“You’re so beautiful... I’ve no artistic talents whatsoever, I swear, but I’d learn how to paint so I could paint you.�
this was so adorable! witchy co“You’re so beautiful... I’ve no artistic talents whatsoever, I swear, but I’d learn how to paint so I could paint you.�
this was so adorable! witchy cottagecore sapphic stardew with all the coziness <3
the chemistry between margot and yael was present from the start, and i felt like the conflict was strong enough to give the story drive but without being overwhelming and ruining the cozy vibes. the potion / magic making was really fun and creative and the descriptions of the gardens and various flowers felt so whimsical.
i like how the resolution came to pass and i'm definitely sensing the next book to be about two side characters i was very intrigued by ...more
“Liking is calm and reasonable. Love is fierce and chaotic, as is hate. If I get a man to hate me—just a little—I’m a breath away from making him love“Liking is calm and reasonable. Love is fierce and chaotic, as is hate. If I get a man to hate me—just a little—I’m a breath away from making him love me.�
i actually enjoyed this more than i was expecting! i was a bit put off seeing that it was 100 pages longer in this republishing than the original, and truthfully i think it could've been edited down.
however! it was good! it's a unique magic system of sprygans, tree-like creatures with enhanced abilities and varying gifts of power and their hybrid offspring living in a teetering, liminal place between both sprygans and humans.
axly is a flawed fmc, but in a way that makes her engaging and intriguing. she's definitely in the category of "bad ass fmc's" who fight, but her constant reassessment of loyalties and morals keeps you invested. she's funny, she's sassy, she's trying to figure out how to not let the most important people to her die but is also willing to take down whoever she needs to, including her own. thus makes for a great lead.
there were times when the action was going i was completely sucked into the book, then there were times of info dumping and conversational summaries of the plot that made this a little long and drag, but i certainly was also emotionally invested in multiple characters. what IS the prince's intentions? what will happen with grim?
overall i do want to see what happens in the next installment and have high hopes for it. i feel like fans of more detailed epic fantasy and stories like mask of mirrors will be into this!...more
this was a super cute sapphic spin on pride and prejudice / bridget jones diary with fake dating.
i thought elle being an astrologer and some of the mothis was a super cute sapphic spin on pride and prejudice / bridget jones diary with fake dating.
i thought elle being an astrologer and some of the monologues on stars was a cute, romantic touch. she and darcy had great chemistry, i just wish the ending wasn't so abrupt!...more
“You can’t go back, can’t get rid of that knowledge. But at least now you get to find out who you are in the knowing.�
rating: 4.5�
before sunrise (1995“You can’t go back, can’t get rid of that knowledge. But at least now you get to find out who you are in the knowing.�
rating: 4.5�
before sunrise (1995) but with a nonbinary jewish lesbian and a freshly ex-mormon lesbian, leading to many conversations about sexuality, gender, and religion.
this was funny and thought-provoking as zoe and oakley sort through their conflicting, confusing, and sometimes illuminating thoughts and revelations around identity and life.
The room technically labeled me properly; I was a woman. But if that was true, why did it feel like I was playing a part?
i loved the setting of a cross-country train - it's something i've always wanted to do, but the metaphor of that transient place in life of adolescence / early adulthood (and all of life, really), the mingling of people of all walks of life in a short but intimate voyage, the feeling of temporarily (or maybe even permanently) being a new version of you for the duration.
Because I wasn’t perfect, and I didn’t even know if I was a girl. I was just a mess.
i just read arlow's other book excavate and something about their writing just hits for me. it's exciting and refreshing to see someone writing about gender and identity like this in YA and i genuinely hope it paves the way for more.
Even if you do the same thing over and over, you can find new people, new places. Even if it’s just for a few days, they can change the course of your life.
“I did implore you to touch me more,� she told him, with a faint smile. “I may be a liar, Mr Quincy� but I did not lie about that.�
hehehe
a little add “I did implore you to touch me more,� she told him, with a faint smile. “I may be a liar, Mr Quincy� but I did not lie about that.�
hehehe
a little add on for the witchwood knot and what i'm pretty sure is a peek into what book 2 will be about ...more
“The more powerful you become, the more often others will find ways to master you. They'll do it through those you love and through those you hate; th“The more powerful you become, the more often others will find ways to master you. They'll do it through those you love and through those you hate; they will find the bit and the bridle that fits your mouth and makes you yield.�
this was my favorite of the trilogy.
