Fox 8 – The Bookish Mutant

My 5-star Reads of 2021

Posted on December 24, 2021 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Image about love in ᵐᵒˢᵗˡʸ wholesome 🥺💗 by 𝐈 𝐧 𝐟 𝐢 𝐧 𝐢 𝐭 𝐲

Happy Friday, bibliophiles, and merry Christmas Eve for those who celebrate!

2021 was a tough year for me and for so many of us. But through every tough time, books are always there for us, and every once in a while, those special books come along and brighten our days or change our lives just that much more. Those are the only books that I bestow the 5-star rating upon—the ones that really, truly change something inside of me for the better.

So as this (sucky) year comes to a close, I decided to look back at the best of the best that I read this year. (Note: the books that I rated 4.75 stars and rounded up to 5 appear on here as well! However, I’m not including re-reads of books that I previously rated 5 stars.)

Let’s begin, shall we?

⭐️THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S 5-STAR READS OF 2021⭐️

Among the Beasts & Briars – Ashley Poston

Among the Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston

Technically, I read this one on New Year’s Eve 2020, but I didn’t include it in my 5-star list from last year, so it gets the honor of making the list this year. Among the Beasts & Briars is solid proof that no matter the genre, Ashley Poston never misses.

Read my review here!

Zero Repeat Forever – Gabrielle S. Prendergast

Amazon.com: Zero Repeat Forever (1) (The Nahx Invasions): 9781481481854: Prendergast, G. S.: Books

This one had been on my TBR for ages, and I’m so glad that I picked it up! A beautiful and tender story of love in the darkest of times.

Read my review here!

Before the Fall – Noah Hawley

Amazon.com: Before the Fall eBook : Hawley, Noah: Books

I got into Noah Hawley as an author this year after loving Fargo and Legion. I’m glad to say that this book is a masterpiece as well, and this is coming from somebody who reads hardly any crime thrillers!

Read my review here!

The Punch – Noah Hawley

Amazon.com: The Punch: 9781538746530: Hawley, Noah: Books

Very different from Before the Fall, but just as good. I think this book has my favorite opening scene in any book, period.

Read my review here!

The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country – Amanda Gorman

Amazon.com: The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country: 9780593465271: Gorman, Amanda, Winfrey, Oprah: Books

This one needs no explanation. Amanda Gorman is such an inspiring woman.

Internment – Samira Ahmed

Amazon.com: Internment: 9780316522694: Ahmed, Samira: Books

Samira Ahmed is another fantastic author that I discovered this year! I’m glad I read this one post-Trump, but it’s such a gut-wrenching call to action. This needs to be required reading.

(an aside—Samira Ahmed is writing the next run of Ms. Marvel soon, and I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN MY LIFE. I can’t wait to see how she handles it!)

Sword in the Stars (Once & Future, #2) – A.R. Capetta and Cori McCarthy

Amazon.com: Sword in the Stars: A Once & Future Novel (Once & Future, 2): 9780316449298: Cory McCarthy, Capetta, A. R.: Books

I finally got to read this sequel after waiting a year to try and find it, and I was not disappointed! Just as off-the-walls and lovable as book 1.

Read my review here!

Rule of Wolves (King of Scars, #2) – Leigh Bardugo

The King of Scars duology is Leigh Bardugo at her very best. Feelings were had.

Mike Mignola: The Quarantine Sketchbook – Mike Mignola

Amazon.com: Mike Mignola: The Quarantine Sketchbook: 9781506724270: Mignola, Mike, Mignola, Christine: Books

It’s a collection of quanrantine-era sketches from one of my favorite comic writers/artists, why wouldn’t I rate it 5 stars?

The Darkness Outside Us – Eliot Schrefer

Amazon.com: The Darkness Outside Us eBook : Schrefer, Eliot: Kindle Store

This one was an unexpected favorite! It started out like any other sci-fi thriller, but it soon morphed into a beautiful meditation on mortality and love. Highly recommended!

Read my review here!

Aurora’s End (Aurora Cycle, #3) – Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Amazon.com: Aurora's End (The Aurora Cycle): 9781524720889: Kaufman, Amie, Kristoff, Jay: Books

It’s poetically fitting that the last book in this post is my favorite of these favorites, as well as the closer to my favorite trilogy. This was such a transcendental and resonant ending to a series like no other. Squad 312 forever. 💫

Read my review here!

HONORABLE MENTIONS (4.5 stars):

Today’s song:

That’s it for my favorite reads of 2021! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Monthly Wrap-Ups

March 2021 Wrap-Up 🧦

Posted on March 31, 2021 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday ~~my dudes~~ bibliophiles!

