pickWhat a nice story! Not an over the top story, but the heroine finds victory in some unexpected ways as she learns she is worth more than the nothing her family wants her to believe.
33 likes1 stack add
Gods of Jade and Shadow | 
pickWhat a nice story! Not an over the top story, but the heroine finds victory in some unexpected ways as she learns she is worth more than the nothing her family wants her to believe.
pickIntriguing: fantasy isn‘t my preferred genre but I enjoyed this, especially as an intro to Mayan traditional beliefs. I found the romantic thread and the intro to the alternative world a bit hard to swallow, but the strong realist young woman had me on side. #ReadingtheAmericas2023 #Mexico
#12Booksof2022
@Andrew65
May's Pick was a #LMPBC read in May. This was the only book I read in May, but still enjoyable.
Last #Bookspin 2022
1. We Measure the Earth
2. Under Undala Trees
3. Seeing Ghosts
4. Finding the Mother Tree
5. New Jim Crow
6. Permanent Astonishment
7. Wayward Lives
8. How Much of these Hills
9. Savage Detectives
10. Seven
11. Gods of Jade and Shadow
12. The Mountains Sing
13. You are your best thing
14. Night Tiger
15. Rememberings
16. My Grandmother‘s Hands
17. Matrix
18. Kiss the Red Stairs
19. Beekeeper of Aleppo
20. People Love Dead Jews
pickI first read this a few years ago when it came out, it was the first Silvia Moreno-Garcia book I read and I loved it. Listening to it on audio for a reread I still love this book and am glad to have reread it as I had forgotten so many of the ins and outs of the book. #AuthorAMonth
pickI started out trying to read Velvet Is The Night for #AuthorAMonth but totally couldn‘t get into it and bailed early on. I loved Mexican Gothic when I read it last year though, so I wasn‘t just ready to write off Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I switched to this and enjoyed it but not enough to justify all the hype when it first came out IMO. It had a bit of that early novel feel, so I checked to see if it was her first, & she published 6 before this oneβ¬οΈ
pickWhy do I read when all it does is make me cry? On that noteβ¦ excellent book 15 out of 10 stars. But like I said. Cried. π
bailedUnfortunately I couldn‘t get into this one. I‘m going to try one more by her (The Beautiful Ones) before I decide she‘s just not for me.
#AuthorAMonth
pickCan't believe it took me so long to finally read this gorgeous mythology-inspired Sylvia Moreno-Garcia fantasy novel. A young woman in 1920s Mexico working as a servant for her wealthy grandfather opens a box of bones that turn out to belong to a Mayan god. Now, she must help him reclaim his throne in the underworld, Xibalba, or die. So beautifully written and full of fascinating characters and worldbuilding.
Audrey & Zero (& I) are so excited about our #FallingForFallSwap #FFF package π thank you @Nessavamusic I love everything, the candle & tea smell so good & I‘m so excited for ALL the books but especially Gods of Jade and Shadow! And the book sleeve is so pretty!
pickI love Silvia Moreno-Garcia‘s books. There‘s always so much history and nuance in it. You can rly get a sense for how thing were during that era in Mexico. Well, I guess not that much since it‘s not the focus of the book, but it‘s still fascinating, especially paired with her world building (along with the mythology) and her characters.
pickA little slow at times, but overall pretty good.
pickI‘m giving this a borderline pick. Inspired by Mexican folklore/fairy tales, it is a story of girl who accidentally frees a God and goes on a quest to restore him to power. It‘s borderline as it was quite slow in pace and the dialog was awkward at times. Also, I would not recommend the audiobook, the narrator was just ok and it was hard to tell characters apart. 3.5βοΈ
#bookspin pick done!
#roll100 2nd done!
Next up on Kindle! I've been meaning to read this for several years.
pickI LOVED this one so much! I loved the world, plot and characters that Silvia created. The writing was phenomenal. It even played on my emotions. This one had it all for me!
@mklong I already mailed it out this afternoon π€
Free Space for #BookSpinBingo
I know we‘re behind in the books so as soon as I‘m done with this I will mail it off right away π€
so-soMay was awful for reading much of anything. I just barely finished this one up in May, and it is the only book I finished.
#LMPBC @magyklyXdelish @mklong @shadowfat
I will try to get this sent off tomorrow when I am not working.
#LMPBC @Shadowfat @mklong @magyklyXdelish
Ladies life has taken me on a ride and I have not had much motivation to read recently.
I am just starting this book, but will hopefully finish it up this week.
Sorry I have had it for a while and not gotten to it.
Look what I got in the mail yesterday. @Shadowfat @mklong @magyklyXdelish
pickI didn't love this book but I do enjoy how it ended. I just wish it had been a little bit faster paced. Sorry it took so long @cwarnier . I'll go to the post office tomorrow. It was good timing, I got the next book from @mklong in the mail today π @magyklyXdelish #lmpbc group Q
Just checking in, as I have not gotten an April book yet.
@shadowfat @magyklyXdelish @mklong
pickI was never really interested in mythology growing up but I have enjoyed all of the mythology re-imaginings that I've read recently. I will definitely read more of Sylvia Moreno-Garcia's books! 4βοΈ
pickI enjoyed this, just not quite as much as Mexican Gothic. I think I was hoping for more out of the setting, it wasn't as immersive as I envisioned from the blurb on the back and I didn't really buy the romance. Overall still a unique tale in a world I would have liked to dive a little deeper into. #pop22 #popsugar #latinxauthor
Big comfy chair/chaise longue/bed and a bowl of peanut M&Ms, preferably. A blanket and/or a warm drink is optional but nice. 80% done with the tagged ebook for #bookspin. (Hun-Kamé would suggest a cup of hot chocolate, I‘m sure.)
pickI really enjoyed this one. The narrator was great and I especially loved the protagonist‘s arc. She went from being a naïve, bitter girl to a selfless, independent young woman. I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building inspired by Mayan mythology and folklore. The author painted a vivid picture, and the ending wrapped everything up where you can envision endless, wonderful possibilities for the MC going forward.
