Month: December 2021

Reading Challenges Wrap-Up

Reading Challenges Wrap-Up

This year, I participated in the… ClearUrSht Readathon (ongoing) Magical Readathon (ongoing) Wide World of HistFic Reading Challenge Book-to-Movie Reading Challenge I also had some Regency reads planned back in April Absolutely nothing in my life this year went according to plan, but part of personal growth is learning to let go of any shame associated with not being in control of everything (and taking pride in my agility to adapt to change).  So I’m posting this without apology of excuse, in pride of what I accomplished.  ClearUrSht Readathon Magical Readathon Wide World of HistFic Challenge     Book to Movie Challenge […]

Posted December 31, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Challenge / 2 Comments
Sophrona’s 1812 Recap

Sophrona’s 1812 Recap

It would be madness to pretend I’m not still catching up after being deeply wounded and burned out this past summer (with life, as well as game). I made the switch to Yours, Etc. and have been much happier and felt more secure playing, so here’s a glance back on the past year: Lady Sophrona Ramsbury re-entered Society after a year spent mourning her (distant, cold) husband. Though her many attempts to arrange a good match for her youngest sister, Lady Primrose Hazelton, failed, Prim found a loving husband in the form of Lord Drogheda. Over the course of 7 […]

Posted December 30, 2021 by bethwyrm in Life Update / 0 Comments
Mrs. Fromish’s Guests by E.M. Epps

Mrs. Fromish’s Guests by E.M. Epps

It’s cute, it’s short, it’s silly- a standard E.M. Epps novelette. Not my favorite, though- Mrs. Fromish was a fun concept but I didn’t particularly care about anyone or anything in the story (except for the cat). This may’ve been a bi-product of Nicky being incredibly annoying and Mrs. Fromish not getting much agency after all her “guests” arrive. I’ve enjoyed Epps’ other short stories, which I think had more character development and sympathy, so maybe I wasn’t in the right mood for this one.  Reading this book contributed to these challenges:ClearUrSht

Posted December 29, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments
Chemistry by Jodi Lamm

Chemistry by Jodi Lamm

I wanted to like this one better, but it reads like the rough draft of something that could be far more nuanced and smart than it is. Not to say it’s bad, just that I see the attempt and want it to be better in the execution. Firstly, this is a contemporary high school-set Hunchback of Notre Dame retelling. It also has some shades of Jekyll and Hyde, Les Miserables, The Monk, and probably other classics I didn’t catch. Style-wise, it’s a throwback to early fiction, where the girls are shallow lovely things and the villains are obsessive, delusional men. […]

Posted December 28, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

This science fantasy story is sheer chaos, in a delightful way. I listened to it on audiobook, so there were parts where I felt totally lost (especially with respect to all the other Lecter hopefuls and their cavaliers) but I stuck with it because the voice of Gideon is hilarious- snarky, vulnerable, and sassy. The snark made me think I wasn’t going to be truly invested in these characters, but I cried a little (more than once), so bravo Tamsyn Muir for creating something moving and also funny and also action-packed. The complex relationship between Gideon and Harrow was so well-handled, […]

Posted December 27, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 2 Comments
Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popović

Wicked Like a Wildfire by Lana Popović

I started reading this, having totally forgotten the premise and thus having zero expectations. Which I should apparently do more often, because I found it an enjoyable read. The strength of this story is definitely in the complex dynamic between the MC, Iris, and her mother. Contentious mother/daughter relationships are so common and yet not a lot of YA stories delve into them. This one, of course, has a contemporary fantasy backdrop but the dynamic is explored from Iris’ pained point of view, balanced with her sister Malina’s sympathy. So a lot of the character development was wrapped around that […]

Posted December 20, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 2 Comments
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I love an unreliable narrator and a twisty mystery, and this had plenty of both. It’s not a quick read, though it’s well-paced and with good character development, but it was engaging throughout most of the story.  I was more caught up in Vida’s story than Margaret’s, though I think that was by author design- there’s far more meat (including disturbing familial events) in Vida’s history which make the large gap between her young childhood and her now elderly circumstances that much more intriguing. Margaret, on the other hand, is mostly soggy toast who doesn’t eat or feel or seem […]

Posted December 13, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments
BuJo Tour – December

BuJo Tour – December

How is 2021 almost over already? Most months in this year are a total blank for me. Maybe because I was so sick for most of it- a state that I hope is behind me. Amazingly (to me, anyway). Speaking of, I’m in a mad scramble to catch up on YE letters, decorate for the holidays, and send my holiday cards because I’m visiting my family and friends for the last two weeks of December. I was able to get my TBTBSanta, baby shower, advent calendars for two fountain pen friends, and early Dec birthday gifts finished and sent off in […]

Posted December 6, 2021 by bethwyrm in Life Update / 0 Comments
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did, but wow. I read it cover-to-cover in one day (on flights and layovers), staying up until 1am to finish it. It’s the kind of subtly-woven story where you’re turning pages and fully engrossed, and then see the deeper glimmers when you pause to get a drink or something. As a result, it left me with a haunted, aching feeling and I’m still thinking about it. I have always been more of a rules follower, and if my dream career hadn’t upended me multiple times in college, I very likely […]

Posted December 3, 2021 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 2 Comments