Book Review: Girls: Life isn't a Fairy Tale | Annet Schaap, Laura Watkinson

Girls: Life Isn't a Fairy Tale by Annet Schaap
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

These are familiar fairy tales retold, and mostly modernised in some way: Rumpelstiltskin, Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Frog Prince, Bluebeard, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. (Well, at least I think "Monster Girl" is a gender flipped Beauty and the Beast, since I can't figure out any closer comparison.)

There's a wry humour that runs through these stories, and it's especially amusing to me how Schaap twists the original stories to new and unexpected endings. Whilst all the stories are pretty dark, there's also a thread of hope - and if not hope, a kind of resilience - that turns up at the unexpected times and in unexpected places in most of them. There's also a stark realism to them; I'd like to imagine that these retellings would have the same impact on us as the originals did in their time, in warning the readers about the dangers of the world. And also in telling us how to overcome them.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Pushkin Children's Books via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Murder at Gull's Nest | Jess Kidd

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murder at Gulls Nest is a classic cosy mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Here, we have an Nora Breen, a former nun, who arrives at Gore-on-Sea in Kent in search of Frieda Brogan, her former novice and friend. Gulls Nest, the same boarding house that Frieda disappeared from, is filled with odd characters: the grieving widow and her wild, silent child; the loving couple who may be facing difficult times; the secret smuggler; the old entertainer; the foreigner; and the grim housekeeper. It's all Breen can do to trace Frieda's footsteps... and then the murders start.

The mystery itself is intriguing. There's enough intrigue and misdirection, misunderstandings and coincidences to keep you entertained and guessing. The various characters are colourful and complex... and yet the main thing that kept me from really enjoying the book was Nora Breen herself.

Breen is supposed to be about 50, but she came across to me as rather brash, impulsive, and unlikeable, as if she'd staved off her teenage years in the convent and was now catching up with antics like constantly throwing shoes at the police constable. There's her rape backstory to contend with, which felt like it was mostly brought up to force a connection with another character. And then there was that nod to a relationship between Breen and the Inspector at the end of the book, which felt rather forced after their extremely contrary working relationship. It's not quite insta-love, but it feels like it was made to happen because both of them were single and had, well, a love for solving mysteries and this was the easiest way for them to work together in future books.

Other minor quibble: The book was written in the present tense, which felt rather jarring and strange for a book of this kind/genre. There didn't seem to be anything in the narrative or text that made it feel necessary, neither did it add to the atmosphere. This is very much a reader preference, however, so maybe it works for others.

At any rate, anyone who likes whodunnits would probably like this book.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Atria Books via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

View all my reviews

Book Review: A Palace Near the Wind | Ai Jiang

A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Land Walkers, or humans, have been encroaching onto Feng territory for years, bringing with it progress and development. But whatever good they purportedly bring is destroying the very fabric of Feng society and the Wind Walkers' way of life. Liu Lufeng's arranged marriage to the King is meant to buy them more time, her bridewealth used to negotiate ways to preserve what little they have left. Yet Lufeng's mother and sisters' marriages have had little lasting effect - so what hope does she have that her own marriage will bring needed change? Thus, attempted murder.

Despite its length - or maybe because of it - A Palace Near the Wind requires careful reading. It's a little hard to get into at first as there are many new ideas and concepts to orient yourself to and there's little to ease your way - and I say this coming fresh off the Stormlight Archives. Maybe if Ai had given it more space to breathe, it wouldn't be so hard to connect.

And yet, once things fall into place, A Palace Near the Wind feels less dense, but more richly layered, exploring not just the destructive nature of unchecked development, but also the any layers of governance and the hidden powers behind the throne. Is the face of the government, be it a king or a president, really the one making the decisions? Or are there others behind them pulling the strings? Can you truly take anything at face value? Or must one always be wary of where the money flows?

The longer Lufeng stays in the Palace, the more secrets she uncovers - secrets that shake the foundations of her very life. What are the true origins of Feng? And what should she do when she discovers that the people she grew up trusting may be complicit in the destruction of her nation? These are delicious breadcrumbs that Ai scatters as twists in the story, leading up to a tantalising cliffhanger.

