Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Amy  

science fiction

Klara is an Artificial Friend, a robot that wealthy parents can purchase to keep their children company.  Klara is not the newest model available but an ill girl named Josie selects Klara to be her AF. The world they inhabit also includes artificial “lifting” that somehow gives some children an edge over those who can’t afford to be lifted.

Klara and the Sun is told from Klara’s point of view beginning with her wait to be purchased from the store and ending when Josie is no longer in need of her. Kazuo Ishiguro does a great job describing how a teachable artificial intelligence might view the world, although the book was fairly long-winded and slow-paced. 

The story loosely covers Josie’s illness, her family and friends, and their environment—only as much as an AI might be concerned with it.  While Klara is intuitive, she does not know or understand everything.  The more in-depth story is Klara’s own—her observations, decisions, and actions—within the framework of her residence with Josie’s family.

Because of this, some aspects of the story were lacking details which was frustrating at times. Also, Klara frequently described having a fragmented viewpoint which I can only assume is meant to explain how she took in conflicting observations, opinions, and feelings that Klara was picking up on during some tense situations.  I think she was trying to interpret different complexities of human interaction. But these sections of the story confused me more than anything else and interrupted what little flow there was. 

I’ll look forward to discussing this in book club. I definitely didn’t love this book although I liked it better than the other book of Ishiguro’s I read, Never Let Me Go.  I’m wavering between 2-1/2 and 3 stars.  I think that means I need to go with 2-1/2.

For once, I cannot fault an audiobook narrator for being too robotic. Sura Siu was narrating a robot’s point of view, after all.  Thankfully, she was just the right amount of robotic. My only real complaint is that her British accent wasn’t amazing and much of this novel includes dialogue with two British people. Therefore, I wouldn't have cast her for this role. She did have a small vocal repertoire. I’ll give her a B+.

   

Graphic Novels- The Human Target, Radiant Black, Runaways, and Eight Billion Genies

I'm continuing to read through my graphic novel list, slowly (very slowly) but surely and blogging when I have a few to put together. There are too many authors/artists to tag in Blogger's labels, and frankly the comics themselves do a terrible job of listing all the artists and people involved in creating these books. For efficiency, I'm listing only those credited on the cover (extra points to Radiant Black for listing letterers and colorists on the cover where they belong!), but if you're reading a graphic novel, please do take a moment to look past the cover and read who's doing the letters, who's inking, who is coloring in all those gorgeous drawings and bringing them to life. You may be surprised to learn just how many people it takes to bring a comic book to its full glory. -Lynnie  

 

 

The Human Target, Volume 1

By Tom King and Greg Smallwood

 

I had my eye on this series after I saw the cover of issue 1 because it was GORGEOUS! I could not resist the mid-century vibe of the colors and artwork and the inside did not disappoint. The entire volume is a visual feast! The story is also pretty grand.

Christopher Chance is the Human Target- when members of the DC Universe know someone is out to get them, Chance is the man that stands in until he can figure out who wants them dead. His latest job, however, serving as Lex Luthor's replacement, has gone horribly wrong- it appears someone has succeeded and now Chance has twelve days to figure out who killed him. There are obvious parallels to the 1988 (and 1950) movie D.O.A., but I was willing to overlook that and go along for the ride.

This is my first DC Black Label experience and it's interesting to see some of the characters used in ways that are not typical for them, but I enjoyed that part of it. It's fun to see characters you know opened up to a bit more creative storytelling, so there are no complaints from me in that regard. Overall, I enjoyed watching Chance try to find his killer and I'm eager to read the 2nd volume and see the mystery solved, even if the ultimate ending may be a foregone conclusion.

 

Radiant Black, Volume 2: Team Up

By Kyle Higgins, Marcelo Costa, Becca Carey, Joe Clark, Meghan Camerena, Eduardo Ferigato, French Carlomagno, Natalia Marques, Igor Monti and Mattia Iacono

 

I'm enjoying this series quite a bit. This volume bounces around a bit in the timeline & occasionally I found myself going back a few pages (or issues) to see if I had missed something. The story held my attention and the artwork remained wonderful- vibrant, creative, and bursting with color and emotion, I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm eager to see what happens next with the Radiant crew, though I see there are some individual issues for the various Radiants- not sure I'll go that deep into the universe, but never say never. 

