Sunday, December 31, 2017

Newfangled 52 - December Edition



Christmas has come and gone and this year is finally winding down. This year has had it's ups and downs in life as well as in books. Some were really great and others not so much. But in the end, I managed to read 96 books this year,


Not quite as many as last year, but still pretty good.
Anyhoo, here are the last books I read this year:


by Kiera Cass


64 Pages

While America Singer's heart was torn between Aspen and Prince Maxon, her friend Marlee knew exactly what she wanted—and paid the price.
Revisit the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series in this digital original novella. Told from Marlee's point of view, this all-new 64-page story returns to the fateful Halloween when Marlee and Carter were discovered, and reveals how that night—and Prince Maxon—changed their lives forever.

The great thing about having an online library card is that I can finally read all those short stories that all my favorite authors write. That includes all of The Selection short stories (that all somehow seem to be exactly 64 pages). This one was probably my favorite, because who doesn't love Marlee? I'm still glad she managed to find her happily ever after.



by Jay Kristoff


125 Pages

Your blood-red skies are filled with smoke. Your bleach-white histories with lies. You walk sleeping. Wake senseless. Breathing deep of toxic blooms and forgetting all that has gone before.
But I remember.
I remember when two brothers waged bloody war over the right to sit in their father’s empty chair. I remember when orphaned twins faced each other across a field of crimson and steel, the fate of the Shima Shōgunate hanging in the poisoned sky between them.
I remember when a blind boy stood before a court of storms and talons, armed only with a thin sword and a muttered prophecy and a desperate dream of saving the world.
I remember when the skies above Shima were not red, but blue. Filled with thundeabler tigers.
I remember when they left you.
And I remember why.
Let me tell you, monkey-child.

This short story takes place before the Lotus Wars series and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. But the more I read of it, the more I enjoyed it. The character's are not as lovable as the original series, but then again I didn't have 3 books to fall in love with them either. It is interesting to see how the world ended up as it did, due to choices that these characters made eons before the books.



by Kiera Cass


64 Pages

Before America Singer met Prince Maxon . . . 
Before she entered the Selection . . . 
She was in love with a boy named Aspen Leger.
Don't miss this digital original novella set in the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection trilogy. This brand new 64-page story begins just after the group of Selected girls is narrowed down to the Elite and is told from Aspen's point of view.

This story was okay. I never really liked Aspen all that much, so I didn't feel like I got much out of it. It's pretty much just a retelling of the story but from an observers perspective. Not nearly as interesting, but an okay story none the less.



by Kiera Cass


64 Pages

Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection...
Before Aspen broke America's heart...
There was another girl in Prince Maxon's life...
Don't miss this thrilling 64-page original novella set in the world of the New York Times bestselling novel The Selection.

This tiny blurb about this story makes it seem like this other girl is a big plot point in the story, but she's really not. She's pretty much just a friend that they try and force on him as a love interest, but he's just not interested. Mostly it's a story about him getting ready for the Selection to start and not knowing how to feel about that. I actually liked this story quite a bit.



by Glen Cook


318 Pages

She is the last hope of good in the war against the evil sorceress known as the Lady. From a secret base on the Plains of Fear, where even the Lady hesitates to go, the Black Company, once in service to the Lady, now fights to bring victory to the White Rose. But now an even greater evil threatens the world. All the great battles that have gone before will seem a skirmishes when the Dominator rises from the grave.

This was my RBA for the month. It wasn't nearly as good as the second book was and it took me forever to read. There was a lot of boring parts, but the few interesting parts made up for it. I really like Croaker's relationship with The Lady and could read about it all day. She totally made the book for me. I like to read more about her. 


by Brandon Sanderson


59 Pages

A fascinating new novella in Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere, the universe shared by his Mistborn series and the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive. 
Sixth of the Dusk, set in a never-before-seen world, showcases a society on the brink of technological change. On the deadly island of Patji, where birds grant people magical talents and predators can sense the thoughts of their prey, a solitary trapper discovers that the island is not the only thing out to kill him. When he begins to see his own corpse at every turn, does this spell danger for his entire culture?

