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371 reviews
Discovering the Folklore of Birds and Beasts by Venetia Newall
1.0
Firstly: no fault of the book itself but I see it described as folklore worldwide (and had some dubious reactions, because it's quite a small book for such a broad topic), and it is definitely in Britain, specifically. (Some mentions of related things in Europe - mostly Scandinavian, Norse, or 'northern' by which she means 'Norse', which are mostly wrong - a few mentioning other places - Asia, Africa, the Americas. She closes with Zebra, which she points out certainly has no British folklore associated, but it's the perfect one to end on, so she quotes an African piece of folklore. Supposedly. It's the only one in the entire book that is not relating to something from the British Isles.)
Secondly: it is mainly not so much folklore as it is superstitions - many things including beliefs and actions, such as historical medical practises and the like. There are very, very few actual folklore stories or beliefs.
Relatedly: there is a lot of animal death. Tons of it. As I would expect from a book focusing on historical medical practises and similar, but a) I didn't know this was, and b) it's . . . a lot even for that.
There are also not a few items that I happen to know from other research are incorrectly reported here - whether that knowledge has been refined in the decades since this book was written or was demonstrably known to be incorrect even in the '70s I do not know. (There are also a number of superstitions repeated identically, say, across half a dozen different bird species - presumably because of variation across regions and time passing, but should then be treated as related or at least mentioned as such, not handled as though they are entirely separate.)
The author occasionally comments on a belief being "still current" - some of them I gave a side-eye but I certainly wouldn't know enough to dispute, fair enough. Some of them I feel fairly certain are not - for example, I doubt people in Britain in the '70s were, say, regularly dosing their children with the ashes of a songbird mixed with honey to cure a cough.
The section on the Cat is the longest in the book (the Wren and the Wolf are the runners-up) and save for one (incorrect) bit at the beginning referring to Egypt, almost the entire several pages are a litany of horrible ways to kill cats and use their corpses. It is unrelentingly negative and it is the only animal in the book that has more than a brief entry that is so. Even the wolf is not so bad and has several positive things mentioned, but not so much with the cat. I know there are positive superstitions from the British Isles relating to cats, but either the author did not or she simply dislikes them.
Secondly: it is mainly not so much folklore as it is superstitions - many things including beliefs and actions, such as historical medical practises and the like. There are very, very few actual folklore stories or beliefs.
Relatedly: there is a lot of animal death. Tons of it. As I would expect from a book focusing on historical medical practises and similar, but a) I didn't know this was, and b) it's . . . a lot even for that.
There are also not a few items that I happen to know from other research are incorrectly reported here - whether that knowledge has been refined in the decades since this book was written or was demonstrably known to be incorrect even in the '70s I do not know. (There are also a number of superstitions repeated identically, say, across half a dozen different bird species - presumably because of variation across regions and time passing, but should then be treated as related or at least mentioned as such, not handled as though they are entirely separate.)
The author occasionally comments on a belief being "still current" - some of them I gave a side-eye but I certainly wouldn't know enough to dispute, fair enough. Some of them I feel fairly certain are not - for example, I doubt people in Britain in the '70s were, say, regularly dosing their children with the ashes of a songbird mixed with honey to cure a cough.
The section on the Cat is the longest in the book (the Wren and the Wolf are the runners-up) and save for one (incorrect) bit at the beginning referring to Egypt, almost the entire several pages are a litany of horrible ways to kill cats and use their corpses. It is unrelentingly negative and it is the only animal in the book that has more than a brief entry that is so. Even the wolf is not so bad and has several positive things mentioned, but not so much with the cat. I know there are positive superstitions from the British Isles relating to cats, but either the author did not or she simply dislikes them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
After We Gazed at the Starry Sky by Bisco Kida
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
This is really sweet and really pretty, but also painfully ableist - I expected it to some degree when I read the full blurb, and suspected the 'carrying' was going to be 'without really asking', but. . .
I really liked the characters, and their developing relationship was for the most part nicely done (there was one part that, also pulling in the ableism again from an internalised perspective on Subaru's part, made me argle a bit), along with their earnestness, and the art was great and by turns emotive and telegraphing stillness in very fitting ways.
