year in books 2019
happy new year, one and all! here's a continuing tradition. i used to do a year end writing meme to talk about what i wrote in the year, but as i only wrote 6 things last year and 3 the year before, we're doing this. year in books!
here's goodreads' year in review thingy that they generate for you.
and now, this.
Number Of Books You Read: 148!!
Number of Re-Reads: 10
Genre You Read The Most From: i... completely forget how i worked this out last year. i can work it out manually but oh man i don't want to lol. it's probably lgbtqia, or romance if we're talking broad genres.
>Best in Books
1. Best Book You Read In 2019?
a difficult question as always! i read a LOT of good books this year. so like last year, i decided to just go through the books that i had given 5 and 4 stars, and choose from there. but i quickly realised that for the entire year (and this seems wild to me?) i had only given ONE book 5 stars on goodreads. and when i saw what that book was i knew it had to be my answer. monsters of men, the third book in the chaos walking trilogy. it hooked me, entranced me, absolutely gutted me. it had great characters arcs and just... the PERFECT resolution. i think about viola's decision to spare 1017 a LOT. and speaking of 1017... god what a good fucking character. this book was amazing, i hugely rec the series.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
undoubtedly the children of gavrilek. the series, not the second book of the same name, which was probably the best of the three? back in 2014, i wrote up a post for femslash february recommending f/f books that had woc protagonists. about half of them i'd read myself, the other half i hadn't. and it's been a goal of mine to read them all eventually. the children of gavrilek was one of those books and if i had rad it i would not have recommended it, at ALL. the first two books were bad in a mostly benign way, meh writing and mystifying plot, but the third tanked SUPER hard on the writing and flirted with nazi apologism. i was so enthralled by the summary for the book and the covers looked so good and it's science fiction and lesbians two of my FAVOURITE THINGS... but it was bad. bonus mention to kafka on the shore. i've wanted to read murakami for years, (reading this book was actually on my resolution list for last year) and this first foray into his work left me decidedly :/.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
mr. loverman surprised me in a good way, in the sense that... i didn't expect a book like this to exist? so tailor made for me to enjoy? about caribbean queerness and honesty to oneself and second chances, very rich and humorous in the writing. and i didn't expect for it to be so GOOD.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
hm, i can't remember actually reccing anyone any books this year? not off the top of my head, anyway. but hey, i wouldn't be me if i wasn't pushing people to read a kai ashante wilson book. or short story, in this case. kaiju maximus®: a short story about a wandering hero and her family, and the things we do to save the world. really good.
5. Best series you started in 2019? Best Sequel of 2019? Best Series Ender of 2019?
best starter: a princess in theory, the first in the reluctant royals series that i'll hopefully continue this year. the kind of sharp writing i love and expect from alyssa cole, and an amazing heroine who doesn't let her love interest get away with shit. and i can't NOT mention gideon the ninth, for being so many of the things i love in scifi. best sequel: how to blow it with a billionaire from the arden st. ives series. all the humour and witty writing and 🔥 sex scenes of the entire series, but it's also so wonderfully fluffy and the book where we see their RELATIONSHIP shine. best ender: monsters of men as mentioned above, but also chronin volume 2: the sword in your hand. i keep saying this but oh man it was such a good way to end off the two-parter, but also my year. quiet love that blossomed in adversity/war, and they got their happy ending. can't stress how happy this book made me lol. ;;
6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2019?
i actually think i'm going to give this to eliza andrews, disappointed though i was with the one book i read from her. i suspect i'll be talking about that book soon enough. but no matter my thoughts on the ending, her writing and plotting and the atmosphere and feel... it was all so freaking good. also gonna give props to robin alexander: i read two rom-com-ish f/f novels from her this year, and i just really like the way she handles family relationships and humour and all her dialogue is especially great.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
not sure exactly what genre you would consider dostoevsky's notes from underground. probably philosophy? and yeah i don't read a lot of that. but this, i liked! had a stream of conscious vibe that i liked.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
see now when i think about the slow start and measured pace and gut-wrenching politics of blackmail, my love, i hesitate to describe it as action-packed or thrilling? but it was definitely unputdownable, i listened to it in every spare moment i had until i was finished. usually when books make be sad i want to step away from them for a while but this dug its claws into me deep and wouldn't let me go until i finished. a phenomenal queer historical mystery.
