Tag: Wrap Up

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.

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.

December 2022 Wrap Up

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In December I read five books most which were physical. I also work retail during the holidays so I’m surprised that I read that much.

Books:

The first book I read was Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir which was a reread for me and I have a full review posted. I liked this one much more on a second read as I understood so much more. Based on the format of this book it leans itself to multiple rereads as you will pick up on the hints that are sprinkled throughout the book. I plan to continue on with the series soon.

Final Fantasy VII Remake: Material Ultimania is a nonfiction book that contains art and other reference materials used during the devolvement of Final Fantasy VII Remake. I really like this book but its definitely a book for fans.

The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic by Steve Turner is a nonfiction book about the Titanic. This book focuses on the band and the story that they continued playing until the ship sank. Provides great detail on who the band members were, how they ended up on the Titanic, and the memory of how they are remembered.

The Mistletoe Paradox is a short story collections that each story takes ideas about mistletoe and the traditions around it to write stories. As with most short story collections I liked some of the stories more than others but I want to see where these authors go next and the types of stories they will tell in the future.

The last book I read in December was Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert. This is the collection of dark fairytales that are referenced throughout the Hazel Wood series. While I didn’t love The Night Country which was the second book in the series I was still interested in reading the fairytales mention in the books. Overall, I think that these dark fairytales are one of the best things in this series and I loved seeing where Melissa Albert took these types of fairytales.

October and November 2022 Wrap Up

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Since I only read one book in October I decided to combine the October and November wrap ups. For both months I read five books. In terms of watching tv and movies the only thing I remember watching was some documentaries and YouTube videos.

Books:

In October I decided to start a reread of the Locked Tomb series so that I remember more when I got to Nona the Ninth which I still haven’t read but I did finish rereading Gideon the Ninth in October. Gideon is the first book in the Locked Tomb series that focuses on space necromancers who are trying to become more powerful to help the emperor. I still loved this book and I have a full review already posted.

The first book that I read in November was Lirael by Garth Nix. This is the squeal to Sabriel and technically a reread for me but the last time I read it was years ago. Lirael focuses on Lirael who is a daughter of the Clayr but she has never gained to sight which allows the Clayr to see some aspects of the future. She ends up taking up a mission to stop the return of an ancient evil along with Sabriel’s son Sam, who is believed to be the next Abhorsen. While I enjoyed the book overall I don’t love it in comparison to Sabriel and I would have preferred that the book didn’t switch perspectives between Lirael and Sam.

Campfire Stories: Tales from America’s National Parks by Dave and Ilyssa Kyu is what it say it is. This is a book that features short stories and experts of Tales from different National Parks that could be told around a campfire. I liked the concept of this book but was not a big fan of most of the stories.

Paperback Crush by Gabrielle Moss is a nonfiction book about the paperback teen and preteen books from the 80s and 90s. As someone who grew up on some of these books I liked reading about how these stories came to be and the history of the genre.

Queen’s Peril by EK Johnston is a Star Wars novel focuses on Padme as she becomes Queen of Naboo and the events of The Phantom Menace movie. I loved the introduction of the Handmaidens and how that system works but I wish we got more of Padme’s thoughts and emotions.

September 2022 Wrap Up

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As I’ve mentioned before I’m currently playing catch up on posting abut I hope to be all caught up in the next month or so. In September I read six books in total and finished Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

Books:

The first book I finished was Turn Coat by Jim Butcher which is the eleventh book in the Dresden Files series. In this one Morgan has been accused of treason and murder and comes to Harry for help. I really liked Harry’s and Molly’s interactions with Morgan and the information on how the White Council works. I can tell that this book is laying ground work for the next books in the series and possibly bigger events.

Lucky Girl by M. Rickert is a horror novella that takes place over multiple Christmases. At the first party one of the guests tells a story about Krampus that Ro uses as inspiration for a novel in the future. However, as time goes on Ro learns that horrors that have been hidden often come back. While I found this story to be creepy I expected more. It felt to me that most of the horror elements happened off page or were only implied. Also it claims to be a Krampus story but Krampus doesn’t really appear.

The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Suillivan is a nonfiction book about the cold case investigation into who betrayed Anne Frank and her family. While an interesting concept the evidence to me is too circumstantial and I don’t believe or agree with the conclusion that the investigation team came to. However, this is a good book to look at in terms of who writes history, what history is being written, who has the power in writing history, and the biases of the writer.

Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire is a companion book to Middlegame and the second book in the Alchemical Journeys series. We follow Melaine and Harry as they must become the holders of Winter and Summer if they want to stay alive and with each other. Melaine’s father attempted to gain control over winter before she was born but ended up causing her to be chronically ill for her whole life. While different from Middlegame it works with the same concepts and is set in the same world. Overall I enjoyed Seasonal Fears but not like how I loved Middlegame. I do plan to have a full review posted in a few weeks.

Breakable Things by Katie Wismer is a poetry collection. While I’m not a huge fan of poetry Katie’s speaks to me. This one focuses on those small things in life that we often take for granted but end up being important.

Lore Olympus Volume One by Rachel Smythe is the physical collection of the web comic series. This follows Hades and Persephone in the modern age. This was my first time reading this story and I loved it.

Video Games:

I also finished my play though of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. This is a turn based tactics/adventure game that includes both Mario characters and the Rabbids as the travel though the Mushroom Kingdom to defeat corrupted Rabbids and make sure the world is fine. I had a lot fun with this game and think that most people would have fun playing it.

August 2022 Wrap Up

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As I mentioned before I got very busy which caused me to get behind on posts, so I’m currently playing catchup. In August I read three books, watched several things, and finished Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory.

Books:

The first book I finished was Babel by R.F. Kuang which is a stand alone adult historical fantasy. The story follows Robin Swift, boy from Canton, who is brought to London to attend Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation know as Babel. I received an early copy from NetGalley and I have a full review posted as well. Overall, I enjoyed this book but it does deal with racism and colonialism as well as other heavy topics which at the time put me into a bit of a reading slump.

The next book I read was Sinkable: Obsession, the Deep Sea, and the Shipwreck of the Titanic by Daniel Stone. This is a nonfiction book about the general obsession with the wreck of the Titanic and the many people that wanted to and thought it was possible to raise the ship. The focus is on Doug Woolley who claims to be the owner of the wreck and his many ideas on how the Titanic could be raised. This is not what I was expecting when I started reading this book as I went in knowing it was about the Titanic but that was it however its an interesting story that is not told about those who where searching for Titanic over the years and how obsession plays a role.

The last book I read this month was For The Throne by Hannah F. Whitten. This is the sequel to For The Wolf and continues the story of Red and Neve following the ending of the pervious book. This only focuses the story more on Neve who is now trapped in the Shadowlands while her sister Red tries to find a way to bring her back. While I like the story I much prefer Red as a protagonist and didn’t like how much the focus shifted to Neve however I like this different take on stories inspired by fairy tales.

Movies/TV Shows:

During August I started and finished the Netflix Resident Evil series which is a new live action adaptation that is set in a new universe but does claim to have the video games as the back story which really doesn’t work that well. The Resident Evil movies staring Milla Jovovich I consider guilty pleasure movies and I wasn’t expecting anything great out of this new series but its worse than I was expecting. The only thing I liked was telling the story in two timelines but I felt like Jade as the main character was the worst choice as she is not likeable at all and most of the things that happen are her fault. Netflix has since canceled the show and I’m not surprised.

I also watched Prey this month which is a movie in the Predator franchise set in the Great Plains in 1719. The story follows Naru, a Comanche warrior, who is trying to prove herself as a skilled hunter. She ends up having to protect herself and her people from one of the Predator’s who is on Earth hunting humans. I really loved this movie and I watched it in the Comanche dub as I have never watched a movie in Comanche before. I loved the atmosphere of this movie and how the Comanche language enhanced that experience.

Video Games:

The only video game that I finished was Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory which is the most recent Kingdom Hearts game (as of time of posting). This game is a rhythm action game that retells the Dark Seeker Saga with Kairi narrating the events and also continues Kairi’s story following the events of the Kingdom Hearts 3 Remind DCL. Kairi is going through her own heart and memories in attempt to find clues as to where Sora has disappeared to. I like the game even though I not a huge fan of rhythm games but I do wish that Kairi had more of a part in the main game play. I do plan to post a full review of this game.

July 2022 Monthly Wrap Up

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July was a petty good month for me. I was comfortable with what I was doing at work and I was allowed to listen to audio books while I was entering data so I read a lot this month. In total I read nine books and one short story and finally got around to watching The Batman.

Books:

Dooku Jedi Lost is the story of Count Dooku during his time as a Jedi and what caused him to leave. Originally a audio book/drama I read the scripts. While still good as an eBook and think I would have loved listing to this story. We follow Asajj who has been ordered to find Dooku’s sister while she learns about his past and what lead him to leave the Jedi. Not what I was expecting but I still liked the story overall. I do feel like fan ideas about Dooku made it a little harder to enjoy this story as I had preconceptions on who I thought Dooku was.

