Sorcery of Thorns – The Bookish Mutant

The Fantasy Tropes Book Tag 🧝🏻‍♀️

Posted on March 29, 2023 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles!

I’ve been meaning to do another book tag for a while, and now that I’m on spring break, it seemed like the perfect time! I found this one over at Georgia @ Lost in Neverland, and it was originally created by one’s peculiar. Fantasy is a genre that I always end up coming back to, so I thought this would be a fun tag!

RULES:

Mention the creator ( one’s peculiar )
Answer the questions
Tag as many people as you like
HAVE FUN!

Let’s begin, shall we?

🐉THE FANTASY TROPES BOOK TAG🗡

THE LOST PRINCESS: A book/series you lost interest in halfway through

I loved the first book in the Invisible Library series, but I ended up quitting at book 3—with such an inventive concept for the series, it just felt like Genevieve Cogman was no longer doing anything interesting with it.

THE KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR: A hyped book/series you were swept up by

Leigh Bardugo has yet to let me down with any of her fantasy novels, but Six of Crows is a rare series—it lives up to almost all of the hype it’s been given over the years, in my experience!

THE WISE OLD WIZARD: An author who amazes you with his/her writing

At the risk that I’ll sound like a broken record, I’ll talk about an author that I don’t talk about as often; I’ve only read The Wide Starlight and The Depths, but the the former was an unexpected 5-star read for me—Nicole Lesperance’s prose was endlessly stunning and beautiful! Although I didn’t enjoy The Depths quite as much, she made use of an incredibly underused setting for horror, and built up her suspense wonderfully.

THE MAIDEN IN DISTRESS: An undervalued character you wished had a bigger storyline

I wouldn’t say that Silas from Sorcery of Thorns was an undervalued character, but he was so compelling that I wished we’d gotten more page time from him!

THE MAGICAL SWORD: A magical item/ability you wish authors used less

This isn’t necessarily an item or ability, but I’ll never get the trope where the protagonist (most often a woman, in this case) loses her powers at the end of the book. The only exception I can make is if said powers are destroying her from the inside/making her a shell of her former self (ex. Aurora Rising), but if not, it just feels icky to me. LET OUR FANTASY LADIES KEEP THEIR AGENCY!!

THE MINDLESS VILLAIN: A phrase you cannot help but roll your eyes at

Any “romantic” quote that comes from the clear male-manipulator love interest (see: The Darkling, Cardan). There are way too many of these guys that the authors intended to be terrible people, but end up turning into the bad boy teen idols of their respective fandoms…

THE UNTAMED DRAGON: A magical creature you wish you had as a pet

I wouldn’t say no to a magical familiar like Mousebones from The Raven and the Reindeer!

THE CHOSEN ONE: A book/series you will always root for

I will always vouch for the quality of The Smoke Thieves trilogy—still one of my favorite fantasy series!

I TAG:

Becca @ Book It With Becca
Hundreds & Thousands of Books
Laura @ The Corner of Laura
Rabhya @ Rab’s Bookish Planet
+ anyone else who wants to participate! If you see this tag and want to do it, I’d love to see your answers! If I tagged you and you’ve already done this tag/don’t want to do it, my bad.

Today’s song:

That’s it for this book tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books

Start ‘Em Young: YA Books to Transition Younger Teen Readers into YA Literature

Posted on April 11, 2022April 11, 2022 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

I’ve been an avid reader from a young age. I read voraciously throughout my pre-teen years, but as I got older, I began reading “older” books—I had been introduced into the wonderful world of YA literature. But it wasn’t quite as smooth as I thought; although young adult books generally encompass a teenage experience, there can often be a wide range of content. While some YA books are lighter and more suitable for younger teens, many range into the “older” teen spectrum that often deals with heavier and more mature subject matter. For me, at least, I think it’s good to have “transition” books for younger YA readers—books that are distinctly “teen,” but aren’t quite as graphic for someone who isn’t mature enough to handle certain topics. I’m doing my best not to make generalizations about the maturity of younger teenagers here, since I was one not so long ago, but I feel like it’s not the best idea to start an 11 or 12 year old on something as dark as Six of Crows or Illuminae. So for those reasons, I’ve decided to compile some books that I think would be great to introduce younger readers to the wide world of YA literature.