Sorry it's taken me so long to find options Group Q! I have a lot more BOTM books than I thought! Let me know what sounds best! I have plenty more to choose from if no one likes these. #lmpbc @magyklyXdelish @mklong @cwarnier
ββ¦There is none more fearful of thieves than the one who has stolen something, and a kingdom is no small something.β
My current Audible listen. I seem to go through phases with audiobooks. I‘ll somehow find these intriguing stories with eloquent or exciting narrators and listen nonstop for a few weeks, and then I hit a snag and can‘t find any that hold my interest. I just started this one today so hopefully I can keep going with it.
pickReally nice book, quick read, liked the imagery and engaging.
so-soπππEnjoyable if slow & frustrating at points. The dialogue can get stilted & wooden & not provide any feeling in certain parts. Overall intriguing though some may find it easy to put down. Descriptive in some parts but bland in others. Characters aren‘t wholly likable & are pushed through some quest parts. Will be putting in my classroom library - a younger reader may really like this.
This is probably my favorite book that I‘ve read from this author so far. The ending left some things to be desired for me personally but I loved the story and the characters.
pickI enjoyed this book, although it felt more like romance with strong fantasy elements. I felt like there wasn't much that surprised me, but I did thoroughly enjoy the direction the ending took.
@Pogue TY so much for this fun swap pkg! I‘ve already opened the JoeJoes & YUM!! The vampire book sounds hilarious & I‘ve never heard of it! Gods of Jade was on my TBR π The fridge poetry is super cool & I think it‘s going to be a big hit around our house π I‘ve never heard of this game, but we absolutely love games in our house! TY for all the items & putting together a fun pkg for me! Happy new year!
#Bestof2021Swap hosted by @candority
pickLike a 4.5 stars. This book was pretty good. I loved that it felt very personal for me, being Hispanic. I love that Casiopea mirrors a lot of my own thoughts when it comes to the Hispanic culture and our own indigenous roots that have seem to have gotten lost to Catholicism. I love Casiopea's rebellion towards the traditional sexism in Mexican culture and I saw myself in her character. I loved the romance as well.
They were quiet and they were foolish, both of them, thinking they were treading with any delicacy, and that if they somehow moderated their voices they‘d stop the tide of emotion. The things you name grow in power, but others that are not ever whispered claw at one‘s heart anyway, rip it to shreds even if a syllable does not escape the lips. The silence was hopeless in any case, since something escaped the god, anyway: a sigh to match the girl‘s
pick4/5 βοΈ I enjoyed this book so much more than Mexican Gothic! Based on Mexican folklore featuring the gods of death. Loved the magic and adventure! If there were no animal sacrifices then this would have been a five star read.
This was my bookspin book for November.
#FoodandLit Mexico π²π½
#20in4 #bookspinbingo
After all the cooking for Thanksgiving, I'm tired! I think reading in bed all weekend sounds like the perfect way to relax!
Planning to finish Gods of Jade and Shadow for #FoodandLit
And get started on Little Women
Thanks for hosting Andrew! π #20in4
A magical Mexican folktale turned novel β¨The Mayan God of Death entwined with a human for a life saving, emotional, relational, adventure.
#BookReport I‘ve been visiting family so the storytelling has been coming from my dad, uncle and aunt rather than books. Siblings who were born in Arkansas and moved to central Washington as youngsters. Full of trials and tribulations, southern meals, lots of laughs. I did finish my #DoubleSpin Garden Spells 4 π and Gods of Jade and Shadow for #Booked2021 3.5 π
Some people are born under a lucky star, while others have their misfortune telegraphed by the position of the planets.
Starting this one today for #Booked2021
#FirstLineFridays
bailedI couldn‘t get into the story. Maybe because it feels a bit as a retell of a fairy tale and I am not fond of those. I didn‘t feel like The world the author created was convincing and real so I lost interest
pickThis was fantastic! Absolutely speculative fiction, but the protagonist was so strong, not a damsel in distress, that I was carried into the fantasy with real gusto. First story id read about Mayan myths - hopefully not the last
pickI haven‘t come across much Mayan folklore, so I had no knowledge of the story this was spun from. Now I want to know all about Popol Vuh. This book was enjoyable. An epic quest, a slow burn love story, travel, heroes and demons, it has a bit of everything. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but liked the book regardless. #lennox #catsoflitsy #readharder2021
pickThink Greek hero journey but with Mexican mythology.
Casiopea, living as a servant in her grandfather‘s house, opened a forbidden chest and accidentally resurrected Hun-Kamé, one of the gods of the underworld. Her need for adventure and fear for her life has her following the god across Mexico in his quest to retake his throne from his treacherous brother.
pickExcellent read. Garcia Moreno has a way with words that is easy and lyrical at the same time. Not a long novel. Easily read in a day. That's good though, no getting lost in side plots.
On a quick trip to Michigan to visit all the parents. Have a delightful, quiet hour to myself between plans and am happy to spend it with this book. Enjoy the weekend, y‘all!!
