Ravenous Reader

My mom always says that I don't read books: I devour them. There might be some truth there. I read anything from fantasy to romance to fanfic and lots more.

[ravenousreaderhere]

Weekly Reading Roundup #7

Life is crazy. I didn’t get nearly as far as I wanted to with my theme for the week, which is: how much can I read from the collection of things I’ve been meaning to read? Pretty simple. Anyway, on to the reading.

Books Baking with Less Sugar by Joanne Chang My take? An excellent cookbook filled with wonderful looking recipes. I have yet to try any, but I’m quite excited to. Chang makes it seem really easy and clear to create fantastic pastries. All Women are Healers by Diane Stein So far? I’m really enjoying it, but I have some concerns. First is how well her information would stand up to rigorous investigation. It feels like…pseudo-religion? The religious equivalent of pseudoscience. She has some good points, but also appeals to a general sense of world calamity and sense that everything is going wrong. Not saying it isn’t, but I prefer a calmer read. There is a distinct radical feminist influence. One of the major themes from how far I’ve gotten is the use of crystals and gemstones. Making Americans by Desmond King So far? This would be of interest to those who care about how “whiteness” and races were defined in early America, as well as people interested in the history of discrimination. It’s pretty dry, and I can’t imagine why anyone would pick it up if they weren’t interested in such things.

Fanfiction Utterly Barbaric by weatherwings My take? A convoluted but engaging Marriage Law fanfic, eventually supposed to feature Severus/Hermione. It seems to have very, very slow updates, but a committed author with a plan. The romance is very slow and takes a backseat to Hermione’s struggle for marital freedom, which makes for an interesting read. Link.

Articles “The Freshest Ideas Are in Small Grocery Stores” by Kim Severson My take? An intriguing, encouraging look at ways grocery stores can be sustainable — both economically sustainable and a few examples that are more environmentally sustainable. Interesting if you are interested in food. Link.  “If Everyone Ate Beans Instead of Beef” by James Hamblin My take? This article is mainly notable because it explains (very clearly) the impact of one small dietary change on carbon emissions. Link. “Some Books Can Kill” by Allison Meier My take? A short, curious read about the history of arsenic in bookbinding. Link. “The Last Conversation You’ll Ever Need to Have About Eating Right” by Mark Bittman and David L. Katz My take? This was a really good read. Bittman is direct, clear, and somewhat entertaining. The details about food ring true, and the article is very sensible — not at all sensational, very understanding of humanity, and quite thorough. I strongly recommend reading this. Link.

[ravenousreaderhere]

Weekly Reading Roundup #6

I’m going to try and actually post these again... Except on Saturdays. So here is the roundup, from last Saturday to this Friday. And we have a theme this week: how many books relating to either witchcraft or a research project can I read? Answer: significantly less than I was expecting.

Books

Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch by Rachel Patterson My take? This overview of a ton of witchcraft things, focused on down to earth methods, was an interesting read. Useful for reference and as a springboard for figuring out what things are and if you’re interested, but not in-depth — more superficial coverage. Nice writing style. Note: no bibliography, references, or further reading.

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen by Scott Cunningham My take? This is a reasonably lengthy work on the various uses of food in magic. If interested, the section on holidays is quite useful. Sometimes Cunningham has a strange, ironic sense of humor, which I enjoyed as a nice contrast to the encyclopedic tendency of the book. Even if you’re not interested in the magical parts, the lore (stories and superstitions) behind foods can be fascinating. There is also an extensive (and useful) bibliography.

Garden Witchery by Ellen Dugan My take? Dugan has a very nice tone — friendly, casual, and informal. I quite enjoyed reading it. Parts were written in second person, which I actually found myself appreciating, and I found the book highly interesting. It’s very specifically geared towards people interested in garden witchcraft, gardening, or witchcraft related to nature; she also includes quite a number of personal anecdotes that I found made the book rather personal. There is a decent bibliography.

Ellis Island Nation by Robert Fleegler My take? This is a fascinating, approachable take on how immigration policy changed from 1882 to 1965 and why. There’s a heavy focus on societal perceptions of immigrants, centering around Fleegler’s concept of contributionism. One method of analysis that Fleegler uses to discuss how society thinks about immigration is by examining high school history textbooks, something I find interesting. This remains an academic argument, so while engaging and approachable, it’s a narrow field of interest.

