Kro's List: 2024

Hello All

My name is Kro (he/they) and this will be my third year with the group as I joined LT in March of 2022. I live in Minnesota and am in school currently between working overnights at a hospital. I’m a lifelong reader, but I also enjoy writing, painting, and playing video games.
This group has been so welcoming and has made a huge impact on my reading habits (as well as my book buying habits…) and I’m happy to be back. :)

You can also find me on StoryGraph as kro_0 (I'll edit in a link later when I can) or at my cousin and I's bookcentric Instagram @kittenandkro if you so wish.

Feel free to share any thoughts or such and enjoy these pictures of my cats; Ayda (left) & Naro (right).

Currently Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Personal - Personal Nonfiction - Library Audiobook - Ongoing Long Read

Desired Dozen to Read in 2024: (7/12)

1 – Watership Down by Richard Adams
2 – Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin *Finished*
3 – No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
4 – Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty *Finished*
5 – The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan
6 – Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann *Finished*
7 – The Vegetarian by Han Kang
8 – Kalevala by Elias Lonnrot *Finished*
9 – Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
10 – The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar *Finished*
11 – The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde *Finished*
12 – Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu *Finished 8/8*

January – June Reads:

Key: * Newly Acquired ^ Borrowed

January – 8
#1 - I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid (01/03/24) Paperback - 210pgs - 3hrs59mins
#2 - Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker (Writer) & Wendy Xu (Artist) (01/12/24) Graphic - 244pgs - 1hr30mins
#3 - Unmasking Autism by Devon Price (01/15/23) Audiobook^ - 9hrs
#4 - Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton (01/16/24) Paperback - 320pgs - 10hrs25mins
#5 - Babel by R.F. Kuang (01/19/24) Hardcover - 542pgs - 17hrs14mins
#6 - The Call of the Wild by Jack London (01/22/24) Paperback - 134pgs - 2hrs49mins
#7 - Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (01/27/24) E-book^ - 426pgs - 11hrs39mins
#8 - Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin (01/30/24) Audiobook^ - 7hrs
February – 8
#9 - Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher (02/02/24) Hardcover - 240pgs - 7hrs16mins
#10 - Heartstopper: Vol. 5 by Alice Oseman (02/02/24) Comic* - 318pgs - 1hr08mins
#11 - Husband Material by Alexis Hall (02/08/24) E-book^ - 416pgs - 10hrs12mins
#12 - Bunny by Mona Awad (02/11/24) Paperback - 305pgs - 7hrs52mins
#13 - Anti-Romance: Vol. 2 by Shoko Hidaka (02/13/24) Manga - 254pgs - 1hr11mins
#14 - Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett (02/18/24) Audiobook^ - 7hrs24mins
#15 - Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin (02/20/24) Paperback - 169pgs - 4hrs46mins
#16 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (02/27/24) Danmei - 372pgs - 9hrs13mins
March – 11
#17 - I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (03/03/24) Audiobook^ - 6hrs
#18 - Beastars: Vol. 16 by Paru Itagaki (03/05/24) Manga - 194pgs - 1hr15mins
#19 - Hirano and Kagiura: Vol. 4 by Shou Harusono (03/06/24) Manga* - 174pgs - 1hr07mins
#20 - Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (03/11/24) Paperback - 324pgs - 7hrs30mins
#21 - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (03/12/24) Paperback - 220pgs - 5hrs43mins
#22 - Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead (03/17/24) Audiobook^ - 4hrs
#23 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (03/18/24) Danmei - 389pgs - 9hrs08mins
#24 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (03/20/24) Danmei - 415pgs - 9hrs07mins
#25 - Beastars: Vol. 17 by Paru Itagaki (03/22/24) Manga - 202pgs - 1hr11mins
#26 - The Hearing Test by Eliza Barry Callahan (03/25/24) Hardcover* - 159pgs - 3hrs34mins
#27 - The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede (03/31/24) Audiobook^ - 4hrs
April – 10
#28 - Mother of Strangers by Suad Amiry (04/02/24) Paperback* - 272pgs - 5hrs52mins
#29 - And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman (04/02/24) Hardcover - 76pgs - 53mins
#30 - Minor Detail by Adania Shibli (04/07/24) Paperback* - 105pgs - 2hrs38mins
#31 - Kalevala by Elias Lonnrot (04/10/24) Paperback - 615pgs - 12hrs05mins
#32 - Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin (04/13/24) Paperback^ - 136pgs - 2hrs03mins
#33 - Silence is My Mother Tongue by Sulaiman Addonia (04/16/24) Paperback - 194pgs - 5hrs27mins
#34 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 4 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (04/18/24) Danmei - 368pgs - 8hrs17mins
#35 - Beastars: Vol. 18 by Paru Itagaki (04/19/24) Manga - 202pgs - 1hr12mins
#36 - Foe by Iain Reid (04/26/24) Paperback* - 260pgs - 4hrs05mins
#37 - Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (04/28/24) Paperback - 428pgs - 12hrs42mins
May – 13
#38 - Sasaki and Miyano First-Years by Shou Harusono (Story & Art) & Kotoko Hachijo (Novelization) (05/01/24) Paperback - 155pgs - 2hrs48mins
#39 - Sasaki and Miyano: Second-Years by Shou Harusono (Story & Art) & Kotoko Hachijo (Novelization) (05/03/24) Paperback - 139pgs - 2hrs52mins (No Correct Touchstone Available)
#40 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (05/06/24) Audiobook^ - 9hrs50mins
#41 - My Summer of You: Vol. 1 by Nagisa Furuya (05/10/24) Manga - 240pgs - 1hr24mins
#42 - Therapy Game Restart: Vol. 1 by Meguru Hinohara (05/13/24) Manga - 180pgs - 2hrs
#43 - Beastars: Vol. 19 by Paru Itagaki (05/13/24) Manga - 199pgs - 1hr12mins
#44 - Beastars: Vol. 20 by Paru Itagaki (05/16/24) Manga - 196pgs - 56mins
#45 - Beastars: Vol. 21 by Paru Itagaki (05/17/24) Manga - 198pgs - 57mins
#46 - Beastars: Vol. 22 by Paru Itagaki (05/17/24) Manga - 194pgs - 1hr02mins
#47 - The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (05/20/24) Audiobook - 6hrs
#48 - My Summer of You: Vol. 2 by Nagisa Furuya (05/23/24) Manga - 220pgs - 1hr16mins
#49 - My Summer of You: Vol. 3 by Nagisa Furuya (05/25/24) Manga* - 230pgs - 1hr31mins
#50 - Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (05/28/24) Paperback - 174pgs - 3hrs03mins
June – 10
#51 - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty (06/03/24) Audiobook - 4hrs38mins
#52 - Loveless by Alice Oseman (06/05/24) Hardcover* - 393pgs - 7hrs43mins
#53 - Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (06/07/24) Hardcover* - 173pgs - 3hrs05mins
#54 - The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar (06/12/24) Paperback - 288pgs - 8hrs22mins
#55 - Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor (06/18/24) Paperback* - 337pgs - 8hrs59mins
#56 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 5 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (06/21/24) Danmei - 411pgs - 9hrs27mins
#57 - Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman (06/21/24) E-book^ - 132pgs - 1hr24mins
#58 - The Road by Cormac McCarthy (06/24/24) Paperback - 287pgs - 4hrs34mins
#59 - The Dragon's Betrothed: Vol. 1 by Meguru Hinohara (06/27/24) Manga* - 190pgs - 1hr47mins
#60 - The Dragon's Betrothed: Vol. 2 by Meguru Hinohara (06/27/24) Manga* - 209pgs - 1hr36mins

July – December Reads:

July – 11
#61 - The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain (07/01/24) Ebook^ - 614pgs - 9hrs35mins
#62 - The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (07/02/24) Audiobook^ - 5hrs12mins
#63 - Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin (07/04/24) Paperback* - 369pgs - 8hrs40mins
#64 - Sasaki and Miyano Anthology by Shou Harusono (07/05/24) Manga* - 173pgs - 1hr13mins
#65 - Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis (07/10/24) Paperback* - 344pgs - 8hrs45mins
#66 - There There by Tommy Orange (07/14/24) Audiobook - 5hrs31mins
#67 - Dragon Palace by Hiromi Kawakami (07/16/24) Paperback* - 167pgs - 3hrs21mins
#68 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 6 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (07/19/24) Danmei - 349pgs - 7hrs06mins
#69 - The Giver by Lois Lowry (07/20/24) Audiobook^ - 3hrs13mins
#70 - Fairy Tale by Stephen King (07/26/24) Audiobook^ - 14hrs41mins
#71 - Jackalope Wives and Other Stories by T. Kingfisher (07/28/24) Paperback - 233pgs - 5hrs42mins
August – 14
#72 - Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry (08/02/24) Audiobook^ - 4hrs24mins
#73 - A Warning About Swans by R.M. Romero (08/03/24) Hardcover* - 375pgs - 3hrs40mins
#74 - Messenger by Lois Lowry (08/06/24) Audiobook^ - 1hr51mins
#75 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 7 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (08/06/24) Danmei - 336pgs - 7hrs41mins
#76 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 8 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (08/08/24) Danmei - 323pgs - 7hrs39mins
#77 - Twilight Out of Focus: Vol. 1 by Jyanome (08/13/24) Manga* - 222pgs - 1hr39mins
#78 - Son by Lois Lowry (08/14/24) Audiobook^ - 5hrs30mins
#79 - On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (08/14/24) Graphic Novel - 535pgs - 3hrs27mins
#80 - Twilight Out of Focus: Vol. 2 by Jyanome (08/15/24) Manga* - 223pgs - 1hr52mins
#81 - Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher (08/16/24) Hardcover* - 111pgs - 2hrs31mins
#82 - Twilight Out of Focus: Vol. 3 by Jyanome (08/17/24) Manga* - 190pgs - 1hr08mins
#83 - Far From the Tree by Robin Benway (08/21/24) Audiobook^ - 6hrs
#84 - Twilight Out of Focus: Vol. 4 by Jyanome (08/21/24) Manga* - 239pgs - 1hr48mins
#85 - The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper (08/30/24) Paperback* - 457pgs - 9hrs43mins
September – 10
#86 - The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper (09/06/24) Paperback* - 458pgs - 10hrs14mins
#87 - Midst: Address Unknown by Colin Lorimer & Others (09/06/24) Comic* - 48pgs - 30mins
#88 - The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (09/08/24) Audiobook^ - 4hrs20mins
#89 - Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo (09/11/24) Hardcover* - 101pgs - 3hrs42mins
#90 - Solitaire by Alice Oseman (09/11/24) Ebook^ - 437pgs - 7hrs05mins
#91 - The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper (09/16/24) Paperback* - 334pgs - 8hrs11mins
#92 - House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski (09/18/24) Paperback - 709pgs - 18hrs57mins
#93 - Saha by Cho Nam-Joo (09/20/24) Paperback* - 228pgs - 5hrs18mins
#94 - Circe by Madeline Miller (09/23/24) Audiobook^ - 7hrs33mins
#95 - The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (09/25/24) Ebook^ - 109pgs - 1hr23mins
October – 8
#96 - Slewfoot by Brom (10/06/24) Audiobook^ - 12hrs17mins
#97 - What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher (10/09/24) Audiobook^ - 4hrs31mins
#98 - A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher (10/11/24) Hardcover* - 321pgs - 8hrs40mins
#99 - Linghun by Ai Jiang (10/12/24) Paperback* - 169pgs - 3hrs15mins
#100 - My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (10/22/24) Paperback - 223pgs - 3hrs20mins
#101 - Northranger by Rey Terciero (Story) & Bre Indigo (Art) (10/28/24) Graphic Novel* - 231pgs - 2hrs15mins
#102 - Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink (10/29/24) Audiobook^ - 5hrs
#103 - Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moira Fowley (10/29/24) Paperback* - 290pgs - 6hrs28mins
November – 4
#104 - Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan (11/12/24) Ebook^ - 422pgs - 6hrs17mins
#105 - Midst: The Valorous Farmer by Jasmine Walls & Others (11/14/24) Comic* - 48pgs - 23mins
#106 - When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka (11/15/24) Paperback - 144pgs - 2hrs50mins
#107 - Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (11/17/24) Hardcover* - 116pgs - 1hr49mins
#108 - The Vegetarian by Han Kang (TBF) Paperback - 185pgs - ?
December – X
#

Reading Challenges & Goals

General 2024 Goals
- Read 75 Books
- Read 6-8 Nonfiction Books
- Start & Finish 2 Series
- Read 5 Classics
- Read a Long Form Poetry Book
- Read 40 Owned TBR Books
- Purchase 30 or Less Books
- Keep a Reading Journal

Downsizing My Physical TBR
Owned at Start of 2024 - 295
READ THIS YEAR: 45
Books Added in 2024 – 97
READ THIS YEAR: 35

Shared Reads
MARCH: The Picture of Dorian Gray with Michelle (90meesshh)
MAY: The Road with Charlie (cousin)

Around the World Challenge

This includes any books I've read in my lifetime, simply would take me ages if I started fresh and didn't track it across multiple years.

Previously Read
AFGHANISTAN - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2022)
ARGENTINA - The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez (2022)
AUSTRALIA - The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (2022)
CANADA - The Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2021)
FRANCE - The Stranger by Albert Camus (2022)
IRELAND - Normal People by Sally Roony (2023)
JAPAN - The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa (2022)
MEXICO - Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2022)
MONGOLIA - The Blue Sky by Galsan Tschinag (2022)
NIGERIA - Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta (2023)
POLAND - The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski (2019)
RUSSIA - Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (2016)
SERBIA - The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht (2022)
SOUTH AFRICA - Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (2023)
SOUTH KOREA - Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo (2022)
SWEDEN - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (2022)
TURKEY - The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak (2022)
UNITED KINGDOM - Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (2014)
UNITED STATES - False Memory by Dean Koontz (2015)
VIETNAM - On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (2022)

Read This Year
CHINA - Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
ERITREA - Silence is My Mother Tongue by Sulaiman Addonia
FINLAND - Kalevala by Elias Lönnrot
PALESTINE - Mother of Strangers by Suad Amiry

Kitten & Kro Bookclub

JANUARY:
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
FEBRUARY:
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher
MARCH:
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
APRIL:
Mother of Strangers by Suad Amiry
MAY:
Foe by Iain Reid
JUNE:
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
JULY:
Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
AUGUST:
A Warning About Swans by R.M. Romero
SEPTEMBER:
The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
The House With the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper
OCTOBER:
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher
Slewfoot by Brom
NOVEMBER:
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
DECEMBER:
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

If you’d like to see my cousin’s reviews and thoughts on these books or other books she’s reading I’d welcome you to visit our bookcentric Instagram @kittenandkro. :)

Top 5 of 2023



Favorites Throughout 2024

Hello & Welcome! :)

Glad to see you back, Kro, happy reading in 2024!

