Books by Csenge

Welcome to my little bookish blog, my name is Csenge, I'm twenty years old and an English major! Stick around to read some YA book reviews, recommendations and let's talk all things bookish! 

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[cassandraclare]

hi cassie :) i've been a fan of the books since 2010 and it's been amazing to see how much they've grown in terms of popularity and audience. I would love to know whether you came up with the idea to write the eldest curses because of how popular Magnus became and the reaction to him or was the idea in your head from the beginning and you decided to finally write it :) also could i be cheeky and ask for a snippet from the lost book of the white preferably featuring Alec....

I was excited to write the story of Magnus and Alec Having An Adventure and Falling More In Love for a very long time, but my ability to do so was limited by the way publishing and distribution worked back in 2005, when I was initially trying to sell City of Bones. There was a lot more resistance to gay characters in YA at that time. A couple of publishers turned the book down because Alec, a gay character, was in it. The Barnes & Noble website page for City of Bones included a review from Commonsense Media where they gave it a content warning for “sexual content” just because of the presence of a gay character even though he never did anything sexual. A lot of big box stores refused to carry the book, and major children’s book clubs passed it over. 

I always hoped for systems to change. As the books grew more popular, and as times changed, I was able to include more of Magnus and Alec as the series went on. In fact, their presence in the story and on the page made a big jump starting in CoFA, at which point I received a surge of criticism from those who were upset that I was writing about Magnus and Alec more prominently. I remember having my books pulled from libraries; foreign translators cut scenes with Magnus and Alec in them; once I was standing in the middle of the street about to get into a car to take me to a school where I was going to do a talk about my books when my publicist came up and said we were no longer invited: the school had read about Magnus and Alec and they didn’t want me there. Or often, if I was at a school, I’d be asked not to talk about Magnus and Alec while speaking to the students.

I tried to walk a careful line, including Magnus and Alec (and later, Aline and Helen) as significant and meaningful characters, but still managing to keep schools, libraries, and reading groups from throwing the books out or locking them up where the kids who most needed to read them wouldn’t be able to access them at all.

I held onto the hope that attitudes would continue to shift, to allow for more freedom to write characters who accurately represent the population of the world we live in (and represent my own friends and family, on whom Alec and Helen specifically are based). Hope that I’d be able to expand roles for characters like Magnus and Alec, and over the past twelve years — partly as I’ve carved out my career in a way where I can take the sales hits that sometimes result from major LGBT+ inclusion, and partly because of so many brave writers, readers, editors and publishers who’ve pushed for change — I’ve been able to do so more and more. 

When I was writing CoFA, I purposefully left a gap where Magnus and Alec go on vacation, with the idea that someday I could go back and fill in that gap with a story focused on them. For a long time that wasn’t something that companies wanted to buy and publish. I could have self-published the series, but I wanted the books on the shelves in stores, on the “bestsellers” rack with every other book I’ve written, making a statement about how much people want this kind of book and these kind of characters. I chose to write the story now when I did because Simon and Schuster, my publisher, opened Saga Press, an imprint dedicated to expanding what you can do in YA and cross-publishing with adult fantasy/sci fi. It’s Saga that will be publishing The Eldest Curses.

I thought a lot about what to say here because of two things: one, that people don’t like to hear about pushback against writing non-straight characters — it’s depressing (it is), it seems distant, unreal, how can these old systems and thought processes still exist? We’ve had successful books with gay characters in them! We’re done, right? I guess all I can say is that I think there’s a value to illuminating the pushback because it underlines how important it is to keep supporting books with LGBT+ characters because we are not there yet; we’re not where those books are give the same budgets and marketing and push as books with straight casts, and it takes the support of readers and reviewers and bookstore and library buyers to get us there.

I’d also say that I know I’ll get criticism for saying I was careful in my portrayal of Magnus and Alec until I felt like I’d gotten to a place where even if the fact that they were in love, lived together, even had sex was shown or even just implied (as it is in CoFA) it wouldn’t mean the books were locked up in libraries and slapped with warning labels. I guess I can only say it’s hard to navigate a situation where you fear the very kids who need to read about Magnus and Alec won’t be able to. When you meet kids who say “This book saved my life” so many times, and you think “But what if you couldn’t get to it? What if your school wouldn’t carry it, or your library, or your Walmart, which in small towns is sometimes literally the only source of books?) I accept that criticism. We all face hard choices in life and we make complicated decisions we think are for the best, and being criticized for those decisions is part of living and learning.

