFMxbacGFL2_YXFae5u8iEb4XdxKQW920jjNO38nv9RdmV9Zx9fzCcVNuOX6lE4A3jgdm4tt6XAbu5-Ua97gnxnCeLVjQ=w131-h200" width="131" /></div><p><br /></p><p><b>1. Rebecca Yarros</b></p><p>Yarros' <i>Fourth Wing</i> has been unilaterally adopted by what feels like the entire Internet, which means I've been aware of "that one horny dragon book" for a while now. And to be honest, I was so close to not even being able to include her on this list, being that I had waited through five months of a library holds line to get my hands on it this past summer... only to totally bail when it conflicted with my rigorous Summer Reading Challenge plans. </p><p>To be honest, I have heard a LOT about this book at this point, and who knows if I'll end up picking it up in the future. But I know what it's like to have a highly-anticipated read come out when you're obsessed with a series, which meant the recent Reels I've seen on Instagram of people getting excited about <i>Iron Flame</i>'s drop were still pretty darn fun to see. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>2. Patrick Rothfuss</b></p><p>If we were able to organize my physical TBR shelves by which books have languished on them the longest, <i>The Name of the Wind </i>would rank among some of the most... patient. Dusty. Long-suffering? I was recommended this title personally, by a friend, back in my college days, but despite the hype, it just hasn't been in the cards yet. One day, though. I think? </p><p><br /></p><p><b>3. Pierce Brown</b></p><p>Even my relatively Sci-Fi-averse younger brother has managed to read through<i> Red Rising</i>, which makes it all the more embarrassing that his Sci-Fi-enthusiastic older sister hasn't. I think it might just be because of the impact the first page has... it's the kind of thing that makes me feel like I'll have to be in a particular mood to read it, and that mood just hasn't actually managed to land quite yet. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>4. R. F. Kuang</b></p><p>Despite the fact that <i>Babel </i>came through the bookish universe like a wrecking ball when it was published; despite the fact that not just one, but several people have recommended it, including the "Staff Sections" bookshelf in practically every bookstore I've entered in the last year or so; despite the fact that it sounds absolutely incredible... I just haven't been able to swing it yet. Again, the curse of being a mood reader! But I don't just have one, but two, of Kuang's books on my shelves... I'll have to get around to <i>The Poppy War </i>eventually, too! </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5ucg3_pbm3BXjzfaJPZcnzUn0zDTN1K7__6TCwlOHDPx8A2-wnwKdZWCfYQCFoN9KUMXcyUSfe2n8oPGmRYND41J1ry5mqS9ytoUazLMjzop1T2h8TOVHs5p8ciZ31dLLp6Dkk9zQMIWMCk_xOX7tiVonfPrCAojUhtew5jPsIuLOJWsLI_mf152J3og" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx4kPaDBubBZsRta4SIfQlg1IZX0PyoxjD-CUj-9GPdkvuyW3JFLjTEjCpyboQSj_P2y2Q10MNfAuMFUcV691yxo_4MWpv_JxGM0dUFpNbIrA3s4JOQxFGvGOfXhb29HftCT32HbrmMfVmNLwqwLA5QPz00E3CpG86u5nGZI5VgHx7ih3Dxt76VqkMeGY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx4kPaDBubBZsRta4SIfQlg1IZX0PyoxjD-CUj-9GPdkvuyW3JFLjTEjCpyboQSj_P2y2Q10MNfAuMFUcV691yxo_4MWpv_JxGM0dUFpNbIrA3s4JOQxFGvGOfXhb29HftCT32HbrmMfVmNLwqwLA5QPz00E3CpG86u5nGZI5VgHx7ih3Dxt76VqkMeGY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5ucg3_pbm3BXjzfaJPZcnzUn0zDTN1K7__6TCwlOHDPx8A2-wnwKdZWCfYQCFoN9KUMXcyUSfe2n8oPGmRYND41J1ry5mqS9ytoUazLMjzop1T2h8TOVHs5p8ciZ31dLLp6Dkk9zQMIWMCk_xOX7tiVonfPrCAojUhtew5jPsIuLOJWsLI_mf152J3og=w133-h200" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVrPrVC5exFLFNccUEl1cVaUSdP-5VYXnL5oH1jXBocmPPA_7JPwJmdMptkW7FYx-igtitXFMP2-J-PgfxC2ppycfvrAklQK1Hprn07rF18ldDWuOtHvl4MASgWblXxZGjafzg4ilP0jFCaPsAhnTBQlfklz-jK46RDE0b1TP5QAXidJU8P-oWkJEYVFE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="462" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVrPrVC5exFLFNccUEl1cVaUSdP-5VYXnL5oH1jXBocmPPA_7JPwJmdMptkW7FYx-igtitXFMP2-J-PgfxC2ppycfvrAklQK1Hprn07rF18ldDWuOtHvl4MASgWblXxZGjafzg4ilP0jFCaPsAhnTBQlfklz-jK46RDE0b1TP5QAXidJU8P-oWkJEYVFE=w132-h200" width="132" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7iZ3IeFymntVYx8E1hg15LWZL04g-U-oE36RIe51JZzhsK6o0VCjIXJXRSf5QhLkR3huxY2nSvhTygy2CeNBgxNg869bA8LL2ESb0rD_BkyWkOTGdUmsNuFPNoZWGg3yq4DPy6bEmXAP46bJCpJicInfygIzH18ui4SMBjIWGApctnrCtAlLpCKPwsHg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1236" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7iZ3IeFymntVYx8E1hg15LWZL04g-U-oE36RIe51JZzhsK6o0VCjIXJXRSf5QhLkR3huxY2nSvhTygy2CeNBgxNg869bA8LL2ESb0rD_BkyWkOTGdUmsNuFPNoZWGg3yq4DPy6bEmXAP46bJCpJicInfygIzH18ui4SMBjIWGApctnrCtAlLpCKPwsHg=w129-h200" width="129" /></a><img alt="" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx4kPaDBubBZsRta4SIfQlg1IZX0PyoxjD-CUj-9GPdkvuyW3JFLjTEjCpyboQSj_P2y2Q10MNfAuMFUcV691yxo_4MWpv_JxGM0dUFpNbIrA3s4JOQxFGvGOfXhb29HftCT32HbrmMfVmNLwqwLA5QPz00E3CpG86u5nGZI5VgHx7ih3Dxt76VqkMeGY=w132-h200" width="132" /></div></div><br /></div></div><br /><p></p><p><b>5. Brandon Sanderson</b></p><p>Listen, whatever mean names you want to call me about this one, I can guarantee you my younger brother has already done so much worse in his head. It is probably one of the most irritating sources of regular heartache that he experiences, that I have never picked up a Branderson book... especially because quite a lot of his other friends haven't read them, either, and he just really, really needs a buddy to talk about them with. And unless I suddenly get struck with some kind of Superman-esque ability to focus on complex tasks for a consistent, lengthy amount of time, that's not going to happen for me for a while. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>6. Celeste Ng</b></p><p>This is going to sound nuts, but I occasionally have a really hard time working up the interest to read a particular book, when I know a TV series adaptation exists somewhere out there in the universe, too. Even if I have no intention of watching it! I don't know why that is... I don't even particularly like TV. So the problem is that despite the fact that I know several people who really enjoyed <i>Little Fires Everywhere</i>, I don't think I'll be picking that one up any time soon. </p><p>(I feel like there should be an honorary mention for Liane Moriarty in this bullet point, as well.)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>7. Colleen Hoover</b></p><p>I don't know, depending on what kind of circles you run in, this is either an affront of the most dramatic proportions, or you're fully on my side. As opposed to quite a lot of the other entries on this list, whom I at least feel a general sort of sense of getting around to reading eventually, I am completely uninterested in reading Hoover. Part of that is due to an issue of genre - I can't stand Thrillers, so they are generally not found on my shelves - but also due to a general sense of writing style and audience; simply put, I don't particularly think these are books that are written for me, and that's totally okay. </p><p> </p><p><b>8. Kristin Hannah</b></p><p>I'm a fan of Historical Fiction - as a kind of holdover from my <i>Dear America</i>-loving days back in middle school, I guess - so Kristin Hannah has been on my radar for quite a while now. But there also seems to be a pretty regular sense of discussion, even by those who love to read her books, as to which ones hit at their hardest, or not, and that her canon of work - though plentiful - might be fairly uneven. While I know that she's a popularly-selling author, her books also rank among the ones I see the most regularly on the bookshelves of some of my favorite thrift stores. That's how I picked up my copy of <i>The Four Winds</i>, which I have, but haven't read yet. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqQFxywf_4L2rCi41Yd7DFMBpXitgr6cBxbmaJ3tE9zJObHfPnQqtuEbvCgsLjcoTGcmEyzFCoQvMBu3yeKQ5VpHys_4rRc1iKBdoHE97H2bL2kXn06EJZeyM9eSDJtlJ-d0xVZdVFFqHJo_Tc6UBxzKSAOx_bH-PjGIFKwh5uFYFIyqzymsL7CLGzVgI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1726" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqQFxywf_4L2rCi41Yd7DFMBpXitgr6cBxbmaJ3tE9zJObHfPnQqtuEbvCgsLjcoTGcmEyzFCoQvMBu3yeKQ5VpHys_4rRc1iKBdoHE97H2bL2kXn06EJZeyM9eSDJtlJ-d0xVZdVFFqHJo_Tc6UBxzKSAOx_bH-PjGIFKwh5uFYFIyqzymsL7CLGzVgI=w135-h200" width="135" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje6At6_xTZqJhmukhfNRa-s2syEQY6eSy3b9oQGSugFZSpO1dpz6Kk4ORhMsj9AJBPB2Rc8yE5Aeq36gUrvAGl15CvdKppLabb_ZK3mIXiIlpTy1sHhxQAifva9e4p8IjVmSSuZ7UKO7XejLCG0C5mWpkNcMsuUH5BLUhexi_KPkvPg-vnR3kmkbJdUrE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1446" data-original-width="965" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje6At6_xTZqJhmukhfNRa-s2syEQY6eSy3b9oQGSugFZSpO1dpz6Kk4ORhMsj9AJBPB2Rc8yE5Aeq36gUrvAGl15CvdKppLabb_ZK3mIXiIlpTy1sHhxQAifva9e4p8IjVmSSuZ7UKO7XejLCG0C5mWpkNcMsuUH5BLUhexi_KPkvPg-vnR3kmkbJdUrE=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><b>9. Emily St. John Mandel</b></p><p>I know so many people who love <i>Station Eleven</i>. Like, "got tattoos of references to it immediately when they could get back into tattoo parlors during Covid" kinds of ways of loving something. And I am happy for them, I really am, but as it stands right now, I'm not really capable of seeing any kind of future for myself in reading a book where the catalyst of the current structure of society was a big ol' pandemic. And yes, I know she's written more than just this one, but that book is the one that everyone loves the most! </p><p><br /></p><p><b>10. Katee Robert</b></p><p>Speaking of loving, I'm obviously a fan of a well-written Romance novel (and to be frank, quite a lot of the ones who aren't well written. Have you seen the rest of this blog?). And I have the utmost admiration for writers who know their audience, and know their market, and utilize all this knowledge to build a career, and I know that Robert possesses that knowledge in spades. But some of her books feel a little too much like gimmicks for me to buy into fully... and after the frustrations I had after reading<i> Lore: Olympus </i>earlier this year, I think it's going to be a long, long, long time before I bother picking up a Hades and Persephone retelling again. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>What's in YOUR Top Ten? Let me know, in the comments below!</i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-60904945461471426862023-09-18T22:38:00.001-07:002023-09-18T22:38:11.234-07:00Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books on My Fall TBR <div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJ_5_8YaT59eszP2tXnwVjubA6PUf74bTFFau5UAfnub4v84FJdQi9tfsahkv5eHyB4naJqJj9FhQyH7r1B6OPN-8fWehl3AHe2L4d33XuVT_XtTknraAIVDPZoMRRm_TlCUNFhAtpoT8Pv1BrkuAXhoQCwTP3hSidFdcnBAtd-UXBYpPOcqUBf9-QEU/s940/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJ_5_8YaT59eszP2tXnwVjubA6PUf74bTFFau5UAfnub4v84FJdQi9tfsahkv5eHyB4naJqJj9FhQyH7r1B6OPN-8fWehl3AHe2L4d33XuVT_XtTknraAIVDPZoMRRm_TlCUNFhAtpoT8Pv1BrkuAXhoQCwTP3hSidFdcnBAtd-UXBYpPOcqUBf9-QEU/w640-h536/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly bookish shareable, hosted by <a href="https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl</a>!</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><p><br /></p><p>Let's get two things straight, right off the top: <b>I am three days deep into the flu, and I am a proud mood reader, who is absolutely terrible at following a TBR plan. </b></p><p>If there's anything I can guarantee you right now, it's that 1. There is only a negligible chance that I will recall even a single selection that makes it onto this list by the time I emerge from my Robitussin haze come morning, and 2. There was only a snowball's chance in Florida that I will actually manage to follow this plan to begin with. </p><p>That being said...<b> isn't planning out a TBR kind of fun? </b></p><p>It's the same reason I make huge To-Do Lists for the Fall season, or big ol' themed posters that hang up in our kitchen during Advent. Because sometimes, it's nice to daydream about all of the cute seasonal things you want to do, while you're trapped in the rushing torrent of a schedule that cares naught for your whims. By the time you actually manage to drag your flannel-bedecked compatriots to the pumpkin patch for an apple cider doughnut, or drop off that meticulously-wrapped package to the family Secret Santa gift exchange, you'll be glad you did it, of course... so much so that you're more than willing to overlook the eight or nine checkmarks on your list that didn't get completed in time. <br /></p><p>So to be honest,<b> if I manage to finish even one title off of this list, I'll be pleased.</b> Because it will mean I indulged in a read that makes best use of the advantages of the Fall season... and because it means I will not have died from the flu. </p><p>(I'm not dying, I'm just very peeved. It's my personal guardian angel's way of striking me down after complaining so hard about the marathon traveling I was compelled to do for the past month or so. "Oh, multiple air plane flights, ferry trips, and numerous hours in a car have you feeling worn out? Then it's time to sleep, idiot."</p><p>Trust me, from the bottom of my soul, I'd rather be reading.) </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Fall Vibes</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #990000;">because some reads just conjure up those "I'm wearing a sweater, there's apple cider in the Crockpot, it smells like rain outside and it's getting dark at 5pm now" vibes</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTrTN1MbXy0qU88_5xM8Ixcsjduo3mXyKbWAYcr_DqWQhYAv15IR9W8MdIp_7uXQ4w4_8tyFUDenPe8K-AltqmhIG0CZeJZiaDCntIsMW9_hHaXZYXnbLKZSo94R1_-mNwYwkind0ovGCBjrdzFWVOcFTtWLqumbF8H00xejJ75IyGzIGETa9cg4HIO_g" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="305" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTrTN1MbXy0qU88_5xM8Ixcsjduo3mXyKbWAYcr_DqWQhYAv15IR9W8MdIp_7uXQ4w4_8tyFUDenPe8K-AltqmhIG0CZeJZiaDCntIsMW9_hHaXZYXnbLKZSo94R1_-mNwYwkind0ovGCBjrdzFWVOcFTtWLqumbF8H00xejJ75IyGzIGETa9cg4HIO_g=w128-h200" width="128" /></a></div><b>1.<i> Northanger Abbey</i>, Jane Austen</b><p></p><p>Listen, my college-aged younger brother inhales books like he's Kirby, which means he travels through his library holds at a blistering pace I simply cannot match... but because he tends towards reads by people like Brandon Sanderson, I don't take it too personally. </p><p>Until, of course, he started coming for my English Major cred, and now I have to put up some stalwart defense to retain my title of Nerd Supreme of the family, by trying to read or reread at least one work of Classic fiction a quarter. Because otherwise it's hand to hand combat, and the kid is built like a truck. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXyDXDqDwr29kU8z_P3OGmBPTLpnpfUy-ALf-iWtWYQ1j2rSS8G51JQ-uiZGrwQhCtCCw5jDFI1mB-uJcN-a697LVoXhJGcl2O6EORH20hJ1KY2kJMas38QFaJyaiaiIqZZoxgSCh07miZFZ4Qlg-5ZEDkhAo8YrI00icclet0Ybgp7jrI_mRX1QH2xfA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2534" data-original-width="1632" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXyDXDqDwr29kU8z_P3OGmBPTLpnpfUy-ALf-iWtWYQ1j2rSS8G51JQ-uiZGrwQhCtCCw5jDFI1mB-uJcN-a697LVoXhJGcl2O6EORH20hJ1KY2kJMas38QFaJyaiaiIqZZoxgSCh07miZFZ4Qlg-5ZEDkhAo8YrI00icclet0Ybgp7jrI_mRX1QH2xfA=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b>2. <i>The Shadow of the Wind</i>, Carlos Ruiz Zafon</b></p><p>To be honest, I haven't read this book since my Freshman Year of college, and being that that was now eleven years ago (*insert gagging noise here*), I feel confident enough to say I remember almost nothing of the specifics, just that I really like it, and found it to be very atmospheric. </p><p>However, I still possess its sequel, and I wouldn't be happy removing one from my shelves without at least consulting the other first. Besides, how many times do you think to yourself, "Man, I wish I could read this book for the first time again." Now, I pretty much can! </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUfW_PLMa36t4xRVva1sv2jJS-hg77DtC4QuKQOXDkcTEjqsFZTudsKZwDU7sZEESRSWPkVD-M83QkNs44gg0eInwPFozG3Ohq-XTczB0yrW6a_n4rSlnnSFn8BGSsszxPoyIfNWJSke3g-Mblik9tp_jVizMOcpybbMgggwtkcP-t38xcFis_dVi4iEQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUfW_PLMa36t4xRVva1sv2jJS-hg77DtC4QuKQOXDkcTEjqsFZTudsKZwDU7sZEESRSWPkVD-M83QkNs44gg0eInwPFozG3Ohq-XTczB0yrW6a_n4rSlnnSFn8BGSsszxPoyIfNWJSke3g-Mblik9tp_jVizMOcpybbMgggwtkcP-t38xcFis_dVi4iEQ=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b>3<i>. The Immortalists</i>, Chloe Benjamin</b><p></p><p>Sometimes, we've just got to call a spade a spade: this book has leaves on the cover, and they're the same colors your kindergarten teacher would choose for Fall leaves, and sometimes, we just don't have to think that hard about things, okay? </p><p>Besides, I feel like the vibe of "mysterious fortune teller informs a group of siblings of the ways they all eventually die" feels kind of October-y. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Spooky Season</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;">because my family goes all out for Halloween in the decor department, and heaven help me if I leave something out of theme on the coffee table</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFsvjGo8cX4XCimYCpWuvW1Z4s_bI-RzCSOzBX4JHQh8rtyy7zTaJrJBxOpsTxaJJJIob19U7DtiEJcPFdYunTOwlnekht6wsQbot4S2IuwJGOmq1i5PK1BH-UYtrJJVlTR4ThMAGBxWz7lIp48ADC3shjCoX4AhmOIvZDk8ZIFdbmkWGR5oyyrjo9PYA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFsvjGo8cX4XCimYCpWuvW1Z4s_bI-RzCSOzBX4JHQh8rtyy7zTaJrJBxOpsTxaJJJIob19U7DtiEJcPFdYunTOwlnekht6wsQbot4S2IuwJGOmq1i5PK1BH-UYtrJJVlTR4ThMAGBxWz7lIp48ADC3shjCoX4AhmOIvZDk8ZIFdbmkWGR5oyyrjo9PYA=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b>4. <i>A Dowry of Blood,</i> S. T. Gibson</b><p></p><p>This particular read gained some rave reviews on that bedeviled clock app last year, and the resulting hype spilled over to Instagram, including the posts of some people I really like and trust. So I took a gamble and picked up a copy for myself at the Barnes and Noble Hardcover Sale in late December last year, and it's been sitting on my shelves ever since, waiting for October reading. </p><p>Because, vampires! Blood! Fangtastic fun! </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZpGE91dKxcrfTRli-vcUA9TiuGOWnoRp3DYtPPvjLkmrgQaMWHrbpbL0JhzTQF1lTOD0KE1KV7BWv3GBO77uKTFnI5pXsdwWCvAYizpHEaaElPyNW9eOvq3LWVc070TI6HTFwNj50I8LEgKhmZC9Sx3bb-if70_MBgx9wq2XpvVVJqU5IS7o50CVqj6M" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1695" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZpGE91dKxcrfTRli-vcUA9TiuGOWnoRp3DYtPPvjLkmrgQaMWHrbpbL0JhzTQF1lTOD0KE1KV7BWv3GBO77uKTFnI5pXsdwWCvAYizpHEaaElPyNW9eOvq3LWVc070TI6HTFwNj50I8LEgKhmZC9Sx3bb-if70_MBgx9wq2XpvVVJqU5IS7o50CVqj6M=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><b>5. <i>How to Sell a Haunted House</i>, Grady Hendrix</b><p></p><p>So my family is obsessed with this kind of <a href="https://www.syfy.com/surrealestate" target="_blank">sleeper Syfy show <i>Surreal Estate</i>, which was somehow miraculously brought back from the dead (cancelled) to gain a second season</a>, which will be premiering in a few weeks. It's about a real estate firm that specializes in the sale of haunted houses, and it's one of the best scripted shows on TV I've seen in recent memory. I have been informed that this book is literally nothing like the completely unrelated show, but the similarities are too fun not to mention, and I will do just about anything to make sure this show does not get cancelled again. </p><p>But also, various members of my family are very into Grady Hendrix, and even though I'm not exactly a Thriller fan, I've been informed that this one is fun enough that I'm willing to take one for the team. I think it only took me two or three days to finish<i> Final Girls Support Group</i>, so at least it should be quick. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi35bc3O2a1svh-F-1_a6rgGiSESs596rRYfouAfG1Bhy7tcVCtnAxbFrHR20e-svzasDAk9hbAx-9S9P0dwkYO9IrsjrC1p7lfKaeMdsagu3mhfq6ncrczimodWb16t0rJeNKvA-hfEXuHYXRIQ8fgp4mHCN-G5VsEe2liPCY9kgl2Jry9bJIy91Zgij4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi35bc3O2a1svh-F-1_a6rgGiSESs596rRYfouAfG1Bhy7tcVCtnAxbFrHR20e-svzasDAk9hbAx-9S9P0dwkYO9IrsjrC1p7lfKaeMdsagu3mhfq6ncrczimodWb16t0rJeNKvA-hfEXuHYXRIQ8fgp4mHCN-G5VsEe2liPCY9kgl2Jry9bJIy91Zgij4=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b>6. <i>Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners #3</i>), Libba Bray</b><p></p><p>I am a Libba Bray fan - one of the many bookshelf holdovers from my adolescence - and I was actually on track with reading <i>The Diviners </i>series as they came out... until the third one. And then it just kind of sat on my shelf for a little bit. And then aforementioned brother asked if I had anything to read, and I recommended these, and he, again, blew through them like a wolf and a house made of dandelion fuzz, and finished the whole series without me while I wasn't paying attention. </p><p>And yes, it's been three years since that last one in the series was published. I'm still trying to knock out that third. But being that these books really ARE that spooky, I'm going to need all the lights in the house on when I do it. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Just for Me, Just Because</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;">sometimes, you've got to just do some things not because they're aesthetic, or because they're on-theme, but because your brother will yell at you if you don't</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieS8-K4ZxH9YqXJkEp0wL5CJn3dnIVKjbPXo7SdOR3Y39YyhlgrYa4hfmVj2o8VfSHLf95uu2foqHDp1K25Ohe0hOmAQWR96-THr9jF8ej-LD7qzg7GV9nRmXeAiBVi9ewLjl2G4jn0bKLzH8nzxjXCxGgs4iUlqTHCJTUIIklym7lBIFQJGs9PvwW--c" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="274" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieS8-K4ZxH9YqXJkEp0wL5CJn3dnIVKjbPXo7SdOR3Y39YyhlgrYa4hfmVj2o8VfSHLf95uu2foqHDp1K25Ohe0hOmAQWR96-THr9jF8ej-LD7qzg7GV9nRmXeAiBVi9ewLjl2G4jn0bKLzH8nzxjXCxGgs4iUlqTHCJTUIIklym7lBIFQJGs9PvwW--c=w115-h200" width="115" /></a></div><b>7. <i>The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (Alanna #3)</i>, Tamora Pierce</b><p></p><p>Okay, sorry to bring up my brother again - actually, you know, by this time, you should be used to it - but when the then-teenaged kid came to me when Covid locked down the libraries and asked if I had anything new for him to read, I handed him my stacks of Tamora Pierce with a nonchalant "Meh, I don't know if these are really your speed." Smash cut to him outpacing me in pretty much every kind of trivia, having read each of the Tortall series multiple times. </p><p>You can imagine how much it smarted when he then turned to me, and asked if I really hadn't read any of the Alanna books before. (To be fair, my Tortallan introduction was completed somewhat laughably out of order). So I'm trying to get through the Alanna books - in a boxed set<i> he bought me </i>- by the end of the year, so I can finally stop feeling the eyes of my little brother boring into the back of my head. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK_b_n7W70A83CgLVmu6Wm8D11us7nmB6O1m21AyqS1nF9HTewPT-Cg91TxKaQmzXoYf9vmqf2kuH7XFnZeOgwvyytq9ZkQgPFKLu_R6anzdwV4bX6M6W19CHAmVATP87AL3X5Nx7qG9axzM5fJEij2kBKMf_YDs7Xp_hbFKW6K4caQyRaoBTjGlfelcs" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjK_b_n7W70A83CgLVmu6Wm8D11us7nmB6O1m21AyqS1nF9HTewPT-Cg91TxKaQmzXoYf9vmqf2kuH7XFnZeOgwvyytq9ZkQgPFKLu_R6anzdwV4bX6M6W19CHAmVATP87AL3X5Nx7qG9axzM5fJEij2kBKMf_YDs7Xp_hbFKW6K4caQyRaoBTjGlfelcs=w125-h200" width="125" /></a></div><b>8. <i>Fugitive Telemetry (Murderbot #6</i>), Martha Wells</b><p></p><p>Your honor, I would like the record to show that <i>I read them first.</i> Me! Not my brother, not my Dad. I was the one who brought Murderbot into this family, but it's not my fault my family members have the laser focus of machinery themselves. Some of us like to read from multiple genres and not simply blast our way through an entire series, mind you. </p><p>So yes, it's taken me some time, but I'm very much still on track. And at least this one is another novella; that novel of #5 was good, but Science Fiction can really burn you out in large quantities. So <i>I'm taking my time.</i> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi06KjmnU760RG71-EK5kKJ0av0oG2vbZECY-0YOdaJiuLKZGn69-3xjwUeifenll7yRgZ305WGHmj8FumEXIZPZPCxth7sjrvZUoKIWQbVqsvipNNfmayFanxeXx2u8RALarnIVisdFLIn1YJx4xW3I11WQPVuCCtpbTqLJFfZGvHN96rAolQPxmoeFvQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="289" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi06KjmnU760RG71-EK5kKJ0av0oG2vbZECY-0YOdaJiuLKZGn69-3xjwUeifenll7yRgZ305WGHmj8FumEXIZPZPCxth7sjrvZUoKIWQbVqsvipNNfmayFanxeXx2u8RALarnIVisdFLIn1YJx4xW3I11WQPVuCCtpbTqLJFfZGvHN96rAolQPxmoeFvQ=w122-h200" width="122" /></a></div><b>9. <i>The Art of Eating In</i>, Cathy Erway</b><p></p><p>Okay, so this is really a kind of placeholder for any number of Food Writing selections I might whimsically whisk off of my shelves come November. </p><p>Preparation for Thanksgiving in this household starts in early October, and is treated like a one-day event in the same way that the Olympics are just like Field Day at the local elementary school. I like leafing though a Cookbook or an engrossing Culinary Memoir when all of the couches are haphazardly Jenga-stacked next to the TV, to make way for the three long serving tables we use in the Family Room. And of course, I need something cool to fill in the commercial gaps when we're watching the Parade. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKvYNEIso3PQ15FooXasoYdT-IIAbdTzYka4gl00hhw9RsQEw7OWCtC5r664wZzxM1PgryCJ1lUPi--5WtpDmKlJX-yb-k0hX-J3C90Ua9bgas2dIYYXicR-ojS69V1GP2iOuYE7_8Af_fZ0Xg7ePufV8wdzYLTgRNF8w_dG7FppXzv0ZdFA9BMWjgzYc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKvYNEIso3PQ15FooXasoYdT-IIAbdTzYka4gl00hhw9RsQEw7OWCtC5r664wZzxM1PgryCJ1lUPi--5WtpDmKlJX-yb-k0hX-J3C90Ua9bgas2dIYYXicR-ojS69V1GP2iOuYE7_8Af_fZ0Xg7ePufV8wdzYLTgRNF8w_dG7FppXzv0ZdFA9BMWjgzYc=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b>10. <i>Rule of Wolves (King of Scars #2)</i>, Leigh Bardugo</b><p></p><p>So, Netflix's <i>Shadow and Bone </i>Season Two came out in mid-March, right? And I pretty much immediately read a spoiler that said you really should have read all the way through <i>Rule of Wolves </i>before attempting the new season. But my schedule was full-out blockaded until the first week of May was over, and I only had a few weeks to read before Summer Reading Book Bingoes started up on June 1st, and my attentions were required elsewhere through the end of August....</p><p>Now we're finally into September, and during a chance conversation with my brother (I know, I know) he revealed that he hasn't watched any part of Season Two, either... because he's been waiting for me. </p><p>Buddy, I promise, we're making it through Season Two before December. </p><p>Just... give me a little time, okay? I might still be in bed, recovering from this damn flu. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>What's in YOUR Top Ten?<b> Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-59992659893153700992023-09-15T17:05:00.002-07:002023-09-15T17:05:17.802-07:00I Read Five Romance Novels in Five Days (And I Still Didn't Get a Bingo) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZR3oHXSf2B3IXZXF3qs4bD7vsoK7V_Gp3CvLGI21ru-irFEZg6NPzig1yKxkhh7genehwQ7S0PT3PocvRIh7e5-_AJpJsT7nnYFdh1I_K07TksvXraT6XKw5P2ii3_9KoG56oJ04xZn1XQnkFXe0nRGdqcq1APl6Vs1kUUu8bHcFfljqRRgYPSCuKIQ/s940/I%20READ%20FIVE%20ROMANCE%20NOVELS%20IN%20ONE%20WEEK.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZR3oHXSf2B3IXZXF3qs4bD7vsoK7V_Gp3CvLGI21ru-irFEZg6NPzig1yKxkhh7genehwQ7S0PT3PocvRIh7e5-_AJpJsT7nnYFdh1I_K07TksvXraT6XKw5P2ii3_9KoG56oJ04xZn1XQnkFXe0nRGdqcq1APl6Vs1kUUu8bHcFfljqRRgYPSCuKIQ/w640-h536/I%20READ%20FIVE%20ROMANCE%20NOVELS%20IN%20ONE%20WEEK.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>It may be September now, but around this time last month, <b>I was in the process of slowly losing my mind. </b></p><p>A week-and-a-half on vacation was yielding its way towards one last run at freedom, before prep for<b> a double-header of flights down to LA and ferry rides to Roche Harbor, two weekends in a row.</b> Temperatures were dropping, thoughts of Summer were plummeting sharply without any sort of mercy, and I was facing an abrupt, vicious ending to those lazy sunshine days, by somehow being forced onto a slalom course of social engagements, family expectations, and packed luggage, without poles. </p><p>Now I'm still here, slowly losing my mind, on the other side;<b> my personal distress has resolved itself into a defeated state of exhaustion.</b> My sleep schedule, digestive system, and extroversion threshold are completely wrecked, and for every meeting that gets added to my calendar, another month is taken off of my life. The only trips I plan on taking for the foreseeable future are to Costco; the only pictures I want to post to Instagram are of my cat. </p><p>And yet, we must press on. </p><p>While I was busy covering my ears, with Summer's swan song blaring through the open windows, I decided that I really should hurry up with <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/06/seven-steps-to-prepare-for-summer.html" target="_blank">the whole Reading Challenge thing.</a> <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/09/summer-reading-challenge-pt-3-what-i.html" target="_blank">Unwilling to sacrifice so much of my season without even a bingo to show for it,</a> I decided to spend a week powering through, with the project goal of finishing at least three before I left for vacation. </p><p>I ended up reading<b> six books total across the course of one week, and five Romances specifically, over five days. </b></p><p>So while I'm still sucking down water to recuperate from the dehydration caused by persistent, unregulated stress, I figured I might as well send off some reviews. If I end up dying from prolonged social exposure - by being forced to leave my house, and into unforgiving environmental conditions that wore on my psyche - at least you'll have something to remember me by. </p><p><br /></p><p>You can't always talk about a Romance without dishing on a few important plot points, so heads up: <b><i>here thar be spoilers. </i></b></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #e06666;">SPL Bingo Square: "Audiobook or EBook"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #e06666;">Ripped Bodice Romance Square: "Kissing for Science" </span></b></p><p>(note: I don't really think this matches this square, based on the narrative; I simply saw someone else who had marked it as this choice and thought, "Well, if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me," and moved on. I mean, there are equations on the cover!)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDr2eHXs1G_G8hRYYEWgi-5kNpV0-kN-YBt9kl3nAw99SjLk2PINIao9tsvXo0H5HdgkUM6epBA6RFJeUFM9IjO7fL4qfhI6jjCwlM8KoZKDYj7MUBvdSKeC6gAdhveepn1dU2kOGEy3Ce0FGT_noONSRZCoOY8O3W9iTpKN4J9gVR-M186ytubjSuAdc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDr2eHXs1G_G8hRYYEWgi-5kNpV0-kN-YBt9kl3nAw99SjLk2PINIao9tsvXo0H5HdgkUM6epBA6RFJeUFM9IjO7fL4qfhI6jjCwlM8KoZKDYj7MUBvdSKeC6gAdhveepn1dU2kOGEy3Ce0FGT_noONSRZCoOY8O3W9iTpKN4J9gVR-M186ytubjSuAdc=w213-h320" width="213" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #e06666;"><i>The Kiss Quotient,</i> Helen Hoang </span></b><p></p><p><span><i>A math whiz with Asperger's seeks to "cure" her aversions to a sexual relationship, by hiring on a pro to help navigate her through the basics... but gets more experience than she bargained for, when she falls for real. Will this illogical pair find a way to make their love last in the real world, or is the outcome just too improbable? </i></span></p><p>This particular Romance feels like it comes unilaterally recommended across the internet fandom for Romance in general. Its sequel gets high praise, too, for its heart, humor, and #OwnVoices perspective (but from what I understand, the third in the series doesn't so much). Romances with an autistic heroine are unfortunately few and far between; same for an Asian-American couple as main characters. The fact that the novel is also well-written makes for what should be an obvious draw: as romances happen with people belonging to these communities out in the real world, shouldn't they also be lovingly rendered on paper? </p><p>Ironically enough, the reason I didn't quite like this novel was because of how unrealistic it was. Yes, she was autistic... but also came from absurd wealth, is obsessed with performing a high paying skill in a lucrative field, owns a nice house and drives a Tesla, is abundantly remarked upon being beautiful and petite, and occasionally becomes so consumed by work, she just forgets to eat. He, on the other hand, is an escort... but also a gifted tailor and aspiring fashion designer, who drives a motorcycle, is very accomplished in martial arts, and is so good looking, that it is regularly commented on in the context of how other people respond to his beauty. It was like all of those other desirable factors were there to somehow, for some reason, make up for the fact of her being autistic, or him being a sex worker. You don't have to be dripping with wealth or carved from marble to be worthy of respect and love. </p><p>I also really didn't love the very patriarchal bullshit present in his eventual courtship of her, at the end. Stalking, sending lavish gifts in a public space, continuing to show up to her place of work, getting jealous about the other men in her life... very deeply strange, especially when stood up against an undesirable rival who <i>also</i> refused to take no for an answer. </p><p>I can totally get why people liked it... it just wasn't for me. </p><p><i>Two and a half stars.</i> </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;">SPL Bingo Square: "Recommended by an Independent Bookstore"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Ripped Bodice Bingo Square: "Vigilante S#!t"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;"><i>The Duchess Deal,</i> Tessa Dare</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyUdAgpjS8ik5aNeyU8gMu44-9X6oTAEjrcsW0uwDy6UGZgQcNQARmPMG8eCgzc0SIZCsf7RgDB7K3EgIk33qtir3_1kXb0QNM-lCM7hd4mxftMLO10Azrku3JFmSWUHr8mk8NSo4y7X3UXlNoFEB15ym2PsEVzF7bO0AnL6X4gZ7iRRc2d1wDHgcwW-4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1265" data-original-width="740" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyUdAgpjS8ik5aNeyU8gMu44-9X6oTAEjrcsW0uwDy6UGZgQcNQARmPMG8eCgzc0SIZCsf7RgDB7K3EgIk33qtir3_1kXb0QNM-lCM7hd4mxftMLO10Azrku3JFmSWUHr8mk8NSo4y7X3UXlNoFEB15ym2PsEVzF7bO0AnL6X4gZ7iRRc2d1wDHgcwW-4=w187-h320" width="187" /></a></div><p><i>A seamstress trying to collect on payment for a wedding dress, sewn for a bride who never made it to the altar, is propositioned by a disfigured duke: quietly marry him, and bear a male heir, and she will be taken care of for the rest of her life. However, it becomes clear that there is more going on with the Duke of Ashbury than his gruff and straightforward demeanor would suggest... and that Emma is unlikely to follow his orders without testing his limits, too. </i></p>I am a huge fan of Tessa Dare, and have read numerous other titles of hers, to varying degrees of success. She will forever be one of the first ever authors in the Romance category I really became a fan of, when I first started reading them back in 2018, and so carries that estimation whenever I encounter her newer material. I really enjoyed Books #2 and #3 of this series, but have been saving #1 for a rainy day, being that it is generally the favorite amongst them as determined by fans. <p></p><p>Well, maybe not a rainy day... but what about a sunny, late-August one? After all, The Ripped Bodice Book Bingo Card had an "Alliterative Title" square, as well as the one I ended up choosing. Being that the Ripped Bodice itself is an independent bookstore, I felt it was more than appropriate to use on both cards. </p><p>This selection from the series was generally enjoyable, but it was just that something kept me hanging back from falling all the way in love with it. The banter was funny and consistent, the side characters were a lot of fun, and it was silly and campy in the way that Dare writes very well. </p><p>Maybe that was the problem? It felt too much like Dare's other works, and her other foibles I've encountered in my extensive readings of her work already. The dynamics and general conceit were over-the-top unbelievable, the sex scenes felt repetitive and weirdly male-gaze-y, the repeated misunderstandings between characters required just a little too much mental contortion to make fit. By the time it got to the reveal of a "real" wedding ring at the end - a ruby, cut into the shape of a heart, set into a gold band - it all felt almost juvenile.</p><p>Maybe I've finally outgrown one of the first Romance authors I really fell in love with in the first place? </p><p><i>Three and a half stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Ripped Bodice Bingo: "Swimming"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;"><i>Him, </i>Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3ZY9KE2gNbQfMVyZ_uxIGDSZ0uTAXjGyixsa2UlRxqRjCE2T6JiFoDyoVynS3K77R8Dxz2Iuarq1TVoPXGhCt67_0KQ3DhFb0M1bOigfUBEayaJuWCevG9p9DVzjRn6MH0Ssi6CrKSHz-H38Zr_Gg_y3YlhIPTjJIt4yTfPbHT1Dqth_VT79Erb-ZQlY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="893" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3ZY9KE2gNbQfMVyZ_uxIGDSZ0uTAXjGyixsa2UlRxqRjCE2T6JiFoDyoVynS3K77R8Dxz2Iuarq1TVoPXGhCt67_0KQ3DhFb0M1bOigfUBEayaJuWCevG9p9DVzjRn6MH0Ssi6CrKSHz-H38Zr_Gg_y3YlhIPTjJIt4yTfPbHT1Dqth_VT79Erb-ZQlY=w211-h320" width="211" /></a></div><p><i>Four summers ago, Wes made the biggest mistake of his life, by pushing Jamie too far during a friendly bet at hockey camp. The two haven't spoken since. When a chance run-in during a tournament in their senior year of college inspires a reconnection, they find themselves sharing a bunkroom at the same place they trained as teenagers. Maybe they can go back to the way things used to be... or even something better, if one of them can just manage to break the ice.</i> </p>What on earth is it about Gay Hockey Romances Written by Dual Authors that manages to so easily reinvigorate my faith in the Romance genre as a whole? As not a gay man, nor a hockey enthusiast (or even a sports fan, in general), nor someone who generally enjoys co-author situations, I really shouldn't have such strong feelings about these kinds of books... but somehow, both<i> Him </i>and Avon Gale & Piper Vaughn's <i>Goalie Interference</i> have easily become some of my favorite Romance reads ever, let alone from the past year. <p></p><p>Each was an incredibly caring and nuanced portrayal of a relationship forged in a subculture that isn't always welcoming, and has rigid structures around perspectives of masculinity and patriarchal values. They depict two people genuinely learning how to care for each other in a not-always-comfortable environment, with other kinds of people and relationship dynamics to consider, and social expectations about how they can and should behave. They call into discussion issues around greater topics, like class, family values, and more. </p><p>And yeah, they're pretty steamy. Really great heart, but absolutely scorching heat. These are very much still Romance novels, after all. </p><p>What sets <i>Him</i> apart is that it really feels interior and earnest; thanks to a trade-off POV for each of the main characters, you feel very intimately aware of Jamie and Wes' emotions, their past traumas, and how their actions are informed by those experiences. They're two people who genuinely care about each other, but are still figuring out how their lives fit together in an organic way, particularly in how they navigate a relationship with that shared harm behind them. It's a person learning how to let someone in, whose walls might not have been built to endure this kind of heartbreak again, and another figuring out that what he thought was his guaranteed life plan suddenly feels a lot more subject to uncertainty. Both are vulnerable in ways they haven't had to be before, and are not only learning how to cope, but help each other move through it... together. </p><p>And, again. Spicy as hell. </p><p><i>Four stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;">SPL Book Bingo Square: "True Crime or Crime Fiction" </span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Ripped Bodice Bingo: "We Have the Same Job"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;"><i>Wolf at the Door</i>, Charlie Adhara</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtpuxtGMORCX77jyUw_oq3sU_CE-D-roI8KHKIt8swX4uEyLvkjxHnsA2jUm389OnCadopsZ0hwzeGuLiA7sXtLBI-uMHAeFGvTp6gi9005_1szMFMYuP3afJPMTUYcfWc2Apo1p3KIi7lvQQGUiifFtffnPJUC39uVuR47xu5jMddNKAj5aXoW34StKw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtpuxtGMORCX77jyUw_oq3sU_CE-D-roI8KHKIt8swX4uEyLvkjxHnsA2jUm389OnCadopsZ0hwzeGuLiA7sXtLBI-uMHAeFGvTp6gi9005_1szMFMYuP3afJPMTUYcfWc2Apo1p3KIi7lvQQGUiifFtffnPJUC39uVuR47xu5jMddNKAj5aXoW34StKw=w203-h320" width="203" /></a></div><p><i>The bodies keep stacking up at a remote state park, and Cooper Dayton's on the case to track down the killer for the BSI, a department of the FBI specializing in crimes of a... different nature. It's his first chance to prove himself on his own merit, away from his legendary partner; too bad he's been attached to the reserved and mysterious Oliver Park, who has his own paranormal perspectives to offer. Can the two work together to catch a killer? Or will Dayton's past come back to bite him... literally? </i></p>This book was just... the happiest surprise. <p></p><p>Take, for instance, the fact that for over half of its narrative, it reads straight out of a gritty crime procedural, like in a <i>True Detective</i> kind of way. A series of mysterious disappearances have been ravaging a tourist town, two unidentified corpses have been unearthed in a secluded forest, and yet another missing local seems to have heralded yet another death, if something isn't done in time to stop it. Cue the entrance of two polar opposite detectives, called to partner up across different departments, in order to collaborate on putting an end to the killings once and for all. </p><p>The only difference that separates this from any other run-of-the-mill Thriller, is that it's actually, <i>definitely, </i>a Romance. The two detectives - cue the shock and awe - end up stripping down and getting REAL interdepartmental around the 62% mark through the book. </p><p>Well, that, plus the fact that one of them is also a werewolf. </p><p>That's right, this whole dark-and-dangerous tale also takes place in a world where not only are werewolves real, but there's a whole secret subdivision of the FBI dedicated solely to werewolf-related crimes. One of our lovebird detectives is a human, used to simply hauling in the nearest wolf to the crime in handcuffs; now, the nearest wolf is a hunky past-English-professor-turned-werewolf-Trustee-agent who he just can't seem to keep his own paws off of. </p><p>And it's SMART. The entire thing is a well-written-and-carefully-structured metaphor, about conflicts between the greater justice system and persecuted populations, who have been historically forced under the thumb of unfair governmental prejudices. It's for anyone who's had to hide who they were and are. It's like every other person is either gay, or a person of color, or a werewolf, or all of the above. It's GREAT. </p><p>I'm so glad I already own the sequel, because I don't know how I'd get through this Book Buying Ban if I didn't. I'm already planning it for my TBR for October, so I can enjoy it the week of my Birthday. </p><p><i>Five stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;">Ripped Bodice Bingo: "It Was Supposed to Be One Night" </span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #e06666;"><i>The Rake Gets Ravished,</i> Sophie Jordan</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYRPOpnBChaiu0NV4limETHK_lZeRXBiotv003X4mZ67GWQZ2T7FI-PJCSE5fsO6JMkHlj1b9rTethxucBXHenlNS4M9RmZMWAQ6UtIpclEJxA6-YGO4BbcDAIcJYzIEGnnRw_FKuYk6jHQ2oBFIQjKVR4aCTPMsQxMsgs6p6bvI_5pdoQZCZTaOqXpoA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYRPOpnBChaiu0NV4limETHK_lZeRXBiotv003X4mZ67GWQZ2T7FI-PJCSE5fsO6JMkHlj1b9rTethxucBXHenlNS4M9RmZMWAQ6UtIpclEJxA6-YGO4BbcDAIcJYzIEGnnRw_FKuYk6jHQ2oBFIQjKVR4aCTPMsQxMsgs6p6bvI_5pdoQZCZTaOqXpoA=w217-h320" width="217" /></a></div><p><i>After her dissolute, social-climbing, ne'er-do-well brother barters the whole of their family lands on a game of cards - </i>literally<i> betting the farm - during a drunken night out in London, Mercy decides to secure the deed back by breaking into the personal quarters of a gambling hell kingpin. She definitely didn't plan on distracting him with an unexpected night of seduction. And she certainly didn't account for him following her home. He claims he's only interested in protecting what's his, and she has her mind set on doing the same... but maybe what she should be protecting, is her heart. </i></p>Okay. So. Talk about starting with a literal bang, and ending with a metaphorical whimper. <p></p><p>This book got off to such a blistering start that I was giggling and kicking my feet in the air like a teenager at the back-and-forth banter. I read up to the 48% mark in one night, and went to bed completely won over by what was, at the time, blisteringly hot pacing that verged on the Erotica genre. </p><p>Unfortunately, things were not as sexy in the light of day. It seems as though Jordan decided to do nearly the whole plot backwards: by having the main characters experience their hottest scene the second they meet each other, there's no way the tension or stakes are sustainable throughout the rest of the narrative. By the end of the novel, hearts are expected to flutter at the fact that they're kissing in bed, having finally made it to the happily-ever-morning-after for the first time? I don't think so. </p><p>Additionally, by beginning on such a spicy note, it makes the main heroine seem a little flighty and disingenuous by the end of the novel. That goes double for when she catches her younger sister in the same compromising position she's indulged in<i> numerous</i> times throughout the plot already, and totally flips out; her 17-year-old sibling, whom she was responsible for raising, is totally warranted a bit of a teenage meltdown about it. </p><p>Not that she's warranted to much else. Both of the heroine's siblings are utterly infuriating: Grace was undoubtably supposed to come across as a spirited and romance-minded menace of a young woman, but ended up an egregious flirt and an unrepentant brat, while Bede was so intolerable that up to about the 95% mark I genuinely thought that there was no possible way the book could have a happy ending without him dead (He ends up getting shipped off to New Zealand instead). </p><p>Not to mention the hero's own threadbare excuses for pretty much any of his actions, which was also incredibly frustrating. </p><p><i>Three stars. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>But that was last month; now, we're well into September, and I've had the same books staring at me from my coffee table since before I left for LA at the end of August. What on earth will I read next? </p><p>Well, there are some<a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/05/paranormal-romance-reading-update-1.html" target="_blank"> OTHER Romance novels that require my attention...</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Did you read any good Romances this summer?<b> Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p><script async="" src="https://assets.tumblr.com/post.js?_v=38df9a6ca7436e6ca1b851b0543b9f51"></script> Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-88001763385349906892023-09-13T14:06:00.005-07:002023-09-15T10:56:05.879-07:00Summer Reading Challenge Pt. 3: What I Read in August! <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsR81_E6PA9o3F1Pl2mS9sRHJSg1ex24cspIw9iDJpNBOaWPQk0ZGrT2fvqixSiK-4XjDnIjwh62xGS37Wc5vdOw4qqyNlBM4NbDajRaKTaQZrLvkSpo-DRhjpysPi3xQCWBAwJsPEq9N6DWMiMS_zdsAoAG1nDb9Uf7NHCsHPsFPzvHsUeBisGinX6A/s940/WHAT%20I%20READ%20IN%20JULY%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsR81_E6PA9o3F1Pl2mS9sRHJSg1ex24cspIw9iDJpNBOaWPQk0ZGrT2fvqixSiK-4XjDnIjwh62xGS37Wc5vdOw4qqyNlBM4NbDajRaKTaQZrLvkSpo-DRhjpysPi3xQCWBAwJsPEq9N6DWMiMS_zdsAoAG1nDb9Uf7NHCsHPsFPzvHsUeBisGinX6A/w640-h536/WHAT%20I%20READ%20IN%20JULY%20(1).png" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></p><p>Man, <b>this summer has just been... a LOT. </b></p><p>Hence why<b> I haven't been able to muster up the ability to tell you about the end of my Summer Reading Challenges until we're nearly halfway through the month of September.</b> I'm experiencing the brain scramblies, as a result of a pseudo marathon of travel and social engagements, and the only thing more ravaged than my mental health, to-do list and Fall planning, is my digestive system. Things have been full chaos city in my life for the last month or so, and some days it feels like the only tape binding my broken parts together is a combination of iced caramel coffees and the fact that I actually get to sleep in my own bed every night from here to the end of 2023. </p><p>(<i>I washed my bedding AND two week's worth of travel laundry yesterday. It took all day to get done, and when I went to bed last night, between those crisply-folded, freshly-laundered sheets, I truly felt the bone-deep-exhausting reward of self care. I nearly cried.</i>)</p><p><b>But it's time to move on. </b>Fall, in my mind, is already here, even though the calendar insists that it doesn't start until a week and a half from now, for some obviously incorrect reason. The local school district I volunteer with has already begun their academic year; friends have begun asking me what my plans are for Halloween and my 30th Birthday next month. This morning, the <i>Dancing with the Stars</i> cast list for this season was announced, and tonight, I'm headed to the local state fair to see one of my favorite country bands in concert with some of my cousins. </p><p>Autumn has arrived. And yet, until I get this blogpost - and its inevitable successor, which we'll address in a second - published, August keeps hanging over my head like a disgruntled cloud that just wants to rain, already. </p><p>So. <b>Let's talk about August.</b> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/07/summer-reading-challenge-pt-1-what-i.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><i>What I Read in June</i></span></a></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/08/summer-reading-challenge-pt-2-what-i.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><i>What I Read in July</i></span></a></b></p><p>The final month of Summer, stymied by a packed travel schedule but desperate to gain at least ONE Bingo before I resigned myself to September, I ended up reading EIGHT books... however. However! Only three of them were quote-unquote NORMAL books. </p><p><b>With about ten days left in the month, I suffered something akin to a mental breakdown and read five Romance novels across five days</b>, and ended up finding two of the best Romance novels I've read in the last few years. So. That's going to have to be a different kind of blogpost, you know? </p><p>But I still have those three "normal" books that I read. I ended up being able to count two of the Romance novels on my regular Seattle Public Library Book Bingo Summer Reading Challenge, too, and altogether, <b>I not only managed to get one Bingo... I got three!</b> </p><p>While I'm still busy trying to recover from the effort, why not read some of the reviews I wrote for them? </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #674ea7;">Bingo Square: "Debut Essays or Short Stories"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #674ea7;"><i>Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self Delusion,</i> Jia Tolentino</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjepYsllINlxeWcugWIPxF2wBdoO5yDO4FkN5kGfnE8_M1HHQrbEvyfj9qnP7dmfVNVkZggNKbDJHdUizu_ArOkGgL9qvHXZEj2eNU7IJQneC24PLIEvOqJmQGSIDi5tzAgZ0r5uTd4xSbN10ugh52RiSEt1YiNLo_8-TQ8Lx3llHvinieJyMvDP7v2Rbo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjepYsllINlxeWcugWIPxF2wBdoO5yDO4FkN5kGfnE8_M1HHQrbEvyfj9qnP7dmfVNVkZggNKbDJHdUizu_ArOkGgL9qvHXZEj2eNU7IJQneC24PLIEvOqJmQGSIDi5tzAgZ0r5uTd4xSbN10ugh52RiSEt1YiNLo_8-TQ8Lx3llHvinieJyMvDP7v2Rbo=w211-h320" width="211" /></a></div><div><i>A funny, self-deprecating - but nonetheless salient and well-researched - collection of personal essays, covering topics like reality television, coming of age in the Internet, and the wedding industrial complex, with a unique and feminist edge. </i></div><div><br /></div>The first time I attempted this dense, yet conversational, collection of essays, I was suffering from an extended panic attack while flying home alone from LA in October of '21. I had been mislead in the idea that it would make for beneficial vacation reading, but the jaded and often pessimistic discussions of gender and culture were only adding to my distress the higher we flew. I ended up bailing out 30 pages in, and decided to listen to the <i>Beetlejuice</i> musical cast album for the umpteenth time instead. <p></p><p>It was only when I saw the square "Debut Essays" on my Summer Book Bingo card that I figured I would have to give this particular hardcover another chance. Even so, I absolutely dreaded returning to it. </p><p>Then I saw it pop up on one of my social feeds, in an Instagram post shared by a friend, in a list of reads titled "Books to Read After Watching <i>Barbie</i>," and that comparison felt way more apt and appropriate than calling it a beach read. <i>Barbie</i>'s gentle perspectives on constructions of femininity, impacts of the patriarchy, and coming of age in a complicated girlhood, felt salient to the topics discussed in the collection, and approaching it within that mindset made the whole thing feel far easier to digest. Instead of feeling overly dismissive or glib, the author's voice felt more like an extended vent session with a friend, after a particularly spirited Gender and Women's Studies quiz section. </p><p>The fact that one of the final essays in the collection involved an exploration of the author's views on marriage felt particularly notable to me, as I was on vacation with my sibling, her partner (fiancé), and her partner's family, in celebration of the engagement (Yes, I did end up reading it on vacation after all). The conversations that resulted from me sharing quotes from the floor of our shared bedroom lost no degree of authority for all that they also made us laugh. </p><p>It's complicated, being a woman. </p><p><i>Four stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Bingo Square: "Includes a Recipe"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><i>Something Old, Something New, </i>Tamar Adler</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjB9NDdYlNEpL8dWcEisp3GtFEEwielhlaAZE1Y1_eDNpEr1EFHd10rEY5AL8WIbeXMb57lLC0DiYAsTLrtgq4B9Kpp-nQtBmOqsqECj0t5nIGAVadxxf11rwpOGDFO1_yJFNRCnjTVCXwMYgbaYEZUmnR80IXxgH2r7PKSgVwq6BMzMU6UZCH8DRTThmY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2132" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjB9NDdYlNEpL8dWcEisp3GtFEEwielhlaAZE1Y1_eDNpEr1EFHd10rEY5AL8WIbeXMb57lLC0DiYAsTLrtgq4B9Kpp-nQtBmOqsqECj0t5nIGAVadxxf11rwpOGDFO1_yJFNRCnjTVCXwMYgbaYEZUmnR80IXxgH2r7PKSgVwq6BMzMU6UZCH8DRTThmY=w211-h320" width="211" /></a></div><div><i>A joyful exploration and authoritative retrospective on vintage and antique recipes that a well-versed chef believes should find their way back into dinnertime rotation. </i></div><div><br /></div>I've been a part of the growing appreciation for Tamar Adler's impeccable first book - <i>An Everlasting Meal</i> - for several years now, including at a time when securing the elusive ten-year-old hardcovers felt impossible enough to consider "misplacing" the only one I could find (the solo copy on offer from our local library system. I have a paperback copy now, though, so don't worry for my immortal soul). The near cult fanaticism many feel for that installment in her canon of work made me giddy enough to pick up this next title shortly after its paperback release, then preserve it for the occasion where I could fully read it at my leisure, with a bundle of page flags nearby. <br /><p></p><p>The "Includes a Recipe" square on my Summer Book Bingo card certainly helped promote this decision. </p><p><i>SOSN </i>carries the same meditative elegance present in <i>AEM,</i> the same blissful confidence that you, too, can cook like this, punctuated by flashes of Adler's characteristic humor. The topics, however, couldn't be further from each other: whereas <i>Everlasting</i>'s gastronomic perspectives make you feel like you will never waste a scrap of food ever again, <i>SOSN</i> dives into antiquated gustatory novelties with gusto. I have no room to talk - I literally have a monthly cooking newsletter dedicated to exorcising trapped recipes from decades-old cookbooks, myself - but seeing her glom onto recipes for aspic, souffles, and seafood served with a variety of surnames attached, did feel a little detached from her previous theses. </p><p>What seemed unequivocally true, regardless, is that Adler seems to be having an excellent time while doing it. It doesn't quite live up to my levels of appreciation for its predecessor, but then again, very few selections of Food Writing do. I have a favorite within M.F.K. Fisher's ranks, as well, and the comparison feels worthy of merit. </p><p><i>Three and a half stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Bingo Square: "Trans or Nonbinary Author"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><i>I Kissed Shara Wheeler,</i> Casey McQuiston</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG3K8B3rexEZriJ6BwKl9FwG8pAow_seEtwABuwtO2NKBv40vH3muffgyaX77GueE6DOMyb2ajHW14r2YPa6a420WuKVIoqyBhg2h0Jc3xMBqHzh06_Cr6X8-F5DpKcAYDBlEyBZMXIaCphSq3LCURoAi-dEWdYqBP-QV74UAt8Bdcvaohrrw-HDjXQdg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG3K8B3rexEZriJ6BwKl9FwG8pAow_seEtwABuwtO2NKBv40vH3muffgyaX77GueE6DOMyb2ajHW14r2YPa6a420WuKVIoqyBhg2h0Jc3xMBqHzh06_Cr6X8-F5DpKcAYDBlEyBZMXIaCphSq3LCURoAi-dEWdYqBP-QV74UAt8Bdcvaohrrw-HDjXQdg=w207-h320" width="207" /></a></div><div><i>After the popular and intelligent daughter of their private Christian high school's principal goes missing a few weeks before graduation, those she left behind - her boyfriend, the boy next door, and our main character, her closest rival for the valedictorian title - piece together a series of intricate clues she left behind, to figure out why she left... and where she's hiding now. </i></div><div><br /></div>I was an early adopter and fan of McQuiston's debut novel - <i>Red, White and Royal Blue</i>, which was also adapted into a very popular Amazon Prime movie this past summer - and have continued to be a fan of it in the years since... but their other novels haven't really interested me.