Small Reviews

Another pretty short book, but again one that doesn't mess around when it comes to worldbuilding and characters. This is the story of a post-war (America vs California) existence where robots gain some rights, and a group of them end up running a biang biang noodle restaurant. I'd actually seen this recommended by someone on an end of year list and had added it to my backlog, but then happily got it as a Christmas present!

I really liked the group of characters, and whilst not a great deal happened in the story, it was all focused on exploring their pasts and relationships. The description of the post-war society and the foodie elements were also great, and all round it was like a big warm fuzzy hug. I was a bit sad there wasn't more, but all in all a very enjoyable book to end the year on.

Yep, you read that right, 3 months has passed without a book. After finishing all the Murderbots I actually had the biggest pile of books to dive into that I've had in a while... but none of them actually called to me to start them. In particular, one was work-related, and coming off the back of redundancy and making myself focus on not working, plus some other life challenges, I just kind of stopped reading.

This was a Christmas present, a short graphic novel, and I figured it was the perfect thing to break the duck. I've been struggling with some night waking and insomnia, so I definitely need books in my life, but sadly it won't be this as I've flown through it so quickly. It packs a lot of story and worldbuilding into its 100 pages, but ultimately I was left searching to see if there was a sequel (there is not). It's not that the ending was disappointing, it's more that there were so many threads still open and it felt like a bit of missed potential to not explore some of those elements. I think because of that it was enjoyable but won't be long-lastingly memorable.

I'm writing this way after the fact (more on that in a sec) as I forgot to update this. So obviously I've forgotten most of what I would have said at the time. I do however remember really enjoying this one again, even though I remembered the outcome of the "whodunnit" element. It's a really solid story an enjoyable read within the overall series; standalone enough for it to be readable out of order, but does definitely add something in.

May 2024 me wrote "I'm curious to know if I'd feel differently after re-reading 5", after giving this book a 3/5. And I do! I deliberately read this out of book order so it could lead straight on. Everything was much more fresh in my mind, but it's interesting that whilst I worried about not remembering characters, actually these are mostly 'new to us' characters that we hadn't got to know properly in detail. Apart from Ratthi. It still did feel pretty slow though, and I know that Murderbot doesn't want to, but I would have liked to have gone more into the [redacted] stuff once Murderbot opens up a bit about what happened. It actually felt like the build up to the [redacted] reveal had much more performance issue stuff, but afterwards things were actually pretty ok (but I may already be misremembering). Anyway, I do really like the concept of the [redacted] stuff and I hope that we get more of the aftermath or resolution in a future book.

Still not one of my favourites, but definitely better reading it directly after 5.

The week reading this absolutely sucked. I was ill, and we had to put our cat down. Despite/because of that I was very glad to escape into what is still an absolute gem of a book. I love everything about it, again. The length is perfect, and it packs so much into the storyline. Having read it before, certain reveals in the plot weren't new to me, but I was very pleased for more time with ART (and the bickering), 2.0, getting to know others humans, and as always all of the action. In the last run through this was a real standout amongst all the books, and the re-read is no different. Big favourite.

My only regret, which is absolutely not the book's fault at all, is that I read this rather than "Fugitive Telemetry", which should have come chronologically before, and I'd wanted to sequence (but forgot). Note to myself for next time!

Once I got into this book I realised I remembered most of it, which was nice as I think the first read through was more stressful! It rounds off the whole arc nicely, and I think is probably (maybe?) my second favourite of the first books. I really love all of the development that we've seem from SecUnit, more of the relationship with the primary human the plot if focused around, but also the other nice moments (e.g. the interaction with G when waking up) and callbacks (GI offer at the end).

There was no question of just wrapping up the read at the end of this boxset as I'm not nearly bored yet, and I was relieved when I managed to find the next book easily in my stash.

This one is action action action action, and I thought it was great. I remembered more about this book than I thought I would, and interestingly certain scenes' environmental settings had wormed pictures into my brain that had persisted. This is why I don't want them all overwritten by the TV show. Also, just to flag that Rin is given a female persona in this book. Ok, maybe I'll stop going on about that soon. Maybe.

I remember this being a particularly strong book from the first time around, and I enjoyed the Miki storyline in particular, plus its human. (mild spoilers for non-me readers) I hadn't remembered the ending though, which actually shocked and saddened me a bit as I wasn't expecting it. I think coming off the back of the previous book and the ComfortUnit's storyline, I'd mixed up some of the positivity in my head. Anyway, strong narrative, strong characters, lots of fun.

