Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Seven: Lab Girl

I'd been meaning to listen to Lab Girl by Hope Jahren for a while, seeing as it combines two topics I really enjoy (memoir and women in science), and I enjoyed this audiobook maybe even more than I thought I would.  Jahren reads it herself, and I found her narration to be soothing in its slower pace, which I also felt really suited the subject matter well.  She also does an excellent job at infusing subtle emotion into her speaking--and, on a few occasions when it's really merited, she really lets the emotions come through in her voice.  I guess my point is that I can see how this style of reading may be slower and steadier than some people would like, but it worked beautifully for me.  Moreover, Jahren's story of being a woman in research science is fascinating, at least to someone like me who doesn't know much about how research science works.  I truly enjoyed listening to this book, and if I were to make a list of the audiobooks I've most enjoyed listening to this year, Lab Girl would definitely be on it.

Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Six: Spinning Silver

I'm not sure how I read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik a little over two months ago and haven't gotten around to writing about it here until now!  It's been a busy autumn, I guess.  Anyway, I quite enjoyed Spinning Silver and definitely plan on reading more by Novik, particularly Uprooted, which I'd heard good things about anyway and seems to be in the same vein as Spinning Silver, which is to say a re-telling or re-imagining of a fairy tale.  In the case of Spinning Silver, it is a story that seems mainly inspired by Rumpelstiltskin and what seem to me to be elements of Russian folklore, as well as elements that seem to be of Novik's own creation (mainly the Staryk, a vicious people of winter who have been menacing the society in the book for years).
It is told from many perspectives, which I really enjoy, and the three main perspectives offer a great variety of experiences: Miryem, a young Jewish woman whose family goes from poverty to moderate wealth all the while being ostracized for their religion, Wanda, a very poor young woman who escapes a brutal father by working for Miryem, and Irina, the wealthy but isolated daughter of a nobleman.  Their stories, plus those of other people, end up being incredibly intertwined, and the telling is all the more nuanced for the multiplicity of perspectives.  In fact, in general Spinning Silver, unlike its fairy tale inspiration, is not a black-and-white story of good versus evil but rather a layered story of sticky situations and difficult choices, for which I greatly appreciate it. 
I wasn't super satisfied with the putative romantic aspects of the plot, which tended to follow far more closely than I would like the fairy tale tropes of clever women needing to tame dangerous men in order to avoid death and falling in love (or at least in lust) with their oppressors, but one can't have it all, can one?  Still, it would be nice to see more romantic relationships, especially in fantasy, that are based on respect rather than fear...
Still, on the whole, I really did enjoy reading Spinning Silver.  If you enjoy fantasy or fairy tales, it's definitely worth your while to try.

Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Five: Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World

As with The Year of Less, I ended up listening to Slow by Brooke McAlary, primarily because it was available as an e-audiobook through the library, and secondarily because I was interested in the topic.  Also, the author reads her own book and is Australian, so I enjoyed listening to her accent.  It was refreshing to hear someone talk about the ways she has struggled in her efforts to live more slowly, and it was especially refreshing to hear someone remark that of course it all sounds simple in her book because the process of writing requires streamlining what happened, or she'd be writing the book forever and we'd never get to read it.  I'm also just a little bit nosy, so I always enjoy books where people explain a bit about how they live and what their life is like, and Slow was no exception to that rule.  In fact, I'd say Slow is at least as much about the author's life as it is a how-to, perhaps more, because one of the points she emphasizes is that what works for one person or family won't necessarily work for another.  For her, slow living is more about figuring out what works best for you and your family and disregarding the numerous images of "perfect" lives that are presented to us so frequently in the media and on social media.  Anyway, if you're looking for tips on living more mindfully or if you, like me, are just nosy enough to really enjoy books where someone describes their daily life, you may well enjoy Slow.

Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Four: The Year of Less

Now that I have a new car with no CD player, my audiobook selection is more limited to what's available digitally through the library.  While browsing my options, I came across The Year of Less by Cait Flanders and decided to give it a go.  It's sort of a cross between memoir and self-help as it details the author's yearlong shopping ban, which she embarked upon to decrease her spending and increase her saving and quality of life.  It also delves into the author's past, her previous struggles with compulsive or mindless behavior, and how the shopping ban helped her be more aware of her own motivations.  Her shopping ban not only involved strict limits on what she could buy but also included a decluttering component, which was interesting to me, as I've been feeling lately like I have a little more around the apartment than I strictly need.  If you're looking for practical tips on spending less and owning less or if you simply enjoy memoirs about personal challenges, The Year of Less would be a solid choice.

Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Three: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

On the whole, I enjoyed Hank Green's first novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.  It had an interesting feel to it: the style felt like YA, while the content felt more geared to adults, if younger adults.  It was sometimes a little too easy to be frustrated with the narrator, April May, but then again, that was kind of the point, I think--and the premise of the story (a mysterious and probably alien set of statues appears around the world) was certainly original and engaging enough to hold my attention.  However, if you're the kind of person who likes a definitive end to your stories, this is probably not the book for you; it leaves some questions at the end.  Still, it was an interesting read, and I liked it pretty well.  It definitely kept me on my toes!

Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Two: Who Is Vera Kelly?

I don't read many spy novels (honestly, I can't think of the last one I did read), but Rosalie Knecht's Who Is Vera Kelly? caught my eye on the new book shelf at work, and I'm so glad I gave it a go.  I was intrigued by the setting--mostly Buenos Aires in the early 1960s, not a time and place I know much about--and Vera's character drew me right in, piquing my curiosity and inciting my empathy.  I read this in one sitting.  (I was on an airplane, in fairness, so I didn't have much else to do, but I think I would've wanted to blaze through it even if I had had other options!)  I don't know whether it would appeal to people who normally read spy novels, since I don't know that genre well enough to gauge how typical this one is, but if you like a book with a strong female protagonist and plenty of intrigue and action, definitely consider Who Is Vera Kelly?

Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-One: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is the first in a sci-fi series by Becky Chambers, and I certainly plan on reading the others that have been published.  The short version of this review is that if you like Firefly, you should definitely give The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet a try: it's got a small, familial crew--with all of the inherent emotions--a somewhat ragtag but very lovable ship, and high-stakes adventures. 
If you haven't seen Firefly, or if that description didn't hook you, let me also add that I really appreciate this novel for its apparently effortless (and therefore probably very intentional) world building: it gave me everything I needed to know without bogging me down with too much.  I felt like the alien cultures were dynamic and deeply considered, and I could believe how humankind had evolved in the few hundred years between now and when the story takes place.  I also appreciate the variety of relationships--romantic and otherwise--depicted.  Plus, it's got an original plot and a pleasantly fast pace with a nice balance between action and character building.  If you like sci-fi, or if you want to give this genre a try, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet would be an excellent choice.

Chapter Two Hundred Thirty: Trail of Lightning

One of my co-workers recommended Trail of Lightning to me, and I am so glad she did!  Libraries really are a great place to pick up book suggestions.  :)  Anyway, this debut novel by Rebecca Roanhorse is set in the not-too-distant future on Diné (Navajo) land--but it has been isolated by a wall from the rest of the United States, much of which was permanently submerged due to extreme flooding.  This flooding, while not inundating the Diné land, has ushered the Earth into a new age, and one of the consequences for the Diné is that their gods and mythic monsters have both returned to walk the land.  Our hero, Maggie Hoskie, is a monsterslayer who feels haunted by her past and present.  When this story begins, she is quickly faced by a monster the likes of which she's never seen before and by the rather unwelcome prospect of a new (and handsome) partner in her quest.  I won't say much more, because this book moves quickly, and I don't want to give anything away.  I'm only disappointed that the sequel doesn't come out until next April!  If you're looking for a fresh fantasy novel, or if you want a story with a solid female protagonist and plenty of action, definitely try out Trail of Lightning.

