Bird
Counselor 
Posts: 350
Custom Title: World Creator and Destroyer
Preferred Pronouns: they/them/their
HARD: 1700
MEDIUM: 400
EASY: 110
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Post by Bird on Sept 29, 2021 21:36:33 GMT -6
Title: Reading The Bones
Author: Sheila Finch
Genre: Science fiction
What do you think of it?
The story is quite sad to be honest. It is the tale of linguists -- Earth sends out linguists to meet with aliens and learn their language. They are taught to not intervene with the alien's development. However, on the world of "Not-Here" (the name the alien's call it), a deadly attack ravages the human colony, forcing them to pull off the planet. The linguist saves the colony's two daughters, ends up climbing the mountains in search of safe passage, and discovers the aliens hidden in caves, who are trying hard to create their own written form of their language. In order to gain safe passage to the last human base, he either must aid the aliens in their work or face death. This is the first part of the book.
The second part of the book chronicles the two sisters and what happens to them. It also uncovers WHY the aliens were so desperate to create the written form of their language, why they called the planet "Not-Here," and why half of their species was slowly losing their minds with each generation. The tale is beautifully woven and very intense.
I loved all the characters, and loved the way language was woven into the tale, how linguistics and understanding one another was so crucial to the plot and character development. All the different types of aliens were fascinating as well.
Recommend it?
YES. Definitely. Well-woven science fiction tale of loss, language, discovery, and mystery.
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Post by Alatariel on Sept 30, 2021 18:27:37 GMT -6
Title: Reading The Bones Author: Sheila Finch Genre: Science fiction What do you think of it?The story is quite sad to be honest. It is the tale of linguists -- Earth sends out linguists to meet with aliens and learn their language. They are taught to not intervene with the alien's development. However, on the world of "Not-Here" (the name the alien's call it), a deadly attack ravages the human colony, forcing them to pull off the planet. The linguist saves the colony's two daughters, ends up climbing the mountains in search of safe passage, and discovers the aliens hidden in caves, who are trying hard to create their own written form of their language. In order to gain safe passage to the last human base, he either must aid the aliens in their work or face death. This is the first part of the book. The second part of the book chronicles the two sisters and what happens to them. It also uncovers WHY the aliens were so desperate to create the written form of their language, why they called the planet "Not-Here," and why half of their species was slowly losing their minds with each generation. The tale is beautifully woven and very intense. I loved all the characters, and loved the way language was woven into the tale, how linguistics and understanding one another was so crucial to the plot and character development. All the different types of aliens were fascinating as well. Recommend it?YES. Definitely. Well-woven science fiction tale of loss, language, discovery, and mystery. That sounds AMAZING! Definitely adding it to the top of my list. Thanks for the details without spoilers! Great synopsis. Title: The Unhoneymooners Author: Christina Lauren Genre: Romance (not usually my genre of choice but I really needed some brain fluff) What do you think of it?I laughed outloud many times. The way the author writes the main character is hilarious and painfully relatable. It's about twin sisters, one is getting married in the beginning of the book, and the other is the maid of honor (obviously she's the main character, not the one getting married). During the reception, everyone gets violently ill except for our heroin and the groom's brother. A guy our heroine HATES because he's cold, distant, and judgmental. Turns out everyone has food poisioning, super bad case that'll last for weeks. The bride insists our heroine use the tickets to her honeymoon since it was won in a contest and is non-refundable and non-transferrable. The honeymoon is under her name and not the grooms, so the groom insists his brother use the second ticket. And typical romance hijinks commence! It's told in such a genuine way, I didn't even care about the predictability of the plot or the contrived moments of nakedness. It was wonderful, hilarious, and sweet. *definitely spicy but not explicit* If you want some brain candy, wonderfully written characters, and a good laugh...read it! Would you recommend it?YES. It was a super fast addicting read and really, really, really fun. There's character growth and swoon-worthy moments. |
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Post by RAVENEYE on Nov 30, 2021 10:44:30 GMT -6
Title: Grass
Author: Sheri S. Tepper
Genre: Sci-fi
What do you think of it?
This book is not about pot. It's about a planet named Grass that's covered in ... grass. If I'm correct in my guess, sentient grass. Populated with sentient alien animals that make people vanish. So far I'm loving it. It's dense with worldbuilding presented in a way that is not boring. I'm totally hooked at this point.
