Got to the first violent, excessive, over-the-top bullying scene and knew this book was not for me. How anyone could compare it to Naomi Novik's ScholGot to the first violent, excessive, over-the-top bullying scene and knew this book was not for me. How anyone could compare it to Naomi Novik's Scholomance series is beyond me.
I'm sorry to say I found this memoir pretty boring. There is enough new here about Ted Kaczynski for a decent essay, but not an entire book. There is I'm sorry to say I found this memoir pretty boring. There is enough new here about Ted Kaczynski for a decent essay, but not an entire book. There is a lot of information about the author after her childhood, which I didn't find particularly interesting, and what felt like endless repetition of some version of "I needed to know more." I can understand her fascination with Kaczinski, since she knew him when she was a child and he was sending bombs to people and trying to blow up airplanes, but what she writes about her relationship with him wasn't fascinating to me. The author also jumps around in time a lot, which I sometimes found hard to follow.
The worst new thing I found out about Kaczinski is that on top of sending inexact bombs that didn't even kill the right targets, he poisoned and shot many pets over the years. This book might appeal more to readers who enjoy memoirs by ordinary people than people wanting insight into the Unabomber. The author was working through grief over the loss of her young sister and her father when she started this book. I hope she found some solace.
The most riveting part by far was the last quarter or so of the book, which details Kaczinski's crimes, arrest, and trial. Readers who already know a lot of about the Unabomber probably won't find anything new in that section.
I read an advance reader copy of Madman in the Woods from Netgalley.
Merged review:
I'm sorry to say I found this memoir pretty boring. There is enough new here about Ted Kaczynski for a decent essay, but not an entire book. There is a lot of information about the author after her childhood, which I didn't find particularly interesting, and what felt like endless repetition of some version of "I needed to know more." I can understand her fascination with Kaczinski, since she knew him when she was a child and he was sending bombs to people and trying to blow up airplanes, but what she writes about her relationship with him wasn't fascinating to me. The author also jumps around in time a lot, which I sometimes found hard to follow.
The worst new thing I found out about Kaczinski is that on top of sending inexact bombs that didn't even kill the right targets, he poisoned and shot many pets over the years. This book might appeal more to readers who enjoy memoirs by ordinary people than people wanting insight into the Unabomber. The author was working through grief over the loss of her young sister and her father when she started this book. I hope she found some solace.
The most riveting part by far was the last quarter or so of the book, which details Kaczinski's crimes, arrest, and trial. Readers who already know a lot of about the Unabomber probably won't find anything new in that section.
I read an advance reader copy of Madman in the Woods from Netgalley....more
I loved Every Heart a Doorway and enjoyed the first two sequels. In an Absent Dream is my least favorite Wayward Children yet (but I'll be ba3.5 stars
I loved Every Heart a Doorway and enjoyed the first two sequels. In an Absent Dream is my least favorite Wayward Children yet (but I'll be back for #5). The main character in In an Absent Dream, Katherine Lundy, is also a character in Every Heart a Doorway, which I had forgotten. I was on a plane while reading this one so I couldn't go google to find out what part Lundy played in the first book, which bugged me the whole time I was reading.
This book is different from previous books in the series because the Academy doesn't play a role. It's a back story. In An Absent Dream is a bit preachy, but in these times of wealth inequality and extreme haves and have nots I didn't mind too much.
Gotta love this quote: "She was Katherine, she was the teacher's pet, and when she grew up, she was going to be a librarian, because she couldn't imagine knowing there was a job that was all about books and not wanting to do it." (pp. 12-13)
Katherine Lundy did remind me a bit of me as a kid: "Couldn't she read faster than anyone else she knew?" (p.21), although unlike Katherine I had many friends. ;-)
I came across some new words in this book, which doesn't happen to me that often. Tatterdemalion: a person dressed in ragged clothing. Flense: slice the skin or fat from a carcass, especially that of a whale.
I was not happy about the ending; I might have been less disgruntled if I'd remembered more about Lundy from the first book. Although maybe not.
This series reminds me of Catherynne Valente's The Girl Who series, although I personally like this series much much more.
