#legendborn essay
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Can I ask why you hate Sarah J Maas? Genuinely asking
no 💜
anyway, here's the books by black authors i'm reading/re-reading for black history month:
Beloved - Toni Morrison
The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations - Toni Morrison
James Baldwin: Collected Essays - James Baldwin (includes Notes of a Native Son, Nobody Knows My Name, The Fire Next Time, No Name in the Street, and The Devil Finds)
Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler
Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Broken Earth Series - N. K. Jemisin
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Black Leopard, Red Wolf - Marlon James
The Legacy of Orisha Series - Tomi Adeyemi
The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes - Langston Hughes
Well-Read Black Girl - Glory Edim
The Mead Mishaps Series - Kimberly Lemming
The Legendborn Cycle - Tracy Deonn
and here are some resources for donating and boycotting in support of gaza, congo, and sudan:
how to donate an e-sim with #ConnectingGaza
CareForGaza
BDS Movement & BDS Targeted Boycott List
what's happening in Congo: info + resources + how you can help
The War in Sudan & List of Sudanese Fundraisers
#anon#moth answers#answered#we're focusing on supporting the REAL people trying to live through REAL genocide and oppression#instead of asking about the racist authors who steal that oppression so they can rewrite it through a white lens#and water it down with a bunch of enemies to lovers grumpy x sunshine tall brooding monster man romantasy tropes
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my very biased favoirtes (tm)
kingkiller chronicle baby!! ive been obsessed with this series for half my life now and ive written essays on it for fun. it is deeply special to me.
the tortall books esp the song of the lioness was one of the first books i read on my own that my mom hadnt read. these are my ultimate comfort books and influence the fantasy i read after.
graceling realms by kristin cashore (well the first three at least) is a series i can read over and over. i love the magic system and how it's tied to themes. the main characters are complicated and dynamic, the romances are beautiful .. . absolutely amazing.
the gilded wolves by roshani chokshi is a puzzle book, a historical fantasy. there is a big emphasis on found family, addresses racism and colonialism within europe (esp the upper class), and it is all very cleverly constructed.
legendborn by tracy deonn is worth all the hype is is getting and I hope people continue recognizing its awesomeness. the only book in king arthur canon im attached to. its about grief, it's about legacy, it's about institutional racism, its about parents and children. read for a strong emotional journey, complicated characters, and difficult conversations about king arthur and the united states
in other lands by sarah rees brennan which tbh i read back when it was being published online. perfect for those who love snarky protagonists, commentary on the fantasy genre, you gotta try this book!
the poppy war by rf kuang is one of the few trilogies i have finished in the past few year. its absolutely heart-wrenching. starts as a magic school book, then turns into a magic war book. please look up the trigger warnings beforehand. perfect for those who love epic fantasies tied to historical events.
piranesi by susanna clarke is the strangest book I've read. its not like anything else I've read. you should absolutely try it.
strange the dreamer by laini taylor is beautifully written, clever, and full of amazing themes. i love these characters and worlds and it's very lovely and intense.
elatsoe by darcie little badger is a modern day fantasy and i cannot recommend it enough, it's so clever and kind and theres ghost dogs????
little thieves by margaret owen- my new beloved. this book was written for me, even if the author doesnt know it. sequel comes out in only a few days, perfect time to read it!!
Honorable mentions:
sunshine by robin mckinley- i love robin mckinley's books although this is not my favorite, its a fantastic take on vampires
the bone witch by rin chupeco- amazing world building and beautiful writing, im way overdue to finish the series
nettle and bone by t. kingfisher- a dark, creepy fairy tale feel that has me wanting more from the author
an ember in the ashes by sabaa tahir- another series i absolutely need to finish, has some really interesting morally gray characters.
wayward children by seanan mcguire- these books are so satisfying and i am absolutely the target audience for this series. we love deconstructed portal fantasies
girls made of snow and glass by melissa bashardoust- i will read all fairy tale retellings but this one i bought after because i needed this fantastic version of snow white
the sandsea trilogy by chelsea abdullah- only the first one is out but i am so invested to see where this reimagining of a thousand and one nights goes!
his dark materials by phillip pullman- a classic. your soul is your animal companion. need i say more?
the golem and the jinni by helene wecker- a very recent read but i will be shoving this into peoples hands now. historical fantasy isnt always my jam but when it works, it works.
