Everything I Read in the First Half of 2021 -- Wrap-Up

Oh wow it has been a while :")

For fall quarter I did quite a lot of reading for school only, and I didn't have much time to read for myself, so I didn't make wrap-ups for those months. The following quarter was also a bust. I tried to read as much as I could and mostly stuck to short fanfictions since I spent most of my time reading articles and papers for class, so here is a first half of the year wrap-up. I'm also including the one book series I read at the very end of the month of December.

Books Mentioned

•  默读/Mo Du/Silent Reading by priest
• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
• These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
• 七爷/Qi Ye/Lord Seventh by priest
• Circe by Madeline Miller
• The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
• 小蘑菇/Little Mushroom by 一十四洲

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Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Crime

Trigger/Content Warnings: violence, drugs, suicide, self harm, bullying, psychological abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, human trafficking, child prostitution, pedophilia, mentions of rape, loss of loved ones, death, murder, violent accident, torture, animal abuse

默读/Mo Du/Silent Reading by priest

Summary

Childhood, upbringing, family background, social relations, traumatic experiences...

We keep reviewing and seeking out the motives of criminals, exploring subtlest emotions driving them. It's not to put ourselves in their shoes and sympathize, or even to forgive them; it's not to find some reasons to exculpate their crimes; it's not to kneel down before the so-called "complexity of human nature"; nor to introspect social conflicts, much less to alienate ourselves into monsters. 

We just want to have a fair trial—for ourselves and for those who still have hope for the world.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

I know the series rating says 4.8, and that's the rating that I got from calculating the average of the scores of all 5 books in the series, but subjectively it's a 5 star read. It's been a while since I've loved a series this intensely. 

I binge read this series within the last 3-4 days of December, which is why I decided to include it on here. And maybe reading a book a day isn't that big of a feat but it is to me because I read super slow. But the plot of the book and my love for the characters had me reading into the early hours of the next day (also my fear of the events that were transpiring in the book because I'm very easily scared). I thought the cases were all extremely well-thought-out and very smart. Every development was mind-blowing and I couldn't put the book down. Honestly, there was a never a dull moment in this book. It was either extremely enthralling and suspenseful and had me constantly flipping pages, or it was lovely and romantic and had me crying over the main lead and main character's relationship. 

Overall, please read Mo Du if you can! It's such a well-written story and I think we should all spread the love for Chinese novels because they're some of the best stories I've ever read in my life.

(link to translation by E. Danglars)

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Trigger/Content Warning: loss of loved one, suicide attempt & ideation, animal cruelty, motor vehicle collision, homophobia

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Summary

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

Rating: ★★★★+(0.5) (4.5/5)

I'm writing this in June, a long while after I read it back in the beginning of March, so the story is a little fuzzy for me since I have the memory of a goldfish. However, I do very clearly remember how warm I felt reading this book.

This story has one of the loveliest found families I've ever read. I'm used to seeing found families forming in stories in which there are very high risks and high stakes, most notably fantasy books, but this was a very wholesome, very real found family. And it was just so heart-warming to read about. I loved the development of this found family and I especially loved the flashbacks that we got talking about Ove's past. It was a very tragic past, and I thought the romance that developed throughout the flashbacks was so lovely, better than a lot of romances I've read to date.

Overall, this was a very quick read and a very heart-warming one too, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good contemporary book and/or found family.

Genre: Mythology Retelling/Romance

Trigger/Content Warning: death, slavery, torture, mention of rape, human sacrificing, graphic depictions of violence, war

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (reread)

Summary

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

This was a reread, and I've already made a whole review on this book which still stands very true, so if you want a more in-depth review please read here.

But other than that, I took this reread very slowly, taking more time to look at the way Miller puts together words and built this atmosphere more than I actually paid attention to plot points. But it was really easy to slip into the flow of the plot because it was just as enthralling as the first read, if not more. I also paid more attention to some of the side characters, and found myself really drawn to the characterization of Thetis as this overbearing mother who wants the best for her son, but her definition of the best does not necessarily line up with Achilles' interests. I thought that her story, from before the beginning to the very end, was quite tragic. And this time around, I may have teared up unlike the first time.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, just as I had the first time, and I encourage everyone to read this book. It truly is as lovely as everyone says it is.

