soph (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sophia_sol) wrote2016-04-14 08:53 pm
sophia_sol) wrote2016-04-14 08:53 pm
Three books
Okay, here's some really brief reviews of the latest three books I've read. (...you'll notice I haven't been posting a lot of book reviews of late. This is because I haven't been reading a lot of books. It's weird and it sucks and I hate it and I don't know how to fix it. I've only read 4 books, one of which is novella-length, since the beginning of 2016!)
The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison
Writing reviews of books that I unreservedly love everything about is a lot harder than writing books where I have complaints. Especially writing reviews of a reread of a book I love. What is there to say?
Well, here's something. After I finished rereading this book, I was trying to think about what I like so much about it. And I mean there are lots of things, both big overarching things and lots of small choices that were made, that all come together and add up to why I love it to the degree I do. But one thing I realized is.....its main theme has a surprising amount in common with my perennial feel-good reread, The Blue Castle.
THIS SURPRISED ME TOO. But! Both are about a person who finds cause to escape the loveless household they've grown up in, end up in a situation where they finally have scope to use their capabilities, and end the book by finally feeling secure that there are people who actually deeply care about them. Sounds good to me! A storyline I will happily read lots of.
The Seventh Bride, by T. Kingfisher
T. Kingfisher is a penname for Ursula Vernon, to keep her books for adults distinct from her books for kids. As Kingfisher she tends to write fairy tale retellings. This one is more or less a retelling of Bluebeard, though with fewer dead women, which is always nice.
I loved how the interplay between Rhea and the other wives made for the most important relationships in the book. And I loved the depth of complexity that Maria ended up having, more than I expected her to!
I don't seem to have a lot else to say about this book though. It was good and I liked it, the end? I guess?
The Terracotta Bride, by Zen Cho
I loved it and had a lot of feelings! And I wish I'd written more down immediately after finishing because I can no longer remember my thoughts in enough detail to write a more comprehensive review than this!
The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison
Writing reviews of books that I unreservedly love everything about is a lot harder than writing books where I have complaints. Especially writing reviews of a reread of a book I love. What is there to say?
Well, here's something. After I finished rereading this book, I was trying to think about what I like so much about it. And I mean there are lots of things, both big overarching things and lots of small choices that were made, that all come together and add up to why I love it to the degree I do. But one thing I realized is.....its main theme has a surprising amount in common with my perennial feel-good reread, The Blue Castle.
THIS SURPRISED ME TOO. But! Both are about a person who finds cause to escape the loveless household they've grown up in, end up in a situation where they finally have scope to use their capabilities, and end the book by finally feeling secure that there are people who actually deeply care about them. Sounds good to me! A storyline I will happily read lots of.
The Seventh Bride, by T. Kingfisher
T. Kingfisher is a penname for Ursula Vernon, to keep her books for adults distinct from her books for kids. As Kingfisher she tends to write fairy tale retellings. This one is more or less a retelling of Bluebeard, though with fewer dead women, which is always nice.
I loved how the interplay between Rhea and the other wives made for the most important relationships in the book. And I loved the depth of complexity that Maria ended up having, more than I expected her to!
I don't seem to have a lot else to say about this book though. It was good and I liked it, the end? I guess?
The Terracotta Bride, by Zen Cho
I loved it and had a lot of feelings! And I wish I'd written more down immediately after finishing because I can no longer remember my thoughts in enough detail to write a more comprehensive review than this!