[Wrap-Up] Trees, Paper, A.I.s, and a lot of Ridiculousness: November 2019
The end of the year is slowly approaching and as many other people I am trying to reach my Goodreads reading goal. To be quite honest, I set it to 50 at the beginning of the year and have changed it every time I reached my goal because I want to keep better track of my reading and I do not care much about reaching my goal in the middle of the year already. So far I'm up to 74 and I kind of hope to make 80 by the end of December. Let's see if I'll manage that.
But first we have to talk about what I read in November of this year.
I didn't read as much as last month but that was to be expected. Still, seven books in a month is still very good for me. I'm a bit surprised sometimes how I manage that but I spend enough time on public transport to get some reading in every day. I read about 2804 pages which averages to ca. 94 pages a day. Which seems right as I read about 50 pages in the morning and about 50 on my way home most of the time.
This was also a month for me being very specific about genre definitions in one case and in two others a lot broader because of the way people see that genre. To be more specific about what I mean, there is one book I would claim to be Science-Fantasy and two I just plainly call "Horror". The first case is because people, even genre fans, never manage to differentiate between Sci-Fi and Fantasy even though it is easy and the second case is because people love to avoid calling something "horror" if it's really good and well-liked. That happens with movies and books a lot. In general, there is a problem with how people see genre fiction. But this is a topic for another time and I might write that post at some point in the future.
"Wilder Girls" by Rory Power
Pages: 357
Genre: Horror
Age Range: Young Adult
Year of Release: 2019
Read in: English
Original language: English
Some months ago Raxter School for girls was put under quarantine because the Tox appeared and changed their whole lives. It became a time of survival for all of them And it was strange. The Tox changed their bodies. Still waiting for the cure, one day Hetty's best friend Byatt disappeared. Now, Hetty wants to find her, no matter what.
This book is definitely not for everyone. I've seen people Dnf it because of the gore and that's totally fine. If you can't deal with gore don't read it. But this is gore not like in torture porn. It's not for us as readers to get a kick out of. This is really there to feel with these girls. It's not the most original story because many elements have been used before but it's written beautifully and in a way I would say does make for a good original story. In my opinion, if you can make me feel uncomfortable with the gory elements but at the same time you write it in a somewhat aesthetically pleasing way you really make me love and enjoy this.
There were some slightly cliché lines when it was about the romance elements and a slightly unnecessary back and forth like in many YA books. It's an element I do not like but the overall story totally outweighed this for me. There was just something about the survival element that worked so well for me, and now I really need to read Lord of the Flies as many people compared Wilder Girls to it. I know what it's about but I don't know how close the stories are.
I also found that the way the Tox works is really interesting. Yes, I've seen the cause used in this book before but at the end of the day it's about the execution. And this one was really good in my opinion. I can't wait to read more by Rory Power. Her next book will be released next year and it sounds really good! We need more good female horror for teens like this one.
4/5★
"Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Pages: 271
Genre: Fantasy
Age Range: Middle-Grade
Year of Release: 2001
Read in: English
Original language: English
This was a reread and a first read at the same time. Sounds weird but let me explain. I grew up with this series in a similar way as with Harry Potter. Except for the fact that I was apparently the only one in my vicinity who read these books. So I used to read them in German and this time I finally read the first book in English.
It was still as good as I remember it. My last reread had been a while ago and I'm so happy that this story still works so well. Colfer definitely knows how to craft a story that sticks and resonates with you. And was probably slightly ahead of its time because of how the fairies and other fae folk see humanity treating the planet in this series.
For those of you who have no idea about this world but might want to get into it before the movie is released, this story is about a young criminal mastermind called Artemis Fowl. He originates from a dynasty of Irish criminals that because of an unfortunate project done by Artemis' father has lost a huge chunk of their riches. So Artemis wants to get the family back to the same financial status they had before. With the mind of an adult but the belief of a child he manages to capture an elf and holds her for ransom.
This is a high paced story with lovable characters that will stick with you forever. Everyone is so vivid in who they are, the fairy people are all so fascinating and great interpretations of the way we see them in our mythology in this world, and the slight Sci-Fi elements thanks to the weapons LEP (Lower Elements Police) officers use designed by a centaur called Foaly are just a nice bit of world building I have loved since I was a kid.
