Post-apocalypse is my favorite SF sub-genre, and this collection of short stories does not disappoint. Like all anthologies, stories are hit and miss,Post-apocalypse is my favorite SF sub-genre, and this collection of short stories does not disappoint. Like all anthologies, stories are hit and miss, but most are hits. A worthy follow-up to the first volume. I'll read this one and its predecessor more than once....more
This is one of those books I picked up due to its acclaim. You know, a book you think you ought to read because it's a classic or has been compared faThis is one of those books I picked up due to its acclaim. You know, a book you think you ought to read because it's a classic or has been compared favorably to other authors/books you love? Yeah. Well. All of that may be true. But I called it quits at not quite a quarter way through Book #1. I just didn't care about the main character or his world enough to bother slogging my way through four entire books' worth of it....more
Amazing wrap up to a fabulous trilogy. N.K. Jemisin has made it to the shortlist of "Authors for whom I will read everything they write, even their grAmazing wrap up to a fabulous trilogy. N.K. Jemisin has made it to the shortlist of "Authors for whom I will read everything they write, even their grocery list." (She has good company on that list: Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman, Sheri Tepper, among them.) ...more
Cover blurb: After her mother's suicide, Lane Roanoke came to live with her grandparents and cousin, Allegra, on their farm in rural Kansas. Lane knewCover blurb: After her mother's suicide, Lane Roanoke came to live with her grandparents and cousin, Allegra, on their farm in rural Kansas. Lane knew little of her mysterious family, but she quickly embraced life as one of the privileged Roanoke girls. When she discovered the dark truth at the heart of the family, she ran...fast and far away.
Years later, Lane is adrift in LA when her grandfather calls to tell her Allegra has gone missing. Did she run too? Or something worse? Unable to resist, Lane returns to help search, and to ease her guilt at having left Allegra behind. Her homecoming may mean a second chance with the boyfriend whose heart she broke that long-ago summer. But it also means facing the secret that made her flee, one she may not be strong enough to run from again.
TRIGGER WARNING. If you are disturbed by sexual abuse and incest, do not read this book.
Okay, I gave it away. That's the big secret. But said secret is also revealed fairly early in the novel, so it's not a spoiler. Not really.
The story alternates between Lane's initial summer on the farm and the present-day search for Allegra. I'm always a sucker for alternating timelines, and this one is done very well. Teenage Lane's creeping unease as she begins to understand what's really going on with Allegra and their grandfather is expertly portrayed; and adult Lane's reacquaintance with her screwed-up family dynamics and the sheer denial her grandmother affects is powerfully drawn. And while I can't say it's exactly a happy ending, Lane comes through it, resolute and maybe even better off.
Lovely work. Thank you to LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program for the opportunity to read this book....more
Cover blurb: It's November of 2020, and the world is bracing for the worst winter on record. As the deep freeze sets in, Dylan MacRae, reeling from a Cover blurb: It's November of 2020, and the world is bracing for the worst winter on record. As the deep freeze sets in, Dylan MacRae, reeling from a series of devastating losses, leaves London and heads north to bury his mother's and grandmother's ashes on the Scottish islands of his ancestors.
In the Scottish village of Clachan Fells, twelve-year-old Stella and her survivalist mother, Constance, scrape together a living, surrounded by a group of kind and eccentric neighbors in their caravan park. Stella, who until one year earlier was a boy name Cael, is struggling to understand her new identity while navigating a world of school bullies and her mother's tumultuous romantic life. When Dylan arrives in Clachan Fells, life changes course for all three of them, and as they prepare for a rapidly changing climate, secrets that link them in unexpected ways are revealed.
I should never review books several months after I've read them. By that time, all the detail has faded from my brain and I'm left with only a vague feeling of yes, I'd read this again, or no, I won't.
Yes. I'd read this again.
Fuzzy memory aside, I remember that this novel astonished and delighted and disturbed me. I was impressed with Cael/Stella and her struggle to be her authentic self, and loved that Dylan accepted her at face value, without question, without skepticism, and without judgment. I loved the cinema that Dylan grew up in, and hated that it had been lost. The weather frightened me, and I worried that our heroes wouldn't make it through the winter. And I hoped against hope that Constance would finally see she and Dylan were meant for each other.
