Bayou Bytes Blog

 Death has always taken pride in his work, but he has way too many unused vacation days. When HR tells him he needs to take a year off, Death isn't really sure what to do with himself. Thus begins, Death Wins a Goldfish , an odd but lighthearted story, where Death takes the year to learn about himself and try new things.  This is a story told almost entirely in illustration, so it's an incredibly quick read. But that's no reason to overlook it. Being forced to take a year off gives Death time to learn what he really values in life. Though I loved this book when I first read it in 2019, the mandatory shutdowns we've been through this year may lend new light to the story. Many of us found new hobbies and passions when we suddenly found ourselves with more free time when the pandemic began.  If you're interested in Brian Rea's endearing story of Death's year-long vacation, you can find it here !

 Holly is a young trans vampire, who has recently joined a vast underground colony. Modeling themselves after the honeybee, these vampires dutifully perform their assigned duties and defer only to the Hierophant, their founder. All Holly wants is to be fully accepted, for the Hierophant to give him a new name, which will wipe away the last of his human past and mark him as a true member of the colony.  But the Hierophant seems to be rebuking Holly at every turn, and Holly begins to wonder if this is really where he belongs. The Mellification  was an interesting story. At about two hundred pages, this is a novella rather than a full novel. And though it's a good plot, I think the length counts against it. This story introduces not only Holly, his partner Cain, and the Hierophant, but it also throws in some perspective switches and introduces you to Lila and Claudia -- two vampires locked in an eternal rivalry that dates back to their time as humans. It would have really be...

I really loved this book and as such my review went wayyyyy longer than it probably should have so here’s a TL:DR. This book is for everyone. If you are a fan of the self-help genre, it’s for you. If you don’t like the genre, it’s still for you. If you hate books, well there is a podcast from the authors of this book that’s basically the drawn-out details of this book so check that out. It helps to demystifies the illusions the self-help genre tries to feed us while also talking about how the genre can genuinely help you improve your life. It talks about how you can change your life, but how you also shouldn’t discount American society and how it is affected by consumerism, our past, as well as very present social issues. They discuss how out of the 50 books they read there were many things they like, didn’t like, and wish more self-help books talked about. They don’t hold back or sugar coat, and reading this book was immensely entertaining. It’s raw and real in a way many books in thi...

 Agnieszka lives in a small village, whose closest neighbors are the Dragon's tower and the Wood, a poisoned forest that no one dares enter. The Dragon isn't a beast, but rather a wizard who keeps the Wood's evil at bay and protects the kingdom. Such a powerful man is beyond reproach, so no one objects when he descends from the tower every ten years to choose a woman from the village. No one knows what happens in the tower, but at the ten year mark, the girl returns unharmed, finely clothed, and with a chest full of treasure. He takes a new villager and the cycle starts again.  This year Agnieszka and her best friend Kaisa will be among the women offered. Though there isn't much doubt about this year's choice; The Dragon never fails to take the most beautiful, and Kaisa will certainly be the one.  But when the choice must be made, the Dragon takes Agnieszka.  This is undoubtedly a fairy tale, and Novik admits it was inspired by one, though perhaps not one of the big...

Fans will know that anything bearing Terry Pratchett's name is certain to be entertaining. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents  is one of Pratchett's YA novels, and though it is set in Discworld, it can be read as a standalone.  Maurice is a peculiar cat, as are the pack of rats that accompany him, given that they can all speak English and read. Though they aren't exactly sure how they gained these abilities, they are inclined to make the best of it - by recruiting a human boy (Keith) and running a pied piper scam in a town called Bad Blintz. The plan seems solid. The rats head into town and cause trouble for a few days, then Keith and Maurice show up, summon the rats away and collect their fee from the grateful townspeople.  But when they get there, they realize Bad Blintz already has a rat problem...a particularly vicious one.  The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents  is not a new book, it was actually published in 2001. But it's a personal favor...

  When The Masquerade comes to Baru's small island nation, she watches as they are slowly conquered and incorporated into the empire. The Masquerade promises to advance the nation with education, technology, and medical advancements...and by stripping the natives of their language, installing a new religion, and hauling off any citizens who are deemed delinquent. When her own father is dragged away, Baru decides to play the game.   Determined to bring down the empire from within, Baru enrolls in school and learns their rules. She quickly rises through the ranks, becomes recognized as a talented accountant, and secures a position deeper in the empire. Every success brings her closer to the emperor, and Baru refuses to be distracted... It is clear from the beginning that this story will be uncomfortable. Not only does Baru witness the atrocities against her homeland, she pushes them aside in pursuit of her greater mission: infiltrating the empire. Dickinson makes it clear t...

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett Though this is a dystopian YA story, there are no big revolutions happening in The Grace Year by Kim Liggett. Revolutions realistically begin as small acts over the span of many rebellions, and in puritanical Garner County, the rebellions are happening in girls like 15 year old Tierney Jones.  Raised as a cynical tomboy in a society that believes women are harborers of harmful magic, Tierney is disdainful of the repressive roles women play in their society and dismissive of women and girls in general.  "I'm not like the other girls" is something Tierney never says outright, but it's something that tracks with her thought process. The Grace Year deconstructs this line of thinking, but it's a messy process. She's got to build relationships with other girls that test her preconceptions, but ultimately, Tierney relies mostly on herself. She's a strong heroine who doesn't sway with the wind-- she trusts what she can see-- and a...