Trey

Very fun!

Tim Harford is so fun and nice and smart and just wonderful.

Took me a LONG time to get into this book but it pays off.

3 stars might be unfair. It's just that this is written about an ongoing pandemic, so some things have changed like the rise of variants that change the disease in material ways.

But it IS full of interesting insight and reflection on how pandemics have played out and affected society in the past.

Boring. But not as frustrating as Seveneves

Solid but unchallenging. The main character is a bit of a Mary Sue. But Mary Sues can be fun.

Deeply conflicted about this book.

I expected overt racism, but I did not expect it to become so central to the story. And I certainly did not expect the narrator to try to get me to cheer for the KKK.

Also, for the first two thirds of the book, Scarlett is really basically a sociopath.

But the arc of Scarlett's development and relationship with Rhett are extremely compelling.

So, I get why some people adore this book while others hate it.

It's fine. I don't hate it.

The ending is terrible.

Dumb.

But I'm partly at fault for not knowing more about this book before starting. It appears on lists of sci-fi novels, but it's light on sci-fi. It's primarily a satire/absurdist novel.

It reminds me of Catch 22 and Stranger in a Strange Land. But where those are funny or thought-provoking, this is just dumb.

It was hard to tell when this book was published from the writing. In some respects, it seemed really dated (eg. references to use of paper in a future with AI-powered androids and the sexism) and yet there are emotional complexities in a cast of characters who are almost universally loathsome. It makes sense that it was published in 2008.

I don't think this is a spoiler, but I kind of love the fact that when I finished the book I was convinced that humans are extinct (except maybe the specials) and everyone is an android.

I can see why this book has such popularity although it's, stylistically, not my cup of tea.

I couldn't get into this book at various times when I've tried to read it. This time, I listened to the audiobook and I'm glad I did.

I'm not quite sure what to say about it, though. It's very long. It has some aspects to it that I would consider pretty serious flaws in other books.

And yet I found it incredibly tense and thought-provoking.

I'm glad I gave it another try.

It was hard to rate this.

On one hand, it's a literary masterpiece. It's intricate and sprawling. It has so many well-developed themes — love, marriage, monogamy, class, religion, sexism... just to name a few — and it's a fascinating glimpse into Russian life prior to the revolution.

On the other, every character is an idiot. It's nihilistic to the point of making at least one person — no spoilers — jump under a train. My husband asked me to stop yelling about this book.

I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. And I hated it.

This is very very not my jam.

Super fun book. My main complaint is that the dialogue felt anachronistic at points. That sounds lame, but I found it distracting.

But this is a very fun read.

I don't think this was intentionally written for children, but I think it's perfect for kids who have a serious interest in science.

All of the science covered is pretty basic. But the presentation is so pleasant that I was never bored with it.

I didn't love the first book in this series, but this one makes up for it in spades!

Yet another installment where 90% of the story takes place in a single room with truckloads of insane sex.

Took me a bit to get used to the narrator, but ended up getting drawn in. Very exciting!

I didn't give this 5 stars because it was written by a friend. I gave it 5 stars because I think it's a clever and insightful analysis of humor in all its forms.

Also, it's full of hilariously bad dad jokes.

Really lush alt-universe epic fantasy.

But this needed to be two or three separate books. Several plot points felt rushed or too simple. And the pacing at the end will break your neck.

I enjoyed this trilogy a lot but I'm docking a star for the the ending being so predictable.

Really loved this book, but feel like the plot doesn't advance enough. Otherwise, it's a delight.

Libertarian Batman and Harry Dresden had a baby and the result is this testosterone addled urban fantasy.

Slow start and breakneck ending

Well-written, but addressed entirely to people who already agree with her progressive political views. This is a polemic and, as such, it's fine.