Mystery-A-Thon Anticipation Post

Hello my nerdlets!

Today I thought I'd write a quick post about the lovely Ely's Mystery-a-Thon, which starts next Monday.

Who's running this deal-y?

Well, that would be Ely @ Tea & Titles (hence her name in the pic)

What's it about?

Reading crime & mystery books between 12-19th September, and talking about them on social media etc.

Whatever books you want - that simple.

Personally, I'm only going to be reading 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie (UK - US) (because it's my birthday next week and I'm hoping the family will've got the non-too-subtle hints I dropped about the new Harry Potter, and The Fireman by Joe Hill. So I'll be reading those.)

Where can I find out more?

Over on Ely's Mystery-a-Thon post. Go check it out! :)

Review Time! - As I Descended by Robin Talley

Title: As I Descended

Author: Robin Talley

Genre: YA, Ghost Story, Horror, LGBTQ+ (F/F and M/M)

Release Date: 6th September 2016

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

A young adult re-telling of Macbeth. In a boarding school. With LGBTQ+ protagonists. Hell yes!

I sooo wanted to read this - so much so that when my request to receive an eArc was declined on Edelweiss, I marched myself straight over the NetGalley to see if it was listed there.

And on NetGalley I was approved!!!!!!! XD XD

Happy book nerd all around!!!!!!!

Premise:

Lily wants her girlfriend to come to the same college as her after they graduate.

Maria deserves the best, and the Cawdor Kingsley prize would mean the scholarship of her choice. It would be perfect.

The thing standing in their way? Queen bee Delilah Dufrey.

It wasn't meant to go down like this. But after that night with the Ouija board, nothing goes to plan.

They wanted Delilah out of the way, and they just might get it.

Best bits:

Let's just take a moment to appreciate the diversity in this book:

The central relationship is between two girlfriends, one of which is Latina, and the other of which is disabled.

The two main supporting characters are boyfriends Mateo (another Latinx character) and Brandon.

None of this feels forced, and none of the characters feel 2-dimensional.

As well as being diverse, it is a damn good horror/ghost story.

With enough nods to the original Macbeth to keep the bard lovers reading, Talley weaves a story full of creepy tension and layers of meaning.

Because there is some deep sh** going on beneath the surface here - themes of ambition, insecurity, and hypocrisy all feature.

And Talley doesn't shy away from the issues either.

Her characters face the sting of homophobia in a variety of forms, and the irritation of being the only people of colour (PoC) in the school and therefore used by the establishment as proof that the school has left its racist roots behind.

The achievements of Lily and Mateo are often put down to 'affirmative action' - despite how hard they work, they can never get full credit for what they've done; and this, understandably, makes Lily in particular pretty damned angry.

The way Talley deals with these issues is truly skilful. She neither belittles them, nor makes them the central point of the book. They are an aspect of a complex plot filled with complex characters.

Honestly, there's so many excellent points that I could make about this book that I couldn't possibly get to them all. You'll have to read it to find out ;)

Not so great bits:

Personally, I would've loved an expansion on some parts of this book.

What is up with minor characters Austin and Felicia, who clearly know a hell of lot more than they should? Why is the dining room such a focal point for the spirits? Is the woman really La Llorona, like Mateo thinks? I NEED MORE!

It would've also been a plus to up the exploration of the Brandon/Mateo and Lily/Maria relationships.

I felt like there was so much more space for development there, and was left slightly unsatisfied when this aspect didn't fulfil its potential.

I also found the ending slightly underwhelming. There was nothing wrong with it - I just felt like it needed more POW!

('POW!' is now officially a technical term. I've decided.)

There're some issues in this book that people may have trouble with, including (but not limited to,) - death, ghosts, homophobia, self-harm, suicide, drugs, and a disturbing lack of interest by the authorities in what is happening at this school.

I didn't notice any swearing, but the odd word might've snuck in there.

There's a lot of violence, blood, gore, and references to the sexy times.

If you don't like ghosts or horror, then maybe try a different book. ;)

Verdict:

Well-written diverse YA horror with complex themes and characters!!!!!!!!

Book, will you marry me? ;)

Update 27th Jan 2017 - In the interest of fairness and openness, here is a Goodreads review from a reviewer who had a lot of problems with the representation of various people in this book.







Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

Liked this post? Try these:

• Review Time! - Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova
• Review Time! - Say Her Name by Juno Dawson

Mini-Review! - The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer

Title: The Shock of the Fall

Author: Nathan Filer

Genre: Contemporary

Amazon: UK - USA

Verdict:

'There was the shock of the fall and the blood on my knee...'

A book with a schizophrenic protagonist is a delicate balancing act. One which Filer excels at.

Matthew - our point-of-view narrator - is a complex, realistic character. He doesn't fall head-long into stereotypes, but neither is his illness ignored.

He is mentally ill. He is also a nineteen-year-old boy in Bristol. One who wants to tell his own story, thank you very much.

He wants people to listen to him - even if he's not making much sense, he still wants to be heard. And it's the characters who listen to him - even if they ultimately disagree with his opinions - who Matt prefers.

Because people with mental illnesses don't just want to be talked at, over, or around. They want you to hear them out, even if you make decisions that go against their wishes, they'd still like their wishes to at least be acknowledged.

We want you to understand that we are not children. We are adults who are ill.

If you made a decision for a cancer patient without at least listening to their opinion, there would be uproar. Make a decision for a mental health patient without asking their opinion? Meh.

But Filer explains this without ever explaining it. He simply allows the character to tell his story, and places the reader in Matt's shoes for a while.

Not that he paints Matt as an angel - far from it. He's not some martyred saint. He's a real person, with all the flaws and quirks that brings.

He's not pitied, but neither is he demonised. And that is an incredible achievement.

And I love the non-linear structure.

We experience the story as Matt does - with flitting thoughts as he moves from one train of thought to another. We experience his present as well as his past, complete with complaints at people reading over his shoulder.

This is an excellent book guys. Read it.

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

Liked this post? Try these:

• Review Time! - The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon
• Review! (Graphic Novel Edition!) - Echoes, Vol 1 by Joshua Hale Fialkov

Nerd Church - Fragile Trust

Are you someone who trusts easily?

In some ways I hope you are - or, at least, I hope that your life is one that allows you to be.

I hope that you're surrounded by people who would move mountains for you and never dream of breaking the trust you have placed in them.

If you're like me though, you don't trust as easily. I hope that when you do find someone to trust they are worthy of you, and would never dream of breaking your trust.

Trust is a fragile thing - easily broken. People do things, say things, in the spur of the moment which shatters your trust in them.

You thought they would never hurt you, but now they have.





Betrayal is heart-breaking - whether it comes from a friend, or from family, or from anyone else.

But betrayal is not your fault - although sometimes it feels like it must be, that there must be something wrong with you to make someone treat you so unfairly. It isn't. Betrayal is the fault of the betrayer.

There are few circumstances in this world that make a betrayal of trust ok. Most of these circumstances are fairly extreme - they involve risk to health or life, or something illegal.






If you break my trust? It's going to take a lot of time and effort for me to trust you again. Particularly if they way I acted was reasonable, and the way you acted wasn't.

So be careful, if there's someone who trusts you - they've given you a part of themselves. Don't break it.






Nerd Church is a weekly post where I get some cheap therapy talk about issues and life and all of that stuff :)





Like this post? Try these:

• Nerd Church - Being Yourself and Other Extreme Sports
• Nerd Church - When Are You 'Good Enough'?

Review Time! - Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

Title: Labyrinth Lost

Author: Zoraida Córdova

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Witches, LGBTQ+ (M/F and F/F)

Series: Brooklyn Brujas #1

Release Date: 6 September 2016

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

You know sometimes there are books where you hear the premise and just have to read it?

This book was like that for me. I'm guessing it'll tempt a lot of other people too ;)

Premise:

'Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.'

Alex is a bruja (a Latinx witch,) whose Deathday is coming up (this is a lot less fatal than it sounds.)

Her Deathday will mean accepting her powers and her legacy. But... what if she doesn't want to? Is that even an option?

Alex will have to face the consequences of her actions, and, along with local brujo (dude-witch) Nova, will have to face the dangers of the realm of Los Lagos.

Best bits:

I know people say this a lot - but this is a page-turner.

It's pacey, it's got a chatty but fairly confident tone... and you'll totally want to know what happens next.

The rules governing magic here are clearly understood by the author - you're in safe hands, because she knows this world inside and out.

