This is a sticky book. It’s kind of stuck in my imagination. I keep turning it over in my head, feeling a little closer to picking up what Kang was putting down. It’s clever but unassuming, sharp, subtle, violent and serene. I don’t really know what to do with it, and that makes me like it more. (I’ll include a few tiny spoilers in this review, but it might be best to go in cold.) Set in South Korea (this is a translation of what was […]
A monstrous planetary romance.
Kicking off the year with an intense sci fi exploration of language and Language! Embassytown is a human colony/outpost on a distant planet Arieka—accessible only by a dangerous trip through some timey-wimey wishy-washy-space-travel stuff called the immer. The Ariekei live on Arieka and they communicate with Language: They can only speak literally, with a dual mouth that speaks in unison, and their intent must be known and match the words, or it has no meaning. They cannot lie; they cannot understand human language. So to speak with any creativity, […]
Sweet, sweet baby sleep.
Last year, pre-baby, I reviewed The Happiest Baby on the Block and now I am back with an update! In short: I still think that book needed a more ruthless editor an you are better served watching his video than reading the book. But the 5-S advice is solid, and did, in fact, result in a happy baby. Yay! So there we were, humming right along with our happiest baby. And then one day he turned into a not-infant and decided that sleep was for other people. […]
An Odd Couple in Calcutta
After reading ElCicco’s review of this, I went right out and got myself a copy, and I was not disappointed! Set in Calcutta, 1837, The East India Company is in full swing. Xavier Mountstuart, a most celebrated English poet and author, has gone missing. Mountstuart is the hero of William Avery, our narrator, who is a junior officer who is drowning in homesickness and debt–and whose best friend has just died mysteriously. He is sent by the Company as a companion to a Mr. Jeremiah Blake to find […]
You made me fall for you, heart and soul
Starting off the year with a consideration of love, hate, jealousy, faith, and disbelief. What’s more, Colin Firth did the audiobook, which was lovely! I’ve read two other Greenes – Heart of the Matter and The Quiet American – both of which were excellent. This was also excellent…but I’m sorry to say, it wore thin by the end. (Spoilers ahead.) Maurice Bendrix had an affair with Sarah Miles, who is married to Henry. After Sarah abruptly ends their affair, Bendrix is consumed by hatred, love, jealousy, etc–and this […]
Some new characters: one real and some fictional
“There isn’t really a choice, is there?” he whispered. “Adventure cheats. It’s so much shinier and louder than Not-Adventure.” – Hawthorne the Troll Hi Cannonballers! I’d like to introduce you to my newest adventure and our newest Cannonballer, almost 3 months old and already very opinionated about reading material. As you can see, this month’s recommendation is BABY ANIMALS. I’m behind behind behind on both reading and posting. See above re: baby Cannonballer. Probably won’t reach the full Cannonball, but let’s try anyway! The Boy Who Lost […]
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