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ladyherenya · 3 years

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This was more-books-than-sometimes month, because rather than take the time to write about the books I'd finished, I just read more books! Also, I read a lot over the Easter break, including some shorter books and a very binge-able series.

Also read: Two-Step and Someone Like Me by Stephanie Fournet, Hooked by Cathy Yardley, “Cloudy with a Chance of Dropbears” and “All the Different Shades of Blue” by W.R. Gingell, and “Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory” by Martha Wells.

Reread: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer.

Total: nineteen novels (including two audiobooks and one reread), one novella collection, two novellas, two novelettes and one short story.

Cover thoughts: Bellewether’s blue cover is (unsurprisingly) my favourite. I also really like The Ghosts of Sherwood.

Still reading: A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White and Playing Hearts by W.R. Gingell.

Next up: Torch by R.J. Anderson.

My full reviews are on Dreamwidth and LibraryThing.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (narrated by Saskia Maarleveld): Historical mystery about three young women who worked at Bletchley Park during WWII.

My favourite out of the books I’ve read so far this year. Most of the narrative is set during the war, but interspersed with sections set in 1947 -- when Beth, in a sanitarium after a breakdown, has sent her two estranged friends a coded message begging for help. I loved this, but at times found it stressful and heartbreaking! The writing is so lively and effective and emotional. 4½ ★

Castle Charming by Tansy Raynor Roberts: Fairytale retellings, collection of novellas.

A very entertaining and a somewhat different take on fairytales, focusing on the reporters, Royal Hounds and royalty at Castle Charming. Some of the character dynamics felt similar to those in Roberts’ Unreal Alchemy although I didn’t feel quite as attached to these characters. I’ll read the sequel. 3 ★

Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley: Historical and contemporary fiction, set in Long Island during the so-called Seven Years War in 1759 and the present day.

Alternates between a curator overseeing turning a house in a museum and some of the house’s previous occupants, including a French-Canadian Lieutenant awaiting hostage exchange. Despite the various tensions the characters face, there’s something slow and ultimately gentle about this story. Which is lovely -- I enjoyed the picturesque sense of place and astute observations of people -- but it is less dramatic than I was expecting. 3½ ★

Happy Trail by Daisy Prescott: Contemporary romance, set on the Appalachian Trail.

A park ranger and a hiker shelter together during a storm. I was fascinated by the insight into hiking the Appalachian Trail and enjoyed some of the characters’ interactions, although I thought the way the romance unfolded was somewhat anticlimactic. Not always what I wanted, but I don't regret reading it.

Legacy by Stephanie Fournet: Contemporary enemies-to-roommates-to-lovers.

Wes offers to move in with his late-best friend’s girlfriend to help her out financially. This sort of hurt/comfort appeals to me. I liked how seriously this story takes Corinne’s messy, consuming grief. I don’t really want to spend any more time with the characters, but I was very invested in seeing them reach a better place in their lives.

Two-Step by Stephanie Fournet: Contemporary romance between an actress and a dance instructor. I enjoyed reading this. I particularly enjoyed how Beau helps Iris with her anxiety about dancing and with her controlling mother/manager. He’s very supportive and understanding! But I finished this with a niggling feeling of dissatisfaction -- Iris needed more opportunity to support Beau in turn.

Someone Like Me by Stephanie Fournet: Contemporary romance between a yoga instructor and her new neighbour, who has just got out of prison.

This one didn’t particularly appeal to me. Although interesting to see the experiences of someone recently released from prison, the romance developed too quickly.

(No, I didn’t read all three of these back-to-back!)

Hooked by Cathy Yardley: Contemporary fandom-y romance novella, set near Seattle. Takes place during Level Up and is about two of Tessa’s colleagues.

I enjoyed the characters' interactions and would have liked this more if it hadn't felt rushed.

The Ghosts of Sherwood by Carrie Vaughn: Historical Robin Hood retelling, novella.

Exactly what I wanted! It alternates between Robin and Marian’s eldest daughter, Mary, and Marian herself. I liked seeing Robin and Marian as a long-married couple, who still love each other and still have disagreements. And the dynamic between their children gave me a zing of recognition, reminding me of my siblings. 3½ ★

The City Between by W.R. Gingell: Australian YA urban fantasy (murder) mysteries. Set in Hobart.

I ended up enjoying this series so much more than I’d expected to!

