Riding the Ferris Wheel to Escape the Readathon

The third week of Escape the Readathon has been over for a week. I focused on the Unfair Wheel which had me reading books on the top of my tbr. 2 of the books I read for the third week in May went for the building while 4 went for a prompt. I am up to 17 books read this month! And boy do I feel it. I actually feel it because of work to be honest. Work was really been stressing me out which is why I am posting this a week later than I expected. I'm almost at the finish line for my work project so I've gotten back to reading. I'm glad I took a break because I am feeling much better!

• The Legacy of Yangchen by F.C. Yee
• Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
• A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
• The Cursed Moon by Angela Cervantes
• Ye by Guilherme Petreca
• Blue Lock Vol. 1 by Muneyuki Kaneshiro

I said I wasn't going to read more graphic novels but in my defense there was a 48 hour readathon after we unlocked one of the buildings. I've gotten really into Blue Lock so I am just going to have a lot done by the end of this readathon.

Common enemies make for strange friends . . .

Avatar Yangchen has succeeded in bringing a measure of stability to Bin-Er, but her successes have been limited to a single city, and rumors concerning Unanimity—a weapon capable of total obliteration—have led to increasing tensions among the Four Nations.

Desperate to restore diplomacy, Yangchen attempts to de-escalate hostilities between heads of state. But in the wake of a brutal assassination and the freeing of Unanimity, Yangchen is forced to bring Kavik—the trusted former companion whose betrayal crushed her—back into her fold.

As the Four Nations teeter on the brink of conflict and she begins to unravel the power-hungry Zongdu Chaisee’s true agenda, Yangchen is forced to measure the worth of humanity, and how much can be sacrificed in the name of balance.

This taut and provocative fourth installment in the Chronicles of the Avatar series follows Avatar Yangchen as she charts the course of her legacy, finally making peace with her choices and facing Avatarhood with the courage it demands.

Yangchen's story revolved around politics. Was she going to rise to the top and help the people of the four nations or would it swallow her up? Yangchen, more than any other avatar seemed like one that could tip the balance into chaos. She had such raw power, like Kyoshi, but she was even angrier at the world's injustices. It seemed like she would kill everyone in her way at one point. Such a contrast of what an air nomad is supposed to be which made her all the more interesting.

It was interesting learning the origins of people like Combustion Man. I was also intrigued by how Chaisee would fair at the end of the day. Kavik was prevalent but not as much as in the last book... at least I think so. I didn't really care for him but I understood how he moved the plot. He had some crucial moments of actually doing the right thing so I guess I could forgive him being so centralized in Yangchen's story. I prefer the underdog in Kyoshi but I did love how uncertain I was of Yangchen's next move. She was unpredictable which made a good story.

In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. An unwanted marriage, a painful illness, and unpaid debt ... gone. But as with all things that promise the moon and the stars and offer hope when hope has gone, the tale comes with a warning.

Every wish demands a price.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time - hope.

But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.

One of my most highly anticipated releases this year and it was amazing! The magic behind the tattoos and the seadragons was so cool. The world Lucier made was better than I imagined. Hanalei's journey back home, love of seadragons, and desire to protect her best friend made her lovable. She has a kind heart even after losing her family young and living a life of hardship. I didn't know how I was going to feel about Sam when he appeared in the story. But then there was an easiness to their friendship and love for each other. They were both kind and bold characters so their relationship made me happy. Such a wonderful standalone fantasy. I've had a pretty good time navigating what YA books I will actually like and this was another winner. Highly recommend!

One two, the Caretaker’s coming for you. Three-four, you’ll breathe no more. Five-six, you’ll float like sticks. Seven, eight, you’ll meet your fate.

Rafael Fuentes isn’t easily scared. He loves writing ghost stories, reading scary books, and entertaining his friends with terrifying tales he creates on the spot. Rafa has come up against enough real-life scary situations that fictional hauntings seem like no big deal. Rafa’s incarcerated mom is being released from jail soon, and will be coming to live with him, his sister, and their grandparents. For the first time in a while, Rafa feels a pit of fear growing in his stomach.

