A Glimpse into my mind

Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by A.E. Moorat

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


3.5 but I am rounding up.

The title of the book says it all. But a fun, quirky story that if you like alternative history, zombies or simple horror, you would like this book.



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Bang by Barry Lyga

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


When he was 4 years old, Sebastian accidentally shot and killed his 4 month old baby sister. Ever since then he's dealing with the guilt of her death, his parents' divorce and the unspoken judgement of everyone he meets. He is just biding his time until his inner voice says it's time ... time to take his own life by gun and put everyone out of their misery.

Then the summer between Freshman and Sophomore year in High School, he meets Aneesa, a Muslim girl who has just moved into the neighborhood, and strikes up a friendship with her. She helps him find some fun in his life... but even still.. he waits for the voice to say yes.

+++

The story was... ok. I am not the target audience. I kept finding myself judging the adults in Sebastian's life who were clearly not helping him get the mental health treatment he AND they need. And unfortunately that truly colored my view to the entire story.



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A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Romeo and Juliet in Little Saigon.

They come from rival restaurant families. Caught between family loyalty, personal interests, school assignments and a growing attraction to each other.

But they learn that what they thought was a rivalry that started when the two restaurants opened up across from each other is actually something that started before either family came to America.

But they need to do is figure what caused the disagreement before it causes the rivalry to grow and cause more anger within each family.


++++

This was a cute retelling of Romeo and Juliet that does not take itself seriously. In fact several times secondary characters saying that the two were living a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.

I found this book good, and did not require heavy thinking.

The only down side.... I was craving Pho the entire time I listened to the book.



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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In the late 1950's/early 1960's finding a woman in a chemistry lab was highly unusual. But Elizabeth Zott was not your usual woman. Strong-minded, independent, focused, Elizabeth struggles to make a place in a 'man's world'.

She finds herself confronting the biggest name in Chemistry at her place of employment and is not impressed. He's awkward, single-minded and focused. But time and chance makes her re-evaluate him. She and Calvin form a highly unusual pair - she refuses to marry him out of fear that his name will cause her work to be subsumed by him. But they love and support each other.

Until a freak accident takes him away and leaves her alone, pregnant and unwed. Due to misogynistic attitudes and professional jealousy, Elizabeth then finds herself unemployed and still trying to be the chemist she was born to be.

But she finds away to survive, raise her daughter and teach herself and the nation that women are not just something to keep at home.

++++

OK, I totally understand the hype now. I was hesitant to get this book from the library and now i am glad i did. The story is compelling, the characters are fully fleshed out and feel real.

i cannot recommend this book enough.



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Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


2 for story; 4 for narration so a 3 average

The book started off interesting. Viv is a genius programmer who has made and lost fortune after fortune. Knowing that her latest tech is going to bring the authorities down on her, she attempts to go into hiding. But as she is about to, she is suddenly whisked off to another time and place, thousands of years in the future.

From there it gets just pain weird and hard to follow. I had hopes and with the first couple chapters I recommended it to people. But now.... not so sure.



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Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story by Caren Stelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A gripping and engrossing biography of a woman who, at the age of 6, survived the bombing of Nagasaki and then had to deal with the horrific medical, mental, financial, environmental and cultural fallout from the experience.

This is a short book but well worth the 3+ hours to listen to it.



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All Systems Red by Martha Wells

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It is a Security Unit, a biological and mechanical unit programed to provide protection to those who hire its services. But, having managed to override its governing controller, all it wants to do is avoid the crew of the scientific expedition its been assigned to and watch the entertainment serials its downloaded.

But things are going strangely - sections of maps are not filling in, another expedition has gone silent. It now must protect its humans, solve the mystery and hopefully get back to find out what happens next in the show its watching.

+++

Okay, I can totally see why people have been raving about the Murderbot books. I was gifted this audiobook and as things allow, I will look for the next in the series.



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Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Two eleven year-old girls have disappeared in the middle of the night from a small town. Peter Grant is sent up from London to see if there is anything supernatural or mystical about the disappearance.

But if it wasn't bad enough for a mixed-race Police Constable from London to have to navigate small town prejudices and politics, he also has to deal with the local the River Goddesses, invisible unicorns and a possible Fairy Queen.

S.O.P. right?

+++++

The further I get into this series, the more I am enjoying it. Definitely looking forward to the next book.



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Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


War and plague have ravaged the land for years, even decades. Lord Cas was captured when he was 15 and imprisoned. Beaten, mistreated and eventually left for dead of the plague, he eventually is let go and 3 years later returns home to try to pick up the pieces of his life.

War has ended when the King marries the Princess of the other warring kingdom, and the realm starts trying to find "normal". When Cas gets home, he discovers that the King and Queen have taken up residence in his home manor and his brother, the High Lord, serves as close advisor to the King. One his first day back, Cas saves the newborn Prince from an assassin attack. Soon other assassination attacks against the new Queen put the whole household on edge and Cas makes it his mission to find out what's going on.

+++++

This was a gripping, fantasy that had me constantly returning to the book to find out what was happening next. I am certainly going to look for other books by this author.



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Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After work drinks with coworkers and meeting with friends for dinner is pretty SOP for the business folks of NYC. But what is not SOP is everyone in a bar going insane and attacking each other. Within a span of 12 minutes over 80 people are dead and many others hospitalized.

Lt. Eve Dallas scrambles to figure out what has happened and why. But then the next day a small cafe is hit at lunchtime. Same strange behavior and homicidal actions. It is no longer an isolated incident and with the body count over 100, Homeland Security is brought in because the situation is now classified as domestic terrorism.

So now Eve needs to work with Feds after having bad experiences with HSO, deal with media trying to blow the situation up further AND find the person or persons behind this before they strike again.

+++++

I found this installment of the In Death series rather compelling. Yes it had the requisite sex scene between Eve and Roarke, but it was early on and did not slow down the pace of the plot. The overall pacing, investigation steps and character interaction all made sense and didn't leave me going "wait, what, how?" like I have done with some of the past books in the series.



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