four stars

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

aquapages // eline3 Comments

i had never expected it to be this full of horror and blood, but i love it

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I also have no idea where I heard about this book, it’s like it magically appeared in my TBR a long time ago and I finally got to it, thinking it seemed autumn-ish from the cover.

HAHAH. I was not prepared at all.

There’s some books so hard to explain without spoiling the plot. It makes it nearly impossible to recommend any other way than yelling “IT’S GOOD I PROMISE”. But if you want more info: it’s a fantasy/sci-fi/mystery/horror story. Very specific. Some gruesome events are described in so much detail, with so little feeling. The writing is amazing and so is the entire plot and mystery and end. I loved this book, but I don’t feel like I’ve understood it completely yet. And I might have felt a bit naseous at times, the smell of burned flesh appearing in my mind. Yes, it’s that kind of book, but also a big multi-dimensional mystery. Gods and shit, you know. Please read it, and then tell me what the fuck it’s about. Obviously I need it.

*SPOILERS*

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The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

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Pages: 280

Genre: fantasy, fairytales

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“The beast might shout and snarl, and he might well devour her, but he’d at least been interested enough to listen to her speak.”

A new collection of short fairytale-inspired fantasy stories, some set in the grisha universe. I’ve never seen illustrations that fits the stories so well, and it’s a treat as the picture becomes more complete each time you turn the page.

I have a long and bumpy history with fairytale retellings, mostly irritated by them not modernizing or putting a twist on traditional fairytales, or doing so and forgetting to be a complete and good book as well. The stories in this book definitely mantained the magic and mysterious feeling of fairytales, while having more depth and interesting characters, not to mention the great endings. In some stories it’s clear right away where the inspiration is from, personally I seem to like the stories that were most unlike the original. While I like Bardugo’s writing, I feel it can sometimes become too focused on being clever and unexpected than actually keeping a reader attentive to the story itself. I’ve felt it in books like “crooked kingdom” before, and it seem to be more of a problem when the fairytale behind the story was obvious. It’s tricky, because the cleverness is arguably what makes her stand out as an author as well.

I have two favourite stories that I would recommend this book for alone. “When water sang fire” is the last story and I got pulled in to the relationship between Ulla and Signy and how it would play out. Also I love mermaids. “Ayama and the thorn wood a strong second “ is a close second for me, just the spirit of that girl and how she overcomes her circumstances is lovely to read.

*spoiler below*

An example of the lovely drawings, that spoils some of the plot of one story, but included as a reason you need to get this book in physical form.

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What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

aquapages // eline5 Comments

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That is the longest title i’ve seen in a while and it fits exceptionally well.

This book’s a part journal, part running diary of the famous author Haruki Murakami, and was the first novel I read by him. I still found this book interesting, even if I’m not a runner – not at all.

My thoughts

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– this book is about running and so much more – 

I was looking for motivation and insight, which I got, in a way. There’s a lot of reasons to read this book. The writing’s fantastic and so is the self-reflections and general thoughts it included. I like Murakami’s view of the world, which is a weird thing to say, but his thoughts on why he’s running and his stories are interesting in themselves. Like when he sold his jazz club to become a full-time author because it was what he wanted. He went against common sense, but he gives his reasons to why that didn’t stop him. And there seems like nothing will stop him from running for a while either, which still baffles me that one could genuinely enjoy.

– i will never run a marathon but – 

What surprised me the most was the meditation aspect of long-distance running and why someone deliberately cause themselves pain, like Murakami running a marathon in the scolding heat of greece’s summer, on his own. I’m no stranger to pain, but that’s something else. And Murakami doesn’t seem to understand it completely either, only that he wasn’t about to do it again.

When Murakami wrote this book, in 2005, he’d run somewhere around 24 marathons, which I have to be amazed at. He’s been running longer than I’ve been alive. It was really interesting to search for the reason to why he’s be able to keep putting effort into something so demanding for so long. Definitely something to strive for, but it doesn’t mean I’m about to go running anytime soon. I now believe some enjoy it, but they can keep it. I find my meditational exercise elsewhere, even if I didn’t realize it before this book. 

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– Murakami on writing –

“Writers who are blessed with inborn talent can freely write novels no matter what they do – or don’t do. Like water from a natural spring, the sentences just well up, and with little or no effort these writers can complete at work. Occassionally you’ll find someone like that, but, unfortunately, the category wouldn’t include me. I haven’t spotted and springs nearby. I have to pound the rock with a chisel and dig out a deep hole before I can locate the source of creativity. To write a novel I have to drive myself hard physically and use a lot of time and effort. Every time I begin a new novel, I have to dredge out another new, deep hole. But as I’ve sustained this kind of life over many years, I’ve become quite efficient, both technically and physically, at opening a hole in the hard rock and locating a new water vein.” 

graffiti by savannah brown

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My thoughts

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A lovely and spooky collection of poems. That doesn’t seem to summarize it. Just read the thing, it’s worth it.

