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Published in 1980, only four years after Belenko's escape from Russia (and well before the fall of the Berlin Wall), this book was quite fascinating. Belenko actually had more or less the ideal situation in Russia as the MiG-25 pilots were highly valued and treated well (by Soviet standards). Reading about his slow recognition of the cognitive dissonance between what he was being taught about his country vs the west and what he could actually ⬇

Sadly, the sequel to Ashlords had even fewer phoenix-horses 😞 This book is all about the war, and while it overall did work, the ending where everyone just suddenly is going to get along despite generations of being enemies felt... unlikely lol (If we just take all the money from the rich people and give it the poor people, then everyone will be happy!!! ...riiight) But still, it was an engaging read with characters that I liked. These books ⬇

This book had all the ingredients that I should enjoy, but somehow they just didn't work here. Miss Carter is a middle-aged woman, never married, who lives by herself in a small flat in London and works for the censor's office during WWII. Through a series of events, she finds herself in possession of an ifrit (i.e. genie). Part of the reason this book didn't quite work for me was that the ifrit's magic never really made sense to me. Apparently ⬇

This is one of those books where I loved the concept more than the execution. It's a great world with an intriguing idea - the existence of horse-phoenixes, whose ashes can be mixed with different elements to create a horse with different powers when it rises again in the morning. My problem: I wanted MORE about these horses, but they ended up just kind of being a tool for the story. The other issue is that this book was about a (phoenix) horse ⬇

I love when a book surprises you in the best way. This was wonderful story of finding family in an unexpected place and finding love with the impossible. There author did a great job of using a historical setting to add emphasis to the story. Also, the illustrations throughout were beautiful (drawn by the author).

#fictionaltraveler: Spanish-speaking @julieclair
#gottacatchemall: someone swims @PuddleJumper

This presents a reimagining of historically marginalized experiences by bringing magic into the mix. Similarly to LGBTQIA+ gatherings being broken up by policing forces, the magic users in this book run secret broom races, hidden from the persecuting eye of the law. I greatly enjoyed this book and even more so after reading the end notes. Incredibly inclusive. I happy cried a little. #LGBTQIA #Magic #Indigenous #BlackExperiences #DisabilitiesRep

I really enjoy the way Lucy Knisley's nonfiction comics are told. Her work is reflective and engaging. This book in particular is captivating as she reflects on different aspects of her life to pinpoint where her love of culinary experiences came from. I love the illustrated recipes throughout too and now really wish she had a graphic novel cookbook out. #comics #nonfiction #food

This fantasy novel about 3 teenagers who come back from the dead and one who never died in the first place is strange and extremely long. Reviews have been mixed, but I found the story funny, charming and wonderfully magical.

#52bookclub25 (has an epigraph)
#gottacatchemall (Pikipek: band or musical group) @PuddleJumper

I loved Sloan's earlier books but there was too much going on here for my tastes. I enjoy books featuring space travel, magic, AI, Arthurian themes and dragons, but not all at once. There were lots of clever moments but I found the book too chaotic.

#52bookclub25 (direction in the title)
#gottacatchemall (Drampa: child character) @PuddleJumper

A fictional story about conjoined twins growing up in Ontario, Canada. Despite the strangeness of the premise, the author makes the girls' lives seem ordinary (but still interesting) and relatable.

#OhCanada @Jess861
#gottacatchemall (Whimsicott: pastel coloured cover) @PuddleJumper