Jemisin is brilliant at calling out bullshit and being so damn entertaining with the social commentary, or, IWay to subvert the Lovecraftian paradigm!
Jemisin is brilliant at calling out bullshit and being so damn entertaining with the social commentary, or, I suppose, so socially conscious with the entertainment. Twenty four hours after finishing and I'm still doing a little happy dance in my seat. I walk away from this book with all the glee of leaving a blockbuster movie without any of the "oh, wait, that feels really dodgy when you stop to think about it" regrets after.
When I don't bother to read any other news in the Guardian, I always read Mahdawi who is invariably droll, pithy, and insightful. So a mention of an uWhen I don't bother to read any other news in the Guardian, I always read Mahdawi who is invariably droll, pithy, and insightful. So a mention of an upcoming book and the value of pre-orders was a click, as soon as the US edition was listed. What I didn't do was read the blurb, just started straight in when it arrived. My conviction in Mahdawi's sheer readabelness was rewarded. This is a book making clear, explicit points about how to not suck as a leader. An enjoyable, clever, and informed book with useful depth, a rarity in the field, I highly recommend it. And now I have to go subvert the dominant paradigm....more
Hoang displays marvelous empathy with her characters: she wants them to be loved and she shows how they are loveable, despite social awkwardness, inapHoang displays marvelous empathy with her characters: she wants them to be loved and she shows how they are loveable, despite social awkwardness, inappropriate statements, etc. And Esmeralda is the most worthy Cinderella for a story.
And although arranged marriage is maybe not my favorite trope, the dignity Hoang permits her characters to have is just the best. And now I am sad that there are no more Hoang books for me to read yet.
Milan manages to stuff more quality material into a book than seems possible. A plot synopsis would take forever, and I'd probably mess it up. But reaMilan manages to stuff more quality material into a book than seems possible. A plot synopsis would take forever, and I'd probably mess it up. But really, the novel is really about racism and doing better. Milan pitches enormous challenges to her characters, who tend to have complicated back stories, and they respond by becoming better humans: less tolerant of injustice, less willing to ignore cruelty, actively working to improve the lives of others in their worlds. And I cried because people do horrible things to one another and because Milan is very concrete in imagining better.
None of her minor characters are throw-aways. She chooses a diverse cast of leads, but the background and minor characters are no less vivid and developed.
Just an amazing novel full stop. Milan often writes in apology for taking too long to write a book, but damn. Clearly every minute was put to very good use. And if I do get impatient, I can always reread the others.
This is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books onThis is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf. Yay, Reviewers list is fixed, as far as I can tell. Still waiting for the Readers list to be fixed, though.
Most of the books I've read have been picture books, because I am, after all trying to read and review twice as many books as normal this year and I need to sleep sometimes. But Rundell's books are just too good to ignore.
It's a heist and Vita is putting together a gang. Meanwhile, New York is crawling with the organized crime that fills a Prohibition vacuum. There's action, adventure, fights, revenge, plotting, lots of critters, jewels, a castle, poverty, and eating. This is not a book with kissing in it. This is the film script Dickens would have written for the Ocean's franchise.
Capers are not to everyone's taste, but if anything can change your mind, it's probably this. Also, it would be a fabulous film.
I've never read this before. Well, of course not, I was educated in school districts still fighting desegreAvailable online here as well as elsewhere.
I've never read this before. Well, of course not, I was educated in school districts still fighting desegregation, a war they largely won: American schools are more segregated now than at any point in the last fifty or so years.
My thanks to the many men, women, and children who have risked and lost their lives so that others may be free to enjoy their constitutional rights. You deserve better. Reading the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter, knowing what he and his family (among others) endured gives me a better understanding of what Christianity is at its best.
Also, that is perhaps the single most persuasive essay ever written. I have heard recordings enough to know what a marvelous skill he had at public speaking, but damn, I hadn't realized how much of that was his skill as a writer.
That's one of the best thrillers ever. Cole has proven herself as a respected and popular author of historical, contemporary, and scifi, so it's no suThat's one of the best thrillers ever. Cole has proven herself as a respected and popular author of historical, contemporary, and scifi, so it's no surprise that everyone wants to read this one. Which also just happens to be the book that captures 2020 best, although not set then. Such a rewarding and enjoyable read, so good at building the dread, fear, and rage that has you hoping the leads survive. And with its focus on community, it has strong traditional values in view without moralizing.
Cole is an excellent writer who gets better with every book. Now I can't wait to see the movie. In a theater, please.
A military strategist with a disability, a widowed immigrant, and an infant against a dastardly villain. Props to Riley for following the standards foA military strategist with a disability, a widowed immigrant, and an infant against a dastardly villain. Props to Riley for following the standards for a Regency romance (titled gentlemen, handsome officers in uniform, a spirited young woman) while also grounding the novel in elements Austen glossed over. Here are veterans adjusting to severe war wounds, widows denied their rights, and wealth from the colonies more welcomed than the people of color who possess it. There's plenty of gothic elements and to my delight, a strong set-up for a series. I don't think there's anything here inappropriate to publication in Good Housekeeping of the 70s but with the more inclusive cast of the 2020s. And a recipe. And a distinctly different voice. First person for Patience and third person for the Duke works well. Riley manages to distinguish the characters from one another without stereotype or dialect, which is awesome and a bit magical, too.
This is a very good book: fun to read, thoughtful without becoming preachy, while also being a ripping yarn. I loved it really. And props to Green forThis is a very good book: fun to read, thoughtful without becoming preachy, while also being a ripping yarn. I loved it really. And props to Green for having a diverse cast with different takes on life in the US in more-or-less now. There are a lot of things I particularly loved about plot choices but won't discuss because spoilers. Lots of twists in the spaghetti, lots of things I didn't see coming. The only thing that was at all disappointing was that Green had a number of characters relate their parts of the story, and I didn't think that was quite successful. Arguably a group of friends would sound very much alike, but while the point of view shifted and the action and even the content of the thoughts, the individual voices seemed similar. YMMV. Anyway, I hope this is the second in a very long list of books to come from Green. He's got mad skills already and I have no trouble imagining that he's going to become even stronger as a writer.
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