me: now that I am done with finals, I just want to relax and nestle into the soothing embrace of a good book
also me: *picks up this Romeo and Juliet rme: now that I am done with finals, I just want to relax and nestle into the soothing embrace of a good book
also me: *picks up this Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s gangster-run Shanghai about star-crossed exes putting aside the blood feud between them to prevent a monster from terrorizing their city that everyone tells me it's guaranteed to break my heart*...more
Not to dictate anyone's life, but I think you guys should ABSOLUTELY read this book! It's a brilliantly imaginative twist on the conventional historicNot to dictate anyone's life, but I think you guys should ABSOLUTELY read this book! It's a brilliantly imaginative twist on the conventional historical novel that braids together two different love stories set in WWI and鈥攇et this鈥�it's narrated by Greek gods....more
The experience of reading the last book of a beloved series is always a bittersweet one. Through three books, and years upon years of magic and fear aThe experience of reading the last book of a beloved series is always a bittersweet one. Through three books, and years upon years of magic and fear and family and growth, this story burrowed deep into my heart. After the wonder of retreating into so real-seeming a dream, I now feel such an obscure sense of loss, a sudden absence creating space for the too bright world to rush into. I know already this will not be the last time I read these books. I will return to them again and again, drawn by a wistful longing for a life I never had, wracked by nostalgia for a time I did not experience, and eager to hold these characters' hands once again.
** The Winter of the Witch is everything you want out of a Winternight novel, and a perfect conclusion to a triumph of a series besides. My experience of reading it was of wanting to discuss every paragraph I consumed, to linger over language that both strikes and caresses, and marvel at how Arden manages to tease new exciting depths from characters I thought I already knew so well. Every page was such an absolute, and I missed this book even as I was reading it.
In The Winter of the Witch, Arden puts the characters at a crossroads, where they stand facing each other; enemies who hold the answer to each other鈥檚 hurts and fears and longings. The reader gets such a palpable sense of the colliding emotions on both opposite sides, and with every page, our understanding of the characters sharpens, deepens, filtering in slowly and then all at once. Vasya鈥檚 character, in particular, is a masterclass in successful character development. The years that stretch between the first novel and this one feel so long and far away, like stories someone else had told of Vasya, half-remembered and unreal. Reading The Winter of the Witch, I felt the sting of nostalgia for the savage exuberance of the child Vasya used to be early in this series: the little girl who attacked the world before it attacked her, who loved it and longed for it and wanted to see it at all cost, before she learned the power of fear, before life had sapped her innocence and brought on a weary anger, before she discovered that the world was a dangerous place for a woman it wanted dead. That nostalgia, however, is soon yanked back by the present Vasya, who is chasing the marvelous doom that is freedom to the world鈥檚 end, whose heart looks upon life and death and all the things in between without faltering, the fighter who refuses to die, not when there is so much ground Vasya had never felt under her feet, not when there is the whole world, with its wonders still unseen. I just love Vasya so much. Few characters manage to be so indelibly memorable, and Vasya is definitely one of them.
Consistent in this novel, also, is the way Arden insists on Vasya鈥檚 agency without disallowing her the space and opportunity to experience and navigate first love, vulnerability, romance and intimacy. Instead of avoiding or undermining the unbalanced nature of the power dynamics between Vasya and Morozko, Arden throws that unbalance into sharp relief. Morozko wants to protect Vasya from the world, even (perhaps especially) the part of it that he represents, but Vasya is clear that she does not need coddling, that they are both past the line where his power might be able to help her. Invoking Medved, Morozko's brother, who wants to use Vasya's powers like a lighthouse lens that amplifies the intensity of his own gifts, Vasya implies that subordination to Medved is no different than unthinking deference to Morozko, no matter how different their intentions are: 鈥淚f I am mad, I will not be yours. And dead I will not be his.鈥� Vasya's refusal to be beholden to anyone's will, be it an ally or an enemy, is a vibrant thread throughout this series. But just as consistent (and constant) is Vasya's longing to belong. The two, insists the novel, are not mutually incompatible. I loved Vasya and Morozko鈥檚 relationship. My wizened, hardened heart fractured at the knowledge that they are each other鈥檚 person, a safe place for each of them to land. I waited two books and a half for the stolen fugitive moments they shared in shadowed places, where they were free to kiss and touch and drown and live and burn. Chapter 17, in particular, had me aahh-ing and ooh-ing and sending texts in all caps to a dear friend. I was LIVING.