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as much as i love open ended assignments, i sometimes get overwhelmed with assignments. like i have an upcoming assignment where i need to choose any fantasy or scifi book and merely explain why they fit in the genre. . . *galaxy brain*
i wont make any promises, but you can vote on my current options below!
#sff class#book poll#bookish poll#grad school#i chose these because i know them pretty well#and because its a ya and childrens perspective
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Booktube has been trying to suggest legendborn, and every single day, I inch closer to making an essay about that book.
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Intro Post
Alrighty, trying an intro/pinned post!
Hello! I am Goose or Lucy, whichever you want to call me! Pronouns are She/Her, and the main fandom I post about is Hermitcraft, I think. Most of my posts are just rants about whatever my newest fandom is, so if you can bear to sit through multi-paragraph ramble-essays on random, sometimes slightly/very obscure fandoms, welcome! If you can't, fair. I can't. I just write the shit, no reading involved! I also draw stuff sometimes. (I'm eh)
I have a sister ( @normalperson3 ) and a mother ( @miyuki2289 ), and that is all you need to know about my personal life. Yes, all of the information is there if you look hard enough. Sarah posts about it. I'm just hoping you guys are as lazy as me and also don't care that much.
Some things I like/might post about include: (in no particular order)
Genshin Impact
D&D
BLÅHAJ
Bungou Stray Dogs
Hermitcraft
Honkai: Star Rail
The Crane Wives
Spiritfarer
Books! Name any fairly popular YA fantasy series and there's a good chance I've read it. (Ex: This Woven Kingdom, Caraval, Babel, Six of Crows, Shatter Me, Legendborn, etc.)
Pretty sure that's all the relevant things, I'll add more as I remember them!
No clue what else people put in here so I'm leaving this at that!
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Get to know me~
Hi! I'm Zeeara, I also go by Zee but that gets confusing cause I named my FFXIV character after my nickname XD
I was tagged by @wisismydumpstat thank you so much for the tag!!
•°•°•
Last song: Mm I'm counting P12's music cause thats a bop and what I was progging earlier! If not its Beethoven's 9th Symphony I listen to it so much cause its one of those songs that I can always write to~
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Currently reading: I'm at the last few pages of House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and it has fundamentally changed me as a human being! I also am about midway through Legendborn by Tracy Deonn as my more relaxed read compared to House of Leaves~
•°•°•
Currently watching: Because of how my chronic pain has been I've been rewatching a lot of my 'comfort video essays', but mostly NezumiVA's videos on Ace Attorney cause I love her voice acting and I love Ace Attorney~ Also the new season of Futurama is being released weekly so I'm watching that too!
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Current obsession: Oh god so many things, I've been so so obsessed with working on my novel/writing stuff as much as I can! Gpose as also grabbed ahold of my throat and now I just love it so much~ FFXIV has been a current obsession for over 5 years now and truly doesn't plan to let me go lol~ Zee Zalinos my WoL oc also has been flourishing in lore and thats been so so exciting and now with the new haircut I feel like so much of her Look is finalized!! Also I've fallen in love with so so many of the FFXIV mutuals and the community in general! (always feel free to send asks about anything ^^ I may take a bit but I do try and get to every ask~ and I appreciate and love every one I get!)
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Tagging: @lizzy-calaxio @dreadwyrmz @spaceace144 @designers-reflection @dongfangqingcang @themadchemist @duskmother @yorha-no-2-type-b @mxkokopuff @tevildoinjuly @starforger @bahoreal @fantasmagoriam @lamouratorrrrry @anomaliewrites
I know I'm forgetting people >.< I'm so so sorry, but if you'd like to do this just tag me as the one who tagged you ;) <3 <3
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Hey There!