I refuse to believe that it’s almost April…one year since the original quarantine, nope…

GENERAL THOUGHTS

March has been…an interesting month, I guess. Definitely had its ups and downs, and it was super cold. It’s usually a really snowy month here in Colorado, and we got dumped on in the middle of the month…not quite the #Snowmageddon that everybody was saying it was going to be, but we got about two feet at my house. A lot, but we’ve had worse…

School’s been a bit rough, but I’m at least glad that everything had time to wind down before Spring Break. I have my SAT test coming up in April and my AP exams in May, so heads up, I’ll probably be less active in the next two months.

Other than that, I’ve definitely made some great progress! Mostly with my writing; I wrote my short story for the writing contest, shared it with family and close friends, got some feedback, AND I SUBMITTED IT ON MONDAY! AAAAAAAAAAAH

Screaming Cowboy GIF by Jason Clarke - Find & Share on GIPHY

I also started on Falcon & The Winter Soldier (I didn’t like episode 1 very much, but 2 got better), watched the Snyder Cut, and drank lots of tea and hot chocolate. Here’s hoping that April will be a bit better. Not that March was awful, but I could’ve done without…y’know, precalc. I’ve been listening to the new Julien Baker a lot too, as well as more Mother Mother, thanks to a playlist my friend made for me.

Also, I rewatched Fargo in its entirety. I’ll admit to curling into the fetal position and sobbing several times.

Rabbi Milligan | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs | Tumgir — [aggressive tissue-blowing intensifies]

And I’m SO CLOSE to 400 followers! I LOVE YOU ALL 🥺

READING AND BLOGGING:

I managed to read 23 books this month! (24, if you count reading a certain B.P.R.D. twice.) I’ve definitely had a great reading month; I re-read a few favorites, and I discovered several awesome reads! And I had very few books that I didn’t like, so that’s a plus. Here’s everything…

2 – 2.75 stars:

The Absolute Book: A Novel: Knox, Elizabeth: 9780593296738: Amazon.com: Books — *The Absolute Book*

The Absolute Book – Elizabeth Knox (⭐️⭐️)

3 – 3.75 stars:

Amazon.com: The Future Is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, from Pulp Pioneers to Ursula K. Le Guin: A Library of America Special Publication (9781598535808): Yaszek, Lisa: Books — *The Future is Female!*

Sisters of the Wolf – Patricia Miller-Schroeder (eARC) (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Roman + Jewel – Dana L. Davis (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Girl, Serpent, Thorn – Melissa Bashardoust (⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Hellboy: Oddest Jobs – Christopher Golden, Mike Mignola et. al. (anthology) (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Chlorine Sky – Mahogany L. Browne (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

The Good Father – Noah Hawley (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)

A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers, #2) – Becky Chambers (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)

The Light at the Bottom of the World (Light the Abyss, #1) – London Shah (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)

The Future is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, from Pulp Pioneers to Ursula K. Le Guin – Lisa Yaszek (anthology) (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)

4 – 4.75 stars:

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness: Channing Brown, Austin: 9781524760854: Amazon.com: Books — *I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness*

A Phoenix Must First Burn – Patrice Caldwell et. al. (anthology) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

B.P.R.D., vol. 3: Plague of Frogs – Mike Mignola, Guy Davis (read twice) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Remote Control – Nnedi Okorafor (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. – Colleen Nelson (eARC) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The Desolations of Devil’s Acre (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, #6) – Ransom Riggs (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien (read for school) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

The Black Flamingo – Dean Atta (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

To Be Taught, If Fortunate – Becky Chambers (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Other People’s Weddings – Noah Hawley (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Fox 8 – George Saunders (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness – Austin Channing Brown (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

Once & Future – A.R. Capetta and Cori McCarthy (re-read for book club) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)

5 stars:

Looks from Books: Fashion Inspired by Frankenstein - College Fashion — *Frankenstein*

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley (re-read) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE MONTH (not counting re-reads): Fox 8 – 4.5 stars

Amazon.com: Fox 8: A Story (9781984818027): Saunders, George, Cardinal, Chelsea: Books

SOME POSTS I’M PROUD OF:

My review for A Phoenix Must First Burn was the first of my posts to breach 40 likes…whoa…
I had a lot of fun screaming about the cover/title reveal for Aurora’s End
I made a list of Feminist YA Books for Women’s History Month!
The Zodiac Book Tag was a lot of fun to do

POSTS I ENJOYED FROM OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE:

DID I ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH ON MY MARCH GOALS?

Finish my short story for the writing contest (since the deadline is early April…): done! Shaking, but done.
ACTUALLY review Little Oblivions: done! Click here to read it.
Read at least 20 books: read 23!
Review all of the eARCs sitting on my Kindle: all done! Here are my reviews for Sisters of the Wolf and The Life and Deaths of Frankie D.

GOALS FOR APRIL:

How to Prepare for Exam Season Before It Even Starts | TalentEgg Career Incubator

Read at least 20 books
Take some time to study for the SAT (you got this!)

