October Reviews

This month I didn't so much as pick a theme as recognize a pattern and do my best to keep it going. When the first three books I read this month were over 400 I pages, I figured why waste the opportunity, and quickly picked out the other long books I wanted to read this month. And I did so well until the very last book, which has only about 200 pages. Whoops. Although, in my defense, there was less than a week left in the month and I needed something I could finish before November, because NaNoWriMo. And I did, so, victory.

Let's just jump in.

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova

I stumbled my way through this book feeling not great, so I take full responsibility for not enjoying it as much as I might have.

Renata Convida wasn't born to be a weapon, but she was rasied as one. Taken from her family and trained in the palace to use her robari magic for the royal family, only to be rescued and reviled by the rebellious Whispers, Renata is convinced there's no place for her except with the rebel she loves, Dez. But when Dez is captured by the murderous prince, Castian, Renata must face the past she's tried to ignore to save the boy she loves. Desperate for revenge and to prove herself, Renata is flung headfirst into a stealth mission she may not survive, and even if she does, both sides may see her as a traitor, a confirmation that she really has no place to call home.

There was a lot happening in this book. There was a good chunk in the beginning where I was convinced I'd either missed something or picked up the second book in the series by mistake. But it was sorted after a bit, and honestly my confusion was probably rooted in my trying to read while not feeling well.

There were some twists, things I didn't see coming, while other things I was stoked to guess right and have pan out (great use of clues by the author, well done, she laid a good trail). I love a good rebellion story, and this one clearly had a lot of heart and history poured into it. But the worldbuilding was. A Lot. Trying to keep up with the history, magic, and large cast of characters was difficult at times, especially because Renata was such a torn narrator, refusing to trust hardly anyone she met and bogged down by a past she couldn't remember. The magic within the book was fascinating, and I loved the metal element of the power and the different forms it took in Moria. Renata's powers definitely seemed to be the rarest, but I'd have loved to learn more about what the others were capable of too.

There was a big cast of characters, most of whom were either villains or casted Renata as a villain. The few who were kind to her, though, Leo, Nuria, and Sayida, were notable. I enjoyed Renata's interactions with them and the way they helped build the mystery. And there was a lot of mystery and political intrigue, with not everyone who they seemed to be.

The setting for this book, not quite medieval but definitely fantasy offbrand medieval-esque, isn't one l'm a huge fan of, or at least I don't often find myself picking up fantasy books that aren't more modern-ish. This book did it well though, with a definite rift between servants and upper class and a thriving and murderous castle life. Sometimes it felt a bit rushed, especially traveling from one place to the next, but Renata's headspace was sometimes a little busy, so best to keep the travel fast to make time for her inner monologue.

There is at least one more book to follow, but if I'm being totally honest, I don't think I'll keep going with it. Not that the book wasn't compelling or interesting, I think I just can't keep up with it right now, and by the time the book does come out maybe I'll feel differently, or maybe I'll feel the same. Who knows? But if you like magic and rebellion, you may very well like this book.

Similar to Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

I've had this book on my shelf for a while and almost started reading it a dozen times. But something always pulled me to a different book, and I'm really, really glad that I read this book when I did. Now was the time when I needed it.

Eliza Mirk lives her best life online as LadyConstellation, the creator of the massively popular webcomic, Monstrous Sea. Online, she has her friends and fans and best of all, nobody knows its her. In real life, she's a quiet nobody just trying to get through high school. But then a new boy, Wallace, moves to her school, and it turns out he's the most popular fanfiction writer for her comic. As Eliza and Wallace grow closer, the line between who she is online and who she is in person starts to blur, until her two worlds collide with a ferocity that could change Eliza's life forever.

Eliza's relationship with her family and learning to view them as real people was complicated and interesting. She wasn't consciously turning them into caricatures in her head, but I think she was so caught up in the world she had created that they ceased to be real and changing people in her life, even if they continued to grow and change around her. That very distinct line between fiction and reality was something that Eliza kept drawing in the wrong places, unable to see how it kept more people out than she understood. She was a 17 year old girl who probably should have gotten a medical diagnosis for her anxiety much earlier, putting all of her idea of worth into her story and her own anonymity.