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Nine: Educated

I recently finished listening to the audiobook of Educated by Tara Westover.  This memoir, written by a woman only a few years older than I am, is incredibly intense and very thought-provoking.  It kept me on the edge of my (car) seat--even though I had a general idea of the arc of the story, I couldn't fathom how it would unfold.  I will say that I had odd dreams during the week or so I was listening to this book, I think because it describes and inspires some pretty strong emotions.  It's not an easy story, but I do think it's an important one.  I think everyone would benefit from reading or listening to his book.  I hope you'll check it out.

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Eight: Calypso

Listening to David Sedaris's newest collection of personal essays, Calypso, made me look forward to getting in my car and driving.  I really can't offer much higher praise.  While, as advertised, this collection is a bit darker than some of his earlier pieces, it's just as funny--maybe even more so for its dealings with aging, illness, suicide, and death.  By turns thoughtful and hilarious, I thoroughly enjoyed Sedaris's meditations on problems great and small and his trademark descriptions of some of the weirder people and events of his life.  I could write more, but really, you should just go and listen to or read Calypso for yourself.

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Seven: Symphony for the City of the Dead

I'd been meaning to listen to M.T. Anderson's non-fiction book Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dimitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad for a while now, and I'm so glad I finally did, and that I listened specifically, since the audiobook includes snippets of the Shostakovich's seventh symphony, written in Russia during the Second World War.  I was even inspired to borrow a recording of the symphony and listen to it (which I'd also recommend doing).  I had vague, high school history notions of Soviet Russia during WWII, so I really appreciated an opportunity to learn more about this dark corner of history--fair warning: if you want an upbeat story, this book is not for you.  But if you want a fascinating and well-researched glimpse into both one man's life and its broader historical, political, and social contexts, then this book is definitely for you.  I particularly appreciate how Anderson explicitly evaluates the many sources he presents, explaining the potential merits and deficits of each, and then leaving it to listeners (or readers) to draw their own conclusions, or to concede that there are some things that must remain unknown.  Even so, this is not a dry compilation and presentation of the evidence: Anderson masterfully creates a narrative of the whole that kept me rapt.  I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Chapter Two-Hundred Twenty Six: Warcross

Like Bellweather Rhapsody from two posts ago, I read Warcross by Marie Lu for a book club (I love book clubs).  I didn't love Warcross, but it was enjoyable enough, if somewhat predictable.  (Also, the mechanics and social elements of the eponymous game at its heart don't actually make much sense when you stop to think about them.)  Still, I was interested enough in how the events would unfold to want to read this story all the way through and skim over some of the shakier sections.  Plus, I mostly liked the protagonist, Emika, and her multi-colored hair and her (sometimes misguided) spunk.  To me, Warcross feels very much in the vein of Ready Player One, so if you enjoyed that novel, you might try this one.  I'd also suggest Warcross if you're looking for a fun YA adventure novel with a depressing undercurrent of "this could really happen or maybe is already starting."

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Five: Can't Help Myself

I listened to Boston Globe "Love Letters" columnist Meredith Goldstein's memoir Can't Help Myself (wonderfully read by the author) and enjoyed every moment of it.  It doesn't hurt, I suppose, that, although about ten years my senior, I resonated with much of what Goldstein described about her own life, but I think this work would appeal to a wider audience, too.  Goldstein weaves together snippets from her "Love Letters" columns and her own experiences as a girlfriend, as a single woman, as a sister, and as the daughter of a mother ill with cancer.  This juxtaposition of other people's letters to her column and her own life offers some perspective on both the column and especially her own life.  Even as Goldstein covers many weightier topics, her writing offers up moments of levity in counterbalance, making this memoir eminently listenable (or readable).  I only wished it lasted longer!

