Well, and here we are. Back to a tag for the first time in Absolutely Ages! And even though I've been tagged for several things recently...I'm going to, instead of doing one of those like a normal person, do a tag that I recently came across on The Long Voyage. Which, technically, I was told I could do, so I'm not stealing it...technically. (The double "technically" in that sentence should indeed be suspect.)
I've been trying to figure out lately how to feel less stressed/hemmed in by my TBR. Because I'm a list-driven person, I often feel like I need to FINISH THE LIST! Which obviously, since I'm adding books to it all the time, is not going to happen. So. I'm still trying to figure that out, but in the meantime, a TBR-related tag seemed like it would be fun. :)
Praecepta:
Thank the person who tagged you and link back to their post. (Thanks Bree!)
Link to the creator’s blog in your post.
Answer the questions below.
Tag 10 others to take part.
Quaestiones:
Well, Legolas has been pushing hard for me to start the Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson, even going to the point of giving me a copy of The Way of Kings (first book in the series) for my birthday. Holy cow, that book is enormous. 😅 I am planning on reading it, because she, Dad, and Eomer have been reading through the series and squealing about it nonstop for the past three months, and I want to be part of the party, but the huge brick of a book is a little daunting...especially since it's ultimately supposed to be a ten-book series! Fortunately, I have an insane amount of transit time heading back to school (dang flight prices), so I think I'll be able to get a good chunk read...
I've been meaning to read Blessed Charles of Austria by Charles A. Coulombe for over a year, and just haven't gotten to it--at first, because our libraries didn't have it, and then when I got to the U of I, whose library does have it, it just never got to the top of my list. I'm interested in Blessed Charles, though, after reading 1918: Red Banner, White Mantle, as recommended by Megan Chappie, so I'm planning on reading it sometime this school year.
I'm assuming this question means "the next book in a series that you're planning on reading because you started the series but never picked up the next book". In which case, a good answer is Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold. I read Shards of Honor, the first book in the series, at the beginning of the summer, and LOVED IT (this summer has been partially a rediscovery of how much I love scifi, a love which I come by honestly because my dad loves scifi, too). But I haven't gotten around to Barrayar yet, mostly because I'm trying to read a bunch of nonfiction and longer and/or intimidating fiction this summer so I can read mostly lighter stuff during the school year when I'm super busy. I'm looking forward to it!
"Always" is an interesting stipulation here...I think I've read most of the classics I've "always" liked the sound of, but one that I've thought I should and would like to read for a while but I've not gotten to yet is St. Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae. Mostly I haven't gotten to it yet because it's five volumes long, and that is extremely intimidating, not to mention that I haven't yet found a library that will allow you to actually borrow and take out volumes from their copy of the Summa. Shocker. However, my grandparents just gave me their copy, which is just paperback, but the full five volumes, and I'm planning on trying to get through it through the next two years. We'll see how it goes. I know that doesn't sound fun to most people, probably, but I get weirdly fangirly about theology and philosophy, so I'm excited to explore Aquinas's thought further.
I'd been avoiding All The Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater, because it seemed like there were a lot of ways for a Catholic-inspired magic system to go wrong. I'm still a little concerned about that, especially since, while I love The Scorpio Races, I haven't been able to finish her other books that I've started, due to content that I don't approve of (the fortune-telling magic in The Raven Boys, mostly). However, Sarah Seele was telling me that she really enjoyed it, and that she didn't think it'd be problematic for a Catholic to read, and apparently there are siblings and cousins involved, which is a major plus in my book, so I'm going to give it a try.
The thing is, I don't watch that many movies or TV shows, and usually when I do, I read the book first. But the one movie that I could think of that I haven't read the book for is Enola Holmes, which I watched at the recommendation of Chloe the Movie Critic (I think she's pretty qualified to recommend movies, with that title). I highly enjoyed the movie (though I had a few quibbles), and I think the book(s) would be quite interesting, but I'm not sure if I'm going to pick them up.
I'm not really a bookstagram person, so I'm going to modify this to one I've seen all over the blogosphere but haven't picked up yet. That would be Between Floors by W. R. Gingell. That's a bit cheating, since it's the third book in the series and not many people are specifically talking about *that book*, buuuut everyone is raving about said series, and I've been really dragging my feet about picking up the next one. 😬 (I'm told that they get better as they go along, but so far, I haven't been entirely enchanted with them. Idk.)
