Category: Books

Help, I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up: A Review of Jade City

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books

Hello again, traveler! 💚 (Green heart this time around, for the Green Bone Saga!) Guess who’s now at university? Me! It feels like just yesterday that I graduated from high school!

Today, we’ll be discussing one of my favorite reads of the summer: Fonda Lee’s phenomenal adult fantasy debut, Jade City. It’s a recipient of the World Fantasy Award and Aurora Award, as well as a finalist for the Nebula, Locus, Audie, Sunburst, and Seiun Awards. Quite well-deserving, if you ask me.

Are you ready for this?

SYNOPSIS:

The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It’s the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.

The Green Bone clans of honorable jade-wearing warriors once protected the island from foreign invasion — but nowadays, in a bustling post-war metropolis full of fast cars and foreign money, Green Bone families like the Kauls are primarily involved in commerce, construction, and the everyday upkeep of the districts under their protection.

When the simmering tension between the Kauls and their greatest rivals erupts into open violence in the streets, the outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones and the future of Kekon itself.

Add on Goodreads | Add on Storygraph

Rep:

  • Asian author
  • Asian-coded world and characters
  • Gay main character

Content Warnings:

  • Addiction (allegory)
  • Body horror
  • Death
  • Drug use
  • Gun violence
  • Overdose
  • Self-harm (mentioned)
  • Sexual abuse of minor
  • Sexual content
  • Suicide (mentioned)
  • Violence (graphic)

tl;dr: Do I recommend this book?

MY RATING: ★★★★★

Help. This book was so good that I disintegrated on the spot. 

Continue reading “Help, I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up: A Review of Jade City” →

Nostalgia is a Plague: A Review of Severance by Ling Ma

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books

Hello, traveler! We’re back to writing book reviews! For my first post of the sunny (or shadowy, depending on where you look) month of August, let’s talk about Severance, the shocking and stunning adult sci-fi debut from Ling Ma that absolutely knocked my socks off. (This review is spoiler-free!)

SYNOPSIS:

Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine. So she barely notices when a plague of biblical proportions sweeps New York. Then Shen Fever spreads. Families flee. Companies halt operations. The subways squeak to a halt. Soon entirely alone, still unfevered, she photographs the eerie, abandoned city as the anonymous blogger NY Ghost.

Candace won’t be able to make it on her own forever, though. Enter a group of survivors, led by the power-hungry IT tech Bob. They’re traveling to a place called the Facility, where, Bob promises, they will have everything they need to start society anew. But Candace is carrying a secret she knows Bob will exploit. Should she escape from her rescuers?

Add on Goodreads | Add on Storygraph

Rep:

  • Chinese-American author and main character
  • Chinese (specifically Fujianese) characters
  • BIPOC side characters

Content Warnings:

  • Death
  • Depression
  • Murder
  • Pandemic content
  • Imprisonment
  • On-page sexual content
  • Suicidal ideation

tl;dr: Do I recommend this book?

MY RATING: ★★★★★

Oh, my God. 

Continue reading “Nostalgia is a Plague: A Review of Severance by Ling Ma” →

Twenty-thousand Years of This, Seven More to Go: Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag 2021

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books

Hello, dear traveler! It has been quite a while since my last post. My unexpected semi-hiatus from Twitter, Instagram, and WordPress gave me a good breather, but I missed the joyous chaos of book blogging.

Since we have last met, much has changed:

  • I wrote my second full-length novel.
    • I finished the first extremely rough draft in just a few weeks, and I started sending out queries for the project recently. Exciting and scary times!
  • I decided upon the college I’ll be attending in the fall.
    • See you soon, UC Berkeley!
  • I watched a lot of television.
    • My current fave recent shows and movies: Vincenzo, Way of the House Husband, Demon Slayer, Nevertheless, Bo Burnham: Inside, In the Heights, and The Problem With Apu
  • I graduated from high school!
Be sure to watch my YouTube vlog about my graduation experience!

Plus, the blog has been a bit rebranded! For one thing, I changed up the fonts. The header image for my homepage is also different, and I’ve updated my About page. Be sure to tour around and check everything out!

And of course, I’ve read a few books. 😏

Perhaps the middle of the year has passed us. According to my Google research, July 2 was the midpoint of the year. Regardless, I am glad that our paths have intertwined again.

Welcome to Sophie and Their Stories‘ first ever Mid Year Book Freak Out! 💞 The tag originated from Chami at Read Like Wildfire, and I’m excited to be diving into it.

Let’s catch up with each other, shall we?

Continue reading “Twenty-thousand Years of This, Seven More to Go: Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag 2021” →

Tempests Shout the Dual Moons’ Presence: A Review of Son of the Storm (Book Tour)

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books
Tour banner for the Nameless Republic Tour. At the top, it reads, "Son of the Storm" in bold white serif font. Underneath, it says, "By Suyi Dacies Okungbowa." The text is on a blue background. The top of the face of the person on the cover is in view.

Hey there, traveler!

What happens when ambition meets fate — when disparate paths intertwine and intersect so intricately that those who trace it come to realize that the path never branched off; it was always one winding road to begin with? Lives connect in trembling, shocking ways. Intentions become clear when the night falls. 

Welcome, dear traveler, to Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, a novel released on May 11, 2021, that stunned me as I completed it on a stormy night, crying out towards the final page as each thread of the plot converged into a complex point.  

I am honored and pleased to be part of the Nameless Republic Book Tour, hosted by Caffeine Book Tours! Ginormous thanks to Caffeine Book Tours and Son of the Storm’s publisher, Orbit Books, for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of the novel for my participation in this tour.

Feel free to peruse the launch post for the book tour here!

SYNOPSIS:

A young scholar’s ambition threatens to reshape an empire determined to retain its might in this epic tale of violent conquest, buried histories, and forbidden magic.

In the thriving city of Bassa, Danso is a clever but disillusioned scholar who longs for a life beyond the rigid family and political obligations expected of the city’s elite. A way out presents itself when Lilong, a skin-changing warrior, shows up wounded in his barn. She comes from the Nameless Islands–which, according to Bassa lore, don’t exist–and neither should the mythical magic of ibor she wields. Now swept into a conspiracy far beyond his understanding, Danso will have to set out on a journey that reveals histories violently suppressed and magic only found in lore.

Goodreads | Book Depository | IndieBound | Amazon

On-page Representation:

  • African/Black
  • Albinism
  • Disability
  • Nonbinary
  • Pan/polysexual

Content Warnings:

  • Ageism
  • Bones
  • Colorism/discrimination
  • Emotionally manipulative relationship
  • Fire
  • Misogyny
  • Pain
  • Pregnancy and miscarriage/abortion
  • Violence, blood and murder

tl;dr: Do I recommend this book?

MY RATING: ★★★★★

Traveler. This book is made of pure magic. 

We shall analyze it, spoiler-free, together!

Continue reading “Tempests Shout the Dual Moons’ Presence: A Review of Son of the Storm (Book Tour)” →

Wells That Draw Water: A Review of Transcendent Kingdom

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books

Hello there, traveler! Happy Belated Mother’s Day! 💜

To all the moms and parents out there, thank you for your loveliness. Shout out to eldest siblings, aunts, grandparents, and guardians. And to everyone who isn’t with a loved one today, or haven’t had much to celebrate lately, here’s a colossal hug. 🤗 You deserve the world.

Let’s talk about one of my recent reads, Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, a short, surprising read about family life, immigrant experiences, religion alignments, and mental health that I absolutely adored.

The cover for Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi.

SYNOPSIS:

Gifty is a fifth-year candidate in neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine studying reward-seeking behavior in mice and the neural circuits of depression and addiction. Her brother, Nana, was a gifted high school athlete who died of a heroin overdose after a knee injury left him hooked on OxyContin. Her suicidal mother is living in her bed. Gifty is determined to discover the scientific basis for the suffering she sees all around her.

But even as she turns to the hard sciences to unlock the mystery of her family’s loss, she finds herself hungering for her childhood faith and grappling with the evangelical church in which she was raised, whose promise of salvation remains as tantalizing as it is elusive. Transcendent Kingdom is a deeply moving portrait of a family of Ghanaian immigrants ravaged by depression and addiction and grief — a novel about faith, science, religion, love. 

Goodreads | Book Depository | IndieBound

Rep:

  • Ghananaian cast, protagonist, and author
  • Bisexual main character
  • Depression
  • Mental health representation
  • Religious representation (Christianity)
  • BIPOC characters

Content Warnings:

  • Death
  • Depression
  • Drug abuse
  • Overdose
  • Parental neglect
  • Racial slurs
  • Racism
  • Suicidal ideation

tl;dr: Do I recommend this book?

