Krys
When I borrowed this from the library, I had no idea it was a novella. If you're looking for a fast-paced ride with some light sci-fi... this is definitely your book. The recommendations don't lie, this is an amazing story that explores some common sci-fi tropes but isn't tired, boring, or mundane.
A security “organic robot” (for lack of a better way to explain it) that calls themselves “Murderbot” tries not to get close to humans. The contracts come in, they do their job, and watch their serial TV shows when they can. They're rogue in that they have hacked their own governor system... but that's fine.
This was another book that had me jumping up and down exploring identity and socially constructed understanding of identity and “humanity.” I enjoyed this so much I'm now looking for book 2. I don't need to read that other book I'm halfway through... right?
With a prompt to read a book written about England, I dove into this book. It has been sitting on my toread pile for a LONG time (and actually was a bit surprised that the name had changed from Rivers of London to Midnight Riot, so it took me a while to find it).
I was hugely surprised by this book. Part mystery, part fantasy... all soaked in some magical realism. I loved the idea that everyone has magic as a part of their make-up. I know from reading some less than favorable blogs about how the author writes about women, which was a nice warning. It did also make that part stand out to me. Women were all highly sexualized but not to the point that it made me cringe like some other fantasy writers.
The way you chase down magic is through smells, which is awesome. And also... really amazing fodder for literary candle companies. I'm surprised I haven't found Rivers of London themed candles yet.
I ended up doing a combination of reading and listening and the audiobook is SUPERB. I loved the voices the narrator was doing, the accents.
I feel like I say this with so many books, but I was incredibly resistant to start reading this book. I have read another one of his books and was not exactly a fan and only picked this one up because it fit the prompt for book club. This one, however, was a little closer to what I had expected than the last one.
The ending was utterly predictable and the main character wasn't entirely distasteful, which sets it above his last novel I read. I don't think the cure for depression and suicidal thoughts is working through a Book of Regrets or living endless possibities. I understand the author is pulling from their own experiences but the delivery just made this all fall very flat for me.
The premise, however.... I loved. To go into a library full of potential lives you could be living? Exploring the little changes that can set up cataclysmic changes to our own perceptions and reality? This is fantastic. Blake Crouch did it so well. I had really hoped that this one would be just as good.
This ook was a book club suggestion that the library finally had delivered. It was another one of those books that I just wasn't expecting to love. Unfortunately, every free moment I had, I spent in this book.
My only complaints....
I wanted Addie to be less breathtaking. I wanted her to be less sex object and more engaged with actually living a free life. She mentions all the amazing things she had done and seen but the focus of freedom in the narrative was completely on sexual freedom. Granted, sexual freedom is a huge freedom for someone born in her time... it just wasn't enough for me. We didn't even get that awesome spy scene until the very end.
And how does she go to the bathroom?!? I was told this was explained in the book but I must have missed it somehow. Why is she not forgotten if someone walks in front of her to get around a crowd? And the part where someone is making her ice cream in the other room.... how does he not come back in to a stranger in his living room?
I think the story would have been incredibly different had Addie been a non-conventional, French peasant girl. The rounded, forgettable girl that isn't going to be able to bed the millionaire because of her looks.
But it was so good. I loved the ending but struggled with the fact that it wasn't to protect or save out of love. I loved that her story got told and she found a way to leave a mark. I loved the concept of the novel and all of the ingenious ways she found to leave traces of herself thorughout the world and time.
I'll admit that I'm not entirely sold on VE Schwab. I like her storytelling but I feel like she pulls punches with it. She seems to shy away from a deeper story and tells the surface, easy story that is easy to sell. I guess I could be pursuaded away from that thought and just haven't found the right book yet....
TLDR: If you can “read” this as an audiobook read by the author herself, do it. You will not be disappointed.
When I majored in poetry, I will admit it was because I detested the fiction professor (yes, we only had one of each and believe it or not, they were married). And thinking on that education we received from the professor, the poems we read very much reflected her and her tastes. They were primarily white, incredibly “safe” authors, that were mostly identified as “classic” poets. You really wouldn't expect much else from a small Creative Writing department at a religious liberal arts college. So when I was challenged to not only read primarily BIPOC authors this month but also to read outside of my comfort zone in genre and modality... I went straight back to poetry. I haven't honestly read poetry since.... well.... that ill-advised Creative Writing degree.