Making Americans by Desmond King So far? This book is less accessible than Fleegler — much more academic, much drier. It focuses more on how Americans think about immigration (topics such as multiculturalism, hyphenated Americans, melting pot). I’m not all that far into it, and I’m finding it hard to get through.

Fanfiction

Luna Piena by brneyedgrrl My take? Jacob/Bella. Apologies to the author, but I just couldn’t get through this. Bella is, ahem, too in-character for my taste as the protagonist, and it just couldn’t hold my attention. Link.

Jacob’s Baby by LeahAnne My take? Jacob/Bella. Again, many apologies to the author, but I couldn’t stick with it. It felt too superficial. Bella was being a bitch. I’m simply not into drama with Leah unless it’s written amazingly. Link. 

Articles

“Fighting the vanilla thieves of Madagascar” by Nancy Kacungira My take? This was an absolutely fascinating look at an flavor I take for granted. Who would’ve thought that vanilla has been more expensive than silver by weight on and off for the past two years? Definitely worth a read. Link.

[ravenousreaderhere]

Wednesday Weekly Roundup #5

Yeah, I realize it’s actually been like four months since I posted one of these. School took priority. Regardless, here’s what I’ve been reading since June 1st: 

Books Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake My thoughts can be found here. Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler So far? A slow, leisurely read that is incredibly interesting. I like how it connects Bible stories to tangible descriptions.

Fanfiction Size Matters by REwrites My take? This was a sweet, smut-based Sirius and Remus get together story. The dialogue was entertaining, the sex was fun, and I enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Sirius/Remus; it was enjoyable, but it is not the incredible epic fics that are the cream of the crop. Link.  Virus by JayEz My take? This was decent but not spectacular. There is altogether too much sex for 15-17 year olds to be having in reality, unless I seriously missed something in high school. The plot kept my attention, though, and it was well-written. Draco/Harry is the main pairing (and well done, in my opinion) with Sirius/Remus in the background. Link.  Five Doctors Ianto Shagged (And One He Wouldn’t Touch with Someone Else’s) by remuslives23 My take? This also falls into the entertaining, short, smutty fic category — though Torchwood and Doctor Who rather than Harry Potter. I really enjoy almost everything remuslives23 writes, and this was quite fun to read. The author’s ideas about what Ianto gets up to were imaginative. I heartily recommend this for any Ianto fans. Link.  Our Private Universe by busaikko My take? I loved this fic. It’s a oneshot (one chapter), but it feels full and rich — it felt like a love story that dealt with the depth and breadth of emotion, all in about 12k words. I wish I had more of it, honestly, and I would firmly recommend it to any Sirius/Remus fans or Harry Potter fans looking for a good romantic fic. Link.  To Have and To Hold by andrea_readwolf My take? This was a delightful read, with various plot twists and a completely unexpected, but very sweet, main pairing. There was also lots of fluff. Link.   Vanteeria Domestica by andrea_readwolf So far? A fantastic read, full of interesting relationships. It’s Harry in a polyamorous relationship with some very interesting takes on magical inheritance. Harry inheriting interesting things or abilities is one of my favorites to read, so I’m loving it. I can’t wait for the author to finish! Link.  Willing by DebsTheSlytherinSnapeFan So far? This story is interesting and has caught my fancy for now, but it’s riddled with grammar mistakes and poor sentence structure. It’s Harry/Severus, which I usually dislike but works in this story. I don’t recommend this unless you can get past the technical errors, but otherwise a good story. Link.   

[ravenousreaderhere]

Creepy Queens

PI just finished Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, and I really enjoyed it. I picked it up to have an enjoyable read after a long semester, and I certainly got that. This book tells the tale of three queens who are being raised to their sixteenth birthday, upon which they have to battle it out (of sorts) for one crown. Each of the queens has a magical gift: one is a poisoner, one is a naturalist, and one is an elemental. These gifts are supposed to be what they use to assassinate their competitors. The story ensnared me, as the characters were highly entertaining and the context unfolded very slowly. Rather than the situation and setting being explained to the reader, they were shown bit by bit as one keeps reading the tales surrounding these three queens. 

It is a bit gruesome at times, and it is a rather dark tale, but it is somehow enthralling. I highly recommend it and I look forward to the sequel. 

(SPOILERS: The title of this post was originally “Creepy Queens Who Have Yet to Kill Each Other”, but it was too long and rather revealed the end of the book.)