A really lovely piece of work. Thank you to LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program for the opportunity to read this book....more
A series of short stories, loosely tied together around a family of oddkins and misfits, witches and vampires, shapeshifters and dreamers, as seen thrA series of short stories, loosely tied together around a family of oddkins and misfits, witches and vampires, shapeshifters and dreamers, as seen through the eyes of the one mortal family member, Timothy. Dreamy, lyrical, poetic, haunting, bittersweet, vintage Bradbury. Rated three stars because the tying together of the stories is not as successful as it could be, leaving this reader feeling somewhat disjointed and at loose ends.
Honestly, I didn't see any point in this novel. I didn't particularly like Zee (although I loved the fact that her given name was Hepzibah) or her eventual love interest, Hawk; the emphasis on navigating by the stars was weird and contrived; in fact, the whole of the story felt contrived and weird and and incoherent, like a series of set pieces linked together only because they involved the same characters. Zee traveled some small distance as a character, but in the end I felt she was little different from the wishy-washy human being that began the story.
Sophomore novels are often a let down after brilliant debuts. The Lace Reader was brilliant. This? Not so much....more
25 years after she witnessed the murder of her mother and two other women, Callie Cahill returns to Salem to aid her Aunt Rose, who is suspected of be25 years after she witnessed the murder of her mother and two other women, Callie Cahill returns to Salem to aid her Aunt Rose, who is suspected of being involved in the death of a teenager. Callie, raised in foster care after the events of that fateful night, had thought Rose dead, and rushed to her side the moment she saw a news report.
In the years between Callie's childhood tragedy and her return, Rose Whelan, once a noted historian, suffered a mental breakdown and became homeless. Rose is well-known to the Salem townfolk; while most of them ignore her, a few look out for her, and a few see her as an easy target. The boy who died was one of the latter. The circumstances linking Rose to the boy's death are damning, and her freedom is in jeopardy.
Callie tries mightily to help Aunt Rose recover her memory of the night of the boy's death while she herself is slowly recovering her own memories of her childhood. And in the meantime, she finds herself falling for Paul Whiting, the son of one of the wealthiest families in town.
Behind all of this lurks the still-unsolved "Goddess Murders," as they are known, for which Rose was also briefly a suspect. What part did Rose play? How does Rose's obsession with the legend of a banshee connect? Where does Salem's history of witch trials fit in? And why do links to those long-ago murders keep turning up in the current investigation?
Brunonia Barry's third novel is better than her second, but still not as good as her first. I appreciated being back in Salem with some familiar characters, and meeting some new ones. And the story moves along well enough. Still, the final twist to the mystery was too abrupt and, to me, completely out of left field. (Look, I understand authors don't want to telegraph who the "bad guy" is and lay red herrings in the reader's path as diversions, but this reveal was totally unexpected. Did Barry write herself into a corner and only belatedly realize she had to come up with a villain? Don't know.) Also, major quibbles with how Paul's character turned out.
Look, it's a good read. And if I hadn't ever read The Lace Reader, I'd probably give it four stars. But I have, and I know Barry is capable of much better....more
Neil Gaiman is one of the most original writers currently publishing. He defies category: how does one classify an author whose work ranges2003 Review
Neil Gaiman is one of the most original writers currently publishing. He defies category: how does one classify an author whose work ranges from SF to horror to social commentary to parable and back, all within the pages of one book? His style is reminiscent of Clive Barker and Harlan Ellison, perhaps with a touch of Lovecraft thrown in for seasoning.
AMERICAN GODS tells the story of the war brewing between the "old" gods of the United States -- the piskies and brownies and vrokolaks brought over from the Old Country by immigrant believers -- and the "new" gods of technology and progress worshipped by the descendants of those immigrants. One human, an ex-con called Shadow, is enlisted by a man calling himself Wednesday to help unite the old gods in resisting the new. Shadow, at loose ends after the sudden loss of his wife, agrees to work for Wednesday, and is plunged headlong into intrigue and strangeness, where people are not what they appear, time does not track, and even the dead do not stay in their graves.
A haunting tone poem of a novel. Highly recommended.
2017 Re-read
Although I had been intending to re-read this book for years, the impending debut of the Starz series (April 30!) finally got this book down from the shelf and into my hands in mid-April.
