1wookiebender
Hi all! Life seriously got away from me the last few years, but I'm hoping to rejoin this challenge properly this year. :) Looking forward to seeing what you are all reading this year, and taking a book bullet or two.
2Eyejaybee
Welcome back, Tania.
I hope you have a great year of reading - I am looking forward to being hit with an array of book bullets from the Group.
I hope you have a great year of reading - I am looking forward to being hit with an array of book bullets from the Group.
4mabith
I'm back after a gap of a few years as well. Hopefully we have excellent reading (and posting on LT) years!
5wookiebender
Thanks everyone! :) And I've finished my first book....
6wookiebender
1. The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman
Delightfully twisty fun, a whodunnit set in an upmarket retirement village in Kent. Interesting characters and a well-constructed plot, I'll be back for more.
****
Delightfully twisty fun, a whodunnit set in an upmarket retirement village in Kent. Interesting characters and a well-constructed plot, I'll be back for more.
****
7mabith
I think the Osman books just get better and better with each one. I'm still shocked he managed to produce such fully formed characters in his first book. Plus I think if I'd read it not knowing I'd have thought the author was a woman, given the depth of the women characters.
8wookiebender
2. The Beautiful Ones, Silvia Moreno-Garcia
An interesting and complex romance, with a spectacularly bitchy nemesis (she was so wonderfully evil sometimes I liked her more than the heroine 😂). It's also set in a world much like ours around the turn of the century, but with a small amount of magic. TBH, I was a bit annoyed that telekinesis was only ever seen as a parlour trick or a stage show, I thought it was strange no one had thought to harness it for practical uses. But a very minor quibble, the book itself was a fun read and a good page turner.
(And I feel like I've damned the heroine with faint praise, saying her nemesis eclipsed her. The heroine - Nina - was a delight, but the nemesis - Valerie - was spectacular in her scenery-chewing evilness.)
****
An interesting and complex romance, with a spectacularly bitchy nemesis (she was so wonderfully evil sometimes I liked her more than the heroine 😂). It's also set in a world much like ours around the turn of the century, but with a small amount of magic. TBH, I was a bit annoyed that telekinesis was only ever seen as a parlour trick or a stage show, I thought it was strange no one had thought to harness it for practical uses. But a very minor quibble, the book itself was a fun read and a good page turner.
(And I feel like I've damned the heroine with faint praise, saying her nemesis eclipsed her. The heroine - Nina - was a delight, but the nemesis - Valerie - was spectacular in her scenery-chewing evilness.)
****
9wookiebender
3. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, James McBride
Set in a small town, on Chicken Hill, where the Jewish families are now moving a few blocks to a more salubrious area and Black Americans are moving in. Chona resists the move away from Chicken Hill, and she continues to run the Heaven and Earth grocery store, while her husband Moshe operates the local theatre. Both of them are important to both communities, even adopting Dodo, a young Black child who is deaf.
There were many characters whose lives intertwined, and I'm not sure if I just wasn't concentrating enough or if it was a flaw in the book but I kept on forgetting who was who when they popped back into the story after a brief absence. I'm currently think it's more likely to be me than the book, but it did detract from the enjoyment, although I was quite gripped by halfway through (although still with moments of "Isaac is who again? Fatty's dad was important how?" etc).
I picked this up now because it's on the short list for the Tournament of Books, and I do love following that along each year, and this year I'm hoping to have more skin in the game (so to speak) by reading some of the entries in advance. https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/the-2024-shortlist
***1/2
Set in a small town, on Chicken Hill, where the Jewish families are now moving a few blocks to a more salubrious area and Black Americans are moving in. Chona resists the move away from Chicken Hill, and she continues to run the Heaven and Earth grocery store, while her husband Moshe operates the local theatre. Both of them are important to both communities, even adopting Dodo, a young Black child who is deaf.
There were many characters whose lives intertwined, and I'm not sure if I just wasn't concentrating enough or if it was a flaw in the book but I kept on forgetting who was who when they popped back into the story after a brief absence. I'm currently think it's more likely to be me than the book, but it did detract from the enjoyment, although I was quite gripped by halfway through (although still with moments of "Isaac is who again? Fatty's dad was important how?" etc).