 

Runaways Vol 5: Canon Fodder

By Rainbow Rowell and Andres Genolet

Another fun adventure with the Runaways. I enjoyed this side adventure with Doc Justice as the Runaways got to explore the idea of being traditional "cape-and-tights" superheroes. It was great to see most of them embrace their alter-egos while not at all surprising for Gert to see through the fantasy and find the ugly reality in the situation.

A fast, fun volume. I look forward to the next one- perhaps it will get back to moving the story along. Though, if it's as entertaining as this volume, even if it doesn't drive the plot forward too much, I'm not sure I mind. 

 

 

Eight Billion Genies, Issues 1-4

By Charles Soule and Ryan Browne

I am absolutely LOVING this series. In a single moment, each person on Earth gets their own personal genie, willing to grant them their own single wish. As expected, some people wish well, while others, not so much. Wishes are wasted, wishes are instantly canceled by other wishes, people die, are disappointed, and still others hold onto their genies and wishes due to uncertainty, caution, wisdom, or hope.

It’s a fascinating look at humanity, greed, fear, and bravery. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

 

 

 

 

A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon

Amy  

historical fiction

Deborah Samson is a young girl in the 1760s when her mother, who cannot afford to take care of her children, sends Deborah away to be an indentured servant. Eventually, she is sent to work for a family with ten boys helping their mother with the housework.  While there, she is able to practice her reading and writing and grows close with the boys. She also maintains a strong friendship with a pen pal.  Alas, the Revolutionary War is upon them and Deborah, with her adventurous spirit, a changed set of circumstances, and the need to break free, decides to join the war effort pretending to be a boy.

I’ve always enjoyed Amy Harmon’s novels and A Girl Called Samson was no exception.  Deborah’s life jumped off the page from the start and I was easily persuaded to root for her.  She was kind, smart, curious, and able to do anything to which she set her mind. Harmon described life in the 18^th century clearly and believably. Deborah wanted more for herself than the societal limitations of her time. And when she found herself involved in happily coincidental circumstances, her life became that much more interesting.

The second half of the novel was the exciting part and I looked forward to every chance I had to read it. The ugly realities of war in the 18^th century were evident but, thankfully, this novel wasn’t about the battles. It was about a brave, young woman and her choices and relationships.

I didn’t realize until the Author’s Note at the end that Deborah was a real person, as were many of those mentioned in this fictional novel. How cool that Deborah actually existed and got away with her fake identity, paving her own way!  Sadly, the central romantic relationship in this novel was entirely fabricated between two real people but it was enjoyable nonetheless. 

   

Wool, Shift, and Dust (Silo #1-#3) by Hugh Howey

Amy     
Lynnie  

dystopian

In the five novellas which make up the Wool Omnibus, thousands of people live in a giant underground silo. The population has been living in the silo for centuries because the atmosphere outside is too toxic to support life. The most serious punishment for silo residents is to be sent outside the silo to clean off the camera lens that shows the decayed outside world.  Cleaners never return. The view from the "window" is populated with the remains of those who were sent outside. But a new sheriff is needed and internal politics begin to change drastically as she begins her post. Secrets are uncovered. But how can anyone learn the truth with limited information available? 

Amy's Review

I first read the Wool Omnibus novellas in 2013 and 2014 (and reviewed all five novellas separately on Goodreads). With the TV show about to be released (called SILO on Apple TV) and a new audiobook released by one of my favorite narrators, I decided it was time to re-“read” it. I have often recommended Wool to others and I still stand by my recommendation.  I really hope the TV show does it justice.  I understand they built a giant silo set and I can’t wait to see it.