I also read the next two books in the Dresden Files White Night and Small Favor. White Night is the ninth book in the series and follows Harry as he tries to find the culprit to a series a murders targeting the magical practitioners in Chicago. Small Favor is the tenth book in the series and focuses on Queen Mab calling in a favor from Harry and all the deadly hijinks that ensue. I liked both of these books and plan to have full reviews posted soon.

The short story I read was also set in the world of the Dresden Files. Mike is a short story that shows us an interaction between Harry and his mechanic Mike who is the one that always fixes up the blue Beatle. Very short but it was nice to see a part of the universe that is mostly only talked about.

Boys, Book Clubs, and Other Bad Ideas is an anthology book where each story took the same ideas but told vastly different stories. Each story uses some form of a book club to center the story while also taking that idea in places that I didn’t expect. I liked all the stories but some I liked more than others.

The rest of the books I read this month were all nonfiction and mostly historical nonfiction. Of these I did rereads of Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs and From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty. Though this was my first time reading these books as audio books, which I feel like the one advantage of the audio books is that Caitlin reads them and you can here the love she has for her advocacy.

Titanic: A Very Deceiving Night by Tim Maltin is a nonfiction Titanic book that focuses on the scientific reasons behind the sinking of the Titanic. Specifically the how and why the lookouts didn’t see the iceberg until the ship was right on it. While this is interesting information its a very technical book at is not written with lay people in mind.

Six Women of Salem: The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials by Marilynne K Roach is a nonfiction book about the Salem Witch Trials. The author uses six of the accused women to showcase and explain the crisis of Salem and how the witch trials happened. This book is very well researched with a great amount of historical detail but it is dense and at times boring. Best for fellow historians and those who want all the details.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold is a nonfiction book about the women Jack the Ripper killed and the misconceptions that are now part of the popular myths. The focuses of this book is the women, who they were and the lives that they lead that has over time been distorted and overtaken by Jack the Ripper. This is a great book to learn the truth about these women.

Movies:

The only movie that I watched this month way The Batman. The Batman is the most recent DC Batman movie and has Robert Pattinson taking on the role of Batman. The story follows Batman, who has been fighting crime for two years, as a series of murders happen with a series of cryptic messages being left for Batman. It becomes clear that the villain is the Riddler but different from other interpretations. While I liked the movie and felt like the acting was good, it was a darker and more depressing take on Batman than I prefer. I feel like while Batman and most of his villains these days are darker characters there could be more levity in the movies with out it being too humorous.

June 2022 Monthly Wrap Up

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As I mentioned in May’s wrap up post I’ve been very busy the last several months and have gotten behind on posting so the next couple of months I will be catching up. In June I was able to finish three books, watch a movie, and finish playing Kingdom Hearts 3. Everything in this wrap up will also have full review posts up at some point.

Books:

For books I was only getting through audio books at this time and in June that was the next three books that I needed to read in the Dresden Files: Blood Rites, Dead Bead, and Proven Guilty.

Blood Rites is the sixth book in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Out of all the Dresden books I’ve read I disliked the set up of this one the most. Harry is contracted to protect the producer and cast of an adult film as a favor to Thomas, who is a White Court vampire. However, as the story goes on we find out things that both change Harry’s life and the path of the series.

Dead Beat is the seventh book in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. This one follows Harry as he must find the word of Kemmler to give to the vampire Mavra to keep Murphy safe. I would say that this is one of the funniest books in the series with Butters having a larger role in this story. The story brings in elements that were introduced in other books and its starting to become clear that there is something bigger going on the Harry only currently on the outskirts of.

Proven Guilty is the eight book in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. This one follows Harry, who is now a warden of the White Council and is being tasked to look into rumors that black magic is being practiced in Chicago. When Molly, the daughter of Michael Charpenter, gets involved it seems like entities taking of the look of horror monsters are attacking people she knows and it turns out she has been dabbling in magic. I love the fact that Molly becomes Harry’s apprentice but I’m very glad that Butcher didn’t write it as a romantic or sexual relationship as that would have caused me to stop reading the series.

