#Bookwyrm

See tagged statuses in the local Wyrms.de community

Ruby Hamad: White Tears Brown Scars (2020, Orion Publishing Group, Limited) 5 stars

For readers of White Fragility, White Tears/Brown Scars is an explosive book of history and …

reviewed Eat My Shadow by Linda Cockburn

Linda Cockburn: Eat My Shadow (Paperback, 2022, Together Press) 4 stars

20 years ago the world went quiet. Father is suspended between the living world and …

Climate collapse close to home

4 stars

Post-climate apocalypse in #HuonValley & #Hobart. Mostly believable (ex-PM was a caricature, and questionable lack of planning for expedition) with survivors being both humane & loving, but also merciless when called for. Unnerving to see local area in this light.

Reading time 7 days, 47 pages/day

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm #CliFi #SciFi #Tasmania

Aha, obviously I wasn't paying the closest attention to #BookWyrm development discussions mid last year, because much of the underlying cause of these problems is already to be resolved in a big refactor of the underlying reading -status and -activity logic[1].

There's something to be flagged here about editions versus works, but I'm much too tired to keep track of my own thoughts on it. Broadly speaking, though: hopefully these two critically distinct technical roles will not get muddled up in all the talk of books because in some cases "book" really ought to be either "edition" or "work" and to assume the wrong meaning would cause hassle down the line! [2]

In the meantime, I am going to wean myself off the buzz of keeping absolutely complete records through status-shelving[3]; learn to love the annual Reading Goal page as a clue to the state of each edition's …

reviewed The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (The Poppy War, #1)

R. F. Kuang: The Poppy War (Hardcover, 2018, Harper Voyager) 3 stars

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired …

Turns disturbingly dark without warning

3 stars

A reimagining of China & Japan, with shamans & gods for interest, and war crimes & genocide for a horrifying reality check. Misleadingly begins with standard 'orphan goes to hero school' trope, but turns disturbingly dark without warning.

Reading time 6 days, 88 pages/day

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm #fantasy

Ben Elton: Two brothers (2012, Bantam Press) 1 star

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

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm #HistoricalFiction

reviewed Cosmos by Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan: Cosmos (1980, Random House) 4 stars

This book is about science in its broadest human context, how science and civilization grew …

Arkady Martine: A Desolation Called Peace (Hardcover, 2021, Tor Books) 5 stars

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

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm #SciFi