Books read, February
Jun. 20th, 2019 04:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cyphomandraA good month; Dal Maclean’s Bitter Legacies and Victor Lavalle’s The Changeling will make it into my top reads for the year.
This Mortal Coil, Emily Suvada
Off Base, Annabeth Albert
Connection Error, Annabeth Albert
At Attention, Annabeth Albert
The Changeling, Victor LaValle
Necessary Medicine, MK York
The New Boy, Doreen Tovey
Metal Dragon, Lauren Esker
Alice Payne Arrives, Kate Heartfield
Bitter Legacy, Dal Maclean
Point of Contact, Melanie Hansen
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, Ruth Franklin
Heartsick, Chelsea Cain
The Hollow of Fear, Sherry Thomas
Ready Player Two, Shira Chess
Maybe This Time, AM Arthur
No Such Thing, AM Arthur
Stand By You, AM Arthur
Christmas Term at Vernley, Margaret Biggs
This Mortal Coil, Emily Suvada. Near-future sf YA; Cat, daughter of a brilliant geneticist father, is a gene-hacking genius living in hiding after her father was kidnapped by an evil organisation, and the world was swept by a biological plague that only he could have cured. This has one absolutely fabulous scene in it, where Cat is taken to one of the shadowy organisation’s underground bunkers, where the last remnants of human hide out from the deadly plague - and it’s a delightful, well-resourced paradise, completely unlike everything she’s been told or the dangerous fingernail existence she’s been leading. The rest of it - too many (predictable) twists, too much unbelievable technology (the plague can only be prevented by eating bits of the infectious people? there’s a bit where she genetically engineers a new virus in under an hour), and an annoying love triangle. I might skim through the next one?
Off Base, At Attention, Connection Error, Annabeth Albert. The two with military titles are from her gay SEALs series (first - roomates to lovers plus coming out, second - single dad to twin daughters falls for babysitter), while the other one is a crossover between that and her #gaymers m/m series (ADHD programmer hooks up with SEAL in (physical) rehab). These are okay as long as you imagine that everyone has an emotional age of 17.
The Changeling, Victor LaValle. While Ballad of Black Tom was in dialogue with Lovecraft, this is very much a response to one of my favourite picture books, Maurice Sendak’s Outside Over There, and it’s fantastic. Apollo is one of the few black rare book dealers in New York, obsessed with Outside Over There since he was a child and his father, who read it to him, vanished. He meets Emma and the two of them have a son, born on the subway during a power cut; parenting is challenging, but Apollo believes they’re both coping. Until Emma does something appalling (this is an horrific scene, all the more so for not being fully described) and disappears.
It’s a quest, a fairy tale, an homage to New York; it’s modern (I had a bit of trouble working out when it was set initially but then the internet shows up) and ageless all at once, and both Apollo and Emma are amazing characters. Really enjoyed it.
Necessary Medicine, MK York. Hospital m/m romance that has so much hospital that the romance is pretty much secondary - it’s written by a medical student. Surgical resident Neil develops what he believes is a hopeless crush on recently divorced cardiologist Eli, and they dance around each other for four years before finally hooking up. It’s entirely in Neil’s pov and would have worked better as romance if it used Eli’s (I’m unsure if the two main characters’ names are meant to be almost anagrams), but if you’re in the mood for surgical residency + pining and don't mind the power imbalance (I'm mildly irked by it) it’s ideal.
The New Boy, Doreen Tovey. Tovey wrote endearing animal memoirs, mainly about her Siamese cats (she was president of the UK Siamese Cat Club), although she’s also good on her eccentric husband and inhabitants of her village. They’re deft and funny, with occasional heartbreaking moments (as with most animal stories) and sometimes that’s exactly what I want to read.
Metal Dragon, Lauren Esker. Book 2 of an sf het romance series, read (a couple of times) for beta. Dragon shifter alien/human woman space adventure; fast-paced and fun.
Alice Payne Arrives, Kate Heartfield. Tor’s habit of publishing novellas that aren’t really standalones irritates me (see also Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti), but even allowing for that this was a book I wanted to like a lot more than I did - it’s ateampunk timetravel f/f story that ranges between the 18th and 22nd centuries, with a time war and strong female characters, but the characters themselves felt underdeveloped and I didn’t actually care that much about the time changes.
Bitter Legacy, Dal Maclean. James Henderson rejected his family’s ambitions for him and became a policeman; a rising star in the London Metropolitan police, gay but with no time for relationships, he’s initially keen to take on the job of solving the murder of a young barrister, but as the investigation proceeds his connections to the crime become more apparent, and dangerously complicated.
I loved this; the detective parts are great, realistic without being overwhelming, and the romance - between James and Ben, a photographer renting out a room at an address that comes up in the investigation (unusually for m/m, before taking the room James refers his concern about a possible conflict of interest to his senior officer and only proceeds once she clears him) - is also great, and the whole theme of the book - the scars some crimes leave behind on all that they touch - is brilliantly done. I finished this and bought the next one; recommended.