Merged review:
3.5 stars
I loved Every Heart a Doorway and enjoyed the first two sequels. In an Absent Dream is my least favorite Wayward Children yet (but I'll be back for #5). The main character in In an Absent Dream, Katherine Lundy, is also a character in Every Heart a Doorway, which I had forgotten. I was on a plane while reading this one so I couldn't go google to find out what part Lundy played in the first book, which bugged me the whole time I was reading.
This book is different from previous books in the series because the Academy doesn't play a role. It's a back story. In An Absent Dream is a bit preachy, but in these times of wealth inequality and extreme haves and have nots I didn't mind too much.
Gotta love this quote: "She was Katherine, she was the teacher's pet, and when she grew up, she was going to be a librarian, because she couldn't imagine knowing there was a job that was all about books and not wanting to do it." (pp. 12-13)
Katherine Lundy did remind me a bit of me as a kid: "Couldn't she read faster than anyone else she knew?" (p.21), although unlike Katherine I had many friends. ;-)
I came across some new words in this book, which doesn't happen to me that often. Tatterdemalion: a person dressed in ragged clothing. Flense: slice the skin or fat from a carcass, especially that of a whale.
I was not happy about the ending; I might have been less disgruntled if I'd remembered more about Lundy from the first book. Although maybe not.
This series reminds me of Catherynne Valente's The Girl Who series, although I personally like this series much much more....more
I let this steampunk alternate history New Orleans novella just wash over me, relishing the details and not worrying about anything I didn't understanI let this steampunk alternate history New Orleans novella just wash over me, relishing the details and not worrying about anything I didn't understand. The world building, characters, and story are a ton of fun. Plenty of room for sequels - and a full book.
Merged review:
I let this steampunk alternate history New Orleans novella just wash over me, relishing the details and not worrying about anything I didn't understand. The world building, characters, and story are a ton of fun. Plenty of room for sequels - and a full book....more
This plot has been done before, and better than it is done here.
I have a few major issues with this boo**spoiler alert** Perhaps closer to 2.5 than 3
This plot has been done before, and better than it is done here.
I have a few major issues with this book. What the people of Tiran are doing to the people outside their city is truly truly terrible. Yet we are expected to believe that no one of Tiran, no one except our heroine Sciona, understands that? Even after she reveals the terrible secret to the whole population? I do not buy that. Otherwise the whole city deserves to burn. There are always "God says we deserve this" people, but there are also people who are not so sure.
What the people of Tiran are doing to the people and landscapes outside the city is truly, truly harmful. How have they not destroyed the entire world outside Tiran by now? They use a ton of magic, and the magic does terrible damage every single time. Look what we’ve done to our own planet in a short period of time, and our terrible practices are less destructive than Tiran’s. The math doesn’t work.
Also, Girl Power! Bad men! The messaging is not subtle.
If you are a Hunger Games fan, imagine that Plutarch Heavensbee is the hero, and Katniss and Peta provide a little assistance but that is it. If you are a Harry Potter fan, imagine that Hermione never becomes friends with Harry and Ron and she and she alone frees the House Elves. The focus is on the wrong character, and I cannot believe no one else helps tackle the terrible magic problem. The strength in many similar works is in people pulling together to end injustice. The people with the power must be involved, but so must the people suffering the injustice.
There is some good writing here, but as a story this book did not work for me. The first chapter is strong. Thomil and Carra should have been the main characters. Chapter 21 is also strong. The author does make a bold choice in killing her main character and in not pursuing the romance.
I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley. ...more
A young woman was senselessly murdered by her roommate, and an acquaintance spent six years researching a book about her. When I saw the advance readeA young woman was senselessly murdered by her roommate, and an acquaintance spent six years researching a book about her. When I saw the advance reader copy was available, I was intrigued enough to read it.
As someone who didn’t know Carolyn Bush, I can’t say this book by her “friend” does her any favors. Carolyn comes across as unbearably unlikable (for example, descriptions of her as punching people as hard as she could for fun, “she’s so intense” (p. 311), I’ve never liked anyone who is physically abusive to “friends” and thinks it’s funny) and incredibly pretentious. I mean, a lot of us are pretentious in our twenties, especially if we fancy ourselves writers, but although I think the author means the reader to find Carolyn as unique and incandescent, that’s not actually how she paints her.
