I love a cover with a bookstore. This one looks homey and inviting, but then I don't often see a bookstore I don't want to go in.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Radio Silence
Radio Silence was an amazing read. There was something about it that appealed to me (other than the neat cover) and I'm so glad I gave this one a shot. Frances is a British/ Ethiopian student who is the best in her class and destined for Cambridge- she pretty much lives to study. A study machine, she calls herself. But she also loves a podcast called Universe City, and when she meets Aled Last, the shy kid behind the podcast, it changes her life. They become fast friends and she starts to realize there is more to her than studying. She has always groomed herself for success, as it is defined by society- study hard, get into a top school, make lots of money. But what if that's not what she really wants?
I think anyone who has agonized over their major or what to do with their life can relate to this story. Frances is also bisexual and Aled is possibly asexual- their relationship with each other is strictly platonic which was kind of refreshing. Even though they go through a lot they don't fall in love- their relationship issues are the issues friends might go through. So Frances and Aled are figuring out who they are but also who they want to be. And it's an awesome journey.
The problems arise when the podcast goes viral and all of a sudden it's super popular. Aled desperately wants to remain anonymous and sparks soon fly between the two of them. Complicating matters is the previous friendship Frances had with Aled's sister Carys. They were sort of unlikely friends and something happened between them just before Carys ran away, and no one knows where she went. Frances carries a lot of guilt around over it, thinking that she is responsible for Carys leaving, but her and Aled don't talk about it. It's probably not a surprise that the subject will come up however.
I thought this was so well done. Frances really captured my attention from the outset, and I loved her relationship with Aled and her mom as well. It was nice to see a teen protagonist have a healthy relationship with her mother- they sit around and order pizza and watch movies. In fact instead of the stereotypical parent relentlessly pushing her daughter to succeed, she's actually more easygoing than Frances is about it. I think her mom understood Frances more than Frances understood itself. And the relationship with Aled was complex- he's so quiet, so inward, that even though they have a great rapport she still doesn't really know what's driving him.
The chapters here are really short and I could barely put this one down. Frances has a somewhat snarky tone, especially in the beginning, and I loved her voice. Her friends mostly know her as a study machine but one in particular steps up later in the story and I loved it. I pretty much loved everything about this book, if there is one negative it might be that I thought Aled laid the drama on pretty thick. But he has a lot of problems and you can kind of overlook it. This is a story about fandoms but it's also a story about what you want in life. Have you ever questioned your life goals, or been unsure what you want? Who you are? If so you can probably relate to this one. The message here is be who you are- and it's one of my favorite reads of the year.
I think anyone who has agonized over their major or what to do with their life can relate to this story. Frances is also bisexual and Aled is possibly asexual- their relationship with each other is strictly platonic which was kind of refreshing. Even though they go through a lot they don't fall in love- their relationship issues are the issues friends might go through. So Frances and Aled are figuring out who they are but also who they want to be. And it's an awesome journey.
The problems arise when the podcast goes viral and all of a sudden it's super popular. Aled desperately wants to remain anonymous and sparks soon fly between the two of them. Complicating matters is the previous friendship Frances had with Aled's sister Carys. They were sort of unlikely friends and something happened between them just before Carys ran away, and no one knows where she went. Frances carries a lot of guilt around over it, thinking that she is responsible for Carys leaving, but her and Aled don't talk about it. It's probably not a surprise that the subject will come up however.
I thought this was so well done. Frances really captured my attention from the outset, and I loved her relationship with Aled and her mom as well. It was nice to see a teen protagonist have a healthy relationship with her mother- they sit around and order pizza and watch movies. In fact instead of the stereotypical parent relentlessly pushing her daughter to succeed, she's actually more easygoing than Frances is about it. I think her mom understood Frances more than Frances understood itself. And the relationship with Aled was complex- he's so quiet, so inward, that even though they have a great rapport she still doesn't really know what's driving him.
The chapters here are really short and I could barely put this one down. Frances has a somewhat snarky tone, especially in the beginning, and I loved her voice. Her friends mostly know her as a study machine but one in particular steps up later in the story and I loved it. I pretty much loved everything about this book, if there is one negative it might be that I thought Aled laid the drama on pretty thick. But he has a lot of problems and you can kind of overlook it. This is a story about fandoms but it's also a story about what you want in life. Have you ever questioned your life goals, or been unsure what you want? Who you are? If so you can probably relate to this one. The message here is be who you are- and it's one of my favorite reads of the year.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Planet of Exile
Planet of Exile is a story of a long lost colony stranded on a planet where seasons last for 15 years, so summer and winter are generational events. As the story opens autumn is quickly giving way to winter, and the world is rapidly changing for the colonists, known as farborns, and the indigenous people, who the colonists have dubbed hilfs (highly intelligent life forms). The colonists have been stranded on this planet for 600 years , and their population is slowly dwindling. Fewer children are born every year, there is a high incidence of miscarriage and over time other colony locations have been overrun or otherwise abandoned.