<i> One Last Stop</i> seemed a tad convoluted, and this, <i>I Kissed Shara Wheeler,</i> trod a little too close to John Green's <i>Paper Towns </i>to capture my interest... something that, funny enough, the characters own up to the context of the story. <p></p><p>However, the continued goading of my younger sister finally got me to commit (as talking about novels we have in common has become one of our favorite phone conversational topics now that she's established in California for good). And, of course, the Book Bingo square for a "Nonbinary Author" made for a compelling argument. And it was a title I already had on my shelves, thanks, of course, to the aforementioned sister who had abandoned it in my keeping.</p><p>To jump to the end, and provide some high-key spoilers, I was fairly disappointed. Because I was already acquainted with McQuiston's authorial voice and subject matter, most of the plot felt fairly predictable: in both an "obviously those two characters are in love with each other" and an "obviously those two other characters are in love with each other" kind of way. Obviously if the main character mentioned her penchant for "megabitch" villains who fall for the hero, then her archnemesis will be revealed to be a secret megabitch who's obsessed with her. Obviously. This all made each "plot twist" revelation the kind of thing that sent me pedaling backwards, thinking to myself, <i>Wait, why is this a reveal? I thought we knew that already.</i> </p><p>Shara, for all that she was seemingly the focus of the entire novel, also felt bizarrely two-dimensional, like one of the Ashleys from <i>Recess</i>, or any other bitchy queen bee of the '90s or early '00s, crossed with the competitive streak of Tracy Flick. The final act conflict - the revelation that the principal had been taking bribes to alter peoples' grades - felt like McQuiston had simply popped on the news to determine how to resolve character conflicts, in ways that actually didn't end up meaningful to the overall narrative. Parts of the resolution felt unreasonable, or unrealistic. </p><p>And yet, there were absolutely parts that made me laugh. I believe it's McQuiston's first YA attempt, which explains why the whole thing feels ripe for another Amazon Prime adaptation. I just might not watch that one. </p><p><i>Two and a half stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p>So, <b>those are my August reviews.</b> Except, of course, the five Romance reviews I read in the space of one week, which I'll talk about some time in the next few days... and the Paranormal Romance I DNF'd. <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/05/paranormal-romance-reading-update-1.html" target="_blank">That Big Box is due for another update soon,</a> I think. </p><p>Hopefully I'll manage to wrap up August sometime before October starts. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>What did you end up reading this summer? Any guesses for what some of those Romances are? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-8610437413859682672023-08-26T12:37:00.004-07:002023-08-26T12:37:53.171-07:00Playing in the Pages Turns Thirteen! Bring on the Tween Angst.<p><b>About a month ago - in fact, almost exactly a month ago - this corner of the Internet turned thirteen years old. </b></p><p>When I was thirteen years old, I was heading into the eighth grade, had a major obsession with the Sci-Fi-for-Teens show <i>Kyle XY</i> on ABC Family, and was relatively confident that this was the year I was finally going to have my first kiss (I did not). Only four years later, when I was seventeen years old, I started this blog. </p><p>Had I given birth to a baby - that stale and boring summer between Junior and Senior years of high school, when I would reliably boot up the shared computer in my parents' room every afternoon, to check the handwritten list of URLs I had curated in the back of a notebook - instead of a blog, I would have a middle schooler on my hands. If the Disney Channel Original Movies of my youth are to be believed,<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200208/" target="_blank"> this would have been the year they found out they were secretly a mermaid. </a></p><p>Thankfully, instead of back-to-school shopping for training bras and awkward conversations around a well-worn copy of American Girl's <i>The Care and Keeping of You</i>, I get to spend my days pursuing such self-directed insanity as sending 40+ slide PowerPoint decks dedicated to sections of Shakespeare's <i>The Tempest</i> to my brother, compulsively reading backlist mass market paperbacks about vampires and aliens and psychics falling in love, developing a dangerously dependent relationship and pseudo-retail-addiction with my local secondhand store bookshelves, and occasionally remembering to actually talk about it all on this blog. </p><p>Again, I celebrated this anniversary a month ago, and this is the first time you're hearing about it. Clearly, if anything has managed to develop in the space between my ears within the last twelve months, feeling some kind of obligation to regularly update my blog on my various daily goings-on is certainly not one of them. </p><p>(In the spirit of transparency: I've been doing a mind-warpingly awful amount of travel, have been dedicating quite a lot of time and attention to my OTHER internet project, and most recently, in the spirit of "seasonal transitions give me depression," decided to read five-and-counting Romance novels off of my Kindle within the space of a week. Just in case you were feeling left out.) </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">So, you might be wondering, how did I spend my bloggoversary this year?</span></h4><p><b>I listened to a bookish podcast while getting ready in the morning</b>, before I realized that I have an extremely limited amount of mental capacity to listen to just about anything while I'm cooking. Certain playlists on my Spotify have the ability to make getting out of bed a minutes-long affair, rather than a nearly hour-long one, but I don't think that I'll ever be able to effectively navigate my morning to the sound of people talking. And then there's the other issue: the difference between a podcast about books, and conversations with friends, is that you can't interrupt the other person when they unleash a blisteringly bad take.</p><p><b>I read for an hour while my zucchini bread was baking in the oven. </b>While there absolutely - at least, in my experience - is a documented and significant correlation between those who enjoy reading and those who enjoy baked goods, no one ever really talks about how great of an excuse having something in the oven is when you just want a little bit of time to yourself. The ten-minute bouts between batches of cookies are especially good for delegating some attention to other kitchen chores - you can unload a dishwasher in ten minutes, spend another ten clearing off countertops, and then another organizing the fridge - and at the end of it, you are rewarded with not only fresh cookies but a clean kitchen, which generates the kind of euphoria in my brain that others might find only accessible through hard drug use. Zucchini bread, on the other hand, requires over an uninterrupted hour of baking, which makes for a great reason to sit on my couch and pick up a novel, while the entire floor of the house begins to smell of delicious things. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WsOQhoMyKOyctaa4z4YSBnzUVMIQI97d6tV3icFbDMpe-uQ7rufzq2Muj-9JGWpbtfrg-RTGPTMVPb5CwzLpi1oRdq6gjJjNO8Uw-n_V1zV5K5_Y1njSIVDG45JLMY1Hzn1d4HqJnybJlS86GT0Lbglcu0krNJe8EhNDmiOyDfqnv5HakpS_n-9jNWM/s4032/IMG_7068.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WsOQhoMyKOyctaa4z4YSBnzUVMIQI97d6tV3icFbDMpe-uQ7rufzq2Muj-9JGWpbtfrg-RTGPTMVPb5CwzLpi1oRdq6gjJjNO8Uw-n_V1zV5K5_Y1njSIVDG45JLMY1Hzn1d4HqJnybJlS86GT0Lbglcu0krNJe8EhNDmiOyDfqnv5HakpS_n-9jNWM/w240-h320/IMG_7068.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>I went to Barnes and Noble. </b>Shocker! I do this every year for my bloggoversary, for the celebratory purpose of picking up some of the books I've specifically saved for that occasion. Thanks to the traditions of years past, my bloggoversary had become one of the only times a year I can justify paying full price for hardcovers, and thanks to choices made during my Fifth Bloggoversary, I typically pick up five titles each year. However, much to my chagrin, arriving at this well-known establishment quickly revealed to me that they had, once again, decided to reorganize all of the shelves and store layout. This, coupled with some pretty dramatically bad shelving mistakes, means I only ended up purchasing three books: </p><p><b><i>Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries: A Novel</i>, Heather Fawcett</b></p><p><b><i>The Way Home: Two Novellas from the World of </i>The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle</b></p><p><b><i>The Best American Food Writing 2022,</i> ed. Sohla El-Wayly</b></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFPAnD8sPkNC7t_-0Jm58mPQjDbTLi4NMFTnViT4t96O9tSdw00mxbjBl0sB__CkrFL-w-kISpZDDMHBCjiOzQHmFhbZiRWDiIBALekH41-Coy1OUUt9M9lTYThQEt8pVkmSXrjUo9LvWQQP7Pr1v_zAVGhwZJweEH5IcV8YccJGn6JLCqf3-o1yZuNc/s3143/IMG_7073.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3143" data-original-width="2836" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFPAnD8sPkNC7t_-0Jm58mPQjDbTLi4NMFTnViT4t96O9tSdw00mxbjBl0sB__CkrFL-w-kISpZDDMHBCjiOzQHmFhbZiRWDiIBALekH41-Coy1OUUt9M9lTYThQEt8pVkmSXrjUo9LvWQQP7Pr1v_zAVGhwZJweEH5IcV8YccJGn6JLCqf3-o1yZuNc/w290-h320/IMG_7073.jpg" width="290" /></a>At only three titles, that still ended up setting me back $80. How on earth are some people only buying books new? I maintain that reading is one of the most cost-effective past times you can pursue as a general hobby - thanks to things like The Library, secondhand and discount retailers, ebook sales, and lending books with friends - but damn, aren't these publishers and bookstores making it difficult? </p><p><b>I bought myself some reading snacks from Trader Joes</b>. I had originally restricted myself to a short list: at the age of 29 years old, I know myself well enough that to roam untethered in a Trader Joes is to suffer a short blackout and emerge from the mental fog back in the car with multiple bags of groceries in the backseat, so I knew that some kind of structure was necessary. I had optimistically thought that tags like "something bubbly," "something spicy," and "something creamy" would direct my focus a little more intentionally, but I ended up scrapping it completely and just picking things up that looked good. Meringues, s'mores bars, strawberry beverages, buffalo almonds, pickle cheese curds, and more... </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2TvrqkjkjuNKOuQ4eiJwjyqq9B8kjnEAo01shYFLmpLxE_W1naEiITC7INPxlQrWrt8-gL27gxs6foyLTnozQ8wBAF54egC11W8ixacwJMBptCIKveQRHm10PyaryLibMG6wlWq7Ye7_UTY8OTbdi5LGyawTI0O1EKKigt_cfJPFaOodhJWM0puUxfg/s4032/IMG_7069.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2TvrqkjkjuNKOuQ4eiJwjyqq9B8kjnEAo01shYFLmpLxE_W1naEiITC7INPxlQrWrt8-gL27gxs6foyLTnozQ8wBAF54egC11W8ixacwJMBptCIKveQRHm10PyaryLibMG6wlWq7Ye7_UTY8OTbdi5LGyawTI0O1EKKigt_cfJPFaOodhJWM0puUxfg/s320/IMG_7069.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>I scooted over to my local library to pick up a hold of mine that had just come in: <i>The Fourth Wing</i>, by Rebecca Yarros.</b> It has undoubtably become one of the buzziest books of the year, thanks to BookTok reviewers, and what seems to be a universal penchant for books about dragons and love triangles. Billed to me as "Horny <i>How to Train Your Dragons</i>," I had originally placed a hold after a handful of confused conversations with my brother about how seemingly everyone on the Internet was talking about this book, then dedicatedly waited over two months for the hold to come in. (Naturally, the other 44 people waiting for their own holds after me ended up weighing far too much on my conscious, and I ended up returning it early.)</p><p><b>I worked on the final slide deck for my Sibling Book Club I have with my brother, </b>where we spent the month of July reading <i>The Tempest </i>together. It was a tremendously rewarding experience, one I'm still debating on dedicating a higher word count to on this blog later, so all I'll say at this point that one of the most beneficial things I think you can do for yourself before 2024 hits in about four months, is picking one of the funniest people you know and deciding to read Shakespeare with them. </p><p>And while that was the extent of my actual Bloggoversary Day celebrations, it didn't end quite yet. Because I had only picked out those three books from Barnes and Noble, I made myself the promise that if I was able to locate any of the other titles on my list while on vacation, I would be allowed to purchase one or two more at an independent bookstore of my choice. Thankfully, while in Sunriver, Oregon, with my family,<b> I was able to track down <i>Lost in the Moment and Found</i> by Seanan McGuire</b>, much to my immense relief. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">And how do I feel about it?</span></h4><p>Maybe it's because I've been doing this all for so long... maybe because I've been checking out a lot of library books this year, during my Book Buying Ban of 2023, so picking things up new doesn't hold a lot of shine for me... maybe it's because we're so busy, that my brain is already more subsumed under a million other focuses... I don't know. </p><p>At certain points, it felt like less of a special occasion, and more of an obligation, which is a bummer of a way to feel about a happy anniversary. </p><p>It doesn't help that I'd been massively trapped in a Summer Slump since the very beginning of July, and had barely gotten through three books in total that month. I'd only managed to publish once on the blog, which meant that it didn't feel like there was a ton to celebrate in that arena, either.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wqAhRE6i6mMM9d1OsoNvl7Dqco0iTGUnl7ZFn5S4Arwmsnmi1ric-C6oYmOwRCe29-2Dwuwz0hEX5Cqg41H8YZ3eJE1IcQqPfntlMqOnKdLDoPHaLkr5d27ELhWAF29DNOgFoJL5bhSr0AyBV3k99z4CdCtceJcqTn9z6fP_x1SZuxS5ikhVUGrjriU/s3088/IMG_7079.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wqAhRE6i6mMM9d1OsoNvl7Dqco0iTGUnl7ZFn5S4Arwmsnmi1ric-C6oYmOwRCe29-2Dwuwz0hEX5Cqg41H8YZ3eJE1IcQqPfntlMqOnKdLDoPHaLkr5d27ELhWAF29DNOgFoJL5bhSr0AyBV3k99z4CdCtceJcqTn9z6fP_x1SZuxS5ikhVUGrjriU/w300-h400/IMG_7079.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b>That all being said, it is so important to me to reflect on the person I was when I first started writing this blog, </b>how much I have managed to write through - the end of high school, all of college, and heading into my 30's this Fall - and what this changing hobby of mine has shown me about myself in these past thirteen years. I would never think of letting this kind of a moment go by unremarked. <p></p><p>Yeah, I celebrated my thirteenth bloggoversary a month ago. It's pretty cool that I've had something to call solely my own for that long, and that I've kept it going while so many other hobbies have still managed to fall by the wayside as I've gotten older. Whether I'll ever be the maintainer of the "perfect" blog I desired - the kind I'd painstakingly stalk through that summer before I started Senior year - it's a space that has just as much to say about me and how I've grown up, as the stacks of journals I've been keeping in notebooks since I was in middle school. It's telling a whole story on its own, beyond the ones I talk about in its text. </p><p><b>Happy Thirteenth Year, <i>Playing in the Pages</i>. </b></p><p></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-2472785320459956762023-08-08T12:08:00.001-07:002023-08-08T12:08:55.055-07:00Summer Reading Challenge Pt. 2: What I Read in July! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVLxv1doaXcXvb6y-K_bcLJTCfFYx2RB6VzPniexwDAHypJzySZfFf-akJG0R_QXCRpB7k2wh4euC_hbjxfANnsFZAxhkkp0_SEMTU1zx-Hysx0m-1YLmG2ndKqJddlb8iQg5DnsrH5T9GE3Ddw80OAX44dPOUxGwgtbhEbF60kQpBxLZL8vL0I1pxy4/s940/WHAT%20I%20READ%20IN%20JULY.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVLxv1doaXcXvb6y-K_bcLJTCfFYx2RB6VzPniexwDAHypJzySZfFf-akJG0R_QXCRpB7k2wh4euC_hbjxfANnsFZAxhkkp0_SEMTU1zx-Hysx0m-1YLmG2ndKqJddlb8iQg5DnsrH5T9GE3Ddw80OAX44dPOUxGwgtbhEbF60kQpBxLZL8vL0I1pxy4/w640-h536/WHAT%20I%20READ%20IN%20JULY.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Yes, I know that today is the eighth of August, and that July ended over a week ago. And yes, I know <b>that there are only three book reviews included in this post</b>, <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/07/summer-reading-challenge-pt-1-what-i.html" target="_blank">when my June Wrap Up had six</a>! </p><p>But what YOU should know is that I'm currently on vacation, sharing an incredibly noisy cabin with multiple family members that have coerced me into doing things like wake up at 6:30am to go on morning walks and engage in a variety of social environments, and generally keep me so busy that it's not like I've been able to read anything else anyways (not to mention they've consumed nearly half of the candy I bought for myself). All told, it really doesn't matter that I'm late, just that I'm finally full enough of an adequate amount of caffeine to finally upload this post! </p><p>No, I haven't read anything in August yet, either. </p><p>I think that this Summer Slump has really taken me out at the ankles, and I'm still trying to toddle around while regrowing my new feet, as uncertain and ungainly as a baby deer. It's hard to actually sit down and invest time in reading when you're currently being overwhelmed by celebrations for multiple family weddings and engagements, being dragged along on camping trips hobbled by vicious bug bites and a statewide burn ban, and are so, so busy planning on what you're going to do with the money you win when the Mega Millions drawing happens tonight (I'll give you a hint: never go camping again).</p><p>Hopefully, <b>August shapes up to be a little more effective at growing my Summer Book Bingo footprint than July was</b>. Or at the very least, I hope that the noise level of this cabin goes down enough in the next few days so that I can actually manage to read anything at all. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bingo Square: "Joyful"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><i>Half a Soul,</i> Olivia Atwater</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtX6Dt6dROdByZBifl35C9jn4X0cNt5y9tTf1Yyq1Vc3haOZfV5ciEU1paxHcZe-DJRE68seIBx7y_FiX3RJaITVfVPQXl45Gm3YhML7qukuSLFT864UjWo8ioHeJIg8hMVWSHMrCQW6XHXHuZWa19-R99613CB1jWNkoe-N8qxBH1PVBDEJJg3qdpvKQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtX6Dt6dROdByZBifl35C9jn4X0cNt5y9tTf1Yyq1Vc3haOZfV5ciEU1paxHcZe-DJRE68seIBx7y_FiX3RJaITVfVPQXl45Gm3YhML7qukuSLFT864UjWo8ioHeJIg8hMVWSHMrCQW6XHXHuZWa19-R99613CB1jWNkoe-N8qxBH1PVBDEJJg3qdpvKQ=w207-h320" width="207" /></a></div><p><i>After a confrontation with a member of the fae as a child leaves her missing part of her soul, Dora has found it difficult to interact with others the way her domineering aunt would like her to. However, now that her cousin has decided a trip to London for the marriage season would be in both of their best interests, she finds herself having to navigate an entirely different world of social expectations - including interactions with a certain handsome, badly-behaved wizard - while also doing her part not to hinder her cousin's prospects.</i></p>As soon as I read a selection from this novel on a whim, I knew that I could easily finish in less than twenty-four hours. The following afternoon, I proved it, by wrapping up in around 3 hours, and that's WITH a snack break in the middle. <p></p><p>It's a fluffy meringue of a book, that's for sure. It is light and fun and keeps you entertained, but doesn't have a ton of substance behind it, for all it tries very hard to encourage its reader to be more compassionate... as well as remedy some of the pains that Historical Regency Romances inherently carry, by virtue of their existence during a particular time period in a particular country. </p><p>I think its popularity comes from a combination of factors, like Jane Austen's social comedy, <i>Bridgerton'</i>s aesthetic appeal, and Faerie Romances, all popular in their own right. However, for me, it missed a certain something that made each of those concepts so special in the exchange: it lacks the history and authority of Jane Austen, the sex appeal of <i>Bridgerton</i>, and the faerie-ness of a magical environment. One of the reasons I was originally sold on picking up this romance, was its comparison to <i>Howl's Moving Castle </i>by a reviewer... which only really came up in the way that the male main character is a high-strung blonde and a powerful wizard, who has a tendency to reject authority and be strangely-behaved in public. </p><p>I feel that there were enough things slightly off-kilter as to get my attention. For instance, there seemed to be a lot of unevenness when it came to Dora's understandings of social impropriety... which varied from being unable to parse out people's meanings or intentions in conversation, to literally stripping down and washing her punch-soaked gown in an outdoor fountain in the middle of an evening ball, but still managing to catch Elias' verbal missteps in social settings, or subtlety divine the affections of her friends.</p><p>I didn't love that last arc of the action, especially because it felt so disconnected from the remainder of the relevant plotting, and kind of like the author forgot to resolve several loose ends before the finale, and didn't want to make it too depressing. </p><p>Additionally, it felt like there was a concerted intention to include some autism representation in the main character... after all, when you have a character that has a demonstratable difficulty in understanding social situations, get frustrated with being unable to express her "larger" emotions, and is reprimanded for her flat demeanor in interactions with others, it is no surprise when people divine such conclusions. But to have these characteristics be the result of her having HALF A SOUL, I am not so sure how positive this kind of rep can be. </p><p><i>Three stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bingo Square: "Read with a Friend"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><i>The Tempest, </i>William Shakespeare</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpkpUdrwxrXBZMikIsd-jKm50RDPE0yizCR6hoRHYS3-tNT-Y0AwZ0sQxriBO8n-8qZ8Lm1QQ9baO_6O1wDvcyuci4-ZtM3BhVyDUf6rsUt8MBdJ4tOsUTXoUv_IfdPBjV8eFunGWU42WAB5yJoi8d01RTlbUviUOpw18WfJqp6vVWHw-szHY_zV3DDpA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpkpUdrwxrXBZMikIsd-jKm50RDPE0yizCR6hoRHYS3-tNT-Y0AwZ0sQxriBO8n-8qZ8Lm1QQ9baO_6O1wDvcyuci4-ZtM3BhVyDUf6rsUt8MBdJ4tOsUTXoUv_IfdPBjV8eFunGWU42WAB5yJoi8d01RTlbUviUOpw18WfJqp6vVWHw-szHY_zV3DDpA=w199-h320" width="199" /></a></div><p><i>Shakespeare's final solo-written play, </i>The Tempest <i>follows the wizard Prospero, as he embarks on a plot of revenge against the nobles who wronged him over a decade prior. When a mysterious storm leaves them stranded on an island in the Mediterranean, we are introduced to a cast of classic characters, including his daughter, Miranda, the handsome prince, Ferdinand, the air spirit, Ariel, and Prospero's hunched and abused servant, Caliban. Carrying themes of colonialism and a heavy focus on music, this is - in my opinion - one of Shakespeare's most notable works. </i></p>I think that by the end of this summer, when I look back at things I've achieved in this time period, I am going to say that choosing to buddy read <i>The Tempest </i>with my younger brother was one of the absolute highlights. Our weekly meetings throughout July might have been a little time consuming - as we usually spent three to four hours or so on each call - but they were absolutely worth it. The project both gave me a chance to reread a favorite at an in-depth level like I've been missing since my collegiate days as an English Major, and gave my brother an outlet for his compulsive need to do homework during a Summer quarter where he's not taking any classes.<p></p><p>It was all of the fun of regulated coursework and hanging out with your sibling that you could ask for. </p><p><i>The Tempest</i> is my favorite Shakespearean work for so many reasons:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It is unique within his canon for its status as a completely "original" story, not inspired by any previously existing mythology or folklore, and not drawn from history</li><li>It's something like a Fantasy novel, complete with a magical island, a wizard, strange creatures, and revenge</li><li>Spoiler alert: nobody dies!</li><li>Choosing to alter elements of staging - like various casting, costuming, or set piece choices - can completely alter your perspective of elements of the narrative</li><li>It is clearly reflective of Shakespeare's life as an actor and playwright, with direct references to the Globe theater, his previous work, and the act of creation</li></ul><div>Being able to read <i>The Tempest</i> again in this format allowed me to really flex my nerd pedigree and Shakespeare-lovin' background, while also learning some new things myself (and watch about a billion clips of various productions on YouTube).</div><p></p><p><i>Five stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bingo Square: "Worker's Rights" </span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><i>There's No Such Thing As An Easy Job,</i> Kikuko Tsumura</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFbKM7DbcpL5qyXnjjy22F4SAygsTbxo-iobjP1DuArQOKucw1E1UeQ9WwvAeQUauQ38_XgjQT9Bq_buBdVFKqTVIuZBizOFGcj-DR57JcOk3lhrAw6GKUKC3tIcflhjdItE8YT3naszKeh40ylu9gxE3J4h3KdIhSrpZxHQckMtWN_nLuH4w-7RxQn0E" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFbKM7DbcpL5qyXnjjy22F4SAygsTbxo-iobjP1DuArQOKucw1E1UeQ9WwvAeQUauQ38_XgjQT9Bq_buBdVFKqTVIuZBizOFGcj-DR57JcOk3lhrAw6GKUKC3tIcflhjdItE8YT3naszKeh40ylu9gxE3J4h3KdIhSrpZxHQckMtWN_nLuH4w-7RxQn0E=w203-h320" width="203" /></a></div><p><i>After suffering from extreme burnout after dedicating herself to her previous job for over a decade, the time has come for a young woman to find something a little less... difficult. With her only request to her employment agency to find something "easy," she embarks on a series of jobs which subsequently prove that for her, nothing will ever be as uncomplicated as she'd hoped. </i></p>Talk about a book just really finding you when you need it to. I honestly half wish I had read this book years ago, but I'm also incredibly happy I've read it now. Like with <i>How Far the Light Reaches,</i> I knew fairly quickly into this particular journey that it was going to be one of my favorite reads of the year. <p></p><p>Our heroine takes five jobs, each seemingly less effort than the last.</p><p> She monitors security cameras, writes bus advertisements and trivia for rice cracker wrappers, hangs up public posters, and mans an outpost station in a public park... and yet despite the fact that each of these temp jobs is ostensibly pedestrian, it ends up leading her on another adventure. Surreally spinning outwards, led by dreamlike qualities and unexpected twists, it becomes clear as she follows her heart - and demonstrates a remarkable mind, dedication, and care for the job - that there will never be an "easy job" that appeases her appetite for curiosity and sincere empathy. When the time comes for her previous career to be revealed, it makes sense to what we know of her strength of character, and furthermore, we know she is capable in succeeding in it, with the same confidence that she now carries. </p><p>I found this book incredibly funny, compelling, and emotional. Its dedication to representing Japanese culture and customs makes a lot more sense when you come to the translator's section on the "About the Author" page. It was definitely its own kind of moral tale, with something akin to a thesis statement presented in the form of a conversation that occurs in the final chapter. </p><p>I honestly think this should be required reading for Millennials, or at least anyone who feels like the need a bit of a break. </p><p><i>Five stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>How has your summer been going so far? Where's your favorite book-reading destination you've traveled this year?<b> Let me know, in the comments below?</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-62755314021618754472023-07-16T23:14:00.001-07:002023-07-16T23:14:45.570-07:00Summer Reading Challenge Pt. 1: What I Read in June!<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqZJH0gCJ8uIta63TbxPjbM-Bdh_nZYR9Wp6Jb2s4TUdoP2kQSBNePG3plDDtcOVfN6ekEPYyD6sr5RW7ZElOxq4aZLYdv0mMYcn-yrXgVi1WCxipm_yMZfzDOpybSlk5QM_omz5rrHH622ghjNfSbRopkthsY-p2hI5MYUQ_S4H2UV1VPNW-iEfEpL4/s940/WHAT%20I%20READ%20IN%20JUNE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqZJH0gCJ8uIta63TbxPjbM-Bdh_nZYR9Wp6Jb2s4TUdoP2kQSBNePG3plDDtcOVfN6ekEPYyD6sr5RW7ZElOxq4aZLYdv0mMYcn-yrXgVi1WCxipm_yMZfzDOpybSlk5QM_omz5rrHH622ghjNfSbRopkthsY-p2hI5MYUQ_S4H2UV1VPNW-iEfEpL4/w640-h536/WHAT%20I%20READ%20IN%20JUNE.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></p><p>Alright, friends. We're two weeks into July already, and if I think about the swift and unrelenting passage of time too much, I'm going to start dry heaving and maybe pass out... so instead of having you go fetch the smelling salts, <b>let's do a little reminiscing on how well June went, shall we?</b> </p><p>June, that glorious start to Summer, when the Washington weather decided to do a hard pivot at the top of the month back into the grayest skies you've ever seen, forcing everyone who lives in the Pacific Northwest to reckon with whether May's 70-degree temperatures and blue views were simply a trick of the imagination. Such a temperate climate can certainly inspire some enthusiastic indoor time - as if ever really needed a reason - and a whole lot of reading. </p><p>A WHOLE lot. In fact, <b>not only my best reading month in all of 2023 so far, but also some of my highest star ratings in recent memory.</b></p><p>So is it any surprise whatsoever that <b>July has been absolutely tanking hard for me,</b> in terms of actually committing myself to this reading challenge? Listen, I've been mainlining fanfiction like it's going out of fashion - and <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/news/what-is-fanfiction-ao3-crash-cyberattack-rcna93691" target="_blank">for a brief moment in time just recently, it really did seem like it might have run its course</a> - but actually trying to tie myself down to a published narrative has been completely miserable. </p><p>I figured that instead of listening to me moan and groan about how my weak and puny little arms can't even hoist a hardcover anymore, or the number of times I've accidentally dropped my phone on my face in the last two weeks, we could talk about the books I totally loved last month. We might as well do something productive with our time together, you know? </p><p>Here's <b>all of the SIX books I read back in June, and which Seattle Public Library Book Bingo Reading Challenge squares they helped me check off</b>! </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Bingo Square: "BIPOC Poetry Collection"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i>Time is a Mother,</i> Ocean Vuong</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1AHsBKrWZKesMe6mTY0eNHY17_RtBwIMqZ7GbBllk6bP4e0p8upGh5DNka0A1EVPGIuGUFHA3BylFuztGhQIpeI71isB3_YiJ4IkIISseEEcqV3U-ylotfhFDp1a4dWe65SGtGILQXkwDyb-M6VqlGNFJu6FrV1pCpRR4GfqfXVs4pdrQRuXIA_l6bXo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1538" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1AHsBKrWZKesMe6mTY0eNHY17_RtBwIMqZ7GbBllk6bP4e0p8upGh5DNka0A1EVPGIuGUFHA3BylFuztGhQIpeI71isB3_YiJ4IkIISseEEcqV3U-ylotfhFDp1a4dWe65SGtGILQXkwDyb-M6VqlGNFJu6FrV1pCpRR4GfqfXVs4pdrQRuXIA_l6bXo=w199-h320" width="199" /></a></div><div><i>A tender and emotional reflection on grief surrounding the death of their mother, Ocean Vuong's second poetry collection is deliberate, compelling, and worth sitting with awhile after you've finished it. </i></div><div><br /></div>I had a convo with a friend back in March about Poetry, and how it just doesn't come naturally to me. We talked about mulling over phrases in your mind, remaining open to the spirit of interpretation, and reading things two or three times before you really started to pull the threads that bound together metaphor. Poetry may be brief, we decided, but it takes time. It is WORTH your time.<p></p><p><i>Time is a Mother</i> is one of those highly-regarded poetry collections that has also gone a little bit Instagram-famous. Just days after finishing it myself, I came across an announcement that it had been released as an audiobook on VINYL, if that can be any indication of not only its popularity, but also, the kinds of people who are its biggest champions. </p><p>But I don't think that's a bad thing. If there's anything that I'm taking out of that convo with Kayla, it's that poetry should engage and connect with its audience, no matter what forms that takes. Ocean Vuong is not any more or less legitimate as a poet for their words reaching the hearts of a larger audience, just like I am not any more or less legitimate as a poetry reader for needing to take pauses at the ends of lines, parse out words, reread phrases to better explain the metaphor to myself, and take breaks between poems to consider what I've read. </p><p>I don't think I'm ever going to be a true-blue poetry reader. I mean, I'm all for Shel Silverstein, and I do enjoy a good dirty limerick or two. But this rarefied air is difficult for me to breathe. The lofty genre-based legitimacy of calling myself a Poetry Enjoyer is still far from my reach. But it's incredible to note that these kinds of challenges bring me further and further from my comfort zone, allowing me to stretch myself until that tight ache forms between my shoulders. Only with poetry, the ache is in the heart. </p><p><i>Four stars.</i> </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Bingo Square: "BIPOC or LGBTQ Horror"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i>The Only Good Indians</i>, Stephen Graham-Jones</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifOYsgRZvAN39zDxH3hB5aovLBDiC7gfMrWtGEFHkAGVd7w-lzkQ4t0DvpNyp8XEsOZPfrdml5UOVeclMN00fdozAoapQx90Bi7TeNhaeCKuTzDP6_nmzX_RPNWJ3fmCovevuuOt-oKLlI4IcizEC5VxgXI4YBJJXiWRbU6WqmGYuykuupv5hZnJrQ908" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2159" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifOYsgRZvAN39zDxH3hB5aovLBDiC7gfMrWtGEFHkAGVd7w-lzkQ4t0DvpNyp8XEsOZPfrdml5UOVeclMN00fdozAoapQx90Bi7TeNhaeCKuTzDP6_nmzX_RPNWJ3fmCovevuuOt-oKLlI4IcizEC5VxgXI4YBJJXiWRbU6WqmGYuykuupv5hZnJrQ908=w208-h320" width="208" /></a></div><div><i>Over a decade after a shared act of violence altered the lives of four reservation boys forever, something has come back to seek a retribution for the destruction they wrought. Now men, this revenge attempts to undue the relationships they have formed and the lives they've built, chasing them as far as they can run... even when the direction they're pointed seems to be towards home. </i></div><div><br /></div>Okay. This book has given me quite a lot to ruminate on. Unfortunately for me, the book also came highly hyped and recommended by not only one, but <i>two</i> people of my immediate acquaintance, and in attempting to organize my many scrambled thoughts into something remotely resembling an actual review I could relay to my friends, I decided I needed to jot down a few notes. Extensive notes. Six handwritten, single-spaced pages of individual notes, squiggly and squashed, in my Book Journal, in a space where normally a review would exist. <p></p><p>It still doesn't exist, by the way. I'm still weighing over the various segments and pieces contained within this bundle of firewood that was<i> The Only Good Indians</i>, each twig or branch a separate theme or motif that itself would merit at least three pages of graded classroom material. What can you concisely say about something you're still thinking about, over a month later? Whose material you're still weighing in your mind? </p><p>Something something about genre. I mean, I feel that this particular Horror novel leaned more to the side of Magical Realism for me, than straightforward Horror, maybe because the main characters kind of took all of the freaky stuff in stride when it started happening... maybe because we got action described from the POV of the villain? Were they really a villain? Maybe because it carried so many of the markings of folklore... maybe because the descriptions were so vivid and emotive, that it all felt kind of wrapped in a layer of magic? It didn't feel like a Thriller either, for all that aspects of it really were thrilling. </p><p>Something something about pacing, too, I think. I feel like we lost a little bit of ground in the final segment, the one focused on Denorah. Whereas the other puzzle pieces kind of interwove action AND description AND character, the final stretch just feels like one big chase sequence, with far less emotional heft. That's a concrete thought; congratulations to me. </p><p>Something something about characters, but I really can't get into it without unwinding the various interconnected spools of yarn that bind my hands over the course of an hour or two. If you want to get into discussions of how Gender influences this novel, of how Youth and the redemption achieved by way of the virtues of the subsequent generation might save us all, of contemporary values of Traditionalism, Earth Stewardship, the ferocity of War and Nature both, of news stories as public perception, of the all-consuming destructive power of Revenge... ask me about it later, once I've had a chance to think about it a bit more. </p><p><i>Four stars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Bingo Square: "Same Author, Different Genre #1"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i>Paladin's Grace</i>, T. Kingfisher</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrDtrJbZcJGVV4TjdZf8yq3dXIteE9WhhGpvZD3ltL_rt53BZNgerydRe6q6sKypqSrkieywxfHeHvicl-FBLM9cbBU3NT2ZXaOu4aTKFr5B3O8DolpipMKWio_e8UTpnOum6QdNqHRjdk9Kg55YB3WZOTinpXNxAp08O0DEIJyK4YQja8zhZogZyiQpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrDtrJbZcJGVV4TjdZf8yq3dXIteE9WhhGpvZD3ltL_rt53BZNgerydRe6q6sKypqSrkieywxfHeHvicl-FBLM9cbBU3NT2ZXaOu4aTKFr5B3O8DolpipMKWio_e8UTpnOum6QdNqHRjdk9Kg55YB3WZOTinpXNxAp08O0DEIJyK4YQja8zhZogZyiQpg=w213-h320" width="213" /></a></div><div><i>After the death of his god leaves him and his fellow paladins without purpose, Stephen has resigned himself to doing his penance as best he can by assisting the Temple of the White Rat. However, when a local perfumer named Grace seems to keep running into trouble in the same circles, he can't help but be interested, especially when her perfumes are accused of poisoning a nearby monarch. The fact that decapitated heads keep showing up around the city, though, is also a concern. </i></div><div><br /></div>In total, I enjoyed this book. I think that's what I have to start with: I had a good time reading it, the world it occupied was fun, with a varied cast of characters, some of whom I really enjoyed meeting. It was <i>incredibly</i> funny, and did a great job in balancing action and description.<p></p><p>But I didn't love it. The pacing felt pretty uneven, and it took a little while for the main plot to actually get underway. Some parts felt like a lot was happening, and others felt like I could easily skim through dialogue until something finally DID happen. </p><p>But most of all... I HATED one of the main characters. Certainly not Stephen, who was incredibly funny and charming, but instead, his love interest, Grace. It was like every scene she was in lost air: she's a downer, she's constantly complaining, she keeps finding herself in questionable circumstances and only seems capable of reacting in one of two fashions - doing something equally reckless and nonsensical, or completely shutting down and crying. </p><p>In a regular Fantasy, this would be totally fine, because you wouldn't need to occupy that character's frame of mind all that often. But it's not! It's a Romance Fantasy, and emotional perspectives are kind of key to the genre, and the function upon which the majority of the action is based. Which meant we spent a whole lot of time with Grace... and across the 400 or so pages of the book, I really don't think she improved much at all. </p><p>The actual Romance scenes weren't my favorite, either. </p><p>Will I read more in the series? Sure, probably. I did actually enjoy it, like I said, and reading two books by T. Kingfisher for the first time, in one month, made me realize that I am, in fact, quite a fan of T. Kingfisher. But I'm not jumping out of my seat to recommend this one in particular: I've heard that other titles in this series can kind of act as standalones, so maybe I'll read the next one soon and let you know if it's even worth it to handle this one at all. </p><p><i>Three stars.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Bingo Square: "Graphic Novel or Manga"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i>Lore Olympus: Volume One</i>, Rachel Smythe</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPvr52EHFGUVAsuAv3IzBA534G0apSc5N6VuxUf4bTH51SZkCkKEagEUNwcVh_lu4FqDFlNa2gzhJOoBiKy-n5kpMNR9BxZlpZbMD2ZKAxwAYNLcN7_AGxCeHlj2tgJNMArwF83FdD2Muyzsw-U2Xm5_ePNEUoPx47mByC9FF32xBqrd71QtoG69QcVlw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1991" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPvr52EHFGUVAsuAv3IzBA534G0apSc5N6VuxUf4bTH51SZkCkKEagEUNwcVh_lu4FqDFlNa2gzhJOoBiKy-n5kpMNR9BxZlpZbMD2ZKAxwAYNLcN7_AGxCeHlj2tgJNMArwF83FdD2Muyzsw-U2Xm5_ePNEUoPx47mByC9FF32xBqrd71QtoG69QcVlw=w249-h320" width="249" /></a></div><div><i>Winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards for "Best Graphic Novel in 2021," this graphic novel series follows the classic story of Hades and Persephone, told with new and modern sensibilities, in an Olympus that looks a lot closer to a modern day city. </i></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the thing: <i>Lore Olympus</i> is almost universally beloved, as you can clearly see reflected in the Goodreads rating (currently: 4.31 stars). It was an incredibly popular independently-published webtoon before it was purchased for print publication, there are already four volumes published within the last few years, it's incredibly popular on TikTok and Tumblr alike, and even when I was checking it out from the library, one of my favorite librarians told me how much she absolutely loved the series.</div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't like it. But it's one of those things that I feel like I have to somehow explain or justify, based solely on how much seemingly every other reader LOVES it, in an all-caps kind of way.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point, I think I'm just pretty darn biased against modern-lens mythology vibes. I hate that Olympus is a city; I hate that they have things like malls and sports cars and strip clubs. I hate pretty much any kind of storytelling that co-ops previously-existing literature, and applies a sort of Sparknotes-sideways view of them to shoehorn into stereotypes, in order to fit a modern setting: Hermes is an oblivious jock, Apollo is a domineering and self-obsessed model, Artemis is a spunky girl-next-door, and Hades is a mopey loner. I hate it!</div><div><br /></div><div>The women are all petite and curvy, with big eyes and dark eyelashes, and the men are all wide-shouldered and incredibly tall. Persephone is a kind of straight-off-the-farm type, who seems to only exist to be taken advantage of, by multiple male characters in just one volume. Zeus and Poseidon are all balls and no brains. The only thing I can say in the characterization's favor is that this is one of the only representations of Hera, of all the pantheon, who is not just absolutely awful. In fact, I liked her quite a bit.</div><div><br /></div><div>The art is quite visually striking, and the colors are aesthetically pleasing. And for what is clearly a whole lot of people, they really, really love this series. Just not me.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Two stars.</i></div><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Bingo Square: "Sea Creatures"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i>How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures</i>, Sabrina Imbler</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuDzaOLegHuk_nP5N35s6Cw-pqC2pkEAmhSjmTMFBY9vva_E6pFFYbE-Wz8sGYjWU6gLb3ueh7VpSBYBTa6Nj1JYR9RWo6O369MsXhWOX-LlqigC7PJx3y9my27MBMvsr8bl-JRZh7ljntkeTro-YE8ExpoScUdKHGi6PkRt01l5CuNreBQq7KzpCBxn8" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuDzaOLegHuk_nP5N35s6Cw-pqC2pkEAmhSjmTMFBY9vva_E6pFFYbE-Wz8sGYjWU6gLb3ueh7VpSBYBTa6Nj1JYR9RWo6O369MsXhWOX-LlqigC7PJx3y9my27MBMvsr8bl-JRZh7ljntkeTro-YE8ExpoScUdKHGi6PkRt01l5CuNreBQq7KzpCBxn8=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div><div><i>Documenting marine biology profiles alongside reflections on their own life experiences, Imbler's </i>How Far the Light Reaches<i> will be the most unique memoir you read this year... as well as the most enthralling. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>I had finished my previous read kind of disheartened, and was a little miffed before I went to bed. Arbitrarily, I decided to read a couple of pages in this one before I fully gave up for the night... and an hour later, I had impulsively finished the first two chapters.</div><div><br /></div><div>This book is half-memoir, half science journalism - the author's career background - interweaving descriptions of marine animals with personal perspectives into the life of the author. Vivid descriptions of invasive goldfish, cuttlefish, octopus mothers, salps, and more, provide the background for explorations on race, belonging, eating disorders, and the queer experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both deeply personal and uniquely informative, I knew within those first few chapters that this memoir was going to be one of my favorites of the entire year. The writing is welcoming, but literary; the prose is lyrical, but highly aware of its scientific background; the voice is reflective and emotive but slightly detached, holding the reader at an arm's length while whispering personal truths.</div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't know that chapters about sturgeons and sand strikers could make me cry! Because they weren't, not really, but about the immigrant experience and the fuzzy relationship between alcohol and sexual assault. Imbler's incredible ability to make biology accessible, relevant, and interesting when entangled with details from their own life were incredibly accomplished, and in today's cultural environment, as resonant and important as ever.</div><div><br /></div><div>To be clear: I checked this out as a library book, and plan on picking up a copy for my own personal library sometime in the new year.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Five stars. </i></div><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Bingo Square: "Same Author, Different Genre #2"</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i>The Twisted Ones</i>, T. Kingfisher</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtRlYmqEdPoK5TdtSEOZrkMRV3xnPsFLp3HuceiR8Vj8qde9-X1w9YU-DTpZN_VQc5FFzQqxhzvcONfj5VIiU15rZK_WsWq0WxLSAo9ubs7F_Re3zFKFfiAj2FmqWCRYvmhZ-HO_iTKuRgCsE-lJEw__AlqWJGttMIkWk0jDWT-GStpok9ZfZ3If57aEY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="1399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtRlYmqEdPoK5TdtSEOZrkMRV3xnPsFLp3HuceiR8Vj8qde9-X1w9YU-DTpZN_VQc5FFzQqxhzvcONfj5VIiU15rZK_WsWq0WxLSAo9ubs7F_Re3zFKFfiAj2FmqWCRYvmhZ-HO_iTKuRgCsE-lJEw__AlqWJGttMIkWk0jDWT-GStpok9ZfZ3If57aEY=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div><div><i>After the death of a long-removed and nearly-forgotten relative, Mouse is tasked with venturing to the sticks of North Carolina, and seeing what can be salvaged for resale. While sifting through the hoarder's junk, she stumbles upon a mysterious journal, written by her step-grandfather, detailing some of the terrible things he's seen in the woods around the house. At first, Mouse dismisses it as the ramblings of an old man... until she comes face to face with some of them herself. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>I haven't read Horror novels in a while - a function of being an incredibly anxious human being with a reasonable amount of self-awareness - but somehow, in the month of June alone, I ended up reading two of them.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, like with <i>The Only Good Indians</i>, I don't know if I'd classify this strictly as a true-blue Horror: While<i> TGOI</i> held important reflections on contemporary perspectives on race and folklore, <i>The Twisted Ones</i> felt a little more akin to a Fantasy... perhaps because Kingfisher's "white ones" felt so reminiscent of traditional stories of the fae of Northern Europe.</div><div><br /></div><div>The narrative combined its classic Horror elements with a distinct Appalachian twang, and Fantasy reminiscent of Irish fairy stories. But instead of a dreamy, nostalgic haze, these folks of the hill aren't the type to grant you a boon if you leave cream out at your window. Impossibly tall, bone-white pale, and harnessing otherworldly power, the holler people live in a hill that is not always there, is not always possible to cross to, and is protected by a hodge-podge crew of poppets, terrifying pseudo-alive creatures constructed from bits of bone, fur, wood, and what junk they can find lying around.</div><div><br /></div><div>I genuinely did not see the twists coming when they happened, especially because the other elements of the book were refreshingly open and straightforward. Mouse is never alone or told that she's crazy... and yet it was still thrilling and eventful nonetheless. It was really novel of this novel, to be able to build tension based on something other than ostracizing the main character, honestly. </div><div><br /></div><div>Plus, it was just SO funny.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Four stars. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>What have you been reading this summer? What's been your favorite so far? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></div>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-41122878344855943222023-06-21T16:09:00.005-07:002023-06-21T16:09:52.773-07:00Why a Library Card Might Be the Key to the Best Summer Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabjX0KJW7mGFjNMYkGK1xZ2Bkrfwagk3Rt60G93nNtIHrg0tQnmEk-REpRE15yQi1b1DpabdsUh-75i3fl-6wr0o4dhPrtoT_Sq-AFt1Mk1OP4l2H2B2gfifWGk9IeDLwZszIhbmIkdnAKx5Cz-B7_aKqsqfGpozpKSCbGDqxhphlxB4EvuWSGsOZR3M/s940/WHY%20A%20LIBRARY%20CARD%20MIGHT%20BE%20THE%20KEY%20TO%20THE%20BEST%20SUMMER%20EVER.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabjX0KJW7mGFjNMYkGK1xZ2Bkrfwagk3Rt60G93nNtIHrg0tQnmEk-REpRE15yQi1b1DpabdsUh-75i3fl-6wr0o4dhPrtoT_Sq-AFt1Mk1OP4l2H2B2gfifWGk9IeDLwZszIhbmIkdnAKx5Cz-B7_aKqsqfGpozpKSCbGDqxhphlxB4EvuWSGsOZR3M/w640-h536/WHY%20A%20LIBRARY%20CARD%20MIGHT%20BE%20THE%20KEY%20TO%20THE%20BEST%20SUMMER%20EVER.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Congratulations, everyone, we made it: <b>it's officially the First Day of Summer 2023</b>! </p><p>Granted, it doesn't exactly feel that way. For instance, the local school district still won't be<a href="https://slang.net/meaning/hags#:~:text=Have%20a%20great%20summer,each%20other%20a%20good%20summer." target="_blank"> scrawling "HAGS" in their yearbooks</a> until this coming Friday, which feels incredibly unkind to those students who are still taking Finals for the next two days, despite the fact that Summer has officially gotten itself underway.</p><p>On the other hand, our family has already gone on our first camping trip of the year. I've had visits from my younger sister, who missed Washington sunshine by mere days, and am currently enjoying the company of my younger brother, visiting from the other side of the state. One of the counters in our family's kitchen has been stocked with what my mom calls "Summer Bar" - aka, seasonal liqueurs and mason jars with handles - for the last few weeks. My zucchini are already threatening to crowd out the carrots, and my strawberries have so many runners you'd think they were planning a marathon.</p><p>I think it's safe to say that Summer, whether your school district likes it or not, is truly here. </p><p>But whether you've been celebrating the sunshine since June 1st, like I have, or you're still counting down the days until your manager signs off on your first Summer Friday - aka, the true beginnings of "drinking on restaurant patios" season -<b> chances are, you're already making plans for how you're going to spend all of that free time. </b></p><p>And I know just how you should:<b> at your local library! </b></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">now, hear me out</h3><div>Granted, this is a books-and-reading-focused blog. Whether you're just now stumbling onto my corner of the Internet, or if you've been a frequent flyer for quite a while (<i>Hi, Dad)</i>, <b>chances are you don't need much convincing. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>And yet. </div><div><br /></div><div>Just a few weeks ago, I was scrolling through my feed on Bookstagram, and noticed that a fellow enthusiast who I'd been following for quite some time had recently made a significant life change: after years of living in New York City, and furthermore, working adjacent to the Publishing field, she had taken the plunge with her partner, and traded in their big city apartment, for a house in the suburbs. And for the first time ever, she wasn't just navigating a world on a much wider scale than she was accustomed to, but she was also contending with an entirely new challenge... <b>that of learning to use her local library, for the first time, as an adult. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>So it's even within our own ranks, of Book Enjoyers Everywhere, that some might need a little convincing to branch out, and check out your local branch, to check out a book or two. Again, even my own father -<i> I SAID HI, DAD </i>- himself a lifetime reader,<b> ventured off to the library with my brother and I earlier this year to pick him up a new library card</b>, in order to make better use of the free audiobooks and ebooks available through the Tacoma Public Library system. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you're new to the game, no worries! <b>There's no age limit as to who is "too old" to get a library card</b>, let alone try something out of your comfort zone. There's nothing to lose, and everything to gain. And let me tell you something: the artistic choices for the library card you pick up, are probably a lot more aesthetically pleasing than the one I've had since approximately 2010 or so. </div><div><br /></div><div>And the best part is, <b>Summer is, by far, the best time to get a library card. </b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">let me tell you why</h3><div>Well, first of all, there's the material, physical benefit. <b>Libraries are a public good, and as such, are one of the few places you can exist peacefully in the world without having to pay money for the privilege.</b> Howard Schultz may think that he made Starbucks into the world's great meeting space; however, unlike Starbucks, libraries have restrooms without codes to unlock them, and friendly workers who are much more likely to spell your name correctly. </div><div><br /></div><div>They also have - barring general disaster - <b>guaranteed air conditioning. </b>And almost always <b>a place to refill your water bottle</b>, and <b>usually chairs </b>there, in case you need to just sit down and take a minute. They usually have <b>computers you can use for free,</b> and a printer that you can use for a certain amount of pages each month, for less than a dollar. Sometimes they're built next to <b>a public park, or picnic tables,</b> which are also more than enjoyable on sunny days. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AyG82CejTa4cVvmFuNgPLmECBLNMtgZUWA5Fi3gJqxUB1YsfPin5Asea51QeBdZ5115cPJb085bXdMeNoK1YYFR8MG1Fs_2qUBlu5VX7iC-6ZNrXlbObY9DEjByX15Z2YCtULoPXqBPLrlqGAcioMCGsHcvl0yGyP8zh88gLIi8Lb7mHahQHggnu-AU/s4032/IMG_4557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AyG82CejTa4cVvmFuNgPLmECBLNMtgZUWA5Fi3gJqxUB1YsfPin5Asea51QeBdZ5115cPJb085bXdMeNoK1YYFR8MG1Fs_2qUBlu5VX7iC-6ZNrXlbObY9DEjByX15Z2YCtULoPXqBPLrlqGAcioMCGsHcvl0yGyP8zh88gLIi8Lb7mHahQHggnu-AU/w240-h320/IMG_4557.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>And while these all might seem like petty goods in comparison to what you might already have at home, they're not nothing. Not for a lot of people.<b> </b>Things like access to computers and the Internet, to comfortable environments, to social connection and community access, aren't guaranteed, though I think most sane individuals would agree they should be. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Plus, I've also heard they have books there. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>The books thing is pretty cool. I mean, I think you should check out your own local library just to see how many books they have! Bet you can't count them all... but if you're willing to try, well, then, be my guest. </div><div><br /></div><div>But really, <b>the whole "free books" thing is just half of the reason you should give a library a chance.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div><i>(Note: I focus mainly on the <a href="https://www.tacomalibrary.org/" target="_blank">Tacoma Public Library </a>and <a href="https://www.spl.org/" target="_blank">Seattle Public Library,</a> because they're what's local and accessible to me; however, you should absolutely stop by your own local library branch and ask a friendly librarian what sort of opportunities are available at your own local system!) </i></div><p><br /></p><p><b>TAKE PART IN A SUMMER READING CHALLENGE... OR SEVERAL</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDHH0FrR_lMLeR0HE7IBAEoKa7xEc72Otsc1RUiPSGDcoWYFv062bVHOX-WuVmP6sYsGYecUbOlPXSlMn2xsSVk_o_tMGzgrxW_CSK0IhkwW_RqWYLG3jzCQkMLbgxg4dOIixKHs7ivv5eBwsuSacjI9qzCNpu34GEvv1wwDifef026dttqc3fl20Ac0/s3321/IMG_5889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3321" data-original-width="2871" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDHH0FrR_lMLeR0HE7IBAEoKa7xEc72Otsc1RUiPSGDcoWYFv062bVHOX-WuVmP6sYsGYecUbOlPXSlMn2xsSVk_o_tMGzgrxW_CSK0IhkwW_RqWYLG3jzCQkMLbgxg4dOIixKHs7ivv5eBwsuSacjI9qzCNpu34GEvv1wwDifef026dttqc3fl20Ac0/w277-h320/IMG_5889.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>Summer Reading Challenges have been a longtime favorite of librarians the world over. For children, they help combat<a href="https://www.ed.gov/content/stopping-summer-slide" target="_blank"> the Summer Slide </a>- the documented downgrade of academic acumen that takes place during the months of June through August - by incentivizing continued reading development by way of fun prizes. For adults, it gives them a chance to pursue a new goal, or stretch their bookish wings during prime reading season... and also win fun prizes! <p></p><p>No matter your age, <b>chances are, your library has a Summer Reading Challenge you can enjoy, too</b>, for no cost to yourself or your kiddos. It may require you to pick up or print out a Reading Challenge tracker - like Bingo sheet, a Candyland-style track, a puzzle, etc - or in this high-tech day and age, download an app on your phone. Depending on what your local branch's style is, you might be tasked with reading for a certain amount of minutes to progress, or checking off various book titles you've completed. </p><p><a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/06/seven-steps-to-prepare-for-summer.html" target="_blank">Each is a great chance to test your own limits, and give your summer a fun challenge to undertake</a>. You might surprise yourself, in seeing how much reading you can accomplish. </p><p>And did I mention the "fun prizes" part? </p><p><br /></p><p><b>VISIT YOUR LOCAL MUSEUMS... AND SO MUCH MORE</b></p><p>Take, for instance, my local library branch:<b> the Tacoma Public Library card can grant you access to a variety of museums and local attractions, many of which are perfect to enjoy during the hotter days of the year. </b></p><p><a href="https://www.tacomalibrary.org/passes/" target="_blank">For instance, I could check out </a>an "Art Access Pass" for free entry to the Tacoma Art Museum (usually $18 for an adult visitor), a "Glass Pass" for the Museum of Glass ($20), a "History Museum Pass" to the Washington Museum of History ($14), a "Waterport Pass" to the Thea Foss Waterway Seaport ($10), as well as various local garden passes, like for the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden ($8), and Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood ($12). </p><p>That means that if I wanted to make a summer project out of visiting everything the library passes had to offer, I would be able to experience $82 worth of local museums and gardens for zero cost to myself! </p><p>All you have to do is <a href="https://www.tacomalibrary.org/passes/" target="_blank">look for the pass by location to see which libraries have the pass available</a>, and check out the pass at your library as you would any other item.</p><p>Once you've got it, you simply present the pass at the museum or attraction, to receive free admission for up to seven days. Important note: the quantity of available passes varies by location, and you can't check out two of the same kind on the same library card... so make sure the friends you're planning on going with have library passes too!</p><p>Also note: passes cannot be put on hold, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. They also cannot be renewed, so make sure to visit before the return date. You just return the pass to any Tacoma Public Library location as you would any item, which makes for an easy end-of-day task once you're done enjoying yourself at the museum. </p><p>Maybe you can even check out a book when you're done?</p><p><br /></p><p><b>TAKE A HIKE... OR A SWIM</b></p><p>Here's another really cool thing Tacoma Public Libraries is doing: as part of a cooperative project called "Check Out Washington," in collaboration with Washington State Parks, the WSP Foundation, the Washington State Library, and other various groups around the state, <b>Tacoma Public Library cardholders have the ability to <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S102C1674766" target="_blank">borrow a Discover Pass! </a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2iKKTB7kO5d13Z-XMkAMr4MgpKY3_rodCUBHVpxR6qdAMtKWNkOKj9eQfex8Nd1sjxm7GWDh5OARA9hdOEFdSqYrJG-2HWEWvTWQMrjjwYKZMbqDc2TEa-bk1co5dvrCJF2Ok0yNPjLI9aeb4yfgTgtvb6o26NEnaR8HB7_5KdY7RFOzfHxwo2g5tWs/s4032/IMG_6337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2iKKTB7kO5d13Z-XMkAMr4MgpKY3_rodCUBHVpxR6qdAMtKWNkOKj9eQfex8Nd1sjxm7GWDh5OARA9hdOEFdSqYrJG-2HWEWvTWQMrjjwYKZMbqDc2TEa-bk1co5dvrCJF2Ok0yNPjLI9aeb4yfgTgtvb6o26NEnaR8HB7_5KdY7RFOzfHxwo2g5tWs/s320/IMG_6337.jpg" width="240" /></a></b></div><p></p><p>If you don't come from an intensive camping background, like my family, you might not know what this means: a Discover Pass provides the necessary payment to help our state parks well-funded, and allows you to visit whatever Washington state parks you'd like. You actually can't visit without one (lest you incur a much more expensive fine). </p><p>Honestly, I think a Discover Pass is a worthwhile investment, as a tree-hugging Washingtonian, anyways: we're a state well known for our gorgeous, protected public lands, as well as plenty of serviceable public recreation areas. Regularly, a Discover Pass will run you $30 for an annual membership - considering adding it to your Christmas List now - as well as $10 for a one-day pass. When you pay to camp at local campgrounds - which can run you pretty steep, depending on where you're pitching your tent - the Discover Pass is likely included at the time of purchase. </p><p>But <b>once you get comfortable with checking out Discovery Passes from the library, you can visit day use areas as much as you'd like, for absolutely nothing! </b></p><p><a href="https://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/31/About-the-Pass" target="_blank">According to their government website,</a> Discovery Passes can be used to access "more than 100 developed state parks, more than 350 primitive recreation sites, including campgrounds and picnic areas, nearly 700 water access points, nearly 2,000 miles of designated water and land recreation trails," and even more. I'd say that getting all of that for free is a pretty worthwhile use of your time. </p><p>(<i>Note: while the Discover pass works on Washington State Parks and some other state-funded lands, it doesn't apply to federally-protected lands, like Mount Rainier, or the Olympic National Parks. Check out <a href="https://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/143/Washington-Recreation-Lands" target="_blank">this website to find all of the places you can visit, </a>and ideas on what to do when you get there!</i>)</p><p>Unlike the museum passes, which place limits on how many people can use it at once, <b>a Discover Pass hangs from the front windshield of your car, </b>so there's less of a limit placed on those who can go adventuring with you! Bring along whatever friends you'd like for a hike, a swim, a bout of birdwatching, some frisbee, roasting s'mores in a firepit... whatever activities you can think to enjoy outside. </p><p>You can <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S102C1674766" target="_blank">check out a Discover Pass from a nearby Tacoma Public Library branch</a> during service hours, using a valid library card, but during these gorgeous summer months, you're encouraged to check out the online catalog for current availability first. Discover Passes - like the museum passes - are available on a first come, first served basis, so you'll have to put in a little work to make sure you grab one when you need it! </p><p><br /></p><p><b>START A PODCAST... YES, REALLY</b></p><p><b>TPL has recently begun offering podcast kits you can check out for a limited time, and use to record, edit and upload high-quality audio</b>. Specifically, <a href="https://www.tacomalibrary.org/blogs/post/share-your-story-with-podcast-kits/" target="_blank">they offer both All-In-One and USB Microphone podcast kits, and have a limited number of each</a>, designated for two groups: "Grades 8-12" and "Adults." </p><p>According to their website, "[t]he All-in-one kit includes a portable Zoom H1n Handy Recorder which allows for easy recording of high-resolution audio, and is perfect for starting out on your podcasting journey," and "the USB Microphone kit is ideal for voice overs, and home studio recording." Both of these sound incredible for anyone looking to pick up a new hobby, or figure out if this otherwise costly undertaking is right for them! </p><p>And they're<b> not just offering up the tech equipment:</b> <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/64657b2323f0d4a393078a5c" target="_blank">TPL is also staging "Podcast Cafes," </a>a monthly group meeting led by a local digital media expert instructor, covering as varied topics as effectively setting up a usable recording space, how to generate interesting content across episodes, and even culturally-minded analyses on the popularity and effectiveness of current trends in podcasting. It allows you to connect with other people who might be undertaking the same journey you are, which allows you to pick up tips from other podcasting newbies, and provides a network for those looking for support in their creative endeavors. </p><p>So whether you're an adult looking to learn a new skill set, a teenager looking to build out their resume before college apps are due in the fall, or a group of friends looking to find a new outlet for their creative conversations, you might want to see if your local library offers podcasting kits, too. </p><p>I mean, you can even start up a podcast, using library equipment, about the books you've been checking out of the library! </p><p><br /></p><p><b>ATTEND LOCAL EVENTS... AND FREE ACTIVITIES</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigN5NAAlA1aMb6bkMn53OA-0lsbbtPSwHDn2ojupopqEXht5mMJIgdgK4asTGE9QOYpuJX-s8yCYEyDvd3QWsDzoT2orP40u1h2cjPc06MlgWtr3bqGa-_3cvyWjggtEOqyqWSoWAEWL6l2bRpSNEJdqVTEdLGx7lOfVjJinqmrJkIQd6nPp94Uhw9mPU/s4032/IMG_5949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigN5NAAlA1aMb6bkMn53OA-0lsbbtPSwHDn2ojupopqEXht5mMJIgdgK4asTGE9QOYpuJX-s8yCYEyDvd3QWsDzoT2orP40u1h2cjPc06MlgWtr3bqGa-_3cvyWjggtEOqyqWSoWAEWL6l2bRpSNEJdqVTEdLGx7lOfVjJinqmrJkIQd6nPp94Uhw9mPU/s320/IMG_5949.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Okay, I feel like out of everything I've said so far,<b> this might be right up there with "they've got books" as a kind of obvious function that libraries serve. </b><p></p><p>After all, if you're like me, you might still vividly recall when your local branch used to have that great big room reserved for community meetings, where you'd occasionally overhear a local book club or lecture taking place. Like I mentioned, libraries are a community hub, one where people can easily gather for free. </p><p>Then again, if you're like me,<b> you also might have no idea as to exactly how MANY events and activities are available through your local library. </b>I mean, I certainly didn't... at least, not until I started doing a little bit of research. </p><p>Yes, they absolutely do have lectures and classes, usually available for free, and they're pretty darn cool. For instance, they're<b> typically tailored to your particular locale,</b> which means than some of the lectures offered in my neck of the woods for this summer include things like <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/643062696a6a2a36000b21ca" target="_blank">eradicating Northern Giant Hornets</a>, earth stewardship-focused<a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/6448836e15e0d237009f61d2" target="_blank"> beach walks </a>provided by experts, <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/6451a5e064c37d3400833045" target="_blank">local government information</a> sessions, and <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/6484c6ef65b521b504b70ce3" target="_blank">how to save money on your utilities, presented by Tacoma Power and Tacoma Water</a>. </p><p>Plus, <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/6442e4ed4106613000d622af" target="_blank">how to make a box fan air filter.</a>.. very necessary for Washington residents come August. </p><p>Other offerings include a visit from<a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/6454328665e9014900d4882a" target="_blank"> the Reptile Man</a>, as well as a <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/644ab5b45a33d42800c9c224" target="_blank">Shelter Pets adoption event</a> in collaboration with the Tacoma Human Society, and even an <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/640b908fbf76ba2900ce9b2e" target="_blank">information session to learn more about Metro Parks Tacoma,</a> our local Parks and Recreation service. All of these can only lead to more adventures across the summer! </p><p>And if you're looking to get connected to other local readers, they've got plenty of options for those, too. I think almost all of them <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/v2/events?_ga=2.15233406.975434364.1687373753-1019340313.1639082017&_gl=1*12qnvhj*_ga*MTAxOTM0MDMxMy4xNjM5MDgyMDE3*_ga_FKNVC3J3FG*MTY4NzM4NjkxOS40OS4xLjE2ODczODg4MjEuMC4wLjA.*_ga_G99DMMNG39*MTY4NzM4NjkxOS45NC4xLjE2ODczODg4MjEuMC4wLjA.&types=5fc974395e8c0f2400fc8ab1" target="_blank">offers a book club or two</a>. Typically these meetings are tied to things like location of the library branch, or a particular genre, but also cover a diverse range of things like <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/63b72571ae399e2f00a52bc9" target="_blank">LGBT </a>reads, as well as "<a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/6441bf424106613000d60897" target="_blank">Books on Tap</a>," which meets offsite each month, at a local brewery. </p><p>Amongst the Tacoma Public Library calendar, there are links to <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/643f52c4bca4e529003b4e5f" target="_blank">local scavenger hunts</a>, <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/644d987715e0d237009fd3f4" target="_blank">community puzzle </a>events, game nights, <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/644c4a7a5772f8e02a814667" target="_blank">checkers and chess</a> games open for anyone, seed swaps, movie viewings, and so much more. There's plenty of <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/641a5d619212ab4200ab880d" target="_blank">children's storytime</a> events, like you might expect, but also <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/64385a7522222e41003548bf" target="_blank">pajama storytime</a> for families, and even <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/644c4a80444583fd2aff43a3" target="_blank">adult storytime,</a> where you just might encounter your next great read. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1GYqPCvqnHfeoJyK0SGySjYH4t9YVCcQi8p0SMwKg2RcC3lDPgEYVrvIaXEweB-S0394ooIek0H6GW3_6b9nCxFnbbaz6xmSVKNwjhIdKn9MB1uRy2aE1wSiVNS2_xAdUUvvRLF_pc91rXr1LmD7hg_OhmjlKFEaRleal3EVAh2nVmOA85spkwOg/s1170/IMG_5765.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1170" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1GYqPCvqnHfeoJyK0SGySjYH4t9YVCcQi8p0SMwKg2RcC3lDPgEYVrvIaXEweB-S0394ooIek0H6GW3_6b9nCxFnbbaz6xmSVKNwjhIdKn9MB1uRy2aE1wSiVNS2_xAdUUvvRLF_pc91rXr1LmD7hg_OhmjlKFEaRleal3EVAh2nVmOA85spkwOg/w400-h308/IMG_5765.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>There are art lessons... including "paint and sip" and "sculpt and gulp" nights, for those who are inclined to test their artistic merit under the influence, as well as lessons in <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/644192de6550263000ec61c7" target="_blank">string art,</a> <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/644ac4445a33d42800c9c5d0" target="_blank">bottle rockets</a>, and more. There's a <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/644451b49a45ed660e3ad238" target="_blank">virtual meetup for those interested in various kinds of fiber arts</a>, too! </p><p>Fans of nerd culture can take part in <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/641e1b216a6a2a3600094f53" target="_blank">Pokemon League</a> for both deck and DS users, <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/644c4a8385ffd4af2bb91ef4" target="_blank">Dungeons and Dragons</a> parties, <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/645c1bef64c37d340084454c" target="_blank">Comics and Animation Club</a>, <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/6442fa1f5a33d42800c902b1" target="_blank">Lego "Brick by Brick</a>" Club,<a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/64430ba2e183cca50944e933" target="_blank"> Nintendo Night</a> for Grades 8-12, and <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/6437376ef5d4442b25da43dd" target="_blank">Mario Kart</a> gaming. </p><p>There are tons of movie + craft options, all of which appeal to me greatly, like a "<a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/64543f8e73e31d2900b5b028" target="_blank">Ghibli at the Grand"</a> event downtown, where you can watch <i>Spirited Away</i> with free popcorn and make your own wooden bath token, or "<a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/64417d23434d783600535bdc" target="_blank">Do You Believe: a Month of Cher Movies and Crafts</a>," which, as you can see from the above conversation, has led to much excitement on the part of my sibling and I. </p><p>Those looking for a little public assistance might be interested in events like like <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/64136c16801792f542b63565" target="_blank">legal aid pop-ups</a>, digital instruction for seniors, or <a href="https://tacoma.bibliocommons.com/events/6463e9850e0afc41007488fb" target="_blank">drop-in tech help</a>. There's also events for homeless outreach that provide library patrons "with comprehensive life resources" as needed. </p><p>I'm sure that those looking to invest their time in those kinds of resources are more than welcome to reach out, as well: after all, the library is always looking for volunteers, too!</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">have I convinced you yet?</h3><p style="text-align: left;">Yes, I know, this is an absolute behemoth of a post. But if you've been impressed by its length, <b>that's only because of the incredible amount of challenges, events, and experiences made available to you,</b> through the magic of your local library! </p><p style="text-align: left;">Like I said in this particular blogpost, my experiences are pretty squarely tailored to my personal local institutions: the Seattle Public Library and Tacoma Library systems (as well as the Pierce County Library system, and King County Library system), are all the closest available resources for me, which means I've got a lot to pick and choose from.</p><p style="text-align: left;">To figure out what's on offer at your library, <b>I heartily recommend checking out their website, or visiting in person to ask a friendly librarian about what kinds of resources they have available for your to check out.</b> There might be plenty there that's not even included in this list... things like virtual reality headsets, other kinds of park passes, and even more adventures that await you, if you just take the chance to ask! </p><p style="text-align: left;">It's like they said on Arthur: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyxEDSnegTU&ab_channel=ArthurRead" target="_blank">Having fun isn't hard, when you've got a library card!</a>"</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Are you taking part in a Summer Reading Challenge? What sorts of events and activities do they put on at your local library? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-28769629628216944082023-06-08T13:26:00.001-07:002023-06-08T13:26:30.035-07:00Seven Steps to Prepare for a Summer Reading Challenge, According to Me <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9LLhhafF3Uc4iTqBdK89JQ7bXbkxrgQjWnOzYp5Xb0tBbr53rfuVIF9pIWCr5CWaiJp1QpU2fCn-BUIpfRbD0QMkoKgDv94OncLBu8Z6Y1rARlk5B8sZF9y_92fyBSiM4M7aL70ku89yXLrEzHODWqIzPGc18LZXc680BvvX6o-2phZQ0g2OPQNC/s940/seven%20easy%20steps%20to%20prepare%20for%20a%20summer%20reading%20challenge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9LLhhafF3Uc4iTqBdK89JQ7bXbkxrgQjWnOzYp5Xb0tBbr53rfuVIF9pIWCr5CWaiJp1QpU2fCn-BUIpfRbD0QMkoKgDv94OncLBu8Z6Y1rARlk5B8sZF9y_92fyBSiM4M7aL70ku89yXLrEzHODWqIzPGc18LZXc680BvvX6o-2phZQ0g2OPQNC/w640-h536/seven%20easy%20steps%20to%20prepare%20for%20a%20summer%20reading%20challenge.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>The arrival of Summer is heralded by different things, for different people. </p><p>For some, it may be the first time you hear ice cream truck music crackling through burnt-out speakers, playing through an open window. For others, it's when the temperature tips above a certain number of degrees (Tacoma hit 80 in mid-May this year). It may be the last of final papers graded and input into your classroom portal, or it may be the quiet resignation you feel towards finally starting to clean up the yard a little bit, while the grass is still green. </p><p>For me, it's when the<b> <a href="https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/authors-and-books/book-bingo/2023-book-bingo" target="_blank">Seattle Public Library finally publishes their Summer Reading Challenge Bingo Card for the year. </a></b></p><p>First discovered when I was in my senior year in college, living in my own apartment for the first (and last) time - soaking up as much independence as I could while completing my final class before graduation - SPL's Summer Book Bingo has become as quintessentially "summer" to me as strawberry lemonade, local baseball games, or manhandling gargantuan, spider-covered zucchini from the garden. </p><p>It is the defining factor as to <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2017/06/how-to-construct-vacation-tbr-pile.html" target="_blank">how much room I need left in my luggage while I pack for Central Oregon</a>, or what's going to keep me distracted from the<a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2021/08/what-i-read-while-i-was-camping-reviews.html" target="_blank"> mosquitos or wildfire smoke we inevitably encounter on our various camping trips</a>. It's what causes my purse to hang a little lower, with the heft of my Kindle tucked inside, when someone decides on an afternoon jaunt to the waterfront, and it provides the backdrop for a variety of gorgeous titles in my room, luxuriating in the late evening sun that splashes across my bed, shining through the slats of the blinds. </p><p>It's what decides if my August is spent in tense self-hatred, or a warm feeling of accomplishment. (Full disclosure, in the many years I've been taking part in this challenge, last summer was pretty much the first time ever with this challenge that I got to enjoy that second experience.) </p><p>The point is, SPL's Summer Book Bingo provides a framework around which I organize my summer reading, every year. It has led me to books that changed my worldview ( like <i>This is Going to Hurt,</i> by Adam McKay), and books that I still mutter about under my breath (like Paolo Bacigalupi's <i>The Water Knife</i>). It causes me to reach beyond my comfort zone, or indulge in old favorites, or finally pick up that one title on my shelf I've been eyeing for forever. </p><p>And yes, it's still not the only reading challenge I have on deck for this year. (Because of how much I love The Ripped Bodice, as well, it's not even the only bingo reading challenge I'm taking part in THIS SUMMER.) But it is the one that takes up the most of my time and brainpower, and the one that earns itself a giant stack of books teetering perilously across the span of my endtable. </p><p>Because I want you to take part, too, I figured I'd make you<b> a handy step-by-step guide on how to prepare for your Summer Reading Challenge of Choice. </b></p><p>(Though if you are taking part in the SPL Bingo, too, I certainly can't wait to hear about all of your plans!)</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRastiMsIjS-i1TfHNpPD18ZrZmFwVepNUQNA94NhqoijxVun5JxTa-wuFPO41-jonQSukJeTLuc_kPYPgl4xkiMo5SDZfZiwghvitAAwTL3SmLNpn7CVLHel0aD_3PzGXwywrPNBQ4w3NqC-NviedA6y1h-2HggYSVDAcGvjqWl8448y7ZZSrynJg/s3321/IMG_5889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3321" data-original-width="2871" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRastiMsIjS-i1TfHNpPD18ZrZmFwVepNUQNA94NhqoijxVun5JxTa-wuFPO41-jonQSukJeTLuc_kPYPgl4xkiMo5SDZfZiwghvitAAwTL3SmLNpn7CVLHel0aD_3PzGXwywrPNBQ4w3NqC-NviedA6y1h-2HggYSVDAcGvjqWl8448y7ZZSrynJg/s320/IMG_5889.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><b>STEP ONE: </b>Wait, anxiously, for weeks, until your Reading Challenge of Choice finally gets uploaded to the Internet. For <a href="https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/authors-and-books/book-bingo/2023-book-bingo" target="_blank">Seattle Public Library's 2023 Summer Reading Book Bingo,</a> that means May 25th. For the <a href="https://www.therippedbodicela.com/bingo" target="_blank">Ripped Bodice's 2023 Romance Book Bingo, that's June 3rd. </a>Both feel like an eternity. <p></p><p><br /></p><p><b>STEP TWO:</b> Print out your Bingo card, or various reading challenge forms of measurement. For some people, that might look more like hooking up to an app on your phone - which is increasingly used at libraries these days - but for those of us who prefer a more tactile recording style, that means you either have to hightail it to your nearest library branch, or print out your own copy online. </p><p>(And if you belong to the Summer Book Bingo challenge in Seattle in particular, make sure your printer has plenty of yellow ink left. Trust me.)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>STEP THREE:</b> Get your bearings. Read through your Challenge one or two times before you even take another step, just to get a lay of the topography of what you're working with. How confident are you, before diving into the nitty gritty work? How are you feeling? </p><p>Assemble one (or two, no more than three) beverages or snacks of your choice, grab something to write with and something to write on, and mosey on over to your TBR stack(s) or shelf(/ves). </p><p><br /></p><p><b>STEP FOUR:</b> One by one, go through each square on the Bingo Card. Try not to balk at anything too early, daunting though they may be - <i>'Joyful?'</i> you may think,<i> 'Hip Hop'? 'Sea Creatures'?</i> - but just take each new square as it comes. When greeted by the prompt, does anything come to mind immediately? Are there any 'Indigenous Author's in your stacks? What about a 'Manga / Graphic Novel'? Start to assemble your Summer Challenge TBR Stack with things you already have on hand; no Barnes and Noble run or library holds waiting required. </p><p>Of course, some of them are going to get you stuck. The Seattle Public Library has, thankfully, thought of his already, and has put together various lists for you to choose from, should you not be able to make it on your own. Some are, obviously, not included - for instance, 'Read with a Friend' has a lot more to do with a Friend than the Library - but most are there for you to select from a large assortment. It's up to you to decide! </p><p>(And if the Library Lists don't work out, of course, there's always Google, and Goodreads Genre Lists, and Storygraph selections, and all sorts of pathways for diving your future reads. Make sure you reach out to a bookish friend or two and see what they're reading this Summer, as well!)</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAAiSJL2A1pXfdlMVejJQY54RW86t9FYl2P6-TIqqQrpt3lkZ452ulipftIs4Hg3ZXxEXGSquW6APbcySQacb5NefN_4lIT6BVOsl3RjZApKaEapVDs1dPYJu9BOIb7SurRDev-gIF-7pTmQIyaz_5RfznJzbEX2RHU1Ew4zT-MuePaN28-KH1pPz/s4032/IMG_5949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAAiSJL2A1pXfdlMVejJQY54RW86t9FYl2P6-TIqqQrpt3lkZ452ulipftIs4Hg3ZXxEXGSquW6APbcySQacb5NefN_4lIT6BVOsl3RjZApKaEapVDs1dPYJu9BOIb7SurRDev-gIF-7pTmQIyaz_5RfznJzbEX2RHU1Ew4zT-MuePaN28-KH1pPz/s320/IMG_5949.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><b>STEP FIVE: </b>In the case that you've figured out a book worth reading that fits the Challenge prompt, but you don't necessarily have on your shelves, then you've got a perfect solution: remember how these kinds of challenges are <i>hosted and promoted by your local library</i>? It's time for you to use it! Even for someone with particularly robust reading shelves, like me, I still had to place about twelve different holds for books throughout the library system to cover absolutely all of my bases. <p></p><p>Make sure you're taking into account things like Due Dates, which might otherwise interfere with your summer reading plans, as well as Holds Lists, because chances are, other people are taking a part in the same challenge you are, too! I'd recommend going after "achievable" holds lists only, and not bothering with those that might take longer than your summer to get through: for instance, Shelby Van Pelt's <i>Remarkably Bright Creatures</i> certainly might have fit the "Sea Creatures" bill perfectly, but there are over 30 people in the holds line before me, and there are only ten copies on deck in the library system for lending. Yikes! </p><p>If you're the kind of person who is NOT on a Book Buying Ban - you lucky thing, you - make sure to plan where you're picking up each of your reads, too, and get to ordering what you need. Barnes and Noble, or Half Price Books, or Goodwill? Thrift Books, or Bookshop.Org? Chart your course! Though I would, of course, recommend starting with your cheaper options first, and climbing upwards as availability wanes. Remember some online retailers, like Book Outlet, have fairly long wait times for your packages, in case you're trying to get your books read sooner rather than later! </p><p><br /></p><p><b>STEP SIX: </b>After you've got all of your materials pulled together, it's time to rank your stack. Anything with a Due Date goes on top first: any and all library books have got to go, before someone else stakes a claim on your title before you finish it! </p><p>Next up, are any books that have been lent to you from other bookish companions, so you don't force your very generous friends to wait for you. Then, everything else! </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9CR13af4RKxoEiHBaIhd1dF2VI1bpx5yyi81tJXS6rn6kycWZX_gNv6LRcVdbOVctGRem6oLrbsdk3OMjpkCmuiCi6WpZZ3uP1uvn-WUh86_KDb02rqMx0J8HQHhuVmqvSssS8MYsERmikanccQpubsvWO32dv9laGMW1ZYyyWrE-TUaXvwyDr8o/s4032/IMG_5953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9CR13af4RKxoEiHBaIhd1dF2VI1bpx5yyi81tJXS6rn6kycWZX_gNv6LRcVdbOVctGRem6oLrbsdk3OMjpkCmuiCi6WpZZ3uP1uvn-WUh86_KDb02rqMx0J8HQHhuVmqvSssS8MYsERmikanccQpubsvWO32dv9laGMW1ZYyyWrE-TUaXvwyDr8o/s320/IMG_5953.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><b>STEP SEVEN: </b>Plan it out. There are approximately fourteen Sundays between Memorial Day Weekend and the first Sunday of September... you need to make sure you know what goalposts to be hitting each week! If you're trying to complete the Seattle Public Library Book Bingo, that means twenty-four books, across fourteen weeks: if you can commit to reading two books, every week, then you'll end the Summer Reading Challenge with time to spare... ideally, for more reading! <p></p><p>Are there any books, in particular, you're going to want to read earlier or later in the Summer? What's going to make for the perfect beach read, or what will make more sense to keep at home for weeknight dedication? Which Horror novel are you going to want to be safe in your own bed while reading, and which Romance makes more sense to bring along with you on that overnight camping trip? </p><p>At the very least, try to divide your stack so that you know what you're going to be attempting for your upcoming two weeks at a time.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then, all there's left to do is get started! Make sure you keep your Book Bingo Card handy, for easy recording, and keep on top of those Library Due Dates, so you don't incur any unnecessary fines as a result of sheer enthusiasm. Check the Events section of your local library's website to see if there are any Reading Challenge-related events you can attend; SPL partners with Seattle Arts and Lectures for this exact reason. Check out an author visit, or if your library branch is super high tech, see if you can attend virtually.</p><p>There's more Summer Library content coming down the pipe from me, but for now, get to charting your course for adventure this summer, by taking part in a Reading Challenge! I can't wait to see what new treasures you'll discover this year... my own challenge is already well underway.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Are you taking part in a Summer Reading Challenge this year? Is it through Seattle Public Libraries and Seattle Arts & Lectures? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-3690021916676410162023-05-30T02:34:00.003-07:002023-05-30T02:34:39.823-07:00Top Ten Tuesday: Things that Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvz5cgktR-ljaImr1-1QUbU1TUw5jkkKNe6mPykH_UjntE-_8-xzFpMzE0XTdawmprOTz7sDgEGdmuMdg3_3z00XGpRtnj7QTOwPURAlyiMWqriwtVuVSniWFQ4d3JnpvhkPLLclL9DyJRhXVroW6SdKATBZUvMIpulR1wuR5WlNBWDAEzaEkLEAz/s940/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvz5cgktR-ljaImr1-1QUbU1TUw5jkkKNe6mPykH_UjntE-_8-xzFpMzE0XTdawmprOTz7sDgEGdmuMdg3_3z00XGpRtnj7QTOwPURAlyiMWqriwtVuVSniWFQ4d3JnpvhkPLLclL9DyJRhXVroW6SdKATBZUvMIpulR1wuR5WlNBWDAEzaEkLEAz/w640-h538/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly bookish shareable, hosted by <a href="https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl!</a></i></div><div><br /></div>So, here's the thing: usually I like to start my "Top Ten Tuesday" posts with some kind of prefacing, before we hit the theme. General remarks about how my life is going, what I've been up to, usually why I haven't been reading all that much, the whole shebang. But there's a bit of a problem with that this week... because I also usually write the rest of the post before I write the introduction, similar to how I used to write the body of my papers before I tackled the introductory paragraph (which, if you know how to do this properly, totally streamlines the difficulty of actually getting started writing your paper). <div><br /></div><div>Which is why I can tell you right now, that <b>this blog post is somewhat inordinately long. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>What can I say? I've got a lot to say. You already saw it at work last week, when the "TTT" theme was a mirrored version of this one: ask me<a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/05/top-ten-tuesday-things-that-make-me.html" target="_blank"> what makes me immediately want to pick up a book</a>, and I'll write about 2K words about it. Ask me about what makes me NOT want to pick up a book? Well... maybe I'll write a little more. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe I'll write a LOT more. <br /><div><br /></div><div>And before you get started making your way down the list, let it be known that <b>I'm making a personal judgement call here</b>: I originally tried to draft this blogpost by tackling hard subjects like "Undisclosed Sexual Assault," "Uninformed Interactions with Racist Language," and "Pretty Much Anything from Anyone Involved in Politics as a General Profession But Political Celebrities in Particular," because each of those are, 100%, things that will virtually guarantee I do not even touch, let alone purposefully read, that book. However, in trying to detail my thoughts and feelings, it started making me so angry and upset that I was paragraphs and paragraphs in before I realized that this wasn't a blogpost I even wanted to be <i>writing</i>, let alone would would ever even want to read as a fellow reader. <div><p>So I refined my scope and tried to keep things closer to target for things that were specific, funny or interesting, or at a minimum, less absolutely dire. In the words of Marge Simpson, "Kids, could you lighten up a little?" </p><p>Warning: <b>The Sass Factor was not lost in the rewrites though.</b> I'm still propelled by that feeling of righteous fury, it's just lodging itself into different targets, some of which you might not agree with.</p><p>Just my opinions, though. Careful: they're a little... wordy. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>1. Multiple Points of View in the Narrative</b></p><p>Starting out with a bang here! I asked my brother for help writing this list, and boy, did he deliver: "You always complain about Multi-POVs." You sure bet I do!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEzxONYp8Y7OVpz0yn033umCeoFMy400R4BRC8oPGJaZ8A6y19Z1sx_eLtE8LFtVC3jDkLQVcqRoR6FOJyrt2rvm7IoAUDmOZY9pKmpRGdgrNIYz0aK0fgX224Hpw792gnBUyCVltJ4sqMQGT8f1ufZh7Rn-fzdAOAstfOQHqeNeh84zyj-M-7yB8m" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEzxONYp8Y7OVpz0yn033umCeoFMy400R4BRC8oPGJaZ8A6y19Z1sx_eLtE8LFtVC3jDkLQVcqRoR6FOJyrt2rvm7IoAUDmOZY9pKmpRGdgrNIYz0aK0fgX224Hpw792gnBUyCVltJ4sqMQGT8f1ufZh7Rn-fzdAOAstfOQHqeNeh84zyj-M-7yB8m=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Mutli-POVs are annoying for those who prefer linear plot, confusing for those who are easily distracted, and are especially agonizing for those of us who have to pick up and put their book down multiple times a day during short breaks. Depending on the size of the cast of characters who form our viewpoint into the world, it might be eons before I swing back to the same person again, and by that point, I will most likely have lost the grip on who they are, what they're doing, and where we were last time I checked in. <p></p><p>From a slightly more critical perspective, it can also come across as a cheap and easy way to build suspense, especially when your chapters end on <i>Nancy-Drew</i>-style cliffhangers. By chopping up perspectives into fragmented pieces, you're forcing your audience to keep reading to gain understanding, and when it comes in such truncated morsels being switched around like a shuffled deck of cards, your readers run the risk of losing the plot, and it can be hard to jump back in as seamlessly. </p><p>I've straight up thought about reading a book all the way through, one POV at a time, rather than just keep swimming through. That's how much this particular style drives me nuts. </p><p>(That all being said, I do love some Leigh Bardugo. I'll brave it - and more - for her.) </p><p><br /></p><p><b>2. Overly Numbers-Focused or Specific-Detailed Nonfiction</b></p><p>I'm not saying I've ever been diagnosed with dyscalculia, but I'm also not saying that anyone has ever tried. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxc1ncBBEqoo97PiKIkXK8p9A3RQKWslr1PRzPhljW-EBOUooLUwxzqNnx4ws63PZk5fH-gAwAnQMfrCdwHM2MuLsR2hE6DKDVxW4KILNkr3A5G5ZgbCNY10FUpSNbC67yd1n58wXTOwlsqmZg5laJK-oJRe5_ezf5NE85T6fcdcwBP1UOpNGQWVhj" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxc1ncBBEqoo97PiKIkXK8p9A3RQKWslr1PRzPhljW-EBOUooLUwxzqNnx4ws63PZk5fH-gAwAnQMfrCdwHM2MuLsR2hE6DKDVxW4KILNkr3A5G5ZgbCNY10FUpSNbC67yd1n58wXTOwlsqmZg5laJK-oJRe5_ezf5NE85T6fcdcwBP1UOpNGQWVhj=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>I'm all about backing up your information with clear and discernable proof, but at the same time, you could be just putting whatever numbers you wanted in there and I would literally never be able to tell the difference. I don't necessarily want the specifics unless they're in clearly communicated percentages, and even then, feel free to round up to the nearest ten or something. I believe that you know how to interpret data better than I do; just skip to the good stuff and let's get on with it! <br /><p></p><p>Furthermore, I feel similarly about incredibly detailed lists of names, for both people and places. I'm willing to bet the scholars go crazy for information overload like this, but I am not a scholar, I am just a girl who is considering whether to adjust her position lying down on the sofa because reading like this for too long is making all the blood lazily wander towards my elbows, and now my fingers are numb. </p><p>I do not need to know the specifics, I'm just here for a good time. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>3. Horny Fantasy Fae, in General, but Sarah J. Maas in Particular</b></p><p>Doesn't the whole thing just remind you of the Paranormal tidal wave - of moody black covers, and models with bang-covered faces and mysterious tattoos, and backless ruffled dresses - that overtook the YA shelves of Borders back in, like, 2008? Only now, we're tackling iteration after iteration of thorn-entwined titles, ambiguously described monarchy systems, and all too many discussions about wingspans and tails. </p><p>What remains are the broody, tattooed and angsty poster people. And, as always, descriptions of piercing eyes, be they green or blue (or, occasionally, purple). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0tj8AfMlJtss-6PJ9nh3YnPqZf4pNqZSnaF3imANrUWo7GVhAbmHG8EiEvSnWUBiVry4FmxoPgYlEWdkeKxIoLBk-NCtGLFIdmJfyCJ23UQNlIgQkSKmER2p6GNpkqjnKrfJLUy1Eqlpj-WreAFO1kgT9uxZApIYG9C0uff6GtQvtqpmbNQS_yV1p" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0tj8AfMlJtss-6PJ9nh3YnPqZf4pNqZSnaF3imANrUWo7GVhAbmHG8EiEvSnWUBiVry4FmxoPgYlEWdkeKxIoLBk-NCtGLFIdmJfyCJ23UQNlIgQkSKmER2p6GNpkqjnKrfJLUy1Eqlpj-WreAFO1kgT9uxZApIYG9C0uff6GtQvtqpmbNQS_yV1p=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>The thing that stings the most is that I was absolutely a fan of Maas, back in the original run of her popularity... approximately ten years ago. For people in the know back when the book blogosphere was a happening place - back when I was too busy resenting the medium shift that was already turning towards YouTube, let alone ever thinking everyone would someday take up future residence on TikTok less than a decade later - I got into a little series called <i>Throne of Glass</i>, the first book of which was published the summer I graduated high school. Have you heard of it? (More importantly, were you one of the people who read all of the novellas when they were still only offered on ebook, long before <i>Assassin's Blade</i> was released?) I only stuck with it through <i>Heir of Fire</i>, but remained interested in Maas' work. <p></p><p><i>A Court of Thorns and Roses</i> was published all the way back in the Spring of 2015, and when a friend in the English major asked me "You like <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> retellings, right?" I was ecstatic to borrow her copy. I ended up sticking with the series all the way through <i>A Court of Frost and Starlight</i>, which came out only three short years later, in 2018, before I decided I had had enough, and bailed. Despite the fact that I started reading traditional genre Romance-with-a-capital-R that same year, I really didn't love where I saw Maas' series headed, and had started to get bugged by some of the quirks of her writing style that were only thrown into sharper relief the more I read on. </p><p>Lo and behold, about five years later, I've been tempted to start a drinking game for every time a well-meaning, usually younger friend asks me, "Oh, you like to read, right? Have your heard of <i>ACOTAR</i>?" And while I still absolutely respect the various faeries and their tails of my youth - Hi, Holly Black, I will always love you - I definitely don't pick up that many of those kinds of books anymore. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>4. Men Who Write Under Deliberately Gender-Ambiguous Pen Names So That You Think That Their Women-Centered Novels Were Written By Women, Because Capitalism Works Better That Way</b></p><p>(Important Note: <i>neither transphobia nor prejudice against nonbinary individuals have anything to do with what I'm talking about here.</i> What I'm telling you is that Riley Sager Thrillers - which unilaterally feature female main characters in danger, occasionally placed into gender-specific peril - are written by a man who identifies as a man and writes under male names like Alan and Todd, except when he wants to publish as Riley. I'm talking specifically about Men Writing In the Hopes That You'll Think They're Women In Order to Sell More Copies of Books Where Women Are Usually In Danger, because they know they are writing books that center female main characters, which are primarily marketed towards female readers. Trans and nonbinary authors, on the other hand, are rad as hell.) </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZey6xG9s2XEghAYPEaBJMvIYtFl_1r01sghmb2lcGHI0NPP8b74ZbIzqxRt4U-ahgNYqLIn0fsiBHnWYx8pUo72u11EYKoQYnXNCqE1JTawlg4Wzw8pdJ5-vgbh0_ZIMSxJjWJrhr4_GXEd7_fDVj4HMuyIuKvjfz8rf0ailUbmvPufB_qkYA6y_f" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="464" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZey6xG9s2XEghAYPEaBJMvIYtFl_1r01sghmb2lcGHI0NPP8b74ZbIzqxRt4U-ahgNYqLIn0fsiBHnWYx8pUo72u11EYKoQYnXNCqE1JTawlg4Wzw8pdJ5-vgbh0_ZIMSxJjWJrhr4_GXEd7_fDVj4HMuyIuKvjfz8rf0ailUbmvPufB_qkYA6y_f=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><p></p><p>Some of you may be balking at this point, saying "That's not a real thing." Or maybe you're rejecting this based on the principle that it's a double standard, because women have done this for centuries: after all, George Eliot was a woman, the Brontes (Charlotte, Emily, Anne) originally had to publish as the Bells (Currer, Ellis, Acton) to get any kind of eyes on their work, and even Victoria Schwab chose to publish Fantasy under V. E. Schwab, rather than have a more recognizably-female name leading the way in a male-dominated genre.</p><p>And some of you, for the first time, are realizing right now that Riley Sager is actually a guy. </p><p>(He's also far from the only one doing this in contemporary Thriller publishing, as was covered fairly extensively in 2017, in <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/08/men-are-pretending-to-be-women-to-write-books/535671/" target="_blank"><i>The Atlantic</i></a>, the <i><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-guys-dont-mind-if-you-think-theyre-women-1500303376" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>,</i> in <a href="https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/in-a-world-where-women-read-more-than-men-it-pays-to-write-from-their-perspective" target="_blank"><i>MEL Magazine</i></a>, and by<i> </i><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/shortcuts/2017/jul/18/riley-sager-and-other-male-authors-benefiting-from-a-gender-neutral-pen-name" target="_blank"><i>the Guardian</i>.</a> Some great, more conversational coverage was provided by some of the ladies at <i><a href="https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2017/07/male-authors-thrillers-ambiguous-pen-names/" target="_blank">Smart Bitches, Trashy Books</a></i>, for an individualized perspective these writeups don't cover.) </p><p>And for the record, yes, I absolutely hated, HATED <i>Final Girls</i>, in part specifically because I hated how the female main character was written, long before I found out she was written by a guy. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>5. Romances When There Are Babies and Kids Involved </b></p><p>For the love of all that is produced in mass market paperback and has a shirtless man on the cover, I don't want to ever read another Romance novel where kids are involved. There's just too much that can - and depending on the care of your author, <i>will</i> - go sideways. </p><p>For instance, I hate the "surprise baby" trope in all iterations. I also hate the "miracle baby" plot resolution technique. I have heard of, but have thankfully never encountered, the "accidental pregnancy" trope, thank GOD, because I honestly don't think my anxiety can handle it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCdwNeFZHtuaxPxS0tRNQwGCgEJz7Sbnqrs0FNbqX5w2tioZ9JBHQJTOwGzWDuFB0vPxHkxW1MRprurU07jD4pLYIm0kxTsXfaRx8xfpLecO_sf5jGiDMei1euaLMyhpW_MnrkrJ1ZKa4S5S5TD9j9wjohRYSJbYYFS5DdYYaH04iSGjY-vJ3K0mDF" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCdwNeFZHtuaxPxS0tRNQwGCgEJz7Sbnqrs0FNbqX5w2tioZ9JBHQJTOwGzWDuFB0vPxHkxW1MRprurU07jD4pLYIm0kxTsXfaRx8xfpLecO_sf5jGiDMei1euaLMyhpW_MnrkrJ1ZKa4S5S5TD9j9wjohRYSJbYYFS5DdYYaH04iSGjY-vJ3K0mDF=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>I hate the "precocious daughter" who encourages her dad to ask out her pretty music (or dance, or art) teacher, and I hate the "angry teenage son" who the boyfriend has to win over in order to really get with the mom. I hate children who talk like adults, and children who demonstrate abilities and understanding far beyond (or below!) appropriate growth benchmarks for the sake of adding some kind of dimension or humor to lackluster dialogue, and I especially hate when they are used as a tool to push an unnecessary narrative choice on behalf of their parent, only to never be brought up again. <p></p><p>Do people have kids? Absolutely. Do people with kids deserve romance too? Hell yeah! But then let's have plots where those kids actually act like actual kids, whose lives are actually tied to their actual parents, and don't exist solely to railroad a particular plot direction or generate otherwise bonkers stakes for the couple to be together, or even just establish sympathy for a character (because let's be real, the guy might have a daughter, but that in no way precludes him from being a total jerk). </p><p>I blame my loathing of this entire thing on Hallmark Channel Original Christmas movies. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>6. Escapist-Genre Authors Who Don't Take Their World-Building "Hard Topics" Seriously</b></p><p>Maybe I'm just voicing gripes about world issues here, but I've had a couple of books in the past few years who have really lost points in my eyes, because they couldn't get an appropriate handle on the important subject matter their main characters were engaging with.