Books for November
Dec. 1st, 2025 11:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kiwiriaGoing Overboard - Portia MacIntosh, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~7hrs
Rounded up on goodreads because THERE WAS NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP!!!
*ahrem*
Really, really sweet novel. Portia MacIntosh is a bit hit-and-miss, depending on whether or not she remembers that communication is key, and how much second-hand embarassment she subjects the reader to, but as neither issue was a problem here, it ended up being the best book I have read by her so far.
Lots of things to love about the book - from one of my favourite settings (a cruise ship!!! That in itself would have been enough to make me pick it up) through the fake dating trope (one of my favourites when done right) to the ride-or-die friendships (people who actually care about each other!).
I do think that Nikki's hostility lacked an explanation - especially as Jessa herself questioned it, but I loved Brody, and it was so refreshing to see a relationship - even a fake one - where people actually TALKED about things!
Predictable as - but really sweet all the same :-)
The Survivor Wants to Die at the End - Adam Silvera, 3/5, Audiobook ~18hrs
First and foremost - heed the trigger warnings! Neither suicide nor self-harm is a trigger to me, but if it is to you - stay away from this book! It's not just a brief sentence here or there, but a HUGE part of the plot!
Unfortunately the weakest of the lot. I liked "They Both Die at the End" and loved "The First to Die at the End", so had high hopes for this one - but it just couldn't deliver.
It's a hard book to review without small spoilers, so fair warning. I'll try to be as vague as possible.
Getting my complaints out of the way first ...
First of all - the book was too long. Not so much that I got bored listening to it, but there was a lot of repetition that could easily have been cut down.
Secondly, the vilification of Paz didn't make sense. The kid was 9 at the time of the shooting - how could people take it as anything other than the desperate acts of a desperate child? The fact that it was still ruining his life 10 years later seemed contrived to me.
Thirdly, there was a tad too much insta-love. I know this was the case in the other two books as well, but there it made SENSE, as they were working on a deadline. That wasn't the case here. Also, the relationship was unhealthy as. The very definition of a codependent relationship.
Finally, the end - a completely cop-out! Extremely annoying foreshadowing that made me subtract a star all by itself.
Right! That aside ...
I really liked the friendship between Paz and Alano. I liked that they spent time getting to know each other, and that they actually managed to communicate and understand each others' blind spots.
Paz' disorder seemed well described as well. Both the way his thoughts would spiral, and how he tried to stop himself, once he became aware of what was happening.
So all in all a book that could have been awesome, but which fell flat because of the end. A shame.
Alchemised - SenLinYu, 4/5, 1030 pages
This is a retelling of a Harry Potter fanfic - turning it into original fiction. I have read the fanfic as well, and while I do think the fanfic is better, SenLinYu did an amazing job of turning it into a piece of original fiction.
Getting the main issue out of the way first - the fanfic is better, because the backstory is more complete. It could hardly be any different, when one is based on a long series with character development and worldbuilding and the other has to stand on its own. In "Alchemised" we have to take the authors word for the friendship between Helena and Luc, and the animosity between Helena and Ferron ... in "Manacled", those things are implicitly understood, because we know Hermino, Harry and Draco. Having read "Manacled" I could extrapolate the relationships - I'm not sure how it would work, coming into it blind.
That said, I still found "Alchemised" incredibly well written, and was impressed by how SenLinYu twisted the magic around to turn it into original fiction. It's very dark fantasy, and any reader would do well to take the trigger warnings seriously.
I couldn't put it down, and read it at any chance I got, finishing 1030 pages in less than two weeks.
Lykkeriddere - Claus Holm & Simone Lindquist, 4.5/5, 398 pages
I've always been a fan of Claus Holm's books, and this is not only one of the best I've read by him, it could easily become one of the best books I read this year!
It's a wonderful mix of "Treasure Island" meets "Our Flag Means Death", and I could easily have read it in one sitting, if work and sleep hadn't gotten in the way.
Eight Cousins - L.M. Alcott*, 4/5, Audiobook ~8hrs
Rose In Bloom - L.M. Alcott*, 3.5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
The Rose series still makes for an adorable story. It doesn't suffer from the same moral anecdotes as "Jack and Jill" and deserves to be quite as well known as "Little Women" because IMHO it's just as charming. It clearly describes the love and friendship between Rose, her seven cousins and her many aunts and uncles. One of those wonderfully old-fashioned "feel good" novels.
Books Read: 84
Pages Read: 15,233
Hours Listened To: 371
Book of the Month: Lykkeriddere - can't wait for the sequel!
Biggest Disappointment: The Survivor Wants to Die at the End - mostly because of the ending.
Rounded up on goodreads because THERE WAS NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP!!!