I guess the only other thing I’d say is whatever shitty things were said to me over the years about Magnus and Alec, they pale in comparison to the shitty things said to writers like Malinda Lo and Scott Tracey who were writing their own lives and experiences in the form of LGB characters on the page — and as Malinda says, their pain at confronting homophobia/biphobia will always be more visceral and personal than mine.

If you go out and buy The Lost Book of the White of course I’ll be thrilled, and a lot of that will be because it’s a way to show publishers that this kind of media and these protagonists are wanted and desired by readers. But I’d be just as thrilled if you picked up any fantasy by an LGB+ writer with LBG+ characters in it. There’s a ton of wonderful stuff and I hope you’ll explore it.

[booksbycsenge]

Book Review - A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder & Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a YA mystery, followed by Good Girl, Bad Blood which is a direct sequel.

This year, I found myself in the mood for YA murder mysteries, and when I heard of Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I knew I had to pick it up. Before we get into the review, here’s a synopsis of Book 1;

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

The book was pretty much exactly what I expected - a teenager solving a murder case the police have long forgotten about. The whole concept seems a little hard to believe as a whole, seeing a seventeen-year-old high school girl running around solving a murder – but it works. (The story gave me Jughead and Betty vibes, if you watch Riverdale you’ll know what I mean.) Jackson’s writing and world building enables the reader to believe that such a thing is possible. She includes realistic elements such as spider diagrams drawn by Pip, which is exactly how a high school student would go about sorting through facts without having access to police files, etc. and the use of social media to find evidence in the case is also brilliant and realistic.

However, there were certain elements of the story which I didn’t quite like, one being a not-so-subtle hint at a possible murder suspect which the author seemed to have just thrown in there, but the characters made no comment about whatsoever. *spoilers* This hint was HH, the letters found in Andie’s journal which led Pip and Sal to the Ivy House Hotel. The pair knew that Andie was seeing an older guy before she died, which gave them reason to believe that said ‘older guy’ killed Andie. This is all fine, UNTIL they go the Ivy House Hotel and meet an older guy called Henry Hill (!!!) who acts super shady and there is ZERO mention of him being HH for the rest of the book. Now I know this may seem like a tiny little thing, but it drove me crazy.

All in all, I really enjoyed the story. It was fast paced, and though I felt there were certain parts which needed a little tweaking, I liked the ending and gave this book 3/5 stars!

The sequel, however, was AMAZING. I was getting extremely strong Bughead vibes throughout, and it was obvious that Jackson’s writing has improved since the first book and Good Girl, Bad Blood was UNPUTDOWNABLE. Here’s a synopsis;

Pip Fitz-Amobi is not a detective anymore. With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her. But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared but the police won’t do anything about it. And if they won’t look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town’s dark secrets along the way… and this time EVERYONE is listening.

Why the hell would a teenager be able to solve a mystery that the police either don’t care about, or have simply given up on? What I love about these books, is the fact that Jackson makes it possible and believable, that yes, a high school senior is indeed able to do these things. And she wrote the books and showed us how. I love the modern elements used by the author in this book such as using a FitBit to track Jamie’s steps and heartrate, allowing them to figure out where he was when he disappeared. The fact that Pip and Sal now have a podcast, their active use and mentioning of social media and comments is exactly what makes this book believable. If any teenager nowadays was to solve a mystery, it would have to be done using the internet and Jackson knows this, and used it to create something amazing.

The ending destroyed me. Seeing what Pip had to go through, and the injustice of the Max Hastings trial is so real. I don’t know if there will be a third book in the series, but if there is I am definitely excited to see how Pip deals with the trauma of what she’s been through, and I’d love to see her solve a mystery at Oxford.

Overall, the sequel gets a 5/5 stars from me!

[booksbycsenge]

Book Review : Crescent City - A House of Earth and Blood by SJ Maas SPOILER FREE

Synopsis:

BOUND BY BLOOD.

TEMPTED BY DESIRE.

UNLEASHED BY DESTINY.

Bryce Quinlan used to light up Crescent City, partying all night in the clubs where the strict classes of angel, shifter, human and Fae merge into a sea of beautiful bodies.

And then a demon murdered her closest friends.

