A VIRTUOSO RIFF ON AN AMERICAN classic: the inimitable Percival Everett retells the story of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective, transforming it from a familiar picaresque to a more complex adventure and a meditation on code-switching. A MINUS
STUMBLING TOWARD ENLIGHTENMENT in Seoul: university friends now in their thirties find heartbreak and lesser forms of anomie in this eloquent, multivocal experimental novel rich with details of life in today’s South Korea. B PLUS
A BLACK PHYSICIAN’S UNSPARING examination of the profound impact racism has on healthcare and health outcomes intertwines with stories of her own, her sister’s, and her mother’s lives as doctors. Thoughtful, deep, engaging. A MINUS
Although I enjoy the transience of just spewing out my thoughts about books in fediverse posts I am a bit concerned that in years to come I may lose track of which books I've read. I've also had problems lately retrieving the names of short story authors whose work I particularly liked, so I'm now thinking about having a blog.
Can any of you fine people recommend a free blog hosting site that is at least tolerable? In the absence of screams to the contrary I will probably go with Blogger, and if I don't like that I may just go back to Dreamwidth. The problem with Dreamwidth is that it doesnt allow you to connect with other blog owners, as far as I'm aware. But would anyone connect with me anyway? That is the question.
SISTERS, CLINGING TOGETHER after a family tragedy leaves one with profound brain injuries and the other with responsibilities she can barely handle, find separate ways through crises. Lovely mix of Trinidadian legends and European fairy tales.
Read STARLING HOUSE by Alix E. Harrow if you love houses as characters, small coal towns, familial trauma, bisexuals, dingy motel rooms, creepy childrens' books, searching for home, tattoos, intense longing, terrifying beasts, the neglected & abandoned, and unsettling dreams.
AS INTERSTELLAR PLAGUE RAGES, a small spaceship and its tightly knit crew find an infected stowaway—and that’s the least of their problems. Fast paced, elegantly crafted far-future science fiction adventure with great characters, world building. A MINUS
Read "YOU JUST NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT": AND 19 OTHER MYTHS ABOUT FAT PEOPLE by Aubrey Gordon if you love discussing complex topics with thoroughness & kindness, the podcast Maintenance Phase, the body positive movement, and dismantling anti-fat bias & other forms of oppression.
I've been looking forward to this one and wasn't disappointed. It wasn't quite a five star read, but a solid four star bath read. Uplifting story, lovely characters, and of course, a fantastically snarky octopus who is the best part of the whole book; I loved him.
If only we all had smart, snarky octopi to solve our problems.
BREATHTAKING, MULTIFACETED SCIENCE FICTION set on a 22nd century Earth transformed by climate change and political upheaval, where a small group of talented people are rehearsing for First Contact with other planets…or are they? A MINUS
The Expanse by James S.A. Corey: Re-reading Books 1 to 4
The Expanse books are a cracking Sci-Fi series. Here are my reviews for the first four books as I reread them in preparation for finally finishing the series!
Goodreads is embroiled in an anonymous-book-reviews scandal that cost a writer a book contract. A similar scandal could hit #Medium if the platform keeps allowing--and boosting--book reviews posted under fake names, which could have been written by an author's mother, worst enemy, or paid publicist.
#Goodreads -
The influential user review site has suffered a year of controversies, from cancelled #BookDeals to #ReviewBombing, and exposed a dark side to the book industry.
THE OPPRESSION OF THE UYGHUR PEOPLE explored in heartbreaking detail through an exiled poet and filmmaker’s memoir. Beautiful writing about a horrifying topic brings stories of the imprisoned and murdered into the light. A MINUS
Read COME TUMBLING DOWN by Seanan McGuire if you love horrifying murder worlds, reanimation, lightning, body swapping, revenge, heros, actions having consequences, bone ponies, the last vestiges of sanity, cruel light, killing dark, deep sea terrors & endings.
Read IN AN ABSENT DREAM by Seanan McGuire if you love ordinary & remarkable children, goblin markets, birds, besties, delicious pies, wanting & needing, losing yourself in books to avoid the pain of reality, loopholes, pencils, fair trade, being sure, sisters & debts.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stuart Turton has another winner on his hands! Turton did such a fantastic job of blending both mystery and sci-fi in this exciting new suspenseful mystery that will have you engrossed from beginning to end.
Like his others, it's a book I can't stop thinking about, and after you read it, you won't either.
You will have to wait a while for this book because it comes out in May 2024 but trust me, it's worth the wait!