I like the way Córdova blends elements of different Latin American cultures deftly, while also adding her own unique elements - I love it when the author takes the effort to look effortless ;)

I thought Rishi was a quirky bundle of fun (and I'm a big fan of quirky,) and Alex responded in a realistic way to her situation (what teenager wants to be like their parents, after all,) but I actually had a real soft spot for Nova.

Nova is the bad-boy with a heart... or is he? Dun-dun-dunnnnn!

I guess I just felt a connection with Nova - someone who brings light to those around him, but is made dark by doing so. (And hopefully that was suitably vague enough to avoid spoilerage.)

(If you could avoid the urge to psychoanalyse that last paragraph...? Please & thank you!)

The heroine here though is most definitely Alex.

This bisexual Brooklyn bruja is a great blend of power and vulnerability - someone that people can relate to and look up to at the same time. She's awesome.

Not so great bits:

There was the odd moment here where I was like, 'Don't do that. That is a stupid-a*s decision.' They did it anyway.

Sometimes you just can't talk sense into fictional characters, no matter how hard you try ;) But I guess that's part of what makes us so invested in the lovable little idiots.

There is also love of a geometric (i.e. triangular) variety. Less annoying than most triangles, but maybe just a touch rushed-feeling.

And I'm never going to be happy about animal sacrifice being part of the magic system in use in any particular book. It just goes too much against my personal beliefs.

There's violence and blood and stuff - as a warning to those who don't like those things. I didn't notice any swearing - but it's possible the odd word snuck by me.

Verdict:

This is a great book.

And if you're looking for a new fantasy series to get obsessed with?

(Yes nerdlets, I see you! You can't hide from me!)

This is a perfect candidate for your next fandom-level bookish fave.

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

Liked this post? Try these:

• Review Time! - Say Her Name by Juno Dawson
• Review Time! - Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Friday Fics Fix - Crack the Clichés

I like things with a sense of humour about themselves. And that's exactly what this week's fic has.

Alright, rewind a bit -

This week I've been reading crack fiction. I know. I'm going to hell.

(Fangirling note: Crack fiction is a piece of fanfiction so random that the only way the author could've come up with it is by imbibing in none-too-legal substances.)

via GIPHY

More specifically, I've been reading Harry Potter crack fiction (ok, there was some Avengers too... what can I say? I'm a Marvel-girl. But the HP sauce is what we're focussing on here.)

Yes, my friends. Harry Potter crack. One of the strongest fixes of fanfiction you will encounter.

via GIPHY

Still, as crack goes this is pretty intelligent stuff - a wry and affectionate satire of fanfiction itself, it literally had me laughing out loud.

Not that it doesn't hit a few bum-notes, but I love how self-aware it is, and how comfortable the author is with this gentle mocking of some of the bizarre-ities of fanfiction.






So, for a heap load of random funnies in your day give -

Harry Potter and The Deathly Clichés by TheHandsomeTwin

-a shot.





Enjoy! And come back next week for more fanfiction insanity!

Like this post? Try these:

• The Harry Potter Tag
• Friday Fics Fix - Bat Outta Hell

Comics Wrap-Up - Silver Children She Roared

Graphic Novels



This week I read Captain America: First Vengeance (UK - US.)

This is actually a media tie-in with the Captain America: The First Avenger (UK - US) movie, but unlike most tie-ins, it doesn't simply re-tell the story.

Instead we get more background on both the Red Skull and the allies' team making the Super Soldier Serum.

Yes, it treads some well-worn ground - kid from Brooklyn, wanted to join the army, etc.

But we also get aspects that the film doesn't show - more detail on the Howling Commandoes, more background on Steve and Bucky in New York, etc. etc.

I was actually pretty damned impressed by how well this works - and (always important) the artwork is great too.

Other Stuff



Marvel (and, more specifically, Brian Michael Bendis,) have announced that the new Iron Man - black teenage girl Riri Williams (and how awesome is that!) - will be known as 'Ironheart.'

I still think that they missed a trick by not going with Iron Maiden, but apparently that would've been 'a legal nightmare.' (Dammit!)

-0-

Marvel latte art vid! Short, cool, and coffee-ful; just what I need in a video ;)

-0-

And, with adult humour, gore, and a sh**-load of randomness, here's a hilarious spoof of the Wonder Woman trailer:

Like this post? Try these:

• Comics Wrap-Up - And She Thinks She's Made Of Candy
• Comics Wrap-Up - You're Second Hand Smoke