The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

by Carol3 Comments
I really liked The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, but I don't have much to say about it. Do you ever run into that problem. For the most part, we're hanging out with the crew of the Wayfarer who are an awesome group of "people" - humans and other species, even a sentient AI. They are wormhole tunnelers, which is can be tough, but this newest job is the chance of a lifetime. Often, it seems like sci-fi is about the politics or the weapons or the conflict, whatever it is. In The Long Way, all those things exist, but it's more about how the crew are a family, how they face the big issues. We tag along on their adventures in ports or planets where friends live. We worry with them when they face a crisis, but know it will work out, because together they can handle most anything. I became attached to them all. I may have...
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The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

by Carol2 Comments
The Collapsing Empire is my first Scalzi book, but since it's the first in a new series in a new world that wasn't a problem.  I have to say I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was getting good review and I needed an audio for the Sci-Fi Readathon. Now, I'm a little upset that I have to wait for the next in the series, which, at least according to Goodreads, isn't expected until 2019. :( The Flow has allowed humans to build a far-flung empire, the Interdependency. The Interdependency is set up so that all the colonies must depend on each other, hence the name. The problem is the flow is changing, moving, becoming inaccessible - outposts will be cut-off, unable to send or receive supplies or people. Eventually, it's going to be a matter of survival, but now it's a political issue, one that the brand-new Emperox has to handle. It's clearly the first in...
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Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

by Carol5 Comments
Ever feel like you are just missing the piece that makes everyone love a book? That's how I feel about Dark Matter. People love it. I thought it was okay, but not outstanding and the ending annoyed me a bit. And, since I had high expectations, just "okay" was really a let down. At heart, Dark Matter is a love story with a bit of philosophy thrown in. It does make you think about how choices affect who you are, the life you lead, how far you would go to hold onto the life you have, how big the universe(s) can be. It's also a thriller, complete with guns and violence and blood. It was fast-paced and a quick read, but I've read a lot of thrillers. I'll grant the twist was interesting, but couldn't carry the book for me. It was the only part that felt really unique, though. But I was expecting sci-fi. I don't read a lot of sci-fi, only...
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The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

by Carol2 Comments
First off, the obvious question - why did I read The Man in the High Castle. I don't WW2 books or, in general, sci-fi. A friend made me borrow it and he never suggests books, so I felt like I ought to read it. And then Michelle came up with her Sci-Fi Summer read-a-thon, so it was the prefect excuse. After all, according to the blurb, this is the book that established "Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction." On a side note, I never realized alternative history is a sub-genre of sci-fi. I tend to think of it more as fantasy. Wikipedia says, "since the 1950s, this type of fiction has, to a large extent, merged with science fiction tropes involving time travel between alternate histories, psychic awareness of the existence of one universe by the people in another, or time travel that results in history splitting into two or more timelines. Cross-time, time-splitting, and alternate history themes...
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Hinterkind Vol. 1: The Waking World by Ian Edginton, illustrated by Francesco Trifogli

by Carol3 Comments
A couple of days ago I was sitting on the recliner in the basement and David must have been watching hockey or baseball or something on tv. Anyway, I was bored and my phone and current read were both upstairs. I was also feeling rather lazy and The Waking World was sitting on the shelf on the end table, so I picked it up, read half that evening and finished it the next day. To be honest, I'm not sure how I got ahold of this originally. I don't read many graphic novels, but I must have purchased it at some time. It's enjoyable enough, but there's nothing really exciting about it. It's just okay. The world is interesting, with all the fairy creatures returning, but they're nothing unique. There's a semi-military group too, but they've run a bit amok and once again don't strike me as truly unique. The teenage boy could be more than he seems, but his individual...
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Arena by Holly Jennings

by Carol3 Comments
If you're here for the A to Z Challenge, scroll down to the next post. Thanks! Arena is totally outside of my usual reading zone. It's YA and science fiction- neither of which I read. I'm not even much of a video game player, but something about the description grabbed my attention, maybe the hint of  "dark secrets" or just the quote in the blurb: She’s died hundreds of times. And it never gets easier... Whatever the reason, I picked it up, and wow, am I glad I did. It's not a perfect book, but I really enjoyed it. The Rage tournament is a virtual gaming event, kinda of like capture the flag, expect each team has a tower they're defending. It's televised each week and is really violent and graphic. The gamers are truly athletes, they have to train in real life to be able to do all the figthing in the virtual world. They are celebrities, catered to but also tied to their...
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