Michelle’s Comments (group member since Dec 08, 2021)

Michelle’s comments from the On The Same Page group.

The Book Eaters Overlooked by me I guess. Overrated maybe for the fantasy category for which it was nominated. I would say it leans more towards the horror genre but it's definitely not hardcore horror.

A young mother tries desperately to get her son what he needs to survive and to escape the family members who pursue them. The mother is from a long line of book eaters and her son, a dragon, has developed with different more problematic tastes.

This book was weird and complicated and occasionally very creepy. It was also a great read. The book eaters were a unique twist on the vampire trope and the dragons were even more unusual. There were also weightier questions here. How far would you go for someone you love? What wouldn't you do to protect your child? How does the princess mentality affect women? And, of course, if you could eat any book and make it yours forever, what book would you choose? What would your favorite book taste like?

4 be careful what you snack on stars.

Favorite quote:

“These days, Devon only bought three things from the shops: books, booze, and Sensitive Care skin cream. The books she ate, the booze kept her sane, and the lotion was for Cai, her son. He suffered occasionally from eczema, especially in winter.”
― Sunyi Dean, The Book Eaters

#8 The Book Eaters This book was incredibly weird but in the best of ways. The book eaters are an interesting twist on the vampire trope and their dragons?? Well, I don't want to spoil it. And at its heart the story is all about the things you do for the ones you love. Read this one if you are up for something really out-of-the-box. 4 you are what you eat stars. Audiobook. Fantasy/Horror??? Yes, maybe, a little.

#9 I Must Betray You A fictional account of a Romanian teenager who lives through the fall of communism in his country. Excellent! Love this author. Loved this book. Really makes history come to life. 5 freedom stars. Audiobook. Historical Fiction.

Star Tally 2023
5 stars - 3
4 stars - 3
3 stars - 2
2 stars - 1

Currently Reading:
A Suitable Boy ebook. I may make this book a year long project.
Hunt the Stars audiobook. Another from the Goodreads choice 2022 nominee list.
Hell Bent ebook. Just started.

Another Murderbot fan I see. Enjoy!

I have actually been enjoying the Gunnie Rose series but for some reason I found Sookie & company irritating.

On a very different note, I have begun listening to Hunt the Stars. A goodreads choice sci-fi nominee.

Ioana wrote: "So glad you liked it. I lived through all of that, that's why only 4 stars from me, I picked small things that did not ring true to me. Nothing major, just the way people talk and behave, nothing a..."

I'm so sorry Ioana for what you and your country went through. Of course, there would be parts of this that didn't seem realistic to you. Nothing trumps experience. From what she wrote, the author tried very hard to "get it right". I think she succeeded in writing a story that not only included the facts but made the reader imagine themselves in the characters' shoes. Good fiction can teach us understanding and empathy. I think that's what happened here. I complained above that this author was always marketed as YA when we would all benefit from reading one of her books but in retrospect maybe it is best that they are considered YA. Who better to hear the story and carry it into the next generation.

Lea wrote: "Dear Ms. Harris,

I just finished Living Dead in Dallas. I didn't enjoy this installment as much as Dead Until Dark, the first book in the series. I just felt like this ..."

Nice letter Lea. Hope you have more fortitude than I did. I'm pretty sure I abandoned this series after book 2.

I Must Betray You Wow! Overlooked! My bad.

A Romanian teen and his family struggle to survive in communist Romania of the late 1980's. The story follows the main character through the first violent days of the revolution.

Ruta Sepetys gives readers a genuine and believable view of what it would be like to have lived in the communist block during the 1980's. While Sepetys does write about young people and her writing is appropriate for YA readers, her books are always edifying and carry such emotional impact. This book really opens a window into an era that many of us lived through but being Americans paid little attention and understood even less. I would encourage all ages to read it. I hope Sepetys continues her work of bringing historical injustice to the forefront. If we ignore history how can we prevent injustice in the future.

5 stars for justice and freedom.

Favorite Quotes:

“You’re wrong. They steal our power by making us believe we don’t have any. They’re controlling us through our own fear.”
― Ruta Sepetys, I Must Betray You

“I didn’t yet know that sometimes in outwitting others, we accidentally outwit ourselves.”
― Ruta Sepetys, I Must Betray You

“Sometimes we think we know. We’re sure we know. But we know nothing. Years pass and eventually, time becomes the unveiler of truth.”
― Ruta Sepetys, I Must Betray You

I just started listening to I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. I'm afraid this is going to be a tear jerker. Why is Spetys always considered YA? Her historical fiction always deals with deep issues and tragic events in history.

Alondra wrote: "Michelle wrote: "On a very different note, I also finished The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.

A golem and a jinn..."

It seems like a story you would enjoy Alondra. I did enjoy parts of it very much. It was just too much of the wrong information. It shifted my attention to things that were irrelevant and away from the action. Actually, I think it shifted the author's attention away too. Maybe if I read the next book, I will appreciate it but at the moment I'm just frustrated. I hate it when a book has so much potential and the author seems to throw it away.

Lillie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Glad you said that Lillie. The second one gets a lot of criticism on GR but now I sort of want to read it."

Think it’s because people go in wanting more about the Golem and the Ji..."

Ahhh! Well I'll probably have to read it then. I'm already making up stories in my head about what became of some of the other characters. I hope the author picked the right ones to follow up on.

