River of Teeth, Sarah Gailey

 

River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey  I had read Upright Women Wanted and found it to be less than I had hoped, but I love the premise of this book and really hope it is more enjoyable.  This is the first book in the River of Teeth series.

Started: 3/3/2023
Completed: 3/3/2023
Recommended: Mild Recommendation
Recommended By: Nobody, but I did read a review which described the plot

Review:

I think that there was a lot more space to work with this story, but it sort of became an LGBTQ+ western.  I'm not all that interested in westerns, so it kind of lost me there.  It did talk about some of the nature of revenge and there were interesting character reveals.  In short, it is a short read and worth the space, but not the great read for which I was hoping.

The Relentless Moon, Mary Robinette Kowal

 

The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal is the third book in A Lady Astronaut Series.

Started: 7/6/2022
Completed: 11/27/2022
Recommendation: Mild Recommendation
Recommended By: Nobody

Review:

I did not like the change in narrator for this book.  I have consistently found this character off-putting and truly did not find her less so inside her own head.  Some of the details revealed helped explain why she was able to cope with the astronaut program (and, oddly, other details made it clear she should not have done well).  The "fog of war" approach to different aspects of the astronaut corps not really knowing what other parts were doing as well as sketch communications worked, but it just made me yearn for the smaller scope books which focused on one person and her effort to do one thing--be an astronaut--instead of the narrator for this book who seemed to be doing, well, almost everything.  Being one of the first exploring the moon did not jive very well with the concept of the women being after thoughts in the astronaut corps as a whole and so was a little too convenient.

Weapons of Choice, John Birmingham

Weapons of Choice by John Birmingham is the first in a series of books that I got free on the Kindle.  This book was nominated for the Locus Award for best first novel.

Started:  10/23/2013

Completed: Never

Recommendation: Do not waste your time

Recommended By: Nobody

Review:

So, if you like reading about incredibly offensive opinions that may or may not have been common in the 1940s, then this is the book for you.  Otherwise, the premise is shallow and the implementation is weak.  Do not waste your time.  I wasted too much of mine.

Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart is written in the style of ancient Chinese literature.  It is an imaginary story that takes place in an imaginary China circa 600.  I've had this book on my reading list for 15 years and finally got a copy.

Started:  3/26/2011
Completed: 4/4/2011
Recommendation: EXCELLENT, fun, read!
Recommended By:  I think I read about this book in the Washington Post Book Review
Words I looked up:


bonze -- a Buddhist priest in Japan

Review:  What a fun book!  From references like a story that one of the characters gives of his life that beings with:  "It was a dark and stormy night..."  There is clear humor and there is subtle humor and there is the humor that you get three pages later.  This is the kind of book where you have to share a passage with someone else!  If you read only one book in 15 years, this would not be it, but if you need a good beach read or you want an exciting chuckle (it is an adventure novel) then run out to a used book store (it is out of print) and grab a copy.  You will not regret it.