If feels weird to be criticizing a book about a murdered young woman, but I’m criticizing the author, not the victim. I hope the author found the exercise cathartic. I honestly can’t guess what the author is trying to achieve with this book. The book’s subtitle is “My Friend, Her Murder, and an Obsession with the Unthinkable,” and the author is definitely obsessed.
Throughout the book, astrology is presented as fact, which it’s not. “On November 19, 1990, Carolyn Hilton Bush was born. The moon was a waxing crescent on its path to conjunct with Saturn. A Scorpio, Carolyn’s ruling planet was Pluto, but she was born in the third decan of the sign, so she was also blessed with the moon’s influence. Pluto gave her power and determination. The moon made her sensitive, nurturing, and compassionate. As a Scorpio, Carolyn was resilient and perceptive, daring and brave, creative and enterprising. She planned and strategized. She hated pretension.” (p. 113 of the advance reader copy) Nonsense like this made it hard for me to take the author seriously.
This book desperately, desperately needed an editor. There were so many times when I thought, what in the world does this have to do with the murder of Carolyn Bush? Parts are almost stream of consciousness, and the author seems to think that every single thing she came across while researching the book HAD to go in the book. Trust me, it didn’t. Sometimes I wondered what I was reading. The text is also repetitive, and jumps dizzyingly around in time.
The book also serves as a nonstop criticism of Bard College and its president. It might have been better to bundle all the criticisms together, making a case for the criticism, instead of sprinkling stories, some of which had nothing to do with Carolyn Bush, throughout the narrative. The murderer, Render Stetson-Shanahan, honestly comes across almost as an afterthought.
For me as a reader, the book fails as “a gripping work of true crime” and as a character study of Carolyn Hilton Bush. I suppose it works best at capturing a group of artists and writers in a specific place over a specific period of time. For the people who know and loved Carolyn Bush, I hope this book is illuminating and helpful. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who did not know Carolyn Bush.
I knew nothing about Carolyn Bush or Bard College before reading this book. I read an advance reader copy of Carrie Carolyn Coco. ...more
This book is very readable. I was drawn in by the world building and the magic. Once lost in the woods, the students encounter a steady stream of periThis book is very readable. I was drawn in by the world building and the magic. Once lost in the woods, the students encounter a steady stream of perilous situations and despite different backgrounds and access to magic pool their physical goods (food, supplies) and their magical skills to work together and try to improve their chances of survival.
Things I didn't like (view spoiler)[ Ren. The main character is not likable. Katniss, also, is not likable, but we like Katniss because she loves her sister. Ren is a self-righteous, arrogant know-it-all with only one thing in mind - revenge. She is the reason the teens are sent to the middle of nowhere. She miscalculated her magic, or didn't understand it, or something, and a plan to get a little lost with two rich House heirs went bad and four of her classmates ended up dying. Does she feel remorse? Honestly, not that I saw. She is sorry that she lost her best friend; she doesn't really seem sorry that her best friend lost her life. "I'm always right," she thinks (p. 306), even though she was very very wrong in trying her little deadly stunt.
Zombie. Yawn.
George R.R. Martin style killing of so many characters the author has bothered to introduce. The first death was absolutely necessary; I'm not sure the following three were.
Theo. I liked Theo but he is an absolute textbook YA "heir to money/power" who seems like a jerk but who is a super nice guy inside who wants to atone for his family's deadly ways.
When Theo offers unexpectedly to bond with Ren, she thinks, "Of course. The answer was simple. Theo was falling in love with her." (p. 303) Say what now? Is Ren delusional or is the author? (hide spoiler)] I will probably flip through book 2 to see what happens but I doubt I will read it....more
I listened to this before, pre-Goodreads (and of course you must listen to David Sedaris read his essays). Sedaris makes me laugh, cringe, feel uncomfI listened to this before, pre-Goodreads (and of course you must listen to David Sedaris read his essays). Sedaris makes me laugh, cringe, feel uncomfortable, and think. Would listen to it again.
I'll admit, I was prejudiced by the opening chapter in which a cat meets a gruesome death. I had a hardParts of this book are better than three stars.
I'll admit, I was prejudiced by the opening chapter in which a cat meets a gruesome death. I had a hard time getting past that. Later, the author reminded me of the tragic death of Omayra Sánchez. The author seemed determined to remind the reader of how many sad and tragic things happen in the world (both in Colombia and the United States) and yet ends with a surprisingly easy and happy-ish reunion.
