Rose > Recent Status Updates

good grieeefffffffff not every woman in the world has to fall instantly in love with the world's most mid man. I genuinely cannot tell if Chris d'Lacey is capable of writing women because Liz and Lucy's relationship feels very genuine but WHY ARE ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN SO OBSESSED WITH DAVID WHEN THEY'VE JUST MET HIM

Everyone in this book talks like they're in a Tumblr post that's trying to be deep. I keep wanting this to be the Raven Boys but so far it isn't. Hopefully it'll either ramp up the horror (and thus excuse the purple prose) or get over itself soon.

Spooky beetle time! Spooky beetle time! SPOOKY BEETLE TIME! (This has very strong Lemony Snicket and Spiderwick Chronicles vibes and I’m loving it). My friend recommended this one to me and I’m glad she did.

You know when the characters make a plan and you can instantly tell exactly how badly it’s going to go wrong? So yeah, Ari and Russell trying to Parent Trap their bosses definitely sets off my spidey sense for second hand embarrassment big time. I really love Ari as a character though - she’s independent but not afraid to ask for help. Russell’s cute and I look forward to watching this romance develop.

Oh I am having the time of my life right now!! Man I love Rachel Lynn Solomon’s writing

DNFing.

I’m DNFing this one. I just have too many issues with it and I’m not interested in the plot at all.

Really enjoying it!

Also I would really like to see some Native American reviewers talking about the representation of Native American cultures in the book but I haven’t found any relevant reviews yet. Side note, if you have any urban fantasy recs where the werewolves (or vampires for that matter) aren’t sexist please pass them my way.

I can’t actually decide if I like it or not. Mercy is a fun protagonist, but I HATE all the sexism in the wolf packs (why is this a thing in werewolf books? It sucks!) and the fact that 90% of the characters are men, and I also hate both of the potential love interests (Samuel specifically). I don’t really care about the plot but I can’t tell if that’s just because I’m not in the right mood. Might DNF.

Okay so my current reads are… a semi-awful urban fantasy from 2006, an excellent YA book set in fantasy renaissance Italy, and Les Mis. What a mixture. Anyway, I’m still reading about the Bishop of Digne but I’m enjoying Hugo’s writing style enough that 75 pages about someone who’s not that plot relevant doesn’t feel like a strain. Plus the Bishop is a good guy!

This is a reread because I read it a few years ago and didn’t remember much about it. It’s pretty good so far but there’s been a few lines that didn’t sit right with me (presumably because it’s from 2006). I hate the cover Goodreads has got for it, though (I have a different edition).

Just had the iconic “if you can’t play the four what makes you think you can play me?” bit

“Anything could happen. I could get kidnapped by pirates and it wouldn’t even, like, surprise me.” Yeah Ben, it sure could (this made me grin immensely)

“He doesn’t need infinite intelligence to know the wind is blowing north-northwest or to tell a pigeon from a power tool” YES THESE ARE THE REFERENCES I’M HERE FOR!

Other ones so far have included “That way, they can take the cold cuts from Dad’s funeral and put them in those pinwheel sandwich things for the wedding reception” and Ophelia’s mother’s strawberry scarf (Othello reference I think)

Also I forgot to mention Cielo!! We’re still at the point where they’re maintaining their air of mystery, but there’s still a lot of tension and potential between them and Teo, and I look forward to seeing the two grow closer later in the book.

This is actually a reread! I love Teo’s determination to help her family, even if it means doing bad things. I love the way the author writes, it’s so evocative and all the similes help you learn more about the character and the world rather than just being clichés. Also, the political and magical system in this world is very cool (it’s sort of a fantasy Renaissance Italy situation)

This book has already made me tear up once so I know it’s going to absolutely break my heart. The writing’s kind of weird in places and seeing Modern Hamlet is quite startling because I’m used to hearing him make impassioned philosophical speeches in Shakespearean English not modern, but the effect is intriguing, not bad. Enjoying characters from other plays, and fun callbacks to actual lines from Hamlet!

I’m going to have to put this on pause for now because it has to go back to the library, but to be honest I might DNF it because there wasn’t really anything about the first 60 pages that grabbed me. It seems like a simple fantasy set at sea, so I think if I was 13/14 I would have really liked it (and been super excited about the representation) but now I thought it was a bit too standard (for me at least)

I’m really enjoying it so far! I love the characters and how intricate the world building is.