Pages: 280 in PB although I read the Kindle vcrsion Time taken: ~3 hours (does anyone actually time these? I read about 100 pages per hour or the average book, I just guess based on that.) Tina Chen has a loving but disorganised family, a job in a library, two majors, and a room-mate. Blake Reynolds has a loving but asshole father, a job at a high-tech company, one major, and $1.4billion (US). An argument over food-stamps and the reality of living in poverty in […]
I like my coffee like I like my women
Page count: 344, I read the UK paperback edition Time taken: probably four hours This book is really hard to summarise. It’s a close third-person narrative about a honeybee, Flora 717. It’s a classic hero(ine)’s journey. It’s an investigation into the idea of free-will and determinism. It’s a novel about upheaval in a rigid caste-based state, drawing from classic dystopian literature. It’s a love story. It’s a survival story. It’s about the consequences of climate change in the insect world. It’s a nuanced and […]
One of these books was amazing
Of the four books I reviewed yesterday, two were awful, one was alright, and one was great. I did not really hold anything back in my reviews of the bad ones. Is it so hard to do a little research and avoid terrible tired clichés? Apparently, yes, yes it is. So I feel fully justified in getting my rant on. Also some swears. Consider yourself warned. Review 5: One Night of Danger, Clara Bayard; 3 stars; trigger warning for abusive relationships, discussion thereof. Review 6: […]
From the sublime to the ridiculous
Reviews 3 and 4. up. 3:
The Valley of Mild Appreciation
My review of The Valley of Amazement is now up on my blog. I seem to be off to a slow start; in my defence I’ve been playing a lot of Skyrim – er, I mean, reading a footnoted non-fiction book which has slowed my reading down a lot but which I will review when I am finished. (Mainly Skyrim though. If I review books from Tamriel does that count? Because some of them are quite good.) Linky here:
The Lions of Al-Rassan
A bout of insomnia the night before last made me pick up this book and give it another read. It had been long enough that I forgot most of the details of the plot, and I found it an enjoyable and easy read. I gave it 4 stars. Review is here: