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* Project Hail Mary - There is going to be an extra meeting of my book club sometime this fall for it, but I wanted to read it early because some people were disappointed by how much was revealed in the trailer. So, I finished it last night and then finally saw the trailer. I am glad I read the book cold, not so much because of the obvious reveal, but more the smaller details. If you want to read the book before the film and have seen the trailer, maybe try to avoid watch it again.
I enjoyed it. For most of the book the way the science information was slowly built upon and discovered was really great, kind of felt like a really good video essay at times? But then there was a point where I really wanted the author to stop explaining experiments and just say the results. There is a whole section where most of what made the science bits work is just missing. It's not one element that's missing, it's several. This happens late in the book when there is a very small number of possible endings. I think a few 'amazingly, got the results that first time' instead of 'let me detail doing this same experiments six times' would really have helped.
I read it as an audiobook, but that format works really well for a couple of reasons. It's all first person POV of the main character.
The alien's language is music, all tonal, no distinct enunciated sounds. The audiobook was really well produced and did a lot of interesting stuff with that. I am going to flip through a physical copy to see how it is in the written version.
I have one big note about the overall plot. The MC is such a coward that he fled the world of science so he *checks notes* become a high school science teacher so he'd be looked up to and have it easy, not be challenged? Yeah, a few things about this book didn't work for me. I really enjoyed the first half. The way the author did the Long Dark Night Of The Soul was really annoying. Then the MC literally runs away to a place where he can live in a bubble and be looked up to and adored and treated like a pet. Obvs choosing his first friend over everything was amazing, but also if he ever really opened up to him, was vulnerable instead of being a coward, it must have been during the time skip. I want to like the 'man chooses his love for spider monster' ending more, but the more I think about it... I mean, I could argue that he doesn't even have a character arc, it's just that his character is revealed more and more Okay maybe more than one note.
* What Moves The Dead - Finally got his read! It's also the next horror book club pick so I am somewhat on top of my book club reading. Really looking forward to the next book and also the upcoming book which I assume is the final one in the series? But, I am going to hold off until after book club. Her writing is really great. I definitely have some gender notes about this book and, uh I have an awkward feeling based on talk about it in book club discord that we might need to have a talk about the MC, pronouns and how Alex actually self ID's.
* Six of Crows - My reading of this was broken up by a few things including needing to power-read a book for book club. I am going to take a bit of a break between this book and Crooked Kingdom as these books are long and also I want to be able to focus on reading it unrushed and without pauses. Some aspects of the con/grist/heist stuff that was going on were very clear and well done, and making that all so clear is very tricky. But the physical aspects involving buildings... she kinda lost me there, but it might be due to reading it in chunks. I'll have to evaluate that on a re-read. Her character writing and some of the twists were amazing.
This book had a lot of reminders of how young some of these characters are, and also how young some of the characters in Shadow and Bone were supposed to be. I get it, these were written for the YA market, but at times it's like... really? For some of them, it tracks, for others?
* The Death of Jane Lawrence - Enjoyed it! The world building was tight and very interesting. I picked up on all of it despite consuming it as an audiobook. The print version uses formatting and a few other things to help clarify what's going on, but using my book club as a sample: some people who were audio-only got was going on and some people who read the print version didn't even notice things like sections without capitalization. The author was surprised that some of the people who read the physical version didn't even pick up on it.
I really enjoyed the author's skill in having such a shifting world/situation/etc, but it wasn't exactly my overall vibe. I will read some more by her
* My TBR shortlist right now is
- Ocean's Godori: I can't make the bookclub meeting for it, but I still want to read along
- A Dark And Drowning Tide: I don't typically like the romantasy club picks, but this interested me
- Jade City
- Deadly Education
- Left Hand of Darkness
Currently reading - The Shots You Take: It's the one Rachel Reid book I haven't read yet.
I enjoyed it. For most of the book the way the science information was slowly built upon and discovered was really great, kind of felt like a really good video essay at times? But then there was a point where I really wanted the author to stop explaining experiments and just say the results. There is a whole section where most of what made the science bits work is just missing. It's not one element that's missing, it's several. This happens late in the book when there is a very small number of possible endings. I think a few 'amazingly, got the results that first time' instead of 'let me detail doing this same experiments six times' would really have helped.
I read it as an audiobook, but that format works really well for a couple of reasons. It's all first person POV of the main character.
The alien's language is music, all tonal, no distinct enunciated sounds. The audiobook was really well produced and did a lot of interesting stuff with that. I am going to flip through a physical copy to see how it is in the written version.