Welcome to my Lexicon of interests! My name is Multifairyus, (whatstheswitch if ya nasty 💋) and friends call me Fairy!
Skip to “Keep Reading” for my fandom stuff, stick around to know me better 💖
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Demographics: HBCU & tertiary educated, neurodivergent, queer, zillenial Black-American woman
Occupation: IRL wizard and resident Hot Girl™️ of my laboratory
Interests: Exploring new cities, astrology, make-up, Dungeons and Dragons, Biblical hermeneutics, BDSM, womanism, JRPGs, social commentary/media analysis video essays, weed, orchestral/8-bit/bardcore/Lo-Fi covers of songs, internet/social media memes and culture, being beautiful on the inside and out, committing to the bit
(Tumblr Active) Fandoms: The Legendborn Cycle, Spider-Verse Cinnematic Universe, Kingdom Hearts, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Critical Role, Megan Thee Stallion, Persona 5, Inu-Yasha
Social Media: @/multifairyus on all platforms. I’m pretty hot too ngl @/lexie.day just don’t be weird or get blocked
Fandom Styles: Playlist curation, headcannon/hot take sharing, fanfiction writing (eventually…), fandom community challenge issuer, fandom discord administration, comment section hypeman.
Genres: General, romance, friendship, found family dynamics, missing scenes/POV switches, porn w/feelings and porn w/warnings, angst with a happy ending, fluff, AUs.
Pro/Anti-Shipping: No. Shut up. Listen to her speak on it for my thoughts.
Asks?: The more fun, thought-provoking, or unhinged the better
DMs?: Yes if you interacted with my stuff. Hell yes if you’re Black and wanna cold open ask to be friends I love that stuff
Note: I like to reblog...a lot. If you aren't interested in one of these fandoms I recommend blocking some of these tags so you get what you signed up for with me: #legendborn #bloodmarked #ATSV #Hobie Brown #Spiderpunk.
That said I'm liable to go on a reblogging spree on any of my interests. My @ is a play on the word "multifarious" for a reason, lmao. I like a lot of stuff and I'm making it y'alls problem...adjust accordingly or develop exquisite taste that just so happens to be exactly like mine!
The Legendborn Cycle
Brelwyn Story Playlists
Volume I
Volume II
Fandom Challenges
• Kane Coded Bingo Challenge and Wrap-Up
Commissions
Birthday Firefly Kiss
Headcannons/Hot Takes
Legendborn AUs
Missing Moments in Volition
LBC and Queer Narratives
Erebus is Secretly a Brelwyn Shipper
Valec Carries Bloodmarked's Humor
Brelwyn & Kanthony
Spider-Verse Cinematic Universe
Playlists
(Hobie-inspired if not stated to be otherwise)
xReader Delulu Vibes (WIP)
A Doobie for your Thoughts (WIP)
Tik Tok Fan-Edit Trash (WIP)
Arachnakids Cover Band Setlist (WIP)
Headcannons/Hot Takes
• Hobie’s Grandma
Kthxbai 💖
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Meet Our New NaNo Interns: Josie and Lena!
We feel super lucky here at NaNo HQ to be able to work with some excellent interns! Today, meet our newest cohort of interns: Josie and Lena. You’ll be getting to know them better throughout November, but today they’re here to tell you a little about themselves:
Josie, Editorial & Programs Intern:
I discovered NaNoWriMo at an important time in my life. I was in sixth grade and was known by my teachers as a lover of books, writing, and art. I never thought about combining those interests in a serious way, outside of the silly little comics I would produce.
