Sandi’s Comments (group member since Apr 02, 2020)

Sandi’s comments from the Carmichael Library Sci-Fi (Virtual) Book Club group.

What did you guys really think about this book? Everyone seemed to like it at the bookclub tonight but I found it hard to read. Really liked the topics and ideas but not his writing style. The shorter stories were okay but the longer ones just seemed to be rehashing the same points over and over again.

A Psalm for the well built by Becky Chambers, Unlocked by John Scalzi and An Unnatural Life by Erin Wagner are the free bundle of books this month from tor.com. A Psalm for the well built was one of the most thoughtful books I read this year. Started slow but was really good.

Thanks for the info. Glad I didn’t miss anything. Looking forward to next book, one I hadn’t heard of.

I missed the meeting this week, unfortunately but am looking forward to next months.

Just discovered Kali Wallace. I am reading Dead Space, a science fiction murder mystery set on an asteroid!

Just finished Devastation Class by Glen Zipper. Great space adventure. I stayed up too late reading it. Cliff hanger ending but no 2nd book yet. Now I’m looking for another read that is just as good and having trouble getting into any thing else.

Great Murder mystery but not a very good murderbot story. Maybe because it was short ( although first books were short) I thought there wasn’t enough saving humans in deadly scenarios, fighting rogue Bots, hacking into computers/ships then covering it up and watching space operas. I had really looked forward to this book but thought it was a pretty tame police procedural book and I really don’t care for police procedural books.

I need to read more in the series. Maybe there will be more traveling.

I really enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea. Not sure why I had requested it but it was a very good read.

Fugitive telemetry. Can’t wait.

This book really hooked me in at the end and I stayed up way too late reading it. I thought they were going to play up race issue because the cave people were so pale but it was more the cult issue. (I liked that better). The transgender issue was interesting to bring up. Really liked Monono and Ursala and will be reading the next book, but not just yet. So many questions about this civilization to be answered.

Wish we could meet in person to discuss this. The village dynamics is so interesting. At the beginning it just seems normal, everyone doing their job and helping out the community but then you realize that is not the case. Not only do the tech users live in a different area, they are excused from tasks (excuse is they have to practice their tech use). And they have rigged the test so only their children can pass. At first I was thinking about power corrupting but this is almost a master/slave society or at least lords/serf or knights/peasants. Love Monono. How can she connect to the internet?

Just to chapter 9 but enjoying book. It’s fun trying to figure out what the tech used to be. This is a great example of the problems that can arise when humans try to fix the problems they caused (i.e. correcting deteriorating climate by genetically engineering plants). I also find the grammar off putting but am adjusting. Not sure why authors seem to think as civilization degrades, language does also.

Evensong By Krista Walsh is free today. Posted on BookBub. I really enjoyed this book. The author is transported into his fantasy world. Very different take.

Thanks Jennifer

Jennifer wrote: "Sandi wrote: "Got an ARC from NetGalley of Andy Weir’s new book, Hail Mary."

I'll be curious as to how it compares to his other books.

I may have finally broken through when it comes to being con..."

So far it is great. More like the Martian, lots of science, very suspenseful.

Got an ARC from NetGalley of Andy Weir’s new book, Hail Mary.

The ending explained a lot about Detritus and the Krell. I have read the second book and you learn even more about the Krell and the universe this book is set in.

I really enjoyed the interaction between Spin and M-Bot. “Free will is the ability to make irrational decisions.” M-bot said in chapter 22. Interesting way of looking at free will.

I got a lot of books from NetGalley when I was working but I stopped requesting titles when I retired. I always got what I wanted probably because I was a Librarian, member of ALA and made sure to always add a review.