Normally we see a lot of talk about the downsides of anonymity and how it supposedly empowers people to be terrible to one another, but Eliza reveled in the protection and positivity it was able to offer her. She could do what she loved without the world breathing down her neck, so much so that it became part of her identity, this hidden, invisible girl, even in real life. This book was as much about her reclaiming and refinding herself as it was about the hidden piece of her eventually exposed.

Her and Wallace's relationship was just. Chef kiss. They were both dealing with their own kind of trauma and loneliness, building the things they loved and trying to find a way to convince their families that the happiness found in that is a good thing. And with that trauma came a very slow build and mutual trust, and Eliza's anxiety surrounding it was not only relatable as a person, but nice to see as a reader, since they weren't using their relationship to fix each other, just to build a support system. And the other characters that Eliza had around her, from her friends Max and Emmy (who was Hilarious, by the way, we love a genius 14 year old) to her brothers Church and Sully were a treasure in their own right, really helping Eliza grow throughout the story. The complex relationships and intricate inner workings of Eliza's mind were very well done. Zappia has a very easy way of dropping the character into you for a while, so you carry her and the story around even between chapters.

The plot itself hit pretty close to me. I am by no means a famous anything, but I do exist on corners of the internet under different names and spend a lot of time creating for both the public and myself. I struggle a lot with the idea that my self worth is tied into my productivity and the things I create. I've spent so long defining myself by what I do that I don't know who I am without it. And that's hard, because that puts a lot of pressure on the act of creation, on the things that I love. It puts a lot of pressure on me, self inflicted pressure that isn't necessary or healthy. Did this book convince me to go to therapy again? Kind of. Maybe. The thought was already there, I think this just gave me the last push. But, whatever. We should probably all be in therapy right now. If you like art and are anxious, try this book and then go to therapy. Maybe you'll like it as much as I did. The book, not the therapy.

Similar to Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

I'm not going to have much coherency in this review, I can already tell, because I loved this book so much it hurt. I've had it on my tbr list forever, until I impulse bought it and then couldn't put it down.

Elliot is not the chosen one, but he is only thirteen when he's given the opportunity to cross to the Borderlands, a magical world full of elves, dwarves, and, best of all, mermaids. He soon meets the beautiful elf Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle and her golden boy friend, Luke, and over the next four years, the three of them become inseparable, facing harpies and trolls and the recognition that growing up in a training camp doesn't necessarily prepare you for war. Filled with witty if often cruel remarks and moments that had me both laughing and nearly in tears, In Other Lands is the queer coming of age fantasy I wish I'd read earlier.

Oh man oh man oh man. This book. This book. I have never laughed out loud or smiled so delightedly while reading a book in forever. Every page was an absolute Delight, and since there were nearly 500 pages I got to be delighted for a while (the problem was that I definitely wanted to spend all my time reading, which is a problem when you're an adult who has to go t work). Elliot is abrasive and blunt and kind of mean, and while that takes some getting used to (and the recognition that I'd most definitely hate him in real life) I grew to really care for Elliot. A lot of that was the beautifully crafted internal realizations Elliot was having between his cutting remarks. We the readers knew that Elliot cared, knew what he really meant to say, even when his prickly armor cut the people he loved. The other two main character, Serene and Luke, were much less blunt but no less wonderful. They all started as awkward thirteen-year olds and became very capable young adults by the end, but they never lost the essence of who their characters were throughout the process.

Elliot, my God, I could talk at length about how Elliot just wanted desperately to be loved but had been left so many times that he was afraid to let anyone in, so he pushed people away, determined to never be anyone's second choice or last resort. He learned a lot about relationships at a young age and grew up really fast, and there's an aspect of that I feel like we don't see in YA fantasy books (does this count as YA or is it more New Adult?), and that's the interaction with peers who don't necessarily understand. Elliot is bisexual, and after a rather disastrous breakup with his "one true love" at fifteen, he ends up in a very unhealthy relationship with an older man, and Elliot is smart enough to know it's a bad idea, but he's hurting and being chosen by someone, even if that someone is a coward looking to manipulate someone. Elliot struggles with a lot of things that he doesn't tell anyone about. He's loud and honest about his opinions of things that don't necessarily matter to him, but the emotional stuff hides in his chest behind that spiky suit of armor. When he does finally let it out, finally starts to show the person who needs it that he actually cares, I could feel a knot if my chest release. Because Elliot hadn't just spent four years learning to be a council person for child soldiers, driving away his peers and obsessing over mermaids, he'd also learned how to let people in, how to leave himself vulnerable when he knew the person wouldn't hurt him. AHHHHH. I want to talk about more specifics but I also don't want to spoil the book anymore than I already have, because genuinely please read this book, it's So Good.

