The Bookish Mutant

Six of Crows Book Tag

Posted on March 3, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Hi again, bibliophiles!

I figured that today would be a good day for a tag, and in lieu of the announcement that the Netflix Shadow and Bone/Six of Crows show has wrapped up filming, I figured this one would be fun to do. (I’m kind of scared for how the show will turn out, because some of the Grishaverse books are kind of my babies, but that’s a story for another time). I found this tag over at SMELLFOY CAN READ?

Since I should probably give this post a little pizzazz, here’s some Six of Crows art from one of my favorite comic artists/book cover artists, Kevin Wada. (Same guy who drew the covers for Carry On and Wayward Son, actually!)

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Let’s begin, shall we?

The Thief • Kaz Brekker: A Layered or Complex Character

One of my first thoughts here was Art from Like a Love Story. Definitely someone who presents a tough exterior, but is deeply wounded on the inside.

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The Wraith • Inej Ghafa: A Book With a Twist You Didn’t See Coming

Without question, the end of Thunderhead. The ending came out of nowhere…I think I still bear the scars from having to wait almost two years to see how it all turned out…

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The Sharpshooter • Jesper Fahey: An Author that Never Misses the Mark

Though I haven’t read any of his adult works, Jay Kristoff has never disappointed me. With his signature wit and heartrending writing, I’ve never read any book by him that I didn’t like.

The Heartrender • Nina Zenik: A Book that Broke your Heart or Gave you All the Feels

There’s a long list, and since I’ve already spoken about the aftereffects of A Monster Calls, I’d have to say To Kill a Mockingbird. Feels were had. Tears were shed.

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The Convict • Matthias Helvar: A Character Caught Between Two Worlds

My first thought here was Abe Sapien from the Hellboy and B.P.R.D. comics. I mean…the guy’s amphibious…talk about being literally and figuratively being caught between two worlds…

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The Explosives Expert • Wylan Van Eck: A Book that Went Out with a Bang or a Cliffhanger

Yikes, can I put Thunderhead on here twice?

Just kidding. Dare Mighty Things certainly ended with a bang AND a major cliffhanger. Talk about another ending that absolutely wrecked me.

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I tag any fellow Six of Crows fans who’d like to participate!

Since I’ve posted twice today, head over to this week’s Book Review Tuesday for ~~even more Radiohead~~ today’s song.

That just about wraps up this tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday (3/2/20)–Sky Without Stars

Posted on March 3, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

I’ve gone back and forth between buying this book or not for the last few times I’ve been to the bookstore, but I finally gave in about a month ago. Even with just about zero knowledge of Les Misérables (which this series is a retelling of), it was a thoroughly enjoyable and well-thought-out novel packed with action, political intrigue, and romance.

Enjoy this week’s review!

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Sky Without Stars (System Divine, #1)

Long ago, humanity fled a dying Earth to seek a habitable solar system to carry on their legacy. What they found was System Divine, twelve planets that were then split amongst the remainders of the population.

500 years later, the planet Laterre is in turmoil. The elite First and Second Estates fill their stomachs to gorging as they continually leave the poor Third Estate to starve in the wreckage of the ships that transported them to the stars. But all the classes can be certain of one thing: rebellion is brewing, and the day of reckoning will soon be upon the rich. And three unseemly teens may be at the heart of the revolution.

The fates of Chatine, an expert Third Estate pickpocket, Marcellus, a Second Estate officer harboring a dark truth, and Alouette, an underground rebel and the guardian of a sacred library, all intertwine as they must reconcile their pasts and join forces to bring about peace to their tumultuous world.

Clocking in at almost 600 pages, Sky Without Stars isn’t quite for the faint of heart, in that respect. In fact, it’s part of the reason why my reading progress lagged a bit last week. But if I’m being honest, it was worth all that, and whatever it cost.

