January Wrap Up

Illustration by Annya Marttinen

 

The first month of 2022 is at an end, and I managed to have my most successful month of reading ever. I'll never be able to keep up this pace throughout the entire year, but I'm enjoying the ride while it lasts. I ended up reading a total of twelve (!) books, and the vast majority of them were rated four or five stars. I also read just over 100 pages every single day of the month, for a grand total of 4,421 pages. I was in the reading zone for sure, and I found some new all-time favorites along the way.

Here are all the books I finished this month:

Around the Moon by Jules Verne (2 stars)

Pony by R.J. Palacio (5 stars)

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithewaite (3 stars)

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera (5 stars)

Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (4 stars)

Tidesong by Wendy Xu (3 stars)

Gemina by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (4 stars)

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo (4 stars)

Obsidio by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (4 stars)

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (5 stars)

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (4 stars)

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (4 stars)

My favorite read of the month was Pony by R.J. Palacio. It was a beautiful coming of age story mixing elements of the western and supernatural genres. It was emotional, touching, and surprisingly wise for a middle grades book. Honorable mentions also go out to The Last Cuentista and Piranesi, which I also truly enjoyed. It was hard to pick a favorite this month, which is a great problem to have. 

My least favorite of the month was, sadly, Around the Moon by Jules Verne. It pains me that the only classic I read this month was the book I enjoyed the least. It ended up being surprisingly boring for a story about three men being shot out of a cannon into space.

I also hauled a handful of books this month, mostly to keep up with my goal to keep reading new middle grades fiction throughout the year. Here is everything I added to my shelves this month:

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan (adult dystopian fiction, ebook)

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire (fantasy, physical book) 

Heartless Prince by Angela De Vito (middle grades graphic novel, physical book)

Salt Magic by Hope Larson (middle grades graphic novel, physical book)

The Golden Hour by Niki Smith (middle grades graphic novel, physical book)

The Art of Running Away by Sabrina Kleckner (middle grades realistic fiction, physical book)

Northwind by Gary Paulson (middle grades adventure/survival, physical book)

I added seven total books to my shelves.

I decided to donate My Sister, the Serial Killer, Tidesong, and Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy this month, so three books left my shelves.

In February, I plan to continue on with the Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as work on my other reading challenges. Here's the plan:

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Run Away by Harlan Coben

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

At least 2 middle grades novels

The other reading activity I started working on this month was keeping a physical reading journal. I found that I really enjoyed the process of writing out my thoughts and keeping track of everything I read in January on paper. It gave me a chance to be creative and design some pretty spreads. I'm definitely going to continue on with this throughout the year. 

Aside from reading this month, I made some progress on my diamond painting. I'm currently working on Midnight by Deborah Malcolm from Diamond Art Club. This is the first landscape I've ever done, and I'm finding it a little boring, to be honest. I'm liking the results so far though! My last few diamond art pieces used round diamonds, but this one uses squares. I had forgotten how much slower the square diamonds are to work with. I'm making my way through the piece though, finishing 2-3 sections per week.

Throughout January, I also watched a lot of movies and tv series. As far as new (to me) movies went, I saw Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Belle, Encanto, and The Eternals. Belle and Encanto were great. The other two...not so much. I also rewatched Into the Spiderverse and Shang Chi, which I really enjoyed, of course. 

I found a documentary on Netflix called The Puppermaster that I really liked as well - it focused on an incredibly cruel conman that managed to scam a bunch of people out of all their money and essentially emotionally kidnap them. It was definitely worth the watch. 

I finished The Babysitters Club Season 2 and Search Party Season 5 too - both were excellent, but in very different ways. The Babysitters Club was an especially wholesome watch. That show consistently makes me jealous. The girls on it have such beautiful friendships with each other! I wish I had had that growing up. Actually, come to think of it, I wish I had that now!

As far as games go, I didn't get much of a chance to play this month. I played a little bit of The Sims 4, and a charming little game called Unpacking. I learned to play Drift Away on my ukulele and am in the middle of learning Tomorrow (from Annie). I did a few logic puzzles and organized my dresser drawers. All in all, it was a much more productive month than usual. I'm hoping that I can continue this pattern in February!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

 

For my last read of the month, I was in the mood for a romance. That meant that it was the perfect time to start on one of the series in my Finally in 2022 Challenge: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Maas is one of those young adult authors with both a massive fan base and a ton of people that dislike her with just as much devotion. My past experience with her writing put me somewhere in the middle. I read the first Throne of Glass book back in 2016 and felt quite mixed about it. It was okay, but certainly not a favorite. This series, however, I had much higher hopes for. I knew it was a Beauty and the Beast-inspired story, and that's one of my favorite tropes. I settled in hoping for a romance-filled drama and I wasn't disappointed.

The plot of the novel follows a nineteen-year-old woman named Feyre who lives with her father and sisters in a small town right across the border from Faerie territory. The Fae are a deadly, powerful people, and Feyre, along with the rest of the human population, gives them a wide berth. They stay on their side of the wall and the Faeries stay on theirs...most of the time. Occasionally some magical creatures manage to slip through and wreak a little havoc. Unfortunately for Feyre, this is what happens as the story begins. On a hunting trip to the forest, she accidentally kills a Fae wolf. As punishment for this crime, a monstrous beast from the Fae realm appears and takes her back to his lands as his prisoner.

Feyre soon discovers that the beast who whisked her away is actually a Fae named Tamlin, a high lord of the realm and ruler of the Spring Court. His estate is vast, beautiful, and locked into a perpetual spring. When not in his beast form, Tamlin is quite handsome, and Feyre is surprised to find that he treats her more like an honored guest than a prisoner when she arrives in his lands. A romantic spark quickly ignites between the pair of them, and as the days pass they start to grow closer and closer. A lot is going on under the surface in the faerie realm, and Feyre soon learns that the reason she was taken was not so much a punishment for the wolf she accidentally slayed as it was a last ditch attempt to break a decades-long curse threatening the Fae world. Before long, she is drawn into the thick of the conflict and ends up doing things she never thought she'd do to save Tamlin and the rest of the Fae world she has come to consider as her new home.

This book is the very definition of "guilty pleasure read" and I loved it. There was action, drama, secrets, and romance all throughout its pages. The pacing was excellent, and the characters were well-developed. Both Tamlin and Feyre were built with strengths, weaknesses, and emotions that felt genuine. They were an easy couple to root for, and I enjoyed watching their romance develop. I thought that the more passionate scenes between them were very well-written too. Maas definitely doesn't hold back in this area - the steamier parts were surprisingly detailed for a young adult series. I was kind of impressed. In general though, the story flowed smoothly and was definitely a page-turner. I found myself really looking forward to picking it up each day to read. 

Now, of course, this novel was clearly not high literature, and I can see why it doesn't appeal to every reader out there. It happened to line up with my interests extremely well though, so I ended up being a fan. I don't have a whole lot of other comments to make on it, but it was a good time. I enjoyed it a lot more than I did Throne of Glass, and I'm excited to move forward with the series and see what comes next for Feyre.  

Challenge Tally

Finally in 2022 - Series Edition: 4/28

Total Books Read in 2022: 12

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

 

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel is one of those books that I have heard a lot of positive things about over the years. Accordingly, it had been on my radar for a long time, but I hadn't gotten around to actually reading it. I made it part of my 22 in 2022 Reading Challenge, so I had plans to finally pick it up sometime this year, but seeing the series on HBO receive positive reviews made me extra-interested. I decided to give it a shot last week.

The plot of the novel follows five people before and after a deadly pandemic strikes the world, decimating the population and putting an end to the modern way of life. They include an actor who dies from a heart attack on stage moments before the pandemic begins in earnest, a man from the audience that tries to save him, the actor's closest friend, the actor's first wife, and a young actress performing in a post-pandemic traveling Shakespeare troupe. The narration jumps back and forth in time, telling these characters' stories from before and after the Georgia Flu changed their lives forever. Everyone in the novel has connections to each other, and as more details about them are explained, the depth of these connections are more clearly revealed. Station Eleven is generally about humanity starting over in the face of unprecedented disaster, but it looks as much into the past as it does into the future, making the story more of a character-driven exploration of the things that are truly important in life, and what we would most miss if it were suddenly taken away from us. 

It was pretty clear from the first page of this novel that it was going to live up to all the hype. Emily St. John Mandel is a beautiful writer, and her way of describing even the most mundane things felt weighty and beautiful. Reading her words made it easy to appreciate everyday things like cars, planes, the internet, electricity, and everything else we have that makes life easier for us. Watching the characters lose all that and have to make do without it really made me feel like all the modern conveniences we have are miracles. I suppose they are, when you think about it.

The characters were similarly well-written. Each one was interesting and distinct, and it was easy to be invested in their stories. I also enjoyed the narrative method of jumping back and forth in time. It allowed me to think more deeply about the writing as I tried making connections across the different parts of the text. The characters are only loosely connected, but the ways in which their lives tangentially touched made me think about the interconnectedness of all people--how we have these loose ties to everyone we interact with. It gave me a "we're all in this together" kind of feeling, which was surprisingly nice. For a book about a pandemic, it was pretty uplifting. It ended on hope, which I liked.

I don't have much else to say about this novel, but I did really enjoy it. It's one of those books that feels really deep and important, but is tough to elaborate on beyond saying, "it was really good and made me feel good." I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by this author in the future. I already own The Glass Hotel and I am excited to pick up Sea of Tranquility later this year. I'm happy to have finally given this novel a chance and I'm looking forward to checking out the show soon too.

Challenge Tally

22 in 2022: 3/22

Total Books Read in 2022: 11

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

 

I read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell back in 2017 and really enjoyed it. Naturally, when I saw that Susanna Clarke was coming out with another novel, I picked it up right away. I didn't end up reading it immediately, but it always stood out in my mind as one of the books I really wanted to get to soon. I made it part of my 22 in 2022 Challenge and I finally decided to pick it up this week.

The plot of the novel follows a man named Piranesi. He lives in a different world from ours. He describes it as a house composed of endless hallways and alcoves. The house is filled with thousands of statues, all different, depicting people, animals, and mythological creatures. There is also an ocean that swirls around the different rooms, rising and falling with the tides. There are birds and fish in the house, but only one other person, whom Piranesi calls The Other. He meets with The Other twice a week to help him study the rooms in the house and to try an evoke an ancient magic that The Other believes that humanity lost access to centuries ago. Aside from those meetings, Piranesi spends his time wandering the various rooms, visiting his favorite statues, and catching fish to sustain himself. He loves the house and considers it to be a protector and provider for him.

His life changes, however, when another person appears in the house. The Other is concerned about this person. He tells Piranesi that they are dangerous and have come to turn him mad. When Piranesi interacts with this person though, they begin to awaken some memories in him of another world that he used to be a part of. Suddenly, he realizes that there are large chunks of his life that he can't remember, and he begins to question The Other's motives and his own presence in the house.

This novel was wildly imaginative and I fell in love with it from page one. I loved the sense of mystery that Clarke created throughout the story. This is a novel with secrets, and I was constantly trying to figure out what really going on under the surface while I was reading. Information was revealed at a good pace, and I moved through the novel quickly, anxious to see what would ultimately happen. It was weird in a really wonderful way, and it had one of the most intriguing and original plotlines that I have experienced in a long time. Everything in it, from beginning to end, was interesting. I couldn't get enough of this book.

