Feed by M.T. Anderson

Title: Feed

Author: M.T. Anderson

Publisher: Candlewick Press 2002

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 236

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Teen, Top 100 YA; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Satire

For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon — a chance to party during spring break. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its ever-present ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. M. T. Anderson’s not-so-brave new world is a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now.

Ooofff. This one really did not land well with me. I was immediately thrown off by the large amounts of slang through in. Are we trying to do a Clockwork Orange? IF so, it’s off putting. Beyond that, I could not stand any of the characters. I just didn’t care what happened to them at all. I did enjoy the world set-up and premise of the novel. It just failed when it came to all the characters. I get Anderson’s point, but seriously, I could not deal with any of the characters. Hard pass on this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Second Deluge by Garrett P. Serviss

Title: The Second Deluge

Author: Garrett P. Serviss

Publisher: 1911

Genre: Proto Scifi

Pages: 215

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Proto Scifi

I routinely listen to The Apocalist Podcast highlighting apocalypse books chronologically and they haven’t recommended many of the books for listeners to read. This one was an exception. I dove in not knowing much about this apocalypse book, but ended up really enjoying it. The book reminds me of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. There’s an adventure story punctuated with random science writing. We get a protagonist which no one listens to until it’s too late. We have some wild plot points. There isn’t many female characters, but that’s pretty typical of writings from the time period. The plot is fairly laughable in 2019 standards, but this was a fairly enjoyable classic science fiction novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

Title: Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe

Author: Heather Webber

Publisher: Forge Books 2019

Genre: Magical Realism

Pages: 333

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Literary Escapes - Alabama; Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction - Maternal Heritage

Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café.

It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about.

As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly.

A random library find that caught my eye. I love the cover on this one and the summary definitely intrigued me. I fell right into the story amongst all the great characters. Anna Kate and Natalie are wonderful narrators for our story. I definitely connected with many of their struggles and concerns. I was rooting for them to find peace and love by the end of the novel. The ending was a bit rushed, but overall I really enjoyed this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Title: Shadow of Night (All Souls #2)

Author: Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Viking 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 574

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:  Finishing the Series; Monthly Keyword - Night; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Magical Law Enforcement

Picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes Diana and Matthew on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782 deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew’s past tightens around them, and they embark on a very different—and vastly more dangerous—journey.

The further journey of Diana and Matthew, but this time, we’re in 1590 Europe. Goodness! I was very excited to finally read this second book in the series. Once i dove in, I didn’t want to stop. I loved the larger storyline and all the great characters (both historical and fictional) that we met. I especially loved the various witches Diana meets in London. On a more negative note, I really didn’t like Matthew until about halfway through the book. He was too distant, too much the alpha male, too guarded with all his secrets. He came off as an arrogant asshole and I was not interested at all. Thankfully things turned more positive after their official mating. From there, he started to actually remind me of the Matthew that we met in the first book. All in all, it was a good addition to the series even if I think Harkness could have probably shaved off at least 75 pages.

All Souls Trilogy:

• #1 A Discovery of Witches

• #2 Shadow of Night

• #3 The Book of Life

Next up on the TBR pile:

Alien: Echo by Mira Grant

Title: Alien: Echo

Author: Mira Grant

Publisher: Imprint 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 299

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Another Planet

Olivia and her twin sister Viola have been dragged around the universe for as long as they can remember. Their parents, both xenobiologists, are always in high demand for their research into obscure alien biology.

Just settled on a new colony world, they discover an alien threat unlike anything they’ve ever seen. And suddenly the sisters’ world is ripped apart.

On the run from terrifying aliens, Olivia’s knowledge of xenobiology and determination to protect her sister are her only weapons as the colony collapses into chaos. But then a shocking family secret bursts open—one that’s as horrifying to Olivia as the aliens surrounding them.

The creatures infiltrate the rich wildlife on this untouched colony world—and quickly start adapting. Olivia’s going to have to adapt, too, if she’s going to survive..

I’ve loved all of Mira Grant’s other books (and all her writing under Seanan McGuire), so I had to grab this one from the library. Slight confusion when the story started, but I quickly realized that this story is set in the Alien universe. Should have been clued in my the title and yet I wasn’t. Once I dove into the story, this was a ride from one chapter to the next. It was horrifying to be right along with Olivia figuring out how the aliens operate. Definitely full of terror. I ended up reading this one in less than 24 hours. Definite fun.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Recursion by Blake Crouch

Title: Recursion

Author: Blake Crouch

Publisher: Crown 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 326

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction - Time Travel

Memory makes reality. 
 
