Oh fuck. Welp, because of the Sippy Awards, my Sundays were full there for a while, and because I'm just sort of a lazy bastard I've been rather terrible about posting my review links. But here they are. There are a lot, but my #KTBookChallenge has begun. I think most of the books here from the end of 2015 count toward it, too, so hurrah! Anyway, there's a lot to get to, so here you go!
Blacksad: A Silent Hell by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - I rather love the artwork of this series a bit more than I like the plots, because while Blacksad has a nice noir feel to it and it does some interesting things, the art steals the show every time.
Brightness Falls From The Air by James Tiptree, Jr (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - This is the first I've read of James Tiptree, Jr.'s novel-length work, and it was weird and difficult and there was a lot going on and things went really, really strange there for a while. But vastly imaginative and sad and good.
Dare by Philip José Farmer (Goodreads, my score 1/5) - My only 1-star rating on Goodreads for 2015, and I'm not sure it completely deserves it more than some of my 2-star reviews, but this one is just...well, calling it dated I don't think really goes far enough. It's...I did not enjoy it at all.
The Apex Book of World SF Vol 4 edited by Mahvesh Murad (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - I like how this collection takes on the idea of World SF and complicates it. A very interesting and rather important idea, and one that the anthology handles very well.
The Apex Book of World SF Vol 4 edited by Mahvesh Murad (Nerds of a Feather, my score 8/10) - And the second review of it (or really the first, as I normally do all my NoaF reviews first and then Goodreads second for books that I review for both. Still a very good collection.
Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads, my score 5/5) - This was one of my favorite books of 2015, with a great style and innovative structure. The whole thing is a mystery set in an alternative past that has space travel and is just rather charming all the way around!
Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente (Nerds of a Feather, my score 9/10) - Another review of this book, which really I would just keep on reviewing. It's great, and there's so much to think about and read into and just all the yes!
Dowry Meat by Heather Knox (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - Speculative poetry from a local poet that I actually went to university with. I ran into her at the local grocery store and learned that this book exists and it is great!
Marginalia to Stone Bird by R.B. Lemberg (Goodreads, my score 5/5) - More speculative poetry and another great one, filled with poems that cross borders and boundaries. Many of these I had already loved from when they came out around the web in 2014/2015. Very, very good!
Marginalia to Stone Bird by R.B. Lemberg (Nerds of a Feather, my score 9/10) - And hey look, another book that I reviewed twice. It's always nice when I really like the books that I have to write this much about! :)
Half World by Hiromi Goto (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - This is the first I've read of Hiromi Goto's novel-length work and it is delightful. Lots of really weird and unsettling places while maintaining a nice YA feel and setting. And now I want more.
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - This is the first I've read of Nalo Hopkinson's novel-length work, too, which I guess makes sense as it was her debut. A great and rather uncomfortable story of family and magic.
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older (Nerds of a Feather, my score 9/10) - A book so good I've reviewed it three times now. Seriously, seriously good, and probably tied with The Summer Prince as my favorite YA I read in 2015.
**NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART** - my ongoing reviews of graphic erotic works, mostly manga and graphic novels
Love on the Job Vol 1 by Chihiro Harumi (Goodreads, my score 3/5) - This is a rather cute het romance/sex romp, just fun and ridiculous and lots of sex. Rather vanilla stuff, but still a fine read.
Club for Cross Dressers by Kuromame (Goodreads, my score 3/5) - Ah, cross dressing. I quite like most of the stories in this book, but...hmm, I'm just not sure on some things about it. As written/translated, these are non-explicit m/m romance stories.
Short(ish) Reviews of Speculative Short Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction. Word counts are approximate. Opinions are my own. (also, probably SPOILERS ABOUND!)
Showing posts with label Daniel José Older. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel José Older. Show all posts
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Quick Thoughts - My Favorite Longer Reads of 2015
So I've been loving running the Sippys. Want to know my favorite stories of 2015? Check out the Sippys (which sadly end tomorrow with the fifth and final category). But what about longer works? Novels and graphic novels and poetry chapbooks and…uh…other things? I figured today I would go through my favorite reads of 2015, which is to say my five-star rated reads that made it to my Goodreads (if you want to see all my 2015 reads, feel free).
DISCLAIMER! These are not things that necessarily came out in 2015. Some of these are older but new-to-me. Keeping up on new releases while also catching up on the near-infinite number of books I haven't read is a delicate game, and one that's a bit fraught thanks to ideas of canon and all. But I have a fair balance this year of things that are brand new and things that are contemporary but not new and things that are definitely not new. Anyway anyway, to the list!