I picked this up now because it's on the short list for the Tournament of Books, and I do love following that along each year, and this year I'm hoping to have more skin in the game (so to speak) by reading some of the entries in advance. https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/the-2024-shortlist
***1/2
10wookiebender
4. Two Can Play That Game, Leanne Yong
Sam Khoo meets Jaysen (Jay) Chua as they both grab the last copy of a limited release game, which also has a Golden Ticket to a session with world famous game developers. Sam wants the Golden Ticket as part of her plan to become the best game developer of all time; Jay wants the ticket for his little brother. Sam and Jay decide to play five puzzler games in competition and the winner will take all. Classic "enemies to lovers" trope, with added joy of the Asian Gossip Network as Sam and Jay also deal with being the eldest siblings in immigrant families in Brisbane.
No idea if the games were real, but I wish they were, and I don't play computer games. Also, so excited to find out that the author has an escape room in Sydney, I'm booking tickets asap.
Got this one at the Sydney Writers Festival "All Day YA" last year - the youngest kid and I go each year and have a great day. :)
****
Sam Khoo meets Jaysen (Jay) Chua as they both grab the last copy of a limited release game, which also has a Golden Ticket to a session with world famous game developers. Sam wants the Golden Ticket as part of her plan to become the best game developer of all time; Jay wants the ticket for his little brother. Sam and Jay decide to play five puzzler games in competition and the winner will take all. Classic "enemies to lovers" trope, with added joy of the Asian Gossip Network as Sam and Jay also deal with being the eldest siblings in immigrant families in Brisbane.
No idea if the games were real, but I wish they were, and I don't play computer games. Also, so excited to find out that the author has an escape room in Sydney, I'm booking tickets asap.
Got this one at the Sydney Writers Festival "All Day YA" last year - the youngest kid and I go each year and have a great day. :)
****
11wookiebender
5. Horrorstör, Grady Hendrix
A horror novel, set in a haunted IKEA-esque big box store. Having spent a lot of time in IKEA lately (relatively recent house move), this appealed to me a lot. :)
The book was designed to look like an IKEA catalogue and it's spot on with the Swedish-esque names and the aspirational blurbs that slowly get darker and darker as our protagonists get swept up in the horror of the night, finding out their store was built on the site of a previous Victorian era panopticon-style prison with a completely insane warden.
But it's also funny. Our main protagonist, Amy, has a good line in snark and it's hard to not be charmed by the care that went into rendering this IKEA-knock off, ORSK. I don't generally read horror, and I did have to sleep with one eye open after the first half, but the humour kept me going and amused until the end.
****
A horror novel, set in a haunted IKEA-esque big box store. Having spent a lot of time in IKEA lately (relatively recent house move), this appealed to me a lot. :)
The book was designed to look like an IKEA catalogue and it's spot on with the Swedish-esque names and the aspirational blurbs that slowly get darker and darker as our protagonists get swept up in the horror of the night, finding out their store was built on the site of a previous Victorian era panopticon-style prison with a completely insane warden.
But it's also funny. Our main protagonist, Amy, has a good line in snark and it's hard to not be charmed by the care that went into rendering this IKEA-knock off, ORSK. I don't generally read horror, and I did have to sleep with one eye open after the first half, but the humour kept me going and amused until the end.
****
12wookiebender
6. The Time of the Cat, Tansy Rayner Roberts
I backed this on kickstarter, because I do enjoy Tansy's work, and c'mon, time travelling cats and their tv-show obsessed human companions? What's not to love!
It was a fun romp, filled with delightful characters (cats and humans) and a good sense of humour. The plot was a bit all over the shop, but kept me amused and happily turning pages.
And because I was an early kickstarter backer, I got to get a dedication to my cats. I may have gone overboard and listed all the cats I've ever lived with, plus my dad's cats. :D
"Tania and Robin, with Sweet Pea, Pippi, Porchie, Stumpy, Jimbo, Little Jim, Cocoa and Grampa's Arnold and Boy Cat, Tim, Ginger Jim, Jamie and Pebbles."
All fabulous cats, all have brought us much joy, and I wish they could take me time travelling back to all the best parties throughout time.
***1/2
I backed this on kickstarter, because I do enjoy Tansy's work, and c'mon, time travelling cats and their tv-show obsessed human companions? What's not to love!
It was a fun romp, filled with delightful characters (cats and humans) and a good sense of humour. The plot was a bit all over the shop, but kept me amused and happily turning pages.
And because I was an early kickstarter backer, I got to get a dedication to my cats. I may have gone overboard and listed all the cats I've ever lived with, plus my dad's cats. :D
"Tania and Robin, with Sweet Pea, Pippi, Porchie, Stumpy, Jimbo, Little Jim, Cocoa and Grampa's Arnold and Boy Cat, Tim, Ginger Jim, Jamie and Pebbles."