鈥淟ove is for those who know the griefs of time, for it goes hand in hand with loss. An eternity, so burdened, would be a torment. And yet鈥斺€� He broke off, drew breath. 鈥淵et what else to call it, this terror and this joy?鈥�
All in all, this is the best book I read this year. Hands down. I can't wait to read it again....more
It's clear from the outset that The Weight of Our Sky is a labor of great pain, and a labor of tremendous love. I went into this book knowing very litIt's clear from the outset that The Weight of Our Sky is a labor of great pain, and a labor of tremendous love. I went into this book knowing very little about the race riots of 1969 in Kuala Lumpur, but Hanna Alkaf has delivered a very informed yet intimately personal account of one of the most tragic incidents that are folded into the history of Malaysia.
The Weight of Our Sky opens with the weight of the riots鈥� reality falling suddenly upon Melati, a Muslim Malay teen, when a Chinese execution mob irrupts into the theater where Melati was hanging out with her best friend, Saf. Melati is saved by a Chinese lady and forced to leave Saf behind. The rest of the story sees Melati desperately trying to find her mother, while death ambles through the empty streets of Kuala Lumpur.
This was an intense reading experience. Alkaf sketches a sickening, somber portrayal of humanity鈥檚 violence against itself, the unutterably horrifying reality that a person could be driven mad by hate, how a stranger鈥攕omeone you鈥檝e never met, much less wronged鈥攃ould look at you with hatred etched into every line of their face, with hatred pounding through them like blood, and wish you harm. I read the whole time with a knot in my stomach, that didn鈥檛 immediately unwind when I turned the last page.
But for me the book shines best in the effort and attention to the subject of mental illness, using Melati鈥檚 experience as a fulcrum from which to examine the taboo surrounding mental health, especially within Muslim communities. Melati鈥檚 mind has been a realm of horrors since her father鈥檚 death, when she became convinced that a djinn has stolen into her consciousness and delighted in dragging into her mind festering images of her mother dying again and again. Melati can only mollify this djinn by counting and tapping in threes. Melati鈥檚 struggles are heartbreaking, and Alkaf鈥檚 honest, compassionate, and vibrant telling allows for complexness in the reality of what living with mental illness is like. This kind of honesty is really touching, and builds into something profoundly resonant.
With that said, I wish this book were longer, or that the story had a slower, more organic build. Instead, the novel鈥檚 tight pacing feels rushed, and the plot unfolds in fits and starts. I think a little more breathing room or build-up might have led to a smoother conclusion. A bit more ink in the pen would have also helped drawing out some of the characters, instead of making them special only to the extent they serve a purpose. The novel, for example, could have provided a more harmonious and detailed counterpoint to Melati鈥檚 journey rather than painting Vincent鈥檚 and Frankie鈥檚 storylines in very broad strokes, rendering them almost trivial.
These quibbles, however, dissipate in the warm tide of an immensely affecting story and an important, veracious voice....more
Reading this novella is all fun and games until it makes you devastatingly aware of the pathetic lack of romancing you're experiencing in your life.
SoReading this novella is all fun and games until it makes you devastatingly aware of the pathetic lack of romancing you're experiencing in your life.
So without further ado, here's a list of iconic and memorable moments in this book:
鈥� First of all, nothing will ever come close to touching the humour and perfect execution of the question 鈥渄o you mean to tell me that you have not actually fornicated yet?鈥� being promptly met with the incredulous and indignant response 鈥渄ear God, Felicity鈥� 鈥� I love Felicity she radiates such Mom Energy I want her to embarrass me in front of strangers and also make sure I drink water and make sound decisions throughout the day 鈥� 鈥淚 stepped on a cockroach this morning when I got out of bed; did I tell you that?鈥� 鈥淚 know, I heard you scream鈥� 鈥� To be fair to Monty, anyone who says they鈥檙e not even moderately afraid of cockroaches is either lying or a psychopath 鈥� Speaking of which, let鈥檚 have a discussion about Monty 鈥� I love him. That鈥檚 it. That鈥檚 the discussion. 鈥� Look, I didn鈥檛 ask to be a fan of Monty. I didn鈥檛 ask to have my life disrupted by a tiny meatball of a man who is quite literally the 18th-century-version of a himbo frat boy. Why this? Why me? I didn鈥檛 ask for this 鈥� Monty telling Felicity Jesus would be mad at her for stealing his day when her birthday fell on Easter one year 鈥� Percy: *mentions how tiny Monty is* Monty: (喔� 鈥⑻€_鈥⑻�)喔� 鈥� Monty solemnly stating that the only reason Odysseus resisted the sirens was because none of them had a dump truck as fantastic as Percy鈥檚 鈥� Monty: *takes a deep breath* Monty: 笔别谤肠测鈥� Anyone who has spent five seconds around Monty: yes, Percy has a nice ass, we know, you love Percy鈥檚 ass. You could write a goddamn opera in honour of his ass WE KNOW WE GET IT YOU LOVE PERCY鈥橲 ASS 鈥� Monty, lamenting the lack of, in Felicity's words, fornicating in his life: 鈥淚鈥檓 a bit concerned my virginity is starting to grow back.