Speculative Fiction – Page 135

Bingo #3!

Jackaroo or The Tale of Qwyn by Cynthia Voigt

September 30, 2019 by Ale Leave a Comment

This was hands-down one of my favorite books growing up, and I happened across my old copy of it when cleaning out my basement. What better way to fill the Youths square than with a trip down memory lane, and I was not disappointed. Jackaroo, or The Tale of Gwyn, as it’s now called, was just as solid and enjoyable today as it was 22 years ago when I bought it (based on its cover) at the scholastic book fair. Gwyn, our main character, is […]

Third time through, just as great. #CBRBingo – I Love This

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

September 30, 2019 by narfna Leave a Comment

This book works on multiple levels for me: *It’s swoony and I love the characters. I find it comfortable and reassuring, like a big fluffy blanket. *It’s a smart take on Chosen One stories, upending tropes and challenging expectations. The first time through you think you know what’s going to happen, and then it doesn’t, and something much cooler happens instead. *It’s funny and incisive, and has good things to say about the human emotional cost of magic, of being caught inside a fantasy story. […]

The Reality of Space Travel

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

September 25, 2019 by Ale 1 Comment

The lovely faintingviolet thrust this upon me a few days ago, and since I still hadn’t found something for my Science square, this little book was perfect. Faintingviolet’s a huge fan of Becky Chambers, and really enjoyed her first book, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. As I’m not so much in the sci-fi end of the speculative world, I’d never come across Chambers’ work before, but I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful this novella was. Chambers builds an entire world in a […]

“The ache to return to a time long gone was almost worse than fear.” (CBR11 Bingo)

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

September 23, 2019 by faintingviolet 1 Comment

I knew what to expect from a Becky Chambers book after reading two of her previous novels in the Wayfarers series (which apparently this novella is not part of… but I swear its in the same universe). To Be Taught, If Fortunate would have some vivid writing, exceptional world-building (seriously, what Chambers can do in a matter of sentences to build an entirely new environment is insane), and diverse characters. I knew nothing else when picking it up, and I’m glad. I didn’t need to. […]

Last Square for the Blackout! Also, a great Halloween read.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

September 21, 2019 by CoffeeShopReader Leave a Comment

Last Bingo: Reader’s Choice to cover “Two Heads are Better than One” I’ve been seeing Gideon The Ninth hyped all over social media for months, and it sounded really cool and interesting. To cite the blurb across the front cover: “Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!” This is actually a largely accurate description of the premise: the immortal Emperor sends out a message to the nobles (ie- necromancers) of each of the 9 Houses in this universe to send their strongest necromancer-heir […]

Under His Eye

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

September 16, 2019 by Classic 2 Comments

Aww. This was so good. I think Atwood did a wonderful job of showing us how Gilead came to be, how it was for those who lived there, and how it looked to others from the outside. Instead of staying with one POV throughout the story, Atwood allows us to to get fully immerse in Gilead via the POVs of a young girl named Agnes, an older girl named Daisy, and the fearsome Aunt Lydia. The character development works for these three characters as well […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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