That’s what NYC cop Barry Sutton is learning, as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.
 
That’s what neuroscientist Helena Smith believes. It’s why she’s dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious memories. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent. 
 
As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face to face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds, but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.
 
But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?

I loved every page of this book! I thought I really enjoyed Dark Matter, but this one was much more nuanced. The storyline is fast pace enough to keep me engaged. The science is explained, but the reader doesn’t need to have a complete grasp of the science to enjoy. The characters are interesting and real. I got about halfway through the book and thought a conclusion was coming. And it was in a sense. But then the book changed direction and really started flying. I will be pushing this book in J’s hands next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

Title: The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock

Author: Imogen Hermes Gowar

Publisher: Harper 2018

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 496

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Set In Our World

One September evening in 1785, Jonah Hancock hears an urgent knocking on his front door near the docks of London. The captain of one of Jonah’s trading vessels is waiting eagerly on the front step, bearing shocking news. On a voyage to the Far East, he sold the Jonah’s ship for something rare and far more precious: a mermaid. Jonah is stunned—the object the captain presents him is brown and wizened, as small as an infant, with vicious teeth and claws, and a torso that ends in the tail of a fish. It is also dead.

As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlors and brothels, all of London is curious to see this marvel in Jonah Hancock’s possession. Thrust from his ordinary existence, somber Jonah finds himself moving from the city’s seedy underbelly to the finest drawing rooms of high society. At an opulent party, he makes the acquaintance of the coquettish Angelica Neal, the most desirable woman he has ever laid eyes on—and a shrewd courtesan of great accomplishment. This meeting sparks a perilous liaison that steers both their lives onto a dangerous new course as they come to realize that priceless things often come at the greatest cost.

Another Book of the Month selection that’s been sitting on my shelf for way too long. I picked this one up not really knowing what to expect. Ultimately, I really liked this story involving a merchant, a courtesan, a mermaid, and a real mermaid? However, this really took awhile to get into this story. The first 100 pages are pretty slow moving and are very focused on the Mr. Hancock and Angelica’s separate storylines. Once we get them together, the story really picks up. The writing style is a bit strange. It is written in the style of the late 1800s. Definitely a style that takes some time to get used to, but I did enjoy the writing. Interesting book, but not one that I would recommend to everyone.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones

Title: The Salt Line

Author: Holly Goddard Jones

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2017

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library love; Popsugar - “Salt”; Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction - Utopia

In an unspecified future, the United States' borders have receded behind a salt line—a ring of scorched earth that protects its citizens from deadly disease-carrying ticks. Those within the zone live safe, if limited, lives in a society controlled by a common fear. Few have any reason to venture out of zone, except for the adrenaline junkies who pay a fortune to tour what's left of nature. Those among the latest expedition include a popstar and his girlfriend, Edie; the tech giant Wes; and Marta; a seemingly simple housewife.

Once out of zone, the group find themselves at the mercy of deadly ticks—and at the center of a murderous plot. They become captives in Ruby City, a community made up of outer-zone survivors determined to protect their hardscrabble existence. As alliances and friendships shift amongst the hostages, Edie, Wes, and Marta must decide how far they are willing to go to get to the right side of the salt line.

I picked this one up one the recommendation of the Reading Glasses podcast and loved it. There’s a great utopian society and a spare possibly. And then we get to dig beneath the surface and see what is beyond the wall. I loved the world-building and background information to explain how exactly the characters find themselves in the situation they are in. Once the story moves beyond the wall, the plot picks up the pace and things start to devolve. I immediately felt an attachment to Marta and her backstory. I loved the sections from her point of view. The plot moved fast with the twists and turns. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, but overall I really enjoyed the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

Title: Once Upon a River

Author: Diane Setterfield

Publisher: Emily Bestler Books 2018

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 464

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Popsugar - Based on folklore; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Uncommon Fantasy Creatures

On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.

Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.

Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.

I finally got Diane Setterfield’s new book and loved every single sentence of it. Setterfield’s writing meanders just like the Thames, but I savored every turn. We follow a beautiful yet haunting story of three lost girls who may or may not have come back. The lives of three families are affected by the events of the Winter Solstice. We spend the next year following those families and the various characters around the village. My favorite storyline was following Rita as she tends to the people around her, especially the little girl lost. This is not the book for those readers that love a fast moving plot. But it is for those that love a haunting story that may or may not have magical elements. My absolute favorite part was the legend of Quietly. Perfection!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Perihelion Summer by Greg Egan

Title: Perihelion Summer

Author: Greg Egan

Publisher: Tor.com 2019

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 216

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Popsugar - Fave Previous Prompt; Dancing with Fantasy and SciFi - Novella

Taraxippus is coming: a black hole one tenth the mass of the sun is about to enter the solar system.

