Billie > Recent Status Updates

If the book starts with a quote from the OA then I’m hooked. Don’t let me down Montimore.

had to put this on my currently reading list and do a progress update because I can’t go any longer without saying anything and I don’t know how to insert spoilers so just don’t read anymore if you don’t want any….. Fuck Nora and her patronising gaslighting bullshit. Could not hate a character more. Jess might have a good excuse but even she is pushing my tolerance. Justice for Polly.

Dear Audiobook narrators. Please don’t do accents unless you can actually do the accent. Every time the Australian character has dialogue it takes me so far out of the story it’s not funny. Even if it wasn’t perfect I don’t think I’d mind but this isn’t even a little bit close. I’d rather she have the narrators American accent than whatever this is.

The prose is quite beautiful and very evocative but I have to admit I’ve been in a bit of a wonky headspace so I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t zoned out a couple of times. Perfectionist me wants to go back over the bits I’ve missed but realist me is holding strong and moving ahead anyway.

"...whosoever's pain I thought of, it could not be resolved without paining someone else."

A Fine Magic = 3

This was a fairly weak way to finish the collection but not an awful story over all.

The Queens Notice = 3

It wasn't bad...

Red Nose Day = 2 (I would give it lower but I'm not sure if its me or the story)

I got lost and I didn't enjoy it. I only have a very vague idea of what was happeneing and even the bits I followed, I didn't get.

Winkie = 4
Naww like hazels amazing mother... But gruesome.

A Good Heart = 2.5

It wasn't bad as such. It just didn't work for me.

My Lord's Man = 4
I was going to give this 2 stars right up until the last page. I did not like the POV character or what I thought was the message being presented... I was wrong.

Sweet Pippet = 2-2.5

The long names in this were confusing and pulled me out of the story. I know why she wrote them that way it makes sense and was a clever choice but it wasn't a successful choice (for me anyway). It was OK and the POV was interesting but I didn't enjoy it. I got lost in it, and not in a good way.

Ferryman = 4
That was almost lovely, in a sad, dark kind of way.

Dedication = 4
Another vivid tale but again, I just wish I had more information.

The Wood-Queen's Quarters = 4.5
The imagery in this story was beautiful and I got truly lost in it. Less dark and gruesome than some others it was definitely more my cup of tea. My only complaint was that some information or development felt like it was missing for the character arc to truly have the impact it deserved.

Swing From The Moon = 3.5/5
I found this a bit hard to follow at first. I'm seeing a trend so far with Lanagan's short stories which is that there is an amount of world and character building that just won't ever be established and you have to be OK with this. Sometimes it works but sometimes the number of characters and complexity of these stories without that world and character building becomes confusing.

Not all Ogre = 3.5/5
What did I just read? Not sure I liked this one. It wasn't bad writing, the story just really didn't appeal to me I guess.

Singing My Sister Down = 4.5/5
I think I need to read it again as I've come away not really knowing how to feel. I definitely know that I liked it. It was weird and disconcerting, but in a good way.

So Linda isn't a lesbian?... Huh... Kinda disappointed TBH.

But how did Linda know where to find him if she didn't even know if he was alive?

I'm so confused. James' friends left the trench on the 20th of December. Then he met Ferhat and they travelled for 21 days, day 22 being Christmas day. So is he delusional and is getting the days wrong, or was he in the trench for a whole year after his friends left, before he met Ferhat?!