<–The State of the Reader: 10/20/21         The State of the Reader: 12/15/21–>

A biweekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

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Purchased: 5

• The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente – $5.99 @ Amazon Kindle
• The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction by Various Authors – $6.99 @ Amazon Kindle
• Of Angels and Men by Jonathan Yanez (The Nephilim Chronicles) – $2.99 @ Amazon Kindle (omg if you’re at all familiar with the Final Fantasy series fucking click on this and please explain to me WHY NO ONE IS SAYING ANYTHING IN THE COMMENTS that’s literally the only reason I added it to read because I have zero qualms pointing this shit out on a public forum)
• My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales by Various Authors – $1.99 @ Amazon Kindle
• The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave – $2.99 @ Amazon Kindle

Total: $20.95

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Books Finished: 4

Title: Under the Whispering Door
Author: T. J. Klune
Date Added: June 27, 2021
Date Started: September 25, 2021
Date Finished: November 5, 2021

Media: eBook/Kindle

This was one of those stories where I knew what was (eventually) going to happen, but I didn’t know how they were going to pull it off, which is one of my favorite situations.  I also just noticed the silhouette of the stag on the cover, which absolutely makes sense.  There were also still some surprises, which Klune brilliantly foreshadowed.  Psychpomp stories are always fun in general, but queer psychopomp stories are even better.

Title: 2043…A Merman I Should Turn to Be
Series: Black Stars
Author: Nisi Shawl
Date Added: September 4, 2021
Date Started: November 9, 2021
Date Finished: November 12, 2021

Media: eBook/Kindle

This is one of those great idea, mediocre execution stories.  I liked the idea of Black people finally getting our “40 acres and a mule” under the waves (not so much it actually happening because come the fuck on they could do reparations better than that but the idea of it) in terms of the idea and exploration of it; however, it comes off pretty weak.  Some parts of the story read as cryptic for cryptic’s sake.

I intend to read the rest of the series and even more from this author.  I’m not sure if this is her first story, and it’s also a short, which are often harder to do than novel length.

Title: Apples Never Fall
Author: Liane Moriarity
Date Added: August 20, 2021
Date Started: November 15, 2021
Date Finished: November 25, 2021

Media: eBook (Library)

My obsession with Liane Moriarity continues with her latest (sadly no more of her books are sparking my interest), and this one absolutely delivers.  No in this book is perfect; no one is going to escape the events unscathed, and I’m impressed with yet another of this author’s stories.

It is…really obvious what Moriarity thinks about the institution of marriage from her novels lol.  I don’t completely agree with it, but I definitely understand it.  I don’t want to say much more so I can stay out of spoiler territory.

Title: The Fifth Doll
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Date Added: September 11, 2021
Date Added: November 26, 2021
Date Added: November 30, 2021

Media: eBook/Kindle

I’m glad I didn’t give up on the author because I wasn’t into The Paper Magician, which I DNF’d.  I greatly enjoyed this even though I do have to agree with the critiques about the messiness of the end.  It’s never quite explained adequately, but I think I’m such a sucker for these types of “reveal/revelation” stories that I’m more forgiving.

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Books DNF: 1

Title: The Cipher
Author: Kathe Koja
Date Added: October 15, 2019
Date Started: October 25, 2021
Date DNF: October 31, 2021

Media: eBook/Kindle

I had this on my TBR for over a year, but it was a tweet that prompted me to bump it up on my list.  The poster said it was a polarizing novel, and you’ll know by 30 pages in whether or not it’s for you and you will utterly hate the character of Nakota.  They were absolutely right on both counts.  I think I could’ve slogged through her manipulative bullshit, but it was the casual cruelty of Nick allowing Nakota to abuse animals that sealed it for me.  I called it quits, but looked up spoilers.  The story is fascinating, but I’m glad I didn’t finish it.

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Currently Reading

Title: Every Heart a Doorway
Series: Wayward Children
Author: Seanan McGuire
Date Added: August 6, 2017
Date Started: Decembeer 1, 2021

Media: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 6%

This is one of those books where the title repeats in my head and I love the taste of the words. I find myself constantly saying “And every heart a doorway” as if it’ll be the ending line of some epic work and perhaps it has. I’m already in love with the language and was sold on the premise from the blurb. If I stumbled into another world but somehow made it back here I’d never stop looking for a way to escape.

Title: My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise
Series: My Little Pony/Transformers
Author: Ian Flynn
Date Added: October 2, 2021
Date Started: October 30, 2021

Media: Paperback

When I say the instant I saw this existed I bought it, I am not remotely exaggerating.  I love both My Little Pony and Transformers, and the way the narrative gets them together is pretty creative.  The changeling Queen Crysalis casts a spell to summon more changeling allies at the same time Megatron is doing some space bridge shennanigans.  Wires get crossed and giant robots that can change form end up in Equestria.  I’ve only just started it and graphic novels are really difficult to tell progress on (no page numbers).  I thought I’d read it during my hiatus, but if it wasn’t on my Kindle I didn’t really make much progress on it.

Title: Being and Time
Author: Martin Heidegger
Date Added: August 18, 2017
Date Started: April 30, 2020 | October 19, 2021

Media: Paperback
Progress: 6%

I didn’t even try to read this during my hiatus, but I read a little bit before and learned the term Dasein, the kind of being that belongs to persons.

Title: Elric of Melniboné
Series: The Elric Saga
Author: Michael Moorcock
Date Added: October 21, 2016
Date Started: October 14, 2021

Media: Paperback
Progress: 18%

I like Elric’s cool nonchalance even when shit is hitting the fan.

Title: A Sky Beyond the Storm
Series: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Date Added: November 1, 2020
Date Started: March 17, 2021

Media: Hardback
Progress: 68%

Will I finish this before the end of the year?  Probably not, but wait…what’s this feeling???  Death magic, angels of death, “mommy” issues, broken life-and-death cycles, undead/zombies. I think I wrote a novel about this!

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And I’m back.  I debated extended my blog hiatus through December and starting fresh in the new year, but eh, I can come back now lol (I kinda missed it but don’t tell anyone).  I didn’t do a ton of reading unless it was on my Kindle, but I did make my 10k word NaNoWriMo goal, which I’ll talk about more in my SOTW post. 

I wound up not reading Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarity, which I mentioned in the last SOTR, and I just watched the show on Hulu.  I’m really glad I did.  It was…different.  Like it definitely had that Liane Moriarity vibe, but she tried some new stuff, and I don’t think I would’ve like that book as much as the others. 

I’m currently watching True Detective, which I’ve never seen before (yeah I’m late to the party).  I now have access to HBO Max, so I’ve been able to watch things that were hitherto unavailable.  FYI I’m obsessed with the show and the song that plays at the opening.

I’ve been listening to it on repeat all day, which is on brand for me.  I’ll listen to a song until it wrings all the happy chemicals out of my brain.  I’ve also been chair dancing to it without realization.  I’ve reached the age where I don’t give a fuck who sees me dancing because I’m 100% doing it for myself.

I knew this post was going to take a while as all my first status posts after hiatus do, so your girl is tired.  Happy December and Advent everyone.  I was already over December this past Saturday, so gear up everyone.

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<–The State of the Reader: 10/20/21         The State of the Reader: 12/15/21–>