Genre: Fantasy Historical Fiction

Trigger/Content Warning: graphic depictions of violence, gore, loss of loved ones

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Summary

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette's first love and first betrayal. But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can't stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule. 

Rating: ★★★★+(0.25) (4.25/5)

This book was so much fun. It may or may not have single-handedly pulled me out of my very long reading slump. We will see as the weeks go on.

There are a lot of things that I really liked about this book. It was rich with culture, and I loved Juliette, the main character. The author was really great at building this universe and creating the atmosphere of 1920's Shanghai. I also really loved the discussion of colonialism within the story, and how it is perceived through Juliette's eyes. I also really loved the discussion of diaspora through Juliette's eyes, since she's lived in different places and picked up her own mannerisms through her experiences living outside of China, and how this has shaped her character but also put her in the eye of scrutiny since she's now deemed "different" due to her experience in a Western country. I found Juliette's character, and her inner monologues about her culture and belonging, extremely relatable. 

I also really loved the other main characters in the story. I thought Roma could have been developed a bit more, since I felt like a lot of what we know about Roma and his character wasn't shown through his actions in the chapters in his POV, but rather through Juliette's eyes and through her observations about him and her feelings about him. And I would like to know more about the Roma that is separate from Juliette. Another character I'd like more development on would be Rosalind, but I can see why this could be saved for the sequel. But I really loved Kathleen and Marshall. I love Kathleen's loyalty and her kindness, as well as the way she was shaped through her experience of being brought up in this family despite the fact that her family isn't originally born into this lifestyle. And Marshall is just such a fun character, he's funny and reckless and playful, and I always find myself drawn to characters like that.

I read and watched a couple of reviews on this book, and I heard that people were expecting more romance since it's a Romeo & Juliet retelling, but I personally liked the amount of romance that was presented. I thought it was a good balance between plot/intrigue and romance. I really loved the glimpses of the past relationship they had, and I loved the way the author described that loss and yearning so poignantly. One thing I didn't know about this book going into it, since I did no research about this book and went in blind, was that it was supposed to also be classified as fantasy. I now can see the fantasy element but I think it is not what most people expect when they encounter the label "fantasy."

I think one thing that I wish was a little different would be the pacing of the book. It really hooked me in the beginning, and kept me on that hook the entire way through, but I thought the end was a little rushed both plot-wise and romantic development-wise. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I loved the epilogue as well.

Overall, I had a very fun time reading this book, and I highly recommend anyone who loves a good enemies-to-lovers romance story full of mystery and intrigue to give this book a try!

Genre: Historical Fiction

Trigger/Content Warnings: gore, body horror, murder, mentions of human trafficking, mentions of rape, mentions of pedophilia, mentions of sexual assault (cred: qi ye carrd) 

七爷 / Qi Ye / Lord Seventh by priest

Summary

Waking up again in his seventh reincarnation, Prince Jing Beiyuan found himself back in time, when everything had yet to be set in motion. Having been given a second chance, Beiyuan had to survive court and decide whether it was finally time for him to let go of his feelings; all while trying to handle the youthful, innocent force of nature who had suddenly barged into his already complicated life.

Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)

I loved the premise even before I started reading this story. I remember really wanting to read this story a good 2-3 years ago when I started getting into reading Chinese novels but back then there were only 7 translated chapters. But now the entire thing is translated and there's an epub file too so I was able to read it on the plane ride back to the motherland. The translation I read was by Huang Zhifeng/Chichi.

I admit I started reading this after watching Word of Honor early June, and I enjoyed it a lot. I've known about Tian Ya Ke and Qi Ye for a while, so seeing Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi in Word of Honor definitely gave me the push I needed to pick it up. And it was also really fun to see Zhou Zishu pre-Tian Ya Ke, since I feel the drama really glossed over the cruelty and callousness of the Tian Chuang Leader Zhou Zishu. After reading about everything that Zhou Zishu and Jing Beiyuan had to do together to keep their prince in power really made it pretty clear why Zhou Zishu made the decision to leave Tian Chuang in the beginning of Tian Ya Ke. 

