This month I wanted to read more middle grade books. I work at an elementary school and try to regularly read children’s books. So I am able to recommend books to the children. Dodo was recommended to me in the Dutch podcast about children’s books. I found The Girl Who Could Fly by accident, and it turned out to be a surprising read. You can find mini-reviews of all four books I read in March below.
Books I Read
Dodo by Mohana van den Kroonenberg – 3 stars In four words: touching, confusing, magical realism What I liked: This middle grade book is about a boy that struggles with his stuttering. The writer has a remarkable way of writing about this theme. Interesting enough she uses a kind of magical realism that I usually only see in adult literature. What I disliked: The imagination of the boy and his real life are mingled. This made the story sometimes confusing. A part of the story is also told between the lines. That made it even harder to understand what is going on. If I already felt this, I doubt a regular child will be able to really get this story. This is a Dutch book that isn’t translated to English
Monsieur Linh and His Child by Philippe Claudel – 4 stars In four words: short, touching, delicate, well-written What I liked: This is the touching story of two strangers who share a connection that goes beyond language. The main character is a refugee, but no country names are mentioned. This made the story feel universal. It’s a short book that is surprisingly impactful. What I disliked: The story feels uncomplete.
This Wicked Fate (This Poison Heart, #2) by Kalyinn Bayron – 3 stars In four words: satisfying, slow-paced, decent sequel What I liked: In this sequel Briseis’ powers and her family history are further explored. Plants and Greek mythology continue to play an interesting role. The story has a satisfying ending in which everything comes together. What I disliked: The book has a slow start. After the action-packed ending of the first part, this felt underwhelming. It takes the characters 150 pages to come into action. Although I do like the ending, it wasn’t as exciting and captivating as I hoped. Considering the inclusion of Greek gods and mythological monsters, the story had more potential.
The Girl Who Could Fly (Piper McCloud, #1) by Victoria Forester – 4 stars In four words: surprisingly captivating, magical, hopeful What I liked: This story was more profound than I expected. I thought this was a fun middle grade book about a school for children with magical abilities. But there’s a deeper layer. I loved that this story conveys the message that it’s okay to be different. What I disliked: I felt the ending was a bit rushed.
This month I didn’t really plan my reading, but unconsciously I read mostly fantasy. I liked that some of the settings were based on real places. It makes the stories feel more realistic and it’s fun to learn new things while reading fiction. I also tried reading a magical realism book that is set in Guatemala. But I soon realized that Men of Maize by Miguel Ángel Asturias would only frustrate me. The writing style was very confusing. So I left it unfinished.
Books I Read
The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor – 4,5 stars In four words: imaginative, exciting historical fantasy What I liked: The book is set in Cole’s Book Arcade in Melbourne. This bookstore with among other things a live band, a toy department, a fernery and real monkeys actually existed! It’s an amazing setting and the writer made full use of all its possibilities. The story also has an exciting plot that made it hard to put down the book. What I disliked: It’s not clear how the magic works. Everything seems possible. However, magic takes practice and isn’t easy according to the characters. It didn’t bother me too much, but I would have liked this to make more sense.
This Poison Heart (This Poison Heart, #1) by Kalyinn Bayron – 4 stars In four words: unexpectedly dark mythology retelling What I liked: Briseis has the ability to grow plants by touching them. Throughout the story she slowly learns more about her magic and her ancestors. Meanwhile she also uncovers some interesting and dark secrets. I loved how the writer managed to combine poisonous plants and Greek mythology in this book. The ending was unexpected and made me immediately want to read the sequel. What I disliked: The pacing wasn’t right. Most of the story is pretty slow-going, but at the end everything happens too fast. Trigger warning for murder
Guardian of the Flame by T.L. Higley – 3 stars In four words: slow historical love story What I liked: This book is mainly set in the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that no longer exists. Next to this interesting setting, the story also gives a good impression what it was like when the Romans came to Egypt in 48 BC. What I disliked: Central in the story is an enemies-to-lovers story, but it was very predictable and cliché. This book is a stand-alone, but it’s part of the Seven Wonders Novels.
Spice Road (The Spice Road Trilogy, #1) by Maiya Ibrahim – 3,5 stars In four words: action-packed, adventurous, Arabian-inspired fantasy What I liked: I wanted to read this book because of the interesting magic system: the misra tea gives each character a unique magical gift. I also liked the Arabian-inspired setting with djinns and cities in the middle of the dessert. I thought the story was a bit predictable, but it still managed to surprise me near the end. What I disliked: My biggest demerit were the characters. The narrator, Imani, is arrogant and stubborn to the point that it becomes somewhat annoying. Some of the side characters had the potential to be more interesting, but they fall flat.
