Recently Finished
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo
I didn't know I needed a sapphic romance between a scholar and a tiger in my life but here we are! Nghi Vo's novellas are simply delightful. I've already raved about her lyrical, immersive writing style in a previous post, but I just have to mention it again. If you enjoy the storytelling structure of folktales within folktales, and the exploration of how multiple truths can exist depending on who is telling the story and why, I definitely recommend this. Literally the day after I finished this, Nghi Vo announced that she would be writing three more novellas in the Singing Hills Cycle. Absolutely impeccable timing. I will read them all.
The Shadow of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee
And with that, I've officially read all of F.C. Yee's works! I really enjoy his writing style and humor, so I hope he publishes more soon, whether it's young adult or anything else. The Kyoshi novels are really enjoyable and capture the feeling of Avatar: The Last Airbender so well that they deserve to be animated. I love the way Yee incorporates the lore of Avatar while still telling a compelling story of his own. The Shadow of Kyoshi was a satisfying albeit bittersweet conclusion to the events of the first novel. It really made me see certain characters in a new light, empathize with them, and reaffirm the fact that yeah, no one knows what they're doing but we just gotta struggle and live on (the book is more eloquent about it, trust me). I also listened to this on audiobook, narrated by Nancy Wu; she's one of the best audiobook narrators imo.
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
Calendrical rot more like brain rot because wtf did I just read??? The writing style is actually quite palatable, but the content itself was not my cup of tea. Lee clearly knows what he's talking about, and while I understand the underlying principles of the magic system, it's difficult to picture anything concretely, which takes me out of the story. A glossary or character list, even a rudimentary one, would've been beneficial, especially since this is the first book. Jedao was an interesting character, and I was mildly intrigued by the last 10% that finally revealed his past and his motivations (even though the "twist" wasn't that surprising, and probably wasn't mean to be). I enjoyed Jedao and Cheris' interactions, but none of the other characters felt especially compelling or memorable. Maybe military sci-fi just isn't for me. Maybe I don't have the braincells for it. Unless I'm feeling super masochistic one day, I will probably not be continuing the series (though I'm still open to trying Phoenix Extravagant by the same author).
Currently Reading
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso
About 1/3 into the book and it's sitting at about 3 stars. Lots of world-building, politics, and flashbacks, and not much in the way of plot so far. I'm still warming up to Tal, the main character and titular Wolf of Oren-Yaro, so I'm not sure how I feel about the first-person narration yet. Rai seems pretty pathetic but maybe I'll change my mind about him once it's revealed what his real reason was for abandoning the throne. At this point Khine (the con artist) is the most intriguing character, so I'm interested to see who he really is and what his motivations are.
The Devil Comes Courting by Courtney Milan
I'm enjoying what I've read so far, but at the same time I'm not super compelled to pick this back up every time I put it down. I like Amelia; not sure about Grayson yet. Milan did say on her website that this book can be read as a standalone, and I wanted to pick this book up as soon as possible because it features a Chinese female protagonist, but it's possible I'm still missing some context from the other books in the Worth Saga. There are discussions about the accumulation of microaggressions and seemingly "innocuous" comments that all BIPOC have experienced in some capacity, and how mentally exhausting it is to deal with and constantly have to justify your own anger. Even though these discussions hit a bit too close to home at times, I appreciate that these issues are even addressed at all.
Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen
I've been reading at a pace of one chapter per day and will probably be finishing it this weekend. Truly one of the best nonfiction books I've ever read. Rather than defining what is and isn't asexuality, Chen encourages the reader to broaden their perspective of what asexuality can look and feel like. Every aspect of the book is well-researched; Chen not only describes her own experiences (which I definitely saw myself in) but also includes interviews and article extracts from diverse sources and aces from all walks of life. I appreciate the discussions on intersectionality as well, and how culture, background, race, mental health, and disability all inextricably factor into sexuality without invalidating one's identity. I'd even go as far as to say that this book is required reading for aces and allos alike, as well as those who are questioning, because surely there is something new to learn for everyone.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