I was a bit concerned when I held up the (now redone I realize) cover of graffiti and saw the similarities in style with “milk and honey”. Both books have a simple, minimal look and drawings, but there the similarities also ends. The poems in here are all Savannah. All her dark thoughts, or romantic ones, surrounded by loneliness and creativity. They’re poems from a person figuring out this “growing up” thing and dealing with shit, the things I would rant about turned into poetry. Some of the poems felt a bit unfinished, but that seems natural with a writer who’s just starting to publish.

And the illustrations was a nice add-on. I adore the look of those little ghosts. One of the poems that spoke to me most was “haunted”. “i can measure how sad i am by how afraid i am of the dark” and how much I feel like throwing myself into the void, yep absoloutly.

 

I’m looking forward to read more of Savannah Brown as her debut novel is coming out sometime in the near future!

Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Andersen

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I’ve fallen asleep like this too many times… 

My thoughts

 

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The scribbles are really cute! It’s the cartoon series/graphic novel I’ve always wanted, an introverted person trying to survive daily life. I don’t have a lot more to say really, it’s great. The title and sweater on the cover is even fuzzy, so you can pet this book? What more do you want

The only negative thought on it is that some places it feels like it tries too hard to be relatable. The drawing style is amazing, and I’ve followed sarah on instagram for a while, so I mostly knew what to expect. Will definitely pick up the second part of “Sarah’s scribbles” soon!

 

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Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

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Genre: young adult, fantasy

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I have mixed feelings about this book. It held on to my attention, had some beautiful writing (Clare’s gotten so far since her first book, it made me smile when I realized) and it had parts that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. But there’s also things I get caught up on and the ending left me with a bad feeling.

the shadowhunter universe

I like how Clare has extended the universe and continued to explore it, “The Infernal Devices” was a great series that I wouldn’t want to be without. “Lady of Midnight” had some cringy moments (parabati curse and forbidden love among them) that was drawn out, reminding me too much of Jace and Clary’s brother-sister scare. This book had some of the same problems, but more the fact that it floated on “guest-appearances” from earlier characters which hindered getting to know these new characters better. Still, it’s amazing how many point of views this story is told from and I liked their individual voices.

I love Julian’s personality and his protectiveness, it’s a different toughness than the previous shadowhunters we’ve gotten to know. That’s one of the things of shadowhunter’s ideology I wish was explored more. There’s a whole culture which the kids off-handedly struggles with and dislikes, but it’s not really explained. I mean – what would the next series be about then, ahhh. For example, it’s mentioned how all the kids likes things that are somewhat forbidden (computers, mudane culture, etc) and Diane’s history, but somehow we ended up with Institue-drama and talk about how corrupt the Clave’s council is or something. The focus feels off. Diving into the shadowhunter warrior culture that promotes certain thinking and brute solutions, and maybe a possible shift, is more interesting than circling back to these Clave-so-corrupt plots we’ve followed before.

*ALL THE SPOILERS BELOW*

the ending, a rant & a question

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A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

aquapages // eline4 Comments

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This is a book about dance. It’s also about loss, spirituality, art, family, community and having trust in oneself and one’s abilities. 

Synopsis

Veda lives in India and she dances and competes in bharatanatyam. At least until a car accident leaves her with a below-knee amputation, making her unable to move the way she used to. She feels the loss of her connection to the goddess Shiva and dance. Both the stares and comments as getting to her as Veda tries to get back to her regular life, which feels empty without dance.

Then a doctor and a new dance teacher show how much they believe in her, arranging things so that she will still succeed to dance again. She might never be as perfect or the winner she was, but she can use dance as the art form it is to express herself. In the new school, she finds a community less competitive and more including. It’s all so beautiful, so maybe don’t read it in public if you don’t want to sit with tears in your eyes 30 pages in, at a bus stop the first day of school.

My thoughts

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Veda’s a beautiful person and it’s really frustrating and difficult going through the journey with her as you realize how tough she’s been on herself, even before the accident that made her feel pressured into hiding herself away.

“My skin tingles as I step into the music,
give in to the icy thrill of pleasure
that spreads through me whenever I dance,
the pleasure of leaping into a cool lake on a
sweltering day.” 

It’s actually the first book I’ve read in lyrical form told through verse but – and I can sense everyone fleeing, stop – the simplicity fits the story perfectly. Every word in here has a purpose, which made it really enjoyable as it naturally hops in time so we can see Veda’s recovery and the relationships she builds unfold. I loved the interactions with her family, which have their faults, and I love the philosophies on dance. Everything in this book was just perfect, without trying too hard to be.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

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This book is beautiful, absoloutly worth the read and I cried, which is rare. I’ve not quite figured out why it hit me so hard, but here’s what it’s about –

Synopsis

Marin leaves her old life behind without telling anyone. She’s already chosen her college for fall, so she leaves early and stays at a run down motel until it opens. The book starts with Marin staying behind at the college dorm as everyone leaves for winter break. She’s anxiously awaiting the visit from her “old” friend Mabel and that her lives, which she’s managed to keep seperated until now, are going to clash.

