What I Read in 2023

 

Novels, novellas, collections

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu “Heaven Official's Blessing, vol.1” [China] (re-reading)

Rebecca Roanhorse “Trail of Lightning” [USA]

Ekaterine Xia “Phoenix Chosen” [USA, Taiwan]

Иван Антонович Ефремов “Сердце змеи” [Russia]

Xan van Rooyen “Silver Helix” [South Africa, Finland]

Laura Silverman “Girl Out of Water” [USA]

Martha Wells “Artificial Condition” [USA]

Stanisław Lem “Непобедимый” [Poland]

Gail Carriger “Poison or Protect” [USA]

Anu Holopainen “Yölaakso” [Finland]

Premee Mohamed “The Annual Migration of Clouds” [Canada]

Ana Mardoll “No Man of Woman Born” [USA]

Haruki Murakami “Norwegian Wood” [Japan]

Чжан Вэй «Старый корабль» [China]

Shisi “Little Mushroom: Judgment Day" [China]

Hồ Xuân Hương “Kysymyksiä kuulle” [Vietnam]

Non-fiction

Everything I Watched in 2023

 

Love Between Fairy and Devil

Here’s a list of everything I’ve watched (or finished watching) last year. As you can see I have a Chinese drama addiction I’m a very diligent learner of Chinese! :D

Series

Joy of Life (rewatch) [China]

The Silent Sea [South Korea]

AlRawabi School for Girls (rewatch) [Jordan]

Ice Fantasy [China]

Love Between Fairy and Devil [China]

A League of Nobleman [China]

My November and December 2017 Reading

My extremely belated November 2017 reading is introduced to you by Evvi!

Ника Водвуд «Пёся» (Nika Vodvud “Pyosya”) [Russia]

Emmi Itäranta “Kudottujen kujien kaupunki” [Finland]

Лена Климова “Дети-404. ЛГБТ-подростки: в стенах молчания” [Russia]

Maria Turtschaninoff “Maresi” (The Red Abbey Chronicles #1) (translated by Annie Prime) [Finland]

Salla Simukka “Jäljellä” [Finland]

Short stories:

Alex Wells “Angel of the Blockade” [USA]

Rebecca Roanhorse “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience™” [USA]

New Books [Daily Photo #1002]

A bit belatedly but here are the books I got for my birthday and Xmas! ^u^ Can there be a better gift than a book?

After Atlas by Emma Newman

No Man of Woman Born by Ana Mardoll

The Red Threads of Fortune by JY Yang

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

A Tuulispää cookbook by Satu Saunio! ^u^

Lights, Books and Flowers [Daily Photo #957, #958, #959, #960]

Daily photo digest for 13-16.11.18!

#957: Got new books from the library!

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (fantasy)

and

The Cutting Season by Attica Locke (crime)

My September and October 2017 Reading

My September 2017 reading is introduced to you by Russian Bear!

Sandhya Menon “When Dimple Met Rishi” [India, USA]

Agatha Christie “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” (Hercule Poirot #4) [UK]

Lisa See “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” [USA]

Short story:

Kameron Hurley “Tumbledown” [USA]

When Dimple Met Rishi

Art: Metal Mermaids for MerMay

It's that time of the year when an ancient call once again comes from the ocean depths, and artists are compelled to draw mermaids, mermaids, and also mermaids. So here is my little contribution to MerMay – metalhead mermaids and their song recommendations featuring bands from Greece, Austria, Italy, Germany, Finland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and Poland! ^u^

Click to enlarge!

Black Metal Mermaid

“Factory-made studs and horns? Please, I have my own. Also, don't hug me.”

My June Pride Reading

My super-belated June reading is introduced to you by Furiosa! All the books I chose for June had LGBTQ characters. This time year I tried to feature more countries. (You can also check my Pride readings from 2014, 2015 and 2016.)

The reviews contain some spoilers, though I try not to spoil plot twists too much (with the exception of the book that angered me).

Books:

• Meredith Russo “If I Was Your Girl” [USA]
• Chinelo Okparanta “Under the Udala Trees” [Nigeria, USA]
• Tittamari Marttinen “Ikioma perheeni” [Finland]
• Julia Ember “The Seafarer's Kiss” [USA, UK]
• Salla Simukka “Musta kuin eebenpuu” (Lumikki Andersson #3) [Finland]

All the Awesome Books [Daily Photo #638]

So, the rest of the books we had ordered for my birthday and Xmas finally arrived (most arrived in time but two were a little mischievous!), so I can finally show them all to you! ^u^

 I Heart Robot by Suzanne van Rooyen [South Africa/Finland]

The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang [Singapore]

Fanart: Ersel and Beluga Friends

Things The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember has:

- bisexual mermaid Ersel

- belugas!

- icy setting

- did I mention belugas?

- so many twists!

- resourceful heroine who doesn't give up

- BELUGAS

Of course I HAD to draw Ersel and her cute beluga friends. ^^;;

Come on, who doesn't like belugas??

