I just discovered that "New Adult" is a genre. Let the binge begin!
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Both authors did a good job of capturing the weirdness that is the summer beforeI just discovered that "New Adult" is a genre. Let the binge begin!
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Both authors did a good job of capturing the weirdness that is the summer before college, and I really enjoy the revival of the epistolary (or semi-epistolary) story! Both sides of the story really captured how chaotic and surreal the summer after high school graduation can feel, and the effect that it has on a person's relationships and on their personal development.
(view spoiler)[I may be a bit jaded but I did find the fact that both girls were happily coupled-up at the end of the story a little strange. Not least because I think I know of a grand total of one high school relationship that survived college. I think the idea that both girls found fulfilling romantic/sexual relationships just before this big transition could have been explored in a little more depth-- that as soon as they started emailing each other they started moving toward becoming the people they wanted to be, which in turn allowed them to interact with their boyfriends in a more satisfying way. Then again, the stories had a lot of ground to cover, and I could say the same about the girls' relationships with their parents, the arcs of which seemed a little superficial. (hide spoiler)]
I think my point is that there's a lot going on in this book because there's a lot going on for people between high school graduation and leaving for college. So it all works out!...more
Binged this audiobook in a day while recovering from a tonsillectomy and loved it!
I was so excited to find out that New Adult is a genre, but then disBinged this audiobook in a day while recovering from a tonsillectomy and loved it!
I was so excited to find out that New Adult is a genre, but then disappointed when most of the entries are heavy romance stories. That's not a judgement! Romance stories can be great and lots of people like them! But I don't prefer that stuff, myself. When I found that NA focuses on college years I was all in-- I am extremely sentimental about my own college experience, and I love the vitality and change and finding-yourself-ness that come with those times.
I adore how this story addresses the many parts of Mei and how they are challenged by her first year at MIT. I love the portrayal of kids of immigrants and the particular difficulties they face. Most of all, I really enjoy how nuanced Chao makes her characters-- in most cases, even if you disagree with a character there will be a moment where their good intentions or their own hardships punch you in the gut.
I have to say I also very much dig the portrayal of nerd college, and I think we need more of it! I am not at all biased here (Caltech '04 go beavers). I could have done with actually a lot more, for lack of a better word, worldbuilding-- there's some good stuff about hacks in the latter half, and several cool traditions are mentioned. And again, maybe I'm biased but a school's particular weirdnesses are a great way to get to know the people that choose to go there. I get that Mei by definition wasn't super involved in a lot of those things, but I definitely found myself wanting to know more about the MIT-ness of her life.
Since I am bedbound and wallowing in my own pain, part of me wonders if the story doesn't wrap up a little too neatly, but honestly? That's what fiction is for. The ending isn't totally buttoned up, but it is hopeful. There are some great epic speeches around the climax of the story that, while maybe not likely in reality, are exactly the sorts of things I'd want to be able to say in those situations.
Anyway, highly recommended for cultural (Taiwanese, nerd) and storytelling (great use of first-person narration) reasons....more
"Mad enough to wish for what she was not mad enough to grasp—now there was a singularly useless lunacy."
I rather wish I'd read this one on paper inste"Mad enough to wish for what she was not mad enough to grasp—now there was a singularly useless lunacy."
I rather wish I'd read this one on paper instead of listening to it, since I don't absorb nearly as much information through the old ear holes, but I still enjoyed it immensely. It's not every day you get to read a fantasy story about a middle-aged woman with a history of emotional trauma and mental illness! I did rather have my hopes up for a lady in armor given the word "paladin" in the title, but that's my own fault and honestly I'm not that disappointed. Love the magic/religion system, love the characters. The story does take its time, like Curse, but Act 3 is a stunner and absolutely worth it.
