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Beetle Locked account

Joined 1 year, 2 months ago

I'm trying to read for fun more often, like I did when I was younger. I don't know exactly why I stopped, since I usually liked the books I read in English class, but oh well. I still know I love reading, but there's a weird mental block that I'm still trying to puzzle out. Wish me luck?

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Beetle reviewed Myth by Terese Mason Pierre

Terese Mason Pierre: Myth (Paperback, 2025, House of Anansi Press Inc)

Myth, the much-anticipated debut collection from the multi-talented Terese Mason Pierre, weaves between worlds (‘real’ …

So good!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 stars

Terese was at an author panel with another author I like, and I'm very glad I picked up her work as well! I don't usually gravitate towards poetry, but something about the fantasy elements she was talking about really resonated with me as a fantasy lover, and the poems she chose to read excerpts from had such vivid imagery.

I loved the grounded experiences of the POV characters in these poems as well as the whimsical elements of each one! The poems are organized into parts based on the rough setting, so some are air, some are earth, others are rivers or the sea, et cetera. This was the perfect way to organize them, IMO, it fits so well for such a fantastical poetry collection.

Beetle finished reading Myth by Terese Mason Pierre

Myth, the much-anticipated debut collection from the multi-talented Terese Mason Pierre, weaves between worlds (‘real’ …

This was so good!

Beetle wants to read Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price

Devon Price: Laziness Does Not Exist (AudiobookFormat, 2021, Simon & Schuster Audio)

From social psychologist Dr. Devon Price, a conversational, stirring call to “a better, more human …

It'll be nice to have some proof that I'm not just a broken person. Everyone say "thank you, Puritans!". I said it with a huge eye-roll, by the way.

Beetle wants to read Operation Paperclip by Annie Jacobsen

Annie Jacobsen: Operation Paperclip (Hardcover, 2014, Little, Brown and Company)

Details how the U.S. government embarked on a covert operation to recruit and employ Nazi …

This'll be a tough read. Yeah. I'm so glad I'm Canadian. Not that our country hasn't done anything terrible, it definitely has. I'm just glad this isn't one of the things.

Beetle finished reading Wild Life by Amanda Leduc

Amanda Leduc: Wild Life (Paperback, Random House Canada)

No rating

In 19th-century Scotland, young Josiah is banished by his father for seeing the divine in …

Content warning Discusses the main antagonistic group (a cult) in most points, but stays vague for the sake of not spoiling it too much or making people queasy.

CW: Discussions of cults and cult tactics. I'll try to keep it brief.

I finished the book earlier this month, and went to an author panel with my mom, where we had it signed! As much as I loved it, I'm not comfortable leaving a review yet, because this is the first book I've read that has such a realistic depiction of cults, despite being speculative fiction. It was nothing like the Satanic Panic thought they were, that's for sure. At some points, it made me very uncomfortable, which is exactly what it was supposed to do, but it did prevent me from fully engaging with the book on my first read-through.

Now that I know it doesn't pull any punches, I'm definitely going to reread it at some point so I can understand the book better. One of the book's strongest points was its characters, and I can't wait to see them all again. Barbara, Kendrith, and Lizzie are forever in my heart.

Beetle reviewed Tomboy Survival Guide by Ivan Coyote

Ivan Coyote: Tomboy Survival Guide (2016)

Distant Yet Familiar

5 stars

Ivan's experiences don't 100% line up with mine, but how could they? Everyone's gender journeys are different, and despite our differences, Ivan Coyote's willingness to talk about their experiences resonated deeply, and helped me understand myself a bit better. It also contains helpful diagrams for all sorts of tomboy-related things, which funnily enough, brought me back to my time in Girl Guides and Pathfinders when we were learning to tie different kinds of knots.

Beetle wants to read Gender Failure by Ivan E. Coyote

So looking forward to reading this :)

Beetle finished reading Tomboy Survival Guide by Ivan Coyote

Reading this felt super familiar at times, so I think I may have read it when my mom checked it out of the library? Either way it's a fantastic read, although somewhat heavy.

Beetle reviewed All Systems Red by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Martha Wells: All Systems Red (Hardcover, 2019, Tor)

A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure …

Just finished!

5 stars

Content warning Vague spoilers involving Murderbot's character arc.

I loved the funny, witty inner voice of Murderbot, and I also love that it chose the name based on the coolness factor and not because it actually likes to murder. My mom has been bugging me to read this book for years, and I'm so glad I finally listened and read the first installment. I love how Murderbot grew to trust and care about the humans they were reporting to. 10/10, can't wait to read the next one.

Beetle reviewed I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

Peter S. Beagle: I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons (2024, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers)

Dragons are common in the backwater kingdom of Bellemontagne, coming in sizes from mouselike vermin …

Really good! Would read again.

4 stars

I don't wanna spoil anything since the book hasn't been out long, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely reread at some point! My only complaint is that it isn't The Last Unicorn, but not many books can live up to that one, for me. Not even books by the same author. And if given the opportunity, I would love for my next partner to be like Robert Thrax.

The one thing I will say is that, like The Last Unicorn, this story makes a clear distinction between what the characters want, or think they want, and what they truly need. I've always loved that about Peter S. Beagle's work.