Wolfhound and Other Books [Daily Photo #538]

My mom brought some of my old books yesterday, so of course I must show them to you! First, The Wolfhound series by Maria Semyonova. It's a Slavic fantasy story about a guy called Volkodav (Wolfhound), a quiet and compassionate man from a matriarchal society who didn't exactly intend to become a hero and save people but fate said otherwise. The books are very beautifully written, with a poem in the beginning of each chapter. One of the best parts of the series is a pet bat named Neletuchiy Mysh – in Russian a bat is called letuchaya mysh – 'a flying mouse' =D And this pet bat was injured and couldn't fly, so he was named Neletuchiy Mysh, 'a mouse that doesn't fly'. He travels perched on Volkodav's shoulder. =D There is also a scene where Volkodav rescues a puppy, and that's the kind of fantasy hero that I like! : 3 I really hope they'll translate these books to English one day!

Art: Nonbinary Demon Hunter for Lex

Dear Lex,

An embarrassingly long time ago you asked if I was going to post any drawings of metalheads. I didn't have any, so I decided to draw one for you and I did! I even scanned it! And then I forgot to post the drawing. >o<;;;;;

But better later than never, right? Allow me to introduce, a nonbinary demon hunter who is very, very metal.

Dreams and Aspirations [Daily Photo #310]

Our little dinosaur is dreaming…

My November Reading: Unicorns, Africa and Manhwa

My November books are introduced to you by Magnet Mouse!

• Julia Ember “Unicorn Tracks” [USA/UK]
• “10 Years of the Caine Prize for African Writing” [Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt/Sudan/UK, Uganda, Zimbabwe/UK]
• Ji-Un Yun “Cynical Orange” vol.1-3 [South Korea]
• Rebecca Ascher-Walsh “Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life With Dogs” [USA]
• Anni Nupponen “Putoavan tähden prinsessa” [Finland]
• Marissa Meyer “Scarlet” (The Lunar Chronicles #2) [USA]

My September Reading: Monsters, Assassins and Magical Swords

My September reading is introduced to you by Stone Owl Duo (there's a smol owl hiding inside ^^).

• Marjorie M. Liu “Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening” [USA] – art by Sana Takeda
• Мигель Гаярдо “Мария и я” (Miguel Gallardo “María y yo”) [Spain] 
• Sarah J. Maas “Throne of Glass” [USA] 
• Darcie Little Badger, T. Hueston “Shining Ascension” Issues #1 and #2 [USA] – art by Nick Robles 
• Kati Närhi “Saniaislehdon salaisuudet” (Agnes #1) [Finland] 
• H.G. Wells “The Invisible Man” [UK] 61
• Noriko Ogiwara “Dragon Sword and Wind Child” (Tales of the Magatama #1) [Japan]  
• Takako Shimura “Wandering Son” vol.4 [Japan]  

August Reading: Tanzania, Werewolves and Writing

My August reading is introduced to you by Gusynya! Descriptions from Goodreads.

Holly Black “The Coldest Girl in Coldtown” [USA] 

Rachel Aaron “2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love” [USA] 

Sunday Ngakama, Sanna Hukkanen “Karkuteillä” [Tanzania, Finland] 

Patricia Briggs “Moon Called” [USA] 

Kelly Sue DeConnick “Bitch Planet. Book One, Extraordinary Machine” [USA] 

Salla Simukka “Valkea kuin lumi” (Lumikki Andersson #2) [Finland] 

Agatha Christie “Crooked House” [UK]

Short fiction:

Carrie Cuinn “Visitation of Irba” [USA]

July Reading: Llamas, Theater, Icebergs and Sheep

My July reading is introduced to you by Smol Bear!

Books:

Rajaa Alsanea  “Girls of Riyadh” (بنات الرياض) [Saudi Arabia] 

Kaoru Mori “A Bride's Story” Vol. 1-3 (乙嫁語り) [Japan] 

Brian K. Vaughan “Saga. Vol.1” [USA] 

Sarah Waters “Tipping the Velvet” [UK] 

Tadashi Ozawa “How to Draw Anime & Game Characters. Vol. 2 : Expressing Emotions” [Japan]

Kameron Hurley “The Geek Feminist Revolution” [USA] 

Anu Holopainen “Sisarpuut” (Syysmaa #2) [Finland] 

Short stories:

My June Reading: LGBT stories

My June reading is brought to you by Valkopentu! Since June is Pride Month, all the books have LGBT characters. As a bonus, most books also have ethnically diverse characters.

• Takako Shimura “Wandering Son” vol.1-3 [Japan] 
• Elizabeth Bear “Karen Memory” [USA] 
• Malinda Lo “Adaptation” [China, USA] 
• Noelle Stevenson,  Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters “Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy” [USA] 
• Marja Björk “Poika” [Finland] 
• Sarah Diemer “The Dark Wife” [USA] 

Daily Photo #78: New Books! (Again)

Yay, my new books arrived! Allow me to introduce...

The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley [non-fiction]

Unicorn Tracks by Julia Ember [YA fantasy, debut!]

The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey [science fiction]

Daily Photo #74: Russian Speculative Fiction

GreyHat: “Hey, did you notice our owner doesn't read much in Russian nowadays? Even science fiction and fantasy like these wonderful books?”