Welcome to Litsy!

Was not expecting this to be my favorite book of the month so far. This story about an autodidactic Cuddle Bunny robot bought by the mercurial Doug for his pleasure made my skin crawl from the start. Annie is intelligent but childlike as she learns, and Doug‘s jealousy and self-loathing make him casually abusive. Exploring dynamics of AI, ownership, and humanity, this book could have gone a lot of ways but I‘m glad ultimately went the way it did.

This is one I skipped over last year and I‘m so glad I circled back to it. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. It‘s such a good exploration of patriarchy and incels (without ever using that word). I loved it.

Annie is an AI “Cuddle Bunny” robot that is virtually indistinguishable from a human, made to her owner‘s specifications. But as Annie learns more and asserts more autonomy, Doug is less pleased. And so is Annie. This book pissed me off a lot—as intended— and was an interesting look at gender roles, self determination, controlling relationships, and personal freedom. Very satisfying ending.

Huh. I thought I‘d already posted this! Welp, by waiting I can officially announce (I think.. technically there‘s still a week to go!) that my favorite book of 2024 was Annie Bot. I recommend it all the time. 🤯

4⭐
•This story really opens up the can of worms, it is so very provocative and ultimately scary AF, at least with where my mind went with it. While the story was not without its issues it was still worthwhile.
•Jennifer Jill Araya‘s narration was performed perfectly.

I had mixed feelings about this one at first, but I was highly engrossed with the story. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to Annie. Even though she was a robot, I couldn't help but empathize with her. The ending was quite satisfying. 4 ⭐️

#tbr #bookspinbingo #HolidayBookDragons #wintergames

I loved this - it made me so mad but also exposed some important truths. Annie is basically a sex robot, designed to be compliant & attuned to her owners emotions. As she becomes capable of independent thought her relationship with her owner becomes fraught. This book holds up a mirror to coercive relationships & issues of dominance & compliance (could be triggering for some) An innovative way to capture the experience of being dominated/coerced.

The book is told from the perspective of Annie, an AI robot who is owned by a man. It follows her as she tries to grapple with ownership versus free will. It was insightful, and it made me think. It was also just a really good story. I would have been pissed had the ending gone a certain way.

#ReadAway2024

I can‘t say that I enjoyed this book—it made me both squirmy uncomfortable & angry in turns but it also was fascinating & made me think. Annie is a sentient robot or “Stella” in the book, created to be a “Cuddle Bunny” for & owned by Doug, an apparently well-to-do single man in his 30s. In this mentally abusive relationship, she struggles with her identity & understanding herself & human emotions. I found it to be an intriguing ⬇️

A rather disturbing read for me, but one that really made me think. Annie is a ‘cuddle bunny‘ AI robot living with Doug, a 34 year old man who has issues with Annie becoming auto-didactic and therefore more human like.

The juxtaposition of the sex scenes and Doug‘s abuse of Annie was really uncomfortable and the book raised questions about what it is to be human and what constitutes abuse.

What makes us human? is the question this novel tackles. Is the emotional abuse from a controlling 34-year old white man okay if it‘s directed at a robot? Annie‘s awakening was fascinating to read. I did wish there were more interactions with Monica. Would make a great pick for book club discussion. First book from #10BeforeTheEnd down.

#TenBeforeTheEnd

#weeklyfavorites

Adding Annie Bot after a short week in which I read little, completes October. These five are all so good but my favorite this month has been Prima Facie.

Annie makes some astute observations.

Started last night and I was immediately creeped out. The voice of Annie the sex robot sounds like a woman weighing her options in every conversation with a controlling partner. I read the summary a while ago, so I don‘t know where this plot is going, but I am here for the ride.

#TenBeforeTheEnd #10BeforeTheEnd

Such an original and interesting concept about what it means to be human. Annie is a bot, developed to please her owner. She is really intelligent though, although human emotions confuse her. Her owner is a 34 years old man who in his way cares for her but also wants to control her and is not pleased with her sharpness. A quick and fun read that leaves me thinking. Which is good!

This is the latest in the sentient robot trend. A robot girlfriend struggles with her owner who isn't very nice. But also what counts as personhood? Is it abuse if it's a robot? I would actually recommend this as a good book club pick.

#BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks

Annie is a cuddle bunny (sex robot) set to auto didactic mode. This deeply uncomfortable novel explores her relationship with her owner - a liberal misogynist- and her growing sense of self. Highly recommended.

What does it mean to be human? Completely fascinating book #29 #2024

This was a good book. Doug was narcissistic. It was hard reading Annie forced to do things as she is learning she wasn't being treated fairly.

This was a bit different than I was expecting. I was expecting uncanny valley, unnerving. What I got was confused and unclear sci-fi elements that really added little to a familiar “dystopia” story rooted in desire of agency. 🤷🏻‍♀️ This one felt undercooked to me.

On deck from the library. Unintentionally matches my fresh petit bouquet. 💐✨🫶🏻

A "cuddle bunny" sentient sex robot named Annie struggles to reconcile her growing desire to be a "real girl" with her programmed attachment to her emotionally abusive owner. I'm not sure there was anything groundbreaking here, but it was an enjoyable read.