. . .but the intense ableism from Subaru being picked up and carried without asking, his chair pushed without asking, assumptions made (and more aggravating, not incorrectly, in-universe) about his holding himself back, making it feel rather like treating him like a child 'teaching him better' about his own disability, and similar. It was . . . not great.
I really liked the characters, and their developing relationship was for the most part nicely done (there was one part that, also pulling in the ableism again from an internalised perspective on Subaru's part, made me argle a bit), along with their earnestness, and the art was great and by turns emotive and telegraphing stillness in very fitting ways.
. . .but the intense ableism from Subaru being picked up and carried without asking, his chair pushed without asking, assumptions made (and more aggravating, not incorrectly, in-universe) about his holding himself back, making it feel rather like treating him like a child 'teaching him better' about his own disability, and similar. It was . . . not great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, and Death of parent
The Shattered Truce by Donna Brown
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
While I'm all for launching into a story and allowing the unfolding happenings to let me learn the characters, this one . . . went a little too far on that score - to the tune that a prologue and seven chapters in I was still confused as to who these dozen and more names are, how they relate to one another, and going back two generations and from multiple POVs only made it unfortunately more of a muddle. And at least once was incredibly confused between two people doing something in an ongoing dramatic scene.
It doesn't help that while I can see who is supposed to be at the centre of the story, what I'm supposed to be hoping for is very unclear for large swathes of the book - and most of the characters, for me, remain somewhere between 'eh' and 'actively loathe' . . . so rooting for any of them is at best not very exciting.
It does very much feel like an ongoing world, perhaps one that had an entire novel or more before this one began, which is not the case but does leave me feeling off-balance and not well engaged. (And I don't like picking up series in the middle, so the feeling of needing to catch up or missing background from the story prior is not one I enjoy.)
It also felt as though it dropped me in the middle of a rushing plot (fine! let's go!) . . . and then conversely like it then noodled around without that plot . . . going anywhere, despite the tenterhooks feeling. Too long on edge of tension doesn't ratchet the stakes higher - it just starts to dull.
Unfortunately, for such a book as seems to bill itself as being a highly dramatic one, the author seems to struggle with action scenes of any kind - there is little tension within them and time after time mostly they don't really come to an end, resolved or not, they simply . . . wander off - much like the dragon, the first time we see it.
The supposed longing love between Fran and Elsa (which is also part of what drives the plot, or is supposed to be, it seems from the blurbs?) doesn't seem to actually involve a lot of feeling. Elsa doesn't seem thrilled with her semi-arranged marriage but she also doesn't seem terribly bothered by it - and then by turns at times thinks fondly on him. Fran likes Elsa and doesn't want her to marry said arranged husband, supposedly, but doesn't seem to want her himself or think of her much; when it's suggested he should marry her he protests and can't picture it - even thinks it 'would be a delight if they were to visit as friends, but-' not as his wife? Their supposed romance is spoken or thought about more by others than them. Elsa seems fonder and closer to one of her make friends than to Fran - and Fran seems more emotionally attached to Cader, his own best friend, than he ever thinks of Elsa.
(Also at one point her father wonders why must everything centre around poor Elsa - on the one hand, it doesn't seem to, she's not terribly important and she makes almost no decisions of her own ever - even her little sister has more effect on the plot, by far - and seems to have the character of a scrap of wet newspaper; on the other hand, why does everything involve Elsa and why are there supposedly at least five men in love with or captivated by her? Including the villain, if not love really, in a sudden jink into a very tired trope.)
True or not, I also got the distinct feeling that the author is deeply unfamiliar with 'the wilderness', or forest or the outdoors at all . . . which is unfortunate as a lot takes place in the forest. Someone who is within an hour or so's walk of where she's lived for decades (her entire life) panics when she isn't even out of water yet, and is in a forest she knows well and hosts many streams and at least one (three?) rivers, and a lake. (Multiple people try to give someone unconscious water to drink, as well.)
As well, the forest that is part of their home is incredibly inconsistent in their descriptions - for example it is clearly stated that no predators larger than a fox roam these woods, and that boars have not been here for generations. Not long after there is mention of bears in the woods. Also boars. And wolves. And a wildcat, which seems to be at least the size of a cougar.
