A thoroughly enjoyable read- a bit of whimsy and a bit of gravitas dabbles in a philosophical coming of age. David Mitchell, usually writing more fantastical prose, finds the right timbre to tell this tale.

This is a lyrical story with equal parts humour and gravitas. Fans of Irvine Welsh and Samuel Beckett will feel some resonance here- I certainly did- yet the story and the telling of it remains uniquely something else.

A book so small yet epic in it's noir implimentation of justice. This is definitely a book of it‘s time- truly great if you can forgive the hard boiled treatment of women.

This the Empire Strikes Back of the series- definitely need to read the first one as characters and motivations grew out of it. This is more from the baby Trickster heading to full on vengeance mode with the best of intentions. Such a fun read!

This with added visual element, provides a good sketch and preliminary information for the indigenous issues and healing here in Canada.

So very different from the Netflix tv show- I love the loose story telling and the fact that plot lines can be so twisted. Comic art work that can truly push outside the fence of reality! Yay art!

Dipped in syrup and sap but at one point (120 pages in) the story got compelling- some bits too slow some bits fall over each other for reader attention - someone had reviewed this as inconsistent, I‘d add that this was inconsistent on multiple levels! Why did I continue…? Soft spot for sap and syrup during the holiday season.

As a white person who considers themselves pretty “open minded” this book offers moments of deep reflection. It is still to understand that, even with awareness, even with friends who are people of color, and even feeling “woke”, there is real business needed to be done within and without.

This book takes time to read but in the good way it washes through you. The Permanent Astonishment, the northern kingdom, starts as the backdrop for this memoir but I realized with about 50 pages left that this landscape is really the biggest character in this. The human characters bubble up like champagne and play along the surface with a humor, compassion, and love that tickles the brain.

This is a spectacular book that tugged me through by my heartstrings in such a sweeping way that I felt caught up rather than manipulated. The story of these three friends (2 creatives and 1 glue) unravels epically and without pretense- hit me at the right time!

This is a good read and as much a question mark to how it should be categorized as the book relates philosophically at the end. Part thriller, road trip, discovery- the very question of why Lucy does what she does is as much a mystery to her and the reader- but in a good fulfilling kind of way. Let‘s you ask and answer some baseline thoughts, but doesn‘t over complicate the process.

This was a lot to listen to but sooooo enjoyable, with emotional highs and lows that a good story (or stories) brings. The stories build a dystopian world with an intricate architecture busting through with the human spirit- Monáe is a talent! What can‘t this free-ass motherf—, they/them, her/she do?!?!!

Bit more than short stories these give a tremendously graphic snapshot of youth, family, poverty, survival and the list goes on. Rich with imagery and tough imaginings that feel sketched from the real world. A must if you‘re a fan like me quickly becoming one!

This is how good YAL is done. I‘m not sure I would even put it in that category- this is just a damn good read for those who want indigenous reality, indigenous unreality, a dollop of magic and then a whole bunch and for anyone who just wants a super charged great read! I‘m so happy there‘s more 😁

This gave me more to reflect on and has some very hard passages that cut to the bone. It is beautiful however how Good brings the reader into the process of healing that only some of her characters can complete. Very moving and generous.

Just a beautiful and uplifting non-fiction piece. The audiobook is as soothing and crisp as a walking underneath the canopy of a lush old growth forest. 5🌲🌲🌳🌳🌳

The sadness of a sweeping grand love story doomed because that‘s how it was is captured perfectly here by McLain using the clipped direct writing style that you can imagine Hemingway using. I liked it a lot.

Now this book is a top notch thriller (unlike some others I‘ve read in the recent past that purport to be- naming no names). The indigenous mythology heightens to a whole other level what I thought at first was just going to be a simple werewolf story! Read it at night then look out a window into the dark and see if you don‘t feel a shiver… I dare you.

I listened to this as an audiobook and it did the melodrama no favours. Some twists and turns, but found this as exciting as driving through a suburban strip-mall on a Sunday. Why didn‘t I bail? It‘s a long drive home from work and I‘m a completist. More‘s the pity.

What‘s not to like when you‘re given a free ticket to suspend all disbelief?

Just great. The series of stories are quirky, not always transparent while being wonderfully accessible. Jason tells a great story in pictures as well as words (see pic above- how the woman‘s handling of the book mirrors her thoughts).

Holy wow! This is a great saga. A dark coming of age story in the midst of gothic indignity, trauma and hurt. Atmospheric at the end after push pulling through earlier events- like reading a dream that flips so easily to nightmare and then back to a dream. Hard to see the healing, but then again not everything is meant to be seen.

The end of this series does not disappoint! Leckie builds tension over the course of 300 pages and then let‘s it dissolve in ten. Like a sugar cube in tea, the story‘s all the sweeter for it.

I was listening to this as an audiobook and it was just horrible. Already Doerr‘s descriptions can be overly saccharine, but the narrator took this to a whole new level! How many soft spoken, affected and breathy dialogues can I listen to? Only 39% of CCL apparently. Might read this in print at a later date, but for now my ears have bailed.

