I’m not always huge on juvenile fiction, but I love Nicole Kornher-Stace, so I had to read it anyway. And yeah, for the first chapter or two I was kinI’m not always huge on juvenile fiction, but I love Nicole Kornher-Stace, so I had to read it anyway. And yeah, for the first chapter or two I was kind of zoned out, but then, whoa! It got real good, like I should have known it would! Jillian is a super relatable character, and SABRINA super grew on me. And just…there’s a lot of fun stuff going on here—space exploration and alien biology and survival and a snarky AI… I kind of hope we get to see more of Jillian and SABRINA down the line!
Anyway, recommended if you like juvenile sci-fi, characters dealing with anxiety, survival stories, snarky AIs and parasites. ...more
Extremely short story, from Mensah’s POV, taking place, I think, a couple books ago in the timeline? It’s good, and I liked it, but yeah, it took me lExtremely short story, from Mensah’s POV, taking place, I think, a couple books ago in the timeline? It’s good, and I liked it, but yeah, it took me like 10 minutes total to read, so it was just over way, way faster than I thought it would be. It was fun seeing Murderbot from the outside though, and I liked the way its personality and sense of humor still come through....more
Sighhhhhhhh! This series is just so satisfying and is probably my number one comfort read these days. I could go on about it, but I think I already haSighhhhhhhh! This series is just so satisfying and is probably my number one comfort read these days. I could go on about it, but I think I already have in previous reviews of the print edition, so I’ll just leave it at the audio version is also fantastic and I miss it already!...more
I enjoyed the first book in this series a lot, but I loved this one so much more! If you’re looking for something to fill the hole that Breq (AncillarI enjoyed the first book in this series a lot, but I loved this one so much more! If you’re looking for something to fill the hole that Breq (Ancillary Justice) has left in your heart, Murderbot just might do the trick. ____
Enjoyed this a little more when I read it in my head to myself than I did when I read it out loud in the car to my husband, but this series is definitely still great! He is enjoying it as well. ...more
Read this out loud in the car to my husband while driving to Oklahoma and back. I enjoyed it even more my second time through, I think, and he definitRead this out loud in the car to my husband while driving to Oklahoma and back. I enjoyed it even more my second time through, I think, and he definitely liked it too!...more
I mean...this was still Murderbot, and still enjoyable, but I feel like I spent about the entire first half wondering why it was here after how the prI mean...this was still Murderbot, and still enjoyable, but I feel like I spent about the entire first half wondering why it was here after how the previous book ended. I still don’t understand why ART is not even mentioned one time that I can remember. Wait, maybe I do remember one mention, but like, barely because it was such a passing comment. I don’t get it!
But also, I just maybe missed there being more of an overarching story? I definitely don’t really want the GreyCris thing to go on forever, and maybe this is the start of another evil company plot line or something, but it sort of feels like just a random detective story stuck in the middle of a sci-fi series.
Um, okay, I looked it up and apparently this takes place before the previous book? But...why? Maybe it will make sense later and I’ll like it more once I know the context better, but for now I still just find it confusing and weird. I will totally still read the next one and all, just...I hope ART is in it!...more
I have been kind of bored with this series lately because there has been so much focus on heroes and villains I do not care about at all. But! This onI have been kind of bored with this series lately because there has been so much focus on heroes and villains I do not care about at all. But! This one has some good Saitama and King, and an excellent cabbage comment, so I am happy again!...more
While at first I kept wanting to be cynical about this, I will admit that it completely won me over in the end. I loved Roz and Brightbill and Mr. BeaWhile at first I kept wanting to be cynical about this, I will admit that it completely won me over in the end. I loved Roz and Brightbill and Mr. Beaver and Nettle and Thorn and Chit-Chat and I will probably read the next book. And the audiobook was pretty great, so I'll probably do that again!...more
I think I liked this one more than the first book, but I still feel like something was just missing for me. While I was interested in both of the storI think I liked this one more than the first book, but I still feel like something was just missing for me. While I was interested in both of the storylines, I had a lot of trouble going back and forth between them, and I feel like I didn’t manage to get invested until I was already at least 3/4ths of the way through. I totally get what people are loving about this series, but...I’m just not quite there. :/...more
I actually enjoyed this one more than I did the previous one--I enjoyed following Brigid, and the archaeology angle was kinda way more my thing than tI actually enjoyed this one more than I did the previous one--I enjoyed following Brigid, and the archaeology angle was kinda way more my thing than the mystery in volume 2.
If Warren Ellis doesn't finish this series, I won't be heartbroken, but I'll definitely be somewhat annoyed....more
This series is super weird, but it's keeping me interested enough to continue. Although seriously, what is it with sandwiches? Warren Ellis seems to bThis series is super weird, but it's keeping me interested enough to continue. Although seriously, what is it with sandwiches? Warren Ellis seems to be strangely obsessed with them. I mean, sandwiches can be pretty good and all, but come on!...more
Last weekend we were in New Orleans to celebrate my husband’s dad’s birthday. Coincidentally, ALA was also going on at the same time and I kept thinkiLast weekend we were in New Orleans to celebrate my husband’s dad’s birthday. Coincidentally, ALA was also going on at the same time and I kept thinking maybe I’d run into some of my library people while about town, but I never did.
THANKFULLY, however, my husband did happen to run into Andrew Smith in the airport as we were waiting to fly home, and, being approximately a billion times less socially awkward than I am, he apparently actually managed to say coherent words in Smith’s presence and also received the last arc of this book that Smith had brought with him. Then he came back to where I was sitting and said, "you’re gonna be mad, but...as I was coming out of the bathroom I ran into Andrew Smith..." and I was like, "WHAT."