I love Hugh Howey’s characters in this series. He describes the silo so clearly and it is compelling to learn how people can live out their lives within the confines of their underground world.  The mechanics of the building, the different silo levels, the rumors and limited historical knowledge, the groups of people who make up the various communities within—it’s all fascinating and makes for a great read.

I often can’t remember the endings of novels for some reason—it’s an odd quirk that I can usually only recall the central story plot and/or characters. So the ending of Wool this second time surprised me anew! I am now planning to re-read the other Wool sequels too.

Interesting, intriguing, exciting, shocking, and outstanding. Wool is so brutal, yet satisfying. It's a gripping story full of twists and suspense with a lot of heart.  It's a difficult story at times but so well-constructed and I couldn't put it down.

I absolutely adored Edoardo Ballerini’s narration of Wool!  His wide variety of voices fit perfectly with the story and his acting was superb, as usual.  A+!

Lynnie's Review

I couldn't put it down once I started it. One of the best instances of world-building I've read in a while, filled with incredible characters and a story that gets under your skin from the moment you realize what's going on. If you're a fan of sci-fi or dystopian lit, you won't want to miss this one.

Amy      
Lynnie   

dystopian, science fiction

In this sequel to Wool, the reader learns about the creation of the silos which is a helpful revelation. There is a new cast of characters.

Amy's Review

I originally read the three novellas which make up the novel Shift in 2014.  However, I’m re-reading them now that Apple TV+ is basing their show SILO on Hugh Howey’s Silo series.

I enjoyed it this time just as much as the first time I read it. I love the creativity of the story and the way Hugh Howey plays things out. He's so creative and always pulls me in. His main characters are all so different and you care about them all. 

Lynnie's Review

This prequel to Wool is still well-written but not nearly as engaging. I found it easier to walk away between the three books which make up Shift than I did the five Wool books. Still, it's interesting to see how the silos were created and why. Worth the read if you liked Wool.

Amy      
Lynnie   


action-suspence, sci fi

This final novel in the Wool trilogy ties up all the loose ends and includes all the characters from the first two novels.

Amy's Review

This re-read was motivated by the tv show SILO based on Wool. Dust, the third novel of the Wool series, had a slow first half but a gripping second half.  The problem with the first half was all the technical details that this reader didn’t care to have.  But the conclusion was terrific.  When I originally read this book 9-1/2 years ago, I gave it 4 stars. I’m giving it 3-1/2 today. But still a great story and a must-read for those who had read the first two novels in the series.

Lynnie's Review

A fitting end to the Silo series.

It felt like the story moved along more slowly in this book than the previous two installments (Wool, Shift), but I was glad to find out what happened to the folks we've come to care about and how they could use the information they've learned over the past few books. Hugh Howey has proven himself as a wonderful world builder--I can't wait to see what he writes next.

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell

Lynnie

young adult, contemporary fiction, short stories

I've read, and mostly enjoyed, several books by Rainbow Rowell. From adult fiction, to YA, to graphic novels she has an impressive writing range. 

 

Scattered Showers is a lovely series of meet-cute stories.

Each of the stories in this collection feels like the beginning of a book that never happened; the kernel of an idea that might have been, but that Rainbow Rowell never developed into more. And yet, each one of them is delightful all on their own.

Whether waiting in line for a movie, or a friend group who always spends New Year’s Eve together, and others, each of these vignettes is a slice of life leading up to what might be… will it be true love? Will it just be a moment?

A few of the stories do feature characters from Rowell's previous novels. Of course there is a Simon Snow story- the one story I did not enjoy (which is not surprising as I did not like his portion of the book in which he originated), and one featuring the characters from Attachments which I did not realize until a friend pointed it out to me.

 

Generally I read with a smile on my face, wondering what might happen to the characters next. I marked this as young adult because there’s truly no reason that it can’t be- overall it’s a pretty chaste series of stories. I’ll be curious to see if any of them make it into Rowell’s lineup of novels. 