Two years later, when the supposed killer is behind bars but the crimes start up again, the city’s leaders command Bryce to help investigate. They assign an enslaved fallen angel, Hunt Athalar, to make sure she does. But as Bryce fights to uncover the truth - and resist her attraction to the brooding angel who shadows her every step - she finds herself following a trail that leads deep into her own dark past.

Publisher: Bloomsbury

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Let’s start by saying that like with every other Sarah J Maas book, I had huge expectations for this one.

While the world is very different to that of Throne of Glass or A Court of Thorns and Roses as it takes futuristic elements and combines them with Norse mythology, there is a badass female protagonist and an-evil-at-first-sight-but-super-hot male love interest which screams Sarah J Maas.

The story starts off slow - at first I was a little skeptical about this, but in time I realised that the leisurely pace was necessary for setting up the world this story is set in as it’s so different to anything I have ever read before. We learn about the different social classes, the various ‘houses’ and Part I also gives us a feel of the world and creates a certain setting which enables us to picture Midgard for the remaining seven hundred pages.

The novel has its first heartfelt blow at the end of Part I caused by the death of Bryce’s closest friends, which is essentially the starting point of the story. Already I found myself teary-eyed, and I instantly knew this book was going to be no different to the rest of Maas’ creations. I was right.

As the story unfolds, we learn more and more about the world and the history of the two main characters is slowly revealed bit by bit allowing us to understand why each of them is the way they are - private, stubborn, protective. There is an awful lot of sexual tension throughout the book which is done really well by Maas and is partly what makes this book a really good adult fantasy book, at least for those who like a little sexual tension in their novels. However, the main character’s love interest is not the heart of the story and the main plot is not once neglected. There is a perfect balance between the romance, the mission and the many POVs allow us to never lose track of the plot, whether main or side, there is always excitement. There are also various unique fantasy elements throughout, such as the combination of drugs and magic, the ideal recipe for disaster which Maas explores in a truly exciting and fun way.

Overall, Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood is about a young woman who struggles to live her life following the death of her dearest friends in a world which is unfair and corrupt, filled with creatures from other realms who can be summoned by those brave (or evil) enough to try. We see a powerful father hiding his daughter’s identity from the world, and a brother desperate to keep his secret hidden. A slave, eager to flee from his master but knowing there is no way out until he is freed in the most unexpected way, and a friend, desperate to do the right thing.

I give this book 5/5 stars and I am looking forward to the sequel!

[proseandpeonies]

I’m so fuckin glad SJM decided to make Aelin’s mate have powers related to wind/air because he has the ability to both calm her flames or make them burn brighter and I think that’s the perfect analogy of what your partner should me

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Some stories stay with us forever . . .

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Digging in the Stars - Book Review

I was sent this book by Blaze Publishing to review and  at first I was a little worried about what I'll make of it as I'm not usually one to read science fiction. I was very pleased to find that I really enjoyed reading a book set in the year 2222, and loved exploring the planet of Thror through the eyes of a future archaeologist. The mystery of Conrad's disappearance was probably my favourite element in the story, though I must say I was also intrigued by the Throrians, and the planet itself. 

Though the story isn't fast-paced, it's written brilliantly with the use of a little humour which I absolutely adored. Professor P's personality and snide remarks made this book what it is and Katherine Blakeney's amazing writing and wild imagination left me longing to learn more about a planet very different to our own and left me yearning for a conclusion to Conrad and Carter's story! Overall, I give this novel 4 stars and look forward to reading more stories by Katherine Blakeney!

Digging in the Stars by Katherine Blakeney was published by Blaze Publishing ( https://www.instagram.com/blazepublishing/?hl=en ) and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.com/Digging-Stars-Katherine-Blakeney-ebook/dp/B01N1XMM2K/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1490702218&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=blazepubli20-20&linkId=0673c01f2eb95764fa765739616b5f2c

Make sure you guys check it out because I’m telling you, you won’t regret it! 

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Posting a little something special soon.....

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“Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone, I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One. I give ye my Spirit, 'til our Life shall be Done.”

-Diana Gabaldon, Outlander

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“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

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Reading is dreaming with open eyes ❤️

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"Reading is dreaming with open eyes" ❤️❤️

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"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - J.K Rowling Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 📚⚡️ Photo credit goes to my best friend, Elly, picsbyelle2016 on Instagram ❤️

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child bookshoot (part 2) ⚡️

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"I have always imagined that paradise will be kind of a library" - Jorges Luis Borges 📚🌸