Title? Three Dark Crowns. Author? Kendare Blake. Page count? 560, in ebook form (I wanted more). Rating? a heavy PG-13 (for obliquely described sex and grotesque encounters with poison). My take? A dark tale that makes for an engaging read.

[ravenousreaderhere]

Such Excellent Orphans

So... Last weekend I binge-read like 12 or 13 fanfics from the AO3 orphaned fanfic account. Some were crap, but there was a selection of really, really good ones. Most of the stellar ones involve Sirius/Remus; most of them are also by - I think - the same author, who writes non-magical present day AU’s that usually have an incredibly diverse cast of characters. Frequently Sirius is Deaf. Once in a while Remus or Sirius is blind. Almost all the time Sirius doesn’t fit into the gender binary, though his gender varies. 

There are a couple things I really love about this series of works. One of them is how inclusive the writing is. There are characters that represent so many people: lesbian, gay, pansexual, genderfluid, trans, Deaf, asexual, children of immigrants, straight... Quite the variety. Furthermore, this variety usually isn’t the point of the plot; it’s in the background, so it doesn’t feel at all contrived. 

Another thing I really enjoy is how much the characters’ relationships are part of the plot including the relationships that aren’t the main couple. A lot of the time, James is incredibly touchy-feely and has a very close friendship with Sirius. That is part of the plot, and I really like it. Consent is also dealt with quite nicely. It took me a while to realize it, since it’s rather subtly done, but characters make consent a priority. I could keep going, because these works are really great, but instead here are their titles and a few fic-specific comments...

Love Whilst Looking: This one was very sweet. A bakery is a major part of it, and the baked goods sounded so delicious I got hungry. 

Without Translation: Possibly one of my favorites, if I have to pick favorites. Sirius is Deaf and Remus only has the use of one hand, and this fic centers on them figuring out how to be a couple despite the communication barrier. 

To Reach the Soul: Lots of dancing and lots of Remus doing things to get to know Sirius even though they make him anxious. Don’t worry, this author never falls into the ‘mental problem gets cured by significant other’ camp.

Other’s Woe: Remus has to work with stupid, bigoted people for a university project and Sirius makes it easier. 

Sight of the Stars: Remus is blind, and when a treatment becomes available he and Sirius work through what to do. 

Tumblr Trash series: These were really good. They were cute and sweet and involved all the best aspects of tumblr (inclusiveness and community and all). I quite enjoyed them.

To Be Understood: In this one Remus works as a guide dog instructor (of sorts), and Sirius is convinced by James to get a second guide dog after his dies. Sirius/Remus/James.

Colour Me Inside Out: Another threesome one; this time James is a single dad with Harry. The negotiating of a three person relationship is done quite well.

There are even more, and they’re really good too, but this post is long enough. Remember, all of these fics are on AO3′s orphaned account. 

[ravenousreaderhere]

Wednesday Roundup #4

Books The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett My thoughts can be found here.  The Great Convergence by Joseph R. Lallo So far? I’m enjoying this, though I’m not nearly as engrossed as I was before one of my favorite characters died. I’m hoping she’s not actually dead… A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn So far? This is only getting better as I go along. I’m completely past the Revolutionary War and reading about different minorities in early US history, and it’s very good. Outline of US History by the Bureau of International Information Programs, US State Department. So far? This is getting more and more boring. Comparing it to A People’s History is fun, but on its own it’s dull. Principles of Economics by Gregory N. Mankiw So far? This is mostly dull with some fascinating parts, which is about what I’d expect from an economics textbook. Unfortunately, I have to read large parts of it for class; otherwise, I’d never keep reading it. I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong So far? I really like the style, and the content is bizarre and intriguing. This provides a good contrast to my economics textbook (to clarify: this is a fun book, not for class). 

Fanfiction Bundle of Joy by LadyTuesday My take? A fun, intelligent story of Hermione and Severus coming together in a rather unexpected way — Hermione places a personal ad for a sperm donor. It was a good read; I enjoyed it. Link.  To Protect That Which is Most Precious by Kallanit My take? A mostly okay read featuring Hermione long past Hogwarts and how she gets involved with Severus. Also, there’s a kid. The Hermione/Severus relationship just kinda happens, though, which I really didn’t like, and there’s no working out of potential issues in the relationship. Another complaint is that a lot of the backstory and character development happens in long, drawn-out dialogue that I find unrealistic. It was decent enough to read all the way through, though. Link.  The Witchhiker’s Guide to Beltane by TeddyRadiator My take? Oh my word, this fic was so good. So good. Hermione and Severus are shoved into roles as the High Priestess and High Priest at a Beltane ceremony, and their relationship develops on the way. It’s hilarious, too, and something completely out of the ordinary. I heartily recommend it. Link.   A Portrait’s Preeminence by CRMediaGal My take? A curious, short look at Severus turned portrait in Hermione’s office. I’ve read a better rendition of this, but this one is rather sweet. It’s not especially good, but it’s entertaining enough. Link. 