>9 WhiteRaven.17: I have read three of your 2023 favorites, only lacking the first and the last. I see my library has a copy of the book by Julia Armfield, can't find the other.

Kittehs!

I didn't realize I'm Thinking of Ending Things was a book.

How are you getting on with House of Leaves?

Happy New Year, Kro!

>9 WhiteRaven.17: I would agree that Salt to the Sea and Song of Achilles were also amongst my top reads. Good luck with your 2024 reading!

Welcome back!

Welcome back, Kro! Of your 2023 faves, I have enjoyed 2, and have the other three on my TBR ☺️ happy reading in 2024 and hope your work situation improves!

Your cats are so PRETTY!

Happy new year, and welcome back.

>11 FAMeulstee: Thank you Anita! I had a lot of great reads last year. I hope you like Our Wives if you read it, I know it's not been everyone's favorite, but I really loved it's vibes. Also the last one is a new release from 2023, so I wouldn't be surprised if it hasn't quite made it everywhere yet.

>12 ursula: Yay cats! Lol. Yes, I can't even remember how I found out it was a book either, but I just finished it because I've been wanting to watch the movie. I haven't seen the movie quite yet, but it was an entertaining and really quick read.
I just started House of Leaves, only two chapters in, but it is very unique and interesting so far. A bit of a rabbit hole being a story within a story within a story within a story. (Goodness.) I'm intrigued though and curious to see where it goes and so far I haven't gotten to some of the weirder formatting of the book.

>13 norabelle414: Happy New Year, Nora!

>14 Tess_W: Hello & Thank you Tess! I know some people were not as impressed or fond of Our Wives so glad to see someone else who loved it.

>15 drneutron: Thank you Jim!

>16 curioussquared: Thank you Natalie! I hope you enjoy them all as much as I did when you get to them :) and thanks, work seems to be a constant conundrum lately, but just rolling with it for now.

>17 banjo123: Thank you Rhonda! I was able to snag some good photos of them this year.

Happy new year, Kro, and great to see you back in harness for another year!

Dropped my star and I shall be keeping you company for the duration.

Hi Kro! Great to see you and Happy New Year and reads ahead.

>21 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul! Glad to be back and for the great company.

>22 vancouverdeb: Hello Deb! Happy new year & reading to you as well. :)

Monthly Overview

Ready to have a fresh start to the year and my reading list and have so far been reading a minimum of an hour everyday. Plan to listen to a lot more audiobooks this year now that I have Libby and hopefully make a dent in my physical TBR instead of just adding to it - like last year. Oops. Hope everyone has a good start to 2024.

January Plans
Kitten & Kro Bookclub
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
Fiction Picks
I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz
Nonfiction Picks
Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton
Libby Audiobook
Unmasking Autism by Devon Price
Ongoing Long Read
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Up to Ch. 5)

Hi Kro, thanks for visiting my thread. Returning the favour and dropping my star. Looks like an interesting selection of books you are reading.

>3 WhiteRaven.17: >6 WhiteRaven.17: Some good reading there! Best of luck to you with your reading goals in 2024, Kro!

>9 WhiteRaven.17: Thanks for sharing your top reads from last year! I have read 3 of the 5, so I am going to have to see if I can find the others.

Happy New Year, Bro. What a great list of favorites from last year. I look forward to following your reading this year. I hope it's a good one for you.

Found you, Kro!! Of your 2023 faves, I loved Achilles and Ove and I see you have I'm Glad My Mom Died, which I also enjoyed, coming up. I'll be on the look out for your other suggestions!

Happy new year! It looks like you have some great reading ahead of you.

>25 sirfurboy: Thanks for the follow up Stephen. It is definitely a heavy start to the year selection wise.

>26 alcottacre: Thank you Stasia! It was hard narrowing it down to 5, hope you enjoy the other 2 if you pick them up. :)

>27 BLBera: Thank you Beth. To you as well.

>28 Berly: Yay! Good to see you here Kim. I've been looking forward to I'm Glad My Mom Died for awhile now and have heard good things.

>29 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda! I certainly hope so.

#1 - I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

Takes place as a story about a young woman in a relationship that she's considering ending as she goes out on a trip to his home town to meet his parents for the first time.
This book is layered from the start with this foreboding unease, but not from anything that might be distinctly obvious as everything is very normal and yet off. I had seen a trailer for the Netflix movie adaptation awhile ago that initially intrigued me and I'm glad I got the book first.
Personally, I picked up on the idea of the twist from the start, but that made the journey to get there no less appealing or interesting. Admittedly, I think it does get a little convoluted once in the climax of the plot, but evens out enough to wrap it up in the end. It's honestly a fast-paced read, that literally had me going back and reading the first page again as soon as I finished it and I will be looking out for other works by this author.
Recommended if you like darker, foreboding books and need something quick to get through.

Rating: ****
Finished: 01/03/2024
Stats: 210pgs - 3hrs59mins
Category: Fiction - Psychological Thriller - Dark Subject Matter

#3 - Unmasking Autism by Devon Price

A nonfiction book written by an autistic trans author about the process of coming to terms with what it means to be autistic and to be disabled as well as how self-advocacy and acceptance looks from both a personal and broader societal perspective.
Last year I received official testing and diagnosis as being autistic and while it was the outcome I was expecting it has still been a lot of info to take in and reassess into my life. It explains so much of the struggles and experiences I've had throughout my life and is super reaffirming, but it is still a learning process. This was a great book to dive more into the subject and I think does a great job of laying some groundwork in understanding autism and the importance of a subject being written by those that it is about and effects.
I listened to the audiobook version read by the author, which was well-read but I do recommend getting a physical copy as there are practices and resources that would be easier to note or follow with the material in front of you.

As an aside, if anyone has any good recommendations on autistic representative literature, both nonfiction or fiction I would love to hear it.

Rating: ****
Finished: 01/15/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 9hrs
Category: Nonfiction - Autistic & Neurodiverse Understanding

#4 - Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton

Follows one of the earliest polar explorations to Antarctica and the first ship to ever winter that far south, stuck in a large ice flow. The Belgica was a Belgium funded and lead expedition by Commandant Adrien de Gerlache, but also closely follows the stories and lives of American explorer and doctor, Frederick Cook, and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.
This is a very engaging story and despite me reading it in bits and pieces over the course of a year, it was because of life and timing and not because I was ever bored with the story.
The narrative is very well crafted and really brings the story alive while delivering a lot of information and background. Especially in the follow-up epilogue's and notes you can tell this author put a lot of time and effort and research into this book. This was the first ship exploration book I'd ever read and I was hooked, one of the notes of this book even mentions how one of the explorers of this book helped build a ship that was later sold and would become the Endurance, a later and also well-known ship disaster and a book I happened to pick up late last year, that I will be looking forward to reading now.
I will say fair warning to any potential readers about some the harsh and detailed descriptions of animal deaths in this book. Also, I both read the physical book and listened to the audiobook, which I felt had a very nice narrator and would recommend either format, though the physical does come with photos.

Rating: *****
Finished: 01/16/2024
Stats: 320pgs - 10hrs25mins
Category: Nonfiction - Polar Exploration - Antarctica

#5 - Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

A historical fiction with a touch of magical realism, this story takes place in a slightly alternated version of the industrial revolution and the lead up of the opium imports to China. Following a young boy taken from Canton and raised in Britain to be a translator at Oxford's Babel tower, or center for silver-working and translation, and his three classmates; a young Indian man from Calcutta, a black Haitian-French girl, and a typical young British girl.
This is a tough one to write a review for and I will try to be brief, but the short version is I would be hard-pressed to openly recommend this book. Starting with the length and pacing - this book took me 17 hours to read and nearly nothing happens or picks up until one is about 60% of the way through this 540 page book, afterwards it admittedly takes a drastic switch up in pacing, but still hits odd slow-downs. Furthermore, it is clear this book is written with a specific audience in mind with it's slightly pretentious feel and formatting, which is perfectly fine, but adding with some poor writing habits in that this author does a lot of telling over showing, often telling the reader everything but never showing it through the characters or interactions or story.
Additional concerns with the story, but involves heavy spoilers so read at your own risk. First, there seems to be some queer-baiting storyline between the characters Robin and Ramy, that is clearly underlaid and written with romantic undertones but is never expressly acknowledged. I have no problem with platonic relationships or even a lack of resolve in romantic ones, what I don't like is hinting and building what appears to be queer characters and then never directly addressing it so readers who want to ignore it or wash over it are allowed to erase that part of the story.
Secondly, the characters of color in this story that are fighting the injustices of colonialism are given nearly no voice to express their opinions and feelings through the majority of the book and then when they finally are given more story and depth and character they are quickly killed off and martyred. There's just something about the timing and "easy-out drama" writing about this that doesn't quite sit right with me.
I know this seems like I disliked the book very strongly, but I don't. I do think the world building here was excellently done and incorporated, with characters that felt very interesting, even if they were under-utilized. I also enjoyed the etymology lessons and notes and found that to be very interesting. There is importance to the story that is being told here as well and I loved some of the symbolism.
I'll wrap up my ramble here - if you even read this far at all - in the end I'm glad I finished this book and think it is a perfect book for some people, but not everyone and even then be prepared for a slow build. I probably will not read any other of Kuang's works anytime soon as she really does tell over show, but don't discourage you to read this one if it truly does sound interesting.

Rating: ***
Finished: 01/19/2024
Stats: 542pgs - 17hrs14mins
Category: Fiction - Historical - Magical Realism - Translation & Etymology - Colonialism

>32 WhiteRaven.17: I just finished What To Say Next about a high schooler with autism. It is a YA book but I enjoyed seeing the school experience through his eyes. It is fictional, with some light romance and it has a lot of humor, but there are also some stark, blunt realities explored here. Bullying, isolation, etc. I wrote more about it on my thread.

Was it reassuring to get the diagnosis confirmed for you? Did it change anything?

>35 Berly: I just went over and checked out your review of it, I'll be adding it to my tbr. Right now, I like finding different examples of how autism is portrayed through literature & media, to both see what I relate to and how it is portrayed to others.

Let me put in one way, I've been asked "What is wrong with you?" enough times in my life that I have a readied response to it. I've always had these qualities that seemed disparate and just 'odd' and struggled but not in a concrete way that I could define or understand. For me having the diagnosis also helps with my sense of imposter syndrome, it's a tangible, quantifiable thing that backs me up when I start thinking maybe I'm just overexaggerating things in my head. It's changed things in that instead of labeling myself as lazy, oversensitive, and other negative terms I'm learning my struggles are real and not just me being 'weird'.

Sorry, that was probably a longer response than you were expecting. Lol. Thanks for the rec. :)

>36 WhiteRaven.17: No! Truly, thanks for opening up and sharing. Sorry that you keep getting asked that question. "Normal" can be such a stupid word sometimes. Sounds like the official diagnosis is a very good thing for you and I hope you continue to feel validated. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the book if you ever feel the pull to read it. I'd want to know how true it feels to you. : )

>32 WhiteRaven.17: >36 WhiteRaven.17: I'm glad the diagnosis has been helping you! I don't have any recommendations for books, but I've been on TikTok for 3 or so years and one thing I've noticed on that platform is that most of Gen Z, from what I can tell, are much more open and proud of autism diagnoses, cherishing it as part of their identity and something like a superpower. I don't know if that resonates with you, but I just thought it was a really refreshing perspective on something that in older generations was looked at as a negative rather than a positive.

Hi Kro! Belatedly returning your visit to wish you happy new year, happy new thread and a wonderful year of reading.

Just popping in to say Hi!!

>37 Berly: Thank you, glad it wasn't too much. The idea of "normal" really is a bit bizarre sometimes. I have the book marked on Libby, so if it ever becomes available in my library I'll pick it up.
>40 Berly: Also, hello! I was sick for a week and then started training a new person at work and life...so I'm a bit behind. Thanks for popping by. :)

>38 curioussquared: Thanks for that note Natalie. I definitely think there is beginning to be more understanding of Autism (& neurodiverse people in general, like ADHD) that is giving a lot of people more self-acceptance. Overall there's still a lot of growth to go in being more accepting and understanding of mental health and more invisible disabilities, but I've also noticed the attitudes towards them are generally becoming more positive in the younger generations.

>39 humouress: Hi Nina, thank you!

#6 - The Call of the Wild by Jack London

This was a quick read that I had been meaning to get to for ages. A bit of a hard read if you have a soft spot towards reading about animal abuse and suffering - it's quick and I pulled through. Definitely highlights how cruel or entitled some people can be. Overall I thought it was an engaging read and glad I finally got around to it.

Rating: ***
Finished: 01/22/2024
Stats: 134pgs - 2hrs49mins
Category: Fiction - Classic - Dog POV - Dog Sled Running

>42 WhiteRaven.17: In that case I'll avoid that one. (Not that it was really on my list, anyway.)

#7 & #11 - Boyfriend Material & Husband Material by Alexis Hall

This duology follows Luc O'Donnell and his relationship with Oliver Blackwood, it's a lighthearted gay romance that was entertaining and fun to read, with characters that are easy to like. I don't read romances too often, but I was sick and had read a lot of dark or heavy books so I needed a bit of brevity, and I enjoyed the first enough that I picked up the second as well. Also, I do appreciate that this is a gay romance that is both not written by a woman or overly sexualized.

