Tag: top five wednesday

Uncategorized

Top 10 Tuesday: Last 10 Books I Added to my TBR

Hadeer1 Comment

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish which is now hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week’s topic:

January 29: The Last 10 Books I Added to my TBR

Yes, it’s Wednesday. But I haven’t posted in over a week. I have two books reviews I need to write but I just haven’t been feeling it, so in the meantime, here are the last ten books I added to my TBR. divider

The Wide Carnivorous Sky 
John Langan

wide carnivorous sky

This is a horror short story collection described as having a “mellifluous” prose style. The stories appear to be influenced by Lovecraftian horror, which is my jam. I’ve been meaning to read more horror and more short stories.

The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All
Laird Barron

the beautiful thing that awaits us all

As I’ve dipped my toes into the world of horror writing, it was impossible not to hear the name of this author everywhere. He is apparently one of the most prolific modern horror writers, but I’ve never read anything by him. But he’s garnered such critical acclaim that I must read his work at some point, and this particular collection seems like his most popular.

Cleopatra: A Life
Stacy Schiff

cleopatra

I debated adding this for a while, but then I figured it’s probably something that I should read. For those of you who may not know, I’m Egyptian, but I know absolutely nothing about Ancient Egypt. It’s kind of shameful. This seems like it’s very well-written and focuses on the world outside of Cleopatra as well as her own life.

The Cold is in Her Bones
Peternelle van Arsdale

the cold is in her bones

This is a YA fantasy novel centered on two young girls. I think it’s meant to be a Medusa retelling, somehow. The summary mentions something about demons and there’s just something about the vibe of this novel that feels creepy and disturbing. I have a feeling it’s going to be very atmospheric. Plus, that title is amazing, and that cover, damn!

Gideon the Ninth
Tamsyn Muir

gideon the ninth

I will pretty much read any newly released high fantasy authored by a woman about a woman, so. The description says the book features “a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers.” Honestly, it sounds so fucking weird and new and different and I’m very excited for it!

The Dollmaker
Nina Allan

DOLLMAKER_HB_DEMY.indd

I tagged this as “victorian  vibes” on Goodreads, but I have no idea if it’s set in the Victorian era. It sounds like it might be? There’s a character at “an institution on Bodmin Moor” and “old towns of England” and “potent, eldritch stories” that “pluck at the edges of reality.” This sounds like a fantastically eerie blend of historical fantasy and horror and I am here for it.

Shadowscent
P.M. Freestone

This is a YA fantasy novel about a poor village girl teaming up with a prince’s bodyguard to catch the prince’s attempted murderer, in a world where “scent has power” whatever that means. I don’t know. This could be terrible, standard YA fantasy fare, I’m really intrigued by this concept of scent having power. Plus, the two covers out for this book are both freaking gorgeous.

Empire of the Vampire
Jay Kristoff

empire of the vampire

I’m pretty sure I choked on my own saliva a bit when I read that not only was Jay Kristoff writing a vampire book but that it’s going to be illustrated by Nan Fe who is one of my fave artists!!! I mean!!! This is described “an illustrated dark fantasy epic; the bastard lovechild of Interview with the Vampire, The Road and The Name of the Wind” like???? I’m over here screaming until 2020.

Master of Sorrows
Justin Travis Call

master of sorrows

This is an upcoming fantasy release that I normally wouldn’t be super interested in, because it’s written by a white man about a white man, but the premise caught my eye: “what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same?” It seems like a really intriguing riff on the Chosen One trope that I’m actually writing in one of my WIPs at the moment, so I’m interested to see how someone else does it!

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter
Alexis Hall

the affair of the mysterious letter

I don’t even know how to describe this book. It’s Sherlock Holmes-inspired fantasy. It seems to be based on Victorian England but it’s not. It’s got sapphic vibes, vampires, and something about freaking Carcosa. I don’t even know. It seems just weird enough to be really, really good.