[ravenousreaderhere]

Medieval Soap Opera, With Monks

I just finished The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett at the recommendation of my boyfriend. And oh my word... it’s good. It’s really good. It’s also really long and has more to do with monks, cathedral building and church intrigue than I thought I’d ever enjoy, but I loved it. The story is very complex - any attempt to sum it up would be extremely difficult - but it follows the lives of a couple different groups who all intersect in messy ways. It takes forever, but all the different strands eventually come together in an incredibly satisfactory way. 

This book is not for you if you dislike cathedrals or can’t bring yourself to care about the daily life of medieval monks. This book is not for you if you are impatient about everything happening quickly. This book is not for you if you are sensitive to rape and no one is around to tell you what pages to skip. However, this book is for you if you want an excellently told story with all sorts of drama set in the Middle Ages. The story feels incredibly real to me; Follett has a way of writing that makes the characters and setting seem tangible. Follett also seems to like torturing his characters, as every time one thread of the plot is solved more problems come up. It’s a masterpiece, and I heartily enjoyed it. 

Title? The Pillars of the Earth. Author? Ken Follett. Page count? 1940, in ebook edition on my computer (it’s epically long, but I wanted every page of it). Rating? definitely R (gratuitous violence and explicit, sometimes disturbing sex). My take? A fantastic epic-length tale of medieval drama.  

[ravenousreaderhere]

Wednesday Weekly Roundup #3

Books: Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown My thoughts can be found here.  A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn So far? An enjoyable, enlightening book that reminds me of AP US History. This is thick book #1. Outline of US History by the Bureau of International Information Programs, US State Department. So far? A sometimes superficial, frequently boring retelling of US History. I picked it for contrast with A People’s History — they make a rather stark contrast. A Heartless Design by Elizabeth Cole My take? A book that is in equal parts romantic and suspenseful, with a dose of history: Regency era, lots of spying and intrigue. It would make a good beach read; it’s not a book of substance, but it is quite fun. The Book of Deacon by Joseph R. Lallo This was thick book #2. My thoughts can be found here.  The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett So far? I am incredibly absorbed in the story and I am really impressed with it. Furthermore, I’m quite enjoying it. This is thick book #3, and the largest book I’m working on at the moment (1940 pages in ebook form). The Great Convergence by Joseph R. Lallo So far? This reads pretty much like The Book of Deacon, which makes sense, as it’s the sequel. I couldn’t wait to pick up the sequel. It has yet to disappoint. Bury Me Standing by Isabel Fonseca So far? A slow, entertaining memoir that focuses on the history and traditions of the Gypsies. Good, but not nearly as entrancing as some of the other books I’m working on.

Fanfiction: And They Didn’t Live Happily Ever After by Betz So far? I love this fic. I really love this fic. And it’s updating more quickly than usual! Link. 

Articles/Essays: “Ancient Wisdom Reveals 6 Rituals That Will Make You Happy” from Barking Up The Wrong Tree My take? An incredibly interesting look at applying Stoic philosophers to everyday modern life with an eye to minimizing negative emotions. The title is probably the worst part of the essay, so don’t let that stop you from reading about these concepts to improve how you think about things. Link. 

“Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees” from the UN So far? This is my first serious reading for class this semester. It is quite interesting in the sense of applying it to what’s going on in current events, but it is dull in the sense of it’s a series of laws, not a story. The treaty is available online here. 

[ravenousreaderhere]

For Fans of Eragon

I subscribe to an awesome email thing that sends me what books are free or deeply discounted on iBooks that day. It’s great. The Book of Deacon by Joseph R. Lallo is one such book that I got for free: I was anticipating some short, mediocre fantasy novel, but instead I got a long, reasonably good fantasy novel. Imagine - from the Inheritance series - cramming the books Eragon and Eldest into one novel, except with a completely different conception of magic and a female main character. This book is not fast-paced. It is the opposite. There is lots of in-depth magical lessons and trudging through snow and character development - and it is good. 

