Radically different from other books in the series, this book is basically an extended meditation on Descartes’ “brain in a vat” thought experiment, but it’s Tchaikovsky, so of course there are aliens involved, as well as humans fighting desperately to survive. One interesting aspect of this is the inclusion of the entities previously established in the series: sentient spiders and octopi, as well as a very opinionated and extremely old AI. The book starts out straightforward, but then seems to jump in time and branch into various scenarios, which starts to clue the reader into the fact that something is obviously going awry. I liked it quite a lot as a standalone thought experiment, but I don’t think it actually moved the series forward as much, in the long run, as the previous books did.
Author: librarykat
Junior High, by Tegan and Sara
Super cute graphic novel of Tegan and Sara’s experiences in junior high, with each girl’s thoughts rendered in different colors to make it easy for the reader to follow along. The girls’ experiences are very relatable and smoothly rendered, with the problems of friend drama, puberty, crushes, and family expectations all clearly and sympathetically presented. The only hiccup for me was knowing that Tegan and Sara went to junior high around when I did, so I knew that their experience had been updated with cell phones and social media; it makes their story more relatable to the young but also reminds me of how different my own junior high experience was without these modern additions.
Ledge, by Stacey McEwan
The people of the Ledge eke out a miserable existence in a barren, icy land, their population ritually reduced through sacrifices to the winged Glacians. Grim, ax-wielding Dawsyn (I could not read her name without rolling my eyes, sorry), last of her household, is finally snatched up and learns the tragic background of of her existence. With the help of an enigmatic handsome (of course) half-Glacian named Ryon (eyeroll again), she escapes only to discover that the truth is even more grim than she had imagined. The book started out sharp and simple but then both plot and writing got muddled as Dawsyn kept uncovering more and more layers to her country’s past. It seemed like things were being pulled together at the end, but then a completely unnecessary cliffhanger plot twist threw everything into a jumble again. Unlikely to pick up the next book in the series.
The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Victoria Jones, a bitter foster child who loves only plants, is finally “graduated” out of care and into adulthood. She manages to get a job with a local flower shop, and finds that her knowledge of the Victorian flower language gives her an edge when designing flower products for clients. However, her buried trauma does not let her pivot so easily to adult responsibility, especially when she meets a man from her past and must face her issues head-on. The story unfolds extremely patiently, gradually walking us through Victoria’s formative years while also giving the secondary characters depth and personality. Although things do come together a little too smoothly at the end, there’s no denying that Victoria had to fight for that to happen. I thought the flower language bits were a little overdone, but the personal dynamics between characters were spot on.
On the Merits of Unnaturalness, by Samantha Shannon
Companion work to Shannon’s Bone Season series, and likely incomprehensible (even boring) to those who haven’t read it. This is the full version of the pamphlet published by one of the characters in the series, in defiance of the authoritarian government, classifying and defining forbidden voyant (psychic) talents. Obviously does not stand alone well but would be a good reference point for anyone wanting to return to the Bone Season series after a long break (that would be me).
Fence: Striking Distance, by Sarah Rees Brennan
This reads like a fanfiction of a sports anime, which I guess it kind of is since it’s a novelization of the comic series originally by C.S. Pacat and Johanna the Mad. (I haven’t read the original material either but from what I know of Pacat, I’m sure it’s quite faithful to the original.) The fencing is present but somewhat disappointingly muted; instead, the focus is on the characters and their stumbling, often-hilarious journey towards romance. Predictable sweetness, with occasional biting social commentary.
What Fresh Hell is This? Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You, by Heather Corinna
After reading a couple of online articles about menopause that had the general tone of “if only I’d known beforehand,” I figured that since I’m currently in the beforehand period of life, I’d better educate myself. I don’t think I could have picked a better book. Corinna’s work is extremely educational along with being extremely understanding; she encourages people to take care of themselves while also sympathetically telling them what kinds of things to expect. Symptoms as well as physiological root causes are explored in a very down-to-earth, straightforward tone. I loved the inclusive tone of the book; Corinna constantly makes sure to acknowledge the existence of gender diversity as well as people who may abruptly entered menopause through medical procedures, which underlines the fact that menopause is experienced differently for every person. Really great resource.
The Golden State, by Lydia Kiesling
The stream-of-consciousness style of this book took a bit to get into, but drags you deep into the head of a young mother trying to find her way. Narrator Daphne is clearly not well as she takes her baby from her 9-to-5 job in San Francisco and drives out to her grandparents’ old trailer in the high desert; once there, she experiences every moment of the joy and boredom of being sole provider for a small child while also dealing poorly with her feelings of loneliness and inability to reunite with her husband (stranded outside the US because of citizenship and visa issues). Her social interactions are mainly with secessionist neighbor Cindy and senior citizen Alice, and the two relationships come together in a very interesting way. I really liked the realistic and sympathetic illustration of how the mental state of a first-time mother could spiral downwards in the absence of outside help, and although the Cindy-and-Alice plotlines were a little weird, their impact on Daphne was really well done and just what the story needed.
To Each This World, by Julie E. Czerneda
Earth is uninhabitable, and the surviving humans now live on New Earth with the technological assistance of the alien Kmet. One day, a message from a faraway human “sleeper” ship throws both human and Kmet into a frenzy; the humans are delighted to reunite with their long-lost family, but the Kmet seem to have problems. Henry, the arbiter between humans and Kmet, must turn all his faculties to understanding the Kmet while preserving humanity; his pilot, Killian, turns her natural suspicion into a mission to understand what makes the Kmet tick. The book unfolds very slowly but speeds up as you go, as the humans gather more clues against the clock of their species’ destruction. Extremely inventive alien biologies and life cycles; great exploration of scenarios where one must make morally problematic decisions. The characters were really well fleshed-out and kept the book from being too much of a thought experiment in places; the secondary characters and relationships were fantastic as well. Fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky would like this, I think.
Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, by Doris Pilkington / Nugi Garimara
True story of three half-Aboriginal girls who were taken from their homes in 1930 and placed in a settlement to unlearn their heritage (back home we’d call it a residential school). Finding their treatment unacceptable, they escaped, found the fence built across Australia to contain the invasive rabbit population, and followed it on foot for 2400km to get back to their homes. One of the girls was Molly, mother of the author, who told her story to her daughter. The story is very short and self-contained, ending soon after the girls arrive home; it does include many pieces of the historical record, which add a lot of background as to why the government thought it so necessary to round up and confine the girls. Very necessary voice from a generation mostly silenced by history.