the long way to a small angry planet

T5W: BOOKS TO GIVE TO SAGITTARIUS PEOPLE

Hello all! This weeks Top 5 Wednesday was a make your own topic and I thought about what I wanted to do for a while and decided on making a list based on star sign. People have been talking about the Zodiac a lot recently and we are currently in the Sagittarius part of the zodiac, and also I am a Sagi so I just decided to go with this.

Sagittarius are typically curious and energetic. They’re open minded, love travelling and exploring and are generally extroverted and optimistic. They also have a strong sense of humour and enthusiasm. They generally have large friend groups and strong family and partner relationships. So I’ll be recommending books which are compatible or representative of these kinds of traits!

1: Undead Girl Gand by Lily Anderson

what it’s about: Undead Girl Gang follows Mila Flores, who is convinced the ‘suicide’ of her best friend is fake, and that her friend was actually murdered. In order to solve the mystery, Mila uses an ancient Wiccan spell to bring Riley back from the dead. The spell works, but Mila accidentally brings two other girls back from the dead, and none of them can remember how they died. Together, they only have a week to solve the murder before the girls return to their graves.

why it suits the sagittarius: First of all, Undead Girl Gang definitely requires an open mind. There is literal ghosts and Wiccan armies and all sorts going on. But if you embrace it all it’s such a fun book. The humour is also on point, and this book places a huge emphasis on the importance of friendship, which is also important to Sagittarius’.

2: Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

what it’s about: Michael is an atheist who is sent to St. Clare’s a strict Catholic private school. In his first class, he’s relieved to meet a girl called Lucy who calls out a nun in class for her teachings about saints. Thinking he’s found a fellow non-believer, Michael approaches Lucy. It turns out Lucy is actually a devout catholic who wants to be a priest. Lucy introduces Michael to Heretics Anonymous, a group comprising of Lucy, Avi (who is Jewish and gay) and Eden (who is pagan). The group decide to take action at the school to expose hypocrisies in the schools education and the Catholic faith.

why it suits the sagittarius: A large focus on this book is about being open minded, which is something Sagittarius like to be. The book examines theology from all sorts of angles and emphasises that being open minded and understanding of religions is extremely important. The value this book emphasises are one’s that Sagittarius value. There is also lots of discussions of different religions and groups and this could be appealing to a Sagittarius. Finally, like Undead Girl Gang, this is hilarious and focusses on friendship quite a lot.

3: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

what it’s about: In this world, humans have left earth and joined the Galactic Commons, a collection of space species including aliens that co-exist under one government. Rosemary is a human who joins a crew tunnelling through space to a small planet that is joining the GC. It follows the crew and the experiences Rosemary has on board the ship.

why it suits the sagittarius: The main character’s journey would definitely appeal to a Sagittarius. This book focusses on Rosemary’s travels around space and all the new things she experiences and Sagittarius are big travellers. This book also explores how being open-minded and thoughtful about other people and how they are unique is actually beneficial, and overall this book celebrates diversity and difference. This is something that would appeal to a Sagi!

4: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

what it’s about: When Etta is kidnapped at a music recital, she discovers she comes from a line of time travellers capable of jumping through time and place. She is charged with hunting down and recovering an object her mother hid at some point in history in order to win her freedom.

why it suits the sagittarius: Sagittarius love travel and this is the ultimate travelling adventure. This book allows you to visit so many amazing places and times and Bracken’s writing is so vivid it’s like being there. Etta is also so optimistic and although she is in a bad situation she makes the most of it, which feels like Sagittarius qualities.

5: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

what it’s about: Sapiens is a short but thorough work detailing the history of humankind from the first emergence of humans into the current age. It’s only 500 novels but packs in a lot of information, and Harari’s commentary is interesting and enlightening.

why it suits the sagittarius: Sagittarius love learning and having their mind opened and this teaches SO MUCH. Not only does Harari offer so many amazing and wild facts about humanity, his personal commentary on various social systems is also quite thought provoking. There is also a strong current of optimism about humankind overall despite many flaws and optimism is something Sagittarius value!

