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Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, 367pp
I reread Good Omens since I want to watch the TV show (my Dad finally got me the right version, but it won't play on my tablet, only the computer. So I will watch it on weekends over the next few weeks). I forgot a lot of the details over the years but the book was still hilarious. I love its humor; I was giggling in a lot of places.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell, 320pp
I really enjoyed this one. By now I read all of Rowell's books except for Carry On, which I'm not planning on reading. This was as expected very enjoyable. I figured out it was a loop fairly quickly, before the character did. I really liked the relationship between Georgie and Neil, especially young Neil (since we don't really see much of the adult Neil other than he inability to pick up the phone. Also I would be pissed at my husband for not picking up the phone for a whole week even if he was mad, since that is some juvenile behavior right there -I would want to talk about the kids and not just about the sulking.) But through conversations with young Neil, I could see why they loved each other and why they would want to keep working on it. I liked being in Georgie's head.
One thing I didn't buy were the ages of her kids. She has two girls, 4 and 7, and her 7 year old was acting like my 4 year old (now 5), and her 4 year old seemed like a toddler. Her girls just seemed much younger than real kids are.
I didn't realize the couple that helps Georgie at the end were supposed to be Cather and Levi from Fangirl until I just read it in the online plot summary. Huh.
Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold [Vorkosigan Saga], 288pp
Nothing was really happening for the first 1/3 of the book. Elli and Miles got together but was pretty much it. It was only once the switch happened that the book picked up. Then it was pretty fun, especially by the final action sequence where each tower had a different group of people trying to get them and Miles had to figure out how to avoid them all and to get out of the situation. I always really like when Bujold escalates to the ridiculous and Miles just has to improvise as he gets deeper and deeper. I was spoiled that there will be a clone, so when Miles first makes up the story to the reporter it was really funny. But I didn't know too many details about it, so actual appearance was interesting. Although wouldn't 17 and early-mid twenties look different enough to arouse suspicion? I liked Miles' concern for Mark and giving Mark his name. It is a dynamic I'm looking forward to see more off. Looking forward to more of the series as usual.
Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovich [Rivers of London 2], 288pp
When I was in Miami I wanted to start something light, and this has been on my list for a long time (when I looked it up, I read the first book in 2016, liked it but didn't love it and haven't been moved to read the next one. But it remained on my library Kindle wish list, so I figured why not.) I liked this book more than the first one, maybe because there is a little less set up. And also I was just not a fan of the face falling off aspect of the first book. The magic in this series is so much more gross physically than other magical series although Dresden Files does not shy from the way magic can mess someone up nor is magic in Harry Potter that innocent if you start to think of what the spell can do (the killing curse is just not as gross physically. Werewolf bites though were never pretty.). Anyone, I enjoyed the plots of these books although I figured out about Simone almost at once. I can never take the book seriously when the characters are having sex all night long with little rest - that would chafe and also, get some sleep, - so I figured there was a supernatural element there. But Simone's story ended up quite sad and didn't go in the direction I was expecting. The other storyline was mostly an introduction to the Faceless magician so I'm not sure how I will like it overall. I continue to like Peter's need to study magic like science and how is teaching Nightingale to behave in a modern world (i.e. not using 'black magician' as descriptor). So overall I'm much more likely to pick up book 3 next year instead of waiting another 3 years.
Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre, 316pp [Hugo book]
Vonda N. McIntyre did this spring so it felt appropriate to read her for my 5 Hugo books a year goal. This book was a Hugo in 1979 and it read differently than other 70s winners (and I read 2 others just this year). For one thing, the main character is a healer named Snake, who travels in the desert and mountains to heal people. There are other women characters who talk to each other and have full lives. And Snake is just a wonderful character and person and interesting to spend the book with. The love interest is a decent man but not someone who has to come to her rescue. Snake saves herself and Melissa in the end. He is pretty much an unexpected reward. The book takes place in apocalyptic world so a lot of dialogue feels a little stiff sometimes to portray a little more simplicity but at the same time it worked. Many families are more than one partner, same sex relationships are casually referred to and it just seems like a more modern book than one written in late 70s. I'm really enjoying reading all these Hugo winners - they are all so different from each other and it is letting me discover some lovely stuff.
