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What a sweet and beautiful fairy tale! This is exactly the kind of book that could make a wonderful movie if they included every single word and detail.

In this Mayan-inspired fairy tale, 18-year-old Casiopea Tun is the granddaughter of a cruel and wealthy old man, treated like a poor relation because her late father wasn't light-complexioned or rich. When she discovers her grandfather's secret, she is caught up in a war between immortal brothers, battling for supremacy in Xibalba, the underworld. An engaging and captivating story, vividly told.

An adult fetch quest fairy tale centered around 1920s Mexico and Mayan mythology. I absolutely loved the imagery of the gods and the darkness of Xibalba, which is the Mayan death realm. Although I thought Casiopea and Hun-Kame could have been more fully fleshed out, I ultimately really enjoyed this fantasy.

Oops, forgot to post my review! 😬 I really enjoyed this fantastical journey through 1920s Mexico that begins with a young woman freeing a mysterious god only to discover that in doing so, she‘s attached herself to him in a way that puts her life at risk. (Things aren‘t necessarily great for the god either.) Moreno-Garcia does a great job, as always, in establishing a sense of place & writing fun, interesting characters. A fun, entertaining book.

“Words are seeds…With words you embroider narratives, and the narratives breed myths, and there‘s power in the myth. Yes, the things you name have power.”

Diving deep into my TBR stacks for my first read of May…

#Bookreport

📚Currently reading:

📕The Goblin Emperor
📕A Storm of Swords
📙Lord of The Necropolis
🎧Emma
🎧Night of the Hunter

Progress:

I keep forgetting to post these. I finished Gods of Jade and Shadow and it was amazing, it was a pretty good reading week last week. This week I plan to finish Emma (I only have 5 chapters left) and hopefully jump back into The Goblin Emperor.

It was a fun ride through and through. MC was relatable. For a time, I was worried that the romance would turn out a certain way, but thankfully it didn't. This book totally didn't make me cry (a lot) definitely a 5-star read. I highly recommend it if one enjoys mythology and magical realism.

Hoping I can finish this later today. I have about 18% left of it. So far it's been a fun ride.

The nature of hate is mysterious. It can gnaw at the heart for an eon, then depart when one expected it to remain as immobile as a mountain. But even mountains erode.

The things you name do grow in power, but others that are not ever whispered claw at one‘s heart anyway, rip it to shreds even if a syllable does not escape the lips.

...all the sacred truths are rendered in blood...

Finally sitting down after and exhausting week with plans to knock out a good chunk of my book club book but somebody doesn't seem exactly thrilled about these plans 🤔😜🐱

Book club meets next week and I haven't even started the book yet 😬😬

Mortals have always been frightened of the night‘s velvet embrace and the creatures that walk in it, and yet they find themselves mesmerized by it. Since all gods are born from the kernel of mortal hearts, it is no wonder Xibalba reflected this duality.

@5feet.of.fury @Laughterhp @bnp I got a new copy of the tagged book from Half Price Books. I am confused did our #LMPBC one get lost? Or is this from a book fairy.

This was a confusing one - the social history and family history (which is my I picked it- 3 generations for #booked2023) is almost one story in its own right before you throw on top a ton of magical realism and Mayan mythology! I enjoyed both components but felt they came with the sad side effect on only getting to see some of both rather than investing fully in one. A fun read none the less. Double dipping for Mexico for #readingtheamericas

#lmpbc @Laughterhp @Pogue @bnp

Soft pick but loved taking in the mythology.

I enjoyed this audiobook. I think hearing someone pronounce the names of people and places instead of me trying to pronounce them correctly in my head while reading made it easier for me to concentrate on the story itself. I liked the story itself and the main character. Towards the end, I didn't want to stop listening. It wasn't absolutely amazing but a solid 4 out of 5 stars. I really liked the ending.

I wasn't in the best frame of mind last year when I read this in digital format through the library and honestly didn't really absorb what I read. So I'm listening to it on audiobook and hoping that will be a better format.

A nice change of pace with this read.

Transported me to a new culture and beautifully described places far from Ilinois.

No complaints just wanted a tiny bit more spark. 4 stars.

This was my first entry into fiction based on Mexican folklore and it was really good! It felt like a really nice modern take on the heroes journey and did a great job explaining how the old gods could wane, how different pantheons could exist in different places, how worship is needed for the gods to have power, especially sacrifices. None of the lore dump or explanations felt forced, and you could relate to everyone, even dislikable characters.

This was SO good. I loved the Mayan mythology, and the refs to Mexican history and society of the period (1928). Lots of rabbit hole side Googling, which I always enjoy. I knew how this novel had to end, and yet I *had* to keep reading *just* to be sure - the mark of a really good writer! A+ for the young spunky heroine, and for the plot that didn‘t devolve into a predictable love story. #readingtheamericas2023 #mexico #52bookclub2023 #mythology

This is a good one! I didn‘t mean to start on #Mexico so soon for #readingtheamericas2023, but Amazon suggested this for me and it hooked me. This is a good intro to the author. I‘ve been meaning to read her book Mexican Gothic for a long time. Also works as a mythology book for #52bookclub2023.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

As interesting as the premise of “Gods of Jade and Shadow” sounded, I was kind of let down by the plot and ending of the book. There were bits that I enjoyed, however there were some parts that were slow, and the characters weren‘t anything notable.