And then I discovered there was a month-long challenge to write a novel. Anyone could do it, even if I was just a spunky twelve year old! I instantly signed up and dove right into the challenge. I don’t really remember what I wrote that year, since that word document was lost to the depths of time. I know it didn’t make any sense. I also know I didn’t even win that year. But I had fun writing way past my bedtime. I had fun drawing my characters and planning out wild shenanigans for them to get involved in. This experience with NaNoWriMo was something that would happen year after year and I enjoyed sharing that time with other young writers.
Now, I’m an adult. I never lost my love for books, loving them so much I ended up getting a degree in analyzing them. I never stopped drawing either.
It would be a lie to say I stopped writing. I wrote plenty and I have many essays and scripts to prove that. It’s just been a while since I wrote 100% for myself, outside of a graded assignment. I started to miss that feeling of being surrounded by other writers and getting lost in the world I created. I was reminded of those Novembers long past and found myself thinking, “Hey, remember NaNoWriMo? When was the last time you did that?”
Then I saw there was a NaNoWriMo internship opening for this fall, and well, here I am, your new Editorial and Programs intern! I’ll be writing alongside each and every one of you. It’s a daunting task and I have a lot to learn, but I know this journey will be an enjoyable one.
Lena, Marketing & Fund Development Intern:
Hello all!
As someone whose been following NaNoWriMo since the age of thirteen, now that I’m starting 21 as the first Marketing & Fundraising Intern, I’ve been nothing but excited to be on this journey. I’ve been in love with stories since I was small, reading, writing, daydreaming to procrastinate my writing, all the things.
My mother is Yaqui, Indigenous to a tribe from Sonora, Mexico, that later fled to the United States. In my journey to accessibility, education, and action, I’m hoping to tell stories of my family’s history and of the future of our world. It doesn’t hurt if there are magic and dragons involved though, right?
My go-to stories are fairytale and mythology retellings and re-imaginings, predominantly in the fantasy genre. Give me Legendborn, Percy Jackson, or Cinderella is Dead any day!
In lieu of my college career, I’ve become a full-time caregiver for a loved one. Being a part of a team that is so incredibly accommodating to that in my dream organization and being able to interact at community events has been the greatest blessing. I’m so excited to further engage with all of you this November!
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Getting to write an essay as to why everyone should read the Legendborn cycle and specifically why they should tune into Tracy Deonn books 😁😁😁
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my year in books
read/goal: 50/50
top 10:
How Much of These Hills is Gold, C. Pam Zhang: In my opinion, a contemporary classic. Weaves Chinese myth with stories of the American Gold Rush. Beautiful prose and valuable takeaways re: family, truth, and gender.
A Little Devil in America: Notes on Black Performance, Hanif Abdurraqib: Essay upon essay of mind-plowing poetics and storytelling. Hanif's version of Baldwin's Devil Finds Work. A wide swath of topics from blackface to spades to magic.
Writers & Lovers, Lily King: Came to me at the exact right (or wrong?) time, just when my father passed away. A keenly-observed novel about grief and persona that is something like if Sweetbitter met Normal People.
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel, Alexander Chee: Inspired me to get over myself and just start writing again. The essay on roses absolutely floored me.
Lose Your Mother: A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route, Saidiya Hartman: Hard to stomach, but necessary. Foundational for the way I am thinking about neo-slave narratives and speculative historical fiction.
Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness, Kristen Radtke: The minute I read this, I added it to the syllabus for my class on women in isolation. Part graphic novel, part longform essay, part research paper, and wholly extraordinary.
The Sonic Color Line: Race and the Cultural Politics of Listening, Jennifer Lynn Stoever: This one's just for me. The burning core at the center of my reading list and the inspiration and model for my scholarship.
The Street, Ann Petry: Read it because of the book above, but an absolute banger of a book. Devastating ending. Would be extraordinary taught alongside Native Son.
The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin: This book has everything. Polyamory. Earth-bending. An alien creature frozen inside a giant piece of rock in the middle of the ocean. Love this woman, love seeing Blackness-as-default in sci-fi novels.
