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Tea_and_Starstuff

Tea_and_Starstuff

Joined January 2023

Lover of tea, space, and of course, books!
review
Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

I so enjoyed this! This is a new to me series and quickly becoming a favorite - delightful plots and even more delightful characters.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Erasure: A Novel | Percival Everett
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@rachelsbrittain - my #weekendreads are Erasure (tagged) on audio, and I'm debating between my #bookspin (The Paper Menagerie and other stories by Ken Liu) and #doublespin (A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas) for my next physical book. The movie made from Erasure, American Fiction, is the movie I'm most excited to see right now, based on how much I'm enjoying the book.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek | Kim Michele Richardson
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Here's my Bookspin list for February! I am both pleased by the number of books that didn't and and slightly dismayed by the number of books that did carry over from the last time I did this in August. Lets see if we can knock this list down some more!

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Tea_and_Starstuff
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi | Shannon Chakraborty
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For 2023, I've decided to do a top 10 for both fiction and non-fiction in 2023. Here's the fiction list - in more or less ranked order (the hardest part!):

1. The Adventures of Amina Al-Sarafi
2. When the Angels Left the Old Country
3. System Collapse
4. Legends & Lattes
5. Some Desperate Glory
6. Mammoths at the Gates
7. Station Eleven
8. Nona the Ninth
9. Killers of a Certain Age
10. A Tale for the Time Being

Tea_and_Starstuff It was a tough battle, but my #1 narrowly took it largely because the focus on retired protagonists in a wonderfully fresh world (based on the medieval Indian Ocean, amazing historic detail) was so different from anything else I'd read!

Any of these make your own favorites lists?
9mo
10 likes1 comment
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Tea_and_Starstuff
The Innocent Sleep | Seanan McGuire
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I'm alive! Hopefully.

Emerging from a very busy season of my life to a hopefully slightly less busy one. Hoping to be back around here more! Still been reading through it all - November in particular was a good month. Hoping to very belatedly do some end of year wrap-up thoughts.

Missed you all! What were some faves from 2023 for you? Anything you're looking forward to reading soon?

(tagged is most recent read - good book in a great series!)

BarbaraJean Yaaay! You‘ve seen my 2023 list, but the tagged is one I‘m looking forward to reading soon, from my Auld Lang Spine list (library hold came in and it‘s just sitting there on my Kindle!). And I still haven‘t done any of my planned year-end posts on Litsy, so maybe yours aren‘t as belated as you thought… 😏 (edited) 9mo
Tea_and_Starstuff @BarbaraJean - ooooh, will be curious for your thoughts, that's been in my circle of awareness but hasn't risen to the top. And good to know re: belatedly adding year-end summaries. 9mo
11 likes2 comments
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Tea_and_Starstuff
Trickster's Choice | Tamora Pierce
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Did more Library Reading than bookspin reading, so no bingo for me! But I did manage to finish the #bookspin (tagged) - at the last minute. I read the whole thing yesterday! Also managed the #doublespin - Convenience Store Woman.

Free Spaces were:
Bloodmarked - Tracy Deonn
Witchmark - CL Polk
Stormsong - CL Polk
The Professor and the Madman - Simon Winchester
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store - James McBride

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Tea_and_Starstuff
why fathers cry at night | Kwame Alexander
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this poet memoir! The structure was fascinating, bouncing between narration, letters, and yes, recipes (delicious!). A very solid read, though, I had the nagging feeling that this book was written for the authors daughters, and maybe things on the page shouldn't be for public consumption. I think that's a part of the point of the book, his mixed feelings about processing through writing, but it landed wrong for me.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Legendborn | Tracy Deonn
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Pickpick

Secret societies, hidden magic, and an unflinching look at grief and family loss. Our black protagonist winds up in a secret society run by old-money white families, and all the racism and status struggles that implies. A fascinating through-line in the book of legacy and how that looks different between plotted genealogies and families interrupted by slavery. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Tea_and_Starstuff Though, I do feel the need to add, this is a YA book that feels very YA at times in terms of voice/tropes, and I was not in the mood for that. The rest carried me while I was reading it, but I feel obliged to give a word of warning for the non-YA readers out there. 1y
10 likes1 comment
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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

Continuing my Global Reading Challenge - this was my book for Sweden! A not-quite-charming tale of a woman in her late eighties with a variety of life problems. She solves them all…with murder. I'm not quite rooting for her, but I'm not NOT rooting for her if you know what I mean. I wouldn't want to know her, but she sure was fun to read.

