I have #mecfs so I have a lot of time for reading, mostly #fantasy and #SciFi but I'm happy to dip into nearly anything.
Ratings: 1 star: I didn't like it 2 stars: it was okay 3 stars: I liked it 4 stars: I really liked it 5 stars: it was brilliant
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With the invasion of Dara complete, and the Wall of Storms breached, the world has …
A silkpunk epic full of far-fetched but fun battles - of both the naval and MasterChef kind! A refreshing change from the usual fantasy fare, although rather too long & detailed. Explores the mess of identity, culture & colonisation.
Two girls who grow up to become women. Two friends who become something worse than …
Tracks a black community from the 1920s onwards, focusing on two women who choose to live life on their own terms. A lot of eccentric characters and matter-of-factly told traumatic events, with a sardonic reflection on life at the bottom of the hierarchy. Never hooked me in though, so fell flat.
With his elder brothers away at war, a teenage boy attempts to fill the uncertain hole of their incommunicado absence by restoring a decrepit sailboat. In it he finds freedom and love for his surroundings. And there's a quoll and a crazy whale. A nice snapshot of mid-century northern Tasmania but I didn't really feel it.
With his elder brothers away at war, a teenage boy attempts to fill the uncertain hole of their incommunicado absence by restoring a decrepit sailboat. In it he finds freedom and love for his surroundings. And there's a quoll and a crazy whale. A nice snapshot of mid-century northern Tasmania but I didn't really feel it.
"Already an international sensation: a debut novel that tells a love story set in two …
Interleaves the story of a young Albanian refugee in Finland, excluded & traumatised, with that of his mother's wedding & her hopes for a future filled with love. The symbolism of the cats & snakes is a bit weird but I think I finally got my head around it. Mostly interesting for its depictions of Albanian culture and Finnish xenophobia.
Interleaves the story of a young Albanian refugee in Finland, excluded & traumatised, with that of his mother's wedding & her hopes for a future filled with love. The symbolism of the cats & snakes is a bit weird but I think I finally got my head around it. Mostly interesting for its depictions of Albanian culture and Finnish xenophobia.
Madeline "Max" Maxwell has stumbled on the dream of a lifetime: a career as a …
A shameless rip-off of Connie Willis' time travelling historian concept, but with much more chaotic excitement. A bit too much, perhaps, and not enough historic immersion. Don't think too hard, just enjoy the ride.
A shameless rip-off of Connie Willis' time travelling historian concept, but with much more chaotic excitement. A bit too much, perhaps, and not enough historic immersion. Don't think too hard, just enjoy the ride.
In this exhilarating novel, two friends--often in love, but never lovers--come together as creative partners …
Two friends become productive creative partners in computer game design, but their emotional blocks cause regular estrangements (gets a bit frustrating - grow up already!). I enjoyed the nostalgia of old-school gaming, but would probably still be enjoyable for non-gamers. Now, off to play Oregon Trail ... oregontrail.run/
From bestselling author Jackie French comes a book about the secrets we carry, those that …
In the aftermath of WW1, a woman strives to build a new life despite the sacrifices she has made. Eventful & enjoyable, if implausible, with an excellent cast of characters and strong Miss Fisher vibes.
From Pulitzer Prize winner Ed Yong, a groundbreaking, wondrously informative, and vastly entertaining examination of …
Delves into the many varied & amazing ways humans & animals have evolved to depend upon microbes. Most of this was familiar to me already, though told in the author's excellent clear & awed way. New was the incredible nesting of microbes within high-order animal cells, with each doing distinct jobs, such that none can survive without the others. Yong is always good for a celebration of life & its complexity.
Delves into the many varied & amazing ways humans & animals have evolved to depend upon microbes. Most of this was familiar to me already, though told in the author's excellent clear & awed way. New was the incredible nesting of microbes within high-order animal cells, with each doing distinct jobs, such that none can survive without the others. Yong is always good for a celebration of life & its complexity.
Welcome to Public Unrest: part cult, part crime syndicate, all chaos.
Sally Li didn't …
In a world where the Occult lives along side the Ordinary, a magical mafia family turns bad. Has potential, with some fresh creativity, but the writing is too choppy & disrupted.
Many blame today’s economic inequality, stagnation, and political instability on the free market. The solution …
Proposes a number of dramatic reforms to foundational institutions: including property, voting & migration. A perennial auction of property would result in shared public ownership funding a basic income and ensuring more efficient use of capital - this one challenged my deep set conception of ownership & control. Quadratic voting would enable citizens to give more democratic weight to issues of more concern to them - fantastic, we should do this! Would love to see these ideas get consideration and trial runs. We desperately need more creative thinking along these lines. No consideration given to environmental limits.
At the turn of the twenty-second century, scientists make a breakthrough in human spaceflight. Through …
A small crew of scientists leave Earth, and their time period, forever to explore life on distant planets. But what will they do when Earth goes silent? An ode to science, discovery and the inherent worth of knowledge. The lack of interpersonal conflict under such trying conditions feels unrealistic.
A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf, first published in …
A classic that is actually good! An essay on women & fiction (thus, feminism) that rambles along in a relaxed fashion without losing any of its coherency or piercing insight. And damn she can write. Sadly still relevant, nearly 100 years on. (For reference her £500/yr is A$55k/yr today.)
Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with her twin sister, Aggie, to lead a team of …
An attempt to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands faces strong pushback from the locals. In wilderness we fear monsters, but perhaps the true monsters are within. A thoroughly enjoyable thriller featuring the deep connection of twins, a remarkable form of empathy, the evil of domestic & ecological abuse and resultant trauma, and a little mystery. A strange lack of consequences.
A deeply uncomfortable portrayal of Lebanese teenage boys in western Sydney as dumb, racist, misogynistic, sex-obsessed fundamentalists. The last third was more interesting, as the protagonist struggles with the foreignness & ugliness of the White world that he has always idolised.
A deeply uncomfortable portrayal of Lebanese teenage boys in western Sydney as dumb, racist, misogynistic, sex-obsessed fundamentalists. The last third was more interesting, as the protagonist struggles with the foreignness & ugliness of the White world that he has always idolised.
Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'Cemetery of Forgotten …
A rare book sets a teenage boy on a path of mystery, love & revenge. This was nearly great, with an intriguing setup, smooth prose, vibrant characters and an evocative sense of time & place (mid-century Barcelona). But it ran out of steam with repetitive storytelling and too much exposition. And nearly all the men were incorrigible womanisers.