What have I read this week? It’s a week late, sorry! I have been super distracted this week.

The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon

This is a fantasy novel about a young woman named Paige who is a clairvoyant living in a Britain where this is illegal. This is book 4 in The Bone Season series. I enjoyed this; the world and the characters are interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

This is a fantasy novel set in South Africa about an ancient demigoddess trying to regain her former power and the people who come together to stop her. I enjoyed this a lot; the characters are fascinating and the world was really interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

This is a novel about a woman who lives on an island where things (including the idea of the thing) regularly disappear. I enjoyed this; it was a really interesting idea and I liked seeing how it played out. I would definitely read more by this author.

The Sugared Game by KJ Charles

This is a novel set in the 1920s about a man named Will Darling who becomes involved in trying to break up a criminal syndicate. I enjoyed this; it was a fun read and the characters are very engaging. I would definitely read more by this author.

Strange Exit by Parker Peevyhouse

This is a science fiction novel about a young woman named Lake, who is trying to rescue people trapped in a simulation on a dying ship. I enjoyed this; it’s an interesting story and I liked the characters. I would definitely read more by this author.

The Echo Room by Parker Peevyhouse

This is a science fiction novel about a young man named Rett, who keeps waking up in a deserted building with the same young woman. I liked this; it took a while to get an idea of what was going on but I found it pretty satisfying. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

What have I read this week?

The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna

This is a fantasy novel about a young woman named Deka, who discovers that she is the child of gods and that everything she thought she knew was a lie. It is the sequel to The Gilded Ones. I enjoyed this; the world is fascinating and I really like the characters. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

What have I read this week? It’s super late, sorry!

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

This is a novel about an unnamed protagonist who leaves home and wanders through the American West. I didn’t like this at all; the whole thing just didn’t appeal or interest me and I didn’t finish it. I probably wouldn’t read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

What have I read this week?

The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World by Kehinde Andrews

This is a nonfiction book about how the current preeminence of the West is based on racism and colonialism. I found this book very interesting, but also depressing, because it really lays out the enormous scope of the problem. I would probably read more by this author.

Band Sinister by K. J. Charles

This is a historical romance about Guy Frisby and Sir Philip Rookwood, two men whose families have bad blood between them, who are thrown together when Guy’s sister breaks her leg. I enjoyed this; it was a lot of fun and I liked the characters. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

What have I read this week? This is super late, sorry!

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This is a science fiction novel about Red and Blue, two agents on opposing sides in a war through time who begin to write letters to each other. I don’t usually do quotes in these, but this line made me laugh so much I felt I had to include it:

Even an immortal can only ride the Circle line so long.

P. 176

I enjoyed this book very much

Nina X by Ewan Morrison

This is a novel about Nina, a woman who was brought up by a small group of extreme Maoists and isolated from the world and how she copes after she is rescued. I thought this was really good; it felt like it really captured how someone in that situation would react. I would definitely read more by this author.

The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros

This is a novel about Dylan and his mother Rowenna, and how they survive after a nuclear war. I really enjoyed this; it’s short and simple but very well done. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

What have I read this week? It’s late, sorry!

Hear No Evil by Sarah Smith

This is a fictionalised account of the events surrounding the trial of Jean Campbell, a deaf Scottish woman accused of murdering her baby. I found this really interesting, as it taught me about a time and place I didn’t know anything about. I would probably read more by this author.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K. J. Charles

This is a novel about two men, Joss Doomsday and Gareth Inglis, who find love in complicated circumstances. I really liked this; the characters are very relatable and the world and the story are engaging. I would definitely read more by this author.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

This is a novel about Kyr, a teenage girl who has been training her entire life as a soldier to get revenge for the destruction of Earth. I really enjoyed this; the world is fascinating and Kyr is a great protagonist. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

What have I read this week?

Babel by R. F. Kuang

This is a fantasy novel about a young man named Robin Swift, a half-Chinese orphan taken from his home to train as a translator in Oxford. I enjoyed this; the characters and the world are really interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

Solo Dance by Li Kotomi

This is a novel about a Taiwanese lesbian named Cho Norie who is living in Japan. I liked this; it gave me a window into a world I don’t know much about. I would definitely read more by this author.

The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

This is a fantasy novel about Paige Mahoney, a clairvoyant in a Britain which is hostile to such people. It is the third novel in the Bone Season series. I enjoyed this; the characters and the world are engaging. I would definitely read more by this author.

A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the aftermath of the Columbine Tragedy by Sue Klebold

This is a memoir by the mother of one of the Columbine shooters about trying to come to terms with her son’s actions. I found this very moving but also very sad. I would probably read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

What have I read this week? It’s late, sorry!

Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

This is a fantasy novel about a young woman called Tarisai, who has just become empress of her nation. It is the sequel to Raybearer. I enjoyed this; I liked the characters and the world and it was a satisfying followup to Raybearer. I would definitely read more by this author.

There Are More Things by Yara Rodrigues Fowler

This is a novel about two women named Melissa and Catarina, both with a Brazilian background, who meet in London. I enjoyed this; the characters are interesting, and I was really drawn into their world. I would definitely read more by this author.

Come Join Our Disease by Sam Byers

This is a novel about Maya, a homeless woman who is offered the chance of a job and home by a large tech company. I didn’t like this and could not finish it as I found it too unpleasant. I probably wouldn’t read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

What have I read this week? It’s late, sorry!

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

This is a memoir about the author’s relationship with her mother and with her culture as a half-Korean child growing up in the US. I enjoyed this; it really gave me insight into the author’s life. I would definitely read more by this author.

Poor by Caleb Femi

This is a collection of poetry, about growing up Black in a working class estate in London. I found this really interesting and would definitely read more by this author.

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

This is a fantasy novel about Paige, a clairvoyant in an alternative London where clairvoyance is outlawed. It is the second book in The Bone Season series. I enjoyed this; it was a little harder to get into than the first book, but overall I liked it. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

What have I read this week? It’s late, sorry!

Boys Run The Riot Volume 1, 2, 3 and 4 by Keito Gaku

This is a graphic novel about three misfit high school students who start a clothing brand. I really enjoyed this: the characters are really engaging and I liked the art. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023