Those were all my recommendations for Sagittarius booklovers! Let me know if you’d be interested in seeing other horoscopes as I may expand this out. What books would you gift to the Sagittarius in your life?

until next time

ADULT BOOKS FOR YA READERS

If you’re anything like me, then you might be a YA reader who’s trying to read more adult books. Recently (that being over the past like, 1 and a half ish years) I’ve been trying to branch out and read more adult books. That isn’t because I don’t like YA, but it is because I felt there was lots of books and topics in adult literature I wanted to explore more, and also because the age of some YA characters (especially in younger YA) isn’t really relatable to me at this point.

But one thing I really struggled with in trying to read more adult is knowing which books to read. There didn’t seem to be much of a transition space between YA and adult (don’t even get me started on the demise of NA) and so it was hard to find adult books that weren’t ‘too adult’ in a way.

So I decided to make a post today of adult books I feel are really readable if you’re used to reading young adult. These books are ones I’ve read that I found were good crossover books between adult and young adult! Lets get into it.

The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin

What is it about?: The Fifth Season in a high fantasy where the world experiences semi-regular apocalyptic events called “Seasons”. At the beginning of the book, another apocalyptic event has occurred by this one is looking worse than the others. We follow three main narrators, Essun, who’s looking for her daughter, Damaya, a young magic user taken to be trained at a Orogene school and Syenite, a woman half way through Orogene school who’s sent on mission with Alabastar, one of the most powerful magic users in the world.

Why did I choose it?: Even though this as an adult!antasy, I found it pretty accessible. Although Essun is an adult, Syenite and Damaya are both younger and most of the book is from Syenite’s point of view. Although the worldbuilding was quite complex, it still had lots of familiar fantasy touchstones that also appear in YA so it wasn’t too hard to follow. Also, this is just one of those fantasies ALL fantasy fans should read because it’s THAT GOOD.

Read my full review of this book here!

The Poppy War by R.F Kuang

What is it about?: The Poppy War follows Rin, an orphan and peasant living in the south of the Nikara empire. Desperate to escape her abusive adoptive mothers home, she takes the Keju test and joins military school in the North. From there, Rin is thrust into a war involving, gods, shamans and the vicious Federation of Mugen from across the sea.

Why did I choose it?: This book is definitely adult because of it’s violence and graphic content but the actual characters are all of YA age. Rin is a young adult and so are her friends. On top of that, lots of the plot, such as the military training school and the war plot felt familiar and the writing also felt quite similar to how a YA book is written. If this book wasn’t to violent it could easily be YA. I think that is why so many people on YA twitter (including me) love it so much. That being said, do check the tws as there are a lot, and I listed them in my review.

Read my full review of this book here!

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab

What is it about?: In this series, four parallel worlds exist, and the only thing they have in common is that each world has a capital city called London. Every London has the same geography, but beside that they’re dissimilar. We follow Kell, from Red London, a world where magic is abundant. Kell is an Antari, meaning he can travel between the worlds. While travelling to Grey London, our world where magic has died, he meets Lila Bard, a thief who steals a valuable object from him. From here, the two become embroiled in a scheme that threatens to release dark magic into the world, destroying both Kell and Lila’s homes.

Why did I choose it?: V.E Schwab’s adults read so much like YA to me. I think it’s because V.E Schwab is really conscious about the fact her readers cross genres/age ranges so she tries to keep things accessible to everyone. The themes of this book are very similar to many YA books. Family issues, having to assume a leadership role, messing with dark magic and first romance are all on play here which makes it super easy to read for a YA audience.

Read my full series review here!

The City of Brass by S.A Chakraborty

What is it about?: On the streets of 18th century Ciaro lives Nahri, a girl who tricks people for a living and doesn’t believe in magic. Her life is turned upside down when she accidentally summons a djinn and is thrust into the magical world.