So let’s hope that April won’t be so chaotic.

Today’s song:

That’s it for my March in blogging! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Tags

Zodiac Book Tag ♌️

Posted on March 26, 2021April 18, 2021 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Friday, bibliophiles! Man, I’m so glad it’s spring break…

I found this tag over on Ashmita @ the fictional journal and it looked like so much fun! I’m not 100% into zodiac signs, but I do believe there’s a lot of truth to it, and plus, it’s a whole lot of fun. (And the birth chart I got a few years ago was startlingly spot-on…) This tag was created by Just Dreamland.

RULES:

Link back to the creator, Just Dreamland
Link back to the person who tagged you!
Answer all the prompts.
Use the original graphics and credit the creator
Tag at least 5 bloggers and provide links to their blogs.
Name your Zodiac sign!
Don’t forget to add #ItsAZodiacThing tag.
You can either do the zodiac book tag /the zodiac music tag or both of them. Graphics for separate tags should be given at the end.
Enjoy!

This one’s the book tag, but I definitely want to do the music tag at some point as well!

So first things first, I’m a Leo! (Barely, though…if I’d been born a day later, I’d be a Virgo, so…still feel like a Leo though)

(EDIT: I had to take some of the graphics out bc they weren’t showing up…)

What's Your Zodiac Sign? The 12 Zodiac Symbols

🌌THE ZODIAG SIGN BOOK TAG🌌

ARIES: A wild and powerful book, compelling from start to finish. Every page intoxicated your heart with incredible imagery.

Ashley Poston is a favorite author of mine, and Among the Beasts and Briars absolutely fits the bill for this prompt – lush imagery, lovable characters and a gripping plot!

TAURUS: A heart-wrenching story of a forbidden love that could tear a family apart

Girls of Paper and Fire eBook: Ngan, Natasha: Amazon.in: Kindle Store

Lei and Wren’s romance in Girls of Paper and Fire was one of the aspects that truly shined. Book 2 was a bit of a disappointment, but I’m still willing to see what book 3 holds…

GEMINI: A book that is cheeky, quippy, and witty

The Punch by Noah Hawley, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

The Punch CRACKED ME UP. It’s such a shame that I haven’t been able to dig up any of the quotes online, because there’s plenty of witty and hilarious quotes in this one.

CANCER: A bittersweet book that spoke to your sensitive heart

Amazon.com: To Be Taught, If Fortunate eBook: Chambers, Becky: Kindle Store

I recently read To Be Taught, if Fortunate and it was such a tender and bittersweet piece of quiet sci-fi.

LEO: A book with drama, love, fancy wear, and hope

[EXCITED LEO NOISES INTENSIFY]

A mix of lush fantasy and historical fiction, The Kingdom of Back is one of my favorite of Marie Lu’s novels. I’m so glad I bought a copy!

VIRGO: A tender story of self-love, self-determination, self-discovery, perseverance, romance, friendship, and family

Amazon.com: Sparrow (9781338032581): Moon, Sarah: Books

Sparrow was a novel that resonated with me so much, with themes of outsiderness, sensitivity, and finding your people. HIGHLY recommended!

LIBRA: A book that has a remarkably refreshing and frank outlook on life. One of the realest books you’ve ever read.

Fox 8 GUTTED me. Short and tender, but also a tragic reminder of how much humans can suck sometimes.

SCORPIO: A book with a good plot twist. A book that is psychologically thrilling and emotionally chilling, and haunted you from the first page to the last.

Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

To this day, I still kind of go into shock whenever I think of the plot twist that came hurtling at us out of left field from Dare Mighty Things.

SAGITTARIUS: An adventurous, summer read

Amazon.com: Skyhunter (Skyhunter Duology, 1) (9781250221681): Lu, Marie: Books

Back at it again with more Marie Lu…

Anyway, I didn’t read Skyhunter during the summer, but it’s such a lovely adventure, and it got me through a really hard time in my life. I’ll always be grateful for this one.

CAPRICORN: A book that has everything to do with friendship

Lifel1k3 (Lifelike) - Jay Kristoff - 9781760295691 - Allen & Unwin - Australia

Even though some of the friendships in LIFEL1K3 don’t necessarily end well, they’re still so warm and tender while they last.

AQUARIUS: A quirky and unique book

Text Publishing — The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, book by Elisabeth

Who knew that I’d fall in love with a nonfiction book about a bedridden woman and the snail that kept her company…that’s The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, I guess.

PISCES: A book that bewitched and enchanted you with its lyrical words, and transmuted your imaginative mind

Amazon.com: Wild Beauty: A Novel (9781250124555): McLemore, Anna-Marie: Books

I could have put any of Anna-Marie McLemore’s novels on here because they’re all so beautifully written, but Wild Beauty was the novel that made me fall in love with their lyrical prose.

I TAG: