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The Novel Hermit

daydreaming about books

Archives for July 2021

Discussion

TBR • Books by Asian Authors Everybody Should Read (Including Me)

July 26, 2021 Comments : 2

What common things do all these books have in common in this post? They’re written by Asian authors, and they’re books I want to read (and you should too!).

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to see so many intriguing books by Asian authors that are out this year. I may not have read any it, but I desperately want to, and I sure hope everybody is taking note and putting these books on their TBR list.

These are books that feature LBGTQ+ characters and retells history or a classic with a different spin. Let’s see what these books, shall we?

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…

In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.

When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother’s identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother’s abandoned greatness.

Why would I want to read She Who Became the Sun? It’s pretty bold of the publisher to market this as “Mulan meets The Song of Achilles” when this book is probably even more than those two stories. This sounds like a fantastic epic rooted down in history that features LGBTQ+ characters, which is everything I ever want in a book. I don’t read historical fiction fantasy, but that will change with She Who Became the Sun.

I imagine if people enjoyed the historical fantasy of The Poppy War, they will enjoy this too.

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Reviews

REVIEW • Protect the Sea! (Aquicorn Cove by K. O’Neill)

July 19, 2021 Leave a Comment

Aquicorn Cove by K. O’Neill • October 16, 2018 • Oni Press

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Indiebound | Indigo | Library

Unable to rely on the adults in her storm-ravaged seaside town, a young girl must protect a colony of magical seahorse-like creatures she discovers in the coral reef.

From the Eisner Award-winning author of The Tea Dragon Society and Princess Princess Ever After comes AQUICORN COVE, a heartfelt story about learning to be a guardian to yourself and those you love..

When Lana and her father return to their seaside hometown to help clear the debris of a big storm, Lana remembers how much she’s missed the ocean—and the strong, reassuring presence of her aunt. As Lana explores the familiar beach, she discovers something incredible: a colony of Aquicorns, small magical seahorse-like creatures that live in the coral reef. Lana rescues an injured Aquicorn and cares for it with the help of her aunt, who may know more about these strange creatures than she’s willing to admit. But when a second storm threatens to reach the town, choices made many years ago about how to coexist with the sea start to rise to the surface. Lana realizes she will need to find the strength to stand on her own, even when it means standing up to the people who she has always relied on to protect her.

myreview

First sentence: This book is for everyone who protects the sea, and for those who will inherit the responsibility. Thank you for taking care of our beautiful world.

Two words: adorable + educational.

Aquicorn Cove is a magical tale about Lana (and her father) returning to their seaside hometown to help the town after a big storm destroyed it, and learning about how everybody’s actions has affected these magical seahorse-like creatures called Aquicorns that she discovers when she rescues one. 

What I love most about this book are:

  • the art work is so pretty. Kay O’Neill does an amazing job illustrating this beautiful seaside town. You can feel how much Lana loves this place and the emotions swirling through this book simply by the colors used in the art.
    • it’s LGBTQ+ friendly.

  • the cute Aquicorns. They are magical creatures and so darn cute!!
  • it discusses the impact of our actions that have a negative effect on our environment. Everybody and everything are just trying to survive, but cannot if people do not change the way they do things (like how they fish and stuff). It’s a lesson that everybody—small and big—needs to learn.

Aquicorn Cove is beautiful heartfelt story about loss that illustrates how a little girl copes with her mother’s death, and the devastation of how human beings’ actions attribute to climate change and the destruction the ocean.

Should you read Aquicorn Cove? Yes!!!!

Reviews

REVIEW • Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse by Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox

July 12, 2021 Leave a Comment

Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse by Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox • May 5, 2020 • Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Indiebound | Indigo | Library

In the hilarious follow-up to Llama Destroys the World, author/illustrator team Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox give Llama another shot at saving the world…from himself, in Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse.
Llama’s back and ready to destroy the world AGAIN… this time with his best camelid, Alpaca!
Llama loves cooking. And baking. And, above all, eating.
For breakfast, Llama makes one epic spread…as well as a big mess.
But Llama hates cleaning.
So by lunch, Llama has cooked up something really devious―an idea!―and by second lunch, Llama has cloned his most fastidious friend, Alpaca, to clean his house. And Llama doesn’t stop at just one clone.
By dinner, the alpaca clones threaten to tidy the world into utter destruction―THE ALPACALYPSE* IS HERE! Will Llama be able to fix it all before dessert? *That’s “apocalypse” with an alpaca―get it?

myreview

First sentence: By dinner, Llama will unleash a great Alpacalypse upon the world.

This llama is on a path to destroy the world…again. With the unintentional help of alpacas this time! Llama must be stopped!

Llama, llama—he becomes too lazy to clean after his own messes, so what does he do? Create a cloning machine to clone a bunch of alpacas to clean for him. What could go wrong? (Spoiler: Everything goes completely wrong!) You wouldn’t think that these cute animals could bring real destruction into the world, but here they are, doing their best.

This picture book is so cute—from the art work to the crazy antics the llama and the alpaca get into. It’s a fun read everybody will enjoy, and everything that happens is stuff everybody can relate to because who’d want to clean their own mess? It’s a lot of fun!

Should you read Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse? Yes! Share this with all the kids!

Discussion

BOOKS IN HAND • What Customers Bought in June 2021

July 5, 2021 Leave a Comment

Half the year has gone by, and fuck, man.

During the last week of February 2018, I pondered about what type of post to make for “Books in Hand.” At first, I planned to discuss all the books customers came in asking for or buying, but that’s a bit too much because everybody came in asking for different books, and I didn’t remember all of them. My boss showed me a way to check our store’s best selling books, and I found out what we sold a lot of!

And that’s what this post is—seeing the top selling books of June 2021!

FICTION

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About Me


I’m Cee. Lover of books + comics. Bookseller. Former teen witch.

The Novel Hermit is written by a daydreamer who loves books and want to share her love with everybody. You will find YA, comics, reviews, discussions, book cover love, and lots of adoration for books. What more can you ask for?

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2017

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2013

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2012

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Disclaimer

All of the books I review either have been purchased by me, borrowed from the library, and sent to me by the publisher (the latter of which I will note).

All the words and opinions in this blog are my own. I am not paid to write reviews. Synopsis are taken from either the back of the book or from Goodreads.com.

Any use and/or duplication of my material without permission from me (the author and owner of The Novel Hermit blog) is strictly prohibited.

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