Aside from the engaging story, the writing itself was beautiful as well. I really loved the way Clarke described the house and the statues. I found myself longing to be able to visit that world and see it for myself. Piranesi's narration was similarly well-written, making him an easy character to root for. It was an absolute pleasure to read this. It was quite different from the writing in Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, which was purposefully stuffy and full of footnotes. The text in this novel was quite simple, which made the strangeness of the setting come to life. It was all so, so good. It was the perfect fit for me as a reader.

So obviously, I really enjoyed this novel and I'm very glad I made it part of my reading challenge this year. It's a slim little volume and I finished it in just a few days, but I know that the unique story and the beautiful writing will stick with me for a long time. I would definitely recommend Piranesi to fantasy fans that enjoy surreal, unique stories. I'm definitely looking forward to reading whatever Susanna Clarke comes out with from this point forward.

Challenge Tally

22 in 2022: 2/22

Total Books Read in 2022: 10

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

 

**This review will contain spoilers for the first two books in this series, Illuminae and Gemina**

For my next read, I decided to continue on with the Iluminae Files and picked up the third and final book in the trilogy, Obsidio. I was honestly surprised by how much I was enjoying the series up to this point, and I was excited to see how the story would end. Initially, I was thinking that there was no way the conclusion of the story could maintain the same level of suspense and engagement of the previous books. In my experience, it's kind of rare for a young adult series to end in a completely satisfying way. I figured it would probably be good but not great. I'm happy to report that I was wrong. Obsidio was awesome, and a worthy end to the adventure.

The story picks up back on Kerenza, where we quickly learn that Kady's cousin Asha is still alive and working as a nurse. When BeiTech attacked the colony way back in Illuminae, part of their fleet was crippled and forced to remain there, occupying the planet until they could make the necessary repairs to their ships. They have taken over the entire colony, murdering most of the civilians that didn't manage to escape the initial assault. They have had to keep some of the people living there alive, however, mainly to run the hermium mines so they can refuel their ships, but also to run things like medical facilities and make infrastructure repairs. Their plan to is liquidate everyone once they are mobile again, which they are very close to being. 

Asha is part of a small resistance cell, and is doing everything she can to impede BeiTech's work until some form of rescue (hopefully) arrives. Her plans are shaken up, however, with the arrival of Rhys Lindstrom, BeiTech's new hotshot computer expert...and her old ex-boyfriend. Stunned that she once loved someone who is now working for a genocidal enemy, she has to figure out the best way to proceed. Rhys, being new and not understanding the gravity of the situation, is still interested in rekindling their relationship. She decides to try and persuade him to join the rebellion, and resist losing her heart to him again.

Meanwhile, on board the Mao, Kady, Hanna, and the rest of the gang from books one and two are in dire straits. They've managed to make it to a relatively safe location after escaping the Heimdall, but they now have very limited options for what to do next. They are stuck on the wrong side of a wormhole and are several lifetimes away from civilization. The only place close enough to get to is Kerenza, the very planet they were fleeing from in the first place. They head in that direction, but are unsure what their might find when they get there. The trip won't be easy. With all the remaining survivors from the Hypatia and the Heimdall jammed on their ship, they are carrying many more people than the Mao's life support systems were designed for and are running out of oxygen. The group must find a way around all these problems and figure out a plan for what to do once their make it to their destination.

Eventually, the groups unite and continue their fight against the BeiTech forces. They hope to finally defeat them, but if they can't do that, they want to at least ensure that their story can make its way back to the core systems so the world can learn what happened to them. Their struggle to achieve those goals leads up to a tense, action-packed conclusion where we get to see all of our teen heroes fight fiercely to save their world and bring justice to those who tried to destroy it.

Just like its predecessors, Obsidio was an excellent read. I thought it had a bit of a slower start than the others, but once it got going, I was just as engaged in the story as I had been previously. The new characters of Asha and Rhys were great, and having a BeiTech soldier in the mix brought a fresh perspective to the story. I did think that he was unrealistically naive at the start, but he catches onto what's happening on Kerenza pretty quickly, so it turned out okay. It was also nice having everyone from Illuminae and Gemina all together. I realized how much I had come to like the characters throughout the course of my reading by how much I enjoyed seeing them all interact with each other. Aiden, the computer AI, was still my favorite by far, and I continued to like the unique voice and style Kaufman and Kristoff used in his sections.

Many of the things I enjoyed in this novel are things that I have already elaborated on in my previous reviews. The action sequences, suspense, and twists were all very well done and there was definitely a lot of clever storytelling going on. The unique format of the text being a collection of documents continued to be an effective and entertaining way to present the narrative. All the loose ends were tied up nicely and the story felt complete in its final pages. Aside from my usual mention of needing to suspend your disbelief in the face of some pretty unlikely events, I don't have anything negative to say. This is an excellent young adult sci-fi series. I'm truly impressed.

One aspect of this trilogy that I haven't talked about much are the relationships. Each book features a romance between the two main characters, and Obsidio was no different. Asha and Rhys' relationship was fairly well-developed here, but I wouldn't say that that romances are the most engaging parts of the story. They don't bother me, but they don't exactly draw me in either. I do think that the friendship and family relationships are extremely effective though, especially in this third book, where many of the characters have lost family members and are starting to form new family relationships with each other. I liked how Hanna's father started bonding with the teens that lost their parents. There is a whole "found family" thing going on by the end of the series that I really liked.