The passage that struck me the most was this one. Elena is in the U.S., taking care of her employer's child. Her mother has died in Colombia and her husband Mauro finds her. Mauro and their daughter are with the grandmother, and Mauro says he could feel Elena's presence.
"He said he could feel Elena in the room with them, as if she were in the air or in the plume of light parting the curtains. Elena told him it was true. She had been there with them. Even as she lay in that twin bed with a boy who was not her own in a house that was not her own in a country that was not her own. For those minutes, as the one who gave her life, the one she created life with, and the life she created, held one another and her mother's spirit slipped away, they were together again." (p. 178)
A Song to Drown Rivers might have made a fine short story, or even a novella. As a novel, I found it boring and repetitive. She’s beautiful; he’s beauA Song to Drown Rivers might have made a fine short story, or even a novella. As a novel, I found it boring and repetitive. She’s beautiful; he’s beautiful. She is so beautiful; he is so beautiful. I was not familiar with the story of Xishi and Fanli, but there is just not enough there there for a whole book.
There is some lovely writing in the book. But Xishi, Fanli, and Fuchai feel like characters in a fairy tale – not real people I can root for, or against.
I read an advance reader copy of A Song to Drown Rivers from Netgalley. ...more
A friend who also loves Alice in Wonderland loved and recommended this to me. So I read it.
The original Alice contains fun nonsense. This book containA friend who also loves Alice in Wonderland loved and recommended this to me. So I read it.
The original Alice contains fun nonsense. This book contains violent nonsense (what is it with people losing eyes?). Can't Alice have a visit to Wonderland as an adult? Why must it always be grave peril? The author did a good job throwing in references to the original Alice ("aw, slithy toves"), but her own nonsense was not particularly clever. I get it, Alice is using Wonderland to work through her teenaged Victorian real world issues.
It wasn't terrible, and there were occasional passages I enjoyed, but for me it was way too long. Also, why does she live in "Kexford" instead of Oxford....?
If you love the Twisted Tales series, or know of Alice but don't actually know the book, you might enjoy Unbirthday more than I did. ...more
I thought since this book takes place 500 years after the first book set in the Forever Desert, it wouldn’t be a big deal if I read it first. Now I wiI thought since this book takes place 500 years after the first book set in the Forever Desert, it wouldn’t be a big deal if I read it first. Now I wish I had read The Lies of the Ajungo first. This entry is what the story from the first book becomes after 500 years of retelling.
The Truth of the Aleke is a stylized fable, repeating certain phrases like one does when telling a fairy tale. I found some of the writing quite entrancing, but the story itself is as simple in the telling as a fairy tale. He did this, this happened; he did this, this happened.
I’m not sure what the moral of this fable is. The main character (view spoiler)[is betrayed by people he trusts, then he betrays them. (hide spoiler)] The author acknowledges this book’s connection to what happened on 9/11. “It was a cruel and chaotic time when the dichotomy of allies and enemies, of good and evil, ceased to make sense.” I guess that’s as good a way to describe The Truth of the Aleke as any. It’s depressing and puzzling. I keep puzzling over what it means, which I suppose is a victory for the author.
I’m not sure whether I will go back and read the The Lies of the Ajungo, or if I will read the third book. The Forever Desert is not a happy place to spend time.
I read an advance reader copy of The Truth of the Aleke. ...more
This came up in a "you read that book, try this book" list and I thought, why not? It's been a long time since I read a young adult fantasy romance.
NoThis came up in a "you read that book, try this book" list and I thought, why not? It's been a long time since I read a young adult fantasy romance.
Now I remember why it's been a long time. Whoo boy. Every cliche in the book (except the romantic triangle, one small blessing). I think my favorite part was the hurricane followed by the earthquake while our romantic pair were sheltering in a cave in the middle of a battle. Where was the tsunami following the earthquake?
They both are undervalued by terrible parents, he is a bad boy who is really a good boy at heart, she is a plucky fighting princess better able to lead her people than her older brother. This is *fine* as a YA romance so I gave it three stars but I had so many issues with it.
Hmm, this book is hard to rate. I guess I will go with four stars, rounded up from 3.5.