12 likes1 stack add
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Tea_and_Starstuff
Nona the Ninth | Tamsyn Muir
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Pickpick

Nona, oh Nona! Muir shakes up the POV character yet again. This time, the narrator is full of sunshine and joy-and knows almost nothing about what's going on with the main plot (so tasty from a writing craft perspective). Meanwhile I'm scouring the background details trying to figure out what happened! Fascinating worldbuilding and it comes together in the end. I finished and wanted to reread the series almost immediately.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Harrow the Ninth | Tamsyn Muir
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Pickpick

I had heard this sequel was more confusing than the original, and OH BOY was that true. It worked for me, though! The expansion of the world and slow revealing of how it became that way was fascinating. When I didn't know what was going on, it was fun to try to guess. And it all paid off in the end, with a satisfying “Oh THAT'S what's going on!“ that grabbed me. I don't know who exactly I'd recommend this to - but it was a treat for me.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Gideon the Ninth | Tamsyn Muir
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Pickpick

Hi book friends! I got a new phone, found out I couldn't download the litsy app, and suddenly became much worse at keeping it updated. But I have some free time, lets see if we can get caught up on reviews!

Wanting to complete a row in July's #bookspinbingo finally had me read this, which has been sitting on my Libro.fm app after buying it on sale. I was hesitant because I've heard mixed things about the series from trusted reader friends. (1/2)

Tea_and_Starstuff After reading, I can see why friends bounced off, but it worked really well for me! The characters were sometimes glib, but the plot wasn't. Fascinating worldbuilding, and it managed to be both compulsively readable and intriguing complex. A scattering of elements comes together in a satisfying finale, and I immediately wanted to read the sequel. (2/2) 1y
12 likes1 comment
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Tea_and_Starstuff
Trickster's Choice | Tamora Pierce
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And here's my #bookspinbingo card! Interesting layout this month - I'm curious what I'll manage to get done. Tagged is the bookspin, and I'm satisfied that it's in line with Lireal - they feel like they might be a good reading duo.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Trickster's Choice | Tamora Pierce
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Excited for the month's reading ahead! Trickster's Choice is a new to me book from a favorite author, and Convenience Store Woman is one that I'm going in with vague good vibes, but I know very little about.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

For my Global Reading Challenge - a book by an author from Algeria. Written in the 1990's - when Algerian women were being killed by extremist terrorists. This book is pulled from true stories told by Algerian refugees to France. It explores what it means when the unthinkable is the everyday, how to love a place and not be able to live in it. Incredibly heavy, I had to read in small doses, but I'm so glad I spent the time with this book.

Tea_and_Starstuff I also loved just learning about this author! Assia Djebar left Algeria after college and wound up in French Academia. She thrived - got herself elected to the Académie Française (an incredibly hard to get post - first North African and fifth woman ever). She was an academic and a storyteller; I'd be interested in reading more by her. 1y
8 likes1 comment
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Tea_and_Starstuff
A Conspiracy of Truths | Alexandra Rowland
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Mehso-so

This book took me SO LONG to get through, it being my #Bookspin finally pushed me to finish it. It took a long, slow time to get started, and I kept losing focus. Might have liked it more if I read it straight through. It had interesting things to say about stories and POV, but I felt it lacked subtlety in its execution. So-so, but I'm going to give the second book in the series a shot, as it focuses on a lovely side-character of the first book.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
A Taste of Gold and Iron | Alexandra Rowland
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Pickpick

I know the author has described this book as fully indulging in all the narrative tropes they love, and I think it shows. Loyalty and fealty are strong themes in this love story between an anxious prince and his stoic rules-following bodyguard. It's set in a fascinating world and I loved the supporting cast in particular. I wanted more exploration of the magic system, but enjoyed the way it was sprinkled in here and there.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

I didn't know much about Maggie Smith aside from her runaway popular poem, Good Bones. I picked this up, curious, and found it to be a beautiful, emotional look at her marriage ending. It's nuanced and poetic, I enjoyed hearing her narrate the story. It was slower and sadder than I thought I wanted, but there's enough moments of wit and joy that I left the book feeling hopeful. You could make this place beautiful, indeed.