The Illuminae Files is my first finished series of 2022 and the first completed series for my Finally in 2022 Challenge. Obviously, this was a great one to start off with because I was surprisingly into all three of these books. There is a lot of hype surrounding this trilogy in the YA world, and in this case, it is entirely justified. This is a really fun, action-packed, suspenseful science fiction set of books that I'm definitely going to be recommending to everyone who is into this genre. What a fantastic beginning to my year of trying to read more series!

Challenge Tally

Finally in 2022 - Series Edition: 3/28

Total Books Read in 2022: 9

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo

 

While searching for middle grades books to read this year, I came across a few graphic novel retellings of classic literature. I love the classics, I love retellings, and I'm increasingly loving middle grades fiction, so these books caught my attention right away. I picked up Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy and The Secret Garden on 81st Street. I decided to start off with Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, which is a modern retelling of Little Women. I read Little Women a few years ago and enjoyed it, so I was interested to see how this book would bring the story of the March family into modern times.

This novel follows the lives of the March sisters, four siblings in a blended family living in NYC. As the story starts, they are living with their mom while their father is serving in the military in the Middle East. Their family doesn't have a lot of extra money, and it's tough without their dad around, but everyone loves each other and they find a way to make it all work. Meg is the oldest sister. She has her sights set on eventually becoming wealthy, and would love nothing more than a rich husband to make that happen for her. Jo is next oldest. She's an aspiring writer and politically engaged with the issues of the day. She's very outspoken and not afraid to say what's on her mind, except when it comes to issues of her own identity. Beth is next, and she's a shy kid interested in music, especially the guitar. She is a quiet, sweet presence in the family. Amy is the youngest sister, and the one with the biggest personality. She's interested in art and video games, and loves being the center of attention.

Throughout the novel, each sister encounters their own unique struggles and triumphs. They deal with bullying, illness, and racism in their lower moments, and overcome fears, learn about themselves, and form healthy relationships in their happier moments. They do not always make the best decisions or get along perfectly, but they are always there for each other when it counts. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy is a sweet story about family, love, and the bonds of sisterhood.

This was an adorable graphic novel, and a very loving tribute to the original book. I thought that Terciero and Indigo did a fabulous job bringing each sister to life in a way that young readers can understand and relate to. The modern issues they inserted into the text fit the plot well, and brought the classic story up to date. Rather then Jo struggling with the restrictions of being a woman, for example, they have her struggle with her sexuality. Instead of Beth getting scarlet fever, she gets leukemia here (those sections were emotional). They managed to find a great update for each character while still keeping their general personalities and roles in the story similar to the classic. It was fun comparing the old plot points to the new ones throughout my reading.

Graphically speaking, the artwork was bright and attractive, with each sister drawn with her own individual sense of style. The layout of the speech bubbles and panels was easy to read and flowed across the pages nicely. Occasional, e-mails and journal entries from the girls would be inserted into the story, and these passages did a nice job adding more characterization and authenticity. It was a great presentation overall.

Ultimately, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy was a very enjoyable middle grades read and a wonderful update of an old story. While the specific issues and topics the girls grapple with were changed, the base ideas of family, friendship, and love remained the same. Those themes are timeless, and that explains why people are still interested in Little Women 150 years after it was published. I'm really looking forward to checking out the other reimagined classics in this line, especially Anne of West Philly, which is coming out in March of this year. 

Challenge Tally

Middle Grade Mission: 4/24

Total Books Read in 2022: 8

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

 

**This review will contain spoilers for the first book in this series, Illuminae**

I read Illuminae last week as part of my Finally in 2022: Series Edition Challenge, and I really enjoyed it. Naturally, I decided to move onto the second book in the trilogy, Gemina, next. I was curious to see if Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff could continue on the story established in the first book in a way that was still exciting and suspenseful. They established a pretty high bar in book one, so my hopes were up heading into this one.

This novel is set immediately after the events in book one. It starts on the Heimdall, a large space station that functions as a jump point for other ships using wormhole technology (think Deep Space 9 from Star Trek). This station is where the Hypatia is returning to after escaping the Lincoln. As the story begins, Kady and the rest of the group from Illuminae are currently on their way there, but no one on board the Heimdall actually knows that. A double agent from BeiTech working inside the station has been deleting all messages from the Hypatia as they come in, so no one on board has any idea that BeiTech forces launched an attack on Kerenza IV, that they released a dangerous pathogen as part of their battle strategy, or that thousands of people have been slaughtered. BeiTech is desperate to hide its crimes, so they have hatched a plan to take over the Heimdall and use it to destroy the Hypatia once it arrives, hopefully keeping the whole invasion a secret.

To accomplish this, they sneak an elite squad of agents on board the station, and their initial seizure goes as planned. However, a trio of tough-as-nails teens quickly get in their way. The first is Hanna Donnelly, daughter of the station commander and expert at martial arts. The second is Niklas Malikov, member of the House of Knives, a gang specializing in sales of a hallucinogenic drug called Dust on board the station. The third is Ella Malikov, Niklas' cousin and an expert hacker. Together, they manage to evade initial capture by the invaders and set about trying to save the station using a combination of computer trickery, battle strategy, and combat. BeiTech operatives aren't the only thing they need to worry about though. Part of the Malikov drug trade involves harvesting a toxin from dangerous parasitic eel-type creatures, and in the chaos of the takeover, several of these creatures have escaped their secret holding area and are attacking everyone they come across. Hanna, Nik, and Ella must band together against incredible odds to try and win back their home and expose BeiTech's multiple atrocities to the rest of the world.

I'm happy to say that Gemina was just as good as Illuminae, and an excellent, suspenseful sci-fi adventure in its own right. This one was a mix of Die Hard and Alien, and the combination was great fun. Hanna, Nik, and Ella were good protagonists; each were very different from each other and the banter between them was fun to read. Much like with the first book, I moved through the pages quickly and was engaged the whole time. Of course, the teen heroes were way too smart and capable to actually be seventeen, but this is a YA story after all, so that comes with the territory. I was able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride.

