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lizziestudieshistory · 10 months

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Books of 2023 - June

Between finishing my PGCE, still struggling with burnout, and a lack of self restraint with the PS4 I've had a bit of a shit reading month in comparison to my last few months. I did reread Emma though and that's made everything better.

Witches: James I and the English Witch-Hunts by Tracy Borman - I've not been discreet about my disdain for this book. It's full of unsupported speculation and bad faith interpretation of James I/his courtiers. If you want to read some fuller thoughts then read this. And if you are interested in Jacobean/English witches then don't read this book, if you want any recommendations then please ask, but be aware I'm not a specialist in the history of witches.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - pretty much the same as last month, I was stressed and needed an audiobook.

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie - this was fine? Although I completely forgot I'd read this until I checked my reading journal so...take that as you will.

Metamorphoses by Ovid - started off really well for me. I loved Phaethon, enjoyed books 4-7 (I think? That feels right but I'm writing this on the train and away from my journal) a lot! But after this I got bored and was tired of the repetitive nature of the myths. I'm also not a pastoral/nature girl when it comes to books, so the endless amounts of trees, grottos, flowers, and birds started to grate in me.

Emma by Jane Austen - to quote Mr Knightley, "my dearest, most beloved Emma"! I've spoken at length about Emma and my feelings about it are only getting stronger as I reread it. It's my favourite book. It makes me happy. I cannot adequately into words how much I love it and why.

The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin - I enjoyed my latest foray into Earthsea a lot, but it wasn't a patch on The Tombs of Atuan. I personally didn't connect with Arren's journey as much as Tenar's and it did effect my enjoyment. It is an excellent book, and I loved seeing Ged's arc come into completion (well, sort of - it FEELS very complete from here so I'm feeling apprehensive about coming back to him in Tehanu, but I have faith in Le Guin) but it wasn't my favourite of the three so far.

Articles on Emma - I'm not listing them all, I don't have the time, but, obviously, it's been a real mixed bag but I've been enjoying myself. It's been fun thinking about Emma in different ways. I'm just going to keep reading them until I've stopped having fun. It's also weird straying out of academic history and into literary criticism 😅

Currently Reading:

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - and regretting it

Evelina by Frances Burney - loving it!

More articles about Emma!

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authorkarajorgensen · 25 days

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March 2024 Wrap-Up Post

Despite battling tree pollen, I have made it through March! The weather is warming up, the flowers are blooming, and a new writing project is underway. Let’s take a look at what I’ve been up to this month and the goals I set out last month. Writing at least 20k words of book 3 Proof any audiobook chapters that come in Grade papers but enjoy spring break Set up the preorder for book 3 Do a…

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#admin stuff #behind the scenes stuff #books #goals #march #mini book reviews #monthly goals #The Reanimator&039;s Remains #writing #writing updates

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booksteacupandreviews · 20 days

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5 children's books to read this summer vacation

Hello Readers! Summer vacation is coming and I can tell from my own experience it’s gets really hard to keep kids engaged. Here are 5 children’s books to read this summer vacation that promises fun, adventures, and important messages. 5 children’s books to read this summer vacationMy Little Book of Holi by Ashwitha JayakumarMy Little Book of Diwali by Ashwitha JayakumarHarlee Learns To Hop by…

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passionatelyperusing · 3 months

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5 Mini Book Reviews

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Chain-Gang All-Stars is a dystopia following prisoners forced to duel for freedom on live TV. There are multiple POVs from prisoners and fans who watch the show. There are two women, the gladiators, who dominate the fighting arenas. As one of them plans to leave the prison, she thinks about how she can help her fellow…

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#a short stay in hell #bibliophile #blackouts #book blogger #book community #book review #book reviewer #chain gang all stars #mini book reviews #Passionately Perusing #piranesi #reading #reading community #the dangers of smoking in bed

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deborahocarroll · 7 months

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Summer Reading Wrapup (2023)

Long time no blog! But I want to start sharing about books again, so I thought it’d be fun to take a look back at the books I’ve been reading this summer! (Summer here defined as May through August. XD) In give-or-take chronological order, here we go! Saber’s Pride (C.M. Banschbach) This one I technically read earlier in the year since I got to copyedit it (aahh!), but it released in the…

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nerdynatreads · 2 years

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☆☆YouTube | Tumblr | Instagram | Storygraph ☆☆

reading vlog || Age is Just a Number, Baby -- 24 Hour Reading Vlog 211 || Timer Method!

My first time trying out the timer method for a 24 hour readathon and holy crap, I got so much read!!