It's funny how time can distort the memory of a once-read novel. I remembered this story as being mostly a road trip with Shadow and Wednesday. While there is definitely a great deal of travel involved, I had completely forgotten the events that take place in sleepy, quiet, wintry Lakeside. I had also forgotten the outcome of Wednesday's machinations, and how truly noble Shadow turns out to be.
Now I'm prepared for the TV show. It better not be awful.
(Side observation: I expect researching this novel is what eventually led Gaiman to write Norse Mythology.)...more
In The Fifth Season, we were introduced to Essun after the loss of her family. In The Obelisk Gate, we find out what happened to her daughter Nassun aIn The Fifth Season, we were introduced to Essun after the loss of her family. In The Obelisk Gate, we find out what happened to her daughter Nassun after her father killed her little brother and took off for parts unknown.
Essun works diligently to fit in and provide aid and stability to the underground community that has taken her and her traveling companions in. But politics and infighting, within the community and between the Stone Eaters who show up in unexpected places, make her situation precarious. Her Orogene abilities grow ever more powerful; meanwhile, Alabaster is dying, inch by inch.
Nassun travels across the ravaged countryside with her increasingly unstable father, until they reach their destination, a school that supposedly can cure Nassun of her Orogene nature. She, too, shows an increase in her power, much to her father's dismay, leading to discord and treachery.
Environmental conditions worsen, vicious gangs roam the land; and the Obelisks approach.
A worthy follow-up to the first volume. Can hardly wait for the third!...more
It isn't often I run across a novel that I almost literally cannot put down.
The Fifth Season is such a novel. I resented the time I had to spend away It isn't often I run across a novel that I almost literally cannot put down.
The Fifth Season is such a novel. I resented the time I had to spend away from it.
On a planet that might be Earth, a giant rift opened in the ground near the capital city Yemenes, creating volcanic eruptions and violent earthquakes that ripple across the land. In some areas of the planet's single land mass, these eruptions and earthquakes have been mitigated by Orogenes, people with a special ability to quell the land and harness its power. Orogenes are despised and feared, even persecuted and murdered, by the ordinary folk, unless they wear the uniform of the Fulcrum -- the school where Orogenes are trained to use their power in a constructive and controlled fashion.
But no Orogene can prevent the destructive atmospheric fallout from the Rift. The eruption has instigated a Season -- ash coats the world, sunlight is obscured, plants and animals die off, and human life becomes increasingly precarious.
The story follows three women:
* Essun, a middle-aged mother who hid her Orogene abilities from her fellow villagers, including her husband, but passed them along to her children * Damaya, a young trainee at the Fulcrum * Seyenite, a graduate of the Fulcrum, on her first big mission
These women live their lives, follow their orders, and try their best to stay safe. But their lives have an unexpected convergence; what one does in her youth severely impacts the life of another some ten years later.
Scattered throughout the novel are hints of the underpinnings and history of the cultural socioeconomics and societal structure. Pieces of lost technology (or "deadciv" artifacts) turn up now and then; some are benign, some are deadly. And just what are those large crystalline structures occasionally seen floating through the air?
Fabulous world-building. Intriguing characters. Fascinating plot. Within 10 minutes of finishing this book, I bought the second of the series and pre-ordered the third. Yes, it's that good. Yes, you should read it.
Every so often I indulge in a fluffy historical romance as a palate cleanser after a steady diet of more serious fiction. But I want well-written flufEvery so often I indulge in a fluffy historical romance as a palate cleanser after a steady diet of more serious fiction. But I want well-written fluff, so I'm choosy about which authors to read.
I've long been an admirer of Amanda Quick's (*) work, and picked this one up, expecting another of her light-hearted Regencies. 'Til Death Do Us Part is not a Regency, and not so light-hearted, either.
Calista (a name which I cannot encounter without thinking of of fame) Langley has a stalker. She thinks this person may be someone she rejected as a client for her "introductions" agency, and engages the brother of another client to help her find out the stalker's identity and put a stop to his sinister gifts.
Trent Hastings approached Calista at her business, thinking she was running some sort of scam on his vulnerable younger sister. Realizing she was on the up-and-up, and recognizing the danger she's been placed in, he volunteers to use the deductive skills he's honed as a writer of detective fiction to locate her tormentor.
Much action, danger, and Victorian-era repressed romance ensue.
