Joan Lindsay's Picnic at Hanging Rock
With a new miniseries version of this having just premiered, I've read a lot of thinkpieces about this novel, which made me want to read the actual thing. I am kind of surprised I've never read this before! I knew the basics going in, but was still surprised at some of the turns this story took. Excellent writing and atmosphere, but I don’t think I’ll reread this anytime soon. Some of it was fairly upsetting. A-.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
2018 book 89
Scarlett Thomas' The Chosen Ones
The second book in Thomas' Worldquake series is an excellent follow up, featuring more magical adventures, mysterious new allies, sinister new enemies, new worlds to explore and new personality aspects to uncover. There are also a lot of helpful animal friends, which I am one hundred percent here for. I still love the world building here, and the focus on the magical nature of books. This one picks up some plot threads from the first book but leaves a few big mysteries hanging for the next volume—which I wish I could preorder now. Or really, read now. I love this series. A.
The second book in Thomas' Worldquake series is an excellent follow up, featuring more magical adventures, mysterious new allies, sinister new enemies, new worlds to explore and new personality aspects to uncover. There are also a lot of helpful animal friends, which I am one hundred percent here for. I still love the world building here, and the focus on the magical nature of books. This one picks up some plot threads from the first book but leaves a few big mysteries hanging for the next volume—which I wish I could preorder now. Or really, read now. I love this series. A.
Monday, May 28, 2018
2018 book 88
Alyssa Cole's A Princess in Theory
I’ve been meaning to read this for ages and wanted something on the lighter side today, and though the premise may sound a bit silly, it’s all grounded in reality and in very real, relatable characters. It starts with a young black woman in New York who’s in grad school for epidemiology (and struggling to balance school and some part time jobs), who starts receiving spammish emails about how she’s betrothed to the prince of an African nation. But of course, the emails are real, and since the prince is coming to New York for business (with his amazing intrepid lesbian assistant), he decides to track her down. This book is totally charming and engrossing and I loved it. There is a slight mystery element that was very easy to figure out, but it wasn’t too annoying, and everything else was great. Can’t wait for the next one. A/A-.
I’ve been meaning to read this for ages and wanted something on the lighter side today, and though the premise may sound a bit silly, it’s all grounded in reality and in very real, relatable characters. It starts with a young black woman in New York who’s in grad school for epidemiology (and struggling to balance school and some part time jobs), who starts receiving spammish emails about how she’s betrothed to the prince of an African nation. But of course, the emails are real, and since the prince is coming to New York for business (with his amazing intrepid lesbian assistant), he decides to track her down. This book is totally charming and engrossing and I loved it. There is a slight mystery element that was very easy to figure out, but it wasn’t too annoying, and everything else was great. Can’t wait for the next one. A/A-.
Sunday, May 27, 2018
2018 book 87
Hannah Pittard's Visible Empire
I think Pittard's latest is not my FAVORITE of her novels, but it is still a very GOOD one. Apparently inspired by true events, it’s set in Atlanta 1962, where a large chunk of the city's rich philanthropist types have all just died in a plane crash on their way home from a group trip to Paris. The novel does a great job of evoking that sort of thick southern summer, and does a good job with racial tensions of the time. There are several POV characters, and some were more compelling than others (I loved the dialogue between the mayor and his wife; I did not care about the newspaperman whose mistress died, but thought his wife was very interesting; more could have been done with a young black man, etc). I did like how most of the story threads came together, this just didn’t entirely grab me. B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on June 5th.
I think Pittard's latest is not my FAVORITE of her novels, but it is still a very GOOD one. Apparently inspired by true events, it’s set in Atlanta 1962, where a large chunk of the city's rich philanthropist types have all just died in a plane crash on their way home from a group trip to Paris. The novel does a great job of evoking that sort of thick southern summer, and does a good job with racial tensions of the time. There are several POV characters, and some were more compelling than others (I loved the dialogue between the mayor and his wife; I did not care about the newspaperman whose mistress died, but thought his wife was very interesting; more could have been done with a young black man, etc). I did like how most of the story threads came together, this just didn’t entirely grab me. B+.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on June 5th.