And I Tag:
Catherine Hawthorn @ The Rebelling Muse
Sarah Seele @ Sixty-Something Trees
Chloe @ Movies Meet Their Match
The Grim Writer @ long time traveller...
The Story Sponge
Sarah @ In Cordibus Jesu et Mariae
Elizabeth Hyde @ Trivialities
and...ten is a lot of people for me to come up with, so if you'd like to do this tag, consider yourself tagged!
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your TBR? Do you have a mindset of wanting to Finish The List, even though you know you can't? Have you read any of these books? Anything you want to add to make me want to read them sooner? XD
So THAT’S what The Way of Kings is. Cool. I get the pull to be a part of the obsession that is going around your family. XD
ReplyDeleteSumma Theologiae is quite the undertaking. You’ve GOT THIS, Sam! I’ll probably have to read bits and pieces throughout my studies, but I don’t know how much that will entail. XD
I was kind of thinking the same about All The Crooked Saints. I’m interested in the idea, but it could go wrong (I’ve seen obviously Catholic-inspired people be the antagonists in His Dark Materials, which made me VERY uncomfortable. I mean, maybe I should finish the series to see if there is a change of heart, but I’m not feeling up to the books. Maybe the tv series, because I was liking that better, then just ranting on my blog. XD). The WIP I was telling you about has a lot of fortune-telling and prophecies, but SPOILER (lol, spoiler for my own book) it turns out that it is all fake? It’s a con artist thing? So I think that should be fine? Thoughts? I may employ you as an alpha reader. Many years in the future. XD
I was mentioned! *tries to not feel like a celebrity…but feels like a celebrity anyway* XD The first Enola Holmes book was cute enough, but…a typical kid’s mystery? There didn’t really seem to be a Point in the way the movie has a Point. And the characters were not NEARLY as lovable. More annoying. Especially Tewksbury, which broke my heart because I LOVE HIM SO MUCH in the movie. *cough* Anyway. I’m debating whether I should finish the series, or just wait for the movie sequel to be out. XD Which should be soon!! November, I think?
And yay, I was tagged! :D Thank you muchly. I think I gave up trying to Finish The List a long time ago, but every once in a while I get motivated to read it all. Then new books come my way and I give up again. XD But, I want to chat about them all anyway, so I’ll be filling out this tag post-haste.
Yep, that's what it is! And I've finally caved to the pull...I'm almost done with it!
DeleteThank you!! I just started reading it today--I read Question 1 (of like, a million) and already feel a tad out of my depth, so...we'll see how this goes.
Maybe I'll have to do a post on what I think about All The Crooked Saints! I'll try to at least mention it. Because I haven't heard anything about it from the perspective of a Catholic, and I'd like to put that out there for others at some point. (I've heard really awful things about His Dark Materials and how it undermines Catholicism. So, I'm not surprised that it made you uncomfortable!) Ooh, fake fortune-telling and prophecies sound super intriguing! And yeah, totally fine, I think. Prophecy has always been fine (like, future telling, in addition to the type of prophecy that's just truth-telling) given that it exists in the Bible, too. (Ooh, I'd love to be an alpha reader, even if it's many years in the future. :D)
Pft, you totally are a celebrity, Chloe! That's why I mentioned you. ;) Ah well. Maybe I'll read it someday anyway...or give it to my hypothetical future children! It was never super imminent on my to-read list. And if Tewksbury was less lovable...then forget it. XD I didn't realize the sequel was coming in November!!! That's so exciting!
You're very welcome! I can't wait to see what you come up with! I keep thinking I'm over my compulsion to Finish The List, and then it comes back. *eyeroll*
THIS is such a fun tag.
ReplyDeleteDude I am SO in the same boat as you on the Summa Theologica. XD Except that my grandparents didn't just give me their copy, unfortunately. That is awesome and I wish you success, understanding, and joy in the reading!