*ahrem*
Really, really sweet novel. Portia MacIntosh is a bit hit-and-miss, depending on whether or not she remembers that communication is key, and how much second-hand embarassment she subjects the reader to, but as neither issue was a problem here, it ended up being the best book I have read by her so far.
Lots of things to love about the book - from one of my favourite settings (a cruise ship!!! That in itself would have been enough to make me pick it up) through the fake dating trope (one of my favourites when done right) to the ride-or-die friendships (people who actually care about each other!).
I do think that Nikki's hostility lacked an explanation - especially as Jessa herself questioned it, but I loved Brody, and it was so refreshing to see a relationship - even a fake one - where people actually TALKED about things!
Predictable as - but really sweet all the same :-)
The Survivor Wants to Die at the End - Adam Silvera, 3/5, Audiobook ~18hrs
First and foremost - heed the trigger warnings! Neither suicide nor self-harm is a trigger to me, but if it is to you - stay away from this book! It's not just a brief sentence here or there, but a HUGE part of the plot!
Unfortunately the weakest of the lot. I liked "They Both Die at the End" and loved "The First to Die at the End", so had high hopes for this one - but it just couldn't deliver.
It's a hard book to review without small spoilers, so fair warning. I'll try to be as vague as possible.
Getting my complaints out of the way first ...
First of all - the book was too long. Not so much that I got bored listening to it, but there was a lot of repetition that could easily have been cut down.
Secondly, the vilification of Paz didn't make sense. The kid was 9 at the time of the shooting - how could people take it as anything other than the desperate acts of a desperate child? The fact that it was still ruining his life 10 years later seemed contrived to me.
Thirdly, there was a tad too much insta-love. I know this was the case in the other two books as well, but there it made SENSE, as they were working on a deadline. That wasn't the case here. Also, the relationship was unhealthy as. The very definition of a codependent relationship.
Finally, the end - a completely cop-out! Extremely annoying foreshadowing that made me subtract a star all by itself.
Right! That aside ...
I really liked the friendship between Paz and Alano. I liked that they spent time getting to know each other, and that they actually managed to communicate and understand each others' blind spots.
Paz' disorder seemed well described as well. Both the way his thoughts would spiral, and how he tried to stop himself, once he became aware of what was happening.
So all in all a book that could have been awesome, but which fell flat because of the end. A shame.
Alchemised - SenLinYu, 4/5, 1030 pages
This is a retelling of a Harry Potter fanfic - turning it into original fiction. I have read the fanfic as well, and while I do think the fanfic is better, SenLinYu did an amazing job of turning it into a piece of original fiction.
Getting the main issue out of the way first - the fanfic is better, because the backstory is more complete. It could hardly be any different, when one is based on a long series with character development and worldbuilding and the other has to stand on its own. In "Alchemised" we have to take the authors word for the friendship between Helena and Luc, and the animosity between Helena and Ferron ... in "Manacled", those things are implicitly understood, because we know Hermino, Harry and Draco. Having read "Manacled" I could extrapolate the relationships - I'm not sure how it would work, coming into it blind.
That said, I still found "Alchemised" incredibly well written, and was impressed by how SenLinYu twisted the magic around to turn it into original fiction. It's very dark fantasy, and any reader would do well to take the trigger warnings seriously.
I couldn't put it down, and read it at any chance I got, finishing 1030 pages in less than two weeks.
Lykkeriddere - Claus Holm & Simone Lindquist, 4.5/5, 398 pages
I've always been a fan of Claus Holm's books, and this is not only one of the best I've read by him, it could easily become one of the best books I read this year!
It's a wonderful mix of "Treasure Island" meets "Our Flag Means Death", and I could easily have read it in one sitting, if work and sleep hadn't gotten in the way.
Eight Cousins - L.M. Alcott*, 4/5, Audiobook ~8hrs
Rose In Bloom - L.M. Alcott*, 3.5/5, Audiobook ~10hrs
The Rose series still makes for an adorable story. It doesn't suffer from the same moral anecdotes as "Jack and Jill" and deserves to be quite as well known as "Little Women" because IMHO it's just as charming. It clearly describes the love and friendship between Rose, her seven cousins and her many aunts and uncles. One of those wonderfully old-fashioned "feel good" novels.
Books Read: 84
Pages Read: 15,233
Hours Listened To: 371
Book of the Month: Lykkeriddere - can't wait for the sequel!
Biggest Disappointment: The Survivor Wants to Die at the End - mostly because of the ending.
Look! I remembered to post before December started this year!
Nov. 30th, 2025 02:42 am![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png){kind=small}
denise posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_newsHello, friends! It's about to be December again, and you know what that means: the fact I am posting this actually before December 1 means karzilla reminded me about the existence of linear time again. Wait, no -- well, yes, but also -- okay, look, let me back up and start again: it's almost December, and that means it's time for our annual December holiday points bonus.
