Another week’s worth of reads here! I know ideally there should be seven books here, but sometimes I’m ahead of the goal and sometimes I’m playing catch-up. As long as it evens out, yeah? Anyway, books!
The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu – 3/9/20
4 stars
This book is the second in the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, which, so far, tells the story of how humanity deals with an incoming alien invasion over hundreds of years. This book has a different translator from the first and I found it a little harder to connect with because of that, I think. I still really enjoyed the story, though, and getting to see what other people think Earth will look like in 400 years or so is always really cool. The third book has the same translator as the first, so I will be finishing the trilogy soon. I’d recommend this book to other sci-fi fans (especially those of hard sci-fi) with a warning that as all good translations. it reads differently than books originally in English.
The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau – 3/10/20
4 stars
Another “second book in a series” this week! I can’t figure out how to summarize this without spoiling the first book, so skip the underlined text if you’d like to avoid that. This sequel to The City of Ember shows Lina and Doon bringing almost all of Ember to an above-ground settlement, focusing on themes of othering and how to build a community in stressful times. This is a middle grade book so to my adult sensibilities it can seem a little heavy handed with its morals and lessons but I think it would be less obvious to 12 year old me. Since 22 year old me also enjoyed it anyway, I’d say this is a good bet for most middle grade readers.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell – 3/10/20
4 stars
I do love a good suspense / thriller / mystery / whatever. Once you present me with questions I must have answers! This book rotates between several of its characters to tell the story of the strange circumstances that led to three adults being found dead with a healthy baby in a cradle. I don’t know how this book manages to be both heartwarming and sinister at the end, but it does!
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin – 3/11/20
4 stars
Goodreads says I have been trying to finish this book since 2018. I think my problem was that I had watched the show and there is basically no new information in the book. I guess that makes the show a great adaptation! In any case, since it’s a cultural icon at this point, y’all don’t need my summary, so I’ll just say that I enjoyed the first season of GoT and therefore I enjoyed the book as well. Everyone is younger in the books, though, so it is a little uncomfortable to read at some parts. I am unsure if I will continue the series, though I know there will eventually be books-only information, so maybe…
The Black Tides of Heaven by J.Y. Yang – 3/13/20
4 stars
This fantasy novella is so cool for all the ways it’s different from traditional fantasy. It is set in a world based on Asia instead of the usual Europe, for one. Characters also get to grow up using they/them pronouns and without changes to their body like puberty until they want to decide. As for the story, it follows twins, Mokoya and Akeha, born to the ruler of their land as they grow up and find their identities and places in the world at large. It’s got magic and tension and romance, all good stuff. I really liked reading this book and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series soon!
Anathem by Neal Stephenson – 3/14/20
4 stars
Okay, so I’ve read one Neal Stephenson book before (Snow Crash) and now I know that his M.O. is to infodump on you through long conversations between characters. This isn’t a bad thing, but the large amounts of information can give me a bit of headache sometimes. You have been warned! The story is about a boy just on the verge of adulthood seeing the world outside the closed off sanctuary for mathematicians where he’s lived for the last ten years. Soon after the week-long opening of the gates, everything changes in the world outside and the people of the sanctuaries are called out of their homes to help. A classic bildungsroman, or coming of age story, set in a world where math is almost like a religion and must be kept separate from the outside world and technology. I had to pay serious attention to this book, because of how it throws tons of information at you, but I had a great time reading it, even though I needed breaks from it sometimes.
I know I gave every book this week 4 stars but that’s just how it is sometimes! They were all very enjoyable books that I had a good time reading.
Be sure to check my POPSUGAR Reading Challenge and 2020 Books posts for updates on how I’m doing on those fronts! Click below to subscribe and get email notifications for new posts!
Blind Bookworm 