Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
Austin Channing Brown
For me, this book reminded be of Between the World and Me, but from the female perspective. Brown is not writing a letter, but she is writing explicitly about what it means to be black in a white world. Coates book is offering the reader a peak behind the curtain into a personal conversation about blackness, and it is frank and explicit and direct. Brown is up front about her purpose for writing, to teach about and illuminate blackness. Her tone is softer, but weirdly more direct. As a result is comes across as preachy. While reading, I felt like it was good for me to read and informative. Today, I couldn't tell you a single detail.
2 stars (out of 4)
Friday, February 22, 2019
Monday, November 19, 2018
A Gathering of Shadows
V.E. Schwab
Book 2 - Shades of Magic Trilogy
We start with Lila the pirate. She has really come into her own as she is a member (and best thief) of the crew on the Night Spire, under command of Alucard Emery. And it is here she begins to learn magic from Emery. And after a few months, they return to Red London for what is basically the Olympics of magic, where Emery is competing. And where Kell has finagled a way to compete anonymously. And where Lila continues to be able to generate trouble like no other. At the same time, the political machinations around the "events" of the Black Night from Book 1 are still churning and affecting lives of the princes of the kingdom, Kell and Rhy. On the flip side, the sudden power vacuum in White London results in its own machinations, and in Grey London foreshadowing something. Fascinating, clever, and fun.
3 stars (out of 4)
Book 2 - Shades of Magic Trilogy
We start with Lila the pirate. She has really come into her own as she is a member (and best thief) of the crew on the Night Spire, under command of Alucard Emery. And it is here she begins to learn magic from Emery. And after a few months, they return to Red London for what is basically the Olympics of magic, where Emery is competing. And where Kell has finagled a way to compete anonymously. And where Lila continues to be able to generate trouble like no other. At the same time, the political machinations around the "events" of the Black Night from Book 1 are still churning and affecting lives of the princes of the kingdom, Kell and Rhy. On the flip side, the sudden power vacuum in White London results in its own machinations, and in Grey London foreshadowing something. Fascinating, clever, and fun.
3 stars (out of 4)
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Head On
John Scalzi
A follow up, of sorts, to Lock In, we are about 1 year later and FBI detectives Shane and Vann are still partners and still on the job. Recall that Shane is a Haden, a human who has contracted a disease that completely immobilizes their body, but not their brain. These Hadens have neural network hardware implanted in their brain that allows them to remote operate humanoid robots (Threeps) and participate in the physical world. The political/social culture in this novel opens with a new major sports league based on Hadens (i.e. their threeps) competing on a football-like field where the goal is to decapitate an opposing player and score with the head. At the same time, massive government subsidies to help Hadens with affording all this expensive access to the world is ending. And then a journeyman Haden athlete dies on the field (which shouldn't be able to happen) followed by a suicide, an arson, a murder-suicide, and assassination, etc. Special Agents Shane and Vann are on the job. I love the technology, the ethical gray areas, and the buddy cop dynamic that thread through the entire story. Keep them coming.
4 stars (out of 4)
A follow up, of sorts, to Lock In, we are about 1 year later and FBI detectives Shane and Vann are still partners and still on the job. Recall that Shane is a Haden, a human who has contracted a disease that completely immobilizes their body, but not their brain. These Hadens have neural network hardware implanted in their brain that allows them to remote operate humanoid robots (Threeps) and participate in the physical world. The political/social culture in this novel opens with a new major sports league based on Hadens (i.e. their threeps) competing on a football-like field where the goal is to decapitate an opposing player and score with the head. At the same time, massive government subsidies to help Hadens with affording all this expensive access to the world is ending. And then a journeyman Haden athlete dies on the field (which shouldn't be able to happen) followed by a suicide, an arson, a murder-suicide, and assassination, etc. Special Agents Shane and Vann are on the job. I love the technology, the ethical gray areas, and the buddy cop dynamic that thread through the entire story. Keep them coming.
4 stars (out of 4)
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Victory Conditions
Elizabeth Moon
Book 5 of Vatta's War series
In this final chapter, everything gets wrapped. Ky gets her fleet and the battle and war are taken to Nexus, the planet where all interstellar communication is controlled. Rafe is there on planet, Ky is coming in hot after the pirates, Stella is managing the 'behind-the-lines' subterfuge, and Aunt Grace is already next level. Overall, this is a quality ending to a great storyline and storytelling. In hindsight, I liked the hints (but not in-your-face integration) of AI and augmented humans (humods), the subtle quality science (some rules are broken, but not all of them and the ones that aren't are plot essential), and the (unfortunately) non-standard role for women who don't necessarily want to grow up to be parents. Well done Elizabeth Moon.