In honesty, my strongest takeaway from the book was wondering why the author didn't leave out the fantasy elements (of which there were truly not that many, by time spent or focus or seeming effect on the characters and plot) and write a pseudo-historical (with more research first, I beg) melodrama soap opera, because those elements of the settlement and interpersonal dynamics seem to be where her strongest interest lies, along with most of the focus.
(Also the book did not need to be so long as it was, and it felt even longer. And then the end was just sort of there, with no particular wrap up felt.)
In the last 10% of the book we also got a bunch more things crammed in . . . that didn't actually affect the plot at all (including something that was nearly the King In The Mountain trope? only to be dropped again as swiftly as it came up), and then . . . it's the end, with not much any more resolved than it was in the prior handful of chapters.
It doesn't help that while I can see who is supposed to be at the centre of the story, what I'm supposed to be hoping for is very unclear for large swathes of the book - and most of the characters, for me, remain somewhere between 'eh' and 'actively loathe' . . . so rooting for any of them is at best not very exciting.
It does very much feel like an ongoing world, perhaps one that had an entire novel or more before this one began, which is not the case but does leave me feeling off-balance and not well engaged. (And I don't like picking up series in the middle, so the feeling of needing to catch up or missing background from the story prior is not one I enjoy.)
It also felt as though it dropped me in the middle of a rushing plot (fine! let's go!) . . . and then conversely like it then noodled around without that plot . . . going anywhere, despite the tenterhooks feeling. Too long on edge of tension doesn't ratchet the stakes higher - it just starts to dull.
Unfortunately, for such a book as seems to bill itself as being a highly dramatic one, the author seems to struggle with action scenes of any kind - there is little tension within them and time after time mostly they don't really come to an end, resolved or not, they simply . . . wander off - much like the dragon, the first time we see it.
The supposed longing love between Fran and Elsa (which is also part of what drives the plot, or is supposed to be, it seems from the blurbs?) doesn't seem to actually involve a lot of feeling. Elsa doesn't seem thrilled with her semi-arranged marriage but she also doesn't seem terribly bothered by it - and then by turns at times thinks fondly on him. Fran likes Elsa and doesn't want her to marry said arranged husband, supposedly, but doesn't seem to want her himself or think of her much; when it's suggested he should marry her he protests and can't picture it - even thinks it 'would be a delight if they were to visit as friends, but-' not as his wife? Their supposed romance is spoken or thought about more by others than them. Elsa seems fonder and closer to one of her make friends than to Fran - and Fran seems more emotionally attached to Cader, his own best friend, than he ever thinks of Elsa.
(Also at one point her father wonders why must everything centre around poor Elsa - on the one hand, it doesn't seem to, she's not terribly important and she makes almost no decisions of her own ever - even her little sister has more effect on the plot, by far - and seems to have the character of a scrap of wet newspaper; on the other hand, why does everything involve Elsa and why are there supposedly at least five men in love with or captivated by her? Including the villain, if not love really, in a sudden jink into a very tired trope.)
True or not, I also got the distinct feeling that the author is deeply unfamiliar with 'the wilderness', or forest or the outdoors at all . . . which is unfortunate as a lot takes place in the forest. Someone who is within an hour or so's walk of where she's lived for decades (her entire life) panics when she isn't even out of water yet, and is in a forest she knows well and hosts many streams and at least one (three?) rivers, and a lake. (Multiple people try to give someone unconscious water to drink, as well.)
As well, the forest that is part of their home is incredibly inconsistent in their descriptions - for example it is clearly stated that no predators larger than a fox roam these woods, and that boars have not been here for generations. Not long after there is mention of bears in the woods. Also boars. And wolves. And a wildcat, which seems to be at least the size of a cougar.
In honesty, my strongest takeaway from the book was wondering why the author didn't leave out the fantasy elements (of which there were truly not that many, by time spent or focus or seeming effect on the characters and plot) and write a pseudo-historical (with more research first, I beg) melodrama soap opera, because those elements of the settlement and interpersonal dynamics seem to be where her strongest interest lies, along with most of the focus.
(Also the book did not need to be so long as it was, and it felt even longer. And then the end was just sort of there, with no particular wrap up felt.)