(disclaimer; a number of reviews of this book complain about infidelity of one of the leads. Although it’s consistent with the character if that’s a deal-breaker this is probably not the right book)
Point of Contact, Melanie Hansen. Military m/m; single gay dad (via teenage experimentation) Trevor’s adult son, Riley, joins the army - and is killed in combat. His friend and platoon mate, Jesse, seeks him out to return a box of Riley’s things, and the two begin a relationship while grieving. This was right on the edge of my comfort zone due to the generation gap aspects - Jesse is older than Riley - but it’s nicely done otherwise; realistic military details, heavy on the angst and putting yourself back together.
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, Ruth Franklin. The cameos and the grounding of Jackson in her particular time and place are great, but I agree withskygiants that Hyman and Jackson's mother swallow up the biography (and yes for really wanting to know more about the housewife extended correspondence friend!). I really need to read more Jackson (assorted shorts, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Among the Savages, The Haunting of Hill House). I think there's also useful material about her writing about her own parenting and how this has largely dropped out of the canon; it feels like every generation there's a "discovery of the reality of parenting", with a collective historical blanking out of whatever came before.
Heartsick, Chelsea Cain. First in a series. I am not the target audience for attractive serial killers and the broken but brilliant investigators they toy with, but if that’s your thing (female serial killer, male cop) then I suppose this was okay.
The Hollow of Fear, Sherry Thomas. Third in the Lady Sherlock series. I thought this was better than the second but not as good as the first. Solid plot, unexpected twists (some more than others), much more of a focus on the relationship between Charlotte and Ash. I would not start here but I would strongly recommend the series.
Ready Player Two: Women Gamers and Designed Identity, Shira Chess. A history and analysis of women in computer games, computer games for women, and women who play computer games. Interesting read and I’m still thinking about some of the points - the ideas that many games for women expect the players to manage others’ emotions (she spends quite a bit of time on the Diner Dash franchise, of which I’ve only played the first (after which sometimes I have a mental image of my timer counting down when I am seated at a restaurant but haven’t had anyone take my order, which is the time interval I like least), but Ni No Kuni made me feel obligated to act as everyone’s therapist and at times I found it exhausting) or to tidy up (hidden object games and some match-3 - of the two match-3 games I currently play, MPQ is much less about tidying and much more marketed to a male audience than is Gardenscapes). Some stuff on Gamergate, and a look at the way ads target women gamers (usually via excruciating stereotypes).
No Such Thing, AM Arthur.
Maybe This Time, AM Arthur.
Stand By You, AM Arthur.
New Adult m/m with linked group of friends. Consumable but unchallenging.
Christmas Term at Vernley, Margaret Biggs. I am fond of the school story trope in which one of the school houses is doing poorly and a new leader has to try and pull it back up. This is a solid but not outstanding entry.
This Mortal Coil, Emily Suvada
Off Base, Annabeth Albert
Connection Error, Annabeth Albert
At Attention, Annabeth Albert
The Changeling, Victor LaValle
Necessary Medicine, MK York
The New Boy, Doreen Tovey
Metal Dragon, Lauren Esker
Alice Payne Arrives, Kate Heartfield
Bitter Legacy, Dal Maclean
Point of Contact, Melanie Hansen
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, Ruth Franklin
Heartsick, Chelsea Cain
The Hollow of Fear, Sherry Thomas
Ready Player Two, Shira Chess
Maybe This Time, AM Arthur
No Such Thing, AM Arthur
Stand By You, AM Arthur
Christmas Term at Vernley, Margaret Biggs
This Mortal Coil, Emily Suvada. Near-future sf YA; Cat, daughter of a brilliant geneticist father, is a gene-hacking genius living in hiding after her father was kidnapped by an evil organisation, and the world was swept by a biological plague that only he could have cured. This has one absolutely fabulous scene in it, where Cat is taken to one of the shadowy organisation’s underground bunkers, where the last remnants of human hide out from the deadly plague - and it’s a delightful, well-resourced paradise, completely unlike everything she’s been told or the dangerous fingernail existence she’s been leading. The rest of it - too many (predictable) twists, too much unbelievable technology (the plague can only be prevented by eating bits of the infectious people? there’s a bit where she genetically engineers a new virus in under an hour), and an annoying love triangle. I might skim through the next one?
Off Base, At Attention, Connection Error, Annabeth Albert. The two with military titles are from her gay SEALs series (first - roomates to lovers plus coming out, second - single dad to twin daughters falls for babysitter), while the other one is a crossover between that and her #gaymers m/m series (ADHD programmer hooks up with SEAL in (physical) rehab). These are okay as long as you imagine that everyone has an emotional age of 17.
The Changeling, Victor LaValle. While Ballad of Black Tom was in dialogue with Lovecraft, this is very much a response to one of my favourite picture books, Maurice Sendak’s Outside Over There, and it’s fantastic. Apollo is one of the few black rare book dealers in New York, obsessed with Outside Over There since he was a child and his father, who read it to him, vanished. He meets Emma and the two of them have a son, born on the subway during a power cut; parenting is challenging, but Apollo believes they’re both coping. Until Emma does something appalling (this is an horrific scene, all the more so for not being fully described) and disappears.