"Yes," written in bold, black text.

MY RATING: ★★★★★

“We read the Bible how we want to read it. It doesn’t change, but we do.”

I read this book for a school assignment — to analyze, dissect, and interpret as required by my English teacher (who is amazing, by the way) and her Google-Doc dissertation prompt. I had no idea how profoundly Transcendent Kingdom would affect me.

Continue reading “Wells That Draw Water: A Review of Transcendent Kingdom” →

Angels, Action, and an All-Queer Cast: An Interview with Debut Author Jameson Rivera

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books

Welcome back to the blog, dear traveler! Happy April, too. 🙇🏻‍♀️ I am pleased to be presenting my first author interview on Sophie and Their Stories: a chat with my good friend and incredibly talented speculative author Jameson Rivera about his debut fantasy novel, Broken Stone, which is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Join us as we discuss worldbuilding, character arcs, LGBTQIA+ representation in the media, funky tunes, and all things in between! The interview will be entirely spoiler-free.

The cover for Broken Stone. The shadow of an angel looms over the shape of a gravestone against a bright landscape with mountains and a red sky.

SYNOPSIS:

Ruiz Gravenor longs to destroy the Kingdom of Lygos, to finally revenge himself on the imperialist regime that subjugates his homeland, the island of Fieroe. In a trick of fate, he is chosen by the eldritch god hibernating beneath the island and bestowed with otherworldly powers. As Ruiz travels Lygos, he uses his talents to incite resistance. Still, he is but one man with many enemies 一 including the Lygian Saint-King’s right-hand man, Gideon Minmose.

Despite their animosity, both are far from home, haunted by traumatic memories. And Gideon, burdened with responsibility, is also chosen by a god. For all that Ruiz and Gideon appear as enemies, they have forged a secret partnership to eliminate Lygos’ reign. When forgotten rituals to revive the ancient gods are suddenly unearthed, they must risk everything for a chance at victory. With the gods’ rebirth comes the promise of freedom, but failure means certain death. What’s more, the gods are old and unknowable, and meddling with them could tear reality apart.

Goodreads | Amazon | Pre-order Links

Rep:

  • Transmasc, Puerto Rican/mixed-race author
  • Neurodivergent author and characters
  • Queer author and characters
  • Trans characters
  • Latino-coded protagonist
  • Black protagonist
  • BIPOC-coded characters
  • mlm and wlw characters
  • Mental illness rep

Content Warnings:

  • Alcoholism/Alcohol dependence
  • Colonialism
  • Gore
  • Allusions to CSA and nonexplicit discussions of abuse
  • Consensual sex/explicit sexual content
  • Body horror

Let us take flight!

Continue reading “Angels, Action, and an All-Queer Cast: An Interview with Debut Author Jameson Rivera” →

The Skies Sing for Revolution: A Review of The Unbroken (Book Tour)

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books

Greetings, dear traveler! I’ve got a special treat for you today: welcome to my tour spot for The Unbroken by C. L. Clark, a brilliant, breathtaking debut adult fantasy inspired by North Africa, which was just released on March 23, 2021!

I extend my greatest thanks to the wonderful Caffeine Book Tours and the book’s publisher, Orbit Books, for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Unbroken for my participation in this tour.

Be sure to check out the launch post for The Unbroken book tour via this link!

SYNOPSIS:

Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet’s edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren’t for sale.

Goodreads | Book Depository | IndieBound | Amazon

Rep:

  • Protagonists of color
  • LGBT protagonists
  • F/F main characters
  • M/M side characters
  • Nonbinary side character
  • Older women

Content Warnings:

  • Depictions of colonial violence (physical and emotional) and destruction
  • Gore
  • Past attempted rape
  • Threats of rape
  • Threats of torture

tl;dr: Do I recommend this book?

MY RATING: ★★★★★

“You’ll have to fight for one side or the other. Why not fight for the side that gives you freedom?”

In my eyes, fantasy is a perfect genre. 

