I've been sitting with this since I finished it yesterday and I really think that this qualifies as a masterpiece.
If you have kids pre-teen or youngerI've been sitting with this since I finished it yesterday and I really think that this qualifies as a masterpiece.
If you have kids pre-teen or younger, this is a Must to add to their library. If you have kids that age or older but who are into writing, poetry or classics (my Shakespeare loving 13 year old would have lived for this, he's 30 now and I'm still pondering sending it to him) this is a Must. If you are an adult who is interested in writing, poetry, classics, literature... then this is a Must for you too.
If you are into Beowulf you should read this. If you've never read Beowulf but have been interested if only it wasn't so daunting, you should read this.
If you are worried your kids won't be able to understand it, don't be. Really, if you are here because you are thinking about picking it up, just pick it up. You won't regret it....more
My second favourite in the series so far. I really loved what we were doing with the whole "what parts are true and what parts havActually 4.5 stars.
My second favourite in the series so far. I really loved what we were doing with the whole "what parts are true and what parts have become their own myths" slow burn. ...more
I'm not sure how to rate this book. (And yes, I am aware I'm late to the party on this.) I think I'm going to settle on a 4.5 but round it up for the I'm not sure how to rate this book. (And yes, I am aware I'm late to the party on this.) I think I'm going to settle on a 4.5 but round it up for the review.
I read 80% of it in one sitting yesterday afternoon (which considering how rarely I'm willing to commit to a 400pg book lately says a lot) and this is definitely going on my "to recommend to people looking for beautiful writing." It wasn't the kind of prose where it started to feel purple, but rather just beautiful moments and phrases mixed in with really readable writing.
On the other hand, it is not a light story and while it isn't a tragedy it also doesn't have an upbeat ending. For most people this won't matter at all, but it did weigh on me a bit after ending it and as much as I found it beautiful and moving, I'm highly unlikely to want to read it again though I will be recommending it a lot....more
I think right now one of my favourite things about this series is that Coco isn't some "accidental prodigy" she's actually not great at magic. Yet. HeI think right now one of my favourite things about this series is that Coco isn't some "accidental prodigy" she's actually not great at magic. Yet. Her greatest gift is actually that she IS an outsider so she thinks about things differently. She's got good ideas and thinks outside of the box, but she's not stunningly amazing at actually doing magic. I'm super interested to see where she goes....more
Basically, this is an essential read if you are autistic or love someone who is or even if you just want to do better for the ND peoI have no notes.
Basically, this is an essential read if you are autistic or love someone who is or even if you just want to do better for the ND people, clients, employees etc... in your daily life. Also if you suspect you might be autistic or have self identified as autistic - especially if you are deciding about pursuing diagnosis.
This is also a highly recommended read if you are ADHD (what Price refers to as a sibling condition) - love or know and ADHD person, suspect you are ADHD etc... as well as for other nuerodivergent peeps, it's about being autistic but will probably be interesting to others.
So, basically, if you have enough of a reason to be looking at and considering this book, the answer is yes, yes you should read it....more
I put this on my list of "science fiction to read to see if I actually like science fiction and if I do what *kind* of science fiction should I be picI put this on my list of "science fiction to read to see if I actually like science fiction and if I do what *kind* of science fiction should I be picking up." But to be honest with you, I was highly doubtful that I would like it. It's a long book (and lately I've been preferring books in the 300 page region) described as highly political - not a thing I typical enjoy... but it was also a murder mystery (a favourite), and highly praised for the accurate and rich anthropology in it. Plus, it is SO well loved by reviewers I trust... so I decided to try it.
I loved it. I took longer to read it than I'd like, but that was mostly just me not being used to reading many dense and long books lately, but mostly I just loved it. I basically put Arkady Martine on my autobuy list immediately after finishing.
Would highly recommend. Especially if you like things like historical fiction and mysteries but think you don't like sci fi....more
While I like A Long Way... more than this book this was still a moving read. There were so many conversations and issues of identity that really spokeWhile I like A Long Way... more than this book this was still a moving read. There were so many conversations and issues of identity that really spoke to me and I found the short nod to a topic Chambers explores more thoroughly later on in Psalm for the Wild Built intriguing. As someone who has developed chronic illnesses over my life time I could relate a lot to Lovelace's struggle with her body and I'm still sitting with her conversation with Tak about tattoos for myself.
