Reading Wrap-Up | April 2, 2023

[@booksvsmovies]

Signal to Nosie is going to be my next SMG book. Thanks for the heads up on the protagonist.

[@feelswriter]

Only one problem with your videos -- my TBR always gets longer! Seriously, love your channel, and relate to your perspectives. thanks!

[@MakerFishmeal]

Monarchs of the Sea hopped on my tbr SO FAST hearing you talk about it. Thank you!

[@Kalanadi]

I hope it lives up to expectations! It just totally hit the spot for me.

[@selbyvillepubliclibrary]

Great reviews Rachel. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen sounds like a lot of fun! Signal to Noise is still on my TBR and I look forward to reading it and finding out if I agree with Mecha ending up with the wrong person. I was really surprised you read Birnam Wood. I should really read more literary fiction.

[@leticiatoraci9855]

It's so nice to begin the week with your video! Yay to DNFing, I am doing that too. Too many books to waste my time with what isn't working for me.

[@ONYXPages]

I loved Signal to Noise. Lovely to hear your thoughts about it!

[@FinalBlowJoe]

We get to see and hear your enthusiasm even more when you DNF books and read ones you truly like and get into so it's good all around. I wasn't expecting to hear the word cephalopod spoken so many times but see how much you're into the subject lately has been great. That green top works really well on you. I couldn't help but smile to see Ava's ears poking up at the start.

[@Kalanadi]

Even if I become incoherent, I hope my enthusiasm helps others, haha! In case you're wondering, I *am* working on a second crocheted octopus... the obsession is real... and I may have bought multiple pairs of octopus-themed socks after finishing Monarchs of the Sea!

[@FinalBlowJoe]

@@Kalanadi Your octopus empire is starting.

[@feelswriter]

There's a (now defunct) channel in which the KZbinr spoke for usually about 20 min, super interesting, and with no transition said "ok." And that was it. I loved it! Why wrap up?

[@Kalanadi]

Wow, I wish I had that confidence! :-D

[@Kim_Traveling_in_Books]

I've been DNFing a bunch of books this year, too, and it's been great not dealing with books are are only so-so or straight up bad. I don't think it's actually increased my average ratings, but it has improved my enjoyment of what I do end up reading.

[@Kalanadi]

Pruning my TBR has definitely had an effect on my average rating...not sure if that will continue for the rest of the year. But I was rather surprised to notice it in my Storygraph stats! It's really freeing to tell myself "I can let this go, and if the time is ever right, this book will make its way back to me". Maybe a bit weird to think of it that way but eh 😄

[@wlaria2136]

I love Rose of Versailles. Recently started a Manga series called "Kageki Shojo!!" - it's a fictional story about a real acting troupe, in which women act both male and female parts. The troupe once did a Rose of V. adaptation (in fiction and irl) and now the protagonist is obsessed with becoming the next Oscar. It's so heartwarming but also dramatic and surprisingly dark x_x it talks about stalking and eating disorders for example. But it's soooo good. :) Idk if you'd be interested in that, thought I'd mention it if you ever run out of Manga options. :D

[@Kalanadi]

Ok, that sounds really intriguing! Sometimes I bounce off of stories that focus on theater and music (I don't know why... but I keep trying) but Kageki Shojo sounds like a fun one to check out! Onto the interlibrary loan list...

[@wlaria2136]

@@Kalanadi i should mention the series doesn't start with vol 1 but with a big prequel volume :) it's a great start to get you into the world and the characters. I hope you'll have fun reading 😊

[@ThatsSoPoe]

Yay for DNFing leaving more time for reading books that are working for you! And yeah, Meche's a difficult character, but I kind of enjoyed that. I don't think I ever buy into SMG's romances, though! 😂

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Now I have to read this cause Rachel’s description made me think you would hate being in her head 😂 but also its been on my tbr forever, even though I never have more than a low 4 star experience with her 😅

[@Kalanadi]

I think I ended up really liking the romantic couple in The Beautiful Ones? My memory is hazy.... I do actually appreciate that quite a few of her protagonists have been rather prickly or difficult, though!

[@ThatsSoPoe]

@@Kalanadi The Beautiful Ones is my least favorite SMG, and I was not at all a fan of the couple.... 😂 Just not my style, I guess!

[@ThatsSoPoe]

@@LiteratureScienceAlliance Signal to Noise is one of my favorite SMG novels! Not sure it's any different from her other books, though, so it may still not really work great for you. 🤷

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

@@ThatsSoPoe I am so starved for any adult speculative latine works that I will probably still end up reading her entire backlist 😂 cause its atleast never a bad time

[@leticiatoraci9855]

Growing up in the 80's was sometimes toxic and people just went with it and were toxic back. There wasn't the whole awareness of nowadays. As Gen-X I recognize the change but times were different and the book from Garcia shows that. Tbh the other side of the advantage of awareness is that as Gen-X you often feel you have to step on eggshells otherwise a millennial may get offended without you even knowing how that happened.

[@Kalanadi]

That's interesting to know! I barely have memories of the 90's, so I guess my perspective is very solidly Millennial, hah. And this is one thing that, even if I struggle with it, I do appreciate it about Moreno-Garcia's protagonists - so often her female characters are realistically troubled, or difficult, and not the easiest to sympathize with immediately. But it makes me think.