MAUS (volume 1) by ART SPIEGELMAN
I actually feel rather bad I hadn't read this one sooner, because I had intended to any number of times but…well, never did. And what the fuck was I thinking, because it is amazing. Deep and intense and troubling and this look at both a period of time in general but more than that the story of family and people and the relationship between father and son and between both men with the conspicuously absent mother/wife. And yeah, so glad that I've read this and definitely looking forward to tracking down the second volume.
RADIANCE by CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE
I love the structure of this novel, the way that it's not linear and is basically a collection of texts. It's constructed with such care and mystery and power and the setting is amazing, a taste of a solar system from the dreams of the past, where each world is an unspoiled land for humans to exploit—I mean explore. The voices shine here and the different texts combine and complicate each other in an amazing and delightful fashion. One of the many books out in 2015 that I absolutely loved.
KAREN MEMORY by ELIZABETH BEAR
Speaking of 2015 books that I loved, this one came out fairly early in the year and it is amazingly fun, a bit of steam western with characters that feel real and alive and a setting that breathes a history that was and wasn't. It's great because it blends fantasy and research and it's quite surprising to find out which elements from the story are fabricated and which are pulled relatively whole from the actual past. And the plot is tight and the action amazing and it all just works.
LINE AND ORBIT by SUNNY MORAINE and LISA SOEM
I've been meaning to read this for a while and oh my GLOB! I was not disappointed. I'm a sucker for m/m romantic plots and this books weaves one into an epic science fiction with expert skill. The two leads are complex and the setting is amazing. The plot is sufficiently huge and brings up eugenics and diasporas and reconciliation and war and the supporting characters are great, too, the whole package a brilliant mix of science fiction action with character-driven moral and romantic complications. So good. I can't wait to get to the other books in the series (hopefully later this year).
THE DISPOSSESSED by URSULA K. LE GUIN
This book is amazing and the setting and the complexity and fuck I just want to read this over and over again. The way that it plays with how language shapes culture and perception and how language can be used to try and be better is just great. And yes, there are still problems but that idea that being better is a process that's never over but that things can get better, can be more just and fair, is just yes, all the yes. The story touches on politics and sexuality and a sort of socialism and I just sort of love this book for the hope inside it, and also the sense of continual revolution and resistance.
THE SUMMER PRINCE by ALAYA DAWN JOHNSON
Post apocalyptic dystopia with kickass bisexual characters sex in Brazil? Yes please! I don't think it's a surprise that some of the books on this list are typically lumped into YA, because YA is actually amazing at showing that dissatisfaction with the way things are, with being content with imperfect systems. And this novel is all about resistance and art and voice and age. It's about love and about sex and about growing up. And I love it with an unashamed passion. The setting is vibrant and the characters are great and I CRIED SO MUCH!!! Ahem. Sorry. Yes, definitely read this one.
SHADOWSHAPER by DANIEL JOSÉ OLDER
So I liked Half-Resurrection Blues but I LOVED this book. It is amazing and comes out swinging and is basically a huge middle fiction to appropriation wrapped up in a bow of generational change and just basically everything that makes YA such fun and so valuable. There's just so many amazing characters and the magic flows into the setting into the art into everything and it's a great read, combining heritage and superheroics and magic and music and art and does it all with style.
And there you have it! Most of these I have actually reviewed (sometimes multiple times) and you can find my reviews by clicking on the author's tag either on the side bar or at the bottom of this post (added bonus is you can see my reviews of their other words that I've read recently as well). Anyway, there you have it, my favorite reads of 2015! Thanks for reading!
All the best,
Charles Payseur
DISCLAIMER! These are not things that necessarily came out in 2015. Some of these are older but new-to-me. Keeping up on new releases while also catching up on the near-infinite number of books I haven't read is a delicate game, and one that's a bit fraught thanks to ideas of canon and all. But I have a fair balance this year of things that are brand new and things that are contemporary but not new and things that are definitely not new. Anyway anyway, to the list!
MAUS (volume 1) by ART SPIEGELMAN
I actually feel rather bad I hadn't read this one sooner, because I had intended to any number of times but…well, never did. And what the fuck was I thinking, because it is amazing. Deep and intense and troubling and this look at both a period of time in general but more than that the story of family and people and the relationship between father and son and between both men with the conspicuously absent mother/wife. And yeah, so glad that I've read this and definitely looking forward to tracking down the second volume.
