Reading Update

[jaggedwolf]

Weirdly reading way more this year than the last? Decided to catch up on posting while CritRole plays in the background.

Code Name Verity - Elizabeth E. Wein

Literally all I knew going in was that it was not gay, and while that is indeed true, I was very much sold on and sucker-punched by the ending. A very rude book, would definitely watch and cry at a movie adaptation, why doesn't one exist already? I'm very fond of both protagonists and yet feel no need to read any of the other books in this universe - the selling point really was their friendship and their quick-thinking at various points, and that leaves me content with this book alone.

(Also the part of me that's always yelling "MAKE IT GAY" cannot deal with the fact that one of them marries the other's brother in one of those sequel books, apparently. That's depressing. )

Nimona - Noelle Stevenson

Decided I should check out Stevenson's original friends-to-enemies-to-lovers work, and it was a pretty cute graphic novel. Ballister was unsurprisingly my fave - resigned about his lot, bitter at how it came about, vitalized by both science and the sudden entrance of Nimona. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I enjoyed how Nimona's arc played out, the different ways her past was re-told.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz

A slow, soft read that left me wanting more at the end. I ended up being way more attached the parents than either of the two boys, and finding it very sweet the way they were trying, sometimes beyond their own limitations, especially Ari's father.

Guns of August - Barbara W. Tuchman

So, uh, I know way more about WWI now than I did before. Much like the Grant book this was a firehose of information wrangled into a narrative, except I had even less of a foothold thanks to knowing like, zero European history. Anyway, Tuchman's really good at explaining the personality and political conflicts between the various leaders, and how that impacted the decisions made.

I'm also debating whether or not I want to sign-up for Fandom5k - on one hand, deadline pressure, on the other hand, motivation to finish something.

Comments

[belacqua]

Code Name Verity is so good and so satisfying! I definitely think it's gonna get a movie adaptation one of these days. I've only heard bad things about the sequel, so that's probably a good call there.

I had a weird reaction to Aristotle and Dante where I also had trouble getting attached to the kids? So I'm glad it's not just me. The parents were very real though.

And you should sign up for fandom5k! I believe in you. /someone who hasn't signed up for an exchange in literal years

(Just gonna keep using my Spencer icon because it's a Mood and also a common fandom.)

[jaggedwolf]

I stayed up till 2am on a work night to finish Code Name Verity, it was so gripping. Good (bad?) to hear about the sequel, I guess. And yeah, it's weird reading a YA book and finding myself more interested in the parents.

I probably will end up signing up for Fandom5k, I just need to figure out what I want to offer other than TSCOSI and Critical Role. Probably some tiny podcast/visual novel fandoms.

(Seeing Spencer is always a positive, so I approve. I am too lazy to ever add more icons than my default one.)

[walkthegale]

Code Name Verity!!! There's a pub round the corner from my friend's house called "Kiss Me Hardy", and not a one of us who have read that book can walk past it without wanting to cry.

I have a copy of Nimona that has been sitting on my bookshelf for ages now, and I really need to get round to reading it!

[jaggedwolf]

Wow, having to see a pub with that name constantly would make me feel very attacked.

You should give a Nimona a read - I get through graphic novels quickly because I'm bad at lingering on panel backgrounds, but with that caveat I tore through it in a single evening. It's pretty cute.