Fun Home, Alison Bechdel: You read it in high school for a good reason. A true exemplar of the genre and a fascinating way to teach non-chronological storytelling.
rest below the cut
Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab
Brothers & Keepers, John Edgar Wideman
Bunk: The True Story of Hoaxes, Hucksters, Humbug, Plagiarists, Forgeries, and Phonies, Kevin Young
Ninth House, Leigh Bardugo
House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas
Children of Virtue and Vengeance, Tomi Adeyemi
Emergence of Cinematic Time: Modernity, Contingency, the Archive, Mary Ann Doane
An American Sunrise, Joy Harjo
Nabokov's Favorite Word is Mauve: What the Numbers Reveal About the Classics, Bestsellers, and Our Own Writing, Ben Blatt
Rule of Wolves, Leigh Bardugo
The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
Savage Preservation: The Ethnographic Origins of Modern Media Technology, Brian Hochman
The Obelisk Gate, N.K. Jemisin
The Stone Sky, N.K. Jemisin
People We Meet on Vacation, Emily Henry
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice & Virtue, Mackenzi Lee
The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Legendborn, Tracy Deonn
Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, Christina Lauren
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music, Nina Sun Eidsheim
One Last Stop, Casey McQuiston
One to Watch, Kate Stayman-London
Time Binds: Queer Temporalities, Queer Histories, Elizabeth Freeman
Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir
Echo and Narcissus: Women's Voices in Classical Hollywood Cinema, Amy Lawrence
An Extraordinary Union, Alyssa Cole
It Ends With Us, Colleen Hoover
Harrow the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir
Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, Safiya Noble
Listening in: Radio and the American Imagination, Susan J. Douglass
How to Fail at Flirting, Denise Williams
The Flat-Share, Beth O'Leary
Radio Voices: American Broadcasting, 1922-1952, Michele Hilmes
Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, Scott McCloud
The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Du Bois
The Love Hypothesis, Ali Hazelwood
The Road Trip, Beth O'Leary
We Ride Upon Sticks, Quan Barry
#reading list#reading recommendations#of foolish and wise#what i read#2021 books#2021 reads#bookworm#bookish#bookblr#bibliophile#bibliolifestyle
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6, 9, 13, 15, 16 for the book ask game?? ✨✨
Hi!
6. Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?
My entire TBR? LOL. Actually, I meant to read The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer in 2021, and it ended up being my first read of 2022 and I have so many regrets for waiting as long as I did because it was great. Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo and Piranesi by Susanna Clarke — they are moving up the list for 2022!!
9. Did you get into any new genres?
Not necessarily anything new but I did read a lot more contemporary books than usual. Most of my reading preferences lean toward genre works (fantasy, sci-fi, historical fiction, some horror) but I think my brain really couldn't focus on back-to-back worldbuilding. That said, I really enjoyed Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzalez and while it wasn't my favorite writing-wise, I blew through She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen.
13. What were your least favorite books of the year?
Bleh, this question!! I don't know if it's necessarily least favorite, but more like "books that weren't for me," and I'm okay with that. I wanted to love The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass, but couldn't seem to get past one of the main characters in the book. I also wanted to love May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor, but I think I went in with a different idea of what this book was going to be about, and when I hit about 50% and realized it definitely wasn't, I put it down. I may come back but I know that the perception of the marketing copy versus the actuality of the content was not just a Me problem! (Other reviewers on Goodreads felt the same.)
15. Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?
I did! Revolution In Our Time by Kekla Magoon was a National Book Award finalist for Young People's Literature, and I freaking loved it. I'm normally not a nonfiction reader (and if I do, it's essays or true crime rather than a specific topic) but it details the history the Black Panther Party, which is absolutely fascinating and incredibly topical to current events. What I learned in school about the Black Panthers is such a terribly truncated and absolutely egregious take. Probably the book I learned The Most™ from this year.
