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sifuCJC

sifuCJC@bookwyrm.social

Prisijungė prieš 3 years,6 months

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

Ši nuoroda atsidaro kitame langelyje

apžvelgė autoriaus Louise Erdrich knygą LaRose

Louise Erdrich: LaRose (2017, HarperCollins Publishers)

North Dakota, late summer, 1999. Landreaux Iron stalks a deer along the edge of the …

Plainly epic

In a sense the story has pieces of an epic in that it spans generations, but the flashbacks are brief. Most of the story takes place in modern times with modern people.

What makes the book feel epic is the range of emotions that come out through the mundane, the terrible and the purpose of every-day life on the reservation.

Anjali Sachdeva: All the Names They Used for God (Hardcover, Spiegel & Grau)

A haunting, diverse debut story collection that explores the isolation we experience in the face …

Some great stories

The mix is very eclectic, different styles, times and cultures. Sometimes it's a bit hard to place yourself. But for the titular story and the last one, it's worth it.

John Grisham: The Litigators (Hardcover, 2011, Hodder & Stoughton)

Law firm partners Oscar Finley and Wally Figg see a chance for huge financial gain …

A solid law tale

Being new to Grisham, I'm again impressed by his character development. You do get the expected legal procedural and also get interesting characters. Even though they're 'ambulance chasers' and a bit sleazy, I wanted to hear about them.

The pace is a bit clunky in the middle but still an entertaining book.

Susan Palwick: Flying in Place (1992, T. Doherty Associates)

Emma is twelve, a perfectly normal girl, in a perfectly normal home. With a perfectly …

Dealing with trauma

I found this book from 1993 in a local little library. The power went out that night in an intense desert storm, so I started reading by phone light. I finished in one sitting.

It's very well written with simple, unobstructed prose. The words get out of the way so you can experience the emotional journey. You will definitely cry on this one, but it will be cathartic.

Annalee Newitz: Autonomous (Hardcover, 2017, Tor Books)

Autonomous features a rakish female pharmaceutical pirate named Jack who traverses the world in her …

Very enjoyable techie sci-fi

There's some scientific explanation but it's needed for the story, so it's well done. You also get to emotionally bond with the characters, which is rare in the 'harder' sci-fi. Very enjoyable.

apžvelgė autoriaus Becky Chambers knygą A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot, #1)

Becky Chambers: A Psalm for the Wild-Built (EBook, 2021, Tom Doherty Associates)

It’s been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; …

Great idea for a story

Although the book has a little bit of exposition along the way, the idea is just too good. I'll read the next one too.

By the way, the idea is just like the series says: a monk and a robot.

Peng Shepherd: The Cartographers (Hardcover, William Morrow & Company, William Morrow)

What is the purpose of a map?

Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is …

A missed opportunity

I just can't recommend this book. The premise is interesting and the plot structure kept me curious. But the constant recapping and sophomoric relationships killed it. I just didn't care by the end.

I probably should've read other reviews first, but a book about maps! Too bad.

Irving, John: The Last Chairlift (2022, Simon & Schuster)

In Aspen, Colorado, in 1941, Rachel Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill …

Great characters, repetitive story

The book has great characters you get to know well, like most Irving novels. He also explores some new main themes in skiing and LGBTQ+ issues.

But he repeats a bit too much, annoyingly. And I know of no other author that gets so hung up on his secondary themes. It's like Irving bingo. See if any of these ring a bell: author protagonist, Austria-love, a super short man, hotel fixations, wrestling!, a hint of incest, boarding school... It's got 'em all. Also, make sure you like reading screenplays; there's a few interlaced in the narrative.