Whether or not you’ve read Hugo’s original work, Sky Without Stars is no doubt a daring and action-packed novel. Brody and Rendell deftly delve into the history and complex societal and political structures in place on Laterre without excessive info-dumping. The writing was incredibly vivid, making you feel as though you were transported to the slums of the Frets or the glimmering palaces of the Second Estate.

Bouncing off of that point, my favorite aspect of Sky Without Stars Granted, other than the fact that there were cyborgs, droids, and interplanetary travel, it wasn’t as sci-fi as I would’ve liked it to be, but hey, I recognize that my standards are astronomically high.

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Most of the main cast I thought to be decent. The writing made their strifes understandable, but I didn’t truly get attached to any of them, save for Alouette. I suppose I’ve got a soft spot for her since she’s the guardian of a library and has a great appreciation for literature, so no surprises there. And you know how much I despise love triangles, so the one that exists between the main cast took a little bit out of my enjoyment. Not as painful as others I’ve read, but not quite necessary. I could’ve lived without it.

Overall, a fascinating and action-packed reimagining of a classic. 3.75 stars for me, rounded up to 4.

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Sky Without Stars is the first in the System Divine series. I’m unsure if it’ll be a duology, a trilogy, or have 4+ books, but I can say that the sequel, Between Burning Worlds, comes out on March 24! A MATTER OF WEEKS! YAY!

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Today’s song:

(This one decided to lodge itself in my head at around lunchtime without warning…I’m good with that.)

That’s it for this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (3/2/20)–Do You Dream of Terra-Two?

Posted on March 2, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

This one is a more recent addition to my TBR. It hasn’t gotten a lot of hype or recognition, but if it lives up to my expectations, it seems like a fascinating of sci-fi, with a bit of horror blended in. (???)

Let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (3/2/20)–DO YOU DREAM OF TERRA-TWO? by Temi Oh

Blurb from Goodreads:

A century ago, scientists theorised that a habitable planet existed in a nearby solar system. Today, ten astronauts will leave a dying Earth to find it. Four are decorated veterans of the 20th century’s space-race. And six are teenagers, graduates of the exclusive Dalton Academy, who’ve been in training for this mission for most of their lives.

It will take the team 23 years to reach Terra-Two. Twenty-three years spent in close quarters. Twenty-three years with no one to rely on but each other. Twenty-three years with no rescue possible, should something go wrong. And something always goes wrong.

So why do I want to read this?

Other than my insatiable appetite for sci-fi, I’m interested to see how this alternate history plays out. The synopsis is reminiscent of books like Contagion, Tangled Planet, and The Pioneer, all books that have been chiefly speculative sci-fi, with a blend of survival horror within them. If anything, I’m just expecting a fun, sci-fi thriller that’ll keep me on the edge of my seat. Also, the title is pretty fun, not gonna lie.

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Today’s song:

That just about wraps up this week’s Goodreads Monday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: February 24-March 1, 2020

Posted on March 1, 2020March 1, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Sunday, bibliophiles!

I’ve had a bit of sluggish and tiring week, what with a slew of quizzes and tests, less reading than I would’ve liked, and a bit of writer’s block and general lethargy. But hey, my new Radiohead shirt came in the mail, so that’s a plus.

All things considered, February’s been a pretty great month for me! Lots of good reading and writing progress, and lots of good times, fun movies, and delicious food. Here’s hoping that March will be more of the same. I have some fun posts planned for the coming month 😉

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Roar (Stormheart, #1)–Cora Carmack (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

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Sky Without Stars (System Divine, #1)–Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, vol. 2–Hayao Miyazaki (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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Loki: Where Mischief Lies–Mackenzi Lee (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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POSTS AND SUCH

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Cannery Row–John Steinbeck

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(This one’s for school. We’ll be stretching it out through the end of March, so I won’t repeat it on further weekly updates until we finish it up.)

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)–Philip Pullman

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Mammoth–Jill Baguchinsky

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All Out: The No-Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages–Saundra Mitchell (anthology)

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Rebel Girls–Elizabeth Keenan

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Today’s song:

(I’m gonna try to review this album soon…)

That just about wraps up this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Tags

Marvel Avengers Book Tag

Posted on February 29, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Leap Day, everyone!

