Scan barcode
goblinhearted's reviews
76 reviews
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
I've read this book in the past when I was younger and I enjoyed it. I couldn't re-read it though, mainly because of the racism toward Arabs. I can understand this book being published in the '70s but it was too painful to keep reading through it all.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Did not finish book. Stopped at 62%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 62%.
I liked the idea of this book, but the characters fell too flat and one-dimensional for me. I think what pushed me over the edge was the main character's obsession with planting her eggs in her love interest and starting a family. I cannot I'm sorry lmao.
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
5.0
I really liked Gideon the Ninth but after reading only the first ¼ of Harrow the Ninth, I felt like I liked this one a thousand times more. I feel seen.
This is one of those novels that is incredibly difficult to talk about without spoilers.
As vaguely as possible these were my top highlights:
☒ coping with your trauma in a deeply unhealthy way
☒ being in love with the 10,000 year old frozen body of a girl that you found in a tomb when you were ten
☒ having dinner with God and a handful of acerbic and contemptuous 10,000 year old Saints
☒ preparing for the potential end of the world???
☒ unexpectedly intimate bone stuff
I love this series and it makes me feel alive.
This is one of those novels that is incredibly difficult to talk about without spoilers.
As vaguely as possible these were my top highlights:
☒ coping with your trauma in a deeply unhealthy way
☒ being in love with the 10,000 year old frozen body of a girl that you found in a tomb when you were ten
☒ having dinner with God and a handful of acerbic and contemptuous 10,000 year old Saints
☒ preparing for the potential end of the world???
☒ unexpectedly intimate bone stuff
I love this series and it makes me feel alive.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Gideon wants nothing more than to be set free and to be allowed to leave the planet. She has tried running away countless times without success. Harrow makes Gideon a deal: if she accompanies her to a competition as essentially her bodyguard/fighter or "cavalier" then after it’s over, Gideon will be set free.
The bulk of the novel takes place during the competition, where we get to learn about the other eight Houses, who have also each sent one representative pair of a necromancer/cavalier pair. We learn about each planet’s personality types, roles and necromantic specialties. There are a lot of characters and complexities which makes it difficult to keep track of who is who, so it’s handy to have a spoiler-free list.
A lot of chaos ensues as the novel hovers between fantasy, sci-fi, horror and a little murder mystery as a treat.
As time goes on, it becomes clear that Gideon and Harrow need to at least try to work together, but… it’s almost physically painful for them to be nice to each other.
This novel (and series) has some very camp moments that reference internet memes or overly-millennial-dialogue but like, (I never thought I would say this) good ones - it pulls them off in a genuinely entertaining way. (I should mention as an aside here that the author of this book has been writing fanfiction from a young age. Some of her Homestuck fanfics are still available online somewhere. I feel like she must have grown up in the same circles of the internet that I frequented in my past, for better or for worse lmao, but she manages to distill that sort of atmosphere, in the best way possible, as comic relief in her books.) A few examples of these vibes are below.
and,
and...
There is so much to say about this book. It’s not a romance, or a YA (Young Adult) novel. It has some pretty dark and tragic scenes. It’s dense book with a lot going on that doesn’t fully make sense until the final quarter of the book. Since the novel is told from Gideon's POV and Gideon is left in the dark about a lot of stuff, this makes sense. It’s the type of book that benefits from multiple re-reads, or at least watching some (spoiler-free) video essays or reading some forum threads afterward.
This is only the first book in a series of four. After finishing, I immediately picked up the next book Harrow the Ninth which I proceeded to love about a thousand times more if that’s even possible.
I enjoy a lot of books, but this one has been the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time.
5.0
I don’t typically read sci-fi or fantasy books so picking this up after its recommendation was a stretch for my comfort zone. How could I not be sold on the classic pitch, “lesbian necromancers in space”?
The novel is narrated by Gideon Nav, a super charismatic and witty lesbian who loves swords, working out, and reading magazines with scandily-clad necromancers. She is an indentured servant to the heir of the House of the Ninth, which is basically a cold, dark planet. The Ninth House’s necromantic specialty is bones (cue a million and one bone puns) and it has a storied, dark and complicated past which resulted in Gideon and Harrowhark Nonagesimus (the heir to the house) being the only two children of their generation to grow up together. They have a relationship which can only be described as somewhere between hate and obsession with one another.
The novel is narrated by Gideon Nav, a super charismatic and witty lesbian who loves swords, working out, and reading magazines with scandily-clad necromancers. She is an indentured servant to the heir of the House of the Ninth, which is basically a cold, dark planet. The Ninth House’s necromantic specialty is bones (cue a million and one bone puns) and it has a storied, dark and complicated past which resulted in Gideon and Harrowhark Nonagesimus (the heir to the house) being the only two children of their generation to grow up together. They have a relationship which can only be described as somewhere between hate and obsession with one another.
“Nonagesimus,” [Gideon] said slowly, “the only job I’d do for you would be if you wanted someone to hold the sword as you fell on it. The only job I’d do for you would be if you wanted your ass kicked so hard, the Locked Tomb opened and a parade came out to sing, ‘Lo! A destructed ass.’ The only job I’d do would be if you wanted me to spot you while you backflipped off the top tier into Drearburh.”
“That’s three jobs,” said Harrowhark.
Gideon wants nothing more than to be set free and to be allowed to leave the planet. She has tried running away countless times without success. Harrow makes Gideon a deal: if she accompanies her to a competition as essentially her bodyguard/fighter or "cavalier" then after it’s over, Gideon will be set free.
The bulk of the novel takes place during the competition, where we get to learn about the other eight Houses, who have also each sent one representative pair of a necromancer/cavalier pair. We learn about each planet’s personality types, roles and necromantic specialties. There are a lot of characters and complexities which makes it difficult to keep track of who is who, so it’s handy to have a spoiler-free list.