Against this backdrop we are introduced to Rolery, a hilf girl who is the daughter of a chieftain and a bit of a free spirit. Her people are nomads who have gathered to build a winter city where they can ride out the generational winter. This gathering place happens to be close to the farborn city. Not content with the drudgery of her daily life, Rolery ventures to the city of the farborns and there she encounters Jakob Agat, a leader among the farborns. Rolery and Agat form a connection after Agat saves her life, and as the story progresses they are brought together by mutual desire and the vagaries of fate. Agat needs the help of Rolery's father to bring farborn and hilf together to face their mutual enemy, the barbarian Gaal who migrate south at the onset of every winter. However it is precisely the forbidden attraction between Agat and Rolery that may prove to be the greatest obstacle to cooperation.
The Gaal migration, or Southing, threatens both farborns and the winter city as the sheer numbers of Gaal dwarf anything previously seen. The Gaal are not the only threat to appear with the winter snows, however... the mysterious snowghouls are not far behind and are feared by everyone, including the Gaal. As mistrust and betrayal threaten to derail their alliance, the only hope for hilf and farborn alike may just be Rolery and Agat.
Planet of Exile is a story of love and hope in the face of daunting odds. It also explores the themes of acceptance and regret, and the shattering of old prejudices. The viewpoint shifts between Rolery, Agat and her father as they each struggle with the changes winter brings. Planet of Exile is a great science fiction read and is very short as well. It's one of my favorite stories and I thought it held up well on rereading.
One thing I noticed upon re- reading this was the similarities between this story and the Game of Thrones series by George RR Martin. Both stories have seasons that can last a generation, both have an impending winter that could spell doom, the Gaal could perhaps be the wildlings... and the snowghouls are an eerie threat from the north that everyone fears...could GRRM have been influenced by this story? Hard to say, but regardless Planet of Exile is a great read from one of science fictions's most celebrated authors.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Top Ten Things That Make Me Want To Read A Book
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted. Everyone is welcome to join. Link back to The Broke and the Bookish so everyone can check out other bloggers' lists. It's a fun way to get to know fellow bloggers.
This week we're looking at Ten Things that make me want to read a book. This is kind of a fun topic as it makes us look at exactly what we like (and don't like) in a book- the tropes that we love (or drive us nuts) etc. So here are ten ideas that at least make me curious, whether I actually pick up the book or not. :)
Time Travel
Clones
Dystopian/ post apocalyptic
A killer twist
Portals to other places
Mythical creatures w/ small towns
Badass boarding schools
Off the grid
End of the world
AI stuff
Monday, April 17, 2017
Cover Characteristics Balloons
Cover Characteristics is a meme by Sugar and Snark- every week a characteristic is selected and we post 5 books with that week's theme.
This week's pick- Balloons
Balloons? Ack what a topic. After an initial rough start I settled on a few and I guess this one is okay. Every once in a while you get a topic you think will be smooth sailing and it turns out a bit more challenging than you thought.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Sunday Post #190
This week started off nice with warm temps but then took a nosedive on Tuesday. It was cooler all the rest of the week. Lovely. But... I got lots of reading done. I read Gemina this week and loved it, way better than Illuminae in my not so humble opinion! One of the best SF reads for me this year, and it seems like I've been saying that a lot lately. It's been a good year for SF so far...
This past week I reviewed Queens of Geek, and I have Radio Silence and Gemina coming up as well. All three are excellent. I sorta have a serious book hangover right now but I keep plowing on- I was practically book drunk over Gemina. I also talked about book covers this week in my Wednesday discussion post.
I'm still watching Riverdale and The 100 returns from hiatus soon. And one of my favorite shows- 12 Monkeys- is coming back in mid- May. I included the trailer below .
This past week I reviewed Queens of Geek, and I have Radio Silence and Gemina coming up as well. All three are excellent. I sorta have a serious book hangover right now but I keep plowing on- I was practically book drunk over Gemina. I also talked about book covers this week in my Wednesday discussion post.
I'm still watching Riverdale and The 100 returns from hiatus soon. And one of my favorite shows- 12 Monkeys- is coming back in mid- May. I included the trailer below .
Song of the week
PULP COVER OF THE WEEK:
NEW ARRIVAL/ UPCOMING REVIEWS:
BOOKISH LINKS
Trump meets with his supporters