This was another interesting short story by Brandon Sanderson. I have absolutely no idea how all his books fit into one big Universe, but I will gladly keep reading until I find out. This was a neat concept about times changing, especially with technology, and how it is beginning to upset the balance of the World. Quite neat indeed.


by J.C. Nelson


97 Pages

As the right hand woman at the Fairy Godfather’s Grimm Agency, Marissa Locks has a grip on all things magical. If only she could get control of her own not-so-charmed life…
For most people, waking up after a night of partying next to a dragon, sporting a tattoo with a mind of its own, would be a new low. For Marissa, only the tattoo is new—and, unfortunately, it’s not the weirdest part of her day. The Agency has been called in to stop a string of messy murders, a problem that’s turning into a disaster of biblical proportions, and Marissa’s been assigned to the case.
One of the archangels from Paradisia is attempting to switch teams, and he’s willing to use as many souls as it takes to pay his way. With Grimm contractually bound to clean up the chaos, Marissa must find a way to keep the former cherub from completing his rampage. But between fighting an angel gone bad and battling the magical compulsions of her new Fae tattoo, Marissa’s definitely facing the worst hangover in history…

I loved these books, so I was super hyped to find out that there was another one, even if it was a short story that takes place in between books. I would gladly keep reading stories about Marissa and her friends. They have the perfect about of humor, action and sass that I like in an urban fiction story. 



Alright, so now that we've covered this month, how about we take a quick look back at my year in books



Not too shabby if I do say so myself. And I didn't do too badly with my RBA (Recommended By Adam) 






6. Deathless (Leningrad Diptych #1) - Catherynne M. Valente 





11. Equal Rites (Discworld #3) - Terry Pratchett



I didn't finish The Kingdom of Gods yet, but I did read a whole extra book for this, so I'm going to call it even.


Books that I am currently reading

by Rohinton Mistry
65 of 603 Pages

by Sally Armstrong
122 of 320 Pages

by N.K. Jemisin
109 of 613

by Brandon Sanderson
1243 Pages (52:27 of 55:02 Hours)

by Katherine Arden
96 of 333 Pages

I almost managed to finish Oathbringer before the end of the year, but there just wasn't enough time. Ascent of Women is going slow, since it's super depressing, although quite interesting at the same time. A Fine Balance is on a hiatus until I can get my e-reader to work again. But there are always more books to read, and I'm going to do just that.

See you next year
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Saturday, December 23, 2017

Mistletoe Kisses

 Oh, hello. I didn't see you there. 

What's that? Mistletoe you say.... Why yes... yes it is!


Well if you're game, I'm game

***SMOOOOOCH***


Here's wishing you time under the mistletoe with someone you love this holiday 
(or any day really)
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Thursday, November 30, 2017

Newfangled 52 - November Edition


Fall is giving into Winter and I am finally back at school after a 5 week strike. Although I didn't blog in that time, I did find myself lost in books instead of being lost in the gloom of possibly losing my semester.
Here's what I read this month:


by Seanan McGuire


346 Pages

Things are starting to look up for October "Toby" Daye. She's training her squire, doing her job, and has finally allowed herself to grow closer to the local King of Cats. It seems like her life may finally be settling down...at least until dead changelings start appearing in the alleys of San Francisco, killed by an overdose of goblin fruit.
Toby's efforts to take the problem to the Queen of the Mists are met with harsh reprisals, leaving her under sentence of exile from her home and everyone she loves. Now Toby must find a way to reverse the Queens decree, get the goblin fruit off the streets--and, oh, yes, save her own life, since more than a few of her problems have once again followed her home. And then there's the question of the Queen herself, who seems increasingly unlikely to have a valid claim to the throne....
To find the answers, October and her friends will have to travel from the legendary Library of Stars into the hidden depths of the Kingdom of the Mists--and they'll have to do it fast, because time is running out. In faerie, some fates are worse than death.
October Daye is about to find out what they are.