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Four: Bellweather Rhapsody

I read Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia for a book club, which hasn't met yet, but I'm excited to talk it over with people, because this book really surprised me!  It started a little slowly and blandly, feeling like your typical snide and semi-detached coming-of-age story, but as I got further into the narrative and got to know the main characters and their past better, I really started caring about them.  Even though there is a small cast of complex characters, Bellweather Rhapsody is also driven by its bizarre plot involving several murders, a high school music festival, and a snowstorm.  This is a book about which I can honestly say that I couldn't predict at all how it was going to end, which is pretty unusual for me, and made me appreciate this strange and wonderful novel all the more.  If you're looking for something good to read, something that will surprise you, I heartily and wholly suggest Bellweather Rhapsody.

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Three: Scythe

Neal Shusterman's Scythe is a book that I've heard a lot about, and yet it took me over a year to actually pick up a copy and read it, but once I started, I could not put it down.  I was worried it would be another Hunger Games derivative, and while there are some obvious and shallow similarities (lots of killing, a proposed battle to the death of two teenagers who have to kill people and may be romantically involved), I think Scythe offers more food for thought than The Hunger Games by offering us a vision of a future in which humans have become immortal and work has essentially been rendered useless (somewhat similarly to The Giver).  Even so, Scythe could have gone a lot farther in envisioning a future human society, but nonetheless, I found it thought-provoking and totally engrossing.  So far there's one sequel published (Thunderhead), and a third (and final?) planned, and I'll definitely be reading both at some point.  If you liked The Hunger Games or are in the mood for a dystopian YA bloodbath with subtle tastes of a political thriller, definitely give Scythe a try. 

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-Two: Way off the Road

I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook of Way off the Road, read by the author, Bill Geist, who is (or was?) apparently a big name at CBS.  Way off the Road offers a collection of vignettes about some of the most unusual places Geist has visited in America, which include a town with only one resident, a town where the parade stands still and the spectators walk around it, and various towns with unusual festivals.  There are also a few little pieces about the joys (travails) of traveling, which are close enough to the mark to be quite funny.  This is just the sort of entertaining and lighthearted nonfiction that I particularly enjoy, and I certainly recommend it as an interesting diversion!

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-One: Jane on the Brain

As a non-fiction companion to my reading of Jane Austen's novels, I listened to a new non-fiction audiobook called Jane on the Brain: Exploring the Science of Social  Intelligence with Jane Austen by Wendy Jones.  I hadn't read all of the novels by the time I listened to this book, so I can safely say that you don't have to have read Austen to enjoy and learn something from this book, which is as much psychology as literary analysis, although you'll probably get more out of it if you have read at least some of Austen's novels.  Jones uses Austen's characters to provide examples of various psychological concepts, simultaneously shedding light on the books and on psychology on an accessible, introductory level.  I really enjoyed this listen, so if you're interested in either Austen or psychology, I'd definitely suggest checking out Jane on the Brain.

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty: Jane Austen's novels

So, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I've spent much of my leisure reading time this winter delving into Jane Austen's six (completed) novels.  I had only ever read Pride and Prejudice before, and I really enjoy it, so I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get around to reading the rest of her works, but now I'm very glad that I've taken the time to read them all.  While Emma and Sense and Sensibility were my least favorite of the bunch--Emma because the titular character is so obnoxious during most of the novel and Sense and Sensibility because it exposes so much of the casual quotidian cruelty of people--I'm glad to have read them, and will probably read them again in the course of my lifetime.  Mansfield Park, though long and with the icky (to this modern reader, though probably not to Austen's contemporaries) main romance between first cousins, I actually found to be more enjoyable than I'd anticipated, probably because I found the timid and downtrodden but sensible and kind Fanny Price to be such a sympathetic main character, if somewhat frustrating for her passivity.  Northanger Abbey, for its satire and the personal growth of its young heroine, has won a warm spot in my heart, and I liked Persuasion almost as much as Pride and Prejudice--high praise, indeed!  Although I have to admit that, re-reading Pride and Prejudice after I'd read the others for the first time, it's still my favorite, and if you've never read any Austen, I would still suggest starting with Pride and Prejudice.  I so appreciate that Austen's novels combine satire with good endings, cleverness with deep feeling, interiority with plot, and I'd strongly suggest that everyone go and read at least one of them. 