RADIANCE by CATHERYNNE M. VALENTE
I love the structure of this novel, the way that it's not linear and is basically a collection of texts. It's constructed with such care and mystery and power and the setting is amazing, a taste of a solar system from the dreams of the past, where each world is an unspoiled land for humans to exploit—I mean explore. The voices shine here and the different texts combine and complicate each other in an amazing and delightful fashion. One of the many books out in 2015 that I absolutely loved.
KAREN MEMORY by ELIZABETH BEAR
Speaking of 2015 books that I loved, this one came out fairly early in the year and it is amazingly fun, a bit of steam western with characters that feel real and alive and a setting that breathes a history that was and wasn't. It's great because it blends fantasy and research and it's quite surprising to find out which elements from the story are fabricated and which are pulled relatively whole from the actual past. And the plot is tight and the action amazing and it all just works.
LINE AND ORBIT by SUNNY MORAINE and LISA SOEM
I've been meaning to read this for a while and oh my GLOB! I was not disappointed. I'm a sucker for m/m romantic plots and this books weaves one into an epic science fiction with expert skill. The two leads are complex and the setting is amazing. The plot is sufficiently huge and brings up eugenics and diasporas and reconciliation and war and the supporting characters are great, too, the whole package a brilliant mix of science fiction action with character-driven moral and romantic complications. So good. I can't wait to get to the other books in the series (hopefully later this year).
THE DISPOSSESSED by URSULA K. LE GUIN
This book is amazing and the setting and the complexity and fuck I just want to read this over and over again. The way that it plays with how language shapes culture and perception and how language can be used to try and be better is just great. And yes, there are still problems but that idea that being better is a process that's never over but that things can get better, can be more just and fair, is just yes, all the yes. The story touches on politics and sexuality and a sort of socialism and I just sort of love this book for the hope inside it, and also the sense of continual revolution and resistance.
THE SUMMER PRINCE by ALAYA DAWN JOHNSON
Post apocalyptic dystopia with kickass bisexual characters sex in Brazil? Yes please! I don't think it's a surprise that some of the books on this list are typically lumped into YA, because YA is actually amazing at showing that dissatisfaction with the way things are, with being content with imperfect systems. And this novel is all about resistance and art and voice and age. It's about love and about sex and about growing up. And I love it with an unashamed passion. The setting is vibrant and the characters are great and I CRIED SO MUCH!!! Ahem. Sorry. Yes, definitely read this one.
SHADOWSHAPER by DANIEL JOSÉ OLDER
So I liked Half-Resurrection Blues but I LOVED this book. It is amazing and comes out swinging and is basically a huge middle fiction to appropriation wrapped up in a bow of generational change and just basically everything that makes YA such fun and so valuable. There's just so many amazing characters and the magic flows into the setting into the art into everything and it's a great read, combining heritage and superheroics and magic and music and art and does it all with style.
And there you have it! Most of these I have actually reviewed (sometimes multiple times) and you can find my reviews by clicking on the author's tag either on the side bar or at the bottom of this post (added bonus is you can see my reviews of their other words that I've read recently as well). Anyway, there you have it, my favorite reads of 2015! Thanks for reading!
All the best,
Charles Payseur
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Quick Links 07/12/2015
Fuck it has been a long time since I posted one of these. Like, wow. Sorry, peeps. I will admit that things have been very difficult for me recently, mood-wise. Summer for whatever reason has been kicking my ass and I just find it hard to get the normal reviews done and then Sunday is there and I haven't done my links and sigh. Sorry. I will strive to do better. In the mean time, here is the long list of reviews I've had go live since May (yes, it's been that long).
Jinn and Juice by Nicole Peeler (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - The more I thought about this after my review at Nerds of a Feather, the more I liked it. So it got bumped up a bit, score-wise. Otherwise, thoughts are similar to those I had before.
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older (Goodreads, my score 5/5) - oh man I want to read and review this for all the sites. It is so much fun and I love the characters and yes. My third five-star review on Goodreads this year (so in very good company). It was amazing. Go read it.
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older (Teenreads) - And here again is me gushing about this book, though in perhaps a more constrained manner. It is an amazing book and I was so lucky to get to read it early. Yes. All the yes.
The Klingon Art of War by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Goodreads, my score 3/5) - fun and for fans of Star Trek an excellent resource. It's still a wholly fandom project, though, expanding and collecting Klingon canon, basically. Still, an entertaining read.
