Sunday, December 11, 2022

The Sunday Post #316

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.




The Sunday Post #316





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In My Reading Life






Last week I read Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel. Friends, I really need to accept that I'm not a fantasy person and stop trying to read fantasy books. I rarely like them. I didn't like this one. This is definitely a case of "It's not you, book, it's me." I don't like fantasy!

I picked up Kaikeyi because it's an Indian-inspired story that's being recommended to fans of Game Of Thrones. (That's why I read it. I'm desperate to find a new Game Of Thrones.) I can totally see the similarities. Kaikeyi is about a large royal family full of people who are scheming to get power. It covers a massive span of time. There are plot twists and betrayals. I understand why it's being recommended to GOT fans, but it's not a story for me. I suspect my GOT obsession was an anomaly.

I was bored! Kaikeyi is a (frustratingly slow-paced) retelling of a Hindu story that I know very little about, which is my main issue with the book. Since I don't know the original story, the characters feel shallow, and the plot feels convoluted. I suspect I would have gotten more out of it if I knew the story that was being retold. I constantly felt like I wasn't really "getting" it.

This book was a miss for me, but it has high ratings on Goodreads, so maybe you should trust the fantasy fans.





Since Kaikeyi was such a struggle, I decided to reread an old favorite. I chose Scythe by Neal Shusterman.

This dystopia is set in a future where humans have conquered death. The average human is hundreds of years old and has many children. In order to control the population, the world government decides that the planet needs scythes, people whose job it is to commit murder. The main characters, Rowan and Citra, are teenagers who have been apprenticed to a scythe. Neither of them wants to be a scythe at first, but as they get deeper into their apprenticeships, they notice widespread corruption within the scythedom. What happens when the most powerful organization on Earth starts spinning out of control?

I love this series because Neal Shusterman has thought of everything. A world where very few people have experienced death would be quite different from ours. A lot of art and literature would lose its meaning. Families would become huge, sprawling, many-generational things. If humans were immortal, there would be less incentive to get stuff done quickly. The author does a great job of showing the positives and negatives of a world without death.

Most dystopias are depressing, but this one is surprisingly funny. There’s lots of gallows humor, which I appreciate. I also like the parallels between the scythedom and real-world governments. I may have laughed out loud when the scythes were outraged about a potential ban on flamethrowers. Because life’s not worth living if you can't own a flamethrower.

This is still a 5-star book for me. I'm happy I reread it.





IN THE REST OF MY LIFE


Five things that made me happy last week:

  1. Thank you to everyone who looked at my stupid romance books post. I love making posts about fake books, but it takes a surprisingly long time to create fake books.
  2. Also, thanks for liking my new Facebook page. I'm still figuring out how to use it. Facebook is confusing.
  3. More of my Christmas decorations are up! I have a lot of decorations, so they have to go up in waves. Cheerful Christmas waves.
  4. I ate so much chocolate last week. I'll regret it when my butt doesn't fit in my jeans anymore, but right now, chocolate!
  5. Here's a mash-up of a classic Christmas song and a classic American medical ad. I think they work nicely together.


@thereiruinedit

You guys asked for it.

♬ The 12 Side Effects of Christmas - There I Ruined It





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Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other. See you around the blogosphere!





31 comments:

  1. Christmas Decorations and Chocolate, definitely wonderful things. I am not a big fantasy reader either, so I would probably feel the same. Have a wonderful week!

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  2. OMG, that meme! I saw a mom posted a picture. She told the kids they could write "Let Is Snow" on the windows. Well, those first two wrapped into the front row, so from the street, one saw exactly what that wrapping paper showed. Still funny. Your fake romance post was hilarious, but I could imagine it takes quite a while and you know, you intertwined them too. That's some plotting there. Enjoy your happy holiday waves. We have to find joy in things and there is nothing wrong with decorations and chocolate

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  3. I'm sorry you didn't like Kaikeyi. I love fantasy, but I don't think Kaikeyi is my brand of fantasy either.

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  4. Love that meme! I'm like you with fantasy. It has to be really good to get my interest, and so usually I can only do YA fantasy. I didn't see your romance post, but I'm off now to check it out. Have a great week!
    Lisa Loves Literature

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  5. Agreed that your romance novel post was genius. And I know how long it takes to create a generic post, so adding creativity explodes the time factor exponentially. I've had Scythe on my TBR for YEARS - this is the push I needed to remind me to read it. It's on the list for next year!
    Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
    https://www.bookshelfljourneys.com/post/sunday-post-28

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  6. I'm not a fantasy reader either. I don't even try. The romance novel post is great. I'm, also, impressed you figured out Canva. I haven't mastered that yet. Hope you have a great week.
    My post is here.