It is here that I wish that this weren't a novella duology, but that it had been written as a complete novel, because now I have to wait for the next book to be published.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from the Titan Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

View all my reviews

Call for Beta Readers!

I've been writing again.... yay!

By which, I mean to say, I've been writing something that isn't the Tea Novel.

It's a prequel to Amok, following our good friend Yosua's father. You've already read some of his story, mostly via conversations, in Amok, but I thought I'd like to flesh it out a little into a short story of its own. (Uh, it's not really short, kinda verging into novelette territory, but well, it's not a novel.)

At any rate, I'm looking for beta readers! And I'd love to give you this early preview if you'd agree to give me some feedback! :D

Sounds like something you'd like to read? Apply here: https://forms.gle/uRnjkxN3MwyYLdy68 

Book Review: A Stitch in Time | Lee Su Ann

A Stitch in Time by Lee Su Ann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Stitch in Time is a pretty lighthearted read.

Gavin Lai presents as something of a ghost through most of the book, but he's not a scary ghost - just a self-absorbed young actor trying to get back into the real world.

Clare Chong, a super quiet, introverted girl, is the only one in the school who can see him. Which means she's the only one who can help him. She has to confront her fears and inadequacies in order to solve the mystery of his disappearance... while he has to face himself and what has brought him to this place.

90s pop culture references abound, which makes it fun (and maybe a little nostalgic) to read as one who grew up in those times. I'm not sure if present day YA (ie the real target readers) would find that as exciting, or just incomprehensible. I mean, they're still using FAXES and DIAL-UP internet, and there are no smartphones! Only old-fashioned, large, bulky mobile phones that only business men use...

View all my reviews

Book Review: Water Moon | Samantha Sotto Yambao

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

On the day Hana inherits the pawnshop, she wakes up to find the shop in disarray and her father missing, along with the last item pawned. The simple solution is that her father had interrupted the theft and gone to reclaim the stolen item, but things aren't what they seem in Hana's world.

Keishin returned to Japan to start a new life, but his short transit in Tokyo to visit a ramen shop throws him into a whole new world - one of portals to another world that follows its own fantastical rules while being limited by an overwhelming sense of purpose and severe lack of choices. Still, he cannot help but offer to assist the enchanting pawnshop owner in her quest to find her parents.

Water Moon is a whimsical tale of a pawnshop that exists between two worlds. It doesn't trade in goods, but past regrets, choices that were discarded along the way. Hana's world is truly fantastical, following rules that don't make sense in the real world. Paper cranes come to life, museums showcase the capsules of time, and unbelievable ways to travel. In some ways, it reminds me of a Japanese version of Haroun and the Sea of Stories - but for adults - plus some of the wonderful literalism from Roar.

There was a little bit too much insta-love for my liking. It's obvious right from the moment that Keishin is introduced that he would fall in love with Hana, for no other reason than he wants to help her like some kind of knight in shining armour and that he is stubborn. And because of Fate. Hana, at least, has a little more complexity - and her some of her strange choices are explained in the book's resolution.

At its core, this tale encourages you to slow down, live in the present and let go of the past.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Transworld Publishers via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

View all my reviews

Water Moon releases on January 14, 2025. 

2024: A Year In Review

Here we are at the Year In Review again! In attempt at consistency, I shall use last year's headers as a format.

2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

Blog Life

I haven't been maintaining the blog, despite some attempts. I also haven't been very consistent at blogging my reviews, so they've been a little haphazard. I don't know if this is a priority any longer, but it's just nice to have a little (permanent) space for longer pieces if I feel like it. 

The twelve-month stats DO show that people are still reading this little thing, though, so maybe I'll try to cross post reviews a little more often, and talk about my writing more.

I'm wondering about the July spike. WHAT did I do in July? HMM there was the AABA panel in KL on 29 June and I guess the PWW24 showcase on 6 July. OH I redid my overall website at the end of June and sent out an email about it, plus the Jurusihir links. I'm assuming that somehow sent traffic over, though I'm not sure how. Or why.

Top posts for the year aren't actually new posts, but old A to Z Challenge ones, which I guess goes to say that I should attempt A to Z again this year.

Hoookay. Digging further shows a strange number of hits from China, which probably means... that all that readership is suspect. lol. 