9. Book You Read In 2019 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
i am 100% going to reread the a charm of magpies series very soon. i just love these dudes so much and my awesome yuletide fic made me yearn to revisit them. <3
10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2019?
no contest whatsoever, it's gotta be i wish you all the best. I LOVE THESE TENDER TEEN QUEERS, and i'll be looking out for more mason deaver. lots of great runners up too: gideon the ninth; my sister, the serial killer; the music of what happens.
11. Most memorable character of 2019?
there's no way i could not give this to rakam, from a woman's liberation, a novella included in the found and the lost. the story of how she reclaimed her life is just. so fucking good. it aches thinking about it. i love her so much and i want the best for her. honourable mention to 1017 from monsters of men. at one point i was only reading to see what happened to him; he was SUCH a fascinating and compelling character.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2019?
go tell it on the mountain. no one's writing lays me flat like on my ass like james bladwin can. made more beautiful to me by adam lazarre-white's narration. may god forget me if i ever forget. and i have to mention words of paradise. a translation, of course, but rumi's poetry is sublime.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2019?
the haunting of hill house touched me extremely deeply, to the point where it got a little uncomfortable. sometimes i just go over the passages i highlighted like 'damn damn damn'. when i think about eleanor... sometimes it was like holding up a mirror in front of myself, which i'm not sure i like lol.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2019 to finally read?
i mean, kafka is famous and a lot of his stuff is classic so i guess i """""should""""" """""have""""" read the metamorphosis many years ago. but i didn't get to it until this year, for whatever reason. actually, haha, the reason i read it was because i wanted to read kafka on the shore and i thought some familiarity with kafka might be helpful. i found this book WAY more engaging and thought-provoking and striking than murakami.
15. Favourite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?
from the knife of never letting go. i probably only remember it so sharply because it was my first book from last year, and i was doing that thing where i tried to find lines from the book that recalled the title. but i think this would have stuck with me anyway, as a quote about tenacity: I don’t know what this means but I don’t stop to think about it cuz I realize instead that both Aaron and I have forgotten one important thing.
I never let go of the knife.
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?
shortest: blood is another word for hunger. frightfully well-written paranormal short story of a slave taking matters into her own hands. longest: the found and the lost. it's a collection of novellas so maybe it doesn't count as one book? but it was some of THE best science fiction i've ever read.
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
the prince of tides had some extremely shocking twists and revelations that didn't go the way i was expecting. and just... a lot of awful stuff.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
gideon/harrowhark from gideon the ninth. we do bones, motherfucker!!!!! ugh i hate this dumb jock/goth ship and by that i mean i love it. and we all know about my Thing for loyalty. honourable mentions: lucien/stephen from a charm of magpies (one for sorrow, two for JOY!!!!!!!!!) and mirai/hatsu from chronin volume 2: the sword in your hand (captainholtvindication.gif).
19. Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
gotta give it to laurence and temeraire from the temeraire series. i finally finished the series this year, and though it was a let down in some respects, i love these soul-bonded nerds with my entire heart. honourable mention to mr. nakata and hoshino from kafka on the shore. my favourite parts of a bad book.
20. Favourite Book You Read in 2019 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
unmasqued by the marquess! cat sebastian writes pretty solid historical romance, and i've liked pretty much everything i've read from her but i fucking LOVED this book. wonderful characters (one of the few times i've liked the dude more than the other partner in a romance; but only a little bit more bc robin has my whole heart) who become better people for loving each other.
21. Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
the weaver. wouldn't have discovered this without![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sushiflop's recommendation, and it ended up being a b'day gift from mona! kind of slow going for me, and could have used a tighter plot, but it had neat world-building and seriously lovely writing.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?
george, from how to belong with a billionaire. the sections with her were always tinged with sadness, because it reminded me that ardie wasn't with caspian but also... 🔥🔥🔥 please give me the strap. 🙏
23. Best 2019 debut you read?
my sister, the serial killer. super well written, inventive in ways that mattered (predictable in others, but we can forgive that) and just a damned good read.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
i feel like we've only scraped the surface, but i fucking love love LOVED what i saw of the black tides of heaven. i had various (VARIOUS) nitpicks with the book but the writing, the setting, the gender stuff, the queerness, the magic and fantasy... LOVED IT ALL. i read a lot of fantasy that's just like, whateverth century europe with magic, and enjoy a lot of it, but it's so refreshing and GOOD to read asian fantasy as well. gotta remember to continue this series soon.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
put a smile on my face? seven summer nights for just how achingly romantic it was. swear to god, i swooned. the most fun to read? the fall, which can be best described as a rom com romp, with a delightful little cast and dykes and baby dykes and the dearest gay uncle. i loved everyone in this book.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2019?
girls burn brighter. yeah, i teared up several times. so many horrible things happened to these girls, and the worst part of it was there was an awful feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. like when savitha VOLUNTARILY gets an amputation to fulfil some gross guy's kink, so that she can find poornima... only for it to have all been in vain. this book was good, but so exhausting sometimes, god.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
idk how hidden it is but the makioka sisters was a departure from my normal reading fare that i enjoyed very much; quiet familial drama in a Japanese family in the 1930s. some characters that i really adored, like yukiko, the painfully shy, seemingly malleable third sister who refuses to get married. also, more people should read chronin.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
reverie. haha oh man. i cannot overstate how beautifully written, well-plotted, and atmospherically rich this novel was, with characters whom i earnestly, no joke, fell in LOVE with (ardie...). and i almost cannot overstate how hard this novel let me down. it's not just that it was sad, it was HOPELESS in a way that didn't make sense, and the book made me think that i would get my happy ending where the fat ptsd butch saves the day, gets the girl, kisses her in the rain and fucks her in a truck. instead i got what the author decided to write and it felt... so bad. so incredibly bad. i'm still debating whether i should rate this book so highly, but then i remember how wonderfully written it was... sigh.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?
the lamb will slaughterer the lion. the visuals of this novel stick with me to this day; the huge avenging stag, the open rib-cages, the earthiness... and i LOVE the premise. prey becoming predator... ahhhh.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
i supposed in some universe drawn together, could have been a good thriller/romance, but instead it's a racist, ableist, fetish-y mess, and i'm so mad at myself for finishing it, lol. :/
Looking Ahead
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2019 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020?
last year i planned to reread and finally finish the when women were warriors trilogy. didn't get to it, but i'm determined to start it at least by march. i read so many mediocre books, and the thing is, i KNOW this will be good, so i should get to it!
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2020 (non-debut)?
salman rushdie is one of those authors i've always been told i should read, but since i actually do want to read him very much, it never annoyed me. i bought midnight's children on audiobook early in 2019; hopefully in 2020 i'll get to listen to it!
3. 2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
the henna wars!! debut novel for the author, tho it looks like she's done anthologies and stuff before. it looks SUPER cute and i'm hype for it.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?
harrow the ninth. GIMME. also feel obligated to read the book i said i was excited for last year, and still am: the hound of justice.
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?
Stop Reading Books I Dislike Past The Time When I've Realised I Dislike Them. this will be difficult for me, especially when it comes to books that i've bought, rather than borrowed. if i buy it then goddamn it i will get my money's worth!!!! and i really don't like leaving books unfinished, it FEELS BAD. but i also don't like, you know, making MYSELF feel bad so i will work on this. seriously! how great would it be if in 2020, i only read books i liked/loved? :)
here's goodreads' year in review thingy that they generate for you.
and now, this.
Number Of Books You Read: 148!!
