And then the expected bookmail arrived a day early and I have to say, the design is gorgeous. If I remember correctly, Rebecca Roanhorse blurbed it (cool) and I‘m hoping for a great read.

I especially love the colors in the endpapers.

Going with another reread this rainy morning because I have the sequel waiting in the wings…and I‘m expecting some book mail tomorrow which will probably interrupt whatever I‘m currently reading. 😬 I really enjoyed this one the first time I read it and am excited to refresh my memory and continue the story.

#RainyDayReading

When I first read this (in 2017) I liked it but not enough that I bought the second and third books as soon as they came out—that only happened this weekend after I started rereading the tagged book. I liked this story of an island where the wearing of jade imbues some people with special powers (more or less) a bit more the second time around and I look forward to seeing where Lee takes the story—most reviewers say the third book is the best!

Skottie Young & Jorge Corona—the team that brought us Middlewest—have done it again. Ain‘t No Grave is a compelling, visually stunning (there are two full page spreads that are simply mesmerizing) comic about a [mostly] reformed bandit who decides, after receiving some bad news, to take matters into her own hands because there‘s no way death is going to take her from her family. The first of five issues, this is a great read.

Now to start filling the shelves…the plan is for them to hold the tv as well as books…and more books…and then a few more books with the occasional Lego set thrown in for some variety. We have a thunderstorm moving through right now which is all the excuse I need to get to work!

Oops, forgot to post my review! 😬 I really enjoyed this fantastical journey through 1920s Mexico that begins with a young woman freeing a mysterious god only to discover that in doing so, she‘s attached herself to him in a way that puts her life at risk. (Things aren‘t necessarily great for the god either.) Moreno-Garcia does a great job, as always, in establishing a sense of place & writing fun, interesting characters. A fun, entertaining book.

Yay book mail!!! I started rereading Jade City and decided it was time to finish the trilogy. Tagged book is also a sequel I‘m looking forward to reading and then what more needs to be said about Tana French other than…it‘s Tana French.

Tracked a used copy of this story collection I came across while reading another book from South Korea. The title itself is certainly interesting. Hopefully it‘ll be an entertaining read.

“Words are seeds…With words you embroider narratives, and the narratives breed myths, and there‘s power in the myth. Yes, the things you name have power.”

Diving deep into my TBR stacks for my first read of May…

The second InCryptid book was just as fun as the first. McGuire populates her urban fantasy with memorable, entertaining characters—take Istas who walks around asking “if there will be carnage,” for example—and sets them in a world where dragons, talking mice (who happen to really like cake), & other such creatures hide & thrive amongst humans…until the Covenant of St. George shows up to purge them. Humorous with a good dash of danger & mayhem.

#Two4Tuesday

1. Tagged book, a phenomenal short story collection, was my favorite book of April.

2. I‘m looking forward to reading Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland in May. (And not just because it‘s super pretty—Rebecca Roanhorse blurbed it which is all the recommendation I need!)

@TheSpineView

Set in 1970s New York, this book tells the story of a young woman who moves from Florida to NYC to work in the comics industry. It‘s not easy to break in as a woman however & then a betrayal by a friend, found murdered shortly after, leaves her reeling. This is a fun mystery, particularly for fans of comics, that dives deep into the world of comics, the pressures, the rivalries, the creative process. An entertaining read.

C2E2 this weekend and while I didn‘t make it, I did send my husband and daughter with a list of tasks to accomplish. Fortunately, they succeeded in the most important one—getting a sketch from Dustin Nguyen, one of my favorite comic artists. He drew Dream from The Sandman and honestly, I can‘t look away. Love it and now sorta feel like I might have to revisit the comic soon.

Unpacked another book I‘ve wanted to reread—loved it the first time I read it but somehow never got around to continuing the series…which I surely need to do! I‘ve only ever heard great things about each of the books in the series so I‘m anticipating a great read. Now, to start again…

While the Six of crows duology remains my favorite of Bardugo‘s books—more Kaz please & thank you—this one is probably my second favorite…I think. Bardugo is a fantastic world builder & this story, set in medieval Madrid, about a young woman, working as a servant, with a secret to hide & an unyielding desire to be MORE makes for a quiet but entertaining read that I enjoyed. If you‘re a fan of Bardugo, you‘ll likely like it.