But at any rate, I only wrote 26 posts in 2024 (2023: 54) so I should try to be more consistent in 2025.

Reading Life

I read 57 books in 2024 (2023: 59), which means I did keep a relatively stable almost one book a week (not really, I just did several binges to catch up at various times during the year). Though I did 'cheat' and read a series of short stories that were each published as separate titles lol. I also tried transitioning to StoryGraph, so here's the Goodreads Year in Books vs the StoryGraph Reading Wrap Up.

Crossposting reviews to this blog is still easier via Goodreads but the stats from StoryGraph are more interesting, so I'll see if I can keep up this dual posting thing. 

I rated 17 books with 5 stars this year, but these are my top 5:

• Deplorable Conversations with Cats and other Distractions by Yeoh Jo-Ann
• The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
• Tune in Tomorrow by Randee Dawn
• Queen of Fury by Natania Barron
• To Weave the Wind by Sharon Rose

Really easy choices this year - the other 5 stars were good, but NOT AS GREAT.

The 2024 TBR goal was to DNF with prejudice, but I guess I got lucky and picked a bunch of books I actually liked so I only DNFed maybe 2 books? I do not have a TBR goal for this year yet, except maybe I'll target specific shelves/boxes to read so I can finally clear those spaces. 

Writing Life

I HAVE NOT BEEN WRITING. THIS IS ANNOYING. 2025 needs to be A Year of Writing because 2024 has not. 

Then again... I did write a whole novel (albeit a short one) in 1.5 months  that was published by Bookiut in May (omg those timelines were stupid, do not do this again) and we had a launch at the KL International Book Fair (!!) so I suppose I DID actually do something, even if half the time I forget that the book exists. I need to stop subconsciously meng-anak-tirikan this thing because it is actually the most commercially successful book I have written even if it's the weakest writing.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BOOKIUT PTS (OFFICIAL) (@bukubookiut)

Glasgow 2024 (Worldcon) was a nice writerly thing I attended - after which Jaymee and I had a writing retreat where I finished a bunch of rewrites and edits on the Tea Novel. I was on a few sessions at Flights of Foundry in September!

So now I have started on that long, slow route of querying for the Tea Novel, but I am also thinking of... rewriting it again. At any rate, the goal for 2025 is to write something new so I might move on to a next thing before coming back to this one. (The next thing is a nebulous idea called Paskah, but which doesn't have a plot, only vibes.)

Publishing Life

Last year I merged the publishing stuff with the writing stuff, but I think this deserves a slot of its own, only because I realised that I slowed on the writing end because of the publishing end. This includes my editorial work, and possibly MYWriters stuff. SO!! In PUBLISHING (and here I am relying heavily on Instagram and my invoices because obviously I do not keep a viable log)...

June:

CLAP was launched in June! There's still some backend docs to finish editing, but the main bulk of it is up and accessible. 

July:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anna Tan (@annatsp)

PWW24 had its showcase in July, which means a showcase zine! I do not know when the 2025 edition will be but it will... possibly be. 

August:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kevin Bathman (@kevin_bathman)

Petaling Street: Traditions in Transition finally launched after many setbacks. This has cemented my conviction NOT to apply for government-related grants, no matter how nice that money sounds. 

Two short stories from Home Groan (2020) were selected for the STPM Literature in English component.

September:

I really loved editing Sins of the Fire, which was released in September! 

November:

Launched two books for the Malaysian Writers Society.

NutMag is our flagship Penang zine, and this year's edition is special because it also includes the winners of GTLF's Muara Writing Prize! It's so hefty that I don't know if we should still call it a zine. It's like a proper book now. haha. 

Tapau is the Society's second reprint anthology! It's also wildly successful by our standards because we've already moved almost 200 copies in just one month (ie: I received 240 copies in Penang, I have like maybe 44 left)

I cannot think of anything else to add to this post, so I guess I'll end it here. In terms of goals, we already have Milestones in the works, so I'm considering pulling back on everything else to focus on actually writing new stuff. 

Maybe I'll actually blog more about Anna's Year of Writing, but I usually do one post and then forget, so no promises. At any rate, I'm slightly more active on BlueSky and Threads at this moment if you want to do the socmed thing. 

HAPPY 2025!