#Alina Boyden
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Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden
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In a different life, under a different name, Razia Khan was raised to be the Crown Prince of Nizam, the most powerful kingdom in Daryastan. Born with the soul of a woman, she ran away at a young age to escape her father’s hatred and live life true to herself.
Amongst the hijras of Bikampur, Razia finds sisterhood and discovers a new purpose in life. By day she’s one of her dera’s finest dancers, and by night its most profitable thief. But when her latest target leads her to cross paths with Arjun Agnivansha, Prince of Bikampur, it is she who has something stolen.
An immediate connection with the prince changes Razia’s life forever, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous political war. The stakes are greater than any heist she’s ever performed. When the battle brings her face to face with her father, Razia has the chance to reclaim everything she lost…and save her prince.
Mod opinion: I hadn‘t heard of this book before, but I love the way the summary is written to showcase that Razia is trans without using transphobic language.
#stealing thunder#alina boyden#trans lit#trans literature#trans books#lgbt lit#lgbt literature#lgbt books#trans woman#own voices#fantasy#romance#polls
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Personal Review (01/15/22)
Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden
Summary
Razia is a hijra, a woman born in a man's body. In order to live as her true self, she escaped her life as crown prince and now works as a courtesan in Bikampur. Things start to look up for her when Prince Arjun of Bikampur takes an interest in her, but he is investigating a series of thefts in the city, and the perpetrator is no other than Razia herself.
Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The premise of this book has a lot of potential. A romance between a prince and a courtesan, the prince hunting her down without knowing that she's actually the person he's in love with. Add the tension that comes with the main character being trans in a world with a very strict gender binary, and it sounds great. Unfortunately, this book falls flat in pretty much every way.
I was really into this story for the first hundred pages, but then it became clear that the author didn't really know what they were doing with the plot. The whole thief-secret-identity plot is completely resolved about a third of the way through the book. How? Razia just tells Arjun and he's totally okay with it. This pattern of conflict, immediate solution, zero consequences is repeated throughout the entire book, and it pretty much ruins any potential suspense. Even at the very end, when Razia has to deal with something she's been dreading the entire book, it's resolved within 20 pages and no sacrifices need to be made whatsoever. It felt like the author just wanted Razia to win at everything, which basically means the plot is just...not there.
I will say that the worldbuilding is pretty good. I wish there had been some more detail about the political situation, such as the power each position had and the countries' relations with each other, but for the most part, it was adequate. I liked the zahhaks, which bring in the fantastical element, and there's a lot of daily life worldbuilding going on. The world is pretty obviously based on Pakistani and Indian culture (which the author has a PhD in), which works well, and I liked how trans people were incorporated into the world with conflict but without making their lives purely suffering.
Characters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I would like to like Razia. It's obvious Boyden wants me to like Razia, because she can simply do no wrong. As far as I can tell, Razia is good at everything. She's a skilled dancer, she's charismatic, and she's beautiful. She always mentions how her father despised her because she wasn't a good prince, but as far as I can tell, she's good at everything a prince would need to be good at. She's skilled in statecraft, military strategy, zahhak riding, and combat, so what is she bad at? The only obstacle she seems to face is being trans, but, as I'm sure we can all agree on, that's not a flaw. Flaws are something she utterly lacks. And don't even get me started on her and Arjun. Talk about insta-love! She keeps mentioning how she's only known him for a week, and yet they're totally in love and willing to do basically anything to protect the other. Arjun is sweet, but he is also devoid of flaws except for some concerningly misogynistic views, which are never addressed. He might think women are all one way and men are all another, but at least he isn't transphobic.