My favorite part of the story was definitely the characters. I loved the friendship between Jing Beiyuan and Zhou Zishu, the slow burn strangers to friends to lovers relationship between Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi, and also the dynamic between everyone from Nanjing, and that includes the little sable. I thought the main characters (JBY, WX) and the more important side characters (Zhou Zishu, Helian Yi) were very well-developed and the relationships are also well-developed as well. So much so that there is a love triangle in this story, and even though I'm not a fan of love triangles I loved this one a lot. Mostly because it was painful on all fronts.

The carrd definitely wasn't lying when they said the story is very heavy in politics. I personally really love reading about political intrigue in an Ancient China setting, so I had a lot of fun with this story. I have to admit that the political maneuvers sometimes went completely over my head for a bit and didn't make sense to me until the very last minute, but I think it was also because I wasn't very good at keeping track of the side characters and their individual loyalties. 

Overall, priest never fails to deliver, whether it be a wuxia story, a palace politics story, or a crime story. Priest is such a prolific writer and they write for so many different genres too, I'm very intrigued to see what Can Ci Pin is like since I'm traditionally not the biggest fan of sci-fi, but if anyone can win me over, it's priest.

Genre: Mythology Retelling

Trigger/Content Warnings: body horror, childbirth with complications, rape, torture

Circe by Madeline Miller

Summary

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe  unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)

I love Madeline Miller's writing, and her writing in Circe is even lovelier than in her debut novel The Song of Achilles. 

I really loved the beginning of the book with the introduction to Circe and her family, and the establishment of the dynamics between the Titans and their families and their relationship with the Olympians. I'm not super well-versed in Greek mythology, so I didn't really know of the relations between different famous figures in mythology like the Minotaur, Medea, Ariadne, Scylla, etc. so I found it really interesting to see these characters that I know about vaguely and be able to connect the dots. 

I also really enjoyed watching Circe's progression in understanding her power. But I also thought the middle part of the book kind of lagged a bit. I started to lose interest in what was going on, since I really enjoyed how Miller built the family dynamics in the house of Helios only to tear it down later. And when that was done and over with I found the middle lackluster to the beginning. I thought there was a lot of potential with the addition of the exiled nymphs to the island, and I thought that was going to be another big plot point but it didn't end up being one.

I did, however, enjoy the end. I liked Miller's portrayal of just how frustrating and difficult and terrifying it is to love and raise a child. I liked the way Miller didn't cut any corners and didn't romanticize motherhood the way society tends to do.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and I am forever in awe of Madeline Miller's prose. I definitely recommend this to anyone who has an interest in Greek mythology and mythology retellings!

Genre: Adult Historical Fantasy

Trigger/Content Warnings: self-harm, bullying, gore, death, drug use, war, rape, human experimentation, torture, genocide

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Summary

When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late. 

Rating: ★★★★(+0.5) (4.5/5)

This book is absolutely amazing. 

The Poppy War is one of my best friend's favorite trilogies, and I knew I had to read it after hearing her rave about it so much. And I am so glad I did because it's become one of my favorite series to date.

There are so many things I loved about this book. I'm usually not a fan of training sequences, which is why I'm usually deterred from picking up fantasy books, but I thought this particular school/training arc was extremely interesting and fun to read. I loved the magic system as well, and I loved the incorporation of shamanism into this world's magic system. I think one thing that attributes to this is Rin's character. Throughout the school arc it is evident how much she strives for power, and the lengths she would go to get it. Her journey navigating a Northern Nikan as a darker skinned Southerner really highlights the colorism and classism that can clearly be reflected onto a multitude of societies today.

Another thing I loved about this book is the many parallels that can be drawn between modern society and the fantasy world of Nikan. I went into this with quite a lot of preparation, since I usually look up trigger and content warnings, read a couple reviews, etc. so I knew how this book was heavily influenced by the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930's. Knowing that really prepared me for the latter chapters because Kuang does not gloss over any of the horrors that occurred, and I highly respect her for that.