This novel continues on using the same narrative structure as book one, presenting the events through a collection of transcripts, recordings, and chat logs . This time, we open with a BeiTech executive sitting in a court hearing, and the evidence presented against her are the documents we read. In addition to the unique text layouts that I enjoyed exploring last time, there were several illustrations from Hanna's journal included, which were a pleasure to look at and a great way to freshen up the format. Kaufman and Kristoff use an excellent visual of a bloodstain on the journal pages getting larger and larger as the story goes on to keep up the suspense. It's clear that someone will be getting hurt, but how hurt, and when, and who isn't clear right away. You keep reading and the pages get bloodier and bloodier until you're just bursting to know what happens. I thought that was a pretty cool, and effective, strategy.

Much like the previous novel, there are many twists and turns in the plot that are genuinely surprising. The ending is especially intense and uses a clever dual storytelling technique that I really enjoyed. As I mentioned in my previous review, these stories are full of classic sci-fi tropes, but the way they are put together and presented make them special. I am definitely looking forward to picking up the third and final book in the series and seeing how the story turns out.

Challenge Tally

Finally in 2022 - Series Edition: 2/28

Total Books Read in 2022: 7

Tidesong by Wendy Xu

 

I came across Tidesong by Wendy Xu as I was browsing books on Amazon. I love a good middle grades graphic novel, and the beautiful cover art on this one immediately caught my eye. It was giving me major Studio Ghibli vibes, and I adore those movies, so I decided to pick this one up as part of my middle grades book haul that I got at the end of last year. One of my students was clamoring for another graphic novel to read in class, so I figured I'd read this one now so I could pass it off to her.

The plot of the novel follows a twelve year old witch-in-training named Sophie. She is descended from a long line of witches talented in water and air magic, and her mother and grandmother are pressuring to her attend a fancy magical academy to fully develop her gifts. She must take an entrance exam to be accepted into this school, so as the novel begins, she is sent to live with her Great-Aunt Lan and Cousin Sage to train for it.

When she arrives at her aunt's house, things don't go as she envisioned. Auntie Lan is very strict with her, and assigns her endless chores to complete instead of working on magical techniques. In a moment of frustration, Sophie attempts to cast some spells on her own, and ends up accidentally entangling her magic with that of a water dragon named Lir that happens to be passing by. Sophie's spell causes Lir to lose his ability to shift back into his dragon form, so until she can find a way to undo what she has done, he is stuck on land with her. Working together, the pair must figure out how to set everything back to normal so that Lir can go home and Sophie can try to get back to her studies.

Tidesong was a quick read, even by graphic novel standards, but it was a very cute story. The main themes have to do with self-confidence and learning how to forge your own path in the world, which are excellent messages for middle grades readers to absorb. Sophie was a very relatable heroine, and I enjoyed watching her grow and change as the story unfolded. Of course, the beautiful art style and color choices were by far my favorite things about the book, especially the illustrations of the dragons. It's worth giving this one a read just to look at everything.

That being said, I did wish that there had been a little bit more to the story. I felt like the pacing was too quick. Events that should have taken time to resolve were over in a flash and often lacked complexity and detail. The ending definitely felt rushed. I know that some of this is due to it being a middle grades book, but other graphic novels for this age group, like Another Kind or The Prince and the Dressmaker, were able to create complex, detailed plots and characters. Tidesong was definitely lacking in this area.

On the whole though, I did enjoy reading the novel and I believe my students will enjoy it too. This is one of those reads that feels very young and doesn't have great crossover appeal for older readers, but the gorgeous illustrations still make it worth checking out if you're into that sort of thing. I am happy to be able to donate this to my classroom library so that it can benefit the exact age of kids it was written for.     

Challenge Tally

Middle Grade Mission: 3/24

Total Books Read in 2022: 6

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

 

I've been meaning to read The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff for years now. It's immensely popular among young adult fiction fans and it's science fiction, so I didn't really need any more reasons than those to check it out. I purchased all three books in the trilogy a few years ago and never got around to reading them. Accordingly, they were one of the first series I put on my Finally in 2022 list this year. I decided to finally give them a try this month, starting with the first book, Illuminae.

The plot of the novel follows two teenagers, Kady Grant and Ezra Mason, after their planet is attacked as part of a war between two rival mega-corporations. They both manage to evacuate the planet on two different ships, which are traveling as quickly as possible towards a rescue point. The attacking force is in hot pursuit of them, however, and is due to catch up to their ships before long. In addition to this ever-present threat, a mysterious pathogen has shown up on one of the ships and seems to be spreading and mutating quickly, with terrifying results, and, even worse, the AI of their lead ship seems to have gone dangerously haywire. 

Things rapidly deteriorate on the spacecrafts as they try to make their escapes. Leadership on both ships are hiding the details of what's going on from the refugees, but Kady is able to use her formidable hacking skills to dig through computer files to try and figure out what is going on. She communicates with Ezra through electronic messages, and they work together to investigate the situation from their different locations. It's a bit awkward between them at first, as they used to be in a serious romantic relationship and had just broken up before their planet was attacked. As they begin to talk again though, old feelings start rising to the surface and they realize how deeply they still care for each other. There's not much time for romance though, because what they uncover through their digging is chilling, and it leads on them on a dangerous mission to try and save everyone before it's too late.

