OnionSoup

Literature student specialising in children's and young adult literature~

1162 points

0% overlap

My Taste

Reading...

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)

OnionSoup TBR'd a book

Bull

David Elliott

SEE THE STORY OF THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT Minos thought he could Pull a fast one On me, Poseidon! God of the Sea! But I’m the last one On whom you Should try such a thing. The nerve of that guy. The balls. The audacity. I AM THE OCEAN! I got capacity! Depths! Darkness! Delphic power! So his sweet little plan Went big-time sour And his wife had a son Born with horns and a muzzle Who ended up In an underground puzzle. What is it with you mortals? You just can’t seem to learn: If you play with fire, babies, You’re gonna get burned. Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda did in Hamilton, the New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns a classic on its head in form and approach, updating the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur for a new generation. A rough, rowdy, and darkly comedic young adult retelling in verse, Bull will have readers reevaluating one of mythology's most infamous monsters.

OnionSoup TBR'd a book

Psyche in a Dress

Francesca Lia Block

But this is what I could not give up: I could not give up myself Psyche has known Love—scented with jasmine and tasting of fresh oranges. Yet he is fleeting and fragile, lost to her too quickly. Punished by self-doubt, Psyche yearns to be transformed, like the beautiful and brutal figures in the myths her lover once spoke of. Attempting to uncover beauty in the darkness, she is challenged, tested, and changed by the gods and demons who tempt her. Her faith must be found again, for if she is to love, she must never look back.

OnionSoup TBR'd a book

The Silence of the Girls (Women of Troy, #1)

Pat Barker

The ancient city of Troy has withstood a decade under siege of the powerful Greek army, which continues to wage bloody war over a stolen woman—Helen. In the Greek camp, another woman—Briseis—watches and waits for the war's outcome. She was queen of one of Troy's neighboring kingdoms, until Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior, sacked her city and murdered her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes Achilles's concubine, a prize of battle, and must adjust quickly in order to survive a radically different life, as one of the many conquered women who serve the Greek army. When Agamemnon, the brutal political leader of the Greek forces, demands Briseis for himself, she finds herself caught between the two most powerful of the Greeks. Achilles refuses to fight in protest, and the Greeks begin to lose ground to their Trojan opponents. Keenly observant and coolly unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position, able to observe the two men driving the Greek army in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate not only of Briseis's people but also of the ancient world at large. Briseis is just one among thousands of women living behind the scenes in this war—the slaves and prostitutes, the nurses, the women who lay out the dead—all of them erased by history. With breathtaking historical detail and luminous prose, Pat Barker brings the teeming world of the Greek camp to vivid life. She offers nuanced, complex portraits of characters and stories familiar from mythology, which, seen from Briseis's perspective, are rife with newfound revelations. Barker's latest builds on her decades-long study of war and its impact on individual lives—and it is nothing short of magnificent.

OnionSoup TBR'd a book

A Song for Ella Grey

David Almond

Claire and Ella and their friends are bound by ties so strong they seem unbreakable. Then the strange and handsome Orpheus strolls onto the beach, and he sings them all into an astonishing new understanding of themselves. Ella is caught the hardest, fastest, deepest—and Claire feels the pain of looking on. Raw, emotional, lyrical, and funny, A Song for Ella Grey is a tale the joys, troubles, and desires of modern teens. It takes place in the ordinary streets of Tyneside and on the beautiful beaches of Northumberland. It’s a story of first love, a love song that draws on ancient mythical forces. A love that leads Ella, Orpheus, and Claire to the gates of Death and beyond.

OnionSoup commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

Noshelfdiscipline

Edited

Teen book recs

I'm struggling to keep up with supply and demand, and thought you guys might help! My14 year old loves a good romance, but isn't quite ready for anything sexually explicit. Its really tricky to find stuff that has an engaging enough plot without the 🔥 She's not mad about fantasy either, although enjoyed the first Twilight book. She also loves a good murder!

To give an idea, her recent faves have been The Naturals series, all the suitable Lynn Painter ones, the Sophie McKenzie Girl, Missing series, A Good Girls Guide to Murder, The Summer of Broken Rules, all the Summer I turned pretty ones, and also all the suitable Holly Jackson ones.

