Tag: 2023

December 2023 Wrap Up

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The last serval months have been fairly busy and I have gotten behind on posting things. In December I read six books including a novella and a short story.

Books:

Legends and Lattes and Pages to Fill by Travis Baldree was the first book and short story I read in December. Pages to Fill is a short story prequel to Legends and Lattes which was included in the back of my copy of Legends and Lattes. Pages to Fill allows us to see Viv when she was an adventure and warrior and the start of her wanting to open a coffee shop. While Legends and Lattes follows the Orc Viv who is done with adventuring and has decided to open a coffee shop in a town that has no idea what coffee is. I love the cozy vibes and all the friends Viv makes along the way.

Next I read the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which is a reread for me. I still love the Harry Potter series all these year later and feel like these editions would be great as a gift to someone getting into the series.

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher is the 13th book in the Dresden Files series and follows the aftermath of Harry’s death in Changes. Its been six months and Harry’s ghost is told that if he doesn’t find his killer then his friends will be in grave danger. At times a sad book as we see how much Harry’s death has changed things and also feels like a bit of a restart to the series. I don’t know where the series I going next but I plan to continue reading.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells is the first book in the Murderbot series. We follow Murderbot a company supplied Sec Unit who has hacked his own governor module so that he can do what he wants. Murderbot would really like to be left alone to watch shows and decide who he is but when a group of scientists end up murdered he and the group he is protecting need to figure out the truth. I loved Murderbot and need to read more in this series.

The last book I read this month was Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin which was a book club pick. This is a fantasy comedy where our protagonist Skeeve gets pulled into a quest when the magician he is apprenticed under is killed. A cute take on fantasy and quest stories that I feel like I would have enjoyed more if I had read it when I was younger but could be a good introduction into a fantasy series.

October 2023 Wrap Up

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In October I read six books and watched two movies. I was around this time that I got very busy and posting just wasn’t happening so now I’m catching up.

Books:

The first book I read was The Curse of Moonseed Manor by D. Lieber which is a gothic mystery story set at a possible haunted house in the same vain as Rebecca. I do have a full review already posted and feel like that if you like mysteries and haunted houses you would enjoy this.

To Sleep In A Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini follows Kira who accidently finds an alien relic during a routine survey mission and is launched into events to save Earth and all of Humanity. This is Paolini’s first adult science fiction work and while I loved the characters and enjoyed most of the concepts I feel like I would have enjoyed this more if it had been split into two books.

The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments by Hadley Valhos is a nonfiction book about her interactions with patients that have impacted her the most so far while being a hospice nurse. While a hard topic with is a memoir that shows hos caring for others can change one’s life and how one deals with grief.

A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard is a sapphic Count of Monte Cristo inspired story set in space. I do have a full review posted as well but this is perfect for those that love science fiction with a romantic spin.

Britney Spears memoir The Woman in Me is Britney sharing her story in the music industry and the conservatorship that she was forced into. While at times sad, this memoir allows one to get a glimpse into who Britney Spears really is and how things have affected her over the years.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein is a science fiction book about Michael Smith who is a human raised on Mars and has returned to Earth. Interesting concepts but you and can that it was written in the 60s and I didn’t enjoy reading it.

Movies:

I watched two movies this month the first was Grave Encounters. Grave Encounters is a found footage horror movie where a team of Ghost Hunters lock themselves into an abandoned asylum that is supposed to be haunted. As the night goes on it starts to become clear that the asylum really is haunted and the team is in danger. Not bad for a found footage movie but the effects could have been better in some scenes but a good horror movie overall for the Halloween season.

The only other movie I watched was Resident Evil: Death Island. This is the newest Resident Evil animated movie to come out and its set in the same universe as the video games. While not a bad movie its made for fans of the games but it was cool seeing fan favorite characters working together.

July 2023 Wrap Up

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In July I read eight book most of them graphic novels and watched two movies.