Why did I choose it?: At first when I started reading this I actually thought it WAS a YA! It reminds me a lot of An Ember in the Ashes just in terms of the djinn and the atmosphere of the story? But it also reminds me of And I Darken for the historical elements and the tone of the writing. This book has a lot of familiar YA touchstones and Nahri is pretty young which also makes it accessible as a crossover fantasy title. Although this has a lot of historical fiction elements it also has fantasy and magic and con work which makes it so fun and easy to read even though it’s adult.

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

What is it about?: Ten years after the events of Peter Pan, Peter returns to Neverland, unable to live life as Wendy Darling any longer. When he arrives, he finds the war with the pirates has taken a deadly turn and that the Lost Boys have also grown up. On top of this, Peter finds himself suddenly attracted to his old rival, Captain Hook, and unsure of the dynamic they now have.

Why did I choose it?: As mentioned above, V.E Schwab does genre hopping & wide audience appeal so well. Even though Victor and Eli are adults, their story starts in college which situated them in the familiar for me. The tropes and idea of the superhero story that this book plays on is also really familiar, so it didn’t really matter how old the characters were. It was more about the themes and the story then necessarily having to relate to the characters and their experiences/struggles.

Read my review here!

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

What is it about?: In an idyllic school in the rural English country side, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy first became friends. Now aged 31, Kathy reflects back on her time as Hailsham and the relationship between her, Ruth and Tommy. Slowly, Never Let Me Go reveals a unexpected and haunting series of events.

Why did I choose it?: This is both a dystopian & contemporary (it’s kind of hard to define within a genre) but it’s definitely an accessible read either way. For one, most of it is told in reflections by Kathy of when the characters were kids and teenagers, and most of the problems they face in later life feel more like a YA dystopian than an adult contemporary. This is such an interesting mystery but I definitely recommend going into it with as little knowledge as possible!

Read my review here!

UFO In Her Eyes by Xiaolu Guo

What is it about?: When Chinese woman Kwok Yun spots a UFO while bike riding, her life changes forever. As a result of the event, the government sends two agents from the National Security and Intelligence Agency to ask Kwok Yun and the other people in her village a few questions about the event, including what the UFO looked like, why Kwok Yun was near it’s crash site, and who the western man she helped after the event was.

Why did I choose it?: In some ways this book is like Illuminae and that is such a popular YA book. It’s all told in interviews/documents and observations and therefore is really interesting to read. Although the subtext of this book very much involves examining the Chinese government and the experiences of rural Chinese people, it’s still an enjoyable read without all that too and it’s extremely funny. Also, Kwok Yun is quite young and a bit of an outsider which makes her a similar character to many YA protagonists.

Read my review here!

Vicious by V.E Schwab

What is it about?: Vicious follows Eli Cardale and Victor Vale, two brilliant men who ended up roommates in college. The two decide to write their thesis on ExtraOrdinaries, or EO’s, a group of people who, by urban legend, have unique super abilities. When their research moved from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Now, ten years later, Victor has broken out of prison with one goal, to find his old foe Eli, and to kill him.

Why did I choose it?: As mentioned above, V.E Schwab does genre hopping & wide audience appeal so well. Even though Victor and Eli are adults, their story starts in college which situated them in the familiar for me. The tropes and idea of the superhero story that this book plays on is also really familiar, so it didn’t really matter how old the characters were. It was more about the themes and the story then necessarily having to relate to the characters and their experiences/struggles. Although this definitely has prominent sci-fi / fantasy elements I counted it as a contemporary because the world itself is still mostly unaware of the superpowers within the world.

Read my review here!

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

What is it about?: Richard Papen starts at an elite boarding school and ends up joining an exclusive class studying the classics. Under the influence of their charismatic teacher, the students of the class start to experiment beyond the bounds of normal morality, drawing Richard into a web of lies, deceit and violence that profoundly changes him.

Why did I choose it?: This is considered a modern classic and pretty much everyone loved it. I love it too. The college setting is really great as a transitional setting between YA highschools and adult family living arrangements. The characters are also at a great in between age for people who are in that in between age like me! The setting up of the plot, with the dark academia and elite, ominous boarding school is also used a lot in YA so that felt familiar too which was great because it gave familiarity even though this reads more adult in tone and pacing.

