4/5⭐ I can't pretend I understood most of the physics, but the author did an excellent job balancing the technical side with plot, characters, & tension. I felt invested in the story & thought it was very well written & paced, so I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. It brought up interesting & relevant issues of humanity, & Ye Wenjie's complex character especially made me put my thinking cap on. Science fiction at its best.

It was impossible to expect a moral awakening from humankind itself, just like it was impossible to expect humans to lift off the earth by pulling up on their own hair. To achieve moral awakening required a force outside the human race.

If this was so, then how many other acts of humankind that had seemed normal or even righteous were, in reality, evil?

#bookhaul #haul

4/5⭐ The last 20 mins of the audiobook took a MASSIVE turn. I really hope the other books in the series provide an explanation, because otherwise it's a cop-out from actually handling all the plotlines & character arcs.

The first 9 hrs 40 mins, however, were WONDERFUL. Newman hooked the reader by dripping clues in a perfect pace. Her voice narration is marvelous. The world she created feels so full, all balanced & shared without infodumping.

He knew just what to say to make me feel safe, not only from the external but also my internal world. That scared me more than anything, sometimes; the noise of my thoughts, the sense that even the space inside myself wasn't safe.

I think “majority” is one of my least favorite words. It‘s so often used to justify bad decisions.

#bookhaul

1/5⭐ The men CONSTANTLY act to subvert Rowan's wishes, particularly as a mother. The moment I officially tapped out was when she caught her husband about to ship off their kids to ANOTHER PLANET without telling her! WTF!?!?!?! The romance between Damia and the guy who basically raised her does not sit well with me, especially with Afra gleefully telepathically putting Damia to sleep at will without her consent. So disgusted and disappointed.

4.5/5⭐ I take back every doubt I had in the 1st 2 books, because White brought everything together BRILLIANTLY. This book was so action-packed & thematically sound that it made the previous books make complete sense. There was a point to the plotlines/motivations I struggled with previously, & significant, far-reaching points at that. The ending felt SO satisfying with Radu's family dynamics. Really such a strong ending to a series on all counts.

*looks around* Can...can it be? Am I finally caught up on wrap ups? YES! Check out my reviews for books I read ONLY JUST LAST MONTH! https://youtu.be/iciRwoeD_Ls #NEWTsReadathon2019 #auguststats #stats #wrapup #augustwrapup #readingstats

#NEWTsReadathon2019 #auguststats #stats #wrapup #augustwrapup #readingstats

4/5⭐ I'm not familiar with the game so can't comment on that connection, but this prequel stands well on its own. It combined action, worldbuilding, and character arcs very well.

My July reviews are up! https://youtu.be/N0FjxK30JUo

#julystats #stats #wrapup #julywrapup #readingstats

#julystats #stats #wrapup #julywrapup #readingstats

1/5⭐ So much telling and info-dumping and useless information (we don't need to know a character likes sushi; it has nothing to do with what's going on). Based on the author's foreword and website, the book feels more like an indulgence in paranoid conspiracy theory than actual exploration of surveillance issues.

page 123/336: “As the Rowan hadn't heard about Damia's adventure with her 'wand,' it hadn't occurred to her to alter the sensors to touch-control plates.“

Why hadn't the Rowan heard? Because all the men in her life colluded to specifically not tell her! To over and over again interfere with her desires as a mother! The warning bells in this book, oh my god. The high school nostalgia keeping me reading is running on empty.

2/5⭐ I applaud the author tackling the disastrous environmental situation we're in, & the book mostly flowed coherently. I enjoyed Pon's signature yummy food descriptions. However, EVERYTHING was telling instead of showing. The narrative stopped to go into detail about dynamics we've already learned about. Daiyu's motivation & trust regarding Zhou are built on the flimsiest of reasons & go into questionable Stockholm Syndrome territory.