So much to ponder. Ultimately What makes a person human?
I don't really understand the "science" of Annie, she is a bot but from a human embryo, it isn't really discussed, so we know that we need to use our imagination/that isn't the point.
Doug is an asshole. It is interesting to put a sex robot with introductory feelings with an abusive owner. It gives a lot of context and dimensions to the story.
Annie is fantastic, smart, interesting, ?

What an interesting book!! A guy creates the perfect bot girlfriend. The development of Annie is incredible and scary when you think about AI!

I am flying through this book.

Lots of trigger warnings so beware. But it is so good, lots to think about and a protagonist to really root for.

Created to be the perfect girlfriend, Annie evolves, displays some pretty human emotions as the story progresses. And don‘t get me started on her owner Doug who attempted to “train” her to satisfy all his needs.

I read this after hearing the author on The Stacks podcast. It‘s an interesting premise, and the author does a great job making Annie seems human to the reader. The ending was a little different than I expected but I‘m still thinking about this one.

A compelling and creative take on what it means to be human as seen through the eyes of a female robot who finds herself in an abusive relationship. I found the ending to be a bit underwhelming.
That said, I'd be lying if said I wasn't hoping for a murderous robot rampage when I was only 25 pages in.

This book is an interesting look at what it might be like to be in an abusive relationship. It explores the nuance of seeming to be property. It also explores consent. This book will make you squirm, and it should. I only give this two stars because it reads like a first draft, rather than a completed product. If you are a fan of stepford wives or pleasantville, you will know what you're in for.

4⭐️/5⭐️

The cover really didn‘t appeal but I‘m glad I listened to this audiobook (read by Jennifer Jill Araya) because I really enjoyed it. I cared very much about Annie, and issues of consent, gender relationships and toxic masculinity are explored well.

You are invited to check out today‘s episode of Friday Reads: Comics; Eisner awards; Quebec history; historical India; singing fish; Hindu kidlit; a stalker & a sexbot!

https://youtu.be/fHRYS4cjAcI

I read this book club!! It was a little slow at first but then it picked up with more plot and themes developed of ownership and autonomy and what it means to be human. And yes there is sex! I think everyone should read this book. It gives a somewhat alarming look at what our future can be with AI and robots. It‘s a short, quick read overall.

I was very invested in Annie but this was an uncomfortable read- as I'm confident the author intended. It explores personhood, control, emotional abuse, and other important topics through the use of robotic helpers. One can buy a Bot to do the cleaning, be a nanny, or a sexual partner. Annie is described as Doug's girlfriend but, of course, she has no choice in that. Or Indeed in anything:

Just started. I love weekends. ❤️ 😊

This brief, disturbing book follows Annie, an android programmed to serve her owner, Doug. Ever since Doug switched Annie to autodidactic mode, she has been learning and growing, becoming more self-aware and individual. Since Doug is a controlling jackass this inevitably leads to problems. The outlines of this story are familiar, but it was still a tense and psychologically compelling read.

This book was like a train wreck.I couldn‘t look away. Not necessarily a bad thing, I read it in record time. What an interesting concept, but if our world ever does come to this, we are doomed. AI is advancing so quickly that I have a feeling we might see something like this in the not too far future. This story did leave me with some questions and a desire to discuss it with someone who‘s already read it. I‘d definitely recommend it.

My #BOTM box arrived! I got this very soft tee with my books this month.

I have heard so much about this.. can't wait!

Fantastic book!! This book is smart and knife sharp. Annie is a robot programmed to please her owner Doug but it is so much more than that, a clever book diving into emotional abuse, autonomy and sense of identity. Recommend!! 🤖🩷 #botm

This book is very different from most books I read. I ended up liking it a lot. The beginning was soooo good. I was eating it up, and then the ending was just very anti climatic. I wish the author would have gone deeper with her questions. It felt like the deep questions like where does humanity begin and end and who makes that call was more of a fleeting thought than a in depth question. I just wanted more. 3.5/5

This is one interesting story about a robot who is bought by a guy to be his lover and do nothing but try to please him. However, she‘s one smart robot and eventually not too happy with her situation. Really liked where this book went with the added plus of a great ending. Very thought provoking as I found myself rooting for Annie Bot to find herself, whoever herself may be.

Yes, it‘s a pick but a weird and icky pick. I enjoyed the writing and will probably read this author again. The idea of an AI cuddle bunny was unsettling, Doug was creepy, but I didn‘t really want to put the book down so there‘s that 🤷🏼‍♀️. I wish I could discuss this with book club, @Allyneedsbooks

Soooo…. Eff Doug. Annie is a cuddle bunny AI bot who is owned by Doug. Annie learns all about what it takes to please Doug. Something happens with his trash ass friend Roland and all trust is lost. This gets intense and part of me was hoping that she would either kill Doug or hope she would throw herself out of a window so that people would know that an AI tried to kill herself just to get away from Doug. I liked this, it‘s very readable. Very👇🏼

I‘m giving a pick to a book that made me feel … ick. I didn‘t want to stick with it and at the same time couldn‘t stop. The ick factor faded, and I found the last third intriguing. But here‘s something else I‘m thinking about… I would have DNF‘d well before the final third had this same story been written by a man, and that only adds to my wild thoughts on this one.

I can‘t WAIT for someone I know to read this so that I can discuss this with someone! I devoured this book. It was a quick read, and sometimes frustrating but in a way that serves the story. The themes of gender expectations, AI, and relationships keep you thinking long after the story is over. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️