Uncategorized

Authors I Want to Read More Of In 2019

HadeerLeave a comment

The title of this post is pretty self-explanatory. These are a bunch of backlist authors whose work I keep meaning to get to only I keep getting distracted by shiny new releases. This also works as today’s Top 5 Wednesday post!divider

Emma Donaghue

 

I don’t know if Donoghue has a particular brand, but when I think of her I think of historical fiction and lesbians. I don’t know if her historical fiction actually features lesbians, but it at least features women, and I’ve heard her writing is quite beautiful. I read Kissing the Witch ages ago but I remember literally nothing about it, and I love the sound of her other work, so I’d like to get to her soon!

Sarah Waters

 

I literally own every single thing Sarah Waters has ever written and yet I’ve only ever read a single book by her: Tipping the Velvet. I really enjoyed Tipping the Velvet, so I’m not sure why I’ve been hesitant to pick up another book by her! Her brand is Victorian Lesbians, which is right up my alley, so I definitely need to get to her work soon!

Nawal El Saadawi

 

El Saadawi is a very controversial Egyptian feminist known for both fiction and non-fiction. According to my mom, she’s controversial mainly because of her irreverence for religion and her dislike of the veil. She’s a seminal figure and as an Egyptian woman myself I really must read Nawal El Saadawi.

Leila Ahmed

 

Leila Ahmed is another Egyptian-American feminist, though definitely not as notorious as El Saadawi. She’s also a scholar of Islam and taught at the Harvard Divinity School for a while. Women and Gender in Islam is thought to be a classic, seminal work on the topic of women in Islam. I read bits and pieces of it for a class in college and really enjoyed it, so I’d like to read the full work. And I own her autobiography, A Border Passage!

Judith Flanders

 

The Victorian Lady! Judith Flanders is a well-known scholar of Victorian England. I bought The Invention of Murder a few months ago and I’m super excited to read it! I think I’ve been putting a hold on all my Victorian nonfiction books because I keep thinking, what if I get the Fulbright I applied for? Then I’ll be getting a Master’s in Victorian Studies and will read all that stuff then. I find out in April whether I got it, so if I don’t, I guess I know what I’ll be reading for the rest of the year.

Megan Chance

 

I read Inamorata years ago and adored it; it had so many tropes I love and it was one of the most atmospheric things I’ve ever read. Chance seems to revel in atmospheric historical fiction set mainly in the 19th-century that is also female-led. Her writing, from what I recall, is absolutely lovely, and I need to check out more of her work!

Megan Abbott

 

I loved Give Me Your Hand even though it was a really polarizing book. It seems like most of this author’s work is really low-rated on Goodreads, actually, but I loved the one book I read. I thought it was brilliantly written and so darkly intriguing. If her other work is anything like that I’m sure I’ll love it.

Uncategorized

Top 5 Wednesday: Books to Read Before 2019

Hadeer2 Comments

top 5 wednesday

Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey from gingerreadslainey and is currently hosted by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. Check out the goodreads group to learn more.

November 14th: Books to Read Before 2019
Our Goodreads goals are quickly closing in. What are you prioritizing for the end of the year?

I recently went on a mini-spree at my library and requested a whole bunch of books, so, by necessity, I will need to read those by the end of the year, but they also happen to be books that I really want to read! Also, I happened to request six books, so you get a bonus book here.

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor — I just finished reading the first book in this series and would like to get the sequel before the end of the year for two reasons. First, I really liked the book and am eager to see what happens next. Second, my memory is awful and I will forget everything if I wait any longer.

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold — I have heard so many conflicting things about this book, but the general consensus seems to be that it is surprisingly dark and adult for a YA book. Because I am morbid and macabre, I will always be drawn to books with dark central themes. I really want to know what everyone is talking about!

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab — So, again, I just read the first book and I will forget if I don’t get to this right away! Plus this is one of those books where it’s just everywhere and it’s difficult to avoid spoilers and I want to be in on what everyone is talking about.

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory — So, the other night I had a weird dream-revelation where I got this idea for a contemporary romance novel. When I woke up that following morning, I had a really intense desire to read some romance to get a sense of how those types of novels are structured. I have heard excellent things about this one, and it perfectly suits my needs, plot-wise.