All the characters, really, were fantastic, mostly made so by either the fantasy element or in their hilarious interactions with Elliot, and there wasn't really a true villain in this book, or at least not one who could be considered a big bad. This was a book where there was death and war (mostly off screen, Elliot is a pacifist who refuses to fight), and with that the worry for friends and a fight to be children and adults at the same time. Elliot's mother and father were complicated, both in their own very specific ways, but their treatment of Elliot, their lack of love for him, was similar and frustrating and a thing that Elliot had to carry around inside of him, alone, for a very long time.

The creature interactions in this book were an absolute delight, again, because Elliot is clever and funny and a little bit manipulative. But he was also determined to end the possibility of war so he'd never have to see his best friends die, and if that meant flirting with a mermaid who tried to drown him or learning to speak troll, so be it. Elliot was nothing if not studious and flirty. And that made for a very interesting dynamic, Elliot who saw himself as so unlikable to his peers, managed to get himself laid by four different people over the course of the story. Elliot, when he was willing to show a little tact and care, is a genuinely likable character. And even when his words were cruel, he still did things for people to show he cared (it just didn't help that his cruel words were sometimes very cruel and made the gestures seem like nothing).

And the world building, holy shit! One of the most hilarious bits in this book was learning about all the different creatures and cultures in the Borderlands. Elves saw traditional and conservative gender roles as completely swapped, with the women as crass warriors and the men as delicate flowers, meant to be virtuous until marriage. Serene's comments to Luke and Elliot (along with other characters sometimes) were Absolutely Hilarious, especially because she was the best warrior at training camp and none of the boys could do anything about it. She and Luke had such a great comradery, and she and Elliot, once they settled some things, really were great friends. Elliot could not have gotten himself better friends, even if they did occasionally make him run really fast and make interesting comments on his virtue.

I don't even know what more I can say about this book in this review, because I really, really want to talk about specifics and can't, and also because I stayed up really late last night to finish it and am still having a lot of feelings. I'm just so proud of Elliot you guys, he grew so much in this book and the ending was perfect and the characters were flawed but loved and the book had So Many funny bits and interactions and characters that I just. I already want to read it again, but I want to read more too. If you like witty complicated characters and a fantasy world that explodes technology, I am begging you to read this book. It's just such a good time.

Similar to Harry Potter in a "magic school other world" kind of way, but much closer to TJ Klune's writing style, which y'all know I love

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

For a book about ghosts and murder, My Plain Jane had an almost whimsical and fanciful feel to it.

A retelling of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, My Plain Jane takes a pen to a somewhat disastrous love story and rewrites it to be a story of ghosts, age-appropriate love, and etiquette. Starring Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte, and an agent for the Royal Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits, Alexander Blackwood, this version follows Jane's story with a few additions and changes, including ghosts and a plot to take over the British government. A fun tale full of references and sassy sidenotes, My Plain Jane is an adventure that seems to put the fun in funeral.

Told from three different perspectives, it was really fun to see the characters come together, both for their friendships and for the story plot. Plus, the romance that did happen was sweet, and the friendships even sweeter.

The narrative perspective of this story is somewhat complicated and meta, but that is a reference in and of itself to the original Jane Eyre (clearly these Lady Janes did their research, both literary and historical, and then decided which bits would be fun to use and which ones should be ignored, which, honestly, is how it should be done). Charlotte, Jane, and Alexander take turns being the lead of the chapters, but the narrator, the authors themselves, remain in control the whole time, providing Monty Python-esque quips and addressing the reader directly. It made for a kind of fun and casual relationship with the authors and characters.

I read Jane Eyre in college and didn't like it (RIP my English degree), but I did love all of the references to the original story and seeing the changes made. Knowing the original story made this one better in comparison, and so part of the fun is definitely all the literary easter eggs. The dialogue was witty, the language light and fun, but it all still paid homage to Charlotte Bronte's literary skill, which I will agree is a defining voice in classic literature. And this version fixed all the terrible Mr. Rochester business that made me dislike the original so much (sorry not sorry, Charlotte, he was manipulative and creepy, men should not behave in that manner, no one should).