Read my review here!

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

What is it about?: This is a retelling of The Iliad focussing on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. It delves a lot into each of their backstories and explores how they met and eventually fell in love, and how the war and siege on Troy impacted their relationship.

Why did I choose it?: This is super popular among YA readers anyway even though it’s adult so it is an obvious choice. Both Patroclus and Achilles a quite young in this and it is a coming of age novel which therefore has a lot of familiar / similar themes to YA novels.

Read my full review here

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

What is it about?: Rosemary is a human, who has always dreamed of travelling space. So she jumps at the oppurtunity to join the Wayfarers, a diverse group of humans and aliens alike whose job it is to punch holes in space to be used as highways to travel space. The Wayfarers are hired to create a jump portal to the newest member to join the ‘Galactic Community’ Toremi, and so begins a slow, but introspective journey across space, where the crew members reflect on themselves and their place in the universe.

Why did I choose it?: This is an adult book but there isn’t really anything that makes it feel firmly situated in that age range. Although the characters are a little older, it’s not really of that much importance to the story. Mostly this is just about space, and cultures and learning to respect people and it’s super interesting. It’s really accessible as both an adult for YA readers, and also a sci-fi for non sci-fi readers.

Read my full review here

So there we go!

I hope some of these recommendations were helpful for you if you’re looking, like me, to try and read more adult. These are some books I both loved AND thought were great crossover books. I have a Goodreads shelf of adult books if you wanted to look at some more adult books I’ve read/plan to read!

BATTLE OF THE COVERS: UK/AUS VERSUS US COVERS 👊😤

Okay this is a different post to usual. But lately a whole bunch of covers have been announced and everytime this happens I am always interested in if I like the US or UK/Aus cover more. Especially if they are very different in style.

So today I decided to do a fun post and do a bit of a BATTLE OFF between different covers. I’m going to generate ten books from my Goodreads, and then use them to compare covers. They will be random so you can’t accuse me of favouritism either way!

And the best bit? After putting down my verdict you can all vote in a poll to we can get the ultimate answer on the question of whether US or UK covers are better.

my verdict: In my opinion, the UK cover is much nicer. I love the art style and the soft white/grey/blue tones they used. Also, if you own all the books the spines match up which is a cool design feature. I also think the UK cover gives more of a magical fantasy vibe, although I don’t completely hate the UK ones because the art is really nice too.

US: 0 | UK: 1

my verdict: Okay this one was actually a much harder choice for me. I think the art style in the US covers is really cool and I like the font and that entire header section more. So even though my nostalgic ass wants to choose the UK one because that is what I grew up reading, I’m going with the US version on this one.

US: 1 | UK: 1

my verdict: EASY choice. Definitely the UK version of this cover. I’m in love with it. It’s much softer which fits the themes of the book and I love this long vertical font style. Also, the colour palette is much nicer too. I think the US version is really fun but the UK one is just too pretty to pass on.

US: 1 | UK: 2

my verdict: ANOTHER easy choice. This is the US version for sure. I love those covers so much I went out of my way to order them online so I could have them instead of the UK ones. The art style is sleek and minimalist, the colour scheme is really pretty and I adore the incorporation of the maps on the side. Plus the font is really cool. The UK one is too busy for me and I don’t like the silhouette design.

US: 2 | UK: 2

my verdict: Okay, I think this is an unpopular opinion. But I’m going with the UK cover. I just love this whole design, the image of Katniss in the HG, the font choice, and the green/black colour. The black one is simple which is nice, but I think it’s a bit boring and it doesn’t draw me in like the UK one. Also, the font looks very awkward compared to the UK one. (I actually own this UK version and fun fact, the cover is reversible so you can flip it to show Peeta in the HG because it’s clear isn’t that NEAT)

US: 2 | UK: 3

my verdict: I adore the US cover of this book and would have bought it if it was available in paperback. The UK version has a pink spine, which is neat, but I just like the US version so much more. The little black girl on the cover is drawn beautifully, and the sign really fits the ‘protest’ theme of the book. White is also much cleaner then black. I do think the UK version is more serious but the UK one is much nicer to look at.