Matt and his friends are taking no chances. They board a mobile aquaculture rig, the Mandjet, self-sustaining in food, power and fresh water, and decide to sit out the encounter off-shore. As Taraxippus draws nearer, new observations throw the original predictions for its trajectory into doubt, and by the time it leaves the solar system, the conditions of life across the globe will be changed forever.

Interesting world issue. Satisfactory threat level. But… this book feels like more of an outline of a boo versus a complete volume. The characters were not well developed. The characters’s motivations were unclear at many points in the story. And the ending was completely unfinished. I was really into the book for the first half, impatient to find out what Taraxippus’s close call to Earth would do the next year. A bit of a disappointment to me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Merry Spinster by Mallory Ortberg

Title: The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror

Author: Mallory Ortberg

Publisher: Holt 2018

Genre: Short Stories - Fantay

Pages: 208

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Women Authors; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Library

From Mallory Ortberg comes a collection of darkly mischievous stories based on classic fairy tales. Adapted from the beloved "Children's Stories Made Horrific" series, "The Merry Spinster" takes up the trademark wit that endeared Ortberg to readers of both The Toast and the best-selling debut Texts From Jane Eyre. The feature has become among the most popular on the site, with each entry bringing in tens of thousands of views, as the stories proved a perfect vehicle for Ortberg’s eye for deconstruction and destabilization. Sinister and inviting, familiar and alien all at the same time, The Merry Spinster updates traditional children's stories and fairy tales with elements of psychological horror, emotional clarity, and a keen sense of feminist mischief. 

Readers of The Toast will instantly recognize Ortberg's boisterous good humor and uber-nerd swagger: those new to Ortberg's oeuvre will delight in this collection's unique spin on fiction, where something a bit mischievous and unsettling is always at work just beneath the surface. 

Unfalteringly faithful to its beloved source material, The Merry Spinster also illuminates the unsuspected, and frequently, alarming emotional complexities at play in the stories we tell ourselves, and each other, as we tuck ourselves in for the night. 

Bed time will never be the same.

This slim volume of fairy tale inspired stories was a recommendation from the podcast Reading Glasses. I finally picked it up at the library and sped through it in an afternoon. I loved the twists and modernization of classic stories. My favorite story was definitely “The Daughter Cell” based on The Little Mermaid. There’s a cheat sheet of influences in the back of the volume, but I loved piecing out each story as I read them. Ortberg has a wonderful talent for nods to the readers and our modern knowledge while keeping us squarely in the fairy tale realm. Really enjoyed this collection!

Gallery Block

These are example images. Double-click here to replace these images with your own content. Learn more

Next up on the TBR pile:

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

Title: Gingerbread

Author: Helen Oyeyemi

Publisher: Riverhead Books 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 272

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy - New to Me Author; Alphabet Soup - O; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Fairytale

Perdita Lee may appear to be your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor walk-up apartment with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there's the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it's very popular in Druhástrana, the far-away (or, according to many sources, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee's early youth. The world's truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread, however, is Harriet's charismatic childhood friend Gretel Kercheval —a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met. 

Decades later, when teenaged Perdita sets out to find her mother's long-lost friend, it prompts a new telling of Harriet's story. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value. Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi's inimitable style and imagination, it is a true feast for the reader.

I had such high hopes for this book. I’ve heard amazing things about the author and her writing style. And her writing style is gorgeous. Oyeyemi can surely turn a sentence. I found myself caught up in the lyrical nature of her writing. However, this book went nowhere for me. The beginning of the novel was interesting and I was fascinated by the retelling of Hansel and Gretel. But then, Harriet began telling her story to Perdita and the story started meandering. I just couldn’t keep following the story with any real focus. I’m hoping one of her other books will be a better choice for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

Title: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Author: Hank Green

Publisher: Dutton 2018

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Popsugar - Debut; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Alien

The Carls just appeared.
 
Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.
 
Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

Finally picked this one up and enjoyed every page of it. I loved the not-relatable main character of April May. She’s not likable and that’s okay. I really enjoyed following her descent into fame along with the unraveling mystery of the Carls. I loved the puzzles and games. This reminded me a bit of Ready Player One. The one thing I don’t like: the ending. Seriously Hank Green!?!?! How could you do that? At any rate, this was such a fun book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin

Title: How Long ‘til Black Future Month?