Movies:

The only movie that I watched this month was Jurassic World Dominion and was the first movie I’ve seen in theaters since February of 2020. This is the last movie in the Jurassic World series and with how it has so many call backs to the earlier movies it works as a send off to the Jurassic Park series as a whole. This is one of those movies that if you think about the plot or the “science” involved its not a great movie but its a good action popcorn movie. I liked the movie overall and I loved seeing some of the originally actors come back.

Video Games:

This month I finally finished Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Remind DLC. The reason it took me so long to get to Kingdom Hearts 3 was that I wanted to play all the games in order and experience the series to the best of my ability. Kingdom Hearts 3 is a game for fans. You can play it without having played the others but you’re not going to understand all of the plot and the emotional moments are best if you have played the other games. I loved the game play and most of the plot but I’m not a huge fan of the ending. Overall, Kingdom Hearts 3 felt very melancholy to me. The Remind DCL is mostly there to better explain the ending and give some idea of where the series is planning to go next.

May 2022 Monthly Wrap Up

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So this month I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump and have only read one book. I have instead been playing more video games as I’m currently making my way though the Kingdom Hearts series and hope to play Kingdom Hearts 3 later this year. I also enjoyed the YouTube series In Space with Markiplier Part 2.

Books:

The only book I’ve finished this month was The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers. This is the last book in the Wayfarers series but each book stands alone. This book follows a group of different aliens at a galactic rest stop waiting to get on their way. When an accident delays them they start to learn from each other they realize that though each my have either own problems what they need to come to terms with everything may come from each other. This is my second favorite of the series and I love how hopeful Becky Chambers’ writing is.

Video Games:

This month I was finishing off the games in the Kingdom Hearts series to be ready to play Kingdom Hearts 3. I do have full reviews posted of all of the games so far.

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance is the last full game in the story before Kingdom Hearts 3. It follows Sora and Riku during their Mark of Mastery exam to find out if they are true Keyblade Masters. They travel to the different sleeping worlds to learn the Power of Waking and set everything back to where it needs to be. This game also finally gives us what Xehanort’s true plan is and what Sora and everyone will deal with in the future.

Kingdom Hearts Back Cover is a movie that supposed to give the viewer all the important plot information from the Kingdom Hearts mobile game Kingdom Hearts Union. While it does provide some important information I feel that to truly understand what is going on you should watch all the cut scenes from Union, play the mobile game, or watch a full play through.

Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep-A Fragmentary Passage is the last game left before Kingdom Hearts 3 and is essentially a prologue to that game. The story follows Aqua after ending up in the Realm of Darkness and what she has been doing. I love Aqua as a character and I love how it turns out that she helped Riku and Mickey close the Door to Darkness at the end of the first game. At this point I can’t wait to play Kingdom Hearts 3 and see how all the characters stories will end.

April 2022 Monthly Wrap Up

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In April I finished three books and two video games. I’m working though the Kingdom Hearts series and I’m making good progress. I also enjoyed watching the Youtube show In Space with Markiplier. The next couple of months post will probably be a little sporadic as I have several major commitments coming up that will take up a lot of time but I will try to post as much as possible.

Books:

The first book I finished this month was Egypt’s Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods by Colleen and John Darnell. I received an early review copy through Netgalley. This is a nonfiction book about the reign of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. The authors reconstruct what is know about these two and how they became gods on Earth. Great book for those interested in Ancient Egypt and Akhenaten and the cult of Aten specifically.

Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix is a nonfiction book about the art of horror paperbacks from the 1970s and 80s. It focuses on the art but also on the how stories and certain novels changed the horror landscape. I don’t have a lot to say about this book but I enjoyed it.

The last book I read in April was Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. Mistborn is a fantasy novel where a thousand years ago the hero lost and now the evil overlord rules everything. But a rebellion is building. Kelsier who survived the worst punishment is getting a crew together to kill the Lord Ruler. Vin a young street urchin and thief has the power of a Mistborn that allows her to burn different melts to gain powers joins this crew to hopeful change the future. It took me a while to finish Mistborn but I did enjoy the characters and world and I plan to continue with the series.

Video Games:

In April I finished both Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Recoded which I do have full reviews posted for. Birth by Sleep is a prequal game to the original Kingdom Hearts game where we follow three keyblade wielders as they try to become keyblade masters and defeat the evil that is threating the worlds.

Recoded was a movie version of the Nintendo DS game. This game focuses on finding out the missing information that was in Jiminy’s journal and who Soar needs to help. I can’t say much about this one as I just watched the movie version but I do like the fact that we get information on what the note form Mickey was about at the end of Kingdom Hearts 2.