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLOecTOR-cr0RcMirCsjqpmq6kQCsE0XxuIgpqw9vvX96_I9X0bhcYp1eaPsmWY6bW5cWSAdT_D0ugARXRAxOWuXG9rQqhDrOq6PZC8YRtWxGWkh6sJBG-gU8tkl_tpfUzOFqXXONwFSs5dPNJpFIhXKOw1ukdSB58BR_gLeA24sykgEjTWgH_FWT2" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="255" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLOecTOR-cr0RcMirCsjqpmq6kQCsE0XxuIgpqw9vvX96_I9X0bhcYp1eaPsmWY6bW5cWSAdT_D0ugARXRAxOWuXG9rQqhDrOq6PZC8YRtWxGWkh6sJBG-gU8tkl_tpfUzOFqXXONwFSs5dPNJpFIhXKOw1ukdSB58BR_gLeA24sykgEjTWgH_FWT2" width="153" /></a></div><p></p><p>If your Science Fiction interacts with the after-effects of warfare that ravages a civilization and displaces a wave of refugees... if your Fantasy involves an enslaved race of peoples subjugated under a tyrannical rule that perpetuates in their daily interactions within social classes... if your Romance deals with severe misogyny or god forbid, some form of sexual violence, I'm going to need you to step the hell up and engage with that kind of plot content seriously. Put your big kid boots on, and get to marching: do the hard work, do right by your characters, and do right by the world you live in. </p><p>If all you can offer up is a general "gosh, I feel bad about that" sympathy shrug from your main characters - oftentimes only to set up the idea that they're the 'good guys' - without any form of meaningful interaction or demonstratable change, or for heaven's sake, if you're just trying to instill it as a kind of backstory quirk to make this character notable or interesting, then why the hell are you putting such content there in the first place?</p><p>Maybe just don't trifle around with real life hard issues... if you don't actually care about them? </p><p><br /></p><p><b>7. Straight-White-Male-Dominated Fantasy Worlds (Like, Your World Has <i>Dragons</i> In It, But God Forbid Two Women Talk To Each Other)</b></p><p>It is a major point of difference in the reading decisions of my brother and I, that I do not enjoy the <i>Lord of the Rings </i>novels. I tried it - spent over a month of my freshman year of college attempting to trudge through <i>Fellowship of the Ring</i>, and eventually emerged on the other side so burnt out that I didn't read anything else for about two weeks after I finished it - and I did not like it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-7gspHehTxaWmAKQoefjB3lEC6S3b5C90cfbeG3Nj9n21Yklf2FalUtx1ktrHEAQYOV0rS8E08zRhQG-cVs9HQwzXwX__KgHBqK7q_4J7OYOOYup9Do58UPUOXRVAUgTOvgC1kUoeHvJfxrv--1RGl9FiroKfCGxzdMR1ZrJwYq-yxc9wu13-jZbp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-7gspHehTxaWmAKQoefjB3lEC6S3b5C90cfbeG3Nj9n21Yklf2FalUtx1ktrHEAQYOV0rS8E08zRhQG-cVs9HQwzXwX__KgHBqK7q_4J7OYOOYup9Do58UPUOXRVAUgTOvgC1kUoeHvJfxrv--1RGl9FiroKfCGxzdMR1ZrJwYq-yxc9wu13-jZbp" width="160" /></a></div>(As I glibly remarked to my brother recently, in regards to the movies, if I wanted to hear about a bunch of white dudes backpacking through New Zealand, I would have stayed in touch with more of the fraternity guys I knew in college after graduation.)<p></p><p>If I'm actually going to sit down and dedicate my time towards reading a High Fantasy, there had better be at least three or four female (or gender-non-conforming) characters named within the first forty to fifty pages. Not even main characters, just... people! And they've got to be actual people, with motivations and voices and a variety of ethnic backgrounds. I don't care how many Zs or Xs or inappropriately distributed apostrophes their names have; what I do care about is if anyone in your main cast is same-sex-oriented. </p><p>If you can conceive of a Fantasy world, with its own geography and language and cultures and foods, and you're still coming out on the other side with nearly everyone in the entire novel just being a straight white dude whose only distinction is in what weapon they carry and what facial hair they grow, then I don't know what to tell you. </p><p>Maybe just that the world is an exciting place to live in, and you should go meet more real life people before you try writing any more fictional ones? </p><p><br /></p><p><b>8. The Phrase "Whatever God Looks Like to You," or Plenty of Other Couched Religious Thoughts Like It, in Self Help</b></p><p>To defend myself a little here, I was raised Catholic. I read Catholic- and Christian-oriented books with some degree of regularity. But the thing about Catholicism is that... it's not exactly known for being subtle. Chances are, beyond <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKQ_sQKBASM&ab_channel=SpanishInquisition" target="_blank">the Spanish Inquisition</a>, you're going to see Catholicism coming from a mile away. </p><p>I don't know what it is about the Self Help genre, but there are an awful lot of religious folks in here. And in particular, there are a lot of Christians who want to couch their religious convictions behind a thin veil of pseudo-secularism. </p><p>It drives me absolutely nuts to see Christian values nestled inside a Self-Help book with the idea that</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtZxT0_3j_2TLBsoIUQT0pT7uXqeQPowO0DvAnjY8fOR9Zhjmg5OVJbIqwTACZq8P8PJqvDI6gP5T8-7nOmPCPUsXOfU2QhRKPhZyHyGfXLk-5fIziaLi4AdmyArK8t2ldFFpnIXYhXsND-lZ5KVk-ouNonHpZGZJT0-sxsUaCC9ovqqbTzD8UBFn2" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtZxT0_3j_2TLBsoIUQT0pT7uXqeQPowO0DvAnjY8fOR9Zhjmg5OVJbIqwTACZq8P8PJqvDI6gP5T8-7nOmPCPUsXOfU2QhRKPhZyHyGfXLk-5fIziaLi4AdmyArK8t2ldFFpnIXYhXsND-lZ5KVk-ouNonHpZGZJT0-sxsUaCC9ovqqbTzD8UBFn2=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>it's somehow able to be parsed out in your own individualized direction with a flippant note from the author. It's relying too much on the reader to somehow adjust their own perspectives and experience, rather than have the author deconstruct how their own beliefs inform their insights in the first place. <p></p><p>Notably, the book I have on display here - <i>At Your Best</i>, by Casey Nieuwhof - is an example of the<i> appropriate</i> way to do this within the Self Help sphere: he's literally a pastor, on top of being a motivational speaker and author, and not only does he immediately clarify the role religion plays in his life from the introductory material, but almost no doctrine actually comes up when discussing the Self Help principles he recommends, only in how making these kinds of lifestyle changes affected his own work schedule. Be like Casey. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>9. Fantasy Words That Are Just Straight-Up Corollaries for Previously Existing Countries and Cultures</b></p><p>(Okay, to be very clear, I'm not coming for Leigh Bardugo again. I love her! But again, this is absolutely something she does in her world-building. To the point: recently, I was reading about the war in Ukraine, and stumbled upon a reference to the Russian city of Novo<i>si</i>birsk. I spent about ten minutes puzzling over why that name sounded so familiar, until I realized that Novo<i>kri</i>birsk is one of the Ravkan cities adjacent to the Shadow Fold in the Grishaverse.)</p><p>I think it's more of a factor in Middle Grade and Young Adult Fantasy - or, like with<i> </i>some movies and television shows, and a whole lot of video games, more of a wider-spanning media phenomenon - but if your only contributions to building out an entirely new world are to muddle up the names a little bit, and just adopt, wholesale, entire cultural touchstones of that particular country without identifying it specifically, then I don't know if you're doing your world a service in its construction. Nor really the people of that real-world country. </p><p>I acknowledge that this is occasionally very intentional (for instance, <i>The Hunger Games </i>deliberately takes place in a post-apocalyptic America, and as such, the Districts operate as recognizable parts of the United States). I just also think this is occasionally very lazy. And occasionally, kinda problematic. </p><p>For more info why, check out<a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FantasyCounterpartCulture" target="_blank"> this incredibly detailed TV Tropes page on "Fantasy Counterpart Culture."</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b>10. Just Not Really Being All That Interested In Reading It... At Least, Not Right Now. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7M2zBYNEa9bnSk280RRy5kpIZvGksblKgWhk91o2OQvY81Y__-UzMFxw-__jZ4HIaR3lR-BdY3LRB1l6ZXuPg-pbwLPJ1aU__QjVGDaB3QmmgR66j8TNqiwFRwJ5pvtvLdx1hVH_pbKYxIA9SkrwhIxwuzDF5ipbAM9HzAzmA5C0SYG65DsnpIgPd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1718" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7M2zBYNEa9bnSk280RRy5kpIZvGksblKgWhk91o2OQvY81Y__-UzMFxw-__jZ4HIaR3lR-BdY3LRB1l6ZXuPg-pbwLPJ1aU__QjVGDaB3QmmgR66j8TNqiwFRwJ5pvtvLdx1hVH_pbKYxIA9SkrwhIxwuzDF5ipbAM9HzAzmA5C0SYG65DsnpIgPd=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></div>This is, by far, my reading habit that most drives my brother up the wall. I am - notoriously, historically, frustratingly - a mood reader, first and foremost. And it can absolutely tank my enjoyment when I try to read something I'm just really not feeling in that moment. <p></p><p>For instance, I first read Naomi Novik's <i>Spinning Silver </i>when Washington was in the middle of a stretch of snowy days. It was absolutely perfect... because I was in the right mindset to read something wintry and cozy! On the other side, I've had Katherine Arden's <i>The Bear and the Nightingale</i> waiting on my TBR for a while now, sitting around for the right kind of weather forecast, no matter how often my friends have told me to just tackle it on the sooner side. </p><p>Additionally, I am almost never, ever in the mood to read Horror... but one of the few times I do, is during the Summer, when the days are long and I have far less reason to be as afraid of what goes bump in the night as I am during the Winter, when the dark is near inescapable. That's why some of the rare times you'll see me picking up something like Stephen King is in July or August! (And certainly never on a camping trip.) </p><p>It all comes down to how I'm feeling about it. And, you know,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4O7oL3RsaM&ab_channel=MrC0N" target="_blank"> the stars. </a></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>What's in YOUR Top Ten? Have any similar vibes to my list? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p></div></div></div>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-36355232363091980642023-05-23T00:22:00.002-07:002023-05-23T00:22:51.503-07:00Top Ten Tuesday: Things that Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5RkEjjBka1FC4YwyXAjKAnszbKWlPQJPErrnFPwct5xYMpSQ6F9y0VIL4YOJV6j4MYJ3Vb8kBh0N4TamPwvdn8T5NsS0NHH3RO7XvryE5LxaFddLAh9MRA0Kmp59Gnp2aVMIejffbRlQ7aZBQD9HPKoTHv6V6DL5FmWB69t5IiKjFxvH1hwSBKkJ/s940/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5RkEjjBka1FC4YwyXAjKAnszbKWlPQJPErrnFPwct5xYMpSQ6F9y0VIL4YOJV6j4MYJ3Vb8kBh0N4TamPwvdn8T5NsS0NHH3RO7XvryE5LxaFddLAh9MRA0Kmp59Gnp2aVMIejffbRlQ7aZBQD9HPKoTHv6V6DL5FmWB69t5IiKjFxvH1hwSBKkJ/w640-h536/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly bookish shareable hosted by <a href="https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl</a>!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, about a week ago, I was seized by a sudden, desperate, nervous-system-zapping urge to read something. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not just anything, though... after all, I had plenty of books on my own shelves already - hundreds of them, even! - holed up in the same room in which I spend most of my waking hours. <b>What I desperately needed, instead, was a library book.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It makes perfect sense to me; I mean, I haven't been back to check out my local branch in several months now, with how busy my Spring has been. And <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/new-year-old-shelves-book-buying-stats.html" target="_blank">I am very much still in a Buying Ban</a>. So, I set about righting this wrong in several stages. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">First off, <b>I downloaded six books on audio through the Libby app</b>, access granted through my library card, and stored for easy reading on my iPhone. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next, <b>I placed about fifteen holds on books stored throughout the library system</b>, with express orders to be shipped to my local branch, so that I could pick them up (squeeze them, hold 'em close to me, reluctantly let them go at the culmination of their agreed check-out period) at my leisure.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Some of these were, of course, ready within the day. After all, I had been cheerfully informed when the holds were placed that some were already available at a "preferred location." (I mean, for me, the preferred location might be found at the edge of my coffee table next to my bed, spawned through some kind of science fiction beam technology, but then I'd miss out on several perfectly lovely conversations about what great weather we've been having with the local library team.)</div><p>So, whereas the week before, I had been suffering through some kind of withdrawal, now things are quite different. This week, I am fully cognizant of rapidly approaching due dates, of a personal track record of reading so far this year that amounts to less than what I managed to check out in one day, and a colossal amount of books that do not belong to me, being stored in my room, very, very close to books that very much do belong to me, who are now starting to feel a little neglected.</p><p>That's what made this kind of "Top Ten Tuesday" topic so funny to consider. <b>What are some kinds of things that make me instantly want to read a book? </b>Hmm. Well, let's peruse some of the impulsively selected subject matter in the mountainous range that are currently ringing my reading nook, like some kind of summoning circle... </p><p><br /></p><p><b>1. Recommendations from<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy6Qlkv2hif7KPtmMmNUGUw" target="_blank"> Regan at <i>Peruse Project </i>on YouTube</a></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga2wDntmhS4V01lXynW23_S3rC7JN6o4cF0eMGIGS6UgFs80oMWGvknmETB0CKJUj69cYP0e3-teabN2-xkzUtapaFblCDGmp-7TQPN1B-c98H2hooWK6hOOPrz9FsUIinJ8nhyQOwBb99di1yGQG8hzI08XGL-rhUh8_wc6J3AGHAI2xcocvl67qk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="797" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga2wDntmhS4V01lXynW23_S3rC7JN6o4cF0eMGIGS6UgFs80oMWGvknmETB0CKJUj69cYP0e3-teabN2-xkzUtapaFblCDGmp-7TQPN1B-c98H2hooWK6hOOPrz9FsUIinJ8nhyQOwBb99di1yGQG8hzI08XGL-rhUh8_wc6J3AGHAI2xcocvl67qk=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Okay, so we've all got different definitions for what an "influencer" is, and the role that they play in our social media lives, correct? Well, Regan, from Peruse Project, has genuinely influenced me more times than I can count, when it comes to feeling inspired to pick up a new (or old, for that matter) Fantasy novel. <p></p><p>It's because of her that I found <i>In Other Lands,</i> by Sarah Rees Brennan, for the first time, and it changed not only my life for the better, but plenty of others I've foisted it on since; numerous titles on my shelves, like <i>Babel</i>, by R. F. Kuang, and <i>The Goblin Emperor</i>, by Katherine Addison, I haven't even read yet, but selected due to her high praise. I mean, I have three books from the <i>Warrior Bards</i> series by Juliet Marillier sitting on my shelves, simply because she said she really enjoyed a completely different series by the same author! </p><p><br /></p><p><b>2. Books About Cooking... Home Cooking, or Culinary School, or Groceries, Literally Whatever.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlHiqxqKnKnOBZ9kJDuWQ9qndPp1XcbLmZQ-RL-nB9gMvcUUbcai-3fQghHlngTSFAzIMpPweCtr_r5TNZCyRVcP1KjnqOog2o4Yq3v8RLCcoxWrUHtwIfGE7t2inrVUIrGqmUJ-qZ4qAKK9pQswDk0LDE8XdJmvPhXbACbTaESc84_CKieMUIU3aU" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlHiqxqKnKnOBZ9kJDuWQ9qndPp1XcbLmZQ-RL-nB9gMvcUUbcai-3fQghHlngTSFAzIMpPweCtr_r5TNZCyRVcP1KjnqOog2o4Yq3v8RLCcoxWrUHtwIfGE7t2inrVUIrGqmUJ-qZ4qAKK9pQswDk0LDE8XdJmvPhXbACbTaESc84_CKieMUIU3aU=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></div>It may sound like a joke, but something that occupies maybe four to five hours out of every day I spend on this earth, is mentally designing meal plans, grocery lists, food illustrations, and cookbook rankings in my head. Sometimes, when I'm having a hard time sleeping at night, I'll plan out entire dinner parties - we're talking multiple courses here - or I'll rewrite recipes I've attempted recently that didn't turn out up to par. I have a complete notebook full of personally collected recipes, filled cover to cover... and when I finished it, I immediately started a new one. Three of the longest Word docs on my computer include a manuscript for a cookbook, a collection of fantasy grocery lists - with prices included - of budgeted meal plans, and short personal essays on the topic of food writing. <p></p><p>And you ask me why I'm not dating anyone. Like, who has the time? </p><p><br /></p><p><b>3. Books About Books and Authors and Writing</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgihHby7ECU9l4DUwmkb8qIscXmI7oVXEGmUn0TMXY2YRT7RPe-UvvgCtKqqn21Fq2e8cwWP8N8L-laLurED5vQhRXL8lStLD4v5FbNxqEHyVpYOlSWvjvMMytvMm1RLLc7VDt10Kp5E3J2AXpqt6hoUgi_McAgQDRnBDACxxyZuiUasyfotTcRq6EO" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgihHby7ECU9l4DUwmkb8qIscXmI7oVXEGmUn0TMXY2YRT7RPe-UvvgCtKqqn21Fq2e8cwWP8N8L-laLurED5vQhRXL8lStLD4v5FbNxqEHyVpYOlSWvjvMMytvMm1RLLc7VDt10Kp5E3J2AXpqt6hoUgi_McAgQDRnBDACxxyZuiUasyfotTcRq6EO=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Similarly to how much I love reading about Food, I also love reading about Books. These two subject matters alone account for maybe fifteen to twenty books a piece occupying my TBR shelves. And it makes sense... after all, I spend a goodly amount of time each day both Cooking and Writing, so. It's always important to keep that mental whetstone handy, right? <p></p><p>I'm always into a good deep-dive into the sociocultural context of an author's life and livelihood while writing: <i>Romantic Outlaws</i>, by Charlotte Gordon, was a fave from the past couple of years, and followed the lives and connections of literary icons Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley, as well as how their relationships with others impacted the kinds of writing they produced. </p><p>My TBR shelves boast the likes of <i>How to Read Literature Like a Professor</i>, by Thomas C. Foster, or<i> The Diary of a Bookseller</i>, by Shaun Bythell, and various works from Didion, Hornby, and Plath, all on reading and writing, while <i>Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living</i>, by Marjula Martin, details some of the financials of what a life in literature looks like. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>4. Buzzy Celebrity Memoirs</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvSPymdwtRsp2VT93taD6q66JM83ljwWxPXmXIJhXN-Ee4pV67oZXO8geiJi4FZMwxrTsJ0uXUxCFLePQzH3KQOSHP-7N83HFCtnVqXGZAmE6Vq3dWyQxyVwIiP9UJFsgJqCKdKDQnt5WICPHY_xOKVduWQjXnz-zFhTytPoYODfzZ_lnW_S-5PqQC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvSPymdwtRsp2VT93taD6q66JM83ljwWxPXmXIJhXN-Ee4pV67oZXO8geiJi4FZMwxrTsJ0uXUxCFLePQzH3KQOSHP-7N83HFCtnVqXGZAmE6Vq3dWyQxyVwIiP9UJFsgJqCKdKDQnt5WICPHY_xOKVduWQjXnz-zFhTytPoYODfzZ_lnW_S-5PqQC=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>It's been a while since I read a whole lot of these in a row... maybe back in 2020, when I was determined to listen to every audiobook available from the cast of <i>Queer Eye?</i> (A challenge I'm still clearly intent on pursuing, being that one of those books I checked out in my recent mad fit was Jonathan Van Ness'<i> Love That Story</i>.) <p></p><p>I don't have a ton of these stacked up on my shelves these days - they're a fun fling, perfect for vacations or audio or breaking out of a slump, not typically something I hang onto for a long time - but in the past I've really enjoyed Anna Kendrick's <i>Scrappy Little Nobody</i>, Rachel Bloom's <i>I Want To Be Where the Normal People Are</i>, as well as Sara Bareilles' <i>Sounds Like Me</i>. And, of course, if there was any book I hope you read last year, it was Jennette McCurdy's <i>I'm Glad My Mom Died</i>, something I've recommended to all kinds of people, and has received naught but unilateral praise. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>5. Pretty Much Any Novella from Tor Publishing</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz165EE9bKBkCV1ZEX0rbcOErccmqaPa8ukCsSAaf19uMfKqbeodToxhsp6k1A0MHMBtYbqctnjxK7TuH5aMZZje1CclehioaKRDS31J6iCgcGLfR7nBdq_qM56mAgildOmz2Gpw0ewYQbzkwnkRHdWF993IH-YB1DcRsV4xetX6UHtPEmwPh1logP" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhz165EE9bKBkCV1ZEX0rbcOErccmqaPa8ukCsSAaf19uMfKqbeodToxhsp6k1A0MHMBtYbqctnjxK7TuH5aMZZje1CclehioaKRDS31J6iCgcGLfR7nBdq_qM56mAgildOmz2Gpw0ewYQbzkwnkRHdWF993IH-YB1DcRsV4xetX6UHtPEmwPh1logP=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>If there's anything I've learned about myself as an adult and my financial practices, it's that while I consider myself to be a pretty darn frugal person, I'm also more than happy to pay $20 for the slimmest of hardcovers, provided that they have 1. a jaw-droppingly beautiful cover and 2. the words "Tor" or "Tor Dot Com" emblazoned on the lower portion of the spine. <p></p><p>This line of thinking has only brought me success, with the <i>Wayward Children</i> series from Seanan McGuire, the <i>Murderbot</i> series from Martha Wells, and the <i>Monk and Robot</i> series by Becky Chambers. Truly, truly, nothing but net. Novellas are great because they can be easily consumed in one afternoon, but also occupy ever-increasing amounts of space in the back of your mind that creep into your daily thoughts on the lightest of footsteps and rewrite the ways you view reality. </p><p>Plus, they're usually really pretty to have on your bookshelves. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>6. Swear Words in Titles</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFA6fvIwyClXzE83kT9BojIWg5eAk428KxvDmiDShYHgreFSCOdnZxy2BZH-nnF_BZlrgTrA0NJJHNvB4forOIRads7GIoogWmiiaw5molyj88Yv9gwq5lba_D0eomkHRLmlc0f9wb77if4V5So2pFfHSYnM2lOus-7qTU93k3JH1rldql_WHZs42u" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="477" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFA6fvIwyClXzE83kT9BojIWg5eAk428KxvDmiDShYHgreFSCOdnZxy2BZH-nnF_BZlrgTrA0NJJHNvB4forOIRads7GIoogWmiiaw5molyj88Yv9gwq5lba_D0eomkHRLmlc0f9wb77if4V5So2pFfHSYnM2lOus-7qTU93k3JH1rldql_WHZs42u=w127-h200" width="127" /></a></div>What can I say? I have a mug on my desk that says "I have the vocabulary of a well educated sailor," and it stores my scissors, which I like to think are just as cutting as my words. The dream may be to write for a living, but I promise you that I swear simply for the joy of it. I watched a lot of pirate movies in my childhood, and it's manifested itself in my adult life as a penchant for rum drinks and a fondness for a lot of strung-together, creatively-formatted expletives. <p></p><p>Don't believe me? I literally picked up <i>The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind</i> by Jackson Ford last year based on this concept alone. Have I read it yet? No. Does it make me happy every time I look at it? Oh yeah. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>7. Things that Would Make My Professors Happy</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiD_SxE1NKxzDziXYXmqlxQnU2O31GlN6ulkm_Hq76jbBGMjwSSVu1GMVdHaZrBByWqzHgtXrd1weoSU9fKrYlaR1VLM5QAG5AeLQ-qZ3wzXhhromS7naMqop_MQoGmgYvXYIbBoDWfMhOEg_DMkr2Kq3XPzjO19jKl1LyLEsRnxExoZPUneTVZxFlx" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiD_SxE1NKxzDziXYXmqlxQnU2O31GlN6ulkm_Hq76jbBGMjwSSVu1GMVdHaZrBByWqzHgtXrd1weoSU9fKrYlaR1VLM5QAG5AeLQ-qZ3wzXhhromS7naMqop_MQoGmgYvXYIbBoDWfMhOEg_DMkr2Kq3XPzjO19jKl1LyLEsRnxExoZPUneTVZxFlx=w128-h200" width="128" /></a></div>Every time I pick up a Classic novel - be it Woolf, Wharton, or whatever - it's because I'm trying to subconsciously persuade the mental phantoms of my past educators from the English department to tell me how proud they are. Like that one popular internet post says, I will spend the rest of my life chasing the emotional high that getting an A+ in my AP English class gave me. Only for me, it's the 4.0-plus on every single midterm paper that I somehow managed to score sophomore year in college in my "Shakespeare Post 1603" class.<p></p><p>And you've even seen it here, plenty of times before, on this blog alone: for instance, you know that<a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/02/all-words-i-googled-while-reading-jane.html" target="_blank"> I spent part of January of this year rereading <i>Jane Eyre</i>, by Charlotte Bronte, and assembling my own vocab list,</a> all of which I posted about here. Normal people don't do things like that... but recovering English majors absolutely do. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>8. Fave Fantasy Authors: Tamora Pierce, Holly Black, Victoria Schwab, and Naomi Novik, to name a few</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKdcczwkW4MaR5r8bgeDe6SRhVzgo5hsmCZHLHwaFUMreDLzy8mpvcn7nwhzM5t3LYWBIIwO0KclvYZGHica0OCZdiBvfjMO7-K8RBZKpMzLMr5Tdkc4kvL23og1rsa7vOkLsE5xMxulDEGv_bX1oQ0NnvEThgVKg0PxSuQRFMNKeEIrL16jlJ-lxI" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKdcczwkW4MaR5r8bgeDe6SRhVzgo5hsmCZHLHwaFUMreDLzy8mpvcn7nwhzM5t3LYWBIIwO0KclvYZGHica0OCZdiBvfjMO7-K8RBZKpMzLMr5Tdkc4kvL23og1rsa7vOkLsE5xMxulDEGv_bX1oQ0NnvEThgVKg0PxSuQRFMNKeEIrL16jlJ-lxI=w135-h200" width="135" /></a></div>I'm a loyal person. I may leave your texts on read for several days in a row, and I might begin our meetings by saying "Okay, so I swear I was going to respond to your email," and I have perhaps been known to go months without speaking to my high school best friend before we start shooting off flurries of messages about how much we've missed each other. But I'm a lost little duckling, and I'm following you, wherever you're headed, because I've imprinted and now I think you're what home looks like. <p></p><p>The aforementioned Seanan McGuire, Martha Wells, and Becky Chambers all get their kudos here, within their various series, but also, I've read enough Holly Black to know I like her fairy world stories. I know Naomi Novik makes for a magical time. Tamora Pierce - let's be real here - is responsible for the topography of entire segments of gray matter currently stored in my skull. I hadn't even finished with<i> A Darker Shade of Magic</i> before I had already purchased the two subsequent books in the series from V. E. Schwab. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>9. Meta Humor and Genre Commentary</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiN45Tsrc_rnJTZEnEbhiqNBna0kNdUpQ_-VzHOitr3UVEo0gkOBFBxyAj5U7p7YctBMe_kUFkCnD3iaTn-EU7Fjg18D_x7q8BFY82WsUINIMnNCLuXVjQa8GMu_rO8hR_cjPPoh92XnpFsllIxryeE9hIdA6trhxDRLWJfdJf2P6j1IX72VHJiIhjj" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="268" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiN45Tsrc_rnJTZEnEbhiqNBna0kNdUpQ_-VzHOitr3UVEo0gkOBFBxyAj5U7p7YctBMe_kUFkCnD3iaTn-EU7Fjg18D_x7q8BFY82WsUINIMnNCLuXVjQa8GMu_rO8hR_cjPPoh92XnpFsllIxryeE9hIdA6trhxDRLWJfdJf2P6j1IX72VHJiIhjj=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></div>Okay, I know there are plenty of us out there, and I'm blaming growing up on things like British humor, the <i>Shrek </i>movies, one of the greatest comedies of all time, NBC's <i>Community</i>. If you're like me, and you know that a book makes fun of its roots and breaks the fourth wall as often as possible in a genre or setting that you love, it's probably already on its way to your shopping cart.<p></p><p>Seriously, is it such a surprise that John Scalzi's <i>Redshirts</i>, Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearn's <i>Kill the Farm Boy</i>, Edgar Cantero's <i>Meddling Kids</i>, or Jasper Fforde's complete <i>Thursday Next</i> series are all on my shelves? Obviously not. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>10. Things I Can Give My Brother</b></p><p><i>(Hi, buddy. I know you're reading this. Good luck in the rehearsal studio today; don't blow away in the high winds you've been getting in that blustery town of yours. Love you.)</i> </p><p>Let's be real, every purchase I've made within the Fantasy genre in the last five years has been informed by how much I love my brother, who is the kind of person who would rather eat gravel than cut out of a Branderson novel in the middle of a chapter. To distract him from the idea of convincing me to try the <i>Mistborn </i>series, I have to focus on continually shoveling recently-published Fantasy reads into his hands like feeding coal into a steam engine, hence why I have a year-round Notes section on my iPhone dedicated to what books to buy for his birthday.</p><p> All told, if I'm buying something for myself, you can bet it's with the expectation that he might be picking up after me... and vice versa. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>What's in YOUR Top Ten? Let me know, in the comments below!</b></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-7580618183828809562023-05-19T13:26:00.000-07:002023-05-19T13:26:00.699-07:00Paranormal Romance Reading Update #1: Temperamental Dragons, Copyright Law Loopholes, Demonic Crime Procedurals, and my First DNF of the Challenge!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Cq0JVZPbk4N2JCU0rbUHTmJxIwhBSxGWMCO2cxa_iqMs0YflrXtTmLiXlNuG2_pFPI75cmr8xn5ssHL33ai-J37oTgRrM0IJtrLEtt049Gd4fl8qOsORlXrewissZWGzWOtaZRAGEYj1YUETdLtZYRWpSP0d17qUhF9h0webaiBj2XyNfA5ktm_9/s940/BIG%20BOX%20OF%20PARANORMAL%20ROMANCE%20(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Cq0JVZPbk4N2JCU0rbUHTmJxIwhBSxGWMCO2cxa_iqMs0YflrXtTmLiXlNuG2_pFPI75cmr8xn5ssHL33ai-J37oTgRrM0IJtrLEtt049Gd4fl8qOsORlXrewissZWGzWOtaZRAGEYj1YUETdLtZYRWpSP0d17qUhF9h0webaiBj2XyNfA5ktm_9/w640-h536/BIG%20BOX%20OF%20PARANORMAL%20ROMANCE%20(2).png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><b>What do you mean, it's late May?</b> Last time I checked, we were zipping through Winter at an alarming pace. Don't tell me we're nearly done with Spring, too? </p><p>Yes, yes, the earth is finally waking up, my garden is showing distinct signs of not-dying, and I'm reminded of the fact that the sun exists every morning only a few hours after I've actually managed to go to sleep. </p><p>Just this morning, I realized that in a little over a month, I'd be called upon to be a part of the first family camping trip of the season, and spent a good twenty minutes over breakfast daydreaming about being <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpA-aHYPNjJ/?hl=en" target="_blank">a private chef in the Hamptons</a> instead, and whether it would be possible to give<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/bury-me-in-a-nancy-meyers-kitchen" target="_blank"> my own kitchen a much-needed Nancy Meyers makeover</a>, rather than spend so many days in a tent. </p><p>But all of this activity hasn't exactly manifested itself here. <b>And you might be wondering when I was going to start delivering on promises made at the start of the year.</b></p><p>I'm talking, of course, of the <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/big-box-take-two-my-brother-bought-me.html" target="_blank">2023 Big Box of Paranormal Romance</a>. </p><p>For those not in the know, back in 2020, <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2020/12/my-brother-bought-me-25-worth-of.html" target="_blank">my younger brother gifted me a giant box of 20 backlisted Paranormal Romance paperbacks for Christmas.</a> I <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2022/02/closing-up-box-my-final-paranormal.html" target="_blank">spent 2021 reading through as many as I could</a>, to varying degrees of success, and the final favorite of the challenge ended up going right back to my brother to read, too.</p><p>(He loved it. We reference Judson and his affinity for "guns over psychic ability" often. Including a Paranormal Romance between a psychic investigator and a psychic counselor that was published in 2013 in regular conversation, is fairly par for the course in a family that routinely references <i>Muppet Treasure Island</i>,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0u4M6vppCI&ab_channel=robcantor" target="_blank"> "Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf,</a>" and a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049096/" target="_blank">Danny Kaye medieval comedy from 1955</a> as often as we do.) </p><p>But fret not, friends: this year's challenge is still alive and well. <b>It's just that this particular box is a very different beast than its predecessor</b>. I think I'm going to have to stop asking my brother to pick out my next upcoming titles for me, because he somehow manages, from several hours' worth of a drive away, to maintain a laser focus on making me read all of the dragon shifter books first. </p><p>So far, in the last five months or so, <b>I've managed to tackle four of the books,</b> three of which I finished and did NOT give 1-star reviews - which, if you followed the last (incredibly problematic) iteration of this challenge, is an absolute miracle - and <b>only one of which I DNF'd</b> (because it was boring, not because it was racist, homophobic, or worse. Again, a very different box than last time). </p><p>Without any further ado, here's what I thought of them: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><i>What a Dragon Should Know (Dragon Kin #3)</i>, G. A. Aiken</b></h4><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv5WERru9qeVaHBjM-7c-mcYQajLDcCoifaQHN7S5GW7iSe223YWPm8_saWUBuhdcCUUU1rpMeCDJYsWYtZ8rQ2DVYEgei_Py-gUJC1t46H-buR61Cl52ZaQNoIf3j04QLZ0vZLilhZ7n8C7edARICtV87GjcLxlmVHRTg5GiGv_L9RvuY7uGIQEiO" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv5WERru9qeVaHBjM-7c-mcYQajLDcCoifaQHN7S5GW7iSe223YWPm8_saWUBuhdcCUUU1rpMeCDJYsWYtZ8rQ2DVYEgei_Py-gUJC1t46H-buR61Cl52ZaQNoIf3j04QLZ0vZLilhZ7n8C7edARICtV87GjcLxlmVHRTg5GiGv_L9RvuY7uGIQEiO=w199-h320" width="199" /></a></div><i>"'We have a problem.'</i><p></p><p><i>Briec glanced up from the book he was reading and into the face of Brastias, general of Annwyl's armies, and one of the few human males Briec could tolerate. </i></p><p><i>Closing his book, he asked, 'What did Gwenvael do now? Do I need to contact my mother? Are we already in war, or is it simply heading our way?'</i></p><p><i>Brastias, whose scarred face looked grim at the best of times, smiled. 'Anytime I start a conversation that way, all of you ask me the same questions.'</i></p><p><i>'My brother starts trouble the way horses shit when they walk. And we all know that.'" </i></p><p>Okay. So. My first title in the challenge, read all the way back in January, and I did not enjoy this book. But I did get through it! And <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2021/03/big-box-of-paranormal-romance-part-one.html" target="_blank">unlike the first title in the last challenge, it did not use the n-word</a> anywhere in its contents, so. Let's take the wins as they come, small though they may be? </p><p>My main issue is that this book employs a sense of faux feminism that is clarified by its 2008 publication date, in a sort of "bikini chainmail" way: if the female characters are loosely implied to be badasses, then they may freely be oversexualized, overemotional, and as oversimplified as necessary. </p><p>(To the point: in the first chapter or so, we are introduced to a battle queen - whose character hallmark is a love of learning, accompanied by a hulk-like war rage that renders her unstoppable in combat - by her bursting into tears at being called fat. She then cries a second time after she gets a half-hearted apology for being called fat. Then gets all giggly when the same person who called her fat compliments her chest size and pretends to peek down her shirt. The person in question is the main romantic Hero of the novel.) </p><p>Women are either prized like cattle in the Northlands, or fair game for abuse down below in the dragon-primed Southlands. At various odds, women are routinely called whores, overprotected - to the point of allowing for regular violence towards their chosen romantic partners, excused by way of "brotherly respect" - and either yelled at or spoken down to, in turns. </p><p>I get the impression the author might not like women a ton, or at the very least, women who weren't of a certain sarcastic, all-suffering, moderately-prone-to-violence type. The vibe was very Disney-Princess-wearing-thick-rimmed-glasses-and-sporting-tattoos thing, if you clearly remember the year 2014. </p><p>Other problematic elements also skeeved me off, including the main romantic couple's predilection for nonconsensual voyeurism, and something that I'm pretty sure was just the communicated threat of homosexuality as a kind of mental warfare. And a ton of gratuitous violence. </p><p>That being said, parts of it were kind of funny. Hence, <b>two-and-a-half stars. </b></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Bustin', </i>Minda Webber</b></h4><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsQrk0s8d0m20OwXrQCYkB6eIzOeDZYXC9FfQ-GyTq3xFneY61Sg65oU6ZiKUwQ7-XNfFIjJ9yV0IyoT1zyq3nOvWb1qI0YjYKbAYOTEiVLt2rb_usQUTO3JM_MxFk55QGk1SBYE95YvBIQDztp0i4k-IDUilp15NLseS0Rr-FHoIuTzpgTsam0V93" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="248" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsQrk0s8d0m20OwXrQCYkB6eIzOeDZYXC9FfQ-GyTq3xFneY61Sg65oU6ZiKUwQ7-XNfFIjJ9yV0IyoT1zyq3nOvWb1qI0YjYKbAYOTEiVLt2rb_usQUTO3JM_MxFk55QGk1SBYE95YvBIQDztp0i4k-IDUilp15NLseS0Rr-FHoIuTzpgTsam0V93=w199-h320" width="199" /></a></i></div><i>"The monster ripped off his boxers, sporting a Doric column so big that Sam thought she was seeing things. Now she understood the expression 'hung like an ox,' and Nero wasn't even a minotaur!</i><p></p><p><i>'Talk about cock of the walk,' she muttered to herself. No way was that getting anywhere near her. Still, what was a girl to do? She despaired momentarily, caught between the moon, New York City, a werewolf, and a giant gorgon penis."</i> </p><p>At 323 scant pages, this should have been an easy read. But because it was so jam-packed with random pop culture references - especially in regards to Humphrey Bogart's canon of work - I spent as much time googling obscure phrases and movie titles as I did actually paying attention to the plot. </p><p>Distracting though it was, I can honestly say the book would have been significantly more boring without them. </p><p>THAT being said, ignoring this book's quirky delivery makes some structural issues all the more glaring: while the front half is fairly sedate - but spookily-occupied - generic Romance, the second is an about-face, completing changing both setting and theme towards more of a Mystery angle. </p><p>The characters were equally strange. The Heroine spoke in the model of a fast-talkin', Pan-Atlantic moll from Hollywood's Golden Age... and came equipped with some severely anti-Communist sentiments to share, relatively unprompted. The Hero - a gruff Russian, one gold chain short of straightforward stereotype - plays the lover with equal parts malice and apathy, and enacts a revenge plan so jaw-clenchingly awful that its absolutely shocking that the only thing to come out of it is a substandard apology (couched within phrasing that suggests it as the most low kind of ego-sacrifice, and therefore the Heroine's obligation to accept). </p><p>There's a third act reveal that feels like it counteracts other previous sections of the book. There's a movie-referencing final scene involving a piano that wouldn't make nearly as much sense for someone who hasn't a solid understanding of <i>Casablanca</i>. For some reason, the Heroine just cannot shut up about how she always wanted to be a hairdresser. </p><p>At the end of it all, it's almost impossible to parse out what feels strange because it's a pop culture reference, and what feels strange because it's just a bizarre narrative choice. </p><p>But we all know how I feel about making weird narrative choices in these kinds of books. <b>Three stars. </b></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i>Never Dare a Dragon (Boston Dragons #3),</i> Ashlyn Chase</h4><p><b>DNF @ 17%</b></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgPYqNJtYilnx8gQe_WUKZ6E7sYHRrYoKgkrVDyXM_H_hLmnyXSSV0iRCnvxcmEGc9aB3__HK8lDiKXYXV0-yK1aQzNv6vACDuwO59xSjBiD1o_UQYeUM0viWhEPhsRsOWeNmmcbmG6v1MXEFCgOGouagtsyu-k-5Bq9wbTFZdTjsC_LzWAz3yCyQv" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgPYqNJtYilnx8gQe_WUKZ6E7sYHRrYoKgkrVDyXM_H_hLmnyXSSV0iRCnvxcmEGc9aB3__HK8lDiKXYXV0-yK1aQzNv6vACDuwO59xSjBiD1o_UQYeUM0viWhEPhsRsOWeNmmcbmG6v1MXEFCgOGouagtsyu-k-5Bq9wbTFZdTjsC_LzWAz3yCyQv=w195-h320" width="195" /></a></i></div><i>"Ryan was actually the oldest - until he'd met with a near-fatal accident at the age of seven. Jayce had been only five, but after witnessing the family secret in action that day, the image was burned into his brain. Literally. Mommy and Daddy quickly explained what was going to happen and dumped lighter fluid on his big brother - then lit him up. Ryan didn't yell or scream. He just sort of went to sleep, and they watched until there was nothing but a pile of ash left. Then the ashes stirred... and the brilliant phoenix arose." </i><p></p><p>If you're confused as to why the title references a dragon, while the blurb I chose features a phoenix family, then let me clear some things up for you: there are both. When a Boston firefighting phoenix shifter hits it off with a NYC firefighting dragon shifter, you've got a lot of promises about "heat" and "sparks flying," to live up to... but unfortunately this, for me, suffered from a lack of both character and romantic development. </p><p>Our Hero, Jayce<i> Fierro </i>- eye roll - is bad at communicating emotions, and an awkward mix between obliviously snarky and 2023 levels of chivalric. There's nothing about him that feels believable or human - in a "not an invention" kind of way, rather than a "not a mythological creature" kind of way - like he was constructed from spare parts of a personality that didn't mesh together that well upon application.</p><p>Our Heroine, Kristine Scott, lives alone with her single mom, and the two of them are the only ones who know their dragon-shifting secret... so to speak, as within the first 15% of the novel, someone is already using this information against her. She's postured to be relatable and current by the fact that she does things like wear "satin granny panties" on a date, and focus on putting her career first; upon being asked by a work colleague if her erratic emotional behavior is due to getting her period, she screams "You are never, ever, ever allowed to ask a woman that - ever!" while exiting from a parking garage "with more speed than was prudent." </p><p>The Romance part bugged me because they were practically ready to jump each other from their first interaction, which <i>didn't even go well </i>for either of them. Despite this, Jayce decides to travel to New York with what is, essentially, the expressed intention of meeting her again. By the time the two make it on an actual date, both are considering how a real relationship would manage to work itself out, being that they live in two different cities, and would have to manage things long distance. Plus any actual sex scenes that may occur seemed to solely be resolved by way of fade-to-black, which makes the cover's promise of "sizzling heat" feel especially misplaced. And again, this is all within the first 17% of the novel.</p><p>Plus, with this kind of narrative subtlety in mind, of course, you knew that once a character who speaks with a pronounced Scottish accent was introduced, she'd turn out to be a leprechaun (I ended up skipping ahead to verify). </p><p>I tried to get into this over the course of weeks - weeks! - to the point where it sent me into a mini-reading slump. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i>Dream Chaser (Dark Hunter #13, Dream Hunter #3)</i>, Sherrilyn Kenyon</h4><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb1keT1E0cU4gXXiNJHi4u6-tlmgyVVVxWdycWm1KZnKZFLehO92_Sjf7xrBaFQv50C-TNoo72mGBmMBKaGcSQf5ulQE1dTbuf-8nEphZ4U6g9OVkkUV04jiuDyZ9iamYOixFzek0yIxak5xoh3KVSjhfrmI8KSimdp8W2zrhrmzwkm_TivBlg9iKI" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="401" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb1keT1E0cU4gXXiNJHi4u6-tlmgyVVVxWdycWm1KZnKZFLehO92_Sjf7xrBaFQv50C-TNoo72mGBmMBKaGcSQf5ulQE1dTbuf-8nEphZ4U6g9OVkkUV04jiuDyZ9iamYOixFzek0yIxak5xoh3KVSjhfrmI8KSimdp8W2zrhrmzwkm_TivBlg9iKI=w199-h320" width="199" /></a></i></div><i>"Of course he was... why should anything in the world make sense? Dear lord, it wasn't like she wasn't sitting beside one of the hottest men on the planet who was a god himself. Or that she had a goofy teenage ghost in her backseat mouthing the words to Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." </i><p></p><p><i>It only made sense that the hottie in the Classics department was a demigod, too..." </i></p><p>I had been suffering through that dragon book for WEEKS before I decided to just try a little bit of a different tactic, and picked up this title instead. I ended up devouring it completely in less than 24 hours. </p><p>That being said... she's still not great. In fact, I think that the three star rating I'm willing to afford to her is more than generous, and just as reflective of how happy I was to be done with another one of these as it is a commentary on the novel itself. </p><p>I think my primary problems stem from the fact that it is just so completely of its publication year: 2008. Its general format reminds me of any number of crime procedurals, its treatment of the supernatural feels like a bad Syfy movie of my childhood, its humor feels like that kind of snarky-without-bite variety that was so ubiquitous to both genres, personified in the kinds of characters the Internet was obsessed with when I was in middle school... and displaying similar kinds of banter to the ones people tried so hard to emulate, but failed to do so with the same panache. If that wasn't enough for you, how about some more direct references to of-the-time cultural touchstones: Happy Bunny, Hannah Montana, and the Reese Witherspoon movie <i>Just Like Heaven</i> all got a mention. </p><p>There was force-choking, questionable use of mythology as a point of worldbuilding, even worse dialogue, and truly horrendous sex scenes which were (thankfully) over quickly. You could have told me that this author was an expert in <i>Supernatural </i>fan fiction, and I would have believed you. </p><p>My primary points of applause include having female character who actually served as dimensional figures in the context of plot, and the use of diversity in world-building, being that the book itself takes place in New Orleans. <b>Three stars.</b></p><p>(I know this feels like an uneven review, and I acknowledge that I spend a lot of time calling out how goofy this book is. But to be honest, that's where most of my joy in this challenge comes from: after all, my end favorite of the last Big Box of Paranormal Romance challenge was selected because of how bonkers wild it was, too. I don't think <i>Dream Chaser </i>will be my final fave, but I do think it has more in common than not with what I enjoy so much about this project.)</p><p><br /></p><p>So, those are the first four books I read in the challenge for this year. A meager showing, right? <b>Pretty dismal to only have three titles completed, and one DNF, for all that it's nearly the end of the fifth month in the challenge</b>? I agree.</p><p>Plus, with the onset of June just around the corner - heralding the triumphant return of <a href="https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/authors-and-books/book-bingo/2022-book-bingo" target="_blank">Summer Book Bingo from Seattle Arts and Lectures and Seattle Public Libraries</a>, as well as the <a href="https://www.therippedbodicela.com/bingo" target="_blank">Ripped Bodice Romance Book Bingo</a> (careful, these links are both for 2022) - my mind is most likely going to be taken over by other tomes to-be-read, for challenges outside of this one. </p><p>This all feels, of course, like the odds are stacked against this particular personal challenge of mine. But don't fret: <b>being aware of your limitations is the best indication that you'll be able to overcome them</b>. What I mean by that is, I keep stubbing my toe on the giant cardboard box every time I fuss around with my TBR shelves, and every book I take out of it makes the pain a little less. </p><p><b>I really am planning on making Summer 2023 one slam-jammed with reading, </b>honest. And besides, I personally maintain the second best time of year to read Paranormal is in the sunny months, when the things-that-go-bump-in-the-night feel like more of a novelty. </p><p>Keep a weather eye on the horizon for further deets on my Summer reading plans. For now, though, rest assured that <b>I'm currently suffering through a BDSM-lite Harlequin Romance between a vampire princess and a dragon shifter, and thinking of you fondly</b>. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Have you read any especially good Romance lately? How about especially bad Romance? Don't tell me there are dragons in it.<b> Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-48985661694194597272023-05-09T09:35:00.003-07:002023-05-09T09:35:38.896-07:00Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Recommend to Others the Most <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7ObP_yqq3lOKE-fQJZuJsMJxM2hQyc90gkdffMBBhlIsTReoKxtn7a6lAe8hyyvxGOtwFXtGwibRknATPlUjzhz2t_RyhtQps3cFcdlCS64soIUiPM-Xet_4-cXfHnlsxjnAt8DJJkTQpwAF2IpMSycnSGcRgb0SaUL5LvtaGAT-iCR2oGhMBULU/s940/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7ObP_yqq3lOKE-fQJZuJsMJxM2hQyc90gkdffMBBhlIsTReoKxtn7a6lAe8hyyvxGOtwFXtGwibRknATPlUjzhz2t_RyhtQps3cFcdlCS64soIUiPM-Xet_4-cXfHnlsxjnAt8DJJkTQpwAF2IpMSycnSGcRgb0SaUL5LvtaGAT-iCR2oGhMBULU/w640-h536/TOP%20TEN%20TUESDAY.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly bookish sharable, hosted by <a href="https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/" target="_blank">That Artsy Reader Girl!</a></div><p>Let's be real: if there's anything a book lover loves more than a good book, it's trying to convince other people they should also read that book, too, so as to best facilitate additional conversations about how much you love said book. </p><p>It's one of the most enduring reasons book clubs (and, to be honest, English degrees) exist... <b>enjoying a book all on your stony lonesome is one thing, but finding other people to freak out about recent reads with is its own kind of heaven.</b> There's nothing better than clumping up over a cup of coffee, or piling onto someone's sofa, or taking over the back corner of your Lit class, to gab about which character did what. </p><p>There's nothing that's convinced me about this more than a friendly exchange I had a few weeks back. I recently stumbled upon a friend of mine at a local coffee shop, when she interrupted her own Saturday morning routine to come say hello... then found herself unexpectedly embroiled in an hour-and-a-half conversation, about poetry as an act of public witness; and how experiencing a novel is an act of co-creation; and how theater is like a group project between the author, the stagecraft, and the audience, and how that's why I love Shakespearean adaptations so much; and what have you been reading recently? </p><p>She's a gem of a human, and that jewel of a conversation was the perfect way to ornament an otherwise kind of bleak weekend. Clearly, I'm still thinking about it all of these weeks later! </p><p>But that's what the joy of a great conversation can get you. And oftentimes, those kinds of conversations come as a result of really great books. </p><p><b>Here are a few of the titles I recommend to friends quite a lot: </b></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #76a5af;">someone trying to get into the classics</span></b></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEjDauBX9-0s3mhfAWiTtMf5AWtwPzoqVWfIS-IEM-U5D4TZbB2OAcdcWtS1zYjEfTIAS-vCyedpDORI9z7DzZ7F3MDt47Pm_vXHkIjr59J6nMEGclTbq9FowZGbA7SYbaCTh1zMMX3v6SkTDSXgK3KEeTbpEPajaq9O-iVhfr6m2pLRajbvDI3NiA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="291" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEjDauBX9-0s3mhfAWiTtMf5AWtwPzoqVWfIS-IEM-U5D4TZbB2OAcdcWtS1zYjEfTIAS-vCyedpDORI9z7DzZ7F3MDt47Pm_vXHkIjr59J6nMEGclTbq9FowZGbA7SYbaCTh1zMMX3v6SkTDSXgK3KEeTbpEPajaq9O-iVhfr6m2pLRajbvDI3NiA=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div><b>1.<i> Pride and Prejudice</i>, Jane Austen</b><p></p><p>There's a reason it's a favorite of high school English teachers everywhere: much like how Shakespeare's themes of love, war, betrayal, and history stand the test of time, so, too, are the human experiences of having family members that drive you nuts, dealing with your friend's bitchy sister on vacation, and watching your bestie settle for a guy you truly cannot stand. May we all someday experience the highs of "finding out the hot guy you know with the nice house and steady income has a total crush on you," but for now, it's one of my most regular recs for someone trying to figure out if British Classics are right for them. </p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJquQCRYDdLD5x1Gah2Jfs4yXPim8KdGdJtOSJd7uoDuWbOXFcH-NnBayqqVrDasTiPUt_sAu2H1rHYdYe0NrI5YXM7l0gWI87blSUg9AR6cYKGIrmcrP0VsFtOByPuvc-GWqBgsB7zVVr77zXA30_m3nQxVAhMhF_pGjboVqXYDg8VlNz_zAtRohM" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJquQCRYDdLD5x1Gah2Jfs4yXPim8KdGdJtOSJd7uoDuWbOXFcH-NnBayqqVrDasTiPUt_sAu2H1rHYdYe0NrI5YXM7l0gWI87blSUg9AR6cYKGIrmcrP0VsFtOByPuvc-GWqBgsB7zVVr77zXA30_m3nQxVAhMhF_pGjboVqXYDg8VlNz_zAtRohM=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></b></div><b>2. <i>The Bell Jar,</i> Sylvia Plath</b><p></p><p>I've been called "basic" for this before, but if the self-inflated men I knew in college were allowed to breathe the names "Hemingway" and "Steinbeck" and "Kerouac" every other second without getting tomatoes thrown at them, then I get to talk about why it's still important for young women to read Plath. I fully recognize that poetry isn't for everyone - hell, including me; I read the original, unformatted collection of <i>Ariel </i>all the way through twice last summer and came out on the other side pale and shaking - which is why <i>The Bell Jar </i>provides a more straightforward, though no less harrowing, entry point for Contemporary Classics, especially those interested in vivid description and sociohistorical context for what they're reading. </p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjf7f65KvCakH77kVK2aGgFqGezbDeqd7yIczbb7CTOmfbKnJmkVsCLEsxFGh2NI5E3ij-JubxES-qLhB16IDTRKTbqJIk2wRQPzIvJGivQRMz5S37azqOLHdAKkf-qvl2ibPWcbEGoaUkpUxoaJV93uSv1_5DfWhp9FZ0xBbIDKzRFtDC_tVa8eWfo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="340" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjf7f65KvCakH77kVK2aGgFqGezbDeqd7yIczbb7CTOmfbKnJmkVsCLEsxFGh2NI5E3ij-JubxES-qLhB16IDTRKTbqJIk2wRQPzIvJGivQRMz5S37azqOLHdAKkf-qvl2ibPWcbEGoaUkpUxoaJV93uSv1_5DfWhp9FZ0xBbIDKzRFtDC_tVa8eWfo=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></b></div><b>3<i>. The Phantom Tollbooth,</i> Norton Juster</b><p></p><p>Listen, and I mean it: sometimes the best way to get into Classics, is by starting at the ground floor, just like everybody else. Most of the time, when someone asks me how to begin reading "real" Literature, I tell them to start with something like<i> Alice in Wonderland</i>, and to really dig into the meat of it; not just the Tea Party side, but the "Charles Dodgson - logic puzzles - chess playing - real life counterpart" side of it. Chances are, if you can read a book intended for children like a scholar, you'll have a better time breaking into Dickens later. My favorite Children's Lit to recommend is, of course, the incomparable <i>Phantom Tollbooth</i>, a perennial classic of kids and adults alike... but of course, "[t]here are no wrong roads to anywhere." <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">someone trying to get into romance (like, capital R romance)</span></b></h3><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEGKOSjB6qnpzE9Pu5IC32H3wd07H2LiH5-vPhGD--yHrkaZhyyHWqvn6Orr_G50GKetFrcYLHe-1735mj9etxppg_Nd51oKSOF_LUMjsv1QnJiKxhylaT-TGXpp1WmwZH-7dyWlvVjrTmmFYDkfM4-Jq2Si7E3v9BHGp6XngqglwNB5u21Clf1pcq" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="652" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEGKOSjB6qnpzE9Pu5IC32H3wd07H2LiH5-vPhGD--yHrkaZhyyHWqvn6Orr_G50GKetFrcYLHe-1735mj9etxppg_Nd51oKSOF_LUMjsv1QnJiKxhylaT-TGXpp1WmwZH-7dyWlvVjrTmmFYDkfM4-Jq2Si7E3v9BHGp6XngqglwNB5u21Clf1pcq=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></b></div><b>4. <i>Red, White, and Royal Blue</i>, Casey McQuiston</b><p></p><p>I don't think there's a single person of my acquaintance who's read this book, and NOT fallen in love with its snappy dialogue, congenial characters, and alternative history. Truly the highlights are its sense of humor, but there's absolutely no ignoring the steam factor, too. Friends who have told me they don't really like Contemporary Romance in their novels have had their minds totally changed by this book alone... you can't help but be won over by its optimism and heart. (Though I will say, if Politics make you want to dry heave, you might want to sit this one out.)