karigan

26. she/her. I work to afford my reading habit 🧚🏻🦄🏰🐉

2145 points

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My Taste

The Ballad of Never After (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #2)

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karigan

Stephanie Garber’s first adult novel!

IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS!!! Did anyone else pre-order today 😅

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Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her. Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

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16h

seemaberry16

Thoughts on maintaining "authenticity" in adaptations?

A couple things I saw today really got me wondering whether there's an implicit obligation for movie adaptations to remain authentic to the book and authors intentions, and if so - to what degree of closeness, and who is responsible for it? I am sure there are a variety of thoughts on the matter, and I'd love to hear them!! The two things inspiring this line of thought: 1. It Ends with Us drama continuing to swirl, and noticing included within it an allegation that a lead actor who also substantially contributed to both the scripts and overall production had actually not read the book, which I found shocking. Whether or not the allegation is true (don't want to make this post about that particular situation, go to the books page for a thread for that haha) the idea itself made me realize I absolutely carry a belief that someone in that kind of a position has an obligation to have read the book being adapted. 2. I finished watching Killing Eve and upon some googling discovered that it was actually based on a book series, and (trying to avoid spoilers here) included some MAJOR changes which the writer in interviews being very proud of taking the creative liberty to make those changes that fundamentally impacted the story, while many viewers seem to be really upset by it. While I haven't read it, I was pretty frustrated to see what was changed and think the reasons for folks being upset are entirely justified (will probably start my own thread on that books page to get other thoughts); again, apparently being someone who values sticking to the book.

karigan finished reading and wrote a review...

karigan

5.0

Enjoyment: 5.0Quality: 5.0Characters: 5.0Plot: 5.0

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Firekeeper’s Daughter is a really powerful book that does a great job of showing the struggles of native people, and more specifically, native women. I love that Boulley gave Daunis both Ojibwe and French descent to highlight the way native people are treated differently by other communities. Daunis is one of the strongest characters I’ve ever read about. Not only does she know what’s right, she knows when to speak up and when to let things go. She loves her family and her culture and would do anything to protect them. This book expertly explores themes of finding identity within your community, racism and intersectionality, and staying true to oneself. It was a beautiful story that I’m grateful to have read.

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karigan

Reading Update from 95%

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Dune (Dune, #1)

Frank Herbert

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for... When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.

karigan wants to read...

The Master and Margarita

Mikhail Bulgakov

The first complete, annotated English Translation of Mikhail Bulgakov's comic masterpiece. An audacious revision of the stories of Faust and Pontius Pilate, The Master and Margarita is recognized as one of the essential classics of modern Russian literature. The novel's vision of Soviet life in the 1930s is so ferociously accurate that it could not be published during its author's lifetime and appeared only in a censored edition in the 1960s. Its truths are so enduring that its language has become part of the common Russian speech. One hot spring, the devil arrives in Moscow, accompanied by a retinue that includes a beautiful naked witch and an immense talking black cat with a fondness for chess and vodka. The visitors quickly wreak havoc in a city that refuses to believe in either God or Satan. But they also bring peace to two unhappy Muscovites: one is the Master, a writer pilloried for daring to write a novel about Christ and Pontius Pilate; the other is Margarita, who loves the Master so deeply that she is willing literally to go to hell for him. What ensues is a novel of inexhaustible energy, humor, and philosophical depth, a work whose nuances emerge for the first time in Diana Burgin's and Katherine Tiernan O'Connor's splendid English version.

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karigan

Reading Update from 93%

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karigan

Stephanie Garber’s first adult novel!

IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS!!! Did anyone else pre-order today 😅

karigan wants to read...

Alchemy of Secrets

Stephanie Garber

It starts with a class in an old movie theater. Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction. There isn’t a man in Hollywood who you can call to find out the time you’ll die. There’s not a haunted hotel bar in Los Angeles that the devil likes to frequent. There’s no such thing as magic. But . . . most students don’t have the same tragic past as Holland St. James. Now a graduate student, Holland is hoping to use her thesis to rewrite her past by proving that some of the most infamous deaths in old Hollywood were actually murders committed by the devil. She has no idea that this quest will lead her into a deadly world of century-old secrets and unimaginable lies and onto the path of two very dangerous men, both of whom are willing to do whatever it takes to find a magic that will either forever alter Holland’s life or completely destroy it.

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karigan

Reading Update from 83%

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Yellowface

R.F. Kuang

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena's a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn't even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I. So what if June edits Athena's novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song--complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn't this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That's what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree. But June can't get away from Athena's shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June's (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves. With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface takes on questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry but the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society. R. F. Kuang's novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable.

karigan commented on a post

karigan

What games do you think you’d be best at and are there any you’d like to participate in?

Personally, I’d love to play or observe a Caraval. The magic system seems unmatched by anything else!

karigan commented on bookdarling's review of Defending Jacob

bookdarling

4.0

Enjoyment: 4.0Quality: 4.0Characters: 4.0Plot: 4.0

A Riveting Legal Drama I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been urged to read Defending Jacob. It sat on my Kindle for nearly a year before I finally picked it up—and I couldn’t put it down. William Landay’s novel is a captivating mix of legal drama and family turmoil that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. And the ending? Absolutely unforgettable. The story follows Andy Barber, a respected assistant district attorney in an affluent Boston suburb, whose life takes a dramatic turn when a local teenager is murdered. As Andy works the case, his own family is drawn into the investigation, threatening everything he holds dear. I’ve intentionally kept this review vague because I think this is a book best experienced with as little prior knowledge as possible. Part of the thrill lies in uncovering its twists and turns for yourself. I want to share how much I enjoyed it without spoiling anything—trust me, going into this one blind makes it even more rewarding. Landay masterfully explores themes of parental love, loyalty, and the lengths we go to protect those we care about. The story also raises compelling questions about how well we really know the people closest to us and how far we’re willing to go to defend them. What makes the book especially gripping is the way it balances the emotional weight of family relationships with the intricacies of the legal system. Landay, a former prosecutor, brings authenticity to the courtroom scenes, providing a fascinating glimpse into the strategies and tactics of both the defense and prosecution. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking and suspenseful read, Defending Jacob is a must. Go in blind, and you won’t regret it.

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seemaberry16

Deserted Island Series Pick (aka, the GOAT)?

You find yourself stranded on a deserted island*... which of these series do you wish you had to keep you company? *You're in no danger and confident help is on the way, so you just need to amuse yourself til then

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karigan

Reading Update from 62%

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