Alice in Waterdeep

It's a prequel, right? You know some details already, you know the fate of the characters, you pretty much know how it's going to end. You shouldn't care THIS much, and yet Suzanne Collins makes you care anyway. Makes you root for them, as if it made any sense. As you read and know things are about to go very, very badly, a part of you stupidly hopes things will go differently. Which is ironic, for a book that talks about how hope can be dangerous.

I loved this story with all my being. I never thought the world of The Hunger Games and its characters could still pique my interest so much, and hit me so hard, after fifteen years since I read the original trilogy. Haymitch's story is so tragic, starting from the reaping itself. I am glad he stayed alive to witness and participate in the rebellion with Katniss and the rest, even if it hurts to think it took another 25 years (25 years of him having to mentor - to their death, as he says - kids reaped on his birthday).

Snow, I hate you like all-fucking-fire.

I actually really loved this one. There were moments I wasn't sure about it but it surprised me. The mid portion is what made me think I was going to just consider this as okay, and made me wish the author had pushed more on that type of humor present in the first part of the book. Wasn't a fan of the other characters either, at first. But then Purple Dress and Green Shirt won me over, and I almost audibly went "awww" when Purple Dress found the kitten. Same when Lucas got the postcard from Green Shirt.

I think this is a love it or hate it kind of deal, it's pretty clear from the fact that the first chapter is two sentences long. Really nice read.

I loved this one. The interactions between ART and Murderbot were my favorite parts. The dramatized version of the audiobook really sells it for me, it's too good!

I was recommended this book by someone as a must read and I really wanted not to DNF it, but then I remembered I actually value my time.

There are some interesting insights in the first couple of chapters that made me stop and think for a while, though nothing I haven't read before in other forms. The cases the author brings to the table are what made me slowly get angry at this book (and no, the irony isn't lost on me).

The whole premise seems to be that anger is a desperate cry for change from within the self. Which, sure, sounds reasonable enough. But it quickly turns into a condescending explanation that ALL anger is nothing but the product of unfair projections onto others. That anger is always a form of immaturity and avoidance, no exceptions. It proceeds to "demonstrate", through tales from the author's patients, that if a person firmly (but warmly, god forbid a woman isn't warm - and I say woman because all the examples are about women) expresses their thoughts and intentions, and holds their ground with zen-like calm when their interlocutor uses manipulation tactics or tries to start a fight, then their partner/family member will have a magical revelation and will magically change their behavior and everything will be fine. What the heck, honestly. I really have no interest in reading a book that states that the entirety of emotional labor is on women/wives/daughters no matter if the system they're trying to break free from has harmed them or not.

My "favorite" insight from this book: Reconnect with your family first, before you do anything else, or you'll never be happy and will make everyone around you miserable forever. What a dated, over-simplistic and problematic take.

Probably my favorite in the series so far. I went back and forth between 5 and 4.5 stars but settled on the latter mostly because most of the humans felt like the same character with a different name, and I had a hard time remembering who was who (though that's likely a me problem with audiobooks). Both book 2 and 3 have made me care waaay more about the bots than the humans, which is probably intended.

I am loving the subtle yet consistent character development for Murderbot. In book 1 it started as literally unable to look at humans while now it's got this protective instinct despite its best efforts not to care one bit.

Also, Miki! Oh god, that was so sad. Oh, and we're going back to Mensah now??