Friday, May 25, 2018
2018 book 86
Scarlett Thomas' Dragon's Green
I have ten new releases checked out from the library right now, but of course I am instead rereading this AWESOME book, since the second in the series comes out on Tuesday! Scarlett Thomas is an author I love, and she translates all her favorite themes into a middle grade story with great aplomb. Do you love stories about MAGICAL FRIENDS and MAGICAL BOOKS and adventures all told with a fair amount of humor? If not, I am sad for you, and if yes, you should read this book right away.
I have ten new releases checked out from the library right now, but of course I am instead rereading this AWESOME book, since the second in the series comes out on Tuesday! Scarlett Thomas is an author I love, and she translates all her favorite themes into a middle grade story with great aplomb. Do you love stories about MAGICAL FRIENDS and MAGICAL BOOKS and adventures all told with a fair amount of humor? If not, I am sad for you, and if yes, you should read this book right away.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
2018 book 85
Louise Erdrich's The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse
Rereading this for book club and finished it just in time! I had a request this month for a fantasy book AND a non-fantasy book, so I thought Erdrich's combination of literary writing, fascinating characters, discussions of pagan religions and Catholicism, and a touch of magical realism might satisfy all comers. Not to mention a priest who is secretly a woman! Man, Erdrich is so good.
Rereading this for book club and finished it just in time! I had a request this month for a fantasy book AND a non-fantasy book, so I thought Erdrich's combination of literary writing, fascinating characters, discussions of pagan religions and Catholicism, and a touch of magical realism might satisfy all comers. Not to mention a priest who is secretly a woman! Man, Erdrich is so good.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
2018 book 84
Nisha Sharma's My So-Called Bollywood Life
Look, this is a fairly typical contemporary YA romance--cute characters, somewhat contrived issues, inevitability, occasionally awkward writing--with Indian main characters and a lot of Bollywood references (the protagonist loves Bollywood films and has a movie review blog, and wants to go to film school), plus a whole fortune-telling prophecy aspect. The love interest was perhaps a bit too perfect (but very likable), and I loved the protagonist's family (particularly her grandmother), but I kept wishing the story would just hurry up and get on with it. B.
Look, this is a fairly typical contemporary YA romance--cute characters, somewhat contrived issues, inevitability, occasionally awkward writing--with Indian main characters and a lot of Bollywood references (the protagonist loves Bollywood films and has a movie review blog, and wants to go to film school), plus a whole fortune-telling prophecy aspect. The love interest was perhaps a bit too perfect (but very likable), and I loved the protagonist's family (particularly her grandmother), but I kept wishing the story would just hurry up and get on with it. B.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
2018 book 83
Laurie J. Marks' Water Logic
The third book in Marks' Elemental Logic series continues the trend of being great and engrossing, if also occasionally weird and confusing (although the ending here made all the previous stuff work really well). Now we just have to wait for the conclusion. A/A-.
The third book in Marks' Elemental Logic series continues the trend of being great and engrossing, if also occasionally weird and confusing (although the ending here made all the previous stuff work really well). Now we just have to wait for the conclusion. A/A-.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
2018 book 82
Laurie J. Marks' Earth Logic
It is such a joy to just be completely wrapped up in a story and its world, even if you're not sure how things are going to turn out and things are sad along the way. The second book in this series is just as engaging and interesting as the first, if slightly weirder and occasionally more confusing. But I love this world and these characters and the sense of kindness and generosity and optimism in it all. Great stuff. A/A-.
It is such a joy to just be completely wrapped up in a story and its world, even if you're not sure how things are going to turn out and things are sad along the way. The second book in this series is just as engaging and interesting as the first, if slightly weirder and occasionally more confusing. But I love this world and these characters and the sense of kindness and generosity and optimism in it all. Great stuff. A/A-.
