Yaaay, it’s the weekend! Here we go again with the usual weekly roundup…
Books acquired this week
Once more, I’ve been raiding the library this week, with my usual (perhaps weird) mix of choices…
I had one hold to pick up, and then I checked the new acquistions. Oops?
I did also get a new book this month, which I preordered on a whim a little while ago. It looks like the kind of non-fiction that I always find really fascinating, so I’m looking forward to it.
Of course I’m not reading nearly fast enough to keep up with the library books I’m snagging! But that’s okay. They can always be renewed, or returned and borrowed again later. The nice thing is having so many books to choose from.
Posts from this week
As usual, here’s a quick roundup! Reviews first:
- Ghost story: Pharos, by Alice Thompson (2/5 stars)
- Short mystery stories: Poirot Investigates, by Agatha Christie (3/5 stars)
- Video game tie-in: Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker: The Art of Resurrection – Beyond the Veil, from Square Enix (3/5 stars)
- Danmei (romance)/fantasy: Heaven Official’s Blessing, vol 5, by MXTX (4/5 stars)
- Romance manga: Bloom into You, vol 1, by Nakatani Nio (2/5 stars)
And just one other post, since I skipped Top Ten Tuesday this week:
What I’m reading
It hasn’t been a bad week for reading, though I did most reading over the weekend last week! I’ve finished reading Heaven Official’s Blessing, which leaves me feeling a bit bereft, really.
I have also been reading a bit of poetry, but I haven’t had a lot to say about the collections I’d read, so I’m probably not going to review them here, so this is just a peek of the books I read this week that I’ll be reviewing sometime soon:
I juuust finished Murder by Memory before working on this post, and liked it a lot. Here’s hoping the rest of my weekend reading goes so well: mostly I’m working my way through the Secret Barrister’s autobiography, and after that… I’m not sure. I have some other novellas that have been waiting my attention, and after enjoying Out of the Drowning Deep and Murder by Memory, maybe I’m in the mood for smallish, self-contained stories like that.
Important note
I know that people from all walks of life make up the bookish community, and I’d like to get along with everyone regardless of our differences. Every so often, though, there’s inevitably someone who crosses a line, with whom I can’t just “agree to disagree”. Last week, someone visited via a linkup and left a comment (somehow getting through my filter that should bin any future comments from them), after I had previously asked them politely to leave me alone given one of their reviews of a queer book, which used derogatory and degrading language toward trans and non-binary people.
Given that I’m non-binary, as are some of the regulars who comment here, and given how often I review queer stories and books by queer authors, I’m just not comfortable with having that person commenting (and leaving links to their blog) in my space. So this is just a gentle reminder to that person that I did ask you to stop commenting here (twice now), just in case you didn’t get notifications about my replies. It would be much appreciated if we could be adults about this and just agree to leave each other well alone.
I apologise to all my other commenters and visitors here for having to bring this up, but I hope you can all understand how uncomfortable it feels for someone who uses abusive language about people like me to keep commenting on my blog after being politely asked to leave me alone.
Now let’s get back to talking about books!
Linking up with Reading Reality’s Stacking the Shelves, Caffeinated Reviewer’s The Sunday Post, and the Sunday Salon over at Readerbuzz, as usual!
Very annoying that someone is harassing you. At least having all comments go to moderation before they post means that person (or anyone) can’t leave their undesirable links or comments on your blog without your consent. It’s why I have comment moderation turned on — though I’m not getting that offensive of comments.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
In fairness, it may be somewhat unintended if they don’t see/remember my requests for them not to comment here — the internet’s a big and busy place, and their comments here have been innocuous. Still, the memory of the things they said in that review is an uncomfortable one, and I’d rather they stay away: I’ve had enough experience of people with those views to be very wary of allowing them in my space. Hopefully with a reminder last week and this post, they’ll get the message.
Hopefully you won’t have any more issues with your commenter!
Here’s hoping! I’d rather avoid conflict and awfulness in the book blogging community — we’re here to share joy, to my mind.
I hope you will share a little about the poetry you are reading. I am compiling a personal collection of poetry, so I am always on the lookout for good poems.
In my sixteen years of book blogging, I’ve just run across a tiny handful of folks who crossed my line in the sand. Still, it always came as a shock. I’m sorry you had to experience this.
I’ve read a couple so far that I do intend to review! My favourite find so far though was a pretty old collection called The Hollow Hill by Kathleen Raine. I think I was the first to get it out of the library in at least a decade, and I really liked it. I don’t think I’m going to review that one properly, because I don’t have anything sensible to say, I just enjoyed it.
The comment writer must find your posts interesting enough to read as they leave their opinions. Maybe they will learn something along the way even if you read and discard their comments before printing.
I’m not so sure, since they only comment on stuff I’ve put in a linkup, rather than on reviews. But I don’t think it’s my job to worry about educating them even if they do read my blog; as a non-binary person in Britain, dealing with day to day microaggressions takes enough of my energy without trying to educate other book bloggers, alas.
