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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Welcome to... THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends …
Residents of an old folks home solve crimes with relish. A charming take on the crime fiction formula. Some memorable characters, nearly all of them lovely.
THE NECROMANCERS ARE BACK, AND THEY'RE GAYER THAN EVER.
SHE ANSWERED THE EMPEROR'S CALL.
…Our favourite necromancer has risen to the ranks of the most powerful, who are rather Machiavellian but disconcertingly human. In the process though, she has lost her marbles, and we are left without any certainty as to what the hell is going on, and doubts undermine our memory of the first book. Which is mostly bearable because it eventually unravels, only to be frustrated by an unwelcome dumping of unresolved head-scratchers which demands some re-reading. More serious than the first book, without the swagger.
In his boldest and most far-reaching book yet, world-famous economist Yanis Varoufakis argues that capitalism …
Late-stage capitalism has given way to cloud-based fiefs, and we are the serfs. I need convincing on some of the detail (e.g. how effective are they at manipulating our desires?), but mostly agree with his main argument. Pairs well with Cory Doctorow's #enshittification ideas (@pluralistic@mamot.fr).
Late-stage capitalism has given way to cloud-based fiefs, and we are the serfs. I need convincing on some of the detail (e.g. how effective are they at manipulating our desires?), but mostly agree with his main argument. Pairs well with Cory Doctorow's #enshittification ideas (@pluralistic@mamot.fr).
Cracking
The mind goes to extreme lengths to protect itself from sudden loss & crippling grief. Everyone needs a good egg to help put the pieces back together again. Touching & distinctive.
In the first decades of the 21st century, the world is convulsing, its governments mired …
A US-centric view of the coming two decades as the climate and social cohesion rapidly break down. Amplifies the worst of current political & economic trends to create a truly terrifying but not-impossible dystopia. Told from a rich variety of perspectives, though compresses the pace of climate change improbably (I hope!). Intense, scary & draining.
"As one of al-Qaeda's most respected bomb-makers, Aimen Dean rubbed shoulders with the mastermind of …
Traces the evolution of a (very) young jihadi from the Bosnian front, to bomb-maker for al-Quada, to (still young) spy for MI6. A lot of extreme living! Valuable insight into motivations & rationalisations of jihadism.
Four short stories about the near future and the dystopia we're building for ourselves.
Four dystopian novellas about the worst parts of Western society: #enshittification, systemic #racism, dysfunctional #healthcare and sociopathic preppers. Gets increasingly dark.
Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a …
Crafts a novel world from steampunkish magic controlled by an oligarchy of aristocratic families. Pleasing allegory for capitalism and AI.
Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize
"A hypnotic and electrifying Irish tale that transcends …
A penetrating snapshot of Irish life under the suffocating weight of Catholic dominance. But true moral strength cannot be suppressed, and every small act erodes that edifice. Beautifully crafted.
When Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across a derelict, abandoned ship, he uncovers a …
What's all the fuss? Just a space thriller with so-so characters. A gritty future where humanity has colonised the solar system, but it's as corporate, politically riven & prejudiced as today. Some intrigue and a fair bit of action, but to what end?
What's all the fuss? Just a space thriller with so-so characters. A gritty future where humanity has colonised the solar system, but it's as corporate, politically riven & prejudiced as today. Some intrigue and a fair bit of action, but to what end?
@Magnesium Glad I'm not the only one! Though we seem to be in the minority ...
@Magnesium Glad I'm not the only one! Though we seem to be in the minority ...
My Family and Other Animals is an autobiographical work by naturalist Gerald Durrell, telling of …
An English family decamps to the Greek island of Corfu, and manages to make the place madder than it was already. Hilarious vignettes of the family's exploits interspersed with stunning descriptions of the author's observations of the natural world. The encounter between the gecko and the mantis is unparalleled.
An English family decamps to the Greek island of Corfu, and manages to make the place madder than it was already. Hilarious vignettes of the family's exploits interspersed with stunning descriptions of the author's observations of the natural world. The encounter between the gecko and the mantis is unparalleled.
All her life Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the …
Wild Woila
boosted
All her life Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of …
What happens if you take the classic space opera format -- soldiers! weapons! aliens! humanity fighting for its very survival! -- and give it a queer, feminist, 21st century twist? You get Some Desperate Glory, that's what.
The book manages to walk the tightrope of combining hard sci-fi themes with social science fiction, and manages to pull it off in style.
(Minor spoilers ahead)
The primary character, Kyr, is a teenage soldier in the vein of Starship Troopers or Ender's Game, brought up from birth to be one of humanity's last living soldiers on a secret base where the few remaining humans have their resistance movement. So far, so expected.
But as the book progresses we see Kyr's black-and-white view of the world gradually peeled back and altered as she gains access to other, hidden and banned points of view.
Without going into too much …
What happens if you take the classic space opera format -- soldiers! weapons! aliens! humanity fighting for its very survival! -- and give it a queer, feminist, 21st century twist? You get Some Desperate Glory, that's what.
The book manages to walk the tightrope of combining hard sci-fi themes with social science fiction, and manages to pull it off in style.
(Minor spoilers ahead)
The primary character, Kyr, is a teenage soldier in the vein of Starship Troopers or Ender's Game, brought up from birth to be one of humanity's last living soldiers on a secret base where the few remaining humans have their resistance movement. So far, so expected.
But as the book progresses we see Kyr's black-and-white view of the world gradually peeled back and altered as she gains access to other, hidden and banned points of view.
Without going into too much spoilery detail, over the course of the book's 500-or-so pages we accompany Kyr on this journey of discovery and it's a fast, exciting, scary and emotional ride. The characters are well written and believable and although the plot occasionally becomes convoluted, it's well worth persevering.
Wild Woila
boosted
The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and …
This is one of those books that will change the way you view the animals of the world. We take for granted just how amazing and mind-blowing the animal senses are and just accept them for being the way they are. Or maybe that's just me. But this has absolutely changed my view on a lot of things. I will certainly not look at an animal the same, even my dog.
There is a whole crap ton of information on here, so do not expect this to be a quick read. However, Young does a really great job of giving you the abundance of information in a way that doesn't make you feel like you're in a college class.
I did listen to the audiobook which Young reads himself. He did a really great job with his cadence and pacing so would definitely recommend the audiobook if you …
This is one of those books that will change the way you view the animals of the world. We take for granted just how amazing and mind-blowing the animal senses are and just accept them for being the way they are. Or maybe that's just me. But this has absolutely changed my view on a lot of things. I will certainly not look at an animal the same, even my dog.
There is a whole crap ton of information on here, so do not expect this to be a quick read. However, Young does a really great job of giving you the abundance of information in a way that doesn't make you feel like you're in a college class.
I did listen to the audiobook which Young reads himself. He did a really great job with his cadence and pacing so would definitely recommend the audiobook if you would be interested in it.
I cannot say enough about this book, read it!
