Tsundoku @lapis@booktoot.club

Okay #YAMGBookClub since no one nominated anything this week, energy seems kinda low so I'm just nominating / mandating Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz for October. I normally wouldn't, but it was such a close poll last time that I feel like I'd be doing it a disservice to not have the club read it.

#YAFiction #Books

as a reminder, @zephasaurus_hex and I are doing #ShadowAndBoneSeptember in which we read a metric shit ton of Grishaverse books (starting with Six of Crows). I assume it will take longer than September, despite the ill-thought-out hashtag.

If anyone wants to join us on this joyride, you know what to read (and possibly watch. I can confirm Ben Barnes is dreamy if you didn't already know this)

#ReIntroductions
25+ #ActuallyAutistic person (they/them please)
This is my book, podcast, and TV account. Riverdale tooting is supposed to happen on this account, but it usually can't be contained!

Fave books: The Book of Lies Trilogy (Agota Kristof),
Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller)
Wayward Children Series (Seanan McGuire)

I run #YAMGBookClub which I hope to resurrect this year if there's interest.

Storygraph is in the profile, I'm also on #BookWyrm if you happen to be!

Blog - @lapis@blogs.booktoot.club

I hold the distinction of being one of two people (at least in the Western World) that have read both Brave Story and the Book of Heroes, both by Miyuki Miyabe.

Love, Hate & Other Filters - Samira Ahmed

Tangerine - Edward Bloor

To Kill a Kingdom - Alexandra Christo

The Bone Witch - Rin Chupeco

Labyrinth Lost - Zoraida Córdova

P.S. Longer Letter Later - Paula Danziger; Ann M. Martin

Star-Crossed - Barbara Dee*

Otherbound - Corinne Duyvis

If I Ever Get Out of Here - Eric Gansworth (Indigenous)

George - Alex Gino*

None of the Above - I. W. Gregorio (Intersex)

Spare and Found Parts - Sarah Maria Griffin (Halloween-y)
1/x

#YAMGBookClub You may have noticed there's no nominations period or voting this month.
Because I am suspending the club again.
There are two main factors:
1. As far as I can tell I am the only person participating (openly) at least. I'm the only person posting in the tag.
2. As I've mentioned on another account, my family is dealing with some cancer issues and I really don't have the energy to run a club that no one participates in

Maybe in a few months.
I'm still up for group reads though! 💜

Managed to finish two books today (I had at least 6 going) so I'm feeling proud of myself, though the kobo has had a miscommunication with overdrive and doesn't accept that I've returned a book. Libby / Overdrive says I have so the people waiting can read it, but I don't really want a ghost book 👻 📖 🎃

I like collecting bookmarks, but I don't read physical books that much anymore besides comics and manga. I suppose I can use bookmarks in those, but I Think my enthusiasm was partially damaged by a cute bookmark (with a twine ribbon) that my dog destroyed along with the autographed book it was inside. (He is okay).

Now I select bookmarks that don't have dangles. I think a ribbon would probably be okay but books are expensive I don't wanna risk it!

What I really love is that Ari has to have his feelings explained to him. His parents have to sit down and explain that you don't run in front of a car for your best friend or you know, the revenge. Ari is such a beautiful character. He doesn't want to be emotionally repressed but he also doesn't know how actually feel things (I can relate)

I also find it interesting that he gets mad at Dante for confirming the accident with Gina et al. When Ari is the one who originally told them. Of course it's a crock of shit that dante broke the "rule" when it wasn't about other people and if it was, Ari broke it first

This is the part where I start head canoning Ari as ace (the most "evidence" if you will).
I dunno if I'm supposed to.
Ari's questions surrounding Ophelia and acceptance are... interesting. I don't want to point at them and be like "deeply closeted boy seeks parental approval" because I think that's too simple. Besides the thing that's clear about Ari at this point is that other people understand him much better than he does.

I really like Gina and Susie as minor characters especially the endearing part where Ari asks them to drive him home after he drinks in the desert.

And of course Legs the dog is great.

It's painful to see Ari get rejected whenever he asks about his brother or the part where he finds the envelope but won't examine it.

I find it interesting that Ari feels competitive about like romantic experiences. I don't think that's Dante's intention.

It's painful to see Dante fail to confess, but his confession at the end of this part is very smooth and not awkward A+.

"My mother and father held hands. I wondered what it was like, to hold someone's hand. I bet you could sometimes find all the mysteries of the universe in someone's hand." That's a very romantic line, Ari.

No Ari don't read Hemingway, he's overrated. But I suppose he's pretty macho.

Ari really is a fragile thing

"You did that because that's who you are."

"'You're the Best Friend he's ever had. I think you should know that.' I didn't want to know that. I didn't know why I didn't want to know that."
Oh, Ari 😭

FWIW his deal that he'll talk about his feelings if he hears about his brother is a good deal! He deserves to hear about his brother whether or not his parents want to talk about it.

I hate that his parents pretend it didn't happen.

I realized I took that last bit from Gunnerkrigg Court. Good webcomic.

This is an interesting part because Ari spends the whole part sick or sick and recovering.

You can really see the anger in Ari. He comes off (I'm taking this from an unrelated fanfiction tag I saw) "emotionally constipated". It's a mood. Having all these thoughts and feelings and no clue how to express them, no outlet.

I have to look up William Carlos Williams. Idk poetry

Realizing how near tuesday is means I am bingeing this book.

Other than laundry and a couple cleaning tasks I should have nothing else required on Tuesday and it should load at midnight I'm so excited!!!!!!

I love the contrast between Ari and Dante's families. Both are loving families but Dante's is more affectionate, Ari's more distant for a variety of reasons. I can't imagine being a vietnam vet.

Of course having the grief of a son in prison must be a lot too. It's very Damnatio Memoraie, which I get but it really sucks for Ari.

What I really like in this book is the smallest thing can carry a great weight

I've read this book before #YAMGBookClub, not that that's a bad thing. It's one of my favorites ever.

I went through pre-order receipts. The sequel is supposed to come out Tuesday. Really happy I've been waiting for the sequel for literal years.