All fabulous cats, all have brought us much joy, and I wish they could take me time travelling back to all the best parties throughout time.
***1/2
13scunliffe
>9 wookiebender: Grocery Store like Deacon King Kong is a warmly told story set in the middle of very poor multi ethnic communities. I really like them both. Not so much The Good Lord Bird which has more angst than warmth.
14wookiebender
7. American Mermaid, Julia Langbein
Another book from the Tournament of Books shortlist. :)
Penelope Schleeman has written a surprise best-seller, American Mermaid about a disabled young woman who falls into Boston Harbor and discovers that she is, in fact, a mermaid. Chapters from this book are interspersed with chapters from Penelope's life in LA where she is trying to write a movie adaptation of her precious book, with two bros who want to change the book too much.
I really liked both stories - the story of Sylvia the American mermaid was interesting (although a bit far fetched), the story of Penelope was a car crash that you can't look away from, and probably shouldn't laugh at, but I winced/laughed my way through her story.
Also a fairly brutal look at LA and the movie industry. (How they ever get anything completed and on the big screen is beyond me, so many spinning wheels need to align...)
****1/2
Another book from the Tournament of Books shortlist. :)
Penelope Schleeman has written a surprise best-seller, American Mermaid about a disabled young woman who falls into Boston Harbor and discovers that she is, in fact, a mermaid. Chapters from this book are interspersed with chapters from Penelope's life in LA where she is trying to write a movie adaptation of her precious book, with two bros who want to change the book too much.
I really liked both stories - the story of Sylvia the American mermaid was interesting (although a bit far fetched), the story of Penelope was a car crash that you can't look away from, and probably shouldn't laugh at, but I winced/laughed my way through her story.
Also a fairly brutal look at LA and the movie industry. (How they ever get anything completed and on the big screen is beyond me, so many spinning wheels need to align...)
****1/2
15wookiebender
Suddenly I'm reminded of The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks which I read last year and really enjoyed. Very very different take on LA and the motion picture industry, as it was obviously written by someone who loves the industry (and has done very well out of it).
I very much enjoy movies and going to the cinema, so it was lovely reading a "behind the scenes" that had the feeling of truth to it, telling the story of the making of a massive block-buster movie. American Mermaid was not a lovely behind-the-scenes take on Hollywood, but also had a feeling of truth, telling the story of a feminist tale unravelling at the hands of an industry where all women have to be young, beautiful, and sexy.
I very much enjoy movies and going to the cinema, so it was lovely reading a "behind the scenes" that had the feeling of truth to it, telling the story of the making of a massive block-buster movie. American Mermaid was not a lovely behind-the-scenes take on Hollywood, but also had a feeling of truth, telling the story of a feminist tale unravelling at the hands of an industry where all women have to be young, beautiful, and sexy.
16wookiebender
8. Paper Menagerie, Ken Liu
I don't often read short stories, but when I do, I always wonder why I don't read them more often, their shortness works well with my squirrel brain.
This is an excellent collection of sci-fi (or sci-fi adjacent stories). My youngest already knew of the title story (Levar Burton read it on a podcast), and warned me I would cry. They weren't half wrong.
Also such clever ideas in "The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species" and "An Advanced Reader’s Picture Book of Comparative Cognition", reminded me of Sum by David Eagleman (to be honest, I think both books were picked up after recommendations made last year at the Sydney Writers' Festival, so they were already primed for comparison for me).
****1/2
I don't often read short stories, but when I do, I always wonder why I don't read them more often, their shortness works well with my squirrel brain.
This is an excellent collection of sci-fi (or sci-fi adjacent stories). My youngest already knew of the title story (Levar Burton read it on a podcast), and warned me I would cry. They weren't half wrong.
Also such clever ideas in "The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species" and "An Advanced Reader’s Picture Book of Comparative Cognition", reminded me of Sum by David Eagleman (to be honest, I think both books were picked up after recommendations made last year at the Sydney Writers' Festival, so they were already primed for comparison for me).
****1/2
17mabith
I find short stories tempting but difficult. When they're great, they're SO GREAT, and when they're not I'm left feeling so annoyed and incomplete.
18scunliffe
I like to keep a book of short stories in the background so that once in a while, when I feel like it or cant decide what to read next, I can read a couple of the stories. But never all the stories at once.