The side characters are horrendously flat. Razia's sisters seem to exist solely to provide Razia with platonic connection and be something for her to provide for and protect, further showing off her skills. Only at the end does Sakshi challenge her on anything, calling her out for good reason, but Razia ignores her and everything turns out okay anyways. Udai Agnivansha, Arjun's father, and other characters like him, who would seem to be good tools for conflict, obstruct Razia for about twenty minutes before being completely charmed by her, throwing away years of bigotry in favor of a girl they met minutes ago. The side character I would say that has a semblance of depth is Karim, which is only because he seems to have two opposite sides. It is heavily implied that he sexually assaulted Razia in the past, and yet by the end of the book he's one of her staunchest defenders, and his actions against her are never brought up again. So we're just supposed to forget about it?? So the side characters are either flat or inconsistent.
Writing Style 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The writing is probably the strongest aspect of this story. The descriptions of the places, clothes, and food Razia encounters are stunning, and they really help with immersion into the world. However, Razia's inner monologue often goes on for too long, and she is somehow able to predict almost everything that happens. She lays things out much too neatly for the reader, leaving nothing up to interpretation or prediction. If I had to guess, I'd say the author, being a trans woman with a degree in cultural anthropology in Pakistan and India, really wanted to write a story that reflected their interests, but they ultimately didn't really know what to do with the plot or characters. It shows in how the descriptions are amazing but the rest of the book falls flat.
Meaning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The actual trans representation is very good in this book. Unless people are actively trying to be insensitive or transphobic, Razia's chosen name and pronouns are respected to a tee. She's very well-adjusted in her identity in that she seems to have no issue acknowledging who she was before; it's as if she thinks of her previous life as a wholly different person. I'm not trans myself, but from what I've heard from trans people in my life, it seems like an accurate representation.
The issue I had was that in an effort to portray Razia as wholeheartedly a woman, to both the audience and the characters, this book plays into a lot of gender stereotypes. For example, Razia has a softer body, she's squeamish at the thought of violence, and there's a lot of sexual implications. It's often used as justification from the characters as "ah, of course she's a woman, she shies away from bloodshed." Glad the characters think she's a woman, but the constant use of misogynistic mindsets to justify it...irked me.
Overall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I was really excited going into this book, and I had high hopes, but I was pretty disappointed. The plot is pretty disjointed, holds no tension, and provides no consequences. Razia is, unfortunately, a Mary Sue who seems to be talented at everything, and the romance has a bad case of insta-love. The writing is beautiful, but it's a bit too heavy-handed, and Razia is secure in her gender identity, but the narrative uses gender stereotypes to enforce it. Overall, this just wasn't a very good book. I have no doubt that the author is passionate about these topics, but it feels like they might be more suited to academia and research than character and plot development.
The Author
Alina Boyden: American, trans, cultural anthropologist with a focus in transgender communities in Pakistan and India, Stealing Thunder is her debut novel
The Reviewer
My name is Wonderose; I try to post a review every week, and I do themed recommendations every once in a while. I take suggestions! Check out my about me post for more!
#books#reviews#stealing thunder#alina boyden#fantasy#adult fiction#lgbt#trans mc#high fantasy#pakistan inspired#india inspired#fantasy romance
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Razia Khan from “Stealing Thunder” and “Gifting Fire” by Alina Boyden is transfem (referred to as a Hijra, a Middle Eastern third gender associated with trans femininity) and uses she/her pronouns!
Queued, thank you!
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"Today on Murderhobos, our first guest episode! *Gasps, oohs and ahs*
We're joined by fantasy author, friend of the show, and noted trans historian Alina Boyden to discuss transness in history. We talk about Lia De Beaumont, the Chevalière d'Éon, one of the most famous trans women in history, and a kickass swordswoman. We also talk about the way academic historians often fail to recognize trans experiences (and trans women in particular), and why that matters.
You can find Alina and her books at https://twitter.com/AlinaBoyden
Subscribe to the show on Patreon: bit.ly/murderhobospatreon
Make a one-time donation to the show: bit.ly/donatetomurderhobos"
If you enjoy spy drama, fencing, duels or show combat, if you're interested in the history of trans folks, if you've ever wanted to know more about 'Chevalière d'Éon' or more precisely Lia De Beaumont, or Chevalier de Saint-Georges or Henry Angelo or Domenico Angelo you'll most likely find this particular episode interesting and worth a listen.