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Amy  

fantasy

This epic story by Brandon Sanderson follows several people living in or near the city of Elantris. Until recently, Elantris was the home of people who had become demigods—randomly changed overnight into magical beings. But something happened ten years ago which turned the Elantrians into the living dead.  Crown Prince Raoden has just awoken to the horror of becoming an Elantrian and is, therefore, banished to Elantris just before his new bride-to-be, Sarene, arrives at his castle. She needs to stay, even without the wedding, to aid her homeland from being taken over by religious extremists. Both Raoden and Sarene try to make the best of their new situations.

Several characters felt similar to those in other novels Brandon Sanderson wrote after Elantris. This novel obviously influenced his future stories. It was as if Sanderson took the same cast of characters but gave them different names and dropped them into new situations in his subsequent novels.

I know other authors do this.  I think it stands out so much in Sanderson’s books because his novels are so long that the reader really gets to know (and love or hate) his characters. 

Despite some similar characters, Elantris is its own story and is fun even though it is very religion-centric (which usually bugs me). I understand that he uses these invented religions to make a point about actual religions and I can appreciate that.

Some of the quotes I found extremely relevant to real life in this novel:

• Hate has weakened your ability to see.
• Hate can unify people more quickly and more fervently than devotion ever could.  
• As was often the case, the most outspoken man was the least discerning.

One criticism is that the beginning of the novel lacked any genuine response to the “death” of Raoden. No one appeared to grieve him. This was highly unlikely given the fact that he was beloved by many.  And while Sarene was puzzled by the fact that his father and step-mother lacked the appropriate reaction to the loss of the crown prince, the rest of the city seemed to handle the loss in stride too. The absence of any sort of significant reaction to his death seemed to make the whole premise of the story less authentic.  But other than that, I thought it was a great story and I was rooting for the good guys all the way through.

Sanderson can really weave complex, entertaining novels. He invents languages, religions, and names in addition to the normal story elements that authors devise. I haven't loved all of his novels that I've read but he is a truly amazing storyteller.

The audiobook narrator was Jack Garrett and he was terrific with a large range of voices, particularly very distinct voices for all the major characters.  He was also a marvelous voice actor. I thought he was practically perfect for this novel so I give him an A+!

   

Guilt is Midnight Blue and Longing is Violet Dusk (The Hazel Dean Mysteries #1 and #2) by Josalyn McAllister

Amy   

mystery, magical realism

Hazel has spent her life in a small north Georgia town and recently opened a book shop now that her kids are older and less needy.  When a new customer with whom she had made a connection is murdered, she takes it upon herself to try to figure out who killed him since the police are incorrectly assuming they already have the murderer in custody.

I was sad to see Cash die so early in the novel. He had quickly entered my heart and, apparently, Hazel had been similarly affected by him.  I agreed with Hazel that his demise deserved further investigation. However, as the wife of the District Attorney and niece of a police captain, she was reckless and naïve in her audacious secret investigation.

Other than my annoyance with some of Hazel’s methods and the fact that I don’t tend to love murder mysteries, the story held my interest and I was curious to see how the story would wrap up.  I also really liked Hazel’s ability to see colors indicative of people’s emotions--very cool magical realism—which was the unique skill she brought to her investigation and referenced in the title Guilt is Midnight Blue.

Amy   

mystery, magical realism

In Longing is Violet Dusk, Hazel is on the case again when one of her friends goes missing.

She had just given Nina a novel from her bookshop and Hazel’s first instinct was to feel guilty, thinking that Nina might’ve gotten the idea to cheat on her husband from the behaviors of the book characters.  Feeling compelled to help her friend, Hazel aided in the search and investigation.

Hazel was less reckless with this investigation. Still, because they were in a small town and she had a close relationship with the police chief, she was involved in some seemingly improper activities. Still, she relied on her personal relationships and natural charm to make some key discoveries. And her wonderful friend from the woods, Waylon, returns in this sequel to make a big discovery.

This was another good read from my friend, Josalyn McAllister, who actually made me tear up at the end during a tender moment. This was a cozy mystery about real-life people with a little magical realism thrown in.