Nicky, I’m so sorry you had to deal with a nasty commenter. I’d like to wave a magic wand and send such people off to their own planet. Bigotry should always be called out, so I am glad you brought it to everyone’s attention.
And in book talk: I see that you enjoy a wide variety of genres as I do. Always fun to see what you’re reading.
To be fair, they didn’t do anything awful over here, but I didn’t feel comfortable. I also didn’t want to make it so public a callout, but… since asking one-to-one wasn’t working, I thought maybe putting it in one of my posts might help. We’ll see, I suppose!
I do like reading a little bit of everything — it keeps me guessing, ahaha.
You have a few nonfictions I would like to add to my Goodreads list. I am so sorry you had to resort to asking someone to back off. As you said, why can’t we be adults here? If there is a book/recipe/whatever I am not interested in I just don’t leave a comment about it.
For what it’s worth, I only have comment moderation on my book blog because of one person who comments. Too much snark in the past so, I use the moderation feature as well and just don’t publish.
Happy reading to you!
I love finding new non-fiction!
Shame that one person can spoil everything, isn’t it?
I’m sorry you experienced that. Your latest Nonfiction — The Bookshop, the Draper and the Candlestick Maker looks wonderful!
I’m really looking forward to reading it! I ended up preordering it somewhat at random, but it’s just the sort of random non-fiction I like.
I hope that you left alone.
A good looking mix of books. The library is good. The library app is stressful though. I feel like it is pressurises me to read it and if there is a queue you can’t renew it straight away.
Have a great week next week!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2024/10/06/sunday-post-sunday-salon-20/
I can be a pretty quick reader once I actually start a book, so I try to remind myself that I can always borrow the book again later if I don’t get to it before it’s someone else’s turn! But yeah, reading from the library can be a weird kind of pressure sometimes.
There’s always too many library books I want. I do LOVE the digital options to push out my hold and save my place. I want to read that Naomi Novik stories as I’ve read a few of her series.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
I wish I could do that with physical books, to be honest! Sometimes it’s just not the right moment…
I’m sorry you had to deal with that commentor. I hope the problem is solved now.
You will be busy with all those library books. I hope you enjoy them. Have a great week!
I think I need a bit of a break from the library, hahaha. Though I doubt I’ll actually do so. Thanks for dropping by!
I usually have an abundance of library lends come through at the same time for some reason. I use that nifty postpone option, so it’s all good. Sorry you’re having to deal with negativity on your blog. I haven’t had anyone comment negatively on my blog, but I have had several on Goodreads reviews. No fun and not what I want to deal with. I love the “delete and block” option.
Alas, no postpone option on physical books at my library, though I really wish there was!
That new non-fiction book you got sounds good, I look forward to hearing your thoughts about it. Keeping up with all your library books sounds like a struggle, but the good thing is you can always borrow them again if you don’t get to it. Sorry to hear about that negative comment. Can you block them from commenting? I’ve had a few comments I had to move to spam or trash on my blog as well as a few on Goodreads over the years, luckily it doesn’t happen too often.
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Yep, I try to keep that in mind with library books. They’re not going anywhere, at least not permanently. XD
You could change your settings to approve all comments before posting – which is what i do (I do it for the reason that I want to be sure I’ll go and visit the blogger who took time to comment). So when you have to approve each comment manually, when you see a comment by that person, you can just classify it as Spam. You don’t even need to read it, and their comment will not be posted
I could, but the blacklist should already work, and automatically put their comments in the bin. I don’t know how they circumvented it, because when I checked the settings, they were right and matched the ID I’d banned. I’d rather not deal with them at all.
Wait, what? Naomi Novik has a new book out?! I have to get on that!
I saw that interaction with the person you’re talking about and I decided to stop engaging with said person too because I cannot support anyone who is derogatory and degrading towards others. I’m so sorry that happened to you.
Yeah, it’s a short story collection!
<3
It’s good to have variety and choices in books! I hope you are enjoying your reading this week! I am looking forward to reading Buried Deep. I haven’t read all of Novik’s backlist, but what I have read by her I’ve enjoyed. I’ll have to check out Confounding Oaths. I’ve heard good things about Alexis Hall’s books and have been wanting to try her work. Both Out of the Drowning Deep and Murder by Memory sound good and I am glad you enjoyed them!
How frustrating that the commenter has continued to comment on your blog despite your asking them not to. I know it’s the internet and a public space, but still, this is your safe place, and I am sorry you have to deal with that here. You shouldn’t have to. I think I know who you are referring to and came to the decision not to engage with them anymore recently after following a link to one of their posts that was, as you said, derogatory and degrading. I like our little corner of the internet, where we can come and talk about books, and even gain perspective from others whose experiences and backgrounds are different from our own. But that doesn’t mean anyone should have to tolerate discrimination and hateful rhetoric.
I hope you have a great rest of your week and enjoy your reading, Nicky!
I really need to read the first book in the same world as Confounding Oaths — I’m kind of hoping that having the second book out of the library will spur me on, ahaha.
Thanks for dropping by!