finished reading My Cat Yugoslavia πππππ
by Pajtim Statovci.
Interleaves the story of a young Albanian refugee in Finland, excluded & traumatised, with that of his mother's wedding & her hopes for a future filled with love. The symbolism of the cats & snakes is a bit weird but I think I finally got my head around it. Mostly interesting for its depictions of Albanian culture and Finnish xenophobia.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The Sound of the Mountain πππππ
by Yasunari Kawabata.
In post-war Japan, an aging man grapples ineffectually with the autumn of his life, the failure of his children's marriages, and his slightly inappropriate relationship with his daughter-in-law. Calmly mellow & unfocussed, much like old age might be.
#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #JapaneseLiterature
@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The Lathe of Heaven πππππ
by Ursula Le Guin.
A man's dreams shape reality, and his therapist uses him as a tool to fix the wrongs in the world. But if utopia lacks free will, diversity & creativity, is it still utopia?
#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #SFF #UrsulaLeGuin
@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde πππππ
by Robert Louis Stevenson.
When our baser urges are allowed to run free, they end up dominating. Disturbing, even if the 'science' is a bit amusing.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The Mars House πππππ
by Natasha Pulley.
A sci-fi romance set on Mars, where recent refugees from climate-riven Earth are so strong in the low gravity that they are a mortal accidental risk to Martians. Excellent premise, and the contradictory reactions of the protagonist feel real & difficult. But some of the underlying science is dubious (MW β MWh!!!), the romance had potential but felt a bit weak and the ending used up its momentum too soon. Mammoths!
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Comes the Night πππππ
by Isabelle Carmody.
YA dystopian set in Canberra! In a polluted world, cities have been enclosed in domes and pervasive tech & propaganda keep the population in line. A teenage boy gets entangled in mysterious intrigue, and soon starts to wonder if his dreams are more than they seem. Very slow and overly explicatory, except for the ending which was sudden, unclear and too easy.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Slade House πππππ
by David Mitchell.
Every nine years, people disappear into a house which otherwise can't be found. The author's usual layering of stories across different time periods gradually reveals the truth, though it's not particularly clever this time around. Dark arts & illusions, bit creepy, not really my thing.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Watership Down πππππ
by Richard Adams.
The trials & adventures of rabbits setting up a new warren: strange cultures, claw-biting escapades and the terror of war. Similar to Wind in the Willows but the anthropomorphism is weaker and the characters less vibrant. It's just as misogynistic: does are thought of as mere 'breeding stock', though worth fighting over. Drags along though it builds to a decent climax.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Skyward Flight: The Collection: Sunreach / ReDawn / Evershore πππππ
by Brandon Sanderson & Janci Patterson.
While the hero of the series is lost in the Nowhere, her fellow pilots get on with being awesome and taking the fight to the oppressors. Decent YA fare with lots of dogfights, light humour and a little romance. The hyperslugs are adorable.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The Season πππππ
by Helen Garner.
The author shadows her grandson's under-16 Aussie Rules team for a season. A glimpse from the boundary line of boys on the cusp on manhood, the solidarity of teammates, the strange spiritual appeal of sport. Wonderfully written & absorbing, but it's still just footy and Melburnians are weird.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The Help πππππ
by Kathryn Stockett.
In 1960s Mississippi, white women and the black maids they employ navigate the upheaval of the civil rights movement. The contrast of ingrained racism and the deep emotional integration of black women into white family life is astounding. Potential for deep analysis, but you can also just enjoy the story.
#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #HistoricalFiction
@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The Cruel Stars πππππ
by John Birmingham.
Action space opera that doesn't take itself too seriously. Humanity has become a diverse species dangerously dependent on digital & genomic enhancement - a zealous puritan strain plans to change that. A few too many characters to begin with - none of them I connected with, and many of whom die - but they come together nicely.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading A Court of Thorns and Roses πππππ
by Sarah Maas.
My first foray into #romantasy. The plot is so-so (humans vs faeries, love & intrigue) but finishes strongly. The romance is weak - it's never clear why she loves the faerie lord, except for his sexy man-beastiness. Hopefully this is not the best the genre has to offer.
