August 2024 Reading Update
Sep. 1st, 2024 01:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaMy best month yet, with an insane 24 books read!
Currently Reading:
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Queer Transfigurations: Boys Love Media in Asia by Thomas Baudinette
Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall
New Reads:
Fate Core System
Fate Systems Toolkit
Fate Adversary Toolkit
Fate Condensed
Fate Accelerated
This month I started reading a lot of TTRPG stuff for a project I'm doing for residency. I also thought it might give me a new perspective and some new creativity, since I've been going through a dry spell in terms of my writing. Overall, I enjoyed these and felt like the game was easy to understand.
Persona 5: Vol. 12 by Hisato Murasaki
5/5. We're getting to the best bit of the game here. And it's nice to read about it because the game is so long and I don't have time to do a full replay.
Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu Vol. 5 by Meng Xi Shi
3/5. Overall I think this series is a miss for me. The main couple I am just not into, and this book's last minute pivot to them fucking feels like it comes out of nowhere. The plot stuff is fine, but ultimately I think it's not interesting enough to carry the book if you're not invested in the characters strongly, and I never was.
Always Your Love by Elle St. Clair
2/5. Meh. I feel like these on-sale historical romances are very hit-and-miss, and this is no exception. It's supposed to be a marriage of convenience romance, but doesn't make good use of that trope (or of any trope.) Not enough ghosts, not enough romance development. A real nothing of a book.
Mr. Drake and My Lady Silver by Charlotte E. English
3/5. A fun setting, some fun side characters, but the actual main couple are boring and have no development.
The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older
5/5. Really enjoyed this installment. I like that it takes place in a weird halfway place in their relationship, where nothing is certain. And I like again that the story's mystery offers up some ethical questions without any real answers.
Fabula Ultima TTJRPG Core Rulebook by Emanuele Galletto
5/5. Exactly what it says on the tin--definitely feels like the game's mechanics are meant to recreate some common anime and game tropes.
The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu
4/5. Overall an interesting take on Hamlet, though I could have done without the sex scenes and I think it gets bogged down in Hayden's brain a little.
Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown
5/5. An accessible introduction to a subject I know little about. If you're looking to learn about asexuality from a black perspective, I think this is a great place to start.
The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang
The Red Strings of Fortune by Neon Yang
5/5; 4/5. I enjoyed these two novellas a lot! I like the worldbuilding, where gender is chosen as young adults, and I liked that it wasn't a gender utopia, either, and that there was still variety in the character's gender expressions and transitions. And I thought the world was very well realized and the stories tightly paced. Ultimately I liked the first one better than the second, but would recommend both.
Bronwyn by Grace J. Croy
3/5. Eh. As a historical romance, it's fine, but as an adaptation of Mansfield Park it feels like the author just didn't like Mansfield Park. Fanny Price is a hard character to adapt for a modern audience, I think, but slapping a generic female protagonist in her place and then defanging your Frawford equivalent makes it feel like it doesn't respect the spirit of the original at all. Listen, I've read plenty of Henry/Fanny fanfic, I'm not against that particular change, but at least write that actual dynamic if you're going to go there.
A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian
5/5. Really appreciate that Cat Sebastian writes queer romances about ordinary people instead of only the upper class during this time period, and that she manages a romance with a compelling conflict that is not homophobia.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
1/5. Sanderson's writing is deeply unsubtle and his fight scenes are pretty boring. If I ever have to read the word "Lashing" again I will go insane. This book does not need to be 1000+ pages long, either. Overall I don't get the hype. Full blog post incoming.
Milked by My Best Friend's Mom by Jade Swallow
5/5. Listen, sometimes you just need to read age gap mommy kink wlw erotica. Does exactly what it says on the tin.
Dresden Files Accelerated
5/5. It looks like a really fun game, but it's also just a fun thing to read if you're into Dresden Files. The worldbuilding is far and away the best part of Butcher's writing, so an entire RPG of worldbuilding is perfect. Kinda wanna reread the original game now. Kinda wanna reread Dresden Files.
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures
5/5. A beautiful queer memoir framed through ten sea creatures. I loved the use of metaphor and I felt like the author perfectly balanced their life experiences with accessible marine science.
Thirsty Sword Lesbians by April Kit Walsh
3/5. Sometimes this book is hard to follow, and I felt like all the included settings were underbaked and not fun to read.
An Inconvenient Earl by Will Forrest
5/5. A quick and intense histrom between an earl and a criminal, containing my favorite things: kidnapping! Realistic depictions of class! Queer happy endings! Actually makes good use of the smut as relationship development!
Rereads:
How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them: A Misstep by Misstep Guide by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman
4/5. There are places where the advice feels outdated, or offensive, but not many, and overall I still think it's one of those rare writing manuals that's actually useful without being too prescriptive.