Mix Project Hail Mary with Mickey7 and add in a sabotage plot aHmm, this book is hard to rate. I guess I will go with four stars, rounded up from 3.5.
Mix Project Hail Mary with Mickey7 and add in a sabotage plot and you have an idea of The Deep Sky. Earth is in chaos. A crazy plan is hatched to send 80 people who can get pregnant and a bunch of sperm on a voyage to another planet. They will be in stasis some of the time and awake some of the time. All live in virtual reality (which definitely seems like a bad idea) and even after 10 years don't seem to be working together to make the mission successful. Each was chosen after a competition, both because of their skills and because of their nationalities.
My attention was kept, which is a good thing. I’m no scientist, but the science didn’t seem plausible. (For example, 10 years in stasis and not a single person dies? The timeline for the mission? Coping with damage to the ship?) There is a twist at the end that notched up my regard for the book in the same way that the twist in the movie Arrival did. (view spoiler)[I could see people wanting to sabotage this mission as presented while it is still in progress, but once the ship had taken off, what would be the point? (hide spoiler)]
The best part for me was that the main character liked birds, and educational information about various Earth birds was actually important to the plot.
There are multiple scenes that totally feel like the author was imagining a movie version of the book, and the almost-sentient AI was annoying and not believable. (view spoiler)[Also the scenes where everyone is under the influence of virtual reality and reacting to a different horror - so overdone. (hide spoiler)]
However, I would read another book by the author....more
Heartland is a decent, thoughtful book that is very depressing to read. Sarah Smarsh remembers every sad and terrible thing that ever happened to her Heartland is a decent, thoughtful book that is very depressing to read. Sarah Smarsh remembers every sad and terrible thing that ever happened to her and wants to make sure we know about them too. Her messages on poverty in America and growing up poor are valid, as are her observations about the disconnect between those who understand how farms work and those who don't, but this is not an easy book. I had to take frequent breaks to read something else.
Smarsh frames her memoir around her conversations with the child she didn't have as a teenager, and that really did not work for me. I found the nonexistent child narrative device jarring (especially when listening to the audio). Other readers may find it effective.
I found the timeline very hard to follow, as the author jumps around in time. I also had a hard time keeping all the family members straight, especially the various men her mother/aunts/grandmothers etc. were involved with or married to. A family tree or at least a list of family members would have helped a lot.
Heartland reminded me of The Growing Season by Sarah Frey. I enjoyed reading The Growing Season more. ...more
I haven’t read that much true crime. I’ve read a lot about John Wayne Gacy because I was in high school in the Chicago area when his horrors were discI haven’t read that much true crime. I’ve read a lot about John Wayne Gacy because I was in high school in the Chicago area when his horrors were discovered, but I didn’t know much about Ted Bundy going into this memoir. I held the popular beliefs that he was charming and intelligent in addition to being a serial killer. Kathy Kleiner Rubin was one of the young women he attacked when she was sleeping in her sorority bedroom, and she has a lot to say about how Bundy is viewed in popular culture.
The author makes the case that what we believe about Bundy is wrong. He was not charming; most women he approached found him creepy. Most of his victims were not lured into his car by a sad tale that he spun but were attacked in their beds or from behind by Bundy. He was not intelligent or learned; he was a poor student who had no aptitude for the law or anything except killing.
I had no idea how many suspected victims Bundy had. I knew he was brutal but didn’t know his preferred technique was to bash his victims in the head first, before violating them. The author is only a few years older than me, and I found her passionate defense of Bundy’s victims very moving. The memoir very much gave me “there but for the grace of god go I” vibes.
Kathy Kleiner Rubin is very resilient and a true survivor. She has one son, Michael, and he didn’t find out until he was 37 years old that the attack she suffered in college was at the hands of the notorious Ted Bundy. When he found out, he called her in shock. Toward the end of her book, she writes, “Michael was a big part of my happiness in life. During that phone call, as he kept repeating ‘you were so normal’ he brought up the pool parties I hosted for his birthday and other things I did to make his life as ordinary as possible. To me, this was one of my great accomplishments in life. Bundy was on a sick and twisted journey and he dragged his victims down the path. After I survived the attack, I dug in my heels so that he could pull me no further.”