The book partially follows a hero’s journey/quest type scenario, but not completely, and it is pretty typical for a fantasy novel (again, reads similarly to Eragon and Eldest). One thing sets it apart, though. The main character is a pacifist: she hates violence, and in the situations she gets thrown into it makes her character very interesting. (It makes the plot more interesting when someone close to her is revealed to be a very active participant in violence, too.) My one criticism is that entire sections of text could be taken out and it wouldn’t change the plot, so perhaps those sections of text should’ve been shortened or removed. However, it clearly isn’t too much of a criticism, as I actually spent money to buy the next book. All in all, an enjoyable read. 

Title? The Book of Deacon. Author? Joseph R. Lallo. Page count? 1146 (in the ebook version on my phone - more like 450 pages on my computer). Rating? a very light PG-13 (for detailed violence and descriptions of death). My take? A good, enjoyable read - not especially original, but captivating enough to draw me in. 

[ravenousreaderhere]

Be An Adult. Maybe.

The other day I finished Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown. It was pretty good. The book is divided into a series of topics that each have steps that you can or should or might do to act like an adult (or be one - it’s kinda the same thing, really). The book is engaging, funny, and contains useful advice. 

However, to me this book was just another book in the sea of advice books. It was funnier than others I’ve read, and it was aimed at the awkward transition from maybe being an adult to really being an adult, which is rare and really cool, but apart from all that it was just a book of advice and useful tips. I’d prefer to own a copy rather than get it out of the library for easy reference (libraries are cool, though. Support your libraries!), but with my tight budget I can find most of the helpful content on the internet. It was a fun read, but, again, nothing I can’t get online. I did appreciate the style, though, and I’m sure it’d make a lovely present for the average twentysomething. It just would never be worth purchasing on my own dime. 

Title? Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps. Author? Kelly Williams Brown. Page count? 530 (in ebook form, though it felt shorter). Rating? PG-13 (rated for the frank discussion of sex, drugs, and alcohol that is expected of twentysomethings). My take? A fun read with some helpful content, but not really worth purchasing if you’re familiar with the internet. 

[ravenousreaderhere]

The Brooklyn Brujas, Book 1

I found a book that might top The Raven Boys. It’s Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova, and it’s really good. It has magic, struggles about personal identity, entertaining characters, an intriguing world, and a possibly bisexual main character. It follows a hero’s journey/quest-like plot (protagonist goes on a quest to save a thing, in this case her family, after being reluctant about her powers is pretty common), but the magic and the world it’s set in are, well, not new, but certainly not common. 

I really enjoyed the growth of the main character throughout the story: it was a tale of accepting one’s self and the gifts one has. Alex (protagonist) has to learn that her magic is a part of her and a gift; I thought this part of the novel was done really well. I also thought that the characters were all realistic - they had flaws and personal quirks and all. Sometimes these flaws were more apparent than others, and the characters seemed to face consequences and learn from their mistakes (*cough* like accidentally sending your family members to another dimension *cough*). I also really appreciated the Latin@ side to the story - most of the characters are Latin@ of some variety, the magic is of Latin American influence, and I thought this aspect was done in a way that is accessible to non-Latin@ as well as showcasing the depth of the main characters’ culture. 

Title? Labyrinth Lost. Author? Zoraida Cordova. Page count? 552 (in ebook form). Rating? PG-13 (for violence and sacrifices and having some general dark themes like evil women dominating other dimensions)(my ratings aren’t an exact science, can you tell?). My take? A really good novel with great characters and a great world - worth the read for anyone who enjoys fantasy and magic. 

[ravenousreaderhere]

Wednesday Weekly Roundup #2

Books: A Heartless Design by Elizabeth Cole So far, so…fun. I’m nearing the end of this one — it’s as if a Regency era romance turned into a spy novel. It won’t win any awards, but it’s quite fun. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater My thoughts can be found here.  A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn So far, so…bluntly enlightening. I’m almost to the Revolutionary War in the book. I’m looking forward to reading more. Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova My thoughts are forthcoming. Suffice to say that I thought it was really good.

