Weekend Reading Roundup (31 July 2017)

[nanila]

How did your weekend reading go? If you planned on anything specifically, did you read it?

Comments

[nou]

Since last report, I have read:

• The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard. I decided about halfway through this that I wasn’t enjoying it, but persisted to the end in the hope of closure. Sadly it turns out that this is just the first in a series, so no payoff for me.
• Something Coming Through by Paul McAuley. A similar experience to the above, really, though I did at least make it further through the book before wondering if it was worth continuing.
• How to Live on Other Planets: a Handbook for Aspiring Aliens, edited by Joanne Merriam. Short story collection looking at the immigrant experience from an SF point of view.
• The Last Place you Look by Kristen Lepionka. A murder mystery with more dead women than ideal, but the reason I like it anyway is that the main character is a bisexual woman whose bisexuality isn’t made into a plot point. I don’t know if this is the first in a series, but I kind of hope it is.
• The Red Abbey Chronicles: Naondel by Maria Turtschaninoff, translated by Annie Prime. As previously mentioned, I don’t normally like Young Adult, which apparently this is, but I liked the first in this series, and I like this one too. It’s not exactly an easy read — some of the characters are really terrible people — but I’m keen to read the next one.
• My Name Is Leon by Kit de Waal. This is really good. I have some experience of a couple of its major themes, and it brought up some difficult memories for me, but it was very much worth reading.

[nanila]

Thank you, as always, for the thorough report and mini-reviews.

I have failed at finishing any of the Aliette de Bodard works I've tried. I can't get into the writing style and the characters have left me cold. :/

My name is Leon looks really good, though!

[nou]

Glad it’s not just me. I think I’ve given her a fair go, and hence can now give up!