Between Jobs: After a neighbour is murdered, our seventeen-year-old orphaned narrator acquires some unexpected housemates -- two fae, one vampire. Once I got past the opening, with its tales of murder, the worldbuilding intrigued me. I still wasn’t sure what I thought about her housemates or the fact that they call her “Pet”, but was willing to reserve judgement until I’d read more. 3 ★

Between Shifts: About supermarket shifts and shapeshifters. Pet and JinYeong go undercover at the local grocery store. This is a reasonable murder mystery. I was initially disappointed with how something played out (but in retrospect can see how that was actually a positive development for Pet). It ended on a cliffhanger, so I was extra motivated to start the next book. 2½ ★

Between Floors: This is where the series took off, because things suddenly get personal! One of her fae housemates has been captured and the closest any of them get to finding Athelas is Pet contacting him in her dreams.This raises a lot of interesting questions, not just about Pet’s abilities, but about her relationship with her housemates. How much does she trust them and how much do they value Pet’s personhood? 3½ ★

Between Frames: Pet’s housemates are hired to investigate a series of fae deaths around Hobart, which involves scrutinising some baffling security footage. Another solid murder mystery. The final pages felt like one step forward, two steps back, but yet again, in retrospect, this was a positive development. I’m glad I could dive immediately into the next book. 3 ★

Between Homes: Pet has moved in with some friends. Hurray for Pet having friends! I think this was the point where I started to feel comfortable with Pet calling herself Pet -- when it's the name used by people she likes and trusts and who don’t view her as a pet at all. 3½ ★

“Cloudy with a Chance of Dropbears” (novelette): An awesome title and an entertaining opportunity to see Pet from someone else’s perspective -- moreover, someone who doesn’t know her or what she’s capable of. 3 ★

Between Walls: Pet’s friend Morgana is worried about an online friends and asks Pet and co to investigate his disappearance. Along the way, they discover that there are human groups who actually know a lot about Behindkind. I am also becoming increasingly entertained by the Korean vampire. 3 ★

“All the Different Shades of Blue” (novelette): A great cover and it explains who that guy at the cafe is, but otherwise didn’t really do anything Cloudy with a Chance of Dropbears hadn’t already done -- ie., show us Pet from someone else’s perspective. Most of the time, I have enjoyed this series all the more for binging it, but I suspect this particular story would have worked better if I had read it after a period of absence. 2½ ★

Between Cases: My favourite of these have been the ones where things get personal, and this involves a lot of revelations about who Pet is -- from a fae perspective -- and why her parents were murdered. I enjoyed this one a lot. 3½ ★

The Duke of Olympia Meets His Match by Juliana Gray: Historical espionage romance novella, set in 1893 onboard an ocean liner travelling to England. Apparently not the Duke’s first appearance in Gray’s fiction.

I liked the idea here much better than the execution. I liked Penelope, a fifty-year-old widow dependent upon her position as a governess, and I enjoyed her interactions with the older Duke of Olympia. But parts of the spy plot were rushed or confusing, and the resolution was almost-but-not-entirely satisfying. 2½ ★

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer: Fantasy. Follows on from the fairytale-retelling A Curse So Dark and Lonely and its sequel, A Heart So Fierce and Broken.

If this is meant as a conclusion to a trilogy, then the ending was a bit too anticlimactic, with a few too many loose ends, to be really satisfying. But I reached the end feeling positive about the story, because I really enjoyed the characters’ interactions. All of the protagonists have to deal with conflict in relationships. I loved the times when they each navigate these conflicts by acting fairly and communicating honestly, when doing so is often difficult and complicated. That’s realistic and satisfying. 3½ ★

“Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory” by Martha Wells: Science-fiction short story. Part of The Murderbot Diaries series, set after Exit Strategy.

Very, very short but I really liked seeing things from Dr Ayda Mensah’s (third person) perspective. 3½ ★

Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace: Historical coming-of-age fiction, set in Minnesota in 1912-3.

I am very glad to finally have read this! It’s delightful, a fascinating insight into community life in a Minnesotan town, and it effectively captures the emotional experience of navigating a period of transition. After high school, Emily’s friends leave for college, but Emily has to find her own path to purposefully fill her time, build connections and further her education. 4 ★

On Wings of Devotion by Roseanna M. White (narrated by Susan Lyons): Romantic historical mystery, set in London during 1918. Christian fiction. Features characters from The Number of Love.

Arabelle Denler is a nurse working in a London hospital; Phillip Camden is an airman now working for British Intelligence. I enjoyed their interactions, especially once they start to get to know each other. I didn’t like the antagonist’s contribution to this narrative -- between the dangers of wartime and the protagonists’ respective issues, there’s enough tension without her. But what I enjoyed about this story outweighed what I didn’t. 3½ ★

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson: Historical fiction set during the Nazi occupation of Italy in WWII.

Nina, a young Jewish woman from Venice, goes into hiding by pretending she’s married to Nico, a Catholic farmer. Robson’s strength lies in pairing details of daily life with likeable characters, realistic dialogue and a sweet romance. I read this quickly and eagerly. But if the characters had been more nuanced, more complex, or if their emotions had been conveyed more vividly, I likely would have found reading this a more emotional experience. 3½ ★

#Herenya reviews books

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ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is · 4 years

