12 meses, 12 libros: April: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

(I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago, just after I finished the book, but I didn't want to publish it until after I'd posted about my March book.)

The theme for April was a borrowed book, which since most of the stuff I read is from the library it's all borrowed, so it was all Gucci.  So anyways, as the title suggests, I read Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi, which is actually a pretty recent book (I believe it came out in February or March?).

I really enjoyed this book.  It appealed to me because it was this blend of sci-fi and fantasy but it's firmly rooted in African tradition and mythology.  The story is compelling and emotional too.  There's also some social commentary in here that you will get if you're paying attention to the real life climate in which it was written.  It was something different and something moving, and I'd encourage everyone to support this book, since the author is a young black woman who seems to really be going places.  This book was definitely better than your average debut novel.  I could have maaaybe done without the romance (though it didn't feel forced and it wasn't distracting, I'm just a bitter bitch and was also hoping romance would bloom between the two female leads instead) but if you're not super into romance I wouldn't let that discourage you.  It's not a huge deal, and the romantic stuff is never shown as more important than the hero's journey.

I started this on April 4th and finished it April 13th.  It's long, but once you get going it's a pretty quick read.  It only took me as long as it did because I had other stuff going on and didn't get to really dive into it like I wanted.

Bottom line, would I recommend this book to a friend? Abso-frickin-lutely.  I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to pretty much anyone... especially if you love fantasy and/or Afrofuturism.

12 meses, 12 libros: March: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

(Yes, I know March has been over for a while.  I'm doing this late because I got sidetracked by life and other projects so it took me AAAAAGES to finish this book, and that's not a reflection on the quality of the book, jsyk just fyi.  I did read and finish books in March -- at least one also fit this theme, so I'm not technically cheating... just arriving slowly lol.)

March's theme was a literary classic, so I decided to go for one of the two Austen books I'd never read yet (yes, I'm a bad Jane-ite lol): Northanger Abbey.

(I included an actual cover of the book as well as the cover of the Jane Austen collection I own and used to read this book.)

I didn't really know a lot about this book when I began reading it... it isn't as much a part of pop culture as some of Austen's other works (Pride & Prejudice and Emma especially) so I had heard a couple of the character names and the words "gothic" and "horror." I didn't really know what to expect, but honestly I picked this over Mansfield Park to read because it was shorter.  That being said, as soon as I got into it I knew I would like it, and I did.  It's different than some of her other works, and even though I have read enough of them to have realized there can be a pattern, I don't feel that this followed a pattern, and I didn't always predict what was coming next. 

It was fun though, and I'm looking forward to watching one or two film adaptations. ;)

I read this book from March 27th to 29th, then took a break and finished it between April 16th and April 27th.  It's not a long or difficult book, I just ended up reading slowly because I've also been working on Camp NaNoWriMo, and since I owned this book I prioritized it lower than a couple of more time sensitive library books.

Bottom line, would I recommend this? Definitely!  Especially if you're an Austen fan like me and you haven't gotten to it yet.

I wanted to keep up with posting on this blog weekly, but I just haven't.  I don't have anything interesting to say because nothing interesting is going on.  I'm just a sad sack most days, lol.  I try to manage the best I can, and I think I'm doing... okay.  Average at best, but you know.  Staying mostly afloat.  It's hard though.  I just feel like a failure every day.  I want it all to end, really.  But you know.  Doing the best I can.

so reading...

Today I finished my 12 meses, 12 libros book for April, and I'm currently writing my post about it.  However I'm going to save it and not post it today... I still have to finish and write up my March book, and I don't want them posted out of order (even though they got finished out of order lol).

February-March Book Log

 More books!  I'm trying to read more #literature this year, but I will still always love kids' books and comics.  Let me know if you want to hear more about any of these titles.

Sundiata: The Lion King of Mali by David Wisniewski
Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey
Dinosaur Empire! (Earth Before Us #1) by Abby Howard
Pride and Prejudice (Marvel Classics graphic novel)
Star Wars ABC-3PO by Calliope Glass and Caitlin Kennedy
Marvel's Black Panther Prelude
Star Wars Adventures Vol. 1
Captain Phasma graphic novel
Nancy Drew / The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie graphic novel
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Lady Killer 2
Papa's Mark by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert
Mr. Goat's Valentine by Eve Bunting
Cowboy and Octopus by Jon Scieszka
Barbie Millicent Roberts: An Original
Lest We Forget: The Passive from Africa to Slavery and Emancipation by Velma Maia Thomas
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
JB's Harmonica by John Sebastian
Jinx and the Doom Fight Crime! by Lisa Mantchev
Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne
Ash by Malinda Lo
Black Panther: The Young Prince by Ronald L. Smith
A Beatrix Potter Treasury
The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson
Cinderella by Paul Galdone
Dinosaur Hunter by Elaine Marie Alphin
Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Horses by Seymour Simon

Ugh

Due to depression and life stress, I didn't finish reading my March book for the 12 meses, 12 libros challenge.  I do plan to finish it and do a write up on it, but it'll be late (obviously, since we're already in April lol).  But I did actually read more than one book in March, so I'm still technically not breaking any rules or anything.  Just late.  April is kinda cool since the theme is just a borrowed book, and most of what I've been reading lately is borrowed from the library, so I've got lots of options.  I think I do know which book I'll do.