Wild Woila reviewed Orphan Sisters by Lola Jaye
Staid & unremarkable
2 stars
Black sisters grow up as orphans in England. Staid & unremarkable. Potentially traumatic, but pulls its punches.
Reading time 4 days, 93 pages/day
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Wild Woila reviewed Network Effect by Martha Wells
WINNER of the 2021 Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards!
The first full-length novel in Martha …
Perfected the recipe
4 stars
She's perfected the MurderBot recipe: awkward AI-AI relationship, friendly humans, emotional discomfort, clever conflict.
Reading time 3 days, 117 pages/day
Wild Woila reviewed Still Life by Louise Penny
Still Life is the debut novel written by Louise Penny and published by St. Martin's …
Lots of pastries
3 stars
A murder mystery with effortless characterisation and lots of pastries. Awkward autism portrayal?
Reading time 3 days, 126 pages/day
Wild Woila reviewed The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
The Wind in the Willows is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, …
Hapless, feckless Toad!
3 stars
Oh, hapless, feckless Toad! A tale of cleaning up after a narcissistic friend. Only two minor female characters.
Wild Woila reviewed The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson
Heritage, belonging, purpose
4 stars
A Dakhota woman connects with her heritage and finds belonging & purpose in the seeds she inherits from her female ancestors. Gentle despite colonial trauma.
Reading time 4 days, 90 pages/day
Wild Woila reviewed Two brothers by Ben Elton
Berlin 1920 Two babies are born. Two brothers. United and indivisible, sharing everything. Twins in …
Flat as a brick wall.
1 star
Brothers in a Jewish family strive to protect their loved ones from the increasing horrors of Nazi Germany. Boringly one-dimensional portrayal of Nazis - they're evil brutes, I get it. Distinct lack of emotional connection considering intensity of subject matter. Flat as a brick wall.
Reading time 7 days, 89 pages/day
Wild Woila reviewed Cosmos by Carl Sagan
This book is about science in its broadest human context, how science and civilization grew …
Brimming with passion & wonder
4 stars
A journey through the universe, science & their development, brimming with passion & wonder. 50 years old but feels timeless, except nuclear angst has been replaced by climate angst.
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Wild Woila reviewed A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (Teixcalaan, #2)
An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with …
Unclear motivations & prose
3 stars
Disappointing sequel despite potential. Some dubious premises (surely a galactic empire would have first contact specialists?). Unclear motivations & prose: I rarely understood why particular choices were being made. Also an annoying inconsistency: internally, characters were flailing haplessly, but in actuality they were exceedingly competent.
Reading time 6 days, 80 pages/day
Wild Woila reviewed Permanent Record by Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden, the man who risked everything to expose the US government’s system of mass …
Serious gumption
3 stars
I also grew up in a government town in the early days of home computers & the internet. Perhaps if I had stumbled across hacking I'd have ended up in a similar role to him, though I doubt I'd have his gumption to expose the gross overreach of the security services. Their capability was (and remains) alarming.
Reading time 9 days, 37 pages/day
Wild Woila reviewed The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
E-Book Extras: ONE: Behind the Novel: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn; TWO: The …
Not as good as the TV show
2 stars
Books are typically more complex & nuanced than their screen adaptations, but not this one! Lacks the tension, glamour & variety. Passable fluff.
Reading time 4 days, 110 pages/day
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Wild Woila reviewed Mythos by Stephen Fry
Spritely & amusing
3 stars
A spritely & amusing contemporary retelling of the Greek myths. Starts cohesively but unravels into disjointed repetition. The gods were the best & worst of humanity - especially in lust & spite!
Reading time 14 days, 29 pages/day
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Wild Woila reviewed The Value of Everything by Mariana Mazzucato
Growth should be purposeful & hopeful!
3 stars
Argues that governments are co-creators of wealth and essential for a dynamic & innovative economy (duh? But neoliberals ...). Finance is a rent-seeking leech. Growth should be purposeful & hopeful! Full of sense but not engaging.
Reading time 13 days, 22 pages/day
Wild Woila reviewed Izzy by Moira McAlister
Amazing colonial fictionalised biography
3 stars
Follows the extraordinary life of an early Australian colonist who was present for some momentous historic events & more than the usual share of drama. All the more amazing for being based on real people. Pedestrian prose with awkward dialogue, but captivating.
Reading time 6 days, 59 pages/day
Wild Woila reviewed The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and …
A tragedy of narcissistic proportions.
4 stars
A tragedy of narcissistic proportions. Nicely written & well paced. Feels real without losing its mythic aura.
Reading time 3 days, 123 pages/day
Wild Woila reviewed American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Unrelenting
4 stars
On the run from narcos, mother & son join the desperate stream of humanity heading for the US. Terrifying, exhausting & exhilarating, with the unrelenting momentum of a freight train. Trails off towards end.
Reading time 4 days, 116 pages/day