#I love when secunit has to talk to humans it’s very funny

[bakedbananners]

Fugitive Telemetry was so good… like if Sherlock Holmes was a misanthropic asshole who absorbed everything about forensic investigations through shitty sci-fi shows and enough paranoia to kill a blue whale

[ladyherenya]

Books read in October

It’s a few days into a new month and not only have I reviewed everything I read last month, I’ve compiled this post. Usually that takes me longer.

I didn’t feel like I needed to include any rereads this month, partly because I don’t really have anything new to say about the trio of favourites I reread: The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones, Sunshine by Robin McKinley and The Changeover by Margaret Mahy. I still love those books.

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing. And also my Dreamwidth blog.)

The Murderbot DIaries: Exit Strategy by Martha Wells:  A very satisfying “season finale”, which pulls together threads from the previous novellas into a high-stakes, fast-paced conclusion. Murderbot, a rogue SecUnit, has been gathering evidence of corporate wrongdoing under its own initiative. But its investigation has been noticed and Dr Mensah, who legally owns Murderbot, is in trouble. I enjoyed this enormously. Read it and then reread it. Bookmarked all the quotes. I am delighted by Murderbot -- sarcastic, socially-anxious, obsessed with serials, reluctantly caring, still working out what it means to be a bot with autonomy and feelings. Next up is apparently a Murderbot novel -- more Murderbot, hurray!

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith: Finally, the fourth book! This was engrossing. I liked it for the reasons I liked the previous books: a solid mystery with satisfyingly unexpected twists; the writing is charismatic, with an eye for visual details and astute observations (particularly about class, privilege and fame); and I enjoy reading about Strike and Robin and their investigative efforts. This isn’t as dark nor as dramatic as Career of Evil, and our detectives’ personal lives take up more space… which I’m not going to complain about! I am here for detectives having personal lives and I look forward to reading more about them.

Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell and Fiona Wood: A story about taking risks, making changes, discovering what is important, and dealing with the pressures of others’ expectations and with malicious cyber gossip. Clem (a swimmer), Kate (a nerdy cellist) and Ady (popular) are thrown together by their private school’s Year 10 “Wellness” class. I enjoyed reading this so much. It’s funny and feminist and sharply insightful about teenage experiences: school, friendships, romance, family, bullying. I loved the girls’ friendship and how they support each other, and the references to the things they’re passionate about. I liked the ending… but wish it had more oomph.

Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi: Penny is starting college. Sam is a barista going through a difficult break-up. Penny likes wearing black, being prepared for emergencies and writing science-fiction. Sam likes wearing black, baking and making documentaries. They’re introduced by a mutual friend and soon after Penny gives Sam her number for “emergency contact”. But once they start texting, they can’t stop. (And I didn’t want to stop reading!) They understand each other’s references, trains of thought, anxiety and humour. They can talk about nearly everything. Their relationship is like a modern, digital, epistolary romance. More books like this one, please.

Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer (narrated by Jilly Bond): Kate is invited by her aunt to stay at Staplewood Park. This is an unexpected and uncomfortable foray into Gothic suspense, with characters agonising over whether one of their relatives is mentally unstable and who else knows. Ugh. Although Kate never loses sight that this is still a person who deserves compassion, it’s an era where there wasn’t much of understanding of, nor effective means of treating, mental health issues. It becomes obvious that this situation cannot be resolved happily. I liked Kate and her very Heyer-ish romance. I’d have liked the suspense had Staplewood been home to different secrets.

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne: A largely successful young adult Jane Eyre retelling in which the Earth has undergone an ice-age and people live in ships orbiting the planet. Stella, desperate to leave the run-down Stalwart, applies for a governess position on a privately-owned ship. I was pleasantly surprised by how Donne altered the events of Jane Eyre to fit her futuristic setting, rather than altering her setting to fit Jane Eyre. I liked that there were unexpected twists, and changes made sense in context. (I want a retelling to be sufficiently different, because otherwise I might as well just reread Jane Eyre.)

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley: Someone recommended Kearsley’s books as similar to Mary Stewart’s, and this is most delightfully Mary-Stewart-ish. From the first page I was convinced that I would to love it. Verity Grey is offered a job on an archaeological dig near a fishing town in Scotland. This has atmosphere: history, scenery and mystery. I was fascinated by the historical details about the Romans, I enjoyed vivid depiction of Eyemouth, and there was enough suspense to keep me intrigued without becoming too spooky.  It also has characters who are intensely passionate about their work, and a romance which simmers away in the background.

The Karkadann Triangle: “Unicorn Triangle” by Patricia A. McKillip and “My Son Heydari and the Karkadann”  by Peter S. Beagle: Two short stories featuring unicorns. McKillip’s “Unicorn Triangle”, about a unicorn turned into a human, would be great if it were the beginning of a novel; as a short story, I found it unsatisfying. I’m not sure whether or not I liked Beagle’s “My Son Heydari and the Karkadann” but it’s a really solid short story which kept my interest.

The Element of Fire by Martha Wells (narrated by Derek Perkins): I took four chapters (over two hours of the audiobook) before becoming completely captivated. The beginning is eventful -- the captain of the Queen’s Guard rescues one sorcerer from another, there’s palace intrigue -- and I liked the worldbuilding, but I didn’t know why I should care. But when the king’s half-sister, the Fay sorceress Kade, confronts her family, something clicked. Here is the story’s fraught, emotional heart. I really enjoyed being surprised by Kade. I also enjoyed Thomas’ flashes of humour, and the interactions they have with the royal family. I liked this so much more than I was expecting to.

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (narrated by Michelle Dockrey):  It is rare that I read something which reminds me of Enid Blyton's fantasy, which was my introduction to fantasy stories. However, this novella, in which a group of teenagers go on a mission to a nonsense world, felt a lot like reading a grown-up, modern Faraway Tree adventure -- darker, with fewer dated stereotypes and with much more elegant prose. That perspective made it more interesting. It’s still not quite my aesthetic, but it isn’t as dark as Every Heart a Doorway and I liked how it followed on from that story.