In the last 10% of the book we also got a bunch more things crammed in . . . that didn't actually affect the plot at all (including something that was nearly the King In The Mountain trope? only to be dropped again as swiftly as it came up), and then . . . it's the end, with not much any more resolved than it was in the prior handful of chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Everlasting Spring: 101 Poems for Every Season of Life by Sonya Matejko
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
4.5
The poems through Summer (poems about dreams & desires) feel positive and soft, but in a joyous, heartfelt way. I'd pick out favourites to name but there would be at least half a dozen from this section alone! (That said, the very first one is a lovely start, and Mirroring The Sun was a standout.)
The poems through Autumn (poems about change & doing less) feel gentle and quietly energised; a time of waiting but in the sense of living that rest fully, as well as looking ahead to the time when it has passed. Again it's difficult to pick favourites, but The Absence Of Significance was a standout! (As was Not To Be Continued. Look at that, already broke my 'I'll pick one per section' plan.)
The poems through Winter (poems about troubles & triumph) may have been my absolute favourite section - perhaps they strike truer ('harder' feels wrong in this context, they are not hitting fiercely), or perhaps I am just in such a season in my life that they felt very true to me or very needed just now. They feel encouraging, acknowledging strife without sinking to the hurt. Starting again from the very first one, but The Pace of Healing, as well as Just a Carry-On, and You Showed Them, and Once Upon A Day were standouts. (I couldn't narrow it down further on this set!)
The poems through Spring (poems about growth & coming alive) were perhaps my least favourite (ironically), though still nice. Perhaps some of that feeling stems from the fact that I am, indeed, not in such a season myself at the moment. Delivery Notification, and They Were Wrong About You were standouts in this section.
(25 poems per season, except for Spring, which had 24? And then 1 extra at the end, The Beginning. Total of 100 which has me wondering if one was missing from the ARC copy in Spring!)
Some of the rhymes and rhythms feel simple or blatant, but those that did felt very much intentional in that, reaching out and making the connection easy.
I haven't used the prompts at the end of each season, but (very unlike how I usually feel about such things, which is to be not particularly snagged and just move on) I think I might in future. I think I'll also come back and read more slowly or page to different seasons intentionally, next time.
(And I might actually want the hardcopy version as well. . .)
The poems through Autumn (poems about change & doing less) feel gentle and quietly energised; a time of waiting but in the sense of living that rest fully, as well as looking ahead to the time when it has passed. Again it's difficult to pick favourites, but The Absence Of Significance was a standout! (As was Not To Be Continued. Look at that, already broke my 'I'll pick one per section' plan.)
The poems through Winter (poems about troubles & triumph) may have been my absolute favourite section - perhaps they strike truer ('harder' feels wrong in this context, they are not hitting fiercely), or perhaps I am just in such a season in my life that they felt very true to me or very needed just now. They feel encouraging, acknowledging strife without sinking to the hurt. Starting again from the very first one, but The Pace of Healing, as well as Just a Carry-On, and You Showed Them, and Once Upon A Day were standouts. (I couldn't narrow it down further on this set!)
The poems through Spring (poems about growth & coming alive) were perhaps my least favourite (ironically), though still nice. Perhaps some of that feeling stems from the fact that I am, indeed, not in such a season myself at the moment. Delivery Notification, and They Were Wrong About You were standouts in this section.
(25 poems per season, except for Spring, which had 24? And then 1 extra at the end, The Beginning. Total of 100 which has me wondering if one was missing from the ARC copy in Spring!)
Some of the rhymes and rhythms feel simple or blatant, but those that did felt very much intentional in that, reaching out and making the connection easy.
I haven't used the prompts at the end of each season, but (very unlike how I usually feel about such things, which is to be not particularly snagged and just move on) I think I might in future. I think I'll also come back and read more slowly or page to different seasons intentionally, next time.
(And I might actually want the hardcopy version as well. . .)
Getting My Goat by Jessica Olin
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
1.25
(I received a free ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.)
I admit, the description left me expecting a plot with perhaps a decent bit of sex. I . . . didn't get that. What I got was a whole lot of sex, very little 'character' (feeling or development), and . . . about half a hint of maybe plot in the first half of the book. Which might feel more comfortable (or at least less empty and then rushed) if there had been character and romantic plot development in that time, but . . . there wasn't that either.
Half a hint of plot in the first couple chapters. Another hint just over halfway in. And then after some (finally!) semi-attention to the romance plot, the danger and other plot mentioned in the description finally makes an abrupt appearance . . . four-fifths of the way through the book.