Author: N.K. Jemisin

Publisher: Orbit 2018

Genre: Short Stories

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:  Library Love; Modern Mrs. Marcy - Been Meaning To Read; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Classic Fantasy

N. K. Jemisin is one of the most powerful and acclaimed authors of our time. In the first collection of her evocative short fiction, which includes never-before-seen stories, Jemisin equally challenges and delights readers with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption. 

Spirits haunt the flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow South must save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises. And in the Hugo award-nominated short story "The City Born Great," a young street kid fights to give birth to an old metropolis's soul.

A beautiful collection of stories running the gamut of science fiction and fantasy. I really enjoyed the stories set in our world but with something a little different. Anything dealing with ghosts or spirits was favorite. Some of the stories that were a direct response to classic stories fell slightly flatter for me. I was much more intrigued when Jemisin created something totally new. I also enjoyed the stories that were clear precursors to The Broken Earth trilogy. Short stories are not my favorite style of fiction, but this collection was very interesting and entertaining.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

Title: The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth #3)

Author: N.K. Jemisin

Publisher: Orbit 2017

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 416

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Modern Mrs. Darcy - Recommendation from Someone with Great Taste; Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction - Finish a Series

The Moon will soon return. Whether this heralds the destruction of humankind or something worse will depend on two women.

Essun has inherited the power of Alabaster Tenring. With it, she hopes to find her daughter Nassun and forge a world in which every orogene child can grow up safe. 

For Nassun, her mother's mastery of the Obelisk Gate comes too late. She has seen the evil of the world, and accepted what her mother will not admit: that sometimes what is corrupt cannot be cleansed, only destroyed.

I have such a book hangover from this series. Goodness! After the second book, I figured out a lot of what was going to happen in the third book, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t love every single page. I love love loved the intertwining stories of Essun and Nassun plus the beautiful overarching narrative from Hoa with glimpses into the past. The parts that I found most intriguing were the sections about Syl Anagist. Such a fascinating society. I loved puzzling out exactly what was going on and how all the technology worked. Beyond that the relationship between Essun and Nassun is fascinating and I loved how Jemisin explores the themes of love and identity. The series is high on world-building, but what really moves the story along is the characters. I must now read Jemisin’s other works (already have How Long ‘til Black Future Month checked out from the library).

The Broken Earth:

• #1 The Fifth Season

• #2 The Obelisk Gate

• #3 The Stone Sky

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Title: A Discovery of Witches

Author: Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Viking 2011

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 579

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges:  Women Authors; Finishing the Series; Dancing with Fantasy and Sci-Fi - Witches

Deborah Harkness’s sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.

All Souls Trilogy:

• #1 A Discovery of Witches

• #2 Shadow of Night

• #3 The Book of Life

I enjoyed every page of this book! This reminds me of The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Apparently, I really enjoy books that revolve around libraries, literature, and/or academic investigations. And of course, I fell for this book as soon as it was set at Oxford in the Bodlein Library. I was hooked! And then we get a good main heroine, although I must say she wasn’t my favorite from page one. But over the course of the book, I really come to like her and want to see the progress of her story. My favorite character is Matthew. This is a vampire done right. We get the allure and the charm and also the threat and the unworldly persona. I completely fell for Matthew within the first 10 pages of meeting him. As the novel progresses, we get to meet lots of other interesting characters (very intrigued by Satu and Marthe) and go on an epic adventure. I was predicting a horrid cliffhanger at the end of this book and it happened. But that’s okay, I waited to read this series after all the parts had been published. I can’t fit in the next book in April probably, but it’s on my list for May!

Next up on the TBR pile:

American War by Omar El Akkad

Title: American War

Author: Omar El Akkad

Publisher: Knopf 2017

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Alphabet Soup - E; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Science

An audacious and powerful debut novel: a second American Civil War, a devastating plague, and one family caught deep in the middle—a story that asks what might happen if America were to turn its most devastating policies and deadly weapons upon itself.

Sarat Chestnut, born in Louisiana, is only six when the Second American Civil War breaks out in 2074. But even she knows that oil is outlawed, that Louisiana is half underwater, and that unmanned drones fill the sky. When her father is killed and her family is forced into Camp Patience for displaced persons, she begins to grow up shaped by her particular time and place. But not everyone at Camp Patience is who they claim to be. Eventually Sarat is befriended by a mysterious functionary, under whose influence she is turned into a deadly instrument of war. The decisions that she makes will have tremendous consequences not just for Sarat but for her family and her country, rippling through generations of strangers and kin alike.