My thoughts

 

This book portrays loneliness in a very realistic way, which I didn’t expect. I somehow forget how real LaCour is in her books, along with those beautiful leasbian romances. The changes in Marin from her old life to the new and the way you gradually learn about them and how she used to be was incredible. *MINOR SPOILER* I really liked the relationship between Marin and Mabel, how they had history, both fucked up and now have no idea how to talk to each other. There’s this whole mystery about why Marin left her old life so abruptly, which it’s obvious Mabel is trying to figure out too. It slowly unfolds until it both doesn’t matter and you kind of understand it. It’s a weird feeling, but I adored it.

“I was okay just a moment ago. I will learn how to be okay again.” 

I didn’t like the ending, it made the whole book feel less special. I even reread the book the minute I turned the last page, desperately seeing if the magic was gone. And it kind of was. The mystery is the essens of the book, not in “solve this riddle/crime”, but in the way it’s written and the story is built up. There’s always unanswered questions and tension between Marin and Mabel. While I normally like clear answers, it doesn’t match the rest of this book. Somehow I wish it didn’t have an ending or explanation, it perhaps would’ve been a weird novel, but more suitable. So enjoy it on your first read, because most of the magic disappears along with the mystery. 

Some reasons to read this book:

  • Dealing with serious issues like loss and how (not) to run away from them
  • Lesbians
  • How to repair friendships, and is it worth it?
  • Accurate descriptions of loneliness
  • Nice interpertation of my favourite Frida Kahlo painting is The Two Fridas and other cute and interesting details like it
  • Beautiful execution and writing

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

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This is a dream of a fantasy book, the ultimate fairy-filled tale I wanted as a kid, with a main character who’s a brat, but a smart one, and both supportive and tired of his friends.

Synopsis

Elliot, the main character, is a boy who’s recruited to this magic school in a strange land over the wall. He’s read about this kind of thing, and it rarely goes well, but his home isn’t especially welcoming or safe, so he takes the chance. He’s told he’s allowed to leave anytime, and after being challenged by the too-perfect Luke, he’s tempted to stick around just to annoy him.

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My thoughts

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The magic school is a familiar trope, but not in this form. Which is said a lot, but Elliot’s magic school is more like military academy, and he’s aware of it. He’s one of the fewer students in training for Council positions, which is the ones who draws up maps and treaties, while the rest of them train to be soldiers and generals. But while he might be book-smart, he’s not able to keep his mouth shut, and it lands him in quite a few situations. Turns out the adults don’t want a kid to tell them how to do their jobs. If you’re Elliot, that’s only a challenge. It’s refreshing seeing how he’s clever, but also fucks up more than once, putting people at risk. He’s unstoppable, with very capable, well-written friends. His insecurities are something that comes out throughout this book as we follow him for a few years. His criticism of the society turns to “fuck it, I’m coming with” to real plans that doesn’t always go the way he thinks, and it’s fantastic to read about.

There was a lot of mention of sexism, like how the Serene and the rest of the elves society see the men as a patriarchal society see women. The men are supposed to raise the children and be sensitive, while the women are warriors. So this comes up continually throughout the book. You think it’s said enough and nope, there it pops up again. I usually like books, especially fantasy, dealing with these issues, but it felt forced and preachy at times. But then it also was funny and a lot more sad imagining Brennan writing this book and putting in another paragraph of anti-sexism every time she’s reminded of the Trumps of this world. So while I found it annoying, can I really blame Brennan for trying to include it?

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

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This is an awesome book.

Synopsis

Henry Denton is abducted by aliens, who gives him a chance to save the world. He simply has to push a big red button before January 29 2016, which gives him 144 days to make the choice.

Saving the world would perhaps be an easy choice for most, but Henry is very realistic about his place in the universe, and how they’re all going to die someday. This feeling got stronger after his boyfriend committed suicide the year before and he’s not speaking to his closest friend Audrey. His family has a lot to deal with too, and more often than not he questions if it would be easier if the whole world simply stopped. It’s not like he’s the one destroying the world if he doesn’t push the button. Right?

My thoughts

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I read this book in one sitting, and it was great. So well written, with a nerdy gay main character and so many layers of problems for him to fight through.

Pretty early on it’s clear that Henry prefer not to push the button and save the earth. I can’t figure out if Henry’s depressed or just dealing with an inhuman amount of shit at once. Might be both. He’s still grieving his boyfriend, and trying to figure out why he killed himself. The world doesn’t contain easy answers and Henry slowly has to realize that. But it’s a beautiful book because of his questions and lack of answers. Loved the “we are the ants” metaphors as well.

It’s simply a very good book that I would shove in people’s faces if it would make them read it.