What have I read this week? Nothing, again.

© bardofupton 2021

What have I read this week? Nothing, again. Sorry it’s a bit late.

© bardofupton 2021

What have I read this week?

The Joy of Leaving Your Shit All Over the Place: The Art of Being Messy by Jennifer McCartney

This is a nonfiction humour book about being messy. The humour didn’t quite work for me, so I didn’t really like it.

Ursula K. Le Guin: The Last Interview and Other Conversations edited by David Streitfield

This is a collection of interviews with Ursula K. Le Guin. I found this really interesting; I’m a fan of Le Guin’s work, so I liked finding out more about her and how she wrote.

© bardofupton 2021

What have I read this week?

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

This is a fantasy novel about Linus Baker, a man who is a caseworker looking after magical children. I really liked this. The characters are wonderful and varied, and the story was sweet and charming. I liked seeing Linus change throughout the story and the ending was lovely. I would definitely read more by this author.

The Dog & the Sailor by Pete Jordi Wood

This is a fairytale about a young man named Ruan who goes to sea to find his fortune. I really liked this; it’s not a fairytale I’d come across before, and I absolutely loved the ending. I’d definitely read more by this author.

The Wind’s Twelve Quarters by Ursula Le Guin

This is a collection of science fiction short stories. I enjoyed these; they were nearly all new to me and it was good to see the development of the author’s writing.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee

This is a novella about a young man named Monty who is trying to sleep with his boyfriend for the first time. I really liked it; it was sweet and funny, and I really like the characters. I’d definitely read more in this series.

The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin

This is a short essay about writing. I’m still not sure I entirely understand what she’s getting at here, but it was interesting.

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What have I read this week? Nothing, I’m afraid.

© bardofupton 2021

What have I read this week?

Knight’s Ransom by Jeff Wheeler

This is a fantasy novel about a young man called Ransom who is taken as a boy to be a hostage. It is the first in The First Argentines Series. I really enjoyed this; it was an easy and fun read. I liked the characters, particularly Ransom and Claire, although I would have liked to learn more about Claire. I liked the medieval world it is set in, and the plot was interesting. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next one, and finding out what happens next.

Note: this is a review of an ARC. No money was received for this review.

© bardofupton 2021

What have I read this week? Nothing, sorry.

© bardofupton 2021

What have I read this week? Just one.

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

This is a nonfiction book about mass incarceration in the US, and how it functions to keep black and brown people, particularly black men, in an underclass of people with fewer rights and opportunities than other Americans. I found the book interesting, and also depressing, because I hadn’t realised the true scale of this issue.

© bardofupton 2021

What have I read this week? This one’s pretty late, sorry.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

This is a novel about Monty, a young aristocrat about to embark on his Grand Tour of Europe with his sister and his best friend. I really enjoyed this, although there are definitely some harrowing sections. The characters are great, and the plot is fun. I’d definitely read more in this series.

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

This is a novel about Felicity, a young woman who wants to become a doctor. It follows The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, and similarly is a lot of fun with great characters and a fun plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and would read more in the series.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

This is a Chinese fantasy novel about Wei WuXian, a young cultivator who turns to dark methods, and Lan WangJi, his extremely moral friend. I enjoyed this; the characters are interesting and so is the story. And the relationship between the two main characters is adorable.

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What have I read this week?

Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy and Network Effect by Martha Wells

These are books 2, 3, 4 and 5 in The Murderbot Diaries series, which are science fiction novels about Murderbot, a security bot which manages to free itself from its programming. I really enjoyed these; Murderbot is a great character and I loved seeing it develop throughout the series. I would definitely read more of these.

© bardofupton 2020