Rating: ****
Finished: 01/27/2024 & 02/08/2024
Stats: BM (426pgs - 11hrs39mins) HM (416pgs - 10hrs12mins)
Category: Fiction - Romance - LGBTQIA+

>43 humouress: Yeah, I understand why it is a classic for when Jack London wrote, but it was tough on my heart to read.

#8 - Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

Follows twenty-something Gilda as she navigates a period of her life where her mind cannot stop ruminating on death.
I had noted this book because the title is so catching and randomly picked it up on audiobook, read by Emily Tremaine, and it was an absolute delight. There are some heavy topics discussed or hinted at, but there is no hard definition of anything. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it and felt like this book was written for me, but I enjoy good dark humor and books that explore mental health. It also does not "fix" everything or tie everything up in a nice bow, it just kind of subtly closes, so if you don't like books with more ambiguous endings this one might annoy you a bit.

Rating: *****
Finished: 01/30/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 7hrs
Category: Fiction - Dark Humour - Death - LGBTQIA+

Monthly Overview

Had a very rough end to my January and was very sick for just over a week, which knocked me out for a bit, but I did get plenty of bedridden reading in, so silver linings and all that. Also started training a new person at work that has meant having less down time, but hopefully they work out, I'm apprehensive though. Life is life, but on the reading front I'm excelling.

Favorites of the Month: Madhouse at the End of the Earth by Julian Sancton & Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

January Stats
Books Finished - 8
Pages Read - 1,876
Time Read - 47hrs36mins (+16 Audio)

February Plans
Kitten & Kro Bookclub
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher
Fiction Picks
Bunny by Mona Awad
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 1 by MXTX
Shared Reads
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Libby Audiobook
Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett
Ongoing Long Read
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Up to Ch. 9)

Currently Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Personal - Library Audiobook - Ongoing Long Read

>42 WhiteRaven.17: I read The Call of the Wild back-to-back with White Fang (I think it was a double?) and I do recommend that. Call of the Wild is a better-written story, I think, but White Fang is about a wild dog/wolf who is charmed by the comfort of humans so it's a nice palate cleanser.

Did you find Husband Material to be worth it? I read Boyfriend Material before the second one came out and never got around to HM, but wouldn't be opposed to reading it now if you thought it was worthwhile :)

Ooh, Nettle and Bone -- I hope you love it as much as I did! And Bunny -- I feel like people either love that one or hate it, so I'm interested to see where you fall :) I haven't picked it up myself, though.

Oops, looks like I interrupted your flow of reviews. Sorry to hear you've been under the weather. I hope you're fully recovered now.

Glad you are feeling better! Good luck training in the newbie. And hurray for the light reads now and then. : )

Hello. I notice that you log how long it takes you to read a book. I am curious. In what way do you find that helpful? Thank you.

>32 WhiteRaven.17: I read Strong Female Character by Fern Brady recently and it is worth a read as the first person perspective of a queer woman on the spectrum (I read the physical book but her accent is great, so the audiobook may be the better choice). Fern Brady is an autistic comedian from Scotland. I heard about her because she was on the show Taskmaster (I highly recommend Taskmaster - there are clips on YouTube like this one). It's worth watching one or two clips with her or searching her comedy before checking out the book so you have a little baseline understanding of who she is.

Her book has some jokes and is classified as humor by some, but I didn't walk away remembering it as a funny book necessarily. It's more just incredible. Because she's on the spectrum, she has a lot of history of misunderstanding others and being misunderstood, which left her in some dark, traumatic, and dangerous situations. She explains her meltdowns and how she spent so long feeling different but not knowing why. She writes about being medicated, being in a teenage mental health unit, sex work (she was a stripper for a while), abusive relationships, and the path to finally getting the right diagnosis. It is her first person account of her experience and views on life, which isn't always appropriate or professional or even kind to others. But she also doesn't seem to hold back on her history and life which can be fascinating.

>47 WhiteRaven.17: Nice review of your reading, Kro. Hope you have kicked the sickness blues fully in the meanwhile.

>49 norabelle414: Hello Nora. I had intended to read them together, but figured one emotional book about dogs was enough for me, so hearing White Fang is more on the positive side makes me feel more apt to pick it up. Thanks for the hint.

>50 curioussquared: Hiya Natalie! I did enjoy it & it was a quicker read than BM was. Mostly it's a spoof setup of Four Weddings & a Funeral and it delves more into Oliver's personal side which was nice. I think it's worth it if you enjoyed the first, but not a must.

I absolutely loved Nettle & Bone and am convinced Kingfisher can do no wrong! Lol. As for Bunny I might be the first to be middle-lined on it then, I can definitely see why it's such a divisive book though - hope to get a review up here soon.

>51 humouress: All good Nina, just glad I caught your message. Thanks. :)

>52 Berly: Thanks Kim! There's only one more week of training & it's going really well, I'm excited for things to go back to normal. Light reads are very nice. :)

>53 Pendrainllwyn: Hello. Thanks for the visit & apologies on the very late reply. I actually use an app, Bookly, that sets a timer while I read and after each reading session it updates my reading pace & gives an estimate of roughly how long it will take to finish the book. When I got back into reading a couple years ago I would often feel like I was making no headway in a book after reading for an hour each day, so being able to see the time left & say 'Oh, if I read for an hour over the next three days I'll finish this book' is motivating to me. Since I have the logged time spent reading when I finish a book I write it here, since it's kind of an interesting stat, but it's mostly useful to me only while I'm actually reading the book. Hope that makes sense.

>54 Kyler_Marie: Hello Kyler. I've never heard of her before, but this definitely sounds interesting and I am adding it to my list. My library doesn't currently have the audiobook, but I've put in a request for it. In the meantime I'll definitely have to look her up and view some clips - thanks for the link.
That's a very full life with a lot of tough experiences and I can appreciate a more forthright style when it comes to memoirs. I look forward to reading this one & appreciate the recommendation!

>55 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul. I certainly have, now if only I could get work to slow back down a bit so I could catch up on here again. Hope you are doing well.

Alrighty, I'm now going to attempt to get all my February reviews up, probably be a little shorter and more concise like my last three & my monthly overview. Hoping this next month I can keep up on here more consistently & not once very few weeks.

#9 - Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

This is a classic dark fairytale setup, something Kingfisher excels at. It follows Princess Marra, a thirty year old almost nun, as she tries to fix what should have been a "fairybook ending" for her older sisters.
I just love that Kingfisher writes fun young feeling stories that feature middle-aged female protagonists. I feel that's an age that's not usually highlighted in these type of stories. I also appreciate that every character is well-written with added depths and interests all their own, I'd read any one of the side characters stories - they feel that thought out and interesting.
Honestly just a good time, with humorous bits, like a demon chicken, and impressively all told in under 300 pages. Highly recommend.

Rating: *****
Finished: 02/02/2024
Stats: 240pgs - 7hrs16mins
Category: Fiction - Dark Fairytale - Fantasy - Light Humor

#10 - Heartstopper: Vol. 5 by Alice Oseman

I almost didn't bother writing a review for this, but figuring how different my views on it are and how popular it is I suppose I will just note my thoughts.
I appreciate the series and find the comics to have a nice lighthearted vibe that is easy to read and I enjoy my time spent doing so well enough but I just feel that for the length of these books and series there's very little that actually seems to happen or much depth. I would personally recommend the TV show over the comics because there is so much more depth and character and story in the show, it's simply better, in my opinion.
A series like this is important and it's nice that it exists and is popular, but I just find the comics very 'meh' and think your time is better spent watching the show and reading something else. I plan to read one of Oseman's novels this year to see her work in a different format, but probably won't read any other graphics by her if she ever works on others.

Rating: **
Finished: 02/02/2024
Stats: 318pgs - 1hr08mins
Category: Graphic Novel - Queer Romance - Coming of Age

>60 WhiteRaven.17: That does look readable, Kro.

#12 - Bunny by Mona Awad

Set in a university town that follows Samantha as she works through a year of getting her Masters English degree and falls into different social atmospheres.
I really don't know how to give this a concise, spoiler free review as this whole book is a twisting whirlwind of a read. It's one of the few books I've ever read that kept catching me, just when I thought I knew the direction it was headed it would twist, and this just kept happening, all the way up to the very end. I'm still probably processing it and would be curious enough to give it a reread someday now knowing how it ends.
Honestly, I can't say much else without giving too much away, other than if you don't like books that are ambiguous or not cleanly-fed with clear guidelines this one probably isn't for you. On the other hand, if you like a book based on vibes and enjoy cultist, dark humor and don't mind being taken for a wild journey than this is worth the try. It's an experience.

Rating: ***
Finished: 02/11/2024
Stats: 305pgs - 7hrs52mins
Category: Fiction - Dark Humor - Cultish Vibes - Psychological

>62 PaulCranswick: I have yet to read a Kingfisher I didn't like Paul. It was a good quick read.

#14 - Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett

Big trigger warning on this book for graphic animal death & dismemberment as well as violent suicide description.
The story follows middle-aged Jessa-Lynn as she runs and takes care of her father's taxidermy shop after he killed himself and her tension filled relationship with her family; including a brazen artistic mother, distant brother, and Brita whose both her brother's ex-wife and her ex-lover.
This is the definition of a hot mess protagonist and domestic drama, layered with some graphic descriptions of taxidermy that was a bit much for me at times. The focus of this book is on grief and how it affects different people, the struggle that processing that comes with and how different forms of grief in a family can be counter-intuitive to those you're related to. Overall I think it was a decent book and interesting story, but it just felt a bit much at times or didn't really click with me. Probably wouldn't recommend unless anything I've described so far sounds right up your alley.

Rating: **
Finished: 02/18/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 7hrs24mins
Category: Contemporary Fiction - Grief - Domestic Drama - Taxidermy

#15 - Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

"I think now that if I had had any intimation that the self I was going to find would turn out to be only the same self from which I had spent so much time in flight, I would have stayed at home."

Taking place in 1950's Paris this book has a definite atmosphere, a classic that follows a queer man in his struggles to define love and carve out how he views himself.
One of the most beautifully written books I have read in awhile, I often found myself rerunning over lines and passages and just generally being moved and swept up into the comfortable flow of the prose. This is a dark, gritty story that is given its fated end from the beginning and is a piece that shows the devastations of desire, forbearance, and the self. It's not perfect, or a 'good time' but it is incredibly well written.

Rated: ****
Finished: 02/20/2024
Stats: 169pgs - 4hrs46mins
Category: Classic Fiction - Queer Identity - Dark - 1950's Paris

#16 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (MXTX)

This is the first book in a series of eight that follows the story of Xie Lian, a heavenly official that has ascended for the third time, and of Hua Cheng, a supreme lord of the ghost realms.
I've already watched the first and second seasons of the show on Crunchyroll and absolutely loved them, as well as read the first 5 volumes of the graphic version - not in print. So I already knew how the first book was going to play out, even so I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent reading it and am itching to start the second. I may be a bit biased towards it thus far, but the book was very endearing and easy to follow the characters, I was concerned about that, and surprisingly way more humorous than I had been expecting.

Rating: *****
Finished: 02/27/2024
Stats: 372pgs - 9hrs13mins
Category: Danmei - Romance - Chinese Culture/Folklore

House of Leaves Update: This year, my cousin and I are reading House of Leaves together in monthly sections. I meant to write an update at the end of each month but forgot in January.
Currently at Chapter 9 (pg. 107)
All the formatting has been pretty straightforward, besides the amount of footnotes and different text styles. Even so it's still been easy to follow and is interesting thus far. Some of the aspects seem a bit silly, like the measurement of the house being off by such a tiny, nearly insignificant amount while other moments are starting to hint at an uneasy vibe, nothing scary or horror-like so far though.
Sometimes the writing veers on academic and slow and overall my cousin is annotating the book and one of her tab categories is "ick" for every time a female character is written in a misogynistic way, she is using a lot of tabs.
I'm intrigued and want to know how the story progresses, but reading it in sections over time is definitely the way to go.

Hello!! I found your thread this morning, it is 2:48 a.m. in NE Pennsylvania. I'll be sure to come back. I starred your thread. You are reading some interesting books!
I'm glad I found you!

Monthly Overview

Next weekend is finally the last week of training, it's gone well but I am looking forward to working by myself again. I've been extremely exhausted and tired due to work, so I've not had the energy to work on personal projects or keep up on here. Looking forward to things going back to normal. Hope this March goes well for everyone.

Favorite of the Month: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

February Stats
Books Finished - 8
Pages Read - 2,074
Time Read - 41hrs38mins (+7.5 Audio)

March Plans
Kitten & Kro Bookclub
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Fiction Picks
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 2 by MXTX
Nonfiction Picks
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Shared Reads
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Libby Audiobook
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
Ongoing Long Read
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Up to Ch. 10)

Currently Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Shared - Personal Nonfiction - Library Audiobook - Ongoing Long Read

>69 Whisper1: Hello Linda! You're about an hour ahead of me then, it's 2:15AM in Minnesota. I look forward to your return visit & I will be sure to find your thread and star it as well! :)

>63 WhiteRaven.17: I was middle-of-the-road on Bunny as well. I enjoyed it while reading but didn't care for the ending. I thought it could have been better.

>65 WhiteRaven.17: I read Mostly Dead Things last year and had the same feelings about it. Glad to hear I'm not alone in being a bit disappointed by that book.

Great reviews even if the reading was a mixed bag! I'm glad you loved Nettle & Bone :) Heaven's Official Blessing and Giovanni's Room are two very different books that I'd like to get to at some point!

>73 norabelle414: Agreed Nora. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and thought it was intriguing while I was reading, but then it started to feel a little too "loose" and wild. So an interesting experience read but maybe not the best book.

>74 Kyler_Marie: Not alone on that feeling at all Kyler. I listened to it on audio & found myself increasing the speed a bit as it went on, just wanting to be done with it. I feel like I should've liked it more, but just couldn't.