3.5/5⭐ The advice in this book is great if you're looking to break a writing block w/ a structured approach. It should be taken w/ a grain of salt & other books on outlining should be read as well. Hawker is very transparent throughout that this method isn't the only one out there; it's just what has worked for her. However, she does make grandiose claims using punchy marketing terms to convince the reader of her points, which I didn't appreciate.

4/5⭐ The perfect book to read after Marie Kondo's books. I borrowed it from my library, but there are so many things I actually want to try/implement that I'm going to buy my own copy. It's a perfect Witchcraft 101 book as well. Feldmann does a spectacular job of contextualizing the actual how tos, making them feel achievable, and providing the flexibility to reach readers regardless of personal design preferences and goals.

But my desire for knowledge was stronger than my religious sensibilities, which after all were more a matter of unthinking habit than real conviction.

“We stared at each other for a moment, then burst into laughter that must have scared off every nonhuman animal for half a mile around.“

A perfect, heart-filling moment in the story, built up to from several equally perfect moments. Isabella and Jacob are one of my favorite literary couples. Such a wonderful meeting of minds.

It‘s—it‘s as if there is a dragon inside me. I don‘t know how big she is; she may still be growing. But she has wings, and strength, and—and I can‘t keep her in a cage. She‘ll die. I‘ll die. [...] It‘s all right for women to study theology, or literature, but nothing so rough and ready as this. And yet this is what I want. Even if it‘s hard, even if it‘s dangerous. I don‘t care. I need to see where my wings can carry me.

Normally “but you haven't heard the REAL/full story“ lines fall flat, but the build-up to it in this intro, combined with the signature from Isabella to make it feel more real, sent shivers of anticipation through me.

One benefit of being an old woman now, and moreover one who has been called a “national treasure,“ is that there are very few who can tell me what I may and may not write.

Violence feels good. It's so simple and clear. There's no mistaking the winner. I like it, but I avoid going there, going to the blue place, because I think I could get lost, might not find my way back, I wouldn't want to find my way back because it's seductive.

Imagine a blood orange, torn open, and a highly polished mahogany desk. Smear one over the other and add a wash of light blue: dawn over Ireland; rich, unearthly colours that reached past my eyes and stole part of my soul. People were not designed to see such things.

“I hit him. He came down the stairs and I hit him. I really hit him. I've spent years wondering if I could, wondering what I'd do if it happened to me, if I'd been the one in front of that theatre....“ She looked at her hand again, fascinated. “I hit him, and he ran away.“

The realization of what she had done, the exhilaration of her own strength rushed into her, like champagne rushing to fill lead crystal. She shimmered with it, she fizzed.

...the genius has always been able to leap obstacles as though they‘re not there while the plodder has, through necessity, learned patiently to climb walls. One day, [...] that genius will come across a wall so high even she can‘t jump it. But she doesn‘t know how to climb. The plodder, on the other hand, rubs his hands, checks his equipment, and starts hammering in the first piton. Who do you think will reach the top first?

5/5⭐ Griffith builds phenomenal tension & expectation. Few authors can pull off what she did. The entire book is sharp & smart.

I happened to read the climactic scene during my work lunch break & had to focus on calming down my adrenaline rush so I could get through the afternoon.

I loved every moment of this book. For my detailed gushing thoughts, see my Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2978090666.

3/5⭐ The plot & characters are mostly still okay & interesting. I'm still invested in Lada & Radu getting a satisfactory ending. However, their respective obsessions (Lada w/ Wallachia, Radu w/ Mehmed) now feel very flat & lacking nuance. They & their circumstances are changing, but their main focuses & goals aren't evolving at all in tandem. I'm hoping events in this book have an appropriate complex impact on the conclusion in the next book.

I'm in the middle of SO MANY SERIES. Why, self, why? See which ones I'll attempt to prioritize for #housebattles. https://youtu.be/O7_HW162XG0

1/5⭐ I could tell the words meant a lot to the author, but there was too much missing to connect. It felt much more like a diary with entries contextualized solely to the writer's life. I appreciated some of the points/messages, particularly in the first part, but the almost stream-of-consciousness format didn't read like poetry at all. (Admittedly, Natasha Trethewey's mindblowing collections might have ruined me of all other poetry.)

