Cookiemonster
Reading to avoid doing literally anything else šš»āāļø IG: PagingChaos
1152 points
Cookiemonster finished reading and wrote a review...
Holy š this book is dense. Using the word ambitious to describe this series almost feels inadequate. Compared to this, The Will of the Many feels tame. Honestly, I understood more of the science in Project Hail Mary and The Martian than I did the mechanics of this world and its magic systems for a good chunk of the first half. It is a lot. James Islington does pull it together eventually, but you really have to hang on and embrace the fog of confusion until it starts to settle in your mind.
What really messed with my head is how much information we get while still feeling like we know almost nothing. Compared to book one, we learn so much, yet when you look at the sheer scale of the world and the plot Islington is building, it feels like weāre barely scratching the surface. That tension between knowing everything and nothing at the same time is wild. Iām genuinely going to need a full, detailed recap in the next book because Iām barely holding onto the intricacies of this world right now.
The plot itself is intricate and exhilarating, and the pacing stays impressively consistent throughout, sometimes to the point of being a little frustrating. Islington chooses his moments carefully, giving just enough space to build character relationships and expand the world without completely losing momentum. Following a single protagonist in first person has never been more interesting. I loved how he managed to create three distinct personalities from the same core character, shaped entirely by different experiences, relationships, and hardships. Itās such a clever way to explore a massive world while keeping the narrative focused and personal. One of the biggest strengths is how organically the information is revealed. There are no heavy info dumps because the protagonist is just as lost as we are. We only learn what he learns, when he learns it, and that makes the whole experience feel natural, even when itās overwhelming. I genuinely donāt have notes on how this story is structured or revealed. Itās incredibly well done.
That said, it wasnāt always an easy read. At times it felt a bit tedious, and I didnāt always find myself excited to pick it back up. Thatās the only reason itās not a full five stars for me. Still, this is an incredibly ambitious, impressive continuation of the series, and Iām fully committed to seeing where Islington takes it next š¤Æ
0Cookiemonster made progress on...
The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy, #2)
James Islington
0Cookiemonster commented on a post
Cookiemonster made progress on...
The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy, #2)
James Islington
0Cookiemonster made progress on...
The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy, #2)
James Islington
0Cookiemonster commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
I'm pretty picky about what art I engage with in all forms, and books are no exception. If I get even the tiniest hint that I may not like a book, I probably won't read it. But, I have been wondering what it would be like to read something that I don't like. This year, the lowest rating I gave a book was 3 stars, and to me that's still within the realm of being competent and worth reading. It's been quite some time since I read a book that I genuinely disliked. I've had experiences with music where I listen to an album I don't like (or don't anticipate that I will like), and when I can think about and articulate why I don't like it, it helps me understand myself and my tastes better. Maybe it would be a similar experience with books. If I read a book I dislike, and I can think about and explain why, it'll help me know more about what kinds of storytelling I do like, and even why I like those things.
So my questions for y'all are: Do you read books if you think you wouldn't like them? Do you hate-read books? Do you think it could be an interesting experiment? Or should I just read what I like and stop thinking so much... š¤£
50Cookiemonster commented on hannah's update
Cookiemonster commented on Cookiemonster's review of The Love Hypothesis
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13Cookiemonster finished reading and wrote a review...
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13Cookiemonster commented on a post
Consider me successfully rage baited by everything in this book.
7Post from the The Love Hypothesis forum
Consider me successfully rage baited by everything in this book.
7Cookiemonster commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
i was wondering what are some of yāallās favorite animal side characters / pets in books? iām reading nettle & bone right now and i am so completely obsessed with the little bone dog side character. i also LOVED calliope from the house in the cerulean sea :ā)
65Cookiemonster started reading...
The Love Hypothesis
Ali Hazelwood
0Cookiemonster commented on a post
Cookiemonster made progress on...
The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy, #2)
James Islington
0Cookiemonster commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
A cracked spine š B no visible lines š āāļø
A slow book with a great payoff š B not a wasted page š¤©
A Reading plan on PBās š¤ B whats a plan?
A usually follow a book genre B jumps between genre
The Quiet Observer (takes in every detail from the book) AAAA; AAAB; BABA The Chaotic Scholar AABA; AABB; ABAA The Page Goblin ABBB; ABBA; ABAB The Perfectionist Librarian BAAA; BBAA; BAAB; BBAB The Adventurer Mood Reader BABB; BBBB BBBA
I am ABBB šāāļø page goblin Please let me know if anything is missing, I tried my best to make the matches but it is not that detailed :)
132Cookiemonster commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
Has anyone made a personal curriculum before? And do you have any tips for someone looking to start?
So itās almost the end of the year and I wanted to make a couple of changes for 2026. One of which includes making a personal curriculum (topic TBD, although Iāve got a few random things in mind) to learn more about things that catch my eye. Maybe turn myself into an academic weapon, who knows. I got into annotating this year and that has been delightful so Iām hoping itāll go just as well with the personal curriculum thing. Iād appreciate any tips before starting out š¤
22Cookiemonster commented on AvatarIzzy's update