Let’s begin, shall we?

📖BOOKS TO TRANSITION YOUNGER TEEN READERS INTO YA 📖

Sorcery of Thorns – Margaret Rogerson

GENRES: fantasy, high fantasy, romance

Sorcery of Thorns had the feel of a lot of middle-grade fantasy novels—not enough magical libraries in YA literature, such a shame 😤

For me, this novel had the perfect balance of whimsy and complexity, and presented a beautiful fantasy world full of magical books and demons!

The Kingdom of Back – Marie Lu

GENRES: historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism

Marie Lu’s books tend to stray on the darker side, but The Kingdom of Back is the perfect standalone for any reader to get into her books. This one is a favorite of mine—such a beautifully-crafted fairytale!

Sisters of the Wolf – Patricia Miller-Schroeder

GENRES: historical fiction

Sisters of the Wolf wasn’t my favorite book, but part of what stood out to me about it (apart from the amazing research that went into the prehistoric setting) was that it hit the perfect balance between middle grade and YA—it’s dark enough to be separated from middle grade, but still palatable for a younger reader transitioning between the age groups.

The Soul Keepers – Devon Taylor

GENRES: fantasy, paranormal, horror

Like Sisters of the Wolf, The Soul Keepers is the perfect bridge between middle grade and YA; even though most of the characters are written as older teens, the level of dark elements struck the perfect balance between younger and older teen readers.

Curses – Lish McBride

GENRES: fantasy, retellings, romance

Nothing like a good fairytale retelling to introduce a reader to YA! Lish McBride’s sense of humor never fails to make me smile, and Curses was a continuously clever and hilarious retelling of Beauty and the Beast. If there’s any Beauty and the Beast retelling to start a reader on, it’s this one.

The Tiger at Midnight – Swati Teerdhala

GENRES: fantasy, high fantasy, romance

The Tiger at Midnight has all of the elements of a classic YA fantasy book, and it’s the perfect choice for introducing a reader into the vast world of YA fantasy! I don’t know why I haven’t picked up the next few books—book 1 was a lot of fun!

Geekerella – Ashley Poston

GENRES: fiction, romance, rom-com

For a reader who wants to jump into romance, the Once Upon a Con series is a perfect starter! Plus, what’s not to love about comic cons, books, and tons of pop culture references?

Once & Future – A.R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy

GENRES: LGBTQ+, science fiction, retellings, romance

Speaking of retellings…here’s one for readers who are keen on Arthurian legends! Once & Future presents one of the most inventive Arthurian legends I’ve read in a while—space, corporations, curses, and more! It’s wonderfully queer all around as well.

The Light at the Bottom of the World – London Shah

GENRES: dystopia, science fiction, romance

There are a lot—and I mean a lot—of astoundingly mediocre and ridiculous YA dystopias that tried to jump on the Hunger Games train, so why not start off a reader with something that’s genuinely fun and inventive? The Light at the Bottom of the World is a stand-out, action-packed and creative, with a determined protagonist that you can’t help but root for!

I Love You So Mochi – Sarah Kuhn

GENRES: fiction, romance

Here’s another light and sweet romance! I Love You So Mochi is the perfect feel-good romance, and it doubles as a spectacular coming-of-age story about finding your passion and your place.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! What are some other books that you’d recommend for younger teens who are just starting to read YA? Have you read any of these books, and if so, what did you think of them? Tell me in the comments!

Today’s song:

this is such a fun album!! not a bad song here

That’s it for this post! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Monthly Wrap-Ups

January 2022 Wrap-Up 🚡

Posted on January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

2022. It’s gonna be a momentous year for me—I’m graduating high school and starting college, after all! January’s been both fun and stressful, but I’d say it’s been a good start to this year so far.

GENERAL THOUGHTS:

Edward & Kim - Edward Scissorhands Fan Art (22305845) - Fanpop

Better than last January, certainly, but that’s a pretty low standard. I blame precalc.