Tide of Shadows and Other Stories by Aidan Moher (Nerds of a Feather, my score 6/10) - An interesting collection with a structure that made me enjoy it despite being a little iffy on some of the stories. Definitely a writer I'd be interested in another similar project by.
Tide of Shadows and Other Stories by Aidan Moher (Goodreads, my score 3/5) - And here it is again because I'm like that. Really I just insist that for sites that I don't solely run, they own those reviews so I have to write new ones for myself and my own Goodreads. Which is an excuse to write more reviews. So yeah...
Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw's Adventure in Moonshine by Max Watman (Goodreads, my score 3/5) - Nonfiction! Gasp! But I am interested in booze (go figure) and was interested in doing a bit of research into a few things for writing purposes. It was not what I was expecting but I did indeed get some good material.
Secrets of Selkie Bay by Shelley Moore Thomas (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - this book surprised me at the level of the prose, at the layers and complexity. It really is quite a good read, providing a dark backdrop to tell a children's story. Some good stuff.
Secrets of Selkie Bay by Shelley Moore Thomas (Kidsreads) - And here it is again. Sensing a pattern yet? Yes, I reviewed three different books more than once. But here again the book was good and I enjoyed reading it. Dark and with some magic realism elements that made it memorable. Indeed.
Oh, and ICYMI, THE MONTHLY ROUND went up this last week. So be sure to check that out...
So there you! Sorry it took so long to get these up. But life. Sometimes... Anyway, thanks for reading!
Jinn and Juice by Nicole Peeler (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - The more I thought about this after my review at Nerds of a Feather, the more I liked it. So it got bumped up a bit, score-wise. Otherwise, thoughts are similar to those I had before.
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older (Goodreads, my score 5/5) - oh man I want to read and review this for all the sites. It is so much fun and I love the characters and yes. My third five-star review on Goodreads this year (so in very good company). It was amazing. Go read it.
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older (Teenreads) - And here again is me gushing about this book, though in perhaps a more constrained manner. It is an amazing book and I was so lucky to get to read it early. Yes. All the yes.
The Klingon Art of War by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Goodreads, my score 3/5) - fun and for fans of Star Trek an excellent resource. It's still a wholly fandom project, though, expanding and collecting Klingon canon, basically. Still, an entertaining read.
Tide of Shadows and Other Stories by Aidan Moher (Nerds of a Feather, my score 6/10) - An interesting collection with a structure that made me enjoy it despite being a little iffy on some of the stories. Definitely a writer I'd be interested in another similar project by.
Tide of Shadows and Other Stories by Aidan Moher (Goodreads, my score 3/5) - And here it is again because I'm like that. Really I just insist that for sites that I don't solely run, they own those reviews so I have to write new ones for myself and my own Goodreads. Which is an excuse to write more reviews. So yeah...
Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw's Adventure in Moonshine by Max Watman (Goodreads, my score 3/5) - Nonfiction! Gasp! But I am interested in booze (go figure) and was interested in doing a bit of research into a few things for writing purposes. It was not what I was expecting but I did indeed get some good material.
Secrets of Selkie Bay by Shelley Moore Thomas (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - this book surprised me at the level of the prose, at the layers and complexity. It really is quite a good read, providing a dark backdrop to tell a children's story. Some good stuff.
Secrets of Selkie Bay by Shelley Moore Thomas (Kidsreads) - And here it is again. Sensing a pattern yet? Yes, I reviewed three different books more than once. But here again the book was good and I enjoyed reading it. Dark and with some magic realism elements that made it memorable. Indeed.
Oh, and ICYMI, THE MONTHLY ROUND went up this last week. So be sure to check that out...
So there you! Sorry it took so long to get these up. But life. Sometimes... Anyway, thanks for reading!
Monday, June 1, 2015
Quick Sips - Tor.com May 2015
Well I guess I was right that Tor would also win the "wait for the last possible moment to release their longest story of the month" award. I'm fairly sure this is something that only bothers me because it means that I was not able to get the review up on Friday. Of course, Tor was nice enough to make it up to me by publishing some great stories. Really, it's a full month, with four stories and a graphic story. So a lot to look at and none of it bad. Indeed, Tor is a great resource for some amazing stories, many of which tie in to other, larger works. So it's the gateway drug of fiction sites. It gave me pet elephants to cry about and ghost busting to cheer. There is an abundance of talent here and I'm just going to get to it, okay?
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Quick Links - 02/22/2015
I've managed to mostly catch myself up with what I've been reading recently in regards to reviews. And hey, they're pretty solidly positive! Woo!
