This is another science fiction book, like Ancillary Justice, that has been recommended to me for ages. Happily, unlike Ancillary Justice, I loved this one. The premise is so simple and so smart: Humanity has taken to the stars; the universe is full of aliens, and the Colonial Defense Force, made up of humans way more... Continue Reading →
Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie
People have been recommending this book to me for a few years now. Not just my science-fiction-loving family, but people all over the bookish internet, as well. I was excited about it. I was convinced it was going to amazing. I hated it. It's been a long time since I have hated a book so... Continue Reading →
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
Utter delight. That's what this book is: utter, utter delight. I loved Chambers's first book in this universe, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and for reasons I won't go into here because of spoilers for that excellent novel, I put off reading this one for a long time. I am so glad I... Continue Reading →
Fierce Feminist Friday: Science Fiction Series Starring Flawed and Fabulous Women
Recently, I've been reading a lot of books with complicated, contradictory characters. These are the best characters, in my opinion, because they feel real. People in the real world are rarely simple. Straight-up evil villains are few and far between. So are perfectly upright role models who never mess up or say the wrong thing.... Continue Reading →
Sovereign by April Daniels
Sovereign is the second book in April Daniels' Nemesis series. I enjoyed, but did not love, the first book, and hadn't planned to pick up the second, but after reading some great reviews, I decided to give it a try. While there were elements of this book that I loved, it dragged, and despite many... Continue Reading →
Top 5 Wednesday: Hidden Gems in Your Favorite Genre
I can't resist a Top 5 list! The folks over at the Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads group host this weekly feature, and even though I did a different Top 5 post yesterday, I couldn't resist this one, as the topic is so good. I love science fiction and fantasy: they're the genres that made me... Continue Reading →
Just A Bite: O Human Star by Blue Delliquanti
Ever since finishing the five currently available volumes of Saga, I have been devouring comics at an alarming rate--close to one comic book a day! My excitement over this incredible new world of books knows no bounds. I'm going to start a new weekly feature on the blog, "Comics Gobble"--a roundup of the best comics... Continue Reading →
Read Against Trump, Day 4: For When You’ve Had Enough of This Planet (and/or the Laws of Physics)
Science fiction and fantasy stories have so much to teach us about how to live in our own world. They speak to problems that we face every day. They are about families and lovers and friendships—small, intimate, human things. They are also often about about war and disaster and injustice—big, terrifying, human things. But the... Continue Reading →
Comics, Queerness, and my Newest Literary Love
I am new to comics. I’ve read various graphic novels and memoirs over the years—Fun Home, Persepolis, Maus—and I devoured Dykes to Watch Out For when I was in my early twenties. But I’ve never been a comics-reader. I wasn’t the kid with hundreds of comic books stashed under her bed; I was the kid... Continue Reading →