I also have Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo burning a hole on my nightstand TBR (that book won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature.) For Hugos, I didn't read any of the winners, but a few of the nominees: Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (I love this Wayward Children series so much), Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, and Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas.
16. What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I don't know. A lot of people were obsessed with this book (The YA version of "Knives Out") but it was just meh. Not terrible, just okay. I also thought it was a stand-alone. I am clearly wrong.
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instagram
Last year I participated in the challenge with regard to the number of books (book list below) but not the categories. This year I'm going to do the categories too. There are 35 categories and the challenge is to complete 25 of them. I was on the fence about it, but Gloria Naylor pushed me over. She's my fave.
Here they are:
A vintage Black Feminist or Womanist text (published before 2000)
A contemporary Black Feminist or Womanist text (published between 2000 & now)
LGBTQ author and/or content - fiction
LGBTQ author and/or content - non fiction
A book by a revolutionary, community activist, political organizer, or abolitionist
A book on lifestyle strategy or personal development
A romance or erotic novel
A book that centers relationships between women
A young adult or middle schooler’s novel
An award-winning novel and/or classic
A debut or famous author’s first
Any book by Gloria Naylor
A book that has been adapted to a film or TV series
A book by a Caribbean author
A book by an African author
A book that classifies as Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Horror or Fantasy
A book on Spirituality, Religion, Faith or Ritual (fiction or nonfiction)
A book with a name in the title
A book with a one-word title
A graphic novel or series of comic books
A book on grief, death, or the afterlife (fiction or nonfiction)
A memoir or autobiography
A book where characters speak Patois, Creole, Geechee, or AAVE
A collection of poetry, short stories, essays, or prose
A book on health or healing (fiction or nonfiction)
A book with a gorgeous cover
A book on gender or sexuality
A book on Disability or Neurodivergence - fiction or nonfiction
A book of History, Historical Fiction or Slave Narrative
A book about witches, witchcraft, magic, or folklore
A book about death, grief, or the afterlife (fiction or nonfiction)
A book about a rebel, rule breaker, game-changer, trouble maker
A re-read of a personal favorite
A book with a writer or characters you would like to hang out with
A book with more than one point of view.
My 2021 booklist is under the cut
(in the order I read them)
Luster, by Raven Leilani
Sugar, Jewell Parker Rhodes
Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi
The Song and the Silence, by Yvette Johnson
Women of Brewster Place, Gloria Naylor (re-read)
An American Marriage, Tayari Jones
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred Taylor
Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler (re-read)
The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Deesha Philyaw
Kindred (Graphic Novel), Octavia Butler
Between Sisters
Concrete Park 1&2 (Graphic Novel), Erika Alexander
The Office of Historical Corrections, Danielle Evans
I'm a Wild Seed, Sharon Lee De La Cruz
Check Please!, Books 1&2, Ngozi Ukazu
Transcendent Kingdom, Yaa Gyasi
Song of the Trees & Mississippi Bridge, Mildred D. Taylor (too small to count separately)
Do you Dream of Terra-Two, Temi Oh
Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid
Legendborn, Tracy Deonn
My Sister, the Serial Killer, Oyinkan Braithwaite
Amazing Africa, Atinuke
When No One is Watching, Alyssa Cole
Akata Witch, Nnedi Okorafor
Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Legendborne is still rattling around in my head rent-free. I might actually reread it and mark it up. Just mark the shit out of it and write an essay on the many ways this book devours its messages in manners I find to be both uniquely fascinating and incredibly thorough, and maybe, *maybe* it will let me rest.
I might need to snag the rest of the series... because, like... is it just a set up for problems that will later unspool themselves in the narrative or is it actually just a lack of understanding the nature of oppression outside of racial dynamics?
I don't know, and its been driving me up a wall for months now.
But also, I really don't want to read more just for the sake of tearing to poor thing to pieces. Like the first one was me just picking up the book, but the second one would be purely because I was enraptured by the inner workings of a narrative that does so much in terms of structure to point out inequalities only to (potentially) celebrate passing them on and forming prejudices when the MC isn't, in fact, the target.