Sorry about this week’s general sluggishness; I’ve gotten over the hump of this week’s back-to-back quizzes and tests, so I’ll attempt to make up for it a bit this weekend. Behold Exhibit A.

I found this lovely tag over at Brianna’s Books and Randomness. (If you don’t follow her already, I highly recommend that you do!) Though I’m more of an X-Men fan myself, I still adore the Avengers and most of the MCU, so I thought this would be a fun tag to do!

Here we go…

IRON MAN: A BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD

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You all know exactly what the answer is for this one…but I swear that Good Omens made me laugh like no other book ever has.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: A BOOK THAT SENDS A POSITIVE MESSAGE

(Unpopular opinion: Cap. Is. Overrated. Except for in Endgame. My mind will not be changed.)

Despite the historical circumstances (and how the story ultimately ends), White Rose portrays a beautiful message that no matter what, hope will always prevail in the end, even in the darkest of times.

THOR: A BOOK WITH A CHARACTER’S STRENGTH YOU ADMIRE

Arsinoe from Three Dark Crowns has always been my favorite of the triplets, personally; it takes a special kind of strength not only to battle for control of a kingdom, but to go against your own blood, to boot.

BLACK WIDOW: A BOOK WITH A BUTT-KICKING FEMALE PROTAGONIST

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I’ll say it once, and I’ll say it again…two words. Smoke Thieves. Both Catherine and Tash are true forces to be reckoned with.

HULK: A BOOK THAT MADE YOU ANGRY

(I quote this line more than I’d like to admit…)

Ooh…there’s a long list, where to begin?

How about Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters? The premise seemed so inventive (and the cover was stunning…), but the dialogue just killed me…so stilted…

HAWKEYE: AN UNDERRATED BOOK THAT YOU THINK MORE PEOPLE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO

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Anything by Sarah Maria Griffin, really. Both Spare and Found Parts and Other Words for Smoke are such inventive and unique novels; it’s such a shame how little attention they get.

*BONUS* LOKI: A BOOK WITH A TWIST OR A SURPRISE THAT YOU DIDN’T SEE COMING

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Without question, Thunderhead. The worst part about it was that I had to wait almost two years before I found out how that whole situation ended. Yeesh.

If any of you would like to participate, go ahead! Have at it! 🙂

Today’s song:

EEEEEEEEEE NEW MUSIC FROM CAR SEAT HEADREST I REPEAT NEW MUSIC FROM CAR SEAT HEADREST–

That just about wraps up this tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (2/25/20)–The Order of Odd-Fish

Posted on February 25, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Hello, fellow bibliophiles!

YIKES, this one’s been on my TBR for ages. Another artifact from my January-ish early TBR cleaning and scouring of Prospector, The Order of Odd-Fish was just about as I expected it to be, and how the reviews promised it would be. And that’s a perfectly good thing, because what The Order of Odd-Fish delivered was a bundle of absolutely madcap fun.

Enjoy this week’s review!

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The Order of Odd-Fish

This is Jo. Please take care of her. But beware. This is a dangerous baby.

Thus went the inscription that was delivered along with baby Jo to Lily Larouche, an aging veteran of old Hollywood. For 13 years, she has raised Jo in a remote desert in California, throwing parties for the masses and not knowing exactly what made Jo so dangerous. But after an unfortunate series of incidents at one of Lily’s famed Christmas parties, Jo is swept into the fantastical world of Eldritch City, and into the Order of the Odd-Fish, an organization of knights dedicated to the study of functionally useless knowledge. Aided by the Order (and a certain bipedal cockroach), it finally occurs to Jo why she is so dangerous–and this unrevealed secret could spell her death.

