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kmusserI suppose if there's one minor consolation in this wreck of a year, it's that I did get quite a bit of reading done.
Provenance by Ann Leckie - That was this year huh? Wow January was a long time ago. This is set in the same universe as Leckie's Ancillary books, but with different characters and is quite a bit lighter in tone. Lots of political intrigue and space opera hijinks. Doesn't have the emotional punch of Ancillary Justice, but definitely a fun read and cool to see something a little different from Leckie.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - This is some great fantasy, based loosely on Rumpelstiltskin, but really pulling more from Russian folklore than the Brothers Grimm, Novik builds a wonderful, haunting world for her story of a young woman going up against the Fae. Meanders a little more than Uprooted did, but I think also has more depth to it.
Knave of Dreams by Andre Norton - Guy from our world gets yanked into an alternate vaguely steampunkish world full of intrigue and needs to learn how to use the force in order to survive. Not as dated as it might've been for how old it is, fun read, but not especially memorable.
Redshirts by John Scalzi - A book very much in the same spirit as Galaxy Quest, this is a hilarious and rather touching take on Star Trek. Highly recommended, especially to Star Trek fans. As an aside I could imagine an awesome LARP being based on this.
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - The first book in McGuire's Wayward Children series, I read the second book first and I think I'm glad I did, this one spends so much time establishing the setting that the story kind of gets shorted and isn't that compelling. But the setting is a great base for future stories which I imagine was McGuire's intent, it's about what happens to children when they return to the "real" world after their trip to faerie or whatever alternate dimension they travelled to. Definitely interested in more of the sequels.
The Age of the Pussyfoot by Frederick Pohl - Another old one, written in 1965 about a guy waking up in the future after being in suspended animation. The story isn't particularly good, but what struck me about this book was how recognizable the "future" being described is, for a book written 55 years ago it's a little uncanny having people running around with everything in their lives being on their personal hand held phone/computers.
Chesapeake by James Michener - Most of you probably already know about this book, historical fiction about Maryland's Eastern Shore, following a handful of families through history. I wanted to like this book, but it was kind of painful. The first quarter of the book kind of ignores slavery and then it shifts to focus on it for the rest of the book, and while it might have been considered progressive in the 70's I found most of the writing dealing with race relations cringeworthy. Doesn't help that all the characters are paper thin stereotypes and that Michener is awful at writing dialogue. What kept me reading was an interest in the history of the area since I live so close, and where Michener's writing does shine is describing settings, he does paint pretty pictures.
Amber by Roger Zelazny - This is a 10 book omnibus, that I'm currently still reading, now on book 8. Amber is an unusual fantasy setting, describing an idealized realm, that all other worlds, including ours are just "shadows" of, and its ruling family who are near immortal and constantly plotting against each other. There are some things that are dated, like everyone smoking all the time, and some casual misogyny, but what hooked by right away was the witty dialogue. Maybe it was coming off of reading Chesapeake, but I missed witty dialogue. The books are really 2 arcs of 5 books each, the protagonist of the 2nd set being the son of the first. The first set I think are better, more focusing on story telling about the main character trying to recover his memories as he delves into the political intrigues of his family. The second set is a little more disjointed, but also spends more time on world building fleshing out the setting. Definitely recommend for folks that like fantasy that is heavy on the intrigue.
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal - An alternate history version of our own space program, in which a meteorite forces an accelerated development of the program in the 50's. Our protagonist is a woman determined to become an astronaut. The story deals a lot with the sexism and racism of the era and covers a lot of similar ground to Hidden Figures. I found it extremely well done, and the pace just races along. This book also took on some extra meaning as it happened to be what I was reading on our final visit to Sandy, Sam's Mom, and it's exactly the sort of book she would've absolutely loved. I read her some of it while in the hospice and I don't know if she could hear any of it, but I would like to think so.
New York 2047 by Kim Stanley Robinson - Set in a climate disaster post-apocalypse New York, but is not dystopian. Really this is kind of a love letter to New York imagining how the locals would adapt, survive, and thrive in that future. I found the setting interesting, but the characters and their stories weren't all that compelling making this a bit of a slog which was disappointing as I usually really like Robinson.
Free Black Communities and the Underground Railroad: The Geography of Resistance by Cheryl Janifer LaRoche - What's this? Some non-fiction! About the role of African-American communities and especially AME churches in the Underground Railroad, basically arguing that African-Americans had a lot more agency in creating their own opportunities for freedom than the are sometimes given credit for - to the extent that communities and churches would be founded in places along the borders of slave states specifically because those places could facilitate the journeys of those fleeing slavery. Definitely aimed at an academic audience, the writing was kind of dry, but good info for those interested in the subject.
