What I read in May
basically just me having the hots for Gideon the Ninth
HELLO it’s already the end of May somehow! Here’s a summary of what I read this month, in between spending multiple hours a day editing book 2 and gently spiralling into madness.
GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn Muir
This was my second time reading this book and again, it has fucked me up.
It blew my tiny mind the first time I read it. This time has blasted my brain cells clean out the window.
In summary: Gideon is a swordswoman of the Ninth House who’s lived a miserable life of servitude to Harrowhark, her childhood nemesis and scary necromancer of the Ninth House. Harrow promises to set Gideon free if she helps Harrow with one more thing: alongside the heirs to the other Houses, Harrow has been summoned to a deadly trial. If she succeeds, she’ll become immortal and all-powerful, but she can’t do it without a swordswoman. GIDEON!!!
In more summary: it’s lesbian necromancers, skeletons, a crumbling old house, stupid little jokes, and gut-punches. It’s genre-defying, constantly unexpected and incredibly weird and fucked up.
When you read a lot of romances, as I do, you can get used to a book’s main relationships and chemistry being very close to the surface. Here, the relationships are fundamental to the plot, but the characters are deliciously horrible and it’s not overtly trying to be sexy, which just makes the glimmers of tension so much better. It’s a masterclass in understated tension.
It’s also visceral, gross, funny, stupid, tense. It’s exquisitely characterised in a way that makes me want to gnaw at my own arm — the kind of book that makes you feel like a better writer for reading it, and also is just so goddamn fun.
I would OBVIOUSLY recommend it, but also wouldn’t expect everyone to love it. It’s a lot!!!! And that’s what makes it.
Sidenote: Harrow the Ninth, the next one in the series, is probably the most baffling book I’ve ever read. I was turning pages like, okay nice nice I have no fuckin idea what's happening :) But I just got Harrow out of the library to try again, because I’m nearing the end of Gideon and am already pre-emptively upset and not ready to let go.
THE WAGER by David Grann
Listen, I don’t know. I guess I’ve moved on from my non-fiction about World War 2 era to my Books About Tall Ships era. Hi Goodreads, I’m dad.
The reason the reason I read this is a) my partner and my dad both read this recently, as both of them dabble in Books About Tall Ships, and b) my partner had already bought it and I was looking for another 12 hour podcast nonfiction book. And I enjoyed it!
What I liked about this: Shipwreck. Mutiny. Murder. It's all right there in the tagline. I also liked how it really made me understand that tall, old ships weren’t just large versions of little, toy ships, but were actually bounded by bureaucracy and law and admin in much the same way everything else is. I find this actually makes them scarier rather than less scary.
e.g. I learnt that after The Wager shipwreck and mutiny, the law was changed so that sailors still continued to receive their wages even if their boat was shipwrecked. Unbelievably, this wasn’t the case before, which meant that on The Wager after the wreck, everyone was like well fuck yOU Captain, you’re not my boss anymore. And they were kind of right!
What I didn’t like about this: I struggled to remember who everyone is and got very confused at times. But no more than usual when I’m forced to take in information just by hearing it (impossible — I NEED it written down). But it was fine; I got the gist, and the gist is shipwreck. There was also an incredibly visceral description of the effects of scurvy which I could have done without. But tbh then I read Gideon the Ninth and it paled into comparison.
PUCKING AROUND by Emily Rath
When an ambitious sports medicine practitioner scores her dream job working for Jacksonville’s hottest NHL team, she knows the last thing she should do is get tangled up with a player. After all, how could she choose just one?
This was my first time reading a ‘why choose’ romance, and my second time reading a hockey romance. The first hockey romance I read barely mentioned ice hockey, which was deeply disappointing because there's something extremely fascinating about very fit people slamming around on the ice with blades strapped to their feet. This one had plenty of hockey which was way better!
It was also really surprisingly detailed on sports science and injuries, which was kind of fun. Ultimately, I don’t think this trope is for me, and the sex scenes got a bit much by the end (I kept finding myself worrying about anatomy which slightly took me out of it), but there were some genuinely great moments of dialogue/character.
A NOVEL LOVE STORY by Ashley Poston
I really love a romcom with a twist. In this, the twist is that the main character ends up in a fictional town where her favourite books are set. This is obviously a lovely premise!!!
I’m impressed I managed to finish this ONLY because I was editing so hard that I was really struggling to keep my attention on anything. But it was still very charming!
I think if I’d read this when I wasn’t editing I would have really enjoyed it, as I loved Ashley Poston’s DEAD ROMANTICS. So this lukewarm review is literally the definition of ‘it’s not you it’s me’.
SUNRISE ON THE REAPING by Suzanne Collins
The fifth book in the Hunger Games series: Haymitch’s story. You get it. It came up at my library much quicker than I thought last time.
I zoomed through this book, mainly because GOD I will never get over what a perfectly crafted premise The Hunger Games is. I just love to see the characters again and fill in the backstory. I don’t know if it was as good as the other books, but it did make me want to reread the original trilogy and honestly I’ll read anything Suzanne Collins writes.
[REDACTED] by me
I’ve read my own book approx. eight thousand times in the last few weeks. There have been extremely high highs and low lows. I adore editing and also, it’s so difficult on the old brain! This book has kicked my ass just a little bit and I’m filled with fear that it suuuuucks.
But a couple of kind friends have pointed out that my impression of what a terrible book it is might not actually be accurate. My own taste and ability have changed wildly since I first started writing. I’m trying to hold on to the fact that in the past, I’d never have even attempted a book like this. Greater awareness of flaws could be a sign of how far I’ve come rather than how shit I am (could be). Just enforcing some mindfulness on myself. If I say it enough I’ll believe it, for sure.
If you got this far, I thank you and love you. If you feel like helping me out during this trying time, my first book is still 99p on Kindle for TWO MORE DAYS. After this, it will sink fully into oblivion :) no doubt :) so I’d really appreciate any sharing! Thank you! xxx
Can’t wait for updates on book 2 !!