It’s difficult to compare The Order of Odd-Fish to any recent MG or YA literature; that’s just how absolutely bizarre it is. Bursting with creativity and absurdity (and decidedly British humor), it’s such a fun ride from start to finish. Everything, down to the most inconsequential details, is peppered with something strange and unheard of. Even when the twists grow a little darker, Kennedy handles them with deft humor and ingenuity. Verging from the corny to the positively mind-boggling, The Order of Odd-Fish pulls out all the stops as a sci-fi/fantasy-comedy.

Though I didn’t relate to or particularly care about all of the characters, most of them ended up eliciting at least a snicker from me–everyone from the various Knights to the Belgian Prankster, the character who ends up going from a running joke in the background to a major villain. Every detail comes back to bite the characters eventually, and in the most surprising and unexpected ways.

Alright, I *sort of* take back what I said about not being able to compare The Order of Odd-Fish to anything. Though I find no comparisons in any literature I can remember, it absolutely reeks of Monty Python. (Hence, British humor.) And I absolutely adored that quality.

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All in all, The Order of Odd-Fish was an absolutely bizarre comedy–and not one that I’ll forget anytime soon. Four stars for me.

Today’s song:

(Guess what’s been stuck in my head all day…)

That just about wraps up this week’s Book Review Tuesday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (2/24/20)–Valentine

Posted on February 24, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

Another one dredged from the middle reaches of my TBR, Valentine seems like an inventive twist on the combination of paranormal/urban fantasy and mystery. I’ll try and ignore the fact that the synopsis describes it as perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black (both of which have produced books that are hyped to no end, but I personally think are rather overrated), because this looks like it could be a unique novel.

Let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (2/24/20)–VALENTINE by Jodi McAlister

Blurb from Goodreads:

Four teenagers – all born on the same Valentine’s Day – begin to disappear. As the bodies mount up, Pearl Linford has to work out what in the supernatural hell is going on, before it happens to her.

Finn Blacklin is the boy with whom Pearl shares a birthday, the boy she has known all her life and disliked every second of it, the boy her subconscious has a totally annoying crush on. Finn is also the Valentine: a Seelie fairy changeling swapped for a human boy at birth. The Unseelie have come to kill the Valentine – except they don’t know who it is. And now both the Seelie and the Unseelie think Pearl is the Valentine, and if they find out she isn’t, she’ll disappear too.

Pearl must use all her wits to protect herself. Finn must come to terms with his newfound heritage. And then there’s the explosive chemistry between them that neither of them know quite what to do about . . .

So why do I want to read this?

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Another re-read of the synopsis, and I’m getting hit with some major Holly Black vibes…personally, I think she’s incredibly creative, but one of the reasons that I didn’t enjoy The Cruel Prince was that I didn’t care for/despised all of the main cast. Anyway, let’s get back on topic.

I’m fascinated to see how McAlister handles this (very interesting!) concept of the Valentines. Changelings are kind of hard to mess up in fantasy literature, so I don’t doubt that she’ll deliver in that aspect. All in all, Valentine sounds like a deft melding of fantasy, mystery, and maybe a sprinkling of horror. I like it…

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Today’s song:

(These riffs…THESE RIFFS…)

That just about wraps up this week’s Goodreads Monday! Just as a heads-up, I’ll probably be a *bit* more lethargic posting-wise this week, due to several upcoming quizzes/exams I’ll have to take in the middle of the week. In the meantime, stay tuned for a Book Review Tuesday tomorrow! Have a wonderful day, and take care of yourselves!

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Books, Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: February 17-23, 2020

Posted on February 23, 2020February 23, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Sunday, bibliophiles!

I’ve always regarded February as the most boring month of the year. Hardly any breaks, dreary weather, lame holidays, nothing eventful ever happens. But as the month comes to a close, I’ve realized that for February, this has been an awesome month. This week, in particular, has been pretty spectacular; a few peaceful shifts at the library, good food, fun with friends (playing Uno gets absolutely diabolical with our bunch), and a particularly lovely Friday night involving writing, drawing, ice cream, and an annual re-watching of one of my favorite films of all time: Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

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The latter has inspired me to do a few blog posts, which I’ll try and get to in the next few weeks.