That's really funny that All the Crooked Saints seems like a really popular book to you. I wonder what is the key difference in our blogging circles that makes that so???? 'Cause I think I know three people who've read it, two of whom did so upon my recommendation. :P I really hope you like it, though. I know a lot of Catholic-inspired things are like...the Church is the bad guy? the nuns are the bad guys? or whatever, and in this one, nope, the main characters just...are Catholics. And it's magical realism so the magic and the daily life are all woven together in a way that makes the magic feel very Catholic (which it's supposed to). And also it's just all very metaphorical and symbolical and stuff so that makes it less weird. It IS weird, though, but I do love it, and I do have high hopes that you will as well.
It's funny that you mentioned Between Floors specifically, because that is my Absolute Favorite of those books, and also the one I'm about to reread. (I guess I shouldn't judge Absolute Favorite till I've read books 9 and 10 while NOT in a haze of book-8-induced emotional pain, and I do really love book 4 as well, but...book 3 is just my favorite. I'm looking forward to rereading it SO MUCH.) If you didn't like books 1 and 2, though, I'm not sure the series is for you? Like, book 3 is definitely where the series had me, as opposed to enjoying it a ridiculous amount despite myself and despite quibbles like I did with books 1 and 2, but...like I said, I enjoyed books 1 and 2 quite a lot. And the characters are who they are. And they grow and reveal new facets of themselves, but if you're not interested in them or aren't getting past the urban-fantasy-ness or don't like Pet's narration or something...that's not gonna change, I don't think. Just my two cents.
Thank you for tagging me, I shall be doing this posthaste, because I like it a lot.
See, what on earth is it about libraries that they don't want people to borrow 1/5 of their volumes of a really important (and probably expensive) philosophical encyclopedia-ish thing that most people just use for reference??? I mean, super unreasonable and stuff. XD Thank you!
DeleteHaha, maybe it's because it's by Maggie Stiefvater and she's just really popular in general??? Or maybe because I saw you recommend it back during the time when I was kind of intimidated by how awesome you were? XD In any case. I'm looking forward to reading it, because it does definitely sound way better than most Catholic-inspired books I've read, which you are ON POINT about (why are we always the bad guys...?), and I think I like Maggie Stiefvater. So. We'll see.
Well, if I don't like Between Floors, I guess I'll just give up on the series? I *liked* books 1 & 2, but they didn't stand out to me? Like, they were fun but not insanely awesome? But given that you said you had quibbles with them, too, maybe book three will grab me, too. I guess we'll find out. I do like Pet's narration, and I like the urban-fantasy, it just doesn't feel that...special. For whatever reason. Maybe it's because I've been reading them on my phone because my kindle isn't working, and I can only get the ebooks. That might be ruining the experience. Idk.
You're very welcome! I shall eagerly anticipate your answers. :)
Oooh, I'm totally stealing this.
ReplyDeleteYour reads/TBRs are so VARIED compared to mine. hahaha. Love it.
You'll have to let me know how you like Way of Kings. I have it on audio and have been considering it, because I will eventually finish my current series listen-through and need a new one. But I wasn't super impressed with his Mistborn series, and while I did highly enjoy his Reckoners series, I'm just.... not as whelmed by Sanderson as everyone else seems to be. *shrugs*
Please do!! :)
DeleteWell, I do tend to read a variety of genres, so I guess it's to be expected? Maybe?
I just finished it and really enjoyed it! The worldbuilding in this one is incredible--I thought it was much more detailed and immersive than in Mistborn (but I did *like* Mistborn, so you can probably take everything I say with a grain of salt). And his knack for very different but very likeable characters is impressively displayed, as well. So...I'd say give it a try!
Also... I'm not sure why my comment is showing up as "anonymous" - this is Jenelle, by the by.
DeleteGood to know, thanks!
DeleteYou're most welcome! (Weird. Well, now it's showing up that you're Jenelle, so I guess Blogger was just having a bad day?)
DeleteAw, thank you so much for the tag!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know many of these books, but I do want to read "Blessed Charles of Austria" and "1918: Red Banner, White Mantle." They're both in my possession at the moment, so I really have no excuse.
The Summa takes me back to high school! XD We just barely skimmed the surface of it in 12th Grade Gov&Econ. But I loved what I did read. St. Thomas Aquinas is amazing. That's so neat that your grandparents gave you their copy!! <3<3
This was a very fun post to read and again, I'm so happy to have you back!! :D God love you!
You're very welcome! I look forward to seeing your answers!
DeleteOh yes, those two! I really enjoyed 1918--super understandable and really helped me with my grasp of the more or less pre- and early-WWI time period politics, which was...let's just say not my strong suit before that.