More Good Stuff
I am rereading Harry Potter as audiobooks. I read the series multiple times as physical books, but I never listened to it. It’s nice to revisit the story in this way. The first two books are already finished.
On Netflix I’m currently watching The Umbrella Academy with my boyfriend. It’s an exciting fantasy series full of mysteries with many intriguing characters. We were both hooked after the first episode!
I had a great start of the year! My favourite book of January was without doubt The Ten Thousand Doors of January. It’s the second book I read from Alix E. Harrow, and I would love to read more from her. I also read a new book for my SFF Countries Project: Zoo City. This urban fantasy book is written by a South African author and set in Johannesburg. All my thoughts about the four books I read are below.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow – 4,5 stars In four words: beautiful, historical, portal fantasy What I liked: This is an engaging story about the search for Doors to other worlds, but above all the search for lost love. Next to the strong protagonist, the side characters are just as well-written. The story is set during the start of the 19th century and I loved how this time period is integrated in the story. What I disliked: The book was a bit slow at some points.
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler – 4 stars In four words: impressive, compelling, historical sci-fi What I liked: One day, Dana suddenly jumps back in time to save Rufus. This happens again and again. Each instance going back to her own time becomes more critical. In 1976 being a black woman married to a white man isn’t always easy. In the 1800s Dana is assumed a slave and barely seen as a person. I was impressed how slavery and racism are explored in this story. What I disliked: I would have liked to know a bit more about Dana’s time travel ability. Trigger warnings for slavery, physical abuse, rape and murder
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes – 3 stars In four words: confusing, supernatural murder mystery What I liked: The premise of this story is very original. People who have committed a crime get a companion animal, and this animal gives them a magical ability. Zinzi has a sloth and the ability to find lost things. I liked that the story is set in South Africa; quite a unique setting for a fantasy book. What I disliked: The execution of the story didn’t really work for me. The plot felt disjointed. A lot happens and it was hard to understand how everything connected to each other. I also think the pacing could be better. Sometimes it was very slow, but in the end everything happened too fast for me. Trigger warnings for drug use, murder, graphic violence and gore
The Granddaughter by Bernhard Schlink – 3 stars In four words: unresponsive start, interesting dynamics What I liked: Due to my book club I regularly read books outside my comfort zone. I probably wouldn’t have chosen this book myself, but I did come to appreciate it. Especially the dynamics between Kaspar and his step-granddaughter Sigrun were interesting. They have very different world views, but they managed to find each other in music and art. What I disliked: The first half of the book could be stronger. Initially it was hard to connect with the characters. I had the feeling that I didn’t know or care enough about German history to truly get this book. But my feelings changed from the moment Kaspar meets Sigrun. This book was originally published in German as Die Enkelin, the English translation will be published in October 2024. I read the Dutch edition.
Happy New Year! 2023 was a tumultuous year for me with ups and downs. Books always help me through hard times. Even if it’s just to distract me. My goal for this year was to read at least 30 books, but I read a lot more than that: 48 books! Below are some statistics and all my 5-star reads.
Reading statistics
I read 16723 pages during 2023. I didn’t read as much big books as in previous year. Most books were between 300 and 400 pages, on average 348 pages. The biggest book I read was Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley & Harry Whittaker. The Dutch edition has 698 pages. The shortest books was De eerlijke vinder by Lize Spit with just 92 pages.
As always, I read a lot of books by female writers. 35 books were written by women, 9 books by men and 4 books by multiple writers or a non-binary writer.
More than half of the books I read were written by writers from the United States or the United Kingdom. But I still read a lot by other writers with different nationalities. 6 books I read have a writer of colour and 9 books have a main character of colour. 8 books have a queer main character.
Only two books I read were published in 2023. Most of the others books I read were published in the previous ten years. The oldest book was published in 1963, it was The Wall by Marlen Haushofer.
I read books in a diversity of genres. Most of the books were fantasy. My second most read genre is contemporary, which is quite unexpected. I usually read more historical fiction.
I always read many stand-alones, this year 30 books were stand-alones. Not counting one re-read, 10 books were the first part of a series. I’m not sure if I will continue any of those series. Next to 2 re-reads, I read 5 new to me sequels. I reread four books: The Magisters trilogy and Momo.
