Literally Moody

Una

• Mar 25

🏳️‍⚧️ Trans Rights Readathon TBR 🏳️‍⚧️ My finalized TBR! Got some book mail last night for the new Juno Dawson book and had to add it in ☺️ Thank you @simonteen for the gifted copy of Survival Show and According to Plan! Thank you @haymarketbooks for the gifted copy of Femmephilia! Thank you @prhaudio for the gifted audiobook for Marsha! 🩵🩷QOTD: what book are you reading today? #transrightsreadathon #readqueerallyear

4 books

Literally Moody

Una

• Mar 25

I recently finished The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula (thank you @PRHaudio for the gifted audiobook) and had an interesting conversation with a friend about the presence of the Church in a fantastical Victorian London setting. Not an allegorical representation, or metaphorical references to Christendom, but the actual Church complete with the Papacy was a steady presence throughout the novel. I think this was a bold choice on the author's part and likely reflects some religious trauma (maybe) but it actually worked pretty well for the story. My friend showed clear distaste for the heavy religious presence and that got me thinking about the veil of comfort that comes from fictionalizing institutions of systemic harm.

I eat up the toppling-of-an-oligarchical-system in any novel I read. For example, in The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami, a grounded dystopian novel, the characters overcome a corpo-oligarchical carceral system. In Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang, the systems in question were academia as the gatekeeper for state violence and colonization. There are a million examples I could name and most folks would have no trouble naming the real-world system or institution to which the fictional one is alluding to. So why does The Geomagician's inclusion and naming of the Christian Church give us pause? Literary scholars, that's a question for you!

Does naming the "boogey man" sully the experience of reading fantasy? Is the art of writing Sci-fi/Fantasy, or Horror defined by the ability to create parallel systems as part of world-building, or can fantastical worlds be built around existing systems?

Mild spoilers ahead:

For what it's worth, I found the world-building and magic system in The Geomagician to be quite compelling, especially as someone with dinosaurs as their lifelong special interest. I did find the ending a bit disappointing, specifically because of the way the MCs continue to acquiesce to the systems that oppress them. The main protagonist maintains a neutral stance throughout the novel which is infuriating, but reflects a common characteristic of White feminism: "I don't care until it harms me." It was still a fun fantasy read and I'd recommend it to fans of dinosaurs and unique magic systems!

* Disclaimer * This is neither an endorsement nor a condemnation of the titles mentioned, simply a bid to interact critically themes.

Christian Fundamentalism in Fantasy

3 books

Literally Moody

Una

• Mar 25

⛩️ Reading Junk Journal With Me: Japanese Gothic ⛩️

⛩️ Reading Junk Journal With Me: Japanese Gothic ⛩️ Thank you @htp_hive @hanoversquarepress for the gifted ARC! Holy unreliable narrator! Anyone who knows me knows that Bat Eater is one of those books I never shut up about so Japanese Gothic was one of my most anticipated books this year and it delivered in ways I couldn’t have fathomed. The Gothic elements were spot on, or should I say, STAINED on ;) Gothic books aren’t complete without a little box and little boxes roamed aplenty throughout the story. The vivid and beautiful world-building paired with the violence and gore made for a truly unique adventure. I thought the multiple timelines might throw me for a loop but I’m happy to report that I was thrown for a loop and it was intentional! Sen and Lee’s characters are so beautifully tragic and their unlikely friendship could melt even the coldest of hearts. The plot unfolds artfully and I don’t think folks without extensive knowledge of Japanese and Okinawan history and folklore would be able to put all the pieces together (or maybe I’m just not used to mysteries lol). We don’t actually get the explanations we need until the very last chapter and by then, our hearts have already broken. As with Bat Eater, it’s non-negotiable to read the author’s note. Lee-Baker gives her readers a glimpse into the complexities of racial identity at large and also her own, personal, identities. Japanese Gothic frames some incredibly nuanced topics such as the relationship of the colonized with the colonizer, where tradition goes to die, the fickleness of “human nature,” and the all-powerful anatomy of time. I admire Kylie Lee-Baker immensely for her candidness in sharing her heritage with us and will be the first to admit that her author’s note brought me to tears. “We are all inextricably tied to the people who came before us, but only we can determine how our stories end.” I’d recommend Japanese Gothic to people who enjoy exploring themes of colonization and systemic violence through the lens of horror and magical realism, those who believe in everyone’s right to self-determination, and to those who don’t mind a little blood. 🗃️ QOTD: where’s your CR set?

1 book