There is some information about the author and her husband surviving Katrina which felt like filler, but aside from that the narrative flowed. The author has a lot of encouraging words for others who are fighting battles. Her words and memories are very inspirational. Appendix A is a list of the women and girls who lost their lives to Bundy, which is very reverential and which I read with great care. As the author points out, none of them are to blame for being murdered by a monster. Appendix C has a helpful list of ways to replace his narrative with remembrances of his victims.
If you like memoirs of people who have overcome great obstacles, or if you’d like to know more about Ted Bundy’s victims, I recommend A Light in the Dark. I read an advance reader copy of A Light in the Dark. ...more
Parts of The Great Transition are some of the best climate fiction I have read. In this book, climate change happened. Fires, floods. Massive numbers Parts of The Great Transition are some of the best climate fiction I have read. In this book, climate change happened. Fires, floods. Massive numbers of climate refugees. Massive extinctions. All the terrible things that we know are coming came. Then a movement took back the planet from the climate deniers and criminals and humanity reached net zero emissions.
This is a remarkable debut novel. The writing is assured. The author clearly did his research on climate change. The planet reached the brink but was pulled back, but only at incredible cost in lives and species. There is one section where the author describes the effort to save the last stand of giant sequoias that moved me to tears. What are we doing to the only planet that we have?
No mistaking, this book has an agenda. The author wants us to look in the mirror and confront what’s coming, make some changes so the worst is changed to not quite the worst. Hold accountable the people who are responsible for the climate damage. But the book also has at its center a family. Mom and dad were heroes in the effort to save the planet. Both lost their parents and families to climate change. Their daughter Emi suffers from anxiety and an eating disorder. Her mom despairs that Emi doesn’t appreciate how good she has it.
The author is a teacher and I feel like the book really shows that he knows young people today. Emi feels very believable. Her mother is still fighting the climate fight; her father has moved on and wants to appreciate the good things. This conflict causes a lot of family drama. The author uses a homework device to tell parts of the backstory; Emi is writing a report on the Great Transition. I didn’t find this wholly effective. Parts 1-3 are the best part of the book. I was wholly immersed. I did not find Parts 4-6 as effective. The family drama gets to be a bit much and the plot turns a little too Hollywood. Also, I thought the book had ended two times before it finally did. It might have been more effective to leave some things unsaid.
Still, I found this book easy to read and very thought provoking, both hopeful and terrified for our common future on planet Earth. I highly recommend it for fans of climate fiction and dystopia.
I read an advance reader copy of The Great Transition. It is scheduled to be published on August 15....more
I wish I could be glow-y about this book, but it just didn’t work for me. The information about the real life art exhibition was interesting. The authI wish I could be glow-y about this book, but it just didn’t work for me. The information about the real life art exhibition was interesting. The author is clearly a big art fan. But Rosanna’s willingness to put up with the casual touching and kissing and baby names from uber creep Anton was annoying, as was her ability to self-delude. Martin’s overreaction when Rosanna made a confession about what was happening in the exhibition was out of character. The bad guy was literally a moustache-twirling Victorian villain, and a big climactic scene on multiple trains was wholly unbelievable. I hope for better next time from the author.
I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley. ...more
I was promised an unforgettable mystery that was suspenseful and propulsive, but I don’t really feel I got it.
The girlfriends who lost one of their nuI was promised an unforgettable mystery that was suspenseful and propulsive, but I don’t really feel I got it.
The girlfriends who lost one of their number on spring break 15 years ago and who now come together for a reunion weekend are all terrible people. Their relationships with each other are terrible. My biggest issue with the plot is that I didn’t buy that these former friends would have been willing to come to a reunion, especially to deal with a shared trauma. They don’t like each other.
In addition, they are not distinct personalities; I had a hard time remembering who was who, even with this relatively small cast. There is a big reveal early on that I thought must be some kind of red herring, or fantasy reveal, or something, so I kept expecting that but – nope, it was what it was. The mystery part seems mainly to come from what’s real and what main character Emily is crafting for her screenplay. There is a lot of wine drinking in this book. That may appeal to some readers.
It was easy to read, and I definitely see a movie in this book’s future, but it just didn’t work for me. Maybe it will work better as a movie.
I read an advance reader copy from Penguin Random House and Netgalley. ...more
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