All the beautiful thoughtfulness and deep characters with believable growth I've come to expect from Becky Chambers.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)...more
I know the other reviewers are annoyed that the main story in this is just over half the book with the rest being a collection of short pieces, but acI know the other reviewers are annoyed that the main story in this is just over half the book with the rest being a collection of short pieces, but actually, I found that reading this collection in this way gave really interesting insight into.... the thesis (for lack of a better term) of the author.
These are all stories about the deep, quiet and steadfastness of long term love - not the falling of falling in love, but what love is and does after years together (or years of being in love). It's a lovely portrait of commitment and as someone in their 26th year of marriage I found it lovely and moving and to have successfully captured relationships in this phase.
Is it weird that my top three manga are all m/m romances... maybe, but this easily made it's way into my favourites.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast) ...more
I wasn't expecting such a profound or dark story. Normally dark stories don't work for me I'm just not comfortable in that kind of world, but this felI wasn't expecting such a profound or dark story. Normally dark stories don't work for me I'm just not comfortable in that kind of world, but this felt more profound than dark.
I am particularly impressed by McGuire's character work.
The whole vibe of this book is stillness. I just finished reading it and I feel... still. And deeply thoughtful - which, considering that is the theme of our current narrative character is very impressive. I can't wait to read the others.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 14 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon....more
This is a book I never would have picked up - or probably even heard of - if I hadn't been building a TBR for the Tor Dot Com a Thon and OMG I'm SO glThis is a book I never would have picked up - or probably even heard of - if I hadn't been building a TBR for the Tor Dot Com a Thon and OMG I'm SO glad I did.
Lately there have been a handful of books where my enjoyment of it has been so high while reading it that I need to set the book down and pause because I'm just so IN it. Kind of like how something can be so cute you want to eat/squeeze it (very cool science bits here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxsoE...) - that feeling, but with characters and story. Becky Chambers. Martha Wells. Janice Hallet. And now Marion Deeds.
I loved how I had no idea what was going on, even as what was going on was slowly being unraveled in front of me. I loved the characters. And, surprisingly for me, I loved how the story was told two steps back, one step forward through time.
It's maybe a mystery. Maybe a heist film. Magical realism. Justice. Revenge. And Good For Her. And a super engaging world all in under 200 pages. SO glad I picked this up. Now to figure out what to read next from Deeds.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 7 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon....more
Editing to increase my star rating because I'm STILL thinking about it over a year later.
I've had this on my TBR for SO long. I'd heard so many good tEditing to increase my star rating because I'm STILL thinking about it over a year later.
I've had this on my TBR for SO long. I'd heard so many good things, knew it was much beloved, and honestly, I was scared to dive into reading it. Partly, I don't think I'd realized how short it was. The rest was that lately my mental health just hasn't supported reading really dense stuff; I've been avoiding literature, and dense or "high" fantasy for the last 4 years or so and I had the impression this book was going to fall into that place my brain just didn't have the space to parse out. How wrong I was.
In reality this was a short and easy read. The whole time I was reading it I kept observing it had a very similar feeling to Becky Chambers' Psalm for the Wild Built and Prayer for the Crown Shy - easy, almost dream like, cozy vibes. It felt like a book that wanted me to believe that there is a place where even I could be heard and seen. It was comforting and inspiring and it's art feels like it's feeding the art in me, but where Chambers' books have a Meaning of Life message impact, this allows itself to stay a story - it's ok being whatever you need it to be for you.
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 8 in the 2023 Tor Dot Com Read a Thon....more
A really interesting blend of Fantasy and Sci Fi that felt like reading a historical - kinda, if Future Historical was a thing. The pacing and tensionA really interesting blend of Fantasy and Sci Fi that felt like reading a historical - kinda, if Future Historical was a thing. The pacing and tension were so excellently blended with the humour that it just kept pulling you through the book. It's a book about Djinn - who do indeed have very interesting magic, in a future, post-climate epidemic earth full of technology but without a very scifi feeling at all.
Character arcs went places you didn't expect them too (but loved). The plot did things I absolutely wasn't expecting. I fell asleep thinking about it and when I woke up one of the first things my brain thought was: Now that I think about it, that was a perfect and really satisfying ending.
