March reads:
I just finished reading a book on Liberation Theology, got it in under under the wire.
The following book is the one I was whining about earlier. (Thank you to everyone who cheered me on!) I don't mind dropping dramas or books, but I have my own rule that after dropping two books I have to finish the 3rd come hell or high water. Italian Odyssey would normally be my jam. I love reading stories about people hiking long trails like the El Camino or the Pacific Crest Trail to name a few. Italian Odyssey was written by a couple from Canada about their "adventures" on the Via Francigena. They walked around 600 mi/1000km. Both presented their side of the story in each chapter as if the reader was a marriage counselor. They bickered and sniped nearly the entire way. She was also a foodie and always banging on about being upset when a tiny town they were staying in didn't have "authentic" Italian food or a proper wine. He was awful, too. They also believed bad spirits were messing with them and blamed their problems on the spirits. I bought this used copy somewhere along the way, it was even an autographed copy. Apparently, the person it was autographed for didn't hang onto it either. Into the Goodwill pile it goes!
I enjoyed reading A Hero Born. Seemed like the proper book for my Martial Arts Marathon Month. The only problem with it, was that the story ended on a cliffhanger. Looks like I'll need to keep investing in this series. 😄
Two more short works under my belt. I'm now realizing I read mostly horror these days????
| Loving, Ohio by Matthew Erman is a graphic novel about queer kids in a culty town. Its about the existential horror around existance within a body and the idea of who we are beyond that vessel. I liked it, but wasn't a big fan of pacing/setting transitions. Liked the creepy vibe though. Slowly accepting that I like horror when its not a movie. I think I've always kind of known that though. |  |
 | Also read What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. I've seen this book pop up often and I finally bit the bullet after picking up too many nonfiction books. This was a quick and easy read. I normally avoid books based on other stories, but I didn't know this was based on a story by Edgar Allen Poe until I started reading it. I kept with it and had a good time. Curious for the other two novellas in the series. |
I 've been wanting to read Sa Ye or Run Wild, a chinese danmei novel for ages so I was so excited when I finally discovered it in official english translation. Then I also discovered that it is a series of 6 books, each 400 pages long and very expensive (19 euros paperback each volume or 9 euros Kindle version).
Disappointed, I went on a used-books shopping spree and got all these for the price of one volume of Run Wild.
Now I have another problem: which one shall I start reading first.
Or do just like kids:
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,
Catch the tiger by its toe
If it hollers let it go,
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.
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April has flown by!
I just finished Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas. Interesting read about the competing Christianities in the 1st-5th centuries.
I bought this book a jillion years ago on the sale table at a Barnes and Noble. It was okay. There were a number of women who did not live in the medieval era. There were a few women who were mothers or spouses of famous men. And a couple were more folklore than actual historical figures. I also didn't care for her writing style which was supposed to be "hip" and humorous. It was a good starting point for learning about interesting women though.
I loved Doerr's writing style and the way he could turn a phrase. I didn't care for his need to jump to the future on occasion to let the reader know that something exciting was going to happen. All roads pointed to the same place and a famous, cursed diamond. I found the ending to be a letdown in both those aspects.
Happy May reading!
I don't think I'll be reading novels for a while now. I'm no longer of a free enough mindset to. But what that means is that it's time for me to pick up new manga/webtoons again. Haven't done that in a long time, I've just been reading new chapters to what I've already been reading for years lol.
Checked out a list of webtoons over the past week. These two were the ones I stuck with. The first I really loved. The second I'd actually already been looking forward to and yay did it deliver cause I'm obsessed<3
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Phantom Whispers:
This was recommended to me as a Purple Hyacinth fan. And it proved apt.
I don’t do horror. Smart as I am, I read this at night, alone, lights off, door-closed. But I kept going so that says a lot. Setting, precise art and the constantly well-written police/crime thread. These were all things I loved in Purple Hyacinth and I loved how they were handled here too.
Biggest questions that were driving me bananas in the beginning:
ㅤㅤa) Is this actually a supernatural series or not??? T^T
ㅤㅤb) Therefore, should I trust the main character or not??? T^T
And those mysteries were enough to keep me reading happily. I liked it enough ~
But my enjoyment did rise. And surprisingly after those questions were answered.
The PS: This guy in every picture. He isn't actually always around. And because of that, I won't elaborate. But alas, he makes this series much, much more "interesting" when he is.
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School Bus Graveyard:
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YouTube kept showing this in the ads like a year ago. And I've been looking forward to it ever since.
And boy did it deliver. I read it all in one sitting; I slept when the sun woke up. When I started it, I couldn't see myself getting attached with the characters we were working with. Nevermind. The characters overall could use a bit more work but I think part of that comes down to how quick-paced this story is. That being said, there's enough of it to keep me content. Because even more than that, it's the found-family that truly brings this story to light. I love their bond so much T^T And within the kind of setup this narrative has, all of it is worth even more. All that to say, this is now my third favourite webtoon, easily <3333
The PS: This is one of those rare stories centering teenagers where the parents are around and matter. Very much a diamond in the rough there xD And this is another part of this series I love.