>75 curioussquared: Thanks Natalie! It definitely was all over the place this month in both ratings and types of books. They were both good for very different reasons and was quite the juxtaposition reading them back to back. Lol. Hope you like them as much I did when you get to them!

>60 WhiteRaven.17: Hmm, could be a book bullet for me - added to all the other love for this one on LT. Mind you, I already have others of hers on my shelves I haven't read yet.

>77 humouress: It's definitely a good one, though I could say that about pretty much every book I've read by Kingfisher so far. Any that you choose by her will probably be pretty good. I'm hoping to eventually read through all her work.

>71 WhiteRaven.17: Awesome reads going for March!! I gave I'm Glad My Mom Dies and Memoirs of a Geisha 4 or more stars. I have Killers of the Flower Moon in a TBR pile somewhere...

Glad the training is almost over and Happy St Paddy's Day. : )

>79 Berly: Thanks Kim! Happy St. Patrick's Day to you too! This is my first weekend back by myself and not having to come in early at all, so it's a good-spirited weekend. :)
I'll get my reviews up for the other two soon. As for Memoirs of a Geisha that book is plaguing me, I started it back in December and thought I'd finally finish it this month, but think I'm probably going to put it off again...

#17 - I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

A moving memoir that follows the childhood and early twenties of the child actor as she grew up, costar of the popular tv show, iCarly.
I admittedly had very little previous knowledge of Jennette McCurdy having grown up never watching preteen shows, but with a title like that how do you not get drawn in and my cousin also wanted to read it, so it was our book club pick this month. It was well-written and very fast-paced, there is nothing extra or filler in this book and it's impressive just how much is packed in here. Incredibly blunt and humorous, it was easy to get wrapped into even when some parts made me so empathetic I needed a moment to recover. High content warning for emotional abuse and eating disorders.
I listened to this on audiobook read by the author and thought it was well done, recommend if you're curious, it's well told and incredibly quick.

Rating: ****
Finished: 03/03/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 6hrs
Category: Nonfiction - Memoir - Child Star - Eating Disorders

#20 - Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

A nonfiction accounting that takes place mostly around the 1920's in Osage territory in Oklahoma during parts of Prohibition and a huge oil boom on their lands, and the numerous deaths and killings of the Osage people.
I took way too long getting to this book, it was a well-researched and written accounting that gives details into the lives, times, and crimes while also being written in a compelling manner that never felt dry or inundated with data. Also taking a section to reflect on the vastness of the crimes committed that never even were legally acknowledged.
Personally, I find reading this type of true crime story so much harder than ones about solitary serial killers or organized sects, because this was more like an overall acceptance by a whole society of people to use the government and their perceived superiority to manipulate and kill others for their own personal gains. Truly a devastating account and definitely recommend getting around to this one if it's sitting on your tbr.

Rating: ****
Finished: 03/11/2024
Stats: 324pgs - 7hrs30mins
Category: Nonfiction - True Crime - 1920's History - Native American - Early FBI

#21 - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Follows a young man, Dorian Gray, as he gets his portrait painted by a dear friend and artist who introduces him to a rather strong influence who challenges his perspective on life and upon making a moved wish, twists his fate in his portrait.
This is a classic and fairly short, based on the concept I was very much looking forward to reading it and thought I'd breeze through it. I was wrong. This was a struggle for me to get through and I ended up having to listen to an audio version as I read to force my way through it. I just found a lot of the writing to be tedious and superfluous, which could be a reflection on the story itself, but just made it feel incredibly dry and like wading through mud. Admittedly, it does pick up significantly towards the end and I actually was excited to read the last few chapters, but overall an unsatisfying book.
I rather enjoyed the concept of the story and feel I could've loved it, but when a book literally puts me to sleep and I can only stand reading in half hour stints, it's clearly not working for me.

Rating: **
Finished: 03/12/2024
Stats: 220pgs - 5hrs43mins
Category: Fiction - Classic - Dark - Horror

#22 - Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

Follows a young indigiqueer/Two-Spirit native through a series of vignettes that explore the past and present in connection to their sexuality, gender expression, and community - including family and the difference of living on and off the Rez.
I listened to this on audiobook, read by the author themselves, and it was well done but can be a bit challenging to follow as the chapters flow and switch between different points in time. The protagonist is also a cybersex worker and some of the text might be a bit graphic and blunt. Was a very interesting work, that I suggest if seeing more of a Native American voice and experience within the queer existence is of interest to you.

Rating: ***
Finished: 03/17/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 4hrs
Category: Fiction - Native American - Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer

#23 & #24 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 2 & Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 3 by MXTX

Continuation of the series, that covers all of Arc 2 in the series that jumps into the past and shows some of the history between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng from Xie Lian's first ascension. Volume 3 starts to get into Arc 3 of the series and picks up where Arc 1 left off.
I absolutely binged through Volume 3 in two days and it's my favorite in the series so far. I haven't felt this excited and into a series for a very long time, definitely take my love of this series with a grain of salt because I am definitely biased to it and am already planning a new tattoo for the series.

Rating: **** & *****
Finished: 03/18/2024 & 03/20/2024
Stats: 389pgs - 9hrs08mins & 415pgs - 9hrs07mins
Category: Danmei - Fantasy - Romance - Chinese Culture/Folklore

#26 - The Hearing Test by Eliza Barry Callahan

A young artist in her twenties wakes up one morning to a strange sound and is diagnosed with Sudden Deafness, the novel then follows a record of the year to follow.
This is a new release that just came out earlier this month and I was immediately intrigued. I've started learning and practicing ASL this year as it's something I've always wanted to learn and think it's a language that should be taught more commonly from a young age. This book was not what I was expecting, as it's more of a stream-of-consciousness record of random encounters or thoughts that have more to do with the artistic and philosophical understanding of what 'silence' is and means or how it is expressed and artistically interpreted. Which can be perfectly fine and had some very lyrical or pretty sentiments but is not really about a young woman navigating life with sudden hearing loss, partial or full, like I had expected.
There's a mention in the author's note that the idea for this novel was originally a long essay, and after reading it I'm inclined to say I think the idea would have been better served as an essay and not this full novel, even though it's still under 200 pages.
An interesting read if you like short, philosophical stream-of-consciousness type works, but was a little disappointing for me and seemed to be trying a little too hard to be 'artistic'.

Rating: **
Finished: 03/25/2024
Stats: 159pgs - 3hrs34mins
Category: Fiction - Artistic/Philosophical - Stream of Consciousness - Hearing Loss

>86 WhiteRaven.17: Since you mention ASL, I'm jumping in with an aside; this term our riders on the morning I volunteer (at Riding for the Disabled) have more physical disabilities including deafness. I did learn some basic BSL (British) when the kids were babies, though I've forgotten most of it now, but they 'speak' SSL (Singapore). From my googling, it seems to be based on Shanghai SL but tailored with colloquialisms. I could see (in the distance) the kids having a fluid conversation and joking around.

But I have to wonder why the international deaf associations didn't get together and make a universal language? Imagine if a Singapore native could speak to, say, a French native in sign language without translation? I get the impression (but I could be wrong) that some of the colloquialisms are based on 'this word sounds like that word' - which seems rather redundant.

Sorry. Rant over. I'll give you back your thread now :0)

>87 humouress: Rant very welcome Nina! I had very similar thoughts about sign language when I was looking for resources to learn. That even countries with the same speaking language, like English in the United Kingdom and United States, have different sign languages.
That is interesting that you mention the colloquialisms as I'd not thought about that aspect. In my very minimal understanding I had assumed some of the reason it differed between countries is because certain gestures may have negative or rude connotations in different countries and/or cultures.

Certainly would be extremely useful to have a universal sign language as it's already a limited language within each country, from what I've seen, for instance in America it is very difficult to find classes or resources to learn if you or a family member is not hearing impaired or deaf and if you do it can be quite expensive, so having it be universal might make it more accessible and certainly for those that are deaf would make international travel more accessible.

A very interesting topic and now I'm slightly curious to see if I can find lessons on other sign languages outside of ASL to see how much or in what ways they differ from each other.

#27 - The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede

Centers in on some of the flights and passengers that were redirected to Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11 when the US became a no fly zone and ordered all planes to land and of the welcoming nature of the local residents.
I listened to this on audiobook and it was very good, an emotional read that kept hitting me in the feels but also incredibly uplifting and hopeful in showing the lengths of kindness that can be afforded to strangers. There were also many aspects and details that I had never considered before, such as the medications or animals in transport.
This was a BB from Stasia and I'm very glad I put it on my list, was a quick but very good listen.

Rating: *****
Finished: 03/31/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 4hrs
Category: Nonfiction - 9/11 Experiences

House of Leaves Update: This year, my cousin and I are reading House of Leaves together in monthly sections.

Currently at Chapter 10 (pg. 153)
The formatting is starting to get very interesting, but the author does a very good job of keeping it easy to follow and so it flows very naturally. I will say though in my cousin and I's discussion we mentioned how this story and formatting is a bit like a double-edged sword - on one hand it's impressive how complicated and twisted the formatting becomes and the multiple stories going on that it's still easy to follow, even in skimmed over parts, but also it's so easy to follow because there is a lot of extra, often impertinent info and text.
Additionally, I've been fairly fine with Johnny's perspective and stories so far, but this chapter even I found the graphic sexual content stories and sexualization of female characters excessive and a bit ridiculous. They were randomly spliced in with no bearing on the story and feel like the author is just using Johnny as a conduit to write out random sexual fantasies.
We'll continue on, as we are genuinely interested in where the main story is going but so far we have very mixed opinions on this book.

Monthly Overview

March was a very good month for me reading wise, I feel like reading is all I've done this year. Lol. My cousin and I have a theme of Around the World April, so I've picked more translated or non-US books this month that I'm looking forward to, though they are emotional picks. I'm also hoping to finally get through Memoirs of a Geisha this month finally, but who knows anymore. Hope everyone has a lovely April.

Favorite of the Month: Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

March Stats
Books Finished - 11
Pages Read - 2,077
Time Read - 38hrs35mins (+14hrs Audio)

April Plans
Kitten & Kro Bookclub
Mother of Strangers by Suad Amiry (Palestinian)
Translated Picks
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman (Swedish)
Kalevala by Elias Lonnrot (Finnish)
Minor Detail by Shibli Adania (Arabic)
Fiction Picks
Silence is My Mother Tongue by Sulaiman Addonia (Sudanese)
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Ongoing Long Read
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Up to Ch. 11)

Currently Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Tanslated - Fiction - Poetic Epic - Ongoing Long Read

Happy April, Kro!

>90 WhiteRaven.17: I think I'll give this one a miss, thanks.

My daughter took ASL in high school and my nephew is pretty fluent although neither of them is hearing impaired. I wish the book The Hearing Test had been more about a real life situation, as you said. Sigh.

Happy Monday!

>93 curioussquared: Thank you Natalie, you too!

>94 humouress: I wouldn't blame you one bit and don't think you'll be missing out on much Nina.

>95 Berly: That's really great, I wish it was more common. I tried taking it myself in high school but not enough students signed up for it so they cancelled the course. Indeed, it was okay, but definitely a let down from what I had been expecting it to be. Happy week Kim!

Apologies for the slow responses. I'm really missing checking in on everyone's threads and feel like I've missed a lot from everyone on here.
The person I spent a month training earlier this year worked for 3 weeks, one of which they were out sick for, and put in their notice. So now I'm back to being overloaded with work and covering extra hours and just the idea of having to go through another month of training someone new - if we even find anyone - makes me exhausted, I barely got through it the first time. Plus still trying to figure out my mental health and understanding of my autism and adhd. Anyway, I won't ramble on too much here, just a little update on my absenteeism since I feel bad about it.
Thanks to everyone still stopping by and sorry I haven't been repaying any. Hope you all are well! :)

>97 WhiteRaven.17: It is so annoying when something like that happens, Kro.
Take your time, take good care of yourself and remember that your pals are here for you as and when you need them.

>97 WhiteRaven.17: That's so frustrating! Definitely don't feel bad about being absent from LT, it happens to all of us.

>97 WhiteRaven.17: Oh no! How frustrating. I hope you manage to find someone suitable.

>97 WhiteRaven.17: Omg no! That is the worst. I can't imagine how demoralizing it must feel.

Training is hard enough the first time, but do have to do it twice and so close together? You have earned the right to rant. And no apologies about being in absentia. We will enjoy you when it suits you to be here. : )

>98 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul, it's appreciated. It definitely has been a frustrating situation.

>99 norabelle414: Thanks Nora! I appreciate your drop-bys.

>100 humouress: Thanks Nina, I hope so too, but I'm not holding out too much hope.

>101 curioussquared: It's definitely a blow, thank goodness I already had a vacation planned this coming weekend so I can have a brief reprieve.

>102 Berly: Thanks Kim, I could use a good rant session, lol. And who knows, it could be months before they find someone so it might not be so back to back.

Appreciate all the messages. :) I'm going to catch-up on all my April reviews here and I have some time-off planned for this coming weekend to see my cousin in Missouri that I'm very much looking forward to & will be a nice break from work for a bit.

#28 - Mother of Strangers by Suad Amiry

Takes place in Jaffa from 1947-51 and mostly follows the story of a young mechanic, Subhi, and his love interest, Saba, during the beginning of the destruction and displacement of Palestine.
This was a quick read and surprisingly easy to get into. It does a very good job of explaining the conflict between the Palestinians and would-be Israeli that was easy to digest and follow without feeling overloaded with information and keeping the story moving. There's a huge integration of Arabic phrases woven into the story that is a nice cultural touch. Also, despite the loss and destruction depicted in the book the story is written with an air of softness and uplifting. It's also based on a true story and the alignment of coincidences that aligned for this story to be told is astonishing. It was a good, quick, emotional read and definitely recommend if you're looking for Palestinian literature.