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand — I really want to read something by this author and this seems like it’ll be right up my alley. I’ve heard reviews that say it’s dark and intense and feminist, which sounds great.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker — This surprisingly short novel has been on my TBR for a long time now, and so many friends and reviewers have read it and loved it that I really want to get to it before the end of the year. I’m not sure if I will, since the library queue is rather long for this book, but here’s hoping.

Uncategorized

Top 5 Wednesday: Longest Books on TBR

HadeerLeave a comment

top 5 wednesday

Top Five Wednesday was created by Lainey from gingerreadslainey and is currently hosted by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. Check out the goodreads group to learn more.

November 7th: Largest Books on TBR
In honor of #TomeToppleReadathon coming back this month, discuss those big books on your shelf!

I’ve decided to break this up into two parts, those parts being: Classics and Not Classics. I have a lot of classics on my TBR and most of them are ridiculously long, and are probably the longest books on my TBR, but I don’t want them to completely overshadow this post. I want to talk about ordinary books that are also super long! So, I’ll talk about lengthy classics first, and then lengthy not-classics (that I’m prioritizing) second. I’m also choosing not to include the non-fiction books on my list, because I feel like that could be a whole other topic entirely!

Classics

Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady by Samuel Richardson (1534 pages): An epistolary novel detailing the exploits of a young woman who who loses her virtue by running off with an untrustworthy rake who won’t marry her. I’m not generally a huge fan of epistolary novels, which makes this even more intimidating.

The Mysteries of London by George W.M. Reynolds (1176 pages): Originally published as a series of “penny dreadfuls,” these vignettes detail life in Victorian London for the impoverished. It’s a sprawling tale. I will get to this at some point, or at least skim through it, given my interest in Victorian London, but yeah, it’s pretty terrifying.

Cecilia by Fanny Burney (1056 pages): Published in 1782, this is described as a “unusual love story and deft social satire” about a woman who can only keep her fortune if her husband takes her name. Aside from the length, I’m hesitant to read something published in the 18th century; I’m sure the language will be a bit of a struggle.

Middlemarch by George Eliot (904 pages): I have literally no idea what this is about even after reading the Goodreads summary like three times. Something to do with the effects of the 1832 Reform Bill on English society? I’ve never read anything by Eliot before, and I the plot (or what I can glean of it) honestly doesn’t appeal to me a ton, so I’m afraid this will bore me.

Vanity Fair by William Thackeray (883 pages): A tale of two women, one ruthless and determined to claw her way up the societal ladder, the other a romantic who longs only for love. All I know is that Becky Sharp, aforementioned ruthless lady, is supposed to be iconic, so I’m looking forward to that, at least!

Not Classics

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (1007 pages): First in The Stormlight Archive series, very popular, and I have no idea what it’s about! I’ll get to it at some point, but the series promises to be ten books long and only three are out, which makes me hesitant, given my shoddy memory. I don’t want to have to re-read the first three books when the fourth comes out! But I’m also really tempted because I do like Brandon Sanderson’s work.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (848 pages): This book hasn’t even come out yet but I’m so excited for it. It’s about dragons and queens and women and promises to be a rich, sprawling fantasy. Also, that cover is just fucking magnificent.

In the Eye of the Sun by Ahdaf Soueif (816 pages): The Goodreads summary describes this as a story about “a woman who grows up among the Egyptian elite, marries a Westernized husband, and, while pursuing graduate study, becomes embroiled in a love affair with an uncouth Englishman.” Frankly, I’m more interested in the author, an Egyptian woman educated in Egypt and England. I feel like I almost never see English-language Egyptian fiction about Egyptian women; this would certainly be my first! This author’s other book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and I’ve heard excellent things; I think I will love this book, once I get around to reading it.