This might actually be my favorite book of this series so far, which is saying something when I've loved all the other books. Something that starts with wanting to rid the streets of a bad faerie drug takes a drastic turn which I totally wasn't expecting. This book was Epic. I can't wait to see what happens next!




by Seanan McGuire


9 Pages

In 1959, Faerie came for a little changeling girl named October Daye and presented her with the Choice that her mother had been struggling to prevent her from ever needing to make. But how did Faerie find her? Where did the channel of October's destiny diverge? To know the answer, you must look to the water, and to the woman who many refer to as "the sea witch."
It can be hard to deal with betrayal. Betrayal by family is so very much worse.

This was a sweet short story that tells why October is the way she is and how she ends up as she is. It was nice to have the Luidaeg's point of view for once and see how much she's always cared about October. I hope to find more of these short stories.



by Robin Hobb


809 Pages (35:24 Hours)

Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships—rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown's oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia.
For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her—a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim. For Althea's young nephew Wintrow, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard ship, Vivacia is a life sentence.
But the fate of the Vestrit family—and the ship—may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider. The ruthless pirate Kennit seeks a way to seize power over all the denizens of the Pirate Isles...and the first step of his plan requires him to capture his own liveship and bend it to his will....

This was one of the first books that I borrowed from the library website and boy did I have trouble with it. It kept getting returned and renewing it was difficult, but I managed to get through it. When Adam recommended it to me, he warned me that things go wrong for everyone and keep going wrong. He was right. Things constantly turn out for the worst and it was hard on my already heavy heart. That being said, it was still a good book and I'm planning on reading the rest of the series.



by Jay Kristoff


429 Pages

In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.
Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father’s failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father’s former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.
Now, Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic—the Red Church. If she bests her fellow students in contests of steel, poison and the subtle arts, she’ll be inducted among the Blades of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the vengeance she desires. But a killer is loose within the Church’s halls, the bloody secrets of Mia’s past return to haunt her, and a plot to bring down the entire congregation is unfolding in the shadows she so loves.
Will she even survive to initiation, let alone have her revenge?

I really enjoyed Jay Kristoff's last series, so I was really excited when this was finally released in paperback. It's funny at how the beginning they try and convince you that she's a terrible person, but as the story progresses she's actually much more caring than anyone else. That being said, she is still a murderer training to be an assassin, so I guess there is that. I'm not as enamored with the specialty school trope anymore, but I still enjoyed this book and will read the next few when they come out. 



by Glen Cook


319 Pages (10:35 Hours)

Mercenary soldiers in the service of the Lady, the Black Company stands against the rebels of the White Rose. They are tough men, proud of honoring their contracts. The Lady is evil, but so, too, are those who falsely profess to follow the White Rose, reincarnation of a centuries-dead heroine. Yet now some of the Company have discovered that the mute girl they rescued and sheltered is truly the White Rose reborn. Now there may be a path to the light, even for such as they. If they can survive it.

This was my RBA book for the month. I wasn't thrilled with the first book of this series, but I rather enjoyed the second one. The story itself was much better and I really liked the side stories and how they tied in. 



by Seanan McGuire


32 Pages

From New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire, a haunting urban fantasy short story in the Carniepunk anthology—for fans of all things circus, supernatural, and mysterious…
It’s been seventeen years since the last time Ada’s carnival passed through her father’s hometown in Alabama—and no one is expecting the reception she gets.

This was a sad story about the daughter of a mermaid in a carnival. As her mother becomes more and more mermaid like, she begins to forget everything around her, including her own daughter. As they travel through her mother's home town, Ada is recognized by the family that her mother left behind.




by Kiera Cass


72 Pages

Before America Singer's story began, another girl came to the palace to compete for the hand of a different prince….
Don't miss this digital original novella set in the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series. This prequel story takes place before the events of The Selection and is told from the point of view of Prince Maxon's mother, Amberly. Discover a whole new Selection with this inside look at how Maxon's parents met—and how an ordinary girl named Amberly became a beloved queen.

One of the great things about borrowing from the library is that I now have access to all sorts of short stories that intertwine with book series that I've already read. These stories give a little extra look at the side characters who don't always get a lot of screen time. This was a sweet little story about the Queen Amberly, when she was just another girl in a different Selection.



by Isaac Marion


256 Pages

R is having a no-life crisis—he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he is a little different from his fellow Dead. He may occasionally eat people, but he’d rather be riding abandoned airport escalators, listening to Sinatra in the cozy 747 he calls home, or collecting souvenirs from the ruins of civilization.
And then he meets a girl.
First as his captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn't want to eat this girl—although she looks delicious—he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight.