Rating: ***
Finished: 04/02/2024
Stats: 272pgs - 5hrs52mins
Category: Historical Fiction - Palestinian - Jaffa 1947-51

#29 - And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

A very short story following Noah and his Grandpa that is quite moving as it deals with life, mourning, and Alzheimer's or the loss of memory.
Not a lot to say about this one, it is a sweetly told story and has some simple illustrations throughout that were very nice. Definitely recommend if you come across it or get a chance to read it.

Rating: ****
Finished: 04/02/2024
Stats: 76pgs - 53mins
Category: Short Story - Memory Loss - Life & Mourning

#30 - Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

Takes place over two distinct time periods. The first half from a soldiers POV in the summer of 1949 and the events surrounding the captive holding and ultimate death of a young girl. The second half takes place twenty-five years later from a young woman's POV who gets wrapped into the historic incident.
Though a short book, this was definitely a lot to get through and is a very heavy story. Both perspectives are written in the view of people who are very particular with themselves and their environment or orderly way of thinking, which makes for a sharp juxtaposition with the chaos or disruption occurring around them and in their actions. It is a compelling read and overall tragic, I'm glad I read it and thought it was good, but would hesitate to recommend it due to the content of sexual assault and an overall dark story that might be a lot for some.

Rating: ***
Finished: 04/07/2024
Stats: 105pgs - 2hrs38mins
Category: Fiction - Crime - Palestinian

#31 - Kalevala by Elias Lonnrot - Translated by Eino Friberg

A long poetic epic on the creation story and early cultural stories and myths of Finland.
This is very much what you'd expect of early mythic stories with larger than life heroes and characters on wild quests and journeys. It is an entertaining read and surprisingly fast-paced and easy to follow and get through. I was concerned about that being a poetic epic, which has also been an eye-opener to me in how hard it must be to translate poems in a way that keeps the original tone and meaning, as well as a certain cadence and flow befitting the format. I had a good time with this one and enjoyed it, though I know I did not fully recognize or understand all the metaphors or meanings as I am not super versed in the history of Finland and am sure someone who is would find a lot more to appreciate about the stories. My one caveat is I could have gone without the very last chapter or runo, as it was very blatantly a Christian story that felt at odds. I understand this might have historical context and reasoning, but still seemed like a sharp juxtaposition and foreign to the rest of the book.

Rating: ****
Finished: 04/10/2024
Stats: 615pgs - 12hrs05mins
Category: Poetic Epic - Finnish History & Mythos

#32 - Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin

A story told through the perspective of Amanda as she lays in a rural hospital and her conversation with David, a young child, whose recounting events with her.
I had a coworker lend me this book after I mentioned I was reading a lot of translated books this month. It is a quick little read with no chapters and mostly dialogue. I imagine as a refection of the title the story is also told in this sort of loose and mysterious way that leaves explanations and situations slightly blurry or odd. It is still pretty easy to gleam this story is about the dangers of pesticides and agricultural chemical runoff into the water, but there is still a lot left open to interpretation. It was definitely a strange little read and intriguing, but not overly worth it, I feel. Perhaps Argentinian lit is not my thing as this is the second book I've read from there and I really disliked the first one I read.

Rating: **
Finished: 04/13/2024
Stats: 136pgs - 2hrs03mins
Category: Fiction - Mystery - Argentina

#33 - Silence is My Mother Tongue by Sulaiman Addonia

Set in a refugee camp in Sudan that follows the story of two siblings, Saba, and her mute brother, Hagos.
This was an incredibly brutal yet uplifting book, almost opposing of itself as it deals with the very hard scenarios of fallout from war and displacement as well as life in a refugee camp. There are depictions of brutish behaviors of assault and belittling that are traumatic, while somehow aligning these events with the soft exploration of gender and sexuality and friendship. The camp has this feel of an isolated society that makes the setting feel removed from the outside world. I personally wasn't a huge fan of how the book begins or ends, but everything in between is quite compelling and I'm glad I stumbled upon it. I find it hard to outright recommend because of the pain inflicted within it, but it also has a story of queerness that is captivating.

Rating: ***
Finished: 04/16/2024
Stats: 194pgs - 5hrs27mins
Category: Historical Fiction - Refugee Camp - Queer

#34 - Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 4 by MXTX

I am officially halfway through this series and enjoying every single moment of it, this particular volume is a lot and I burned through it in practically a single day! I am not saying too much as we are now deep in the plot and this is more just as a personal marker to reflect back and keep each book separate as the overall story melds together.
This was the most emotional and disturbing story plot so far and I'm still recovering as it effectively goes very bad for who was one of my favorite side characters, but it is also the most groundbreaking in the relationship between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, which made this book an emotional tug-of-war. As always, impressed with this author for making a story that is simultaneously action-packed, dark, romantic, and funny.

Rating: *****
Finished: 04/18/2024
Stats: 368pgs - 8hrs17mins
Category: Danmei - Dark Fantasy - Romance - Chinese Culture/Folklore

#36 - Foe by Iain Reid

Takes place on a remote little farm of Junior and Hen as they receive news from a company called OuterMore that Junior has been selected for a space program and that Hen will be provided familiar company while he is away.
This is the second Iain Reid book I've read this year and I enjoyed this one just as much, if not more. He writes stories that feel like the book versions of Black Mirror episodes, which I find very intriguing. They are quick paced and are great at evoking feelings of unease, a real unsettled emotion that makes the story feel engaging and compelling. Both of his books are written as mystery's, but it is pretty easy to tell early on, if not immediately, what the "twist" is, even so I've not found the experience any less satisfying or engaging to read even knowing what was happening. Easy recommend if you like fast-paced horror/mystery or are a fan of Black Mirror.

Rating: ****
Finished: 04/26/2024
Stats: 260pgs - 4hrs05mins
Category: Fiction - Mystery - Sci-fi

#37 - Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Follows a young girl from a rural fishing village in Japan and the series of paths that unfold in her life of becoming a geisha.
This one took me forever to get through having stared it back in December of last year and I did end up listening to most of it on audiobook (btw, why is it so difficult to get the unabridged audiobook), but I finally finished it. I'm glad I can mark it off and I can acknowledge the writing and the appeal of this book, but I just don't think it was for me. It lingers way too long on her early childhood and the petty nuisances of Hatsumoto that I got very tired of and the overarching romance plotline just pays off way too late and am personally uncomfortable with the ages. There's also just generally some disturbing scenes throughout (ie the Doctor and the blood) that makes this a hard book for me to like. So I appreciate it and it has it's moments, but not a winner for me.

Rating: **
Finished: 04/28/2024
Stats: 428pgs - 12hrs42mins
Category: Historical Fiction - 1940's Japan - Geishas

House of Leaves Update: This year, my cousin and I are reading House of Leaves together in monthly sections.

Currently at Chapter 11 (pg. 246)
This was probably the most enjoyable section of the book so far as the formatting is interesting and engaging while being straightforward and easy to navigate. This past chapter also focused almost entirely on the actual story unfolding within the house, which is the most engaging storyline within this book. It was a fast-paced little action sequence and a nice follow-up to Chapter 9, which was an absolute pain.

Monthly Overview

I feel very accomplished after my April reads, I've been really good this year about getting to the books I've planned on while still leaving room for spontaneous picks. I need a stress free month, so most of my planned picks for May are short or easy reads and manga. Hope everyone's year is going alright, I can't believe it's already May.

Favorite of the Month: Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 4 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

April Stats
Books Finished - 10
Pages Read - 2,656
Time Read - 55hrs14mins

May Plans
Kitten & Kro Bookclub
Foe by Iain Reid (Read at the end of April)
Fiction Picks
Dragon Palace by Hiromi Kawakami
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Nonfiction Pick
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Audiobook Pick
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Ongoing Long Read
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Up to Ch. 12)

Currently Reading


Ordered: Short Stories - Nonfiction - Audiobook - Ongoing Long Read

(*There's a definite theme happening here...lol)

>115 WhiteRaven.17: Did you choose those on purpose?!

That's a lot of octopuses!

>116 ursula: Haha! One would think, but surprisingly no, it's a coincidence. The short stories I randomly picked up as a way to kill time waiting for a friend at a bookstore. The nonfiction I've owned for ages & decided it was time. The audiobook I put on hold back in November of last year & just happened to finally become available now. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something...

>117 norabelle414: It certainly is! Apparently my reading has aligned with a theme this month, not that I'm complaining. They are interesting creatures.

Love your accidental octopus theme!

>112 WhiteRaven.17: This has been on my shelf for a long time and I think it's going to be one of my next reads. I hope I like it more than you do!

Wait, does Richard know you are reading all the octopi books?? He is such a fan!! LOL (I have read two of them!)

>119 curioussquared: Lol, it's a lovely little theme.
I hope you like it more too & it's less of a struggle than it was for me. I did recently watch the movie since reading it & some of the more disturbing scenes are cut that make it more palatable & make more sense in some aspects. On the other hand, the book has more closure. I'll definitely be interested in your thoughts on it Natalie.

>120 Berly: I don't believe so, but I definitely get being a fan of them, I'm having a great time! Remarkably Bright Creatures was so lovely & I'm halfway through The Soul of an Octopus - I'm enraptured & would love to be able to go stare at an octopus all day right now. Fascinating.

Jeepers.
Well the second round of training a new hire is through, hopefully they stick around this time and work can finally go back to normal after a whole year of chaos. Now, please pardon my rambling for a moment. I generally have bad sleep issues and they have been exceptionally rough this past month which has made my chronic tension headaches more of a pain than usual and I just feel overwhelmingly exhausted, physically and mentally. I know I'm just a random stranger on the internet here and really this doesn't matter, but as someone who is extremely isolated and struggles with living this little community and site really helps bring me a small sense of connection. That even just one other random person out there might have care enough to check in on my thread or wonder about me is comforting. So thank you, if that is you or if it's no one, thank you as a community for being so kind and welcoming to impart the lasting impression on me that there might be. Little handholds mean a lot when clinging to a mountain. This all seems a bit silly to post, but I'm hoping saying it holds me more accountable to keep thinking this inkling of positivity. If anyone read this, thank you and I hope you have a good day.

Also, going to do a quick update to May reviews & posts now, hopefully.

#40 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Follows three characters; a young man trying to figure out his life, an elderly woman living out her days working at an aquarium, and an octopus nearing the end of his time. Weaves together the mystery of how all these lives interconnect and what they mean to each other.
Finally got around to this popular book and can definitely understand why it has done so well. It's a very touching and caring story that I think anyone could relate or empathize with and it's told in a fun way with the addition of an octopus's pov. I will say I started to feel a little anxious and annoyed with how long it took the characters to put together and solve the mystery when the reader is aware of it so early on in the book, but that is really my only complaint in what is overall a great story. Also, I listened to this on audiobook and the voice actors did a terrific job, can recommend it.

Rating: ****
Finished: 05/06/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 9hrs50mins
Category: Contemporary Fiction - Loss/Mourning - Found Connections

#46 - Beastars: Vol. 22 by Paru Itagaki

This is more of a personal wrap up as this is the final volume in the series and I wanted to note it.
I started this manga back in 2019, which seems like a lifetime ago, and I feel very accomplished to have finally finished the entire series. This was the first manga I ever picked up, a hesitant step into a genre I had never read before, and the storyline and artistic style made it an instant success with me. I have since gathered and read a whole collection of different manga series and comics, which I don't think I would have ever done if I hadn't enjoyed this series.
I also started this series back in 2019 when I was in a reading desert and hadn't fallen back into this hobby that I've always loved and I think I have to thank this series for helping to ease me back into the excitement and habit of reading. Overall, I had a good time with this and will always think on it fondly, 22 volumes was a lot and a long time. I'm not sure what manga series I'll follow it up with, but I definitely will find another one I think.

Rating: ****
Finished: 05/17/2024
Stats: 194pgs - 1hr02mins
Category: Manga - Dark Fantasy - Action Adventure

#47 - The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

A partial memoir that chronicles Sy Montgomery's time observing and studying octopuses.
I listened to this on audiobook, read by the author, and followed along with my physical copy for the pictures. This is a well organized and engaging read that does a good job of relaying information and facts in a personable and easy to understand way that would make it appealing to any reader. There are moments that are fascinating and educational and emotional that as a warning will make you want to go find an octopus to stare at and interact with. I have a new interest in this species and an itch to go to an aquarium like never before.

Rating: ****
Finished: 05/20/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 6hrs
Category: Nonfiction - Octopus - Marine Life

#50 - Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Follows a young native girl after she is left alone on her native island, where she lives and survives for 18 years.
This middle grade book weaves a story that is based on a true story from what little notes the author had of the real life events. There were few notes left as she was a sole survivor of a isolated native people that by the time she came to the mainland none of her people could be found and no one knew her language. Knowing this and that it's a novel intended for younger audiences much of the story is obvious speculation and a plethora of animal friends, but it is still a very engaging and interesting read. It is well-written and I enjoyed it, and that it is based off of a real woman and her life definitely gave me more to think about outside of what the book was about and portrayed.

Rating: ****
Finished: 05/28/2024
Stats: 174pgs - 3hrs03mins
Category: Middle Grade - Native American - Survival

House of Leaves Update: This year, my cousin and I are reading House of Leaves together in monthly sections.

Currently at Chapter 12 (pg. 275)
Honestly, going to need an explanation to why so many people love and praise this book. I've had it on my list for years because of multiple people saying they love it and I just can't understand. The formatting is one thing and I can respect the ingenuity that went into it, but this past section was so bad. It repeats the previous chapter from a new POV that really adds nothing to the story except for cheesy jokes. Then goes into a Johnny section that has truly deplorable lists about women and is heavily misogynistic, but misogynistic in the way that the male character is written as if what he's saying and thinking is actually mindful and thoughtful about women - that he's realizing he had a 2D version of women and he's trying to give them more depth and understanding, but really it makes an already gross list even more disgusting. Follow this all up with some gruesome animal abuse and death.
Don't get me wrong, I've read horror books and lots of true crime and have a pretty high tolerance to this type of subject matter, but even I am getting fed up with this story and writing.