19wookiebender
>18 scunliffe: Great idea, but I can't not finish a book once I've started. (It's been a long battle to be able to put books aside that I'm not enjoying.) I know that attitude shouldn't apply to short stories, but I can see myself unable to put the book aside...
I was caught out with public transport yesterday (thunderstorm in Sydney meant trains weren't running on the North Shore line, sigh) so grabbed a book from the free bookshelf and it happens to be short stories again... I'm going on holidays at the end of the week so hopefully it'll fit in with my travel and I can drop it somewhere in Western Australia. :) (Yes, I'm going to visit the quokkas. Everyone asks. 😂)
I was caught out with public transport yesterday (thunderstorm in Sydney meant trains weren't running on the North Shore line, sigh) so grabbed a book from the free bookshelf and it happens to be short stories again... I'm going on holidays at the end of the week so hopefully it'll fit in with my travel and I can drop it somewhere in Western Australia. :) (Yes, I'm going to visit the quokkas. Everyone asks. 😂)
20wookiebender
9. Bear Head, Adrian Tchaikovsky
Sequel to the excellent Dogs of War, set some years later when the tide is beginning to turn against "bioforms" (genetically modified animals who have intelligence). Apparently having a dog sitting at the desk next to you, "stealing" your job turned the general populace against them. Also, right wing commentators are drumming up support for "collaring" the bioforms (taking away their ability to choose, making them compelled to follow orders). And we're beginning to build on Mars (thanks to Bees who set up the initial infrastructure making the atmosphere just-survivable if you've been genetically modified yourself).
Phew, that does seem like a lot! :D But Tchaikovsky is an excellent story teller, and all these disparate threads are drawn together, mostly thanks to Honey (a bear, a carry over character from the first book). The bad guy was so unbelievably awful he was well, unbelievable, but then you look over at Trump and maybe he wasn't so far fetched after all...
****
Sequel to the excellent Dogs of War, set some years later when the tide is beginning to turn against "bioforms" (genetically modified animals who have intelligence). Apparently having a dog sitting at the desk next to you, "stealing" your job turned the general populace against them. Also, right wing commentators are drumming up support for "collaring" the bioforms (taking away their ability to choose, making them compelled to follow orders). And we're beginning to build on Mars (thanks to Bees who set up the initial infrastructure making the atmosphere just-survivable if you've been genetically modified yourself).
Phew, that does seem like a lot! :D But Tchaikovsky is an excellent story teller, and all these disparate threads are drawn together, mostly thanks to Honey (a bear, a carry over character from the first book). The bad guy was so unbelievably awful he was well, unbelievable, but then you look over at Trump and maybe he wasn't so far fetched after all...
****
21wookiebender
10. What You are Looking For is in the Library, Michiko Aoyama
Lightly intertwined stories about people looking for something in life who end up at the local library where they all get more than they originally expected. Delightful.
There is something about translations from Japanese that always sound slightly stilted to me. I'm never sure if it's a Japanese cultural thing that I'm not getting, or if it's "how we translate Japanese", or some other reason.
****
Lightly intertwined stories about people looking for something in life who end up at the local library where they all get more than they originally expected. Delightful.
There is something about translations from Japanese that always sound slightly stilted to me. I'm never sure if it's a Japanese cultural thing that I'm not getting, or if it's "how we translate Japanese", or some other reason.
****
22scunliffe
>19 wookiebender: Translation please, for this yankified pom......quokkas?
23wookiebender
Oh, quokkas are a very cute little (approx cat-sized) marsupial that is only found in Western Australia - on Rottnest Island mostly (I was told there are some in the Karri forests around Walpole, but they are nocturnal so we didn't see any there). They are known for looking like they're smiling and are happy to hang around humans. It's quite a thing to have a selfie with a quokka, but I'm too old and creaky to get down on the ground for that. 😊 Was very happy to see them in real life though, they're very sweet.
https://medium.com/the-b/20-facts-about-the-quokka-the-happiest-looking-animal-i...
https://medium.com/the-b/20-facts-about-the-quokka-the-happiest-looking-animal-i...
24scunliffe
>23 wookiebender: Thank you, how can they not bring a smile to your face when you see those pics?
25wookiebender
Oohh no, I've run behind again. Let's try to catch up today... :|
11. City of Ghosts, V. E. Schwab
Story of Cass, a young girl who can see ghosts. Her family (including the cat) move for the summer to Edinburgh as her parents are ghost-hunters.