It's been...oh, several years at least since I last read an Amanda Quick novel. She doesn't disappoint. The mystery hangs together fairly well; the final twist is indeed a surprise, although I had begun to suspect all was not as it seemed with that particular person somewhere around the second or third time the character showed up in the story. The romance between Calista and Trent is medium-warmish, but not knock-your-socks-off don't-let-the-kiddies-read-this-book steamy. That's either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective. Personally, I don't want an "insert Rod A into Slot B" sex scene, so I appreciated the, uh, discretion with which these episodes were approached.
Yes, it's fluff. But it's fluffy romantic suspense done well.
"She breathed deeply of the scent of decaying fiction, disintegrating history, and forgotten verse, and she observed for the first time that a room fu"She breathed deeply of the scent of decaying fiction, disintegrating history, and forgotten verse, and she observed for the first time that a room full of books smelled like dessert: a sweet snack made of figs, vanilla, glue, and cleverness." ~~~ Pause for a moment and ponder that quote. . . . . I'd substitute cardamom for vanilla (because I'm not overly fond of vanilla), but otherwise, yes. This is what books smell like. Imminently satisfactory, is it not?
Charles Manx loves children. He wants children to be happy all the time. He seeks out special children so he can take them to Christmasland where, as you may have guessed, it's always Christmas and children are always happy. Taking these children to Christmasland and leaving them there has the side effect of keeping Manx young and vigorous, but that's merely an inconsequential bonus to Manx's generosity of spirit.
Victoria McQueen, usually called Vic, rides her bicycle as an escape from her tense home atmosphere and warring parents. One day when she is still quite young, she discovers her bicycle gives her the ability to travel across a non-existent bridge and find things. She finds jewelry, and scarves, and photographs, and all manner of lost things. She tells the grownups cover stories about where she finds these items, and as she grows older, eventually comes to believe these stories herself. Because riding a bicycle across a non-existent bridge and coming out miles or even whole states away would be crazy, right?
On one of these excursions, Vic encounters Charles Manx. Manx recognizes Vic's special talent and wants to take her to Christmasland. Of course, her talent will fuel his continued youth, but that's not his primary motivation, of course. He has true compassion for Vic's unhappy life and wants to alleviate her pain and suffering. Really, he means nothing but the best for these special children.
Vic manages to escape Manx. She grows up, grows older, has a child, endures multiple hospitalizations and medications (both doctor-ordered and self-prescribed) to deal with the trauma of her kidnapping and the constant murmur of voices in her head.
Then Charles Manx takes her son. And Vic must summon all her courage to go after him.
That's the story. But this book is really about love. Vic's love for her son and for Lou, the father of her son; Lou's love for Vic and their child; Vic's parents' love for her, although she didn't recognize such love until nearly too late; the sacrifices all parents make to keep their children safe; even Manx's twisted version of love for the children he "saves": all of it, every word of this novel turns on love in its many-splendoured and sometimes malformed manifestations.
NOS4A2 isn't the best book ever, but it's well worthy of the multiple award nominations it received and it's certainly worth the time one spends delving into its nearly 700 pages.
Hint: Make sure you read to the very last page. Really. The VERY last page. Otherwise, you miss out....more
They called it "dragonscale". And no one knew where it came from. It showed up as fine lines of black and gold, tracing the skin in loops and swirls aThey called it "dragonscale". And no one knew where it came from. It showed up as fine lines of black and gold, tracing the skin in loops and swirls and delicate patterns. Eventually, those who contracted the disease burst into flames and died, often taking buildings and other people with them. The uninfected feared the infected and began to set them aside in hospitals and camps and detention centers.
But some of the infected learned to control their fiery outbursts and channel them into a semblance of productivity or protection. Harper, a nurse, abandoned by her husband when she contracts the disease, is taken in by such a group in need of her medical abilities. They live in secret, hiding from the self-appointed Cremation Squads who scour the country looking for the infected. The group itself, however, is not ideal, and seems headed down the path of becoming a religious cult. Harper and a few of her new friends begin looking for a way out.
I liked this well enough. It's reasonably well-written; the story is engaging and the characters are mostly sympathetic; but the "...they would never do that/see each other/be here again" thing at the end of most chapters eventually became annoying. And the ending is a bit of a cliff-hanger, unless you're like me and read all the acknowledgments, etc., at the end of the story. Because the real ending is hidden away back there.
