so-so✨Martha Wells fans I need opinions!✨
All Systems Red had one of the most relatable main characters that I‘ve ever read. His desire to procrastinate speaks to my soul. But that‘s where my excitement fell. It wasn‘t bad by any means but the world-building felt a little lacking and I didn‘t have any connection at all to the side characters. But that darn cliffhanger makes me want to continue on, so give me the pros and cons in the comments.
pickHey so @bookwyrm7 that was devastating…
First book off my #auldlangspine list! Genuinely had me crying at work, how dare you 😭
5 stars, @Lin3han you‘d love this one.
I decided to do a Kobo Plus trial because a) they offered me bonus points, b) it‘ll give me a steady supply of digital, due-dateless reading material while I‘m in France, and c) I can finally knock a bunch of stuff off my wishlist. I began with A THIEF IN THE NIGHT, KJ Charles‘s thief/victim romance set in the same world as THE GENTLE ART OF FORTUNE HUNTING. It was great. Penny appreciated the snuggles she got as my reading buddy, too. #MFMarch
so-soBill Furlong reconciles his own upbringing with the truth hidden in a small Irish town.
Concise ✨ Complicit ✨ Empathy
pickOverall, I liked this installment of the Wayward Children. In this one we get to explore the other school for children who have entered mysterious doors. The one thing I didn‘t love was the body shaming, it just felt unnecessary for the plot. 4⭐️
so-soAn interesting story. There are four different storylines in 100 pages. While they all converged and concluded well, it felt like too much. Just when I got invested in one story, it switched to another. I don't think it would have benefitted from being longer (it told the story it wanted to), but it would have been better if it was more focused on fewer characters or connected the characters more directly.
pickNovella about an Icelandic trader who travels to Mongolia in the 8th century and returns with a herd of horses led by a white mare.
A fascinating story and great fun exploring the people and places referred to.
Shai had never met an emperor before, let alone poked one in the face
pickVery in character for me to read a Sleeping Beauty reimagining - the theme for February‘s #fairytalereadingchallenge at the end of March… it kept me company on the train from Canberra to Sydney. I love Alix E. Harrow and this was enjoyable BUT calling girls who love Cinderella best vanilla right at the start. Ouch! The Disney version features the art and colour palette of Mary Blair AND Gus Gus! 😐
![[tagged book]](https://image.librarything.com/pics/litsy_webpics/icon_taggedBook@3x.png){kind=icon}
They are definitely character-driven, but you can hardly tell any of these characters apart because they're all stereotypes and have nothing to them aside from a few minor personality traits. In short, they all fall flat, aside from Murderbot, but even Murderbot's charm kind of wears off later.
Pros: Short, accessible
Cons: flat characters, repetitive 2h