Then and Now #57 (22/10/23 - 29/10/23)

Happy Sunday!  The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted @ Caffeinated Reviewer. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week.  It is hosted weekly over at Mailbox Monday and every Friday they do a round-up of some of their favourite, shared reads!

Last Week

Phheeewww, it's been a week! The semester really started this week, in the sense that teaching started, which means I suddenly had three hours of classes to teach and to prep, and four hours of Norwegian classes to attend and prepare for. On top of that we're still putting the final touches to our 3-day conference, which is in two weeks, but at least we finally seem to have the catering all sorted, so that's a major relief cause that was still weighing on me. Teaching was also really fun, I've got about 20 students in my module and they all seem eager and ready to engage. But the way the schedule has turned out I need to be in the office four days a week, which is fine but a bit of an adjustment. November is going to be absolutely insane, with the conference but also with some other major things happening like an open day and teaching observations and workshops. But at least I already know it's going to be insane so I can be prepared?

This week was ok, reading wise. My eyes have been super tired from all the staring at computers at work, so I dipped back in to audiobooks a little. But I've got a few books I really want to get into this weekend (prepping this post on Friday xD) and I'm looking forward to just two days of reading. And next week has a national holiday in it, so that will also be a nice breather. I've also got a Zoom with a friend planned on Saturday and want to make risotto, which I haven't had in a while. I love the cheesy and flavourful comfort of it in wintertime. 

Posted this week:

• Review: Blood from the Air by Gemma Files
• Book Central #12 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
• Friday Friyay: Fog by Miguel de Unamuno, trans. by Elena Barcia

Recommendation

1987 (Taylor's Version) came out on Friday and I have become something of a Swiftie ever since Evermore came out. I was very much in a "I don't like popular things, I'm different, so I don't like TS" phase before then, but I've really come to appreciate her songwriting and am enjoying discovering some of her earlier music through her rerecordings. 'Clean' is a song I probably would have benefitted from having in my life back in the day, but I'm appreciating it now.

Mailbox Monday

I have not been very good about not requesting books this week... but yay for new books to read!

Three Eight One by Aliya Whiteley (Rebellion; 1/16/2024)

An astonishing literary crossover novel about the pressures of growing up and the nature of authorship.

In January 2314, Rowena Savalas – a curator of the vast archive of the twenty-first century’s primitive internet – stumbles upon a story posted in the summer of 2024. She’s quickly drawn into the mystery of the text: Is it autobiography, fantasy or fraud? What’s the significance of the recurring number 381?

In the story, the protagonist Fairly walks the Horned Road – a quest undertaken by youngsters in her village when they come of age. She is followed by the “breathing man,” a looming presence, dogging her heels every step of the way. Everything she was taught about her world is overturned.

Following Fairly’s quest, Rowena comes to question her own choices, and a predictable life of curation becomes one of exploration, adventure and love. As both women’s stories draw to a close, she realises it doesn’t matter whether the story is true or not: as with the quest itself, it’s the journey that matters.

I have adored Aliya Whiteley's work since 2014, when I first read The Beauty. I was absolutely engrossed by her latest, Skyward Inn, two years ago, so when I saw that she had a new book out I jumped on the chance. I love the blurb as well, how it mixes spooky with meta. I just know I'm going to love this!

To Cage a God by Elizabeth May (Daphne Press, 2/20/2024)

Join the rebellion to burn down a cruel tyrant in this heartracing new fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and The Wolf and the Woodsman.

To cage a god is divine. To be divine is to rule. To rule is to destroy.

Using ancient secrets, Galina and Sera’s mother grafted gods into their bones. Bound to brutal deities and granted forbidden power no commoner has held in a millennia, the sisters have grown up to become living weapons. Raised to overthrow an empire―no matter the cost. With their mother gone and their country on the brink of war, it falls to the sisters to take the helm of the rebellion and end the cruel reign of a royal family possessed by destructive gods. Because when the ruling alurea invade, they conquer with fire and blood. And when they clash, common folk burn.

While Sera reunites with her estranged lover who now leads the rebellion, Galina infiltrates the palace. In this world of deception and danger, her only refuge is an isolated princess, whose whip-smart tongue and sharp gaze threaten to uncover Galina’s secret. Torn between desire and duty, Galina must make a choice: work together to expose the lies of the empire―or bring it all down.

Confession time: I first found out about Elizabeth May due to her delightful Twitter presence. Now that Twitter is a disasterzone, I figured it was time to actually dive into her writing itself. I also just love the blurb here, the idea of caging a god, of revolutions, the cost of rebellion, ALL OF IT!

The Butcher of the Forest Premee Mohamed (Tor Publishing Group; 2/27/2024)

A world-weary woman races against the clock to survive a deadly forest in this dark, otherworldly fairytale from Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning author Premee Mohamed.

At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic.

Veris Thorn—the only one to ever enter the forest and survive—is forced to go back inside to retrieve tyrant's missing children. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of the past.

One day is all Veris is afforded. One misstep will cost everything.

I kept going back to this book, drawn in by the protagonist, the fact that this is her second challenge, and I love forests and all the creepiness that goes down in there. Also, the cover is just stunning and looks so dreamlike, until you look closer and the animal heads are skulls. Creepy :)

And that's it for me this week! How are you doing?