The February selection for the Girly Book Club. This was billed as a brilliant and powerful novel, but I found it pretty simplistic. I liked the idea of a Second Civil War, but the divide and the highly stereotyped and generalized groups annoyed me. The picture of the South depicted feels very old fashioned. With our changing demographics in this country, to portray all Southerners as rednecks was much too reductive for me. I just couldn’t get behind the basis for the groups. After mulling it over even more, why is the divide North/South? Wouldn’t it be more of an economic divide? There’s one line late in the book about how the Reds of the South got their name from voting Republican. Silly… There are plenty of Republicans all over the country and not everyone in the South votes Republican. As for the rest of the book, it felt very formulaic and graphic. I could predict exactly what was going to happen. I also was repulsed by the graphic scenes (and I read plenty of graphic books).

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

Title: The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth #2)

Author: N.K. Jemisin

Publisher: Orbit 2016

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 448

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Alphabet Soup - J; Dancing with Scifi and Fantasy - Under 500 Pages; Seasonal Series - Trilogy

This is the way the world ends, for the last time.

The season of endings grows darker, as civilization fades into the long cold night.

Essun -- once Damaya, once Syenite, now avenger -- has found shelter, but not her daughter. Instead there is Alabaster Tenring, destroyer of the world, with a request. But if Essun does what he asks, it would seal the fate of the Stillness forever.

Far away, her daughter Nassun is growing in power - and her choices will break the world.

What a ride! I was drawn back in on page one and was upset that I got to page 448 and there wasn’t anymore in this volume. Of course we get to learn more about what happens to our main characters, but more importantly, the world more fully revealed itself. I was amazed at the story of the stone eaters. Hoa is one of my favorite now! And we get more information about how orogeny works and what other secrets lay deep in the earth just waiting to be revealed. While I’m not a fan of Schaffa (not that any read is supposed to be a fan), this volume led me to a better understanding of his motivations and actions. Plus we get great narration from Nassun’s point of view. And I finally figured out who was talking in the interludes. Duh! Can’t believe I didn’t see that one in the last book. Can’t wait to finish the trilogy, though it’s going to have to wait until March so I can focus on my UnRead Shelf.

The Broken Earth:

• #1 The Fifth Season

• #2 The Obelisk Gate

• #3 The Stone Sky

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Title: The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1)

Author: N.K. Jemisin

Publisher: Orbit 2015

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 496

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Random TBR Pick; Women Authors; Dancing with Fantasy/Scifi - By a Woman of Color

This is the way the world ends...for the last time.
A season of endings has begun. 
It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. 
It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. 
It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester. 
This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy. 

It took me years to finally pick this one up, but my goodness, why did I wait so long? This was just amazing. I was sucked into the world and the story within the first few pages. Jemisin creates a compelling world. I immediately had to know what was going on and what was going to happened. I fell for Damaya, Syenite, and Essun and had to know them more. I loved how each woman’s story progresses and we learn more and more as the pages go on. The reader is thrown into the world without much preparation, but Jemisin make is easy to understand what is happening. (There’s also a small glossary at the back of the book to help the reader) The last 75 pages of this book I read in one sitting, not being able to wait to find out what happens. The next book in the trilogy is going on my shortlist.

The Broken Earth:

• #1 The Fifth Season

• #2 The Obelisk Gate

• #3 The Stone Sky

Next up on the TBR pile:

RC 2019: Dancing with Fantasy and Science Fiction

From A Dance with Books:

How to Play

This reading challenge consists of 3 sections. Fantasy, Sci-Fi and General for a total of 52 prompts which comes down to about 1 book a week.

1.  You can do 1, 2 or all 3 sections.

2. With each section you are allowed 1 Double-Up. Double-Up means you can use 1 book for 2 prompts. Preferred is not to at all but if for some reason you are struggling with time or a prompt you can.

3. In the general sections you can use both fantasy and sci-fi books but not other genres.

4. Graphic novels, comics, audiobooks and novella’s are allowed. It is all reading in my book.

5. Rereads count.

6. You can move the books around throughout the year if things fit better elsewhere and all.

7. You can step into this reading challenge at any point. I’m starting it in January 2019 but in reality this is a reading challenge you can fit for yourself in anyway you like. If you want to start in May and end April the year after, that is totally fine.

Graphic

Sign-Up

I don’t know if people want to join me but I would love to interact with each other if you do. You can participate anyway you like, with goodreads, twitter, instagram or your blog. I don’t require a sign-up post but I would appreciate if you boosted this.

If there are a nice group of people we can see if we can do a twitter dm group or an fb group or something to chat with each other on how to fill the prompts. 

The widget won’t go into the post because wp sucks so here is the direct link.

I was looking for a fantasy and science fiction challenge and this one looks like fun!