Books:

First book I read in July was Secrets of the Vampire: A Supernatural Sourcebook of Our Legend and Lore by Julie Legere. This is a nonfiction book about vampires throughout history that I received as a review copy from Netgalley. This book focuses on historical and pop culture ideas about vampires and where these ideas come from while being “narrated” by a vampire. This is a great book from fan of vampires especially teenagers.

Witch King by Martha Wells is an adult fantasy novel following Kai who after being murdered and trapped finds a lesser mage trying to gain control of his powers. Kai, along with his friend Ziede, must figure out why they were imprisoned though they might not like the answers. I also have a full in-depth review already posted.

The last books that I read was all seven of the Monstress graphic novels that are currently out. I reread the was that I’ve read before and caught up to where the series is currently. I love this graphic novel series about Maika Halfwolf and her quest to find out more about her connection to this monster that also inhabits her body. I artwork is amazing and I can’t wait for the next volume.

Movies:

I watched two movies this month the first being Titanic 666. I sometimes see trailers for what is obviously going to be a bad Titanic movie but I want to see how bad it really is. This movie follows the voyage of the Titanic III, as this is a sequel to Titanic II, as they travel on the historical route of the original Titanic. A descendent of one of the Titanic’s passengers sneaks aboard to summon the spirits of the dead and kill everyone on board. I knew that this was a bad movie going in so I wasn’t expecting much but I do feel that the idea the the spirits of the captain and crew being the ones vengeful enough to kill these passengers and a deep mischaracterization of these real people who died while trying to save as many as they could no the Titanic.

The other movie I watched in July was 65 and was much better. 65 follows Mills a pilot on a two year journey from his home planet when the ship gets hit by an asteroid. Mills believes that he is the only survivor until he find a young girl name Koa but they don’t speak the same language. It turns out that they have crash landed on Earth 65 million years ago and together must try to get to the escape pod. Though their journey they are attacked by different dinosaurs and realize that another large asteroid is headed to earth. While I enjoyed this movie I feel like the marking focused more on the dinosaurs and because of that I wanted more action with them.

February 2023 Wrap Up

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In February I read three books and to short stories and also watch Glass Onion.

Books:

Women of Myth: From Deer Woman and Mami Wata to Amaterasu and Athena, Your Guide to the Amazing and Diverse Women from World Mythology by Jenny Williamson and Genn McMenemy is a nonfiction book about different women from myth and folklore through multiple cultures. I received advanced copy from the publisher through Netgalley. I loved seeing myths that I’ve never learned about before and all the art work depicting these women.

Abhorsen by Garth Nix is the third book in the Abhorsen trilogy and follows Lirael and Sam as they try to save Sam’s friend Nick and stop the necromancer Hedge from awakening the destroyer. I also have a full review posted for this book. This book is very action/plot heavy and I think I would have enjoyed this series more if the second and third books had been combined. While I like the series overall to me I feel like the first book Sabriel works better as a stand alone then a series.

As Yet Unsent by Tamsyn Muir is a short story in the Locked Tomb series that follows the events of Harrow the Ninth. The shot story is Judith’s report on the Blood of Eden and their activities. I read to to be ready to read Nona the Ninth but I feel like I will need to either reread it and read an explanation of it to really understand this story.

A Dowry of Blood by S.T Gibson is a reimaging/retelling of Dracula through the perspective of one of the brides. I read this initially when it was self published and wanted to see if anything has changed which it hasn’t but I still enjoyed it and I have a full review published. The one thing that I’m still a little disappointed in is the fact that there is nothing but a quick mention of the events that happened in Dracula as I would have loved to read that from the brides perspectives.

An Encore of Roses by S.T. Gibson is a short story from Alexi’s point of view years after the ending of A Dowry of Blood. This story gives us a glimpse into the lives of Alexi, Constanta, and Magdalena and how they are still in love though living separate lives all these years later.

Movies:

I only movie I watched this month was Glass Onion which I loved but don’t feel like I have much to say. However, if you liked Knives Out or murder mysteries you should give it a try.