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold - I know I'm a little late to the party when it comes to the Vorkosigan Saga. Sandy had almost the whole set, so figured I'd take advantage of it. This 2 book collection centers on the mother of the protagonist of the rest of the series and made to a very nice introduction. Pretty much ideal space opera to me, interesting characters, sweeping scope, lots of political and military machinations, and cosmic consequences. Definitely recommended.
Two Old Women by Velma Wallis - Short retelling of an Athabascan legend the Sandy had picked up on our cruise last year - story of survival in the Alaska wilderness.
Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery - A semi-autobiographical book from the author of The Little Prince, mostly dealing with his experience as a pilot. Published in 1939 when flying was still a relatively new thing and a fascinating look at the early days of aviation. I have to give it a content warning for racism though, a chunk of it takes place in Africa and it was a book of its time and there is a instance of the N word. The authors views on race are unclear, while he assumes the casual superiority Europeans in places he seems to also believe in the noble savage trope and praises Africans and Arabs elsewhere and in one story relates encountering a slave, buying his freedom and flying him home. There's also what feels to be a tacked on chapter on the end about the Spanish Civil War and about the horrors and fruitlessness of war more generally. Recommended for those with an interest in aviation or 1930s history.
The Star Mill by Emil Petaja - Another old sci-fi book, I was expecting a pulp adventure story, what I was not expecting was the Finnish myth the Kalevala being retold as pulp sci-fi adventure story. I'm not sure it really works, but it was interesting.
How Not to Diet by Michael Greger - More non-fiction, and I think the title a little misleading as it's not about specific diets, really this is a summary of nutritional science from a Western medical perspective with a focus on how different foods affect weight. It is a very large book, probably larger than it needs to be, especially since its advice boils down to a simple suggestion: Eat More Plants. A good resource for anyone that really wants to get into the science of different foods. While it doesn't really advocate a specific diet beyond the above I will say it is not kind to fad diets (aka Atkins and related).
The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold - Continuing my Vorkosigan adventures, now with Miles as the protagonist, but overall storytelling in a very similar vein to the Cordelia book above, all the political shenanigans. Bring it on, looking forward to more.
Provenance by Ann Leckie - That was this year huh? Wow January was a long time ago. This is set in the same universe as Leckie's Ancillary books, but with different characters and is quite a bit lighter in tone. Lots of political intrigue and space opera hijinks. Doesn't have the emotional punch of Ancillary Justice, but definitely a fun read and cool to see something a little different from Leckie.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - This is some great fantasy, based loosely on Rumpelstiltskin, but really pulling more from Russian folklore than the Brothers Grimm, Novik builds a wonderful, haunting world for her story of a young woman going up against the Fae. Meanders a little more than Uprooted did, but I think also has more depth to it.
Knave of Dreams by Andre Norton - Guy from our world gets yanked into an alternate vaguely steampunkish world full of intrigue and needs to learn how to use the force in order to survive. Not as dated as it might've been for how old it is, fun read, but not especially memorable.
Redshirts by John Scalzi - A book very much in the same spirit as Galaxy Quest, this is a hilarious and rather touching take on Star Trek. Highly recommended, especially to Star Trek fans. As an aside I could imagine an awesome LARP being based on this.
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - The first book in McGuire's Wayward Children series, I read the second book first and I think I'm glad I did, this one spends so much time establishing the setting that the story kind of gets shorted and isn't that compelling. But the setting is a great base for future stories which I imagine was McGuire's intent, it's about what happens to children when they return to the "real" world after their trip to faerie or whatever alternate dimension they travelled to. Definitely interested in more of the sequels.
The Age of the Pussyfoot by Frederick Pohl - Another old one, written in 1965 about a guy waking up in the future after being in suspended animation. The story isn't particularly good, but what struck me about this book was how recognizable the "future" being described is, for a book written 55 years ago it's a little uncanny having people running around with everything in their lives being on their personal hand held phone/computers.
Chesapeake by James Michener - Most of you probably already know about this book, historical fiction about Maryland's Eastern Shore, following a handful of families through history. I wanted to like this book, but it was kind of painful. The first quarter of the book kind of ignores slavery and then it shifts to focus on it for the rest of the book, and while it might have been considered progressive in the 70's I found most of the writing dealing with race relations cringeworthy. Doesn't help that all the characters are paper thin stereotypes and that Michener is awful at writing dialogue. What kept me reading was an interest in the history of the area since I live so close, and where Michener's writing does shine is describing settings, he does paint pretty pictures.
Amber by Roger Zelazny - This is a 10 book omnibus, that I'm currently still reading, now on book 8. Amber is an unusual fantasy setting, describing an idealized realm, that all other worlds, including ours are just "shadows" of, and its ruling family who are near immortal and constantly plotting against each other. There are some things that are dated, like everyone smoking all the time, and some casual misogyny, but what hooked by right away was the witty dialogue. Maybe it was coming off of reading Chesapeake, but I missed witty dialogue. The books are really 2 arcs of 5 books each, the protagonist of the 2nd set being the son of the first. The first set I think are better, more focusing on story telling about the main character trying to recover his memories as he delves into the political intrigues of his family. The second set is a little more disjointed, but also spends more time on world building fleshing out the setting. Definitely recommend for folks that like fantasy that is heavy on the intrigue.
