Review | And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Source: library borrow. This is a review of my reading experience.

And Put Away Childish Things is a fantasy novella from Adrian Tchaikovsky.

Harry Bodie’s been called into the delightful fantasy world of his grandmother’s beloved children’s books. It’s not delightful here at all.

All roads lead to Underhill, where it’s always winter, and never nice.

Harry Bodie has a famous grandmother, who wrote beloved children’s books set in the delightful world of Underhill. Harry himself is a failing kids’ TV presenter whose every attempt to advance his career ends in self-sabotage. His family history seems to be nothing but an impediment.

An impediment... or worse. What if Underhill is real? What if it has been waiting decades for a promised child to visit? What if it isn’t delightful at all? And what if its denizens have run out of patience and are taking matters into their own hands?

✅ Portal fantasy (and horror and scifi)
✅ Tchaikovsky spider

And Put Away Childish Things is the third novella in Adrian Tchaikovsky's Terrible Worlds: Destinations series, but each installment is a standalone story. I've read the first novella (Walking to Aldebaran) but haven't read the second one yet. My library happened to have this available when I needed a short read.

The main character Harry's grandmother was a famous children's author who wrote stories set in Underhill, and there are quite a few people who remain obsessed with his grandmother's stories. Set during the start of the pandemic, it felt like Tchaikovsky was working through a number of things with And Put Away Childish Things.

I continue to really enjoy Tchaikovsky's writing. He has written so many things that span the breadth of speculative fiction, and I intend to read them all.

⭐⭐⭐💫★
3.5/5 stars

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My 2023 Year-End Reading Survey

This Year-End Survey was created by Jamie over at Perpetual Page Turner. Below is a look at my 2023 reading year!

2023 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 60

Number of Re-Reads: 8 (Yay!)

Genre You Read The Most From: I think my most read genre this year goes to fantasy.

Best in Books

Best Book You Read In 2023? 

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi made it on to my favorite books of all time list. 10 ⭐!

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield wasn't a "bad" book, but I thought I was really going to love it. It was OK.

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle was so different that what I was expecting, but I loved it!

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

I "pushed" a few books last year, but my most successful campaigning had to be Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.

Favorite new author you discovered in 2023?

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi is the first book I've read by Shannon Chakraborty. I look forward to going back and reading her Daevabad trilogy.

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I read Book Lovers by Emily Henry while in my cozy area and I found a new favorite author in the process!

Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

I was most glued to Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson.

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2023?

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is a STUNNING book.

Most memorable character of 2023?

Ren from Chlorine by Jade Song.

Most beautifully written book read in 2023?

I loved Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt so much. The octopus Marcellus was probably my most memorable character of the year but I wanted to include Chlorine in the question above.

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2023 to finally read? 

I'm so glad I finally read Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. Many thanks to my book club for picking this one this year.

Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2023?

"Nora." He just barely smiles. "You’re in books. Of course you don’t have a life. None of us do. There’s always something too good to read." - Emily Henry, Book Lovers

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2023?

Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney was my shortest book at 122 pages and my longest was Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson at 1,087 pages. I loved them both!

Book That Shocked You The Most?

I think I gasped out loud more than once at the reveals in Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson.

Favorite Book You Read in 2023 From An Author You’ve Read Previously?

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson is such a treasure. I love it so much.

Best Book You Read In 2023 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure?

I read Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros purely for the hype. I had a great time and I've pulled my friends into the hype as well.

Best 2023 debut you read?

Absolutely Chlorine by Jade Song.

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I don't do a lot of visualizing when I read, but I could see the world of Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson.

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

I read Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon with a group of great friends and we had such a fun time. We still talk about it.

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2023?

Emily Henry gets me right in the feels, and she got me with Beach Read.

Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I'm hoping as more books in the series are released The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty will gain more popularity. It's so good and deserves more hype.

Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Oof. Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire hit me hard. I will never be the same.

Most Unique Book You Read In 2023?

The September House by Carissa Orlando had the most unique elements in it. 

Book That Made You The Most Mad?

The amount of deceit in A Winter in New York by Josie Silver!

Blogging/Bookish Life

Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

The readalongs, buddy reads, and movie nights over on the Horror Spotlight discord server. We have such an amazing group over there. Everyone is so kind and thoughtful and I'm thankful for such a wonderful, fun group.

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2023?

I'm grateful for all of my bookish friends.

Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Definitely writing reviews.

Best bookish discovery?

The app called Bookmory. I'm going to try to use it consistently next year to track what I'm reading each day.

Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

The only goal I ever set is my Goodreads Challenge goal which I did meet.

Looking Ahead

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2023 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2024?

I wish I had found the time to read Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree. Hopefully this year!

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2024 (non-debut)?

I am most anticipating Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

2024 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock - "Told with wit and warmth, this is an extraordinary tale of family, fungus and more than a dash of bloody revenge from an exciting new voice in queer horror."

Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2024?

The Stormlight Archive #5 is going to be such a huge release in December. I need to get caught up with #3 and #4 this year so I can read on release day!

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2024?

I want to get back to writing reviews in 2024.

On My Wishlist | This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer

It's the comparisons to The Ruins and The Descent in reviews that are getting me with this one. I long for books/movies like those so This Wretched Valley is definitely on my list.

This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer

Four ambitious climbers hike into the Kentucky wilderness. Seven months later, three mangled bodies are discovered. Were their deaths simple accidents or the result of something more sinister?

This nail-biting, bone-chilling survival horror novel is inspired by the infamous Dyatlov Pass incident, and is perfect for fans of Alma Katsu and Showtime's Yellowjackets.

This is going to be Dylan's big break. Her friend Clay, a geology student, has discovered an untouched cliff face in the Kentucky wilderness, and she is going to be the first person to climb it. Together with Clay, his research assistant Sylvia, and Dylan's boyfriend Luke, she is going to document her achievement on Instagram and finally cement her place as the next rising star in rock climbing. 

Seven months later, three bodies are discovered in the trees just off the highway. All are in various states of decay: one body a stark, white skeleton; the second emptied of its organs; and the third a mutilated corpse with the tongue, eyes, ears, and fingers removed.

But Dylan is still missing. Followers of her Instagram account report seeing disturbing livestreams, and some even claim to have caught glimpses of her vanishing into the thick woods, but no trace of her—dead or alive—has been discovered. 

Were the climbers murdered? Did they succumb to cannibalism? Or are their impossible bodies the work of an even more sinister force? Is Dylan still alive, and does she hold the answers? 

This page-turning debut will have you racing towards the inevitable conclusion.

Is This Wretched Valley on your radar for this year?

Favorite Books of 2023

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is Favorite Books of 2023. Below you will find the top 10 books that I read in 2023 categorized by genre. Let me know if you've read or are interested in any of these books!

Fantasy

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty - there is nothing better than reading a book and knowing you are reading one of your favorite books of all time. That's exactly how I felt all the way through The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. Every word was perfect and this was my favorite of the year.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson - What a lovely gift! Tress of the Emerald Sea is the first book in Brandon Sanderson's "secret projects". He wrote this one as a gift to his wife and thankfully she wanted the world to have it. Tress is a beautiful fairy tale inspired by The Princess Bride - one of my favorite books of all time - and there's pirates to boot!

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson - I'm so glad the mood struck me this year to dive into Words of Radiance! This series is epic in every way and I'm pumped to try to catch up before Stormlight 5 is released in December!

Horror

Chlorine by Jade Song - This. Book. I loved this book. It's a literary fiction with some definite horror elements. The horror is slow to emerge, but it does emerge! I had to put it down and take a few deep breaths. It's a coming of age with great character development, and what a debut!

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle - This book was such a surprise for me. It subverted all of my expectations, and I can't wait for Chuck Tingle's next novel later this year.

Science Fiction

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel - Sea of Tranquility is a well crafted time travel/mind trip type of story, and it really worked for me. It was a great book club pick.

Thriller

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall - I love everything Kate Alice Marshall writes. Middle grade, young adult, adult - give me the books! What Lies in the Woods is her foray into adult thrillers, and I loved it. I have her new one coming out this month, and I can't wait to read that one as well!

The Only One Left by Riley Sager - Yay! Riley Sager is hit or miss and this was a hit for me! It was twisty and fun and set on the cliffside.

Literary Fiction

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - What a wonderful book club pick this turned out to be! I highly recommend this to everyone regardless of what genres are your favorite.

Romance

Book Lovers by Emily Henry - I was in my cozy era when I picked up Book Lovers. Thank you endlessly to reviewers for stating what sets Emily Henry apart from other romance writers. I learned a lot last year about what I do and don't like in romance. Maybe this will be a category that stays!

Final Thoughts

I'm sad that I don't have any children's books on this list. I just didn't read very much kid lit last year, and I really did long for it. I'm hoping to have a better year in that regard this year. Other than that, I had favorites in all of the fiction genres that I read and even added a romance category! I think that makes for a great reading year.

First Book of the Year 2024

Happy New Year! I hope the new year is finding you happy and well. If the first book of the year sets the reading tone and expectations for the year to come, I'm excited to make mine a diverse horror novel that I'm reading with friends.

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

A gripping, page-turning novel set in Jim Crow Florida that follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he’s sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horrors of racism and injustice, for the living, and the dead.

Gracetown, Florida
June 1950

Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory.

Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it’s too late.

The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel.

If you would like to join us during the month of January (or pop in later to view our thoughts), we will be discussing The Reformatory on the Horror Spotlight discord.

What will be your first book of the year? Do you pick something specific to celebrate or do you just read what you are in the middle of/next on your list?