Chapter Two Hundred Nineteen: Half a King

While I wouldn't have chosen Joe Abercrombie's Half a King for myself, I read it for a book group, and at the least I can say it surpassed my admittedly low expectations.  As the blurbs on its cover suggest, it is a story of violence and revenge--not my taste at all, but given that, I found the plot to be compelling enough that I wanted to pick the book up again once I'd put it down.

However, I'm not sure exactly what to make of the main character's disability (his left hand has only a thumb and index finger).  I felt that his constant self-doubt and self-deprecation as a result of his different hand was a bit wearing and unoriginal; his focus is constantly on what he cannot do or be as a result of his physical difference, rather than on the things he can do and be.  While he exhibits some growth in this regard, partly as a result of being enslaved (see next paragraph), I would have really been far more into a book that shows a person with a disability who isn't mainly defined by that disability, as Yarvi seems to be.  I will say that Half a King does, at least, largely evade the horrible trope of characters with disabilities who are medically or magically cured by the end of the book.  (Though apparently there are sequels to Half a King which I haven't read, so I can't vouch for the fate of Yarvi's hand in them...)  While Yarvi feels more confident about himself by the end of the novel, it is not because his left hand has not been medically or magically enhanced in any way. 

Yet a big problem is that Yarvi's increased confidence comes mostly as a result of his enslavement.  He's never been much of a fighter and has been more of a weakling, and he's forced into better shape by his time as a slave--an absurd and tired trope of so much literature, especially of speculative fiction, that if one is forced into horrible feats of physical endurance, usually as a result of enslavement or kidnapping, one will emerge physically fit.  What baloney.  The upside to being enslaved is not that you become physically stronger and more confident.  The upside to being enslaved is--oh, wait, there is no upside to being enslaved.  It's amazing how many books seem to forget that, even as they describe filthy conditions, near starvation, and whippings.  How much more interesting would it be to have had Yarvi decide, for his own reasons of vengeance or whatever, that he was going to make the effort himself to become stronger and more confident, and then follow it through? 

Despite these (rather large) reservations, I'll remind my gentle readers once more that my complaints about Half a King are by no means unique to this book, and, in fact, are found in some form or another in many fantasy novels (and in other genres, too).  Still, if the best I can say about a book is that it does no worse than other novels on a couple of tropes, that's not exactly a ringing praise...  I can't really write my encouragement here to go and read this book for its own sake, but I will say it offers a lot of points for thought and critique.

Chapter Two Hundred Eighteen: Miracle and Other Christmas Stories

Okay, I know I really missed the boat for posting about this one, but it's a collection of Christmas stories by my favorite favorite, Connie Willis!  I hadn't read it before, and it was just what I wanted around Christmas--short stories (because I was busy, obviously too busy to blog) that have just the right mix of otherworldliness and Christmas sentimentality.  Anyway, enjoy this post in way early preparation for next Christmas, and in not-very-early preparation for my annual midwinter/gray months re-read of Connie Willis, which is coming just as soon as I finish my current trek through Austen's works...  (Look for a near-future post on that adventure!) 

Chapter Two Hundred Seventeen: The Lost Plot

So I haven't had time to post in a while, but I have had time to read!  (Though there's never as much time to read as I'd like...)  In January, I was excited to read the newly released fourth Invisible Library book by Genevieve Cogman (see here for my thoughts on the first three in the series), and I am happy to say I enjoyed it at least as much as the first three.  I particularly appreciated Irene's and Kai's development as characters in this novel and the continued world building, particularly as regards the internal politics of the Library, though I still want to learn more about that in future books.  If you liked the first three, I don't think The Lost Plot will disappoint, and if you haven't read any of this series but are looking for solid fantasy novels written for adults (about secret agent librarians, no less!), give this series a try.