Book haul from #NCIBA ! I gave a bunch of these to friends and co-workers, but I still have a sizeable stack for myself. So many books, never enough time! Out of this pile, I'm most excited about "Black Leopard, Red Wolf" by Marlon James.

This was waiting for me at work today. *squeeing intensifies*

"A single action could derive from many motivations. I should never assume."

An overdue bit of advice that Seraphina is finally starting to learn, (but which is good for all of us to remember.)

Solid, heart-warming YA novel about family, love, and growing up. I think it's a great example of the fact that a book doesn't have to have a wacky concept, wild plot twists, or a breakneck pace in order to be compelling, satisfying, and meaningful. I choked up and cried a little at the end, I couldn't help it.

Sported some flare at work for #IndependentBookstoreDay

The HP2 pin featuring Hermione is from Ideal Bookshelf. (They have sooo many designs; they probably have your favorite book.)
The "Still Alive" pin is from Emily McDowell.
The button is from work. ☺

This is a book about gaslighting. Other things too, but for me, the gaslighting overshadowed everything else. It was anxiety provoking, but not in the fun "I'm reading a thriller/horror story" kind of way, and frankly, not in a thought provoking way either. Now that I've finished it, I feel even more offended that Tangerine was the top #IndieNext pick this month instead of Circe, which was perfect.

Shameless bookseller plug here:

If you haven't already heard of audiobook company Libro.fm, now is great time to check them out. In celebration of #IndependentBookstoreDay, they'll be giving away free audiobooks and samples, including Strange the Dreamer (which I loved).

#librofm partners with indie bookstores nationwide, so you can get your audio fix and support your local bookstore at the same time. 💕

"and there was a jagged line that appeared in the lens when you looked through it, though for some reason it did not appear on any of the printed photographs."

This line struck me as a perfect encapsulation of the subjective, unreliable viewpoints of both the narrators in Tangerine. The tension in this book is teeth-grindingly tight.

Stayed up until 3am finishing Seraphina last night, blasting through the ending. Very satisfied with it overall. The book has Vulcan-esque dragons, with all the same inability to understand the value of emotions or the limitations of logic! Seraphina was a great protagonist, realistically insecure and inexperienced without her characterization going overboard. Had to grab Book 2 at work today; syarting that one now.

Jumping in on #theodysseybuddyread. I'm going to read along with the Wilson translation, but I can't help bringing out my Fagles version to compare/contrast. Just look at the difference in the opening stanza! (Fagles at top, Wilson at bottom) I read and loved the Fagles version in college, but don't remember it in detail; I'm excited to read this new translation, which is almost like reading The Odyssey for the first time, again. :D

"'I was rude!'
'And I was offended. It was all very by-the-book. But let us set that aside, Seraphina.'"

Small laugh-out-loud moment. :)

Uhura, Spock, Cat-people? What's not to be excited about?!

Boyfriend and I went browsing in the used bookstores today, and I found this. Neither of us have read a Star Trek novel before, but this one seemed fun (there weren't enough episodes with Uhura, let's be real.) We decided to make this a read-aloud. ❤

Another painfully adorable picture book with gorgeous art. Egyptian mythology, adventure, and conquering your fear of the dark.

Painfully adorable. So cute I almost can't stand it.

Definitely going to recommend this one at work. This new series is part nature walk, part social studies, all adventure. It has dashes of The Phantom Tollbooth and A Series of Unfortunate Events in it's smart, humorous style, and it's a fast paced read. This will be a great pick for kids who like outdoor adventures, animals, and magic.

Dream life: reading books in a space-faring treehouse. Where do I sign up?

A friend recommended Saga to me years ago, and I finally started reading it a few months ago. So amazing. Gorgeous art, great story and characters, amazingly alien aliens, and utterly recognizable angst and drama.

Picked this one up on impulse because the cover was cute. Sadly, this one wasn't for me.