This was a great read, and its unique narration style is what really made it stand out. It's told through a series of documents, chat logs, interviews, and other assorted bits and pieces of text. This leaves the reader to piece together everything into a narrative that makes sense, with a little help from notes attached to some of the documents by the mysterious group that compiled it all. The look of the pages was fantastic, with different fonts and page layouts being used all throughout the text to differentiate everything. In particular, the sections that were records of the AI's thoughts used very creative design choices, with text running in all directions and lines of computer code interrupting everything. It was a really nice visual presentation.

I also really enjoyed the pacing of the novel. Illuminae is definitely a plot-driven story, and things moved quickly. There were lots of intense action sequences and suspenseful moments peppered throughout, and Kaufman and Kristoff did a good job of explaining complicated scenes like space battles in a way that was clear and easy to understand. The story itself was very engaging too, with plot twists and big reveals that kept me reading. This was a 600 page book, but I moved through it quickly and stayed interested the whole time. Sure, a lot of the story included classic sci-fi tropes that I had seen a million times before, but the authors did a nice job crafting an original, compelling story with them. There was even a big, shocking twist at the end that I didn't see coming and really enjoyed. It was like a good episode of Star Trek, and I can't give a science fiction book a much better compliment than that. 

So obviously, I had a good time with this novel and I'm excited to read the next two in the series over the coming weeks. I think that whether people like this book or not will depend heavily on whether they enjoy the unique format. I was a fan, so this worked out well for me. I'm interested to see whether the next books will be just as good at this one, or if the epistolary format will wear thin with time. In any case though, Illuminae was  highly entertaining read and I'm glad I picked it for my Finally in 2022 Challenge. 

Challenge Tally

Finally in 2022 - Series Edition: 1/28

Total Books Read in 2022: 5

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

 

Towards the end of December, I ordered a bunch of newer middle grades books from Amazon. Part of my reading goals for 2022 is to read more current books from this genre, so I wanted a little stockpile ready for me to pull from once the year started. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera was in that stack. I hadn't heard of this book at all before browsing online, but the beautiful cover and summary on the inside flap drew me in right away. I hadn't tried much middle grade science fiction prior to reading this, so I was excited to see what it would be like.

The plot of the novel follows a young girl named Petra Peña, who is on her way to board a spaceship as the story begins. A comet is on a collision course with Earth, and Petra, her parents, and her little brother Javier are among those who were chosen to be a part of lucky few to escape the coming disaster and colonize a new planet. The trip to her new home will take 300 years, so she and the rest of the passengers will be put into stasis and awoken just before landing. Despite her good fortune in getting a spot on the ship, Petra isn't happy about leaving her friends and the rest of her family behind, especially her grandmother, whom she is very close to. Her grandmother is a cuentista, or storyteller, and Petra hopes to follow in her footsteps and become a storyteller herself one day. For now though, she has to focus on her upcoming journey.

As she is being put to sleep in her pod on board the spaceship though, something goes wrong. She is still awake, but unable to move her body. Eventually, her body does settle into stasis, but not before she overhears some troubling information about the launch going wrong in some way. When she is finally woken from her sleep 300 years later, she learns just how wrong things went. The caretakers on board the ship that were meant to look after all the passengers during the journey have formed a new Collective, and over the past centuries have used the resources on board the ship to alter their genetic makeup to make them all "equal." Their goals, they claim, are to solve the problems humans faced in the past by making themselves into a homogenous group. They look similar, dampen their emotions using drugs, and function more or less like robots for the good of the Collective. The passengers they were supposed to care for, like Petra, have been awoken at their whim and used for labor on board the ship. Those that couldn't be reprogrammed to be a part of the Collective have been eliminated and removed. Petra is awoken when they reach their new planet to be used as a botany scout. They attempt to reprogram her mind, but whatever went wrong with the initial attempt to put her to sleep causes their process to fail. She is canny enough to catch onto what's happening and pretend to be a part of the group, so she can plan her next move.

From that point on, Petra must figure out if she can reunite with her family, and then get them all off the ship and onto the new planet, where they could potentially make a fresh start. Doing so will be next to impossible though, with the Collective lurking around every corner, highly attuned to any signs of uniqueness or dissent. Petra will have to use all of her courage and intelligence to save the people she loves and foil the Collective's misguided and brutal plans.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. I was pulled in from page one and raced through the novel, always eager to find out what happens next. The writing was beautiful and easy to read and there were many really creative ideas and twists woven throughout the text. I thought that Petra was a likable and relatable heroine, and Higuera did a nice job of making her journey an emotional one. Petra's relationship with her grandmother was especially well done. The stories and folktales her grandmother shared with her were beautiful to read and actually played an important part in the story. There was a consistent message about taking these types of stories and making them your own too. which I thought was nice--sort of a "controlling your own destiny" idea that is great for young readers. I was highly entertained all throughout my reading an incredibly impressed with the world that Higuera created. This was science fiction with a lot of heart and spirituality, and that combination was wonderful. 

Aside from the story elements, I found myself really enjoying the physical design and texture of the book too. This kind of thing doesn't usually make a difference to my reading experience, but I really liked the feeling of holding this one in my hands. The dust jacket has a stunning illustration and is buttery smooth to feel. If you take the dust jacket off, there's a beautiful illustration printed on the actual book cover as well. The paper is a heavier weight than normal and feels a little bit slick--turning the pages just feels good and they make a subtle little papery noise as they turn. The heavier paper makes the book a tiny bit more weighty in your hands as well, which I really liked. Whoever was in charge of the design and material aspects of the book did an amazing job, and I would definitely recommend picking this book up in hardcover once there is a choice between formats. It makes a difference here and the extra money is worth it.     