There is this stunning beauty in the way Harjo mixes past and present, human and nature, song and verse. I can't pretend to know much of anything about the trials she has faced or the culture that is threatened but she tells the stories so beautifully. At one point while I was listening, she was both speaking and singing and the mix was haunting.
And as an identity nerd, I love everything about her stories and her verse. I love the idea that the past is still here, has a presence, and is a force. It is here and into the future... and it lives and breathes with its own life. She tells you the stories of her life and then pulls you out into the larger context of the nation in a way that not only tells you more about who she is, where she is, and her world but also about the identity of the whole people.
I highly, highly recommend listening to this if you can. It is so hauntingly beautiful.
This book came up as a potential book for last October's book club theme and a lot of people opted to read it. One of my co-workers said she wished it had been about more than the fog and her clothes. I went in to read it anyway, partially because of the hype and partially to understand what fog and clothes had to do with each other in a book that has been so lovingly referred to as “gothic horror.”
I've come away feeling more hopeful than I usually do when I read gothic literature. I love that this book turns so much of the genre on its head. We ahve a strong female lead that culturally and (according to the genre) should bend and break to the storyline. And we do see the “what should have been” in her cousin. I love all of this getting flipped.
Yes, the story did drags at parts. But it needed to. No good horror goes from 0-100 on the fear scale without setting the scene.
The horror elements were also fantastic and did cause me to blaze through the ending. I also loved the lingering horror of the ending. Has this centuries-long nightmare ended or is the real horror that it is just beginning again?
I also love that it is a socialite–someone with so much handed to them. She has to figure it all out and save herself. Part of me does wonder why the father never came. The beloved daughter going into the questionable circumstance would definitely be a cause for concern. Then, the extended absence and lack of communication–I was left wondering how Daddy could be so clueless.
Overall, probably one of my favorites of 2021 so far! So glad I didn't listen to book club and dove in. :D
Ever since finishing my dissertation, I've been loving some more fluffy books. I've read quite a few over the months and have been plesantly surprised that most of them have been very enjoyable and not at all what I had expected when encouraged to pick up one as my first “fluffy read.” I was feeling pretty confident I knew what to grab when I picked this one up. I can't get these hours of my life back. Lifetime & Hallmark movies have better plot lines, dialogue, and conflicts than this book. The main character, a “fallen from grace” wealthy child gets to move in with (surprise, surprise) a hot guy looking for some (again, surprise?) cleaning and household help. Maybe I'm not giving the author enough credit. Maybe her goal was to write the most cliched, boring “romance” novel full of unrealistic dialogue, situations, and interactions possible. If that was the case, gold stars across all categories. Otherwise, this feels like the Disney kid's sitcom that was written by the jaded middle-aged housewife of the CEO that they had to publish because they felt their jobs were on the line.
Holy crap! Why did you get such an iconic book two stars?!?
The writing was exactly what I love in literature. It was gritty, hard hitting, and it had incredibly short chapters which mimicked the snatches of memory he was trying to convey. This is exactly why I loved reading some of his poetry. You don't get that kind of a “punch” in literature very often.
However, this book angered me to the point where I immediately took it to a used book store to sell because I don't want that kind of filth anywhere near me. Then I realized that someone else may pick it up and be as horrified as I was so I took it back home and threw it in a box.
Needless to say, I'll take my hard-hitting, grittyness from Cormac McCarthy and Vonnegut from now on and I hope to God I never have to read “cunt” that many times in a book again.
This was on the list for the grade level I taught in NC. I continually promised myself that I would read it again after I started teaching. It is one of his shorter works, there is no reason I wouldn't be able to finish it in an evening.
Well, I finally picked it up in the middle of being homesick for my classroom this month.
I can't sing the praises of Steinbeck enough in this novel. It is an amazing look into the American Dream, the bond between humans, and human suffering.
If any of you are teachers that are covering this book, the movie starring John Malkovich and Gary Siniseis extremely accurate to the novel. And it helps bring to life the connections that some kids have a problem making with the novel.
Such a beautiful story.
I LOVED the typography and how it played an essential role in the telling of the story. I loved that the kid made movies. I love that it is told in such a way that leaves the reader guessing as to the innocence of guilt of the main character and makes you just want to ask questions and talk to someone about it.
This book was a suggestion to me. I can't honestly say it was something that I would have picked up on my own.