As far as reading goes, my week hasn’t been *quite* as productive; most of what I got to was single-issue comics, and the library books that I got to were…okay. Decent. I’ll finally be able to get to the books I bought last week in the coming days, so hopefully things will pick up from there.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

Guts–Raina Telgemeier (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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Skulldigger and Skeleton Boy (Issue #2)–Jeff Lemire (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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Hellboy Winter Special 2019–Mike Mignola (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

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Frankenstein Undone (Issue #1)–Mike Mignola (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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The Downstairs Girl–Stacey Lee (⭐️⭐️)

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Nights at the Circus–Angela Carter (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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POSTS AND SUCH:

SONGS:

CURRENTLY READING/TO READ NEXT WEEK:

Roar (Stormheart #1)–Cora Carmack

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Loki: Where Mischief Lies–Mackenzi Lee

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Sky Without Stars (System Divine, #1)–Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell

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Today’s song:

That just about wraps up this week in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

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Book Tags, Books

What Cats Do Book Tag

Posted on February 21, 2020February 21, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey there, bibliophiles!

As you can all probably guess from my icon, I love cats, and this tag instantly caught my eye! I found this on Time for Tales and Tea, and the tag was originally created by Kate@ meltingpotsandothercalamities.

First off, I’ve seen most other people who’ve participated put in some pictures of their cats, so I thought it would be fitting to put mine in here as well.

This is Padmé; she’s incredibly chatty, and has an affinity for clinging to people’s left shoulders. Doesn’t matter who’s shoulder it is, so long as it’s the left shoulder. Don’t question her.

Here’s Anakin, Padmé’s younger cousin. He and Padmé are inseparable. He’s also an itty bitty little cat, even at about 11 years old.

Finally, here’s Hobbes, the newest of the bunch. Most of the time, she acts too dignified to be petted, but when she’s affectionate, she’s the sweetest little cat around. (In fact, she’s sleeping right above me as I write this out.)

Now, onto the tag…

RULES:

If you do this tag, please credit me at Kate@ meltingpotsandothercalamities
Answer the questions
And tag as many people as you like!

PURR – As cats do this when they’re happy or relaxed, what is the book that makes you happiest or relaxed?

Pumpkinheads never fails to give me all the warm and fuzzy feels, no matter how I’m feeling.

SLEEP – What is a book that put you to sleep or was just boring?

Though the cover was deceptively gorgeous, The Light Between Worlds very nearly put me to sleep.

TWITCH WHILE DREAMING – Have you ever dreamt of a book you read?

An after-product of having read this innumerable times (“I lost count at 50,” as I used to say), I’ve definitely dreamt about The Search for WondLa series more than one time.

SEEMS TO PLAY NICE UNTIL THE CLAWS ARE OUT – Which book had the biggest plot twist(s)?

As far as Dare Mighty Things goes…two words: Brace yourself.

CUDDLES – Which book character would you give a hug to?

Without question, March from the Smoke Thieves duology. After all that he’s been through, he’s fully deserving of it. 💖

CAT BREEDS – What are your favorite books?

Frankenstein, the Arc of a Scythe trilogy, the Heart of Iron duology, anything by Ray Bradbury, and Like a Love Story, to name a few.

GETTING THE CAT – How did you find your favorite book(s)?

Most of my favorite books have been recommendations from Goodreads, but just as often, I’ll find them hidden between the shelves in libraries or advertised in the back of other books.

THE VET’S OFFICE – Your least favorite book:

I know I’ve ~~talked~~ ranted about Smokeless Fire, Red Queen, and The Witch of Blackbird Pond innumerable times, and I don’t wish to be redundant, so I’ll try out one of my much-loathed DNFs…

OH. OH. I forgot this book existed for a minute there…

YIKES. The corny names. The cringy, fake slang. The timeline. God, Earth Girl really was something of a train wreck…

BEING IN PLACES THEY SHOULDN’T – Least favorite cliché:

If I had to pick…most definitely love triangles. Much of the time, they only serve to muddy the existing plot with unnecessary angst and bickering. I won’t be sad to see them phase out of YA literature. I sure hope they do.