I also really enjoyed the lore they created about the society and the way ghosts interacted with people, seers, and beacons. I love ghosts in fiction, even if I super don't fuck with them in real life, and it's always delightful to see friendly ghosts in stories, especially when they get to say sarcastic things that only some people can hear. The existence of beacons and creation of seers was fascinating too, and the addition of several mysteries (some of them even murder mysteries) and it feel chaotic in the best way. I love young people with half-assed plans and a lot of confidence. I especially love irreverence for classics and language. Stories are ours to dismantle and recreate.

Overall it was fun to get to revisit these familar characters in a more entertaining and enjoyable way. The Lady Janes have written some other similar books it seems, so I might check out their other stuff too!

Similar to A Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mekenzie Lewis and, of course, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

I splurged on this book because I love cheesy romance, I love fake dating, and I love mutual pining, and what I love most of all is when it's an LGBT story. So this was a delight and a half to read.

Luc O'Donnell, the son of two aging rock stars, has found himself in a bit of a bind. A few too many negative tabloid stories have put his job on the line, and he needs a clean-cut boyfriend to help him clean up his act or risk losing his job and what little remains of his dignity. Enter Oliver Blackwood, who is everything Luc isn't (clean, career-oriented, ethically driven, vegetarian), but who also needs someone to take to a big event. So Luc and Oliver strike up a deal to be fake boyfriends for their respective events and then plan a fake amicable breakup for afterwards. Except, this fake dating starts to feel a lot like real dating, and maybe Luc doesn't want it to end. Trust issues, dung beetles, and several dramatic doorway moments might get in the way, but it might just turn out that Luc can find a real happy ending.

There are so many fun references in this book, from Welcome to Night Vale to Song of Achilles and lots of 80s rock humor, that it felt like a little queer calling card. Oliver and Luc are quirky in their very own different ways, and getting to see their interests and their very different voices clash was fabulous, especially when the two of them start to actually have feelings for each other. And oh man, were there Feelings. I've read quite a bit of fanfiction in my time (I have admitted this previously, this should not be a surprise to anyone) and this had the same sort of hilarious and feel-good warmth of my favorite longform fics.

Luc is such an outspoken narrator, but he admits very little. He's a bit of a dick, but it's a protective shield, and knowing the things that went on internally compared to what he said out loud made him very endearing rather than a whole asshole. Oliver, similar, shifted from annoying in Luc's mind to being looked at with rose-colored glasses, and it was so wonderful to witness their reluctant falling in love. The dialogue for that (and between other characters as well) was Hilarious, and then suddenly very heart warming, and then hilarious again. Several moments in this book just had me laughing out loud with incredulousness at the sheer ridiculousness of some of these moments and characters. Both Luc and Oliver's groups of friends, though very different, were so spectacular and unique in their own way. Luc's coworkers too were just A Time, and I both laughed and cringed at all the moments of Luc dealing with homophobic comments and clients with the (lack of) grace and poise the situation called for.

Hall's writing is witty and cuts deep, looking at romantic and familial relationships. Luc's relationship with his mother is strange and wonderful, especially given his absent father suddenly trying to be in his life again. It was fascinating to learn about Oliver's history and how their two families compared, creating different kinds of trauma and relationship issues. We get dragged along through the wringer with Luc as he and Oliver play a truly heart-wrenching game of will-they-won't-they, and even when you're sure they will, you get hit by a few more won'ts, to the point where I had trouble putting the book down for the last third of the book.

I really did just have a Good Time with this book, and if you like cheesy romances (especially ones of the queer variety) with reluctant friends to lovers, fake dating, and pining, this is the book for you.

Similar to: Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuistan and Royals by Rachel Hawkin

Something Like Gravity by Amber Smith

Chris and Maia are both recovering from different kinds of trauma in a small town in South Carolina. Chris, a transgender boy from New York state, has come to stay with his Aunt Isobel over the summer, after a violent attack last year left him beaten nearly to death. Maia, still reeling from the sudden death of her sister last year, is drowning as she tries to recreate the photographs her sister could have been famous for. When they collide instant sparks fly, but they're both keeping secrets and hiding hurt, and the two of them have to decide how much of themselves they're willing to share.

