Reading project, week ending 16 July 2023

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

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

This is a fantasy novel about two women, a princess and a maid, who together have the chance to change their world forever. I really enjoyed this; the characters are great and the story is interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

This is a fantasy novel about Deka, a young woman who has just found out that she has demon blood. I really enjoyed this. I love the characters and the world, and the story was interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

Reading project, week ending 9 July 2023

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

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

This is a novel about a teenage boy named Rintaro who meets a talking cat. I really enjoyed this; the story was interesting and the characters were great. I would definitely read more by this author.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

This is a fantasy novel about a young woman named Paige who is a clairvoyant in a Britain which is deadly hostile to them. I enjoyed this; the world is interesting and I liked the characters. I would definitely read more by this author. I’m

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

This is a fantasy novel about a girl named Tarisai who has been raised as a weapon by her mother. I enjoyed this; I liked the characters and the world was interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

On the Merits of Unnaturalness by Samantha Shannon

This is a short book containing the full version of a pamphlet referenced in the author’s book The Bone Season. I quite liked this – it filled out some of the background for The Bone Season. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

Reading project, week ending 2 July 2023

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

Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller

This is a novel about a female teacher named Barbara who befriends another teacher who is having an affair with an underage pupil. I didn’t really like this because most of the characters seem to be horrible people. I did think it was well-written, though. I might read more by this author.

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson

This is probably best described as a theoretical memoir, looking at the author’s life through a theoretical lens. I found this too abstruse because of all the theory and didn’t finish it. I would probably not read more by this author.

Knot of Shadows by Lois McMaster Bujold

This is a fantasy novella about a man named Penric and the demon who possesses him, Desdemona. This is book 11 in the Penric and Desdemona series. I really enjoyed it; I liked the characters and the setting. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

Reading project, week ending 25 June 2023

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

All You Need Is KILL by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

This is a novel about a man named Keiji, who is a soldier trapped in a recurring day. I liked this; the story is interesting and the world building was really good. I would probably read more by this author.

A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe

This is a nonfiction book about the author growing up as an undiagnosed autistic girl. I really liked this: a lot of it really resonated with me and I liked the style a lot. I would definitely read more by this author.

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Reading project, week ending 18 June 2023

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

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

This is a novella about a man named Tobias, who is the wild man of the woods. I really enjoyed this; the characters are great and the story was a lot of fun. I would definitely read more by this author.

Made in Saturn by Rita Indiana

This is a novel about a heroin-addicted painter named Argenis. I found this interesting, although I’m not sure I could say I liked it as such, because I didn’t really like the main character. I would probably read more by this author.

Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire

This is a memoir written by a man who became an apprentice in a rare bookshop. While I found the events interesting, I didn’t really like the tone of the writing. I probably wouldn’t read more by this author.

Sundial by Catriona Ward

This is a novel about a woman trapped in an abusive marriage and her relationship with her two daughters. I quite liked this, although it’s a bit depressing due to the subject matter. I would definitely read more by this author.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

This is a novel about Vern, a Black American teenager who escapes from the religious compound she was raised in. I really liked this; the characters and the world are really interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023

Reading project, week ending 11 June 2023

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

Marilou is Everywhere by Sarah Elaine Smith

This is a novel about a teenage girl named Cindy who takes over the life of another teenage girl named Jude who disappears. I liked this; the characters were interesting. I would probably read more by this author.

Tentacle by Rita Indiana

This is a novel about Acilde, a young woman destined to save the world after she transitions into the man she was always meant to be. I really enjoyed this; the characters are fascinating and the world is interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

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Reading project, week ending 4 June 2023

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

The First Prehistoric Serial Killer and other stories by Teresa Solana

This is a collection of short stories. I enjoyed these; they were all really interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn

This is a novel about Patsy, a Jamaican woman who moves illegally to New York, and Tru, the daughter she leaves behind. This took me a while to get into, but I did enjoy it in the end. Tru especially was a character I really empathised with. I would probably read more by this author.

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Reading project, week ending 28 May 2023

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

The Two of Swords, Volume One, Volume Two and Volume Three by K. J. Parker

These are fantasy novels about an ongoing civil war. I really enjoyed these; the characters are interesting and so is the story. My only complaint is that there are too many occasions when a character realises something, which never gets explained to the reader, but I would definitely read more by this author.

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Reading project, week ending 21 May 2023

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

You made a Fool of Death with your Beauty  by Akwaeke Emezi

This is a romance novel about a woman named Feyi who is starting to date again after the death of her husband. I didn’t like this because I disliked the actions of the main character. I might read more by this author.

Stone Cold by Robert Swindells

This is a YA novel about Link, a young homeless man. It was clearly a book written to raise attention to a specific issue, which I think detracted somewhat from the writing. I might read more by this author.

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

This is a novel about a woman named Olympia and her family of circus people. I really liked this; it was fascinating and horrifying and kept me interested the whole way through. I would definitely read more by this author.

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Reading project, week ending 14 May 2023

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

Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi

This is a book of poetry. I found it interesting, although I would probably not read it again. I would probably read more by this author.

After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz

This is a book about sapphic women of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I found it interesting; there’s a lot of lovely turns of phrase but no narrative to speak of. I might read more by this author.

© bardofupton 2023