I hadn't actually finished Curse of Chalion when I started (overlapping availability windows from the library being what they are) and only missed out on a little. I would recommend reading Curse first, but that's just because I'm really into Bujold's world building in these two books....more
I really enjoyed this one-- the only reason it took so long is that I'm still getting used to remembering to listen to audiobooks while I'm doing otheI really enjoyed this one-- the only reason it took so long is that I'm still getting used to remembering to listen to audiobooks while I'm doing other things, and then I'd have to get back in the queue to check it out again! Anyway, I loved the world building-- the religious system is fantastic, one of my favorites ever-- and the characters are all well rounded and memorable. It shouldn't be too surprising that Bujold knows what she's doing, but it is gratifying to get such... organization? Basically, the details are all relevant one way or another and I love how they all get woven into the plot and tied together at the end. I will have to revisit this one on paper at some point, but then again I have a whole lot of Bujold to read too, so.......more
Pros: Thrawn is great and I always love reading about him. It's been fun to have him as a POV character, since that was never allowed in the Legends!EPros: Thrawn is great and I always love reading about him. It's been fun to have him as a POV character, since that was never allowed in the Legends!EU. Similarly, I don't think I've ever read a story with Vader as a POV character and that was quite an interesting experience. I liked how this story allowed for a direct comparison between his leadership style (and hence the effectiveness of his crew) and that of Vader. Honestly it was just fun watching both Anakin and Vader sweat because they knew Thrawn wasn't buying their bullshit. I'm excited that the new!EU is taking advantage of the reboot and including plenty of women supporting characters (especially my girl Faro). And I enjoy the idea of telling these parallel stories.
Cons: The execution of the parallel stories didn't really work for me. There were some cute callbacks from the later story to the earlier, but I think the two stories needed more than just Thrawn to tie them together-- something thematic maybe, a little more emphasis on how these wars have affected the bystanders on these Outer Rim worlds perhaps. It made the pacing feel odd and a little disjoint. Finally, the appearance of Batuu (which was half the reason I picked up this book) felt very shoehorned in, as if The Powers That Be dictated that Black Spire Outpost be used in the story but Zahn wanted everyone off that planet and to a location of his own choosing ASAP.
Also I really miss Eli Vanto okay.
Anyway, all told I enjoyed this book fine but I was very much able to put it down and often forgot to pick it back up.
Side note: It's very cool that Zahn is sneaking more of his Legends stuff into the new!EU (Rukh, even the idea of a Noghri, cortosis, etc) but COME ON WHERE IS MY MARA JADE ALREADY?...more
On hiatus. Wasn't a fan of the part where it was implied that medical trauma can turn a kid into a serial killer. The rest of the book was reasonable,On hiatus. Wasn't a fan of the part where it was implied that medical trauma can turn a kid into a serial killer. The rest of the book was reasonable, seemed like good advice, but that tweaked my anxiety a little too much to continue. Will try again some other time....more
I really wanted to like this one. I used to follow Captain Marvel's comics closely, but fell off in recent years (pre-Civil-War-II, notably), but withI really wanted to like this one. I used to follow Captain Marvel's comics closely, but fell off in recent years (pre-Civil-War-II, notably), but with the movie and FCBD I was excited to get back on the train. But this story... just doesn't ever seem to have a story. Who/what is Bean? Why doesn't the universal translator work on her? Is a single conversation in a bar going to salvage Carol's friendship with Jess even though it seems like the philosophical disagreements of CWII would make for far deeper rifts than that, but I read summaries, not the books, I admit. (Also Jess mentioned spit-up... how long has that baby been a baby???). I just kept waiting for the questions to stop arising and start getting answered and they kind of never did.
Also, and I get that I'm one of about four people who cares... but HLA markers are an actual thing-- molecules that are on the surface of literally every human cell-- so having taken *a lot* of immunology that whole "explanation" was not just technobabbly, but actively confusing because I had to ignore what I know about that phrase!