Ooh, I love that you read parts of the Summa in Gov&Econ! That's such a great idea! I'm looking forward to seeing what I can understand from it by reading it...and then probably diving back into it later in life, too.
I'm so glad you liked this post! I'm very happy to be back. :) God bless!
Oh, but the cousins though. You must read All the Crooked Saints for the cousins.
ReplyDeleteThis tag looks like fun! I shall endeavor to get around to it as soon as time and brainpower permit!
I got it out of the library and it's sitting on my desk, so we shall see how it goes!
DeleteCool! I'll look forward to hearing what you've got to say. :)
Thanks for the tag! Book related tags tend to be super fun, so. :)
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your answers! I haven't read most of the books on the list, though I have read Enola Holmes and All the Crooked Saints. I enjoyed a lot of things about the Enola Holmes books, but I also had...hem...major issues (I had major issues with the movie though, so there's that). All the Crooked Saints is spectacular for the writing style and the cousins and I even like the romances, but some of the magic in it did creep me out, I confess, and it got pretty confusing toward the end? I have a hard time knowing what to do with stories like that sometimes. Like, there's so much truth in it but at the same time it feels a little...off? Which is unsettling. I'm not coming at it from a Catholic perspective, though.
You are most welcome!
DeleteInteresting...just curious, what were your major issues with the movie? I enjoyed the movie, but, granted, I was watching it on a night where I was tired and possibly sick (? I don't remember), and so my thinking critically abilities were pretty much shot at that point. XD Okay, well, I now have All The Crooked Saints in my possession, so we'll see what I think! I'll definitely let y'all know of my opinions. For sure. Because I've definitely heard varying--and intriguing--opinions from people.
Hm...well, it's been some time since I watched the Enola Holmes movie so my memory of the thing isn't exactly sharp...but let's see...
DeleteJust a warning: I am VERY critical of movies in general, so...
I guess my main issue is how obvious it was that they were trying to make a Statement about Feminism....or something. I might be skewing things in my mind here, but these are the impressions I remember having.
I liked the total homeschool vibes of how Enola's mother raised her (seriously, it was super relatable because my own mom is super quirky and creative like that), but I did not like how her mother's principles were kinda anti...men. Or that she thought it was a good idea to blow men up when they don't agree with her. I mean, sure there are government issues but I don't think that the patriarchy is the root of all evil? And abandoning her daughter being justified (even more so in the book, actually) because being a mother just wasn't what she was made for REALLY bothers me. Like...dude, if you have a kid it's your job to take care of it, regardless of whatever expectations or restrictions you feel society is putting on you. It's not about oppression, it's just about being a decent human being...? I get very upset about people abandoning their kids in any story. So. There's that. (But I love Helena Bonham Carter!)
Enola as a character is feminist but not exactly in an anti-men sorta way (if I recall correctly). I actually like her. At the same time, they made sure that she was always the dominant force in basically every situation in the movie. She came across as practically invincible, which is not very interesting to watch...nor is it relatable. I get that her mother trained her and she has excellent combat skills but she is still a thirteen-year-old girl? Having her easily (and repeatedly) beat up grown men didn't make much sense to me. I like that she's strong and capable, but you can take it too far.
And then we have the boy (whose name I do not recall) who follows her around. Enola likes him and isn't disrespectful to him, but again it's obvious that she's the dominant force in their relationship, which kind of irks me? He is portrayed in a positive light, but is that mainly because he agrees with Enola about things? Who knows?
And then we have the demon grandma. Look, I get that not all grandmas are perfect, but who on earth is so obsessed with upholding their traditions that they would willingly shoot their own grandson?? It's overkill. There's kind of a trend in modern movies where the people who are progressive are always reasonable thinkers and the people who are traditional are either evil or stupid. It's not my favorite trope, as a matter of fact. Things are a lot more complicated than that. But regardless of the trope, it's not very believable writing.
And as I recall, Mycroft was simply there to rattle off stereotypical dogmas of the big-bad-patriarchy. Boring and also annoying. Not super believable as an actual human.