It had an interesting premise, and was very specific about using inclusive language and representation, but the storytelling felt jumpy and a little underdeveloped. I liked that the main character had anxiety, but it meant that she never wanted to participate in the plot, which is a frustrating trait in a protagonist. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I've heard good things about this book and I'm excited to read it, so here's my question:

Do I need to read Seraphina and it's sequel first?

I took a long time listening to this one. I stopped after each story to let them sit apart from each other, but by the end, they all blurred together into one story anyway. I can't figure out if that was on purpose or not. No obvious faults in the writing leap out at me, but I feel like I should have liked this more than I did.

Yes yes yes! I tore through this book at breakneck speed and loved everything about it. This is much more than just a Rumplestiltskin retelling, this is a story about independence, avarice, community, family, and true magic. So looking forward to collecting a hardcover in July.

This YA series seems to have slipped under many people's Le Guin radar; its not as politically flashy as some of her work, but it's no less radical than the rest of her work. It is a great example of what I love in her work: storytelling-driven rather than plot driven, quiet and subtle, with a focus on mundane life, but peppered with glimpses of sparkling emotional depth under the "simple" veneer. She is...was...still is a master.

I... augh! This was a ripping adventure, with romance, mythical creatures and politics. It had great pacing, character development, and description, but the charcaters, omg, they were so stubborn! One character in particular just. would. not. listen to what the protagonist was saying, and everyone got in trouble because of it. Also, be warned: this is first in a new trilogy, and there is a cliffhanger ending. *internal screaming*

So excited to curl up with this ARC of Naomi Novik's next book! I LOVED Uprooted, so there was much delighted squeeling when my coworker passed this to me. Also, omg, that cover! Can't wait to have a copy on my shelf next to Uprooted.

Just started listening the other night; five chapters into it and enjoying it. This is only my second book with Arabian/Muslim mythology, the first being The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker. (That book was excellent, btw.) It's exciting to dive into a new (to me) mythological system.

Perfect. This was everything I want from mythic retellings. Smart, beautiful, subtle writing. A twisting, magical tale. Deep, loving knowledge of the myths that isn't beholden to any specific version.

Definitely pick this one up when it comes out in April!

This second Lego Elves book was about the same level as the first, in terms of writing and plot. Kids who are into the Elves set will probably like it. For myself, I didn't love it simply because the villain of the story, Ragana, is my favorite Elves character, but the book doesn't refer to her by name or give any of her backstory that is mentioned in other Elves media online. (i.e. I'm a huge, cranky nerd.) :)

Aftet 3 years of collecting LEGO Elves sets, I've become pretty obessed. I didn't know there were chapter books, so when this came into stock at my bookstore this week, I had to snatch it up. I already know the storyline, but I enjoyed this quick paced, sweet-tempered, simple read. I'll be passing it on to my Elves-obsessed nephew when I'm done, to read aloud with his mom.

I enjoyed this book solidly throughout, but there were some elements that went unresolved, and the vague ending left me feeling suprised it was over. I've heard that this isn't Erdrich's best book, however, and there was so much about her writing (and reading) that I liked, so I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

16% along, and really enjoying it so far.

I was so excited about the premise of this book -- a young woman's struggle for autonomy entwined with the mythic power of a primeval forest -- and there were many details about this book that I loved. Sadly, this one didn't work out for me. The beginning was great, and it ended where it needed to, but the middle parts were pure frustration. Alas.

Gave up on reading Song of Ice and Fire on paper in the middle of the 4th book. It's been so long since I read the 1st, I started the series over, but on audio this time. That way I can crank up the speed and rip through them much faster. So much gratitude for digital library borrowing. #librarybooks #sfpl

I can't resist a cover like this; florals on black are my fave.

Mixed feelings about this one, but I'm interested to see where this series leads. I read the ARC in one sitting. I liked the world and its politics--exploring racism and warmongering in Fantasyland, yes please!--and I loved the folklore tales that lead each chapter. I was put off by how much emotional labor the protagonist did for her partner though, and feel conflicted about the ending. Reserving judgement until the second book comes along.