Furthermore if you specifically want to learn how to use a smallsword you may find the Smallsworders facebook group or the Smallsword Symposium facebook page useful.
Similarly this video may be a fun intro to smallsword fencing.
Honorable mention to the sparring clips embeded here.
For anyone who hasn’t yet seen the following links:
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Some advice on how to start studying the sources generally can be found in these older posts
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Remember to check out A Guide to Starting a Liberation Martial Arts Gym as it may help with your own club/gym/dojo/school culture and approach.Check out their curriculum too.
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Fear is the Mind Killer: How to Build a Training Culture that Fosters Strength and Resilience by Kajetan Sadowski may be relevant as well.
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“How We Learn to Move: A Revolution in the Way We Coach & Practice Sports Skills” by Rob Gray as well as this post that goes over the basics of his constraints lead, ecological approach.
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Another useful book to check out is The Theory and Practice of Historical European Martial Arts (while about HEMA, a lot of it is applicable to other historical martial arts clubs dealing with research and recreation of old fighting systems).
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Trauma informed coaching and why it matters
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Look at the previous posts in relation to running and cardio to learn how that relates to historical fencing.
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Why having a systematic approach to training can be beneficial
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Why we may not want one attack 10 000 times, nor 10 000 attacks done once, but a third option.
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How consent and opting in function and why it matters.
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More on tactics in fencing
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Types of fencers
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Open vs closed skills
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The three primary factors to safety within historical fencing
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Worth checking out are this blogs tags on pedagogy and teaching for other related useful posts.
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And if you train any weapon based form of historical fencing check out the ‘HEMA game archive’ where you can find a plethora of different drills, focused sparring and game options to use for effective, useful and fun training.
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Check out the cool hemabookshelf facsimile project.
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For more on how to use youtube content for learning historical fencing I suggest checking out these older posts on the concept of video study of sparring and tournament footage.
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The provoker-taker-hitter tactical concept and its uses
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Approaches to goals and methodology in historical fencing
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A short article on why learning about other sports and activities can benefit folks in combat sports
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Consider getting some patches of this sort or these cool rashguards to show support for good causes or a t-shirt like to send a good message while at training.
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NetGalley Review: Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden
Hey all, Sam here.
Am I back with another review for a book that I read more than a year ago? Yes, that is absolutely true. Actually, it’s been quite a bit more than a year, if I’m being honest. According to Goodreads, I read this book back in May 2020…which means I’ve been able to review this book for two and a half years, which is honestly a bit ridiculous. It actually probably even means that…
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Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden was so awesome!!! The world building was great although I wish I noticed the glossary of terms at the back sooner - it was a struggle for awhile but ultimately context of words I didn't recognize helped and it wasn't too big of a hurdle. Definitely a nice happy ending, though some rough rough topics handled. Transwomen led fantasy novel written by a transwoman. It was fantastic and highly recommend!! Also once I realised what the title meant it was such a cute reference within the story
#dray reads#stealing thunder#alina boyden#stealing thunder by alina boyden#trans books#transwomen led books
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20 Books I Loved in 2020 + 1
Reading this year has been… interesting. Let’s go with that. I started a new job at the beginning of 2020 which was an extra 12 hours from my previous job plus a commute that was 4 times longer. Getting used to all of that and then the pandemic seriously affected my reading this year so I did not meet my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of reading 90 books in 2020. (Well I might have, I don’t count books that I reread and during Lockdown 1.0! I reread like 15 of my personal favorites for comfort). But I did read a lot of good books this year, here are my top 20!
In case most of you don’t already know this - I read a little bit of everything! So don’t be surprised if Middle Grade Fiction, YA, Nonfiction, Science-Fiction, etc. are all interspersed in this list of my favorite books from this year!
1) Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
2) The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
3) Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
4) Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
5) Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
6) Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, 4/5 Stars on Goodreads (Only because I guessed the ending 15 pages in!)
