Habits of Gentle Selfishness @habitsofgentleselfishness - Tumblr Blog

Posts

Ended the day with a discussion about why #weneeddiversebooks and a cool poster. Can't wait for next year's #baybookfest

#weneeddiversebooks #baybookfest

A Darker Shade of Magic

By V.E. Schwab

“Kell wore a very peculiar coat.

It had neither one side, which would be conventional, nor two, which would be unexpected, but several, which was, of course, impossible.”

A Darker Shade of Magic captures the imagination and won’t let go. The novel is a charming and dark tale of four Londons: Red London, shimmering and alive with the power of magic; Grey London, dreary as only the real world can be; White London, waning as the last dregs of magic are wielded by vicious tyrants, and Black London, consumed by the titular “Darker Shade of Magic” and sealed off from the outside worlds. Navigating these disparate realms is Kell, a rare breed of magical person known as an Antari, whose powerful magic make them feared and admired even as their numbers dwindle throughout the Londons.

Kell is a member of the royal family of Red London and they use his ability to move across the Londons as a way to send messages between the different rulers. Kell does as he is told, but also runs a black market, delivering trinkets to those who can sense the magic beyond their own world, and who can offer Kell something of interest in return. These transgressions are treasonous, and ultimately land Kell in possession of a dangerous magical artifact: a stone from Black London. Kell becomes embroiled in an inter-dimensional power struggle to posses the pure magic potential of the stone, and must join forces with a clever thief named Delilah “Lila” Bard as he fights to survive and destroy the stone. Lila Bard has grown up orphaned and penniless in Grey London, with only her wits to help navigate its dangerous streets. She longs for a life of adventure, free from the poverty and depression of the world around her, and Kell is her ticket out.

The story is most enjoyable when Kell and Lila are together. Schwab writes the characters lively dialogue with just a hint of flirtation, and often allows Lila the verbal upper-hand. Of course, nothing about this story would work without a fully realized world built up around the characters and Schwab has created at least three. The evocative prose creates worlds of dark glamour and seductive evil, punctuated by sharp banter and humor. When all is said and done, Kell and Lila are far from free, and the story is only beginning since this is the first of a three book (at least) series. A Darker Shade of Magic is a really fun read and will have you trying to explain the concept of “blood magic” to all your friends.

#darkershadeofmagic #ve schwab #kell #lila bard

bookriot

Inspired in part by the hilariously random Self Pop Tart meme from a few years ago, I thought it’d be fun (and equally random) to find pictures of people taking selfies and replacing the phones with, of course, books.

The result is surprisingly sweet. Look at how excited they all are to be reading! Now just imagine if everyone felt this way about sharing their favorite books.

habitsofgentleselfishness

Love this

Feeling super emotional and wonderful after seeing #InsideOut. Just silently wept in a theater full of small children and feeling pretty great about it😂

#insideout

People get weird about sports and I like it #CaringIsCreepy #DubNation

#caringiscreepy #dubnation

The Royal We

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Girl goes to England, girl meets heir to the British Monarchy, girl falls in love with said heir, girl drinks, girl has trouble making nice with his family, girl drinks, girl questions whether loving a prince is the best way to make a chill life for herself, girl drinks, girl gets happy ending...I’m guessing girl drinks at the reception. American college student, Rebecca “Bex” Porter, travels to England and finds herself sharing a dorm floor with Prince Nicholas of Great Britain. The rest is a not-so-simple march towards the alter, as Bex lives out a truly modern-day fairy tale. The story is a contemporary romance but surprised me with its sharp, funny dialogue and level-headed characters. Judging from the plot, I expected a rose-colored courtship and Eliza Doolittle levels of makeover magic. Those elements are present, BUT Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan also provide realistic insight into the tough realities of assimilating into, not just a different culture, but the single most important family representing that culture. The pressure that Bex feels in the face of intense public and personal scrutiny create surprisingly high emotional stakes. That internal struggle is much more interesting than the paparazzi drama, intimidating ex-girlfriends, and whiff of infidelity that drag the story on a little longer than it might need to be. Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (aka the Fug Girls) write hilarious dialogue and make it look easy, and the cast of supporting characters surrounding Bex and Nick get some of the best lines. Speaking of Nick, the prince at the heart of this story is mostly absent, as the story is told from the POV of Bex. Because of this, Nick as a character never made a huge impression on me, but he did have a few funny and warm moments that help the reader understand the attraction that makes it all worth it for Bex. The Royal We comes in at just shy of 500 pages, but I breezed through it in a single weekend, buoyed along by the fun dialogue and well-drawn characters.

#theroyalwe #fuggirls #fiction #romance