I just can say that if you love to see a great Urban Fantasy story which takes you on a wild ride while mixing modern things and mythology, this one is absolutely the right book for you. But in general I would recommend this story to everyone. Don't get put off by it being middle-grade. Like Harry Potter it changes to be more YA as Artemis grows older and the writing is absolutely solid. Finally reading the first book now after becoming more proficient in English really showed me why I struggled back in the day when I first tried to pick up the sevenths book in English. It is definitely middle-grade but with slightly more advanced vocabulary.
5/5★
"The Colour of Magic" by Terry Pratchett
Pages: 288
Genre: Fantasy
Age Range: Adult
Year of Release: 1983
Read in: English
Original language: English
I finally read this and I'm so mad I never read it when I first heard about this series. It was so much fun and just what I needed. Maybe I didn't laugh out loud a lot but the overall story is very entertaining.
This is the introduction to the Discworld series. We find out what this world is and then get thrown into a situation you don't necessarily expect if you haven't read up on what this book is about. This Discworld exists on the back of four giant elephants who stand on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown) and so far things have been normal. Until one day something happens that will threaten the peace: the arrival of the world's first tourist! And someone really thought it funny that a completely inept wizard is to be his personal tour guide and guardian.
I could say so much about this story but it would take away from the experience you will have reading this. But I can say that the characters are funny and weird in all the right and wonderful ways. There are fantasy clichés lovingly parodied as well as how people tend to react to tourists in places that usually do not get any. It's probably the British humor that makes it so brilliant but also the way Pratchett used language and just went all out with the wackiness of this world he created.
Definitely a book I can recommend to anyone who wants to experience some more classic fantasy. And if you read or watched Good Omens this year, you will most likely enjoy this as well.
4.5/5★
"After I Do" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Range: Adult
Year of Release: 2014
Read in: English
Original language: English
Lauren and Ryan used to be so in love but after a few years of marriage things are turning sour. They don't seem to love each other anymore. So they decide to do something to test if this is it or if they can mend their relationship: they separate for a year without being allowed to contact each other.
Let's be real, romance novels are not my thing. I do read Reid's because I enjoy how while her books are about romance they are also about so much more from what I've read so far. And this is about self-discovery and alternative ways of finding out if a relationship can be fixed. I don't think this would work for everyone but it is an interesting way to test it and I think there are some couples out there who could work on their relationships with this idea. And this story also highlights families and how they deal with this as well as how they grow up together in certain ways. I love a good family story and romances that also have families as a core element are just so heartwarming to read about or watch.
3/5★
"Starsight" by Brandon Sanderson
Pages: 461
Genre: Science-Fantasy
Age Range: Young Adult
Year of Release: 2019
Read in: English
Original language: English
Sanderson again did brilliantly with this book. The continuation of Spensa's story with M-Bot and Doomslug was one of my most anticipated reads of this year and the wait was worth it! I loved every second of it. We see what happens a few months after the end of Skyward. The humans are still trying to keep alive and things don't look good if they can't find a way to get off the planet. Then, one day, an opportunity arises for them to maybe get their hands on a hyperdrive, and suddenly Spensa finds herself to be a spy in the middle of alien politics.
I said everything I wanted to say in my review (which is linked!) but I love to repeat myself regarding one thing that should be the tag line for this book:
Skyward was about surival, Starsight is about living.
5/5★
"Imaginary Friend" by Stephen Chbosky
Pages: 706
Genre: Horror
Age Range: Adult
Year of Release: 2019
Read in: English
Original language: English
In Imaginary Friend we meet little Christopher and his mother who leave Christopher's mother's abusive boyfriend in the middle of the night to start a better life in another town. Until one day when Christopher suddenly disappears everything seemed normal. After six days he reappears and things change. Christopher changed. And his imaginary friend wants to prepare him for something that is about to come. Something only Christopher apparently can stop.
This book was a complete and utter mindfuck and I still can't say properly what I'm thinking of it. There are so many elements of this story that I need to reread and properly analyze at some point. From psychological elements to the way a child's mind works to human issues. We could talk about this forever and always find something different to see or to discuss. This book has religious elements that become even more pronounced the further you get into the story. It has elements of how small things that might not seem evil will actually turn horrible just because of the intention of someone who starts these small things. We could compare it to people getting swept up in what certain politicians say who only want to achieve stuff for their own gain and the people who follow them don't realize that they will suffer from following them. Maybe I'm overinterpreting this just a tiny bit but that's something I got from this story towards the end.