Recommend it?
Yes. It's a fascinating read and a gripping story. Try it, especially if you want to read up on how setting can be a character of its own. How to a shape a story that cannot take place anywhere else. And how to present lots of worldbuilding info in interesting ways that don't make your readers' eyes glaze over in boredom.
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Post by Alatariel on Nov 30, 2021 23:42:12 GMT -6
Title: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: YA Thriller/Mystery
What do you think of it? Good so far, I'm about 100 pages in. It's about a girl (Pip) who's doing her senior capstone project on a high profile murder case from her high school that happened 5 years previous. Some chapters are pages taken directly from her written report. There are interviews with family members of the victim, persons of interest, friends of the victim, etc. Then there are regular chapters of Pip in real time as she decides where to go with her investigation. It's supposed to turn into an obsession (per the description of the book). It's a very interesting case: Andie Bell goes missing her senior year and of course her boyfriend Salil Singh is the primary suspect, but then three days after Andie's disappearance, Sal **CW Suicide** kills himself in a highly suspicious way. Then the police find Andie's phone on his body and a confession text sent from his phone to his dad. Very suspicious indeed. Of course, the case is close and Sal is announced to be the "killer" even though Andie's body is never found.
It's a slower moving book than I thought for a YA thriller, but I'm hooked. Well written.
Recommend it? Oh yea. Can't wait to see how it ends. There are two more in the series. Different cases maybe?
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Post by HDSimplicityy on Dec 4, 2021 22:22:59 GMT -6
Title: Grass Author: Sheri S. Tepper Genre: Sci-fi What do you think of it?This book is not about pot. It's about a planet named Grass that's covered in ... grass. If I'm correct in my guess, sentient grass. Populated with sentient alien animals that make people vanish. So far I'm loving it. It's dense with worldbuilding presented in a way that is not boring. I'm totally hooked at this point. Recommend it?Yes. It's a fascinating read and a gripping story. Try it, especially if you want to read up on how setting can be a character of its own. How to a shape a story that cannot take place anywhere else. And how to present lots of worldbuilding info in interesting ways that don't make your readers' eyes glaze over in boredom. Sentient grass. Now thats a new one to me.
Let me know how it turns out.
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Post by HDSimplicityy on Dec 4, 2021 22:27:26 GMT -6
Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle Author: C.S. Lewis Genre: Fantasy What do you think? Its pretty good. I doubt its gonna be one massive battle at the end. I enjoy those. So far its about King Tirian of Narnia finding out who is chopping down these special trees with his talking unicorn, Jewel, and its about this talking donkey - Puzzle - and a dictator-like monkey named Shift. I am a few chapters in to it.
Recommend it? So far yes. Its all part of Narnia.
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Post by RAVENEYE on Jan 3, 2022 16:27:33 GMT -6
Title: The Ten Thousand Doors of January Author: Alix E. Harrow Genre: Real World Fantasy What do you think of it? Got it for Christmas and I'm not sorry yet. I'm barely 100 pages in, and it's hard to put down. It's so beautifully written, with those stunning word combinations and piercing insights that leave you gasping and wishing you'd written it first. The power of words and stories as doors to other worlds, I believe is how one reviewer describes the novel's theme. Recommend it?Only if you like gorgeous word-weaving and stories of adventurous females breaking out of their cages. 