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  7. I really enjoy the Shusterman books. They just came out with a series of short stories for the series called Gleanings and it was awesome too.

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post


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  8. You know I always considered myself a huge fantasy fan but I'm reading so little of it lately. Have you ever read Memory, sorrow and Thorn by Tad Williams? It's epic doorstopper fantasy and partly inspired Game of Thrones, or so Martin says. Having read it I can see that, although it's not as grimdark as Martin. Anyway just throwing it out there if you're interested...

    Your romance post was great :):)

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  9. I recently read Gleanings, the latest in the Scythe series and really enjoyed it.

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  10. Scythe sounds interesting. Enjoy the holidays.

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  11. I enjoyed that Holiday Commercial! Too funny. I've heard good things about Scythe.

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  12. We just put up our Christmas tree yesterday. There was a time when I did all the decorating to surprise my kids, then my kids grew a little older and wanted to do the decorating themselves, and now I can't get anyone to help me. Oh well! Have a great week! - Melinda @ A Web of Stories

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  13. Yay for chocolate. Yes we just shouldn't read books that don't push our own reading buttons. Sometimes I have to remind myself, its not the book, its me.

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  14. Sometimes you just need all the chocolate! I've got my tree up but haven't gotten the rest of the decorations up. Hopefully this week! Have a great week!

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  15. I certainly understand about Christmas decorating in waves. And chocolate. I'm being pretty good about eating chocolate in smaller doses this year, but it's so hard! Glad your reread helped make up for a disappointing first book.

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  16. The last fantasy/sci fi books I read were by Melissa Meyer, the Lunar Chronicles. You might like those.

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  17. Ugh, I hate the way Facebook keeps changing stuff every couple of months. It does get very confusing.

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  18. It's a shame Kaikeyi wasn't for you, but I don't like when retellings rely on readers knowing the original tale either. We've got advent calendars for the first time in years so I am enjoying my daily mini chocolate. I may buy up any cheapy calendars left in the supermarket so I can keep up this new habit all year round

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  19. I love chocolate too and know what you mean about needing to fit in your jeans! Facebook has made some recent changes to those of us with pages and it’s driving me crazy! Have a wonderful week ahead.

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  20. I have drifted away from epic fantasy too. I used to enjoy it and look forward to the next doorstop sized book in each series. Love your romance covers and blurbs! Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  21. Chocolate is just perfect for the season AJ!

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  22. Chocolate, surprisingly, is quite healthy for us. At least that's what I tell myself.

    I have a friend who is mad for Neal Shusterman. I'm glad your reread was good. I'm working on Babel, a fantasy novel, and, though I like it, I haven't found myself loving it, like I'd hoped...

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  23. Yay for Christmas decorations being up! I hope you have a wonderful week!

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  24. I hope I will like Kaikeyi. When it first came out the reviews were lukewarm, but it does sound right up my alley. I am sorry it didn't work for you. I haven't read Scythe, but that sounds good too. Your romance book post was very creative and fun. I am glad you took the time to put it together for us.

    I hope you have a great week, AJ!

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  25. I have to select fantasy books very carefully. I love the paranormal, but some of the fantasy books just don't work for me either. Happy reading
    sherry @ fundinmental

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  26. Dude, I was completely OUT of chocolate and had to grab some at DG today.

    Cheerful Christmas waves..hee hee!

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  27. Yesss chocolate. It's the season for chocolate. I really want hot chocolate. Maybe I should have some tonight. I loved Scythe. It was such a great read and the whole series really delivered.

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  28. Oh I need to read Scythe, it does sound so good and that flamethrower reference just had me chuckling :)

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  29. I have been sending around a picture where some kids sprayed Let it Snow on the windows of their house, but wasn't the best idea ever as well. Cracked me up!

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  30. I don't like fantasy either. Hmpf. And Whoa the Scythe sound like real killers. What a premise - no death ... never thought of what that would be like.

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  31. I am sorry you're not liking Kaikeyi. I actually loved the book :D On the other hand, I am not a fan of dystopia or hardcore science fiction. I hope you'll enjoy your reads!

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