In August I read four books and started playing the original Final Fantasy VII. So I had a fairly good month overall.
Books:
Something in the Blood: The Untold Story of Bram Stoker, the Man who Wrote Dracula by David J. Skal is a nonfiction book about Bram Stoker’s life and the different influences on the creation of Dracula. Contains plenty of general information the main focuses is on Bram Stoker’s relationship with the actor Henry Irving and his acquaintance with Oscar Wilde. This is a book that any fan of Dracula should read.
Desperate Measures by Katee Robert is the first book in a Dark Romance/Erotica series that focuses on different Disney characters mostly the princess having a sexual and romantic relationship with the villain. Desperate Measure is a Jasmin and Jafar romance. I call these a dark romance but it definitely is more an erotica as the sex is the main point. Very sexy and well written but does have a few kinks that are not my favorite personal. Also warning for consensual non-consent. Jasmin likes to act like she is being forced but she is consenting to everything that happens.
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir is the second book in the Locked Tomb series. Set after the events Gideon the Ninth where Harrow has become a Lyctor and is now working for the Emperor. However, there is something wrong with Harrow and many secrets are being kept. Didn’t like this one as much as Gideon the Ninth due to the large sections written in second person and overall this is a very confusing book. I do have a full review for this book as well.
One Hundred and Sixty Minutes: The Race to Save the RMS Titanic by William Hazelgrove is a nonfiction book about the sinking of the Titanic. Tells the story through the network of wireless operators. It counts down to the sinking by looking at who got the information and where the ships were when they got the information about the sinking. Focuses on what the different wireless operators, ship captains, and others attempted in the race to save the people if not the ship herself. Also focuses on what mistakes were made and who is a fault for those mistakes which does make it feel a little biased against specific people.
Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. Some of these items are very practical and some are better suited as décor or for a pin/bulletin board. July’s theme is Potions and Poisons.
Each box includes different bookish goodies that fit the theme of the month and are connected to other books. This months items include an Owlcrate TBR Jar, a popsicle mold, a bottle keychain that can be filled with hand sanitizer or lotion, a tea towel with art of different poisonous plants, a bubble bath inspired by The Midnight Lie, and an enamel bookmark inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
Every month Owl Crate has a new young adult hardback book that has an exclusive cover, is signed and comes with a letter from the author. The enamel pin that is in every box is also inspired by that months book. This months book is The Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron which also has foiling on the hardback and art on the reverse of the dust jacket. The story follows Briseis who has the power to grow plants with a single touch. When she and her parent move into a new house they’ve just inherited they hope that Briseis can learn to control her gift. However, the house holds many secrets and Briseis wants to uncover them all.
In June I read seven books including two nonfiction and two manga. I also finished Persona 5 The Royal and the video game Journey.
Books:
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is the first book in duology set in the Grisha world that takes place after the events of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy but focuses on new characters and locations is this world. We follow Kaz Brekker a criminal in the trade hub of Ketterdam and his crew as they attempt a dangerous heist that could make them rich but also they may be the only ones who can stop the destruction of the world as they know it. In general while I love the Grisha world I heated where the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and with this series being so hyped I tried not to have too high of expectations. I loved all the characters but felt at times there was too much information about everyone’s backstories. Not my favorite but I do plan to continue with the series.
The Anthropocene Review by John Green is a nonfiction selection of essays that Green wrote reviewing different things and topics in the world. This includes both personal accounts and background on the history of the topic. I book that I find hard to review but one that I absolutely loved. For me I feel like I read this book at the right time and otherwise I might not have loved it as much.
Maiden Voyages by Sian Evans is a nonfiction book about the women who worked on the Ocean Liners traveling between Europe and North America. While this book is incredibly detailed I was expecting more about the individual women and their personal lives and less about the Ocean Liners and the general history of the time. I’m also surprised that a fellow historian who perpetuate misconceptions of the Titanic Sinking. Specifically, the reported 300 foot gash at caused the ship to sink. Though this was reported in newspaper after the sinking and believed by many, multiple Titanic historians and researchers, including Tim Maltin, have determined that the damage was intermittent. However, even with these criticisms I do see this book as a good starting point for someone who is interested in Ocean Liners and the women who worked on them.
Sailor Moon Eternal volumes 3 and 4 are the continuation of the Sailor Moon manga series. We start where volume 2 leaves off with a mysterious girl threating Uasgi which starts the Black Moon Arc where the Black Moon Clan from the feature is threating the world. Volume 4 finishes off this Arc which is not my favorite because of Chibi-Usa becoming Black Lady as I find this part of the story creepy and off-putting. Also I personal prefer the 90s anime translation where she becomes Wicked Lady as I feel it fits the story better. Overall this is still one of my favorite manga series which I plan to finish collecting in these editions.