Alondra wrote: "I like that these are on your 12+4. What a way to knock out these books!

Kudos, Michelle!"

Thanks Alondra! I need all the encouragement I can get. I'm trying to stick to the lists as much as possible. But you know - shiny new books.....

Glad you said that Lillie. The second one gets a lot of criticism on GR but now I sort of want to read it.

Ioana wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I was still writing. Check it out now."

Yay, so happy that you liked it. ❤️"

It was everything you promised Ioana and then some!

#5 The Liar's Dictionary. This story flipped back and forth between two different employees for the same dictionary in two different timelines. The dictionary stuff was clever and some of the dialog was witty but I have to say neither storyline really grabbed me. I was mostly glad to be done with this one. 2 nonplussed stars. Audiobook. General Fiction/Boring Fiction.

#6 Gideon the Ninth I had a love/hate relationship with this book (a very appropriate reaction if you have read the story). Very detailed world building, great characters, nice concept but waaaaaaay too complicated. And for gosh sakes limit each character's list of names and titles to two max. I don't need to know their nicknames etc. I was going to give it 2 stars just because it was so difficult to follow but I asked myself "Would you read the next installment?" and the answer was "yes" so I added one star. 3 stuck with a new series stars. Audiobook. Fantasy.

#7 The Golem and the Jinni Wow! This was a terrifically original tale. Fantasy and historical fiction meld together beautifully for a soft magical story that I will think about for a long time. 5 bittersweet fantasy stars. Paperback. Historical Fiction/Fantasy.

Star Tally 2023
5 stars - 2
4 stars - 2
3 stars - 2
2 stars - 1

Currently reading:
A Suitable Boy ebook. Still and always.
The Book Eaters audiobook. Delightfully weird.

I was still writing. Check it out now.

On a very different note, I also finished The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.

A golem and a jinni stranded and alone in the closed immigrant neighborhoods of turn of the century of New York city, are, against all odds, drawn to each other. They form a tentative friendship and together seek to understand their new world and to struggle together against their bonds.

This book was completely original; fantasy and historical fiction wrapped together in a lovely, atmospheric tale that transported the reader straight to the historical time and place of the novel. At the same time, it did not lose the elements of fantasy that set it apart. The writing was equally beautiful giving this book a subdued and quiet voice.

5 starlight in central park stars

Favorite quotes:

“I trust you above all others", he told her. "Above myself". She shook her head, but then leaned into him, as though taking shelter. He drew her close, the crown of her head beneath his cheek. Beyond the hansom's window, New York was an endless rhythm of walls and windows and doors, darkened alleys, flashes of sunlight. he thought, if he could pick a moment to be taken into the flask, a moment to live in endlessly, perhaps he would choose this one: the passing city, and the woman at his side.”
― Helene Wecker, The Golem and the Jinni

“On a cloudless night, inky dark, with only a rind of a moon above, the Golem and the Jinni went walking together along the Prince Street rooftops.”
― Helene Wecker, The Golem and the Jinni

“All of us are lonely at some point or another, no matter how many people surround us. And then, we meet someone who seems to understand. She smiles, and for a moment the loneliness disappears.”
― Helene Wecker, The Golem and the Jinni

Complete! Gideon the Ninth

The scion of nine planets vie for the position of Lyctor to the Emperor. Gideon bondswoman to the daughter of the ninth planet makes a bargain for her freedom if she helps her princess and sworn enemy in her bid for the title. When they arrive at the designated location to participate in the competition, however, nothing is as it seems. They can't rely on anyone except each other. Or something like that.

This was an incredibly inventive fantasy tale. The descriptions were minutely detailed, and the main characters were likable and admirably badass. The storyline, however, was unbelievably complicated and confusing. There were also a lot of characters all of whom had at least three to seven names each. I could never keep track of the characters and after long passages of detailed fight scenes I would still be confused about what had happened. It usually took a chapter or so before I figured out what was going on. I felt like I was always about 10 pages behind in this book. Honestly, I'm still not sure that I really got it. As a result, I originally gave this a 2 star rating. I upped the rating to 3 stars though because I genuinely did enjoy the characters and the concept and after much consideration I decided that I might even read the next book. I think though the author should have pared down the story a bit. Maybe instead of Gideon the Ninth of the Nine worlds, she could have been Gideon the Third of the Three worlds, eliminating about half the characters and 75% of the extraneous names. Or maybe just not describe the mold in extensive detail or leave out the repeated and detailed explanations of the proper handling of a rapier. Maybe that makes me a poor fantasy fangirl, but I would have been less confused, and I would have liked this book more.

3 begrudging Michelle the Millionteenth stars

Favorite quotes:

“Gideon rolled her eyes so hard that she felt in danger of twisting the optic nerve.”
― Tamsyn Muir, Gideon the Ninth

“One flesh, one end, bitch.”
― Tamsyn Muir, Gideon the Ninth

Lillie wrote: "Book #5 Fly Girl: A Memoir 3.5 stars print book

A fun memoir by a former flight attendant turned author. We see how she decided that she'd l..."

Glad you enjoyed it Lillie. I thought the changes over the years were one of the more interesting parts. Also, my big take away from this book - never where white when traveling.

Lillie wrote: "Your other challenge I missed! Love this and look forward to your thoughts on them since I seem to read whatever book you end up liking ;) Good luck!"

That's funny I thought I was reading the books you end up liking. LOL.