I've always wanted to watch this movie. It looks cute. So when I found the book at a Little Library, I decided that I would read it first, before I watched the movie (it's on Netflix now).
I'm glad I did, because the book was amazing. I really wasn't expecting it to be this great. R's zombie prose are quite beautiful and I found myself marking off passages that I really liked.
"I long for exclamation marks, but I'm drowning in ellipses." 


by Sarah J. Maas


664 Pages (22:39 Hours)

In the next installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, follow Chaol on his sweeping journey to a distant empire.
Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.
His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.
But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

I've pretty much stopped reading the back of books that are in the series that I'm reading. So imagine my surprise that this whole book had very little to do with Aelin Galathynius and her crew at all! This entire book follows Chaol and Nesryn and their trip to Antica to help save their kingdom and his legs. It was a really good book and I actually enjoyed the break from Aelin. Although I do feel that this story could've been interspersed through the other books for greater effect. 



by Jill Archer


362 Pages

Noon Onyx is back! In this long-awaited fourth installment, Jill Archer returns readers to the dangerous world of Halja, where demons, angels, and humans coexist in an uneasy state of détente. 
Maegester-in-Training Noon Onyx feels like she’s done it all – mastered fiery magic, become an adept fighter, learned the law, killed countless demons, and survived having her heart broken by both love and an arrow, but now she’ll face her greatest challenge yet…
Far to the north lies an outpost famous for its unrest – Rockthorn Gorge. The town’s patron has specifically requested Noon’s help. Her assignment? Help the neophyte demon lord build his fiefdom and keep what’s his. The problem? Lord Aristos – Noon’s new employer – is her erstwhile lover, Ari Carmine, the aforementioned heart breaker. And the number one thing he wants is her.
When Rockthorn Gorge’s viaduct is destroyed by Displodo, an enigmatic bomber, killing a dozen settlers and wounding scores more, Noon sets off early to aid in the search and rescue. Ari is listed among the missing and the suspects are legion. But Noon’s search is just the beginning. Her journey forces Noon to confront not only those she loves, but also enemies hell-bent on destroying them.

I really loved this series when it came out, so when I found out that there was another book in ebook form, I grabbed out my e-reader, accidentally broke it, so grabbed out my other e-reader and managed to finally read it. Let's just say that I've changed a lot since reading the other books and I'm able to pick out the problems with this series much easier now. I'm really tired of abusive relationships being passed off as 'he just loves too much'. Frankly, she was much better off with her friends.



by Brandon Sanderson


272 Pages (6:23 Hours)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, a special gift edition of Edgedancer, a short novel of the Stormlight Archive.
Three years ago, Lift asked a goddess to stop her from growing older--a wish she believed was granted. Now, in Edgedancer, the barely teenage nascent Knight Radiant finds that time stands still for no one. Although the young Azish emperor granted her safe haven from an executioner she knows only as Darkness, court life is suffocating the free-spirited Lift, who can't help heading to Yeddaw when she hears the relentless Darkness is there hunting people like her with budding powers. The downtrodden in Yeddaw have no champion, and Lift knows she must seize this awesome responsibility.

I was really excited when Oathbringer came out, but as I began listening to it, they recommended that I read this short story first so I can understand some character's motives better. Since it was only 6 hours long, it was an easy enough request. This was a great little story about a young girl who has recently become "Awesome" (gotten Knight's Radiant powers) and her quest to take down The Darkness and eat as many pancakes as possible. Lofty goals indeed.