</p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr7RZADO9OWO8M2r5XbKYvU--tbbbB9RkDOZk9jjVLcENseukrDgzmCF2wVwh_VccI2FqU33hmaXb57uUdlAz_7S0FFSSue5DAh8-8cCWJL_kwl5TkPrigDAyilkZel2ehv61UBWTapi1_ijrAX4zRn0HNMZpSfGRuXnmuNY0Wls36Ym75Jy12PbfP" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1265" data-original-width="740" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr7RZADO9OWO8M2r5XbKYvU--tbbbB9RkDOZk9jjVLcENseukrDgzmCF2wVwh_VccI2FqU33hmaXb57uUdlAz_7S0FFSSue5DAh8-8cCWJL_kwl5TkPrigDAyilkZel2ehv61UBWTapi1_ijrAX4zRn0HNMZpSfGRuXnmuNY0Wls36Ym75Jy12PbfP=w117-h200" width="117" /></a></b></div><b>5. <i>The Duchess Deal</i>, by Tessa Dare </b><p></p><p>Tessa Dare, back in 2018, served as one of my own entry points into the genre with the <i>Castles Ever After</i> series; I see no reason she wouldn't serve you well, too. Her characters are compelling, her dialogue is hilarious, her plots are absolutely bonkers, and her books are jam-packed with tropes galore: these are all among the reasons why she serves as an excellent exemplar of Historical Romance. If you have a good time, chances are, you'll have a great time in the rest of the genre. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">unique science fiction and fantasy</span></b></h3><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBDGz-FFp54EarUvpwhoCEd3VsX_PA4m7tLxj-FDnBYkVHCcGCf3Y_H6LpRv8zbsEgYllEdEVPLnY8m69ZVLppE1X-FP3_xGcQneW1J9SmlxgIE7pIGPvxwJChe11wYIyvNEfR-UNtr_AIWtoH9K_G88QFNpY3IUU4pLbuf4sprHCVpAuMElcYlD1o" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="797" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBDGz-FFp54EarUvpwhoCEd3VsX_PA4m7tLxj-FDnBYkVHCcGCf3Y_H6LpRv8zbsEgYllEdEVPLnY8m69ZVLppE1X-FP3_xGcQneW1J9SmlxgIE7pIGPvxwJChe11wYIyvNEfR-UNtr_AIWtoH9K_G88QFNpY3IUU4pLbuf4sprHCVpAuMElcYlD1o=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></b></div><b> 6. <i>In Other Lands,</i> Sarah Rees Brennan</b><p></p><p>My experiences reading this book have been so overwhelmingly special, that I've since shared it with several people... but only a few. Only the kind, I think, who would really appreciate it, and understand it for what it is. There's not a lot of YA Fantasy novels I would call life-changing, but to give you some personal insight: the first time I finished this book, years ago, I turned the last page crying, not because it was a sad ending, and not even necessarily because I was sad it was over, but because I knew how much this book would have meant to me, had I read it when I was a teenager, instead. </p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYdgy88fIaSgFivwCUNOGc7A2s6kCfNB-fLdsrKAXfZBKvtGBDj82GUE0n2K75SfgzVFqJsSmGOvPtHtJEQ7p6GwKGgFc75q3PckNULJmBZ4oJCeX9FASYFJf9E4vtYZU9NX6XlKvdOZ6p-TxROvpkVHRg0kG55pX__NP1vBcqXKxurAMXODWlXkVX" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1556" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYdgy88fIaSgFivwCUNOGc7A2s6kCfNB-fLdsrKAXfZBKvtGBDj82GUE0n2K75SfgzVFqJsSmGOvPtHtJEQ7p6GwKGgFc75q3PckNULJmBZ4oJCeX9FASYFJf9E4vtYZU9NX6XlKvdOZ6p-TxROvpkVHRg0kG55pX__NP1vBcqXKxurAMXODWlXkVX=w126-h200" width="126" /></a></b></div><b>7. The<i> Murderbot </i>series, Martha Wells</b><p></p><p>My brother, bless him, hates Science Fiction. The kid will tear through an 800-page Branderson novel like it's the weekend funny pages, but if you ask him to immerse himself in anything set in Space? Not a chance. But you know what he does love? The <i>Murderbot </i>books. They're a crowd-pleaser, for whatever crowd you point them at.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW5yrmQJIvJmQ095nZbuloF-ibPTPhpMJdD-Gh6WTICyIB6cUOUnksqDQw5KHFdE_PvS1eG9CoCYKWAtJOkq0MQ0SK1J67of2-r_MgFs0Zy1fdteP93js5FBJC9BXhzNg1fES6f4RagR-S8sjNfNI3yfi52VIpbL714-nCxeRyq9Oz8puPK_N9wfTZ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW5yrmQJIvJmQ095nZbuloF-ibPTPhpMJdD-Gh6WTICyIB6cUOUnksqDQw5KHFdE_PvS1eG9CoCYKWAtJOkq0MQ0SK1J67of2-r_MgFs0Zy1fdteP93js5FBJC9BXhzNg1fES6f4RagR-S8sjNfNI3yfi52VIpbL714-nCxeRyq9Oz8puPK_N9wfTZ=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></b></div><b>8. The<i> Wayward Children</i> series, Seanan McGuire </b><p></p><p>Speaking of Fantasy I wish I had when I was a teenager, I truly cannot recommend the characters of Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children and their myriad adventures enough. Not only is the concept incredible - a boarding school for children returned home from adventures in Fantasy lands they no longer have access to, like if the Pevensies came back from Narnia and all had nervous breakdowns - but each installment in the series of novellas introduces different characters, new worlds, new lessons to have learned. And the covers are among the most beautiful that you can find <i>anywhere. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">personal faves</span></h3><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSnYm3ys6KHnes0y3FBXqcWDNZ_tDMm-S25fDaI4kfwD-krbDSvfYRCeZBGxYGdKde8AlBibtIwdQIRgQxkwEzv8gHalvth3zPcsBEIg2P0I6IHNfaf48nrpW8xbm9BOH0Dv8mMYbNJDGpF_jEtgXMCuNAKQsgbQ2jDRW__yUU2RA-8RIpS_qdQImT" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="180" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSnYm3ys6KHnes0y3FBXqcWDNZ_tDMm-S25fDaI4kfwD-krbDSvfYRCeZBGxYGdKde8AlBibtIwdQIRgQxkwEzv8gHalvth3zPcsBEIg2P0I6IHNfaf48nrpW8xbm9BOH0Dv8mMYbNJDGpF_jEtgXMCuNAKQsgbQ2jDRW__yUU2RA-8RIpS_qdQImT=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></b></div><b>9. The<i> Gideon Oliver </i>books, Aaron Elkin</b><p></p><p>I was on a walk one afternoon, during 2021 Covid, with a few friends, when one mentioned that she was using quarantine as an excuse to finally pick up some of the Agatha Christie novels her parents have been recommending to her all these years. As someone who collects them myself, I was overjoyed, but grew nervous when she said after running through so many, she was running out of steam. I told her to take a break from the British, and hop back to our side of the Pond; more specifically, the Puget Sound area, where forensic anthropologist and fellow UW Husky (wink wink) Gideon Oliver has been examining skeletal findings for decades. The next time I talked to her, she had bought three. </p><p><br /></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6yVNKD4-oL8k1U8mOo035x1i4kYWIZANZbh9_zzoCTm581B9UMMKlm8wbMtTWE8ZFuowPzUgkVWpQogq7faRwOhrbQAJOn-RMflf2IKbsBYBX7OPSyuZoXX945wQJ5-dWgjzllplVWgk1b0TW0_waiGQ5W7z37-bvPSQkTWhGW60eFu2qq6gF4c1H" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="281" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6yVNKD4-oL8k1U8mOo035x1i4kYWIZANZbh9_zzoCTm581B9UMMKlm8wbMtTWE8ZFuowPzUgkVWpQogq7faRwOhrbQAJOn-RMflf2IKbsBYBX7OPSyuZoXX945wQJ5-dWgjzllplVWgk1b0TW0_waiGQ5W7z37-bvPSQkTWhGW60eFu2qq6gF4c1H=w141-h200" width="141" /></a></b></div><b>10.<i> House of Leaves</i>, Mark Z Danielewski</b><p></p><p>Listen, one of the first pages says everything you need to know: there's a great chance "this book is not for you." It's weird, its formatting doesn't make any sense, there's too much left open to interpretation, and who wants to be a part of an underground cult anyways? Unfortunately, not only do I talk about this novel an unhealthy amount, but it's because I experienced it in an ideal format: back in college, I had an entire five-credit class dedicated to solely reading this book and concurrent literary analysis for an entire Quarter. Yet another reason I wish college was free... that way, we could all voluntarily attend ten two-hour lectures to better understand the books we're reading. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>What books do you like to recommend? What kinds of books do you GET as recommendations?<b> Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-77109915326190909862023-04-30T13:19:00.002-07:002023-04-30T13:19:08.371-07:00Where Have All the Good Men Gone? Recent Misadventures in Romance Novels <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojZOObVA7njR2-43ouD4QxMQfQ8icetdMymRAl9xwGbNX2koIA2dSBkwSkvyEtwX5Vh-SuTcB_0WiXG8Fq1v-40e9czK7WKBmsr-t42-PHLPFDywZJLCIyXh4y_GPu0h79FjCpTiXoOPG5uE858u3EQYgRj5kZOa5thGY92TofuYiLHMVD4jA2Ed9/s940/WHERE%20HAVE%20ALL%20THE%20GOOD%20MEN%20GONE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojZOObVA7njR2-43ouD4QxMQfQ8icetdMymRAl9xwGbNX2koIA2dSBkwSkvyEtwX5Vh-SuTcB_0WiXG8Fq1v-40e9czK7WKBmsr-t42-PHLPFDywZJLCIyXh4y_GPu0h79FjCpTiXoOPG5uE858u3EQYgRj5kZOa5thGY92TofuYiLHMVD4jA2Ed9/w640-h536/WHERE%20HAVE%20ALL%20THE%20GOOD%20MEN%20GONE.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Listen. The season of life I have been living right now has not exactly been... relaxing. Thanks to family commitments, writing projects, charitable responsibilities, and more, my plate has been more full than not most days, which leaves <b>very little time for kicking back and relaxing with a good book. </b></p><p>So when I actually have time to sit down and read, I want to make sure I'm investing my attention in something worthwhile. Not something difficult, not anything I have to ease your way into or take my time with... something I can jump right into with both feet, something that requires minimal brainpower and - ideally - a lack of hurdles keeping me away from the escape hatch I'm struggling to reach. </p><p>For me, that go-to genre has held a couple of different forms. For starters, Food Writing always makes for a good time, and usually serves as more than a little inspiration for what I get up to in the kitchen later. Memoirs are also a great choice, especially if they err on the shallower, celebrity-"written" side of the kiddie pool. My favorite, however, will always be Romance novels. </p><p>So tell me why, out of the books I've read in the past few months, <b>Romance has been the genre most clearly disappointing me?</b></p><p>Needless to say, I originally thought this was my fault. </p><p>Obviously this Grumpy Gal isn't in the right headspace to enjoy the fluffy frippery of a Historical, or the hip and current snappiness of a Contemporary. It was only after consulting with my younger sister that I realized I wasn't the only one having this issue: <b>for some reason, we all just seemed to be reading lackluster Romance this Spring. </b></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">sister sister : what's unlovable in Romance</h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrRohCCvMkUPDsn8qgJKQCmakbAdUqRYquaBKBkxpaP5VoGLGn6RirrgTQuN8Sv6jLGrZ475IY09ru2FFSHrhdcvcDese7XQ0CHDO9yXiwePR5Q72_b-Ev9eAx3AgLOvn24ghAh3RFWRn4DILClECCr5Uu18NU37NvVk-ziNp4AUGcjbiOIXlFhs11" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4965" data-original-width="3307" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrRohCCvMkUPDsn8qgJKQCmakbAdUqRYquaBKBkxpaP5VoGLGn6RirrgTQuN8Sv6jLGrZ475IY09ru2FFSHrhdcvcDese7XQ0CHDO9yXiwePR5Q72_b-Ev9eAx3AgLOvn24ghAh3RFWRn4DILClECCr5Uu18NU37NvVk-ziNp4AUGcjbiOIXlFhs11=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>She actually called me before noon, on a Wednesday at the top of March, to regale me with how much she was hating a book I had read just last year: <b><i>Delilah Green Doesn't Care</i>, by Ashley Herring Blake</b>.<div><br /> Herself a woman in a committed, long-term relationship with another woman, it was one of her first forays into true Lesbian Romance, and she was utterly disheartened by how frustrated she was with the unlikable main character, and all of the easy breaks this person was managing to get, despite being a regulation pain towards every other person in the cast. <p></p><p>"I can put up with poor writing," she texted me after our phone chat, "but I will not tolerate unbelievable circumstances." </p><p>Oof. In her mind, what was supposed to be the lighthearted escapism of a Romance novel was getting a little too ridiculous to believe.</p><p>After finishing the whole thing, she admitted that she "enjoyed reading it as a whole and clearly blasted through it," but still, even on the other side of it, couldn't come to grips with the issues she had with the characters and plot. She gave it two stars. </p><p>Less than a week later, I'd be on the receiving end of a barrage of texts once more, about a new book she'd started: <b><i>The Unhoneymooners</i>, by Christina Lauren. </b></p><p>"My new least fave genre," she wrote, are "romance novels that think enemies-to-lovers is just two detestable people that eventually" end up together. (And yes, that last bit is edited for decency standards.)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEghY67iKKJEWFNyxjxTdbfRLg3pC3I4l06Xx02Xyv6SN15s76OFT3I4EAIWwkJ9SKFJLwTZwoiXX3XsEjcOnvTvhW97r--SLJBOf7QmulwFAg7dyd3D3BV9PXLrqal6jyOG5V8x9MGfCS4COQyEdHFLGajJxIZO4cEoQrIlRhXzP_-7N39GsNMYQK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="1292" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEghY67iKKJEWFNyxjxTdbfRLg3pC3I4l06Xx02Xyv6SN15s76OFT3I4EAIWwkJ9SKFJLwTZwoiXX3XsEjcOnvTvhW97r--SLJBOf7QmulwFAg7dyd3D3BV9PXLrqal6jyOG5V8x9MGfCS4COQyEdHFLGajJxIZO4cEoQrIlRhXzP_-7N39GsNMYQK=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></div>A few days later, I got another follow up. "Are straights really like that?" she questioned. "The anger level I feel rn is unreal, also worried about who is seeing me with my eye rolls every 2 sec. U read this one right? Why do people like this?"<br /><p></p><p>Eventually she just had to throw her hands in the air (despite finishing both novels). "This is my cross to bear: being the only person alive who didn't love <i>Normal People, Delilah Green, </i>and <i>The Unhoneymooners.</i>" </p><p>Well, not quite the only one: I had also rated both <i>Delilah Green </i>and<i> Unhoneymooners </i>each as a three-star read, though <i>Unhoneymooners </i>had been slightly more of the disappointment, not even making it onto my Goodreads Challenge for 2021. Sally Rooney's <i>Normal People</i> I also couldn't stand, though I have to admit that has to do more with my significant feelings about improper formatting use as a pretentious artistic choice (I rated that three stars, as well, but have since had a wonderful conversation with a friend, who also didn't initially enjoy it, but was prompted to change her mind after listening to an excellent audiobook version). </p><p>Still, after all of this discussion about what we could appreciate and what made us furious about the Romance novels we'd been reading recently, <b>it gave me more cause to reflect on what books had managed to make it off of my TBR, too. </b></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">what I've been reading recently</h3><p>(Eagle-eyed readers might take notice of two of these titles as being a bit familiar: <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/02/love-is-books-speed-dating-my-kindle.html" target="_blank">as you may recall, I did a round of "Speed-Dating My Kindle" specifically for Romance reads back in February</a>, around Valentine's Day, which led to two of these taking up spots on the front page of my Kindle.) </p><p>Here's how my ill-fated exploits went: </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJeHaWCL7WDs7Lqx3QrQefE5dmaOuqQa0PGvaDHMoW9cbg0CNVVyhPNuB-BaJI2vpGU88KK_DD5FEuowd3sBPvTtPY77azYsPdyRyp9KnIT-udR0Uup2nDgtnHLPGc3LqNeWuS-f-3CQ9WeHIP1pa13oz_4txVSYL-99EosE2b1W-3z1-lso2XqRGQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJeHaWCL7WDs7Lqx3QrQefE5dmaOuqQa0PGvaDHMoW9cbg0CNVVyhPNuB-BaJI2vpGU88KK_DD5FEuowd3sBPvTtPY77azYsPdyRyp9KnIT-udR0Uup2nDgtnHLPGc3LqNeWuS-f-3CQ9WeHIP1pa13oz_4txVSYL-99EosE2b1W-3z1-lso2XqRGQ=w199-h320" width="199" /></a></div><b><i>When a Scot Ties the Knot (Castles Ever After #3)</i>, Tessa Dare</b><p></p><p><i>Three stars.</i></p><p>Tessa Dare was the first-ever true-blue post-'00s-published Historical Romance I ever read, and the <i>Castles Ever After </i>series was the first I'd ever heard reviews about from friends. In fact, one of the reasons this particular book lived on my TBR for so long, was because an Internet friend of mine, who has since gone defunct, used to rave about how much she loved it. </p><p>I'm still a fan of Tessa Dare, but what I'm also saying, is that we have history. And maybe that's why, in some ways, this book just sort of stuck out as a little too... I don't know... young for me? I guess? Just, a little more juvenile or cutesy than generally what I enjoy reading right now. </p><p>Maybe that's also because the main character also feels super young. She's 26, or thereabouts, mind you... but also, severely sheltered, naïve, and regularly defined in the narrative as very small. It's one of the ways that the book almost reads as a kind of fanfiction: Dare's cramming ALL of the early-2010s tropes into this girl. And into our Romantic Hero, too! I mean, a MAN reading a BOOK? Be still my quaking knickers. It really did feel like the ideal audience was your average Goodreads user in 2013. </p><p>But for all the parts that did sound believable - historical background given to the Highlanders military group, chauvinistic attitudes towards women, a character's severe social anxiety - there was only more that felt spun as insubstantially as cotton candy, and it felt like Dare was more interested in writing a SWEET story than an interesting one. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqL1NmzQblvNnLm4I3av3ZW499LGDH1WWv1X2wg9qUeSjfg3hRGTMTwMGazhvtPAO1w67Sw_KJU9wFVzHFSngxc_Wdo77VSZparcxwtxDvcTvTl-jVlSLt2N3h43wgyp4yA1T2rN4UVd_HNXNe30VVHEaXjFRm93tersnacgcMxGW7Gc1Cns5eIPhY" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1686" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqL1NmzQblvNnLm4I3av3ZW499LGDH1WWv1X2wg9qUeSjfg3hRGTMTwMGazhvtPAO1w67Sw_KJU9wFVzHFSngxc_Wdo77VSZparcxwtxDvcTvTl-jVlSLt2N3h43wgyp4yA1T2rN4UVd_HNXNe30VVHEaXjFRm93tersnacgcMxGW7Gc1Cns5eIPhY=w204-h320" width="204" /></a></div><b><i>Romancing Mr. Bridgerton (Bridgerton #4)</i>, Julia Quinn</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>Three stars.</i><br /><p></p><p>I know this is going to sound absolutely terrible, but every time I read a<i> Bridgerton </i>novel, being a fan of the Netflix show first, I end up feeling... a little let down. In a stunning twist on typical book-lover feelings, I actually do <u>not</u> think these books are better. </p><p>Part of that, I think, is the absence of some of the things that the show does SO WELL: the aesthetic value, the diverse casting, the fantasy of it all. Instead, Quinn's novels feel almost old-fashioned and dowdy in comparison. Additionally, there's the element of sensuality that also feels a little tone-deaf in today's environment: every single couple, it seems, features an experienced Hero and a truly, woefully unprepared Heroine... which makes sex scenes feel tedious, if not problematic. </p><p>But those are just gripes in general... specifically, with this installment, the issue was more with inconsistent character choices. It felt like at every turn, a character felt a certain way until, boom, they didn't. Then they'd be in danger of changing their mind again the second the wind changed direction. Colin doesn't really see Penelope... until he does. Colin never loses his temper... until he does. Colin doesn't trust Penelope after something he sees as a betrayal... until he does. It's enough to give a girl whiplash, emotional carriage rides aside. </p><p>Also, this book made me DISLIKE several of the characters I have otherwise enjoyed from the books, including Eloise and Hyacinth. </p><p>Honestly, I'm considering just sticking to the TV show in the future. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNIClIE3xKK5lXQhPAJtdJJ5BxrgnLO-oJDXfv6XF2IpiMmMyqxKUV13EbNFOjoZFNLbvW7464DZoiqtrTMJbIRSu5Jbc7Akq-agB0EsB4ekguafS2iyW4YLTQO1l9ncwerWUJzKvfZumCc5tMaNrmLIqci6GOIjrDHhb6OJanxlMfAhcaswHwu91u" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNIClIE3xKK5lXQhPAJtdJJ5BxrgnLO-oJDXfv6XF2IpiMmMyqxKUV13EbNFOjoZFNLbvW7464DZoiqtrTMJbIRSu5Jbc7Akq-agB0EsB4ekguafS2iyW4YLTQO1l9ncwerWUJzKvfZumCc5tMaNrmLIqci6GOIjrDHhb6OJanxlMfAhcaswHwu91u=w213-h320" width="213" /></a></div><b><i>Bromance Book Club (Bromance Book Club #1)</i>, Lyssa Kay Adams </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>Two stars. </i><br /><p></p><p>Ok. So. The most positive thing I have to say about this book, is that it was short. </p><p>Which is absolutely not a bad thing. I could skim through it quickly, without losing out on plot. I was able to essentially read the <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/03/travel-reading-log-what-i-read-while-i.html" target="_blank">whole thing in a total of less than three hours</a>. It made me laugh out loud exactly one time... I just rolled my eyes substantially more often. </p><p>I think my primary aversion while reading this book is that it seemed to have only a tangential relationship with any kind of reality. While the major plot and characters could, perhaps, theoretically exist in some capacity, they were mashed together in such a breathlessly confusing fashion, and behaved in such nonsensical ways, as to render them completely disconnected from any kind of genuine or authentic emotion, and therefore, elicited very little emotional response from me beyond general frustration.</p><p>For instance, every single male character in this novel appears to have been concieved solely from the whole "fictional men written by women" trope. The most you got out of each of them, was when they'd suddenly veer off into a diatribe about how PSLs are unfairly mocked because of their ties to gender, or something else that sounds like it should have been a<i> Thought Catalog</i> piece, instead of a blockish piece of interruption. </p><p>The dialogue elsewhere was similarly rough. Most of the secondary characters were barely given any kind of life or color to make them feel more substantial than a cardboard cutout (including, in one notable instance, simply the general idea that they are 1. foreign and 2. have IBS). The romance of this Romance was strangely paced, the points of tension resolving without much major communication or commitment, the stakes involved being way too high to justify the lack of deliberate, purposeful action. </p><p>I mean, the conflict in the book is very much pitched with the idea that he and his wife are divorcing because he's never satisfied her in bed. The reality is much more bleak: after this unexpected, vulnerable admittance from her, he storms off, stops sleeping in their bedroom in favor of the guest room, and gives her the silent treatment, ignoring her completely for TWO WEEKS. And then is surprised when she tells him she wants a divorce! </p><p>Furthermore, they are the parents of two - extremely unlikely kinds of precocious - tiny girls. Our Heroine left college early in order to birth and take care of them, because our Hero's professional baseball schedule makes little room for a partner to serve as anything other than a professional WAG. And not only has our Hero never recognized that this leaves her feeling unfulfilled and lonely... but she's never even felt comfortable TELLING HIM this. </p><p>They didn't need romance novels at all; what they needed was couple's therapy and the chance to actually COMMUNICATE with their PARTNER.</p><p>It honestly feels like the Hero has very little agency of his own in trying to win back his wife. I mean, the book opens with him hungover off a booze bender in a hotel room. He's not the one to really opt into the Book Club, he's prompted by his friends; his decisions aren't led by his own judgement, as much as his friends' input, and his attempts at winning his wife over are even cribbed directly from the actual romance book itself. Like I said, highly unrealistic: he clearly cares, so why isn't he actually trying, beyond what all of these people are simply telling him to do? What's going to happen the next time they encounter a problem as a couple? </p><p>And... okay, so spoiler alert for this next section, too. </p><p>I think the thing that irks me the most about the plot resolution was this sudden, miraculous ability to resolve the issues in their sex life. She's been faking for their entire relationship, right? And she's been an interested, enthusiastically engaged party in their decision in a committed, married partnership to have sex, repeatedly, over the course of <i>years</i>. </p><p>But even when they're on the pathway to getting better and solving their problems, they have issues *getting there* as a couple... partially because she gives him zero prompting as to what makes her feel good. In fact, the dialogue kinds of suggests that she hasn't really considered it. And I mean, female sexuality is historically a cultural taboo, and women have been socially conditioned to place their pleasure second, sure, sure. But they clear up their misunderstandings and finally start to talk more about their relationship, and all of a sudden, they're having marathon rounds in a hotel room? How does that make sense? </p><p>Are we to believe her inability to have an orgasm is by sheer subconscious dissatisfaction with her overall life? For YEARS? It honestly would have been more impactful if their sex life had improved in a more gradual way, and I'm talking over the course of months... with time, persistence, and more and more open communication about, specifically, the physical side of their relationship. Or if there had been some kind of personal, medical component on her side that the two of them could have worked through together. Something that would have made what was established in the plot as a clear, present, persistent problem, as something that was more meaningful than just... talking it out a few times. </p><p>All told, I have watched Hallmark movies with more dimension. But again... at least it was short.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">at least there's a happy ending for all of this</h3><p>Thankfully, in the time since reading all of these books, both my sister and I have come out on the other end of this mini Romance-related slump. </p><p>She got snapped out of her cloudy skies with an entirely different, much-hyped Lesbian Romance, one I'd actually recommended for her girlfriend back in December (<b><i>Count Your Lucky Stars</i>, by Alexandria Bellefleur,</b> which also happens to be set in the city where she and her girlfriend first met). </p><p>Meanwhile, this Historical lover was actually wooed by a Contemporary Sports Romance, of all things... one that was centered around Hockey, a sport about which all knowledge has been gained from Disney Channel Original Movies. However, thanks to commentaries on LGBT relationships and diversity in sports, and as much heart as there was heat - and there was a LOT of heat - <b><i>Goalie Interference (Hat Trick #2) </i>by Piper Vaughn and Avon Gale</b> redeemed all thoughts of Romance for me over the course of 24 hours. </p><p>Am I going to be attempting another anytime soon? The answer is, unfortunately, yes. "Unfortunately," because this year's <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/big-box-take-two-my-brother-bought-me.html" target="_blank">Big Box of Paranormal Romance Challenge</a> hasn't exactly been off to the smoothest of starts, something you'll hopefully be learning about soon... once I finally get through my third installment in the challenge for this year. </p><p>Maybe I'll take a break before I get back into that one, though. Anyone got any SciFi recommendations I can pick up instead? </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Have you read any really good Romances lately? When's the last time you were disappointed by one of your "escape" genres? <i>Let me know, in the comments below!</i></b></p></div>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-9818013077116838382023-04-11T16:40:00.000-07:002023-04-11T16:40:00.611-07:00It's Still Cold and I'm Still Busy: What I Read in January, February, and March<p>Okay. So. Have I been a good blogger recently?</p><p>Well. Define "good." And "bad," while you're at it. </p><p>Have I been an <i>absent </i>blogger recently? Well...</p><p>Barring a weekend <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/03/travel-reading-log-what-i-read-while-i.html" target="_blank">sojourn to Canada for an eventful Spring Break touring around Victoria, BC</a>, you don't really have any idea what I've been up to. You have no idea what I've been working on, and more importantly, you don't know what I've been reading.</p><p>So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry. I've been a... <i>less than forthcoming</i> blogger. But I've got a slew more posts coming your way over the course of this month, and I'm getting all of that other stuff handled as best I can. I mean, I haven't even been able to watch a single episode of <i>Shadow and Bone</i> Season 2 yet! That's how busy I've been! </p><p>But for now, let's talk over everything I've been reading for the last few months. </p><p>Well. Not everything. But a lot of it. Lay off, okay? </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">january</span></span></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLtSKoRsPElbTS5_kjLqp7mMrYUS1NWCd2z2zbej7zrM0ztwg40dVoR1KuvpucUvCh1ti-rhz4Ke-9XywHf-x44r6gWD2GOH6G6x-ErwGwjK_0e3mXZZwyXBYTo_0HqY7GG3-jwPQ55PQuGXOVomg_OJ3Be5OxDRQ7CQnCxYWxJu8og0mDZDp0aQd9" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLtSKoRsPElbTS5_kjLqp7mMrYUS1NWCd2z2zbej7zrM0ztwg40dVoR1KuvpucUvCh1ti-rhz4Ke-9XywHf-x44r6gWD2GOH6G6x-ErwGwjK_0e3mXZZwyXBYTo_0HqY7GG3-jwPQ55PQuGXOVomg_OJ3Be5OxDRQ7CQnCxYWxJu8og0mDZDp0aQd9=w204-h320" width="204" /></a></div><b><i>Jane Eyre</i>, Charlotte Bronte</b><p></p><p><i>A British Gothic classic, in which the penniless orphan Jane Eyre faces off against social expectations and religious doctrine while also battling feelings for her employer, Edward Rochester... amongst other things. A favorite of English teachers the world over. </i></p><p>I had a massive hankering for investing myself in this thick and moody classic, since about October of last year. But because I was subsumed under so many different things, I kept pushing it off. I figured it was a good way to start off the new year instead: a hefty, but not insurmountable, reread, one that would allow me to have fun, while also being intentional about my reading habits in the new year. </p><p>I knew I couldn't just throw myself into it without forethought, so instead, I used it as a kind of self-managed care practice: I'd be ready for bed by 10pm, read starting at 10:30pm, and after about three chapters, be tired enough to go to sleep. Not only was this a great habit to start forming, but it gave me a manageable, but not insignificant, chunk to break apart piece by piece. After almost two weeks of reading in this fashion, I successfully made it to the end! </p><p>This was a reread that really made me feel my age... not in a bad way. I think I've really fallen into the habit over the years of reading solely for comfort, as a safe way to do some escaping - hence all the Romance and the novellas and the food writing - and not only did this impress on me the value of "difficult" books, but also, how far I've come since the first time I read it, in high school. A new appreciation for rich and dedicated description, as well as really effective word choice, and a retrospective understanding of a LOT of really effective foreshadowing. I also had a better critical perspective on elements of the more problematic or time-illuminated parts of the book, like the casual racism, or dedication to Christian dogma. </p><p>Plus,<a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/02/all-words-i-googled-while-reading-jane.html" target="_blank"> I learned a ton of new words. </a></p><p>All in all, I couldn't have picked a better book to kick off my year! </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuqCEb43Q7-ysHE1nQs5XupPlCrbxJ-GtBJMItDnOTHIg-Im8Cd0J7Qc1mPrq_EM7iLU8zzw1H8QmZt6R8oiWwmg-4WvM_psM2qFIIUDRQ0X0q7_TNJrz6VanLZj87mQVWY3aOzaTU26ly18-QoePXnDlNYcvOjqVpxILC8zTthx46bxMULDHgZ9_t" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuqCEb43Q7-ysHE1nQs5XupPlCrbxJ-GtBJMItDnOTHIg-Im8Cd0J7Qc1mPrq_EM7iLU8zzw1H8QmZt6R8oiWwmg-4WvM_psM2qFIIUDRQ0X0q7_TNJrz6VanLZj87mQVWY3aOzaTU26ly18-QoePXnDlNYcvOjqVpxILC8zTthx46bxMULDHgZ9_t=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div><b><i>Life with the Afterlife: 13 Truths I Learned About Ghosts,</i> Amy Bruni</b><p></p><p><i>Television personality and veteran ghost-hunter Amy Bruni discusses growing up with an awareness of paranormal activity, her experiences in the field, and personal perspectives on hauntings she's encountered. </i></p><p>Pretty close to the turn of the year, Mom and Dad decided that - like last year's sojourn to a local state park - Dad desperately needed to spend his birthday weekend somewhere fun. We ended up settling on Port Townsend: close to the water, packed with charming bookstores, and apparently, very, very haunted. </p><p>Only an overnight, but still, I needed to be prepared. Dad had lent me this book back in December, when I still thought I'd be able to speed read my way through to Goodreads glory; instead, I read this across two days in January, in anticipation of staying in a haunted castle. </p><p>I ended up enjoying myself! (With this read, definitely not the noisy, frustrating castle, which was occupied by both inconsiderate amateur ghost hunters, as well as a very large, very crunchy spider). </p><p>Bruni was someone I grew up watching on <i>Ghost Hunters</i>, and my parents are still fans of her and Adam Berry's <i>Kindred Spirits</i> show. It was cool to read this in her voice (while also being able to tell, by its relatively detached and impersonal narrative, that it was definitely not her words alone).</p><p>While I loved her perspectives on being a part of the paranormal community and her details from producing both shows, the damper I felt was from my own personal feelings on hauntings: Bruni is a BELIEVER, to the point of having an entire chapter dedicated to her beliefs about aliens and Bigfoot. While I loved her views on the greater status of ghost-hunting shows as a sociocultural reflection, I couldn't quite commit to the same level of full faith that she clearly has. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Also read: <i>What a Dragon Should Know</i>, G. A. Aiken, which you can find on another upcoming Paranormal Romance blog post! </b></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ea9999;">february</span></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7wl-2qvIFA24H8fSSFF2HQq7Emk1YwyFgv-OYWJq4hJvSK022XKj36diL6esfz13x85XAEha0dZm5-rmVCSmcP45mnmMzAT5DCnegdw2POiPa14UhIRk4gtdZe11vzZ2uFE_LsVFOHaR48zz9TjZ9xW5aYbItidl57E9LeT1bZvVyalIKKEslTOtP" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7wl-2qvIFA24H8fSSFF2HQq7Emk1YwyFgv-OYWJq4hJvSK022XKj36diL6esfz13x85XAEha0dZm5-rmVCSmcP45mnmMzAT5DCnegdw2POiPa14UhIRk4gtdZe11vzZ2uFE_LsVFOHaR48zz9TjZ9xW5aYbItidl57E9LeT1bZvVyalIKKEslTOtP=w211-h320" width="211" /></a></div><b><i>Hype: How Scammers, Grifters, and Con Artists Are Taking Over the Internet - And Why We're Following</i>, Gabrielle Bluestone</b><p></p><p><i>An enthusiastic and detailed perspective on the failings of Fyre Fest, as well as the careers and ne'er-doings of other kinds of Internet-savvy fraudsters and falsifiers, like Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Caroline Calloway, and more. </i></p><p>Thanks to our author's attorney background, this book is incredibly well-researched, footnoted to oblivion, and chock full of numerous, credible examples of wrong-doing perpetuated across the Internet and beyond. But because she is a human being who CARES, DAMMIT, parts of his book also carry the unmistakable tinge of emotion, and specifically, frustration: why the hell do these kinds of people keep getting away with it? </p><p>So, well-researched? Yes. Well-composed? Not exactly. Chapters are long, and tend to wander down various tangential pathways when tied to other such credible stories; anecdotes are framed with significant bias and open feeling. In some ways, it kind of feels like Bluestone REALLY just wanted to include as much detail about Fyre Fest as possible, but was beaten to the punch by all of the other flashier coverage dedicated to the event, and her editors wanted her to widen her scope. In particular, the Covid chapter didn't feel organically tied to the overarching themes at all, but more like a publishing house request, as if her editor asked her to add an additional chapter after the first set of lockdowns hit. </p><p>My overall takeaway from this book was that it was an entertaining, slightly horrifying read, and that all business majors should be placed on some kind of government watch list. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUYnR9K6aig74CwkJq6qVJTiCEaKrzfpuoOYc4kbZftUayPGvOmMruZmtYmcRna13TwwZN6cOzadhqRR9TWitxAu-RRig69kDoBoQQZ7EwaYEt3oOj1Dzt2rtLgxhodKk35rI33R5lb3jcvDuC6RgV6tzjHo_yQmzkU6Yc8dg5R8pUciCZDPIna2nL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2473" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUYnR9K6aig74CwkJq6qVJTiCEaKrzfpuoOYc4kbZftUayPGvOmMruZmtYmcRna13TwwZN6cOzadhqRR9TWitxAu-RRig69kDoBoQQZ7EwaYEt3oOj1Dzt2rtLgxhodKk35rI33R5lb3jcvDuC6RgV6tzjHo_yQmzkU6Yc8dg5R8pUciCZDPIna2nL=w213-h320" width="213" /></a></div><b><i>Best American Food Writing 2020</i>, ed. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt</b><p></p><p><i>A collection of some of the best short form food writing published in 2019, as selected by chef and </i>Food Lab<i> author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. </i></p><p>Truly one of my favorite installments, of a book series I've completely fallen in love with over the past few years. This particular edition occupies a strange place in time: all of the articles included in it were published in 2019, but the book itself was compiled and selected within the context of what was happening during the first few months of Covid. As a result, the context of various pieces feel somewhat suspended in time: post-Me-Too, but pre-George-Floyd-riots, pre-Door-Dash-dependency, but also at a time when its writers were completely oblivious to what trials the foot production, retail, and restaurant spaces would look like in less than a year. </p><p>Personal favorite essays from this particular grouping: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>an exploration of the weaponization of grits in pop culture and relationships</li><li>a breakdown of the difficulties of simply eating at a restaurant as someone with a disability, and the ways restaurants could make their eateries more accessible to everyone</li><li>a pointed look at Lean Cuisine's marketing reliance on dieting culture, and their adaptation in the face of self-love movements</li><li>separate spotlights on the career dives of media-darling chefs Jamie Oliver and Rocco DiSpirito</li><li>a timeline of the targeted media destruction of New Coke</li><li>a structured and highly-scientific exploration of various supermarket ice cream brands, and where dollar prices make the most sense per consumer experience</li><li>a historical understanding of Prince's Hot Chicken in Nashville</li><li>truly the best and most realistic love letter to the cultural anomaly that is crab rangoon that I've ever read</li></ul><div>Food lovers should already be reading this series, but if there was every any doubt on your end, start with this one. </div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Also read: <i>When a Scot Ties the Knot, </i>by Tessa Dare, which you'll see on an upcoming Romance blogpost, and <i>Bustin',</i> which you'll see on an upcoming Paranormal Romance blogpost! </b></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">march</span></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq_EiOfosIqmkJ7j7YDAILXjHKMoRWoG_8c3rmE7SVL2P1oLZl1vjO1mF7IvaZd5BpZLC3-DF8SNSU7LyuNATEqPzucTjkAQFo-A7I_CaTZBYlBZW5kBiY1tm4WyXyG29JewBdlTcnFR20PaFKSmtPKj-6He59gA6N8rIrV-cLTSTilfX87Jvye2Md" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq_EiOfosIqmkJ7j7YDAILXjHKMoRWoG_8c3rmE7SVL2P1oLZl1vjO1mF7IvaZd5BpZLC3-DF8SNSU7LyuNATEqPzucTjkAQFo-A7I_CaTZBYlBZW5kBiY1tm4WyXyG29JewBdlTcnFR20PaFKSmtPKj-6He59gA6N8rIrV-cLTSTilfX87Jvye2Md=w213-h320" width="213" /></a></div><b><i>Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City</i>, K. J. Parker</b><p></p><p><i>In a fantasy world where pirates have invaded nearby cities and their locally stationed militia has been brutally taken out by a mysterious outside force, the fate of the empire hangs in the balance held by one single military engineer. The problem is, he barely has any idea as to what he's doing. </i></p><p>Ugh. Can we all just talk about how disappointing it can be when a book turns out to be just... really problematic? Like if you could only excise out portions of the plot, dialogue, or characterization, everything would be fine. I felt the same way about Alan Bradley's questionable Fu Manchu section in <i>The Bottom of the Pie</i>, which colored my otherwise enthusiastic enjoyment of the book. "Just ignore all of these pages," you'd say, handing a book to a friend, "and everything will be fine." </p><p>And then there's just the anger when you realize why that can't happen. When the problematic content is the driving force behind the main character, the antagonist's conflict, and the overall organization of the world. </p><p>It's easy to be furious at the cruelty of the real world, where people are hideous to each other, where history lays forth in a gnarled and knotted tapestry, of all the ways pain can be inflicted. It's a different flavor of frustrating when confronted with an author who seems to have blindly, misdirectionally, confoundingly, decided to adopt elements of racial cruelty into a narrative, seemingly without considering any kind of an impact that inclusion of those inversions might have on their reader. </p><p>But that's just part of the puzzle. This book could have been really good, and really funny... parts of it still are! But truly bonkers choices are made around world-building, characterization, plot development, and even the final 50 pages or so renders the point totally moot. </p><p>It could have been better, but it wasn't. And I'm having a truly headache-inducing time questioning why the author made the choices he did. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg121XQqyEEThbOCeao4K7t_zRK9KIy7J_XWdpQMFjrBDklTOFA070AeA5HH_ZRbdbUy88rcJDW_BauZYGrcSiUMpcCepaDWAZsu7vPc2lHWBW51UtzDNZArBkRMldZeLhFEVH8mn_PlORmTb3zhvbaJaP-3WfhvTPdGytc2LVnXNOEAs2zs-be3y4e" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1613" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg121XQqyEEThbOCeao4K7t_zRK9KIy7J_XWdpQMFjrBDklTOFA070AeA5HH_ZRbdbUy88rcJDW_BauZYGrcSiUMpcCepaDWAZsu7vPc2lHWBW51UtzDNZArBkRMldZeLhFEVH8mn_PlORmTb3zhvbaJaP-3WfhvTPdGytc2LVnXNOEAs2zs-be3y4e=w208-h320" width="208" /></a></div><b><i>Across the Green Grass Fields (Wayward Children #6</i>), Seanan McGuire</b><p></p><p><i>After fleeing a desperate situation of social upheaval when a confession to a friend goes wrong, Regan finds herself transported to the Hooflands, a wide-spanning world of only hoofed beasts, like centaurs, satyrs, and more. How will she find her way home... and does she even want to?</i> </p><p>I knew pretty quickly going into this installment of one of my all-time favorite Fantasy series, that this particular one wasn't going to be my favorite of the bunch. </p><p>For starters, I didn't find the main character compelling; if anything, one of her first actions, and the subsequent few introductory chapters, mark her pretty squarely as a conformist, and a mean girl, in a situation where I feel like that wouldn't naturally be the case (she's a relatively well-off, middle-class child, who is demonstrated to have a decent social sphere and a natural intelligence and curiosity, with parents who are incredibly supportive and love her. So why shackle yourself to the meanest person you know, who will obviously one day betray you, who's already betrayed somebody else?). The choice seems to make more sense for plotting's sake, as the book that would naturally follow that kind of a character trait would create a plot driven by the idea of gaining worldly perspective, self-determination, and individual identity... but I don't really think those aspects were pulled off that authentically. </p><p>The primary chapters caused additional confusion for me, as they clearly establish one of Reagan's crises of identity as being the revelation that she was born intersex. While it helps serve as a catalyst for primary action, it doesn't play a ton into the overall plot... and while I think that might have been the point of it - normalizing something that's already normal, that many people live knowing about themselves, but isn't really represented in culture or media - it makes for a kind of strange transitionary period at the end of the book. The narrative makes a point of referencing quite emphatically that sixteen years old will be the first time that Reagan has an opportunity to access gender affirming care, but - *spoiler alert* - when she is delivered back into the Real World at this meaningful age, at the end of the novella, it doesn't play into her realizations, inner dialogue, etc. at all. Which, again, maybe the normalization is a part of it, and maybe that kind of healthcare isn't referenced in the narrative because it's no longer something she cares about, but it still feels like it would be more meaningful if that was explicitly brought up. Instead, the plot point just kind of feels like it's left hanging. </p><p>I'm not much of a horse girly, so the world of the Hooflands just really didn't appeal to me either. I felt like it was significantly less established or fleshed out than other worlds visited within the series. I thought it was a strange choice for a supporting standalone installment in the larger set. Apparently, Reagan will play a role in the plot of further books in the series, but for a first introduction, it felt like a weird, sideways kind of way to meet her. </p><p>The major issue I had, though, was with the major theme or takeaway from the novel: that destiny doesn't matter, that you choose your own path, that you don't have to follow the lead that's handed to you. Reagan learns she can make her own choices, and stand on her own two feet, and that's great. The problem I have, though, is that "destiny isn't real" is a massively strange takeaway for a series of novels that are oriented around the sudden, unexplained appearances of magical doors that transport children to worlds in which major lessons are learned, only to then be thrust out of them again having learned their lessons. Destiny doesn't exist, predetermination isn't a factor... except for those big ol' honkin' doors, though. You should still believe in those. </p><p>I've since learned from the Internet that Seanan is a huge <i>My Little Pony</i> fan, which at least explains something. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Also read:<i> Romancing Mr. Bridgerton </i>and <i>The Bromance Book Club</i>, which will both be highlighted in an upcoming Romance blogpost. </b></p><p><br /></p><p>SO, that's everything I've read so far this year... almost. I've got a Romance blogpost coming up soon, about the - spoiler alert - disappointing Romances I've been encountering so far this year, and I've got another Paranormal Romance installment in the works, too, with some of my first picks from this year's <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/big-box-take-two-my-brother-bought-me.html" target="_blank">Big Box of Paranormal Romance Challenge</a>! </p><p>What I'm saying is, stick around. Maybe I'll actually start posting regularly again. Wouldn't be the craziest thing to happen so far this year. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>What has been your favorite book of 2023 so far? Have you read any on this list?<b> Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-83026665463717075622023-03-29T14:47:00.001-07:002023-03-29T14:47:09.835-07:00Travel Reading Log: What I Read While I Was in Victoria, BC<p>Hey, remember January? So fresh, so new, so full of hope? It feels like just yesterday... but it certainly wasn't, based on the alarming rate at which April is approaching. Where did the time go? </p><p>Probably <b>lost on yet another one of the vacations I keep tagging along on with my parents</b>. </p><p>Yes, it's <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/02/travel-reading-log-what-i-read-while-i.html" target="_blank">been a month since my last installment here on the blog</a>, and it somehow comes in the wake of yet another travel excursion with my family unit.</p><p>Lest anyone accuse me of serial-hopping on my parents' tickets, you should know <b>I was specifically invited this time</b>: as much as my college senior brother loves both of them, he wasn't as into the idea of a weekend spent in a foreign country without at least one more buddy with whom to travel. And it just happened to work out. Well, for me, at least... he was the one who got stuck on the pull-out bed in the hotel room. I got one of the two queen beds all to myself. </p><p>So, the four of us sailed away to Canada in order to seek a different shade of grey skies, in the midst of a gloomy PNW March. Don't think I was venturing off without some reading material stuffed into my backpack: after all, <b>Victoria is home to plenty of bookstores</b>. I wasn't all that interested in getting caught in a vulnerable state of mind, thanks to this year's self-imposed book ban! </p><p>The goals of the trip were thusly laid out: Don't leave my brother behind in Canada, and definitely try to finish at least one book. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Where We Went: Victoria, BC</span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHhCjb6Iz_gT-nfhZpXsZPMkTyxjRBIrcg-dqGDTTlG1qqAk2W2ezt9tlW8V80SYKTdvPAsRzcXUrk0XKV0UzsxHWh_M0F1YKKLFftCVpXb0PN-rwY0jXA5BECN2kSIIGwP9b4yIDklycCDcBe3c4UNG08KwhG2WlmbspPziGhoAweNA-38yLCUgD/s4032/IMG_4645%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHhCjb6Iz_gT-nfhZpXsZPMkTyxjRBIrcg-dqGDTTlG1qqAk2W2ezt9tlW8V80SYKTdvPAsRzcXUrk0XKV0UzsxHWh_M0F1YKKLFftCVpXb0PN-rwY0jXA5BECN2kSIIGwP9b4yIDklycCDcBe3c4UNG08KwhG2WlmbspPziGhoAweNA-38yLCUgD/w300-h400/IMG_4645%20(1).jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b>Victoria, in the Canadian province of British Columbia</b>, makes for an easy weekend jaunt over the border, for those of us who hail from Washington state. In fact, it's less than a three-hour boat ride on one of the <a href="https://www.clippervacations.com/seattle-victoria-ferry/?mkwid=sYqREhknN_dc|pcrid|594891009277|pkw|victoria%20clipper|pmt|e&gclid=Cj0KCQjww4-hBhCtARIsAC9gR3YeS8rRw5epqHnH-3uO_Rr00U_Qep2FYzUoIsM9sSz7ILx-16bX3I0aAv3GEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Victoria Clipper vessels</a>, a comfortable and leisurely sailing from Pier 69 in Seattle. For those willing to make the drive out to Port Angeles, it's only a ninety-minute ride on the Coho Ferry, which means you can even take your car with you when you go. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Not that you really need to:<b> one of the best parts of the city is how completely walkable it is,</b> with a waterfront, downtown area, and plenty of fascinating places to explore, all within an accessible distance, and with plenty of options for lodging! Numerous forms of transportation provide the filler for any gaps in your travel needs, like <a href="https://cvstours.com/" target="_blank">CVS Tours'</a> regular daily stops at Butchart Gardens, or their Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus. There's a series of small pickle boats you can take around the Harbor, courtesy of Harbor Ferry, who will putter you around to where you need to go. Pretty much every hotel you stay at will either have or be able to point you towards a bike rental service, and the roads are specifically equipped to handle bikers. That's not even mentioning Victoria's own public transport systems, either!</p><p style="text-align: left;">Because it's such an easy trip from stateside, you might forget you're in another country at all, save for two defining factors: one, <b>you will almost never have wifi,</b> unless you're willing to park yourself in the lobby of your hotel for an honor of social media scrolling, and two, <b>the proliferation of large bear, beaver, and maple leaf iconography everywhere tells you you're definitely in Canada</b>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Thanks to everything from architecture, to local eateries, to tourist souvenirs, <b>Victoria is also fairly reminiscent of Europe, thanks to its British heritage</b>. Expect lots of references to the monarchy, both historical and kitschy, as well as plenty of shops boasting treats from abroad: full English breakfasts and British candies, tea collections created in honor of the late queen, and more. Traditional Scottish wool sweaters, and lots of statues will remind you that British Columbia was originally a British colony, before joining the Canadian Federation in 1871, nearly 100 years after the first American colonies had declared independence. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>My trip to Victoria in 2018 made for my first-ever excursion out of the country</b>, and my second-ever off of American mainland soil. This trip would be the second time I had ever set foot in Canada, which was the same for my brother, only with slightly different baggage: the first time he had ever ventured out of the country was during a soaking-wet, miserable week-and-a-half trip through the Bowron Lakes Circuit, also in British Columbia, with other Boy Scouts. Beset by mosquitos, occasionally orbited by wildlife, and constantly weighing the fear that he and my Dad were never going to make it home, BC hadn't exactly made a sterling impression on him during that particular trip. </p><p style="text-align: left;">He liked Victoria a lot better. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2zPWhJCe8KHwfAUkrPCkBthXy10q6-DFQFQ5pmZclwnFKZReAk8AE9hXuiMWMVPcU5WvYEDtHtdimf1ZYrnqUHnAZR43_Zr093Qtn1N2bHMTeICzGYCKj9d8J8ziCdVgIU5oFpDT_ZjgerqVbw-MUOAocbrLEy2qOw3nDMSM8pwDcYCdQGcGugor/s1920/Resized_20230318_072140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2zPWhJCe8KHwfAUkrPCkBthXy10q6-DFQFQ5pmZclwnFKZReAk8AE9hXuiMWMVPcU5WvYEDtHtdimf1ZYrnqUHnAZR43_Zr093Qtn1N2bHMTeICzGYCKj9d8J8ziCdVgIU5oFpDT_ZjgerqVbw-MUOAocbrLEy2qOw3nDMSM8pwDcYCdQGcGugor/w113-h200/Resized_20230318_072140.jpg" width="113" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZ7_6ivvQuiC93tqGrJw23FKbYEb_3Lr5Evn8zXqJzkntmENzLU4kXfjPATMkQEoWV4tauNDHXCAQfQ7_P4o5Jdap_XRkpwoS3_jLD8d-6M6GsrhYhMYKPv2AyEvD_pgGA7DC1lxw58KkaRPkbB-o8ELkCHqmBgDkZDAHjmLta_ZzeWKchzu-sovM/s4032/IMG_4708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZ7_6ivvQuiC93tqGrJw23FKbYEb_3Lr5Evn8zXqJzkntmENzLU4kXfjPATMkQEoWV4tauNDHXCAQfQ7_P4o5Jdap_XRkpwoS3_jLD8d-6M6GsrhYhMYKPv2AyEvD_pgGA7DC1lxw58KkaRPkbB-o8ELkCHqmBgDkZDAHjmLta_ZzeWKchzu-sovM/w150-h200/IMG_4708.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgg4UH-XtOtzeZxomFxF7z36sTs4R4l2TkRMIuUelLA8owY3TCuOStabC9foeoweGoMxsLPhBEbev6XcYQJfTUF4r18vzQ82PVjwqsuZsLP04otZHxwXvi0z3AU_O9WL4-LBPMAJ7EWFYiBxOpwsE9rb43jt10O0px7nI1VE-tZJHp82JmbATF2mz/s4032/IMG_4830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgg4UH-XtOtzeZxomFxF7z36sTs4R4l2TkRMIuUelLA8owY3TCuOStabC9foeoweGoMxsLPhBEbev6XcYQJfTUF4r18vzQ82PVjwqsuZsLP04otZHxwXvi0z3AU_O9WL4-LBPMAJ7EWFYiBxOpwsE9rb43jt10O0px7nI1VE-tZJHp82JmbATF2mz/w150-h200/IMG_4830.jpg" width="150" /></a></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Embarking on the Clipper on the port out of Seattle; the views from <a href="https://www.victoriatrails.com/trails/ogden-point-breakwater/" target="_blank">Ogden Point Breakwater</a>, one of my favorite morning walks of the trip; some of the themed city signage in Chinatown, near<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_Tan_Alley" target="_blank"> Fan Tan Alley</a></i></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">What I Packed</span></h4><p style="text-align: left;">I honestly wasn't expecting to read so much this trip: based on my previous experiences in Victoria, I kind of anticipated more wearing myself out than anything. Besides, the hotel had a pool! </p><p style="text-align: left;">Still, it wouldn't make any sense to come unprepared. And as it turns out, it was totally necessary! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>The one I hadn't finished since last vacation: </b><i>Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City</i>, K. J. Parker</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>The easy novella, from a series my brother and I read together: </b><i>Across the Green Grass Fields (Wayward Children </i>#6), Seanan McGuire </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>The bonus:</b> My Kindle... on which I still have quite a few Romance novels waiting to be read! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">What I Actually Ended Up Reading</span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3opYA6CwOKSNnFVqPDPq1mcuEfFo4rFbB7uLE5Vs34TLmdGXKSSOsZSIFfkVhEjW8s0IB_YEkJ452lygFg4j5u5qU3S71y3iok1A46kf84VBga8icIapzKLqQRMRYDcRp-7U8moaDsRhmkycbyxdPlN2eocuMaJQ_0dT_pD4z7x4-p7Ho-Okls4Us/s4032/IMG_4609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3opYA6CwOKSNnFVqPDPq1mcuEfFo4rFbB7uLE5Vs34TLmdGXKSSOsZSIFfkVhEjW8s0IB_YEkJ452lygFg4j5u5qU3S71y3iok1A46kf84VBga8icIapzKLqQRMRYDcRp-7U8moaDsRhmkycbyxdPlN2eocuMaJQ_0dT_pD4z7x4-p7Ho-Okls4Us/w240-h320/IMG_4609.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>After several weeks of avoiding the challenge of tackling this frustrating read - one that <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/02/travel-reading-log-what-i-read-while-i.html" target="_blank">I had originally started on our last vacation, on Whidbey </a>- <b>I finally finished <i>Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City</i>!</b> Unfortunately, all of the issues I had with the book in the first place, continued to play just as much a part in the second half; however, with the commitment I just wanted to get through it so I could review it properly, I was able to consistently read over the first day or so of our vacation, finishing up the morning of Day Two. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Am I stoked about the fact that I had to essentially force myself to read this book? No, not exactly pleased. The problem is, it was a very good book, that made such bizarre authors choices and carried such questionable themes that the further I got into the story just made me angrier... at least if it had been bad, I could have put the whole thing to the side. Instead, I'm planning on writing a full review on just this one book, something I haven't done in years! </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyRZmc1N7t2twD3uMXU38e95Lbw_owwEJUoDx69zwTm6fRrVH4kNjzGnEZ9QrJe1IsgqgMm9Bwpz9KRmPmOdv3subQ0jO5Pze442jmGFF24DuITYSEsPvwIOkTjQj2iSY_OLYZuF6nnkcS1a1zAB9NhaQO5ztdp9mZAawaRK9sCurXmxVVU8hNeCM/s4032/IMG_4875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyRZmc1N7t2twD3uMXU38e95Lbw_owwEJUoDx69zwTm6fRrVH4kNjzGnEZ9QrJe1IsgqgMm9Bwpz9KRmPmOdv3subQ0jO5Pze442jmGFF24DuITYSEsPvwIOkTjQj2iSY_OLYZuF6nnkcS1a1zAB9NhaQO5ztdp9mZAawaRK9sCurXmxVVU8hNeCM/w240-h320/IMG_4875.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>In my post-<i>Sixteen Ways</i> upset, <b>I felt like I practically soared through <i>Across the Green Grass Fields</i></b>. It barely took me any time at all, maybe a cumulative two hours of reading, because it was both a novella and not exactly difficult, which made me feel incredibly accomplished being able to pass it on to my younger brother on the trip back home on Day Three. A good thing, too, because it's an installment in a series that both he and I read, but based on the fact that I'm such a mood reader, something he's stuck, stagnant, in line to read until after I've finished each title first. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">(Listen: as a conservative estimate, I purchase or recommend this kid a minimum of eight-to-ten books a year. It's just that he had the misfortune to join this particular series after I had called a fair-and-square dibs, plus I was the one to lend him the first three installments. He can have a little patience about it.) </p><p style="text-align: left;">He was relieved to get the title from me, and had finished it as well, before Spring Break was over and he had to go back to school. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklMt0puBJWeFy3LugoBHKp47w6reUSCsuxmIS-AQaugkDanx9h6OaM7s_rbi6j3i3sOia7bcTC5dI0Xdei1-wt_UcBpNSb22hWeotbpogvnMnwSzbY0v2_KR_8pDN09iKjW4TiGRuL_FfaFPyLi-mgHH4taKaq_-m4UCVRSbSCeCi8YqFMDk1V1jP/s4032/IMG_4876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklMt0puBJWeFy3LugoBHKp47w6reUSCsuxmIS-AQaugkDanx9h6OaM7s_rbi6j3i3sOia7bcTC5dI0Xdei1-wt_UcBpNSb22hWeotbpogvnMnwSzbY0v2_KR_8pDN09iKjW4TiGRuL_FfaFPyLi-mgHH4taKaq_-m4UCVRSbSCeCi8YqFMDk1V1jP/s320/IMG_4876.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Being that I had somehow managed to finish two books before the three-hours-without-wifi boat ride had even begun chugging its way back home, I wasn't exactly willing to let go of my momentum yet. Thank goodness I had ended up packing that Kindle! <b>I ended up deciding to finish <i>Bromance Book Club</i></b>, which I had already managed to get 10% of the way into during my "<a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/02/love-is-books-speed-dating-my-kindle.html" target="_blank">Speed Dating my Kindle Romances" back in February</a>, last month. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Isn't it nice when a book kind of meets your expectations? I was very nearly done by the time we had docked back in Washington, and had it not been such an exhausting weekend, I probably would have had the whole thing wrapped up with a bow on it before my head hit a pillow. As it stood, I ended up finishing the final stretch of it before 9am the next morning, which I'm calling as having counted. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">So, on the vacation I hadn't really envisioned reading on, <b>I ended up closing out three titles, in about three days.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">What Else We Did</span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Not that I hadn't kept myself incredibly busy,</b> of course! It truly was just the luck of having downtime. After all, you have to have something to do when your screaming feet are trying to monopolize your attention. </p><p style="text-align: left;">There's really just so much to take your attention in Victoria. </p><p style="text-align: left;">For starters, <b>I toured a whole lot of bookstores, </b>for someone who truly has no good reason for doing so (Curse you,<a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/new-year-old-shelves-book-buying-stats.html" target="_blank"> Book Buying Ban of 2023</a>.)</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OgbdceBoEmY1jeTrYY3VGXDdT1GSN13WYW8tUesHicQKHOfcNCqRWl2-HEP3M2_MIprQZ_xh3h5lyPUtqLkQfs7oOR6QE5oHl1ouTw8iKvOtYpGcR3lvzpzowLqDC669EVA7Qmgxqa7BAE9fY_r2Oo_9g4H3ghfjKta2jSlzFkmKQpWyrMVV8fPJ/s4032/IMG_4632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OgbdceBoEmY1jeTrYY3VGXDdT1GSN13WYW8tUesHicQKHOfcNCqRWl2-HEP3M2_MIprQZ_xh3h5lyPUtqLkQfs7oOR6QE5oHl1ouTw8iKvOtYpGcR3lvzpzowLqDC669EVA7Qmgxqa7BAE9fY_r2Oo_9g4H3ghfjKta2jSlzFkmKQpWyrMVV8fPJ/w150-h200/IMG_4632.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /></div><a href="https://bastionbooks.square.site/" target="_blank">Bastion Books</a>, so named for its proximity to Bastion Square downtown, is a sweet, small bookstore that couldn't be more than two rooms wide, filled with <b>secondhand, predominantly vintage books. </b>My brother, the musician, managed to zero in on some old-school reference books that he recognized from his use in his own scholarly pursuits, while my Dad was interested in looking at the pieces of art that occupied various corners of the store, clearly created by those who loved books as well. It reminded me of a pocket-sized version of a hometown favorite, Kings Books, in which there is always something old to be made new again. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW8Z5gy9cl75VT34v2mxUieUib8013WIamjbhY7ZOzm3TQGFltkMPZXJyKxicLtjcU1XqBDNW7GVtftjzF-lpv1dG53JQuSKfFdhM71Lc0e9PDxtJpVooIwd5hPxBJd54hmErWUq9_6N2gd3P8ensQsjwJYFogXPZ0PzcaBwHbX9CkYp8_quQz6Yg/s4032/IMG_4638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW8Z5gy9cl75VT34v2mxUieUib8013WIamjbhY7ZOzm3TQGFltkMPZXJyKxicLtjcU1XqBDNW7GVtftjzF-lpv1dG53JQuSKfFdhM71Lc0e9PDxtJpVooIwd5hPxBJd54hmErWUq9_6N2gd3P8ensQsjwJYFogXPZ0PzcaBwHbX9CkYp8_quQz6Yg/w150-h200/IMG_4638.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><a href="https://www.munrobooks.com/" target="_blank">Munro's Books,</a> a picturesque, Instagram-friendly, and well-lit bookstore - built out of what used to be a bank - truly ranks <b>among the more beautiful bookstores I've ever visited,</b> though it seems that's a pretty general consensus: the place is typically packed with other interested book lovers, which can make some of its less linearly-organized shelves a bit of a practice in politeness, while contending with the crowd around you. It carries b<b>oth plenty of bestsellers and new releases, mixed up with genre selections you've never heard of before</b>, as well as gorgeous notebooks and knickknacks to add to your collection. It reminds me a lot of Elliot Bay Bookstore in Seattle, with its ample windows bringing in natural light, and well-curated shelves. While there's no coffee shop here, though, you can easily maneuver your purchases over to Murchie's Tea next door for a cuppa. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJS4vx3khyZQJ1aqfPzZ1v12FJsNseI8E4DvvyA2CbWJldCi2U3yXxoOxkBZNQ1sxaX8T4--wpKBrgUByF_C6dJIsjNDatKOFBsvWY0aTz9eE-cMcEfsQtD5wClYj9Sk1-CnX0ApwPK4Xq1ePHjd9BGa4lci_0fHdRgBejDdrtDyu4E3XeGqY0CFLN/s4032/IMG_4809%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJS4vx3khyZQJ1aqfPzZ1v12FJsNseI8E4DvvyA2CbWJldCi2U3yXxoOxkBZNQ1sxaX8T4--wpKBrgUByF_C6dJIsjNDatKOFBsvWY0aTz9eE-cMcEfsQtD5wClYj9Sk1-CnX0ApwPK4Xq1ePHjd9BGa4lci_0fHdRgBejDdrtDyu4E3XeGqY0CFLN/w150-h200/IMG_4809%20(1).jpg" width="150" /></a></div><a href="https://www.russellbooks.com/" target="_blank">Russell Books </a>- a bit of a longer walk away from Government Street than your other options - was hands-down the family fave. And I know it's an incomplete comparison, but personally, it reminded me of Powell's City of Books in Portland, on two counts: for starters, it's <b>completely unassuming on the outside, only to reveal a behemoth</b> (two stories! with an escalator!) on the inside, and second of all, it had r<b>eally, truly wonderful prices</b>. This was the bookstore that very nearly broke me! I have pictures saved on my phone of at least seven different titles that I'm still planning of looking up later, closer to my Bloggoversary, once I get my purchasing power back. For both cheap prices and a great selection, <b>Russell Books is an unskippable star.</b> Do yourself an absolute favor, and schedule both Russell Books and the very nearby Cactus Club Cafe into one afternoon.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Because of course, while visiting what has become one of my personal favorite vacation destinations, we weren't just there to read and browse bookstores... we came to eat. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-jqbITTMhKaf2jsyEcwObAFyyYN6USn-OSn4Yhte_W_6akbj3CU0ChsV7s8dlm7GMCOuAyOnHGu5XRgwUvnckHFVAbju-BwcXsNqwsNBYJitXblD1_tAXRX7gk8-fNaZgVTYmfBbKape-Cu_mC-MebkHPi1eAGtFCbecpRSNg5NRlw12rEf_FYxH/s4032/IMG_4816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-jqbITTMhKaf2jsyEcwObAFyyYN6USn-OSn4Yhte_W_6akbj3CU0ChsV7s8dlm7GMCOuAyOnHGu5XRgwUvnckHFVAbju-BwcXsNqwsNBYJitXblD1_tAXRX7gk8-fNaZgVTYmfBbKape-Cu_mC-MebkHPi1eAGtFCbecpRSNg5NRlw12rEf_FYxH/w150-h200/IMG_4816.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><a href="https://www.cactusclubcafe.com/locations/victoria/" target="_blank">Cactus Club Cafe</a> won my sibling and I over on our last trip, thanks to its banging guacamole and the promise of frozen rose... frose, to use the appropriate parlance. Unfortunately for us, both items had vacated the menu by the time I managed to go back. Thankfully, though, damn near everything else my brother, parents, and I ordered off the menu was absolutely delicious! <b>The drinks were gorgeous, the appetizers were absolute stunners</b> - the chicken lettuce wraps and the beef carpaccio being crowd favorites - and my Dad and my brother both adored the mashed potatoes that came with their steaks. If it weren't for the dead-set plan on picking up some <a href="https://beavertails.com/" target="_blank">Beavertails</a> before we headed back to our hotels, we probably would have stayed even longer... the<b> mood lighting, club music, and friendly waitstaff </b>make for a very fun nighttime locations. They also have some of my favorite bathrooms I've ever used, but that's beside the point. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQELtlnV40pK7mOIgzVVjGX9wDhQ6WA7h5idGQVtKm9musBAsBgbIxndmSeoRFCywJhEB3KlHXoA614Q0N1hpMshd8nWR5K0QFaUGlNhpm3Rl91N1ZrER35jYp-i6OGEP_Q00oRCoaiij8A31UXDUeKg2ZFeqc_cv2T88wu3wOz13t4Ks8oXDw0FP/s4032/IMG_4669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQELtlnV40pK7mOIgzVVjGX9wDhQ6WA7h5idGQVtKm9musBAsBgbIxndmSeoRFCywJhEB3KlHXoA614Q0N1hpMshd8nWR5K0QFaUGlNhpm3Rl91N1ZrER35jYp-i6OGEP_Q00oRCoaiij8A31UXDUeKg2ZFeqc_cv2T88wu3wOz13t4Ks8oXDw0FP/w150-h200/IMG_4669.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>We also made the triumphant return to another favorite from our last trip:<a href="https://floatingfishstore.com/the-fish-store-menu/" target="_blank"> The Fish Store</a>, located out <b>on the docks of Fisherman's Wharf.</b> Not only is it cool to tour some of the nearby houseboats, but the various food retailers on this floating network of docks are absolutely worth the walk to get there. While prices might have gone up a little bit since the last time we visited, my Dad and I are still enthusiastic supporters of <b>The Fish Store's from-the-sea-fresh selection of oysters</b>, which you can purchase at $36 Canadian dollars for a full dozen, with 25% off between the hours of 4 and 5pm. Eventually I will actually try something non-oyster-related on their menu... but then again, why deny yourself the joy of fresh oysters? <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPj3psgBYj3hUTXuUuYVZjQvyv7x9xeqJK8UhVxr0uH-CZN2w0mKE7YUwCY_z1gKZ21wV3cUsr9Scj0YoV8Cv1L2w8IV_17IkPFfxBZCWXVtKOwA0Ol_SiGkYMu53IHJ3VpQ0ICYgctzjtrSERW_1Tesr3vPhK6mwjtSl2K4qOGxi--Ei8ECpVKLay/s4032/IMG_4732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPj3psgBYj3hUTXuUuYVZjQvyv7x9xeqJK8UhVxr0uH-CZN2w0mKE7YUwCY_z1gKZ21wV3cUsr9Scj0YoV8Cv1L2w8IV_17IkPFfxBZCWXVtKOwA0Ol_SiGkYMu53IHJ3VpQ0ICYgctzjtrSERW_1Tesr3vPhK6mwjtSl2K4qOGxi--Ei8ECpVKLay/s320/IMG_4732.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvOcWZOvc5rcX7Z7By5McfTOrGbdeCJcXOoyHViMxlMargOdaOJx0_PtURMJSvBAUhu5P2GL-s8PfV2RmW0H0Qe-HAI8pO-7SJGTZLC-BtQlEE35yq5IVbPixr5vJZi-dIBSQn8CyVyoIqGQxUoNo6mp5vOrVxP1l46R5A_fHfEUut6HH9pNBX0pZ/s4032/IMG_4869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvOcWZOvc5rcX7Z7By5McfTOrGbdeCJcXOoyHViMxlMargOdaOJx0_PtURMJSvBAUhu5P2GL-s8PfV2RmW0H0Qe-HAI8pO-7SJGTZLC-BtQlEE35yq5IVbPixr5vJZi-dIBSQn8CyVyoIqGQxUoNo6mp5vOrVxP1l46R5A_fHfEUut6HH9pNBX0pZ/s320/IMG_4869.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><br />Other absolute can't-miss attractions: <a href="https://www.attractionsvictoria.com/explore/activities/the-butchart-gardens/?gclid=Cj0KCQjww4-hBhCtARIsAC9gR3bmw4d_z0eo040SZkgEina37z1z1mm_RcBIpvmtVKLuIfCghFynSQsaAskJEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Butchart Gardens</a>, accessible via a short, 35-minute-hither-and-thither bus ride, which boasts a number of gorgeously-appointed gardens, as well as a gelato stand, coffee shop, and restaurant; and <a href="https://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/parks/beacon-hill.html" target="_blank">Beacon Hill Park</a>, a sprawling, green public park oasis that contains numerous walking trails, ponds, and more ducks-per-square-foot than anywhere else I've ever visited... and even a petting zoo that allows you to get up front and personal with goats for only a $6 donation!<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">On one hand, <b>I feel like I could have stayed there another week without getting bored</b>. There were plenty of things we didn't really get to do there this trip that I absolutely loved last time - like spending more time at the <a href="https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/" target="_blank">Royal BC Museum</a>, which was under serious construction, or taking <a href="https://www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria/dining/tea-at-the-empress/" target="_blank">high tea somewhere like the Fairmont Empress</a> - and of course I had another hundred or so restaurants lined up that would have made for some good eating. On the other, there's only so much time you can spend in a hotel room with both parents and a college-aged brother without feeling at least a little stir-crazy, so <b>I was pretty happy to venture back to Washington when we did. </b></p><p style="text-align: left;">The good news is, this pretty much guarantees a return trip sometime in my future! After all, I still haven't gotten to see any of the nearby castles you can tour, nor have we made it over to Victoria West. It's nice to know that there's more waiting for me, the next time we go back. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Though honestly, <b>I'd do it just for the oysters. </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Have you ever been to Victoria, BC? Does it sound like the kind of place you'd like to visit? Which bookstore would you choose to shop at? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-80270168571783083522023-02-25T12:40:00.002-08:002023-02-25T12:40:32.909-08:00Travel Reading Log: What I Read While I Was On Whidbey<div class="separator">Well, we're two months into the new year, and<b> if there's any Resolution I've been totally delivering on, it's "Get out of the house more.</b>" Not necessarily by my own volition, but regardless: I'm nailing it. </div><p>As for last weekend's excursion, the reasoning boils down to this: one of my younger siblings wanted the house all to themselves, in order to celebrate their birthday weekend with friends. My Mom jumped at the opportunity to get away for the weekend, and check out one of the many exciting vacation destinations around the Pacific Northwest. Originally we were planning a little Cannon Beach excursion down on the Oregon coast, but after VRBO prices proved prohibitive and my ceaseless begging to take a ferry ride won out, the date was settled: <b>I packed a bag and some hiking boots, and scooted off to the Whidbey waterfront for a little island time. </b></p><p>For those keeping score, this is actually the second vacation of my parents' that I've crashed so far this year: <b>the three of us stayed an overnight in <a href="https://www.manresacastle.com/" target="_blank">a haunted castle </a>in Port Townsend back in January.</b> (Which made for some pre-ferry-boarding shopping this time around, because we already knew which stores we liked best!)</p><p>This time, though, I was venturing off with an intention: <b>there was no way I was getting out of this weekend without finishing at LEAST two reads under my belt!</b> In particular, I wanted to wrap up a book I've been wandering through for a while, take out another from the<a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/big-box-take-two-my-brother-bought-me.html" target="_blank"> Big Box of Paranormal Romance</a>, and just generally get some reading time back that I've been missing out on for the past few weeks. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Where We Went: Whidbey Island</span></span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_ePe5NMgVIA_eo-6y13ROvFXjE3GiToYf6rjrwOVMSYl2ExnNBaNcWvrZriZaqVusSEwFR3JjSqaTcXBzazhxhyFmliSnKIhPB3_91rLohK7CC_L73cuwTpzHXKQ9jbYUIOsQbGclXAC6NJ2SG4om0rf5GHFnAabk49T6Tqg5V_lWyQP0z2-uagS/s4032/IMG_4132.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_ePe5NMgVIA_eo-6y13ROvFXjE3GiToYf6rjrwOVMSYl2ExnNBaNcWvrZriZaqVusSEwFR3JjSqaTcXBzazhxhyFmliSnKIhPB3_91rLohK7CC_L73cuwTpzHXKQ9jbYUIOsQbGclXAC6NJ2SG4om0rf5GHFnAabk49T6Tqg5V_lWyQP0z2-uagS/s320/IMG_4132.jpg" width="240" /></a>Whidbey Island one of the longest, skinniest members of the San Juan Islands, and the largest overall island in Washington State. It is primarily accessible by way of several ferry systems through places like Port Townsend and Mukilteo, or driving around to Deception Pass at the Northern tip of the island. It's also home to several towns, including <b>Langley, Oak Harbor, and Coupeville.</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Whidbey seems to have something for just about every Birkenstock-and-sock-wearing PNW traveler.</b> For instance, area farms produce plenty of produce, meat products, and more, and the island boasts a great many farmer's markets, which makes it a regular destination for locavores. It serves as a home to multiple wineries, breweries, and even a cider house, which is why it's considering an exciting tasting destination. Old growth forests, multiple protected state parks, and miles of coastline - each with their own diverse and exciting flora and fauna - make it a playground for nature lovers. It's waterfront views and friendly locals make it a great place to just get away from it all and relax. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It's a popular destination during the summer for what are surely obvious reasons, but there was plenty to do during February, as well! Sure, the ice cream shops may still be shut up for another month, but we <b>explored cool shops, dined at some truly lovely restaurants, and yes, of course, did an awful lot of reading. </b>Or, at least, I did! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqz4Tt9G93WonA6nWqfdFsVv_pfwFLziQMgQmZAP6xX2XZjaShqM8Ne7Azy2to9Cvcfx17Ob7Thsgxbp-BRjH0qH9zSRlND4zCo5L3yLB2fvM3g-Yr3jyCldEmZ1y-QGyjW2fkGSYkxu1kAZ1tkdan0vsSvVIeiXu1HXHHek3dP8u93KC6qu0oaozG/s4032/IMG_4070.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqz4Tt9G93WonA6nWqfdFsVv_pfwFLziQMgQmZAP6xX2XZjaShqM8Ne7Azy2to9Cvcfx17Ob7Thsgxbp-BRjH0qH9zSRlND4zCo5L3yLB2fvM3g-Yr3jyCldEmZ1y-QGyjW2fkGSYkxu1kAZ1tkdan0vsSvVIeiXu1HXHHek3dP8u93KC6qu0oaozG/w150-h200/IMG_4070.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRDg3bfCv7_kuDCL3uQsuw_FNcLwcPTvoA6-CczCwgdxIB2wcD1B7XxvEGlwpb6LaeETs8OumWxrKxdVCpwfD3gsEHmT0O_3eakd1EGZVhrVr9XHhaj-Tn-O9otCF0bSGJPMRv8DFHrVvbF5xwlix6xNCVLBuNziRD6Zcyp_Yx_Ht6_01yAkRK5sd/s4032/IMG_4110.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRDg3bfCv7_kuDCL3uQsuw_FNcLwcPTvoA6-CczCwgdxIB2wcD1B7XxvEGlwpb6LaeETs8OumWxrKxdVCpwfD3gsEHmT0O_3eakd1EGZVhrVr9XHhaj-Tn-O9otCF0bSGJPMRv8DFHrVvbF5xwlix6xNCVLBuNziRD6Zcyp_Yx_Ht6_01yAkRK5sd/w150-h200/IMG_4110.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDwtz0trp_svRhl1XxFqDCIgpgjekqIJC0pGA7x1RYcJROe87ihBNMYjiEJPcLsXK-6IOsuAga-L6Z0D9rAomWp5Mm1Eg-RsVVtMv-ZnEIrZqXIKzb3SwbNsPp_EOJJFzgO-05OXG2xjuik9jOg4c3PTJFZjNVegDrPy3DOqXvFL2DtXDsQ0Zm_i9/s4032/IMG_4123.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDwtz0trp_svRhl1XxFqDCIgpgjekqIJC0pGA7x1RYcJROe87ihBNMYjiEJPcLsXK-6IOsuAga-L6Z0D9rAomWp5Mm1Eg-RsVVtMv-ZnEIrZqXIKzb3SwbNsPp_EOJJFzgO-05OXG2xjuik9jOg4c3PTJFZjNVegDrPy3DOqXvFL2DtXDsQ0Zm_i9/w150-h200/IMG_4123.jpg" width="150" /></a></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A row of colorful stores in Langley, the view from the Coupeville wharf, and a Little Free Library we found while exploring!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">What I Packed</span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><b>The one I had to finish: </b><span style="text-align: center;"><i>Best American Food Writing 2020</i>, ed. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>The next in my <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/big-box-take-two-my-brother-bought-me.html" target="_blank">Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge</a>: </b><i>Bustin',</i> Minda Webber</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>The one I want to pass on to my brother when I'm done: </b><i>Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, </i>K. J. Parker</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">and <b>an extra romance novel on my Kindle for good measure,</b> of course! </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Is it a lot of books? Yes. But should this have surprised anyone? In fact, it did the opposite, if you're my mom: in the car on the drive over, she and my Dad played a speed round of guessing "How Many Books Did Savannah Bring for This Weekend?" Not only did she immediately guess the correct number, but she even nailed my rationalization for bringing four books, as well, saying, "Well, one is for Friday night, and one is for Saturday morning, and one is for Saturday evening, and one is for Sunday, before we leave!" </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;">Did I manage to make it that far into my optimistic TBR? Not exactly. Still, <b>I maintain that this is the appropriate number of books for a weekend excursion. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">What I Actually Ended Up Reading</span></h3><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAy-EbV7CRJ7z38W63bS6_R5h4LAJt4Gaxwvocd0GpHtMTYSHkIagWUe_8ERmq3q6X0Qh4Wq42G6Q_cPIls9JCttvHVIL00AKs0xqkQ-mSlJqLsGL_8F86Cc6ngKmNglNbAJAT_klFW0l4sQo0T9lrtMyo6qH6SDrYvzYvegpuwcxoC5hDRJFWaip/s4032/IMG_4188.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAy-EbV7CRJ7z38W63bS6_R5h4LAJt4Gaxwvocd0GpHtMTYSHkIagWUe_8ERmq3q6X0Qh4Wq42G6Q_cPIls9JCttvHVIL00AKs0xqkQ-mSlJqLsGL_8F86Cc6ngKmNglNbAJAT_klFW0l4sQo0T9lrtMyo6qH6SDrYvzYvegpuwcxoC5hDRJFWaip/w240-h320/IMG_4188.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>I finally finished reading the second half of <i>Best American Food Writing 2020</i> on Friday night</b>, and immediately found some new all-time favorites. I've been a dedicated fan of the <i>Food Writing</i> series for a while now, and they make for some of my favorite secondhand or discount finds (that being said, I think I've exhausted almost all of my backlist resources now, and am two away from being fully caught up). </p><p>This installment, in particular, made for some of the most compelling selections of the entire series so far: while the articles published within were all written within the 2019 food writing year, they were selected and organized at the top of the pandemic, and that divide - between who we were, and what would very quickly become important to us - makes for some seriously compelling subtext. I don't want to get too much into it before I publish an official review, but it made for some of my favorite food writing in recent memory. And that's not just because of the really stunning article about the questionable history of crab rangoon. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0stJPy30MHWMWD9KnRJiKk-6eMiDwdm777aQfQxtirbMLGP2lG_sE6dEn474pX41d1b_a9SEd-LgNiiF8OW3CnaOu8v4UjzbXWB_Dyxk-ur-io8B-TL30yFyJKAUOIz0_lbQd-8_mdomz3a-8YRTkjBuqcYprTEF8SlBwf62fhEbQEs937l5tR32g/s4032/IMG_4185.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0stJPy30MHWMWD9KnRJiKk-6eMiDwdm777aQfQxtirbMLGP2lG_sE6dEn474pX41d1b_a9SEd-LgNiiF8OW3CnaOu8v4UjzbXWB_Dyxk-ur-io8B-TL30yFyJKAUOIz0_lbQd-8_mdomz3a-8YRTkjBuqcYprTEF8SlBwf62fhEbQEs937l5tR32g/w240-h320/IMG_4185.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>I rocketed through <i>Bustin' </i>in just about one sitting, on Saturday afternoon. </b>To be fair: the weather was incredibly cold, windy, and rainy for pretty much the full weekend - we are in February, in Washington, after all - which made it incredibly easy to curl up in front of the fire with a blanket and a good book for about a four-hour stretch.</p><p>The book itself was less easy, for reasons I'll get into later, when I officially review this read underneath the umbrella of my Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge. Not to tease you or anything, but this ended up being a much more cerebrally-tasking excursion than originally anticipated, and one that I pretty much subjected my parents to reading along with me, as I kept having to stop and incredulously read selections out loud. (I also ended up winging off several excerpts to my horrified brother via text.)</p><p>Due to various components of the novel itself, it took a lot longer to read than I had originally anticipated. It's a good thing that we were trapped inside because of that winter weather: being that I was caught between the February rain and a *ahem* hard place, the only thing keeping me going was with a strict reading schedule. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13OiwSDB6ObGrNReExxOWSJmgr5LJgh8t8sx9ttXw8fmGADDCyf4cMcnmjFsvDvG_ktXOVfUR4bA8LKKz4u2bBbLhGvOborNfrXqhh5qBaVwlbAuaUxAK13oX5tWDpSjpAKXz4_ie9lIuZHcOP9oRUDim04b5UwUqxe_IHWq7cNKzxxOmMj-NIo9S/s4032/IMG_4191.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13OiwSDB6ObGrNReExxOWSJmgr5LJgh8t8sx9ttXw8fmGADDCyf4cMcnmjFsvDvG_ktXOVfUR4bA8LKKz4u2bBbLhGvOborNfrXqhh5qBaVwlbAuaUxAK13oX5tWDpSjpAKXz4_ie9lIuZHcOP9oRUDim04b5UwUqxe_IHWq7cNKzxxOmMj-NIo9S/w240-h320/IMG_4191.jpg" width="240" /></a><b>I read halfway through<i> Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City</i> on Saturday night. </b></p><p>Who would have thought that a relatively linear medieval-style alternative universe, wherein a walled city is being besieged by intelligent and unrelenting pirates, defended only by the various military strategies orchestrated by one ornery engineer, would make for such a compelling vacation read? </p><p>After working so hard to get through <u><i>Bustin'</i></u> - and with the completion of <i>Food Writing 2020 </i>so recently on the backburner - I was already happy with the amount of reading I'd done for the weekend, but wanted to get at least a little of the way into a new one before heading out the following morning. Needless to say, one chapter turned to two, until it was 11pm and I was ready for bed, but not exactly ready to put the book down just yet. </p><p>(Spoiler alert: in the time since, I haven't quite finished the novel, because I've spent a little too much time looking at Goodreads reviews for it... and I took a look at the final chapter, because I was getting anxious about how it all would end. Yes, yes, I can hear your booing from here! It was a series of total mistakes on my part, that have kind of stalled me in picking up again since then... but believe it or not, I'm still planning on finishing it!)</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">What Else We Did</span></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbF2gfjw02OCAYSoyXRzYZOa7IuVB6PRsyUKkwSblgY-veSiEH-unr4x5tot7Dg5hwAmijgUx0GaB01Tw62QNlKhWTIY2HbLX1va9SvZNmw9pkCuzkKC8SGA-Z-WpYTKxQu4j5VFSNbf9NVjTxFD4Y1xtWQJxsEappfZQ8L8mAUNeXskQnWwjMV5r1/s4032/IMG_4039.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbF2gfjw02OCAYSoyXRzYZOa7IuVB6PRsyUKkwSblgY-veSiEH-unr4x5tot7Dg5hwAmijgUx0GaB01Tw62QNlKhWTIY2HbLX1va9SvZNmw9pkCuzkKC8SGA-Z-WpYTKxQu4j5VFSNbf9NVjTxFD4Y1xtWQJxsEappfZQ8L8mAUNeXskQnWwjMV5r1/w150-h200/IMG_4039.jpg" width="150" /></a>I know I mentioned the amount of rain we got while on the island, but I truly believe that <b>had we not spent so much time driving around beautiful trees, checking out tourist shops, and eating at such delicious restaurants, I might have been able to get even more reading done! </b></p><p style="text-align: left;">My Dad bemoaned one morning this week, after we'd made it home, that sometimes, it feels like the vacations we take are really just food tourist weekends, and honestly, he's not that far off the mark (At least for me it is!). Unsurprisingly, there were a few restaurants we really loved on the island, that I would absolutely be willing to make a return trip to in the future. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxSWPkN-naBz09Wmbu-xWJOIXAj5vPC2138jU_o9nmrtcSEa04FBoB_xjH01NfMyi-5GujQMMICz7srw1zpaXtEfqrfIifTupD7A4vZa7Xgu4EiVCUxstQ98y3eEk1AHHEMR2X678bD0sQD-pdH3YwLvqi4OtEi4gSQSdbPBn_s6q-2GdTFuw9BEq/s4032/IMG_4042.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxSWPkN-naBz09Wmbu-xWJOIXAj5vPC2138jU_o9nmrtcSEa04FBoB_xjH01NfMyi-5GujQMMICz7srw1zpaXtEfqrfIifTupD7A4vZa7Xgu4EiVCUxstQ98y3eEk1AHHEMR2X678bD0sQD-pdH3YwLvqi4OtEi4gSQSdbPBn_s6q-2GdTFuw9BEq/w150-h200/IMG_4042.jpg" width="150" /></a><b><a href="http://saltwaterlangley.com/" target="_blank">Saltwater, in Langley,</a></b> is a higher-end dining establishment specializing in - you guessed it - seafood, and was our sought-after table for Friday night. They don't take reservations, so make sure you have someone in your party go in about a half-hour before you'd like to be seated, and use your waiting time to walk around some of the local shops, or snag a glass of wine or two at Ott & Hunter across the street.</p><p>It's definitely on the pricier side, but for me - someone who prizes seafood above all else, and rarely ever gets it - it was well worth it to splurge on the seafood tower, which came with a half-crab, the largest shrimp I'd ever seen, and twelve oysters (and you choose the variety). Split between three people, it made for delicious fare, that really made me get into the waterfront vibes that Whidbey is known for. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWYAqFSIlUYYzBeIu9yK9DUznto0X50qq3hNurVSV5WMtfFSIk67dfUVUIIEd1YYdl7BHoxE0VgANr7yT1X_wGXCk-WOEsed3ofPyeroXq5mHhGG5vEEdGd6p4VSt8h0vNTw5uVKFXziVLpGyh4COLZSXTvegwSfNtFBDFVOgC6qtprWzFlkgyMDI/s4032/IMG_4062.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWYAqFSIlUYYzBeIu9yK9DUznto0X50qq3hNurVSV5WMtfFSIk67dfUVUIIEd1YYdl7BHoxE0VgANr7yT1X_wGXCk-WOEsed3ofPyeroXq5mHhGG5vEEdGd6p4VSt8h0vNTw5uVKFXziVLpGyh4COLZSXTvegwSfNtFBDFVOgC6qtprWzFlkgyMDI/w150-h200/IMG_4062.jpg" width="150" /></a><b><a href="https://www.braeburnlangley.com/" target="_blank">The Braeburn Restaurant, also in Langley,</a> </b>boasts one of the highest-regarded breakfast+lunch+brunch lineups on the island. The overall vibe was bright and welcoming, and the drinkware was an eclectic mix of stylized water glasses and mugs that look like they were picked up at a nearby thrift store. </p><p>The food is amply portioned and absolutely delicious: faves included the breakfast bread pudding, and the "Braeburn" sandwich, which consisted of a fried chicken breast suspended between two waffles, complete with bacon jam, goat cheese, and maple butter to go alongside. Definitely one of those places where you can't help checking out the plates being delivered to other diners as they walk through the dining room... one of my best friends calls it one of her favorite places to eat on the island! </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPsjOoYLQn06UoRqV0Hen_B9Lxfeo5Am2-dZaO5KrhYCBRoZGAglXtqpB_GNuCEa1-7TNg_D7R3C5vfGEhWjID0DqNdQUtWen7kroLRRy7smhR_mwxW-bVvfIGOsi9nClT4rTFrk0yickFVdI1thl32QlbeUt_ZWoprH8g-nl8wdwdz8takX1eDIx/s4032/IMG_4091.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPsjOoYLQn06UoRqV0Hen_B9Lxfeo5Am2-dZaO5KrhYCBRoZGAglXtqpB_GNuCEa1-7TNg_D7R3C5vfGEhWjID0DqNdQUtWen7kroLRRy7smhR_mwxW-bVvfIGOsi9nClT4rTFrk0yickFVdI1thl32QlbeUt_ZWoprH8g-nl8wdwdz8takX1eDIx/w150-h200/IMG_4091.jpg" width="150" /></a>Of course, there are plenty of other local faves to check out for take-with-you goodies; most notably, delicious breakfast pastries, super-sweet truffles, and one of the best pies my parents have ever tasted. </p><p><b><a href="https://www.littleredhenbakerywhidbey.com/stockists" target="_blank">Little Red Hen Bakery, in Coupeville, </a></b>has shelves upon shelves of delicious baked goods ready for pickup on a Saturday morning... literally. If you place an order by Thursday evening on their website, they'll have a full box of goodies ready for you to enjoy with your Saturday coffee, without having to battle it out against the rest of the island for the last kouign-amann or ham and cheese scone. We went into the store on Saturday afternoon - to procure any treats for our pre-ferry breakfast the following morning - and were surprised to see they were still pretty well-stocked, especially when it comes into their fragile-yet-delicious croissants (Both chocolate and almond are delicious). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoIIM02MONnL7_sbIWEGZr7mp5E99XCqppNkTeP0DCayz8_H096iF4G7hWVgLQG5DcGKQ_ydz5HD277lM0AvSW1OIhRI0PcmuVx6jqOB1iwGI5vaQvqbAgkHdqRV0EaGJx0_vCb3-YlgifPtVO7anvBdCrAgm-LnShhcAo4f8OVjPW8Kr5lJ2xhQn/s4032/IMG_4088.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoIIM02MONnL7_sbIWEGZr7mp5E99XCqppNkTeP0DCayz8_H096iF4G7hWVgLQG5DcGKQ_ydz5HD277lM0AvSW1OIhRI0PcmuVx6jqOB1iwGI5vaQvqbAgkHdqRV0EaGJx0_vCb3-YlgifPtVO7anvBdCrAgm-LnShhcAo4f8OVjPW8Kr5lJ2xhQn/w150-h200/IMG_4088.jpg" width="150" /></a></p><p><b><a href="https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/activities/greenbank-farm/" target="_blank">Greenbank Farm </a></b>is heralded as the home of Whidbey Pies, which are known across the Puget Sound area for their flavorful, sturdy crusts, and fresh fruit fillings. In the summer, its grassy picnic areas, dog park, and solar farm probably make for a good afternoon's exploring; even in the rain, we still found time to drift through the wine tasting room, the cheese shop, and yes, pick up a pie. We'd recommend Loganberry: Greenbank Farms was once the largest loganberry farm in the world! (And we even picked up some loganberry dessert wine from the tasting shop, too.) </p><p><b><a href="https://sweetmonas.com/pages/about-us" target="_blank">Sweet Mona's Chocolates, in Langley,</a> </b>made for a seriously sweet outing, too. Tucked inside the colorful shop was a selection of delicious truffles, as well as other kinds of treats, like honeycomb, fudge, and more. We ended up putting together a box of twelve to take home, in flavors like cherry amaretto, banana, and more, and we've been using them as an afternoon pick-me-up all week! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmdzxn0uLagGrM4UhHMdEfVZXLse7rApBrI4pVsaONXTItNf0nHHDadnGE8byQZrapTO_Eu7s6PG1L2Za_wph0DqTj1qVxA2IZ4Ni3z5PQqmTfF41FkeyBxmgQGGTKkv8drV9UnIH0I1sI_YsvluQa6zpz-qSc6_gMjmDJ-ESUTWuqZsWbexcPjnM/s4032/IMG_4135.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmdzxn0uLagGrM4UhHMdEfVZXLse7rApBrI4pVsaONXTItNf0nHHDadnGE8byQZrapTO_Eu7s6PG1L2Za_wph0DqTj1qVxA2IZ4Ni3z5PQqmTfF41FkeyBxmgQGGTKkv8drV9UnIH0I1sI_YsvluQa6zpz-qSc6_gMjmDJ-ESUTWuqZsWbexcPjnM/w150-h200/IMG_4135.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbynLs6i6Z4TO9C2CgJ8VZak-scbzxum8uDl3jzz_nQ7p_R-Tpy43AHfvxL6vJ1LP_x2uZaFmvWCu_1oAP4zgBURcL5bZnYaF3LWWgjlICYv4Up7TKLRSak6tpSOwuM7FAfc25QNyEfZFvAFY8eMO_RAJ5M4IrEtG09fbMWGnb4FoXad85yFv8pfB/s4032/IMG_4153.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbynLs6i6Z4TO9C2CgJ8VZak-scbzxum8uDl3jzz_nQ7p_R-Tpy43AHfvxL6vJ1LP_x2uZaFmvWCu_1oAP4zgBURcL5bZnYaF3LWWgjlICYv4Up7TKLRSak6tpSOwuM7FAfc25QNyEfZFvAFY8eMO_RAJ5M4IrEtG09fbMWGnb4FoXad85yFv8pfB/w150-h200/IMG_4153.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKUB3XLBxJsmvsLKiOT7y_XfNaW485H7z5luVujse0h-87oFb43_660-cEXK_ZtoVpoNZK9YaPlF_iXOVxD3PYLIgDQ6PP8_bQDY3Jw1OEKQTKJM_PO7VEJVzeT4ELt8hdGoTW-hniM7KFLmz02j_WmvVBQDkrkwwMM7Qdx2aZHmnNdoFISO2Pwry/s4032/IMG_4128.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKUB3XLBxJsmvsLKiOT7y_XfNaW485H7z5luVujse0h-87oFb43_660-cEXK_ZtoVpoNZK9YaPlF_iXOVxD3PYLIgDQ6PP8_bQDY3Jw1OEKQTKJM_PO7VEJVzeT4ELt8hdGoTW-hniM7KFLmz02j_WmvVBQDkrkwwMM7Qdx2aZHmnNdoFISO2Pwry/w150-h200/IMG_4128.jpg" width="150" /></a></div></div><p></p><p>Of course, there are plenty of cool non-food-related things to do on the island, too. <b>Local stores make for some low-key shopping destinations while you're in town.</b> </p><p>In particular, Coupeville was where I found some of my favorites: <b><a href="https://kingfisherbookstore.com/" target="_blank">Kingfisher Bookstore</a></b> is a gorgeous, well-organized bookstore, with plenty on offer for those interested in the history of the Puget Sound, as well as buzzy new releases, classic faves, and even displays created to celebrate local authors. </p><p>For someone who's always on the hunt for their next great arts-and-craft supplies, <b><a href="https://www.meetmarket.org/" target="_blank">Meet Market </a></b>made for some very cool perusing, as well as some happy conversation with the person manning the front desk. Not only are there plenty of supplies to check out, but there's also a few tables set up with plenty of others, as a community art space! My Dad spent the time I dedicated to browsing making an origami frog out of some scrap paper, and left it as a thank you for such a wonderful space. I, of course, walked away with a new set of Tombow brush pens (in the "Retro" color collection), a pack of new pencils, a new white gelly roll pen, and some stickers for my siblings.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Soon enough, though, the weekend was over, and we headed on a ferry back to the mainland.</b> I'm pretty stoked on how many books I managed to fit into our all-too-brief stay, but I'm honestly just as excited about all of the seafood, fresh air, and time next to the water we got, for all of that rain we had to contend with. I can't wait to make another return trip to Whidbey soon!</p><p style="text-align: center;">But there's a whole lot of other travel that has to take place before we get there again...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Have you spent much time on Whidbey Island? What are some of your favorite genres to pack on a weekend trip? Let me know, in the comments below!</i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-19002678467758258142023-02-14T07:00:00.001-08:002023-02-14T07:00:00.172-08:00Love Is Books: Speed-Dating My Kindle for Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtOp28RGOHaOoTAqZH7Ei_zcNzbswTmRK40KWUPLWdPhidhBo_jr0ypM5xewKLrfzpgOiTLVaFy9_hjqdIfp4otcps_B-xh86RznwO7Dm0rMq4cUG7fNuwhOAMqQOedIwWLp5kiqnGM7VOET33dOE_oZcPHF30OtlvN1mEofJOllGjBBFZdGe4h6n/s940/SPEED%20DATING%20MY%20BOOKS.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtOp28RGOHaOoTAqZH7Ei_zcNzbswTmRK40KWUPLWdPhidhBo_jr0ypM5xewKLrfzpgOiTLVaFy9_hjqdIfp4otcps_B-xh86RznwO7Dm0rMq4cUG7fNuwhOAMqQOedIwWLp5kiqnGM7VOET33dOE_oZcPHF30OtlvN1mEofJOllGjBBFZdGe4h6n/w640-h536/SPEED%20DATING%20MY%20BOOKS.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>It is Valentine's Day once again</b>, and surprising no one, I am still single. (Trust me, it's better this way.) </p><p>My solitary status has become, for me, as ubiquitous to the pink-and-red holiday as heart-shaped boxes of dubiously-flavored chocolates and small grocery-store teddy bears that still smell like plastic. And besides, my family routinely eschews any form of major holiday gesture thanks to the fact that it takes up a spot on the calendar also dedicated to the birthday of my second-youngest sibling, who doesn't always like to share. </p><p>But as I bemoaned to said sibling recently, <b>I do actually really enjoy Valentine's Day. </b></p><p>Just not in the high-pressure-floral-arrangements and expensive-restaurant-reservation sense... though I'd never turn my nose up at a dinner out. I mean more like in the "everyone gets candy" sense. </p><p>The kind where your teacher sent home lists of the names of everyone in your class so you knew how to spell them all correctly, and you spent at least an hour of class time painstakingly attempting to get more tissue paper stuck to your shoebox than your fingers. The kind with special snacks and pink cupcakes on heart-shaped plates delivered with love by the parents of kids who you otherwise barely tolerated on a daily basis, now suddenly on their best behavior. The kind where you agonized over the meager pickings at Fred Meyer in an attempt to procure the perfect card assortment, with the franchise of your choice on the front.</p><p>(Whether you deliberately picked-and-chose which cards went home with which friends was a secret that never made it into the classroom, if you were smart about it. After all, some friends get Belle and Jasmine cards, and some got Snow White. That's just how the world has to work... it's not like your mom was going to get you an extra box of 'em to even the playing field.) </p><p>So, instead of bemoaning my personal romantic woes on February 14th, <b>I typically like to celebrate the gooey stuff in my own way.</b> Pink-and-white checkered tablecloths, the kinds of flowers that won't kill my cat, and a self-directed sort of baking with whatever I can scrounge out of the pantry. I also have maintained the habit of individual, hand-drawn Valentines for every member of my family for years now, but we don't need to get into my crafting habits. </p><p>The point is, it's not totally out of the realm of reason that I've started a kind of annual bookish Valentine's tradition for myself, too.<b> I like to date my books. </b></p><p>You've seen it on here a couple of times before - including twice in 2020, in both <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2020/03/speed-dating-books-check-your-shelf-pt-1.html" target="_blank">March</a> and <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2020/04/speed-dating-books-check-your-shelf-pt-2.html" target="_blank">April </a>- but I really instituted it <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2017/02/table-for-one-how-to-speed-date-books.html" target="_blank">for the first time</a> on, you guessed it, Valentine's Day 2017. (The blogpost didn't go up 'til a few days after, so sue me.) </p><p><b><span>Here's a refresher to how the process works, exactly: </span></b></p><p><b><span><br /></span></b></p><p><i><span style="color: #e06666;">1. First, you <b>pick a stack of books you want to read from your shelves.</b> I usually stick around 10 or so. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #e06666;">2. You <b>gather the rest of your materials:</b> a notebook and something to write with, a timer (or your cell phone), and maybe a snack or something. A nice beverage for your troubles. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #e06666;">3. Assemble the books in a stack, and <b>set your timer for four minutes. </b></span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #e06666;">4. When you start the timer, you pick up your first book, and<b> read for the complete duration, until your timer goes off. </b></span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #e06666;">5. Then, <b>quickly jot down a couple of notes </b>on how you think it went! Try to take approximately, so each book gets a total of five minutes of attention. Did you enjoy the style, the voice, the action, the characters?</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #e06666;">6. At the end of your notes, <b>write down whether you want to read it "Now," "Soon," or "Later." If "Later,"</b> try to specify when. Depending on how easygoing you are with sending away books, try to stretch yourself to add a fourth category, like "Delete," "Donate," or "Give Away." </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #e06666;">7. When you feel satisfied with your notes, <b>start the timer again, pick up your next read, and repeat the process until the stack is finished! </b></span></i></p><p><br /></p><p>For this particular Valentine's Day round of speed-dating, <b>I wanted to get a little more specific. </b></p><p>Like I said, it's a practice I employ pretty darn regularly, especially when I'm having trouble really sinking into a good read. The problem is, when I decided to undertake this particular celebration, I'd already been experiencing an excellent recent track record: I've finished two books so far this month, am well on my way through a third, and have the next couple already lined up on my coffee table. </p><p>Instead, I decided to find <b>something a little more seasonably appropriate</b>... one that I'd already been thinking about recently... thanks to another challenge<a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/big-box-take-two-my-brother-bought-me.html" target="_blank"> that might sound a little familiar to you.</a></p><p>Back in 2021, <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2022/02/closing-up-box-my-final-paranormal.html" target="_blank">the first time I did the self-inflicted Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge </a>(with the help of my brother), <b>one of the primary complaints that I had by the end of that year, was that I didn't actually end up reading all that many romance novels</b>: because I'm very much a mood reader, and don't do well with reading a lot of the same genre in a row, I ended up pretty solidly narrowing my scope to singularly those that were in the challenge... after all, I figured that if I was going to read any of it at all, it might as well be productive (famous last words).</p><p>Meanwhile, the ranks of the romances on my Kindle continued to spiral upwards. </p><p>The thing is - as we well know from <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/new-year-old-shelves-book-buying-stats.html" target="_blank">my decisions this year to go on a Book-Buying Ban</a> - <b>I tend to have a bit of a hair-trigger when I see compelling ebooks up for grabs for $1.99 a piece. </b>Which is why this past Summer, while beginning to catalog my sins from amongst my sagging bookshelves, I decided to make a Google doc with every single romance novel I owned on it, complete with author title and tropes involved. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqmuokPgcvLxLdnB_PrXB_yWH4jCBRy6q0aZfJqFW38juRcMt1NbkFAJfwHN2-HD5B4-DjWwRQJTm4EqraUe02qbA874nKK2ReWz53g1lG9-rqxQWwkNBA8huNo2kNH_5mhHHADpXIB92UtDiAcwbmsxpgF4x7Y1q4U1Wyv3PjKfg_jo8y9fCJXgj/s3468/IMG_3875.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqmuokPgcvLxLdnB_PrXB_yWH4jCBRy6q0aZfJqFW38juRcMt1NbkFAJfwHN2-HD5B4-DjWwRQJTm4EqraUe02qbA874nKK2ReWz53g1lG9-rqxQWwkNBA8huNo2kNH_5mhHHADpXIB92UtDiAcwbmsxpgF4x7Y1q4U1Wyv3PjKfg_jo8y9fCJXgj/w349-h400/IMG_3875.jpg" width="349" /></a></div><p></p><p>Ninety-five. I had somehow amassed over 95 titles of Romances on my Kindle, that I had yet to read. </p><p>And by the end of 2022, a few months later? It was ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN.</p><p>So, that was my plan. <b>Reading Romance novels? For Valentine's Day? Groundbreaking.</b> But in the end, it was the right decision on all counts: by focusing on speed-dating my Romances off of my Kindle, it would help me continue to work through my TBR backlogs without eschewing them in favor of the all-too-alluring Paranormal Romances from my Challenge again. </p><p>We love a theme, you know. </p><p>And because - like a lot of things about my personal reading habits - this was all clearly my brother's fault, <b>I made him select all of the mystery numbers in a draft-style reveal conducted over Zoom. </b></p><p>So if you've got questions, you know, blame him.</p><p><br /></p><b><i><br />#4. When a Scot Ties the Knot</i>, Tessa Dare</b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><i style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">A soon-to-be society deb throws off the attentions of the London ton in favor of inventing a fake sweetheart, with ten years of real letters sent to maintain the ruse. Now, there is a disarmingly handsome Highlander standing at her front door, claiming that he's the true Logan McKenzie... and that he's come to marry her. <br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">There's a reason why Tessa Dare was the first real Historical Romance I ever read... her novels are so dang user-friendly! It immediate launches into the plot, providing backstory without getting bogged down by details... her books are always easy to start and jump in with both feet. Could be a fun read as we start to head more towards Spring. </span></div><p><b><i></i></b></p><br /><b><i>#67. The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie,</i> Jennifer Ashley</b><p></p><p><i>A now-wealthy widow has decided to settle down with a proper Englishman, in the hopes of keeping her life drama-free forever. However, her fiancé's misdoings have attracted the interest of a stark raving Lord, whose fascination with porcelain is as well known as his intense romantic entanglements... and now his eye is on her.</i></p><p>Well, mission accomplished: Ian McKenzie certainly comes off mad as a hatter. Heroine Beth seems like she's alright, albeit forgettable, with very little personality to speak of beyond desiring peace and quiet. I've heard this one hyped up by people I trust, but I don't really feel like anything happened in the selection I read. At least, nothing I cared about. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9bdhOYdBSP23iWtDc9vOKvPA5iQb8qW3nwnMg7DqE7X6uspdF13eivfYQ2Q7L6Ko-mjetbAsC0RkguPXvSTL0SL4joNrQizwndAagyc43vPbG-skN8R2hYsXLqj3H8JOz0D-zqiyV7E5UJdATznI48BFd40NY72GyTdVbYa6TMjK7ow6He_5zU18X" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9bdhOYdBSP23iWtDc9vOKvPA5iQb8qW3nwnMg7DqE7X6uspdF13eivfYQ2Q7L6Ko-mjetbAsC0RkguPXvSTL0SL4joNrQizwndAagyc43vPbG-skN8R2hYsXLqj3H8JOz0D-zqiyV7E5UJdATznI48BFd40NY72GyTdVbYa6TMjK7ow6He_5zU18X=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b><i>#39. The Bromance Book Club, </i>Alyssa Kay Adams</b><p></p><p><i>A major league baseball player is sent reeling when his wife voices dissatisfaction about their bedroom activities. So, he freezes her out, leading to weeks of a tension-filled home with their two daughters, and is somehow surprised when she asks for a divorce. Now, his teammates have welcomed him into the ranks of a secret book club, where reading romance novels helps unearth secrets to romantic success... which Gavin hopes will show Thea he's not giving up on their marriage just yet. </i></p><p>Out of all of the Romances I've tried so far, this is the one that feels the most loosely connected to even the concept of reality, in a genre that is not exactly known for its dedicated realism. On top of that, Gavin is all at once unbearably macho-leaning, while also being a little too pathetic... because his decision-making skill seem so appallingly lackluster, it's hard to position him as someone I'm interested in rooting for. I mean, the book literally opens with him being too drunk to function in a hotel room, then showing up at his house and impulsively kissing the woman who's told him to leave twice already. It's definitely easy to read, but doesn't feel like it would be all that personally edifying. Out of approximately seven minutes, I found myself 10% of the way into the book, so at the very least, it will be brief. </p><p><b><i>#101. Hired, </i>Zoey Castile</b></p><p><i>It's not easy being a male escort, ditched by his week-long client in a New Orleans hotel room. While waiting for her return, Aiden meets the sweet-and-sensitive Faith, and it seems like, for the first time in a while, his luck in the romance department may be changing. The catch? She doesn't actually know about his profession. And her mother is running for mayor</i>. </p><p>Another kind of not-so-appealing Hero with Aiden... he's introduced as having spent a little too much time and attention to the hotel bar over the course of two days, getting positively hammered because there's nothing better for him to do. Which begs another worthy question: why the heck did these two books both open with a sad sack Hero getting absolutely sloshed? Why is rampant drunkenness something that is so easy to find in Romance novels, especially in relation to the coping mechanisms of the Hero? Not attractive. Not to mention I managed to read a full 5% of the way into the book without meeting Faith at all, so what gives? We really needed that much more time with this guy getting hammered?