This got all sorts of awards but meh. It feels dated and a whole bit misogynistic which ultimately makes this tiresome. But it was a comic book and I liked that…

This one is a bit of a ham, both in size and execution. There are parts that are really good and gripping, but plenty that reads like a grade eight science project; (review continues in comments)

This one is a bit of a ham, both in size and execution. There are parts that are really good and gripping, but plenty that reads like a grade eight science project; (review continues in comments)

I just love this universe and the complexity of emotion Leckie fills her universe with. In terms of how this book fits into the series, Sword has stiff competition with the previous Justice, and I hope Mercy will round this all out to satisfaction!

Ok I‘m sold on this positive Sci-Fi meets zen monk stories where nothing really happens but world building and very human relationships between said monk and a 4th generation robot. Lovely and hoping for more in this gem vein.

A new genre is born! And while “contemplative Sci-Fi” might not be everybody‘s cup of tea (pun intended) it‘s a great listen on walks and in the car!

This is a quick read with pretty good entertainment value, but doesn‘t peak high on the originality meter; less Tinker, Tailor more Bruce Willis action movie. Lives a dated reality so those reading be warned- very male grrr-grrr… and thus the 3 stars.

This is a quick read with pretty good entertainment value, but doesn‘t peak high on the originality meter; less Tinker, Tailor more Bruce Willis action movie. Lives a dated reality so those reading be warned- very male grrr-grrr… and thus the 3 stars.

Bit of horror that I wasn‘t expecting. Felt a bit like Mitchell was trying on different styles in the early chapters, but love how it settles in to join a greater narrative thread (the Bone Clocks being the only other book of his I‘ve read) which leads me to read more.

Big picture stuff. There is a bunch to process in this book and plenty to chew on. As a document this book may already be dated, but parts are certainly prophetic (a clear understanding of the Ukraine/Russian situation)- which leads me to believe what is being said all the more.

This was a dark reflection of our now time stretched to a near future possibility- on the shelf next to others who take on the apocalyptic, this stands out with its vivid violence, terrifying nail-on-the-head speculation and beautiful moments of hope. Excellent read.

Woo-wee there is a lot of talk about the danger of algorithms… gerrrrr-gosh reading this is hurting my head as well as hurting my heart. (Painting by Cosima Northey)

This was great- life affirming, witty, deep, ironic, and tragic. Who can deny a writer when they write “Because like all writers, I have magic. I can pass through your walls with ease.” I have trouble seeing how you can keep a good writer down. Shame on Erdogan.

Another book with the moon as a feature. This is a small tasty morsel; crisp writing, typical (for Mandel) story with many threads all coming together to make a complete and satisfying read. There is also the overshadowing simulation theory that gives the whole story a “huh, gotta think about that” meta factor. I liked this a lot.

I liked this meander through the larger than life story of Chabon‘s grandfather. Like so much in life, there are moments that make up a life that only hindsight can make into some sort of sense, and even then we question what is really true or chosen truth. This book catches the spirit of that.

There is some very beautiful writing in this, but I felt like it was a tumble to the end and somehow did not round out some of the more awkward corners 3 1/2 ⭐️s.

There is some very beautiful writing in this, but I felt like it was a tumble to the end and somehow did not round out some of the more awkward corners 3 1/2 ⭐️s.

I enjoyed this Sci-Fi romp- I kept seeing this as the love child of The Expanse series and Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy series, but that might be selling it short, as there was plenty to chew on here. The action kept going at a good clip and sets up nicely for the sequels that I know are out there- and this was definitely good enough to continue the series.

This is the love child of Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy and the Expanse Series.

Heading into part 2 of the Bobiverse! Let‘s make the not too improbable assumption that all Sci-Fi is somehow connected. This being the case, I see this, because of its narrative tone, as a not so distant cousin of The Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy. Does it have the same classic potential? I must read on…

Overall not my go-to read; but loved the ending where we get future dives and future speculation. Someone had lamented that the story just ends, I know what they mean but I felt that was the strength. Our time (this is pretty meta) as readers prying into the lives of others (as Mrs. R does), making their business ours is done. Life goes on (as it does for Mia) and we readers have to go on living with that too- really good summer read 4&1/2 stars.

I‘m well into the first half- pretty smooth read and liking it BUT feeling the cringey factor BIG TIME. So much so that reading this alternately makes me want to put the book down while also motivating me to read on. Strange.

In terms of space opera and science fiction this, the beginning of the trilogy, has it. The world building at first was a bit confusing, but as the setting fell into focus, I was duly impressed by its vastness, complexity, and like any good epic, it‘s necessity to the story. In the class of The Expanse and the Culture novels by the late Ian M Banks, this is modern Sci-Fi at its best.

As stunning as advertised.

Wow and wowed again! Levels of humor and wit that cause you to laugh in the very darkness Plath takes you to play

This gets very dark after chapter 9- still witty, still brilliant, but dark…