I was particularly fascinated by the fact that this had an almost identical foundation for the economic system as Prayer for the Crown Shy... but where that one uses it to explore the hope and goodness of humanity this book uses it to point out how humans can always manage to corrupt everything. Neither of them is wrong either.
I've already downloaded the samples for the follow up novella and (one of?) the full length novel(s) in this world. (p.s. Is Djinn City also in this world?)
I'm experimenting with a new review system that rates 4 key categories on a 1-10 scale and rounds down into a star rating (adapted from the CAWPILE system by Book Roast)
Book 4 in my 2023 Tor Dot Com a Thon reading for March...more
I got to the end of this book and the first thought I had (while wiping the tears away) was that I need to read the duology again regularly - like yeaI got to the end of this book and the first thought I had (while wiping the tears away) was that I need to read the duology again regularly - like yearly - so that it can keep reminding me of my innate worth and value with or without productivity, my right and need to rest, to be gentle to myself and a reminder that burnout is a very real thing.
The YouTube and TikTok girlies will sometimes say about a book (or other thing) "This is my whole personality now," which is a thing I've never really wanted to say about anything... until I finished Crown-Shy.
Basically, I need everyone to read it (and Psalm because you need the first one for the second to make sense) but I especially want my exhausted Queers, Trans, Neurodivergent and chronically ill (burnout or not) peers to read it.
Book 1 in my Tor Dot Com Read-a-thon (2023)....more
A disabled main character who experiences (and openly talks about functioning with) chronic pain, PTSD, uses mobility aids (cane) aActually 4.5 Stars.
A disabled main character who experiences (and openly talks about functioning with) chronic pain, PTSD, uses mobility aids (cane) and a service dog who isn't infantilized, and is both believable and fully respected as a whole and capable adult and lives in a society that is working to be non-binary - Um... yes please. And how do I get more?
This is a sci fi (apparently I have entered my Science Fiction Era), closed circle, murder mystery, but I would say that it's more a murder mystery that happens in a science fiction setting. I love murder mysteries. In my experience there are really two styles of murder mysteries.
1. There's the Murder Suspense/Murder Thriller style mystery that has a Big Twist at the end whose goal is to shock you (and make you feel all the other Suspense/Thriller feelings). The twist is all about entertainment, but doesn't really give you a solvable mystery.
2. Then there's what I call a Puzzle Mystery (classic Poirot/Holmes/Nero Wolf style) which still has a twist at the end, but it's intent is to trick and surprise you and the murderer *is* solvable. In fact, sometimes these stories are best the second time through when you know who did it and can now see the trail you missed all laid out so clearly.
This book went with style 1 - it was a good mystery and I didn't figure out who did it at all (and in fact, the book was well written enough that I was so caught up in what was going on I didn't really try to figure it out) - which is a feat in and of itself BUT I don't think it's solvable. I don't think that if you were to reread it it would become obvious who the murderer is and all the little things you missed. And in fact, in pondering about writing this review there were a few things that I realized didn't wrap up/make sense (but not things you notice at all while reading, only when over analyzing later)
Overall, this would be a 4.5 but I docked it half a star because I really prefer a solvable mystery over the thriller style, but still a really excellent book that I highly recommend....more
Maybe 3.5 stars? I'm not sure. I didn't love this quite as much as I did the first one, but it was still excellent. And while, at the time, I was so uMaybe 3.5 stars? I'm not sure. I didn't love this quite as much as I did the first one, but it was still excellent. And while, at the time, I was so upset with Cad driving them in the wrong direction, but in the end I was glad that Probert decided to show that Cad was still a flawed and growing individual and not as perfect as he came across in Book 1. Now Cad's optimism etc... is his personality vs because he was So Mature and Wise....more
I heard about this while watching a reviewer I sometimes watch and sometimes don't do a reading vlog of short books she was reading, it immediately soI heard about this while watching a reviewer I sometimes watch and sometimes don't do a reading vlog of short books she was reading, it immediately sounded right up my alley so I grabbed a digital copy.
OMG!? Why is this book/series not being talked about more? I feel so lucky to have stumbled upon it.
I loved our older protagonist; the whole opening conversation with the "god" was... *chef's kiss*. I'm absolutely buying this in physical and reading the whole series....more
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