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Amberlough | 
#24in48 Hour 6 Challenge: Look, I read a lot of SFF. Like, A LOT. It‘s literally my job (#SciFiLibrarian). Picking favorites is impossible. So, here‘s a quick selection of SFF books that A) I loved & own in print, and B) were written by women. If you haven‘t read Murderbot yet, what are you even doing? Vicious is the best, it‘s first on my list of recs for SF haters. Amberlough caught be by surprise when I read it - there may have been tears. ⬇️
Tuesday spicy roast duck ramen at Iyo. I don‘t usually get the same kind two weeks in a row, but I think I may have settled on this as being the best on the menu.
I went to the library.
"Queen and cairn and temple bells." I love the colorful way the characters of this fictional land speak.
pickThe character work was superb, with everyone given their chance to shine and make things worse. There are a lot of little details throughout-how characters swear, how they dress, what concerns then the most-that add a lot of flavour to the setting without being obtrusive. My only sticking point was that all the spy craft happens off-screen, but we certainly still see the impact it has.
pickWell, this was super fun read. A spy, a dancer & a smuggler find themselves in the midst of a political coup. Each is juggling a secret or two or three & from the first page you just know it‘s only a matter of time before something blows up. Decadent, sassy, lavish, complex, life goes on even on the eve of regime change & these characters are living life to the fullest! Fast moving plot & the CHARACTERS! I enjoyed this one, first in a trilogy.
My next read is a book Holly Black described as “James Bond by way of Oscar Wilde.” Yes please!!!
pickA truly stunning novel and I don‘t know how I haven‘t seen this circling around my little piece of the bookish world— I hope this post changes that.
🔥
Can you imagine a fictionalized version of the Nazi take over of Paris with a spy, a drag queen and drug smuggler, and a really badass runner? Maybe. But why bother?! It‘s right here and damn is it good. Like, go-out-and-buy-this-book-and-read-it good.
I‘m learning that I apparently can‘t get into spy thrillers 🤷🏻♀️ That being said, this setting inspired by early Nazi Germany certainly helps as does the great characters. I‘m hoping to finish it this weekend while we get scattered storms. Also it is great #LGBTQ representation for #PrideMonth
A light summer salad of arugula, nectarines, mozzarella and smoked salmon accompanied by Amberlough and some golden osmanthus tea from Lupicia teas.
What do you like to eat when hot weather comes around?
Currently reading Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly
Spies! Double agent! Burlesque! Intrigue! Betrayal!
Intrigued?
Indeed!
One chore required not one but two trips to the post office to pick up some #bookmail. Yay!
pickThis absolutely blew my mind. It's both a well-researched portrayal of the rise of fascism in the 1930s, and a purely original application of that research onto a brand-new alternate world. The end result is something like watching the fall of progressive, pre-war Berlin in real-time without any of the comfort of being able to recognize historical events and outcomes. It keeps you on your toes. It also breaks your heart.
#fantasy #queerlit #fave
This book had been recommended by the Get Booked Podcast is on sale for $2.99 by Tor
#LitsyPSA: I loved this book! It can be a stand alone, the ending can go either way. However, it is not and the second book is out May 15. Tor has their ebooks that have been nominated for the Nebula Award discounted and this decopunk book is worth trying out.
Got waylaid by life events last week. Finishing this over last night‘s stir fry leftovers today! #booklunch
I‘ve been insanely busy for the past week with #txla18, but here are my #MarchStats! Most of this month‘s reads were comics/graphic novels, but I did finish all the Nebula Best Novel nominees (Next up: the Norton nominees) and the newest Holly Black. And since I just got a (signed!) ARC of the sequel to The Cruel Prince, I may have to drop everything and read it immediately. #MarchWrapup #stats #ReadingResolutions
Listening this because it was nominated for the 2017 Nebula awards.
Too far into the audiobook to bail now. The style is entertaining, but the espionage plot is handled poorly, the romances aren't compelling, and the political and social commentary is surface-level. The narrator gives several characters accents that add to the style but make it hard to follow. Hope it finds its momentum.
pickI finally finished all of this year‘s Nebula nominees for best novel (just in time for the Hugo finalists to be announced tomorrow!), and I think this one was my favorite. It‘s described as “John le Carré meets Cabaret,” which is actually pretty accurate - a spy story set in a secondary fantasy world with a political climate much like pre-WWII Berlin. Highly recommended!
I really like this book so far. The characters are unlikable but they fascinate me.
Late, but the top 5 (plus 1) books I read last year, and those of the rest of us at LibraryThing:
http://blog.librarything.com/main/2017/12/top-five-2017/
#5in2018
One gift and four purchases from the past year. Temp work and job searching ate up most of the second half of 2017. Hopefully, that will be worked out soon. I also have to slow down on library checkouts (but that's what we all say isn't it?)
@drokka @ssravp @ReadosaurusText @quirkyreader19 @Godmotherx5
First book of the year! I‘ve set my #GoodreadsGoal for 70 books, up from 60 last year. Wish me luck!
I enjoyed all of these books, which is great, because I adore their covers. Best Cover Designs of 2017! #favouritebooks2017
pickAmberlough is a twisting espionage novel set in a fantasy world reminiscent of the western 1930s - cabarets, absinthe, etc. It is an emotional read full of love and betrayal and I loved every second of it. It‘s definitely one of my top books of the year!
Good morning Littens! Trying to establish a routine of waking up early and getting in some reading before starting my day. Today I‘m reading the delightful Amberlough. Hope you are all reading something fantastic!
pickGay spies and smugglers in an eerily prescient fascist state. So good. Go read it. Now.
Sipping on my first glass of wine in over 36 weeks while deciding which book to read next. I went without for so long due to health and my doctor has now given me the all clear to have a glass of wine 🍷 🎉😁
pickIntrigued by this beautiful cover, I had to see what this book was about! And man, I was not disappointed! Multi-dimensional protagonists, incredible world-building, intense action and spy sequences all weaved together by passion and glamour: I could NOT put this book down. Apparently this is the first of a planned series, I cannot wait for the rest to come out!
so-soOof, this ended up being a slog to get through. The pacing just felt off - very slow going and then suddenly things are happening and whoops it's the end of the book just like that. The setting was great though, the Cabaret comparisons are pretty apt and I loved some of the descriptions the author used. The characters and the overall plot just didn't do it for me in the end, unfortunately.
Starting in on my "espionage thriller" prompt for #popsugar2017! The spy novels I've tried in the past just haven't done it for me so I'm hoping this fun fantasy aesthetic one does the trick.
bailedI rarely DNF books. This is my first DNF in about 2 years to be exact. I had a really hard time getting into the story & I tried. I really did. I renewed the book a grand total of 8x from the library over the course of the last few months but I just couldn't get into it. By all accounts I should've really liked this book but I just couldn't get into it. I passed the 100 pg mark but still couldn't hook me.
This is everything I have ever dreamt of and everyone should read it. I haven't even finished it and it's perfect.
Ever start a book that you can't quite get into but don't want to DNF? That's me right now with this book. I got about 50 pages in before abandoning it for other books a few months ago. So I'm restarting it right now and giving it another try.
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