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear (Goodreads, my score 5/5) - Wow, this one was good. The more I think about it, the more I like it. This is actually my second review of this. The first was:
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear (Nerds of a Feather, my score 8/10) - because the scale is a bit more strict at NoaF, this is a little lower than my Goodreads rating. Still, a very good book.
Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - another great book but with some elements toward the end that pushed me out a bit. Still, after reading "Kia and Gio," I have very high hopes for the next book in the series.
Kaleidoscope ed. Alina Krasnostein and Julia Rios (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - some amazing stories in this one and only a few that I didn't really like. That makes for a good collection in my book, especially with the focus on diversity.
Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - oh my god I like this series. It's not the deepest of stories, not really the most challenging, but I love the relationship of Alec and Seregil (they finally do it in this book! FINALLY!) and this one features more Beka, so what's not to like?
And there you have it, a handful of books that I quite enjoyed. Maybe go check them out yourself!
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear (Goodreads, my score 5/5) - Wow, this one was good. The more I think about it, the more I like it. This is actually my second review of this. The first was:
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear (Nerds of a Feather, my score 8/10) - because the scale is a bit more strict at NoaF, this is a little lower than my Goodreads rating. Still, a very good book.
Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - another great book but with some elements toward the end that pushed me out a bit. Still, after reading "Kia and Gio," I have very high hopes for the next book in the series.
Kaleidoscope ed. Alina Krasnostein and Julia Rios (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - some amazing stories in this one and only a few that I didn't really like. That makes for a good collection in my book, especially with the focus on diversity.
Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling (Goodreads, my score 4/5) - oh my god I like this series. It's not the deepest of stories, not really the most challenging, but I love the relationship of Alec and Seregil (they finally do it in this book! FINALLY!) and this one features more Beka, so what's not to like?
And there you have it, a handful of books that I quite enjoyed. Maybe go check them out yourself!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Quick Sips - Tor.com January 6
I was going to do something else for today but then this happened and I just couldn't help myself. I absolutely love what I've read of Daniel José Older's work. So I've been really wanting to get his new book, Half-Resurrection Blues. I've also been putting it off because I have so many books after Christmas that it would take me a while to get to it (That's a lie. Rather, I would read it and push off my other books and I feel guilty about doing that). So when I saw that there was a story up at Tor.com set in the same world, I had to read it. So here we are. Yeah...well, enjoy!
Story:
"Kia and Gio" by Daniel José Older (5498 words)
This story does not disappoint. And it makes me want his book that much more. I don't think I can resist anymore. It's great, though, the story of a young woman coming to terms with an old loss and taking some steps in facing the ghosts of the past. Nicely layered, Kia's confrontation in the present with a ghost mirrors nicely her confrontation with the lingering ghost of her cousin (even if he's not for-sure dead). All of that while teasing a mystery that started in the past filled with strange creatures and anime/manga-inspired fight scenes. This is all the things I like to read. It works as it's own story, as Kia dealing with her feelings and helping a client with his problem. It also works beautifully as a teaser for the novel. Because so many tantalizing questions are left. Who were the men in the past who fought with Gio? What happened to Jeremy? Is Gio really dead? They torture me and have done their job well enough that I must spend money to buy this book and find out what gets answered. It's well done and the tone is instantly engaging, the setting intriguing. I want to read more of this, and that I can makes it all the better. And I'm gushing now. Ahem...
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| Art by Goni Montes |
Story:
"Kia and Gio" by Daniel José Older (5498 words)
This story does not disappoint. And it makes me want his book that much more. I don't think I can resist anymore. It's great, though, the story of a young woman coming to terms with an old loss and taking some steps in facing the ghosts of the past. Nicely layered, Kia's confrontation in the present with a ghost mirrors nicely her confrontation with the lingering ghost of her cousin (even if he's not for-sure dead). All of that while teasing a mystery that started in the past filled with strange creatures and anime/manga-inspired fight scenes. This is all the things I like to read. It works as it's own story, as Kia dealing with her feelings and helping a client with his problem. It also works beautifully as a teaser for the novel. Because so many tantalizing questions are left. Who were the men in the past who fought with Gio? What happened to Jeremy? Is Gio really dead? They torture me and have done their job well enough that I must spend money to buy this book and find out what gets answered. It's well done and the tone is instantly engaging, the setting intriguing. I want to read more of this, and that I can makes it all the better. And I'm gushing now. Ahem...
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