I still like Carol, the art was decent, and it was entertaining enough, but I'm not exactly sprinting out to get volume 2 is what I'm saying. Maybe I'll just go back and read KSD's run again....more
Almost enough Brain Drain for me. He's the best and I love him. Also Nancy and now Mary. And Doreen of course. Okay I just love everyone in this book.Almost enough Brain Drain for me. He's the best and I love him. Also Nancy and now Mary. And Doreen of course. Okay I just love everyone in this book.
Not super keen that the new artist decided to slim-down Doreen and give all the women basically the same body shape, I gotta be honest. But outside of that I have no complaints about the art change....more
Reread 2019 in advance of the miniseries. (I forget when I first read it, but it was, I believe, after I'd read Sandman and American Gods but before IReread 2019 in advance of the miniseries. (I forget when I first read it, but it was, I believe, after I'd read Sandman and American Gods but before I'd read a single other Pratchett)
This is one that I don't mind re-reading because it's so dense and wonderful and fundamentally hopeful in a cynical way. Or cynical in a hopeful way? It feels balanced. One might say ineffable.
I love how they play with mythology and biblical prophesy, and I love how all the characters are rich and entertaining and well-written. I love the footnotes. Anathema Device may be the greatest character name in history. (Well, second after Bob Loblaw. Still.)
I'm not sure there's much more I can say about this one. Not that it would be spoilery (can you spoil a book about prophecies?) but because what would be the point? It's just really that good. I am jealous of Gaiman for getting to work with Pratchett, and jealous of Pratchett for getting to work with Gaiman. Mostly I'm just grateful they worked together and we have this book now....more
I will never cease to be weirded out by how much I enjoy Vlogbrothers and their online content contrasted with how overwhelmingly "meh" I feel about tI will never cease to be weirded out by how much I enjoy Vlogbrothers and their online content contrasted with how overwhelmingly "meh" I feel about their books. Is it me? Am I the wrong age? Am I just jealous that Hank got to be a bestseller because the legions of Nerdfighteria were always going to buy his book en masse no matter what?
There are some interesting threads and good ideas here, but those threads never really came together. Not only that, but they seem fundamentally incompatible with each other-- is this a book about first contact or about how fame corrupts or about how humanity can be great if we work together? Maybe any two of those could work, but all three at the same time just felt... weird.
I think the main problem is this used to be two books and now it's one. I was surprised at how many plot threads came up and seemed forgotten (April's sexual orientation, for one, was made a huge deal of twice but nothing ever really came of it, and her romantic relationships often seemed like they should be a bigger deal but then were sidelined). I think the book is in an awkward place where it would kind of like to be standalone with an ambiguous ending but we all know (or we do now, I didn't when I started!) that there's more coming.
I think parts of the book just Aren't For Me. I think April is supposed to be flawed in a relatable way but I spent most of the book frantically reading faster in the hopes that she'd start to make better decisions and stop treating everyone who cares about her so badly. I think it's a sign I'm An Old, but mostly I felt bad for her parents. So because I didn't find her relatable or even particularly likeable, I have this big blank in my head for why she was the Chosen One all along. It's a big piece of information that feels like it's supposed to be implicitly understood that there's something about her that makes her especially suited for the job, but I just don't see it.
I originally had more complaining here. I had just finished the book and I'm in that mood of "you made me Feel Things and I rushed to finish this story because I was so sure you were going to make everything make sense and have a point and then you kind of didn't so I feel let down." But almost everyone else really loved the book, and who am I to say they shouldn't?
It was intensely readable, and I liked the puzzle-solving stuff. It was like Ready Player One but without the self-important nerd references. Except for the bit at the Magic Castle that kind of went nowhere? The suspense is managed well, and is quite effective for making the thing quite a page-turner. I like that the book dealt so directly with internet fame and social media and the effects they have on people-- both the stars and non-stars. That feels important right now, especially with the connection to politics and radicalism.
