Loving the vibes and community here and would love your recommendations! :) Have been enjoying some whimsy but The Knight and the Moth has me in a chokehold since I finished it. Help!

the shepherd king duology is one of my most favorite fantasy duologies, but i can't believe i find this book topping over 'one dark window.'

my heart is heavy and full after reading this. i spent the entire weekend for this, every chapter as interesting as the last one.

the ending was predictable, but it didn't make it any less infuriating. i definitely want next year to come so fast because i need an honest to god bitch slapping to happen.

I just finished reading the first chapter and I have so much to say. My interpretation of the book is that the decision of Yeong-Hye to become vegetarian is a metaphor for woman that have always followed societal rules but one day decide to change. And how even if the rebellion is a as simple and as little as becoming vegetarian, it leads toa butterfly effect. Is interesting how this small thing, food preference, becomes this full-blown crisis for Yeong-Hye’s family. We never get the perspective of Yeong-Hye the first chapter is narrated from her husband’s perspective, also known as the 9th circle of hell. Yeong-Hye is not an individual person for him. She is that thing that is in his house that makes chores for him or this person that is an extension of him and as such everything about Yeong-Hye from her outfit to her looks, to her dietary preference, reflects on him. In fact, the whole family acts this way. Is never about Yeong-Hye, it is about what her life says about her family. This individuality is further taken away by having her husband narrate, at least, the first chapter. The story is about Yeong-Hye, yet I am suffering the thoughts of her husband. Which is important for the overall theme of the book but I’m still suffering. The only snippets of this books that tell us something about Yeong-Hye is the narration of her dreams. Which I do not know how to fit into the overall theme of the book. I do not know what they want me to take away about these dreams as I do no think that she is completely nuts is what Hang Kang wanted to say about Yeong-Hye with these snippets. As I do not understand them, I wonder if maybe removing them would have made the book more interesting as the reader would be second guessing themselves trying to decipher if how Yeong-Hye is acting is that extreme or he is just making it that extreme because he hates her and wants her to be as unnoticeable as possible. The family lunch was so uncomfortable and made me so sad just to then be completely furious. The fact that a simple thing such as being vegetarian is eliciting this extreme violent reaction angers me and makes the behaviour of the family ridiculous. Which I do not know if it was the desired aim.

Things that I don’t get and I wish authors would stop

Waggling eyebrows. What even is this? This is cartoonish. People don’t do this in real life.

When the FMC nickname has “lil” in it. I think we have exhausted that one. Lil rabbit. Lil mouse. I’m over it.

Gulped. I hate this word for no reason.

Also while I don’t hate it, “good girl” does nothing for me.

Does anyone have things/phrases that make you annoyed?

i’ve been going through my current read at a snail’s pace and it’s driving me crazy. i really want to read more, and i’m interested in the story, but i just can’t seem to actually get myself to read.

have you guys figured out what motivates you to read more? what worked the best in getting you out of a slump?

please help a girl out, i am desperate 😫