Book Reviews
#76: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville. 3.5. I particularly like this YA novel for subverting a usual trope - the protagonist who saves the day is not the Chosen One. The Chosen One kinda screws up, and her friend ends up taking the lead. Which causes the friend no end of trouble. Similarly, the long intricate quest comes out not at all as typical. It does still adhere to a somewhat formulaic emotional arc, though. Still, the bursts of whimsy are entertaining and generally very original in a "This is a charmingly clever new idea that still feels kinda like Neil Gaiman wrote it" kind of way.
#77: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 4. I loved this book desperately as a little girl. The sumptuousness, the total angst, the noble sacrifice, the miracle ending. LOVE. Is it kinda racist? Yes. (In an unavoidably Victorian, generally benign-ish way, but still racist.) Is it classist? Oh hells yes. (Poor Becky. For all that Sara muses that they could be the same, it's always very clear that they could never be. From Becky wanting to wait on her after her fall to Becky coming along as her new maid, Becky is always terribly grateful to get the short end of the stick, just as a good servant who knows her place should be. It's not a tragedy that Becky is a servant, just that rich little Sara Crewe is.) But despite that, I still kind of love this book.
#78:The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. 4. Delightfully off-kilter romp about an orphan running a sorceror service that's not unlike a plumbing service, who finds herself drafted into the politically-motivated slaying of a perfectly nice dragon. Cynical without being truly dark, cleverly constructed, and generally just plain fun.
#79: Finn Fancy Necromancy by Randy Henderson. 3. Run-of-the-mill urban fantasy. This one has necromancers. It's snarky and fun, but also a bit forgettable.
#80: The Killing Moon by N.K.Jemisin. 4.5. Jemisin delivers again, with a luxuriously developed world with hints of an alternate Egypt but really its own thing. I adore how she comes up with dazzlingly convincing and complex societies that don't feel like knock off Tolkein or a roleplaying supplement. It's nice to see something other than medieval Europe as the base. But it's also all about the fantastic characters. Bad things happen to Jemisin characters, but watching them break but still keep going is much of the appeal. It is oddly standalone - there's a sequel and a prequel-thing, but this one feels complete on its own.
#81: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 5. It is a truth universally acknowledged that women who pride themselves on being bookish have to reread this one every couple of years. Never disappoints.
#82: The Duchess War by Courtney Milan. 5. It's been a bad couple weeks. This is the mental equivalent of a warm brownie. Luxurious, pampering, comforting. I continue to adore both her characters and her refusal to take the obvious or easy solution, while still fully acknowledging the obvious solution and giving us good reasons upfront that it won't work. ...this is also what I did instead of sleeping last Tuesday night. Because the sleeping wasn't happening.
#83: The Anti-Anxiety Toolkit. By Melissa Tiers. 3.5. I should probably go back and try this again while not actively in the middle of a slow-moving panic attack. The exercises seem to be fairly promising, but it's hard to convince your brain that disaster is not happening when actually, no, a real disaster is actually unfolding around you in real time. Probably better to practice these on low-level anxiety before trying to scale up to the full thing.
#77: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 4. I loved this book desperately as a little girl. The sumptuousness, the total angst, the noble sacrifice, the miracle ending. LOVE. Is it kinda racist? Yes. (In an unavoidably Victorian, generally benign-ish way, but still racist.) Is it classist? Oh hells yes. (Poor Becky. For all that Sara muses that they could be the same, it's always very clear that they could never be. From Becky wanting to wait on her after her fall to Becky coming along as her new maid, Becky is always terribly grateful to get the short end of the stick, just as a good servant who knows her place should be. It's not a tragedy that Becky is a servant, just that rich little Sara Crewe is.) But despite that, I still kind of love this book.
#78:The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. 4. Delightfully off-kilter romp about an orphan running a sorceror service that's not unlike a plumbing service, who finds herself drafted into the politically-motivated slaying of a perfectly nice dragon. Cynical without being truly dark, cleverly constructed, and generally just plain fun.
#79: Finn Fancy Necromancy by Randy Henderson. 3. Run-of-the-mill urban fantasy. This one has necromancers. It's snarky and fun, but also a bit forgettable.
#80: The Killing Moon by N.K.Jemisin. 4.5. Jemisin delivers again, with a luxuriously developed world with hints of an alternate Egypt but really its own thing. I adore how she comes up with dazzlingly convincing and complex societies that don't feel like knock off Tolkein or a roleplaying supplement. It's nice to see something other than medieval Europe as the base. But it's also all about the fantastic characters. Bad things happen to Jemisin characters, but watching them break but still keep going is much of the appeal. It is oddly standalone - there's a sequel and a prequel-thing, but this one feels complete on its own.
#81: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. 5. It is a truth universally acknowledged that women who pride themselves on being bookish have to reread this one every couple of years. Never disappoints.
#82: The Duchess War by Courtney Milan. 5. It's been a bad couple weeks. This is the mental equivalent of a warm brownie. Luxurious, pampering, comforting. I continue to adore both her characters and her refusal to take the obvious or easy solution, while still fully acknowledging the obvious solution and giving us good reasons upfront that it won't work. ...this is also what I did instead of sleeping last Tuesday night. Because the sleeping wasn't happening.
#83: The Anti-Anxiety Toolkit. By Melissa Tiers. 3.5. I should probably go back and try this again while not actively in the middle of a slow-moving panic attack. The exercises seem to be fairly promising, but it's hard to convince your brain that disaster is not happening when actually, no, a real disaster is actually unfolding around you in real time. Probably better to practice these on low-level anxiety before trying to scale up to the full thing.