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Piranesi

Jun 3, 2022

Piranesi

Susanna Clarke

This novel was simply a delight. I loved the way the mystery around the “house” and Piranesi unfolded. It was perfectly paced and just felt so utterly complete. Not a sentence or thought was wasted and the ending left me with a deep sense of satisfaction. Clarke builds a world of striking beauty mixed with fearsome imagery. It was both exhilarating and mysterious. It is a book that makes you truly think of the meaning of the phrase “stop and smell the roses.” There is beauty all around, when was the last time you really stopped and looked at it? A new favorite.

If you love audiobooks, my sister said it was perfect.

Synopsis: Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.

There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.

[ID: The book Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, resting on succulents of all different sizes and colors.]

#Piranesi #SusannaClarke #FantasyBooks #HugoAwards #ScienceFiction #LiteraryFiction #ShortBooks #ShortNovels #GreatBooks #LosAngelesReader #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #ReadMoreFantasy #FantasyWrittenByWomen #PerfectEndings #BooksBooksBooks #BooksAndPlants #alwaysreading

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

She Who Became the Sun

Jun 2, 2022

She Who Became the Sun

Shelley Parker Chan

This is definitely a book that snuck up on me. I went into it thinking it was going to be action packed, but it is actually more of a character study. The marketing on this one does it a huge disservice. Zhu Chongba and Ouyang are two characters I have not been able to shake. They are deeply complex and both have so much to lose, yet they persist with unwavering intensity because what else can they do. Their destiny calls, and they will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals. Definitely two of the most interesting characters I have come across in an epic in a very long time. I’m glad I was able to unpack this with others (thanks to @cherreadssharereads and @nerdtasticnoms ), because once I adjusted my expectations I found it very enjoyable. This is not a fantasy novel, this is a historical fiction epic. It’s dense and slow paced. A lot of the action happens off page, but the political intrigue is definitely juicy. I find myself thinking about this one a lot and wondering how the heck it will all end. I will definitely be checking out book 2.

[ID: The novel She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker Chan resting against green plants and yellow flowers. The cover has a bright orange sun with a person riding a horse.]

#SheWhoBecameTheSun #ShelleyParkerChan #AltHistory #HistoricalFictionNovels #ReadMoreBooks #AlwaysReading #LosAngelesReads #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #Novels #Fiction #BookPictures #lovereading

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker Chan

The Light From Uncommon Stars

Jun 2, 2022

The Light From Uncommon Stars

Ryka Aoki

Synopsis from Goodreads: An adventure set in California’s San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts.

I liked this book. I read it over winter break and it was a fun, chill read. The conversations between Shizuka (a violin teacher who made a deal with the devil) and Katrina (a transgender woman with a gift for music) were my favorite parts and I felt as though those didn’t happen nearly enough. I honestly could have done without the space story. It was cute and quirky but I can’t remember the characters very well and I think it fell sort of flat to me when I compared it to the interactions between the other two main characters. That was the meat of the story and I felt like it could’ve been a stronger novel if it just stood on its own. I did love that it was set in LA, as it’s always fun when you recognize certain streets or neighborhoods in a book. But while this book wasn’t necessarily a slam dunk for me, there were many elements I found satisfying, for example Katrina’s journey to self love and discovery were so heartfelt and touching. And I can’t believe I’m about to say this but I actually wish there was less space and aliens stuff and just more about the music and Katrina and Shizukas path to self love and forgiveness. With that said I’m very interested to see what this author creates next.