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman  by Theodora Goss (720 pages): This is a sequel, and one I’ve heard is good but too long, which makes me a bit reluctant to pick it up, as I enjoyed the first book quite a bit but didn’t fall in love with it. The summary sounds fantastic: “Mary Jekyll and the rest of the daughters of literature’s mad scientists embark on a madcap adventure across Europe to rescue another monstrous girl and stop the Alchemical Society’s nefarious plans once and for all.” As the first book was more of an introduction to everyone, this one might go more smoothly and be more compelling.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (676 pages): This book made a huge splash when it was published, but I rarely see anyone discussing it now! I believe it has to do with Dracula, and vampires in general, and a researcher (a historian?) investigating her family’s history. Frankly it sounds amazing, though I’ve heard conflicting opinions about it, which is what’s intimidating me. I hope to get to it soon, however, because I’ve been seeking out vampire fiction!

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (666 pages): What makes this book intimidating is that it is the first in a ten-book series. I’ve had the Malazan books on my TBR for years and years, and even though all the books are published, it would take a lot of dedication to embark on this read. Plus I’ve heard that this is the type of fantasy that just tosses you in the deep end, shrugs, and hopes you can swim, so it’s definitely intimidating on multiple fronts.

Uncategorized

Gothic & Victorian Classics TBR

Hadeer13 Comments

goth

When I was younger, I really hated classics and had resolved never to read them, so convinced was I of my dislike for them. Now, after having read several classics, I can’t say that I’m head over heels in love with of any of them, but I do appreciate their literary merit, so I’ve been doing my best to expand my repertoire of classic novels (I owe it all to Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, which prompted my read of War and Peace). In the past two years, besides War and Peace, I’ve read Wuthering Heights, Northanger Abbey, Jane Eyre, and Rebecca (the only one I genuinely enjoyed, with no reservations).

Over this past year, as I’ve been writing my Fulbright application, I’ve rediscovered my teenage love for all things Gothic. I was a very emo teen, obsessed with horror and the macabre. I’m very intrigued by the Gothic literary aesthetic and all the anxieties it conveys about gender, class, race, imperialism, and much more (plus there’s so much draaaamaaaaaa). To that end, I’ve resolved to read several of the more well-known Gothic novels that have contributed to the construction of the genre. I have also rediscovered my love of the Victorian era, so I’ll also be looking to read classic books set during that time period, even if they may not be Gothic per se.

Another reason I really want to read these books is that there are a ton of modern-day novels that are based on these classics. I know that I don’t have to read the original books to enjoy the modern stories, but I would like to have that background. In another post, probably in mid-September, I’ll talk about my autumn TBR, which will consist of more modern Gothic stories!

Anyway, of course I want to share all these books with y’all, but I also want to have a super organized reference list of what I want to read; sometimes Goodreads just doesn’t cut it!

The Short & Pressing Reads

Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley: Reading this right now! Often touted as the first sci-fi novel, it is also heavily associated with Gothic lit.

The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896) by H.G. Wells: This is the only book on this list that’s a bit of an outlier. It’s not really Gothic fiction, rather more sci-fi and horror, but it was written in the late Victorian era, plus there’s two (!) books I want to read soon based on it, and it’s super short. Will probably read this next!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson: This is one of the most well-known works of literature in the Western world, considering how often it’s referenced! I’ve known about it since I was a child. It is supposed to encompass the urban Gothic feel of Victorian London pretty well! Will probably read this soon!

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) by Oscar Wilde: A book I want to read soon is based on this! But also, this seems to be a truly beloved classic and is hailed as one of the better, more readable Gothic novels. I really want to read this before October!

The Vampires

Carmilla (1872) by J. Sheridan LeFanu: Funny story. I was supposed to read this in a college class but I…didn’t. I need to remedy that. It’s a precursor to Dracula with lesbian undertones. Yes please!!!

Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897): Do I even need to explain? This is like…a must for anyone who wants to know anything about Gothic lit. I’ve avoided it because I’m not a huge fan of epistolary novels (a running theme in Gothic lit, joy), but it’s high-time I read it!

The Vampyre (1819) by John Polidori: Remember the ghost story competition that prompted Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein? This was one of the other short stories that competition produced. This came before pretty much any famous vampire lit in England.

