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sifuCJC

sifuCJC@bookwyrm.social

Prisijungė prieš 4 years,1 month

I read only nonfiction for years. Now, I'm getting back into fiction. (he/him)

Ši nuoroda atsidaro kitame langelyje

apžvelgė autoriaus Jeff VanderMeer knygą Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1)

Jeff VanderMeer: Annihilation (Paperback, 2014, Farrar, Straus and Giroux) 4 žvaigždutės

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Nature …

Hmm, what to say

4 žvaigždutės

Um. I will continue on in the series. It was interesting. But let's see; the prose was... relentless. Like a pressure squeezing my temples. I can't say it was pleasant.

But now I feel obligated to continue. Like in homage to those traveled before.

Alix E. Harrow: The Once and Future Witches (EBook, 2020, Redhook) 4 žvaigždutės

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, …

A view on current issues through a story on women's suffrage

4 žvaigždutės

Well crafted story and magic and women's rights. What's not to love?

(The rest of the review is super personal; I wonder if it has the same effect on others.) I was angry for and with the characters, not at them. Which was the point of the book, sure. But it was relentless. By the end of book I was exhausted. And I realized that I need that energy for issues in the real world; I need to save my anger energy these days.

Fredrik Backman: A Man Called Ove (2015) 5 žvaigždutės

A Man Called Ove (Swedish: En man som heter Ove, pronounced [ɛn ˈmanː sɔm ˈhěːtɛr …

The beautiful life of a crotchety man

4 žvaigždutės

Solid story. I cried.

I listened to this on audio. I think I would've liked it better on paper as the crotchety part got a bit annoying out loud. The style is of a storyteller's distance, so I think I would've read it that way.

Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen: The Golden Couple (Hardcover, 2022, St. Martin's Press) 5 žvaigždutės

A mystery told through counseling

5 žvaigždutės

This was fun. It was gripping without any overt reason. A mystery without any of the general tropes.

It's a mystery told through couple's counseling. It dives into the characters and that's where the uncertainty comes from; who's lying to themselves or others? Unique idea and written well.

apžvelgė autoriaus Lee Child knygą Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, #1)

Lee Child: Killing Floor (EBook, 2005, Jove) 4 žvaigždutės

Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is a drifter. He’s just passing through Margrave, Georgia, and in …

If you know what you're getting...

4 žvaigždutės

If you realize you're in for a macho action book, then you'll be pleasantly surprised that there's some nuance. (Of course, some not also.) These are a step above a pulp novel, and serve the same purpose.

I did realize what I like about these books though: Reacher comes up against a conspiracy, and Child is able to take us through the mystery without it getting too confusing with the complexity. (This is only the second one I've read though.)

pradėjo skaityti Lee Child knygą Killing Floor (Jack Reacher, #1)

Lee Child: Killing Floor (EBook, 2005, Jove) 4 žvaigždutės

Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is a drifter. He’s just passing through Margrave, Georgia, and in …

Once at my parent's house when I couldn't sleep, I picked up a Reacher book. It was nice; consistent and simple. I'll try this series out, listening in the background in the evening.

John le Carré: A Perfect Spy (2000, Pocket) 4 žvaigždutės

One spy's life

4 žvaigždutės

Wow. This is not a 'spy novel'. This is a novel about a much more realistic spy (as I'd heard le Carre writes); no 007. It's a fantastically deep character study; you feel like you know Pym better than he knows himself. There is some plot tension, but mostly it's this fascinating, dense story of a life, one spy's life.

As an American, the British colloquialisms coupled with the unreliable narrator (in one POV) got me quite confused. I sorted it out later in the book.

apžvelgė autoriaus Travis Baldree knygą Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes, #0)

Travis Baldree: Bookshops & Bonedust (Hardcover, 2023, Pan Macmillan) 5 žvaigždutės

Viv’s career with the renowned mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned. Wounded during …

A prequel in the same vein

4 žvaigždutės

I was a bit unsure as to why a prequel was needed. Viv's retirement was pretty straight-forward in 'Legends'.

This book ends well, but I expected an immaturity in the main character that wasn't really there. She seemed very similar to the first book (years and miles later).

Claire Keegan: Small Things Like These (2021, Grove/Atlantic, Incorporated) 4 žvaigždutės

Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize

"A hypnotic and electrifying Irish tale that transcends …

Dropped into daily life

4 žvaigždutės

A couple days of an Irish coal delivery man. This is like an extended short-story, a couple hours read time, but lively and earnest. Although it doesn't go into them, look up the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland before you read; I'm sure the tension I felt was designed.

Umberto Eco: The name of the rose (1984, Warner Books) 4 žvaigždutės

The year is 1327. Franciscans in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and …

A wonderful story

4 žvaigždutės

A wonderful, distinctive tale. Although it has the deep research of a historical novel, it's really a detective story.

Must be ready for deep literary devices though: page-long descriptions and passages in actual Latin.

apžvelgė autoriaus Travis Baldree knygą Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)

Travis Baldree: Legends & Lattes (Paperback, 2022, Tor Books) 5 žvaigždutės

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes …

Good weekend read

4 žvaigždutės

I was looking for something fun. This fit the bill. I'll continue on in the series.

The Last Equation of Isaac Severy (Touchstone) 3 žvaigždutės

Never really go into it...

3 žvaigždutės

The book was okay, but I never found the thrill nor connected with the characters.

Plus a pet peeve: it said 'mathematics' or 'math' way too much. At least those in the field I've known hardly ever say the word; they talk about the particular branch.