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Bird
Counselor
Posts: 350
Custom Title: World Creator and Destroyer
Preferred Pronouns: they/them/their
HARD: 1700
MEDIUM: 400
EASY: 110
|
Post by Bird on Jan 7, 2022 22:15:25 GMT -6
Title: Grass Author: Sheri S. Tepper Genre: Sci-fi What do you think of it?This book is not about pot. It's about a planet named Grass that's covered in ... grass. If I'm correct in my guess, sentient grass. Populated with sentient alien animals that make people vanish. So far I'm loving it. It's dense with worldbuilding presented in a way that is not boring. I'm totally hooked at this point. Recommend it?Yes. It's a fascinating read and a gripping story. Try it, especially if you want to read up on how setting can be a character of its own. How to a shape a story that cannot take place anywhere else. And how to present lots of worldbuilding info in interesting ways that don't make your readers' eyes glaze over in boredom. This is legit one of my favorite SF novels. The twist at the end was breathtaking. |
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Post by RAVENEYE on Jan 8, 2022 12:01:07 GMT -6
Title: Grass Author: Sheri S. Tepper Genre: Sci-fi What do you think of it?This book is not about pot. It's about a planet named Grass that's covered in ... grass. If I'm correct in my guess, sentient grass. Populated with sentient alien animals that make people vanish. So far I'm loving it. It's dense with worldbuilding presented in a way that is not boring. I'm totally hooked at this point. Recommend it?Yes. It's a fascinating read and a gripping story. Try it, especially if you want to read up on how setting can be a character of its own. How to a shape a story that cannot take place anywhere else. And how to present lots of worldbuilding info in interesting ways that don't make your readers' eyes glaze over in boredom. This is legit one of my favorite SF novels. The twist at the end was breathtaking. Yes! I ended up loving it all the way through. Fascinating concepts. Gorgeous execution. Was so glad the publisher did another press run so I could find/buy the book at last. No regrets at all. I'll be hunting down more of her books. |
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Post by Mazulla on Jan 15, 2022 19:49:58 GMT -6
Title: Dune Author: Frank Herbert Genre: Sci-fi What do you think of it?Yeah, so, this is an old one that I know has been quite popular for years and I always heard good things about it, but I'm fairly picky about sci-fi and never picked this up before. But after watching Dune this year (also skeptically), I seriously loved the world and the characters and wanted to know more (I've now watched the movie 3 times). So, my husband picked up the series for us to read and it's quite good so far. The author has an interesting style that I haven't seen before -- instead of just one character's perspective at a time, you could actually be reading multiple perspectives and inner-thoughts. Yet, it's well-executed and not convoluted in my opinion.
Recommend it?
Yes, it's well-written, interesting, and very enjoyable so far. I think I'm nearing 100 pages into the first book, while my husband plowed through the first book inside of about 5 days because he was so engrossed in the story. BONUS: The movie actually follows the book very well. Not often that movie/tv show adaptations actually stay true to the source material!
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Post by HDSimplicityy on Jan 29, 2022 1:45:56 GMT -6
Title: Dune Author: Frank Herbert Genre: Sci-fi What do you think of it?Yeah, so, this is an old one that I know has been quite popular for years and I always heard good things about it, but I'm fairly picky about sci-fi and never picked this up before. But after watching Dune this year (also skeptically), I seriously loved the world and the characters and wanted to know more (I've now watched the movie 3 times). So, my husband picked up the series for us to read and it's quite good so far. The author has an interesting style that I haven't seen before -- instead of just one character's perspective at a time, you could actually be reading multiple perspectives and inner-thoughts. Yet, it's well-executed and not convoluted in my opinion.
Recommend it?
Yes, it's well-written, interesting, and very enjoyable so far. I think I'm nearing 100 pages into the first book, while my husband plowed through the first book inside of about 5 days because he was so engrossed in the story. BONUS: The movie actually follows the book very well. Not often that movie/tv show adaptations actually stay true to the source material!
Now I need to read it one day. Denis Villeneuve directed an excellent movie for sure. I saw it before it left theaters. Not on IMAX sadly, but it was still great on a big screen. 5 days? FIVE? for a book thats like a brick, thats crazy. |
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Post by HDSimplicityy on Jan 29, 2022 2:03:25 GMT -6
Title: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.
Author: David Grann
Genre: Historical, Literary, Mystery
What do you think of it?
I am in the closing chapters of it, and its great. Sad, horrific, thoroughly engrossing, and solid.
I got it from my father during this recent Thanksgiving, when I was in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and went inside Osage County to historical Pawhuska one of the days. He had this waiting for me, saying it would be a good read. He's become a fan of the history behind Oklahoma, the Osage Tribe's history and their ties with the oil boom, and how influential oil barons like Frank Philips were was during this books' timeline. An adaptation was being filmed in Pawhuska before I flew there (sadly the sets were gone); Scorsese is directing it.
Readying literary or historical stories like this is not what I usually read, even if I love history. But I want to read new stories, so I went with it. Its simply insane how twisted the murder plots went. The writing is interesting, tight, and suspenseful. The last five chapters are the calm after the storm.
