Books Reread
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater **
Book Hangover Alert**
The Raven Cycle book 1 of 4
I’ve decided to reread this entire series and the companion Dreamer series since the last Dreamer book just came out. I’m so glad I decided to reread these. This is one of my favorite books ever. I just adore the way Stiefvater writes and how she creates characters. I am loving falling in love with these characters all over again.
10/5 ravens
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater **
**Book Hangover Alert (maybe it’s a dream hangover?)
The Raven Cycle book 2 of 4
Yep, still good. Still love it. I’m listening to the audiobooks this time and I have to give props to Will Patton, the narrator. He does a really great job, and I loved his voice for Kavinsky, which was not at all what I imagined when I read the book, but it was perfect.
5/5 dreams
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater**
**Book Hangover Alert
The Raven Cycle book 3 of 4
I didn’t remember this book as well as the first two books so it was nice to read it again. I, of course, love spending more time with our protagonists, but I also loved a lot of the side characters Stiefvater brought in in this book. I loved Jessy Dintly and Piper Greenmantle, and I loved Will Patton’s performance of both of those characters.
5/5 Irish elk
New Books Read
The Lord of Stariel by A. J. Lancaster
Stariel book 1 of 5
This was a free Audible original and those are very hit or miss; I’ve read several terrible ones. But! This one was a hit! I really enjoyed this one. It was a little predictable but I enjoyed the cozy mystery-meets-fantasy of it. I really liked Hetta and Winn as characters as well, and I enjoyed the way Hetta developed through the novel.
3.5/5 illusions
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
CW: alcoholism, drug use, suicide, suicidal ideation, murder, incest
Tartt really knows how to write a book where you just have to know what happens so you keep reading. The book is really long and you know from the get-go that the narrator and his friends murdered someone, but somehow Tartt keeps you hooked as she spins out this whole story. Her work is enthralling. Like watching a train crash. Hard to look away. I didn’t like it as much as The Goldfinch but it was definitely a good read. It returned itself to the library when I was 30 pages from the end, and I had to wait several weeks to finish it. I was very upset.
3.5/5 baccanals
Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott***
CW: antisemitism, genocide
This was my October Book of the Month. I enjoyed this one. I really liked the way the house got to tell the story, and I loved how folklore was woven into the narrative. I loved the stone girl and the puppet stories. I didn’t really like Isaac as a character, and I felt that all the characters could have been developed more.
3.5/5 puppets
**Book Hangover Alert indicates the kind of book that will leave you full up on love. Satisfied, but wishing the book never had to end. You’ll be laying on the floor with no idea what to do with yourself (other friends have called this feeling Good Book Depression or say that certain books necessitate Floor Time). This is the kind of book that gets its teeth in you and won’t let go easily. After the last page you’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. You’ll bother all your friends trying to get them to read it so that you won’t be alone in your Hangover.
***This book is part of my Books for a Social Conscience series! Read Thistlefoot to learn more about antisemitism, Eastern European folklore, and for LGBTQIA+ representation in fantasy.
Reads marked as part of the Books for a Social Conscience series will regularly address topics like race and racism, colonialism and post-colonialism, LGBTQIA+ experience, feminism, BIPOC experience, social and political issues, history, identity, class, disability experience, immigration, gun violence, poverty, colorism, environmentalism, and more! The goal of these books is to diversify the stories we’re reading, grow our empathy for those who are different from us, and amplify voices who are often silenced.
(I stopped being able to change text color. I don’t know why.)