“You are the only thing I have that is neither duty nor obligation, the only thing I chose for myself. The only thing I want.�
holly black does such a great job writing urban fantasy - all the goth and punk kids, the cutting humor, her way of bringing the fae into human spaces and fitting them in magically and awkwardly. the juxtaposition creates a unique blend of whimsical nostalgia that really taps into my childhood/adolescence. i love tfota and the elfhame universe, but i so badly want her to write more of this!
Kaye wondered if everyone felt like there was a monster underneath their skin.
this had some angst that i was really digging. kaye and corny are my favs, and it was cool to see characters from valiant!
“If you can really lie, tell me this will end really well tonight.�...more
this was super cute, it was fun to revisit effy and her witchy fam in brooklyn. this time she contends with more growing pains, like a new friend enterthis was super cute, it was fun to revisit effy and her witchy fam in brooklyn. this time she contends with more growing pains, like a new friend entering her social circle and taking time away from her bestie.
there was a fun little magic mystery happening as well, i felt like we saw even more magical whimsy implemented into their lifestyle and surroundings.
this guide provides such an incredible abundance of knowledge on the fascinatingly diverse ecosystem of new york city today.
mandelbaum covers an imprethis guide provides such an incredible abundance of knowledge on the fascinatingly diverse ecosystem of new york city today.
mandelbaum covers an impressive amount of information from the abrupt changing of the land by colonization and industrialization, to a catalogue of an array of plants, bugs, birds, and animals, to short guided "trips" to take in various boroughs to best experience firsthand the wilderness of new york today. he often refers to native names for various species as well as providing their uses for the original resident native groups.
i would have never guessed just how diverse and thriving (though also threatened) the nature of new york is, even having previously lived there, and i now have an even greater appreciation for it.
i highly rec this for general hobby environmentalists and nature lovers, nyc-bound travelers, and even current nyc residents, who all would all benefit greatly from reading this!
i was impatient and skipped this to continue the series back when i read it earlier this year, and now i wish i hadn't!
elias learns about being a parei was impatient and skipped this to continue the series back when i read it earlier this year, and now i wish i hadn't!
elias learns about being a parent through reflection on his childhood with his fearsome and cruel faerie father, and we start to get to know abigail and longshadow before their story in book 3....more
a great short following the start of elias and albert's friendship. def rec if you're looking for more background on them after half a sourating: 3.5�
a great short following the start of elias and albert's friendship. def rec if you're looking for more background on them after half a soul!...more
this was very cute and i was quite intrigued by the world; a magical collision occurred combining earth with four other fantasy worlds. trating: 3.75�
this was very cute and i was quite intrigued by the world; a magical collision occurred combining earth with four other fantasy worlds. there is also a return to indigenous names for lands.
def on the instalove side but very cute, and i had some good chuckles. i would've liked it to be a bit longer to see more of a proper conclusion w her family and for the main conflict to be solved w more time, but overall it was a cute lighthearted read.
can a big strong orc lady soothe me and my anxiety please ...more
"People who look like me don't get to write stories." "As long as we believe that, we never will."
this was so adorable. imagine the quaintest little ha"People who look like me don't get to write stories." "As long as we believe that, we never will."
this was so adorable. imagine the quaintest little hallmark-esque town, now make it diverse and inclusive - you've got snow falls. yay for a christmas x hanukkah x ramadan story!
stranded in this remote picturesque winter town are two women who are realizing they aren't happy with the paths they're on.
anna is perfectly happy w her perfect boyfriend, soon-to-be-fiancee - or is she? she's realizing having a "picture perfect" relationship and life isn't quite what it's cracked up to be, and is longing to reconnect with pieces of her past life.
maryam has taken it upon herself as eldest daughter to arrange her younger sister's impulsive wedding, during ramadan no less - but she's skeptical, still healing with her own wounds from the past.
these two have a chance encounter on their turbulent, short-lived plane ride where they can finally confess what they've really been feeling inside - and then have to figure out what they're going to do about it after emergency landing short of their destinations.
throw in two dashing love interests and you've got all the makings of a hallmark tale.
it was really sweet to see a small town like this portrayed as diverse, inclusive, and accommodating. there are all the classic christmas shops, but they also cater to their jewish and muslim residents and visitors. we get to experience the three holidays converging all at once as they occasionally do, and the way it brings family, friends, and communities together.
anna and maryam were a great pair as the leads. anna is outgoing, friendly, and optimistic, to maryam's guarded, practical, and loyal personalities. they and their friendship grows as they confide in each other, then as they open up to their respective love interests.
josh is the comforting kind of love anna needs, and they connect on their shared experiences celebrating the jewish holidays.
saif is the bold flirt who helps crack through maryam's walls, and they understand the experience of immigrant families.
this was exactly the kind of cozy, feel-good, romantic read that makes romance during the holidays feel even more special!