The standard explanation: For the entire month of December, all orders made in the Shop of points and paid time, either for you or as a gift for a friend, will have 10% of your completed cart total sent to you in points when you finish the transaction. For instance, if you buy an order of 12 months of paid time for $35 (350 points), you'll get 35 points when the order is complete, to use on a future purchase.
( The fine print and much more behind this cut! )
Thank you, in short, for being the best possible users any social media site could possibly ever hope for. I'm probably in danger of crossing the Sappiness Line if I haven't already, but you all make everything worth it.
On behalf of Mark, Jen, Robby, and our team of awesome volunteers, and to each and every one of you, whether you've been with us on this wild ride since the beginning or just signed up last week, I'm wishing you all a very happy set of end-of-year holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hoping for all of you that your 2026 is full of kindness, determination, empathy, and a hell of a lot more luck than we've all had lately. Let's go.
karzilla reminded me about the existence of linear time again. Wait, no -- well, yes, but also -- okay, look, let me back up and start again: it's almost December, and that means it's time for our annual December holiday points bonus.The standard explanation: For the entire month of December, all orders made in the Shop of points and paid time, either for you or as a gift for a friend, will have 10% of your completed cart total sent to you in points when you finish the transaction. For instance, if you buy an order of 12 months of paid time for $35 (350 points), you'll get 35 points when the order is complete, to use on a future purchase.
( The fine print and much more behind this cut! )
Thank you, in short, for being the best possible users any social media site could possibly ever hope for. I'm probably in danger of crossing the Sappiness Line if I haven't already, but you all make everything worth it.
On behalf of Mark, Jen, Robby, and our team of awesome volunteers, and to each and every one of you, whether you've been with us on this wild ride since the beginning or just signed up last week, I'm wishing you all a very happy set of end-of-year holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hoping for all of you that your 2026 is full of kindness, determination, empathy, and a hell of a lot more luck than we've all had lately. Let's go.
Recipe: Agua de Jamaica (Mexican Hibiscus Tea, sometimes simply referred to as Jamaica)
Nov. 29th, 2025 08:18 pmrebelsheartWhile spelled like the island country, jamaica is pronounced in the Spanish style.
This recipe will produce 2 quarts of the drink.
Ingredients
2/3 cups sugar (you can use 1/2 cup for a less-sweet experience).
8 cups of water.
Additional unmeasured water for rinsing
Directions
Notes:
Thank you to Geist for sharing his family's recipe with me.
This recipe will produce 2 quarts of the drink.
Ingredients
- 50 grams flores de jamaica (flores de jamaica = hibiscus flowers)
- These can be fresh flowers or dried. Dried results in a stronger flavor.
- Fresh flowers are best-sourced from a local Mexican grocer. Stores such as Natural Grocer have the dried.
- These can be fresh flowers or dried. Dried results in a stronger flavor.
- 3 cups will need to be measured, the rest does not if you have tap water available
Directions
- Add the flowers a medium-to-large bowl that can be sealed, or a pot with a lid, and cover with water.
- Seal the bowl or pot, then shake to rinse dirt and similar from the flowers.
- Strain the flowers. This water will not be used.
- It is recommended that you do this no more than twice, as the potential flavor is rinsed away with the contaminants.
- In another pot capable of holding at least 4 cups (1 quart), bring the 3 cups of water to boil, then reduce to simmer.
- Dissolve the sugar in the water.
- Add the flowers to the sugar water and just barely bring to a boil, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and allow the flowers to steep for 25-30 minutes.
- Strain the liquid into a 2 quart pitcher, then add water to get to 2 quarts.
Notes:
- This is generally enjoyed chilled, but can be consumed warm.
- If your household regularly has some sort of sugary (or fake sugary) grape-flavored fruit drink available such as Kool-Aid or Crystal Light, this can be easily mistaken for it - label if needed.
Thank you to Geist for sharing his family's recipe with me.
Question thread #146
Nov. 28th, 2025 02:06 ampauamma posting in dw_devIt's time for another question thread!
The rules:
- You may ask any dev-related question you have in a comment. (It doesn't even need to be about Dreamwidth, although if it involves a language/library/framework/database Dreamwidth doesn't use, you will probably get answers pointing that out and suggesting a better place to ask.)
- You may also answer any question, using the guidelines given in To Answer, Or Not To Answer and in this comment thread.
The rules:
- You may ask any dev-related question you have in a comment. (It doesn't even need to be about Dreamwidth, although if it involves a language/library/framework/database Dreamwidth doesn't use, you will probably get answers pointing that out and suggesting a better place to ask.)
- You may also answer any question, using the guidelines given in To Answer, Or Not To Answer and in this comment thread.