鈥� 鈥� [puts both hands on Monty鈥檚 shoulders and gazes intently into his eyes] Monty, you fucking idiot, that鈥檚 not how it works 鈥� Monty unsubtly flexing while cuddling with Percy to impress him with his Big Meaty Man Arms 鈥� Monty factually maintaining that he would be 鈥渟porting a semi鈥� if Percy so much as sneezes鈥�. or breathes鈥r generally exists 鈥� in Monty鈥檚 defense, no man will ever be as attractive as Percy emerging from the ocean shirtless, water dripping on his chest and a wide grin on his face, inviting Monty for a swim. That鈥檚 just a fact 鈥� So I'm sure you've caught on that this novella is pretty much just about Monty making commendable (if doomed) efforts to get laid 鈥� I wish I put as much effort into my college assignments as Monty did for such a noble cause 鈥� Also, I can鈥檛 overstate my appreciation for how committed Felicity was to helping Monty finally smash Percy 鈥� Not only did she come up with an ingenuously elaborate plan to get rid of the sailors aboard the ship, she also tidied up the room and lit candles and arranged for food on the table 鈥� Are there鈥︹€�. are there real siblings like Felicity Montague鈥︹€�.? do they鈥�..exist? 鈥� What I should have been worried about: how I am going to pay for college What I'd been worried about: how Monty & Percy will get it on without ruining their relationship 鈥� Seriously. This novella should just be called 鈥淭wo times Monty didn鈥檛 get laid and the one time he di鈥攚hat鈥檚 that? That didn鈥檛 work either? Well鈥︹€� 鈥� I'm actually slightly concerned about Monty, he was literally half-dead of blue balls by the end 鈥� 鈥淚n my defense, we were left unsupervised鈥� 鈥� I mean, look, that鈥檚 relatable 鈥� Plus being the gay human disaster of the family is hard work but someone (Monty) has to do it 鈥� Also apparently, Percy Newton, the human manifestation of a condensed sunshine, reads erotic leaflets in his past-time 鈥� I don鈥檛 know what to do with this piece of information. Percy鈥檚 my son. I鈥檝e never thought about him like that and I never will. In fact, I already forgot about it. goodbye 鈥� Jokes aside, I binge read this book and it was the best therapy session I鈥檝e ever had 鈥� Percy and Monty love each other so much which prompted a very awkward moment in which I realized the actual physical ache in my chest is because of the romance between two fictional characters 鈥� I love them so much I don鈥檛 really want to use words, just flail my arms and shriek in different pitches to express my feelings 鈥� and I'm warm with the satisfaction of knowing that Monty and Percy will forever be okay because they鈥檝e learned the most indispensable Relationship 101 lesson: 鈥� you know what鈥檚 so hot? like sooo fucking attractive? an open and healthy communication!! feeling validated and understood and appreciated by your partner!!! now THAT's a turn-on!!!! 鈥� also, not gonna lie, I almost cried at Scipio fiercely apologizing to Monty for ever feeling like he had to hide his queerness from Scipio and apologizing that the world makes him feel as though he has to 鈥� a fictional pirate is literally a better father figure than most dads in the world
鈥淚 wish I could travel backward in time and tell Monty of two years ago, lying on the lawn of his father鈥檚 house with a bruised rib cage, realizing he was falling in love with the only person who gave him a reason to live, that he'd be here someday.鈥�
It is with such a heavy heart that I must announce that I'm feeling sapped of any motivation to read this book so I'm calling it a DNF at 65%.
I just rIt is with such a heavy heart that I must announce that I'm feeling sapped of any motivation to read this book so I'm calling it a DNF at 65%.
I just really no longer want to force things. I only have energy for things that manage to seize my interest in a tight grip. Sadly, it wasn't all too difficult to squirm out of Pulp's grasp. With that being said, I think this is a Your Mileage May Vary kind of book, so all I can do is tell you what I felt and why.
My initial excitment at Pulp's premise (a queer historical fiction that's 鈥渁 celebration of 1950s lesbian pulp fiction鈥�) quickly dissolved in a haze of total indifference within the few first chapters. I couldn't fully immerse myself in the story due to its slow build, lack of major plot movement and insufficience in characterization, its struggle to carry an onerously large web of interpersonal relationships and long, lonely stretches of thin motivations and unintriguing narrative details.
The concept of stories within stories usually appeals to me but I found this book uneven in its pacing and structure, and the plot meanders between four different storylines making it hard to keep track of all four, and even more laborious to care. This all sort of bogged down the otherwise marvelous parts of the story: the parrallel lesbian love stories that are 62 years apart, how this book irradiates some important LGBTQ+ history, and how it illuminates the importance of representation and diversity in the media we consume.
I don't think it's a bad book at all. I just wish I was all-consumingly passionate about it....more
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