Here’s a small space to quietly reflect on and / or excitedly gush about literature.
All reads are welcome – novels, manga, or comics, new finds or old favorites! Perhaps even something written in a different language?
If you continue on beyond this point, please expect spoilers! It’s rather hard to talk about a story without spoiling the story, y’know.
Have a Goodreads profile (or other read content tracker)? Do share!
'Chew’s Strong Preferences: Fiction, High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Medieval Fantasy, Psychological, Yuri.
'Chew just wants a corner to yap about her reads.
Humble Asks
I’d kindly like to ask any Bible-related discussions to be redirected to the existing thread: Bible Discussion.
No advertisements to plug your own literature, please, especially those in the form of progress updates. I’d suggest using Twitter to post with that sort of intention.
More Than This by Patrick Ness Tags: Fiction, Contemporary Fantasy (Alternate Timeline), Mystery, Post-Apocalypse Dystopia, England (Suburbs), United States (Small Town), Teenage Protagonist, Amnesiac Protagonist, LGBTQ+ (Gay Protagonist)
Solid read. Slow buildup, peppered with a ton of flashback scenes. The ending, from my perspective, wraps up the entire story’s events in a very “much ado about nothing” feel. Effective, I suppose, in the sense that it’s thought-provoking and memorable – there’s not a clear sense of whether everything the protagonist is experiencing is reality, or whether it’s a simulation-within-a-simulation, à la Inception.
Takeaways:
Teenagers are awful.
Adults are awful and fallible.
Metaphor about escapism? Just like the reader diving into this book.
The last view days I’ve been wanting to read “Indestructible: The Unforgettable Story of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima“ about a guy who managed to join the US marines at 14 and won a Medal of Honor once he was 17. But alas, I have yet to do so.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell Tags: Fiction, Low Fantasy, Action, Non-Human Protagonist (Shapeshifter Monster), LGBTQ+ (Lesbian Romance)
If you’re a sociopath like me, have I got just the book for you.
Story is told from the perspective of a shapeshifter monster that was raised by equal parts cunning and utilitarianism. Predictably, she has zero concept of human morality and obvious outcast-from-society vibes.
For a supposed monster that grew up with minimal human contact and beyond the fringes of civilization, the protagonist has a somewhat unrealistically solid comprehension of human psychology (IMO).
Very mild horror, the type of dread / realization that creeps up slowly – where the audience is suddenly able to piece the clues together and can foresee the imminent events, but can’t pull their eyes away from the screen (or book, in this case).
Plot progression is on the linear and easily predictable side. But overall, it’s quite refreshing! And, surprisingly, quite humorous as well.
Snippet:
She said, “What is wrong?”
“Can we not talk about it right now?”
“Yes. I love not talking.”
Definitely recommend it for those that enjoy Young Adult Fiction.