Number of Re-Reads: 10
Genre You Read The Most From: i... completely forget how i worked this out last year. i can work it out manually but oh man i don't want to lol. it's probably lgbtqia, or romance if we're talking broad genres.
>Best in Books
1. Best Book You Read In 2019?
a difficult question as always! i read a LOT of good books this year. so like last year, i decided to just go through the books that i had given 5 and 4 stars, and choose from there. but i quickly realised that for the entire year (and this seems wild to me?) i had only given ONE book 5 stars on goodreads. and when i saw what that book was i knew it had to be my answer. monsters of men, the third book in the chaos walking trilogy. it hooked me, entranced me, absolutely gutted me. it had great characters arcs and just... the PERFECT resolution. i think about viola's decision to spare 1017 a LOT. and speaking of 1017... god what a good fucking character. this book was amazing, i hugely rec the series.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
undoubtedly the children of gavrilek. the series, not the second book of the same name, which was probably the best of the three? back in 2014, i wrote up a post for femslash february recommending f/f books that had woc protagonists. about half of them i'd read myself, the other half i hadn't. and it's been a goal of mine to read them all eventually. the children of gavrilek was one of those books and if i had rad it i would not have recommended it, at ALL. the first two books were bad in a mostly benign way, meh writing and mystifying plot, but the third tanked SUPER hard on the writing and flirted with nazi apologism. i was so enthralled by the summary for the book and the covers looked so good and it's science fiction and lesbians two of my FAVOURITE THINGS... but it was bad. bonus mention to kafka on the shore. i've wanted to read murakami for years, (reading this book was actually on my resolution list for last year) and this first foray into his work left me decidedly :/.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
mr. loverman surprised me in a good way, in the sense that... i didn't expect a book like this to exist? so tailor made for me to enjoy? about caribbean queerness and honesty to oneself and second chances, very rich and humorous in the writing. and i didn't expect for it to be so GOOD.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
hm, i can't remember actually reccing anyone any books this year? not off the top of my head, anyway. but hey, i wouldn't be me if i wasn't pushing people to read a kai ashante wilson book. or short story, in this case. kaiju maximus®: a short story about a wandering hero and her family, and the things we do to save the world. really good.
5. Best series you started in 2019? Best Sequel of 2019? Best Series Ender of 2019?
best starter: a princess in theory, the first in the reluctant royals series that i'll hopefully continue this year. the kind of sharp writing i love and expect from alyssa cole, and an amazing heroine who doesn't let her love interest get away with shit. and i can't NOT mention gideon the ninth, for being so many of the things i love in scifi. best sequel: how to blow it with a billionaire from the arden st. ives series. all the humour and witty writing and 🔥 sex scenes of the entire series, but it's also so wonderfully fluffy and the book where we see their RELATIONSHIP shine. best ender: monsters of men as mentioned above, but also chronin volume 2: the sword in your hand. i keep saying this but oh man it was such a good way to end off the two-parter, but also my year. quiet love that blossomed in adversity/war, and they got their happy ending. can't stress how happy this book made me lol. ;;
6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2019?
i actually think i'm going to give this to eliza andrews, disappointed though i was with the one book i read from her. i suspect i'll be talking about that book soon enough. but no matter my thoughts on the ending, her writing and plotting and the atmosphere and feel... it was all so freaking good. also gonna give props to robin alexander: i read two rom-com-ish f/f novels from her this year, and i just really like the way she handles family relationships and humour and all her dialogue is especially great.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
not sure exactly what genre you would consider dostoevsky's notes from underground. probably philosophy? and yeah i don't read a lot of that. but this, i liked! had a stream of conscious vibe that i liked.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
see now when i think about the slow start and measured pace and gut-wrenching politics of blackmail, my love, i hesitate to describe it as action-packed or thrilling? but it was definitely unputdownable, i listened to it in every spare moment i had until i was finished. usually when books make be sad i want to step away from them for a while but this dug its claws into me deep and wouldn't let me go until i finished. a phenomenal queer historical mystery.
