#echo north

[theinquisitxor]

October Reading Wrap Up

October was a great reading month and I got through ten(!) books in the month. That's more than I've read in a while, so it felt good to be able to know I can still read that many. I read some spooky/halloweenish books, as well as continued a few series, and finished a series.

1.Son of the Shadows (Sevenwaters 2) by Juliet Marillier, 5/5 stars. I started the month with reading the second Sevenwaters book. Just like with book 1, I enjoyed this immensely, and I found the characters and storyline to be strong and engaging. This one is even more romance heavy than the first books. Adult historical fantasy

2.Paladin's Hope (Saint of Steel 3) by T. Kingfisher, 4.5/5 stars. Another good installment in this series and new mystery that our characters are faced with. This one was a bit shorter than the first two books, and I wish this was a little longer, but otherwise it was great as always! Adult fantasy romance

3.The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got That Way by Bill Bryson This was my nonfiction book for the month, and I read this on audio. Enjoyable, but I felt like it was a little dated. I've read other more recent books on linguistics, and enjoyed them more. Nonfiction.

4.Echo North by Joanna Ruth Mayer, 4/5 stars. This was an enjoyable YA fantasy, and a good blend of fairytales I really enjoy. I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but this reminded me of some of the 'older' YA that is really good. East of the Sun West of the Moon, batb, cupid & psyche retellings all blended together. The author also credits Robin McKinley, DWJ, and Edith Pattou as big inspirations, and I could tell. YA fantasy

5.Last Argument of Kings (First Law 3) by Joe Abercrombie, ?/5 stars. I honestly was so done reading this trilogy, and just wanted to know how it ended so I could just finish it. I skimmed most of it, and only read the Glokta chapters and the ending. This type of fantasy is 100% not for me. I only finished the series because my brother gifted me the boxed set (and he read them). Adult fantasy

6.I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacquline Harpman, 5/5 stars. This is a lesser known classic that's gotten some popularity recently. It's part dystopian, part science fiction, and reminded me a little of The Wall which I read earlier this year. Very poignant, dark, but an exploration of self and a woman on her own. This is translated from French!

7.A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher, 4/5 stars. Another good T Kingfisher fairy tale retelling (however this was quite loose on the retelling), but also dark, featuring child abuse and animal horror. But there is humor, and a good cast of adult characters trying to fix the situation, and I like how T Kingfisher writes competent adults.

8.Witch Week (Chrestomanci 3) by Diana Wynne Jones, 3/5 stars. I started this on audio, but finished with the physical book. Can't say I enjoyed this one as much as the first two. This just reminded me of how horrible middle school was! A good halloween time read though. Middle grade fantasy.

9.The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky, 4/5 stars. This is a historical fantasy that has been on my tbr since 2019. This is light on the fantasy elements, and about first contact between Inuit and Vikings in present-day Canada about 1000 years ago. Our main character is an Inuit shaman, and they and a viking have to team up to save the land and their peoples. Super detail rich and well written.

10. Graveyard Shift by ML Rio, 4/5 stars. A good read for Halloween, and excited to see that ML Rio is publishing again! A thriller about 5 people trying to discover who made a new grave in an abandoned graveyard. As someone who works in academia, I liked the academia element in this story, I only wish it was longer!

I'm on track to finish my Goodreads Reading Challenge this year, which is 80 books. Usually I get somewhere in the 90s, but not this year I guess. For Nov and December, I'm planning on finishing the Sevenwaters series, and Chrestomanci, so I'll be prioritizing those books.

November tbr:

The Scorpio Races (reread on audio)

Child of the Prophecy (Sevenwaters 3)

Heir to Sevenwaters (Sevenwaters 4)

Chrestomanci: The Magicians of Caprona (book 4)

Paladin's Fate (Saint of Steel 4)

Nonfiction

The Word for Woman is Wilderness

Cape Cod (on audio?)

The Virgin in the Garden

[novelmonger]

Fortnight of Books, Day 6

Favorite cover of the year award goes to:

So stylish, yet so simple. All the right symbolism.

Most beautifully-written book you read in 2024?

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp is written in a very poetic, almost stream-of-consciousness style. I'm sure it's not for everyone, and sometimes I did wish she would just say some things more clearly and directly. But you can't deny the power of a passage like this:

I know there is poor and hideous suffering, and I've seen the hungry and the guns that go to war. I have lived pain, and my life can tell: I only deepen the wound of the world when I neglect to give thanks for early light dappled through leaves and the heavy perfume of wild roses in early July and the song of crickets on humid nights and the rivers that run and the stars that rise and the rain that falls and all the good things that a good God gives. Why would the world need more anger, more outrage? How does it save the world to reject unabashed joy when it is joy that saves us? Rejecting joy to stand in solidarity with the suffering doesn't rescue the suffering. The converse does. The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest Light to all the world. When we lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our cracked and dry places, let joy soak into our broken skin and deep crevices, life grows. How can this not be the best thing for the world? For us? The clouds open when we mouth thanks.

[suzannahnatters]

HEY GUYS I'M COMING TO THE US LET'S MEET UP ~ Book Signing Event!!! ~ WHERE: Barnes & Noble Polaris in Columbus, Ohio WHEN: June 11th from 2-5 PM WITH: RJ Anderson, W.R. Gingell, Rosamund Hodge, and Joanna Ruth Meyer!

