July 2020 Reading Recap

July2020RR

I hit my goal of reading 100 books in July! Which sounds absurd, but between Animal Crossing, unemployment, and ongoing lockdowns, there is so much reading to be done (television, for whatever reason, cannot hold my attention).

This month, I did two blog interviews:

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June 2020 TBR

I read most of May’s TBR. Check out this month’s reading list, trying to crunch through my ARCs and things that are in progress according to Goodreads. Things with a * are from last month’s TBR.

Hard Copies

  • Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus*
  • The Deep by Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes
  • The Never-Tilting World by Rin Chupeco*
  • Scapegracers by H.A. Clarke (ARC)*

Kindle

  • The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant (ARC)*
  • Flotsam (Peridot Shift #1) by R.J. Theodore*
    • In progress
  • The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer (ARC)*
  • Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (ARC)*
  • Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark (ARC)
  • Seasons of the Storm by Elle Cosimano (ARC)
  • Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story by Ursula K. Le Guin*
  • A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown (ARC)

Audiobooks

  • Highfire by Eoin Colfer*
  • The Name of All Things (A Chorus of Dragons #2) by Jenn Lyons
  • Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall*
  • The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
  • Walk Among Us by Genevieve Gornichec, Cassandra Khaw, Caitlin Starling
  • White Tears by Hari Kunzru

In terms of other reads, I have a novel and a short story to beta read. My own work will continue marinating in the back of my head as I prepare for the rewrite.

March 2020 Reading Recap

March2020RR

Here we are friends, in a time of social distancing where staying at home is the most productive thing you can do to keep yourself and those around you safe. Which for me, includes working my dayjob from 9 to 5 and then spending time with audiobooks while playing video games (currently playing Animal Crossing). This is what I read in March. I should really consider augmenting my reading goal, I’m 17 books ahead already.

This month, I also interviewed K.M. Szpara to celebrate the release of his debut novel, Docile.

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Review: THE RUIN OF KINGS by Jenn Lyons (2019)

Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Adult fantasy
Year Release: 2019
Source: Library audiobook

Listened to the audiobook

Remember Dragon Age 2? Remember how it opened with one of the party members getting interrogated by another party member of a different game and that’s now we got the story? Remember all the disaster queers? Remember how, for a thing with dragon in the title, there was one dragon? If you enjoyed all these things, this fantasy will be right up your alley.

The triple narration is executed with such precision, it is the thing of envy. We get the story of how Kihrin D’Mon wound up in prison from Kihrin, Talon (his jailer), and a mysterious third narrator who should up in footnotes and the last third. It is so fun, mostly because each perspective simply enhances the story, and the emotional connections are tenuous at best. It offers such a unique opportunity to delve into all aspects of the world-building, with scenes connecting based on relevance rather than sequence. Such a cool technique.

In addition, there were aspects of the world-building that feel familiar to many a fantasy fan, but my personal favorite: the mimic. These shapeshifters were so cool, and I am so glad they play such a huge role in the plot. Moreover, I was super intrigued by the soul-binding and death magic throughout this work. Terrible things are afoot in the world, and Kihrin and his friends are in terrible binds, which will probably take more pacts with gods to unravel.

I need my various audiobook subscriptions to refresh asap so I can continue this excellent fantasy saga.

February 2020 TBR

Here are my intended reads for February.

Hard Copies

  • Conspiracy of Ravens (The Shadow #2) by Lila Bowen (Library Borrow)
  • The Fortress by S.A. Jones (ARC)
  • Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (ARC)

Kindle

  • Finna by Nino Cipri (ARC)
  • Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst (ARC)
  • Flotsam (Peridot Shift #1) by R.J. Theodore
  • Ink in the Blood by Kim Smejkal (ARC)
  • Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold (ARC)

Audiobooks

  • Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith
  • The Ruin of Kings (A Chorus of Dragons #1) by Jenn Lyons
  • The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
  • We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Plus two books I offered to beta read. Wow, this month is busy.