avy

If you've ever wondered how it would be like to be a couples therapist maybe this book is what you're looking for.

Points for writing, I think Sally Rooney's popularity speaks for that. Her writing is sensible and “normal”. Her characters don't go into effusive prose when their emotions are heightened. They don't talk like the imaginary people in writers' heads, they talk like normal people, haha. 

First 60 pages, and I just want to punch Connell in the balls, okay? Marianne needs a confrontational friend, but she needs a friend first of all. 

Their back and forth and miscommunication is exhausting. It's either one of them thinks they're talking in complete sentences or the other is just not hearing half of the sentences.

I understand why some people would feel frustrated at the ending bc it seems to have very little payoff. But that's fine to me. Because that's how people's lives normally are, no neat bookends to every volume of their lives. And if anything, that ending is true to form about lives not following a neat story arc and instead we have moments which can be kinda messy.

Do I  think they end up together? Idk, I think they will always have eachother in their lives  because they're like the scabs of a scar. It's just there. But by that end, they're at different points of understanding themselves. Connell is a bit further on and if anything at least he seems to be sure of some things. We have to keep in mind, we only know of Marianne's thoughts and she tends to be more pessimistic but like Connell, she's only sure of a few things. Few, but important.

if winkwinknudgenudge was a book, this is it.

It feels like I'm in on an inside joke with Keiko. I mostly love the dead pan way that Keiko, as they say, lay down the facts. Very straightforward to the point of absurdity because it's one of those times where you can't believe someone would actually say what she says. but also, secretly agree with.

Maybe it's cynical because of the amount of times she exposes the hypocrisy around her. But one of the main points ring true, we often impose (intentional or not) or definition of happiness unto others. Peer pressure is real and you might root for Keiko to not give in to it, but even when you're rooting for her, her actions may baffle some people. It really makes you wonder, we define fulfillment in many ways.

Did not expect this book to actually make me sentimental but here we are. I hope I am not in the minority as someone who is “at peace” with the ending of this astounding series.

Again,  we get to the see the best and worst of humanity through this story. We follow a new “main” character named Cheng Xin.

TBH, I was nervous starting this book. Not just because of what might happen in the plot but because it is the last book of the trilogy. For a series that is adamant on not getting you attached to a single character, you do get attached. Well, at least I did.

Strangely, this felt more like a love letter to earth and humans. So, I was pretty emotional by the end of this book. 

It was unexpeted how alone humans are in the climax of the story, which makes the stakes higher because we no longer have a known enemy to fight. Which is another refreshing take because so many of the stories we read has a final showdown of some sort and in this case, there's none.

Some have pointed out the sexism in this book, especially with a female protagonist. But to me, there's really not much to go on since there's not really any character in the whole series that I would consider well rounded to make comparisons anyway. We get characters from both sexes doing the good and the bad. I think it was important that Cheng Xin was a woman specifically because of how people perceived her. Especially compared to previous “main” characters in the series. 

She was  the only character who was “chosen” by the people. And it had largely to do with how they perceived her and how they perceived her had a lot to do with her gender. However problematic that is, this kind of assumption is something that exists and maybe breaking that “norm” is not something the humans have grown out of in centuries. Would it have been great if this was somehow removed? Yes. But the book does not shy away from pointing out that this perception and reasoning is a flaw. Even some of the things, they assume about her, Cheng Xin does not even claim to be and she often finds herself withdrawing whenever she feels like this perception gets too out of hand.

But I don't think this was the point. Sure, they chose Cheng Xin because of their assumptions of her which is rooted on her gender (The Madonna references are obvious) and maybe some of the things she did do.
relinquishing her claim on her star and its planets was seen as a charitable act which most likely drove the votes in her favor, also holding the baby... like a mother... madonna references etc.

I think the point is the reasoning behind that choice. Humanity had the choice based on the worst and best that they could do. The worst being violence and the best being compassion and love. Sure, they made that choice using the assumptions they had. BUT, they chose the person they believed highly likely to carry out that sentiment, regardless of how foolish it might be. See what I mean by the book making me sentimental?