#TheLightFromUncommonStars #ScienceFiction #SFF #FictionNovels #Bookstagram #ReadMoreBooks #AlwaysReading #books #BooksBooksBooks #queersff

The Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Riot Baby and Gorilla My Love

Jun 2, 2022

Riot Baby and Gorilla My Love

#independentbookstore appreciation post! One of my favorite bookstores in Los Angeles is @reparations.club I actually haven’t been inside (want to remedy that soon) but I love the vibe of the website and I love how you can leave a tip for the booksellers at check out! They also always leave a handwritten thank you note, which is a nice touch. I recently purchased Riot Baby bc so many people I know love it and I know I will too. I also picked up Gorilla My Love bc it was recommended by @dcastmusic and @dai2daireader is hosting a buddy read! Perfect timing. Anyways, check out this amazing Black owned and woman owned bookstore! #bookstagram #books #readmorebooks #shortstories #sciencefiction #losangeles #california

Riot Baby and Gorilla My Love

All Thirteen The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team

Jun 2, 2022

All Thirteen The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team

Christina Soontornvant

Middle grade teachers, my students absolutely LOVED this book. Every time we had to stop they begged me to read another chapter. I bought the book and got the audio from libro.fm and it really enriched the experience! In 2018 the whole world had eyes on Thailand as rescuers worked around the clock to save a boys soccer team from a flooded cave. This could be a great book to read aloud during a non fiction unit, and I plan on creating lessons with it next year. My students were surprised it was non-fiction because it was so engaging. Christina Soontornvant really created something special here. We get to know the boys and their coach on a really intimate level that makes the stakes even higher. She also sprinkled in some information about Thailand and their culture. We were on the edge of our seats! You know it’s good when even though you know the ending, you’re still sweating throughout the book. I had some students go home and watch the movie, this morning they came in and said it was so good, but “the book was better.” My heart swelled!

I also found this book inspirational. As someone that recently found a love for nonfiction, why can’t kids have good nonfiction books too? Why can’t we find more books that package tough topics for middle grade readers? Kids LOVE learning about history and science, but much of the nonfiction material available is dry and boring, in my opinion. Picture books are doing a great job of it, especially recently, but what about middle grade readers that are ready for something with more meat? Maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places, but who knows maybe I’ll just have to do it myself. Shoutout to @libraryalissa for this impeccable recommendation.

[ID: The book All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team standing on top of a desk. The background is blurry but it looks to be in a classroom with a purple wall and whiteboard in the background.]

#MiddleGradeBooks #WeLoveMGLit #NonfictionBooks #AllThirteen #TheRescue #Thailand #MiddleGradeReadAlouds #FourthGradeReadAlouds #TeachersofInstagram #Bookstagram #IncredibleCaveRescue #AlwaysReading #fourthgradebooks

All Thirteen The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvant

January Wrap-up

Jun 2, 2022

January Wrap-up

#JanuaryWrapup, I had no business reading this much this month, but I was home A LOT because of COVID and my kid’s daycare shutting down due to COVID as soon as I was set to return to work. Books were definitely an escape, and I had an AMAZING reading month. I would recommend all of these books. ALL THAT SHE CARRIED and BAD BLOOD are top tier non-fiction books, but PARADISE is also unforgettable. I will write a long form reflection for ALL THAT SHE CARRIED, it is deserving of all the accolades. BAD BLOOD was just absolutely bananas. Like I knew it was a crazy story, but my god, with each passing chapter I was pretty stunned. I had no idea all the high level people she got involved with! Henry Kissinger? Like what?

The fiction novels I read were all very fulfilling too, with PIRANESI and HOW HIGH WE GO IN THE DARK being standouts. Judging by everyones’ wrap ups it seems like everyone had a pretty stellar month, even though January was an inconsistent hell hole so even if you managed to read a page and just binge watched reality TV, hey you’re reading this so you made it in some way and I am proud of you (this is not sarcasm at all, this month was rough) Onwards!

[ID: Pictures of the books All that She Carried, Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin’s Hijab, Bad Blood, Piranesi, Closer to Nowhere, Paradise, She Who Became The Sun, and How High We Go in the Dark layered on top of a picture filled with plants and succulents]

#HowHighWeGoInTheDark #Piranesi #CaliforniaWildfires #AllThatSheCarried #MGLit #MiddleGradeBooks #SheWhoBecameTheSun #LosAngelesReads #Reader #Bookstagram #AlwaysReading #BooksBooksBooks #MonthlyWrapUps #ReadMoreBooks #NonFictionBooks #FictionBooks

January Wrap-up