Fanfiction: And They Didn’t Live Happily Ever After by Betz My take? This fic is so good — really, really good, in fact. It deserves an entire post when it’s completed. This week the author posted another chapter that I gobbled up with delight. Link.  Ignis Tactus by IShouldBe My take? I was thoroughly caught up in what little there is of this fic. This fic is unfinished, fyi. The plot line was original and the ideas seemed cool. I do remember thinking that Severus and Hermione just kind of fall together rather than fleshing out their relationship. Link.   Convergence by IShouldBe My take? This spin on the Marriage Law Challenge (Hermione/Severus) was quite good. It’s not an epic with a complicated plot; it’s just a few chapters with a simple plot, but it’s well-done, fun, and the characters are great. Also, the sex is good. Link.   Second Life by Lariope My thoughts can be found here. 

Articles/Essays Worth Reading: “What Abortion in America Looks Like Right Now” by Alexa Tsoulis-Reay My take? This article — composed of seven stories of real people to do with abortion — was emotional and fuel to fire the desire for action with women’s rights in the US right now. It was a good read for directly after the women’s march. My views on abortion are…complicated, but this article portrays the human side of a controversial issue quite well. Link.

“22 Time-Saving Life Hacks You Need To Start Using Daily” by Marius Ursache My take? An incredibly useful, thought-provoking list of ideas. My energy is somewhat limited and my schedule can get rather full, so I hope to utilize some of these concepts; most of them feel like the kind of thing where you know it’s true on some level and the author finally put words to something you knew deep down anyway. Link.

“The Imminent Decline of Contemporary Worship Music: Eight Reasons” by T. David Gordon My take? An excellent, critical analysis of the future (and present situation) of contemporary worship music (in Christian churches). For people who attend Christian worship services or listen to contemporary worship music, this is well worth a read — it’s thoughtful and the author did his homework. Link.

[ravenousreaderhere]

More, Please

I just finished rereading The Raven Boys. It’s so good. I’m not sure I can aptly describe how much I enjoyed it. The magic is enchanting and equal parts odd and interesting, the characters are like people, and the story is fantastic. I want to read the next one, and I want it now...except I have to wait until I can check it out from the library. It might be a long wait. 

Blue, the main character, is supposed to be 16, except she doesn’t sound 16. She sounds older and more mature. The boys are all interesting in their own ways, and the dynamics between them are great. One of the few things I would complain about is that I sense an impending love triangle, but as of yet no one has acted on possible romantic feelings. Another possible complaint is that one of my favorite characters is a dick, but at least he’s realistic. Regardless of small complaints, this book is intriguing and fascinating and excellent. 

Title? The Raven Boys. Author? Maggie Stiefvater. Page count? 678 (in ebook form). Rating? PG (for light swearing and some violence and creepiness). My take? An excellent read that left me eagerly awaiting the next book. 

[ravenousreaderhere]

The Exception to the Rule

I usually don’t read Severus/Hermione fics where Severus is still her professor, I usually shun Severus/Hermione fics where the classroom and the bedroom collide, and I usually ban Severus/Hermione fics from my reading list where the author tries to mash their relationship into the plot from the books... Except Second Life by Lariope broke all those boundaries. Hermione and Severus are pushed together (*cough* Dumbledore *cough*) into marriage and their marriage is used as a means to an end. Severus and Hermione remain in a professor-student relationship, and there’s a rather entrancing scene in which they approach sex with Severus as her instructor. All of this runs parallel to the plot from the sixth and seventh books. 

And... It’s remarkably good. The characters are well-done - flawed, realistic, and some of them exceptionally witty - and the plot complements canon. I heartily recommend it to all Severus/Hermione fans. People skeptical of the pairing should note that common objections to the pairing are not addressed very well: things like the age gap, the prior professor-student relationship, or them seeming unlike each other. Their relationship just kind of happens. However, that is a small criticism of an excellent work.

Title? Second Life. Author? Lariope. Word count? 231,591. Rating? R (for lovely explicit sex and the violence that naturally follows a climactic battle with a megalomanic wizard. Also, some swearing). My take? A really good read, filled with great characters and a well-done plot.

[ravenousreaderhere]

Wednesday Weekly Roundup

I’m going to try a new thing where every Wednesday I give a list of what I’ve been reading in the past week, Thursday through Wednesday, with short blurbs about things I haven’t written about and links to things I did write about. We’ll see how it goes... 