Is it right to blame Cheng Xin? I don't think so. She, of course, felt a lot of guilt about this but is it realistic that the fate of humanity rests on one person? They could have easily not respected her wishes when she wanted to prevent a  war, but they did. If anything, why not blame the Trisolarians who still chose to attack DESPITE widespread agreement among humans to welcome them and integrate them into human society? In the end, they chose the violence that led to their doom. If anything, the books shows that choosing violence only leads to a cycle. Even with arguably pacifist characters like Wang Miao and Luo Ji, they ultimately chose violence. Wang Miao letting the military use his nanomachines to kill the ETO members and Luo Ji holding both Earth and Trisolaris hostage. This sentiment is also shown in how the Earth humans prosecuted the crew of Bronze Age and even Luo Ji himself for possible crimes (against humans and against other life forms)

I think they saw Cheng Xin as representative of what is good in humans. Quite literally, they chose to save her, sort of like Pandora's box Did humans get to become the greatest civilization of all time by defeating their enemies and conquering the universe? No. In the end, humans chose to save their humanity. NGL, the book got me listening to “What a Wonderful World” because of how much it got me in the feels, lol.
“Humanity chose you, which meant they chose to treat life and everything else with love, even if they had to pay a great price... Love isn't wrong.”
And finally, the final parts of the book, 
Was I disappointed that we don't at least get a happy ending on a small scale? IDK, at that point, I was already emotionally exhausted that one final tragedy felt like a mosquito bite compared to oh IDK, losing the entire solar system. Also how casually it was done, OUCH. But it brings me a bit of satisfaction that in the end, everything resets. So what does it matter that other species were too busy eliminating each other when we all go back to nothing in the end? Sure, we did not get to be the greatest conqueror of the universe and practically extinct but at least we didn't waste our time in the universe on nonsensical violence. Carpe diem and all that

It's an okay mystery novel. Not too complicated, in fact the investigation seemed to get sidelined a lot, regardless of possibly high stakes for the MC.

I think the book suffers from a lack of focus because it tries to be multiple things at once. It's supposed to be a cozy murder mystery with a dash of romcom but IMO, it fails to grasp both because of the main character.

Because, I swear, the main character annoys me so much. She comes across as self absorbed, unnecessarily antagonistic and highly suspicious where she doesn't need to be and too careless when she needs to. And unfortunately, to me, she had little redeeming qualities by the end aside from, having a conscience. Her inner monologues are so aggravating with a constant effort to seem quirky and different. She also has a weirdly nonchalant reaction to all the violence surrounding her while her reasons for being distrustful of police and resentment of people involved with drugs is glossed over. Giving the character that depth, would probably help her be more sympathetic

The mystery...gets solved, but not by excellent amateur sleuthing but a conveniently timed clue drop from another source. I maintain that it was Adeena who solved the mystery. It was also disappointing to guess the killer right, because of minor political commentary that just led me to believe, none of the POCs are suspects for sure. Instead of well set up reveal.

Still, this is a cozy mystery after all and for what it's worth, it is a cozy read. The descriptions of food was honestly making me
hungry, too bad it's interspersed by Lila's gripes and honestly, I think she'd rather focus on the food rather than oh I don't know, finding clues to clear her name, her family's name and get their business back. For how much is at stake, she definitely was at her leisure while trying to solve the case. Which makes me think, cozy mysteries probably work better if the sleuth is not the suspect at the same time.

As it is, as much as I marginally like some of the characters, I dislike the MC too much to bother reading the rest of the series. It would be a good read if you're looking for something relaxing and if like Lila, you don't really want to take the murder mystery too seriously.

About the romance, I secretly hope none of the guys end up with Lila bc oh boy, she gets weirdly hostile towards Amir, who has been helping her out (They didn't say if they were actually paying him for his services, likely not) only for her to say that they actually like each other then suddenly seem to pin their reluctance to be together on Adeena. And her attraction to Jae seems to be on the shallow side. Too bad, because both boys seem nice. Also, why does it seem like everybody is just SO in love with her? I fail to see why based on her characterization.  Let's just hope Lila actually feels pressure from all the murder, despite continuosly forgetting calling or meeting with people with info that could help her, and that would explain her scattered emotions about these two. It would have been better if the book just totally commits to the absurdity. Similar to how the old Clue movie was a comedy murder mystery, characters still feel the gravity of the situation, panic, investigate, makes mistakes and in fact blunders their way through as the murders pile up and manages to stay funny simply because of how absurd the situation is. Another example is an old filipino film called Cross My Heart, where the cozy vibes of filipino food is maintained but moves away from that a short while when things became semi serious and the main cast gets kidnapped, where because of established characterization, the humor and absurdity carries throughout the movie until its conclusion.