"We're all broken, we just make beautiful new things with our broken pieces."
fans of the movie the holiday, this one's for you!
this was a super cute holiday read. bee is looking to escape her hectic SF city life running a tech fans of the movie the holiday, this one's for you!
this was a super cute holiday read. bee is looking to escape her hectic SF city life running a tech company with her sister to stretch her creative brain again, and clover is looking to get away from her midwest small town, newly haunted by grief.
they both get to find new sides to themselves and connect with some special new someones ;) (there's a sapphic pairing!)
very sweet and funny, there's some serious topics that aren't delved in too deeply to effect the mostly lighthearted holiday vibe.
this was such a great middle grade comic about grappling with mixed identity and dealing with micro (and macro) aggressions, not just from the other cthis was such a great middle grade comic about grappling with mixed identity and dealing with micro (and macro) aggressions, not just from the other community but even close friends or family.
it was really cool to see a comparison and blending of mia's heritage, and the exploration of trying to reconnect w your identity after being lost to past assimilation really resonated with me.
i can't wait for more stories from this author!...more
“Hand you the right storybook, and you are capable of anything.�
this was exactly what i hoped for from book 3!
“It’s been a while since I had so much f“Hand you the right storybook, and you are capable of anything.�
this was exactly what i hoped for from book 3!
“It’s been a while since I had so much fun.� “He nearly decapitated you,� I exclaimed. “Yes, but besides that, Em,� he said patiently.
we of course get the same banter and delightful dynamic between the ever practical, pragmatic emily and the flamboyant, waggish wendell as they return to wendell's faerie realm to reclaim his place on the throne.
however, it's not a smooth transition as a curse is setting in on the lands. emily must use all her scholarly knowledge to find the answer in the numerous and effervescent fables and tales of faerie to help wendell find a cure and restore balance to the kingdom.
the idea that stories are what hold the true shape of the fae realm, define it, makes me reflect on how stories are how we define our own humanity as people.
“For all you have read about and studied the Folk, you have never truly lived with them, dear. They are like—like nature. Can you understand the feeling of a winter night, or a spring wind, if you have only read about it?�
as usual, heather fawcett writes from emily's POV that immediately takes me back into her mind. in fact, i'd read the first two books with audio and i couldn't help but read book three with Ell Potter's voice in my head. she so perfectly encapsulates emily for me and does a great irish accent for wendell, so i highly recommend reading (or rereading) with the audiobooks!
while there's cozy light academia vibe to this series, fawcett never shies away from staying loyal to old school fae lore - that is to say, every now and then a faerie does or says something abruptly brutal that reminds me even the friendliest of them are not to be fully trusted. you must always stay on your feet and ten steps ahead with the tricky fae.
“Most of them have fled,� “Or they’ve been killed,� Lord Taran said. “Oops.�
something that i found especially pleasant in this installment was the romance felt a touch dialed up. not too much as we know emily is not the most emotionally driven of characters, but it was quite heartfelt at times and called for considering the circumstances. it was in a subtle fashion, but nonetheless enjoyable.
“Don’t tarry here too long,� he murmured against my lips. “I shall miss you too much, and come to regret this.�
A world that I wanted, even after all I had seen, and amidst such a thicket of danger. I wanted it very much. And I especially wanted to share it with Wendell.
“I have learned there is one thing a person never tires of, no matter how long they live. And that is being in love. All else is ash and ember.�
i thought this was a final book of the series, and while it ends wrapped up, there is definitely room for more - i'm certainly hoping there is!
just in case you wanted to know dog or cat-wise: don't worry, nothing happens to them :)
There is no human flourishing without Mother Earth flourishing first.
a challenging read, celidwen examines how we must turn from individualism to collThere is no human flourishing without Mother Earth flourishing first.
a challenging read, celidwen examines how we must turn from individualism to collective flourishing; that without taking care of ourselves and the earth and everything inbetween, it will be to our detriment.
also provides lots of references and resources, i will definitely be looking at in the future and utilizing the practices!
my only note is that since it's written at a near academic level it might not be for everyone, but worth giving a try if this activism interests you....more
Loading...
