Michael > Recent Status Updates

That chapter seemed strangely rushed - it was the kind of episode that could have been many chapters in another book if it wasn't a side plot. Still, the effect was done very well, and sent a chill through my spine. Very disturbing!

It's been a while since I read this; still one of my favorite books. Reading it to my 11-year-old and it is a delight to see their face as each revelation occurs. They are currently very wary of the "piggies", but has some great theories about what's happening, at least one of which is spot on, so this is quite the treat being able to share this book with the next generation.

Currently finding some annoying stereotypes about gender, but they seem to be coming from the Sadiri and maybe not the author.

Ironically, I fell into my own stereotype at the beginning of the book, thinking the main character was male because they had such a buddy-style relationship with the male Sadiri (no sexual tension, flirting, etc.), and having missed the gender cue that "Delarua" is maybe a female name.

Really readable so far, with funny moments and intriguing moments. Curious where this will be going.

Great, enticing prologue. I love the writing so far: she conveys information with minimal words, and writes with an eye for the beauty of each scene.

Wow, things are getting really tense. The storytelling is still very calm, which makes the approaching collision even more disconcerting ..

This ended up being a great novel, with a lot of poignant moments as the plot unfolded. Can't say I completely understood everything, though, and there may have been some inconsistencies.that detracted. I really liked the two big concepts, though - the A.I. evolution, and the concept of the Outside.

This is one of the most relaxed plotlines I've ever read of this genre*. I like it a lot, although sometimes I do wish there was more going on. I do like the slow boil and the ever-so-minimal updates from the larger perspective to keep us thinking about what is really going on.

Now *that* was a dramatic change in the tension level!

I was thinking earlier that this author reminds me of Maureen McHugh, who also shares poignant ruminations of everyday life in sci-fi situations in her books. I suppose there might still be some comparisons, but I'm hearing more of the voice of the character now so it's hard to tell. I was getting tired of gardening descriptions, but I peeked ahead to the next page and things are about to get interesting again...

This is my first book by Elizabeth Moon. I have high hopes for this one, just from a summary of the story. Although that makes me a little sad, since this was written in 1996 it means there are at least 23 years of undiscovered books out there waiting for me to finally notice them...

I'm not sure how to describe my experience in reading this book. It is very disorienting, while at the same time very emotionally resonant. Each moment feels saturated, whether it is with horror, or passion, or grief, or wonder, or the step into madness. Or all of the above. It is quite overwhelming.

Time to dive into this classic. I've heard it is challenging, both in text and in content, and I admit I needed to reread much of the first 11 pages to make sure I understood what was going on. It is a bit stream of consciousness which is poetic but sometimes hard to follow.

Wow, what a ride! Still not sure what is going on, but the latest events sure shook some things up...

Success! I will be curious to see if my daughter is interested in reading further in the series...

Loving this world-building. I keep being reminded of Clarke's "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" for various reasons while reading all of this...

Ditto!

And then... WTF! I definitely did not expect this turn of events.

Started this today. I'm enjoying it so far, the scientific premise is engaging, the societal structure is fascinating, and the characters are interesting. Occasionally the text is a bit wordy, or maybe clunky, reminds me of some of the urban fantasy I've read that veers toward whimsical, but that is thankfully offset by all the scientific jargon.

Wow, I don't think I've read a book with that ending before. Pretty fascinating and in some ways refreshing/challenging. The overall book was a mixed bag though.

I'm starting to get used to all the time jumps now. But I can't believe I'm almost halfway through and have no idea what the plot complication is. Seems like a strange way to write a book. I guess the author is relying on everyone's obsession with World War II to keep us engaged...

Almost done. Hilarious as always. I love the quotes my daughter chooses to repeat: "Zaphod's just zis guy, you know?" "My name is Slartibartfast".

Same droll humor and character-driven storytelling that I remember from The Doomsday Book. And same chaotic schedules! A bit slow to start any tension though. There is a bit of premonition here and there, put no real plot complications yet. Hoping that changes soon.

This is it! Finally getting to read this with my 10-year-old. They're loving it so far. They think Arthur is a bit of a doofus, but that is only understandable...

This has gone in a lot of directions I didn't expect. So curious what the big picture is. Meanwhile, I'm still really hating men who don't respect boundaries, and the warped notion that this makes them sexy.

I love her internal hypochondriac chatter, and the psychological bantering between everyone. The angsty sexual frustrations seem familiar, and is the main reason I don't read as much of this genre as I used to, but I can muddle through for the interesting parts...

Wow. Harrowing, indeed.

Starting in October

Whew, this is a long one. It's fairly engaging although it would probably help to have an immediate threat or plot complication thrown in here and there to keep things tense. Instead, the book lingers on each section. It will probably add more to the payoff, but is definitely slowing me down!

Start reading October 1?