#bookwyrm

See tagged statuses in the local BookWyrm community

About intimacy, but has none

2 stars

A platform for describing love in its many forms, but neglects intimacy with the reader. Shows a remarkable ability to capture the ineffable aspects of an encounter, but too often gets lost in obtuseness.

Reading time 17 days, 20 pages/day

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm

reviewed The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (The Poppy War, #1)

R.F. Kuang: The Poppy War (Hardcover, 2018, Harper Voyager) 3 stars

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired …

Turns disturbingly dark without warning

3 stars

A reimagining of China & Japan, with shamans & gods for interest, and war crimes & genocide for a horrifying reality check. Misleadingly begins with standard 'orphan goes to hero school' trope, but turns disturbingly dark without warning.

Reading time 6 days, 88 pages/day

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm #fantasy

Berlin 1920 Two babies are born. Two brothers. United and indivisible, sharing everything. Twins in …

Flat as a brick wall.

1 star

Brothers in a Jewish family strive to protect their loved ones from the increasing horrors of Nazi Germany. Boringly one-dimensional portrayal of Nazis - they're evil brutes, I get it. Distinct lack of emotional connection considering intensity of subject matter. Flat as a brick wall.

Reading time 7 days, 89 pages/day

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm #HistoricalFiction

reviewed Cosmos by Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan: Cosmos (1980, Random House) 5 stars

This book is about science in its broadest human context, how science and civilization grew …

Arkady Martine: A Desolation Called Peace (Hardcover, 2021, Tor Books) 4 stars

An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with …

Unclear motivations & prose

3 stars

Disappointing sequel despite potential. Some dubious premises (surely a galactic empire would have first contact specialists?). Unclear motivations & prose: I rarely understood why particular choices were being made. Also an annoying inconsistency: internally, characters were flailing haplessly, but in actuality they were exceedingly competent.

Reading time 6 days, 80 pages/day

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm #SciFi

Edward Snowden: Permanent Record (Paperback, 2020, Picador) 4 stars

Edward Snowden, the man who risked everything to expose the US government’s system of mass …

Serious gumption

3 stars

I also grew up in a government town in the early days of home computers & the internet. Perhaps if I had stumbled across hacking I'd have ended up in a similar role to him, though I doubt I'd have his gumption to expose the gross overreach of the security services. Their capability was (and remains) alarming.

Reading time 9 days, 37 pages/day

#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #BookWyrm

E-Book Extras: ONE: Behind the Novel: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn; TWO: The …