The language use in this book is absolutely beautiful. Chris and Maia have these very poignant moments of clarity and pain, but also have moments of happiness and love, and their descriptions of both those feelings are all encompassing and big. I could feel them in my chest as I read, a little ball of wanting something good to last for both of them.

Maia and Chris did have similar sounding voices, but I never had too much trouble identifying who was speaking/narrating. And their love story felt a little bit more like an optimistic healing story, a first love that helped both of them recover from their previous trauma, including the stuff they didn't even really know they were processing. And the healing they were able to do with each other opened up their ability to trust and move forward with their friends and family, since both Maia and Chris were dealing with familial trouble as well.

There weren't a lot of other characters in this book, just primarily Chris and Maia, but there were others that came through, family members and friends, a few somewhat not quite enemies. There were several notable interactions though that had a lot of great insight from Chris, who, as a transgender boy, is one of the few people who can recognize the microaggressions and terrifying situations that girls and women go through as well as experience the other side of things, how men can act to either make things worse or actively try to be better. We love a self-aware king trying to be better than the men around him!

I don't have a whole lot for this review, I am admittedly writing it while distracted, it was a beautifully told story and Smith did well with it.

Similar to I WIsh You All The Best by Mason Deaver and We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Our Bloody Pearl by D. N. Bryn

I purchased this book almost on a whim after it had ben recommended to me by a company of all things. It was a quick read and I'm glad I picked it up!

Sirens are the most dangerous creatures in the sea, hunting down pirates and taking down any ships that get too close to their pods. That is, at least, until Captain Kian creates a device that allows humans to block out the sirens' songs, rendering them useless against the violent humans. Perle was one of the first sirens captured by Kian, and after ages of torture and imprisonment, freedom in the form of a human named Dejean feels too good to be true. But with their paralyzed tail and silenced song, Perle is dependent on Dejean for kindness, and after time, it may be possible for trust to grow between them. But with Kian hunting them, Perle knows they will never be safe.

This story is primarily one of healing. Perle has been severely traumatized by Kian, and it takes a lot of convincing for them to even consider trusting Dejean. Dejean too has a rough history of trauma, and the two of them moving forward and learning to trust was such a moving story. Bryn didn't shy away from the violent nature of Kian's treatment of Perle, which really served to contrast the gentle way Dejean gained Perle's trust, through compassion and consent.

The worldbuilding within this story was fascinating, and the combination of machines and fantasy is always a good time. I love a siren song steampunk-esque setting, complete with pirates and secret island coves. It was interesting to learn more about Perle and the way siren society works. They're conversations with Dejean and the language they had to develop to communicate alone was fascinating, and it was cool to witness both parties learning about the other. Occasionally I got a little bogged down by the ocean or mechanism descriptions, trying to figure out exact placement and how things worked, but it was never that much of an issue.

I loved all the representation in this book, from Perle's they/them pronouns and sirens changing their gender at will to the lovely lesbian fiances (Simone and Murielle 4Ever) to the darker and differing skin tones of the characters (we love vitiligo and freckle rep!). The queer relationships were never questioned or treated differently, and Dejeans frank conversation with Perle about gender and pronoun was respectful and inclusive. I loved, loved, LOVED their conversation at the very end of the book (with a surprise asexual reveal that made me so, so delighted. Happy Ace Week to me!) And, without too many spoilers, Perle's disabled tail and the subsequent aids they learned to use seemed to have been handled very well.

There should probably be some sort of warning for violence and graphic descriptions, since there are some instances of torture and sirens actively eating people. But it was nothing overwhelming or too bad, I would probably rank it as mild, if there was a ranking for such a thing (there probably is, just don't read enough gore to know about it). There was good pacing between the action and violence and at the core of it this was really a story about recovery. Overall it was an enjoyable story about healing and community, and best of all, sirens and pirates.

Similar to The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember

October was a bit of a wild month full of really good books, and while I probably won't get as much reading done next month (because NaNoWriMo), I am looking forward to the books I have on my shelf and seeing how they inspire my own writing.

Keep writing, friends!

Sam

Literary Recommendation: As I Descended by Robin Talley

Media Recommendation: Julie and The Phantoms (2020) dir. Kenny Ortega