#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #Fantasy #Romance
@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck πππππ
by David Spiegelhalter.
A fairly readable overview of probability & uncertainty, from the straightforward games of chance through to the deep uncertainty of future risks such as climate change & AI. Not sure who it's aimed at: some of it is too complex for the layman, but not deep enough for the technically minded. Has some good examples, especially from covid. Would have liked some worked examples of how to apply its principles to real life decision-making.
#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #Nonfiction #Statistics
@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Playground πππππ
by Richard Powers.
The glorious wonder of the ocean, the fraught love of competitive friends, our tangled dependence on both extraction & love of the natural world, the tempting appeal of AI. Felt like there was too much to wrap up in so short a space, but he pulls it off remarkably, leaving an uncertainty as to what was real and what imagined or simulated.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Bookshops & Bonedust πππππ
by Travis Baldree.
A worthy prequel to Legends & Lattes. New friends come together to reinvigorate a bookshop, with a couple of baddies dealt with along the way. Loved Satchel the animated skeleton. Moist!
#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #SFF #Fantasy #CosyFantasy
@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The Scar πππππ
by China Mieville.
An exuberant, barely believeable steampunk world with cactus & mosquito people, underwater & floating cities, and mysterious powers. Very very long, and rather too serious.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
And here it is, my third #Autocade Year of Cars annual for all you #car aficionados out there! Octane called last yearβs βbrilliantβ and βtotally absorbingβ and I hope this 2026 edition hits the same high notes! Boosts appreciated!
https://lucire.biz/product/autocade-year-of-cars-2026-hardcover/ #book #car #yearbook #bookstodon #coche #waka #Auto #voiture #macchina #design #trends #tendances #WeirdCarMastodon
finished reading Prophet Song πππππ
by Paul Lynch.
A horrifying realistic account of an everyday Western country being gradually consumed by an authoritarian regime. Every moment of encroaching terror is disturbingly relatable. Writing style felt like a monotone ramble, which masked its poignancy.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading The World We Make πππππ
by NK Jemisin.
New York finishes the job against the Multiverse, despite the conservative reticence of the Old Cities. Clunkier and without the freshness of the original. But fun to see more city avatars. I think Mamdani could easily be a character in these books!
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Wind and Truth πππππ
by Brandon Sanderson.
An absolute brick of a book - possibly the longest I've ever read. Could certainly have been shorter (successful authors get way too much latitude), with too frequent changes in PoV, and while I appreciate his use of mental health to disrupt tired fantasy tropes, after three weeks of amateur therapy I was a bit over it. But he does pull together sprawling plotlines to a satisfying climax, with an appealing set up for a fresh take on the second half of the series.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Contact πππππ
by Carl Sagan.
A message from outer space is detected, and humanity sets about decoding it, then attempts to make contact with the originators. Delves into the nexus of science & religion, the complexity of international collaboration, and the social upheaval of such a paradigm-shifting discovery. Some excruciating elite-level gaslighting. Surprising ending!
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading We Are the Stars πππππ
by Gina Chick.
That wild woman who captivated us on Alone Australia is the product of genes, a generous upbringing, and intense tempering in the crucible of life. A remarkable range of life experience, and an impressive capacity to learn & evolve from life's challenges. Heavy on nebulous metaphor, but fitting. I envy her capacity to inhabit her emotions & body so fully.
#BookReview #Books #Bookstodon #Biography #AloneAustralia #AloneTV
@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Blackout πππππ
by Connie Willis.
The Oxford time travellers are back, back to the London Blitz in WW2. But they are having trouble returning home, and getting caught up in all sorts of trouble in the meantime. Slow moving and overly detailed, but the near slapstick humour saves it. Only the first half of the story, so unfulfilling.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
finished reading Once There Were Wolves πππππ
by Charlotte McConaghy.
An attempt to reintroduce wolves to the Scottish Highlands faces strong pushback from the locals. In wilderness we fear monsters, but perhaps the true monsters are within. A thoroughly enjoyable thriller featuring the deep connection of twins, a remarkable form of empathy, the evil of domestic & ecological abuse and resultant trauma, and a little mystery. A strange lack of consequences.
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@WildWoila @wildwoila@wyrms.de
