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Read Harder 2020

Progress tracking for Book Riot’s 2020 Read Harder Challenge.

MELONPAPER

profile image Melissa blogs about books, creative pursuits, gaming, mental health, and local wanderings.

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“ My experience of family-building is anchored i “ My experience of family-building is anchored in two competing truths. David and I would never have chosen the path we took to parenthood. It left battle scars and knowledge that we would rather not have. But that path also gave us Georgia, Sadie, and Lucas. It is impossible to imagine our life without them. I don’t try to reconcile these two unreconcilable realities. “ Inconceivable: My Life-Altering, Eye-Opening Journey from Infertility to Motherhood by Alex Johnston ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Finished April 18th, 2021 Inconceivable is Alex Johnston’s memoir of her experience with infertility, IVF, and surrogacy. The details are specific to Ontario but the story at the heart of the book is one that many people face - with different degrees of social and financial support. Johnston has a unique perspective to offer - for one, she’s the daughter of former Governor General David Johnston, and formerly worked in various political and non-profit advocacy roles, thus giving insight into the internal workings of policy change. Her story is both political and deeply personal, raw and real, told in a conversational tone that is at turns heartbreaking and funny. Published May 4th (just after Canada’s National Infertility Awareness Week - April 18th - 24th), this is a timely memoir that advocates for accessible and affordable assisted reproductive technology and access to up-to-date and evidence-based information about fertility. Thank you @netgalley and @sutherlandhousebooks for an eARC for review! Full review is up on the blog and Goodreads (carrd link in bio).
Happy Monday! April 26th is Lesbian Visibility Day Happy Monday! April 26th is Lesbian Visibility Day, and to celebrate I’ve put together a list of lesbian and sapphic books I’ve read or have on my TBR. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but I tried to include a good variety of formats, lengths, and publishing dates. (Books I’ve read are marked with a ❣️) This post was put together as part of #VisibleLesbianBooks challenge by @libraryofsappho SLIDE 2 - ADULT SFF • Stormsong by C.L. Polk • Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir • Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks • The Unbroken by C.L. Clark ❣️ • The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood • The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling ❣️ SLIDE 3 - YOUNG ADULT SFF • A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth ❣️ • Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust ❣️ •Ash by Malinda Lo ❣️ •Beyond the Ruby Veil by Mara Fitzgerald •Crier’s War by Nina Varela❣️ •A Curse of Roses by Diana Pinguicha SLIDE 4 - CONTEMPORARY & HISTORICAL • Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers • You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson • Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo • The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite ❣️ • The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite • We Are Okay by Nina LaCour ❣️ SLIDE 5 - CLASSICS •Patience & Sarah by Isabel Miller (1969) •Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown (1973) •The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall (1928) •Olivia by Dorothy Strachey (1949) •The Price of Salt/Carol by Patricia Highsmith (1952) •Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule (1964) SLIDE 6 - INDIE/SELF-PUBLISHED •Dragonoak: The Complete History of Kastelir by Sam Farren ❣️ •Silk & Steel: A Queer Speculative Adventure Anthology edited by Janine A. Southard •The Shattering of the Spirit Sword Brackish by Sam Farren •The One Who Eats Monsters by Casey Matthews •Sodom Road Exit by Amber Dawn ❣️ •The One to Hold Your Hand by Erica Lee (Continued in comments...)
“ But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Le “ But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart—by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute. “ If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Finished March 29th, 2021 The thing to know about If We Were Villains is just how many of its 5-star reviews begin with “FUCK this book” 😂 I couldn’t put it down - but it was also one of the most frustrating books I’ve read so far this year. This was a great read - and a love letter to Shakespeare and theatre students - but also I’ve never been so appreciative of fan fiction, because my brain and heart did not agree on that ending. #QueerBookFun2021: Dark Academia
My first #ClassicsClub Spin book is... Pale Fire b My first #ClassicsClub Spin book is... Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov! Bought this for a class I ended up dropping (schedule conflict) and it’s been sitting on the shelf ever since... finally time to dust it off. 😂 (The gist of the challenge: list 20 unread books from your Classics Club list, then the group picks a random number between 1 and 20 and you read the corresponding book from your list.) I’ll be reading this sometime between now and May 31st. Swipe for a clearer view of all 20 books from my spin list - full written list is on the blog. 😊