One thing that I thought was lacking was the pacing and the development of other characters. I thought there were parts that seemed a little too rushed for me, given what was happening at the time. I also was a little confused when it came to some of the characters, namely Altan. I had very mixed feelings about him because I could see where his anger and motivation was coming from, but sometimes I couldn't align it to some of his actions towards Rin and the Cike. And maybe that was the point, but I just couldn't understand his actions a lot of the time. I also wished there was more of other characters. And since I'm writing this after reading the entire series, I know that the other characters do appear a lot more in the sequels, but I wish there was more of them in this book.

Overall, this book has single-handedly undeterred me from fantasy, and lately Asian inspired fantasy books are all I've been looking for. Kuang is amazing at building tension and keeping you invested in the story, and it was a highly riveting read all the way through. I read this entire trilogy in the span of a week or two, and I'm a tragically slow reader. I highly recommend this for anyone who is looking for an exciting and thought-provoking fantasy read.

Genre: Science Fiction

Trigger/Content Warning: loss of loved ones, death, sexual assault attempt, graphic depictions of violence

小蘑菇/Little Mushroom by 一十四州

Summary

An Zhe was a mushroom whose lifelong mission was to protect his spore. But one day, he lost his spore. He searched all over the world for a long time before seeing a familiar spore on the television, which led him to desperately knock on the door of a colonel in the human military.

Rating: DNF

I have, for now, DNF'ed this book, but it definitely isn't a bad book. I thought it was plenty interesting, and I am 80% done with it, I just got really busy with school and this book required a lot of focus and braincells on my part since I'm not a huge fan of science fiction, and this book is very much science fiction. However, I hope to get back to this and finish it one day!

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fanfics I read so this year (highlights)

I read a lot of fanfics these past months, and I thought I'd highlight a couple since they deserve lots of attention and I love them so much I could talk about them forever.

this sudden burst of sunlight by togekissies

"Shirabu would love nothing more than to live his third and final year of highschool in peace, but he mucks that right up by calling Semi in a moment of weakness."

I, no joke, read this fic around 10 times. It was my biggest comfort fic for the longest time and thinking about it makes me want to reread it again. I am just so in love with semishira, and I loved their banter in this as well as their progression from rivals who never got along to friends and eventually to lovers. This story is quite the slow burn, and the development was so natural and the romance cues so subtle, the culmination of it all was just so satisfying and lovely. This is just everything that I love about semishira and more. 

Wayward by DeathBelle

A forewarning that this is rated E for explicit!!

I am so glad that I have fell into the rabbit hole that is the Shiratorizawa niche of the fandom. And I am so glad that I have discovered KawaGata. I honestly should link the entire series of this, since I also really loved the first installment of this series, Plumage, which is a ShiraGoshi fic (and they are my absolute favorites as of right now), but this is my favorite installment of the series. I was already really pulled in by their dynamic in the first installment, which is why I was so invested in this one. I loved the development of their relationship, from friends to friends with benefits to lovers. And a lot of it was from Kawanishi's point of view, and I adore Kawanishi to pieces so that was a huge plus for me. Also really loved the parts of Wayward that were in Plumage that was a lot of fun, seeing the ShiraGoshi situation from an outsider's POV.

Sea Glass by orphan_account

"being treasured is its own reward"

A forewarning that this is rated M for mature!!

I adore this story so much. It is probably my favorite GoShira story to exist on ao3 right now. And I could wax poetic about it forever. There's a bit of past-SemiShira here that always takes me a while to get through because I can feel my heart being put through the shredder, until it is patched back up by GoShira, only to be shredded again by GoShira, but it is healed again by them by the end :")

I really loved the writing in this story, I love the writer's writing style and their use of metaphor. I also really love the characterization of Goshiki in this story. It is a very different Goshiki than any Goshiki I've read before, and I really really loved him. This was a much more mature Goshiki, and even though I've never seen it done before, I thought that it was extremely believable that Goshiki would grow up to be a very mature and respectful young man. And again, fwb to lovers is probably one of my favorite tropes to ever exist, and this story was full of feelings and I am just in love with this story. It hurts enough that I can't read it over and over again, but it's also really heartwarming and lovely. I highly, highly recommend this story to any GoShira fans out there :") 

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Yes, I've just recently gotten back into reading after an almost one year hiatus. I get really distracted when reading nowadays, so I'm not reading as much as I used to. The distraction in question? Usually ao3...

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in these (S T I L L) pandemic times! 

—璇