To take his mind off his mom’s return, Rafa spends an evening crafting the scariest ghost story he’s ever told. As an eerie blood moon hangs in the sky, Rafa tells a group of friends about The Caretaker. The Caretaker is an evil ghost who lures unsuspecting kids into the neighborhood pond. . . and they don’t ever come out. Rafa is really proud of his latest creation, until strange things start to happen around him. With a sinking feeling, Rafa realizes the Caretaker is real. Rafa has brought the ghost to life―and only he can stop him.

The brother-sister bond hit me real hard. Made me think of me and my brother who is close to me in age. I felt the love. I was surprised to read that their mother is incarcerated and coming back home. That's not something that I think would have been in a middle-grade book when I was growing up. It added depth to Rafael's character who was so sweet to his sister but held a lot of anger towards his mom. This anger puts his sister in danger in a way. I thought there was just the right level of scary. I was a little creeped out by this girl who wanted someone to dive into a pond to retrieve her journal. She was very suspicious. So this had the right spookiness level with a great sibling relationship and handled some tough family situations well. A great read that I'm glad I stopped putting off.

After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.

They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Becky Chambers's new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter?

They're going to need to ask it a lot.

Still the same contemplative, quiet read like its predecessor. This time Dex and Mosscap explore the human world together with its expectations. I've always liked how Dex and Mosscap get each other. They are kindred spirits so the way the story ends is satisfying. Mosscap continues with their neverending questions even through an awkward moment that they shouldn't really be talking about. This trait in them is endearing. I liked how we got to meet Dex's family and I understood their need to get away and just be. I am also the quiet person in a loud family. A nice, short read.

Jaw-dropping artwork breathes stunning life into a mute boy's fantastic odyssey through time and space in this award-winning debut from the booming Brazilian comic scene.

Ye is a curious young man, named after the only sound he knows how to make. His voice must have been stolen by the Colorless King, the source of all the world's sorrows -- terrifying, unrelenting, all-taking and never-giving. Now, Ye has no choice but to embark on a long voyage over land and sea, past grizzled pirates, a drunken clown, and more, to find the famous witch who can help him defeat the Colorless King. What he discovers may be a lesson for us all.

I guess this was about depression? It was one big metaphor where the main character can only say his name. He's lost himself, his voice to the colorless king. He journeys to find a witch to help him and encounters pirates, a clown, and danger. Beautiful artwork but I wasn't as touched by the story as I think I was supposed to have been. I thought it was about war and maybe Ye used to be a soldier. Everything kind of got lost in the metaphor.

ARE YOU THE WORLD'S TOP EGOIST?

After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan's team struggles to regroup. But what's missing? An absolute ace striker. The Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, so Blue Lock—a rigorous training ground for 300 of Japan's best and brightest youth players—is created. To survive this battle royale, the last striker standing will have to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in his way!

I haven't read a manga in a while, so starting a sports-themed one was hilarious and just plain fun. I love the crazy obsession everyone has for soccer. I like that we are following the underdogs. Isagi and Bachira's relationship should be good since one is the MC who has a fire for the game that he hasn't let out while the other is insane. I hope that the MC and a couple of others will somehow join the main team they are going for and not just 1 striker but I doubt that's how this competitive manga will go. I'm excited about the next volumes. They should be entertaining.

I have no theme for these last few days. We are kind of in a tough spot where we have to try to lock the gates on a team who is winning but also be reading for prompts to get tickets. So I will be reading to lock the gate so that we don't lose. I know my teammates have the prompts portion of the game. I can't be focused on any particular prompt but I will be reading short reads to help my team. I think I might get to 30 books read this month?? But there's no way... right? I might get close though. I am stopping everything right now and reading To Sir Phillip, With Love because I love Eloise and I just need to read her story.

What book are you dying to read right now?