US: 3 | UK: 3

my verdict: I genuinely think these are both nice covers. But I have to give it to the US version again. The turquoise on the black is really nice to look at and I love the golden lines at the bottom as well. Also, the straight aligned text really appeals to me. The UK cover does grab me because the direct eye contact with the model, but the US one is just overall prettier.

US: 4 | UK: 3

my verdict: I am sorry, but I despise the US covers for this series. Although this is probably the nicest of the three I still like the UK one so much more. The font is prettier, and I like the blue colour scheme. The US one is just ugly in my opinion, the person with the yellow with that hideous font is way too much.

US: 4 | UK: 4

my verdict: While the US cover has more metaphorical significance to the book, and probably fits the tone of the book better, I like the UK cover more. It’s just cuter and simpler and the font is much nicer because I really dislike this whole box situation on the US cover. However I honestly think BOTH these covers aren’t as good as they could be.

US: 4 | UK: 5

my verdict: This one is going to the UK yet again. I think the UK cover is very pretty. The colour scheme is so nice and the art on the wall behind the model is very cute. The font is also much nicer. I don’t love the art style in the UK cover and like the real person approach more.

US: 4 | UK: 6

Okay, it was tight for a while there but the UK covers are the winners. I overall don’t think I have much of a preference, it’s really a case by case decision as opposed to overall liking design out of the US or UK more.

Now I can hear you ALL screaming at your phones/computers at how you can’t believe I just didn’t choose your favourite cover which is why I have conveniently made this quiz for you so you can decide yourself whether the UK or US versions are better. Also, I’m totally interested in whether people agree with me or not since I think design preference is a really personal thing, as well as very dependent on culture! I see the UK versions of books much more often so maybe that is why I lean toward them.

And before you go, here is some interesting fun facts I found out about US/UK cover design while researching for this post.

US publishers tend to go for a more literate and simple design to try to appeal to the most readers across various states, as the market is more complex with a wider range of reader preferences due to the US being much larger than the UK.
A study in the UK found that 80% of readers disliked faces on covers, so the UK tended to opt for a more artistic and graphic cover style.
In both the US and the UK, the rise of e-books has lead to an increase in ‘cover extras’ such as embossing and coloured foil implementation in order to create something ‘extra’ and tactile about a physical book.
It is becoming increasingly common for publishers to use the same cover in the US and UK if the publisher likes one more. For example, Twilight originally had an illustrated cover in the UK, but the UK publishers adopted the US cover after seeing it. The same thing happened to Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series and since her covers have always been designed in the US.
If a publisher has a very successful book, cover design for other books will begin to mimic that successful book. That is why following the success of The Mortal Instruments, many young adult books began to feature people on the cover. I think that the Love, Hate & Other Filters cover is a good example of this. It looks like it’s trying to mimic The Hate U Give’s cover.

AND THAT IS IT ! Thankyou for reading today, and I can’t wait to see what everyone else thinks on the poll. I love cover design and am thinking of making some more posts based around book cover design, so let me know if that is something you’d be interested in!

until next time!

Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite LGBTQIA+ Reads

Time for Top Five Wednesday!!
(But on a Thursday? Go figure)

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey as Gingerreadslainey and is now hosted by Sam from Thoughts On Tomes. Topics can be found at the Top 5 Wednesday

This weeks topic is favourite lgbtqia+ reads, which happens to be one of my favourite genres of book. I tried to focus on books which have gay storylines rather then just dusted with gay characters but we’ll see how it goes !

1: We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

This book is honestly so underrated, though it did feature a little bit thanks to being nominated as one of Goodreads best reads of 2016.

We Are the Ants is about a boy called Henry, who’s dealing with the recent suicide of his boyfriend Jessie. Henry is also dealing with the fact he’s frequently abducted by aliens – and not only that, the aliens have left it up to him to save the world. On a specific date, according to the aliens, the world is going to end unless Henry decides to push a red button which will save it. Henry isn’t sure there is anything left to save in the world, and so begins the struggle of the book.

This book is honestly beautiful, and I loved that it had such a serious and meaningful discussion of dealing with sexuality, whilst also incorporating the sci-fi elements and family things. Diego, another boy who is also gay, is a poc and a great character. I loved his and Henry’s dynamic. Hutchinson’s writing is spectacular and the whole book is very quotable, plus I love the aesthetic and feel of the book.

I love this book so much, I read it last year but it has stuck with me alot, and it is also #OwnVoices

1: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

This one feels like a bit of an obvious one, since everyone has read Ari & Dante or at least knows about it – but it’s an amazing book and it deserves a mention!

This story genuinely had be sobbing like a baby when I read it! I’m bi, and so many of the things that was said, especially by Dante, was so intensely painful and relatable I couldn’t help but sob my little heart out.

Both Ari & Dante are poc, and the way this story meanders through their lives really appealed to me. I didn’t feel like their relationship was cliche or dramatic, but instead was just really innocent and sweet. I think perhaps the ending is a little disappointing, but never fear as it’s confirmed there will be a sequel!

I know this book is everyone bookreader and their mothers favourite, but it is A CLASSIC and deserves all the hype. Also #OwnVoices

3: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

GAYS IN SPACE Honestly, need I say more?

This book is a space opera, focussing on a group of tunnellers. They basically create wormholes in space that spaceships can travel though. The story focusses on the individual members of this tunnelling crew and how they’re going about life in space.

One of the most astounding this about this book is the worldbuilding. It’s beautifully done – there are so many species of alien, each unique and interesting with it’s own ideas on culture, sexuality, personhood ect. These differences between the characters fundamental beliefs made it super interesting and complex.

The main character Rosemary is a lesbian human, and she falls for an alien (who’s sexuality is never really defined but I could you’d say pansexual in human terms). Their relationship is super cute, but where this book also gets massive plusses from me is that it has non-binary characters, “trans” characters (aliens which switch gender through their life) and some other interesting concepts – like AI/human relationships.

Each character is dealt with with sympathy and love and this book is just a really nice, sweet sci-fi with cute gay relationships IN SPACE. Also #OwnVoices

4: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

I LOVE history, so this book had a massive appeal to me before I even opened it. It’s a retelling of the Iliad, focussing specifically on the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles which is believed by many scholars to have been gay.

If you’re interested in Greek Mythology, you’ll love this. The setting being such a distant but fascinating time period really appealed to me. Achilles and Patroclus have such a strong and good relationship, and I liked that many nuances of that relationship were explored.

Madeline Millers writing is outstanding, truly beautiful and atmospheric. I think this book had a brilliant ending, and while it may not be for people who like their books more on the fast side, I truly enjoyed this reinterpretation of the famous myth.

5: The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic

I simply could not make this list without including the “gay sports book”. And yes, thats what people call it now.

Nora Sakavic’s series All For the Game, more commonly referred to as The Foxhole Court because All for the Game is a shit series title, focusses around a sports team called the Foxes who play a fictional sport known as Exy.

Exy is a sort of hybrid rugby/lacrosse. The Foxes are the worst team in the league, and they only recruit their players from broken homes – wanting to give them a first, second, third, as-many-as-you-need chance.

Neil Josten, the main character, is on the run from his father who is a crime boss when he’s asked to play for the Foxes. This is a little dangerous for Neil – but as you’ll quickly learn that boy is DUMB when it comes to his favourite sport ad he agrees to play.

This book has an openly gay poc character, a demisexual character (not mentioned in-text but confirmed by author) and another gay character. The main relationship in this book is complicated but such a good representation. It is a relationship thats unconventional, due mainly to this book dealing with so many rough topics but it’s such a good, good lgbt+ read and one of my favourite books ever.

OTHER NOTABLE MENTIONS: (Because I love lots of lgbt+ books ok)