April was largely focused on the Magical Readathon. I read a fair bit of non-fiction, which slowed me down, but this was counterbalanced by the motivation of the readathon.
Mt TBR Status
Mt TBR @ 1 January 2022: 360
Mt TBR @ 31 March 2022: 396
Mt TBR @ 30 April 2022: 390
Items Read
28. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison. Fantasy. Having helped the young emperor investigate the murder of his father, Celedar now uses his abilities to speak to the recently deceased to serve the common people. This was rather a different kettle of fish to The Goblin Emperor, but has some similar vibes with respect to a character who is isolated and doing his best in a difficult and complicated job. I could see some of the author’s love of Sherlock Holmes, but those vibes weren’t too overpowering.
29. The Weed Forager’s Handbook by Adam Grubb and Annie Raiser-Rowland. Non-fiction. A bit brief, but informative. I did find it tended to be focused on the south-east of Australia, which is useful for me but not so for everyone.
30. Seance Tea Party by Reimena Yee. Middle grade fantasy graphic novel. Book club pick. A young girl left behind by her maturing friends meets the ghost who haunts her house. This was a sweet story about not wanting to grow up and about keeping your imagination when you do.
31. Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson edited by Ted Hughes. Poetry. Emily Dickinson might be considered classic, but she doesn’t do much for me.
32. Unwell Women: A journey through medicine and myth in a man-made world by Elinor Cleghorn. Non-fiction. Traces the history of women’s medicine through the ages from hysteria, through to hormones and the lack of understanding around autoimmune diseases. It also emphasises how current understanding of women’s health is based on the torture of and experimentation upon women of colour.
33. Fire Cider! 101 recipes for health-boosting remedies made with apple cider vinegar by Rosemary Gladstar. Non-fiction. Basically what it says on the tin. Read just in time to prepare for winter.
34. NPCs by Drew Hayes. Book club pick. Fantasy. First book in the Spells, Swords and Stealth series. When a party of adventurers dies in the tavern, the half-orc owner, the daughter of the mayor, a guard and a retired gnome must take on their quest in order to protect their town from the ire of the king. A fine enough story, but not particularly deep or innovative.
35. A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows. Fantasy. A scandal sees Velasin betrothed not to the daughter of a neighbouring kingdom, as he expected, but to the son. However, the betrothal is threatened when someone attempts to assassinate Velasin in the name of his betrothed. Review forthcoming.
36. It Came From the Deep by Maria Lewis. Science fiction. Third book of the Supernatural Sisters. When two men bearing a grudge try to drown Kaia in a local lake, she is saved by a mysterious rescuer. Rather reminiscent of The Shape of Water, but without the depth and set in Australia.
37. The Impossible Resurrection of Grief by Octavia Cade. Science fiction horror. As ecosystems collapse brings a deadly depression to the human population, Ruby finds herself dealing with the death of a friend. Review forthcoming.
Acquisitions
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
The Witch Who Courted Death by Maria Lewis
The Cat Proposed by Dentou Hayane
Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane AndersFire Cider! 101 recipes for health-boosting remedies made with apple cider vinegar by Rosemary Gladstar