Recommend? Sure. If you're a history buff, enjoy reading about the lives of Indians - the good and the bad and what they sadly endured, and how the FBI became a thing, this is a good one.
Its this and two final Narnia books before I am finished with my 2021 slate of reading!
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Post by RAVENEYE on Jan 29, 2022 19:35:53 GMT -6
Title: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. Author: David Grann Genre: Historical, Literary, Mystery What do you think of it?I am in the closing chapters of it, and its great. Sad, horrific, thoroughly engrossing, and solid. I got it from my father during this recent Thanksgiving, when I was in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and went inside Osage County to historical Pawhuska one of the days. He had this waiting for me, saying it would be a good read. He's become a fan of the history behind Oklahoma, the Osage Tribe's history and their ties with the oil boom, and how influential oil barons like Frank Philips were was during this books' timeline. An adaptation was being filmed in Pawhuska before I flew there (sadly the sets were gone); Scorsese is directing it. Readying literary or historical stories like this is not what I usually read, even if I love history. But I want to read new stories, so I went with it. Its simply insane how twisted the murder plots went. The writing is interesting, tight, and suspenseful. The last five chapters are the calm after the storm. Recommend? Sure. If you're a history buff, enjoy reading about the lives of Indians - the good and the bad and what they sadly endured, and how the FBI became a thing, this is a good one. Its this and two final Narnia books before I am finished with my 2021 slate of reading! Ah! Glad you're liking Flower Moon, HD. It's really unforgettable. Can't wait to see how the movie gets it right or wrong. We'll all be judging it.  |
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Post by Alatariel on Jan 30, 2022 14:00:52 GMT -6
Title: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (TikTok made me read it, lol)
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: YA thriller/mystery
What do you think of it?
So YES it was good. I'll definitely be reading book 2 and 3 BUT...I feel like it was marketed wrong? It didn't feel like a thriller. It was more like a mystery with some vague threatening messages. For one thing, the murder the main character is investigating is a 5 year old case that was closed super fast. It involved two high school students (popular girl Andie Bell and nice guy Salil Singh), the girl went missing (presumed dead) and the boyfriend was blamed. Then he was also found dead and they ruled it a suicide and closed the case. No real policework was done. So because the case was old and closed, it didn't feel super urgent to solve. You know what I mean? It wasn't like other thrillers where someone is killed in chapter one and the killer is closing in on the MC. Nope. Though when she gets closer to answers, she starts getting threatening notes and texts, but honestly it feels more desperate than scary.
So the MC is a girl who was loosely connected to the two victims and she's investigating for her senior year project. Of course, she gets way too deep into things and discovers Andie wasn't the perfect girl with the perfect life the media made her seem to be...and the goal of the MC is to find reasonable doubt that Sal killed her because she knew Sal (even though he was 5 years older, he was best friends with her best friend's older sister) and he was super kind to the MC and she couldn't see him being a murderer. So she works with his younger brother (who is a year older than the MC) to dig into the case and do the work the police never bothered to do.
LOTS of twists and turns, lots of legit suspects, and in the end the reveal is really good and unexpected BUT SO SAD.
It has a satisfying ending and I look forward to reading the next two books which center around different cases. The first book leaves a lot open because of all the suspects being SUPER shady. It shows that the town has way more secrets than she ever realized. Plenty to dig into for two more books.
Recommend it?
Yea! If you like mysteries but want to start with a book that won't scare you late at night, this is a great one. Nothing explicit, some mentions of SA because of high school parties and drinking, but it's not actively shown only spoken about in the past tense.
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Post by HDSimplicityy on Feb 1, 2022 11:48:14 GMT -6
With Killers of the Flower Moon finished as of yesterday, I am on to finishing The Chronicles of Narnia! These books (and a novella or two) aren't that hard to read rapidly. I just have to teach myself focus. Even started it four minutes before midnight loll.
That is three books read in January. While I am proud of that, truth be told, all three were already being read at various times last year; one was an audiobook on the history of France that I listened to at my short term job.
Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew.
Author: C.S. Lewis
Genre: Children's Fantasy.
In choosing this one or The Horse and His Boy, I really wanted to read Lewis's creation story. Like I want to read The Silmarillion eventually, but this isn't going to be that crazy, as far as I know. Leaving the spin-off for last should be fine. I already have the five main books of the Pevensies finished.
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