#tbrdays

[tea-books-lover]

My first read for February TBR Days will be this pretty book. It’s Polish, so there’s no English title, but it translates to The Word Whisperer (like the horse whisperer).

[authormarieasano]

TBR Tuesday

I've never read this before in my childhood so I thought I would read it now in my adulthood. I've always wanted to read Ella Enchanted. I will try to post a review on it hopefully soon.

-Marié 😽🌸

[brightbeautifulthings]

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

"They were laughing and their hair was shining like leaves in moonlight, their limbs long as saplings. I thought, Girls are magical at this phase, girls are invincible, nothing can touch them. I didn't think 'us' because I didn't feel that; I felt other, on the outside, watching them."

Year Read: 2017

Rating: 4/5

Context: I read this for TBR Days, a Booklr movement to read books that have been on the shelf for actual years and always get passed up. Truth be told, I want to read everything Francesca Lia Block has ever written, and I've been looking forward to Love in the Time of Global Warming for as long as it's been out. I'll forever be in love with her Dangerous Angels series, and I recently fell pretty hard for her poetry collection, How to (Un)Cage a Girl.

About: The world has ended, and when Penelope is chased from her house by a band of looters, she finds the courage to go looking for her missing family. But the world isn't what it was. Giants roam Los Angeles, and Pen and her friends must face a series of challenges eerily parallel to those in The Odyssey in order to win her family back.

Thoughts: I don't understand why more people aren't talking about this book, because it has basically everything in it. It's a contemporary Greek mythology re-telling of The Odyssey set in California, if Penelope were the hero instead of Odysseus. Every single main character is LGBTQ. Let me repeat that. EVERY SINGLE MAIN CHARACTER IS LGBTQ. All of them. Block has never been shy about including LGBTQ characters in her novels, even back in the early 90's (it's one of the things I love about them). She does a nice job with Pen's realization that she isn't straight, and the characters' identities are handled with compassion and acceptance. It also tackles environmental issues (and apocalypse stories) with a fascinating twist and a deft hand. Everyone should read it.

I love the characters. Pen is an admirable heroine, both brave and uncertain. This girl is such a cupcake, she's trying to recycle even after the apocalypse has happened, but she's also fierce enough to sacrifice parts of herself to save her family. She sees the world through paintings and mythology, which makes her both interesting and relatable (at least to other bookworms). Her love for her little brother, Venice, echoes off the pages even when he isn't there for most of them, and the romance between Pen and Hex is at once sweet and awkward. I didn't get as much of a feel for Ez and Ash, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in The Island of Excess Love.

Block's writing is, as always, beautiful and lyrical, with short, simple sentences that nevertheless evoke strong imagery. The book itself has lovely cover art and butterfly designs inside. I really enjoyed her twists on mythology, but I had a harder time following some of them. I suspect that this is the kind of book that rewards re-reading, and that I would better be able to pick up on some of the things I missed a second time through. I didn't realize until I finished that it had a sequel, and while I was satisfied with the ending, I'm happy to see more of characters that I loved.

[thevaliantlittletailorreads]

What I'm currently reading for #tbrdays. This book has been sitting on my shelf for more than a year and now that the movie is coming out soon I really need to read it (: Only 70 pages in, but I really like it!

[stormphoenix]

IT’S TBR DAYS AGAIN OOPS

...Well, I’m about halfway through The Spire, by William Golding, so now would be a good time to finish that. I’ve also been meaning to read The God Wave, which I’ve heard is good. If I finish those soon, I might start on something from my friend Andrew’s thoroughly organized ‘recommended reading’ list. 

On a semi-related note, I just joined Tor.com’s ebook club - this month they have a free download of The Just City by Jo Walton available through the 7th of August, if that’s something you’re interested in. (Though as far as I know it’s only available in the US and Canada, due to licensing.)

[tea-books-lover]

This was my first read for August TBR Days - Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.

Now I’m starting Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield.

[tea-books-lover]

Do you suffer from the Enormous TBR Pile Syndrome?

Do you tend to buy new books and leave them unread for months?

Do you often read new releases instead of some older books from your shelf?

If your answer to those question is YES, TBR Days might be a thing for you!

What is it about?

The main purpose is to give the books from the bottom of our TBR piles a go.

How do I participate?

During the first 5 days of each month pick up a book (or a few books) you wanted to read for a while, but still haven’t done it. (It doesn’t have to be a book you own, or a physical copy.) You can post pictures, updates, reviews etc. using #tbrdays tag.

Let’s read those neglected books together!

(I noticed some people writing they keep forgetting about this, so if you need a reminder each month, just let me know :) )

[stormphoenix]

TBR days update: July

(As is my habit, I remembered this idea on the fourth day of the month.)

Sat down to read King’s Man and Thief by Christie Golden today. I picked it up a while ago at a used book store, and have been meaning to read it ever since. I’ve only read a few other things by Golden (mostly books or short stories set in Ravenloft/Forgotten Realms), but I remember liking Vampire of the Mists. 

I finished the book in about two hours. I enjoyed it right up until the ending - most of the foreshadowing was very well done, in my opinion, but there was a romantic subplot that seemed completely forced, especially in contrast to another relationship that had been developing throughout the book. (Unnecessary romantic subplots are a pet peeve of mine, but this one in particular seemed like an afterthought thrown in at the ending.)

Despite that, I did like the book, and might look into the other novel set in the same world.