it is, but that's ok
Reviews and Comments
I'll read just about anything that catches my eye, especially if there's an audiobook of it!
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Jules finished reading This Is Not a Book about Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan
Jules finished reading Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia by David Graeber
Jules reviewed Ghost Music by An Yu
Jules rated Book of Difficult Fruit: 4 stars
Book of Difficult Fruit by Kate Lebo
A is for Aronia, berry member of the apple family, clothes-stainer, superfruit with reputed healing power. D is for Durian, …
Jules reviewed Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Jules reviewed Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty
Jules reviewed Love and Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
Cooking up romance
5 stars
I cannot say enough good things about this book. The characters are lovable and flawed and so relatable. Their romance feels refreshingly real, while still being fluffy and a little sexy. The ending works so beautifully and the setting of the cooking show is just a lot of fun. It was the perfect distraction. I used to think romance just wasn't the genre for me, but this book has changed my mind. It's kind of amazing what good representation can do.
Recommended for: anyone who loves romance and cooking shows, especially if you love a good tsundere.
Jules reviewed Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Magical History Tour
5 stars
I have literally had a copy of this book since it came out and was finally able to read it through the magic of audiobooks. The narrator is very good and does distinct character voices that made it much easier to follow and digest. The book itself was very enjoyable, as long novels often are, once you really get into them. There is A LOT of world building and detail, and the characters were mutlifaceted and interesting and the language surrouning faerie and magic was very evocative. Highly recommended.
Jules reviewed Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore
A Great Gatsby?
4 stars
Full disclosure: I've started but never finished The Great Gatsby multiple times. It just hasn't clicked for me yet. So, I have no real connection to the source material other than the retellings and the movie. What drew me to this initially, was the author, Anna-Marie McLemore. Their book, Lakelore, was a really good and fantastical portrayal of struggling to come to terms with the parts of yourself you'd rather keep hidden, while simultaneously being an uplifting story of queer found family and care. I was hoping this would be the same, and I was not disappointed. If anything, the themes are even stronger in Self-Made Boys. It has some of my favorite tropes of found family and mutual pining, while exploring the consequences of multiple types of passing. I really appreciate that McLemore touched on the character's relationships to the war, as well. That's something that has often been …
Full disclosure: I've started but never finished The Great Gatsby multiple times. It just hasn't clicked for me yet. So, I have no real connection to the source material other than the retellings and the movie. What drew me to this initially, was the author, Anna-Marie McLemore. Their book, Lakelore, was a really good and fantastical portrayal of struggling to come to terms with the parts of yourself you'd rather keep hidden, while simultaneously being an uplifting story of queer found family and care. I was hoping this would be the same, and I was not disappointed. If anything, the themes are even stronger in Self-Made Boys. It has some of my favorite tropes of found family and mutual pining, while exploring the consequences of multiple types of passing. I really appreciate that McLemore touched on the character's relationships to the war, as well. That's something that has often been glossed over when people write about the roaring 20s.
I will say, the book is not subtle about some of the topics, but it's a ya novel, so it doesn't need to be. There were also points when I literally said out loud "Oh Nick, nooooo," because he was being almost unrealistically dense. However, the characters manage to be suprisingly layered, the twists made to the familiar story are well-done, and the ending is satisfying and kind. So, I can forgive a little lack of subtlety and some narrative induced foolishness.
The narrators for the audiobook really nail their characters, too. Avi Roque is a fav and they don't dissapoint here, taking on a number of characters with variety and skill, while, Kyla Garcia really nails Daisy, embuing her with a confidence that sometimes comes off as self-assured to a fault, but never totally unlikeable.
Highly recommended for any readers of ya who like a good remix of a classic, especially one that makes everything 100% gayer. If you enjoy the format, definitely listen to the audiobook.
Jules reviewed I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong
What do animals see?
5 stars
This was utterly fantastic. It's the kind of book that reminds you that there is so much mystery and wonder in the world and so much that we still do not know. The structure was very forgiving, moving from senses that are easier to imagine to sense humans don't have, and in the case of magnetoreception, don't even really understand. The pop culture references were pretty great, too. How can I not love a book that makes a totally pertinant reference to Toph Beifong? I highly recommend the audiobook version. The author really nails it with a dynamic reading that also manages to be calming without being boring.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the natural world and different perceptions of reality. Just be aware that there is a chapter on pain. It talks about the ethical implications of causing harm to study pain, but by its nature, it discusses …
This was utterly fantastic. It's the kind of book that reminds you that there is so much mystery and wonder in the world and so much that we still do not know. The structure was very forgiving, moving from senses that are easier to imagine to sense humans don't have, and in the case of magnetoreception, don't even really understand. The pop culture references were pretty great, too. How can I not love a book that makes a totally pertinant reference to Toph Beifong? I highly recommend the audiobook version. The author really nails it with a dynamic reading that also manages to be calming without being boring.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the natural world and different perceptions of reality. Just be aware that there is a chapter on pain. It talks about the ethical implications of causing harm to study pain, but by its nature, it discusses some things that an animal lover might find hard to listen to. It's an important chapter, but not integral to the book, if you're not up for it when you read.
Jules finished reading Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Jules rated Gideon the Ninth: 5 stars
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
"The Emperor needs necromancers.
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.
Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more …
Jules rated Harrow the Ninth: 5 stars
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
19 hours 50 minutes, Unabridged
Jules rated Nona the Ninth: 5 stars
Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Tamsyn Muir’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Locked Tomb series continues with Nona … the Ninth? In many …