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Hello! I'm trying to type my little sister who's recently emerged from a hard time with some unexpected personal development. We're all pretty smart in our family, but when she was about four years old, she just... sort of taught herself how to read? She says she followed the letters with her eyes when we read her stories, and over time a system of observed patterns emerged in her mind and she just knew how reading works. Throughout her childhood, that's how things continued: whatever she (*1)

set her mind to, she'd be really good at it really quickly - but it never worked if she wasn't truly interested in it and saw the long-term benefits of investing in a skill. For example, as the oldest sister I was always very responsible and in tune with my siblings' feelings, whereas she's had to learn that there can be benefits to 'fitting in' and being accommodating. Her teenage years were, I think, very hard for her, as social connections at school drew back from her and I moved away (*2)

from home to attend college. She retreated into her own mind and suddenly fell from overachiever status to barely passing classes, sometimes she'd even skip going at all - not because she didn't care, but because something must have really stressed her so severely as to make her abandon her 'natural' values of learning and being good at things, even those that mattered to her outside of school (the piano, e.g.). Then, after barely graduating high school, she's had a couple of years of what (*3)

I can only describe as radical self development. She's lively, open to her family members and has few, but really strong bonds with good friends. She's kind of obsessed with giving her life meaning through the pursuit of her artistic visions, and understanding how the universe truly works. Her ultimate goal is to go into astrophysics, and she's rigorous about exercising and taking long walks, and actively seeks out people to talk about her wild visions and concepts so as not to fall into (*4)

self isolation, which she says she despises because it made her waste so much time. So while I'm definitely happy she's so open and reflected these days, I'm worried something similar is actually happening: she's currently forced to go through some really taxing college classes that do not interest her very much, but are mandatory for her further pursuit into physics. She missed a lot of stuff at high school, but won't just take her time to revise some of those basic concepts, instead (*5)

beating herself up about not being at least as good as everyone else. This has been going on for about half a year now. I'm afraid the combination with this psychological aspect has led to some atypical avoidance behaviour: she spends a lot of time procrastinating by researching completely unrelated topics, spending hours cooking or cleaning or just doing, well, nothing really. This is uncharacteristic for her and I'm really worried she will fall into some kind of hole again. She has (*6)

made a plan to pass those not so fun classes on her way to greater things, but she just won't get her act in order and sit down and do it! Perhaps MBTI could offer some insight: is she looping or in the grip, and is there anyway this concerned sister can help? I'm anxious to see her thrive again, and she just doesn't seem like herself by living from moment to the next without any overarching structure. Thank you!!

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Hi anon, there is a lot here, much of which is not useful for MBTI, so I would recommend you read through the FAQ in full. For example, childhood behavior is in my opinion not very useful (what you provided is more just a sign of intelligence).

I also, and this is not coming from an MBTI standpoint, advise you to scale back considerably in your efforts. You can (and should) talk to your sister. You can (and should) express your concerns and offer to help in whatever way you can. And to be fair I don’t know your sister and she might be receptive to you taking an unsolicited hands on approach. She might also think you’re overbearing and overstepping and wishes you’d let her figure her shit out in peace on her own (I sure would, especially at that age, and probably would have said as much too), which is why I advise talking to her, asking her what she needs, and if she says she’s fine and she’s not immediately endangering herself and others you say “okay, I’m here for you if you need me” and mind your own business.

That was all somewhat harsh but I say this from two positions, both as the eldest sister of four and as a physics major who had some similar issues to your sister: your behavior is not universal older sibling behavior and may be unwelcome, and while I do regret in a general way not going back and fixing some basics I fucked up while I was depressed, I still graduated with an undergraduate degree and passable GPA and have done fairly well for myself since. My graduate program included people who outright failed out of college the first time around and had to retake everything at a state school. She’ll be fine, and it is typically my opinion that someone will grow more as a person by letting them figure their own shit out and learn how to ask for help than from someone coming in and doing what they think is the right response.

Which brings me to the next point, namely her high school behavior could be just withdrawing under stress. It could also be depression or something that looks like it (bipolar type II, for example), and that’s something that is life-long and chronic. This isn’t uncharacteristic; she’s done it before in high school, she’s doing something , and the best action you can take is gently bringing that up and recommending she perhaps work on addressing this pattern, in whatever form that ends up taking.

What I’m trying to get at is MBTI is a pseudoscience that I really like and which I think can be useful, but if you actually want to help someone, ask them what they need. If you suspect they’re lying and in danger (that they’re suicidal or self-harming or dealing with addiction) then you should intervene but otherwise you can’t help someone who doesn’t want it. Make it clear you care about them and are worried and then let them handle it how they wish to handle it.

With all that in mind there’s not much to use here when it comes to typing. She sounds like a very intelligent person who for whatever reason has had periods when she was very unmotivated and undisciplined. The feelings of being behind or frustrated are pretty common for college students, particularly if she’s at a competitive college and has always been pretty bright and not prone to studying super hard. Not liking the boring prerequisites may be type related but it’s also just a matter of maturity, to push through dull obligations.

If you want to type her, the most important thing is getting a solid baseline of behavior, and I think because she’s been in such a state of flux over the past few years that will be very difficult. If you want to help her, express your concern to her, feel free to give advice, and listen to what she says, even if you don’t like it.

#mbti #i may have projected a lot on this one since i relate pretty hard to the sister #i did very well in high school but i had some similar struggles in college #and if someone were trying to be this hands on to me i'd have HATED it #Anonymous

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