But if she pulls it off, it could be so CLEVER. Ahhhhhhhhhh. It could so neatly subvert so many of the tropes and drive home a deliciously messy message with all the parallels she has but has done nothing with between two of the titular characters (as of book 1) and tank a relationship so beautifully it would be a crime not read.
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A Taste of the Best of 2020
Readers, it’s been quite a year, hasn’t it? It’s hard to believe we’re even ready to talk about our favorite fiction and nonfiction books of the year. Many of us, and many of you, have found books to be a welcome escape, reading our way through all this year has thrown at us. Traditionally the staff compiles a list of the ten fiction and ten nonfiction titles from the year - the books that reminded us why we love to read so much and show us the power of the written word. Here I offer you a little appetizer to whet your appetite:
I’ll start by briefly mentioning my own personal favorite of 2020, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I wrote about this back in June, and haven’t read or listened to anything since that I’ve found to be so surprising, immersive and thought-provoking. I’m not alone, it’s also a best of the year pick from Nancy and Laurie, as well as a New York Times Bestseller, a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and long listed for the National Book Award.
A close second in the fiction category, for me, is Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, which both Nancy and Caitlin also loved. At first glance it’s a difficult sell since the story revolves around the illness and death of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, from the plague. The subject matter gave me a little hesitation before starting, but once I did I was so glad I picked it up. The first thing I noticed was the exquisite writing. Maggie O’Farrell’s ability to create a fully realized environment is phenomenal. A writer with this gift grounds me in the story to the degree that I can see and feel the places they are describing. The fact that I listened to the audio book only deepened this experience. The second thing that drew me in was the psychological awareness of her characters. With a non-linear narrative, we move in and out from the progression of the illness over the course of a few days, to the meeting, courtship, and marriage of Shakespeare (never named in the narrative as such) and Agnes. The ending is perfection. Give this to the historical fiction lovers in your life.
Nancy says: “Beautifully written, this creative reimagining of Shakespeare’s family and their home life, and the searing loss of a child is engrossing and moving. Five stars!!”
Both Nancy and Caitlin chose A Burning by Megha Majumdar. A debut novel, Read With Jenna Book Club Pick, and long listed for the National Book Award, this is a deeply personal and of-the-moment story from the Indian-born Majumdar, who was concerned with shining a light on the rise of right-wing nationalism in India.
Nancy says: “A tour de force from a new author, A Burning reads like a wry thriller while dissecting the realities of modern India and our human frailty when confronted with survival and moral choices. Told from three perspectives - Jivan, a plucky Muslim clerk from the slums who becomes a convenient scapegoat for a terrorist attack, and two who could help her - PT Sir, a gym teacher with political aspirations and Lovely, an intersex actress with Bollywood dreams - Majumdar’s characters have incredible original voices. I loved the writing and I couldn’t put it down!”
For a nonfiction pick, Caitlin highly recommends World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. She says, “I read World of Wonders early on in the pandemic. Whenever I needed a lift I treated myself to an essay. An engaging and beautifully illustrated collection of essays about nature and finding a place to call your own. One of my favorite books of 2020.” This sounds like the perfect book to keep on your nightstand and dip into before bed.
For those of you who have younger readers in your life (or just like reading from the YA, Middle Grade and picture book sections like I do), our children’s specialist, Lillian, has already created “piles” of the best of 2020 for all the different categories of readers in the children’s area. You can preview some on our website. YA readers, you’ll see lots of my favorites from this year, including Legendborn by Tracy Deonn!
This is only a taste of a few fiction and nonfiction titles that will make up our Island Books Best of 2020 list - the full list will be out at the beginning of December!
— Lori
#island books#lori robinson#bestof2020#vanishing half#brit bennett#hamnet#maggie o’farrell#a burning#megha majumdar#world of wonders#aimee nezhukumatathil
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