
Finished releasing the last of the Valentine's Day bakery treats with this chocolate chip cookie cake.
I can't believe I put down the tagged book (I'm obsessed!!) long enough to bake and post on social today!
Finished releasing the last of the Valentine's Day bakery treats with this chocolate chip cookie cake.
I can't believe I put down the tagged book (I'm obsessed!!) long enough to bake and post on social today!
At its core, this is a book about a mother trying to save her son against a system that wants them dead and gone. She happens to be a book eater, a being who eats books, internalizes the words and gains the knowledge inside. That is sustenance, normal food doesn't do it for them.
The core story is interesting, jumping between periods of Devin's life. I wish we had more details about book eaters, where they came from, and an epilogue.
I've had the tagged book on my TBR for a while and couldn't resist picking it up at the library. It's competing with my current ARC for all my attention!
Thinking about adding flour tortillas to my menu so I made some last night for shrimp tacos.
All little children are beautiful. Adults, not so much. We‘ve done too many things in our lives to be beautiful.
βBe strong, love, and don‘t let βem see y‘ cry. It‘ll all be reet in the end.β
I've got to assume it's the writing that worked for me here because there's so much about this book that I shouldn't/didn't like. There's something about a dual time period told story that really endears me to short chapters - you don't feel like you're slogging along too long without hearing from the other parallel narrative, especially when one is filling in blanks for the other, but a bit too handmaid's tale for my taste overall. 1/?
Imagine if words and stories had their own textures and flavors. In this creative thriller, there is a mythical race called Book Eaters who subsist by literally eating books. The words on the pages they eat stay with them, but they are unable to write anything themselves. A whole world of knowledge you can eat without ever being able to pass along your own. I thoroughly enjoyed this twist on a vampiric society living in the shadows.
This introvert is feeling a lot of kinship with this wording: "civilization's hard neon edges...lack of bodies created a vacuum of calm."
On its surface, this is a pretty fantastic upgrade to the traditional βvampire story.‘ Going deeper it‘s also a fantastic discussion on breaking the mould and finding your own way, whether it‘s your family, sexuality or sense of self. A complex read, with a fantastic fantasy adventure.
βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈ
This is not the book for those who need characters that they like. This is a story about monsters surviving when they are pushed to interact with humans. I found the premise interesting, and the characters intriguing, but the plot wasn‘t very compelling. Overall, I am glad that I read it for the world building and the engaging perspective.
Ok, I‘m liking this book so far BUT, if I were a book eater I can‘t see myself starting with the spine of a book. You know that feeling when something is off-centre and you need to fix it, or when a crease is in the wrong spot... That itchy feeling when your socks heel and toe are in the wrong position on your foot. That‘s how the book eating is feeling to me π¬
These days, Devon only bought three things from the shops: books, booze, and Sensitive Care skin cream.
#firstlinefridays
#currentlyreading
11-20-22: My 116th finished book of 2022! Loved this one. Devon is a book eater, she comes from an old secret family of book eaters, people who consume books as their source of food but also retain all the knowledge that comes from it. Devon starts as a princess with a family of brothers, uncles and aunts, but turns out to be a bad ass Mom who would do anything for her kids. Her chosen family surpasses her related one. βοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈβοΈπ#οΈβ£1οΈβ£1οΈβ£6οΈβ£
11-19-22: Enjoying some outdoor reading this afternoon πβοΈ
What a Strange read but i am loving it
On my final book for #20in4 easily acieved 20+ hours reading goal. Books finished over the weekend
Disability Visibility - 4 βοΈ
The Virago book of witches - 4 βοΈ
The Blackhouse - 3.5 βοΈ
The nature of witches - 3 βοΈ Loved the nature writing but loathed the repetitive tendencies
The Book Eaters - great so far, I'm off to finish it
Thanks for hosting @Andrew65
Happy Halloween! This day is almost always dreary in PA. Good thing I have a fantastic #litsypenpal that always brightens my day with goodies. She is the best! There are four spooky books, a pumpkin candle, a scare-tea cat tea diffuser, Jack bookmark, a Jack and Sally crochet kit, and lots of yummy candy. A beautiful doggie card too. The cat came separately. πΊ Thanks a bunch @Litlady for making my Halloween special and spooky!!! π»
A unique dark fairy tale with a lot to say about trauma, motherhood, family, tradition, stories, and patriarchy; a vampire-esque story with a bookish twist and queer characters. Yes: they do actually eat books. This is a book big on ideas/plot, rather than characters. I would have liked a little more attention to the characters' emotional interiors and relationships. Devon's story of ruthless motherly love is left distinctly unfinished. Sequel?
Loved this one! I mean, book vampires β of course I did! π§π»ββοΈ
#wicked #ominousoctober
#teamslaughter
When all your pre-ordered books this year arrive at once, because of GB to EU shipping stuff.
Which one should I start?
A dark fairytale about family. #books #family #motherhood
Maybe it was my mistake, listening to a dark fantasy after just finishing one, but this book failed to hold my attention. I found myself drifting away, then having to rewind the audio to figure out where I was in the story. Interesting premise, but its not the book for me right now.
This is a wild ride, but a great read! Devon grows up as a member of the Family , a clan of human-like folk who survive by eating books. Women are in short supply and, although they grow up like princesses, they are sold into marriage contracts to produce children. Devon‘s 2nd child is a mutant mind-eater who must consume brains and memories two survive. She refuses to give him up to a horrible fate, challenging, and changing the Family forever.
Swung by my beloved Waterstones today and *ahem* made a few purchases.
After seeing some very positive reviews, I decided that I needed Babel right away #blameitonlitsy
The book off-screen is Entitled by Kate Manne.
Still have quite a few books in my Waterstones Online basket π€ To buy or not to buy... that is the question.
P.S. if anyone didn't see my post before about the mystery book I'm trying to identify... please check it out ππ
βThese days, Devon only bought three things from the shops: books, booze, and Sensitive Care skin cream.β
#greatread
Can't believe it took me this long to actually read Carmilla. I loved it!! I especially loved Carmen Maria Machado's footnotes and intro. I would highly recommend this edition!
The Book Eaters was another vampiric delight! The MC was so strong -- I loved that she was not your typical "princess" and that the narrative showed her really struggling with the horror of certain choices.
#superseptember @Andrew65
Finally well enough to go out with my boys and the weather is perfect! Just a bit breezy and not yet cold. The park by my house has an excellent playground AND lots of shade, a surprisingly difficult thing to find around here. Fall is my fav!! π #superseptember
This book was quite the trip merging science fiction/fantasy in the world of fables. Sometimes the mention of current devices like mobiles and Playstation playing against an antiquated setting pulled me out of the story.
But imagine how fast I could get through my 3000 book tbr if I could eat them ;)
Creative, modern twist on vampires blending gothic & contemporary. A medieval feel meshed with present technology in an odd, but well-crafted juxtaposition. Dark, twisted, & gripping. Highly misogynistic plot that created some stomach-turning content & great social commentary. The book element wasn't explored as thoroughly as hoped, but was a creative setup. The magical world did not disappoint. A strong & intriguing debut.
Ooooo, this was fun! Old secret families who eat books as sustenance, but also absorb the knowledge of the pages they eat. There‘s a gene mutation that results in a kind-of vampire who craves human brains, called mind-eaters, and eating someone‘s mind results in absorbing their knowledge and life experience.
A fantasy/thriller/horror story that‘s mostly about parenthood and chosen family. I loved it!
#kindledailydeal
Worth a read at 99p.
Signed & numbered special edition from The Broken Binding. A lovely book deserved a lovely SE! I enjoyed this book. I need a bookshelf β¦ books are stacked everywhere π©
Anyone who loves to read will be captivated by this story centered on the concept of books as actual food, overlaid with what turns out to be a pretty harrowing & dark tale. Deanβs writing is some of the best Iβve read this year β tight and descriptive then flowing and expansive β all coming together in a whopper of a story.
And of course I had to grab this as well today, because I am completely incapable of going into the bookstore for only one item! π€£πβ€οΈπ
Thank you @TrishB and @scripturient for nudging me towards this book.
Really enjoyed the concept of the book. It's a very new twist on vampire stories.
Devon is an adorable single mum character trying to save her son. She felt very real to me.
There might be a lot of the author/author's life in the story?
Full review on my blog: scepticalreading.com/2022/09/a-new-spin-on-vampire-books/
#20in4 #readathon @Andrew65
Finished Moon Called last night and just picked the next book on my Kindle. I liked Always, in December, but the last chapters were tough - even though I knew what was coming.
Now The Book Eaters, because those enablers (@scripturient and @TrishB) made me get it. π
#20in4 #readathon @Andrew65
#Movie2BookRecs @klou
Prompt: Monsters Inc
Bk1 of #20in4 #readathon is done. I actually finished this a few hours ago but we babysat our handful of a grandson tonight! I enjoyed this story, it‘s strange, creepy & a little bit morbid. What a great comboπA unique take on the βcreatureβ genre, it also has common themes of what a mother will do to save her child. Even when the child is classed as a monster. Highly highly recommendπ #BookspinBingo
It‘s #newbook & #newyarn day!π Isn‘t the yarn gorgeous? It‘s LITLG sock called βFireflyβ, some MadTosh merino light called βDeathly Hallowsβ( I‘m getting some Dumbledores Phoenix nextπ«Ά)& Belissimo 8ply βButterβ. And the book! It‘s brilliant so far. I opened it to read the 1st page & am now 107pgs in already. I love autistic authors, they write the best weirdest, imaginative stories I‘ve ever read. Highly recommend alreadyππ #LitsyCrafters
Screenshot of my GR review, I was way over the Litsy character limit π . Love love LOVED