(Also, perhaps I'm being too pedantic, as Maya states early on (. . .about something she's wrong on), or perhaps I know too much about both Greek mythology and goats. I kept coming across things that felt less like worldbuilding/making the myth my own on the part of the author and more like I didn't know/knew wrongly and didn't think it was important to check.)
And the sex beginning in chapter two with a dreamonly to find out it was not a dream, hello consent issues no matter what the narrative says about 'it was very consensual', actually, fucking someone while they're hypnotised to think they're dreaming and planning never to tell them the truth? Consent isssues. Add to it that his blood has a magical effect of releasing inhibitions and that's a textbook definition of being under the influence - whether she 'made the first move' or not doesn't change that.
. . .and aside from those blatant, flashing light consent issues, the sex began very fast but not only that - some people are like that, I gather, and it is dropping us in with characters who already know one another - but it felt very rushed.
And comparing hypnotising someone so they forgetthey had sex with you to allowing people to assume you're Christian or straight for safety reasons is. . . As someone who has done both of those latter lies-of-omission, it is so staggeringly off base as to feel insulting.
Allowing people to make/keep such assumptions is allowing them to think what they want/assume as 'default', and has no effect on them. It is vastly different fromusing magic to alter their memory and perception, on something that affects them both physically and potentially emotionally .
And Maya's immediate reaction to finding out all of this that he's done, and that he's a satyr, and millenia old, and-
. . .is to immediately pin him to the wall because she wants to fuck him again right now? You do you, but also, definitely can't relate.
Leander's enduring shyness and surprise at Maya being forward, or at her responses to him in general, both before and after the reveal, seems both understandable (as I mentioned, I cannot fathom some of her reactions to these things) and strange (he's more than 3,000 years old; a bit of pushy flirting or bluntness is having this effect on him?).
. . .also, he's over 3,000 years old, fucks people of any gender or species, but Maya, a middle-aged human woman, is the one who is so 'different from anyone he's ever known' that he's uncertain in bed with her? (Someone doesn't have to be utterly unique amongst one's sexual or romantic history to be special, and this feels . . . very like that's the reason he has such reactions.) I also raise a heck of an eyebrow at the assertion that even when mythical beings ('nymphs and satyrs and so-called gods') roamed freely among humans, he's never before Maya had a human partner that wasn't . . . scared of him?
I love a good mutual pining while already established relationship, but man I don't love how it is handled here. For one thing, the continued inistence on how they're fuck buddies and only that, even as both of them are pretty clearly feeling (and wanting?) more than that is . . . a weird note. And Maya being upset at Leander calling what they have friendship when she's the one who keeps insisting that it is? Maybe you should evaluate that? . . .but no, she just continues to be firm that they're fuck buddies and nothing more, and be disappointed/upset at any suggestion they're just friends.
With the noted issues I had I was a bit worried about the warned-for BDSM, but it was in fact a shining bit of being handled well, thankfully!
Now, the shift from fuck buddies to acknowledging they're more than that . . . awkward and somehow felt rushed even after all the pages of wanting/feeling more and refusing to admit it.
I found Maya's self-image issues (fat, old, unattractive, too old for Leander and then of course after the reveal too young for Leander; her absolute certainty both while they were still 'only fuck buddies' and after the romantic development that the relationship will end and she'll be heartbroken, again) sometimes feeling realistic, and sometimes feeling like harping and too much (though some of what might be realistic feels like too much in fiction, to be fair). And for all the sex in the book (so much sex), her actual body being plump and Leander loving that was mentioned in a sex scene . . . once.
And then (at four fifths of the way through the book) when the plot finally makes an appearance, it is sudden and . . . what. I knew who the bad guy was going to be (despite only the couple hints at their existence, prior) but the reasoning for being threatening. . . Oh brother.
And I know Maya was shocked and scared, withStar crashing into her apartment and attacking her, but wondering how she 'knows about' Agathe right after Star says this is about her sister? being shocked and thinking Star must be human despite that - which would suggest her age is more than her human appearance - and knowing that Leander is a satyr , please, Maya.
. . .and then that very stupid plot was resolved before 90% of the book. So it took up about 10%, perhaps less. Are you kidding me.