7) The Radium Girls by Kate Moore, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
8) Go With the Flow by Lily Williams, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
9) I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
10) A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
11) Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden, 4/5 Stars on Goodreads
12) Ghosts by Raina Telegemeier, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
13) Smile by Raina Telegemeier, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
14) Sisters by Raina Telegemeier, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
15) Guts by Raina Telegemeier, 4/5 Stars on Goodreads
16) Drama by Raina Telegemeier, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
17) Furia by Yamile Saied Mendez, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
18) Seance Tea Party by Remeina Yee, 4/5 Stars on Goodreads
19) The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab, 4/5 Stars on Goodreads
20) Six Angry Girls by Adrienne Kisner, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
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1) If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio, 5/5 Stars on Goodreads
I didn’t want to make this post too long so I didn’t really provide much on why I loved each of these books but if anyone has any questions for me as to why I loved them or why I recommend them just let me know! I am happy to answer any questions regarding these titles! Have you read any of these books? Did you love them or hate them, or just found them meh? Let’s talk about it! Happy Reading!
#books#bookblr#book blog#reading#graphic novels#nonfiction#fiction#ya books#ninth house#Leigh bardugo#raina telgemeier#stealing thunder#Alina boyden#v e schwab#the invisible life of Addie la rue#six angry girls#Adrienne kisner#if we were villains#m l rio#furia#yamile said mendez#seance tea party#remeina yee#a cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow#laura taylor namey#I will judge you by your bookshelf#grant snider#go with the flow#lily williams#Mexican gothic
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I thought I’d try Penguin’s mystery boxes. Here is Ladies First. Awaiting my other box!
#books#booklr#penguin’s mystery box#ladies first#i-breathe-therefore-i-read#my post#my books#book photography#notebook#mexican gothic#silvia moreno-garcia#the bone doll’s twin#lynn flewelling#stealing thunder#alina boyden#book button#this box kinda sucks
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Stealing Thunder - Alina Boyden
I’m a little biased about this book, and I’ve tried to reduce that as much as I can in the review. This is a book set in Fantasy India, but its author is white. I’ve had bad experiences with white authors writing about South Asian culture before, so I was probably looking for an excuse for this book to screw up, which stopped me from ever fully getting into it. I found it very well-researched (Boyden is a literal anthropologist of South Asian culture so this makes sense) and coming from a good place, but Boyden didn’t get everything right.
Razia Khan is a hijra (a trans woman) in Fantasy India (it’s not really able to fit into a specific time in India - I’d say Fantasy Mughal India but the Mughal empire isn’t there so it doesn’t really fit). She used to be a dragon-riding prince, but now she’s a courtesan and a thief. When she meets a prince and proves her worth, she becomes the super coolest person of all time.
This isn’t as bad of a book as this review is going to make it look. It’s just that all of its flaws are things that are my personal pet peeves in books.
It also suffers from Everything Is About Me All The Time disease - no plots revolved around other characters and pretty much all everyone talked about was Razia the entire time. Also she keeps having very private conversations in real public places and making out with her boyfriend in front of everyone, which...cringe.
Also, not setting up the narrative, which is a term I just made up to mean several of the most important characters and plotlines were introduced halfway through the story with no setup even in her internal monologue (one such example is her little sister who is a very important character in the last half showing up 30% of the way through without any warning she had a sister at all.) When the pacing is weird it just really bothers me.
However, the thing this book is known for is trans Desi dragonriders. For trans rep: I'm cis myself so I can't speak definitively but I thought it was great. Razia gets a whole story and gets to be badass without ever erasing the fact that she's trans or making her whole story about it. Also, she gets solidarity with her trans sisters which was cool.
For dragons: good good dragons. Seriously, just - fantastic dragons. I would have liked slightly more dragons, though.