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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Newfangled 52 - October Edition


This spooky month is coming to a close and I have been busy with the season.
While I should have been reading, I was preparing for midterm (that didn't happen thanks to the college strike), trying to keep on track with my studies and spending some much needed time with my sweetheart. With all that in mind, I still managed to get a few books read.
Here's what I read this month:



by Sarah Kuhn


378 Pages

Being a superheroine is hard. Working for one is even harder.
Evie Tanaka is the put-upon personal assistant to Aveda Jupiter, her childhood best friend and San Francisco's most beloved superheroine. She's great at her job—blending into the background, handling her boss's epic diva tantrums, and getting demon blood out of leather pants.
Unfortunately, she's not nearly as together when it comes to running her own life, standing up for herself, or raising her tempestuous teenage sister, Bea.
But everything changes when Evie's forced to pose as her glamorous boss for one night, and her darkest comes out: she has powers, too. Now it's up to her to contend with murderous cupcakes, nosy gossip bloggers, and supernatural karaoke battles—all while juggling unexpected romance and Aveda's increasingly outrageous demands. And when a larger threat emerges, Evie must finally take charge and become a superheroine in her own right... or see her city fall to a full-on demonic invasion.

This was a fun book about what it's like to be a sidekick (while hiding your very own kick ass powers) It's nice to see books, especially heroines that are Asian, and they talk about that in the book too, how representation matters so much and how they were inspired by The Heroic Trio.
I really enjoyed how the 2 main characters were contrasted, one who always wanted the spotlight and to prove to everyone that she was a hero, and a reluctant hero who just wanted to stay out of the limelight and was afraid of losing control and hurting the people she loves. I'm looking forward to reading the next book, except that they changed the size of the book and now they won't match!


by Naomi Novik


386 Pages (10:29 Hours)

It is a grim time for the dragon Temeraire. On the heels of his mission to Africa, seeking the cure for a deadly contagion, he has been removed from military service–and his captain, Will Laurence, has been condemned to death for treason. For Britain, conditions are grimmer still: Napoleon’s resurgent forces have breached the Channel and successfully invaded English soil. Napoleon’s prime objective: the occupation of London.
Separated by their own government and threatened at every turn by Napoleon’s forces, Laurence and Temeraire must struggle to find each other amid the turmoil of war and to aid the resistance against the invasion before Napoleon’s foothold on England’s shores can become a stranglehold.
If only they can be reunited, master and dragon might rally Britain’s scattered forces and take the fight to the enemy as never before–for king and country, and for their own liberty. But can the French aggressors be well and truly routed, or will a treacherous alliance deliver Britain into the hands of her would- be conquerors?

This was my first RBA book of the month. I decided since I haven't been totally sold on this series, that I would listen to it instead of trying to read it. I think it was a good choice. It was very easy to listen to, which was nice. This book actually took place on their home turf and wasn't about them flying off to unknown destinations where half the book is them traveling. That was also appreciated. I would say it's probably my favorite book of the series so far.



by Anthony Ryan


602 Pages (24:39 Hours)

Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior of the Sixth Order, called Darkblade, called Hope Killer. The greatest warrior of his day, and witness to the greatest defeat of his nation: King Janus' vision of a Greater Unified Realm drowned in the blood of brave men fighting for a cause Vaelin alone knows was forged from a lie. Sick at heart, he comes home, determined to kill no more. Named Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches by King Janus's grateful heir, he can perhaps find peace in a colder, more remote land far from the intrigues of a troubled Realm.
But those gifted with the blood-song are never destined to live a quiet life. Many died in King Janus' wars, but many survived, and Vaelin is a target, not just for those seeking revenge but for those who know what he can do. The Faith has been sundered, and many have no doubt who their leader should be. The new King is weak, but his sister is strong. The blood-song is powerful, rich in warning and guidance in times of trouble, but is only a fraction of the power available to others who understand more of its mysteries. Something moves against the Realm, something that commands mighty forces, and Vaelin will find to his great regret that when faced with annihilation, even the most reluctant hand must eventually draw a sword.

This has been my go-between audiobook for most of this year. I would listen to it while I was waiting for my new Audible credit to come in if I had finished my other book too soon. It's not that it wasn't interesting, it had it's moments, but the guy who read it didn't have a lot of emotional range to his reading. A quiet conversation and an epic battle were read with the same pitch, making them hard to get emotionally involved in. I'm glad I managed to finish it though and I'm almost interested in what happens in the last book, but I doubt that I will pick it up any time soon.



by Seanan McGuire


176 Pages (4:04 Hours)

Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.
This is the story of what happened first…
Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.
Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.
They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.
They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

