Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage

Book 3 of 2018 is the 5th in the Agatha Raisin series, Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton.

I am so very glad I went on to the 5th book in this long series. This is one of the best books I've read since the first book and it is grand. Nothing goes well but many things do. It's what I like about the reality of this fantasy.

This is a series I am already continuing by consuming the sixth book right after.

4 complicated men out of 5.

Should I read this? Again, yes. For the Agatha Christie fans.
What did I learn? I love this style of mystery. So easy. So enjoyable.

The Hate U Give

Book 74 is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

GoodReads readers voted this book Best Debut GoodReads Author and Best Young Adult Fiction of 2017. That made this a must read.

Everyone has been talking about this book from the day it was release... or maybe even prior. It is a now book in the US with white cops killing black kids more often than you'd imagine and always without warrant.

When told from the mouth of a teenager, this book breaks you heart. Her family makes you smile. Her friends make you cringe. Her inner monologue makes you remember those young years you lived and how little fear you felt in comparison.

There is a reason for the hype around this very easy to read but very hard to accept story. The world shouldn't be like this but it is. Good books make you want to read them again. Great books change your entire world view. This is somewhere in between those two points.

Do read it.

5 dictator black mothers out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes, especially if you live in the racially charged USA.
What did I learn? I had an easy and safe childhood.

All These Worlds

Book 67 is All These Worlds, which is book 3 of the Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor.

Rarely have I liked a trilogy this much. There were tough moments but all in all, this was an original and wonderful idea.

The only other time I have seen this idea of alternate selves was in ultimate dimensions. Taylor solves this with one dimension and the idea of slight differences in instantiations of the same person.

You know Bob 0 is no longer around.

A brilliant series worth reading, despite the slow middle bit.

4 Bobs out of 5.

Should I read this? For all modern sci-fi fans.
What did I learn? White middle-class male entitlement may persist hundreds of years into the future but at least I'll be dead.

For We Are Many

Book 66 is For We Are Many which is book 2 of the Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor.

This has absolutely been an original and thoroughly entertaining series for me and one I shall continue to read.

The thing that became painful in this book specifically, was Bob's ego. It's fragile like an entitled white male geek boy from San Francisco. I had to actively try to avoid thinking of how whiney and weak he was while he constantly found he was impressed with himself. I guess replicant evolution doesn't evolve passed white male entitlement... or maybe it is the author.

Nonetheless, after finishing this I have skipped right on to the third and final book of the series.

There is something about the idea of the Bobs that I love. It is the many instantiations of their evolution or their exaggerated biases. I don't know. I simply enjoy them all.

4 growth opportunities out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes to Star Trek explorer kinds of sci-fi lovers.
What did I learn? I am glad there is only one of me in the world. Facing my many versions would be very confronting.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

 

Book 64 is We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor.

I read this because it had been recommended a thousand times. The reason I hadn't picked it up was because it sounded like it was about some Silicon Valley frat boy type who cryogenically froze himself and came back to save the world.

Truth is, it kinda is but he is likeable.

The philosophical questions got me through this whole book. His righteous confidence and entitlement made me cringe but I rubbernecked it like a true human.

An interesting and unique concept.

4 Bobs out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes. No bobs about it.
What did I learn? Is AI nature or nurture.

Finnikin of the Rock

Book 58 is Finnikin of the Rock which is book 1 of the Lumatere Chronicles by Aussie author Melina Marchetta.

My friend Vicky recommended I read this when we were randomly discussing fantasy books and I am so glad she did. With a solid trilogy already published, I see this distracting me for hours.

As always with female authors (and not surprisingly), the female characters are strong, multi-layered and interesting to read. So are the men. I really wish male authors could start doing this well.

The main character is a young man who doesn't whine or whinge about slights to his entitlement. The female lead plays his second, yet holds a higher standing to him.

This is well written and the world well imagined.

5 girls broken but strong out of 5.

Should I read this? Only if you like fantasy. If so, then YES.
What did I learn? I am learning to pick the kind of fantasy I like better and wasting less time on rubbish. Recommendations help now that people know what I like.

La Belle Sauvage

Book 57 is La Belle Sauvage by Phillip Pullman.

Having never read The Golden Compass, I picked up this book because everyone was excited about it. Yes, yes, I didn't ask why they were excited.

This is obviously a very well established and thought through world and that came across in this famous prequel. I didn't feel I was missing anything except maybe nostalgia in picking this up first.

On of my next series will have to be His Dark Materials, for sure.

5 spirit animals out of 5.

Should I read this? This would suit most ages and fiction appetites, so yes.
What did I learn? I need to read the children's classics that I missed.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Book 48 is The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson.