A few more small surprise revelations for Maya about satyrs/Leander in general, some maybe not-really-thought-through decision making (but not unreasonably), and end book. (And book two looks to be about entirely different characters - not Esther and Star, either.)
I admit, the description left me expecting a plot with perhaps a decent bit of sex. I . . . didn't get that. What I got was a whole lot of sex, very little 'character' (feeling or development), and . . . about half a hint of maybe plot in the first half of the book. Which might feel more comfortable (or at least less empty and then rushed) if there had been character and romantic plot development in that time, but . . . there wasn't that either.
Half a hint of plot in the first couple chapters. Another hint just over halfway in. And then after some (finally!) semi-attention to the romance plot, the danger and other plot mentioned in the description finally makes an abrupt appearance . . . four-fifths of the way through the book.
(Also, perhaps I'm being too pedantic, as Maya states early on (. . .about something she's wrong on), or perhaps I know too much about both Greek mythology and goats. I kept coming across things that felt less like worldbuilding/making the myth my own on the part of the author and more like I didn't know/knew wrongly and didn't think it was important to check.)
And the sex beginning in chapter two with a dream
. . .and aside from those blatant, flashing light consent issues, the sex began very fast but not only that - some people are like that, I gather, and it is dropping us in with characters who already know one another - but it felt very rushed.
And comparing hypnotising someone so they forget
Allowing people to make/keep such assumptions is allowing them to think what they want/assume as 'default', and has no effect on them. It is vastly different from
And Maya's immediate reaction to finding out all of this that he's done, and that he's a satyr, and millenia old, and-
Leander's enduring shyness and surprise at Maya being forward, or at her responses to him in general, both before and after the reveal, seems both understandable (as I mentioned, I cannot fathom some of her reactions to these things) and strange (he's more than 3,000 years old; a bit of pushy flirting or bluntness is having this effect on him?).
. . .also, he's over 3,000 years old, fucks people of any gender or species, but Maya, a middle-aged human woman, is the one who is so 'different from anyone he's ever known' that he's uncertain in bed with her? (Someone doesn't have to be utterly unique amongst one's sexual or romantic history to be special, and this feels . . . very like that's the reason he has such reactions.) I also raise a heck of an eyebrow at the assertion that even when mythical beings ('nymphs and satyrs and so-called gods') roamed freely among humans, he's never before Maya had a human partner that wasn't . . . scared of him?
I love a good mutual pining while already established relationship, but man I don't love how it is handled here. For one thing, the continued inistence on how they're fuck buddies and only that, even as both of them are pretty clearly feeling (and wanting?) more than that is . . . a weird note. And Maya being upset at Leander calling what they have friendship when she's the one who keeps insisting that it is? Maybe you should evaluate that? . . .but no, she just continues to be firm that they're fuck buddies and nothing more, and be disappointed/upset at any suggestion they're just friends.
With the noted issues I had I was a bit worried about the warned-for BDSM, but it was in fact a shining bit of being handled well, thankfully!
Now, the shift from fuck buddies to acknowledging they're more than that . . . awkward and somehow felt rushed even after all the pages of wanting/feeling more and refusing to admit it.
I found Maya's self-image issues (fat, old, unattractive, too old for Leander and then of course after the reveal too young for Leander; her absolute certainty both while they were still 'only fuck buddies' and after the romantic development that the relationship will end and she'll be heartbroken, again) sometimes feeling realistic, and sometimes feeling like harping and too much (though some of what might be realistic feels like too much in fiction, to be fair). And for all the sex in the book (so much sex), her actual body being plump and Leander loving that was mentioned in a sex scene . . . once.
And then (at four fifths of the way through the book) when the plot finally makes an appearance, it is sudden and . . . what. I knew who the bad guy was going to be (despite only the couple hints at their existence, prior) but the reasoning for being threatening. . . Oh brother.
And I know Maya was shocked and scared, with
. . .and then that very stupid plot was resolved before 90% of the book. So it took up about 10%, perhaps less. Are you kidding me.
