This year I’ve been doing a reading challenge and all I did today was read – in order to finish The Golden Compass – so I could get hyped for these new novels.
Atlas Shrugged is intimidating for a multitude of reasons (my first book over 1000 pages) and it seems like I have the next ten books I’ll be reading planned out, and that feels really interesting for someone who usually has a lot of chaos in their life.
Here’s some of what I’ve tackled so far:
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
FIND IN LIBRARY BUY AUTHOR 4⁄5
Very lovely book – read it eagerly and finished it quickly and can’t wait to continue the story. The concept of the daemons is super interesting – and I appreciated how wide a breadth of feeling that the main character experiences. Also the descriptions of places, monsters and society in this book are excellent – the world building is top notch.
The ABC’s of LGBT+ by Ashley Mardell
FIND IN LIBRARY BUY AUTHOR 4⁄5
This book is quite helpful! I would recommend giving it as a gift to anyone who’s questioning their gender identity or curious about people within the LGBT community. I read this book a few years later than I needed it, but would definitely give it were people I knew questioning. It was very helpful for the author to compile all of this information ^_^
Love Notes to Men Who Don’t Read by North Morgan
FIND IN LIBRARY BUY AUTHOR 1⁄5
I was recommended this book by someone who I greatly admire, and read through the whole thing despite how painful it was to read. This read like a trashy romance novel without any plot. This was only marginally entertaining. Like a vapid soap opera. There was not a page that didn’t say, „and then I went to the gym.“ If I was trying to be nice I would say that this is a short glimpse of a life and that his experience was equally valid, that people who are lonely and desperate can find solace in the solidarity of this experience. But … it was so pathetic to be subjected to the main characters perspective. He didn’t learn anything or show any positive characteristics.
Le bleu est une couleur chaude by Julie Maroh
FIND IN LIBRARY BUY AUTHOR 4⁄5
It was lovely to see a portrayal of a lesbian relationship, yet so tragic. Seeing the depiction of Clementine’s families response to her partner was quite intense, and pretty realistic. I nearly cried reading the end of this. Read if you’re in the mood for some feels.
Nordic LARP by Jaakko Stenros, Markus Montola
FREE EDITION AUTHOR AUTHOR 4⁄5
This anthology of LARPs was a great primer and now I have a lot more context on the various games which have shaped the Nordic LARPing scene as it is now. Very insightful as far as exposing the reader to methods and mechanisms for how play was created.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
FIND IN LIBRARY BUY AUTHOR 5/5
This book is elegant. I really appreciated the questions that it posed about what it means to be human- and where to draw the line of humanity at. It caught the superfluous nature of many human conquests, and the static emptiness that most of us ignore quite poignantly. It provided a scenario where you could see a character become more empathic but be so caught up in a train of events he couldn’t stop himself from completing his tasks. A character who felt doomed to do evil, to destroy and cause the break down of life, of order. There was a lot going on in this book and I appreciated it for helping me escape reality.
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
FIND IN LIBRARY BUY AUTHOR 2⁄5
I finished this book but only spent about three pages enjoying it. It is a book for other people, those who dwell in their sadness. Not a lot happens in this book.
The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro
FIND IN LIBRARY BUY AUTHOR 5/5
There is a very unique sensation that I experience when in relation to this story. It’s why I went to see the movie three times, every time it left me feeling overwhelming warm and loving. Finally a story where the monster gets the girl. Also the colour symbolism in this book was perfect. That dark green blue is everything. As well I was amazed also at how many complex words were in this book, I’m a native English speaker and I picked out over 100 words that were new to me and this was unexpected and fantastic. Dyed my hair and it matches this book, which is lovely and a masterpiece. ❤
Thanks Colette for recommending the Lincoln on the Bardo.
Thanks Jacob for loaning me this copy of Mr Norris Changes Trains.
Thanks Myles for all your great book recommendations so far, I’ll give you a review of Perdido Street Station when I finish it (I have somewhat given up on A Canticle for Leibowitz however).
—carnelian king
Flommist Carnelian King is a performing artist, product designer, toy maker and nonbinary clown currently living in Berlin. Copyright © 2018 Carnelian King.
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