Henry Bright was one of the lucky ones. He came home from The Great War. But he wasn't entirely unscathed. He has, um, issues. When his wife dies in cHenry Bright was one of the lucky ones. He came home from The Great War. But he wasn't entirely unscathed. He has, um, issues. When his wife dies in childbirth, he sets fire to their home and takes off across the countryside with his newborn son, fleeing his wife's vengeful family and the wildfire he inadvertently caused.
This is one of those library books I must have put on my list because the cover blurb sounded so good. Kudos to the blurb writer, because that blurb was the best thing about this book.
No. The best thing about this book is it's short.
Okay, it wasn't really THAT bad. I gave it three stars, after all; it was readable and even enjoyable in a few spots. But I feel like there was a much better book lurking in there somewhere -- a book that deeply explored Henry Bright's trauma and coping mechanisms rather than presenting them in a whimsical fashion. Not that I didn't appreciate the talking horse, or the goat, or the tree...I don't know.
I finished this book in just a few hours. I don't necessarily want the time back. I just wish the time spent had been more satisfying....more
The ice caps melted; the sea-level rose; the fossil-fuel economy collapsed; worldwide famine ensued; and Asia took the The heat is nearly unbearable.
The ice caps melted; the sea-level rose; the fossil-fuel economy collapsed; worldwide famine ensued; and Asia took the lead in science- and technology-driven solutions. Unfortunately, the genetically-engineered crops produced by the agricultural research companies also produced horrific diseases for crops and for people, further decimating global population and food supply. Riots, black markets, corporate espionage, ethnic cleansing...the world of 100 years or so from now is not a pleasant place, unless one is very wealthy.
And in Paolo Bacigalupi's future vision, one is either very wealthy, or one is not. The only denizens of a nearly non-existent middle class are the calorie-men, like Anderson Lake, the manager of the factory where much of the action of this novel centers.
Anderson Lake prowls the street markets of Bangkok, hoping to find pure, unaltered food -- a real canteloupe, an actual vine-grown tomato -- that he can purchase and take back to his employer for gene analysis and modification. What he finds, eventually, is Enniko.
Enniko -- the Windup Girl of the title -- is a "New Person", the genetically-engineered, vat-grown human-like plaything of a Japanese businessman, who left her behind in Bangkok when he grew tired of her. Her unaccompanied presence in the city is problematic, and she places herself under the protection of unsavory individuals for her personal safety.
Around both of them, Bangkok is aswirl with civil unrest, thievery, police corruption, political assassination attempts, and the outbreak of a new and mysterious disease. There's so much going on in this story that it's nearly impossible to synopsize.
It's not an easy read: lots of characters and subplots to follow; lots of Bacigalupi-created neologisms; lots of untranslated Asian-language words (presumably Thai, but I could be wrong). The word meanings can be gathered from context, but it makes for slow going initially.
Have I mentioned that I loved it? I did. It's fabulous. Gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, horrifying, and spectacular. Once I finally got into the story, I could hardly bear to put it down.
This is not a story for everyone. But it was the story for me.
Summer 2015: A persistent knock on the door and a ringing bell rouses 25-year-old Cassie Danvers from an alcohol-induced haze. Cassie, grieving a numbSummer 2015: A persistent knock on the door and a ringing bell rouses 25-year-old Cassie Danvers from an alcohol-induced haze. Cassie, grieving a number of things -- the end of her engagement, the demise of her photography career, and, most recently, the death of her beloved Grandmother June -- stumbles to the dusty foyer and opens the door of the decaying family mansion to be greeted by handsome young Nick Emmons, who promptly informs her she is the sole heir and, allegedly, the granddaughter of Golden-Age Hollywood movie star Jack Montgomery, and would she mind giving a DNA sample to verify?
I'm a sucker for stories that take place in two separate time periods. I love seeing the connections, and how long-ago actions affect present-day circumstances. Add a dreaming house, visions of ghosts, back-stabbing intrigue, murder, and quiet heroism to the mix, and you've got a fabulous page-turner of a story that satisfies right up to the surprising conclusion.
Excellent story. This is Miranda Beverly-Whittemore's fourth novel. I'll certainly be looking for the other three.
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