(also - great cover!)

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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

Vo does it again!! I finished this one and I just immediately wanted to re-read it. A fun adventure, with stories within stories that tie together in fascinating ways. Its such a complex tasty little treat. Like one of those fancy patisserie desserts in book form.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Bailedbailed

I'm surprised and sad that I bailed on this one, but it really wasn't clicking for me. I think part of the problem is the audio. I found the companions, who were supposed (I think) to be charming, mostly irritating. Maybe I'd like the companions better if I narrated them myself? I've put the text on hold at the library, right now the wait is 6 weeks so we'll see how round two goes in a month or so.

RamsFan1963 I bailed for the same reasons. I found the voices, especially Rambo, very annoying. 1y
Tea_and_Starstuff @RamsFan1963 - yes! Rambo was the one I had the most trouble with. 1y
12 likes2 comments
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Tea_and_Starstuff
Lumberjanes #1 | Noelle Stevenson
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Looking forward, here's the plan for August! Tagged is the book I'm most excited for, we will see what the randomizer holds!

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Tea_and_Starstuff
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I'll probably be reading the tagged book for the rest of the month, so it's time to post my Bingo board!

One Bingo managed, my other reading is too scattered :)

Free Spaces were:
1. Harrow the Ninth
2. Nona the Ninth
3. Legendborn
4. You Could Make This Place Beautiful
5. Into the Riverlands

Reading by Country:
A-F: Algeria - The Tongue's Blood Does Not Run Dry
O-Z: Sweden - An Elderly Woman is Up to No Good

BarbaraJean I‘m interested to hear what you thought of Legendborn (and Road to Roswell when you finish!) 1y
Tea_and_Starstuff @BarbaraJean - yes! Legendborn is on my "need to make a listsy post" list, but a brief summary is that while it was slower to start for me I found it very compelling by the end, fascinating theme exploration, and I'm looking forward to the sequel! And I think I'll finish Roswell today - 94 percent done right now 1y
9 likes2 comments
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Tea_and_Starstuff
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi | Shannon Chakraborty
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Pickpick

Finished! So good! In addition to the excellent audio experience I shared earlier (which continued throughout the book) it was a heartfelt romp in a world that felt so real. Really good things to say about being a woman, parenting, and friendship. Nuanced representation of faith, and the elements of the fantastic kept the plot humming along. I adored all the characters we spent time with. In contention for favorite book of the year!

12 likes4 stack adds
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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

I am really loving these short stories! I love the way the world gets woven as it becomes relevant to the story at hand. Every character feels like they have a depth to them, even if we only see them for a fraction of the time. It's such a well painted world, too. Excellent stuff!

(Love the covers, too, it's such vibrant art, they're on my to-buy list, for sure)

12 likes1 stack add
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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

While I know of Sedaris, I don't think I've actually read him before? A Libro.fm sale was a good excuse to give him a shot - he's lovely reading his own work. This was a fun read, but not exactly in my personal humor pocket - it keeps edging toward embarrassment humor. But there were a few moments that were perfectly set up and gut-punched me with a combo of humor and emotion. Well worth the read.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi | Shannon Chakraborty
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One percent into the audiobook and I had to stop to comment on the sound design. I've never heard a book play with the idea of "there's a microphone" before! Asides are slightly muffled, like she turned away, but still picked up clearly. It's so clever, I gasped when I heard it.

I'm also enjoying what little I've heard of the story so far ?

