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ladybusinessReal talk: my book indecision plague has reached new heights. The stack of books at my fingertips is alarming and I'm about to make my partner choose something from it at random out of panicked desperation.
My book last week was Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall, and it was great! It's reviewed below.
For Week 7, my next title selected from The Jar and presented by Doreen, is Radiant by Karina Sumner-Smith!
My free choices right now: Lightless by C.A. Higgins, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (everyone wants me to read this, like, everyone), and City of Pearl by Karen Traviss. I have Cold Iron by Stina Leicht but I should probably wait on that one since it's massive, and I want to read The Labyrinth of Flame by Courtney Schafer first epic fantasy-wise. JUST MAKE A CHOICE, SELF. Be a reader! Read something. Read anyone that's new to you.
Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall — I forget who recommended this to me now, but whoever you are, person, you know my reading tastes so well.
Mars Evacuees is Alice's journey to Mars to join the military for training after the war with the Morrors on Earth reaches a critical level. Her mother, celebrated war hero Stephanie Dare, is one of the reasons Alice gets a preferential spot to go to Mars for training, even though Mars isn't...the greatest. It's only mildly terraformed. Excellent place for a base training child soldiers! On her way to Mars she meets Josephine and they become situational friends and eventually great friends and it's wonderful until all the adults vanish and things go socially blammo among the other kids.
The last time I loved a children's novel this much was with Larklight, years ago, and Mars Evacuees has even more points in its favor being straight up science fiction without the steampunk elements. There are also robots. Robots are a thing that happen in this book over and over.
There is a Goldfish teacher robot that hovers around and forces stressed out children into math, biology, and history lessons.
It also tasers threats.
It was like this novel was made for me what with the complicated friendships, a story centered on a girl and her often subtextual worries about her war hero mother (Dead? Not Dead? Something else?), and smart kids surviving on an inhospitable planet with very few supplies and a constantly harangued Goldfish robot who just wants to teach you some new words in a different language.
Then! They meet a Morror. One of the aliens that started the war and sentenced them to futures none of them wanted. That goes just about as well as you'd expect.
I found this book to be a joy to read even when it was tough or sad because even when things are bad they figure out solutions to their problems. The girls get to be clever and important to each other and their relationships with each other and other women in their life are valued. Friends, I loved this adorable book. It's so heartwarming. I'm so glad the sequel is out soon.
Other things I read:
CHALLENGE: 100 Unique Women Writers
Week 6: still pushing away at Downbelow Station. I'm on page 223 and my plan to take it slowly with two or three chapters a day has taken the pressure off and let me spend time with the details. Things are starting to pick up, even if the politics are a bit confusing. And I kinda slash Josh and Damon...predictably.My book last week was Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall, and it was great! It's reviewed below.
For Week 7, my next title selected from The Jar and presented by Doreen, is Radiant by Karina Sumner-Smith!
My free choices right now: Lightless by C.A. Higgins, A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (everyone wants me to read this, like, everyone), and City of Pearl by Karen Traviss. I have Cold Iron by Stina Leicht but I should probably wait on that one since it's massive, and I want to read The Labyrinth of Flame by Courtney Schafer first epic fantasy-wise. JUST MAKE A CHOICE, SELF. Be a reader! Read something. Read anyone that's new to you.
- Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall
- Ms. Marvel #4 by G. Willow Wilson, Nico Leon, & Ian Herring
- All-New All-Different Avengers #4-5 by Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar, & Dave McCaig
Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall — I forget who recommended this to me now, but whoever you are, person, you know my reading tastes so well.
Mars Evacuees is Alice's journey to Mars to join the military for training after the war with the Morrors on Earth reaches a critical level. Her mother, celebrated war hero Stephanie Dare, is one of the reasons Alice gets a preferential spot to go to Mars for training, even though Mars isn't...the greatest. It's only mildly terraformed. Excellent place for a base training child soldiers! On her way to Mars she meets Josephine and they become situational friends and eventually great friends and it's wonderful until all the adults vanish and things go socially blammo among the other kids.
The last time I loved a children's novel this much was with Larklight, years ago, and Mars Evacuees has even more points in its favor being straight up science fiction without the steampunk elements. There are also robots. Robots are a thing that happen in this book over and over.
There is a Goldfish teacher robot that hovers around and forces stressed out children into math, biology, and history lessons.
It also tasers threats.
It was like this novel was made for me what with the complicated friendships, a story centered on a girl and her often subtextual worries about her war hero mother (Dead? Not Dead? Something else?), and smart kids surviving on an inhospitable planet with very few supplies and a constantly harangued Goldfish robot who just wants to teach you some new words in a different language.
Then! They meet a Morror. One of the aliens that started the war and sentenced them to futures none of them wanted. That goes just about as well as you'd expect.
I found this book to be a joy to read even when it was tough or sad because even when things are bad they figure out solutions to their problems. The girls get to be clever and important to each other and their relationships with each other and other women in their life are valued. Friends, I loved this adorable book. It's so heartwarming. I'm so glad the sequel is out soon.
Other things I read:
- Ms. Marvel #4 by G. Willow Wilson, Nico Leon, & Ian Herring — Kamala is having trouble managing school, crime-fighting as Ms. Marvel, and Avenging. Now on top of everything else her family is in flux, too, leaving her stretched entirely too thin. Not really something her polymorph powers can help with. I love the twisty realness of this comic. Kamala is overwhelmed, stressed, and even though she teamed up with Mike that's not all magically resolved, either. I continue to ♥ this comic.
- All-New All-Different Avengers #4 - 5 by Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar, & Dave McCaig — Sometimes I don't know how to feel about this comic, but I do totally dig Thor getting it with Sam. I'd hit that, too, Thor. Threads from previous issues finally get tugged in these two issues, resulting in Kamala being tossed off the team, the remaining members suffering from the morale hit, and communication faltering because of it allowing ~drama~ to continue. It broke my "have a five minute conversation" rule a few times, but I'm really into the mystery now. Although I do hope as this storyline resolves there's more interpersonal bonding. Dear Mark Waid: please give me a little interpersonal bonding that doesn't have anything to do with romance, okay? Right now, G. Willow Wilson is kicking your butt writing Kamala and Tony snark.
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Date: 2016-02-17 08:58 am (UTC)The sequel's been out in the UK for ages, but I believe it's out in the US now.
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Date: 2016-02-17 07:06 pm (UTC)Radiant!
Date: 2016-02-18 04:14 pm (UTC)Re: Radiant!
Date: 2016-02-20 04:37 am (UTC)