The Ivies is a young adult thriller that follows a group of high schoolers at a prestigious boarding school that will do anything to get into the Ivy League Universities. When Olivia and Emma secretly get into Harvard while Aery who expects to but doesn’t is furious. The next day when Emma is found dead Olivia decides to investigate to find out who killed Emma. I love the premise of this book and the attention given to toxic friend groups. However, I didn’t connect with the characters of the story. I feel as a recent college graduate that I’m a little removed from the drama of high school but this would be perfect for students currently in high school or those that love the high school setting.
Skin Deep by Renee Miller is a short horror novella that follows Victoria MacDonald who wants to find a way to die beautifully and ends up becoming a murder. This wasn’t what I was expecting. Since the book starts out with Victoria’s mother selling her daughters soul to say beautiful and the obsession’s with dying beautifully I thought that it would become a story where Victoria has to kill to stay beautiful. The switch from her trying to die to get sexual gratification from murder is very fast and not something that the story gives enough time to the reader to understand. Also there is no reason to have the selling ones soul as an aspect of this story. Given the subject matter the book uses in the plot I’m surprised that there were no trigger warnings listed at the beginning.
Video Games:
This month I finished two video games, Persona 5 The Royal and Journey.
Persona 5 The Royal is a retooled version of the original Persona 5 with new story elements. The main plot is that you are a normal high school student that is now on probation after attempting to stop a sexual assault and the man got injured. You and your group of friend get pulled into the Metaverse where you awaken a Persona and fight against the corrupted cognitions of others. I love this game and also have a full review posted.
Journey on the other hand is a much different game. You play as a robed figure traveling through a desert trying to reach the mountains in the distance. This is a very visual and emotional game that doesn’t use any dialogue. A game to pick up on a lazy afternoon when one wants a game that is very different from others.
In May I only read three books but I did start a new part time job recentlyke and I’m still getting used to going back to work. I also have been playing Persona 5 The Royal and I’m past the half way point in the game. I hope to finish Persona 5 sometime in the next month or so and post a full review for it.
Books:
Keeping Their Marbles: how the treasures of the past ended up in museums…and why they should stay there by Tiffany Jenkins is a museum nonfiction book about how museum collections ended up in museums, why they should stay in the museums, and a discussion of the place and purpose of museums. I really liked this book as it articulated many things that I personally believe but didn’t know how to best put it into words. This book is great for those in the museum field or those that want to better understand museums.
Five Nights at Freddy’s Fazbear Frights #6: Blackbird by Scott Cawthon is the sixth short story collection set in the FNAF world. The first two stories are not as connected to Freddy’s or the different characters from the Pizzeria but I like seeing different aspects of this world. Overall, I liked this collection more as less horrible things happened to people in the wrong place at the wrong time or dumb kids being kids. However, the small section of the story at the end that connects all the book did get a bit too ridiculous.
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers is the third book in the Wayfarers series. This one focuses primarily on life in the Exodus Fleet that consists of the descendants of the humans who left Earth but never settled on another planet but just stayed in the Fleet. I love this series but I found that this book had too many perspectives of characters that I didn’t like. I ended up skimming some of the perspectives and think that I would have liked this story better if there had been less characters. I do plan on reading the next book in the series.
Book Gizmo is a small independent business that mainly does book sleeves and accessories. I’ve ordered multiple times from Book Gizmo and have loved everything that I’ve ordered. The owner has been doing monthly boxes for a while now but I never order one until now. The March box theme sounded amazing and the knowledge that there where going to be Grisha verse items sold me on it. Especially since I’m very excited for the Netflix Shadow and Bone adaption coming out in April.
The items included where:
a new book “jacket” style book sleeve inspired by Shadow and Bone
a Lord of the Rings art print
a Fable inspired book band
a candle inspired by the Iron Fae series
a Lord of the Rings magnet
a face mask
a Witcher face mask
The Deluxe Box included three items that where not in the base box these where a Second Army T-shirt and mug with that you could chose which order of the second army you wanted. The last item is a soap dispenser inspired by Kaz Brekker.
February was a very good reading month for me. I read eight books and watched several documentaries but I don’t plan to discus those. The winter storm that came through Texas helped with how much I read as my family kept loosing power and trying to watch TV or use the internet just wasn’t worth it but thankfully nothing was damaged.