#studyblr #bookblr #booklr #book tumblr #booktube #booktuber #book youtube #shelves #bookshelves #bookshelf #bookstack #books #book recs #romance books #fantasy books #horror books #book recommendations #mini book reviews #book reviews

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franticvampirereads · 4 months

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Two mini reviews for the price of one today! 😊

Sandry’s Book:

It’s been a very, very long time since I last reread this book and it did not disappoint. It was like coming home and snuggling under a warm blanket. There were so many things that I had forgotten! But getting to meet these characters again? It was so much fun! I loved getting reacquainted with all the kids, and somehow at 30-years-old I feel like I connected more with them than I did when I was 12 or 15. I can also see where my love of found family’s came from. I love the way the Pierce wrote the kids because they got to be actual kids and learn and make mistakes and grow into who they’re meant to be. Sandry’s book is getting a solid five stars, both for the nostalgia and for being a fantastic book that really stands the test of time.

Tris’s book:

Tris’s Book has always been one of my favorites in this series. It’s were these kids really get their start as actual mages and dig into their studies more. I love that they have these mentors that are with them every step of the way and are encouraging them in everything that they do. It’s really nice, especially in a YA book where most adults are usually absent. I just really loved being back in this universe and I could gush about it endlessly, but I won’t. This is getting a solid five stars!

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

PopSugar 2023: a book you read more than 10 years ago

PopSugar 2023: a book you wish you could read for the first time again

#circle of magic #tamora pierce #booklr #book review #reading #books #read #mini book review #book #bookish #bookworm #lgbtq+ books #queer books #middle grade books #fantasy books #high fantasy books

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bookishlyvintage · 3 months

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Omen of Ice by Jus Accardo (owlcrate edition)

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theendlessnessofbeingme · 2 months

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And another thing! Those motherfuckers on TikTok who keep saying the best books are ones where you can remove a vital element and the book still works. Y’all are fucking idiots too. Like that is the dumbest shit I have heard in a while. Good books/stories are the ones where if you removal a vital element it would fall apart if that story can still stand on its own then it never need that element in the first fucking place. None of you idiots knows how a good story is written and your just spouting bullshit to whoever will listen which is just another bunch of fucking idiots it’s like the blind leading the fucking blind! None of you should be talking about what is and isn’t good writhing because y’all know jack shit. You still think twilight and Harry Potter is the height of fucking literature. Please just shut the fuck up.

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leer-reading-lire · 5 months

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Last read:

Title: Hallowe’en party

Author: Agatha Christie

Number of Pages: 260

Rating: ★★★★★

First published: November 1969

Read: 13 September 2023 – 24 November 2023

Thoughts:

This book has become one of my favorite Agatha Christie’s novels, along with Murder on the Orient Express and The A.B.C. Murders.

I particularly enjoyed the friendship between Ariadne Oliver and Hercule Poirot.

I was surprised by all the action in the end. The escaping the town, the kidnapping and the fight was nerve-wrecking.

I really liked this classical whodunit and following the clues that led me to the culprits.

#tbrbusterchallenge2023 #bookbanditchallenge #mini book review #agatha christie #hallowe'en party #hercule poirot #detective fiction #murder mystery #leerreadinglire #books and reading #books and plants #last read #booklr

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thequeerlibrarian · 2 months

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Just finished The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - 5/5... This book is so so special. It really touched me and I'll think about it for a very long time.

#my post #booklr #books #bookblr #donna tartt #the goldfinch #mini book review

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lizziestudieshistory · 11 months

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Books of 2023 - May

How is it June already? I read a lot this month but I've felt very wishy-washy about almost everything I've read. I don't think I chose the books I read very well and ended up with a lot of mediocre reads. Most were interesting enough at the time but not memorable over the long term.

If On A Winter's Night A Traveller by Italo Calvino - interesting but ended up feeling very one note... I also hated the unnecessary amounts of weird sex, my inner Victorian lady sensibilities were scandalised 😉

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson - second chance read due to watching too much Shardcast, it was fine but this book was not for me and a lot of the content irritated me

Poems by Christina Rossetti - Rossetti is my new favourite poet, although I didn't read the religious poetry section because that tends to annoy me

The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson - an okay Sanderson book. I'm exhausted by the fixation on magical combat from Sanderson and this book suffered in placed because of that, but it was a fast and entertaining (if a bit forgettable) read.

Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan - my standout of the month, I loved this book and I think more people need to read Brennan's Lady Trent books. My only concern was Audrey, she felt like a less interesting version of Isabella, rather than her own character.