Anyway, I very much was mad. And jealous. And was like, "but...you’re gonna let me read this first, right???" And then Andrew Smith walked by where we were sitting and came over to say hi since my husband had told him I’d be mad. And he asked my name and said, "nice to meet you," and I almost started to remind him that I’ve met him before and that I’m that weirdo whose friends had him take a photo with a dorky picture of me on their phone that one time (haha, Ramarie and Ashley, you’re still the best!), and then the next year at Texas Teen Book Festival I made him take a picture with me holding up my phone with that photo of him with the picture of me on the screen (he was like, "Um. This is a new one..."), but I stopped myself and just did the regular socially awkward thing instead and basically just blacked out.
Blah blah blah, I’ve just been basking in the glow of our very fortunate timing (our flight got cancelled like five minutes later) and my husband’s superior talking-to-people abilities and how amazingly nice Andrew Smith is all week. While I read this book first.
And...and...and...um...okay, so, I’m definitely still processing it. Like in all of Smith’s books, the characters are wonderful—sad and funny and flawed and beautiful—and a lot is being said without ever exactly being spelled out. And it’s weird and wacky and dark and...so very human. And the story behind Billy Hinman! Ha!
I really do love Shaun David Hutchinson’s statement that it’s “Andrew Smith at his Andrew Smithiest.” If you’re familiar with Grasshopper Jungle and The Marbury Lens and The Alex Crow, you maybe know a little what to expect.
I’m planning to listen to the audio as soon as that’s available (arghhhhh, probably months from now!!!), and in the meantime will probably reread this copy again because it’s been too long between Andrew Smith books and the withdrawal has been hard. Very, very hard!
I guess I’d better let my husband read it before I do that though, since it’s his book and all!
Sighhhhhh...
—————————-
Finally finished reading this for the second time and just realized that my dog Sassy is basically Lourdes in canine form. The farting and everything! It’s kind of amazing....more
This one started out going downhill fast for me. Lady Mechanika, freshly mourning the death of the mysterious Dallas, wanders into a rural Mexican vilThis one started out going downhill fast for me. Lady Mechanika, freshly mourning the death of the mysterious Dallas, wanders into a rural Mexican village on the eve of a Día de Muertos celebration. She's pressured into participating, and just...there's a lot of explanation. Which is interesting and all, but come on, who's reading Lady Mechanika for a lecture on Día de Muertos? But THEN! Things turn around on a dime and this story goes waaaay darker than I ever imagined it would. And, of course, some total ass kicking occurs.
I like that we get a little more of Mechanika's backstory here, being a prequel to the earlier graphic novels (I think?)--this seems like an event that's really shaped who she is later in life, and that's made her smarter and more careful. I like seeing her past revealed in small bits and pieces here and then, and I hope that Benítez keeps it that way and doesn't go all Stephen King on this gunslinger (Booooo, Wizard and Glass! Yes, I fully acknowledge I'm a freak for disliking that book).
In any case, this one might be my favorite volume so far--it's got badassery, beauty, and depth in equal measures....more
I enjoyed this one more than the previous volume, even though it's super short! We get back to Lady Mechanika investigating something that might have I enjoyed this one more than the previous volume, even though it's super short! We get back to Lady Mechanika investigating something that might have to do with where she came from, and Mr. Lewis returns. Things get wrapped up pretty quickly, and the ending is kind of weird, but it's fun!...more
I liked this one, but not like I did the first volume. So much of the storyline just seemed...typical in a lot of ways, and I was looking forward to fI liked this one, but not like I did the first volume. So much of the storyline just seemed...typical in a lot of ways, and I was looking forward to finding out more about Lady Mechanika's origins, which was the direction things were going at the end of the previous volume, but then...nothing on that. At all. The art's still really nice though....more
First off? Yeah, the art is gorgeous. I mean, Lady Mechanika's outfits and poses sometimes seem...let's say impractical, shall we? But they're pretty!First off? Yeah, the art is gorgeous. I mean, Lady Mechanika's outfits and poses sometimes seem...let's say impractical, shall we? But they're pretty! I enjoyed the story and the characters and the plot twist at the end (although I kinda saw that one coming), and I actually kind of like that there's a lot of text in this, so it's not something you can read in half an hour like a lot of graphic novels. I'll definitely give volume 2 a shot. Thanks for the rec, Jaime! :)...more
Not my favorite in the series, but I'm satisfied with how things ended up with the characters and the corporations, though I also sort of wish there wNot my favorite in the series, but I'm satisfied with how things ended up with the characters and the corporations, though I also sort of wish there were more somehow. Novellas are tricky like that. But I love Murderbot's character and its addiction to net dramas and its lovely snark. Not sure how many more books are planned, but I'll keep reading them! _____ Reading this series out loud to my husband in the car. He's hooked!...more
This...wasn't my favorite of the Murderbot books, and I'm trying to put my finger on the why. Possibly because I found the ending too abrupt? Or becauThis...wasn't my favorite of the Murderbot books, and I'm trying to put my finger on the why. Possibly because I found the ending too abrupt? Or because I found the action kind of...murky? Maybe it's just because there's so much action in this it prevents Murderbot from watching its net dramas, and I acutely felt its lack-of-alone-time anxiety?
Whatever. Even so, I really liked its interactions with pet robot Miki and am very much looking forward to the next (and final) novella in the series....more
There's kind of a lot going on in this volume, and then the end sets up some more craziness to come. It was good seeing how some of the events left opThere's kind of a lot going on in this volume, and then the end sets up some more craziness to come. It was good seeing how some of the events left open at the end of volume 4 played out here, but I like it best when the characters are just interacting with each other, and there wasn't really much of that at all (other than Driller). Still totally interested in where things go from here though!...more
Loading...
