Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End was included in a long list of sci-fi recommendations. At 224 pages, its pacing is perfect. The alien ships appear at the end of the first chapter and the aliens, the Overlords, swiftly implement changes for the betterment of humanity. A dark and suspenseful undertone builds even as living conditions improve on Earth. What do the Overlords want? read more
I heard about Alfred Lansing’s Endurance when FictionFan awarded it Book of the Year 2018. (I’m going to read Tombland too, but that’s part of a series and I’ve got a lot of reading to do first.)
In 1914, Ernest Shackleton set sail on the Endurance with 27 men to begin the “Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition” and cross the Antarctic on foot—the “last great Polar journey” of 1,800 miles: read more
The Bear and the Nightingale hits many pitfalls of Chosen One stories, but I didn’t notice until the cheesy climax because it’s such an entertaining read. It’s snowy, moody, and packed with magic—the superstitious, fairy-tale kind. The opening scenes depict a family sitting around and telling old stories of Morozko (Frost). It sets the tone well and is an entertaining way of providing key background information for the main story, which takes place in a small Russian town next to the woods. In this town, Vasya is born with sight that allows her to communicate with the household spirits. They need her help because a priest is dissuading townsfolk from the old ways. Hungry for lack of offerings, the spirits warn they may no longer be able to protect the townspeople from the dark powers that are stirring in the woods. This is where Vasya comes in. read more
I’ve taken flak for not seeking out (or particularly enjoying) fantasy. I read piles of it in high school and quit after reading Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series. That series neatly encapsulates what frustrates me with this genre: read more
Washington Black was short-listed for the 2018 Man Booker Prize. From its nomination to the glowing praise around the Internet, most people liked this book more than I did. Though the first half of the book is well-written, the plot’s over-reliance on coincidence strains belief in the second half. Unlike my usual reviews, there are minor spoilers for the end of the book. read more