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Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods
Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods | Catherynne M. Valente
15 posts | 5 read | 10 to read
When his mother accidentally kills a Quidhunk in the woods, Osmo Unknown must embark on a quest to find the Eightpenny Woods--the mysterious kingdom where all wild forest creatures go when they die--and make amends.
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review
Robotswithpersonality
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Mehso-so

That was a lot MORE than I expected it to be. More world-building, more discourse, more mature. I think it tried to do a little too much for me to think of it as a favourite, but for all the things it tried to do and those it succeeded at, I appreciate it. Loved cranky companion, word puns/portmanteaux, absurd creatures. Enjoy seeing books promoting compassion and even qualifying happily ever after. Watch out for body horror.😬

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Robotswithpersonality
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From the delightfully absurd to the poetically observant in a single page. LOVE the writing.

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Robotswithpersonality
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I aspire to this level of cranky; it's hilarious. 😆

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Robotswithpersonality
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"...and a bobcat's your emotionally distant uncle."

What a glorious update to an old turn of phrase! ?

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Robotswithpersonality
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Aaaannnd here we have a cornerstone of what is wrong with the modern education system. Teachers way more interested in obedience then being challenged, then dialogue/discussion/disagreement, then acknowledging when a child gets it right, beyond what the text provided in class might say. 🙎🏼‍♂️

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review
monalyisha
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Pickpick

Valente‘s books always have a deep undercurrent. This time, it‘s empathy & connection; the fluidity & complexity of being; and the cycle of creation & destruction. It might sound mean to say that my favorite part of this book is the acknowledgments…but if, like me, you‘ve read Osmo Unknown from cover to cover, then you understand. The book is lovely (if a bit jam-packed). The acknowledgements, though, are *gorgeous* — tender, inspiring, & timely.

monalyisha Note: The story lagged for me a bit, in the middle, when I found myself comparing it to the Fairyland books. I was a bit distracted by the similarities, tbh. But this is a different story, ultimately (despite the similarities) — and I found it perfectly delightful, vulnerable, & hopeful. (edited) 2y
Clare-Dragonfly I absolutely adored the acknowledgements. 2y
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monalyisha
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Honestly, how powerful was James Joyce‘s writing that I can‘t read these two words together without thinking of his short story, “The Dead”, from Dubliners?

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monalyisha
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“The history of every person is the history of the love they‘ve known and the hate they‘ve grown.”

monalyisha 📸: hand-fasting at our wedding 2y
slategreyskies I love this picture! 🥰 2y
55 likes2 comments
review
Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

I waffled between a Pick and a So-So. It‘s crammed full of delightfulness, as Valente‘s books always are, but it felt a bit too… crammed full. (Autocorrect wanted me to write “delightful mess,” which is a good way to describe this book.) I enjoyed it but wanted more. I never could really feel the characters deeply, and it seemed like some threads got dropped. But it was a lot of fun! And heartwarming, and about stories!

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monalyisha
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“What is that smell?”
“I don‘t know. It‘s like…cinnamon and birch bark and lavender…and something else. Crusty bread, maybe. Nutshells. It‘s…really nice, though, isn‘t it?”
“Just about the best thing I‘ve ever smelled, actually.”

I‘m going to need a candle inspired by this passage, please. Stat.

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monalyisha
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“No one will ever ask you anything, ya dropped egg,” Bonk mumbled. He scrabbled in his pocket for a biscuit, found one, called it his precious baby darling, and nibbled at the edges.
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Bonk is a whole MOOD. 😅

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Clare-Dragonfly
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The ferryman‘s name is Black Sausage.

I‘m excited to find my Finnish Duolingo lessons having a practical application! 😆 Especially since, as a vegan, “sausage” isn‘t a word I thought I would have much use for.

AlaMich Ooh, good for you! Finnish is very hard to learn! No personal experience here, but I‘m a language nerd and that seems to be the consensus. 😊 2y
Clare-Dragonfly @AlaMich I‘ll accept that as an excuse for why my progress seems to be so slow 😆 2y
21 likes2 comments
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monalyisha
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I was right to be excited about this.

Middle-grade Fantasy is absolutely Cat Valente‘s forte. I‘m so enchanted. ✨

Clare-Dragonfly Aww, I love your mug with this book (and in general)! 2y
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Clare-Dragonfly
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No ide what I‘m getting into except that it‘s a Cat Valente book! 😁 …and apparently not a graphic novel. For some reason I thought it was, and that‘s why I got it in paper, not Kindle. Or maybe it‘s illustrated?

monalyisha I love that we‘re unintentionally buddy reading this! 💖 2y
Clare-Dragonfly @monalyisha Yes! 🖐🏻 What part are you up to? I‘m in chapter 12 and it just got much more interesting to me. 2y
28 likes1 stack add2 comments
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monalyisha
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My husband wouldn‘t stop talking to me so I went with something that didn‘t require such careful attention. 😅

Kappadeemom The WORST😂😂 2y
monalyisha @Kappadeemom I try to remember to be grateful that he‘s communicative but…the struggle is real. 🙈🥹😅 (edited) 2y
ravenlee “Oh, you‘re just reading. Let me tell you everything about my entire day!” 2y
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AmyG Hahahaha. Many of us have this problem. 2y
NovelGirl82 😂😂😂 I feel your pain! 2y
Prairiegirl_reading I wish I couldn‘t relate but that‘s just not the case 😂 Most of the time I wave the book and he stops but sometimes 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ 2y
70 likes6 comments