How many times have you participated in CBR? Has it changed the way you read? I think this is my 5th or 6th CBR. I’ve had varying degrees of success with participating. It’s definitely made me a more mindful reader because I have to think about how I’m going to talk about the book in a meaningful way without spoiling it. How do you decide what to choose next from your TBR stack? If I really have no idea which of the hundreds of books […]
The world is falling apart, but the magic is coming together
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
This felt like a post-apocalyptic story within a post-post-post-apocalyptic story. In the aftermath of the last Fifth Season (a catastrophic event that causes massive destruction and changes the face of the Earth for an unspecified amount of time; the last one started in the first book), Essun finds herself in a new community, with everyone learning how to live and work together. There are bandits and bad communities, internal strife, lack of food and resources, and the usual post-apocalyptic worries. Of course, this being an […]
Vocab bonus: this book taught me the fun word ‘graunched’
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
Non-review babbling: Back in the Before Times, my husband and I made friends with a retired couple who were regulars at a breakfast place we loved. You know how geek calls to geek, so our passing hellos and smiles quickly grew into book recommendations and story swapping and lots and lots of coffee. They’re delightful, and I miss breakfasts out and socializing and finding new readers/friends. SIGH. Anyway, this was a book that would never have made it on my radar, but my breakfast buddy […]
An intriguing but ultimately disappointing take on aliens coming to Earth
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor
This was such a cool idea! Aliens land in the ocean outside Lagos, and basically start granting wishes to sea creatures. This swordfish wants to be enormous? Done. This eel thing wants to be able to fly? Done. Then the aliens come ashore and are basically like “Yo, earthlings, we’re here, we plan to stay, there’s nothing you can do about it, hi!” No nefarious plots, no interstellar war, no kidnapping humans for experiments. The main alien ambassador chooses three humans to be her representatives, […]
A decent read somewhat spoiled by sky-high expectations
Making Friends by Adrian Tchaikovsky
This is by the author of Children of Time, which catapulted onto my top 10 list last year. This one’s a novella, so not quite as juicy as that one, but it was still a fun read. Coppelia is a puppeteer and a small-time thief in a city that hoards magic. When she is approached by actual living homonculi, she is astonished and delighted. They form a team, with her making new bodies for them to bring to life, and the tiny doll-people stealing trinkets […]