And the writing! It's simple but so engaging. It's the mixture of a child's imagination and the rational world that also make this story so enjoyable to read and a great basis for how Chbosky wrote this. He could play so much with language and imagery thanks to having a child as his main character and I think this is what makes this story such a mindfuck actually. Because you can do the whole constant back and forth thing and amping up the tension without making it annoying. It might seem a bit repetitive but as its told through the eyes of a child I personally find it appropriate. Children are just learning patterns and also their imaginary world does often follow certain arbitrary rules. It just worked really well for me despite it being told in a way that could have been rather annoying.
I know this won't work with everyone and I've seen people dislike the meandering aspect of the way the story is told. But I don't mind it because it works because of the topic of imagination in my opinion. This is definitely a story I would recommend to Stephen King fans (fittingly there is a blurb by Joe Hill inside this book). I don't think people expect something close to Perks of Being a Wallflower anyway so I don't think I have to warn those people about how different these stories are.
Now I am hoping for Chbosky to make his own movie of this again. Or a miniseries. Probably a miniseries to fully show all the elements this story has.
4.75/5★
"Girls of Paper and Fire" by Natasha Ngan
Pages: 385
Genre: Fantasy
Age Range: Young Adult
Year of Release: 2018
Read in: English
Original language: English
I'm very careful about hyped YA books by now. Especially if they are hyped because of diversity. The thing is that quite often they either tend to be written in a way that doesn't work for me or the representation is lacking or just not well done. I do have to say that I enjoyed myself but I have to critic some things as well.
Lei is part of the paper caste in her world, wich is a caste describing humans in a world that is ruled by a demon king. One day she gets abducted from her hometown to the palace to become a Paper Girl, one of the king's human concubines, for a year. She never expected to fall in love in a horrid place like this.
This is a world that blends Asian mythology, history and fantasy together and seems very beautiful, if there was more description of it. I had just started reading this when I discussed some elements of the writing style with someone on Bookstagram. And while I did have fun with this world, there is just something very YA about the writing. The lack of more description is something typical for YA which is why I sometimes feel that age range treats its readers as stupid. It's not the authors' fault I would say but it is something many participate in. Just a slight change in how things are described in YA would make me like many a bit more. And with an Asian inspired fantasy I think it would have been nice to have that. Yes, Ngan describes clothes and food but especially the clothes are something that could have profited from more description. I know what a hanfu is but I'm pretty sure most people don't. Or at least don't exactly know what it looks like. What I'm saying is, this book would have sounded a lot prettier and more engaging if it wasn't so clinical in describing things.
What I can say is that while I have to criticize that element of the writing style and the fact that the overall way the story moves forward is also rather typical for YA fantasy, it is a fun story set in a fascinating world. If you know a bit about how ancient China was like you might see the similarities and this is also why the slightly lackluster descriptions weren't necessarily a strong problem for me. Just something that could have been worked on. But I did enjoy the caste topic and what the demons were like. I don't exactly get how human they are physically but I do think they work. I guess I also watched too much anime as a kid not to appreciate these animal type demons.
Chinese history seems to have influenced the history of this fantasy world as well as the first demon king is credited with bringing the various people together under one flag, something that is reminiscent of the Qin-Dynasty. I also was reminded of the story of Wu Zetian but that's only because of the concubine topic. But if you want to watch something with that topic that is not really triggering (but also not that historically accurate in some parts from what I can remember) I recommend The Empress of China with Fan Bing Bing. The costumes alone are reason enough to watch it.
I could also talk about what I find lackluster about the romance and how annoying the constant back and forth between the girls was, but that can all be traced back to my issues with general YA writing. Overall this is a good YA book and if you mainly read YA you will enjoy this. If you read more adult novels you might not like this. Girls of Paper and Fire really would have profited from being longer is what I want to say. And I do think the representation is done well despite one small thing that annoyed me but it's a personal thing. I get why it was in there.
But if you decide to read this please keep in mind that it contains rape elements because of the nature of the concubine topic. It's not explicit as this is YA but it is there and might be triggering. So please be careful if this is something that might trigger you.
3/5★
___
Disclaimer: I wasn't asked or payed to talk about any book or author mentioned. Everything is my own opinion.
Kommentare
Kommentar veröffentlichen