I've had a good look through the lists but can't see any that fit, but I'm new here so maybe not looking right. I couldn't find a search function in the lists bit. If there is such a list, I'd be grateful to be pointed in the right direction!

She's currently reading Binding 13 which I've heard has a lil bit going on, but she's gonna skim if it makes her uncomfortable. I also bought her The Fault in Our Stars for xmas which I think will be the same.

Also just to add - I don't restrict any content, its her personal preference.

OnionSoup made progress on...

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)

Brigid Kemmerer

62%

OnionSoup commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

Solten

When do you join a quest?

I have some quests i am interested in, but i- also noticed that I am only interested in a couple of the books in most quests. I just spotted a quest in which i only PLAN on reading one book there.. but who knows, some day I might read more?? They aren't timed, right?

I do not want a quest to dictate what I read etc

OnionSoup TBR'd a book

The Yellow Wall-Paper

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Diagnosed by her physician husband with a “temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency” after the birth of her child, a woman is urged to rest for the summer in an old colonial mansion. Forbidden from doing work of any kind, she spends her days in the house’s former nursery, with its barred windows, scratched floor, and peeling yellow wallpaper. In a private journal, the woman records her growing obsession with the “horrid” wallpaper. Its strange pattern mutates in the moonlight, revealing what appears to be a human figure in the design. With nothing else to occupy her mind, the woman resolves to unlock the mystery of the wallpaper. Her quest, however, leads not to the truth, but into the darkest depths of madness. A condemnation of the patriarchy, The Yellow Wallpaper explores with terrifying economy the oppression, grave misunderstanding, and willful dismissal of women in late nineteenth-century society. First published in January 1892 in The New England Magazine. Excerpt: Out of another I get a lovely view of the bay and a little private wharf belonging to the estate. There is a beautiful shaded lane that runs down there from the house. I always fancy I see people walking in these numerous paths and arbors, but John has cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the least. He says that with my imaginative power and habit of story-making a nervous weakness like mine is sure to lead to all manner of excited fancies, and that I ought to use my will and good sense to check the tendency. So I try.

OnionSoup commented on a post

whatisraereading

Thoughts from 87% (Chapter 49 Audiobook)

Be prepared for this chapter too. Omg, I'm dying. 😭 Now I wanna know what it looks like in the book. I have a feeling there's at least going to be one more chapter like this.

OnionSoup is interested in reading...

A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Cursebreakers, #2)

Brigid Kemmerer

Find the heir, win the crown. The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers. Win the crown, save the kingdom. Rumored to be the heir, Grey has been on the run since he destroyed Lilith. He has no desire to challenge Rhen--until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall? The heart-pounding, compulsively readable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war. In the sequel to New York Times bestselling A Curse So Dark and Lonely, Brigid Kemmerer returns to the world of Emberfall in a lush fantasy where friends become foes and love blooms in the darkest of places.

OnionSoup commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

righteousgoddess444

Edited

Reading with aphantasia and/or no inner monologue

What is it like as a reader with no inner monologue or aphantasia?

I have a very vivid visualization and inner monologue and after watching a video of a woman who has neither, at all, I am floored in how you read? How your experience stories? Please enlighten me!

OnionSoup commented on OnionSoup's update

OnionSoup made progress on...

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)

Brigid Kemmerer

33%

OnionSoup made progress on...

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)

Brigid Kemmerer

33%

OnionSoup made progress on...

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)

Brigid Kemmerer

20%

OnionSoup started reading...

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)

Brigid Kemmerer

An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here. Fall in love, break the curse. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope. Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world. Break the curse, save the kingdom. Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

OnionSoup is interested in reading...

The Boy on the Bridge (The Girl With All the Gifts, #2)

M.R. Carey

Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy. The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world. To where the monsters lived.

OnionSoup TBR'd a book

The Girl with All the Gifts (The Girl With All the Gifts, #1)

M.R. Carey

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her "our little genius." Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh. Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad. The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman.

OnionSoup commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum

righteousgoddess444

Edited

Reading with aphantasia and/or no inner monologue

What is it like as a reader with no inner monologue or aphantasia?

I have a very vivid visualization and inner monologue and after watching a video of a woman who has neither, at all, I am floored in how you read? How your experience stories? Please enlighten me!

Post from the Thirsty forum