What’s not to love? Through fantasy, traveler, I can flee to far-flung, exciting realms unlike any land I have ever touched; gain the power to cut dragons from paper, chase monsters from a metropolis, or jump-start my car without much strife; and I can explore all the deadly complexities of life and living, framed with a subtle hint of magic. 

Fantasy can be a receptacle for both discovery and education through its worldbuilding, characters, and commentary. (And it always makes me cry. 😃 Laugh the pain away!)

The Unbroken is an absolutely prime work of fantasy. I’m obsessed.

Let’s discuss it, traveler! (This review will be spoiler-free!)

Continue reading “The Skies Sing for Revolution: A Review of The Unbroken (Book Tour)” →

Souls From a Serrated Page: A Review of The Chosen and the Beautiful

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books

I’ve been waiting for this one! (Turn it up!)

How are you, traveler? I hope you’re doing well.

It’s my birthday today! 🎂 I’m turning eighteen, which is crazy! To celebrate this, I’d like to discuss one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 (and incidentally one of my new all-time favorites) — The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo, the author of a fantasy novella series I love, The Singing Hills Cycle.

From the cover, premise, and style, I was absolutely ready to dive right in. And dive in, I did!

SYNOPSIS:

Immigrant. Socialite. Magician.

Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society―she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She’s also queer, Asian, adopted, and treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her.

But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how.

Goodreads | Book Depository | IndieBound | Preorder Portal

Rep: queer, Vietnamese author and protagonist; queer and BIPOC characters; Asian characters

Content Warnings: racism, fetishization, and xenophobia; homophobia; domestic abuse; sexual intercourse and interactions; pregnancy and abortion; death; substance use

tl;dr: Do I recommend this book?

MY RATING: ★★★★★

“Having gay time now?” I asked, breaking the silence with a smile.

Oh, Jordan. Dearest, darling Jordan Baker — my spirit, my star, my soul. Yes. Yes, amen, I am.

Continue reading “Souls From a Serrated Page: A Review of The Chosen and the Beautiful” →

Amity, Affluence, and AP Exams: A Review of Not THAT Rich

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books

Hello again, traveler! Are you searching for a fun, diverse book by an Asian-American author? Look no further! Let’s discuss Not THAT Rich by Belinda Lei, a debut YA novel to the tune of Crazy Rich Asians and Gossip Girl that had me absolutely hooked from start to finish and gave me a bit of sunlight during freezing, frightening times.

The cover of Not THAT Rich by Belinda Lei. The text, "Not THAT Rich," at the top of the cover and the author's name at the bottom of the cover are written in gold. An art-deco-esque female figure stands in front of a gothic-style gate amidst a green background.

SYNOPSIS:

Hunter and Trisha Wang, like the majority of their classmates, are trying to balance AP classes, Ivy League applications, numerous extracurriculars, and tumultuously juicy social lives, all while living in their affluent, suburban bubble.

Will Hunter get into Stanford and still be able to maintain his relationship with the “it girl” Sierra Jones? Will Trisha find love with outsider Ray Martinez and figure out what’s going on with her influencer best friend, Pamela Shah? Will billionaire newcomer Jack Zhou figure out how to fit in? And who exactly is The Stranger?

Welcome to Winchester High, a prestigious college preparatory school where students live seemingly perfect, privileged lives.

Goodreads | Book Depository | IndieBound

Rep: Chinese-American author, protagonists, and characters; Asian and BIPOC cast; queer characters

Content Warnings: unplanned pregnancy; racism and xenophobia; homophobia; loss of a loved one; drug and substance use; bullying; physical and psychological abuse

tl;dr: Do I recommend this book?

MY RATING: ★★★★★

In short: eat the rich. They have some delicious stories to tell.

This is the sort of high-school drama I’ve been searching for all of my life.

Continue reading “Amity, Affluence, and AP Exams: A Review of Not THAT Rich” →

Your Mom Will Hold Your Red Envelopes For You 🧧: 12 Books (by Asian Authors) That Feature Lunar New Year

by cephalopodiatry, posted in Books

恭禧發財! 새해 복 많이 받으세요! Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! Kung Hei Fat Choi! Lo Sar Bzang!

