books. *good* books.
Dec. 11th, 2017 03:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jazzfishThere's still three weeks left to go, but I believe that those weeks will be taken up with a reread of William Gibson's Blue Ant trilogy, probably followed by some other comfort rereads, so here we are.
The best book I read this year that came out this year was Martha Wells's All Systems Red. It's told from the point of view of a security robot that's gotten free of its governing programs, knows better than to let any of the humans know, and frankly just wants to watch its soap operas. Murderbot (that's what it calls itself) is grumpy and has a lot of social anxiety and is generally adorable. I am deeply pleased that there are at least three more Murderbot novellas coming out soon.
I think the best book I read this year period was Leah Bobet's post-economic-collapse, post-huge-war, rural-fantasy An Inheritance of Ashes. Above punched me pretty hard on first read; Ashes did similar, with its desperation and trauma and deep understanding of the need to just keep going. On second read Above occasionally felt like it was more about its theme than its story; I felt like the two melded better in Ashes. A reread might change that opinion. I'd be happy to give it that reread.
Second place, though just barely, goes to Kat Howard's Roses and Rot. It reads like Pamela Dean's Tam Lin wrapt in razor wire. It loses marks for the ending, or rather the reconciliation, which Did Not Work for me at all. Apart from (and including) that, it held me fast all the way through. I want to read it again immediately so I can talk about it with other people who've read it.
Ha, all three of these are about deeply damaged people who are still trying their damnedest to be decent human beings. (Even Murderbot, though it would deny it.) There may be a theme here.
Most disappointing goes to Katie Waitman's The Merro Tree, which I read on recommendation when I started dating Kelly, remembered as being quite good and effective, and hadn't read since. It ... it's overly message-y and a bit contrived. The parts dealing with Mikk's trauma work well; the parts about how he's The Greatest Performer ... don't. (This may be a result of reading it immediately after R&R.) Hazard of books about The Power Of Great Art, I think. Still interested in rereading her The Divided, about which I recall almost nothing except a revelation about halfway through that felt positively Wolfean at the time: information that means one thing to the characters and quite another to the reading audience. I love that stuff.
The best book I read this year that came out this year was Martha Wells's All Systems Red. It's told from the point of view of a security robot that's gotten free of its governing programs, knows better than to let any of the humans know, and frankly just wants to watch its soap operas. Murderbot (that's what it calls itself) is grumpy and has a lot of social anxiety and is generally adorable. I am deeply pleased that there are at least three more Murderbot novellas coming out soon.
I think the best book I read this year period was Leah Bobet's post-economic-collapse, post-huge-war, rural-fantasy An Inheritance of Ashes. Above punched me pretty hard on first read; Ashes did similar, with its desperation and trauma and deep understanding of the need to just keep going. On second read Above occasionally felt like it was more about its theme than its story; I felt like the two melded better in Ashes. A reread might change that opinion. I'd be happy to give it that reread.
Second place, though just barely, goes to Kat Howard's Roses and Rot. It reads like Pamela Dean's Tam Lin wrapt in razor wire. It loses marks for the ending, or rather the reconciliation, which Did Not Work for me at all. Apart from (and including) that, it held me fast all the way through. I want to read it again immediately so I can talk about it with other people who've read it.
Ha, all three of these are about deeply damaged people who are still trying their damnedest to be decent human beings. (Even Murderbot, though it would deny it.) There may be a theme here.
Most disappointing goes to Katie Waitman's The Merro Tree, which I read on recommendation when I started dating Kelly, remembered as being quite good and effective, and hadn't read since. It ... it's overly message-y and a bit contrived. The parts dealing with Mikk's trauma work well; the parts about how he's The Greatest Performer ... don't. (This may be a result of reading it immediately after R&R.) Hazard of books about The Power Of Great Art, I think. Still interested in rereading her The Divided, about which I recall almost nothing except a revelation about halfway through that felt positively Wolfean at the time: information that means one thing to the characters and quite another to the reading audience. I love that stuff.
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Date: 2017-12-13 02:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-12-13 04:52 pm (UTC)