Maps to Nowhere by Marie Brennan - short stories are not usually my thing but this was interesting, as usual a few stood out more than others. If you're looking at reading a sample from Brennan I would recommend Once A Goddess and Nine Sketches, in Charcoal and Blood

Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie - an entertaining read from Christie, unfortunately I'd worked out who was the murderer in the first third, but I had fun!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling - I needed something easy and familiar to read while I was exhausted from setting, overseeing, and marking mock exams at school

Lysistrata, The Acharnians, and The Clouds by Aristophanes - I've combined these because I didn't like them, but I've learnt I don't like Greek comedy. I just don't like dirty jokes. The events surrounding these plays was so much better than the plays themselves!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling - see above.

Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie - another entertaining read from Christie, I didn't guess the murderer this time! But I was less interested in the characters, so swings and roundabouts. I listened to this one with the Hugh Fraser audiobooks and his narration was fantastic, so I'd recommend trying out the audiobooks if you're interested in Christie

DNF:

The Bright Ages by Gabrielle and Perry - abysmal historical practice made this unreadable

Waverley by Sir Walter Scott - right book, wrong time situation. I will be coming back to this one!

Currently reading:

The Metamorphoses by Ovid

Witches: James I and the English Witch-Hunts by Tracy Borman

The Farthest Short by Ursula K. Le Guin

#books #reading #books of 2023 #may reads #mini book reviews #I read a lot more than normal and I'm not sure how or why #I'm not tagging all these books or authors

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authorkarajorgensen · 11 months

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May 2023 Wrap-Up Post

A PSA before I start the post, KINSHIP AND KINDNESS is on sale for 99c at most retailers and in most countries until 6/11. Grab your $0.99 ebook copy or you can also pick up the audiobook or paperback here. This has been a pretty good month for writing, but because it has been the end of the semester as well, my brain felt like mush for quite a bit of it. Fighting off burnout has been a large…

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#author stuff #behind the scenes #goals #may 2023 #may wrap up #mini book reviews #monthly goals #Monthly Review #writing

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literatureaesthetic · 9 months

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mini reviews / 2023 sapphic contemporary releases

— the adult by bronwyn fischer

'the adult' is a "sad girl", coming-of-age novel following natalie as she moves to university. she develops a relationship with an older woman. it's primarily about this toxic relationship and the power disparity between the two, all while natalie is navigating stepping into the world for the first time

it was gentle, tender, and intimate. with a soft but vivid style of writing, fischer depicts the all-consuming power of first loves and heartbreaks. she captures post-adolescent confusion and the clumsy awkwardness of entering adulthood perfectly

— big swiss by jen beagin

the only way i know how to describe this book is eccentric—odd but full of charm. in ‘big swiss’, beagin completely deviates from the blueprint for trauma plots. rather than a burdening and bleak look into female trauma, this book is a wry, witty, and sexy dark comedy that delves into queer desire, therapy and medical biases, and coping with formative wounds

beagin presents us with two women who function as opposite models for processing trauma. our protagonist, greta, struggles with a tragic childhood incident. the love interest, flavia (aka big swiss), was brutally assaulted by a man. where big swiss maintains a pedantic approach to life and refuses to play the victim, greta allows her past trauma to shape the present, causing her to live a life void of comfort. these two opposing perspectives clash, creating a seductive and confronting whirlwind of a novel that borders on the absurd. it won't be for everyone, but it was definitely for me!!

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luminouscrow · 9 months

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[ 16 july, 2023 ]

i loved the way the sunshine hit the pages and the way the lemon tree added to the lovely summer feeling of the photo 🥰

book pictures is “the loudness of unsaid things”, but i actually didn’t finish it. i didn’t love the way mental health was written, and that’s the premise of the whole book, so… 😅

#bookblr #academia aesthetic #booklover #book worm #fiction novel #summertime #summer #summer aesthetic #bookworm #bookaholic #books & libraries #booksbooksbooks #book blog #books and reading #bookish #book review #mini review

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help-itrappedmyself · 2 months

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Red, White, and Royal Blue

Excellent read, absolutely recommend. Funny and sarcastic and heartwarming. The USA and Britain you want to see in the world.

There is explicit sex, but It's not graphic. You know what they're doing, but it's more about the feels.

Gay coming out story, so do actually prepare for the feels. Read warnings if necessary.

Nora, I think, is me. I love her, and could only wish to be that smart, but Nora.

Top quotes! It's literally quotes so if you don't want spoilers don't read. That being said they are singular lines out of context so the spoilering of plot is nil because the whole book is romance so you already know that there is romance in it. But they are some of the actual best lines from the romance of the book, so up to you.

“I love you on purpose.” Hits hard, immediately. Don't we all want this?

“I want you-” “Then fucking have me” Again, we can dream

“The phrase ‘see attached bibliography’ is the single sexiest thing you have ever written to me.” This one might be more of a me thing, but yes absolutely

“I miss you I miss you I miss you I love you” Honorable mention for hitting me right in the feels

#red white and royal blue #mini book review #quotes #my blog

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