For Desi - like I said, coming from a good place. But Boyden got several things about food wrong, which bothered me - at one point she compares someone's skin to the colour of fresh jalebis...which are bright orange. And I noticed that the main character and her love interest are pale-skinned and green/'honey-coloured'-eyed (I have never met anyone with honey-coloured eyes and would like to know where they're all hiding). Also Boyden completely avoided any religion in this story, which kind of just made everyone feel Fantasy Lapsed Protestant.
If you're reading this book for trans rep or dragons, you'll have a great time. Its Desi rep was kind of C-plus: I will not be tagging this book as Desi representation in my archives. Personally, I think that shouldn't stop anyone from reading it if it sounds interesting - not everything sticks the landing, but that doesn't make this book racist and unreadable just because it's bad. It just means it's not very good.
Plot: a loosely-held string tying together different opportunities for Razia to show off. Seriously - total wish fulfillment book. Nothing wrong with that - but personally I want a plot. Also, weird pacing - challenges were introduced without any foreshadowing and then we were dealing with them immediately - no waiting at all.
Characters: bad. Perfect Main Character and Perfect Love Interest aka Arjun, who kind of fall in love without any real romance - they sleep together and then go on three dates and she impresses him and he keeps her secret then they're in love without any real sort of communication. There weren't any issues between them, which would have been fine if their romance wasn't a main plot where there needs to be conflict. Secondary characters were bland and uninteresting - her sisters were vaguely supportive, her foster mother was bad and manipulative. Boyden did something really weird with her minor villains though - Arjun's father spends 300 pages being incredibly transphobic and then he starts saying she's impressive and hugging her and it's fine! A minor character literally raped Razia in the past but is now defending her as the most impressive person and Razia doesn't seem to feel too badly towards him! Also, stop writing books about 17-year-olds who act like adults. Just write about adults, it’s fine.
Setting: barring a few mistakes, very well-researched and well-realized. Would not have minded more specificity in culture though - it feels very much sometimes like Boyden took her vast anthropological knowledge and took the most interesting things from several cultures and pushed them together, in ways that were sometimes jarring.
Prose: fine. There was the fresh-cooked jalebi example from above that was Bad, but most of the description was uneventful.
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I would like to submit: "Wrath Goddess Sing" by Maya Deane, "Light From Uncommon Stars" by Ryka Aoki, "Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars" by Kai Cheng Thom, "Stealing Thunder" by Alina Boyden, "Not Your Villain" by C.B. Lee, "Raven Stratagem" by Yoon Ha Lee, "The Four Profound Weaves" by R.B. Lemberg, "When the Moon Was Ours" by Anna-Marie Mclemore, "The Trauma Cleaner" by Sarah Krasnostein, "Little Fish" by Casey Plett and "If I Was Your Girl" by Meredith Russo
Hi, thank you for all these submissions, I added them to the list.
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Books I Read in January (2023)
For more in-depth explanations, look below the cut! (Note that Stealing Thunder was actually a 5/10 and I DNF’d The Octunnumi)
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (10/10)
Maggie Stiefvater is just a master with interpersonal relationships. The sigh of relief I gave when Adam and Gansey seemed to finally get it together was more pronounced than if they had gotten out of a near-death situation. The plot is progressing slowly but surely, with a great twist at the end, and the writing is beautiful as always.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (9/10)
It's rare that I use the word "fun" to describe a book that deals with faerie lore, but this one fits the bill. Despite the darker elements, this book manages to stay lighthearted most of the time. The journal format works well, and Emily is a great main character. Her and Wendell reminded me very strongly of Sophie and Howl, which I loved.
Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden (5/10)
I really wanted to like this book, but it was pretty disappointing. The author is clearly passionate about the topic, as the incorporation of trans characters into the world and the descriptions of a Pakistan-inspired world are very good. However, the actual plot is aimless, jumping from conflict to conflict with no consequences, and the characters are very flat with the main character being virtually devoid of flaws
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (10/10)
The conclusion to the series! I was pretty much perpetually stressed while reading this book, especially since there's a lot more going on than in the previous three. The relationships, both platonic and romantic, were stellar as usual with some amazing lines. There are so many perspectives, but it never felt crowded. A great conclusion to the series, and it sets up the spinoff well.