Books:
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers was the first book I finished. This is the second book in the Wayfarers series though each book after the first can be read in any order. We follow Lovelace who was the main ships AI in the first book and who lost her memories at the end of that story being put in a human looking body and has to learn how to survive and live in this new form. We also follow Pepper who was created by others to be used and then discarded. Pepper story is from the time she is a kid learning what freedom is to an adult who has her own path and is trying to find the ship with the AI that basically raised her. This is a feel good science fiction series that is very optimistic about the future and how different species could get along. I love this series and how Becky Chambers writes characters.
Dying With Her Cheer Pants On: Stories of the Fighting Pumpkins by Seanan McGuire is a short story collection that focuses on the Fighting Pumpkins cheerleading squad as they fight the forces of darkness and save the world. I love Seanan McGuire’s stories and writing style and this collection is no different. More light hearted then some of her work each short story focuses mainly on one member of the cheer squad and why they have been called to join but all members are showcased. Great for fans of Buffy, supernatural creatures or cheerleading I have a feeling that we might see more of these characters in the future.
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore is a nonfiction book about the Radium Girls, women who painted watch dials with luminescent paint that contained radium. This book tells the story of these women who damaged their own health to paint watches used during World War I not just through the lens of history and what happened to them but through their own words and writings. No one told these women how dangerous the work they were doing could be and it took years for an justice to be given to these women. This book was very well written and I feel like I know these women at least a little bit now.
The Tangleroot Place by Marjorie M. Liu is the first ever short story collection of Marjorie Liu’s work that include stories about dangerous magic and dangerous women though its also about hope and making your own destiny. I received a advanced reader copy through NetGalley and I also have a full review posted. This collection contains six previously published stories and one new novella length story. Each story made me love the characters and the different worlds and I often wanted more but they also ended at a good place.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw is a horror novella that follows a group of friends going to an abandoned Japanese mansion for two of them to get married. However, as the night continues its clear that the ghost and spirits that inhabit the house are coming out to play. I received an advanced reader copy though NetGalley and have a full review posted. This is a beautifully written novella that still has horrifying elements and also focuses on how friendship can fall apart.
Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal Editon Volume 5 by Hiromu Arakawa is the next volume in the Fullmetal Alchemist manga series. I’ve mentioned before that I’m collecting these editions and rereading as I buy them. This volume gives more information on the Homunculus and how they are involved in controlling the government. Not my favorite volume but I do love Greed’s interactions with Al.
Hellsing Deluxe Volume 1 by Kohta Hirano is the first volume in this edition of the Hellsing manga series. I’ve read many manga throughout the years and have kept only the series I really loved. However, when new editions come out there are some series that I want the new nicer editions of and Hellsing is one of those. The Hellsing series follows the Hellsing Organization and the vampire Alucard in their fight against monsters and vampires in England. The biggest threat comes from Millennium a Nazi organization that uses monsters to try to take over the world. This is still one of my favorite manga series.
A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson is another book I received through NetGalley and have a full review for. This is a retelling and reimagining of Dracula’s brides. Told through a long letter to Dracula who is never named Constanta tell both her story and the story of the other brides. This is mostly a story about toxic and codependent relationship using vampires. I loved the idea of this book but I found the letter format allowed for more telling then showing and often made me fell like the relationship were moving too fast. I think anyone who loves vampires or Dracula should give this story a try.
Owl Crate is a young adult book subscription box where every month you receive one new hardcover book and an assortment of bookish goodies connected to the monthly theme. Some of these items are very practical and some are better suited as decor or for a pin/bulletin board. October’s theme is Legends and Lore.
Each box includes different bookish goodies that fit the theme of the month and are connected to other books. This months items include a bowl cozy, a soap bar, a bamboo phone stand, a set of moon and stars wind chimes, a glass nail files, and an audio book copy of Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko. I love the boxes that have practical items in them as I feel like I get more use out of these items. My favorite are the wind chimes and the phone stand. I also like the idea of being able to try a new audio book and one that is not the same as the hardback book.
Every month Owl Crate has a new young adult hardback book that has an exclusive cover, is signed and comes with a letter from the author. The enamel pin that is in every box is also inspired by that months book. This months book is Legendborn by Tracy Deonn which also have a reversible art cover. Legendborn is a modern day twist on Arthurian legends where a young woman finds that she has a mysterious connection to a secret society of magic users and that her mothers death might not have what was reported.
There are plenty of ways to organize book shelves. Some include by color, alphabetical, read vs unread, and many others. I’ve had many different book shelves and organization systems but the ones I’ve used the most are read and unread both keeping series together and keeping only the ones I’ve read together.
Currently, due to everything going on in the world I’m living with my parents so I’m able to have most of my book collection on shelves. During college I had one tall shelf and everything else was just stacked next to the shelf. Now days most of my books are on shelfs with some staked on the front of the shelfs. However, I do have some book mainly childhood favorites and college research text that I wanted to keep are in storage.
