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Reality is overrated! These surreal and absurd fiction books remove logic to reveal their truths. Here the impossible is inevitable, the strange is necessary, and Kafkaesque is only the beginning.
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Fever Dreams & Strange Realities
Bronze: Finished 5 Main Quest books.
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engallop wrote a review...
I was lucky enough to attend an event where Iryn Tushabe was speaking, and after hearing her discuss her process of writing Everything Is Fine Here and reading a few pages, I made a beeline to the bookseller's tent and picked myself up a copy, and I'm certainly glad I did.
I adored Tushabe's writing style, and the fact that it's her first novel is extremely impressive. I'm a sucker for any storyline that heavily revolves around sisters and their complicated relationships, and Tushabe captured this type of relationship perfectly. Aine and Mbabazi feel real in their adoration and conflict with each other, and you can feel the number of years (and life experiences) that separate them. This also extends to the other characters in this book - Achen and her relationship with Mbabazi is lovely, side characters outside of the core three have real depth to them, and Uganda itself feels vibrant and multi-faceted as a character itself.
Overall, a very impressive debut novel. I'm very, very excited to see where Tushabe goes from here!
engallop finished a book

Everything Is Fine Here
Iryn Tushabe
engallop commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
Hi all! I'm trying to make lists for each of the Magnus Archives entities. I have a good start for each but don't have any for the Vast, the Dark and the Desolation since those aren't my typical horror/thriller/Gothic reads.
For reference: The Vast: manifests as void, wide-open spaces, vertigo, falling, the transformation of something that should have a limit into something infinite. The Desolation: manifests as fire, wax, heat, burns, destruction of potential. The Dark: manifests as creatures hidden in the dark, shadow figures and monsters, blindness, coldness, dark water.
I'd appreciate any suggestions you could offer for these or other entities!
engallop commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
I have a few books I really wished I had DNF'ed but ended up reading until the very end. Do you also have any books you wish you had DNF'ed sooner or after you've already finished the book? If yes, why? And what books? š
engallop started reading...

Everything Is Fine Here
Iryn Tushabe
engallop wrote a review...
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engallop finished a book

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
Grady Hendrix
engallop commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
I just signed up to be a bottle foster for a local rescue org, which means I might be responsible for naming litters of kittens soon, a task which I do NOT take lightly lmao so what I want to know is, which book's cast of characters would you name a litter of kittens after?
I just finished Six of Crows so the first crew that came to mind for me was Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthius, Jesper, and Wylan, all of which would make truly excellent kitten names imo š§ What about you?? (do not say HP, it's overdone and also ..... just no lol)
engallop commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
title says it itself! there are a plethora of books out there and i randomly had this idea to ask while at work today and so i want to ask it to you all!
share books or book series that you think soul make a great adaptation as a movie or tv show! bonus points if you explain why!
engallop commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
Anyone here love the Pony Pals books as a kid? I so desperately wanted a horse living in my backyard (still is a dream though now I know likely unattainable š)
I was looking at some of the books on the discover page and saw some cowboy romances and it made me realize that I haven't read a horse-focused book in ages. I was wondering if anyone knows of any YA or adult books that give the same vibes as Pony Pals? Idk, they were always solving mysteries or something š i just remember them being so fun!
engallop commented on a post from the Pagebound Club forum
I was blindsided by a breakup from a 10yr relationship this week. I've never experienced this kind of heartbreak before so I'm struggling in a lot of ways, but one of them is that I can't read any fiction right now. Any loving dynamic, romantic or not, makes me sad.
I'm reading Mood Machine at the moment, and that seems to be safe for me, but I would love some hopecore if you've got it.
If you're going through anything remotely like this at the moment, I am sending you so much love.
engallop started reading...

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
Grady Hendrix
engallop wrote a review...
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engallop finished a book

Patricia Wants to Cuddle
Samantha Allen
engallop started reading...

Patricia Wants to Cuddle
Samantha Allen
engallop wrote a review...
Admittedly, this book took me a lot longer to warm up to and get into compared to my usual experience with Stephen Graham Jones, which was a bit surprising. Whether it be the subject (slashers are fun but not really my thing when it comes to horror) or simply Tolly as the narrator that I found agitating, I'm not entirely sure. But I was a solid halfway through the book before I really felt like I was starting to enjoy it.
However, once I did, there are so many elements that I did love. Tolly's narration started to match up perfectly with this spin on the slasher subgenre, and Jones does environmental writing so well - I've never been to West Texas (unless I'm listening to a certain album by the Mountain Goats, then I'm always there), but I felt like I got a real understanding of the time and place this book was set. And speaking of time - aside from a few pop culture nods, this book did a wonderful job of not delving too far into 80s nostalgia, which is something that can really affect how enjoyable a book is for me.
Although Tolly took a while for me to warm up to, the work Jones does with character building is great as usual. Amber is a delight - I love when characters are cognizant of the type of story they're in.
Overall, very glad I stuck this novel out, as I feel the payoff was worth it!