Happy Lunar New Year, dear traveler! Welcome to the Year of the Ox, a lunar animal that symbolizes diligence, patience, and hard work. 🐂 For those of you who are unfamiliar with this holiday, Lunar New Year commemorates the new cycle of the lunar calendar. It is typically observed in February by people in nations across Southeast and East Asia (and by Asian diaspora worldwide!) — from Mongolia to Indonesia to Taiwan to the Philippines to Tibet and beyond. (Other Asian countries, such as Thailand and Japan, celebrate their New Year’s Days on different dates.)

So many beautiful, diverse customs characterize the New Year. (Some of which I have mentioned before on my blog!) Many countries share customs, and others have unique customs of their own.

To name a few:

TibetThe Tibetan Lunar New Year, Losar, involves two main parts: a farewell to the negativity of the past and a welcoming of the fortune to come.
VietnamOne Tết tradition includes Dựng Cây Nêu, or the raising of a New Year Tree. The tree is a marker for ancestors’ spirits that travel back from the afterlife to celebrate the New Year.
South KoreaSeollal lasts three days and is a time for family gatherings. During Seollal festivities, families eat food such as tteokguk to symbolize beginning the new year with a clean mind and body.
SingaporeSingapore’s Lunar New Year is influenced by its multicultural population. On the seventh day of the New Year, loved ones gather to toss up the ingredients of raw fish salad, bringing in good luck, in a custom called lo hei.
ThailandSongkran, which begins on April 13, includes an epic water fight. Celebrators also ferry sand to Buddhist temples, which is meant to replenish the sand that has been carried away on the soles of shoes throughout the previous year.
CambodiaThe Cambodian New Year starts on April 14. Moha Sangkran, the first day of the New Year, inaugurates the New Angels who will watch over the world in the months to come. A ceremony called Pithi Srang Preah, which occurs on Leung Sakk, the third day of the New Year, involves giving special showers to Buddha statues.
MongoliaOn Tsagaan Sar, which means “white moon” in Mongolian, the hostess of a Mongolia household throws the contents of a cup of tea with milk in all directions, offering it to the gods. Celebrants often visit their entire families on this day.
MyanmarKicking off on April 13, Thingyan festivities include the nga hlut pwe, or fish-releasing ceremony, in which participants rescue fish from drying lakes, then free them into larger bodies of water, bidding them, “I release you once, you release me ten times.”
MalaysiaOn Penang Island in Malaysia, the Kek Lok Si Temple is covered with millions of colorful lamps and lights to salute the new year. In Kuala Lumpur, fireworks and music fill the air.
PhilippinesIn the Philippines, families eat tikoy, or New Year’s cake, which symbolizes familial unity, as well as pancit, noodles that signify a long life. Celebrants light fireworks and bolster this noise and cheer with horns and cooking pots.
IndonesiaDuring Imlek, families visit the Sikunir Hill in Central Java for the One Thousand-Lantern Festival, releasing a thousand lanterns into the sky. The roads from Jalan Slamet Riyadi to Purwosari to Gladag are closed for Car Free Night so that the New Year can be welcomed.
LaosFrom April 14 to 16, Pi Mai in Luang Prabang of northern Laos includes a parade in Prabang Buddha is carried on a golden palanquin. In a beauty contest called Nang Sangkhane, seven contestants, representing the seven daughters of King Kabinlaphom, compete for a beauty-queen crown.
Hong KongIn Hong Kong, people can visit the Wishing Tree at Lam Tsuen, tie a wish to an orange and a piece of string, and throw it high into the tree, hoping for their wishes to come tree in the New Year.
TaiwanThe Taiwanese Lunar New Year involves games of mahjong, delicious meals with family members, and hanging spring couplets to the front doors of homes.

(Feel free to correct me if there are any inaccuracies in the events I outlined above, or if there is anything else I can include. 🙌🏼 I’d be more than happy to add to this list!)

I absolutely love Lunar New Year! Here in the states, my friends and I always look forward to good food (so much food!) and red envelopes (which our parents will hold for us until we are older, for investment 🙈). There’s always such a lovely sense of community whenever Lunar New Year rolls around. I am filled with a renewed sense of optimism and hope.

To celebrate this momentous day, here are twelve (a lucky number for 2021!) books that feature/contain Lunar New Year in their stories! I will include four children’s books, three middle-grade books, two young-adult books, and three adult books. 💌

Continue reading “Your Mom Will Hold Your Red Envelopes For You 🧧: 12 Books (by Asian Authors) That Feature Lunar New Year” →