I know I marked 2 stars, and that's at least partially because I am frustrated with the time I spent, and that's not a fun feeling. It also seems like everyone else got something out of the book that I didn't, which always makes me feel bad for giving lower ratings that reflect my own experience, but also makes me kind of jealous that I don't get to be part of that enthusiastic crowd!...more
Full disclosure: I am 300% in the tank for the original Thrawn trilogy, Thrawn himself being my second-favorite Star Wars character ever. I may never Full disclosure: I am 300% in the tank for the original Thrawn trilogy, Thrawn himself being my second-favorite Star Wars character ever. I may never forgive the powers that be for negating that series (and ffs WHEN IS MARA JADE COMING BACK TO CANON????) but I will admit to enjoying most of the new canon, particularly Rebels.
That being said, I put off reading this book for a long time. Actually, I didn't read it until after Rebels ended, which may honestly have cost the book a star in my ratings. This story is undercut a bit by the Rebels finale, I feel, but it's still absolutely worth reading.
My main concern was that I loved how the original Thrawn trilogy did such a great job of using an external POV character in all the sections that featured the grand admiral. It gave him a wonderful alien feel, and also helped Zahn get away with the "he's so good it almost doesn't make sense" characterization of Thrawn. Also, I thought Pellaeon was pretty relatable. I was worried that Thrawn POV would take away that air of mystery and hyperconfidence. More than that, I didn't want to read a story where Thrawn learns to be that hyperconfident person-- I love him for that competence and for me personally, an arc where he starts out less smart would not have been much fun.
Two things helped my fears not come true.
1. Eli Vanto. As Thrawn's human helper, he's set up in the same way as Pellaeon, to give the audience an insert for reacting to Thrawn. But also, and I recognize that this is a personal thing, Eli very much struck a chord with me. I usually feel like the less-smart person, though I'm great with details and just as smart (if slower to react), so I had great fun imagining myself in Eli's position. He's great and I hope we get to see more of him.
2. Thrawn's arc wasn't "how he learned to be a military genius." It was how he learned everything else, and how he adapted to working for the Empire.
As a bonus, I also thought Zahn did a remarkable job of writing a pro-Empire story that didn't make me feel icky. Without giving too much away, he actually contrasted Thrawn's goals and tactics with those of both the Empire establishment and the Emperor himself, in a way that made Thrawn a great protagonist and that brought nuance to the Empire itself. I'm usually pretty squicked by Emprie apologetics, but I found the detail with which Zahn writes about the individuals working within the Imperial machine pretty compelling.
And now that I know more about Pryce I need to go back and rewatch Rebels. So that's cool too....more
I saw this at the second hand book shop and figured it was time to give Riordan another try. So far, only Magnus Chase has really grabbed me, and thisI saw this at the second hand book shop and figured it was time to give Riordan another try. So far, only Magnus Chase has really grabbed me, and this book didn't change that pattern unfortunately. I liked both Piper and Leo, and the premise is interesting (if not terribly developed in this volume), but Jason-- like Percy before him-- just wasn't interesting enough for me to get invested in the mystery of who he is and why he's here. There's plenty of good action and adventure here-- it's a little surreal that our very own local Mt Diablo features prominently, but I'm into it-- but I'm not in a hurry to read more of the series just now....more
Wasn't quite what I was expecting, but then again I'm not totally sure what I was expecting. Some of the chapters made me cringe-- driving an expensivWasn't quite what I was expecting, but then again I'm not totally sure what I was expecting. Some of the chapters made me cringe-- driving an expensive rental car already sounded like an utter nightmare to me personally!...more
There's so much going on in this story. I started reading it in November, and between NaNo and then (ironically) all the December holiday stuff I founThere's so much going on in this story. I started reading it in November, and between NaNo and then (ironically) all the December holiday stuff I found it a bit of a challenge to keep up with the plot. That being said, it all ties together beautifully and I can definitely see myself rereading it annually. Death is great, Susan is great, Ponder Stibbons is the best wizard, special cameo by Nobby Nobbs, and DIVIDE BY CUCUMBER ERROR....more