Enno Rehling
I read this book with the intention to learn more about the revolution, and one of its most controversial figures, and I got that, but also a portrait of a man who lived (Spoiler: and died) for his ideals. How different would the Soviet Union have been if it hadn't been Stalin who won the internal power struggle? I'm glad to have learned more about the genesis of the Soviet Union, a topic that was very much absent from my school curriculum. Given how much I've read and watched about the end of it, this was a hole in need of filling, and this book helped.
There may be other books about the events and person of Trotsky, perhaps less biased ones, but this one is well-written and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in 20th century history.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
After Playing for Keeps and Six Wakes, this is my third book by Mur, and I loved it just as much. The symbiotic aliens, the human characters, the setting and the murder mystery all hit a variety of my buttons. Did I read that this is going to be a series? Then I will definitely read the next books, as well as any others she's written that I can get my hands on over here.
This was funny space-opera stuff. After a plague turns them into zombies, healthy humans are an endangered species, our heroes are among the last survivors, working as janitors on an alien spaceship that they suddenly find themselves in control of. There are plenty of alien races with their own agendas, space battles to win, and a conspiracy to uncover.
I liked this book, but there was one aspect that spoiled my overall great impression: The “movie in your mind” dramatization of the audio book version. You wouldn't believe how much noise there is in space! At times it's hard to hear the characters speak over it, especially when there's dramatic music in the mix during the many action sequences.
I don't usually read short stories, but this collection may serve to change my mind. I love a book that explores new ideas, or puts a new spin on an existing trope, and these short stories do that, and cover a wide range of them.
I'd already read Six Months, Three Days elsewhere, so that set my expectations, and I'm happy to say they were met. From classics like time travel in The Time Travel Club to the over-the-top gonzo style of Rock Manning Goes For Broke, there was something for everybody here. The medical horror of Don't Press Charges And I Won't Sue was probably my least favorite story, but that's partly because of the real-world politics that it mirrors, which are none of the story's faults.
I'm very happy to have received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, even though it took me months to get around to actually reading it, on account of my enourmas TBR pile.
First of all: I loved it! The Sci-Fi themes were exactly in my wheelhouse, and I enjoyed how the author made sure to wrap up all of her characters' loose ends at the end, not leaving us to wonder about anything.
Warning: There is once again talk of pandemic in here, though not as close up and personal as it was in Station Eleven or even in The Glass Hotel.
It's not exactly a sequel to Glass Hotel, but it's set in the same universe, after the events of that book. You probably don't need to read these books in order, but I got a little kick out of the connections.
Funny! Mickey is immortal by virtue of being able to make a backup of himself that can be downloaded into new clone bodies. He has thus far died 6 times, which makes his current body Mickey7. Death is a pretty regular occurrence when you're the official Expendable on an interstellar colony ship that landed on a hostile planet. When he's assumed to have died a seventh time, and Mickey8 steps out of the cloning vats, that's when his troubles really begin, though.
This book is a fun spin on the whole “what makes you yourself?” question in SF that's also coming up when you discuss Star Trek transporters, mixed in with a good dollop of other issues, this book was a ride.
Cora the mermaid is near and dear to my heart since her first appearance in this series, and I was happy to get a book where she is the main character this time (although Sumi also makes an appearance later). She's been haunted since her last quest, and hopes a drastic change will help her get over that, but changing schools turns out to be more than she bargained for.
This was very intense at times, but fantastic like all the books in the series. There's hardly any book I look forward to more than the next one, but I'll take a short story in the meantime, so hello, Skeleton Song.
Any book that starts with a map promises an exciting adventure, and this one's no different. There is a real sense of place here, helped by the great art. The characters are well written, and believable. I've definitely been in Josie's situation before, blind to what's right in front of me and also too timid to do something about a long held crush, so I was glad to see the happy ending.
I loved this! I found the book through a recommendation after reading all of Jeff Lemire's Black Hammer books, and was lucky enough to get a review copy through #NetGalley
The AI of a colony ship en route to a new planet finds itself in charge of a group of kids who get attached to it as it becomes their surrogate mother. A heart-warming story, kids being kids, adults being jerks, and big emotions.
I like the rustic art style, it works well with the worn, lived-in look of a space ship on a long mission, and the character's expressions are doing a lot of work in the emotional storytelling.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Malaka is a teenager between two worlds, trying to hold on to her relationship with her father and his new family. At an age where a young person finds out who they are, she doesn't fit in at home in America, and even less so in the middle east.
This book felt authentic, Malaka's struggles are relatable, and there's occasional humor to be found in the “fish out of water” situation, but it's mostly serious and everyone is struggling to find meaning in their complicated lives.
This book made me laugh out loud many times. The writing is witty,and the stories are ones that I could have and often have) experienced myself. I grew up in this same time period, experienced the rise of the PC and then the internet and web, had jobs in startups, and made friends all over the world thanks to the fickle magic of technology.