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer (8/10)
This was just a solid read. It wasn't particularly anything special, using tried and true tropes and characters, but it executed it well. The plot was a strong point, and although Tessa and Corrick were pretty typical for YA protagonists they were well-developed and likable. They were a pretty decent portrayal of enemies to lovers as well.
The Octunnumi by Trevor Alan Foris (DNF)
The concept of this book is very intriguing, even if it is a fairly dense fantasy. However, the breaking point for me was the page-long focus on the second major female character's outfit with undue attention to her chest complete with "jiggling across the room." I'm sorry, what? It was infuriating, ridiculous, and pretty much ruined any chance this book had with me.
#books#monthly wrap up#blue lily lily blue#the raven king#maggie stiefvater#stealing thunder#alina boyden#defy the night#brigid kemmerer#the octunnumi#trevor alan foris#emily wilde’s encyclopaedia of faeries#heather fawcett#fantasy#ya#na#high fantasy#magical realism#historical fantasy
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Episode 5: Mysterious Galaxy Summer Bingo Showdown -- Part One
You can listen to episode five on any major podcast provider HERE and on Apple Podcasts HERE.
We made the rookie mistake of recording in front of an open because it was a beautiful day and who closes their windows on a beautiful day?
A: people recording podcasts, because that “gentle breeze” causes some weird vibrations.
(Sorry, everyone. Our bad.)
Book Tournament/Competition
To review our summer bingo reads, Gabi and Smack wrote all the titles they read on little pieces of paper and put them in bowls. They swapped the bowls (so they’re pulling titles that the other person has read) and then have to convince each other that the title they read was better than the title the other person read.
The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett vs. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Spoiler Alert:
Read it when you’re sick of our real world *coughpolitics*
Good fat rep
Golden retriever of a love interest with a secret online identity
Gabi’s favorite part: at what point is it okay to tell the person you’re dating a giant secret? A: by the time you know for sure that you can tell them, it’s too late.
Legitimate misunderstandings and adult responses
The Winter Duke:
Magic marine biology
Sleeping curse!
Main character is so shit at being in charge and would very much prefer to not being in charge
An Important YA read for our current political climate
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara vs. Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark:
True crime (a genre that Smack has never before in her entire life read) but also part memoir
Don’t read true crime at night before bed!
Author got to give the Golden State Killer his moniker
Serial killer terrorized Sacramento who moved south
Smack’s favorite part was when the author outlines a bunch of petty crimes committed by some unknown guy and argues that the unknown peeping tom was the Golden State Killer before he started murdering people
The book was fine
Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses was better
The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison vs. Legendary Cracow by Ewa Basiura
The Angel of the Crows:
Same author of one of Gabi’s favorite books (The Goblin Emperor)
Started as Sherlock Holmes wingfic
Fantasy retelling of all the best Sherlock Holmes stories without all the racism or boring parts
Incredibly well written
Not a weird parallel world like Smack suspected; it really, honestly is NOT Sherlock or Watson.
Fun and lovely and progressive
Legendary Cracow:
Collection of Polish folk tales
It’s fine, but it’s also not Katherine Addison <3
Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden vs Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction by Sami Schalk
Stealing Thunder:
Trans girl who is born the crown prince of an India-inspired empire
Her dad sucks, so she runs away, transitions, and lives as a hijira (Here’s briefly what that is)
Falls in love with the local prince
Feathered dragons!
Bodyminds Reimagined:
Intro was the densest part, keep going, we believe in you!
Academically critiques the intersection of disability, race, and gender in black women’s speculative fiction.
Pretty short but also very powerful
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman vs The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill:
An introvert with a rich social life (???)
A structured life thrown into disarray by the discovery of an entire extended family!