In general, there were men who weren't thrown in a bad light, but these men were generally doing whatever the women wanted them to do. In a sense, women are always wiser and more reasonable and men need to get with the program. That's kind of how I remember it feeling to me. Overall it felt like they took every opportunity to say "Look at this strong, independent woman!!" and "Look at this nasty, intolerant man!!" (or perhaps "Look at this mild-mannered, submissive man!!") without really telling a very good story.
The thing is, though, I take issue with so many movies. I see tropes that irk me EVERYWHERE. And I've had people tell me that I'm too harsh (actually it's a family trait) when it comes to critiquing movies, so. Now you know.
Wow, that is...a lot! I tend to be pretty uncritical of movies in general, so this is an interesting and new world to me. XD
DeleteIt did seem to be skewed overly feministic, I do remember that.
The homeschooling vibes were really fun! But I'm with you on not liking her men's anti-men principles. That was...not great. I didn't really notice the "abandoning your child is justified" thing, but that is a big issue.
Enola does seem pretty invincible, although there are some moments (she almost gets drowned, if I'm remembering correctly?) where she's not. But it is rather unrealistic.
Interesting, I wouldn't have thought to be bothered that Enola is the dominant force in her and Tewksbury (I think that's his name?)'s relationship. But that does kind of bother me, because I'm definitely a proponent of the man pursuing the woman in romantic-ish relationships, which this one, as I recall, is? But I think I remember him doing some pursuing? So i don't know.
Hmm, the 'tradition-is-evil/stupid' thing with the grandma isn't something I picked up on either, but you're right, it's there. (But I'm not sure I agree that it's unbelievable that she'd shoot her grandson. Some people are just deranged.)
So, I think the lesson we've learned here is that I'm not very critical of movies/not very good at reading their subtext? XD (I didn't watch very many as a kid, so maybe part of me is still just like "ooh, the pictures are MOVING *open-mouthed gape*") I just tend to either enjoy them or not enjoy them. And I did enjoy Enola, although you're right about pretty much all of your peeves with it. XD
Yeah, now that I think about it some more, I'm pretty sure that the thing about the mother abandoning her child is more up for interpretation in the movie, which I recall appreciating. In the book it definitely seemed like it was trying to justify it, which bothered me, obviously. I think I was mixing the two up.
ReplyDeleteActually the drowning moment is one that I remember being annoying, because it looks like she's actually in danger there for a minute, but then she suddenly looks at the camera and winks, just before taking the guy out or something, so it's almost like the helplessness was just an act?? At least that's how I remember it being. I feel like at any point when it seemed like she was genuinely desperate, it turned out that shew as actually in control.
Eh, I don't really remember the Enola/Tewksbury relationship that well to be honest. He may have done some pursuing. Mostly I just remember that it was annoying but not as annoying as it could have been.
True, some people are quite deranged. It's hard to imagine someone shooting their grandson, but you are right that it could happen, haha.
Movies are kind of THING in my family. We watch a lot of them and we love to analyze them. It took me quite a while to figure out that not everyone watches movies the way we do. XD
I dunno, it kind of seemed like she was abandoning her in the movie? But it's been a bit since I've seen it, also. Eh.
DeleteOh no, that's right! I remember. It does kind of seem like she's just a kick-a girl (who learned it from her mom) taking on the world and there's no real danger. Which, from someone who actually has a black belt--no matter how kick-a you are, you're always at least a little nervous when in a danger situation (e.g. walking alone at night, even, let alone getting involved with criminals!)
It's fun that they're your family's THING! That's definitely not how most people approach them, but it's not a bad thing at all. :)
Oh, yeah, she is abandoning her in the movie! What I meant was that the justification of it is more up for interpretation in the movie than it is in the book...I think. (It's really been a while since I read or watched it, so...what is memory.)
DeleteWhoa, what, you have a black-belt? *would be visibly impressed if I was, well, visible* That is super cool. But yeah, I've never been the biggest fan of fearless characters. I know that some people like them because it's kind of this ideal of what they wish they could be like (or something like that?) but I prefer them to be more relatable, personally.
I really enjoyed All the Crooked Saint's, but I enjoy all of her books so I might not be the best judge. Love the City Between series, but I could see it not being every ones taste. Fun tag!
ReplyDeleteWell, I enjoyed it, too (I'm going to talk more about it soon!) so it seems you're a good judge at least where that one is concerned. ;) City Between is growing on me, too!
Delete