</p><p><b><i>#27. Goalie Interference,</i> Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn</b></p><p><i>Emmitt's just had his best hockey season yet, with a minor-leagues trophy in tow... only to learn that he's been traded. The good news is, it's on the professional level; the bad, he'll be playing for his rivals. He's determined to earn a spot on the team for good, but standing in his way, is the other player in line for the starting goalie position: the talented and competitive Ryu, who's a lot more distracting than Emmitt bargained for. In more ways than one. </i></p><p>ANOTHER Drunk Guy opening! Are you kidding me? I mean, I'm not even exactly a teetotaler myself, but to have three books in a row all open with a hungover - or actively in the process of making himself sick from drinking - Hero, feels kind of wild. Other than that, this intro reads just fine... a kind of fratty-nerdy combo appears to be in the works, which is okay, especially within the scope of LGBT Romance. I'm not super driven to read Sports Romance - which is also alarmingly present within the ranks of my Kindle selections, for some reason - but maybe Hockey will be different. </p><p><b><i>#73. Boss in the Bedsheets, </i>Kate Canterbury</b></p><p><i>The micromanaging and detail-obsessed Ash is on the hunt for a new assistant, and after a frustrating morning at the airport, one nearly falls into his lap, due to a seating switcheroo: Zelda, a scattered, positive ball of energy, is determined to fill his business needs, as well as get him to loosen up a little. Will hot-and-cold combo find that opposites attract, or are they just too different? </i></p><p>The Hero, Ash, angrily trips over a kid while rushing through the airport and only feels capable of regarding it as a personal nuisance. The Heroine, Zelda, is so absent-minded that she triggers an airport-wide bomb response, because she's incapable of neither minding her luggage or removing her headphones. I personally feel that they are both too unlikable to keep reading... which is hilarious, because apparently one of the themes of the book is looking beyond appearances. I am burdened by no such motivation.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4mE1KLSe5HbCbPK2UkaYl0EbvH6S7wplb0uJFd51_uF9_X_w_s4yfriOqhR5JYtk2yPXe80z7bfsdhizNhqZJC7RFCOBsrq9xDz0GUFJXsm2yR7MWLkCTGNUarwq9QjzNt7Rmi1HlTrnRsgUOq1tJcVy-WaA4tvz1PE5RR0klq06uAP1NIdtfBTD7" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1801" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4mE1KLSe5HbCbPK2UkaYl0EbvH6S7wplb0uJFd51_uF9_X_w_s4yfriOqhR5JYtk2yPXe80z7bfsdhizNhqZJC7RFCOBsrq9xDz0GUFJXsm2yR7MWLkCTGNUarwq9QjzNt7Rmi1HlTrnRsgUOq1tJcVy-WaA4tvz1PE5RR0klq06uAP1NIdtfBTD7=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b><i>#99. Beauty and the Clockwork Beast</i>, Nancy Campbell Allen<br /></b><p></p><p><i>Lucy's cousin Kate is in a predicament: the recent newlywed has fallen ill, and her new brother-in-law, Lord Miles, might have something to do with it. Lucy jumps on the next airship to join her, and finds herself staring down not only ghosts, werewolves, and vampires, but the unpredictable lord, too, who asks for help in determining the causes of death for his own recently-deceased bride, and his sister. Can Lucy solve what's behind these mysterious happenings... and Miles' heart? </i></p><p>Somehow, some way, in the midst of the "let's read Romances that aren't Paranormal" exercise, I stumbled upon a Paranormal Romance. This one generated such an intense response from me, that I audibly said "No" and "Oh no" multiple times within the scope of approximately three minutes, and then dipped out of reading early because I was having such a hard time. I like Steampunk, honestly, but this one just fell a little too far outside of my interest range... and when you add vampires to the mix - let alone vampires that leave a "green vampire venom" residue on their victims, it just felt like too much. Do I really feel like reading just to see how Hot this Topic can get? </p><p><b><i>#12. The Foxhole Court</i>, Nora Sakavic</b></p><p><i>Neil is tired of running - unless its on the Exy field - so you'd think a scholarship from a college team would be a godsend. Instead, he feels more exposed than ever before: the increased visibility means a higher likelihood that his crime lord father will find him. Will his new team help him open up, or is he destined to lose the only people who made him feel like he belonged? </i></p><p>Welcome to Angstville. It's like if a Mafia Romance met a Sports Romance and decided to have a tatted-and-sweatband-wearing baby. Neither of those are exactly my fave genres, unfortunately. However... the reason this was added to my Kindle in the first place, is because it came personally recommended from a friend back in college. Its legacy on Tumblr is vast and reaching... maybe worth a shot, due to fun nostalgia factors in regards to the mid 2010s? </p><p><b><i>#81. One Good Earl Deserves a Lover</i>, Sarah MacLean</b></p><p><i>The scientifically-minded Lady Phillipa is already engaged... but it wouldn't be in the spirit of scientific process if she didn't try exploring all of London's more scandalous parts before she ties the knot. She wants the experiences of ruination, without any of the social fallout, which is exactly why she recruits gaming hell owner Cross to do it. But can she handle the results of such experiments? </i></p><p>Nearly died laughing when I thought the Hero of this story was 23... those are the kinds of numbers that even the Bachelor Franchise has the tendency to balk at. Thankfully, there was a time jump shortly thereafter, which makes him more worthy of a Romance novel mantle. Still, getting some Evie-and-Rick vibes from the two main characters, which is fun, even if I don't love the gaming hell setting (one of my least fave Historical tropes). Still, I'm a pretty confirmed fan of Sarah's. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhttxVGSQ4FoGyr5YBO6q56DE_BLIbVTv6sxhgDAlBKCBnKZSJ0bVBv5NJYrGnG3eqPkm9UZ8cMl45Bqg0E8T6FIMzWne3PSGtyQTQZnjBCDzul1ngkfXL4u9Xr_IxT_M0xWuls3s0U3ccNrQ8yGcu1lBrWxhbLz-ffPwJL-D_FcsIJoLQXg6EVmi9h" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1981" data-original-width="1252" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhttxVGSQ4FoGyr5YBO6q56DE_BLIbVTv6sxhgDAlBKCBnKZSJ0bVBv5NJYrGnG3eqPkm9UZ8cMl45Bqg0E8T6FIMzWne3PSGtyQTQZnjBCDzul1ngkfXL4u9Xr_IxT_M0xWuls3s0U3ccNrQ8yGcu1lBrWxhbLz-ffPwJL-D_FcsIJoLQXg6EVmi9h=w127-h200" width="127" /></a></div><b><i>#69. How to Forget a Duke</i>, Vivienne Lorret</b><p></p><p><i>Jacinda's independence is secured for her by marriage... just not her own. With her sisters, she runs a matchmaking service, one that assists members of the London ton facilitate beneficial engagements. Her new client, the Duke of Rydstrom, isn't making it easy, however, as he's clearly hiding something. When Jacinda's meddling leads to her temporary amnesia, Rydstom might just realize the right person for him to marry is closer than he'd think. </i></p><p>I am refreshed by the fact that instead of a naïve, nose-up debutante, the Heroine of this Romance, Jacinda, seems to be a bit of an unapologetic disaster of a human being. She's a snoop for both fun and money, and the Hero feels all kinds of shady, which is a great dynamic. I'm actually quite interested in this one. Plus, the cover is so beautifully done, that I almost owned a physical copy.</p><p><br /></p><p>How it all shook out, you may ask? <b>In the end, I not only knocked a tome out of the ranks of that 107-book-long TBR, I knocked out THREE. </b></p><p>Two of them came down to<b> straight-up deleting off of my Kindle</b>: nothing about <i>Boss in the Bedsheets</i> or<i> Beauty and the Clockwork Beast</i> seemed like they were my cup of tea while reading, so I decided to send them on their way. </p><p>I decided that I'll <b>let five of them stick around for a little while in the "Later" category</b>... honestly, it feels like an act of grace, because some of these Sports Romances are on thin ice with me, personally (which is fitting, because one of them is Hockey).<i> The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie, Hired, Goalie Interference, The Foxhole Court, </i>and <i>One Good Earl Deserves a Lover</i> might make it onto my "Currently Reading" shelves some day... but not today. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9Yc52nIlI7gd8U9Qxx2dwR_kfljVLyDwhqSGpHlBPyEAOKLopdEhd64C_d0uEO6CezkOpojeZz5Y2sNE1LAv9odG_u8PaV0zIHKKt4k9NUSGdCl5vG--1rsLru7tSz-2UQJS3ckBJp9-V-bi0LNj_8vlzWTEW7JqwO8-N-ar7Bi2a7iJgtu2eNFWM" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9Yc52nIlI7gd8U9Qxx2dwR_kfljVLyDwhqSGpHlBPyEAOKLopdEhd64C_d0uEO6CezkOpojeZz5Y2sNE1LAv9odG_u8PaV0zIHKKt4k9NUSGdCl5vG--1rsLru7tSz-2UQJS3ckBJp9-V-bi0LNj_8vlzWTEW7JqwO8-N-ar7Bi2a7iJgtu2eNFWM=w198-h320" width="198" /></a></div>And to my <b>"Soon" pile, I actually found two that I'm feeling pretty good about getting around to,</b> for completely different reasons. <i>How to Forget a Duke </i>I'm genuinely pretty excited about reading, whether that's still within the month of February, or letting it hang out for a little longer. <i>Bromance Book Club, </i>on the other hand, I might just do another round of five-minute-reading cycles on, to keep evaluating whether the characters ever feel more grounded or relatable: the dialogue was compelling, and the speed with which I could blast through this feels pretty short, so maybe it's worth it anyways? No way to know but to keep reading. <p></p><p>Of course, all of this means that <b>my winner was, in fact, <i>When a Scot Ties the Knot</i>.</b> I should have just used my Tessa Dare past as a guidepost, anyways: again, she's a great way to ease into the genre, and I needed something pretty relaxed to celebrate the lovey-dovey season with. </p><p>Now, what I actually thought of reading this book? That's a tale for another time. ;) </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate Valentine's Day? Which of the selections from this list piqued your own interest? Did I make the right choice? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p></div>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-12238037207734488362023-02-11T13:42:00.003-08:002023-02-11T13:42:48.828-08:00All the Words I Googled While Reading Jane Eyre: an Argument for Learning Fun Words <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB97VbjXxokD3bE4tcRygNahFOH5N4lb8UVMQ5LE-djzRm5spCK3IvJgnRetwahuGrZy_XpdsPDg-tEvfdbjC-u_49MXTSXTOpXcV7Bx7mFxCCpvhKjiit3gipHiw15PdoTIAd4UIpp4BVa_-8f0AhDNyuMfdkIyrzaptoCCeW67uMvo3NqThUy1G3/s940/ALL%20THE%20WORDS%20I%20GOOGLED%20WHILE%20READING%20JANE%20EYRE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB97VbjXxokD3bE4tcRygNahFOH5N4lb8UVMQ5LE-djzRm5spCK3IvJgnRetwahuGrZy_XpdsPDg-tEvfdbjC-u_49MXTSXTOpXcV7Bx7mFxCCpvhKjiit3gipHiw15PdoTIAd4UIpp4BVa_-8f0AhDNyuMfdkIyrzaptoCCeW67uMvo3NqThUy1G3/w640-h536/ALL%20THE%20WORDS%20I%20GOOGLED%20WHILE%20READING%20JANE%20EYRE.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>I had made it approximately four chapters in, before I found myself stymied.<i> Now this one, I know,</i> I thought to myself, puzzling over the text, <i>but I don't know if I really </i><u>know</u><i> it.</i> <b>Was it worth knowing something halfway, and moving on... or satisfying my curiosity, and getting into the specifics? </b></p><p>Curiosity won out, and I put aside the book, to quickly Google what, exactly, "moiety" meant again. </p><p>According to the search engine's first entry, a <b>"moiety" </b>is a noun, expressing a part or portion of a larger whole, and more specifically, the <i>lesser</i> share or value. Jane, unfortunately, was being robbed of the greater amount of her already meager portions of Lowood School's daily provisions, set upon by older students more used to Brocklehurst's stingy treatments, and being left with only a fraction. </p><p>Had I known this, in a general sense? Yes. I mean, from context clues, you could probably have divined yourself a course towards the idea that only receiving a "moiety" was something bad. Could it have meant "crumbs," or "remains," or something similarly communicating the paltriness of the meal? Yes. But it wouldn't be the same.<br /></p><p><b>One of the fun parts of learning new vocabulary, is the ability to get specific. </b></p><p><br /></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>acrimony</b> (noun) - bitterness, resentment, scorn, or other form of persistent ill-feeling between parties.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>ameliorate</b> (verb) - to remedy a situation or circumstance; to make something bad, better. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>antipodes</b> (noun) - referring to something's expressed or polar opposite. Because this book was written in England, the phrase was colloquially used to refer to allied places in the Southern Hemisphere, specifically Australia and New Zealand, as "The Antipodes." </span></i></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b style="font-style: italic;">beldam</b><i> (noun) - an old woman; in particular, an ugly, angry, or malicious one, like a witch. In an archaic sense, it originated with the French term of "belle dame" - or "beautiful woman" - but nowadays, it's mainly a reference to the true name of the Other Mother in Neil Gaiman's </i>Coraline<i>.</i></span></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>cicatrize</b> (verb) - in reference to a wound, the process of healing by way of scar formation.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>condole</b> (verb) - to grieve along with someone, or to express sympathy in a more personal way. Like "console," which is confusing because it's only one letter off, but to be fair, it's the root word we get "condolences" from. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>contumacy</b> (noun) - the rejection or refusal of instructions; stubbornly resisting or disobeying authority, especially in the legal sense, like a court order or summons. Later on in the book I also ended up Googling "contumelious," which shares the same root, and refers to someone who is insolent, scornful or insulting. </span></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>So, in case you couldn't divine from the title of the blogpost:<b> here is a list of every single word I had to search up while reading Charlotte Bronte's Gothic classic, <i>Jane Eyre</i></b>, about a month back in January. It truly, honestly, wasn't meant to be a list that was shared - and certainly not a blogpost - but the more comfortable I got with admitting personal defeat, and turning to the search engine, the more I began to like the idea of publishing this kind of an open rundown when it was all over. </p><p>Why? Why not! Learning new vocabulary is a great time. It's as important a life skill as learning how to shuffle playing cards or perfecting your back handspring: it's fun to be able to trot this kind of impressive display out at parties. </p><p>Chances are, you can think of at least one time in your life that you were having a conversation with someone, and they whipped out the kind of crossword-stumping diction that could make the clouds rain Scrabble tiles. Or maybe, you were having a hard time describing a feeling or situation that felt particular to you, and you experienced that eureka moment when you knew you had just the perfect, specific word to say. It's powerful stuff. </p><p>The thing is, <b>I think most of anyone's persistent negative feelings about looking up vocab are really just remnants of the days where such things could only be accomplished with a hefty dictionary in hand.</b> However, thanks to the easy access of the Internet - and those rectangular space-age devices emitting radioactive waves in our pockets - those tomes are now used to press flowers, or are gaining dust on your very-impressive looking bookshelves. In 2023, you can look up any word, at any time... and depending on how easily your voice command function is able to interpret your speaking patterns, you really don't have to push that many buttons to do it.</p><p>You can do it while out at coffee with a friend, frantically tapping your screen under the table to figure out that new slang term you've never heard before. You could be sitting in your parked car, checking out a "Word a Day" app on your phone while picking your kid up from dance class. You could be lying down, using your arm as a temporary bookmark because you accidentally dropped your phone into that awkward crack between your bed and the wall again and you really need to know what the heck <b>"rive"</b> means (It's a verb, basically meaning "to rip apart violently," or to rend or tear or split or crack or break. Lots of options). </p><p><b>Learning new vocab is more accessible now than it has ever been before. </b></p><p><br /></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>dross </b>(noun) - something typically regarded as garbage, worthless, or something that should be thrown away. Specifically, this refers to the scum that forms a floating byproduct on the surface of molten metal, which is fun. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>etiolated</b> (adjective) - having lost vigor or vitality; something withered and pale. I think it's specifically supposed to be about plants that haven't gotten a ton of sunlight, but it just makes me think of Hercules at the end of the Disney movie when he's floating around in the big pit of ghosts. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>halcyon </b>(adjective) - referring to an idyllic or perfect time of the past, referencing a period of prosperity or peace. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>inexorable </b>(adjective) - the quality of being unstoppable or impossible to prevent. If a person is being inexorable, they will stubbornly refuse to acquiesce to requests or prompting; if a large train is being inexorable, I recommend you run out of the way very fast. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>meretricious</b> (adjective) - having the appearance of beauty or attractive qualities, but ultimately, having no value or integrity beyond it. In the archaic sense, it was specifically relating to or characteristic of a prostitute; in a more contemporary angle, it can refer to anything from airport souvenirs to those kinds of expensive desserts you see at cafes that all end up burning the back of your throat with too much sugar. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>mien</b> (noun) - a person's general aspect or manner, especially appearance, giving more indication towards their character, mood, or behavior. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>palliate</b> (verb) - to ease or alleviate the symptoms of something severe or detrimental, but without really relieving the cause. To soothe or moderate, or even disguise the impact of something, like how you can only take so many doses of ibuprofen before you decide you probably should just go see a doctor. </span></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>Maybe it's those "options" - the fact that definitions themselves prove that you can actually use a great many other words you already know, rather than bothering to learn a whole new one - that make us feel like picking up vocab is something best relegated to the teenage, school-shackled set. But the thing is, <b>approximate knowledge is good and all, but specific knowledge holds its own separate kind of power</b>. </p><p>I remember a particularly frustrating conversation, when I was much younger, where I was recounting a story to friends about time spent wandering a shopping center with my family. I explained that I had been "meandering through the aisles," when I was stopped by a sudden fit of laughter. "Meandering?" they said. "Why not just say walking, if that's what you mean?" I'm sure that at the time they thought that I was just trying to flex, but the reality was, I didn't say walking, because I didn't MEAN walking. I MEANT meandering. </p><p>Walking could be anything, but meandering means a lazy, non-directional kind of wandering, like the kind you do at a shopping center. It connotes a sunny afternoon on vacation with my family, far better than just "walking" ever could. I was being specific, not deliberately pretentious, and whether or not my friends got the message, I was delivering it as clearly as I could. </p><p>This story is something that floats to the top of my brain whenever I think about storytelling, and especially how much I hate certain authors who applaud themselves over their own rudimentary diction styles (*cough* Hemingway *cough*). Yes, <b>there is absolutely argument to be made over accessible and straight-forward language</b>... I was an English major, after all, and I hate reading particularly egregious academic articles as much as the next person. At the same time, there is also joy in the deliberation of a perfectly-chosen word, and the excitement that comes when we're given the opportunity to learn something new. </p><p><b>Words aren't "one size fits all."</b> Sometimes, it pays to get particular. </p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>paroxysm</b> (noun) - a sudden attack or expression of a particular emotion or activity; an active demonstration of a feeling or impulse. Like if you suffered a paroxysm of weeping at a particularly moving Super Bowl commercial, or a paroxysm of laughter at a particularly funny Super Bowl commercial. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>piquant</b> (adjective) - a distinctive pleasantly sharp taste or flavor... think aged white cheddar, peppery radishes, or pickled red onions. In more general terms, it can also mean something is pleasantly stimulating or exciting to experience. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>privation</b> (noun) - a scarcity or lack of the sorts of things necessary for human survival or well-being, like shelter, food, or heat. Could also more generally refer to a quality or attribute of something that is normally true or present, but is now lacking. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>prurience</b> (noun) - a strong interest in sexual matters, not necessarily just like in being lascivious or horny, but also like being a little too improper or snoopy in conversations; specifically expressing an interest in someone else's sexual behavior. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>repletion</b> (noun) - eating until you're stuffed, beyond simple satisfaction. Can also refer to the condition of a location being filled up, or overcrowded, like a packed bar, or scribbles over the boundaries of a sheet of paper. </span></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>But a specificity in word choice, also means having the conversational clout to back it up. It's a particular <i><b>solecism</b> - (noun) a slip-up in either expression or behavior; can refer to both a mistake in written or spoken language, as well as a breach in etiquette, or incorrect and awkward behavior - </i>of the well-read individual, that chances are, we've attempted a word in real life that we'd only ever encountered on the page, to disastrous effect. </p><p>I've had my tongue fixed firmly in my mouth for nearly thirty years now, but if that word in my brain only just got there yesterday, chances are that the two are going to tangle a little bit. </p><p>Excellent news: <b>Googling a word brings up not only the definition, but oftentimes, a little button right beside it that allows you to hear how the word is accurately spoken.</b> Will I persist in pronouncing "mien" as a two-syllable word? Maybe. But I've heard how it's supposed to be said enough times that it's pretty solely my own fault in getting it wrong. I'll do my penance for the error by puzzling over how the word "halcyon" doesn't have a hard K sound in the middle of it, when I swear I've heard it that way before. <br /></p><p>The point is, <b>when you learn a new word, it's important to look up how to say it</b>. And then, use it in a sentence a couple of times to make sure you've got the whole operation down right. </p><p>Using an SAT word in conversation makes you sound smart... but using an SAT word incorrectly in conversation makes it look like you're<i> trying </i>to sound smart, which is the kind of social offense that has nothing to do with actually wanting to learn new words. </p><p><br /></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>sagacity</b> (noun) - the quality of being sagacious; wise, insightful, or astute in observation.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>salubrious </b>(adjective) - for something to be beneficial, healthy, or pleasant, especially in comparison to conditions that were not that beforehand.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>sardonic</b> (adjective) - sarcastic, grimly mocking, satirical, or cynical. When someone makes fun of you in a way that's meant to make you feel bad. I think this word was used to describe Mr. Edward Rochester upwards of ten times. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>syncope</b> (noun) - fainting, or having a sudden loss of consciousness. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>torpid </b>(adjective) - mentally or physically inactive, very sleepy or lazy, like the Lethargarians who live in the Doldrums in the Land Beyond the Tollbooth. Sometimes we are torpid because we are a hibernating bear, and sometimes we are torpid because we ate too much turkey at Thanksgiving. </span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>vicinage</b> (noun) - another term for general area or location, like its other version, "vicinity." </span></i></p><p><br /></p><p>So, to recap: <b>learning new words is fun, and super easy to do</b>. It helps you impress your friends, and get specific about what you're trying to say. And as long as you remember to be deliberate about the ways you transition your newfound knowledge off the page and into conversations, it can be a really fun avenue for building a little more excitement into your diction on a regular basis. </p><p>And<b> just in case you haven't read <i>Jane Eyre </i>before... I highly recommend it.</b> There's, like, a ton of fun words in there to play with. It's also a really great activity to undertake with friends, but furthermore, it's also cool to do on your own, at your own pace. The descriptions are all really pretty, and pretty much everyone in here is bonkers. It's a good time, and you should try it. </p><p>It strikes me only just now that there is entirely the chance that someone doing an assignment on <i>Jane Eyre</i> for a high school English class might just stumble across this blogpost. After all, having to collect an assortment of vocabulary terms for a book report was exactly the sort of thing that I had to do while I was in school. In case you are a scholar, hello and welcome! </p><p>Instead of just copy-pasting my words, why don't you take a different track instead: pass the link on to your teacher, or something. Maybe that way, you get a replacement activity that allows you to engage more with the material, instead... or a the very least, your instructor now views you as the kind of helpful, engaged person who can be trusted with the burden of an A. Maybe even an A+. Best of luck! </p><p>And for the rest of us lifelong learners - the people who look for something new in every day, or at the very least, every other book - I hope you've taken away something just as valuable as a letter grade from this post, too. </p><p>As a personal challenge, <b>I think you should pick one of your favorites and use it in conversation today. </b></p><p>(Just don't forget to search up the pronunciation, first.) </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Did you find a new favorite word on this list? Have you attempted Jane Eyre before? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-34133325509236337172023-01-22T11:35:00.000-08:002023-01-22T11:35:28.928-08:00Big Box, Take Two: My Brother Bought Me ANOTHER 20 Paranormal Romance Novels for Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ibYPJcevDEt4FuJ_i2lQU9xnkuiM968nqO55dfQjfdrvwaSXkJjTIpUblZbn9kWKHWk2fRmWMLdrxj9p8MvrFG7AVmmqQoAjrSjV5FEIvAaWougXsgXQ6R_lDlTF3qYrvCFy9wyIoxpWuO8FdMOh64wP_qvnjpC8S01xYMFCKAYUc8ZPHjL8SPtW/s940/BIG%20BOX%20OF%20PARANORMAL%20ROMANCE%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ibYPJcevDEt4FuJ_i2lQU9xnkuiM968nqO55dfQjfdrvwaSXkJjTIpUblZbn9kWKHWk2fRmWMLdrxj9p8MvrFG7AVmmqQoAjrSjV5FEIvAaWougXsgXQ6R_lDlTF3qYrvCFy9wyIoxpWuO8FdMOh64wP_qvnjpC8S01xYMFCKAYUc8ZPHjL8SPtW/w640-h536/BIG%20BOX%20OF%20PARANORMAL%20ROMANCE%20(1).png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Oh, yeah. It may be 2023 now, but <b>in some ways, it feels like 2021 all over again.</b> </p><p>Sorry if you feel that blogpost title takes away any of the surprise. It does kind of give everything away, all at once, doesn't it? I just feel like we all need to be on equal footing, diving into this kind of challenge again... because not to spoil ANOTHER surprise, but here,<i> there be dragons</i>. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;">time machine: christmas 2020</span></h3><p style="text-align: left;">Back towards the end of 2020, the BookTube and Bookstagram communities had a bit of a fascination with <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/20-Historical-Romance-Mystery-Box-Fiction-Books-Novels-Paperbacks-Mixed-Lot/142359483863?hash=item21254955d7%3Ag%3AEeoAAOSwvKtY%7EOsO&LH_BIN=1" target="_blank">mystery boxes of backlist Romance titles on eBa</a>y,<b> $25 for a box of 20 mass market paperbacks.</b> The appeal was obvious: Romances are fun, and cheap, and this was a fun-and-cheap way of experimenting with a whole lot of Romance authors at once, in whatever genre you chose. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I stuck the link on my Christmas list, leading to the Historical Romance options, with the assumption that - because that was the subgenre I typically read - if someone was to actually purchase it for me as a present, it would be an easy, accessible way to dive in further. After all, Romance novels in general were still something I'd only really begun<a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2018/09/reading-romance-part-four-modern.html" target="_blank"> exploring in the summer of 2018</a>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I forgot, of course, that my brother - who is eight years my junior - will do just about anything for comedy. And nothing would be funnier, to him, than having the older sister <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2017/10/twilight-reread-podcast-novel-my.html" target="_blank">who convinced him to read <i>Twilight</i> for the first time</a>, <b>open a box of vampire novels for Christmas. </b></p><p style="text-align: left;">In some ways, he was totally right: it was VERY funny. And in others, we were both wrong: the box contained some vampires, for sure, but it also held the stories of werewolves who fall in love with veterinarians, Celtic gods who decide to be rock stars, psychics who rely on their guns more than their, you know, psychic abilities, and more. It had aliens and demons and a fair amount of ghosts, an unnecessary amount of angels, and in one gut-cringing instance, a Native American shaman from a lost ancient civilization (No, I do NOT want to explain further). </p><p style="text-align: left;">But of course, <b>while my brother and I absolutely love to make each other laugh, there also comes the expectation that we commit to the bit.</b> I decided that we were going to have to make things into a bit of a challenge: I was going to read all twenty books across the course of the year, and at the end of it all, the one I rated the highest<i>, he </i>was going to have to read, as well.</p><p style="text-align: left;">All told, I had a great time reading through the box over the course of the year. Some were terrible - okay, a LOT were terrible - but that never made the challenge feel too stale or daunting... like those of us who enjoy Hallmark Channel Movies and gossip sessions with friends, sometimes, <b>there's a lot of joy to be found, even when things are just, like, real bad.</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">I even had friends who - when getting together for coffee or dinner - would specifically ask how the challenge was going, and would rejoice in hearing about all of the cringey, uncomfy, funny details that I unearthed from the narratives I explored along the way. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And of course, at the end of it all, <b>my brother read my absolute fave of the bunch: <i>Dream Eyes</i>, by Jayne Ann Krentz, </b>which was not only the second book overall in the challenge, but also, became something we still reference to each other in conversation regularly. (If you are interested in a Paranormal Romance novel that seems to have just about everything - psychic investigators, psychic murderers, crystal mine explosions, cat burglars, shady pharmaceutical companies, scuba diving, cult escapees, khakis - then I heartily encourage you to give it a go. And to be clear, if anyone else can think of a book where the psychic energy generated by wind chimes harnesses enough power to torch a house, please pass the title my way.) </p><p style="text-align: left;">You can read all of the posts from that challenge here, on my blog, at the following links: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2020/12/my-brother-bought-me-25-worth-of.html" target="_blank">"My Brother Bought Me $25 Worth of Paranormal Romance"</a></b> : Preliminary Research and Ranking</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2021/03/big-box-of-paranormal-romance-part-one.html" target="_blank">"Racist Vampires, Alien Drama, and Psychic Crystal House Explosions"</a></b> : <i>Midnight Lover, Dream Eyes, </i>and <i>How to Lose an Extraterrestrial in 10 Days</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2021/04/big-box-of-paranormal-romance-part-two.html" target="_blank">"Celtic Rockstars, Vampiric Chosen-Ones, and Deeply Un-sexy Succubi" </a>:</b> <i>Immortals: The Crossing, Touch the Dark, </i>and <i>My Fair Succubi</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2021/09/big-box-of-paranormal-romance-part.html" target="_blank">"A Summer Fling with Psychics, Werewolves, and Lots of Uncomfortable Staring"</a> :</b> <i>Out of Mind, Dangerous Tides, Master of Wolves, Nico, </i>and <i>The Portal </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2022/02/closing-up-box-my-final-paranormal.html" target="_blank"><b>"Closing Up the Box: My Final Paranormal Romance Reading Update of 2021" </b></a>: Stats, Reflections, and a Final Ranking</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;">re-vamping the challenge: 2023</span></h3><div><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div>Okay, so we're not necessarily re-VAMPing the challenge... I just really wanted to use that pun. <b>In fact, everything went so darn well last time, that we're just doing the whole thing over again! </b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>I got a box of 20 books, I'm going to read them all, my brother reads the one I like best,</b> yadda yadda yadda. Of course, I'll be keeping you all updated along the way; if possible, I'd like to share even more of the bananas quotes, wild plot-twists, and *ahem* unexpected narrative choices I encounter. Get ready for a whole new year, and the same old shenanigans! </div><div><br /></div><div>That being said, we weren't expecting things to be <u>this </u>similar: somehow, TWO of the books I pulled out of the twenty in the box I received this past Christmas, are two of the same titles I received back in 2021.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqGYyTLqBVb3TBocTxreF-sZpkDWyI-TDC3o0W2w_zifyOoTVYdacDEj4Kl5i91C40sy2j-W5BIWG3ab5axh1WnGujl4pxMXzphXXteiaeL5eXDsw2lK0ywIgBOFzAPHCnyrAWp4kd-AWi8S2fQQxPEXFbRq-KDKZ-tuoDwQWyrg8qtqs2OzL2pByy" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqGYyTLqBVb3TBocTxreF-sZpkDWyI-TDC3o0W2w_zifyOoTVYdacDEj4Kl5i91C40sy2j-W5BIWG3ab5axh1WnGujl4pxMXzphXXteiaeL5eXDsw2lK0ywIgBOFzAPHCnyrAWp4kd-AWi8S2fQQxPEXFbRq-KDKZ-tuoDwQWyrg8qtqs2OzL2pByy=w127-h200" width="127" /></a></div>Out of Mind</i> (from the <i>Court of Angels </i>series), by Stella Cameron,</b> was one <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2021/09/big-box-of-paranormal-romance-part.html" target="_blank">I reviewed within the challenge, </a>about the next generation of families of psychics living in New Orleans, being stalked by a team of malevolent beings from another dimension. </div><div><br /></div><div>The romance was alright enough - though their reasons for not being together were so contrived I couldn't help but roll my eyes every time it was brought up - but the real entertainment came from trying to decipher what, exactly, the villains were: they weren't from another planet, but another plane, and could shift themselves into what were, essentially, monstrous animal forms in a way that felt like evil <i>Animorphs</i>. And there was a character named, unironically, Bucky Fist. Also, Dr. Blades. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's telling of how the overall challenge went last time, that I gave it points for <u>not </u>having any racist or homophobic slurs within its pages. And I still only gave it a two-star rating. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1No6QBodLVNvQvEnmRJFvuM672MNpys9tivVCIqoUgVBpzKSXvawrQb8wzFh6R9r8eBYnKd4K4AZ-s1D0zjQb20hLgZlDZ3sIOaEud2P8wO7IU5JxRZLeeTNqB6NXD4y0mekn_nqWI7KTo2uEQU2Y3fQH5pPre1A1x0dvB9PjfLSAgviZBQglU2-9" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="294" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1No6QBodLVNvQvEnmRJFvuM672MNpys9tivVCIqoUgVBpzKSXvawrQb8wzFh6R9r8eBYnKd4K4AZ-s1D0zjQb20hLgZlDZ3sIOaEud2P8wO7IU5JxRZLeeTNqB6NXD4y0mekn_nqWI7KTo2uEQU2Y3fQH5pPre1A1x0dvB9PjfLSAgviZBQglU2-9=w124-h200" width="124" /></a></div>All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire</i> (from the <i>Love at Stake</i> series), by Kerrelyn Sparks</b> was one of three books out of the box of twenty I didn't manage to finish by the time the challenge had reached its end, but no worries! I actually ended up reading it this past holiday season. </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, at the very least, I tried to: I got two chapters in before I decided to DNF, on account of entirely too much dialogue about whether the main character - a centuries-old vampire who had recently gone through some kind of operation to increase his physical appearance from 15 to 25 - was still a virgin. Or, you know, whether the human woman he was interested in, was actually capable of serving as a daytime bodyguard for a pack of vampires living in a luxury condo (To her credit, she did appear to be capable, but that being said, she also appeared to be a bit of an idiot). </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANYsv8nSjYm6p47QwnN3C31rdUwb6LUDb2Wg4PFWJiINySvYoBib92948T0DZaeSav-ao_D0DQviO0aP-l9vTaAKQCJldSlBSbZjyWLacfCf3KK3FG95NQuPwher3KqYEzdiZWcEihf7otoY5IbPOuAU81Vn5TdH-PhH8A3sh5Ghv_JBGTiO4nSlA/s4032/IMG_3366.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANYsv8nSjYm6p47QwnN3C31rdUwb6LUDb2Wg4PFWJiINySvYoBib92948T0DZaeSav-ao_D0DQviO0aP-l9vTaAKQCJldSlBSbZjyWLacfCf3KK3FG95NQuPwher3KqYEzdiZWcEihf7otoY5IbPOuAU81Vn5TdH-PhH8A3sh5Ghv_JBGTiO4nSlA/s320/IMG_3366.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean, I've already made the Book Journal<br />layout for it and everything! :)<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>So I bailed after the second time they mentioned "Bleer," a vampire beverage that utilized a vampire-run food-fusion company to combine... well, I'm sure you can guess. </div><div><br /></div><div>Which means<b> that's already two books down, and out of the way, for me! </b></div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, that still leaves <b>EIGHTEEN Paranormal Romance novels for me to tackle in the coming year.</b> I've spent a couple of weeks since Christmas looking them over, checking out blurbs and sizzle lines, author histories, and more. Lemme tell you... this might not be our first time at the rodeo, but in 2023, we are riding a<i> very </i>different horse. </div><div><br /></div><div>(I prithee, forestall all puns about "riding" until we at LEAST get to the first reading update, mkay?) </div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, come on. Aren't you at least a little curious about what else is in store for the coming year's challenge? There's no way for you to find out, until we open the box... </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;">what's in the box???</span></h3><div><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i>Shadow of the Vampire</i>, by Megan Hatfield</b></div><div>Well, a 125-year-old Russian vampire princess feels right enough for the title, but a dragon lord shifter interested in stealing a powerful crystal? Now we're talking! Mentions of "torture" feel like there might be a bit of a BDSM angle to this particular Paranormal Romance, but the Harlequin logo on the spine makes me think differently. At any rate, this 2010 release has a 3.8 rating on Goodreads, out of 1320 ratings, so we'll see how it goes. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlHfvNOgnt6BtgPL1BMylXmIBYLVsL631Y5mSjr51zNS5uWjlsE2Iu2_dXGC1pqkVBiWkxR8kg-RNaCWPfiQjnde0aiePPPFLDSnYKVP3bGtyIjEAJMquS7UFXt8tECX2_VF8BV8w9ATPzCLTMFcdkDSTBntvwgwIls7I7DIT5r3857yUdqamae1XX" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="291" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlHfvNOgnt6BtgPL1BMylXmIBYLVsL631Y5mSjr51zNS5uWjlsE2Iu2_dXGC1pqkVBiWkxR8kg-RNaCWPfiQjnde0aiePPPFLDSnYKVP3bGtyIjEAJMquS7UFXt8tECX2_VF8BV8w9ATPzCLTMFcdkDSTBntvwgwIls7I7DIT5r3857yUdqamae1XX=w123-h200" width="123" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b><i>Sleeping with the Entity</i>, by Cat Devon</b></div><div>Hands down, this is my favorite title out of the entire box. It just has such a nice flow to it, you know? It sounds like a title for a made-up movie you'd see hanging in the background theater set of a scary movie or <i>Buffy </i>episode or something. At any rate, if that's not enough to pique your interest, maybe words like "cupcake shop owner" and "Vamptown clan of Chicago" will. I mean, the vampire leader at the heart of this romance is also the head of the local business association, giving her a hard time with her shop opening. That doesn't sound like a rollicking adventure to you? Published in 2013 and with a 3.36 rating out of 650, I'm a little worried about the lower number of ratings for a book that is only a decade old.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Ghost Moon,</i> by Rebecca York</b></div><div>I don't know what about this I find more fascinating... the fact that it's the seventh in its series, the fact that the words "Ruth Glick writing as Rebecca York" are on the <u>cover</u> right underneath the bold-font author name, or the actual contents of the book in the blurb on the back: taking place between "[a] freed slave from a parallel universe" and the ghost of a centuries-old werewolf who has managed to take over a human body, this 2008 publication has a 3.87 out of 480 ratings.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Wizard's Daughter,</i> by Catherine Coulter</b></div><div>One of two different Historical-slanted Paranormal Romance titles in the box, this particular installment - the tenth in its series - takes place during the London Season in 1835, where a mysterious orphan girl, adopted by a wealthy family in childhood, is making her debut. Enter in a duo of romantic interests and a mythical book belonging to a wizard, and as you might have guessed from the title, a certain someone is able to decipher its puzzles with ease. There's a designation of "never before published" on the cover, which feels a little strange, being that Coulter is very much alive, and very much still writing. This particular book - among her 89 published works! - was published in 2008, and has a 3.49 rating out of 2343 ratings on Goodreads. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8KBIL6WNDlXIUNcsnGmhkY9Obzuiic65WgIXuSCkWN_k1yPMUmj87YMxSGr-BxnA6dWN4cSWoh437Gg6Ip6nGQJ7JaHp78xHsko8cUDyQA3LSFjqhhHtfiJNuicHWU63z_6lcxEebYU6O3-Pfz2-JfKZX328mIuqqkIVbC4PugoPO1KzkqFUBO-wH" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="294" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8KBIL6WNDlXIUNcsnGmhkY9Obzuiic65WgIXuSCkWN_k1yPMUmj87YMxSGr-BxnA6dWN4cSWoh437Gg6Ip6nGQJ7JaHp78xHsko8cUDyQA3LSFjqhhHtfiJNuicHWU63z_6lcxEebYU6O3-Pfz2-JfKZX328mIuqqkIVbC4PugoPO1KzkqFUBO-wH=w124-h200" width="124" /></a></div><b><i>Darkling,</i> by Yasmine Galenhorn</b></div><div>I don't know about this one, guys: the style of the model on the front cover is giving me all kinds of "teenage girl just got back from her Winter Break 2007 Caribbean cruise with her parents" vibes, though I will say, there does appear to be some blood on her pants. The third installment in its series, following a trio of half-human, half-Fae sisters, our main character being the one of whom who has also been bitten by a vampire. They're operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency, and the adventure takes place in Seattle, which is a fun enough hometown shoutout to distract me from character names like Shadow Wing and Dredge. Published in 2008, this one actually has a rating of 4.04 out of 7951 ratings, which is much higher than the cover would have me guessing... and the actual written Goodreads reviews seem to be pretty positive, too! </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Dream Chaser,</i> by Sherrilyn Kenyon</b></div><div>It's the 13th in the <i>Dark-Hunter </i>series, which makes sense, because Kenyon's <i>Dark-Hunter</i> and <i>Dream-Hunter</i> series are both prolific AND overlapping: I had another Sherrilyn Kenyon book in the last box I got, <i>The Guardian,</i> which is the 20th of the same (but is only Book 5 in the <i>Dream-Hunter</i> subseries. <i>Dream Chaser</i>, instead, is only #3!). If that's all too convoluted for you, then just get lost in the piercing gaze on the front cover, and strap in: disgraced demigod Xypher is given reprieve by Hades to redeem his soul by way of one good deed, and teams up with psychic medical examiner Simone to open a portal to the Atlantean hell realm to fight demons. It's got a 4.19 out of over 29K ratings on Goodreads, and was published in 2008. Got all that? </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Undead and Unwed,</i> by Mary Janice Davidson</b></div><div>A shoe-obsessed blondie from the big city is laid off from her secretary job unexpectedly. What's a girl to do? Sounds like the beginnings of any pink-and-green hued chick lit from the early '00s. What makes this 2004 release different, though, is that Betsy then gets into a car wreck, and then, turned into a vampire. Together, with her new friends, she just might be able to overturn the most power-hungry vamp in town... provided she accepts her destiny as the one the prophecy has foretold, of course. Somebody get this girl a cosmo, stat! At 3.81 stars out of a deeply unexpected 55K+ reviews, I am truly confused by the Goodreads popularity of this release... but I guess we're going to find out how all of those reviews got there. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc94L2DxoosD35J7KmovB4lan8Nndg5oqd2uh1jFG9H5_wVG3kRjw5U9Drq-M05Ih8PO8oWmLq6ScJUOL2B9UhgIGnYDAvJUgLGNCkYvplhkvPtQpGAQUr0Jw4nTqeskXfe8-VdulzVR4yG5oSTHMrhvoUOrPbLgSd8fJ2C1MtGffIe4pD53wDUxu6" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="288" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhc94L2DxoosD35J7KmovB4lan8Nndg5oqd2uh1jFG9H5_wVG3kRjw5U9Drq-M05Ih8PO8oWmLq6ScJUOL2B9UhgIGnYDAvJUgLGNCkYvplhkvPtQpGAQUr0Jw4nTqeskXfe8-VdulzVR4yG5oSTHMrhvoUOrPbLgSd8fJ2C1MtGffIe4pD53wDUxu6=w122-h200" width="122" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b><i>Premonitions, </i>by Morgan Hayes<br /></b></div><div>A psychic who watched the brutal death of her detective husband is enlisted into the ranks of a small-town precinct, in order to catch the killer in a difficult case. The most appealing thing of this read isn't just the cover - which I LOVE - but instead, the fact that it belongs to the league of Harlequin "Superromance: Women Who Dare," as decreed by its branding. "They take chances, make changes, and follow their hearts!" Evidently not Goodreads reviewers, though, as this 1994 release has an average 3.81 rating across... 16 ratings. Will I become number 17?</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Shadow Keeper</i>, by Christine Feehan</b></div><div>This is the author name that made me squeal when I first pulled this novel out of the box. While Krentz's <i>Dream Eyes</i> absolutely won my heart, <i>Dangerous Tides</i> - from Feehan's <i>Drake Sister</i> series - was my second favorite of the last challenge, and I was so excited to see that I had another opportunity to read her writing this year. But Drake Sisters, this is not: instead, it follows a family of "shadow riders," this iteration of which features a mysterious nightclub owner who falls for one of his employees, who is in serious danger. The most recent release of the box at 2018, this has the third-highest Goodreads rating of the box, too, with a cumulative 4.24 out of 5,533 reviews. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Moon Sworn,</i> by Keri Arthur</b></div><div>The ninth in a series, this 2010 release follows the love between a shape-shifting werewolf-vampire hybrid named Riley, and her vampire lover, Quinn. However, there's a little more to it than that: the blurb mentions of a recently slain soul mate, a mysterious "Directorate" where Riley works, and a ritualistic serial killer. And not to add to the confusion, but a chance opening to a random page revealed the words "nanotechnology," so, you know. I'm thinking more of a thriller than a Romance. With a 4.33 out of 12K+ reviews, I'm thinking it might even be a good one. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Deadly Night,</i> by Heather Graham</b></div><div>I got a Heather Graham from my last box, too, and both times, have had to search whether this is, you know, <i>Boogie-Nights-</i>and-<i>Austin-Powers </i>Heather Graham (It is not! But it explains why her author webpage is found at the url "theoriginalheathergraham.com"). I DNF'd my attempt at <i>The Summoning </i>during the last challenge, because I just could NOT get into the plot, which feels a little disconcerting, because the plot for <i>Deadly Night</i> feels similar, involving yet another haunted house in the South. However, this is the first in its series, and sound like enough spooky fun that it might make for a good Fall seasonal read. With a Goodreads rating of 4.07 out of 7,255 reviews, it seems like there are plenty of folks who might agree me.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDvWw6BAFJIgoXRNGHJW1ZVainZerakWGcR6UKdtwuwXMYWCMwLPDgwtvBiCPwBtRiehjy7OVc3MuC70zoRJtfhMQx0LHVawjdJzyBCqFu3LV0kF4Zkp66iCfcZFdYkQ4vOPd16eaeCyOAQnW5mLdKYJBootgU8RWVKU-dXahujlH3qzFg-i6IV1-" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="248" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDvWw6BAFJIgoXRNGHJW1ZVainZerakWGcR6UKdtwuwXMYWCMwLPDgwtvBiCPwBtRiehjy7OVc3MuC70zoRJtfhMQx0LHVawjdJzyBCqFu3LV0kF4Zkp66iCfcZFdYkQ4vOPd16eaeCyOAQnW5mLdKYJBootgU8RWVKU-dXahujlH3qzFg-i6IV1-=w124-h200" width="124" /></a></div>Biting the Bride,</i> by Clare Willis</b></div><div>Speaking of things that look like a fake movie poster in the theater scene of a made-for-TV movie, there is something so specific about the bangs of this man and the neckline of this dress that just scream "ABC Family programming." (Which makes sense, because it was published in 2010, when the ABC Fam channel was still rocking with regular episodes of <i>Pretty Little Liars </i>and <i>Secret Life of the American Teenager</i>.) This novel, however, sees a super-strength gifted lady meddling with her friend's upcoming nuptial bliss to a man she is very convinced is a vampire... one who has a habit of marrying wealthy women, and killing them for their inheritance. With a cumulative 83 reviews, amounting to a 3.33 rating, we'll have to see whether this particular romance novel has bite. Or, maybe, it sucks. Because planning a wedding can be draining... do you want me to keep going? </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Making Over Mr. Right, </i>by Judy McCoy</b></div><div>Last time I embarked on this challenge, I accidentally got a non-Paranormal novel slipped into the mix, and the second I saw this cover, I honestly just kind of assumed it had happened again. However, what might look like a chick lit cover, belies a not-exactly-secret: from the author of<i> One Night With a Goddess</i>, comes the tale of a "Muse of Beauty's" attempts at making over a successful businessman while banished from Mount Olympus. No particular motive is attached to her actions in the blurb, so we'll have to assume she has a good reason for doing so. Zeus better think so, too, because the second this muse falls in love with a mortal, she's stuck! This 2008 release has a 3.58 out of 177 reviews, the third lowest amount in the box. To be fair, maybe they were just confused by the cover, too? </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6pQZiaRKj5QXDa_KRSf2oaJOk6FzcPFeIivdddUHH3hDaiUpgIlfsv_WbNZteBVvHQ3K6-YUZo-7--oxSm9epf0C3ceZudnULOQIwxTa2qF7r-NasCiXT-Ij6wYzAW7iYdjhDXherCsC3LYbufgEDVIWp569y6AC0kGTNZiOe19daRddMterVa5Gq" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="289" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6pQZiaRKj5QXDa_KRSf2oaJOk6FzcPFeIivdddUHH3hDaiUpgIlfsv_WbNZteBVvHQ3K6-YUZo-7--oxSm9epf0C3ceZudnULOQIwxTa2qF7r-NasCiXT-Ij6wYzAW7iYdjhDXherCsC3LYbufgEDVIWp569y6AC0kGTNZiOe19daRddMterVa5Gq=w122-h200" width="122" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b><i>Never Dare a Dragon,</i> by Ashlyn Chase <br /></b></div><div>I promised you dragons, didn't I? In fact, this is one of THREE dragon books that are in this box. Between them, though, I think this third series installment is a bit of a doozy: because if you got excited when you heard there was a dragon shifter involved, I cannot wait to tell you that the other main character is actually a phoenix shifter, too... and that the two work for different fire departments. Oh, and the phoenix's surname is Fierro. One of the other more recent releases in this box, you might be surprised to hear that this 2017 publication only has 216 ratings on Goodreads, with a 3.56 average. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>What a Dragon Should Know, </i>by G. A. Aiken</b></div><div>And here's the last dragon! This one, however, feels more deeply enmeshed in a traditional Fantasy world than the urban alternative. An immortal, vainglorious dragon named Gwenvael forms an alliance with the Northlanders by taking on a ferocious creature known as The Beast. The Beast is, of course, a regular human woman with glasses and a grumpy attitude, as these kinds of things are wont to go. But thankfully, the writing seems pretty funny... the sizzle line "Attraction that's off the scale" definitely had me chuckling. And the 4.32 cumulative for nearly 15K reviews definitely has me feeling optimistic about this 2009 release. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Bustin', </i>by Minda Webber</b></div><div>No, you didn't read that wrong, and no, I didn't write it wrong, either. <i>Bustin',</i> by Minda Webber, is a standalone Romance novel, following two rival paranormal problem resolution companies: Sam's family's "Paranormal Pest Pursuers, Inc.", and Russian hottie Nicolas' "Monsters 'R Us." Will these star-crossed lovers connect <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyKQe_i9yyo&ab_channel=eltoro" target="_blank">without crossing the streams</a>? A 2007 release with a cumulative 3.42 out of 164 reviews, I'm thinking there might be something bad in the neighborhood. But there's no way to know, but to try! </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCrSy7zpLPl5iHUZkHeNPOzu29CdUoHFyD-Xm4b8oydmCUzjAxlA_jvPwaQM5FWXZ9Lz52FIzYcmVu3FDEhTS-LTDY9Tc9RXbCB64AReORKVn_LwscoVvxu63TIeZJTMlhaF9Pfx8T9-qKbIPt1tcJeRVSIt1_qPXI7U-4cO6xrovd8XOl2963B0tM" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="287" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCrSy7zpLPl5iHUZkHeNPOzu29CdUoHFyD-Xm4b8oydmCUzjAxlA_jvPwaQM5FWXZ9Lz52FIzYcmVu3FDEhTS-LTDY9Tc9RXbCB64AReORKVn_LwscoVvxu63TIeZJTMlhaF9Pfx8T9-qKbIPt1tcJeRVSIt1_qPXI7U-4cO6xrovd8XOl2963B0tM=w121-h200" width="121" /></a></div>Carved in Stone, </i>by Vickie Taylor</b></div><div>Okay, gang: I'm going to need you to try and guess which of these books is the surprise gargoyle romance. What, this one? How did you know? Did the gargoyle on the front cover give it away? This romance between an Interpol agent whose parents were killed by a mysterious winged creature, and a gargoyle shifter, already had my attention from jump, but as soon as I read some of the Goodreads reviews for this one, I was hooked. It may only have a 3.61 out of 381 ratings - it was published in 2005, after all - but those who enjoyed it, definitely let you know it... and in particular, the one that said it was good for "fans of the Disney show," had me sold. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Demon's Curse,</i> by Alexa Egan</b></div><div>The cover may betray the fact that of the books in the box, this is our second Historical Paranormal Romance; specifically, taking place after the Battle of Waterloo, when a member of a shapeshifting military unit that has been placed under a curse is murdered. Their Captain seeks out actress Bianca, friend to the dead man, as one of the suspects, and soon enough, the two are fleeing the killer themselves. A 2013 publication with a 3.42 out of 195 ratings, I honestly thought this one would have been higher, based on how fun I think the cover is. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, we've got a grand total of three dragons, six vampires, a wizard, a gargoyle, a phoenix, an animal shifter, and quite a few hybrids. The map spans between London, Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, New York City, and realms beyond human comprehension. We've got only four standalones, and five as the first in their series, and out of all 18, only six have Goodreads ratings above a 4.0, with nine having been reviewed by UNDER one thousand Goodreads readers. </div><div><br /></div><div>Which one do you think I'm picking up first?</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>What do you think about the return of this particular reading challenge? Which books would you be reaching for first?<b> Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></div>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-45248533312308516992023-01-16T15:02:00.000-08:002023-01-16T15:02:31.737-08:00New Year, Old Shelves: Book-Buying Stats from 2022... and My 2023 Book-Buying Ban<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ8KfODlj-mUa1X9ndgl5lIDFMrF-Rk1fpAyMHyu2peGZoRbEgu0vZM0KXoNwIMTu0ftc9BYLp_Z0uyhaSL01PCV7xQAiyEYqTZca6VFmUq0z1498iQvI9Bl8fcwRJBD45nU2QOHb_rpRNFpSrSmoi51TJojHecDRiqlgoZBW4qsx6-LMxUD_Bwhe/s3059/EB737998-6F49-4351-BEE5-EEDACF1E8758.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3059" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ8KfODlj-mUa1X9ndgl5lIDFMrF-Rk1fpAyMHyu2peGZoRbEgu0vZM0KXoNwIMTu0ftc9BYLp_Z0uyhaSL01PCV7xQAiyEYqTZca6VFmUq0z1498iQvI9Bl8fcwRJBD45nU2QOHb_rpRNFpSrSmoi51TJojHecDRiqlgoZBW4qsx6-LMxUD_Bwhe/w395-h400/EB737998-6F49-4351-BEE5-EEDACF1E8758.JPG" width="395" /></a></div>We start with a flashback. <div><br /></div><div>In a fit of self-imposed expectation - after gorging myself on bullet journaling content on Instagram at the end of 2021 - I decided to impose some radically different structures on my Book Journal for 2022. Quite a few of these design choices ended up being totally welcome, and honestly, darn helpful... and one, in particular, threw one of my absolutely worst impulse habits into pretty sharp relief. <div><br /></div><div><b>I monitored each book I took onto my shelves. </b>I started tracking all of my bookish buys, at the top of each month, on a spread I called "The Receipts." </div><div><br /></div><div>(And before you asked, no, I did not manage to spell "receipts" correctly each month. In fact, I got it wrong more often than not. Sometimes, I spelled it correctly, and still second-guessed myself, and had to do it over again anyways.) </div><div><br /></div><div>That's not all I tracked, either, as <b>I also made sure to write when I had been given a bookish gift, or checked out something from the library</b>, too. </div><div><br /></div><div>Am I positive the numbers are correct and squared away on everything? No, of course not. There's a margin of error for everything human-shaped, and honestly, I feel that mathmatical margin should have a higher allowance when dealing with an English major (Or, at a minimum, just<i> this particular </i>English major). But the fact of the matter is, even if there was some how a chance that I flubbed the numbers a little, the overall effect would still be the same: <b>I spend way too much damn money on books.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>For instance, in <b>January 2022</b> alone, I checked out ONE book from the library, purchased TEN discounted Kindle novels in ebook format, was delivered SIX books from a Book Outlet order for myself, and purchased SIX additional books for other members of my family. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of all those books, <b>only ONE of those ended up getting read by the end of the year, let alone month. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>And it was the library book. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>You see my problem? </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Now I know what you're thinking: what kind of numbers are we talking, here? Well... </div><div><br /></div><div>All told, <b>I read FORTY-SIX books in 2022.</b> (Of those, far less than half were from my own shelves as they existed before the start of the year.) </div></div><div><br /></div><div>According to my own (flawed) bookkeeping, the number of physical, in-my-hand-and-on-my-shelves measurable books I <b>either purchased or was gifted </b>and own now, taking up room on my tangible, material shelves, is NINETY-FIVE.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that's not including the THIRTY-NINE <b>ebooks I also added to my Kindle.</b> </div><div><br /></div><div>Nor does it factor in the SEVENTY-SIX books I checked out - be it in person, on audiobook, or on Kindle - <b>from my local library. </b>(That being said, a lot of those are cookbooks, or audiobooks I don't actually end up listening to, so... free pass, right?) </div><div><br /></div><div>I also ended up buying THIRTY books for other people - I'm such a giver! - which, depending on which member of my family you are, <b>typically end up making their way onto my shelves, too.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>As you can clearly see, that kind of math doesn't scan. Not even a little bit. <a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2022/06/too-many-books-attempt-at-unhauling-my.html" target="_blank">What's the point of clearing books off of my shelves,</a> like I did in June, if I'm just going to fill them up almost immediately with enough reading material it would take me another two years to clear it all out again, to find my way back to NOT zero, but instead, the over 300 books I had started with? Why do I do this to myself? </div><div><br /></div><div>Obviously, something has GOT to give. Which means taking a step back... once more, into a time machine, back to the years of 2015 and 2017. (We were so young back then.) </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWIodHRQ2f0ZQjGaLPOQ0WtnYCw7anQZ6hpTYtl-31z_1BE0mUeEPHl0VYquadTe92MYoiI8S0owVkI5jY8MzW_-Wk6wKnK82WakeMOxNszgJEh2s0jvoEYrhT8rWBTvT-T3UARQZtm46AhL2lFXcaTIUUUDYHzA-lj88NInsL5Mc4CY3DE0Y7InQ/s3024/IMG_3271.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2509" data-original-width="3024" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWIodHRQ2f0ZQjGaLPOQ0WtnYCw7anQZ6hpTYtl-31z_1BE0mUeEPHl0VYquadTe92MYoiI8S0owVkI5jY8MzW_-Wk6wKnK82WakeMOxNszgJEh2s0jvoEYrhT8rWBTvT-T3UARQZtm46AhL2lFXcaTIUUUDYHzA-lj88NInsL5Mc4CY3DE0Y7InQ/w640-h532/IMG_3271.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By far, my biggest month for obtaining physical books was my Birthday month, back in October. Whether it was due to a self-indulgent Powell's haul, or presents from family, or a splurge at my favorite local secondhand store, I got a total of THIRTY BOOKS added to my shelves.<br /><br />And of course, three from the library.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>book buying ban: we've been around the world, and we'll do it again</b></span></h3><div><span style="color: #45818e;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>First up: 2015.</b> I'm a Junior-then-Senior in college at University of Washington in Seattle, soaring through my term on Panhellenic, living in the city over the Summer for an internship that falls apart almost immediately, and then, moving into an apartment for the first (and so far, last) time. I'm not yet horrifically depressed, and instead, only a gentle sort of semi-depressed, one that comes from being tremendously busy, and seeing a cliff edge in the horizon but not yet being close enough to panic about hitting the brakes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>I don't even mention my Book-Buying Ban until after it's already over, on January 9th of 2016, </b>when I talk about what I learned from the experience. My reasoning behind the decision was basic enough - I was saving money, and reading books I already owned, natch - but <b>I still ended up reading 79 books all-told that year. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">(Ahem. We don't need to talk numbers in the wake of<a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2023/01/2022-my-year-in-books-reading-stats-and.html" target="_blank"> this year's botched Goodreads Challenge</a>... but it's nice to reflect on what you were once capable of, you know?) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2016/01/resolution-retrospective-2015-banned.html" target="_blank">Some of the lessons I learned: </a>how to effectively use every corner of the Tacoma Public Library system, both virtual and physical; understanding the emotional catalysts in play that make me want to buy books; recognizing the benefits of collecting hardcovers; the joys of having friends who lend you things without making you pay for them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We take 2016 as it comes - and it seems to be, both personally and socioculturally, kind of a loss all-around - and <b>we stumble into 2017 with the best of intentions. We've done it before, right?</b> Why not make the challenge again? After all, we did it when we were just a poor college student... we're now a poor college grad, and that feels even worse! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At the time, <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2017/01/resolution-2017-why-im-taking-another.html" target="_blank">I head my blogpost announcing said ban with an image, of the 80+ books I have amassed, and not yet read</a>. Oh, no.<b> Eighty? Poor January 2017 Savannah might drop dead of shock if we tell her that we're now well into the four hundreds</b>. (She'd also probably be angry about the fact that we're still single, and maybe even the haircut, but she'll recover.) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My Word of the Year was "Curate," and I was feeling the editorial spirit; hence, why the intentional streamlining of shelves. More than that, I was having troubles going into bookstores and finding anything I was actually interested in buying, rather than reflecting on all of the unread things at home (Was 2016 just a particularly bad year for publishing, or something?). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>I ended up reading 60 books in 2017</b> - a steep drop-off from, again, 69 in 2015 - but expressed dismay that <a href="http://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-2017-year-in-books.html" target="_blank">I didn't end up clearing as many books off of my shelves as I had originally intended.</a> (That siren song emanating from the local library branch is a beguiling mistress.) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Both years, though, I gave myself a couple of "outs" for my challenge: <b>I would be allowed to purchase FIVE books on my Bloggoversary, in late July</b>... and in 2017, I budgeted for TWO books on Independent Bookstore Day, as well (which brought the total for that year up to seven). And of course, library books were always a given, and I was open and available to receive books as presents, too. See? Totally doable. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Which is why I know I'm more than capable of doing it all again. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">what the plan is for 2023</span></b></h3><div><b><span style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b>It's a testament to how badly I need this challenge this year, in how desperate my weasel-brain has tried to squirm its way into a couple of exit tunnels already</b>, even before the year had really begun in earnest. "But this doesn't count for the library, right?" it whines over breakfast. "And not cookbooks, either? We love new cookbooks!" <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvjPhEtPh9qQcZocoHO9jDcLcHVsQhIusBJWhWAl-5e_B-cGoPl9PhvoU2zjcvJvyYdgPr5TNUzYGY0QhAams-JN5-0Cvttt8wioDAgLIbzBf_n0_xvrUVoz1D3gKJ2yVB0Ci4gavppUVNsTEd1p86Eh1U86nzeI7wieXGx245ku9lQdvJ76Pa_KT/s4032/IMG_3361.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvjPhEtPh9qQcZocoHO9jDcLcHVsQhIusBJWhWAl-5e_B-cGoPl9PhvoU2zjcvJvyYdgPr5TNUzYGY0QhAams-JN5-0Cvttt8wioDAgLIbzBf_n0_xvrUVoz1D3gKJ2yVB0Ci4gavppUVNsTEd1p86Eh1U86nzeI7wieXGx245ku9lQdvJ76Pa_KT/w300-h400/IMG_3361.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>No, it doesn't count for the library. Or, for that matter, for cookbooks </b>(because I am weak, and extremely susceptible to thrift stores)<b>.</b> But I'm being a lot more conscious of why I pick up books in the first place... what makes me feel that desperate, wiggly sensation in my chest that makes me think, "I need to get to Barnes and Noble before it closes!" </div><div><br /></div><div>So remember how I said I had those pages in my Book Journal about what books I was buying, every single month, "The Receipts"? (Editor's note: I spelled it wrong again in typing this out.) I'm keeping those pages, but calling them something different: <b>Book Cravings. </b>When I feel those intense emotions in a bookstore, or when I find myself wandering through the paperback aisles in Goodwill, what am I feeling? <b>What am I actually looking for, lusting after?</b> Is it something I can actually find on a shelf? Is it something I can find on a shelf at home? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Am I looking for an emotional release, some kind of self-soothing technique that's morphed into something transactional? </b>When I use it as a way to celebrate myself on a good day, is it something that could instead be better turned towards a coffee with friends, or a call with my sister? Am I trying to distract myself from something important, that warrants more of my attention? Is there more at play here than just a credit card scan, or that pressed-paper, unbroken-spine, tactile sense of physical grounding when the cashier puts the book back in your hand, along with a receipt? </div><div><br /></div><div>You know, Book Cravings. <b>Those things you're feeling when you're Craving a Book.</b> It's not rocket science. </div><div><br /></div><div>I think that by tracking the emotions I tie to the act of acquiring new reading material, it will give me greater clarity as to how this particular hobby impact my emotional needs long-term (let alone the financial ones). Chances are,<b> there are other needs here that are not being met</b> when I download a batch of $1.99 romance novels on my Kindle that end up sitting there, untouched, for over a year, and I want to find out what they are. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, that's the plan! <b>No Barnes & Noble, Powell's, King's, Thrift Books, or Book Outlet, until the new year</b>... or, you know, July, for my Bloggoversary. Unless I want a cookbook, or to go to the library. </div><div><br /></div><div>Come on, guys. I'm being serious. Stop laughing! </div><div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Have you ever undertaken a book-buying ban before? Do you remember when I completed these challenges last time?<b> Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></div></div>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-90116484334567721452023-01-08T15:04:00.002-08:002023-01-08T15:04:34.359-08:00A Fresh Page: Setting Up My 2023 Reading Journal for the New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE8AwV6fe5BLa1_HU0J7vTP8ejbpZ1IaxR4eYsorwL9sG6S2lVG7D0VOjp_MLoc9PVUaCgYZ0ab0GhuNTy9YfuUh4xb8sPrLX7lD44IsVtjiaegM_MtQAuEURehc6j-yGlKehWaY5ZkFS1dIN323l9803eLman5c59a0WuhoP1ohTuFznSO1g1uwK/s940/A%20FRESH%20PAGE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE8AwV6fe5BLa1_HU0J7vTP8ejbpZ1IaxR4eYsorwL9sG6S2lVG7D0VOjp_MLoc9PVUaCgYZ0ab0GhuNTy9YfuUh4xb8sPrLX7lD44IsVtjiaegM_MtQAuEURehc6j-yGlKehWaY5ZkFS1dIN323l9803eLman5c59a0WuhoP1ohTuFznSO1g1uwK/w640-h536/A%20FRESH%20PAGE.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Out of all of the reading practices I've adopted over the years - withstanding, of course, this personal, venerated platform upon which I am currently inscribing - <b>I think that keeping a book journal has been one of the most rewarding. </b></p><p>Over the years, Goodreads has fallen out of my favor, while Storygraph never even properly managed to engage my interest; the "BookTube" and "Bookstagram" micro-communities of more active social media platforms quickly fell victim to the poppiest of pop culture crowd (and while I've got no personal qualms against reading what I personally think of as "popcorn" or "blockbuster" fiction, I resent having been vehemently offered Maas as reading material by such aggressive supporters, when I already underwent the same from the blogging faction back in the original 2012-2016 years. I literally<a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2013/12/all-that-power.html" target="_blank"> reviewed <i>Crown of Midnight</i> on here in 2013</a>! That's a decade ago!). </p><p>In terms of more tangible models, I never really got into annotating my reading material... beyond what was desperately necessary back in my English major years, when you've got in-class essays to write. And nowadays, I save my vast Post-It Note collection for my various cookbooks, instead. </p><p><b>But a Book Journal? Man, does it go the distance. </b></p><p>Hands-down, it has been the absolute best for not only collecting all of my handwritten book reviews in one place... but also, for organizing my thoughts and feelings for various blogposts, cataloguing how much I manage to read in a month, tracking things like purchases, library checkouts, new vocabulary, and so much more! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgyX-GzhTaDGOsNzcPpJwhwIuSCKuzlPFN7u0CQAqiBJQlo2ztOCDn82CkBDCO_FajEaPq7cXDhvNrB143yZeQ4Bkyg9pPWyvxZFZda8vyUcjmvdVhdKnAkWLeXui2vXcub5yad5PAnb24mmT3r2EywnvoDGYU-eYI2YKj5nFolthyDtq3qLgASW4/s320/IMG_3345.HEIC" width="240" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkNR_uNZRZ82KiOCa715rRlP35_qLAwo6NcrhcK8HOXcwjIT1vRZGWgtA4TpyeHFW5iI9EPXnJChcCiSHAiNrzY6zaBxdZZyjSH06KjyUwbZWndmx9q1QuIxWILJ8ymbC9NxrGLnoaAUZi65jzuz_BJTC_PCn2b-cDzr9Hdttkz4aO3tgGLTCFZYs/s4032/IMG_3346.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkNR_uNZRZ82KiOCa715rRlP35_qLAwo6NcrhcK8HOXcwjIT1vRZGWgtA4TpyeHFW5iI9EPXnJChcCiSHAiNrzY6zaBxdZZyjSH06KjyUwbZWndmx9q1QuIxWILJ8ymbC9NxrGLnoaAUZi65jzuz_BJTC_PCn2b-cDzr9Hdttkz4aO3tgGLTCFZYs/s320/IMG_3346.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first step, of course, is choosing the format that suits you. I knew that <b>I wanted to incorporate bullet-journal-style elements into my Book Journal's construction</b>, so I opted for something that would accommodate a lot of personalization, while being structured enough that I would still be able to write paragraphs in it without issue. I use a personal favorite, the <a href="https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/notebooks/all-formats/medium-a5/" target="_blank">Leuchterm A5 Dot Grid journal.</a> (This year is my fourth year using it for this purpose, but I also have two additional within my personal stationery, as a collector for both recipes and gardening updates.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And hands down, what has become one of my favorite mini-rituals to mark the yearly transition to a new installment, is by <b>picking out what stickers with which to adorn the exterior </b>from the ample ranks of <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/shop/stickers" target="_blank">Redbubble offerings</a>. I try to find a pretty robust mix that serve as references to not only my personal reading habits and opinions, but hint as to some of my favorite novels and series. (For instance, favorites from my last journal included a "Clue Crew" flashlight in <i>Nancy Drew</i>'s signature colors and font, the <i>Goosebumps</i> logo made up of some of its most iconic covers, and a QR code, which led to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R-Zg5es7mg&ab_channel=Gulapfull" target="_blank">one of my favorite scenes</a> from the 2005 adaptation of <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>.) Can you guess the origins for any of the stickers I opted for this year? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUXZRXH3DVu4WwK0TaTZgqKbQqHH0niKizRMz9dlz4Xb_CcXaZaqwGK0R9eNtw5KHgDqHKSrGfCs8AuyVp02HqaddewNiCkIOHP6eRBvG8cXu9JZEfLFUPM37XHwmXbNHKmr9hhBkHhGPkAIwISULLkPdOPzcrgwpYQuOq_fiigF8iSrTaPMa_2a1/s4032/IMG_3357.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUXZRXH3DVu4WwK0TaTZgqKbQqHH0niKizRMz9dlz4Xb_CcXaZaqwGK0R9eNtw5KHgDqHKSrGfCs8AuyVp02HqaddewNiCkIOHP6eRBvG8cXu9JZEfLFUPM37XHwmXbNHKmr9hhBkHhGPkAIwISULLkPdOPzcrgwpYQuOq_fiigF8iSrTaPMa_2a1/s320/IMG_3357.HEIC" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SmLQKh_c-PVj84_ZOAjpda0wZsuYnAFda62k01NPi_0TMg5rMcpggp6GRMv4vMUAi9THiR4YYbpxB6ikUnwZEI5SqZJThqlE1a9KVcJ4fG5yWkbrvlRs4sOOn1X4jctghk7bTYW8jdw7vU9VpWHtAgYJD0F3N1wcn8NyGJ7HwWXFS9S1AgUHGQkV/s4032/IMG_3358.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SmLQKh_c-PVj84_ZOAjpda0wZsuYnAFda62k01NPi_0TMg5rMcpggp6GRMv4vMUAi9THiR4YYbpxB6ikUnwZEI5SqZJThqlE1a9KVcJ4fG5yWkbrvlRs4sOOn1X4jctghk7bTYW8jdw7vU9VpWHtAgYJD0F3N1wcn8NyGJ7HwWXFS9S1AgUHGQkV/s320/IMG_3358.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The first couple of pages in my journal, serve as sort of an over-arching, general year-at-a-glance set of record-keeping, in <b>how many books I've set a goal to read in the coming year</b>, and <b>what the best book I read in each month was. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">These are similar in theming to pages that I had incorporated into last year, but one has gotten a minor upgrade: whereas my last book journal simply included a series of boxes to be filled in when each book was checked off my Goodreads challenge, this year, I've taken inspiration from more than a couple of different Bookstagrammer friends, and demonstrated the progress by way of a bookshelf, instead. For <b>every book I read, I'll fill in each boxy shape with a corresponding monthly color.</b>.. by the end of the year, I'm hoping to have a full, colorful bookshelf! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeS5OvLOW2UrzoO8jNP1-2gs3r5K_jx73JbgJLYGheOmCWTPrC_fM7yHiYr4OvIJvsk80TmHdnEpopfcJ8WVPI0yZ0sabCzslU7CGhcF_IKTiIOPQZhpHWDE7SQcQeS2MESfaa4DxvPydV9_pKyK86BxFwFPTTxN7rncmIQr99PoD56j_SEH5Y2Vd/s3024/IMG_3267.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2634" data-original-width="3024" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeS5OvLOW2UrzoO8jNP1-2gs3r5K_jx73JbgJLYGheOmCWTPrC_fM7yHiYr4OvIJvsk80TmHdnEpopfcJ8WVPI0yZ0sabCzslU7CGhcF_IKTiIOPQZhpHWDE7SQcQeS2MESfaa4DxvPydV9_pKyK86BxFwFPTTxN7rncmIQr99PoD56j_SEH5Y2Vd/w400-h349/IMG_3267.heic" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I left a little more leeway in filling out my "Best Books of the Year" page, as well, as last year, things got a little bit... chaotic. Due to a couple of reading slumps I suffered over the course of the year, there were months where I was left to select from a meager amount of books, none of which made my personal grade of standard, whereas other months, I managed to read eight or ten, many of which had garnered personal preference or five-stars. Therefore, I left this year's boxes without monthly designation, so I can add them as I move along throughout 2023's literary offerings. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1PVzMR4yBt7DTa2cpCL6x80fyhrWiDBGDRfF2n5bGpG6tb3EcUTmkmaUqYXYiLe57roNuvlOcWOe42y8taWgtclkMNDeHH-kmrIczQAO8GKRFZ1lJaQMYvy7XmaSJW3G0p1CmS7cRywg7409-BBwb4GwuaynfNK07WnkwU28LGZ5wpCtQTV-7SNR/s4032/IMG_3359.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1PVzMR4yBt7DTa2cpCL6x80fyhrWiDBGDRfF2n5bGpG6tb3EcUTmkmaUqYXYiLe57roNuvlOcWOe42y8taWgtclkMNDeHH-kmrIczQAO8GKRFZ1lJaQMYvy7XmaSJW3G0p1CmS7cRywg7409-BBwb4GwuaynfNK07WnkwU28LGZ5wpCtQTV-7SNR/s320/IMG_3359.HEIC" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTPuufm2Jfz6CTAxcOVlMkxznrXx61zmKPddRGvNOM1PziNS7NSQvUjJyr56mtRraN5Vhp2CYRpQ3VBREmGYLOU6tji8tPikoKfGplGG5gutNiiNxbC6P1rIzy__abzGaPqmL3Ad-RjmZ__jLclVWWnPvpHawFwDmrVrRnslGJRZ9tLM6Viki4oEU/s2701/IMG_3268.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2504" data-original-width="2701" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfTPuufm2Jfz6CTAxcOVlMkxznrXx61zmKPddRGvNOM1PziNS7NSQvUjJyr56mtRraN5Vhp2CYRpQ3VBREmGYLOU6tji8tPikoKfGplGG5gutNiiNxbC6P1rIzy__abzGaPqmL3Ad-RjmZ__jLclVWWnPvpHawFwDmrVrRnslGJRZ9tLM6Viki4oEU/s320/IMG_3268.heic" width="320" /></a></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Next up, <b>my "Stats" and "Goals" pages</b>, reflecting my reading progress the previous year, and what I'm aspiring towards in the coming one. As you can see in my 2021 reflections and 2022 goals, I had some pretty lofty ambitions for what I was looking for from the past year, which came about with... ahem... middling success. (I definitely hit that "<a href="https://playinginthepages.blogspot.com/2022/10/what-i-read-this-summer-summer-reading.html" target="_blank">three book Bingoes for the SPL Summer Reading Challenge</a>" though, so we'll take it as a win!) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Trust me, <b>I was a lot more moderate in my planning for this year, with a lot of personal emphasis placed on actually ENJOYING the time I spend reading</b>, rather than holding myself to a lot of self-determined numbers I'm supposed to hit. (Imagine, actually managing to enjoy a personal hobby, rather than feeling strung-out and sad when your Goodreads Challenge resets every December 31st... who'da thunkit?)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What can I say? It's really easy to beat yourself up about numbers when you surround yourself with people whose Instagram accounts regularly boast upwards of 70 or 80 (or in some surprising cases, 120 and 180! And those people are like, real, actual people, who work as lawyers and counselors and engineers, and some of them even have children!). <b>This year, my goals are a reflection of the idea that I should actually be allowed to have a good time, sometimes. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnDpCwhsmgldi8A88qln1cBkCPQNP5z7U_HMMLbXOiNNskT0hgxN-sNdEGZ9j2GSb5i-35wN3DdlWFANW_SQfoCKxYjvQ6aKjrdCh3gZcI_Ne7IuXNZCguIco8PZK4d7nV0TPu1GhTgXOD7EoVm8Na1UEABL9qjsrl6ckEHqS0CIRemG441e1oCHy/s4032/IMG_3362.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnDpCwhsmgldi8A88qln1cBkCPQNP5z7U_HMMLbXOiNNskT0hgxN-sNdEGZ9j2GSb5i-35wN3DdlWFANW_SQfoCKxYjvQ6aKjrdCh3gZcI_Ne7IuXNZCguIco8PZK4d7nV0TPu1GhTgXOD7EoVm8Na1UEABL9qjsrl6ckEHqS0CIRemG441e1oCHy/s320/IMG_3362.HEIC" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Iujo5UVZRBG_gLxZiqhQNm3l6Jkq4LSH3oZU5b3ibPjtaN6sXcgIipET7d3zybL74zG9YUR6IBxf0svDTwPn-YoHhZnmQibucQHlopB3CdUF3pxkIRAHP_UaFOyMuoL7L4ElAbrPkknqdkxi6XlsKwSs6jBSOdG5G2SmB_EnqXRdYUlwm7sTJZiK/s4032/IMG_3360.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Iujo5UVZRBG_gLxZiqhQNm3l6Jkq4LSH3oZU5b3ibPjtaN6sXcgIipET7d3zybL74zG9YUR6IBxf0svDTwPn-YoHhZnmQibucQHlopB3CdUF3pxkIRAHP_UaFOyMuoL7L4ElAbrPkknqdkxi6XlsKwSs6jBSOdG5G2SmB_EnqXRdYUlwm7sTJZiK/s320/IMG_3360.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">More planning for the coming year, organized around similar mental pathways, but with very different purposes: <b>"What I'm Trying to Read in 2023"</b> and <b>"What I Want to See on the Blog / Social Media"</b> this year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I say "what I'm trying to read," <b>I was originally trying to generate a space for some direct, tangible titles off of my TBR shelves:</b> a plan I could make for myself, and a list to pull from whenever I was feeling uninspired in choosing a new read. Instead, what ended up happening, was I started writing down genres, like "More Rereads of Books That Have Inspired Me in the Past" (like <i>The Magicians</i>, by Lev Grossman, or <i>So Yesterday</i>, by Scott Westerfield), or "More Thick and Dense Science Fiction" (like <i>The Fifth Season,</i> by N. K. Jemisin, or <i>Leviathan Wakes</i>, by James Covey). As it turns out, <b>I'm such a mood reader, that it extends to my goal-setting, too:</b> I can't tell you exactly what titles I'm intending to hit by the end of the year, but I certainly know what vibes I want to feel. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, my "What I Want to See on the Blog" and "Instagram Plan" pages are similarly minded. As <b>these have, in the past, served as a concrete space for discrete and specific goals to hit, </b>they are now a space for detailing how I want these spaces to make me <i>feel</i>. Instead of counting comments or daily hits, I used this space for generating aspirational qualitative goals, rather than quantitative. And again,<b> a lot of them are focused on personal enjoyment! </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For instance, from my Blogging goals page: "More proof that I'm having FUN while I'm reading and writing... more jokes, memes, GIFs, and general good vibes, all around." Meanwhile, from my Instagram-focused goals: "Focusing on sharing the things you enjoy about reading communities, and having a good time!" </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And certainly not a mention of follower counts in sight. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Beyond all that, <b>I've got a couple more pages you'll be seeing on this space in the coming weeks</b>... both tied to other kinds of records I'm keeping for myself this year, and personal challenges I'm striving to meet in 2023. But to be perfectly honest, they're pretty personal, and not the most relevant to anyone else setting up their book journal, so I figured they could find a home in a couple of different blogposts instead. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And with that, our reading year is off to a great start! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Do you keep a regular Reading Journal as a part of your bookish practices? Have you already checked off a title or two for your Goodreads Challenge this year?<b> Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></div></div>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5346940076802711688.post-9095928602981315422023-01-03T14:21:00.004-08:002023-01-03T22:03:57.330-08:002022: My Year in Books (Reading Stats, and the Best Books I Read this Year) <p>The more things change, the more things stay the same... we're another year older and wiser, and most likely still carrying a little more extra hand sanitizer and a couple of KN95s in our tote bags. We've made it another rotation around the sun with all our brains, bones, and limbs still intact, and we've got a few more good reads to show for it. Which means, of course, it's time for my 2022 Reading Stats! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxF0cNIFKQSkNNrjM5Od4eczi6zkdRD9PqAxJqLIa1yHrNJvISR3q4KnTFwTgaCG4EpdjhP3ub7CkpiiT7Sy2QT3gwI0hlhpRUWsFn3ENGNoLj1-473fg-DFuxdhv_BSZSdmgxDNs-6Euwwip0p4WBJm44g5DkqcIh9RY0dadZtjLo4_pPpVVurpA3/s1200/2022%20My%20Year%20in%20Books.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxF0cNIFKQSkNNrjM5Od4eczi6zkdRD9PqAxJqLIa1yHrNJvISR3q4KnTFwTgaCG4EpdjhP3ub7CkpiiT7Sy2QT3gwI0hlhpRUWsFn3ENGNoLj1-473fg-DFuxdhv_BSZSdmgxDNs-6Euwwip0p4WBJm44g5DkqcIh9RY0dadZtjLo4_pPpVVurpA3/w426-h640/2022%20My%20Year%20in%20Books.png" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, you lose the Goodreads Reading Challenge once (like I did in 2020), you might as well miss the mark twice! <b>For the second time ever, I have once again biffed it on my numerical reading goals</b>... this time missing out on my stretch of 55, by way of a 46 total. That's a nine book difference, but it feels like so much more than that, when I know that the number of books I've been shooting for has only gone downhill over the last couple of years, as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I mean, back in 2015 and 2016 - my last two years of college - I easily handled my 75 and 77 book totals. I tried giving myself a bit of a break in the last few years hence, with goals of 55 and 60, but barring the aberrational year of 2020, I had no problems with handily dispatching those kinds of numbers. In 2021, I barely squeaked by with a shot at 52, ending the challenge on the last day of the year, but this year? I didn't even make it up to the 49 I still managed to make in 2020, the First Year of Failure. What gives? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To be honest, I think there are a couple of things that ended up shifting around the way I prioritized books in my life this year:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>I'm in the middle of a job search, and my reading record reflects that.</b> I read a lot of job-hunting books, which - while not entirely inaccessible in diction or large in size - required a lot of self-reflection and play-along activity sheets while reading. It's not every book you read that makes you completely rewrite your resume or create a Pinterest board whilst in the middle of a chapter. (And yes, I'm still searching around for a new métier.)</li><li><b>I went through some health drama</b> that really changed my perspective on the regular Care and Keeping of Me. After living for over six months with severe brain fog, daily migraines, occasional vertigo, and sinuses that felt like they could explode inside my head at any moment, I finally got to the doctor in May. An allergist had some explanations for me at the end of July that not only rocked my world, but set me on several routine kinds of daily medication. (Without getting into it, let me just overarchingly say that I am allergic to "The Outside"... aka, severely allergic to the grass, moderately allergic to most of the weeds, and slightly allergic to a lot of the flowering trees, all in Washington state. Because this is hashtag so my life, naturally these revelations didn't come to pass until AFTER I had already suffered through two camping trips last year. One of the first things my mother said in response to the news was call me "bubble girl.") </li><li>As you might be able to surmise as a relational aspect to both of the above,<b> I spent a lot of this year in pretty severe mental health flux</b>. I hold up as proof, the fact that I spent all of yesterday rereading my journal from 2022 before I cracked open the front page of 2023... and lemme tell ya, I certainly made sure my first read of the year was a major downer. </li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKtUXBP7tLNR41Qm6mbQe0h5ZcKNKbZAzA2R-tN4hImz6qUjEy8GRylJbtaEzlLZOBbr1ACITcFcUi2m3NQBMBXC7JYgqdMZlP_NI6jByK1ZbQg8hTxWhfZqDx5PggNjoOq60X6S8OJohL6hjkvlN7AMZECuW2OkHJyHV6S0s4LcT35U12Y20Nwk4/s500/bridesmaidsquote.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="500" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKtUXBP7tLNR41Qm6mbQe0h5ZcKNKbZAzA2R-tN4hImz6qUjEy8GRylJbtaEzlLZOBbr1ACITcFcUi2m3NQBMBXC7JYgqdMZlP_NI6jByK1ZbQg8hTxWhfZqDx5PggNjoOq60X6S8OJohL6hjkvlN7AMZECuW2OkHJyHV6S0s4LcT35U12Y20Nwk4/w400-h168/bridesmaidsquote.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hopefully, I'll be able to get a better handle on each of these aspects of my daily life in 2023, so they won't spend another whole year mucking up my ability to focus on the words on a page. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But while my Total Pages Read was THOUSANDS of pages lower than in recent years, it seems that my propensity for average scores is still pretty on target: <b>I'm holding at around a 3.5 to 3.6 ratings for cumulative scoring</b>, which feels pretty right to me, as I'm a little more discerning in my reading habits nowadays. I might not be racking up the point totals like I used to in my peak performance years, but I still have a pretty good idea of when I'm looking at something that just isn't quite up to standard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also ended up reading a whole lot of <b>Romance </b>and <b>Memoir</b> - of the 46 books I read, a total of nine came from each of those two categories alone - as well as a significant amount of <b>Fantasy and SciFi</b> (ten total). These kinds of escapist categories go far in representing a year where I clearly spent a lot of time trying to get out of my own head... routine reaches for unrealistically witty banter, celebrity insider scoops, and worlds where magical creatures and high-functioning technology exist are the Savannah equivalents of having an extra glass of wine at dinner (or in some extreme cases, a Long Island Iced Tea at lunch). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And of course, <b>I would be remiss if I didn't mention the amount of writing I also did this past year</b>... not in the "consistent and dedicated focus" kind of way, but more in the "I wrote 100K words for Camp NaNoWriMo in April and kind of blacked out for a little while there" kind of way. I squirreled away a few different drafts into my Word docs and drew up a couple of other outlines here and there, but while I don't have a lot of content to show for it, I promise, there was a lot of writing going on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Just not on this blogging space. Sorry.) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">books of the year</span></b></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But I did manage to read something! In fact, a few somethings. Not consistently enough to merit a "Fave Book of the Month" out of the twelve in the year - being that some months, I read only a few two- or three- star reads, and some months, I didn't manage to actually read anything at all - but enough to merit a Top Ten, at the very least.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-style: italic;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2OJp3JQBR48gv4aw1TW6KplKps9QFiEzTXEczhUHtsbJ11HpXEgLds7f08tjJ9gHl2XNwU3JWFAFOYo4_5wLzu-CwJF6yHzmshPl_SRx_LNULgZb9a0zUWuM-KjsnvhGhiU_mH6UTWrYYjBPHNZ8O3HaSzcMR9ihwrxyjpUtwpfSr_Ws-MkSe8TyN" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="801" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2OJp3JQBR48gv4aw1TW6KplKps9QFiEzTXEczhUHtsbJ11HpXEgLds7f08tjJ9gHl2XNwU3JWFAFOYo4_5wLzu-CwJF6yHzmshPl_SRx_LNULgZb9a0zUWuM-KjsnvhGhiU_mH6UTWrYYjBPHNZ8O3HaSzcMR9ihwrxyjpUtwpfSr_Ws-MkSe8TyN=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Sounds Like Titanic,</i> Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As it turns out, your second read of the whole year, can also be one of your favorites! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A young woman's account of her unexpected post-collegiate journey, in a traveling orchestra that didn't really play music, conducted by a man whose compositions sounded a little bit like... well, you can guess from the title. Her writing is remarkably free of moral judgement of the people she traveled and played with, and instead offers a unique perspective on coming of age in the early '00s, in a tense political and cultural sphere, and in the inherent questions of value - or devaluing - of commodified art. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-style: italic;"><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-style: italic;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCyR2jw4Ie6CH45WbAjOrTKfvDkWTkMcfUso3rgGvAk34xL1vR2N0tV-gU2OVDrS9CeWudZwGB74F2_GWYMe7DM8IRgGGYusAYhcndxntXSiXJdhSBusbjCfe5AAGSXVoJOTEKU3Uosct_YbluRhkM6xQKjanSrMd3ps--LlYkK7Ln_imLCReuGq1A" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCyR2jw4Ie6CH45WbAjOrTKfvDkWTkMcfUso3rgGvAk34xL1vR2N0tV-gU2OVDrS9CeWudZwGB74F2_GWYMe7DM8IRgGGYusAYhcndxntXSiXJdhSBusbjCfe5AAGSXVoJOTEKU3Uosct_YbluRhkM6xQKjanSrMd3ps--LlYkK7Ln_imLCReuGq1A=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Working on a Song: the Lyrics of </i>Hadestown, Anais Mitchell</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As a theater fan, I'm a huge <i>Hadestown </i>girlie, but particularly, in a "I've Been Following This Since 2016 New York Workshops and the Concept Album Was My Most-Listened On Spotify Before It Ever Hit Broadway" kind of way. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This detailed, behind-the-scenes perspective not only allows for the deep dive into the lyrics that this evocative storytelling deserves, but also, shows exactly how much effort - from all quarters - goes into getting something ready for the stage. Mitchell shares lyric drafts and and cast-and-crew developments alike, in a way that fans of the show will greatly enjoy. Highly recommend just taking an afternoon to get cozy with the Broadway album, and read along, whilst getting lost in the music. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL8VYVMJlGN2CsfwP9Qet_h0cuWijDod_4HtDYZl1eMsZiPDFeqbQw4JANfAkvBZYrzg2RuPdFl36VxCeFe5VrhAQz5L7G50OfJsnybpJj9aG-hVuc5iRvVmTeuLt8hKnR2EAsyBc1uH1fF4vT1kN7Qq61B--dkykZUywgav0rJHrfzoN0yZjuoMU3" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="246" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL8VYVMJlGN2CsfwP9Qet_h0cuWijDod_4HtDYZl1eMsZiPDFeqbQw4JANfAkvBZYrzg2RuPdFl36VxCeFe5VrhAQz5L7G50OfJsnybpJj9aG-hVuc5iRvVmTeuLt8hKnR2EAsyBc1uH1fF4vT1kN7Qq61B--dkykZUywgav0rJHrfzoN0yZjuoMU3=w123-h200" width="123" /></a></div>The <i>Spiderwick Chronicles</i> series, Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the best parts of my Summer, was getting back into some of my childhood favorites: after a Summer Book Bingo slot back in August called for a reread of a past page-turner from the elementary years, I picked up some heavily-loved hardcovers from the children's section of the library, and got to it. It instantly transported me not just into the fantasy realm I remembered... but also, those amber-colored afternoons, coming home on a Thursday (aka, "Library Day," in the fourth grade) with something new checked out, and trying to squeeze in a few chapters before Mom called you down for dinner. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My brother ended up getting me a minty-fresh softcover boxed set for my Birthday, and they made for some of my final reads of the year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCYPsjSKQLTbvJV0hNWA0yC97avJCmOVk4IFmAX6FQARpsITUOfRw3XJyMg9ueUWiOtb1fOkEtaqz77K2CGj2jMzSa90rYFtJa06hP8ikA592qphxPgDM6GD9lHjO16uTqfnx8G8QMrfmR0zmRCI4MDe76LQrCBAcDEUB9ptrBNAEDCY1lFUwfEMpG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCYPsjSKQLTbvJV0hNWA0yC97avJCmOVk4IFmAX6FQARpsITUOfRw3XJyMg9ueUWiOtb1fOkEtaqz77K2CGj2jMzSa90rYFtJa06hP8ikA592qphxPgDM6GD9lHjO16uTqfnx8G8QMrfmR0zmRCI4MDe76LQrCBAcDEUB9ptrBNAEDCY1lFUwfEMpG=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>Trail of Lightning,</i> Rebecca Roanhorse</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Roanhorse had been on one of my most-anticipated stacks of books last Summer, but unfortunately, this book's brutal opening two chapters sent me skittish, and I didn't end up picking it up again until THIS Summer, when I was in a less squeamish place. What followed was in no way less brutal, but also rich, vibrant, gritty, and fantastic, and called forwards mythology not typically seen in Fantasy novels, in a way that felt inherently true and real. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As soon as I put the book down, while on vacation with my brother, I told him that, despite my aversion to so much bloodshed, I was still thinking of picking up the sequel. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUPVRLRZ9T1JJxOOdcN_yIK-20PMeisOLBwUEx36goXYxH8-QjRiywZoA7-HZVfRze-Xh9Y6bQGxTRfifXOtAqgCAfT0R-05Kvb9hNnKSvLLcpu418KpA0-AWom6f5XKt2uyS34Gblt3kz1D_l1sLrScN_fEEUMWsv-PWsqhfALH5tmoz9Xelnk0Wk" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="294" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUPVRLRZ9T1JJxOOdcN_yIK-20PMeisOLBwUEx36goXYxH8-QjRiywZoA7-HZVfRze-Xh9Y6bQGxTRfifXOtAqgCAfT0R-05Kvb9hNnKSvLLcpu418KpA0-AWom6f5XKt2uyS34Gblt3kz1D_l1sLrScN_fEEUMWsv-PWsqhfALH5tmoz9Xelnk0Wk=w124-h200" width="124" /></a></div>This is Going to Hurt</i>, Adam Kay</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Speaking of squeamish, nothing like the memoirs of an OB-GYN doctor within the British NHS structure to make you rethink the idea of owning a uterus. His unflinching, heartfelt, and humorous diaries from his time dedicated to the healthcare system is infinitely moving, be that your belly shaking with laughter, or your eyes wincing in empathy. It is a proof that doctors care for every kind of patient, while also demonstrating the foibles of a tendency-towards-broken system that has a tendency to break down doctors, too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was one of my most surprising favorites of the year, for sure, and one prompted by a Book Bingo square, too. After the past few years we've experienced, I feel like it should be semi-standard reading... even if some of the pages therein are dedicated to the myriad of things people are willing to shove up their rectum. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUROAxlWQSLSGbNEtSpCQ8AIb_6Rtn-9SScRa1FYfd6cbOC8T6rxP47W3QXSn27HI_-nHBykcFKUL5K7MT_dLOZfpiijwTXPnLUYzra5rxR2kSPWQ5XB-m-w1AHB_5T5NdydN1WL1n7nnlp5dgbc1UUEoJDgg9821IDvvd-N06QTiDPFLG8Ci3ZxLR" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUROAxlWQSLSGbNEtSpCQ8AIb_6Rtn-9SScRa1FYfd6cbOC8T6rxP47W3QXSn27HI_-nHBykcFKUL5K7MT_dLOZfpiijwTXPnLUYzra5rxR2kSPWQ5XB-m-w1AHB_5T5NdydN1WL1n7nnlp5dgbc1UUEoJDgg9821IDvvd-N06QTiDPFLG8Ci3ZxLR=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div>I'm Glad My Mom Died</i>, Jennette McCurdy</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Talk about a pop culture moment. I feel like I've seen this book on almost every "Must Read" list of published works from 2022, and I absolutely add myself to that number: it is a smart, well-written, vivid and evocative reflection on what pains come from not only growing up in the spotlight, but loving someone whose love to you brings its own kinds of grief. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">McCurdy - best known for playing Sam in Nickelodeon's late-'00s<i> iCarly </i>series - is a damn good writer, and if the past year has brought her anything, I hope it is the knowledge that she is incredibly talented, and very clearly loved by a whole lot of people. For fans of Hollywood tell-alls, or anyone who's ever watched a "Where are They Now" special on child stars, it's an incredible peek behind the curtain at a very easily corrupted system; for those who enjoy earnest and authentic memoirs, written by those willing to speak with candor about difficult situations, it is a heartbreakingly honest work. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">McCurdy describes her past without judgement or censure towards those involved in her pain, but allows the observer the room to engage emotionally without direction. It might not seem like it from the frank title, but to be clear: she loved her mom. It's just that sometimes, the love people show us ends up cutting deeper than hate ever could. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmzwROes14y11JpOYW1Yusw4v67UfnDE__FEUp-Ph8jttDiKDjeetHQ112tOWsLq_G9Y1teMxMVA2aKJuI2VgM8wfJKXm0yUbn5LvT3PFCWR7LpECNII4ARiyA-D0od_IasN4U42IfMyQ4wZ7D-0Si0UIbBbVR8SUYNKaxputqonHmYs9AehFyo1ZB" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="268" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmzwROes14y11JpOYW1Yusw4v67UfnDE__FEUp-Ph8jttDiKDjeetHQ112tOWsLq_G9Y1teMxMVA2aKJuI2VgM8wfJKXm0yUbn5LvT3PFCWR7LpECNII4ARiyA-D0od_IasN4U42IfMyQ4wZ7D-0Si0UIbBbVR8SUYNKaxputqonHmYs9AehFyo1ZB=w134-h200" width="134" /></a></div>The Best Cook in the World,</i> Rick Bragg</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Speaking of loving your mom, this book is a thick brick of a love letter to the women in Bragg's mother's side of the family. Chock full of mouth-watering descriptions and enough butter and lard to put a warehouse full of Crisco to shame, this book invoked in me a deep appreciation for modern grocery convenience... as well as an understanding that sometimes, you've just got to steal the pigs feet hanging up in your rich uncle's smokehouse. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Drawing from an oral history that spans a century, Bragg spins his grandmother's endless yarns about food and family, into a thick, comfy blanket of Southern culinary history. Biscuits, bacon, and beans abound, with garden tomatoes and chitlins and corn worked in there, too, and the whole thing makes you hungry enough to chase down a rural, wild pig, even when reading a chapter about how that's an abominably stupid idea. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVnU_VavNIbsA2mYu1p0rEEZw709NweDe54FzSs2_Sj1Yh5_HYd2EDvZ3ZvPB02lMbovQJgKIVjlzhYcUalrgrsi1cPh3kN_D3zFMnxJNMjAqCZcAQpUwGjlDOmOmNFTVAHJ_DTGdbJLkWGuLhBUDis3jihTTfBwqc3CflhUp7p9aTPUP5Tv5zdcBE" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVnU_VavNIbsA2mYu1p0rEEZw709NweDe54FzSs2_Sj1Yh5_HYd2EDvZ3ZvPB02lMbovQJgKIVjlzhYcUalrgrsi1cPh3kN_D3zFMnxJNMjAqCZcAQpUwGjlDOmOmNFTVAHJ_DTGdbJLkWGuLhBUDis3jihTTfBwqc3CflhUp7p9aTPUP5Tv5zdcBE=w125-h200" width="125" /></a></div>A Psalm for the Wild-Built</i>, Becky Chambers</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I told my brother sometime in middle of the year, that I was on the hunt for some more slice-of-life speculative fiction. Fantasy quests and magical swords are cool and all - and who doesn't love a remote space station or difficult-to-understand made-up mechanics? - but honestly... I was looking for something that felt a little more comfy. After all, if you suddenly got the chance to be transported to a fantasy world, are you looking for a monster to slay, or are you heading straight to the nearest tavern? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've also been super burnt out on apocalyptic Science Fiction for a few years now - an eternal screw you to Bacigalupi's <i>Water Knife,</i> I hate you forever - and only recently discovered the concept of Solarpunk, so I figured when I saw the Monk and Robot series on several friends' recommended lists, that I would give it a go. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And that's as much as I'll say about it; I want you to go in with zero-to-nil expectations or assumptions. I just want you to take a quiet afternoon, to read, sip some tea, and reflect. You'll enjoy it, I promise, and hopefully leave feeling a little lighter than when you came. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmOHp0EPjG7w6ss3P_h_U6ccvNXJESr7PQk7s20f-VBAiVfjKSUu5KZhceJyA9x-ULd0pFbpXzq1N7FZlavzbFoAkIlx8jXTyn3ULVVisfghexWvPr_TJ9wMcLgwGLb1rviOpoasGzPdFBJB454yx2sfJTplMk7kEbJ-LbobR-nBZZhek6Z1UGpWY3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1913" data-original-width="1266" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmOHp0EPjG7w6ss3P_h_U6ccvNXJESr7PQk7s20f-VBAiVfjKSUu5KZhceJyA9x-ULd0pFbpXzq1N7FZlavzbFoAkIlx8jXTyn3ULVVisfghexWvPr_TJ9wMcLgwGLb1rviOpoasGzPdFBJB454yx2sfJTplMk7kEbJ-LbobR-nBZZhek6Z1UGpWY3=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></div><b><i>The Blacktongue Thief</i>, Christopher Beuhlman</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There are certain things in this world I enjoy as some of Life's small pleasures, and within its ranks, "Dungeons and Dragons" and "Swearing" among the tops. I can guarantee that if you, like me, have these as some of your personal favorite extracurriculars, you will also enjoy this hilarious, violent, deeply weird Fantasy. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Taking place in a richly-detailed and engrossing High Fantasy world, the standout aspects of this work are truly the level of care put into the universe's construction, as well as the voice of Kinch na Shannack, the main character, both of which are - bar none - some of the best I've read in Fantasy in recent years. As a result, you will have to take your time reading, truly... it's like having Deadpool narrate a comprehensive history of Western Europe. And I mean that with the highest amount of praise, and no small amount of fictional obscenities. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRgJ0aCLZUe14bMO7pfNkxMTcjjk-FP-NFr6uOFbhcDKX-DAlYB1502aCJ3v_EYnFj9o6IVC7pYaWYWMUHqUxD2gH3MEdEQEY6Dt4_6ruwe1lQZVnY8FVYxNuDoc1KTYZuK16MsRde3zz8Xeg-xF6behThlDgCL9hXEvWm0ohbPVjO6BzP_v0r3mD9" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRgJ0aCLZUe14bMO7pfNkxMTcjjk-FP-NFr6uOFbhcDKX-DAlYB1502aCJ3v_EYnFj9o6IVC7pYaWYWMUHqUxD2gH3MEdEQEY6Dt4_6ruwe1lQZVnY8FVYxNuDoc1KTYZuK16MsRde3zz8Xeg-xF6behThlDgCL9hXEvWm0ohbPVjO6BzP_v0r3mD9=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></div><b><i>The Talented Mr. Ripley, </i>Patricia Highsmith </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There was a bit of a movement, a couple of years back, where the aesthetic-obsessed netizens of Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram got really into sharing screenshots of the '90s Matt Damon / Jude Law / Gwenyth Paltrow movie as a part of their "Summer Inspo" collections. I think they were angling more towards the "sun-soaked Italian vacation" part, and a little less towards the "homoromantic murder" part, but who am I to judge? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In truth, this book is so much more than what is possible to portray through a screen, and quickly became a favorite read of the Summer, one that I've only been reflecting on more fondly the more months I travel away from August. Ripley is one hell of a character, and while I'm not surprised that Highsmith managed to carry on his exploits in many more printed adventures, I'm shocked that more of them are not popularly read. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While I strongly advocate for you adding all of these Top Ten to your own personal TBR, here are the ones in particular I think you should pick up first, as a Top Four: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Sounds Like Titanic</i>, Jessica Chiccetto Hindman</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>This is Going to Hurt,</i> Adam McKay</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>I'm Glad My Mom Died,</i> Jeanette McCurdy</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>A Psalm for the Wild-Built</i>, Becky Chambers </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Well, that's a wrap on 2022. At least, for now... after all, there's a lot more bookish thoughts to wrap up than just what I actually managed to read. Just wait until you hear what I DIDN'T manage to read... but more on that later. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's just say, there are two pretty distinct ways that 2023 is going to look a lot like 2015, 2017, and 2021. Tune in next time! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>What were some of your fave reads of the past year? If you could add one book to everyone's 2023 TBRs, what would you choose, and why? <b>Let me know, in the comments below!</b></i></div></div></div><p></p>Savannah @ Playing in the Pageshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16985421680531892814noreply@blogger.com0