It’s a quest, a fairy tale, an homage to New York; it’s modern (I had a bit of trouble working out when it was set initially but then the internet shows up) and ageless all at once, and both Apollo and Emma are amazing characters. Really enjoyed it.
Necessary Medicine, MK York. Hospital m/m romance that has so much hospital that the romance is pretty much secondary - it’s written by a medical student. Surgical resident Neil develops what he believes is a hopeless crush on recently divorced cardiologist Eli, and they dance around each other for four years before finally hooking up. It’s entirely in Neil’s pov and would have worked better as romance if it used Eli’s (I’m unsure if the two main characters’ names are meant to be almost anagrams), but if you’re in the mood for surgical residency + pining and don't mind the power imbalance (I'm mildly irked by it) it’s ideal.
The New Boy, Doreen Tovey. Tovey wrote endearing animal memoirs, mainly about her Siamese cats (she was president of the UK Siamese Cat Club), although she’s also good on her eccentric husband and inhabitants of her village. They’re deft and funny, with occasional heartbreaking moments (as with most animal stories) and sometimes that’s exactly what I want to read.
Metal Dragon, Lauren Esker. Book 2 of an sf het romance series, read (a couple of times) for beta. Dragon shifter alien/human woman space adventure; fast-paced and fun.
Alice Payne Arrives, Kate Heartfield. Tor’s habit of publishing novellas that aren’t really standalones irritates me (see also Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti), but even allowing for that this was a book I wanted to like a lot more than I did - it’s ateampunk timetravel f/f story that ranges between the 18th and 22nd centuries, with a time war and strong female characters, but the characters themselves felt underdeveloped and I didn’t actually care that much about the time changes.
Bitter Legacy, Dal Maclean. James Henderson rejected his family’s ambitions for him and became a policeman; a rising star in the London Metropolitan police, gay but with no time for relationships, he’s initially keen to take on the job of solving the murder of a young barrister, but as the investigation proceeds his connections to the crime become more apparent, and dangerously complicated.
I loved this; the detective parts are great, realistic without being overwhelming, and the romance - between James and Ben, a photographer renting out a room at an address that comes up in the investigation (unusually for m/m, before taking the room James refers his concern about a possible conflict of interest to his senior officer and only proceeds once she clears him) - is also great, and the whole theme of the book - the scars some crimes leave behind on all that they touch - is brilliantly done. I finished this and bought the next one; recommended.
(disclaimer; a number of reviews of this book complain about infidelity of one of the leads. Although it’s consistent with the character if that’s a deal-breaker this is probably not the right book)
Point of Contact, Melanie Hansen. Military m/m; single gay dad (via teenage experimentation) Trevor’s adult son, Riley, joins the army - and is killed in combat. His friend and platoon mate, Jesse, seeks him out to return a box of Riley’s things, and the two begin a relationship while grieving. This was right on the edge of my comfort zone due to the generation gap aspects - Jesse is older than Riley - but it’s nicely done otherwise; realistic military details, heavy on the angst and putting yourself back together.
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, Ruth Franklin. The cameos and the grounding of Jackson in her particular time and place are great, but I agree with
skygiants that Hyman and Jackson's mother swallow up the biography (and yes for really wanting to know more about the housewife extended correspondence friend!). I really need to read more Jackson (assorted shorts, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Among the Savages, The Haunting of Hill House). I think there's also useful material about her writing about her own parenting and how this has largely dropped out of the canon; it feels like every generation there's a "discovery of the reality of parenting", with a collective historical blanking out of whatever came before. Heartsick, Chelsea Cain. First in a series. I am not the target audience for attractive serial killers and the broken but brilliant investigators they toy with, but if that’s your thing (female serial killer, male cop) then I suppose this was okay.
The Hollow of Fear, Sherry Thomas. Third in the Lady Sherlock series. I thought this was better than the second but not as good as the first. Solid plot, unexpected twists (some more than others), much more of a focus on the relationship between Charlotte and Ash. I would not start here but I would strongly recommend the series.
Ready Player Two: Women Gamers and Designed Identity, Shira Chess. A history and analysis of women in computer games, computer games for women, and women who play computer games. Interesting read and I’m still thinking about some of the points - the ideas that many games for women expect the players to manage others’ emotions (she spends quite a bit of time on the Diner Dash franchise, of which I’ve only played the first (after which sometimes I have a mental image of my timer counting down when I am seated at a restaurant but haven’t had anyone take my order, which is the time interval I like least), but Ni No Kuni made me feel obligated to act as everyone’s therapist and at times I found it exhausting) or to tidy up (hidden object games and some match-3 - of the two match-3 games I currently play, MPQ is much less about tidying and much more marketed to a male audience than is Gardenscapes). Some stuff on Gamergate, and a look at the way ads target women gamers (usually via excruciating stereotypes).
No Such Thing, AM Arthur.
Maybe This Time, AM Arthur.
Stand By You, AM Arthur.
New Adult m/m with linked group of friends. Consumable but unchallenging.
Christmas Term at Vernley, Margaret Biggs. I am fond of the school story trope in which one of the school houses is doing poorly and a new leader has to try and pull it back up. This is a solid but not outstanding entry.