rachelsbrittain I really enjoyed this aspect of the audiobook too! 1y
julesG @rachelsbrittain Same! I really liked it. 1y
julesG And now I'm wracking my brain which other audiobooks had similar features 1y
See All 10 Comments
rachelsbrittain @julesG I really can't think of any! 1y
BarbaraJean That is fascinating! I love that idea. I've also heard really good things about this book. 1y
julesG @rachelsbrittain I know there are "4th wall breaks" in Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, Wild Massive, Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Name of This Book is a Secret, The Library of the Unwritten, The Starless Sea, Bartimaeus Trilogy Thursday Next series, Chronicles of St Mary's series, Murderbot,... But can't remember whether they were done as nicely as the one in Amina. 1y
Tea_and_Starstuff @BarbaraJean , I'm really enjoying it so far, I'll let you know what I think when I'm finished! 1y
Tea_and_Starstuff @rachelsbrittain @julesG - It's definitely the first time I've run into it as a part of the sound design. Of those listed I've only listened to Murderbot - and while it was well done I don't remember any tricks like that. The closest thing I can think of is like, sound effects distorting or backgrounding certain speech. I love seeing what people do as the medium evolves! 1y
julesG I listen to a lot of audiobooks. And it's rare that such "sound effects" are used. Audioplays or multi-narrator novels have more effects, obviously, than regular audiobooks. This one, Amina, really stood out and I enjoyed it - I should have remarked on it in my review. ??‍♀️ 1y
BookmarkTavern Oh you have grabbed my interest! ❤️ 1y
11 likes1 stack add10 comments
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Tea_and_Starstuff
A River Enchanted | Rebecca Ross
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Pickpick

I did not know a lot going into this one - a friend said, hey, I liked it, and then let me borrow the book. I usually need more than that, but I gave this one a shot and enjoyed myself! Rich world and fun characters, led along by an engaging plot. A good time, and I'm curious about the sequel.

12 likes1 stack add
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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

This is the first book I've added to Litsy! I feel like I just earned an achievement of some kind :D

It was a fascinating listen - beautifully soundscaped, it was a lovely, slow walk through her poems and the themes around them, narrated in audio by multiple people sharing thoughts and feelings. Interspersed is Mary Oliver and others reading her work. I enjoyed the journey; it is very gentle and slow - good listening right before bed.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Station Eleven: A novel | Emily St. John Mandel
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Pickpick

I've been interested in this book for a long time but…you know, pandemic happened. Finally felt up to it recently. I really, really enjoyed this read, the timeline shuffle worked, weaving together past and present. It's fascinating that a relatively recently written book (2014) can feel so historical. So many more people have tangible experience (pandemic and demagogue related) of what St. John Mandel wrote. Fascinating to think about.

BarbaraJean I've been wanting to re-read this, because pandemic. But then also unsure if I wanted to re-read it, because pandemic. I read Sea of Tranquility by St. John Mandel last year and it felt so referential to this one that my re-reading itch has deepened. Maybe we should book club it. 1y
Tea_and_Starstuff @BarbaraJean - oooh, yeah. If the others are down for a thematically heavier read I think there's a really interesting conversation to be had. I think there's some things that stayed feeling very true and some things that were just like...ah, this was written Before. 1y
23 likes2 comments
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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Decided on my Global Reading book for #bookspin - the country is Algeria, and author Assia Djebar. My goal when I started was to read books written by people living in the country, who had been born in the country. I didn't want a tourist writing about a place they'd visited. I quickly realized it's more complicated than that, and the as the book of hers I'm reading (tagged) is a great example. (cont...)

Tea_and_Starstuff The author lives in Paris at the time of writing - 1995 and 1996. During that time, according to the publisher, when over 200k Algerians were killed in assassinations and attacks. This book is a series of conversations between her and other women about the state of their home country. It's a mix of gratitude, guilt, rage, and it's so compelling. I'm a couple chapters in so far! 1y
11 likes1 comment
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Tea_and_Starstuff
A Conspiracy of Truths | Alexandra Rowland
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Tagged is this month's #bookspin. And here's the #bookspinbingo.

I just now noticed that Of Fire and Stars managed to sneak on there twice. Not sure what I'll do about that...maybe if I read it I'll check off 9 and let 15 be a second free space. We shall see!

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Tea_and_Starstuff
A Conspiracy of Truths | Alexandra Rowland
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We've got our #bookspin and #doublespin for the month! The numbers have decided I'm continuing my global reading challenge, and finally facing down the book that I've been “actively“ reading for the longest. I've been about a third of the way through with this book months now. Time to either finish it or officially DNF.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore | Patric Richardson, Karin B. Miller
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Tagged by Barbara Jean to share my best reads of the year so far. Difficult to choose! But looking at it - a fun mix! My comfort zone of SFF is well represented, but nonfiction, which I'm trying to read more of, makes a strong showing. There's even a literary novel on there!

