Tress of the Emerald Sea | 
pickTotally delightful and such a fascinating world!
This is correctly billed as ‘what if Buttercup went after Westley‘ with Tress as our MC joining a pirate ship of wonderful & weird characters to sail the bonkers seas made of deadly spores in order to save the boy she loves. Extremely likable characters and amazing world. Thumbs UP.
pickImagine if Buttercup refused to believe Westley was dead. So she sneaks onboard a pirate ship and sails the twelve seas, that are not wet, because they are made from spores, to save her true love. That‘s the inspiration for this one. I have been avoiding Sanderson for a long time now. Because I knew I would love him. I just didn‘t want to make the commitment. I might be trapped forever now because I loved this so much.
#20in4 @Andrew65
A blended latte and an egg and cheese on a cheddar chive biscuit with some reading before running errands and getting a haircut 💇 📖
Had an errand to run, but now that that‘s done, it‘s time for a treat at Panera and some more reading 📖
“‘This isn‘t over yet,‘ Ann said. ‘Merciful moons, I hope that patch holds. Come on.‘”
“Well, at least-
That was when Tress‘s face exploded.”
pickThis was a hug in book form an absolute delight to read! And the fact that it‘s pretty much fan fiction for the Princess Bride makes it even better imho. Basic premise: what if Buttercup had not believed the rumors of Westley‘s death and had gone off to save him? Adventure, pirates, self discovery, true love, and dragons to boot!
pickI loved this story. I loved the idea of this story. The characters, Tress included, can be normal, mundane even, and yet be heroic through acts of bravery, self-discovery, and kindness. It‘s just a fresh and welcome premise. 😊
pickI absolutely loved everything about this. It was my first Brandon Sanderson book and the storytelling was chef's kiss. Clearly, I will need to read more of this author! I finished it 2 days ago and have been thinking about what to say in my review. All I really have is 5 stars, no notes. This is going in my top 5 of all time.
#Green 💚 #CoverLove 🎆🇺🇸🎇🌭🍔🍉🕶️🩱☀️
#BookNerd 🤓📚💙
I'm really enjoying the story and writing style. I've been wanting to read Sanderson for a while!
"It might seem that the person who can feel for others is doomed in life. Isn't one person's pain enough? Why must a person like Tress feel for two, or more? Yet I've found that the people who are the happiest are the ones who learn best how to feel. It takes practice, you know. Effort. And those who (late in life) have been feeling for two, three, or a thousand different people ...well, turns out they've had a leg up on everyone else all along."
Even though I have the tagged in audio and kindle (Kickstarter campaign), I had to have it in paperback too 🤦🏽♀️
Also discovered this beaut at Barnes today — anyone read it?
so-soSeveral people have recommend Sanderson to me. I decided to give this one a go because (1) it's not over 500 pages & (2) it's a stand alone.
Honestly, I almost DNF'd it because I got bored & kept putting it down. I finally started skimming it just to see how it resolved. I realize I'm not the target demographic for this book, & maybe that's the issue. Overall, it was just okay, but it doesn't make me want to pick up any of his other books.
pickThis was an absolute delight of a read! I would even go as far as to say it was right silly at times😆 Tress sets out on a dangerous voyage on the spore seas to find her love, Charlie. From pirate ships, to dangerous water activated spores to a wish granting dragon the book is not short on adventure!
It‘s been a long time since I‘ve read Sanderson, so I‘m giving this stand alone one a try.
pickWhat a delight! It‘s a Princess Bride story where Buttercup searches for Westley & instead of believing he‘s dead. What follows is a wild pirate adventure where Tress discovers her own strength & ingenuity as she travels on the seas of spores.
“Enjoy memories, yes, but don't be a slave to who you wish you once had been.”
“Even small actions have consequences. And while we can often choose our actions, we rarely get to choose our consequences.”
pick“Nothing was wrong with Tress. Her mind was functioning properly. She hadn‘t lost her creativity. She hadn‘t run out of ideas. She was simply tired.”
Second favorite quote:
“Tell me… what is your opinion of tiny pirate hats?”
pickI did it guys! I finally read Tress of the Emerald Sea and I really enjoyed it. I loved the charm that Tress brought to the story and I love that Hoid was the narrator. The humor in this one was unmatched and the Cosmere Easter eggs made it even better. I hope all of the Secret Projects are this good!
https://wildwoodreads.com/2024/02/09/7991/
pickThis cozy, clever, quirky fantasy lives up to its inspiration—what if in The Princess Bride, Buttercup was the one who went after Westley? In the course of attempting to save her noble true love from the evil Sorceress, a window washer runs away from home, dares life and death at sea, joins a dangerous crew, & unlearns a whole lot about people pleasing, taking charge, and accepting help. A delightful, surprising, heartwarming adventure of a book!
“…Empathy is an emotional loss leader. It pays for itself eventually.”
December 2023 Wrap Up
- Tress of the Emerald Sea ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- To Be Taught, If Fortunate ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Not much reading was done this month 😂
so-soI like Sanderson but I can‘t say I loved this one. It got boring and a bit tedious at times. I felt like the plot didn‘t really move forward for 200 pages.
I love the funny omniscient narrative voice in this stand alone fantasy book about a girl who joins a pirate crew to rescue her kidnapped friend.
Merry Christmas fellow Littens🎄🥰🩷 book pictured is a grift from my brother 🥰
I haven't read any of Brandon Sanderson's secret project books. It's pass time, so I'm starting with this one. These books are so pretty!
pickWhat an experience! The world that Sanderson has built here is a bit insane. Seas of different colored spores that react to water in (sometimes) horrifying ways? The humor in this book is constant, something that took me by surprise for some reason. It's quite fun! The whole book. I think it's a little long and wordy but I'm glad for the experience once I got used to the style. If you loved fairy-tales as a kid, you will love this.
3.5/4 stars
Yes, Tress was my favourite book of the year. And funnily enough the reread Warbreaker still won against the new Sunlit Man.
First half of my 2023 reading bracket. And from the beginning of the year every book had to compete against Tress!
pickIt‘s Sanderson so I knew it would be a good read but in the end, it was even more fun & entertaining than I expected. Tress has never left her home on the Rock but when the Duke‘s son—& her improbable friend—is kidnapped & held for ransom…about which the Duke decides to do nothing, Tress does the only thing she can—set out to save her friend. Along the way she leans a great deal about herself, makes friends, & battles a sorceress. Enjoyable read.
I‘ve never read a Sanderson book but I did get sucked into the Kickstarter hype 😝 but the boxes started arriving during my scramble to find a new apartment / moving back home / into a new place… so this is the first time I‘ve taken them out of the box…
I started the secret projects and so far I like this first one. It's so cute.
so-soThis story has solid bones somewhat mucked up with humor that often falls flat. At times, the tale really soars — I mean, IT IS Sanderson after all, but there are other moments that you trudge through just hoping to get out the other side. The author tells us he was inspired by “The Princess Bride” but wanted to show what happens when the Princess is the quester, and that pretty much the plot in a nutshell. Not (too) sorry I read it.
pickWhy is that cover NOT emerald green? Anyway, re actual book: Sweet. Fantasy adventure with a side of sporror and snippets of sci fi. Somewhere between T.Kingfisher and Terry Pratchett: there's some funny, perhaps less social commentary and more advice for the YA crowd, does direct to reader well, retains that ability to go dark or gross for a moment. 1/?
Talking rat with tiny pirate hat! I sincerely hope there's already fanart on Tumblr. ☺️🐀
LOVE the botanical progression in the chapter headings. 🌿