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal - An alternate history version of our own space program, in which a meteorite forces an accelerated development of the program in the 50's. Our protagonist is a woman determined to become an astronaut. The story deals a lot with the sexism and racism of the era and covers a lot of similar ground to Hidden Figures. I found it extremely well done, and the pace just races along. This book also took on some extra meaning as it happened to be what I was reading on our final visit to Sandy, Sam's Mom, and it's exactly the sort of book she would've absolutely loved. I read her some of it while in the hospice and I don't know if she could hear any of it, but I would like to think so.
New York 2047 by Kim Stanley Robinson - Set in a climate disaster post-apocalypse New York, but is not dystopian. Really this is kind of a love letter to New York imagining how the locals would adapt, survive, and thrive in that future. I found the setting interesting, but the characters and their stories weren't all that compelling making this a bit of a slog which was disappointing as I usually really like Robinson.
Free Black Communities and the Underground Railroad: The Geography of Resistance by Cheryl Janifer LaRoche - What's this? Some non-fiction! About the role of African-American communities and especially AME churches in the Underground Railroad, basically arguing that African-Americans had a lot more agency in creating their own opportunities for freedom than the are sometimes given credit for - to the extent that communities and churches would be founded in places along the borders of slave states specifically because those places could facilitate the journeys of those fleeing slavery. Definitely aimed at an academic audience, the writing was kind of dry, but good info for those interested in the subject.
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold - I know I'm a little late to the party when it comes to the Vorkosigan Saga. Sandy had almost the whole set, so figured I'd take advantage of it. This 2 book collection centers on the mother of the protagonist of the rest of the series and made to a very nice introduction. Pretty much ideal space opera to me, interesting characters, sweeping scope, lots of political and military machinations, and cosmic consequences. Definitely recommended.
Two Old Women by Velma Wallis - Short retelling of an Athabascan legend the Sandy had picked up on our cruise last year - story of survival in the Alaska wilderness.
Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery - A semi-autobiographical book from the author of The Little Prince, mostly dealing with his experience as a pilot. Published in 1939 when flying was still a relatively new thing and a fascinating look at the early days of aviation. I have to give it a content warning for racism though, a chunk of it takes place in Africa and it was a book of its time and there is a instance of the N word. The authors views on race are unclear, while he assumes the casual superiority Europeans in places he seems to also believe in the noble savage trope and praises Africans and Arabs elsewhere and in one story relates encountering a slave, buying his freedom and flying him home. There's also what feels to be a tacked on chapter on the end about the Spanish Civil War and about the horrors and fruitlessness of war more generally. Recommended for those with an interest in aviation or 1930s history.
The Star Mill by Emil Petaja - Another old sci-fi book, I was expecting a pulp adventure story, what I was not expecting was the Finnish myth the Kalevala being retold as pulp sci-fi adventure story. I'm not sure it really works, but it was interesting.
How Not to Diet by Michael Greger - More non-fiction, and I think the title a little misleading as it's not about specific diets, really this is a summary of nutritional science from a Western medical perspective with a focus on how different foods affect weight. It is a very large book, probably larger than it needs to be, especially since its advice boils down to a simple suggestion: Eat More Plants. A good resource for anyone that really wants to get into the science of different foods. While it doesn't really advocate a specific diet beyond the above I will say it is not kind to fad diets (aka Atkins and related).
The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold - Continuing my Vorkosigan adventures, now with Miles as the protagonist, but overall storytelling in a very similar vein to the Cordelia book above, all the political shenanigans. Bring it on, looking forward to more.
no subject
Date: 27 Dec 2020 01:54 (UTC)no subject
Date: 27 Dec 2020 01:59 (UTC)no subject
Date: 16 Jan 2021 20:37 (UTC)Provenance by Ann Leckie - ... definitely a fun read and cool to see something a little different from Leckie.
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - this one spends so much time establishing the setting that the story kind of gets shorted and isn't that compelling.
Bujold
I've enjoyed all those.
Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupery - A semi-autobiographical book from the author of The Little Prince, mostly dealing with his experience as a pilot. Published in 1939 when flying was still a relatively new thing and a fascinating look at the early days of aviation. ... Recommended for those with an interest in aviation or 1930s history.
I should finish that; I got bogged down partway through. You might enjoy Jo Graham and Melissa Scott's Order of the Air series, starting with *Lost Things* in the 1920s.
no subject
Date: 16 Jan 2021 21:07 (UTC)