I don't have much in the way of criticisms for this novel, as I thought it was truly excellent. The only issue I noticed from time to time were some confusing spots in the text. The way Higuera weaves the old Mexican folktales into Petra's thoughts didn't always make for easy reading. There were a few places I had to go back and reread to sort out what was a memory of an old story versus what was currently happening. If it was occasionally confusing for me, it would definitely be confusing for a pre-teen reader. Kids are apt to quickly put down books that frustrate them, so that could be an issue here. There were also the typical unbelievable or unrealistic science fiction events happening in the text, but the story was engaging enough for me to be able to suspend my disbelief and just go with the flow the majority of the time. 

It's becoming clear that I've really been sleeping on the middle grades genre. The past few of these I have picked up have been some of the best books I've read in a long time. The Last Cuentista is no exception. This was an interesting, exciting science fiction adventure full of heart and great messages for young readers. It featured an admirable, likable protagonist, and lots of other diversity throughout. This is suitable for advanced middle grades readers and adults that have a soft spot for middle grades books as well. I'm quite happy to have picked it up and discovered another favorite. 

Challenge Tally

Middle Grade Mission: 2/24

Total Books Read in 2022: 4

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

 

I can't remember where I first heard about Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, the Serial Killer. but I do remember that I was instantly intrigued by the striking title and concept. I bought it ages ago and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since. Accordingly, I added it to my 20 in 2022 list so I could finally get it read this year.

The plot of the novel follows a nurse in Nigeria named Korede. As the novel begins, she receives a panicked call in the night from her younger sister Ayoola. Ayoola has just murdered her boyfriend and needs help covering it up. She claims that it was self defense. Korede, however, has her doubts. This is the third time her sister has called her for help after killing a boyfriend. Still, she and her sister have been through a lot together and love each other, so she helps her get rid of the body and clean up the crime scene.

In the days that follow, Korede feels a lot of guilt and fear over what has happened. She's beginning to face the idea that her sister isn't a victim of repeated domestic violence as she claims, but is actually a serial killer. Things take an even more disturbing turn when Ayoola latches onto a cute doctor that Korede works with. Korede's had an unrequited crush on this man for years, but has never worked up the courage to confess her feelings. She tries desperately to prevent her sister from forming a relationship with him, but she is unable to come between them. Fearing for her coworker's safety, she must decide if she will do anything to warn him and figure out how much longer she will continue to help Ayoola cover up her crimes.

This was a fast-paced, entertaining read. Braithwaite does a pretty good job of building suspense throughout the text and keeping the action moving. There were no points where I was bored; I was always engaged in what was going on and eager to see what would happen next. The story was as interesting as the premise sounds, but I did think at times that it was a little shallow, like I was hopping from event to event too quickly and not learning enough details about what was going on. There were many points where I wished I was learning more about the characters and their motivations--they were grappling with some pretty weighty issues, and I would have liked to dive deeper into their thoughts. That wasn't the style Braithwaite was going for here though; the chapters were all very short and events moved quickly. 

One particular aspect of the text that I thought was cool was the setting of Lagos, Nigeria. Braithwaite is actually from there and this is a translated work. I enjoyed seeing all the different cultural aspects of the country, like the clothing, food, and slang. This is a part of the world I know nothing about, so it was interesting to see how these characters lived there. I thought Lagos definitely came alive in the story. Sometimes you read novels set in different places and they feel interchangeable. This was not the case here, so I enjoyed that.

One thing I didn't enjoy so much were the characters. None of them were particularly likable. Korede is a fairly bland main character, and she was often mean and short with people. I sympathized with her confusion and anxiety over her sister, but I never felt particularly invested in her struggles. Ayoola was deliberately written to be unbearable, and she was. Her character was a serial killer, so you would expect her to be selfish and cold hearted, but I found myself wishing that there was more ambiguity to her character to make Korede's attachment to her make more sense. She does very little to engender the love or friendliness of anyone around her. The only reason Korede really has to stick by her is the fact that she's family and they went through a lot together as children. I feel like the story would have been richer if she had been written with a few more shades of gray to her character.

On the whole though, I was entertained by My Sister, the Serial Killer. This was a quick, scandalous, darkly funny read with not much under the surface. That's okay though--it was good for the kind of book it was. It would make a great TV movie or limited series. It would be great to read in the bath or in an airplane. It's one of those guilty pleasure kind of books. I'm glad to have finally given it a shot this year! 

Challenge Tally

22 in 2022: 1/22

Total Books Read in 2022: 3

Pony by R.J. Palacio

 

Pony by R.J. Palacio is a bit of a rarity for me - a pure cover-buy that I didn't actually see in person at a bookstore. I saw a tiny thumbnail of it on Amazon while browsing one day and was instantly captivated by the image of the horse on the front cover. It was so striking that I had to find out more. Of course, I recognized the author's name too, because it's the same person that wrote Wonder, the beloved middle grades book-turned-movie-turned global kindness initiative that everyone adores. This looked quite different in tone to that work though, which was even more intriguing. When the summary revealed that it was a Western with a supernatural edge to it, I knew I had to give it a try. 

The plot of the novel is set in the 1860s and follows a twelve-year-old boy named Silas who lives with his father in Bonneville, Ohio. His father is a boot maker, but is better known for his other work--taking photographs. He pioneered a method for taking pictures that is quicker and more convenient than daguerreotypes, and people travel from all over the country to utilize his services. He is a good father to Silas and the pair of them are happy taking care of their little isolated house on the edge of a vast woods. 

This all changes, however, when four men show up armed and on horseback one night. They demand Silas's father accompany them on a mysterious trip and threaten violence if he does not comply. His father agrees to go, and instructs Silas to remain at home and wait for his return. Silas is frightened and devastated at being left alone. The only other person around is Mittenwool, but that hardly counts, because Mittenwool is a ghost. Silas has been able to see him and speak to him for as long as he can remember, but no one else around him can. Even so, they are close friends. Mittenwool advises Silas to follow his father's instructions and stay put, but all Silas can think about is trying to rescue his dad. 