I’ve used different shelves and cases from different companies mostly from Ikea. Earlier this year some of the Ikea shelves started to fall apart and I purchased new bookcases from the furniture store, Havertys. I bought four in total, two taller with plenty of space to decorate and two that were smaller which fit better in the space but don’t have as much space on each shelf after books have been placed there.
My organization system works for me but I don’t think that it would work for many others. I first have separated all of my comics, manga, and lager coffee table type books from everything else. After that I organize by author and series so that all the books that I have by the same author and same series are together. If I don’t have enough books by one author for their own shelf I put other books or series that I feel fit best with them. Finally, all the books that I don’t have the next in the series or others from that author are organized by height starting with hardback and going to paperbacks. The only exception is that most of my mass-market books are on the same shelf.
This system works for me as I have a tendency to read all the books from authors I love and I get rid of books on a fairly regular bases. Because I go through everything at least once a year I would say that the organization changes a little bit every year and sometimes books are put where they fit.
September was a fairly good reading month for me having read nine books. My physical To Be Read pile is pretty big and is always changing but I have started to work my way through the eBooks that I have as well.
Books:
Final Girls by Mira Grant is a horror novella about a therapy treatment where dreams are created and shared to deal with past trauma. When the technology get hijacked while a reported and the creator of the technology they must try to survive together. I love Mira Grant’s work and this was no exception. Though I do wish this was a longer novel what we are given is just the right amount and a great horror story.
The Last Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff is a short story set in the Lotus Wars series. This short story is a prequel to the rest of the series and gives some of the back story to the world that is introduced in the first novel. While I liked this story I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it around the same time as the other books in the series. There has just been too much time between each book for me to really connect to the series or story at the moment.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is an adult historical fiction novel following the life of Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo and her relationships with her seven husbands. I really liked this book as Evelyn changed as a person and found her own way through the world. The twist near the end surprised me but I loved the characters and it speaks to the fact that you should live your life the way you want to as you never know what could happen.
The Hallow Places by T. Kingfisher is a horror novel about a young woman who finds a path to a world full of willow trees that might connect to other worlds from a hole in the wall of her grandfathers museum. However, there is something in the trees of this world that will find and hurt you it you think about them. Very creepy and unsettling but perfect for the Halloween season. I have a full review for this book as well.
Five Nights at Freddy’s Fazbear Frights vols. 3, 4, and 5 by Scott Cawthon are the next three volumes in the FNAF’s short story collections. Several years ago I got pulled into the lore of the video games and then the books so while they are not the best I still read them when new books come out. Each volume contains three short stories that connect different characters to the animatronics and other creations of Fazebear Entertainment. Great for those already interested in the series thought some stories are much more gruesome and confusing than others they are all creepy horror stories aimed at young adults.
Praying for Rain by Jay Kristoff is the last short story connected to the Louts Wars series that I needed to read. Very short story focusing on a Miho, a girl living in Kigen, and the boy she starts to fall in love with. However, when he finds out her secret her life is put in danger. This story adds a little more to the world and the people that are affected by the war. But once again if I had read this when I read the rest of the series I would have liked it more.
Labyrinth Coronation vol.1 is a graphic novel that tells the story about how Jareth become the Goblin King that we see in the movie. The story parallels Sarah’s journey in the movie with Jareth being wished away and his mother trying to get him back. Very good art and I plan to continue on with the series.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir is an Adult Scifi/Fantasy novel. The story is very hard to explain but its amazing. What I heard about the book was that it was lesbian necromancers in space and that was all I needed to know to pick it up but its much more than that.
The world is set up where there are nine houses on nine different planets with each house focusing on aspect/power of necromancy. The Emperor has invited each houses main necromancer and their swordsman to join in a competition to become an elite member of the Emperors court. The story starts out with Gideon who is an orphan raised in the Ninth House attempting to leave and join the army. However, when Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House kicks her ass Gideon must help Harrow win or the Ninth House will die.
The story drops you straight in and you pick up what really going on as you read. For me there was a lot of things that I didn’t get or understand initially but the relationship between Gideon and Harrow keeps the story flowing and convinces you to read on.Though I feel like this is one of those books that you will understand more with each reading.
I love the banter between them as a times they just seem to hate each other but you know there is more to it. The ending was shocking and amazing and felt like my heart was being ripped out. This is one of my new favorite books and I can’t wait to read the sequel.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir is an Adult Scifi/Fantasy novel. The story is very hard to explain but its amazing. What I heard about the book was that it was lesbian necromancers in space and that was all I needed to know to pick it up but its much more than that.
Night Owl Reviews 