THE GOOD OLD CARDBOARD BOX – Most underrated book series?

AAH! Without question, the Faloiv series! (consisting of A Conspiracy of Stars and An Anatomy of Beasts) I doubt I’ll ever find another series with this amount of attention to detail in the worldbuilding.

I tag anyone who wants to participate!

Today’s song:

That just about wraps up this tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Review Tuesday, Books

Book Review Tuesday (2/18/20)–One Giant Leap (Dare Mighty Things, #2)

Posted on February 18, 2020March 20, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

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Happy Tuesday, bibliophiles!

Ever since I finished up Dare Mighty Things about a year ago, I’ve been absolutely ITCHING to read the sequel. I’m excited to say that One Giant Leap was almost better than its predecessor, delving deeper into complex themes while still retaining everything that made book 1 so spectacular.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for Dare Mighty Things, so if you haven’t read it (and plan to), I suggest you turn away right now. In the meantime, click here for my review of book 1!

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Enjoy this week’s review!

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One Giant Leap (Dare Mighty Things, #2)

The competition that landed Cassandra Gupta on an exclusive mission into the vast reaches of space is finally behind her. But before her is an extensive mass of trouble.

What appeared to be a mission to explore extraterrestrial life on other worlds turns out to be humanity’s entrance into an intergalactic war. Luka, the one other cadet chosen to accompany the more experienced astronauts on the mission, is not who he seems: he is one of the few, extraterrestrial survivors of an unprecedented, near-extinction attack on his species. Now, Cassandra and the others must grapple with their newfound truths, and take action against the vrag, the perpetrators of this intergalactic war. But is it all so black and white?

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After the absolute whopper of a cliffhanger that Dare Mighty Things left us on, One Giant Leap was a smooth transition into an entirely new novel. Kaczynski dealt with a wildly different subject matter, and her storytelling proved to be just as deft–if not more so–that the previous novel.

Cassandra and Luka had the best chemistry, and I immensely enjoyed spending more time with them. Plus, I’m all for male-female friendships that don’t automatically end in romance. Cassandra’s asexual, anyway, and though they only touched on this in book 1, I’m still giddy about that representation. 🏳️‍🌈

Kaczynski’s handling with the aliens was equally deft. I was worried at first, because we’ve stumbled onto yet another trope that I positively despise in YA sci-fi…aliens that look exactly like humans, but with a few minor changes in eye color/powers that make them oh-so-special.

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I was so afraid that One Giant Leap had fallen into this trap, but Kaczynski explains it an inventive way: Luka’s species (I forget what they’re called, though I believe it started with an ‘M’…oops…) gave themselves genetic modifications in order to blend in with humans on Earth, and therefore look just like them. (Permanently.) So thank you for that reprieve, Mrs. Kaczynski! The vrag as well were very well designed, making for some stunning and gorgeous imagery that I might just want to draw. I’ll get back to you all on that one.

Beyond that, One Giant Leap explored the theme of the gray areas that exist during war; in this instance, both species had their reasons for going to war with one another, and one had trouble grappling with who was the “hero” and who was the “villain”. And truly, that’s how things are in real life; as my teachers have said countless times during my various history classes, history is written by the victors of these wars, and therefore, they’re painted as heroes. The losers might have equally reasonable motives, and have gone to similar lengths to get their way. And in reality, there are no clear heroes and villains. So kudos to Kaczynski for tackling this subject matter.

If nothing else, come for the POC/LGBTQ+ representation, stay for the aliens in book 2. All in all, an incredibly satisfying end to a masterful duology. 4.5 stars for this one.

Today’s song:

I watched The Life of Brian on Sunday night, and it was an absolute RIOT. This song’s been stuck in my head ever since. Easily the best end to a film in cinematic history.

That just about wraps up this review! Have a lovely day, and take care of yourselves!

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