Fun story - I finished When the Angels Left the Old Country and Maybe You Should Talk to Someone on the same day! I wandered around in a very satiated good book daze.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Midnight Library | Matt Haig
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Mehso-so

The conceit of this book was interesting: How would life have gone if we made different choices? But the book ultimately felt more like an excuse for a philosophical exercise than a solidly written story - I could tell where the plot was bending very early on, and I got impatient for it to just get there already. Also wasn't expecting the very heavy exploration of suicide and despair - while it was handled decently it was a shock.

BarbaraJean Alas. At least there will be interesting ideas to discuss at book club! 1y
Tea_and_Starstuff @BarbaraJean - looking back I think I'm a bit more negative than I feel holistically. I blame the small wordcount available here. There were several things I enjoyed in the execution! It will be interesting to discuss :D 1y
BarbaraJean It is indeed difficult to communicate all the nuances of a “So-So“ pick in 451 characters! I haven't started reading it yet, and I think your review will be helpful to moderate my expectations. 😁 1y
21 likes3 comments
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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Mehso-so

Wanted to love this more than I did. Great idea! Louise - a woman in her eighties with a mysterious past - and Tanner - a 21-year-old who dropped out of college after an injury - become unlikely friends and go on an adventure together. Unfortunately, Tanner felt so flat and some choices she made (mostly stupidity needed to advance the plot) didn't feel true to character. (1/2)

Tea_and_Starstuff This is made all the more obvious by the fact that Louise is lovely and well-drawn. I feel like the author had more connection with her than with Tanner. The relationship between the two started so abrasive, and stayed that way through at least half the book. I was wanting more odd-couple friendship, and that was slow in coming. I pushed through, but it was a slog. (2/2)
1y
11 likes1 comment
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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

I have been *missing* toothy, well-plotted epic sci-fi, and this delivered! Earth has been destroyed, and we follow a teenager who has been trained from birth to fight. The thing that made this book so refreshing? It's so clear she's not a hero. Her people are a radical, hateful cult, and the story is a look at escaping that sort of brainwashing that feels more realistic (yes, even with the aliens) than most child-soldier stories. (1/2)

Tea_and_Starstuff I suggest looking up trigger warnings if you're a sensitive reader. But at the same time - this is a story about fighting back against those terrible things. It skated really close to some of my biggest nopes but handled it in a deft and sensitive way. Tesh is skyrocketing up my list of favorite authors. (2/2)
1y
10 likes1 comment
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Tea_and_Starstuff
Romantic Comedy | Curtis Sittenfeld
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Pickpick

This was a fun time of a book. Fake-SNL writer love story. I was glad to be forewarned that the pandemic featured. Going into it with eyes open let me enjoy the story, and enjoy it I did! Was particularly delighted by an epistolary section in the middle - I really do love epistolary.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Mehso-so

A scientist tells stories about fish, and about her life at the same time. It was poetic and meditative, diving into hard stories of generational war trauma, sexual assault, and being queer and trans. It was good, but I was expecting more Fun Science Times with Fish and felt a bit knocked over by this one. I listened - maybe would have been better in print, I found myself drifting during the more meditative essays.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

Pitched to me as Good Omens but Jewish, this angel and demon pair stole my whole heart. Love them, love the story of immigration and life in America in the early 20th century. A fun mystery and supernatural element grounded by warm relationships. Between this book and Elatsoe, publisher Levine Querido is quickly becoming one of my favorite new author discovery tools. Going to have to explore their catalog more widely.

Soubhiville Sounds fun! 1y
rachelsbrittain This is one of my favorite books of the year so far! 1y
10 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

Engaging memoir about a therapist going to therapy. Great story and a practical look at what happens in a therapist's office. I really enjoyed this both as someone who has been in training to do therapy and as someone who has been in therapy, as well as just being a reader!

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Tea_and_Starstuff
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi | Shannon Chakraborty
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Tagged is the book I'm most excited about for next month's #bookspin - Here's to reading!

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Tea_and_Starstuff
A Taste of Gold and Iron | Alexandra Rowland
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Tagged book finished out the month! Not a bad for June's #bookspinbingo. I got a bingo! And successfully knocked some lingering titles off my to-read list. Feels good.