Rather fun with moments of real creepiness, but aiming for a younger audience than I usually read.
***1/2
11. City of Ghosts, V. E. Schwab
Story of Cass, a young girl who can see ghosts. Her family (including the cat) move for the summer to Edinburgh as her parents are ghost-hunters.
Rather fun with moments of real creepiness, but aiming for a younger audience than I usually read.
***1/2
26wookiebender
12. Tom Lake, Ann Patchett
I really enjoyed this slow-burn story of Lara telling her grown-up daughters the story of the time she was in summer stock, and had an affair with a young actor who later became a major star. The family have all returned to the family farm due to COVID lockdowns and are helping to pick the cherries. To stave off boredom, Lara starts telling them their story, which takes a number of days.
I loved all the characters, and thought the slow reveal of everything was quite masterful. Highly recommended.
****1/2
I really enjoyed this slow-burn story of Lara telling her grown-up daughters the story of the time she was in summer stock, and had an affair with a young actor who later became a major star. The family have all returned to the family farm due to COVID lockdowns and are helping to pick the cherries. To stave off boredom, Lara starts telling them their story, which takes a number of days.
I loved all the characters, and thought the slow reveal of everything was quite masterful. Highly recommended.
****1/2
27wookiebender
13. The Storyteller and his three Daughters, Lian Hearn
Picked this one up in a secondhand store in Albany, Western Australia. Was a good solid story about a storyteller in 19th century Japan, trying to think of new stories as fashions change around him, and dealing with his grown-up daughters' marriages and lives. He gets swept up in the politics of the time, which I knew nothing about, so that was interesting too.
***1/2
Picked this one up in a secondhand store in Albany, Western Australia. Was a good solid story about a storyteller in 19th century Japan, trying to think of new stories as fashions change around him, and dealing with his grown-up daughters' marriages and lives. He gets swept up in the politics of the time, which I knew nothing about, so that was interesting too.
***1/2
28wookiebender
14. Boys Weekend, Mattie Lubchansky
A graphic novel set in the not-too-distant future about Sammie, a trans woman, who is invited to their old friend's bachelor weekend. Problem is, they're not out to everyone yet.
The bachelor party is pretty toxic, with much active mis-gendering of Sammie and awful gender politics from the men (and one other woman) who make up the party. It is also set on an island where there are no rules. Most interesting and emotionally fraught scene was one where the partiers can hunt their own clones.
Oh, and there are also cultists trying to raise their Cthulhu-esque god.
I enjoyed this read, pacing issues aside. (As you can tell from above, there was a LOT going on. 🙃)
****
A graphic novel set in the not-too-distant future about Sammie, a trans woman, who is invited to their old friend's bachelor weekend. Problem is, they're not out to everyone yet.
The bachelor party is pretty toxic, with much active mis-gendering of Sammie and awful gender politics from the men (and one other woman) who make up the party. It is also set on an island where there are no rules. Most interesting and emotionally fraught scene was one where the partiers can hunt their own clones.
Oh, and there are also cultists trying to raise their Cthulhu-esque god.
I enjoyed this read, pacing issues aside. (As you can tell from above, there was a LOT going on. 🙃)
****
29wookiebender
15. The Librarianist, Patrick deWitt
The gentle, but compelling, story of Bob Comet, who has worked as a librarian in the same library for his entire working career. He's now retired and randomly gets involved at a local aged care facility.
Light on plot, but I found it hard to not love Bob and enjoy reading about his life.
****1/2
The gentle, but compelling, story of Bob Comet, who has worked as a librarian in the same library for his entire working career. He's now retired and randomly gets involved at a local aged care facility.
Light on plot, but I found it hard to not love Bob and enjoy reading about his life.
****1/2
30wookiebender
16. Chain-Gang All-Stars, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Marvellous, but devastating.
In the not-too-distant future, prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment can instead sign up for gladiator-style matches to the death with other prisoners. The popularity of these matches mean the prisoners are household names and heroes to many.
We follow a handful of different prisoners all hoping to last out five years and be released.
Adjei-Brenyah makes us care for these people, but also reminds us that they are murderers and rapists. It's not an easy novel, and it definitely gave me much to think about.
Fascinating footnotes referring to contemporary real-life prison system and racial inequities in the legal system highlight the actual pain and trauma people go through right now.
*****
Marvellous, but devastating.
In the not-too-distant future, prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment can instead sign up for gladiator-style matches to the death with other prisoners. The popularity of these matches mean the prisoners are household names and heroes to many.