Monday, May 14, 2018
2018 book 81
Laurie J. Marks' Fire Logic
This has been on my to-read list for a long time, but based on the description, I assumed it was the usual formulaic YA magic sort of story--when it is nothing of the sort. For one thing, most of the characters are super gay, which is unremarkable in this world, and for another, it's all just really smart and slyly funny. It's got the usual magic users and war and politics stuff in the mix, but the plot never goes where you think it will. I loved how found families were portrayed, and how they all work on healing themselves and each other. This book was a little bit weird and a lot awesome, and I can't wait to read the next in the series. A.
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Content warning for brief references to rape.
This has been on my to-read list for a long time, but based on the description, I assumed it was the usual formulaic YA magic sort of story--when it is nothing of the sort. For one thing, most of the characters are super gay, which is unremarkable in this world, and for another, it's all just really smart and slyly funny. It's got the usual magic users and war and politics stuff in the mix, but the plot never goes where you think it will. I loved how found families were portrayed, and how they all work on healing themselves and each other. This book was a little bit weird and a lot awesome, and I can't wait to read the next in the series. A.
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Content warning for brief references to rape.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
2018 book 80
AJ Pearce's Dear Mrs Bird
This story--about a young woman living in London during WWII, who wants to be a Lady War Correspondent but accidentally takes a job at a women's magazine working for the brusque advice columnist, and starts secretly answering readers' letters—was delightful and heartbreaking in equal measure. I liked that there was plenty of war torn London, and a little bit of wartime romance, but that the main deal was the relationship between the protagonist and her best friend. Lady friends forever! Anyway, I liked this a lot. A-.
This story--about a young woman living in London during WWII, who wants to be a Lady War Correspondent but accidentally takes a job at a women's magazine working for the brusque advice columnist, and starts secretly answering readers' letters—was delightful and heartbreaking in equal measure. I liked that there was plenty of war torn London, and a little bit of wartime romance, but that the main deal was the relationship between the protagonist and her best friend. Lady friends forever! Anyway, I liked this a lot. A-.
Friday, May 11, 2018
2018 book 79
Rumaan Alam's That Kind of Mother
This is the kind of book where, the whole time you're reading, a voice in the back of your head is going "wooooow" for the writing, but also is terrified for the characters because everything feels so precarious. The story centers on Rebecca, a new mother in the 1980s, a white woman, who lures a kind and experienced La Leche consultant, Priscilla, away from the hospital to be her new nanny. And later on, Priscilla becomes pregnant--and dies in childbirth--and Rebecca adopts the baby--who is black. Alam touches on privilege (Rebecca is both white and wealthy, a poet), race and class issues, motherhood, and so many other important things, but never in a didactic way. The story is sometimes slow moving but not in a frustrating way--it feels lived in. It's also a trenchant look at our current political climate and maybe a blistering indictment of well-meaning white liberalism? There are a lot of layers to tease out here but this work is a tour de force. A slow burning scorcher of a novel. A.
This is the kind of book where, the whole time you're reading, a voice in the back of your head is going "wooooow" for the writing, but also is terrified for the characters because everything feels so precarious. The story centers on Rebecca, a new mother in the 1980s, a white woman, who lures a kind and experienced La Leche consultant, Priscilla, away from the hospital to be her new nanny. And later on, Priscilla becomes pregnant--and dies in childbirth--and Rebecca adopts the baby--who is black. Alam touches on privilege (Rebecca is both white and wealthy, a poet), race and class issues, motherhood, and so many other important things, but never in a didactic way. The story is sometimes slow moving but not in a frustrating way--it feels lived in. It's also a trenchant look at our current political climate and maybe a blistering indictment of well-meaning white liberalism? There are a lot of layers to tease out here but this work is a tour de force. A slow burning scorcher of a novel. A.
Sunday, May 06, 2018
2018 book 78
E.K. Johnston's Star Wars: Ahsoka
I’ve been binging Star Wars: Rebels this weekend, and I was vaguely familiar with Ashoka from the Internet, but was curious enough about her backstory that I wanted to read this novel about her adventures between the Clone Wars and her joining the rebellion (plus. Johnston is an excellent author). I imagine if you have actually watched the Clone Wars cartoon, there is not a ton of new info here, but I found it to be an enjoyable Star Wars story with a badass heroine (plus yay for girls crushing on girls and sisters sticking up for each other). A-.