9. Book You Read In 2019 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
i am 100% going to reread the a charm of magpies series very soon. i just love these dudes so much and my awesome yuletide fic made me yearn to revisit them. <3
10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2019?
no contest whatsoever, it's gotta be i wish you all the best. I LOVE THESE TENDER TEEN QUEERS, and i'll be looking out for more mason deaver. lots of great runners up too: gideon the ninth; my sister, the serial killer; the music of what happens.
11. Most memorable character of 2019?
there's no way i could not give this to rakam, from a woman's liberation, a novella included in the found and the lost. the story of how she reclaimed her life is just. so fucking good. it aches thinking about it. i love her so much and i want the best for her. honourable mention to 1017 from monsters of men. at one point i was only reading to see what happened to him; he was SUCH a fascinating and compelling character.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2019?
go tell it on the mountain. no one's writing lays me flat like on my ass like james bladwin can. made more beautiful to me by adam lazarre-white's narration. may god forget me if i ever forget. and i have to mention words of paradise. a translation, of course, but rumi's poetry is sublime.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2019?
the haunting of hill house touched me extremely deeply, to the point where it got a little uncomfortable. sometimes i just go over the passages i highlighted like 'damn damn damn'. when i think about eleanor... sometimes it was like holding up a mirror in front of myself, which i'm not sure i like lol.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2019 to finally read?
i mean, kafka is famous and a lot of his stuff is classic so i guess i """""should""""" """""have""""" read the metamorphosis many years ago. but i didn't get to it until this year, for whatever reason. actually, haha, the reason i read it was because i wanted to read kafka on the shore and i thought some familiarity with kafka might be helpful. i found this book WAY more engaging and thought-provoking and striking than murakami.
15. Favourite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?
from the knife of never letting go. i probably only remember it so sharply because it was my first book from last year, and i was doing that thing where i tried to find lines from the book that recalled the title. but i think this would have stuck with me anyway, as a quote about tenacity: I don’t know what this means but I don’t stop to think about it cuz I realize instead that both Aaron and I have forgotten one important thing.
I never let go of the knife.
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?
shortest: blood is another word for hunger. frightfully well-written paranormal short story of a slave taking matters into her own hands. longest: the found and the lost. it's a collection of novellas so maybe it doesn't count as one book? but it was some of THE best science fiction i've ever read.
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
the prince of tides had some extremely shocking twists and revelations that didn't go the way i was expecting. and just... a lot of awful stuff.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
gideon/harrowhark from gideon the ninth. we do bones, motherfucker!!!!! ugh i hate this dumb jock/goth ship and by that i mean i love it. and we all know about my Thing for loyalty. honourable mentions: lucien/stephen from a charm of magpies (one for sorrow, two for JOY!!!!!!!!!) and mirai/hatsu from chronin volume 2: the sword in your hand (captainholtvindication.gif).
19. Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
gotta give it to laurence and temeraire from the temeraire series. i finally finished the series this year, and though it was a let down in some respects, i love these soul-bonded nerds with my entire heart. honourable mention to mr. nakata and hoshino from kafka on the shore. my favourite parts of a bad book.
20. Favourite Book You Read in 2019 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
unmasqued by the marquess! cat sebastian writes pretty solid historical romance, and i've liked pretty much everything i've read from her but i fucking LOVED this book. wonderful characters (one of the few times i've liked the dude more than the other partner in a romance; but only a little bit more bc robin has my whole heart) who become better people for loving each other.
21. Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
the weaver. wouldn't have discovered this without
sushiflop's recommendation, and it ended up being a b'day gift from mona! kind of slow going for me, and could have used a tighter plot, but it had neat world-building and seriously lovely writing.22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?
george, from how to belong with a billionaire. the sections with her were always tinged with sadness, because it reminded me that ardie wasn't with caspian but also... 🔥🔥🔥 please give me the strap. 🙏
23. Best 2019 debut you read?
my sister, the serial killer. super well written, inventive in ways that mattered (predictable in others, but we can forgive that) and just a damned good read.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
i feel like we've only scraped the surface, but i fucking love love LOVED what i saw of the black tides of heaven. i had various (VARIOUS) nitpicks with the book but the writing, the setting, the gender stuff, the queerness, the magic and fantasy... LOVED IT ALL. i read a lot of fantasy that's just like, whateverth century europe with magic, and enjoy a lot of it, but it's so refreshing and GOOD to read asian fantasy as well. gotta remember to continue this series soon.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
put a smile on my face? seven summer nights for just how achingly romantic it was. swear to god, i swooned. the most fun to read? the fall, which can be best described as a rom com romp, with a delightful little cast and dykes and baby dykes and the dearest gay uncle. i loved everyone in this book.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2019?
girls burn brighter. yeah, i teared up several times. so many horrible things happened to these girls, and the worst part of it was there was an awful feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. like when savitha VOLUNTARILY gets an amputation to fulfil some gross guy's kink, so that she can find poornima... only for it to have all been in vain. this book was good, but so exhausting sometimes, god.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
idk how hidden it is but the makioka sisters was a departure from my normal reading fare that i enjoyed very much; quiet familial drama in a Japanese family in the 1930s. some characters that i really adored, like yukiko, the painfully shy, seemingly malleable third sister who refuses to get married. also, more people should read chronin.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
reverie. haha oh man. i cannot overstate how beautifully written, well-plotted, and atmospherically rich this novel was, with characters whom i earnestly, no joke, fell in LOVE with (ardie...). and i almost cannot overstate how hard this novel let me down. it's not just that it was sad, it was HOPELESS in a way that didn't make sense, and the book made me think that i would get my happy ending where the fat ptsd butch saves the day, gets the girl, kisses her in the rain and fucks her in a truck. instead i got what the author decided to write and it felt... so bad. so incredibly bad. i'm still debating whether i should rate this book so highly, but then i remember how wonderfully written it was... sigh.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?
the lamb will slaughterer the lion. the visuals of this novel stick with me to this day; the huge avenging stag, the open rib-cages, the earthiness... and i LOVE the premise. prey becoming predator... ahhhh.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
i supposed in some universe drawn together, could have been a good thriller/romance, but instead it's a racist, ableist, fetish-y mess, and i'm so mad at myself for finishing it, lol. :/
Looking Ahead
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2019 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020?
last year i planned to reread and finally finish the when women were warriors trilogy. didn't get to it, but i'm determined to start it at least by march. i read so many mediocre books, and the thing is, i KNOW this will be good, so i should get to it!
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2020 (non-debut)?
salman rushdie is one of those authors i've always been told i should read, but since i actually do want to read him very much, it never annoyed me. i bought midnight's children on audiobook early in 2019; hopefully in 2020 i'll get to listen to it!
3. 2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
the henna wars!! debut novel for the author, tho it looks like she's done anthologies and stuff before. it looks SUPER cute and i'm hype for it.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?
harrow the ninth. GIMME. also feel obligated to read the book i said i was excited for last year, and still am: the hound of justice.
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?
Stop Reading Books I Dislike Past The Time When I've Realised I Dislike Them. this will be difficult for me, especially when it comes to books that i've bought, rather than borrowed. if i buy it then goddamn it i will get my money's worth!!!! and i really don't like leaving books unfinished, it FEELS BAD. but i also don't like, you know, making MYSELF feel bad so i will work on this. seriously! how great would it be if in 2020, i only read books i liked/loved? :)
no subject
Also did you know one of your yuletide fics got recced? Now you know!
no subject
:O i did not know!! thanks, that's so nice to see, ahhhhhh ♥
no subject
(spoilers?)
the main character's love interest has subtle psychic powers and loses them, and the main character is told by someone I took as in a position to know, that he'd lose all interest in her without those. It put me off pretty badly.
no subject
no subject
So anyway, Murakami is a used-bookstore author for me at best, and more likely a library author. Books are expensive and I will not spend hard-earned $$$ on stuff that is disappointing in this fashion.