Ladies First: February 2013 Dare
Happy February, and welcome to Calico's Dares 2013: Ladies First. This is where I select a book that I have already read (and loved) and dare YOU, my readers, to read it and share your thoughts.
Here are some ground rules:
1) Read on your own time. Don't feel obligated to finish this book by the end of the month or even the end of the year. Read it when you want, when you're able. The only thing I ask is once you finish it that you fill out the poll and then discuss the book at my original review (and to be nice, I've provided links to both the Live Journal and Word Press versions of the review). That's it!
2) If I'm daring you a book you've already read, you're obviously not expected to re-read the book unless you want. Feel free to read the sequel to this book, or another book by this author. Or check out the current month's "You Dare Me" selection and following along with your dare to me. Or sit back, do nothing and tell me all about your thoughts reading this book at the provided link.
3) For those of you who HAVE already read this month's dare, or other books by this author, I have one request: if you're not a fan, do not comment here. You are welcome to visit my original review and rant your heart out, but please, do not do so here. I don't want to discourage anyone from reading a book they might be interested in because a few people are grumbling about it. After all, I'm daring it because I loved it, and with every book, some people will like it, and some people won't. That's fine. But don't try to sway readers away from the book. They can go to Amazon reviews for that. ;) And the only reason I bring this up is because in 2011 when I did Calico's Dares, the lowest participation for a book happened on a book that a few people said they didn't like from the start, which was a shame, because I really loved that book and wanted to share it with others, and those that did take up the dare ended up loving the book too. So please, comment on my review, not here.
4) The most important thing: HAVE FUN. If you're not interested in the dare, don't read it. No worries. If you are, I hope you get around to it. No worries!
And now, with all that in mind, let's see what I've got in store for you this month….
Solitaire (2002)
by Kelley Eskridge
ISBN: 978-1931520102
Synopsis
Jackal Segura is a Hope: born to responsibility and privilege as a symbol of a fledgling world government. Soon she’ll become part of the global administration, sponsored by the huge corporation that houses, feeds, employs, and protects her and everyone she loves. Then, just as she discovers that everything she knows is a lie, she becomes a pariah, a murderer: a person with no community and no future. Grief-stricken and alone, she is put into an experimental program designed to inflict the experience of years of solitary confinement in a few short months: virtual confinement in a sealed cell within her own mind. Afterward, branded and despised, she returns to a world she no longer knows. Struggling to make her way, she has a chance to rediscover her life, her love, and her soul-in a strange place of shattered hopes and new beginnings called Solitaire.
Why Read It?
Your February Dare to me is Geoff Ryman's Air, which--to my understanding--is a near-future, soft/social SF novel. So for my dare to YOU, I wanted to offer the same, but of course, written by a woman. I had three titles in mind, but after reviewing participation for my January dare to you, I decided to go with a title that many people may not have heard of, let alone read. Soft/social SF has a special place in my heart, and my dare to you was quite the captivating read for me.
Why should you give this a shot? The need for more diversification in SF and Fantasy is something I hear more and more about. Readers want books that reflect the world we REALLY live in, with characters they can relate to. Solitaire provides a non-white, non-straight heroine, which immediately makes this book a must-read for those who are begging for something different. It's a quiet, character-centric story that doesn't cater to traditional tropes, which makes it a rather unique read. Don't be fooled by the simplistic cover: this is quite the gem.
Once You Read It, Please Do The Following:
1) Fill out the poll: HERE
2) Discuss the book: HERE on Live Journal or HERE on Word Press.
And that's it!
Happy Reading!SIGN UP: don't want to miss out on a single dare? Get monthly email notifications! Sign up HERE!
Here are some ground rules:
1) Read on your own time. Don't feel obligated to finish this book by the end of the month or even the end of the year. Read it when you want, when you're able. The only thing I ask is once you finish it that you fill out the poll and then discuss the book at my original review (and to be nice, I've provided links to both the Live Journal and Word Press versions of the review). That's it!
2) If I'm daring you a book you've already read, you're obviously not expected to re-read the book unless you want. Feel free to read the sequel to this book, or another book by this author. Or check out the current month's "You Dare Me" selection and following along with your dare to me. Or sit back, do nothing and tell me all about your thoughts reading this book at the provided link.
3) For those of you who HAVE already read this month's dare, or other books by this author, I have one request: if you're not a fan, do not comment here. You are welcome to visit my original review and rant your heart out, but please, do not do so here. I don't want to discourage anyone from reading a book they might be interested in because a few people are grumbling about it. After all, I'm daring it because I loved it, and with every book, some people will like it, and some people won't. That's fine. But don't try to sway readers away from the book. They can go to Amazon reviews for that. ;) And the only reason I bring this up is because in 2011 when I did Calico's Dares, the lowest participation for a book happened on a book that a few people said they didn't like from the start, which was a shame, because I really loved that book and wanted to share it with others, and those that did take up the dare ended up loving the book too. So please, comment on my review, not here.
4) The most important thing: HAVE FUN. If you're not interested in the dare, don't read it. No worries. If you are, I hope you get around to it. No worries!
And now, with all that in mind, let's see what I've got in store for you this month….
Solitaire (2002)
by Kelley Eskridge
ISBN: 978-1931520102
Synopsis
Jackal Segura is a Hope: born to responsibility and privilege as a symbol of a fledgling world government. Soon she’ll become part of the global administration, sponsored by the huge corporation that houses, feeds, employs, and protects her and everyone she loves. Then, just as she discovers that everything she knows is a lie, she becomes a pariah, a murderer: a person with no community and no future. Grief-stricken and alone, she is put into an experimental program designed to inflict the experience of years of solitary confinement in a few short months: virtual confinement in a sealed cell within her own mind. Afterward, branded and despised, she returns to a world she no longer knows. Struggling to make her way, she has a chance to rediscover her life, her love, and her soul-in a strange place of shattered hopes and new beginnings called Solitaire.
Why Read It?
Your February Dare to me is Geoff Ryman's Air, which--to my understanding--is a near-future, soft/social SF novel. So for my dare to YOU, I wanted to offer the same, but of course, written by a woman. I had three titles in mind, but after reviewing participation for my January dare to you, I decided to go with a title that many people may not have heard of, let alone read. Soft/social SF has a special place in my heart, and my dare to you was quite the captivating read for me.
Why should you give this a shot? The need for more diversification in SF and Fantasy is something I hear more and more about. Readers want books that reflect the world we REALLY live in, with characters they can relate to. Solitaire provides a non-white, non-straight heroine, which immediately makes this book a must-read for those who are begging for something different. It's a quiet, character-centric story that doesn't cater to traditional tropes, which makes it a rather unique read. Don't be fooled by the simplistic cover: this is quite the gem.
Once You Read It, Please Do The Following:
1) Fill out the poll: HERE
2) Discuss the book: HERE on Live Journal or HERE on Word Press.
And that's it!
Happy Reading!SIGN UP: don't want to miss out on a single dare? Get monthly email notifications! Sign up HERE!