February 2023 Fairyloot

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Fairyloot is a Young Adult book subscription box focusing on fantasy based out of the UK. Each month you receive a new Young Adult hardback book and 4-5 bookish goodies. Like most book boxes the hardback are special editions and the items are a combination of both practical things and more decorative items. February’s theme is Morally Grey.

The bookish items included this month are a Foiled mug with character art of From Blood and Ash, a pencil case, a foiled art print featuring characters from Once Upon a Broken Heart, and replica necklace pendant. The monthly tarot cards feature characters from Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim.

All Fairyloot books come with exclusive covers, generally signed by the author and include a letter from the author. This month the book is City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer which is described as Gotham meets Strange the Dreamer where a girl finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy in a city where nightmares come alive. This edition also has digital sprayed edges, artwork on the endpapers and on the hardcover.

March’s theme is Eternal.

January 2023 Wrap Up

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In January I read seven books/short stories, including multiple non fiction books. I also watched Gudetama: An Eggcellent Adventure which I enjoyed but don’t have really anything to say about it. Also as a heads up I’m in the process of changing the blog name from reviewsbyallies to NightOwlReviews so if you see that, that’s what’s happening.

Books:

The Legacy of the Crystal: An Unofficial Guide to Final Fantasy by Darryl James is a non fiction book about the history of the Final Fantasy franchise that I helped kickstart. As a fan of the Final Fantasy franchise I loved this book and reading about the history of the franchise.

Changes by Jim Butcher is the twelfth book in the Dresden Files series. We find out that Susan Rodriguez had a child with Harry and never informed him that they had a child. She has been kidnapped by Arianna Ortega, Duchess of the Red Court to hurt Harry and those connected to him. This one was not one of my favorite in the series but the ending definitely will change things in the coming books. I also have a full review for this book.

The Nazi Titanic: The Incredible Untold Story of a Doomed Ship in World War II by Robert P. Watson is a nonfiction book about the history of the German ocean liner that was used in a German propaganda movie filmed in World War II about the sinking of the Titanic. I had heard mention of the Nazi Titanic movie that portrayed Bruce Ismay and others on the ship as “evil and money hungry Jews that let people die on the Titanic” and wanted to know the reason behind using the Titanic in this very unhistorical way. The history of the ocean liner is more interesting and tragic than the movie that it was in but I also will not watch the movie if it is still out there. The ship was used as floating barracks and troop transport. In the final days of the war the ship was packed with concentration camp prisoners and was mistakenly bombed by the British Royal Air Force and most of the prisoners were killed. I feel like this book uses the fact that this ship portrayed the Titanic as the main selling point even though that is not the main focus of the book.

The Titanic Disaster Omens, Mysteries, and Misfortunes of the Doomed Liner by James W. Bancroft is a nonfiction book about all the omens and mysteries reportedly connected to the Titanic and how people “knew” something was going to happen. I liked this book overall but felt like the author sensationalized/made things sound true when there is now evidence that the information was false or exaggerated. I received an early review copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

Spare by Prince Harry is Prince Harry’s memoir about his life starting shortly before Princess Diana’s death through his military career, his romance and marriage to Meghan and finally their decision to leave royal life. This is really an account of someone with a dysfunctional family who has been traumatized and is working through that trauma. While readers will never know 100% what is true, I do feel like the media the royal life is more toxic then we like to believe. I feel like this memoir gives Harry’s perspective of events that other have other perspectives on but at the same time I feel like this is his truth.

A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova is a fantasy romance without too much spice inspired by Hades/Persephone and Beauty and the Beast. For years the elf’s have taken a woman to be their human queen but the next chosen one is missing. When it comes out that Luella is meant to the next human queen she goes with the elf king to save both of their worlds and maybe fall in love. I enjoyed this and is good for fans of other Romanic fantasies.

The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex by Tamsyn Muir is a short story set in the Locked Tomb series. It follows Palamedes Sextus and Camilla Hect at age 13 when the academics of the Sixth are about to open the study of Donald Sex. I liked seeing more of this world and some events with other character even though I often don’t understand everything in this series.