Books of January
The Broken Kingdoms
N K Jemisin
I love this just as much as I loved the first book in the series (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms).
I love the world Jemisin has created, and there's just enough information in this book to make clear the changes since the events of the first books. There's also continuing world building. I find the metaphysics and religio-social stuff very interesting, too. The relationships between the people and their gods and their beliefs and their political/religious histories.
First person narrative, again. I think that I liked Oree just a touch more than I liked Yeine, although the conceit behind the narration is different, and it's possible that it's just that Oree story is more straightforwardly told.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Susanna Clarke
I liked this very much. It was kind of slow going, but I could read it at a pretty measured pace, and it went quite easily. I found it difficult to see where the story was going, how all the threads were going to tie together, and it took me a little while to trust the story. But it all turned out excellently, and the resolution seemed natural for the story without having to distort anything to get it all together.
I appreciated all the women in the story, too. It's close third person and mostly from male points view, as far as I can remember, but the women are both important, and have distinct, personalised roles in the events that unfold.
It's set during the Napoleonic wars, which makes for Regency manners, and a strange discord with the Napoleonic history I've learnt ready Naomi Novak's Temeraire series.
Grifftopia
Matt Taibbi
OMG, this book. Really one of the most astoundingly scary and discomforting books I've read. I'd seen Taibbi interviewed on the Rachel Maddow Show, so I was glad to read this.
It's good. Taibbi's good at breaking down how the most toxic parts of the US financial system operated, and putting the culture and flow on effects into greater context. I also appreciated his sympathy for the Tea Party people and the way the government in the US functions in local, domestic issues as well.
Father read it just before I did, and Mother has read it since. We've been reading bits out to each other and despairing over them, mostly in disbelief that the US actually 'works' the way it does. If you're interested in where the GFC came from or like exclaiming "only in America!", read this book.
This entry is also available on dreamwidth here.
N K Jemisin
I love this just as much as I loved the first book in the series (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms).
I love the world Jemisin has created, and there's just enough information in this book to make clear the changes since the events of the first books. There's also continuing world building. I find the metaphysics and religio-social stuff very interesting, too. The relationships between the people and their gods and their beliefs and their political/religious histories.
First person narrative, again. I think that I liked Oree just a touch more than I liked Yeine, although the conceit behind the narration is different, and it's possible that it's just that Oree story is more straightforwardly told.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Susanna Clarke
I liked this very much. It was kind of slow going, but I could read it at a pretty measured pace, and it went quite easily. I found it difficult to see where the story was going, how all the threads were going to tie together, and it took me a little while to trust the story. But it all turned out excellently, and the resolution seemed natural for the story without having to distort anything to get it all together.
I appreciated all the women in the story, too. It's close third person and mostly from male points view, as far as I can remember, but the women are both important, and have distinct, personalised roles in the events that unfold.
It's set during the Napoleonic wars, which makes for Regency manners, and a strange discord with the Napoleonic history I've learnt ready Naomi Novak's Temeraire series.
Grifftopia
Matt Taibbi
OMG, this book. Really one of the most astoundingly scary and discomforting books I've read. I'd seen Taibbi interviewed on the Rachel Maddow Show, so I was glad to read this.
It's good. Taibbi's good at breaking down how the most toxic parts of the US financial system operated, and putting the culture and flow on effects into greater context. I also appreciated his sympathy for the Tea Party people and the way the government in the US functions in local, domestic issues as well.
Father read it just before I did, and Mother has read it since. We've been reading bits out to each other and despairing over them, mostly in disbelief that the US actually 'works' the way it does. If you're interested in where the GFC came from or like exclaiming "only in America!", read this book.
This entry is also available on dreamwidth here.