We follow a handful of different prisoners all hoping to last out five years and be released.
Adjei-Brenyah makes us care for these people, but also reminds us that they are murderers and rapists. It's not an easy novel, and it definitely gave me much to think about.
Fascinating footnotes referring to contemporary real-life prison system and racial inequities in the legal system highlight the actual pain and trauma people go through right now.
*****
31wookiebender
17. A Tempest of Tea, Hafsah Faizal
Oh, this should have been so much more than it was. Vampires, tea shops, heist! What's not to love?
Well, the plot was a mess (try not to think too hard about the heist, it had so many plot holes it was like swiss cheese), the sexual tension was too much too soon (would have been much better as a slow burn), and there were too many missed opportunities (why no backstory on the tea shop and its workers?).
Of course, my child also read it and, after listening to me list all its flaws, asked if we were going to buy the sequel and I said "yes, of course! We need to know what happens!" 😂
So, the good stuff was that it was a fun page turner and we liked a number of the characters, and the twist ending does make us want to read on.
***
Oh, this should have been so much more than it was. Vampires, tea shops, heist! What's not to love?
Well, the plot was a mess (try not to think too hard about the heist, it had so many plot holes it was like swiss cheese), the sexual tension was too much too soon (would have been much better as a slow burn), and there were too many missed opportunities (why no backstory on the tea shop and its workers?).
Of course, my child also read it and, after listening to me list all its flaws, asked if we were going to buy the sequel and I said "yes, of course! We need to know what happens!" 😂
So, the good stuff was that it was a fun page turner and we liked a number of the characters, and the twist ending does make us want to read on.
***
32wookiebender
18. The Man Who Died Twice, Richard Osman
Another excellent outing of the Thursday Murder Club. I'm very disappointed to find out there are only four books out in this series, as I want to spend the year reading nothing but Thursday Murder Club books.
****
Another excellent outing of the Thursday Murder Club. I'm very disappointed to find out there are only four books out in this series, as I want to spend the year reading nothing but Thursday Murder Club books.
****
33wookiebender
19. Dungeons and Drama, Kristy Boyce
A fun YA romance, with two of my favourite tropes: false dating and enemies-to-lovers.
Riley, a musical theatre kid, is forced to help out at her father's game shop as punishment after "borrowing" her mother's car without a license to go and see Waitress on stage.
She joins a D&D game while fake-dating one of the gamers, and discovers that gaming is a lot of fun (well, duh, says this occasional gamer). Of course, Nathan is rather cute...
Nicely varied characters (the gamers are all nerdy, but they're different varieties of nerd which I appreciated), and I also enjoyed the musical theatre fandom. (When my kid found this in the bookshop I couldn't snap it up fast enough, musical theatre AND Dungeons and Dragons?? 😂)
****
A fun YA romance, with two of my favourite tropes: false dating and enemies-to-lovers.
Riley, a musical theatre kid, is forced to help out at her father's game shop as punishment after "borrowing" her mother's car without a license to go and see Waitress on stage.
She joins a D&D game while fake-dating one of the gamers, and discovers that gaming is a lot of fun (well, duh, says this occasional gamer). Of course, Nathan is rather cute...
Nicely varied characters (the gamers are all nerdy, but they're different varieties of nerd which I appreciated), and I also enjoyed the musical theatre fandom. (When my kid found this in the bookshop I couldn't snap it up fast enough, musical theatre AND Dungeons and Dragons?? 😂)
****
34wookiebender
20. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Silvia Moreno-Garcia
An interesting loose retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau, focusing on Moreau's daughter, Carlota, and Montgomery, the mayordomo of the compound.
Carlota has grown up surrounded by hybrids and loves her isolated life and the two youngest hybrids who are her friends, Lupe and Cachito. Montgomery is a drunken Englishman with a dark past who is indebted to Hernando Izalde, a wealthy Mexican.
Izalde is also funding Moreau, looking for strong hybrid workers to work his plantations, and when his handsome and spoilt son Eduardo turns up, everything starts to go wrong.
****
An interesting loose retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau, focusing on Moreau's daughter, Carlota, and Montgomery, the mayordomo of the compound.
Carlota has grown up surrounded by hybrids and loves her isolated life and the two youngest hybrids who are her friends, Lupe and Cachito. Montgomery is a drunken Englishman with a dark past who is indebted to Hernando Izalde, a wealthy Mexican.
