Eva Moe

Tag: fantasy

  • February Reads

    List of books I *finished* reading in February. I start many books at the same time and often finish them in one fell swoop. I started many of these in January. Sidenote, Non-Fiction books have titles as long as Panic! At the Disco songs.

    1. Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future – Jason Stanley. A great read that links the past to our present moment. It opened my eyes to see the signs of fascist politics and policies. I feel more informed and able to think more critically about the current US regime. It reads a bit like a textbook at times.
    2. Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself – Nedra Glover Tawwab. Started this around 2020, and I swear I’ve never met a self-help book that has been quite as immediately useful as this one. Please give it a read if you think you might struggle with boundaries or people pleasing.
    3. Parable of the Sower – Octavia E. Butler. Had to buy a physical copy after finishing the audiobook. It inspired both my writing and present way of thinking about life. The only thing is, I wish I’d read it ten years ago. Elegantly written, this is a dystopia that feels more possible every day. If you’re from the US and never thought about a collapsed future, this may shift your perspective.
    4. Assistant to the Villain – Hannah Nicole Maehrer. Romantasy! It was as fun as you want a Romantasy book to be, and minus the clumsy main character, there was a noticeable lack of irritating cliches that are rife in the genre. (“I’m not like other girls” did not come into play, for instance). Also, I cast Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier as the Villain 🙂
    5. Apprentice to the Villain – Hannah Nicole Maehrer. Fun follow up with a little more world building. Can’t wait for the 3rd book!
    6. The Fire Next Time – James Baldwin. A short informative read that was my first foray into James Baldwin literature. This one feels a little like the thoughts are happening in your own mind. Up close and personal. I’ll be rereading this, and look forward to my next book of his, Giovanni’s Room.
    7. The Art of War: The Essential Translation of the Classic Book of Life (Penguin Classics 2002 edition) – Sun-tzu, John Minford. I bought this one as soon as I returned it to the library. This is now an essential part of my personal library, and I will rebuy it if my current copy goes missing. I adore this edition for 2 very different reasons.
      • I got so many great fight-scene ideas for books!
      • The commentators throw shade at each other that the editor absolutely did not have to include. It oscillates between high-academic nerdery as expected, and the arguments in a reddit comment section. Idk much about Giles, but he did not like Cao Cao’s ‘untranslatable ramblings’ (not direct quote), and for that knowledge, I am deeply sated.

    Happy reading,
    Eva

  • It’s Halloween Again / weather’s acting up

    It's a half-open otherworld lately. 
    Misty metallic air, an atmosphere woven with ghosts.
    Rain's electricity fragrance. 

    It's Spring, though. Says so right here. 
    The weather even searches for softball.
    			Pull a tarot card. 
     			Candles puff their ominous orange flowers
    There's a twinkle in the eye of every pond
    glitter in the inhale
    exhale 
    of dusk and dawn
     			and all of us can fly. 
    Trees crack their backs and 
     			All black cats can talk.
    Birds chirp.
     			Your window opens.