A few more small surprise revelations for Maya about satyrs/Leander in general, some maybe not-really-thought-through decision making (but not unreasonably), and end book. (And book two looks to be about entirely different characters - not Esther and Star, either.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Stuff You Should Know: An Incomplete Compendium of Mostly Interesting Things by Josh Clark, Chuck Bryant
3.5
I found the book interesting, but not super engaging; the topics are scattershot (which can be fun, or can feel a little off balance) and the tone is very . . . well, as one might expect, given the source, the tone of the whole thing is very Dudes Who Have A Podcast. (Not in a negative way, just very identifiable. Funnily, because I don't actually listen to podcasts, and yet I had that feeling immediately.)
Some of the topics are silly, some serious, some painful or depressing to dig into, and of course there's no telling what you might come across with the next turn of the page - and that can be fun, if you're in the mood!
Some of the topics are silly, some serious, some painful or depressing to dig into, and of course there's no telling what you might come across with the next turn of the page - and that can be fun, if you're in the mood!
Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
4.5
Absolutely delightful and deliciously tropey; for someone who grew up on English Countryside Mysteries it was even more so! The illustrations mesh quite well, with (not too) hidden threats or peeks, and the splash of red in each one is an excellent touch.
It's a quick read, but whether a threatening location, person, or event is highlighted with one sentence or a paragraph or two, they are all worthy of a chuckle.
It probably won't save you if you choose the wrong Quaint English Village for your holiday, but then, nothing will, will it?
It's a quick read, but whether a threatening location, person, or event is highlighted with one sentence or a paragraph or two, they are all worthy of a chuckle.
It probably won't save you if you choose the wrong Quaint English Village for your holiday, but then, nothing will, will it?
猫川柳 週めくり 卓上/壁掛 [2024年カレンダー] by
lighthearted
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Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk by Anna Jackson
The very end of the book focuses on the very modern, an array of designers, and I found some of them more interesting (and some more aggravating) than others. I suspect that's rather how the fashion world goes, however, and that section is very much focusing on modern fashion. (The end sections also sometimes go over the same thing repetitively; not unexpected, as each is written by a different author and they are covering a lot of the same recent history and referencing/drawing upon the same parts of history.)
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
I was surprised (and delighted) to find the depth and breadth of history displayed in this book! Yet, while it covers many years and across the globe, it never forgets its central focus, giving it a cohesive and sensible feel.
I knew kimono are anything but a static garment, for all they are a very old tradition - I did not know how much they've changed in things like cut and layering, as well as patterns, colours, and methods of manufacture.
I also had no idea how early kimono began being a notable export (even if misidentified in their eventual destination countries) across Europe. The book nicely displayed the entire progression of this, and both the changes made to kimono for an export market and the changes that came to Japanese fashion along the same times (in kimono and out of them).
The majority of the book does focus on this history, complete with many photographs of surviving kimono, old paintings and prints, pattern books, and advertisements; also on the people that wore them and the differences in how different classes, professions, and people in different locations wore kimono.
It progresses through to more recent history and a range of interpretations, in Japan and around the world, focusing especially on celebrities and designers. (I had a bit of a moment flipping through Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Madonna, Björk, Katy Perry, Netta Barzilai, Kiryu, and Hatsune Miku within a few pages.)
I knew kimono are anything but a static garment, for all they are a very old tradition - I did not know how much they've changed in things like cut and layering, as well as patterns, colours, and methods of manufacture.
I also had no idea how early kimono began being a notable export (even if misidentified in their eventual destination countries) across Europe. The book nicely displayed the entire progression of this, and both the changes made to kimono for an export market and the changes that came to Japanese fashion along the same times (in kimono and out of them).
The majority of the book does focus on this history, complete with many photographs of surviving kimono, old paintings and prints, pattern books, and advertisements; also on the people that wore them and the differences in how different classes, professions, and people in different locations wore kimono.
It progresses through to more recent history and a range of interpretations, in Japan and around the world, focusing especially on celebrities and designers. (I had a bit of a moment flipping through Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Madonna, Björk, Katy Perry, Netta Barzilai, Kiryu, and Hatsune Miku within a few pages.)
The very end of the book focuses on the very modern, an array of designers, and I found some of them more interesting (and some more aggravating) than others. I suspect that's rather how the fashion world goes, however, and that section is very much focusing on modern fashion. (The end sections also sometimes go over the same thing repetitively; not unexpected, as each is written by a different author and they are covering a lot of the same recent history and referencing/drawing upon the same parts of history.)