Monthly Overview

Started May off strong with a little holiday down to see my cousin, which was really good, but I did spend the rest of the month trying to recover my sleep schedule and slotting back into normal life. Got a fair bit read, but it was mostly easy, comfort reading. Definitely looking forward to hopefully enjoying that it's summer this month and feeling more functional. Have a good Pride month!

Favorite of the Month: The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

May Stats
Books Finished - 13
Pages Read - 2,125
Time Read - 19hrs01mins (+15hrs50mins Audio)

June Plans
Kitten & Kro Bookclub
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
Queer Picks
Loveless by Alice Oseman
The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar
Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor
Fiction Picks
Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 5 by MXTX
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Audiobook Picks
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty
Pageboy by Elliot Page
Ongoing Long Read
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Up to Ch. 14)

Currently Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Buddy Read - Queer Fiction - Audiobook - Ongoing Long Read

Well, it has been quite a while since I visited, Kro, so I am not even going to try and catch up.

>129 WhiteRaven.17: I hope you enjoy the Caitlin Doughty book. I have read a couple of hers and enjoyed them. I also like her YouTube channel.

Have a wonderful weekend!

>122 WhiteRaven.17: 🙋‍♀️ I read it. My teens are going through something similar so I can empathise. Hang in there and keep posting! (Keep calm and carry on?) LibraryThing is a great, supportive community.

I haven't been by in a while either; I've been a bit slow around the threads in recent years. But I will come round again ... eventually :0) I like your octopus theme and even though I don't think they're my genre, I'm almost tempted. Almost. I hope you enjoyed your break with your cousin. Does she(?) post on LT as well?

>122 WhiteRaven.17: I feel the same way about being here, Kro.

Fingers crossed that your new hire works out!

Even though I don’t post much, I’ve been visiting. You’ve got some good reads going!

>122 WhiteRaven.17: I read it all and I'm so sorry you've been having a rough time! I hope the new recruit stays on, work calms down, your sleep gets better, and things start looking up. I truly believe LT is the most wholesome, kindest place on the internet -- which is probably why I've been hanging out here for all of my adult life (and part of my teenage life, too :))

Of your current reads, I read and enjoyed Upright Women Wanted and The Road (although "enjoyed" is maybe not the right word for the McCarthy, lol). Good luck with House of Leaves if you continue to persist!

IGNORE this paragraph if you are not interested in advice, but I started taking magnesium glycinate before bed about 5 months ago and have noticed a huge improvement in my sleep. According to my Fitbit, which tracks my sleep, I am sleeping ~45 minutes to an hour more per night, and I seem to fall asleep easier and have an easier time getting back to sleep when I wake up in the night. Anyway, this is anecdotal and just my own experience and I'm sure you've tried lots of stuff, but I just wanted to share in case it can help you!

Hi Kro! Sorry about the work, the headaches and the insomnia. Hopefully the new hire works out!

House of Leaves sounds miserable. Do you have to keep reading?

Wow. Thank you everyone for the responses and visits, it means a lot and has certainly made my week.

>130 alcottacre: Happy to see you Stasia, I've also not made any visits in a while & need to set apart a time to do so. I really did enjoy the Doughty book and will have to add some of her others to my list as well as check out her YouTube channel. Hope you are well!

>131 humouress: Thank you Nina, I do appreciate your visits when you can, I definitely understand it being a lot to keep up with. The octopus theme was fun, I certainly recommend either. The break with my cousin was good, saw a musical and bought books so can't get much better, lol. She has an account on here but doesn't use it. Hope you and your teens are doing well.

>132 norabelle414: Thank you Nora! Fingers crossed. It's a good community here.

>133 drneutron: Thank you Jim, the lurking is appreciated and glad you think so.

>134 curioussquared: Thank you Natalie, I always look forward to your visits. It really is a great little community, more so than I ever would think possible for an online book site and hope to stick around here for awhile too. :)
Upright Women Wanted was a fun little read, though I unfortunately was not super impressed by it. Yeah, The Road is a bit melancholy of a book, but a quick read so far and I'm glad to finally be taking it off my tbr. And thanks, persist is a good way of putting our readthrough of House of Leaves, lol.
Appreciate the recommendation, I've had trouble sleeping since I was a young kid so I have definitely been through the ringer of trying to find solutions and all the advice, but I still appreciate when others try to help. I can't remember if that's something I've tried before but I'll give it a look, who knows. :)

>135 banjo123: Hi Rhonda! Thank you, I hope so too! It sorta is, I'm pretty sure my cousin might be moved enough to burn her copy by the time we finish it, lol. It helps that we only read small sections once a month otherwise we'd have abandoned it by now I presume. I think we're both committed to seeing it through at this point, but I guess that depends on how bad it is going forward.

>135 banjo123: >136 WhiteRaven.17: How far in are you with House of Leaves? You do know the Pearl Rule concept, right? (Though I'm reluctant to apply it, myself.)

>137 humouress: We're a pretty decent chunk through at 275pgs in a 700pg book, so definitely past 50 pages. My cousin rarely dnf's a book and I just "shelf" books to come back to sometimes. It's not all bad, some parts are interesting, and I don't mind it since it's one section once a month that usually only takes a day to get through. My cousin is also just skimming or skipping over sections she finds too displeasing.

#51 - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty

A partial memoir that follows Doughty's introduction years to the mortuary field and its practices as well as her takeaways and some insight into death practices in general.
There was a time in my life where I almost went into mortuary science and considered it as a career, even did a tour and sit down at a funeral home in high school and have still considered it as something I wouldn't mind having experience in. So this book was immediately on my list the moment I saw it and it did not disappoint. It is informative while being engaging and I like the dark humor she brings to the subject - having worked in an ER for many years, I understand building a solid sense of dark humor to what you have to see and interact with on a daily basis. I also can really appreciate the perspective she is trying to shed light on and discuss with our modern death practices. As morbid as it may sound I remember thinking out and informing my parents how I wanted to be disposed of when I was no older than 11 and asking them what they wanted for themselves. I think its a subject that should be less taboo to have open and regular conversations about and having more natural, environmental options would be nice.
I listened to this on audiobook, read by the author, and found it very easy to listen to. I will definitely be looking to pick up some of her other books.

Rating: ****
Finished: 06/03/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 4hrs38mins
Category: Memoir - Mortuary Practices & Death Rituals

#52 - Loveless by Alice Oseman

Follows first year college student, Georgia, and her experiences navigating friendships and discovering her sexuality, coming into her own.
This was a delightful book that I did not want to set down after picking it up, binging it in just two days. The story is very easy to get wrapped into and all the characters are diverse and feel like solid individuals and not just secondary to Georgia's character. The conflict that arises also feels deep and handled smoothly, where it might be miscommunication on the surface but that's not the reasoning for the conflicts. I also really appreciate this story making the main character and plot around being asexual and aromantic. While I definitely appreciate that queer literature has been able to move further than "I'm queer and that's emotional enough to be my whole character and story", I also appreciate asexuality getting some of that treatment as it's an identity that is not often highlighted or is relegated to side-character energy.
Overall this is an enjoyable read and a great book if your looking for something with asexual or aromantic characters and explores that identity.

Rating: ****
Finished: 06/05/2024
Stats: 393pgs - 7hrs43mins
Category: Fiction - YA - Queer - Asexuality & Aromanticism

#53 - Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

Esther has just runaway to join up with the Librarians, who travel by horseback across the Arizonian desert to deliver Approved Materials in a western styled dystopian featuring mostly queer women.
Honestly this sounded like such a fun read with Librarians being the outlaw heroes in a western and it is a quick, fun concept and story, but unfortunately the execution fell a little flat for me. My biggest complaint being it's western styling - the setting, way the characters speak, and general metaphors that are meant to give it that classic 'western' feel are just overused to bits, to the point it's almost distracting from the actual story. It's a short book and it feels like the author was trying to squeeze every last 'western' cliché saying imaginable into it. There's also some other general writing habits and sentencing structure that irked me a bit.
Now overall, I think it could still be a good book to others if it sounds interesting and you just want a quick, action-packed, queer western, but I just personally could not overlook or get passed the writing.

Rating: **
Finished: 06/07/2024
Stats: 173pgs - 3hrs05mins
Category: Bookclub - Dystopian - Western - Queer

>140 WhiteRaven.17: I'm looking forward to this one! I like Oseman a lot.

>141 WhiteRaven.17: Sorry this one didn't work for you!

>142 curioussquared: I hope you like it as much as I did! It was my first novel by her and I definitely need to check out her other one's now. Also, yeah, it was an entertaining story at least and quick to get through.

>139 WhiteRaven.17: You remind me of the time my then seven year old sweet younger son casually said, one day at the dining table to my husband and me 'When you die, I get the house, right?' - not so much asking as stating and incidentally disposing of both of us and his older brother. I was a bit flummoxed, to say the least.

>122 WhiteRaven.17: Sorry to read you had such a tough time, Kro.
I hope the new hire stays for a long time, and your headaches and insomnia disappear soon.

I just want you to know that I've been here. :)

I get what you mean about the sense of community. Living in other countries means that I also am pretty isolated and the internet is my home.

Sorry you're not vibing with House of Leaves. As with many things, I wonder how I would feel about it if I re-read it now.

>122 WhiteRaven.17: I see you and hear you and hope that life calms down for you!!! I love that you are part of my LT family and I hope you can feel that. Fingers crossed that the new hire sticks around.

And great job updating your book reads! Smoke Gets in Your Eyes sounds quite interesting. Added to the WL. (I always mark these as so-and-so's fault, so now there this one says Kro's fault! LOL)

>144 humouress: Lol! That's quite the takeaway on death and his future planning. It's always interesting how younger kids initially process and come to understand that step in life.

>146 ursula: Thank you Ursula. :) I'm sure always being in a new or foreign place could definitely enhance those feelings, thank goodness for the internet.
Yeah, it's a bit unfortunate about House of Leaves. I'm definitely curious to read and hear more people's thoughts on why they liked it or if anyone has ever reread it, that would be a lot.

>147 Berly: Thank you Kim! That means a lot. So far still here, even if there's still some mistakes and call-outs happening, but hopefully that gets better with time.
Thank you, it's always a lot to do a bunch at once. And glad to hear it, that's a book rec I'll gladly have my name attached to. Lol.

#54 - The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar

Set in two different timelines of young Syrian-American individuals in NYC; one a young transman in modern day and the other a young female artist from decades ago.
This was a rec I picked from LT when I first joined this group and have just now got around to reading it nearly two years later even though I was looking forward to it. It has lyrical and mesmerizing writing that is filled with some really beautiful descriptions of birds. Ornithology is a big character and connecter for this story, so be prepared to notice birds in an enhanced way while and after finishing this book. That said, it is a very slow-moving and paced book, so I would caution to make sure you're in a mood to really just sit with it and match it's pace. I unfortunately was in the mood for something faster paced and kept struggling to stay focused and engaged even though I was liking the story and writing.
I don't think it was a perfect book, there's some little flaws I could pick at, but overall was beautifully written with an interesting storyline and characters. I would probably read more by this author.

Rating: ***
Finished: 06/12/2024
Stats: 288pgs - 8hrs22mins
Category: Literary Fiction - LGBTQIA+ - Syrian-American Culture - Ornithology

#55 - Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor

Starting off in Iowa in 1993, this story follows twenty-something Paul Polydoris as he navigates the queer scene of the age and his comfort in his own skin as a skinchanger who can morph his body and gender freely.
When I saw the title of this book and premise I just had to read it because it sounded so intriguing. It's fairly easy to read and get wrapped up in the story, with some woven magical realism tales and a constantly moving plotline. On the other hand, a big advisory that it is very sex forward and detailed about it, which was a bit much for me, but I expected it going in based on how the book is advertised so I can't complain, just forward on the caution. It also leans very heavy into the queer culture of that time with numerous references that I found myself often skimming over because I just didn't get them or connect to them, but I'm sure someone older than me and more familiar with the culture of that time would appreciate. It's ultimately a story about someone trying to find comfort when they are struggling within their own skin and that part was portrayed well.
An interesting read, glad I read it, but definitely think there's a different audience that would appreciate it more than I could.

Rating: ***
Finished: 06/18/2024
Stats: 337pgs - 8hrs59mins
Category: Magical Realism - LGBTQIA+ - 90s Culture

#58 - The Road by Cormac McCarthy

A post-apocalyptical story of a young boy and his father as they travel alone, trying to survive in a dark and dying world.
I feel this is a pretty well known classic and I've had it on my shelf for ages because of the great reviews family members have given me of the movie. My younger cousin had to read it for one of her college courses and was nervous about it so I said I'd read it with her since I owned a copy and had been meaning to get to it for ages. Very glad it's finally ticked off my list.
This is an incredibly quick read, but it still took me weeks to get through, because it feels very slow and heavy. I'd be reading for only thirty minutes and feel like it'd been well over an hour and needed a break. I typically struggle with kids in books, but the kid was very well written and genuine feeling to the world he had grown up in. This is probably one of the better, if not best, journey books I've read, where there is no real beginning or clear end or even explanation. It's often vague, but it works perfectly, and the story is dark and engaging and really sits with you. I haven't watched the movie yet, but I hope to get to it soon.

Rating: ****
Finished: 06/24/2024
Stats: 287pgs - 4hrs34mins
Category: Survival Fiction - Post-Apocalyptic - Dark

House of Leaves Update: This year, my cousin and I are reading House of Leaves together in monthly sections.

Currently at Chapter 14 (pg. 347)
Short update, it's going.
Honestly there are some really great moments with more bizarre page formatting concerning the Navidson House storyline and when the story focuses on that it can be really engaging and entertaining. Even Johnny slowly going crazy is intriguing or some of Zampano's observations, but it feels like all these stories keep interrupting each other and not in an engaging way. Instead it leads to a feeling of repetition and redundancy that begins to feel tedious and ruins what could be genuinely good stories. Like it's taken too long to make any headway in each story that even if they were good I no longer have the momentum to care.