I reread Good Omens since I want to watch the TV show (my Dad finally got me the right version, but it won't play on my tablet, only the computer. So I will watch it on weekends over the next few weeks). I forgot a lot of the details over the years but the book was still hilarious. I love its humor; I was giggling in a lot of places.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell, 320pp
I really enjoyed this one. By now I read all of Rowell's books except for Carry On, which I'm not planning on reading. This was as expected very enjoyable. I figured out it was a loop fairly quickly, before the character did. I really liked the relationship between Georgie and Neil, especially young Neil (since we don't really see much of the adult Neil other than he inability to pick up the phone. Also I would be pissed at my husband for not picking up the phone for a whole week even if he was mad, since that is some juvenile behavior right there -I would want to talk about the kids and not just about the sulking.) But through conversations with young Neil, I could see why they loved each other and why they would want to keep working on it. I liked being in Georgie's head.
One thing I didn't buy were the ages of her kids. She has two girls, 4 and 7, and her 7 year old was acting like my 4 year old (now 5), and her 4 year old seemed like a toddler. Her girls just seemed much younger than real kids are.
I didn't realize the couple that helps Georgie at the end were supposed to be Cather and Levi from Fangirl until I just read it in the online plot summary. Huh.
Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold [Vorkosigan Saga], 288pp
Nothing was really happening for the first 1/3 of the book. Elli and Miles got together but was pretty much it. It was only once the switch happened that the book picked up. Then it was pretty fun, especially by the final action sequence where each tower had a different group of people trying to get them and Miles had to figure out how to avoid them all and to get out of the situation. I always really like when Bujold escalates to the ridiculous and Miles just has to improvise as he gets deeper and deeper. I was spoiled that there will be a clone, so when Miles first makes up the story to the reporter it was really funny. But I didn't know too many details about it, so actual appearance was interesting. Although wouldn't 17 and early-mid twenties look different enough to arouse suspicion? I liked Miles' concern for Mark and giving Mark his name. It is a dynamic I'm looking forward to see more off. Looking forward to more of the series as usual.
Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovich [Rivers of London 2], 288pp
When I was in Miami I wanted to start something light, and this has been on my list for a long time (when I looked it up, I read the first book in 2016, liked it but didn't love it and haven't been moved to read the next one. But it remained on my library Kindle wish list, so I figured why not.) I liked this book more than the first one, maybe because there is a little less set up. And also I was just not a fan of the face falling off aspect of the first book. The magic in this series is so much more gross physically than other magical series although Dresden Files does not shy from the way magic can mess someone up nor is magic in Harry Potter that innocent if you start to think of what the spell can do (the killing curse is just not as gross physically. Werewolf bites though were never pretty.). Anyone, I enjoyed the plots of these books although I figured out about Simone almost at once. I can never take the book seriously when the characters are having sex all night long with little rest - that would chafe and also, get some sleep, - so I figured there was a supernatural element there. But Simone's story ended up quite sad and didn't go in the direction I was expecting. The other storyline was mostly an introduction to the Faceless magician so I'm not sure how I will like it overall. I continue to like Peter's need to study magic like science and how is teaching Nightingale to behave in a modern world (i.e. not using 'black magician' as descriptor). So overall I'm much more likely to pick up book 3 next year instead of waiting another 3 years.
Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre, 316pp [Hugo book]
Vonda N. McIntyre did this spring so it felt appropriate to read her for my 5 Hugo books a year goal. This book was a Hugo in 1979 and it read differently than other 70s winners (and I read 2 others just this year). For one thing, the main character is a healer named Snake, who travels in the desert and mountains to heal people. There are other women characters who talk to each other and have full lives. And Snake is just a wonderful character and person and interesting to spend the book with. The love interest is a decent man but not someone who has to come to her rescue. Snake saves herself and Melissa in the end. He is pretty much an unexpected reward. The book takes place in apocalyptic world so a lot of dialogue feels a little stiff sometimes to portray a little more simplicity but at the same time it worked. Many families are more than one partner, same sex relationships are casually referred to and it just seems like a more modern book than one written in late 70s. I'm really enjoying reading all these Hugo winners - they are all so different from each other and it is letting me discover some lovely stuff.