4/5⭐ At 1st I only lukewarm toward the book, but then there's nothing like [spoiler] to make you realize how invested you are in the story.

This book was so fun, with a good balance of serious to make it more complex. The memoir-style, with the narrator adding tidbits from the future & lessons learned, added a brilliant layer that prevented the story from falling flat & just took the whole thing to the next level. Can't wait to read book 2.

1.5/5⭐ Relied on hypocrisy and mixed morality to get a happy ending. Nola does questionable things, which are acknowledged by excused because she's “good.“ She finally manages to escape danger but unnecessarily comes clean about her major secret she's been hiding in fear for her entire life to the one person with authority to arrest her for it, who after less than 24 hours of knowing her throws away his moral code because of instalove. Painful.

June sucked for me, but I still read some books. See how my reading fared in my wrap-up video: https://youtu.be/vm9SSca4ncQ

#junestats #stats #wrapup #junewrapup #readingstats

#junestats #stats #wrapup #junewrapup #readingstats

Belatedly posting my Questionable Content collection and hoping more paperbacks are published soon!

3.5/5⭐ Aside from 2 clearly stolen moments from Disney's Mulan, I thought this book & its characters were unique. I LOVE the sibling relationship between Vlada & Radu. The contrast & exploration of their individual strengths/weaknesses & how each either helps or hinders them is fascinating. There's also complexity with side characters, especially women, & how they attempt to find power. I'm excited to read the next book. #NEWTsReadathon2019

4/5⭐ Adorable, heartwarming, meaningful, and completely accessible to all ages. The message was a bit preachy/unsubtle, but given its importance I really can't fault the book for it. #NEWTsReadathon2019

5/5⭐ I am again in jaw-dropping awe at how Trethewey weaves themes/motifs throughout her collections, to the point that just when you start to forget about them she winds her way back to them in the most impactful way possible. I found especially brilliant the theme and imagery of looking back while trying to move forward, of the intricate relationship between nostalgia, knowledge, and progress. Cannot recommend enough. #NEWTsReadathon2019

All the books I read in May were for the #Bookemon readathon. Check out the badges I earned in my wrap-up video! https://youtu.be/NJZec5zxiVU

#maystats #stats #wrapup #maywrapup #readingstats #bookemon

#maystats #stats #wrapup #maywrapup #readingstats #bookemon

5/5⭐ Perfect for close examination. Motifs like stones, seeds, & scars pervade Circe's character arc but also other characters/themes. Miller brilliantly fills in gaps in myth to produce a lush world & multidimensional characters. The wordsmithing is drop-dead gorgeous. One readthrough is not enough to get everything out of it that Miller put in. The audio narrator could not have been more perfectly chosen or done a better job. #NEWTsReadathon2019

But perhaps no parent can truly see their child. When we look we see only the mirror of our own faults. #NEWTsReadathon2019

“I looked down at my body, bare in the fire‘s light, and tried to imagine it written over with its history: my palm with its lightning streak, my hand missing its fingers, the thousand cuts from my witch-work, the gristled furrows of my father‘s fire, the skin of my face like some half-melted taper. And those were only the things that had left marks. […] I was a golden witch, who had no past at all.“

The scars motif is wonderfully crafted.

Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep. #NEWTsReadathon2019

This was how mortals found fame, I thought. Through practice and diligence, tending their skills like gardens until they glowed beneath the sun. But gods are born of ichor and nectar, their excellences already bursting from their fingertips. So they find their fame by proving what they can mar: destroying cities, starting wars, breeding plagues and monsters. All that smoke and savor rising so delicately from our altars. It leaves only ash behind.

This is the grief that makes our kind choose to be stones and trees rather than flesh. #NEWTsReadathon2019

“But I liked it, as if his words were a secret. A thing that looked like a stone, but inside was a seed.
[…]
I was nothing, a stone.”

FORESHADOWING
#NEWTsReadathon2019