February Reading Update
Mar. 5th, 2023 02:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaI did okay in February. The last couple weeks have been...less than productive, since I have exams. Hoping to get a lot of March reading done this weekend, but for now: here's February's reads!
New Reads:
Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse
4/5. A dark, twisty novella about a woman trying to save her sister and all the terrible truths she's forced to confront in the process. Good worldbuilding, solid characterization. I am interested in Roanhorse's longform work, I think I have a novel or two or hers already.
Sign Here by Claudia Lux
3/5. I regret picking this up...I was drawn in by the demonic bargain element, but that's not really explored; it's just there as a vehicle for a lot of family drama, and that's not the kind of story that interests me. I'm not into thrillers or stories about fucked up families, what can I say.
Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk
4/5. I enjoyed this, but it does feel like Polk's tried to cram a novel's worth of story into a novella. It's a sapphic fantasy with demons and angels and a noir feel. Good worldbuilding, good suspense.
Two Rogues Make A Right by Cat Sebastian
4/5. I'm not usually into friends to lovers but I enjoyed this. Nice to have chronic illness rep on the page.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
4/5. This is a solid historical fantasy romance, with some rivals to lovers stuff. I enjoyed the worldbuilding, the prickly main character, and the love interest. Overall my only complaint is that I think it needed more romance. I'd recommend this one for sure--the hardcover is gorgeous--and am looking forward to the sequel.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
3/5. A perfectly serviceable YA fantasy romance. This is just not a genre for me. Mostly I read this to get it off my backlist.
American Royalty by Tracey Livesay
3/5. A contemporary romance between a famous rapper and a British prince. Gotta be honest, actual British monarchy, like billionaires, are in the category of love interests/protags that are a hard sell for me these days. It felt pretty underdeveloped as a romance--as soon as the conflict arrived, it was over, and none of the implications were really dealt with on the page. I liked the main character, and wish the book had spent more time on her dreams and ambitions instead of this weak-ass romance.
Buffalo Is the New Buffalo by Chelsea Vowel
4/5. This was recommended to me at an indie bookstore as a short story compilation I might enjoy. I thought it was well-executed and thought-provoking, but also above my level. I probably need to do more reading about indigenous history and culture to really appreciate this--but I think that's at least part of the author's point! If you enjoy speculative fiction short story anthologies or are looking to pick up more indigenous literature, this is worth checking out.
Rereads:
SVSSS Vol. 1 by MXTX
Not much to say! I love it even more on reread. Shen Yuan is the most character of all time.
New Reads:
Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse
4/5. A dark, twisty novella about a woman trying to save her sister and all the terrible truths she's forced to confront in the process. Good worldbuilding, solid characterization. I am interested in Roanhorse's longform work, I think I have a novel or two or hers already.
Sign Here by Claudia Lux
3/5. I regret picking this up...I was drawn in by the demonic bargain element, but that's not really explored; it's just there as a vehicle for a lot of family drama, and that's not the kind of story that interests me. I'm not into thrillers or stories about fucked up families, what can I say.
Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk
4/5. I enjoyed this, but it does feel like Polk's tried to cram a novel's worth of story into a novella. It's a sapphic fantasy with demons and angels and a noir feel. Good worldbuilding, good suspense.
Two Rogues Make A Right by Cat Sebastian
4/5. I'm not usually into friends to lovers but I enjoyed this. Nice to have chronic illness rep on the page.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
4/5. This is a solid historical fantasy romance, with some rivals to lovers stuff. I enjoyed the worldbuilding, the prickly main character, and the love interest. Overall my only complaint is that I think it needed more romance. I'd recommend this one for sure--the hardcover is gorgeous--and am looking forward to the sequel.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
3/5. A perfectly serviceable YA fantasy romance. This is just not a genre for me. Mostly I read this to get it off my backlist.
American Royalty by Tracey Livesay
3/5. A contemporary romance between a famous rapper and a British prince. Gotta be honest, actual British monarchy, like billionaires, are in the category of love interests/protags that are a hard sell for me these days. It felt pretty underdeveloped as a romance--as soon as the conflict arrived, it was over, and none of the implications were really dealt with on the page. I liked the main character, and wish the book had spent more time on her dreams and ambitions instead of this weak-ass romance.
Buffalo Is the New Buffalo by Chelsea Vowel
4/5. This was recommended to me at an indie bookstore as a short story compilation I might enjoy. I thought it was well-executed and thought-provoking, but also above my level. I probably need to do more reading about indigenous history and culture to really appreciate this--but I think that's at least part of the author's point! If you enjoy speculative fiction short story anthologies or are looking to pick up more indigenous literature, this is worth checking out.
Rereads:
SVSSS Vol. 1 by MXTX
Not much to say! I love it even more on reread. Shen Yuan is the most character of all time.