Free Spaces and Challenges:
Country J-M: Kenya: One Day I Will Write About This Place
The Oleander Sword
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone
When the Angels Left the Old Country
The Midnight Library
Station 11

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Tea_and_Starstuff
The Oleander Sword | Tasha Suri
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Mehso-so

This is a classic middle-book-in-a-trilogy. Doesn't really resolve things, draws things darker. Some really heartbreaking moments. The so-so ranking is my feeling after finishing, not the overall quality. I don't love unresolved stories, and while the series remains an engaging and fast read, I sort of wish I had waited to do the re-read until the third book came out and I could finish the whole story in one go.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Jasmine Throne | Tasha Suri
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Pickpick

Bookspin! And a reread, so I could move on to the sequel. Fantasy with cultural inspiration drawn from India that's fresh and easy to read. I like the toothy complications of the main relationship, and the side characters were richly drawn in their own right.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

A fascinating look at Kenya through one man's memoir. Language was a beautiful recurring theme in this - English is the official language of Kenya, but also the language of the outside world. Kiswahili is the proud language of the independent nation - but a nation painted over individual tribes. The individual tribal languages draw and divide people in different ways - across country lines into neighboring nations. (continue...)

Tea_and_Starstuff Also! I learned the author is a gay man who was closeted as he wrote this, and I'm glad I knew it before reading. It's so interesting how he talks about growing up while talking around the issue of attraction, and who he desires. He wrote an article, available free online, called, “I am a homosexual, mum“ that serves as a beautiful, heartbreaking epilogue talking about his identity as a gay man. (continue...) (edited) 1y
Tea_and_Starstuff This story wasn't an easy read - the rhythm of language was different from what I was used to. But it was a rewarding one - I learned a lot about a place I knew almost nothing about. I'm looking forward to reading books by Ugandan and Rwandan authors - the region is so bound together and this book made me think about how national lines were imposed on Africa from the outside. I'm glad I spent the time with the book. 1y
BookmarkTavern Oh this is a gorgeous cover. ❤️ 1y
Tea_and_Starstuff @ozma.of.oz - yes! It's such a good art piece. 1y
9 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

I was so drawn into this world. A traveling historical monk gets a chance to unravel some secrets of the past. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer! An engaging tale that slowly reveals a world - it does a lot with the space it's given. The story stayed engaging for me too, there were some twists I didn't expect that made it a very satisfying bite-sized read.

And with that I am FINALLY caught up in reviews. I think. Yay reading!

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Tea_and_Starstuff
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Pickpick

Brilliant novel with rich character voice. The plot unravels and knits together at the same time. Slow start for me, I kept zoning out. But that's due to an unfamiliar genre than actual issues with the pacing. By the end I was absolutely hooked. Firmly grounded in the setting - a Brooklyn housing project in 1969. In that place, the author brought to life a whole crowd of characters - the good, the bad, and how nobody is entirely one or the other.

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Pride & Puppies | Lizzie Shane
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Pickpick

Cute and fun romance. Nothing unexpected, but nothing that irritated me either. I loved the Austen references all the way through. Had some sentences that I laughed and shared out loud with a reading buddy. Ultimately a fun, fluffy book and a nice easy read in the middle of more intense titles.

Featuring the book being snuffled dubiously by my great big puppy.

7 likes1 stack add
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Tea_and_Starstuff
Victories Greater Than Death | Charlie Jane Anders
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Mehso-so

I adore the Anders nonfiction, but struggled through this one. This book is classic YA - big stakes, impulsive decisions, feelings forward - but more queer and in space. Love the setting, the author clearly had fun with the worldbuilding. But it got info-dumpy. Unevenly paced and I had trouble connecting to the characters. But there's much to enjoy and I'm glad it was written - I want more queer and female-forward sci-fi books in the world!

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Tea_and_Starstuff
Piranesi | Susanna Clarke
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Pickpick

This story was fascinating. It's a plot where, as the story goes on, the reader knows more than the main character, and so much of the story is trying to figure out who will know what when. But that happens alongside this huge and mysterious world where the narrator knows much more than the reader does. It's a fascinating balance, told well. Clarke's writing style adds to the story, giving it a sense of mystery and charm.