>148 WhiteRaven.17: It came out of the blue and rather took us aback. You make a good point, but it's too late now, about eight years later, to try and work out where it came from.

Monthly Overview

This month was going smoothly and then I blinked my eyes and it was over. It's been nearly nonstop rain where I live so I haven't been able to sit outside and read, which is my favorite part of summer, so I'm feeling a little forlorn about that. Hoping this next month is less dreary so I can enjoy some fresh air and warm sunrises.

Favorite of the Month: Loveless by Alice Oseman

June Stats
Books Finished - 10
Pages Read - 2,420
Time Read - 46hrs57mins (+4hrs38mins Audio)

July Plans
Kitten & Kro Bookclub
Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
Fiction Picks
Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin
There There by Tommy Orange
Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 6 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Dragon Palace by Hiromi Kawakami
Audiobook Picks
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Ongoing Long Read
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Up to Ch. 17)

Currently Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Fiction - Ebook - Audiobook - Ongoing Long Read

>153 humouress: Lol, certainly too late for that, though hopefully his way of looking at it is a little different now. I always tell my parents that I don't really care if I get anything, property or money wise, after they die as that's not the important part. I'd just like to at least break even in organizing their affairs.

Hi Kro! I just finished Loveless and really enjoyed it, too :) Hope you get some sunshine soon! I also feel like June went crazy fast.

>156 WhiteRaven.17: Well, he's more mature now but he hasn't considered the bureaucratic aspects. But we've made a will for right now, while the kids are still minors (just in case), so that will hopefully minimise that kind of fallout.

>155 WhiteRaven.17: I gave The Lost Apothecary 4 stars. Interesting book -- hope you enjoy it! How is the narrator?

>157 curioussquared: Thanks Natalie, not as much sunshine as I'd hope, but it is what it is. This summer is sweeping by! I'll definitely have to pick up some of her other books.

>158 humouress: Well that's always good, planning is always a bonus. I'll admit I was a bit of a weird kid and wanted to make my own will and funeral planning at age 12, but I feel most people don't start thinking about the bureaucratic side until they have their own families or have a dying parent.

>159 Berly: It was an enjoyable listen, it had 3 voice actresses for each pov and they all did a wonderful job! I think I would not have liked it as much had I just read it.

Personal Update -
I'm starting to think this is just not my year. The second person I trained this year is going to a different position and I can not train another - I just don't have it in me, but I think I've swayed one of my coworkers who works an earlier shift to take the position so fingers crossed that works out. Anyway, I've really leaned into reading for escapism so I have plenty of books to review and am going to attempt to catch up on all of July now.

#61 - The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain

Takes place in modern day and follows almost retired postman, Albert, as he reflects back on his life and the long lost love interest of his youth.
I'm beginning to think I just really enjoy books written with an older pov, it's very refreshing and especially in a romance novel. Not that I'm anywhere near retirement, but as someone in their late 20's nearing 30 and having never been in a real relationship or even had their first kiss it was a reassuring story to read. Overall the writing was smooth and the characters endearing, it had a lot of heart to it. At the end it even had some real interviews from queer men around Albert's age that talked about their own experiences.
I'd probably pick up one of his other works if I came across them.

Rating: ****
Finished: 07/01/2024
Stats: 614pgs - 9hrs35mins
Category: Fiction - Romance - LGBTQIA+

#62 - The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Follows three different woman of various ages in two different time periods as their stories overlap and the past influences the present.
I had bought this book a year or so ago thinking it looked interesting and my cousin might also want to read it, but then just never got around to it or had the interest. It came up as available on Libby when trying to find a new book to listen to and figured it was a good way to finally knock it off my TBR. Very glad I did, each character is voiced by their own voice actress and they all did a wonderful job, they really embodied the characters. I think I would not have enjoyed the story or book nearly as much had I just read it as it's not the type of book I'm typically drawn to or enjoy. It has an intriguing mystery plot and well-rounded characters that make it engaging.

Rating: ****
Finished: 07/02/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 5hrs12mins
Category: Historical Fiction - Mystery

#63 - Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin

Takes place on a small Scottish Isle, mainly following the disappearance of a young man and other strange occurrences.
Admittedly, this book is a little slow to get into and takes a moment, but once you're in it's hard to put down. I slowly pieced through the first section, but binged the whole second half, despite the little grammatical errors here and there (which are usually a huge pet peeve of mine in books and can lessen my enjoyment of them). I also love more unique mythological creatures and stories in books and this one focuses on Scottish folklores with selkies, Baobhan Sith, blood magic, fae folk, and more. All the characters felt whole and were very endearing, with a mystery horror plotline that was engaging.
This is the author's debut work and I already ordered their second novel, they are indie published and don't seem to be hugely popular, so I'm glad I randomly came across this find. I've been buying more indie published works this year.

Rating: ****
Finished: 07/04/2024
Stats: 369pgs - 8hrs40mins
Category: Fiction - Mystery - Horror - Scottish Folklore

#65 - Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

To make my life easier I'm just going to copy and quote myself from the review I wrote for my cousin and I's bookstagram.
"Right off the bat this is a recommended read, especially if you're looking for something lighthearted, sarcastic & witty, that's still smart & entertaining!
Look it's got goblins, princesses, heros, evil wizards - all with the fun campy fantasy feel you expect but with delightful twists or takes to keep it fresh. The tone is the perfect level of snarky & even though the premise is lighthearted & predictable, there is still a well layered world that feels logically thought out & fulfilling.
Honestly, it's just a good time & we'll definitely be looking out for any future works by this author."
It's a little more jazzed up then I am on here, but I stand by it and if you like tabletop role-play/D&D vibes this is a definite read and was even the inspiration for the book.

Rating: ****
Finished: 07/10/2024
Stats: 344pgs - 8hrs45mins
Category: Bookclub - Cozy Fantasy - Comedic

#66 - There There by Tommy Orange

Follows a handful of individuals and their lives in the lead up to a big Powwow in Oakland.
I'll be honest, I'm a little apprehensive about writing this review because I've heard really good things about this book but it was kind of a letdown for me. I partially read and listened to this book on audio, which even though the voice actors did a swell performance, I feel I would have been better served if I had just read it on it's own. There's a lot going on with a lot of characters and is harder to follow by audio alone and I'm glad I had a hard copy to switch to or follow along with. That said, it was a decent story, the plot was interesting and interconnected and the writing was good, but I just felt a bit left behind or unfinished by it. I wish I could better isolate and articulate what about it isn't sitting well with me but I can't at the moment. After finishing it I have no desire to pick up his other book, Wandering Stars, and I'm wondering if his style is just not for me or if I missed something about it, or just read it at the wrong time.

Rating: ***
Finished: 07/14/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 5hrs31mins
Category: Fiction - Native American - Multiple POV

>165 WhiteRaven.17: All books obviously don't work the same for all people, so it's valid if you just didn't connect with it. Also you're right that timing can have a role in it - I don't think I've liked anything I've read for months. Maybe I've just been choosing poorly, but also it has been a terrible year so that probably has something to do with it too.

But you are 100% right not to pick up the second book by Orange. I read it earlier this year and in spite of loving There There, I didn't like it at all, and I've seen others express disappointment as well.

I hope the last part of the year looks up for you.

>166 ursula: Thanks Ursula, I think I just went into it with good expectations and it's the type of book I'd typically love, so I was a bit surprised when it ended up not really working for me. Timing and atmosphere really does effect things and I try to be mindful of that, and the other books I was reading alongside it were also letdowns, so maybe it influenced my mood towards this one. Sorry you've been having bad luck this year.

Definitely noted on his second book, I suppose not all books by an author can be winners.
Thank you, hope yours does as well.

#67 - Dragon Palace by Hiromi Kawakami

A collection of eight short stories. Following are the notes I took on StoryGraph as I was reading for each story.
Hokusai- About a man who meets a man who claims to be an octopus. Interesting & a bit weird, didn't like the pursuit of women but there were some lovely passages about waves & time.
Dragon Palace- Grandmother Ito tells random premonitions & has sex with anyone. A bit strange, not sure I fully follow the strangeness on this one, interesting though.
Fox's Den- A middle-aged caretaker & an elderly man who is fox like develop a relationship. Odd focus on 'turds of the past'. Strange.
The Kitchen God- About a god that lives in the kitchen & cares for plants. Honestly this one lost me a bit.
The Mole- This is my fave so far. Goes through the day of this mole person & his collection of humans that are passively living & checked out to burrow for awhile or die. Repetitive nature.
The Roar- Boy raised by seven sisters, incestuous. Weirdly sexual & detached.
Shimazaki- A future where people age at different rates, can live hundreds of years or normal length. An intriguing concept. A meh story.
Sea Horse- A woman comes from the sea for a man & is then trapped, passed from husband to husband. Intriguing.

I started this in May and it took me three months to get through despite it's short length. It felt very slow. I also love strange and weird stories, but this was not my cup of tea. I only genuinely kind of liked two of the stories and even then it was meh. Also, very sexual and incestuous plots that just made me uncomfortable. The writing is fine but I probably won't pick up this authors other works as I don't think her content is for me.

Rating: **
Finished: 07/16/2024
Stats: 167pgs - 3hrs21mins
Category: Short Stories - Japanese Lit - Magical Realism

#69 - The Giver by Lois Lowry

Follows twelve year old Jonas in this dystopian future society.
This is a classic and my first ever reread as it was required reading in my middle school so I read it many years ago, but it is also one of my cousin's favorite series and each year on our birthdays we can request the other reads a book of our choosing, she chose this one for her birthday. I decided I'd read the whole series as a special surprise since I have never read the other three.
I think this is a deserved classic for the contemplative topics and writing for a younger audience, it held up and I had the same reaction and feeling towards it as the first time, though I also remembered it pretty precisely, I have a weirdly good memory for books which is why I don't really reread them. It made me just as uncomfortable as the first time, a real dystopian feel of unease, and again the ending throws me for a loop. I spoke to my cousin after finishing it because I needed an explanation. The ending of this book just loses me, becoming weirdly poetic when the rest of the book is fairly straightforward and not making much sense - at least how I was interpreting and understanding it. Overall though, it's a good book and I'm looking forward to what happens in the rest of the series.

Rating: ****
Finished: 07/20/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 3hrs13mins
Category: Reread - Dystopian - Young Audience

#70 - Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Follows seventeen year old Charlie Reade on a fantasy type journey into another world to save his dog, Radar.
I picked this up on audio as the narration had been awarded and my mom is a huge Stephen King fan, she reads and loves all his work, so I've tried multiple times to read his works. I read and remember liking The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon in 3rd grade and I read and enjoyed The Long Walk right out of high school, but every other book I've picked up of his I have DNF'd.
This book starts out pretty good and I was enjoying the first third or so and then it takes a shift, in that the audiobook is 24 hours long and I was already getting worn out with 16 some hours left to go. The concept and story itself is interesting and entertaining but then the writing kind of takes away from it, as it tends to become repetitive and dragging and thanks to my cousin's reviews I was also aware of his random sexualization of female characters. I just kept thinking "get on with it" and ramping up the speed of my audio playback.
I keep trying to read his work for my mom's sake, but I think I have to call it. His stories are interesting and I seem to like his shorter works, but I can't stand his writing, it's too repetitive and dragging and saps the enjoyment out of what is a good story. Sorry to any King fans. If you like his work, the voice actor does a terrific job with this one and I'd recommend it.

Rating: ***
Finished: 07/26/2024
Stats: Audiobook - 14hrs41mins
Category: Fiction - Magical Realism - Fantasy Adventure

>160 WhiteRaven.17: O..o..okay. You and my youngest would probably get on like a house on fire (don't give them ideas!) really well.

>164 WhiteRaven.17: Hmm. Let's see if I can find that one on Overdrive.

>169 WhiteRaven.17: Happy birthday to Kitten!

You seem to be on quite a few book sites, from what you write. I didn't even know they existed - not many folks in my RL circle seem to read much and, as my kids claim, I'm a tech-dinosaur.

#71 - Jackalope Wives and Other Stories by T. Kingfisher

A short story collection of some original longer pieces and retellings of classics, including Cinderella.
I should just start off any Kingfisher that I am now biased towards her work because I love her writing and nothing I've picked up by her has been disappointing, this one is no different. She always has such a refreshing or fun twist on her retellings that twist the expectations of the original and make them very relatable and down to earth. Also, the title story and another one take place in the same world and are interconnected while being separate and it was cool to see a return character and setting in a different story.
I think this was a decent collection and while not as outstanding as some of her novels, I still overall enjoyed it.

Rating: ****
Finished: 07/28/2024
Stats: 233pgs - 5hrs42mins
Category: Short Stories - Fairytale Retellings - Magical Realism

>171 humouress: Haha! Well they must be an awesome person then with intriguing interests. :)

It's a fairly new release, just came out this year, but I hope you can get a copy and enjoy it as much as I did!

I will pass it on. :) Her birthday's not until September, but since I'm reading all 4 books through my Libby app I thought I'd get a head start.

Lol, I'd say it's a problem how many book sites and apps I have. When I have an interest I tend to go full out on it. I have an Instagram with my cousin where we post book reviews and content, then the Bookly app that keeps a timer while I'm reading to track how long it takes for me to read books, Libby app for my Library audiobooks, Barnes & Noble Nook app for ebooks not on Libby, LibraryThing for cataloguing books, and finally StoryGraph as another tracker - it is a little more streamlined and modern LT or GoodReads that tracks your current reads, TBR, and also has some really cool graphs, like the Moods of the books you read. It's probably my favorite app I use for reading.

Monthly Overview

Well July just swam by and I don't really know what happened during it, but I did certainly listen to a lot of audiobooks, over 28 hours in one month is wild to me. I'm also very close to reaching 75 books, which was my goal for the year, so I will kind of surpass that as there's still a good chunk of the year left. Happy reading!