Best books of 2023
During 2023 I gave 6 six books five stars. It was too hard to choose just one favourite, so I will list them all in the order I read them.
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai: heart-breaking and hopeful book about a grandmother and her granddaughter during the Vietnam war.
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell: exciting adventure story about four children who have to survive in the jungle after a plane crash.
December was a great reading month. I usually stick to 3 or 4 books, but this month I read 8 books! Having no television and no wifi did really help to read more. Most of the books were enjoyable, but two books really stood out. My favourites of the month were The Midnight Library and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – 5 stars In four words: beautiful, hopeful, thought-provoking, fascinating What I liked: This story is based on a fascinating idea. Our narrator, Nora, is disappointed in her life and in herself. The Midnight Library gives her the chance to try out other possible lives. The start of the book is a bit depressing, but in the end it’s a very hopeful story. It also got me thinking about lives I’d like to try and the choices I’ve made. I loved to see Nora change throughout the story. What I disliked: I absolutely loved this book and I can’t think of any demerits. Trigger warning for suicide
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer – 3 stars In four words: melancholic, dystopian, survival story What I liked: Suddenly there’s a glass wall that separates a woman from the rest of the world. A dog, cow and cat are her only company. I like the way the animals are written. Each of them has its own personality and they are well-developed side characters. What I disliked: Although the wall plays a crucial role, the story actually isn’t about the wall at all. It’s about how a woman has to survive on her own. I had so many questions about the mysterious wall, but no answers are given. For me the story would have been far more interesting if it had focussed on this wall. However, that would have resulted in a very different book.
De lessen van meneer Picquier by Marc Roger – 3 stars In four words: bookish, enjoyable but bland What I liked: I picked up this book, because it’s about the love for books and reading. The underlying idea is great: Grégoire works at a retirement home, and he starts reading for one of the inhabitants. What I disliked: The writing style didn’t work for me. It lacked emotion. A lot happens between the lines instead of on page. This made it hard to care about the characters. I would have liked to feel a more emotional connection to the characters. This book is originally published in French as Grégoire et le vieux libraire, it isn’t translated to English (yet)
Trash by Andy Mulligan – 3,5 stars In four words: unique, fast-paced, Middle Grade thriller What I liked: The book has quite a unique setting: a dump site where families try to make a living between the garbage. It was inspired by real children living on a dump site in the Philippines. The author managed to write about this desperate situation without getting gloomy or preachy. Trash reads like a thriller that is incidentally also informative. What I disliked: The book has multiple narrators, but their voices were almost indistinguishable.
The Angel Makers by Jessica Gregson – 3,5 stars In four words: exciting, historical, crime story What I liked: The writer did a great job in developing morally grey characters. Central in this story are a couple of strong women in a small village during the First World War. While their husbands are left to fight, some women discover that their life is much better without them. When their husbands come back, the women no longer tolerate how they are treated. What I disliked: I accidentally found this book in a little street library and expected a heart-breaking war story. I got a bit of a creepy crime story. The story isn’t bad at all, just not really my thing. Trigger warnings for war, domestic abuse and murder
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – 5 stars In four words: fascinating, realistic, captivating, memorable What I liked: I’m usually not interested in showbiz news, so I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this fictional biography about movie star Evelyn Hugo. However, the story was fascinating! Evelyn Hugo is written in such a way that I could almost believe that she actually exists. She is ambitious, cunning, selfish, but above all deeply human. Then there’s Monique, the magazine reporter who is going to write the biography. Her involvement stays a mystery till the end of the book. I also loved how queerness plays a role in the story. What I disliked: I didn’t expect this to be a 5-star read, but I can’t think of any reason to give it less stars.
The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark – 3 stars In four words: enjoyable, interesting, steampunk novella What I liked: Creeper has an interesting secret: she is accompanied by a goddess who gives her visions and powers. I liked how this goddess has her own personality, despite being in Creeper’s head. What I disliked: The novella gives a glimpse of an alternate version of New Orleans. But the story was too short to really set up this world. I also felt there were too much info dumps that were irrelevant to the plot.
The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library, #1) by Genevieve Cogman – 4 stars In four words: complex, supernatural, bookish, mystery What I liked: The idea of a secret library that retrieves books from alternative realities is intriguing. I liked how intricate the world of the story is. We keep learning new things. On top of that, the characters also have some secrets. The story was far more elaborated than I expected. What I disliked: Every answer in this book prompts many more questions. I really appreciated the complexity of the story, but I would have liked to have a better understanding of the world at the end of the story.