Nina’s dad got around a lot, there’s a lot of extended family
Trivia rivals to lovers, but more about the family
The Winter Queen:
An hour long audiobook! (It’s not cheating, it’s still an audiobook)
Completely different from the Disney movie
It’s Gerta, not Greta
Christian overtones–everything works out for the MC because she is good, kind, innocent, etc.
Still worth reading if you like fairy tales
The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin vs. The Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa
The Nature of Witches:
Magical academy
Witches control all the weather and stuff; the MC has powers for all four seasons and her personality shifts as the seasons do
Second half if better than the first one
The Night of the Dragon:
We’ve talked about this trilogy at length; Gabi automatically won this round
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor vs. The Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo
Remote Control:
SUPER weird
Ending was intense.
The MC has this intrinsic radioactive glow that kills people and machines
She accidentally killed her entire town
“The Daughter of Death”
The Demon in the Wood:
Darkling prequel to the Shadow and Bone trilogy
Gabi wants it to have been the prologue instead of a side story
The darkling is a magical amplifier?? Go figure.
Spoilers last from 49:20 to 51:15
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo vs Shuri: The Search for Black Panther by Nnedi Okorafor
Six of Crows:
We’ve also talked about this one at length, Gabi automatically wins this round
Shuri: The Search for Black Panther:
Technically volume I but Smack felt a little lost; she’s more familiar with the MCU than the comics
Gods and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin vs. Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi
Gods and Monsters:
Really good trilogy ending
Smack is embarrassed but also shameless about how much she enjoyed it
Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes:
Middle of a five book series
Same qualms as Gabi has about the rest of the series
The Resurrectionist of Caligo by Alicia Zaloga and Wendy Trimboli vs The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
The Heist:
Sort of like the TV show White Collar if the FBI agent was a woman and it was a typical hetero romance.
Breasts come up an annoying amount??
But it’s fun overall; cute dynamic between the two mains. Also the FBI agent’s dad is awesome.
The Resurrectionist of Caligo:
A ressurectionist is someone who digs up dead bodies and sells them to medical schools
Subplot: second chance romance
Got a string of gruesome murders to solve!!
Terrifying magic mushrooms
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison vs. Shuri: The Search for Black Panther by Nnedi Okorafor
Well this was an easy pick. (See episode 2, “When In Doubt, DNF,” for Smack’s reactions to The Book of the Unnamed Midwife)
The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi translated by Cathy Hirano vs. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom won, obviously.
Gabi has won six rounds and Smack has won five–tune in to episode six to find out who won! Until then, here’s hoping that… you win your next trivia night? That your significant other doesn’t ice you out when you have an anxiety attack? No–here’s hoping you win your next showdown with your BFF!
#books#podcast#infinite tbr#nnedi okorafor#the bookish life of nina hill#The Resurrectionist of Caligo#Shelby Mahurin#janet evanovich#Shuri: the search for black panther#remote control#demon in the wood#night of the dragon#the nature of witches#Hans Christian Anderson#The Winter Queen#Bodyminds Reimagined#Sami Schalk#Stealing Thunder#Alina Boyden#The Angel of the Crows#katherine addison#I'll Be Gone In the Dark#The Winter Duke#claire eliza bartlett#Spoiler Alert#Olivia Dade#Mysterious Galaxy#reading bingo
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REVIEW:
GIFTING FIRE by Alina Boyden at The Reading Cafe:
‘an exciting, tense story ‘
http://www.thereadingcafe.com/gifting-fire-by-alina-boyden-a-review/
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Wisconsin ordered to cover surgeries for transgender state employees
n a ruling filed Tuesday, a federal judge in Wisconsin ordered that the state and its insurers must cover transition procedures for transgender state employees.
By JOE KELLY/Courthouse News
MADISON, Wis. (CN) – In a ruling filed Tuesday, a federal judge in Wisconsin ordered that the state and its insurers must cover transition procedures for transgender state employees.
U.S. District Court Judge William Conley found that there was no legal basis for a specific exclusion in the Uniform Benefits adopted by the state’s Group Insurance Board that rules out…
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