After a barely snowy December, it’s finally felt like winter here. A little…too much so. I like snow, generally, but after the first few I start to get sick of the ice on the roads and waking up at 6 AM in the freezing cold. But that’s Colorado. At least the snow looks beautiful on the mountains.

My last semester of high school…I still haven’t managed to grasp it. But either way, it started out smoothly, and it’s gradually begun to feel more like…well, School. Lots of tests and quizzes to study for, which I’m not thrilled about, but I’m finally in a creative writing class, and I’m really enjoying it! I’ve gotten to write a lot of interesting poetry, and I feel a lot less nervous about reading it out loud now. I ended up stressing out about college a lot this month, but now that there’s more certainty in the future, I feel a lot better. And I think I’ll be very happy with where I’m going.

Editing the WIP has been on and off, but I’ve gone through the first initial read-through! Now that I’ve identified what needs to be done, I just need to tweak things here and there. I’ve been trying for years to be more open about sharing parts of my story with friends and family, and I’m getting closer, but I’m hoping sharing the story itself will be the next step. Kind of needs to be, anyway, if I want to get it published someday…

Other than that, I spent some time with family, got comics, went skiing for the first time since early 2020 (or was it 2019?), I got to see Danny Elfman live (which was AMAZING!!), watched the first two episodes of The Book of Boba Fett then timed out, re-watched Edward Scissorhands and Felt A Great Many Things, watched The House, and got around to drawing a little more.

I’ve also been getting more into X-Men lately—well, more than usual, at any rate. They’ve been special to me for years, but I haven’t been this much into them since…probably this time three years ago, freshman year. I think reading the newer comics has spurred it on again. There’s something oddly sacred about reconnecting with that part of my past self, of knowing that what gave her joy still gives me joy now. To know that I’ve grown so much since then.

I realized that I’ve never really explained where my blog name comes from—the “Mutant” part of “The Bookish Mutant” is a reference to the X-Men.

X men night call movie quotes GIF - Find on GIFER — well said, Kurt. well said.

READING AND BLOGGING:

I read 21 books this month! I put my Goodreads challenge at 200 books because I’m anticipating a hectic year, what with moving into college and all that. Either way, I’m surprised—and glad—to have gotten around to reading this much, however hit-or-miss this batch was.

1 – 1.75 stars:

Amazon.com: Sisters of the Snake: 9780062985590: Nanua, Sasha, Nanua, Sarena: Books — *Sisters of the Snake*

Lightless – C.A. Higgins (DNF) (⭐️)
Sisters of the Snake (Ria & Rani, #1) – Sarena Nanua and Sasha Nanua (DNF) (⭐️.75)

2 – 2.75 stars:

I'm Not Missing by Carrie Fountain — *I’m Not Missing*

Persephone Station – Stina Leicht (⭐️⭐️)
Not Your Sidekick (Sidekick Squad, #1) – C.B. Lee (⭐️⭐️)
Traitor’s Kiss (The Traitor’s Circle, #1) – Erin Beaty (⭐️⭐️)
I’m Not Missing – Carrie Fountain (⭐️⭐️.5)

3 – 3.75 stars:

Amazon.com: Railhead: 9781630790486: Reeve, Philip: Books — *Railhead*

Rise of the Red Hand (The Mechanists, #1) – Olivia Chadha (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The Fallen (The Outside, #2) – Ada Hoffmann (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Landscape with Invisible Hand – M.T. Anderson (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Who I Was with Her – Nita Tyndall (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Batman: Nightwalker – The Graphic Novel – Marie Lu, adapted by Stuart Moore and Chris Wildgoose (⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)
Sorcery of Thorns – Margaret Rogerson (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)
Only Mostly Devastated – Sophie Gonzales (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)
Anthem – Noah Hawley (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)
Railhead – Philip Reeve (⭐️⭐️⭐️.75)

4 – 4.75 stars:

Amazon.com: Beyond the End of the World: 9780062893369: Kaufman, Amie, Spooner, Meagan: Books — *Beyond the End of the World*

The Kindred – Alechia Dow (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Fireborne (The Aurelian Cycle, #1) – Rosaria Munda (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The Cost of Knowing – Brittney Morris (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Tides of Mutiny – Rebecca Rode (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Beyond the End of the World (The Other Side of the Sky, #2) – Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – Edward Albee (for school) (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5)

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE MONTH: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – 4.5 stars

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Albee, Edward: 0071162004991: Amazon.com: Books — *Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*

SOME POSTS I’M PROUD OF:

I had fun reviewing Railhead, Anthem, The Kindred, and Rise of the Red Hand!
I wrote about why the second book in the trilogy sometimes fails, and it was so much fun to explore!
I also made a follow-up to my sci-fi tropes post—spiders, anyone?

POSTS I ENJOYED FROM OTHER WONDERFUL PEOPLE:

Starlight Reading made a lest of Latinx books that she’s read and are on her TBR!
Bertie made a list of sapphic sci-fi books!
Hundreds & Thousands of Books created the Best Books of 2021 Book Tag! Check it out!
Becca also made an original book tag: The Book Club Tag! (I haven’t found time to do it yet, but I absolutely will!)
The Inside Cover made a great end-of-the-year wrap-up!

SONGS/ALBUMS I’VE ENJOYED:

this is the only audio of this song that I could find on YouTube for some reason?? anyways I love it & my creative writing teacher put the album cover as the header for his google classroom and it’s awesome

new spoon woo woo woo!!

new Mitski will be in our hands so soon!!! can’t wait!!

one of those songs I heard as a kid but only remembered a tiny bit of

at this point, the score for Edward Scissorhands is easily one of my favorite film scores of all time

a hit-or-miss album overall for me, but the highlights of it were incredible

DID I FOLLOW THROUGH ON MY JANUARY GOALS?

Blade runner GIFs - Get the best gif on GIFER — Colorado January hours

Set a reasonable Goodreads goal: yep, 200. Now that I’ve gotten through challenges where I’ve read 250-300 books (I still don’t know how I managed the 300 that one time…), I set it lower knowing that this year will be hectic, what with graduating high school and going off to college in the fall. (!!!!)
Start 2022 on a good note! I saw Danny Elfman live, for god’s sakes. If that’s not starting 2022 on a good note, then I don’t know what is.

FEBRUARY GOALS:

Happy Valentine's Day, no one! - GIF on Imgur — shamelessly whipping out this gif every year

Make another Black History month list—I’ve read so many amazing books by Black authors since last February!
Review some of the albums that are coming out next month!! (So many!!)
Actually post some art here, if I get the time…it’s about time

Today’s song:

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

Weekly Updates

Weekly Update: January 3-9, 2022

Posted on January 9, 2022January 9, 2022 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Sunday, bibliophiles! I hope this first full week of 2022 has treated you well.

I thought my school was off for winter break for another full week, but as it turns out, school started this Wednesday…oof

We had a 2-hour delay because of the snow though, so at least I got to sleep in on Thursday. And it’s been an easy week—I have a creative writing class now too!

Reading-wise, I’ve just been trawling books from the Kindle library, with varying degrees of success. Two of them I loved, and two of them were books that I had highly anticipated but ended up being disappointed by. (Oh, Persephone Station and Sisters of the Snake…how you’ve let me down…)The latter resulted in, sadly, my first DNF of the year…[heavy sigh]

Slowly, I’ve been getting through the editing stage of draft 2 of my WIP. I got through my favorite scene, though, so that was fun to revisit. I got to write some fun blog posts this week too, so that’s been good.

Other than that, I’ve just been watching The Tragedy of Macbeth (so so SO good) andThe Book of Boba Fett (ehh?? I have mixed feelings but I’ll stick around), waiting for my preorders to arrive in the mail (1 down, 1 to go…even though they came out on the same day?), getting comics, volunteering at the library, and skiing for the first time since…probably 2019?

Oh, and happy (belated) birthday, Bowie. Miss you always. ⚡️