Unbelievable how fast time goes, it’s already the last day of November! On my blog I didn’t post as much about SciFiMonth as I hoped. I did read science fiction book, ranging from amazing to unsatifying. You can read my reviews below. And a big thanks to the hosts of SciFiMonth!
Just One Damned Thing After Another (The Chronicles of St Mary’s, #1) by Jodi Taylor – 3, 5 stars In four words: fun, enjoyable time travel What I liked: At St Mary’s “they investigate major historical events in contemporary time” or in other words: they time travel. I like how time travel is approached in the book. They want to observe and document historical events, and are not trying to change anything. It’s a dangerous job, because History fights back when something is about to change. Time travel is a complicated thing. When analysing this book, you can notice that it isn’t perfectly done. But the writer did it well enough to make time travel work for this story. What I disliked: The book has a lot of side characters, but there’s barely time to get to know them. That’s why most of the characters felt quite flat.
Green Rising by Lauren James – 4,5 stars In four words: fascinating, hopeful, climate sci-fi What I liked: The book is centred on a unique concept: teenagers who are able to grow plants from their skin. It’s a fascinating idea that is very well executed. I loved how the author linked this ability to climate change activism. It was interesting to get different views on climate change due to the three narrators. The writer also alternates the story with fictional news articles and online threads, so we get a broader sense of what’s happening in the world. This is a great book that is fun and exciting as well as thought-provoking. What I disliked: I would have liked the ending to be more realistic.
The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell – DNF The beginning of the book is weird and confusing. Although things do start to make sense, I just didn’t get this story. The book is supposed to be humoristic, but it wasn’t my kind of humour. The story is narrated by a computer and at least five different characters. This was too much to make me care about any of them. Maybe I will try this book again later, but I leave it unfinished for now.
Today’s post was inspired by The SciFiMonth Challenge. It’s all about cool tech from science fiction books I would like to have.
1) Time travel pod It would be amazing to travel through time like in Just One Damned Thing After Another. In this book they aren’t trying to change the past. The purpose of time traveling is to observe and document in order to find answers. Personally I would love to wander around the Library of Alexandria.
2) Healing apps In This Mortal Coil people use technology to change their DNA. This means they can easily change their appearance to whatever they want. That would be fun. Most useful would be healing apps. I’m not often seriously ill, but if I am, I could easily cure myself.
3) Warcross Warcross is a virtual reality combat game from the Warcross duology. The aim is to steal an artefact from the opponent. It sounds like a fun game, but I actually want it for another reason. It has the most amazing virtual worlds.
4) WhisperNET Having whisperNET would make it even easier to send messages. This message platform is used in Gemina, the second part of The Illuminae Files. WhisperNET works with subvocalization that are picked up by a tooth implant. With contact lenses in your eyes you’re able to see the screen projected before you.
As always, November is SciFiMonth on my blog. During this month we celebrate everything that is science fiction. This year our captains will be imyril @ There’s Always Room For One More, Lisa @ Dear Geek Place, Annemieke @ A Dance With Books and Mayri @ Book Forager. I don’t have a lot of plans for the month, but I’m sure the SciFiMonth Challenge will inspire me. My TBR-list is still short, but I’m keeping room for unexpected finds.
This month I again read two amazing children’s books. As a teaching assistent I like to know what books I can recommend to children. However, I also really enjoy the books myself. Books for children are often easy to read and optimistic, but they can be just as meaningful and insightful as adult literature. Tomorrow is November, which is SciFiMonth on this blog. Look out for my TBR.
Books I read
Elke dag broerdag by Tineke Honingh – 3,5 stars In four words: realistic, positive, family story What I liked: Noa has four brothers: a full brother, a half-brother, a step-brother and a steph-twin brother. They belong together, whatever happens. I loved the positive way in which blended family is explored in this middle grade book. I can’t think of many other books about blended families. I do know that quite a lot of children have divorced parents and step-family. So I’m sure that many children can identify with the characters in this story. What I disliked: Due to the large cast, it was sometimes hard to tell the characters apart. This is a Dutch book that isn’t translated in English (yet)
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar – 4 stars In four words: realistic, poetic, heart-breaking, hopeful What I liked: This beautiful written book shows what it is to be a refugee from the perspective of an American-Syrian girl. Nour loses her home when it’s destroyed by a shell. While they are crossing countries looking for a safe place to stay, terrible things happen to them. The story really moved me. This may be fiction, but there are people in the world for who this is reality. What I disliked: The book also has a second narrative. It’s about Rawiya, a girl in the 12th century who, disguised as a boy, becomes an apprentice to al-Idrisi. I liked both stories, but the story about Nour and her family was much more captivating. Trigger warnings for rape, war and loss of loved ones
Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam trilogy, #1) – Margaret Atwood – 3 stars In four words: strange, fascinating, post-apocalyptic mystery What I liked: This story is strange, but fascinating. It’s clearly set in a future version of our world where things have gone wrong. What exactly happened is slowly revealed. Our main character calls himself Snowman. He’s quite naive and not particularly likable, but his perspective is intriguing. What I disliked: The story evokes many questions, and it takes a while before the reader gets answers. In the meantime I slowly started to lose interest in the book. At the end I felt dissatisfied. The ending was too shallow and I expected more from it. Trigger warnings for forced prostitution, pedophilia, child abuse, animal abuse and loss of loved ones
Winterhouse (Winterhouse, #1) by Ben Guterson – 4 stars In four words: Middle Grade, wintry, bookish mystery What I liked: This enjoyable story is set in Winterhouse, an amazing hotel with a huge library, where I would love to spend the holidays. It reminds me a bit of Hogwarts. In the hotel a mystery takes place and Elizabeth is determined to solve it. I liked that books, puzzles and riddles play a major role in the story. The book also has beautiful illustrations made by Chloe Bristol. What I disliked: Some plot points could have been better developed. Especially the fantasy elements stay a bit vague.
Usually I publish my monthly wrap-ups earlier. I’m a bit late, because I moved (again) this week. I’m so happy with my new house! And especially when I’m busy, I love to sit down with a good book. My favourite book of this month was The Starless Sea. I accidentally found it at my library and immediately loved the story! Below are small reviews of all the books I read during September.
Books I Read
The Black Tides of Heaven (The Tensorate, #1) by Neon Yang – 3 stars In four words: ambitious, fascinating silkpunk fantasy What I liked: The Black Tides of Heaven is the first of four novellas. They are all set in a silkpunk fantasy world where children are non-binary until they choose their own gender. The world is fascinating and was my favourite thing about this book. What I disliked: I think there weren’t enough pages for the story the writer wanted to tell. In just 150 pages the writer introduces a new world, new characters and tells a story that spans 35 years. The writing style also felt a bit detached, as if we as readers are watching from a distance. That’s why I didn’t really feel a strong connection with the characters. Trigger warnings for death of a loved one and murder
The Red Threads of Fortune (The Tensorate, #2) by Neon Yang – 3 stars In four words: interesting, magical monster hunt What I liked: While in The Black Tides of Heaven the focus was more on Akeha, the second part is mostly about his twin sister Mokaya. She went through a lot in the first part. So it was interesting to read more about her. In this part Mokoya is hunting nagas, a kind of giant flying lizards. What I disliked: I still wasn’t able to really empathize with the characters. While Mokoya is an interesting character, she isn’t easy to like. Due to the length of the story, we don’t get a lot of pages to warm up to her. I also would have liked more explanations. I expected that some things about the setting and the magic system would become clearer in this part.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – 5 stars In four words: mysterious, magical, bookish wonderland What I liked: The beginning of this book is a bit strange. It actually starts over three times with three different stories, all of them intriguing. The main story is about Zachary, a soft and kind-hearted book worm I immediately liked. One day he finds a book in the library with details about his own life. This is the beginning of fascinating, dream-like adventure. I absolutely loved the mysteries, magic and books in this story! It feels like a modern version of Alice in Wonderland, but better. What I disliked: The plot can be a bit confusing. At some points the story seemed to be going nowhere. This can be a turn-off for me, but in this book I didn’t mind. I just adored the setting and characters.
The Eight Mountains by Paolo Cognetti – 3 stars In four words: Italian, melancholic, slow, character-driven What I liked: This book is mostly set in the Italian mountains. I liked how Piedro, the narrator, tells about his passion for climbing the mountains. The story was easy to read due to the descriptive writing style. Central in the story is the friendship between Piedro and Bruno. It was interesting to read how their friendship develops over time. What I disliked: I found the book a bit boring. The characters and the plot were okay, but not really captivating. I also missed a more emotional connection to the characters. Trigger warning for death of a loved one
Time for tales and tea 