The Blood of the Vampire (1897) by Florence Marryat: This novel is less well-known than its counterparts; perhaps it was overshadowed by the publication of Dracula in the very same year. It tells the tale of Harriet, daughter of a voodoo priestess and a mad scientist, who seems to sicken everyone she comes into contact with. Could she have the blood of the vampire running through her veins?

The Major Leagues

The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole: Often thought of as the very first Gothic novel, it tells the tale of Manfred, who sets out to marry his dead son’s virginal bride to be. It’s supposed to be super weird and super creepy and it’s the novel equivalent of the FIRST!!1! comment.

The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe: Otranto and Udolpho go hand in hand; if Walpole “invented” the Gothic, Radcliffe both perfected it and popularized it. This gigantic book tells the tale of young orphan Emily, who is trapped in a strange castle with an unwanted suitor and various other terrors.

Melmoth the Wanderer (1820) by Charles Maturin: Another massive book, it tells the tale of Melmoth, who has sold his soul to the devil in exchange for added life. Now he wanders the earth, desperate to find someone who will take over the covenant he made. Written by an Irish clergyman, Melmoth the Wanderer is a series of stories within stories that gradually reveal Melmoth’s life that supposedly ups the macabre and horror in the Gothic genre.

The Monk (1796) by Matthew Lewis: This trails Otranto and Udolpho as one of the major classics of Gothic lit. It’s filled with macabre and disturbing things like murder and incest, all about a monk who succumbs to temptation.

Foreign Lands

 The Italian (1797) by Ann Radcliffe: The mother of a young Italian nobleman is dead-set against the woman he wants to marry, and so she enlists a demonic, scheming monk to put a stop to the engagement, and he is willing to resort to all manner of horrific deeds to accomplish the task. Sounds sensational! Takes place in Italy.

Zofloya or the Moor (1806) by Charlotte Dacre: A tale of the downfall of a woman whose vices apparently exceed that of The Monk! One of those vices is her attraction to her Moorish servant. Lust! Revenge! Murder! Racism! Adultery! Satan! Rage! All the classic hallmarks of the Gothic tale. Takes place in Venice.

The Castle of Wolfenbach (1793) by Eliza Parsons: So this actually predates both Udolpho and The Monk, but is not nearly as well-known as either of them. It’s about a young girl trapped in her menacing uncle’s castle, which hides a terrible secret about his wife. Takes place in Germany.

Vathek (1786) by William Beckford: Probably chock-full of Orientalist nonsense, this book is about a Caliph who makes a terrible deal to sacrifice everything for power, culminating in a nasty fate. It’s weird, it’s obscure, it’s grotesque, it inspired Byron and Lovecraft. Takes place in…the Middle East?? Somewhere?

Frightening & Frightened Women 

Lady Audley’s Secret (1862) by Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Possibly more Victorian than Gothic, this highly sensational novel features an alluring female villain who has a secret that threatens the very fabric of Victorian society!!! Melodramatic and probably underwhelming to modern readers? Most likely. Do I still want to read it? Definitely.

The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James: A very famous story about a governess who is haunted by some phantom specter who seems determined to steal the children, who don’t seem to be frightened of whatever it is. Very classic! I know literally nothing else about this book.

Uncle Silas (1864) by J. Sheridan Le Fanu: Part Gothic tale, part psychological thriller, this book is about young orphaned Maud, whose devious uncle plots to kill her and steal her fortune. Supposedly very disturbing and atmospheric and well-known in Gothic circles.

The Woman in White (1869) by Wilkie Collins: Another well-known classic, one I always confuse with Turn of the Screw for some reason! I have literally no clue what this book is about except it involves a ghost woman dressed in white. Also it’s long, but I will persevere.

This post took SO LONG to construct, omg. Do come talk to me about these books! What are your favorite Gothic tales? Which Gothic books do you most want to read? Are there any modern adaptations of these classics that you love and adore? Isn’t the 19th century fun??