I’ve been binging Star Wars: Rebels this weekend, and I was vaguely familiar with Ashoka from the Internet, but was curious enough about her backstory that I wanted to read this novel about her adventures between the Clone Wars and her joining the rebellion (plus. Johnston is an excellent author). I imagine if you have actually watched the Clone Wars cartoon, there is not a ton of new info here, but I found it to be an enjoyable Star Wars story with a badass heroine (plus yay for girls crushing on girls and sisters sticking up for each other). A-.
Saturday, May 05, 2018
2018 book 77
Martha Wells' Artificial Condition
Yayyyyyyy more Murderbot stories! This second volume picks up pretty much where the first left off, with the rogue Murderbot on a mission to find out about its past—with the help of a talented (and nebbishy) spaceship (I am so into spaceship AI characters, please recommend some more to me). As with the first one, the writing and pacing here are on point—I often wish novellas felt more robust but this is a perfectly entertaining and discrete story. Can’t wait for the next one. A/A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on Tuesday.
Yayyyyyyy more Murderbot stories! This second volume picks up pretty much where the first left off, with the rogue Murderbot on a mission to find out about its past—with the help of a talented (and nebbishy) spaceship (I am so into spaceship AI characters, please recommend some more to me). As with the first one, the writing and pacing here are on point—I often wish novellas felt more robust but this is a perfectly entertaining and discrete story. Can’t wait for the next one. A/A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on Tuesday.
Friday, May 04, 2018
2018 book 76
R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War
This is the first of a new trilogy that is getting a ton of buzz--it's a really well-written fantasy story set in a world much like early 20th Century China. It centers on Rin, a war orphan, who works herself to the bone to make her way to an elite school, where she will learn to be a military leader--and learn from a mysterious, eccentric shaman that some folklore is real. And then she must decide whether to heed her teacher, or do anything to get power for her country. Parts of this were a bit slow, and the war scenes were just awful and brutal to read (trigger warnings for descriptions of rape and torture). It also ends in a fairly grim place. I am curious to see where the story goes, though, so will probably read the next volume when it’s released. B+.
This is the first of a new trilogy that is getting a ton of buzz--it's a really well-written fantasy story set in a world much like early 20th Century China. It centers on Rin, a war orphan, who works herself to the bone to make her way to an elite school, where she will learn to be a military leader--and learn from a mysterious, eccentric shaman that some folklore is real. And then she must decide whether to heed her teacher, or do anything to get power for her country. Parts of this were a bit slow, and the war scenes were just awful and brutal to read (trigger warnings for descriptions of rape and torture). It also ends in a fairly grim place. I am curious to see where the story goes, though, so will probably read the next volume when it’s released. B+.
Tuesday, May 01, 2018
2018 book 75
Michelle Markowitz and Caroline Moss' Hey Ladies!
When I first read the Hey Ladies columns in The Toast, I thought they were hilariously over the top—but subsequent life experience has shown me that it’s actually a spot on parody (ok, maybe it actually is sliiiightly over the top). This book is I think all new content, chronicling a year in the lives of our eight Hey Ladies via their group email chains and texts. I basically cackled the entire time I was reading this. I will say that the way it is formatted means it’s probably better to grab this in print or read it on something like an iPad, just as an FYI. Super hilarious all around. A/A-.
When I first read the Hey Ladies columns in The Toast, I thought they were hilariously over the top—but subsequent life experience has shown me that it’s actually a spot on parody (ok, maybe it actually is sliiiightly over the top). This book is I think all new content, chronicling a year in the lives of our eight Hey Ladies via their group email chains and texts. I basically cackled the entire time I was reading this. I will say that the way it is formatted means it’s probably better to grab this in print or read it on something like an iPad, just as an FYI. Super hilarious all around. A/A-.