Of all the stories that are contained in this book, “Barn Burning” was by far my favorite. It was also one of the few that I grasped the full meaning of. (Or, the full implication.) The others seemed just strange or mundane.
It is a book of short stories, which is a little odd to read after my month's selections so far. I would highly suggest it to anyone interested in comparative literature.
I really don't know how to even begin reviewing this book. On one level, I see it as a demonstraiton of Ayn Rand's idea of Objectivity. It is readly heavily played: the “good” characters preach it, live it, and thrive in it. There is even an extremely long speech toward the end of the book outlining absolutely everything.
On the other hand, I see it as a woman's struggle in a man's profession, dealing with a passion that is considered masculine, and making choices in her life that women weren't considered “able” to make at that point in time.
I highly suggest reading it. It is a book to be experienced. But I do understand why so many people either strongly love or loath this book. Either you can handle being preached to and enjoy the story for what it is capable of doing or you get annoyed with her soapbox.
I can see why this book is so wildly popular with the hopeless youth and goth kids.
There is really not much to say about this book. It isn't something I would really pass out freely to my friends to read since I believe most of us are past this stage. I don't even think most high school kids would readily identify with any of the characters. Everything seems too.. fantastical?
All-in-all, its an easy read and I would suggest it for anyone who loves “trasy” vampire novels.
I am a complete Ender fanatic.With that being said, this book is more of a short story or novella than a novel. Don't expect it to take you long to get through. Plus, it doesn't offer a solid view of Ender. It takes place during Ender's time at Battle School.For a feel good Christmas story for the Ender fan, I say read this. If you're a somewhat Ender fan, I still say read it. Its so short that you're not wasting days on it. If you are completely unfamiliar with the Ender series, it helps to have a background on the Battle School before reading... so read [b:Ender's Game 375802 Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) Orson Scott Card http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1214413570s/375802.jpg 2422333] first.
The Dexter series is an incredible series... but you have to have a pretty dark sense of humor to get the full effect of the book.
In my opinion, book two is much better than book one for several reasons. Book one concentrated more on getting you involved with the characters. Book two focuses more on what's going on in Dexter's head. You can see more of his wit and humor instead of waiting for him to explain himself after every thought.
Overall, I would say that this is a book is worth the read. Especially if you like your novels quick, easy, and hilarious.
After reading [b:Uglies 24770 Uglies (Uglies, #1) Scott Westerfeld http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255574770s/24770.jpg 2895388], I was beyond excited that there were more books in the series. I went straight to the library and picked up [b:Pretties 4137 Me Talk Pretty One Day David Sedaris http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165389015s/4137.jpg 1030767]. And the disappointment began there.Where it was interesting to peer into the mind of someone who had gone through the operation, I felt like I was peering into the mind of a brainless drone. Which, in a sense, I was.But it never ended. Even after she had taken the pills and continued to remain “bubbly,” I still felt like I was reading some brainless teenager's journal instead of a book that is supposed to follow up the amazing [b:Uglies 24770 Uglies (Uglies, #1) Scott Westerfeld http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255574770s/24770.jpg 2895388]. The story moves along predictably. From the beginning you know that David will return at some point, and that she'll be confused. There's no twists or surprises. Overall, I was extremely disappointed by this one and have actually given up reading the series. :(
I downloaded a DRM-free version of this book a few months ago. It has sat on my computer tempting me to read it for a while, and I've just not found the will power to sit at my computer and read a 200+ page book.
It started because I was bored before work. Then I ran to the library and got a hard copy. I was addicted.
The story is an amazing blend of adventure and life lessons. The story keeps you hooked in. It moves at a fast pace and doesn't seem to dwindle down like many books do.
Overall, between the realizations the book pushes you to and the great story behind it... this book is just amazing. :)
For some reason, this book never found its way into my hands until now. I found it on the reading list when I was teaching, but was told it wasn't something that we could read as a class due to its content (violence, drugs, drinking).
But if that is what you're paying attention to when you read this story, you have completely missed the point. Its so much more than the “lost poor,” the street kids. Its about true north, purity... knowing what is important, no matter if you have money or not.
I read this in just a little over an hour. Borrowed it from the library on a whim.
I have to say, I really liked it. It is honestly the first graphic novel adaptation I've ever read. I can see where the addictions come from... watching the action is a lot of fun.
The story seemed strong. I haven't read the novel yet or watched the movie (I have a rule to read the book before I watch the movie), but I was impressed with the story.