“ I feel like I’ve always had a knot inside me “ I feel like I’ve always had a knot inside me, made out of pure concentrated if-only, and now it’s gone, and I suddenly have all this extra space to fill. With what, I don’t know. “ Victories Greater than Death, Charlie Jane Anders ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Finished April 16th, 2021 This is a charming - and hilarious - and at times heartbreaking - book about becoming yourself and finding your place in the universe, with a diverse cast of characters, life-or-death ordeals, and found family at its heart. It’s also a clever and genre-savvy love letter to space operas and popular sci-fi series. There were a few pacing issues that brought the rating down for me, but overall I loved this book and its message. Thank you @netgalley and @torteen for an ARC for review! Putting the final touches on this review, so watch for a post in my stories when it goes up. (Personal note: Sorry for the absence - we’re navigating another lockdown in Ontario, and also moving around several rooms in our house, including the room where I normally take photos for bookstagram... 🙃)
Happy Friday! I’ve accumulated a stack of new bo Happy Friday! I’ve accumulated a stack of new books in the last few weeks so here’s a #fridaystack #bookhaul. 😍 • The Unbroken, C.L. Clark * • Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple # • The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin ^ • Boyfriend Material, Alexis Hall ^ • Winter’s Orbit, Everina Maxwell * • Cemetery Boys, Aiden Thomas * • You Should See Me In a Crown, Leah Johnson ^ • The Traitor Baru Cormorant & The Monster Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson # • Starless, Jacqueline Carey # A mix of 5⭐️ books I wanted physical copies of (*), books for challenges that my library didn’t have in stock (^), and some TBR books that were on sale for $4 apiece (#). Have you read any of these books?
“ I don’t need you to explain to me the concep “ I don’t need you to explain to me the concept of a magical land filled with fantastic creatures that only certain special children can enter. I am acquainted with the last several centuries of popular culture. There are books. And cartoons, for the illiterate. “ In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan Finished January 10th, 2021 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ And now for a break from ARC review posts. 😂 I’m working to catch up on mini reviews in stories and book photos. It’s... going. Slowly. This was my pick for the #queerbookfun2021 “rivals to lovers” prompt. In Other Lands is a tongue-in-cheek parody of the trope of human children going to school in a magical land. It’s laugh-out-loud funny but will also rip your heart out and stomp on it, which is rude coming from a book about misandrist elves and families that try to murder each other for sport. 😂
“ Touraine found herself short of breath just th “ Touraine found herself short of breath just thinking of it. She didn’t know how it could be more terrifying than leading them into battle after battle, and yet... Balladaire was a land of gifts and punishment, honey and whips, devastating mercies. “ Happy release day to The Unbroken by C.L. Clark! Thank you @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for an eARC copy... if you saw my stories over the weekend, I rushed out to get a physical copy as soon as my local store got it in stock, because this book! That cover! 🤩 Review live on the blog, Goodreads, and Netgalley (links in bio).
Happy Monday! This is an exciting week for new rel Happy Monday! This is an exciting week for new releases. I have two reviews to share, starting with The Lost Village by Camilla Sten. 😱 “ Grandma’s story, my retelling: Silvertjärn is both my past and my future. I’ve lived with it since I was a child, and it’s going to be my breakthrough. “ The Lost Village is a solid mystery/thriller/horror novel that only misses a few of its marks. This is a story that will keep you on edge while also making you care deeply for its central cast. Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC copy for review! Full review is up on my blog and goodreads (links in bio).
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CURRENTLY READING

Melissa's bookshelf: currently-reading

The Light Fantastic
The Light Fantastic
by Terry Pratchett
Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting
Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting
by Laura Markham
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
by Carl Sagan

goodreads.com

Reviews in Progress

  • Winter’s Orbit, Everina Maxwell *
  • We Are Satellites, Sarah Pinsker *
  • The Rebellious Tide, Eddy Boudel Tan *
  • Beezus and Ramona, Beverly Cleary

 * = ARC/gifted copy

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