Circe by Madeline Miller🎧 Narrated by Perdita Weeks

Synopsis (via Goodreads): In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.”

Madeline Miller has surpassed my expectations, and they were pretty high after The Song of Achilles. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, and jumped at the opportunity to read Circe. I've always loved stories about Greek mythology, so her books have been perfect for me!

I've heard about Circe, but I wasn't really familiar with her story. I think I would confuse her and Calypso, though now I can see there is no comparison. Circe wasn't like the other gods, or even the other members of her family. She was soft-spoken, didn't draw attention to herself, and was mostly left to her own devices. She wanted to find love and be loved, though her efforts tended to backfire or not work out.

I liked watching Circe grow throughout the book, even though it took her centuries to come to the same conclusions others only have a few decades to discover. She was oblivious to the outside world and how it worked, so her exile was an eye-opening experience. Most of her knowledge came from secondhand stories, and the majority of those were embellished or lies. She lived alone, which wasn't too terrible, but her first few interactions with humans taught her their behaviors the hard way. She had to learn how to defend herself, and all of her magical abilities were self-taught.

I wasn't a fan of Odysseus in The Song of Achilles, and he didn't do himself any favors in Circe. He was a very calculating man, and despite having a family at home waiting for him, he chose to seek more glory for himself. He cost men their lives, he was cruel and at times physically abusive, and dangerously smart. He was able to think of creative ways out of unfavorable circumstances, although it rarely kept everyone alive.

I've really enjoyed listening to the audio versions of Miller's books. Frazer Douglas and Perdita Weeks were brilliant and perfect! I could listen to them all day, which is what I did with Circe. It was the book I listened to while we were driving to the new house, and even the children enjoyed the story. I have no complaints about this book, and I'm looking forward to whatever Madeline Miller writes next!

“Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.” 

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product. 

Mini Reviews [2] Argyle Fox, The Song of Achilles & Binti

Argyle Fox by Marie Letourneau

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Argyle Fox, with his signature style, wants to play outside on a springtime day, but the wind is wreaking havoc with his fun and games. As soon as he builds a card tower, climbs into a giant spider web, or takes up his pirate sword, here comes the wind: Woosh!

Mama Fox tells grumpy Argyle that if he thinks long enough, he will come up with something to do. Following his mother’s suggestion and inspired by her knitting, he works all the pieces of his day together and creates the perfect solution.

The story of Argyle teaches that failure is often a path to success and celebrates perseverance, creative thinking, and an old-fashioned springtime activity. 

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read this with my son and we both really enjoyed it! I love that the story allows Argyle Fox to make mistakes and learn from them. His mother cautions him in the beginning, but (like most children) he's determined to try despite her warning. 

We're always telling our son to think about things. We ask a lot of questions to try and encourage him to find his own solutions. Why did that happen? Where does that come from? It's so fun to watch his little mind come up with answers. Mama Fox doesn't just give her son a solution, but tells him to think of one, which he eventually does.

I did have two minor issues with the book, but only because they didn't really make sense. One of the examples was a soccer ball being blown into a tree by the wind, but I've personally never experienced a spring breeze with such force. The other illustrations were more believable. The second thing was Argyle Fox wrapping his new idea and labeling it "Top Secret." The next page has him running outside with the package, but then it's open and he's using it, so why wrap it at all?

It's an incredibly cute story about a child that needed to fail in order to succeed. 

♡

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller,
Frazer Douglas (Narrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): The legend begins...

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. “The best of all the Greeks”—strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess—Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. Their bond deepens as they grow into young men and become skilled in the arts of war and medicine—much to the displeasure and the fury of Achilles’ mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

Built on the groundwork of the Iliad, Madeline Miller’s page-turning, profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the epic Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career.

"No man is worth more than another wherever he is from."

When I think of Achilles, I think of Brad Pitt and his exposed buttocks. I know, right? It's literally the only thing I can remember about that movie. 😅🤷 

I love reading books that contain elements of Greek mythology. We've all heard of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and the battle that lasted 10 years. This was better. Madeline Miller has created a beautiful story about hope and understanding. She also shows us how one man's pride can impact thousands, and yet he's able to continue down a selfish path of destruction. 

The Song of Achilles had me raging on the inside. The unnecessary violence, the treatment of girls and women, and how male lovers were ignored and not openly accepted. I wanted to smash people in the face and show them what righteous anger looks like. 

Chiron is usually my favorite character whenever he's included in a story, and this time was no different. The few years that Patroclus and Achilles spent with him was my favorite part of the book. I hated when they had to leave, and wish they could have just stayed with him forever.

It's a long book, but definitely worth it. It's starts off with them as children, we see their friendship begin, and then we get to watch as they discover a deeper love for each other. All of this happens while training and knowing that war is inevitable. It's been Achilles' destiny since birth, and not something he is able to escape. 

♡

Binti (Binti #1) by Nnedi Okorafor
N.K. Jemisin & Robin Miles (Narrators) 

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself - but first she has to make it there, alive.

“My father didn’t believe in war. He said war was evil, but if it came he would revel in it like sand in a storm.”

I'm pretty sure I'm one of the few people that didn't like this book. I actually thought about not finishing it, but the audiobook was only two-ish hours, so I stuck with it. The story wasn't bad, it was just... there. I felt like I was watching someone do laundry (with dangerous aliens, obviously), while it was narrated in my head. I didn't feel anything for Binti and her struggles. What she went through was terrible, so I expected to feel horrified, but there just wasn't an emotional attachment for me.

A lot of the science went way over my head. She was talking about numbers and equations that made zero sense to me. She's a brilliant and talented woman, so understandably some of her language would match that intelligence. Speaking of language, the writing is beautiful (even the parts I didn't fully understand).