In the morning following his father abduction, a striking brown horse with a white face and blue eyes appears in front of the house. Silas takes this as an omen that is supposed to use this horse to go and find his father. Mittenwool does not approve of this plan, but he grudgingly goes along. What they discover on their journey will change the way Silas views the world, his family, and himself.

This book was truly fantastic--one of the best I have read in a while. It had me completely from page one. The plot was well paced and engaging, the writing was beautiful, and the characters felt genuine. It was easy to root for Silas and Mittenwool, and of course the horse, known simply as Pony, was a delight (animals in books nearly always are). The overall vibe and style of the book were great too. There are several old photographs and quotes included throughout the text which really helped establish the Old West feeling and contributed to the dark tone. Silas's ability to see Mittenwool and other ghosts blended in surprisingly well with the story and made everything feel heavy and somber. This is the kind of book that it's easy to get lost in, and is just as appealing to older readers as it is to younger ones.

The overall themes of the novel focus on love and relationships, and how these connections endure through time and space. The way Palacio uses the supernatural elements to convey those messages was truly touching and emotional. The ending of this nearly destroyed me. I was near tears throughout the last chapters. I haven't experienced that depth of emotion from a book in awhile, and it was really nice to have that feeling again.

So obviously, Pony is a new favorite for me and I would recommend it to anyone who likes emotional, heartwarming reads. I thought this was weirder, more complex, and miles better than Wonder. I would never have guessed that the same author wrote both. I don't think this novel will ever become more famous than Wonder did, because its subject matter is not as blandly agreeable to everyone, but it is so good though. So, so good. I'm so glad that the cover of this one caught my eye and gave me such a great experience. It was different, lovely, and deep. I can't believe I got this much enjoyment out of a middle grades novel! I look forward to reading more of Palacio's work in the future.

Challenge Tally

Middle Grade Mission: 1/24

Total Books Read in 2022: 2

Around the Moon by Jules Verne

 

*This review will contain spoilers for both From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon*

For the seventh year running, my first read of 2022 was a Jules Verne novel. Last year, I started off my reading with From the Earth to the Moon. I enjoyed it, but it was only half of a story. To experience the whole adventure of Impey Barbicane and his daring mission to the moon, you have to read its sequel, Around the Moon. So naturally, I decided to do just that this year.

The novel picks up right where From the Earth to the Moon left off, with Impey Barbicane, Captain Nicholl, and Michel Ardan blasting off in their projectile in hopes of reaching the moon. They all manage to survive the launch and settle in for a four day journey to the lunar surface. Along the way, Barbicane and Nicholl entertain themselves by lecturing the scientific novice Ardan about several different aspects of space and physics. As they draw closer to their destination however, they notice a problem. Something has gone wrong with their trajectory. They will pass around the moon rather than land on it. Resigning themselves to the fact that they will endlessly orbit the moon and eventually run out of breathable air, they decide to study as much of the moon's topography as they can as they pass by it and hope that an opportunity to bring them back home to Earth somehow presents itself.

This novel was a fairly entertaining read overall, but not one of my favorites by Verne. On the positive side, it was full of the impossible and ridiculous adventures I love to see in a classic. Barbicane and his friends were fearless in the face of their incredibly dangerous mission and remained consistently faithful in the science they used to make it possible. There is something absolutely charming about watching three proper gentlemen in suits sit around discussing the finer points of algebra and drinking wine while sealed in an aluminum tube rocketing through space. As usual, Verne thoroughly explains the scientific details that make everything in the story possible. In some cases, what he says makes sense. In other cases, he gets it wrong, often with hilarious results. For example, at one point, the crew needs to get rid of the body of a dog they brought with them that dies. They simply crack open the window of their projectile and push it out into space. That's the kind of wild time you only get in a Jules Verne novel. There were several illustrations in my edition as well, which I really enjoyed looking at.

On the negative side, there was a lot of scientific exposition throughout the story that messed with the pacing. This happens a lot in Verne novels. It's part of the deal when you read his work, and I knew that going in. It felt harder to endure here though because there simply wasn't enough plot to begin with. The vast majority of the story is just watching three guys sitting around in their projectile, looking at the moon through their window. There wasn't enough for them to do on the trip, so Verne filled that space with scientific discussion and theory, most of which is very out of date now and pretty boring to read. The sections when the crew is passing around the moon were a particular trial to get through, as long, dense paragraphs about the geography of the lunar surface kept making me nod off. As I mentioned last year when I read the first book in the series, the characters aren't the most memorable here, so there wasn't a lot to keep me engaged. 

The ending of the novel was predictably Verne. Of course, Barbicane and his friends eventually combine their intelligence and a little bit of luck to return to earth. They crash back into the ocean, completely unharmed, and deliver their final observations to their adoring public, some of which are scientifically correct. The moon, they say, is uninhabited and not suitable to support life now. However, they do believe that it was once inhabited, before earth had humans on it. Eh, two out of three ain't bad. 

I didn't predict this going in, but between the two books in this series, I prefer the first. I liked watching  all the absurd planning and cannon building in From the Earth to the Moon, and there was a lot less scientific exposition. Sadly, I was a bit bored with this one. I'm still happy to have read it though, because I definitely still wanted to see how Barbicane's moon mission turned out. 

Thinking back over all the Verne novels I have read, I realized that I have been to some pretty incredible places with him. I've been around the world, under the sea, deep underground, to mysterious islands, and now, to space. There's something about these old-timey adventures that I absolutely love. I can't wait to see where I end up next year.       

 

Challenge Tally

Total Books Read in 2022: 1