Definitely for keeping. This book is the kind that you need to sit with. There were times when I just had to pause and think on the words and write my own thoughts. There were times when he is able to articulate life in a way I haven't thought of that it just took me by surprise. I definitely took my time reading this book because I needed the words to sit with me. For me to turn a description in many ways and see what he sees. Reminds me of a pollock painting, you look at it as a whole and it's a complicated web and you look at each fragment of text closely and it's just as complicated and together, it makes for a beautiful read.

In its totality, this book is about vulnerability. By the very nature of how it was written, a son writing a letter to his mother who might never be able to read it, detailing his life, stories he could never communicate in the hopes of being able to share it to her someday. How he slowly accepts vulnerability as a part of his beauty and how the same fragility and its acceptance applies to our lives and how to see the beauty in it.

This is not a very plot driven book and if you read it expecting it will lay out answers for you, you will be disappointed. This is a book, that when read, will make you ask more questions to yourself.

Do not read this book expecting a linear plotline, that chapter one will make chapter 4 make sense somehow and all the dots will get connected and it will give you a grand conclusion. It's not that kind of book. Read this book like how you live in the present, not thinking about what came before and not anticipating what comes after and you will enjoy it for what it is.

I found myself thinking about this book weeks after reading it for it to actually sit with me. 

I kind of figured out why I am less sympathetic about this character than anyone in her situation and I realize maybe that was the point. Yes, she is unlikeable. But I found a lot of things she says I kind of agree with but would probably not say out loud myself. Because people would think I'm an asshole.

Right off the bat, I would have already guessed the narrator has depression. It seems obvious. But the way the book is written, you find very little reason to sympathize with her because she has all this privilege. She's a beautiful, wealthy white woman. It would seem like there is very little for her to be depressed about. Sure, her parents died but she admits herself that she never really had a loving relationship with them. She quit her job, but she admits she has been long disillusioned with the industry she works in. It seems to me that even the narrator herself is unable to admit to herself that she is miserable and she's incredibly self aware of her own privilege and perhaps that's why she couldn't admit to herself her own problems. She does a lot of this deflection throughout the book. And so her year of rest and relaxation was another way for her to divert herself from her problems. Because she has no way of facing them if she doesn't acknowledge them.

Being unable to admit to yourself or anyone that you are going through a depression is hard enough without people reminding you of what you should be grateful for. And especially with the time period this was set on, it must have been so isolating to feel like you're the only miser in the room. 

The ending was less about her character development or her year of rest and relaxation actually working for her. It was more like she woke up to a new world where it wouldn't be so out of place to feel morose or depressed a little. The bubble has popped for much of the people around her.

Sometimes, it takes a lot of effort for us to admit how miserable we actually feel.

Refreshing take on a murder mystery, less of a mystery more of a novel about a murder. What I liked about this book is that despite giving away half the mystery at the beginning, the integral question of why is the only one left and you are taken through the story being seduced by the character. They are by no means likeable or relatable, they are after all a group of murderers. I don't think that was the point. But by offering fascinating, almost romantic depictions of this group of friends, we understand Richard's enchantment. And then, we are left with the aftermath. Few novels about murders gets to talk about the aftermath and processing a traumatic experience. Examples of these would be Room by Emma Donoghue and The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (bc yes, Katniss was going through PTSD throughout the series). Instead of ending the book on the ‘resolution' of the murder, continuing the story throughout dissolution and disenchantment is one of reasons why this book will be in my “to keep/reread” pile. 

I would have thought surpassing the first book would be nearly impossible but here we are. If the first book felt like the rug was pulled from under my feet and I got punched in the face on the way down, this one felt like a night in where I thought I was relaxing until someone calls me from my window and I realized my apartment is on the fifth floor. In short, it scared me. very much actually. 

Fair warning though, do not google the theory of the same name as the book title. Which I did, so the fact that it still disturbed me when things on the books started “making sense” is quite a feat.

Unlike the first book, I think we get a main character this time, which is fine because I find them a likeable enough character. Has no delusions of grandeur or being a hero nor stupidly optimistic in the face of oncoming doom. Which is great in someone I'm depending to try to save the world except that he has no idea and no one seems to believe him when he says so. yikes.

The second book is understandably on a bigger scale than the first. I mean, the whole world is involved now. Which is great, because teamwork makes the dream work, right?

You might find yourself equal parts disappointed and/or hopeful for humanity depending on your disposition or which chapter of the book you're in. Others seem to think Liu's depiction of human behavior in this book is bleak but I disagree. We see this everyday on a large scale. So, I would say he was actually on the nose on this one, which adds to the dread once again. Because should we be in this hypothetical scenario, this book shows that we might actually be in big trouble. Seriously.