4 stars (out of 4)
Book 5 of Vatta's War series
In this final chapter, everything gets wrapped. Ky gets her fleet and the battle and war are taken to Nexus, the planet where all interstellar communication is controlled. Rafe is there on planet, Ky is coming in hot after the pirates, Stella is managing the 'behind-the-lines' subterfuge, and Aunt Grace is already next level. Overall, this is a quality ending to a great storyline and storytelling. In hindsight, I liked the hints (but not in-your-face integration) of AI and augmented humans (humods), the subtle quality science (some rules are broken, but not all of them and the ones that aren't are plot essential), and the (unfortunately) non-standard role for women who don't necessarily want to grow up to be parents. Well done Elizabeth Moon.
4 stars (out of 4)
Friday, October 5, 2018
A Darkness More than Night
Michael Connelly
Book 7 in the Harry Bosch Series
This felt like a departure, of sorts, from the Bosch formula. The first part of the book didn't really even include Bosch, except in an ancillary way. Instead, we are introduced to former FBI profiler Terry McCaleb, who now lives the retired life on Catalina Island. We are treated to his backstory, and how he now gets involved with a potential serial killer case as a consultant, brought to him courtesy of the LA County sheriff. Turns out the murder is connected to Bosch since the crime scene has lots of explicit "clues" left behind that point directly to the painter Heironymous Bosch, thereby implicating Harry. And Harry is in court testifying against a Hollywood producer bigwig who is also a serial murderer... hmmm, any connection?
I didn't really feel the connection with McCaleb or his detective-ing style, so didn't really like the story as much as the others that focus on Bosch and his neurosis. Just enough to get me to finish I guess.
2 stars (out of 4)
Book 7 in the Harry Bosch Series
This felt like a departure, of sorts, from the Bosch formula. The first part of the book didn't really even include Bosch, except in an ancillary way. Instead, we are introduced to former FBI profiler Terry McCaleb, who now lives the retired life on Catalina Island. We are treated to his backstory, and how he now gets involved with a potential serial killer case as a consultant, brought to him courtesy of the LA County sheriff. Turns out the murder is connected to Bosch since the crime scene has lots of explicit "clues" left behind that point directly to the painter Heironymous Bosch, thereby implicating Harry. And Harry is in court testifying against a Hollywood producer bigwig who is also a serial murderer... hmmm, any connection?
I didn't really feel the connection with McCaleb or his detective-ing style, so didn't really like the story as much as the others that focus on Bosch and his neurosis. Just enough to get me to finish I guess.
2 stars (out of 4)
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Command Decision
Elizabeth Moon
Book 4 of Vatta's War series
The war gets real. Ky sets up Space Defense Force and sets out really get serious about her job. Cousin Stella has remained on Cascadia at the new Vatta Ltd. headquarters to run the transport business and Ky has with her some other privateers and a few ships from Bissonet set on revenge. Of course, nothing goes quite right, and yet it all works out in the end. Moon continues to mix the storylines between space battles, planetary political intrigue, and silly eccentricities that come about with the mixing of alien cultures. And the pure brilliance of dealing well with time and space continues to impress. Looking forward to wrapping it all up.
4 stars (out of 4)
Book 4 of Vatta's War series
The war gets real. Ky sets up Space Defense Force and sets out really get serious about her job. Cousin Stella has remained on Cascadia at the new Vatta Ltd. headquarters to run the transport business and Ky has with her some other privateers and a few ships from Bissonet set on revenge. Of course, nothing goes quite right, and yet it all works out in the end. Moon continues to mix the storylines between space battles, planetary political intrigue, and silly eccentricities that come about with the mixing of alien cultures. And the pure brilliance of dealing well with time and space continues to impress. Looking forward to wrapping it all up.
4 stars (out of 4)
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Engaging the Enemy
Elizabeth Moon
Book 3 of Vatta's War series
Now with a couple of ships, Ky Vatta begins to develop plans to rid the galaxy of the pirate horde that plagues her family and her business. But she is still a trader, so these plans evolve while traveling to different planets to make some money. At one point, she is at Cascadia when another Vatta transport ship arrives, and challenges her identity. There is bad history between Captain Fuhrman and Ky, and this time it leads to a local trial. I love that the distinguishing cultural characteristic of the Cascadians is politeness. So distinguishing that rudeness is a death penalty offense. Who would have thought... After all the conflict, Ky leaves Cascadia with 3 ships under her control, and a plan for reviving the company and stopping the pirates. Oh, and the Bissonet system has just been taken over by the pirates.
4 stars (out of 4)
Book 3 of Vatta's War series
Now with a couple of ships, Ky Vatta begins to develop plans to rid the galaxy of the pirate horde that plagues her family and her business. But she is still a trader, so these plans evolve while traveling to different planets to make some money. At one point, she is at Cascadia when another Vatta transport ship arrives, and challenges her identity. There is bad history between Captain Fuhrman and Ky, and this time it leads to a local trial. I love that the distinguishing cultural characteristic of the Cascadians is politeness. So distinguishing that rudeness is a death penalty offense. Who would have thought... After all the conflict, Ky leaves Cascadia with 3 ships under her control, and a plan for reviving the company and stopping the pirates. Oh, and the Bissonet system has just been taken over by the pirates.
4 stars (out of 4)
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