Let me just rave about my chums for a minute - - R.J. Anderson, who writes wonderful, old-school YA fantasy about fairies and faith! (Try KNIFE, I couldn't put it down)

- W.R. Gingell, author of beloved Aussie urban fantasy series THE CITY BETWEEN (my fave is BETWEEN WALLS but you have to read the whole thing)

- Rosamund Hodge, author of dark and bittersweet parables of sin, redemption, and stabbing things (if you haven't read CRIMSON BOUND what are you even doing with yourself)

- Joanna Ruth Meyer, author of heartfelt and evocative YA fantasies (INTO THE HEARTLESS WOOD is the cottagecore tree siren story you never knew you needed).

- And ME, your favourite author of ridiculously over-researched historical fantasy!

(- Also possibly a sixth MYSTERY AUTHOR watch this space)

IF you want to purchase books, you can snag a copy of DARK CLOUDS on the day, or if there's a specific title you want, be sure to call B&N Polaris at [phone] and ask them to order it in for you.

11 June! Please come! Bring any books you want signed! It will be SO thrilling to meet you!

[con-alas-de-angeles]

Joanna Ruth Meyer, Wind Daughter (Echo North #2)

[theworldsbetweenthepages]

Reading in the park after a long walk (and getting the first sunburn of the year) really is great

Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

[starrlikesbooks]

Wow, it’s weird that 2020 is nearly over! Let’s finish off the year good 💖And with some good books!

Aries: December finds you feeling confident in yourself and lucky with your relationships. You can communicate with ease and enjoy the people around you without much worry. The negative holding you back is a problem grasping an ending or the closure needed moving forward. Read a book about deciding what to keep for the future, and tying lose ends.

Taurus: This is a month for experimentation and new ways of thinking. You're in a dreamy state of mind, in a place where you can dwell on things but then happily let them go or not try to actualize them. That's perfectly fine, but don't forget not everything needs to stay in your head! Push past the assumption that you can't act on certain things. Try a new perspective! Read a book about looking at what tempts you and deciding what is worth doing and what isn’t.

Gemini: You're feeling ambitious, flexible, and in your power this month, if maybe not the most secure. You're willing to toe the line and try new tactics in your communications and with how (and who) you approach. You might not be that willing to look deeper or to hear it when other people don't like what you're doing, but sometimes you just need to cut loose and worry less. All things in moderation! Try a story with a character deciding who they are willing to be and where that means they must draw the line.

Cancer: With a full moon in your sign you can definitely expect your natural emotiveness to hit a pique. You've got a lot of feelings and you've got a lot that you want to do and say! Lean into it, go explore and share what's in your head and your heart. You need a bit of a comfort read! Something about moving forward and finding joy.

Leo: This month is a time of organization with maybe less passion than you'd hope for. You struggle with feeling interested or invested, in thinking out of the box you've already made, and maybe with taking other people's suggestions. This is a move away from the willingness to explore and to push yourself that your former dip into Sagittarius granted you, and you should try to find some balance between the two. Pick up a book with a character learning to channel the negative into something productive or creative.

Virgo: December finds you with a lot of opportunities and ideas, and with an ability to go with the flow instead of trying to struggle against it. The main obstacle will be uncertainty. You're less connected to yourself and your confidence is waning in certain areas that won't allow you to make any big leaps or choose anything more risky. Try a story about acting even if you’re unsure, and creating something worthwhile and new.

Libra: This month has you questioning plenty- what you want, how you want to approach it, what you want to explore. Be ready for a lot of introspection, lots of lists and revelations, as you sort yourself out. You may find yourself butting up against some walls of things you take for granted, but take it slow and be patient. This isn't an active time, so don't try to rush into big decisions or grand actions! Lean into all the introspection and questioning with a book about a character who is finding the next step past their obstacles.

Scorpio: You're definitely vibing with Venus this month, leaning into feelings of love and want, and thinking a lot about your relationships. But you also may be having issues feeling in control, or doing something you know you should do. Make sure you don't get your wires crossed and start blaming the things or people you love, or avoiding them because of it! Read a book about finding new ways to do things, and taking advice or letting someone else take the lead.

Sagittarius: Welcome to a month of big ideas, daydreams, and positive connections. This is a pretty good month for you, and you can feel those good, dreamy vibes! Definitely expect more dreamy than "active", though. You may have trouble pushing yourself to get to work, or getting your projects ready. But not all times should be action-oriented, so decide where the line is! Try a story about a promise made to yourself or someone else, patiently working through it.

Capricorn: This month finds you with a lot of ideas but not a strong connection to one goal or path. You might not feel so strongly about anything in particular, or may find it difficult to find something that fits what you want, but be patient with yourself! Give yourself time to explore and try new things on. Pick up a book about building a home or life for yourself to feel secure in, or seeking security now that something you’ve taken for granted has shifted.

Aquarius: This is a good month for you, Aquarius. You've got ties to organization and ambition and ties to dreams and goals, so you've got plenty on your mind to work with. You'll be a good communicator this month, and you don't have much problem feeling sure of yourself. The world kind of feels like your oyster! Read something about completion and what it feels like to leave a period of your life in the past.

Pisces: Though you've got strong feelings of & about love and those around you, they're not always easy feelings (or relationships). You feel distanced this month, unable to communicate or reach out, and may struggle with confidence. Try a story about small joy and internal growth, connecting with love whether or not it is permanent or reciprocated.

[displayheartcode]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

At night, Hal is human again and he remembers.

i love being the first person to write a fic for a fandom. 

[caitsbooks]

“So I lost him to the snow and the ice and the wolves. I lost him to the wind and the dark.” (Echo North, Joanna Ruth Meyer)

(instagram, review)