I've seen this book on best seller lists, in bookstores and did want to read it but it took my upcoming trip to Chicago to push me into reading it now and quickly.

This is a thick book so I wasn't confident in finishing it within the week I had before leaving for for my long weekend in that city.

I'm glad I started it. I'm glad I had no idea that it was non-fiction until about halfway through when I googled it and found out it was based in truth... actual truth.

As I head to that city hoping I shan't meet a serial killer, I'm excited to see the city that hosted the 1893 World's Fair. The city with soggy ground, enclaves, a huge mix of different people, high standards in food and a history.

Mostly, that history.

5 dead wives of 5.

Should I read this? One of the best books I have read in a while and absolutely the best historical non-fiction I've read in a decade.
What did I learn? No Air BNBs.

The End of Eternity

Book 35 of 2017 is The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov.

Wow, Asimov. Wow.

Every time I pick up a classic, I expect to be disappointed. Let me explain. Classics changed the world in their time and don't always travel through time well. I should have known that a time travel book would do so. Lesson learnt.

I picked this up this morning and was sad when I had to leave it with two chapters to go to head out to brunch with a friend. On returning, I consumed it fully and now can't recommend it more vehemently than this.

Read this book. For sci-fi lovers and book lover alike.

5 kettles out of 5.

Should I read this? Yeah, duh.
What did I learn? Asimov persists as one of the greatest sci-fi writers in history but does he have a time machine.

A Closed and Common Orbit

Book 33 of 2017 is A Closed and Common Orbit by Beck Chambers.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, I gifted e-books to two of my friends and insisted they read it. It was not as well received as I had hoped but that is ok. I really really like this series.

Despite the fact that the characters I became attached to in the first book were not major characters in this one, the established world and its species differentiation made this very enjoyable.

There were quite a few ethical challenges for me around artificial intelligence. I was uncomfortable a number of times with certain choices made but Chambers makes this easy to swallow.

If you start any series this year, start this one.

4 lines of altered code out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes. A solid series to commit to.
What did I learn? I am human biased. I am not sure how to change that but I am thinking about it now.

Carve the Mark

Book 32 of 2017 is Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth.

Yes, THAT Veronica Roth. She wrote the Divergent series. And we all know I loved that series. Possibly even more than The Hunger Games.

Roth does not disappoint in this well written, philosophically challenging and original series start that proclaims are brilliant female protagonist. She has dimensions that don't make her complicated but instead make her relatable. That is what I love about this book.

My only complaint is that I read this before the next one was written. Amateur move, for sure. Now I'm hanging out for the rest of the series.

5 marks carved out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes. You will enjoy it, no matter who you are.
What did I learn? I still don't like Hollywood endings. Challenge me and I'll love you.

How To Train Your Dragon

Book 6 of 2017 is How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell.

For a book that is aimed at children, this transcends all those boundaries. My friend Katie chose this as an audio book for a road trip we did last weekend and it was perfect. Light, well read by Dr. Who (David Tennant) and an enjoyable story with characters I wanted to love and hate. This is wonderful on every level.

This is the kind of book that you should read no matter your age.

Five toothless heroes out of five.

Should I read this? Yes. No buts about it. Just read it already.
What did I learn? Scholars are heroes.

Slaughterhouse Five

Book 27 of 2016 is Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

This book is original. It follows no cadence I know and chooses to tell it's story how it feels fit. You have to respect that. Or, so it goes.

It has been a very long time since I have read a book and felt every chapter was an easy breeze carrying so much weight. Actually, I'm not sure I can say it has ever been quite like this.

This is a war novel, a sci fi novel and a travel journal rolled in to one.

Five time travels out of five.

Should I read this? Yes. No buts about it. Just read this.
What did I learn? There is hope that life in not sequential.

The 5th Wave

Book 18 of 2016 is The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey.

This book has been on list of books to read since 2014. It was actually in my top ten reads and kept getting pushed down the list by other books because I always knew I'd read it one day. It only took two years to get there.

This is another Young Adult book, which is I genre I enjoy for the adventure and very easy reading.

This is another post apocalyptic tale with a strong female lead with a mission that will not be taken from her.

This is another sit down and read in two days book.

The main character Cassie is believable and likeable. There are moments when she says something very teenage girl and then snaps herself out of it. This gave truly gives away the fact that a man wrote her and not a woman. I say this because women can have multiple trains of thought going simultaneously without so deliberately halting a thought as silly and starting a new one. That other way is a very male way of thinking.

Through this book, all the major characters are fighting to save someone more innocent than themselves. It is as if when the world as they new it ended, they fought to hold on to their own innocence. This is repeated and honed as a well played metaphor in this story. Nicely original in many ways. Or at least originally presented.