A lot of chaos ensues as the novel hovers between fantasy, sci-fi, horror and a little murder mystery as a treat.
As time goes on, it becomes clear that Gideon and Harrow need to at least try to work together, but… it’s almost physically painful for them to be nice to each other.
“Don't die in a bone. I am your creature, gloom mistress. I serve you with fidelity as big as a mountain, penumbral lady."
Harrow's eyes flickered open. "Stop."
"I am your sworn sword, night boss."
"Fine," said Harrow heavily.
Gideon's mouth was about to round out the words "bone empress" before she realised what had been said.
This novel (and series) has some very camp moments that reference internet memes or overly-millennial-dialogue but like, (I never thought I would say this) good ones - it pulls them off in a genuinely entertaining way. (I should mention as an aside here that the author of this book has been writing fanfiction from a young age. Some of her Homestuck fanfics are still available online somewhere. I feel like she must have grown up in the same circles of the internet that I frequented in my past, for better or for worse lmao, but she manages to distill that sort of atmosphere, in the best way possible, as comic relief in her books.) A few examples of these vibes are below.
"While we were developing common sense, she studied the blade.”
and,
Gideon was experiencing one powerful emotion: being sick of everyone’s shit.”
and...
He had the eyes of a very beautiful person, trapped in resting bitch face.
There is so much to say about this book. It’s not a romance, or a YA (Young Adult) novel. It has some pretty dark and tragic scenes. It’s dense book with a lot going on that doesn’t fully make sense until the final quarter of the book. Since the novel is told from Gideon's POV and Gideon is left in the dark about a lot of stuff, this makes sense. It’s the type of book that benefits from multiple re-reads, or at least watching some (spoiler-free) video essays or reading some forum threads afterward.
This is only the first book in a series of four. After finishing, I immediately picked up the next book Harrow the Ninth which I proceeded to love about a thousand times more if that’s even possible.
I enjoy a lot of books, but this one has been the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time.
"Nav, show them what the Ninth House does."
Gideon lifted her sword... "We do bones, motherfucker."
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
5.0
This is one of my favorite books. I thought I had read this book before but it seems I must have given up halfway through. That was back in high school. I’m into my thirties now and read it again - and it’s been a completely different experience.
The first impression I got from this book was the gay undertones between Elphie and Glinda (both times reading it). This is a huge highlight for me. The first time around, when this arc ended, I was so sad; this most likely led to me losing interest back then.
Elphaba is such a cool character. She’s highly intelligent and has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. She values her independence and resists conforming to societal expectations (queeen). Most of all, she has deep compassion and empathy for the marginalized and oppressed. Her decisions may be controversial, but she acts on strong ideals and a sense of justice, even when that alienates her from the rest of the people in her life.
I think what really makes this book great is the political undertones/intrigue - which completely went over my head as a 10th grader, but now make so much sense as an adult. When I realized thatThe Wizard is a fascist oppressing the minorities of Oz, and Elphaba is essentially a revolutionary, my respect for and admiration of her exploded. Above all, she is brave and resilient.
The writing style is incredibly witty, with little bits thrown in here and there which keep everything from feeling too serious or dry. I had such a fun time reading this. Long live Elphaba!
The first impression I got from this book was the gay undertones between Elphie and Glinda (both times reading it). This is a huge highlight for me. The first time around, when this arc ended, I was so sad; this most likely led to me losing interest back then.
Elphaba is such a cool character. She’s highly intelligent and has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. She values her independence and resists conforming to societal expectations (queeen). Most of all, she has deep compassion and empathy for the marginalized and oppressed. Her decisions may be controversial, but she acts on strong ideals and a sense of justice, even when that alienates her from the rest of the people in her life.
I think what really makes this book great is the political undertones/intrigue - which completely went over my head as a 10th grader, but now make so much sense as an adult. When I realized that
The writing style is incredibly witty, with little bits thrown in here and there which keep everything from feeling too serious or dry. I had such a fun time reading this. Long live Elphaba!
The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
3.0
What a strange little book with an interesting sociological premise: how would kids in the 1970s spend their days after their last-living parent dies (and where would they hide the body?) I wasn't sure what to expect. I liked it well enough but it also didn't particularly stick with me, nor would I go out of my way to recommend it. All of that to say, it was an okay read!
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
4.0
This is a re-read for me! I read this for the first time a handful of years ago and I really enjoyed it - enough to pick it up again. I have a weakness for long family sagas that span decades. The author did a really good job of encapsulating the political atmosphere that existed between Korea and Japan throughout the early and mid 1900s and how this might have impacted a family living during this time. (I'm also a fan of novels about suffering and hardships, so this one was right up my alley.)
It's a long one, too, and doesn't linger on a specific character for too long. Instead it jumps between characters, sometimes not giving you a satisfying conclusion for a particular event. However in this way, it felt very realistic. Life is not full of many satisfying conclusions.
I did not expect it to take me nearly a month to finish though! It is not the type of novel that you devour in one (or even a few) sittings. It's heavy and moves slow but it was always nice to return to whether I read through one chapter or a dozen in a sitting.
It's a long one, too, and doesn't linger on a specific character for too long. Instead it jumps between characters, sometimes not giving you a satisfying conclusion for a particular event. However in this way, it felt very realistic. Life is not full of many satisfying conclusions.
I did not expect it to take me nearly a month to finish though! It is not the type of novel that you devour in one (or even a few) sittings. It's heavy and moves slow but it was always nice to return to whether I read through one chapter or a dozen in a sitting.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 27%.
I could not get through this book. I promise I am not being snobby but this seemed very unpolished, overly simplistic and did not read like a novel. I hated the narrator. Sorry 😭