Favorite of the Month: Weak Heart by Ban Gilmartin

July Stats
Books Finished - 11
Pages Read - 2,249
Time Read - 44hrs22mins (+28hrs37mins Audio)

August Plans
Kitten & Kro Bookclub
A Warning About Swans by R.M. Romero
Fiction Picks
Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 7 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Heaven Official's Blessing: Vol. 8 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
Graphic Novel
On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
Audiobook Picks
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Messenger by Lois Lowery
Ongoing Long Read
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Up to Ch. 20)

Currently Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Fiction - Audiobook - Ongoing Long Read

>160 WhiteRaven.17: The second person I trained this year is going to a different position and I can not train another - I just don't have it in me
I'm so sorry, that's SO frustrating! What a terrible abuse of your time.

I also read The Giver in middle school but never followed up with the rest of the series. Looking forward to your thoughts on them.

ETA: Ah, it looks like there was a 6-year gap between the first book and the rest of the series, that explains why I didn't continue.

>176 norabelle414: Thanks Nora, it is definitely a frustrating situation. It's been two years now since we've had the position reliably filled and I'm definitely feeling the drain from it.

Yeah, the final book in the series, Son, wasn't published until 2012 and The Giver was published in 1993, so there were some pretty significant gaps between each book's release. I also would have had no idea it was a series if my cousin hadn't mentioned them and I'm definitely curious to see where she took the story.

Hi there! Hope you are not drowning in work and training in another newbie. I've been swamped this year, but Hi! Nice set of book reviews. I am a Stephen King Fan, but his books are too long for me on audio. I have never read the other two you mentioned. Loved The Giver! Happy end of August soon-to-be September.

>178 Berly: Hi Kim! Thanks for the stop by, it's certainly been a time over here. His books are usually on the longer side, those I mentioned getting thru are some of his shorter works. I definitely think The Giver is the best out of the quartet having read them all now. Happy September to you.

Hello. Little life update. This time last week I was at work and because I work overnights in an ER a nurse noticed my rough condition as I was about to drop and I was put in the ER for tachycardia. Prior to this for two weeks I was hardly able to stand or function, chest pains, extreme fatigue, etc. Anyway I've been recovering and still waiting to get in with a doctor to look into some diagnosis and management - right now it's suspected to be POTS. I've just had a myriad of health issues lately and finding energy to do anything is difficult. I hope to catch back up on here eventually, but it's just a lot right now, figured I'd at least leave an update for those that do check in here.

Oh no, so sorry to hear. I hope you are feeling better soon.

>180 WhiteRaven.17: So sorry to hear that, Kro! I hope you're doing okay and you can talk to a doctor and get some answers soon.

>180 WhiteRaven.17: I am also saddened after reading your update, Kro. I hope that rest will help you to recuperate and that the diagnosis is more positive than you fear it may be.

Will be thinking about you.

>180 WhiteRaven.17: Kro! I am so sorry to hear about all the health issues going on. Sending you best wishes, hang in there.

Thinking about you Kro as it is more than three weeks since you updated. Hope all is well.

Thank you everyone, it means a lot! Sorry I have not updated sooner, since the ER visit my heart has been a bit better with no extreme episodes again - thankfully, but the fatigue is still here and I've gotten increasing worse brain fog where I'll forget what task I'm doing in the middle of it, even typing mid word. Just got in with a doctor recently that has approved wearing a heart monitor for a week so hopefully that'll show some results.
I feel like I've done nothing between the low energy and muddled brain, but it made me smile to see your messages, so thank you. :)

So sorry to hear about your health issues :( I hope you can get to the bottom of them soon and start to feel better!

I hope that you are continuing to recuperate well, Kro.
Please keep us updated occasionally and take good care of yourself.

Hey Kro! I've been travelling and haven't dropped by for a while (I'm just back and still going slow on LT threads). I'm sorry to hear you've been ill but good to know you're getting better. It's not long covid or something like that? Take care of yourself and I look forward to hearing about more of your reading.

>187 curioussquared: Thank you Natalie. :)

>188 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul for checking in, I'm trying.

>189 humouress: Hello Nina, thanks for checking in, hope your travels were good (I know I'm very delayed on this, but still). I don't believe so, it's symptoms I've had my whole life that doctors always said were "weird" or I'd "grow out of it" and I think are just getting worse as I'm getting older.

It's been very tiring here and I think dealing with my health and everything thing else in life currently has also left me emotionally drained. I'm still reading and tracking, just not much motivation or energy to do much more. I'm hoping to do some rapid & simple updates here before the end of the year at least, I hope.
Hope you all are doing well.

>190 WhiteRaven.17: Take your time and take care of yourself, Kro.
Your pals will be here when you need them.

>191 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul. This has been the best community.

I felt a little inspired (and being honest, lost myself in the escapism) and worked on putting together some updates on my reading, so I'll post those below. It'll feel nice to at least be caught up on one aspect of my life. When everything else is a mess at least there's always books and book stats to rely on. :)

August Rapid Reviews (#72-85):

#72 – Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry – A very different Community than the Giver that is still intriguing and introduces more elements of magical realism. Likeable characters, interesting story, would work as a standalone still. Personally, prefer The Giver over this one, but still good. ***

#74 – Messenger by Lois Lowry – This book as a part of the series kind of falls apart, the main character is a side character from Gathering Blue and really easy to fall into his story, but the plot feels like a mess with points brought up but never followed through on and a deep fall into the magical realism elements that start to make the world and stories feel loose and meaningless with a conclusion that feels unsatisfying and poor. **

#78 – Son by Lois Lowry – The last book in the quartet that circles back and retells the story of The Giver from Gabriel’s mother’s pov and her story, which was interesting. The middle feels a bit repetitive and I appreciate it had an ending to wrap things up but it just felt lackluster. Overall, I truly believe this is a series that unravels as you go and perhaps even feels like the author never intended on making connective but was encouraged to by publishers. I would honestly recommend just reading The Giver as a standalone and be done, personally, but I also don’t regret having read them all. **

#73 – A Warning About Swans by RM Romero – Told in a poetic format this is an incredibly quick, fairytale-esque story about a girl that can transform into a swan and guide the souls of the dead to her encounters mankind. I very much enjoyed it and the writing was lovely. ***

#75 & 76 – Heaven Official’s Blessing: Vol 7 & 8 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu – I really enjoyed this series and have never read anything that had so much extra after the end that I truly felt I had a proper closure to the series. I have already bought her other two series to read next year & fully plan on rereading this one at some point in the future. *****

#79 – On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden – A cozy space adventure graphic novel that is all about vibes and a heartwarming story. Lots of representation with sapphic relationships, nonbinary characters, a character with selective mutism, with supportive dialogue around these characters. Beautiful artwork & I was in love with the spacecrafts being designed as giant fish. A feel-good cozy read that I highly recommend. ****

#81 – Thornhedge by T Kingfisher – A reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty tale with a dark twist that involves a changeling woman who can turn into a toad and all the goodness that is a Kingfisher novel. I really liked this one, another five star Kingfisher for me. *****

#83 – Far From the Tree by Robin Benway – Follows three siblings that were adopted into different homes or stayed in foster care and how they all find each other and get to know one another when one of them has their own child adopted. A very emotional and moving story that I listened to on audiobook, wonderfully done with separate actors for each sibling. ****

#85 – The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper – The first book in a trilogy that takes place in ancient Pompeii and follows a young Greek woman who was sold into slavery after her father died and ends up in a brothel. Lots of characters in this one, it is a little overwhelming at the start, but the author does an excellent job of making all the characters and the setting feel whole and fleshed out. Very engaging and tense story, hard to put down. ****

Monthly Overview

Favorite of the Month: On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

August Stats
Books Finished - 14
Pages Read - 3,011
Time Read - 41hrs08mins (+17hrs45mins Audio)

September Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Fiction - Audiobook - Ongoing Long Read

September Rapid Reviews (#86-95):

#86 – The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper – Talk about a book that is unrelenting, this felt tense the entire way through. Still follows Amara and her current station in life in Pompeii and while I couldn’t put it down I also couldn’t wait to be done with it as its plot is constantly battering you. An engaging story & Britannica is the best character. ****

#91 – The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper – The finale of the trilogy that is short and fast-paced with an emotional and heavy plot. Really well done and satisfying end and epilogue. Overall really enjoyed this series set in ancient Pompeii, a very tense and heavy, fast-paced trilogy. ****

#88 – The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – Put off reading for a long time on my shelf as I know Holocaust books are always going to be emotionally heavy and this one certainly was. What a truly fascinating perspective and life this book covered, one that definitely had me immediately recommending the book to others & very well told. ****

#89 – Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo – A brutally toxic love story between humans and nature, a deep sinking into the ethicality of doing harm for good or where personal desire gets twisted with logic. In just 100 pages this story grasps at the complications of the human desire to understand and experience and how that hunger can consume the very things we crave to nothingness. A very slow moving, almost methodical, prose that builds distance in an almost reflective way of the novel itself. *Warning for those that are averse to animal death in novels. ****

#90 – Solitaire by Alice Oseman – Follows Tori Spring, recognizable from Oseman’s Heartstopper series, as she struggles with her mental health and companionship. An entertaining and nice YA novel. ***

#92 – House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski – Oh boy. There’s so much I could write about this one, but to keep it short-ish, it was just fine. The ending that reveals Johnny’s own mental status does add a new reflection on the story, but overall the writing often loses itself and while some points are engaging others are off-putting and heavily misogynistic. Unfortunately, I think the book itself attracts some pretentious readers which sullies it as well slightly. I’m glad I read it and marked it off my list and can discuss it now with knowledge, but honestly would not ever recommend this book to anyone, it’s not worth the 19 hours it took to read. **

#93 – Saha by Cho Nam-Joo – I really enjoyed her other book, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, and thought it was thought provoking. This one takes place in a dystopian-esque place and jumps between characters and time in what is an interesting story, but I won’t lie in saying this one lost me a bit. Maybe I just missed some understanding along the way, but this just left me a bit befuddled and tired. **

#94 – Circe by Madeline Miller – Finally got around to this one, I heard many liked it less than A Song of Achilles so I was a little hesitant to start it until I had more distance from Achilles because I loved that one. I thought this was a great saga, very clear and easy to follow despite that giant span of time and characters and myths it includes. Well-written and engaging, I agree that I loved Achilles more, but that’s because I have a personal preference for queer stories and thought this one was still very good. ****

#95 – The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka – Heard enough reference to this story throughout my life that I finally borrowed it from my library to read. Quite a bizarre and dark little story, disturbing and sad. Glad I finally have it crossed of my list. ***

Monthly Overview

Favorite of the Month: Circe by Madeline Miller

September Stats
Books Finished - 10
Pages Read - 1,715 (+709 for House of Leaves)
Time Read - 36hrs23mins (+11hrs53mins Audio) (+18hrs57mins for House of Leaves)

October Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Fiction - Audiobook

October Rapid Reviews (#96-103):

#96 – Slewfoot by Brom – A witch tale that takes place during Puritan times, a focus on female rage that is very well told. Truly an engaging read with wonderful character building and plot formation, an example of crafting a story through show and trusting readers to gather and follow the plot with subtle guidance. The voice actress was perfect for the audiobook, but also the writer is an amazing artist that has full prints in the physical copy. ****

#97 – What Feasts At Night by T Kingfisher – A follow-up to What Moves the Dead that references the story of the first book and has some of the same characters, but could be read as a standalone. Focuses on a completely new folklore story that was entertaining. Kingfisher is great at writing humorous cozy reads and sprinkling in moments of horror. I liked What Moves the Dead more, but still a good read. ****

#98 – A Sorceress Comes to Call by T Kingfisher – Lightly influenced by The Goose Girl fairytale, but really ever so lightly. The longest Kingfisher I have read so far, but still felt like a breeze to get through. Endearing characters, humorous, entertaining, and moments of horror. It’s her forte in writing and she seems to execute it wonderfully every time. ****

#99 – Linghun by Ai Jiang – Follows a collection of characters in a unique town called HOME where houses can bring back the ghosts of the dead. A literary depiction of grief, how death can capture not only those who died but the spirit of those around them & the complications of living for something that’s already gone. ***

#100 – My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite – Follows Korede, who is an accomplished and stoic nurse, and her sister Ayoola, who is a beautiful wild card. An extremely quick paced and engaging read that jumps right into the action with a pretty clear cut story. It’s not an exceptional or memorable book, but if you’re looking for something that’s quick & entertaining with dark humor this definitely hits the mark. ***

#101 – Northranger by Rey Tericiero & Bre Indigo – A graphic novel retelling of Austen’s Northanger Abbey with a queer twist as it follows a young boy in Texas who goes to work at a ranch over the summer. A fun read with some heavy subjects that were handled in a way that still kept this feeling heartwarming. Loved the art style and recommend as a young queer graphic novel. ****

#102 – Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink – Written by the creator of the podcast Welcome to Nightvale, which I loved listening to back in high school so I thought I’d give this a try. It’s a bizarre road-trip story that is also about the balance of good and evil, honestly it was good but not for me. It seemed well written & if you like bizarre, but it just didn’t hit for me and I just wanted to get through it as quickly as possible. **

#103 – Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moira Fowley – A collection of short stories that focus on sapphic relations and body horror. I honestly picked this book up for the title and beautiful cover, but it also delivered in writing. It was harder to get a hold of as it’s not been published in the US, which I think this might be the first book I’ve ever gotten that isn’t and is something I’ll have to remember I can do in the future. I didn’t love all the stories, but overall thought they were intriguing and well-written. ****

Monthly Overview

Favorite of the Month: Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moira Fowley

October Stats
Books Finished - 8
Pages Read - 1,234
Time Read - 23hrs58mins (+21hrs48mins Audio)

November Reading


Ordered: Bookclub - Fiction - Audiobook

The book by Moira Fowley looks like a winner, Kro.

Wow, you blitzed through those reviews!

Congratulations on hitting 75 Kro!!

Wow, congrats on such a lot of great reading!

Sorry you're still having health issues and been going through a rough time. Glad you were able to check in here and that you've been doing some good reading! Congrats on 75 😊

Thinking of you at this time, Kro.