I really fell in love with these characters when I read the first book last month. I thought that it was going to be a continuation of their story after the last book, but it's actually a prequel, telling the story about their trip through their magical door and the events that lead up to them being placed into the Home for Wayward Children. It was amazing. I loved it a lot. Not as much as the first, perhaps, but almost as much. I can't wait for the 3rd one to come out.



by Adrian Tchaikovsky


628 Pages

THE DAYS OF PEACE ARE OVER
The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace and prosperity for decades: bastions of civilization and sophistication. That peace is about to end.
In far-off corners, an ancient Empire has been conquering city after city with its highly trained armies and sophisticated warmaking . . . And now it's set its sights on a new prize.
Only the ageing Stenwold Maker, spymaster, artificer and statesman, can see the threat. It falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of his people - as soon a tide will sweep down over the Lowlands and burn away everything in its path.
But first he must stop himself from becoming the Empire's latest victim.

This was my 2nd RBA book for the month. I realized I was falling behind a bit, so thought that maybe I would read 2 this month. I've been putting off this one, knowing that it was the longest book on my list, but I'm glad that I picked it up. It was really good. Although I don't understand the origins of the human/insect hybrid people, the idea and ideology behind it are quite fascinating. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, it was hard to put down. I did have to keep taking frequent breaks since the book itself was heavy and it would start making my arm go numb. Adam just got the 2nd book to this series and I'm looking forward to him finishing it, so that I can read it.


by Oscar Wilde


254 Pages

Oscar Wilde brings his enormous gifts for astute social observation and sparkling prose to The Picture of Dorian Gray, his dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. This dandy, who remains forever unchanged; petulant, hedonistic, vain, and amoral; while a painting of him ages and grows increasingly hideous with the years, has been horrifying, enchanting, obsessing, even corrupting readers for more than a hundred years.
Taking the reader in and out of London drawing rooms, to the heights of aestheticism, and to the depths of decadence, The Picture of Dorian Gray is not only a melodrama about moral corruption. Laced with bon mots and vivid depictions of upper-class refinement, it is also a fascinating look at the milieu of Wilde’s fin-de-siècle world and a manifesto of the creed “Art for Art’s Sake.”
The ever-quotable Wilde, who once delighted London with his scintillating plays, scandalized readers with this, his only novel. Upon publication, Dorian was condemned as dangerous, poisonous, stupid, vulgar, and immoral, and Wilde as a “driveling pedant.” The novel, in fact, was used against Wilde at his much-publicized trials for “gross indecency,” which led to his imprisonment and exile on the European continent. Even so, The Picture of Dorian Gray firmly established Wilde as one of the great voices of the Aesthetic movement, and endures as a classic that is as timeless as its hero.

I've always heard great things about this book and thought that it might make a good Halloween read. In a way it did. It certainly had a bit of a horror feel to it in the supernatural portrait sense, but beyond that, it was mostly him sitting around dinner parties talking to other bored socialites and describing  his collections of art and music in depth to a point where I just skimmed a few chapters. They allude to his depravity, but never go into it and you never really know what he's done to make everyone hate him so much. But much like the other books that have inspired cult classics, this one did not really live up to the hype that I had heard about it.



Books that I am currently reading

by Rohinton Mistry
65 of 603 Pages

Ascent of Women
by Sally Armstrong
111 of 320 Pages

Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders #1)
by Robin Hobb
809 Pages (35:24 Hours)



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Thursday, October 19, 2017

Thursday Threads - Her Universe Halloween



Halloween is only a few weeks away!
Do you know what you're going to be yet?

If not, Her Universe has just the Halloween Collection for you!

Which bad-ass Super-heroine do you want to be? 







Or are you more of a Disney Girl?


I am in love with this Minnie dress! I want it for everyday wear!


Even since I saw The Little Mermaid in theaters when I was a kid, I have always wanted her pink dress. Now I can own it! And I realize that it's meant for Halloween, but how cute would this be at a fancy dinner party?



If Studio Ghibli is your bread and butter, check out these sweet outfits



This Princess Mononoke outfit is part of a totally different collection, but I think it fit's here perfectly, don't you?



So what are you going to be for Halloween, other than totally awesome, of course
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