#Two4Tuesday

1. City person—love stepping out of my front door into the middle of everything.

2. The tagged book is an entertaining read and one that has several scenes set in my neighborhood—including one in the self-storage building where we have a locker! Such a random and utterly fantastic “it‘s a small world” moment.

@TheSpineView

I haven‘t been around—haven‘t done much reading—the past couple of days as I work to unpack 100+ boxes of books. The process is…a messy one. Excited to start putting my library back together (after a months long renovation project) and even more excited that the tagged book was in one of the boxes I unpacked today. The Poppy War is at the top of my “I want to reread this one” list so finding it is a definite win!

Starting my weekend reading with this one…

After a fast start, & a very powerful author‘s note about the inspiration for the story, this YA fantasy, a tale of colonization, oppression, & rebellion never quite comes together even though it has many of the necessary ingredients—magic, technology, danger, romance. It‘s a book that evokes strong emotions—reading reviews on Goodreads is…something. This is the first in a series which I probably won‘t continue reading.

Started this one last night and so far, the story is as entertaining as the cover is gorgeous.

Excellent translation of this YA science fiction story first published in South Korea. In a world where those living outside Snowglobe exist in -50F degree weather, those inside live a life of a luxury…in front of the cameras as actors in tv shows. When one unexpectedly dies & Chobahm is offered the opportunity to step into her shoes, a web of secrets & the truth will be revealed. A little scattered but still entertaining enough.

Nothing better than the arrival of a new book right before storms hit. The cover is awesome and the endpapers are something else! 😍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A powerhouse collection of short stories that announces itself right away with a story titled “How to Eat Your Own Heart” before then interrogating motherhood, family, mother-daughter relationships, love, diaspora, tradition, culture and more in a fascinating, compelling group of stories. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. A wonderful collection and perfect for anyone who enjoys reading short stories. Highly recommended.

Ancco made a name for herself in Korea when she started publishing diary comics in the early 2000s. The comics in this book, a collection of vignettes from/inspired by her life, meander through the highs and lows of adolescence, family, friendship, love, and the process of growing up. Render in start black and white art, the book offers a fascinating & intriguing look at contemporary life in Korea. An entertaining read.

Everything about this book is pretty…😍

Also, a new Leigh Bardugo book is always cause for a celebration. Excited about this one!

Reading outside with coffee and cookies as we approach peak coverage (only 94% for us) in the eclipse. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

This book launches a new series featuring two Chinese men, inspired by real historical figures as well as Holmes and Watson, who find themselves, in this case, investigating a murder in 1924 London. It‘s a fast, entertaining read which also touches on issues of racism, discrimination, immigration, and war. Fans of Sherlock Holmes as well as period mysteries will find a lot to like and more than enough reason to read the next installment.

Rainy afternoon is perfect for starting another murder mystery. 🌧️🔪🔎 🕵️‍♀️

Absolutely fantastic! The first book in the Kosuke Kindaichi series, written by one of Japan‘s most famous authors, is a fun one which has held up over time (it was first published in 1946 I believe). Death, a katana, & a “locked room” present Kindaichi with a formidable task & how he solves the crime, & subsequently presents the solution to everyone, leaves you eager to read how he will tackle his next case. I‘ll definitely read more.

Going with a mystery from Japan for tonight‘s reading. This one is generally regarded S a classic. Excited to see what it‘s all about!

A fast read, Kwon‘s Lemon is the story of a murder and how that act reverberates through time. Told through multiple POVs—the victim‘s younger sister and the new wife of one of the original suspects—this is a story about how people process and move beyond, if they do, such a horrific tragedy. As such, it is not particularly interested in giving the reader a resolution focusing instead on how the survivors reach theirs. An entertaining read.

Today‘s book mail is very exciting as I continue my deep dive into fiction from South Korea. And I have to say that the cover of the tagged book is really beautiful. 😍

Rainy day + new Ann Leckie book = a perfect afternoon for reading!

🌧️🫖📚

This might require a second read to really GET all of it. A fever dream that starts a little slow as the main character—who wakes up to find his mother dead in a pool of blood—tries to make sense of his surroundings. So many questions to answer & not enough time as he tries to figure out what happened before people start asking questions. This is a tension filled read, dark & full of mystery with twists which keep you guessing until the very end.