Four waves out of five.

Should I read this? Yes, if you like sci-fi AND you like young adult fiction.
What did I learn? We protect in others what we lost in ourselves.

Cinder

Book 17 of 2016 is Cinder by Marissa Meyer. This is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles.

I mostly cringe at fairytales - originals or those retold.

Unlike the massive fail that was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as a mashup of genres, this sci-fi fairytale is a total win. Even the lovey dovey teenage rubbish doesn't dominate and is managed well by the female lead.

The plot was nowhere near as vacuous as the original and follows it very loosely. This was more like a modern teeny bopper sci-fi story than any fairytale.

Now to read the rest of the Lunar Chronicles.


Four kick-ass female mechanics out of five.

Should I read this? If you like old stories re-written well and with better female characters then you should.
What did I learn? Saving the world is much more important than falling in love.

Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki

Book 16 of 2016 is Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami.

I enjoy most of what Murakami writes but sometimes find it tedious in its challenges. That is why I purchased this book at the end of last year but only read it now.

Once I picked this up, I could not put it down. Over a few days, it took self control (not my forte) to put this down and actually sleep each night. Last night, I completed the book after ignoring that pesky self control blah.

This is not so much a book about friendship as it is a book about having a sense of self and self worth in friendship. That is why I connected with this book. There are many moments of self doubt when I wonder why anyone would bother being my friend, when they are such a cool person.

There were unanswered moments of supernatural fear and this book left me wondering many many things. I think that is why some hate it and some love it. Not all questions are answered but then... some unasked questions are answered so sincerely that it feels balanced.

I want to gift this book to everyone I know. The last time I felt like this was last April when I read Love in the Time of Cholera.

Four friends missing their completion out of five.

Should I read this? Yes.It is simple. Yes.
What did I learn? Writing is a talent. Some people have it in spades.

Good Omens

Book 14 of 2016 is Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

If you've heard my Gaiman (or as I know him, Amanda Palmer's husband) rants then you will know that I love him as a person and have read many of his books. I loved Neverwhere but have not enjoyed much since. Yes, I even diss American Gods.

This book was recommended to me by so many people that I had to give in and read it.

I stand corrected. This is brilliant. That may be due to Pratchett though :p

The idea that the world isn't perfect but it is imperfectly wonderful, is one that I truly share. The pop culture references and hilarious British humour won me over within the first couple of chapters.

This is so good that I didn't want to finish. I am sad it is over.

Five cute hounds of hell out of five.

Should I read this? Yes. Even if you don't like Gaiman's other stories.
What did I learn? Good and evil are relative. I knew that but now more so.

Timebound

Book 9 of 2016 is Timebound by Rysa Walker.

This was another Kindle Unlimited book that I chose because it was free. Again, this was a great recommendation that I didn't expect much from. When will I learn that the one thing you can trust on Amazon is a book rating?

Another strong female lead who I want to read more about. In fact, all the important characters are women or respectful supportive males. Obviously written by another female. I didn't know that for sure until I checked while writing this. Female sci-fi fantasy authors are owning the genre in these modern times and thank goodness for that.

These are not only written for women but for everyone and quite well. Well worth the read.

4 disappearing photo IDs out of 5.

Should I read this?  Yes and possibly the whole series. It is so promising.
What did I learn? Recessive genes can really count against you.

Departure

Book 8 of 2016 is Departure by A, G, Riddle.

Again, I wasn't expecting too much and this could be because my random choices of science fiction are based on the blurb on the back of the book and that is never written well.

Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised by the way this book was told in the male and female voice and that the twists really were not predictable.

There are many complex relationships in this book and a bunch of likable and drownable characters in this book, which leaves you feeling like you really cared what happened in the end.

The final couple of chapters kept me engaged right up until the last page.

This i an original tale and one I am already recommending to friends and colleagues.

4 flights to Heathrow of 5.

Should I read this? This is only for sci-fi fans.

What did I learn? The good of the many outweighs the good of the one. Haha, no, Spock taught me that.

Frostfire

Book 7 of 2016 is Frostfire by Amanda Hocking.

This is the first book in The Kanin Chronicles and that is the only thing that annoyed me about this book. It ends in a to be continued stance and this irks me because I think first books should always stand proudly on their own without the need of the rest of the series. If not, you better not carry on for more than 3 books.

The female protagonist is very teenage girl but she has an independent mind and that is nice to see in a fantasy book. A female author obviously makes for good female characters. The main character and the mysterious criminal she pursues make this series worth chasing alongside her.

4 gilled relatives of 5.

Should I read this? For fantasy readers who like mystery and good female characters.
What did I learn? Not all trolls are ugly.