What I love most about this book is how much it does not assure us of a happy ending, lol. Unlike most movies where there is a reliable hero or heroes who will ultimately save the day (hurrah long live humanity). We don't get that and the idea of possible failure has felt more real than any book/movie I've encountered. And the thing is, I wouldn't even be mad. There was never a safety net to catch us during this whole adventure, which is ruthlessly in our face the whole time, but at the same time I found myself one of those annoyingly optimistic people hoping for the best. 

So glad to have read this gem!

I guess one of the main questions of this book is, if you can save humanity, why would you?

This book is not heavily character driven and I would say, there is not much character development either HOWEVER, that is not the point. The thing is, this book (and series) isn't a one man show as most books/movies about the same plot/problem tend to be where it's a handful of heroes who saves the day.

I think it's taken the gargantuan task of making it feel like saving the world is being done by... the world. Some people might find a problem that the series lacks a “main character” who is always somehow in the center of things. But that is the refreshing take that T3BP does. Sure, we do have one or several main character (sort of) whose POV we follow so that events make sense but technically, there is no main hero. These characters serve to represent ideas instead. Even the “villains” are not someone I completely disagree with and the book has done a great job at laying out each character's reasons for the things they do that I ended up sympathizing with their REASONS but not their actions. The human “antagonists” do not feel like caricatures who do the things they did simply because EVIL. Surprisingly even is the lack of heroics despite “saving” the world. And Liu does a splendid job of making us see that.

I would say this is one of the few science fiction books I've read where the SCIENCE is hardly fiction. And that makes it scary, so prepare yourself for some existential horror because the book makes a compelling case of being in the realm of possibility.

I found this series to be deeply philosophical and had to pause several times and take a break simply because I must ponder. 

I would say this book is about perspectives. The two women are tryiing to tell the same historical event through their own perspectives. Chiara, the director, tries to tell the story of a tragedy that so happens in Magsalin's country and they met at a clash on how to tell these events. Understandably, Magsalin is “territorial” about her own country's history being interpreted by a foreigner. She especially side-eyes Chiara's self insertion by including a white woman in her retelling of events. But at the same time, does the same thing. Both are trying to tell their personal stories using real life events and in the end I could not blame either for their flaws.

The story could get confusing as it tries to follow different plotlines that you end up wondering which ones are fact and which ones are part of the fiction. (I did try to fact check some of these). I guess, in the end, it just means we can't fully tell other people's stories but we can at least be honest to tell our own.

Finally read this book after avoiding it for years. Highly recommended by friends and family alike and the truth is, I am mostly apprehensive with Sci Fi books for multiple reasons. I tend to get bogged down by details that it's hard for me to move on with the story if I can't figure out how something works - which can be hard when the FICTION is harder in a Sci Fi. Also because I found out this was a series and unfortunately, Herbert died prior to finishing the final book. That alone made me avoid it like the plague. I've been assured that it might not matter, guess I'll find out.

But finally, here we are. TBH, I mostly read this BECAUSE I wanted to watch the movie and irrationally wanted to raise my standards/expectations to better set myself up for disappointment for any adaptation that might take form. But I was mistaken on a lot of points. Love it when that happens. 

This is probably one of, if not the most, accessible scifi book I've ever read. (not that I've read that much, mostly PKD, novellas, does vonnegut count?) There is a reason why DUNE is a CLASSIC. The trope flipping (now my favorite genre) of the messiah story is done masterfully. Herbert was very wise in saying that charismatic leaders should come with a warning, and boy, do we get that with Paul Atreides. That alone, makes him one of the most interesting main characters. He has flaws, it's laid out, he uses things to his advantage, for his survival, yes. But manipulation, just the same. And we're not allowed to look away from that and brush it aside.

Pacing might be gruelingly slow for a lot of people and unless you have a masochistic tendency to allow being bogged down by DETAILS, uh fair warning. There is even a chapter that is just about a dinner. But, that's part of what makes this book great. It has LAYERS.

Overall, DUNE is a classic for a reason. You might even recognize some of the tropes that spawned in succeeding sci fi (and fantasy) books, movies and series. This is the OG (AFAIK) and if you are a fan of fiction, this is a must read.

I loved The Princess Diaries and I grew up reading those books when I was a tween. So, revisiting Adult Mia feels very nostalgic. It's weird to relate to a character who has nothing in common with you, but that was the beauty of the original series. 

Overall, Royal Wedding is as much as modern day fairy tale as can be. It's okay. It's something to indulge in and it's definitely a pick-me-up book that you can just relax and laugh with.