Books: The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis My thoughts can be found here: http://ravenousreaderhere.tumblr.com/post/156349501452/the-screwtape-letters  The Midnight Sea by Kat Ross My thoughts can be found here: http://ravenousreaderhere.tumblr.com/post/156186365432/philosophical-questions-at-breakneck-speed Love and Shenanigans by Zara Keane My take? A very fun read, with fluff, romance, and interesting characters. This is certainly not good literature or something to brandish as proof that one reads thought-provoking, intelligent works; however, it is perfect for a bit of fun of the romantic variety.

Fanfiction: The Panther and The Lioness by Valenque Hermione Granger/Severus Snape My take? Good, but not stellar. It’s not the most well-developed or mature marriage law story I’ve read, but I enjoyed it. Link. To See and Keep Silent by Toodleoo Hermione Granger/Severus Snape My take? This was one of the most intriguing marriage law stories I’ve ever read (not the best, mind, but still really good). It’s very short, but it is quite the good read and a creative take on a plot that’s used very frequently. Link. Once More, With Feeling by Ramos Hermione Granger/Severus Snape My take? Another creative story that involves marriage laws. This one was also really good and definitely worth the read. I found the dialogue between Severus and Hermione quite entertaining. Link. Matrimony by ladyofthemasque Hermione Granger/Severus Snape My take? While not a marriage law fic exactly, this has some of the same themes. I found the portrayal of Severus to be quite good. This one is also worth the read. Link. Indecorous by Basingstoke Sherlock Holmes/John Watson/Mary Morstan (OC, not from the series) — a BBC Sherlock fic My take? Really, really good. This fic revolves entirely around the relationship of the characters and the development of the characters because of said relationship. Also, the sex is creative, hot, and exploratory (and good with things like enthusiastic consent and safer sex steps). An excellent fic — one I’ve returned to multiple times — funny, original, and just good. Link.

[ravenousreaderhere]

The Screwtape Letters

Yesterday I finished reading The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis. It was very nice to return to Lewis; I always enjoy his writing and The Screwtape Letters was no different. The book is composed of a series of letters from one devil, Screwtape, to another, Wormwood. Wormwood is in the process of trying to affect a human such that that human turns away from God and goes to Hell after he dies. The advice that Screwtape gave at first was really hard for me to read. It felt so dastardly and cruel, and I didn’t like seeing active attempts to turn someone away from God. However, as the story went on, it got easier for me. 

I wound up being rather fascinated by how insightful the commentary was regarding human nature and faith. The understanding of people that’s displayed is rather remarkable - what people do and think and how they react. As always, Lewis was quite thought-provoking. I’m not sure if I’d read the book again, but it was definitely worth it. 

My edition of the book included “Screwtape Proposes a Toast” at the end, a separate essay written by Lewis after the book itself. I found this to be a bit less fascinating, though it had humorous moments. 

Title? The Screwtape Letters. Author CS Lewis. Page count? 250 pages (less if you don’t include the essay at the end). Rating? PG-13 (some commentary to do with sex, lots about Hell, not exactly a book for kids). My take? a fascinating, interesting read that was incredibly thought-provoking.

[ravenousreaderhere]

Philosophical Questions at Breakneck Speed

I just finished one of the better fiction books I’ve read in a while. It was good - quite good. It was so good it kept me from doing things I ought to do. This book is The Midnight Sea by Kat Ross. It takes place during the beginning of Alexander the Great’s reign, set in the Persian empire at the time (the Achaemenid empire, to be precise). While there are historical figures in the novel, most characters are not people who existed in history, and the author took many liberties with what one would learn in a history class. (Read the author’s notes in the back: the one where Ross is talking about fact/fiction is pretty entertaining.)

The main character is bound to a magical being, a daeva, as part of her chosen career path. This is part of a big, complicated history of the Druj - the large classification for a number of evil beings - and how they interact with humans. And religion, and society, and politics, and the main character’s (Nazfareen) questioning of the morality of it all. It’s quite the complicated tale, and very fast paced once Nazfareen is out of training. I greatly enjoyed it. I do have one fairly major complaint: the next book isn’t out yet. Other than that, it’s a good read. 

Title? The Midnight Sea. Author? Kat Ross. Page count? 653 (I wanted more...). Rating? somewhere between PG-13 and R (lots of violence, some mentions of sex, brief swearing, torture, gratuitous beheadings of evil creatures). My take? quite good, though I advise not reading if one has urgent, pressing things to be distracted from.