Izalde is also funding Moreau, looking for strong hybrid workers to work his plantations, and when his handsome and spoilt son Eduardo turns up, everything starts to go wrong.
****
35mabith
I would also very happily take a dozen more Thursday Murder Club books, but I imagine his next venture will be just as enjoyable. I mean, given how his first felt so fully formed and all, I wouldn't have guessed it was anyone's debut. Plus it sounds like he'll probably eventually give us more Thursday Murder Club.
Putting Dungeons and Drama on my list to check out for my niece. I've not remotely kept up with more recent YA books, and I definitely felt that picking out her birthday books this year. Plus fake dating and enemies to lovers are definitely two of my favorite romance tropes as well.
Putting Dungeons and Drama on my list to check out for my niece. I've not remotely kept up with more recent YA books, and I definitely felt that picking out her birthday books this year. Plus fake dating and enemies to lovers are definitely two of my favorite romance tropes as well.
36wookiebender
>35 mabith: I have found someone who did NOT like the Thursday Murder Club books! I was shocked. 😂
37wookiebender
DNF. Minds of Sand and Light, Kylie Chan
I've had friends who have enjoyed Kylie Chan's novels, but I've never gotten into them. I thought I'd give this one a go (maybe her writing has improved, maybe I'll enjoy a sci-fi standalone from her, etc), but no, I didn't get very far into this before I was annoyed by jumping around and clunky exposition.
Returned to the library, no rating.
I've had friends who have enjoyed Kylie Chan's novels, but I've never gotten into them. I thought I'd give this one a go (maybe her writing has improved, maybe I'll enjoy a sci-fi standalone from her, etc), but no, I didn't get very far into this before I was annoyed by jumping around and clunky exposition.
Returned to the library, no rating.
38wookiebender
21. Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo
Sequel to Ninth House, and I was as gripped by this one as I was by the first.
I'm yet to read her YA, but I like her horror/urban fantasy very much, so it's only a matter of time before I pick up Six of Crows which is also on my shelves....
****
Sequel to Ninth House, and I was as gripped by this one as I was by the first.
I'm yet to read her YA, but I like her horror/urban fantasy very much, so it's only a matter of time before I pick up Six of Crows which is also on my shelves....
****
39wookiebender
22. What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher
Another horror novel! A retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, with interesting gender twists. Creepy and enjoyable, I've got another couple of her books on the shelves to read.
Funnily enough, I always use to say I'd read anything, except horror. Turns out I enjoy a good horror novel (still can't watch horror though, yuck).
Also got to see her chatting in Sydney, and if you get a chance to hear her talk, do, she was a lot of rambling ADHD fun. 😊
****
Another horror novel! A retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, with interesting gender twists. Creepy and enjoyable, I've got another couple of her books on the shelves to read.
Funnily enough, I always use to say I'd read anything, except horror. Turns out I enjoy a good horror novel (still can't watch horror though, yuck).
Also got to see her chatting in Sydney, and if you get a chance to hear her talk, do, she was a lot of rambling ADHD fun. 😊
****
40wookiebender
23. Words Of Radiance Part Two: The Stormlight Archive Book Two, Brandon Sanderson
I do love Sanderson's Cosmere books, but each book in this series always takes a while to get into. There is so much world building it's crazy, so many characters it's crazy, and so much plot it's crazy. I mean, they broke each book into Part One and Part Two and they're still 500 pages!
Having said that, once I get over the initial bump of "what on earth happened last book, I can't remember", I'm suckered in and having a great time and can't wait to read more. (Sadly, the next volume is yet to be unpacked, it's in one of the 24 remaining boxes of books...)
****
I do love Sanderson's Cosmere books, but each book in this series always takes a while to get into. There is so much world building it's crazy, so many characters it's crazy, and so much plot it's crazy. I mean, they broke each book into Part One and Part Two and they're still 500 pages!
Having said that, once I get over the initial bump of "what on earth happened last book, I can't remember", I'm suckered in and having a great time and can't wait to read more. (Sadly, the next volume is yet to be unpacked, it's in one of the 24 remaining boxes of books...)
****
41pamelad
>39 wookiebender: I don't read much horror either, but enjoyed What Moves the Dead and its sequel, What Feasts at Night. Wonderful narrator, and I like the humour.
42wookiebender
>41 pamelad: I've got a copy of What Feasts at Night on the shelves (signed by the author!), but I also just bought 11 books at the Sydney writers' festival and they're shiny and exciting and new. :)
43wookiebender
24. The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo
I enjoyed this tale of magic during the Spanish Inquisition. Luzia is from a Jewish family who were forced to convert to Christianity during the Inquisition. She has magic powers that she uses discreetly in her role as maid/dogsbody to make the food stretch or the water buckets easier to carry or to fix broken objects. She is found out however, and instead of being sent to the Inquisition, she ends up competing to be the next miracle worker the King needs in the never ending wars. (Yes, it went places I didn't expect!) Of course, the Inquisition is never far away and she is treading a difficult path.
Very interesting characters and plot, a very satisfying read.
****1/2
I enjoyed this tale of magic during the Spanish Inquisition. Luzia is from a Jewish family who were forced to convert to Christianity during the Inquisition. She has magic powers that she uses discreetly in her role as maid/dogsbody to make the food stretch or the water buckets easier to carry or to fix broken objects. She is found out however, and instead of being sent to the Inquisition, she ends up competing to be the next miracle worker the King needs in the never ending wars. (Yes, it went places I didn't expect!) Of course, the Inquisition is never far away and she is treading a difficult path.
Very interesting characters and plot, a very satisfying read.
****1/2
44wookiebender
25. Blackouts, Justin Torres
This came to my notice by winning the 2024 Tournament of Books this year. It was a very interesting read, looking at the erasure of gay and lesbian lives and stories.
Juan Gay tells our narrator, nene, about the story of a book, Sex Variants: A Study of Homosexual Patterns. The novel tells the story of the original researcher for the book, Jan Gay, and her erasure. But Juan's copies of the book are also heavily redacted with black ink, leaving behind snippets of poetry.
Many layered, beautifully written, and fascinating. Well worth the read.
****1/2
This came to my notice by winning the 2024 Tournament of Books this year. It was a very interesting read, looking at the erasure of gay and lesbian lives and stories.
Juan Gay tells our narrator, nene, about the story of a book, Sex Variants: A Study of Homosexual Patterns. The novel tells the story of the original researcher for the book, Jan Gay, and her erasure. But Juan's copies of the book are also heavily redacted with black ink, leaving behind snippets of poetry.
Many layered, beautifully written, and fascinating. Well worth the read.
****1/2
45wookiebender
26. Bluebeard's Castle: A Novel, Anna Biller
Well, this was a very odd read. It starts with Judith desperately trying to leave her husband, believing he is trying to kill her. The rest of the book covers them meeting, the fast courtship (he love bombs her), and them settling into their gothic castle to live happily ever after. Although from the opening chapter, we know that's never going to happen.
Judith is a writer herself, with a number of well regarded and popular gothic romances on the shelves. She knows how dysfunctional and abusive relationships happen, and yet she falls into one and cannot see the mess she is in and cannot get out.
This book had me snorting at the over-the-top gothicness of it all (they bought a freaking CASTLE!!) but I'm not sure if the juxtaposition of straightforward writing style with the sudden drop of gothic info was intentionally funny or accidentally funny. And towards the end, there is an entirely unnecessary scene from the husband's point of view. We know he's awful and manipulative, we didn't need it spelled out. And also a preachy section about women being unable to leave abusive relationships that just landed wrong.
I'm not sure if this melange of feminism and gothic thriller really worked. I enjoyed the gothic side of it (the castle has a chapel with a crypt even!), but the feminist side didn't work for me.
***
Well, this was a very odd read. It starts with Judith desperately trying to leave her husband, believing he is trying to kill her. The rest of the book covers them meeting, the fast courtship (he love bombs her), and them settling into their gothic castle to live happily ever after. Although from the opening chapter, we know that's never going to happen.
Judith is a writer herself, with a number of well regarded and popular gothic romances on the shelves. She knows how dysfunctional and abusive relationships happen, and yet she falls into one and cannot see the mess she is in and cannot get out.
This book had me snorting at the over-the-top gothicness of it all (they bought a freaking CASTLE!!) but I'm not sure if the juxtaposition of straightforward writing style with the sudden drop of gothic info was intentionally funny or accidentally funny. And towards the end, there is an entirely unnecessary scene from the husband's point of view. We know he's awful and manipulative, we didn't need it spelled out. And also a preachy section about women being unable to leave abusive relationships that just landed wrong.
I'm not sure if this melange of feminism and gothic thriller really worked. I enjoyed the gothic side of it (the castle has a chapel with a crypt even!), but the feminist side didn't work for me.
***