What a nice story! Not an over the top story, but the heroine finds victory in some unexpected ways as she learns she is worth more than the nothing her family wants her to believe.

Intriguing: fantasy isn‘t my preferred genre but I enjoyed this, especially as an intro to Mayan traditional beliefs. I found the romantic thread and the intro to the alternative world a bit hard to swallow, but the strong realist young woman had me on side. #ReadingtheAmericas2023 #Mexico

#12Booksof2022
@Andrew65
May's Pick was a #LMPBC read in May. This was the only book I read in May, but still enjoyable.

Last #Bookspin 2022
1. We Measure the Earth
2. Under Undala Trees
3. Seeing Ghosts
4. Finding the Mother Tree
5. New Jim Crow
6. Permanent Astonishment
7. Wayward Lives
8. How Much of these Hills
9. Savage Detectives
10. Seven
11. Gods of Jade and Shadow
12. The Mountains Sing
13. You are your best thing
14. Night Tiger
15. Rememberings
16. My Grandmother‘s Hands
17. Matrix
18. Kiss the Red Stairs
19. Beekeeper of Aleppo
20. People Love Dead Jews

I first read this a few years ago when it came out, it was the first Silvia Moreno-Garcia book I read and I loved it. Listening to it on audio for a reread I still love this book and am glad to have reread it as I had forgotten so many of the ins and outs of the book. #AuthorAMonth

I started out trying to read Velvet Is The Night for #AuthorAMonth but totally couldn‘t get into it and bailed early on. I loved Mexican Gothic when I read it last year though, so I wasn‘t just ready to write off Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I switched to this and enjoyed it but not enough to justify all the hype when it first came out IMO. It had a bit of that early novel feel, so I checked to see if it was her first, & she published 6 before this one⬇️

Why do I read when all it does is make me cry? On that note… excellent book 15 out of 10 stars. But like I said. Cried. 😑

Unfortunately I couldn‘t get into this one. I‘m going to try one more by her (The Beautiful Ones) before I decide she‘s just not for me.
#AuthorAMonth

For anyone doing author a month, 99p on kindle. 👍 #authoramonth

Can't believe it took me so long to finally read this gorgeous mythology-inspired Sylvia Moreno-Garcia fantasy novel. A young woman in 1920s Mexico working as a servant for her wealthy grandfather opens a box of bones that turn out to belong to a Mayan god. Now, she must help him reclaim his throne in the underworld, Xibalba, or die. So beautifully written and full of fascinating characters and worldbuilding.

Audrey & Zero (& I) are so excited about our #FallingForFallSwap #FFF package 🎃 thank you @Nessavamusic I love everything, the candle & tea smell so good & I‘m so excited for ALL the books but especially Gods of Jade and Shadow! And the book sleeve is so pretty!

I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia‘s books. There‘s always so much history and nuance in it. You can rly get a sense for how thing were during that era in Mexico. Well, I guess not that much since it‘s not the focus of the book, but it‘s still fascinating, especially paired with her world building (along with the mythology) and her characters.

A little slow at times, but overall pretty good.

I‘m giving this a borderline pick. Inspired by Mexican folklore/fairy tales, it is a story of girl who accidentally frees a God and goes on a quest to restore him to power. It‘s borderline as it was quite slow in pace and the dialog was awkward at times. Also, I would not recommend the audiobook, the narrator was just ok and it was hard to tell characters apart. 3.5⭐️
#bookspin pick done!
#roll100 2nd done!

Next up on Kindle! I've been meaning to read this for several years.

I LOVED this one so much! I loved the world, plot and characters that Silvia created. The writing was phenomenal. It even played on my emotions. This one had it all for me!

@mklong I already mailed it out this afternoon 🤗

Free Space for #BookSpinBingo

I know we‘re behind in the books so as soon as I‘m done with this I will mail it off right away 🤗

May was awful for reading much of anything. I just barely finished this one up in May, and it is the only book I finished.

#LMPBC @magyklyXdelish @mklong @shadowfat
I will try to get this sent off tomorrow when I am not working.

#20in4 @Andrew65

#LMPBC @Shadowfat @mklong @magyklyXdelish
Ladies life has taken me on a ride and I have not had much motivation to read recently.
I am just starting this book, but will hopefully finish it up this week.
Sorry I have had it for a while and not gotten to it.

A beautiful fairy tale

Look what I got in the mail yesterday. @Shadowfat @mklong @magyklyXdelish

I didn't love this book but I do enjoy how it ended. I just wish it had been a little bit faster paced. Sorry it took so long @cwarnier . I'll go to the post office tomorrow. It was good timing, I got the next book from @mklong in the mail today 🙂 @magyklyXdelish #lmpbc group Q

Just checking in, as I have not gotten an April book yet.
@shadowfat @magyklyXdelish @mklong