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Pride & Prejudice’s Characters Evolve into a Perfect Denouement
In the denouement, Lizzy’s interactions with her parents lays out the balance of pride and prejudice that she and Darcy need to attain to find happiness together. Mr. Bennet insists on Lizzy maintaining a level of pride in her own self-worth as she deserves not an advantageous marriage but a happy, loving one with an…
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Babel: An Arcane History – a Period-Piece Tackling Colonialism that Struggles at the Finish Line
Though I feel it fails to choose whether to be either a fantasy or fully-developed alternate history, Babel’s greatest success is as an engrossing and well-researched examination of early- to mid-nineteenth century Britain and the effects of its colonialism, both at home and abroad. It examines the mindset of those who are assimilated into Western…
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The Rings of Power is the Right Direction for Tolkien’s Work
Tolkien could very well have been writing his world based on his understanding of systems of power in the Middle Ages which, admittedly, was heavily white-favored. That doesn’t mean we can’t call out his writing as incorrect and make changes to it.
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Harrow the Ninth – Delighting in Misdirection
I left Harrow the Ninth feeling like I’d just unwound a most fascinating puzzle box. When the final reveal actually unfolds, I felt like I had triumphed in successfully solving the conundrum of the story.
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Polytheism in Fiction – Lyons’ Eight Immortals
The heroes do not fight the Immortals in A Chorus of Dragons just because of their role as deities; the conflict coequally springs from the gods just being horrible people doing horrible things.
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Hell Followed With Us – a Metaphor for Our Times and For Queer Lives
White’s choice to replace traditional gender dysphoria with the fear of Seraph allows for a discussion on the determination and fear of a young trans person while allowing any reader, no matter their background, to understand the threat of puberty for a significant portion of youth today.
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Nevernight and Second Readings
There is a certain thrill that I feel when I crack open an old copy of a book. It’s exciting thinking about reliving the moments within, from the victorious action scenes to the heartbreaking tragic ones.
Blake is Reading.
Have book, will travel
Reviews, Opinions, & Sounding Boards
This blog started as a result of my desire to just talk about all the books I love and all the ways they inspire me. While all the posts will of course be chock full of my own opinions and ruminations on my favorite books, I really want to hear from other people too! Please reply if something in a post speaks to you, but also if you disagree in some way; I’d love to talk with you. Happy reading!
Updates are *usually* on Thursdays
Follow @blake.is.reading on Instagram for updates
Recent Posts
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2023 Media Round Up
Another year gone, another year of reading, watching, and playing to reflect on. Last year, I focused my end-of-year round-up purely on my reading, as that is obviously the original focus of this blog. A year later, I now know I’d equally like to give credence to video games and television shows as well for…
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Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Captures Lightning in a Bottle… Then They Do It Again
The thirty-seven year legacy of The Legend of Zelda has enabled millions to explore like they always wanted to. In a world increasingly covered in cement and metal, the appeal of a fantastical fight to stop a malevolent ecological disaster from spreading is abundantly clear.
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I Am Told
Hi everyone – been a while. If you follow me on Instagram, I’ve been fairly vocal about all sorts of the societal… issues that have honestly really gotten in the way of my writing. I promise, though, that my reading has not and will never be slowed. While I still ponder my next long-form blog
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The Shadow of the Gods – John Gwynne’s Inspired Take on Norse Mythology
We get to know our main characters in isolation, learning about their varied backgrounds, bonds, and motivations. Gwynne leaves just enough hints to allow readers to connect some of the dots on their own before their storylines begin to converge. Eventually, as all of their destinations start syncing up, it becomes clear that there’s more…
Blake is Reading 