I have one big note about the overall plot. The MC is such a coward that he fled the world of science so he *checks notes* become a high school science teacher so he'd be looked up to and have it easy, not be challenged? Yeah, a few things about this book didn't work for me. I really enjoyed the first half. The way the author did the Long Dark Night Of The Soul was really annoying. Then the MC literally runs away to a place where he can live in a bubble and be looked up to and adored and treated like a pet. Obvs choosing his first friend over everything was amazing, but also if he ever really opened up to him, was vulnerable instead of being a coward, it must have been during the time skip. I want to like the 'man chooses his love for spider monster' ending more, but the more I think about it... I mean, I could argue that he doesn't even have a character arc, it's just that his character is revealed more and more Okay maybe more than one note.
* What Moves The Dead - Finally got his read! It's also the next horror book club pick so I am somewhat on top of my book club reading. Really looking forward to the next book and also the upcoming book which I assume is the final one in the series? But, I am going to hold off until after book club. Her writing is really great. I definitely have some gender notes about this book and, uh I have an awkward feeling based on talk about it in book club discord that we might need to have a talk about the MC, pronouns and how Alex actually self ID's.
* Six of Crows - My reading of this was broken up by a few things including needing to power-read a book for book club. I am going to take a bit of a break between this book and Crooked Kingdom as these books are long and also I want to be able to focus on reading it unrushed and without pauses. Some aspects of the con/grist/heist stuff that was going on were very clear and well done, and making that all so clear is very tricky. But the physical aspects involving buildings... she kinda lost me there, but it might be due to reading it in chunks. I'll have to evaluate that on a re-read. Her character writing and some of the twists were amazing.
This book had a lot of reminders of how young some of these characters are, and also how young some of the characters in Shadow and Bone were supposed to be. I get it, these were written for the YA market, but at times it's like... really? For some of them, it tracks, for others?
* The Death of Jane Lawrence - Enjoyed it! The world building was tight and very interesting. I picked up on all of it despite consuming it as an audiobook. The print version uses formatting and a few other things to help clarify what's going on, but using my book club as a sample: some people who were audio-only got was going on and some people who read the print version didn't even notice things like sections without capitalization. The author was surprised that some of the people who read the physical version didn't even pick up on it.
I really enjoyed the author's skill in having such a shifting world/situation/etc, but it wasn't exactly my overall vibe. I will read some more by her
* My TBR shortlist right now is
- Ocean's Godori: I can't make the bookclub meeting for it, but I still want to read along
- A Dark And Drowning Tide: I don't typically like the romantasy club picks, but this interested me
- Jade City
- Deadly Education
- Left Hand of Darkness
Currently reading - The Shots You Take: It's the one Rachel Reid book I haven't read yet.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-04 06:27 pm (UTC)From:I liked The Death of Jane Lawrence, though I have to admit I lost what was going on a bit at the end. I was on vacation when I read it, staying in a cabin that had no A/C and minimal air flow of any kind, so maybe that played a role in my distraction, I don't know.
Ooh, I'm interested in your thoughts on Jade City. I started out skeptical (I had read an interview with the author that left me side-eyeing her a bit) but it won me over.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-04 06:44 pm (UTC)From:There's a lot going on in Death of Jane Lawrence. Yeah, like with me and my read of Six of Crows being interrupted a lot, circumstances can effect things. Caitlin Starling was at our book club that night so I can tell you what was going on according to her?
Some of the buzz around Jade City makes me really want to dig in. I hope I get to it soon!
no subject
Date: 2025-08-05 04:23 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2025-08-06 02:55 am (UTC)From:spoilering in case anyone else drops by
The ghosts aren't real, but demons are. There was never any ghosts, just demons preying on them, doing whatever to create terrible emotions to feed off of.
Jane's guardians who adopted her, presumably they are still alive. Demons were just messing with her, gaslighting her.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-04 07:52 pm (UTC)From:I have read three of his books and enjoyed the Martian the most, by a lot.
I will probably see the movie though!
no subject
Date: 2025-08-04 09:14 pm (UTC)From:I don't know if I'll read The Martian, but I'll probably watch the film, mostly for context. I feel like a lot of discussion of Project Hail Mary will reference it
no subject
Date: 2025-08-04 09:15 pm (UTC)From:I really enjoyed the movie of The Martian too. And the book was great, I thought.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-05 04:41 am (UTC)From:I wish Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom *hadn't* been aimed at the YA market, honestly. I enjoyed them both quite a lot anyway, even though most YA isn't my thing, and it's not that I mind the ages of the characters, but I do vaguely remember feeling like "yes, I remember how young they are, thanks" a few times.
The Death of Jane Lawrence isn't on my TBR, but depending how well I like The Starving Saints (when I get there), it'll probably be the next one by the author I add on.
Jade City (and the rest of the trilogy) is also on my TBR. My younger sibling really liked the trilogy when they read it a few years ago.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-06 03:02 am (UTC)From:I've heard very interesting things about Jade City. I hope I get a chance to focus on it soon
no subject
Date: 2025-08-08 04:03 am (UTC)From:I hope you enjoy Jade City when you get there! I know it'll be a while before I get there, but I'm looking forward to the trilogy.