Sunday morning reading and coffee while the family sleeps. Love this quiet time!

Not the exact book but close enough. This is my first foray into manhwa, South Korean comics, and it did not disappoint. Dokja Kim is the only reader of an online novel that has over 3,000 chapters. On the day he finishes it, everything changes—the world ends & he suddenly finds himself in the story. He is the only one that knows what happens next & how the world will end. Entertaining story, great art & I‘ll definitely keep reading.

Three desperate people fleeing from tragedy, trauma, & betrayal find themselves in a small town in China hiding from the authorities while dreaming of South Korea. Two are fleeing North Korea, one is rediscovering his Korean heritage—their lives collide in a harrowing story about survival, hope, & the belief in impossible dreams. The depiction of life on the China-North Korea border & what it entails for refugees makes for powerful reading.

Today‘s reading…

There is so much you can say about this one & my thoughts are so scattered…it‘s excellent. I‘ll start there. Set in a prison in 1945, this is the story of a prisoner (also a poet) & a guard (also a censor). The guard is murdered & what follows is a murder mystery but it‘s more than that. This fictionalized account of the life of one of Korea‘s foremost poets is about words, poetry, books, freedom, war, hope, truth, guilt, & much more. Very good.

Loved all the stories in this collection—not a clunker in the bunch—but the first one, which gives the book its title, is masterful, a tour-de-force. It‘s an utterly compelling story of a former serial killer in the early stages of Alzheimer‘s. Convinced his daughter‘s boyfriend is a serial killer, he sets out to save her before he completely loses his memory. I understand why Kim has won all the awards & will definitely read more of his work.

Loved everything about this book—it‘s one I‘ll be recommending to friends & anyone who will listen to me talk about it. Yunjae was born with alexithymia which makes it difficult to understand/express emotions but he is fortunate to have a family who cares/understands/helps him make his way in life. When tragedy strikes, Yunjae must figure things out on his own & when he meets a troubled student, he learns a lot about himself, friendship, & more.❤️

Reading a short story collection by an author who has won every major literary award in Korea. The titular story is about a serial killer suffering from memory loss even as there is a mystery he wants to solve—I‘ve just started but it‘s very good so far.

This was the first book I read by this author but it won‘t be the last. I really enjoyed this story which was impossible to put down once I started reading. Two sudden, unexpected deaths lead two women on a hunt for the truth about what happened. This is a story about obsession and revenge with the tension building from the first page, a slow burn of a story which nonetheless keeps you engaged as it heads towards the inevitable end. A good read.

“When does evil intent become evil itself? Is it evil simply to imagine and harbor an idea? Does it begin when a thought is put into action? And if that action fails, then did evil never exist to begin with?”

Next up!

This is a quiet book that meanders through the lives of a bookstore owner, the store‘s employees, & its customers. In exploring their lives, the book delves into the world of independent bookstores, from all 3 perspectives, while also offering a mediation on community, meaning, happiness, purpose, & belonging. If you‘re looking for a fast-paced, narrative driven story this isn‘t it. But if you‘re happy to wander along, it‘s great. I enjoyed it.

This was a fun, quick YA read that is exactly what you think it is—two rivals whose families don‘t understand why they can‘t just get along set off on a road trip to visit colleges. They soon forget they‘re supposed to hate each other & discover there‘s a lot they don‘t know & that maybe, just maybe they have a lot in common. You know what‘s going to happen before it does but it‘s well executed & it‘s fun hanging with the main characters.

This one had me laughing out loud and giggling maniacally while my husband was trying to fall asleep so yeah, I was entertained and unapologetic about it. 😬 This story about a spy, an assassin, their telepathic daughter, and a dog who can see the future (the daughter being the only one who knows all this) just keeps getting better and better. Think you don‘t like manga? This one might just change your mind. I can‘t get enough!

Excited about today‘s book mail. Tagged book continues my exploration of South Korean literature. Super excited to dive into the latest installment of Spy x Family to see what kind of mischief Anya is up to. Forgotten sisters is a book set in Chicago with a story about ghosts and sisters and other awesomeness. Rules for Rule Breaking is a YA college visit road trip RomCom. Mixed bag, lots of good reading (hopefully).