Currently Reading:
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Queer Transfigurations: Boys Love Media in Asia by Thomas Baudinette
Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall
New Reads:
Fate Core System
Fate Systems Toolkit
Fate Adversary Toolkit
Fate Condensed
Fate Accelerated
This month I started reading a lot of TTRPG stuff for a project I'm doing for residency. I also thought it might give me a new perspective and some new creativity, since I've been going through a dry spell in terms of my writing. Overall, I enjoyed these and felt like the game was easy to understand.
Persona 5: Vol. 12 by Hisato Murasaki
5/5. We're getting to the best bit of the game here. And it's nice to read about it because the game is so long and I don't have time to do a full replay.
Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu Vol. 5 by Meng Xi Shi
3/5. Overall I think this series is a miss for me. The main couple I am just not into, and this book's last minute pivot to them fucking feels like it comes out of nowhere. The plot stuff is fine, but ultimately I think it's not interesting enough to carry the book if you're not invested in the characters strongly, and I never was.
Always Your Love by Elle St. Clair
2/5. Meh. I feel like these on-sale historical romances are very hit-and-miss, and this is no exception. It's supposed to be a marriage of convenience romance, but doesn't make good use of that trope (or of any trope.) Not enough ghosts, not enough romance development. A real nothing of a book.
Mr. Drake and My Lady Silver by Charlotte E. English
3/5. A fun setting, some fun side characters, but the actual main couple are boring and have no development.
The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older
5/5. Really enjoyed this installment. I like that it takes place in a weird halfway place in their relationship, where nothing is certain. And I like again that the story's mystery offers up some ethical questions without any real answers.
Fabula Ultima TTJRPG Core Rulebook by Emanuele Galletto
5/5. Exactly what it says on the tin--definitely feels like the game's mechanics are meant to recreate some common anime and game tropes.
The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu
4/5. Overall an interesting take on Hamlet, though I could have done without the sex scenes and I think it gets bogged down in Hayden's brain a little.
Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown
5/5. An accessible introduction to a subject I know little about. If you're looking to learn about asexuality from a black perspective, I think this is a great place to start.
The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang
The Red Strings of Fortune by Neon Yang
5/5; 4/5. I enjoyed these two novellas a lot! I like the worldbuilding, where gender is chosen as young adults, and I liked that it wasn't a gender utopia, either, and that there was still variety in the character's gender expressions and transitions. And I thought the world was very well realized and the stories tightly paced. Ultimately I liked the first one better than the second, but would recommend both.
Bronwyn by Grace J. Croy
3/5. Eh. As a historical romance, it's fine, but as an adaptation of Mansfield Park it feels like the author just didn't like Mansfield Park. Fanny Price is a hard character to adapt for a modern audience, I think, but slapping a generic female protagonist in her place and then defanging your Frawford equivalent makes it feel like it doesn't respect the spirit of the original at all. Listen, I've read plenty of Henry/Fanny fanfic, I'm not against that particular change, but at least write that actual dynamic if you're going to go there.
A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian
5/5. Really appreciate that Cat Sebastian writes queer romances about ordinary people instead of only the upper class during this time period, and that she manages a romance with a compelling conflict that is not homophobia.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
1/5. Sanderson's writing is deeply unsubtle and his fight scenes are pretty boring. If I ever have to read the word "Lashing" again I will go insane. This book does not need to be 1000+ pages long, either. Overall I don't get the hype. Full blog post incoming.
Milked by My Best Friend's Mom by Jade Swallow
5/5. Listen, sometimes you just need to read age gap mommy kink wlw erotica. Does exactly what it says on the tin.
Dresden Files Accelerated
5/5. It looks like a really fun game, but it's also just a fun thing to read if you're into Dresden Files. The worldbuilding is far and away the best part of Butcher's writing, so an entire RPG of worldbuilding is perfect. Kinda wanna reread the original game now. Kinda wanna reread Dresden Files.
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures
5/5. A beautiful queer memoir framed through ten sea creatures. I loved the use of metaphor and I felt like the author perfectly balanced their life experiences with accessible marine science.
Thirsty Sword Lesbians by April Kit Walsh
3/5. Sometimes this book is hard to follow, and I felt like all the included settings were underbaked and not fun to read.
An Inconvenient Earl by Will Forrest
5/5. A quick and intense histrom between an earl and a criminal, containing my favorite things: kidnapping! Realistic depictions of class! Queer happy endings! Actually makes good use of the smut as relationship development!
Rereads:
How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them: A Misstep by Misstep Guide by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman
4/5. There are places where the advice feels outdated, or offensive, but not many, and overall I still think it's one of those rare writing manuals that's actually useful without being too prescriptive.