Yayyyy ART. I'd missed it. Going back to the TV show, absolutely whatever they do with ART if they do other series will be wrong, and so I feel like I definitely can't watch any more. But that's fine when the books are this good. I think ART was my main highlight in this story, and knowing what I do now, I'm glad that it's (mild spoiler for non-me readers) not the last we see of it.

I again haven't read back my previous thoughts on this one, but I feel like the RaviHyral storyline, whilst very important in terms of back story, wasn't a really rewarding payoff for either Murderbot or us. In hindsight it feels a bit similar to the DeltFall storyline, but with the exception of the ComfortUnit element, which obviously does mesh in nicely with the thread about the one in this book. They're an interesting type of unit, and one that SecUnit obviously doesn't relate to hugely, but I enjoyed the arc both units went through.

The humans I could take or leave, and compared to other humans in the books these ones all blended into one a bit. But that's ok when the bots have so much personality!

One interesting bit, again with my grumpiness around the TV show in mind, was that SecUnit deliberately chooses a non-gender specific pronoun when it has to meet its clients. I had this as some nice mental validation againt the TV presentation because as much as I'm all for people having whatever pronouns and presenting however they wish... there was no way the TV show would do anything other than he/him. So again, +1 point for the books and reinforcing my mental image.

I think this may be my first re-read since keeping track of my books, and I scored this before I'd looked back at my previous review. The re-read was prompted by a (slightly reluctant) watching of the AppleTV 'Murderbot' series, which I've been side-eyeing ever since I found out Murderbot had been cast as a very manly man (which is obviously completely wrong). It had been years (Dec 21!) since I first read the book, and I found myself going "ehhh, this doesn't feel right" in places at the show, and so picked up the book to be able to do that annoying comparison thing. Despite some changes, there is a lot that is actually very faithful in terms of dialogue, but the show just doesn't match what I had in my head in loads of ways. So despite me having an enormous pile of things ready to read, I've embarked on a full re-read because I couldn't just stop at 1 book. I'm finding myself already bringing in some of the TV visuals, which is annoying, but I'm really hoping it will fade as I read on.

One of the interesting asides about reading is that I've noticed Murderbot speaks with as many brackets as I end up with typing, which is very relatable in terms of inner voice.

Anyway, loved this again, and really looking forward to fully immersing myself in the whole wonderful story to come.

A story about a robot valet named Charles, who leaves the confines of his manor house under some less than ideal circumstances, meets another character, and goes on side quests in service of an end goal of fulfilling purpose. This started stronger than it finished for me. I enjoyed the extreme logical nature of the robots throughout the book and where it's all led them, and it made me think of the PB&J dad from a while back. That said, I'd seen the book described as funny, and unlike stupid internet videos it never actually got to that point for me, more just timely and sadly relevant. The latter half, once a certain other major third party gets involved, felt a bit more tedious. It was a bit more rote "go to a thing to fulfil goal, problems arise, repeat", and honestly the ending felt a bit unrewarding. But overall I liked the concept, and it's a future that sadly I could see happening.

This was a bithday present that hadn't got to the top of my pile, because as a graphic novel with copious amounts of nudity it didn't feel like an appropriate one to take to a conference, or to read on trains, or in an office. It waited until a period where I was just at home, and I was expecting to fly through it, but actually there's a good amount of words in here. I really enjoyed the author's storytelling, and one essay in particular - the one about letting go of a childhood home - really resonated with an experience I'd had recently. I enjoyed the art, it was a good level of musing without being too deep or annoying, and it was also interesting hearing about the author's personal stories.

I picked this one up after flicking through the Hugo awards 2024 listing, and I'm really glad I did. Amina is a sweary, 40-something, mother and retired pirate with a dodgy knee. Immediately relatable. The writing really spoke to me individually, and I found myself taking photos of passages like:

"I'm not sure I ever stopped being a nakhudha," I finally replied. "Our heards may be spoken for by those with sweet eyes, little smiles, and so very many needs, but that does not mean that which makes us us is gone. And I hope...part of me hopes anyway that in seeing me do this, Marjana knows more is possible. I would not want her to believe that because she was born a girl, she cannot dream."

When she spoke again, her voice was contemplative. "After my first husband died, I used to go to my father's office in town once a week to check the books. I am better with numbers than my siblings, but it was boring, mindless work. And yet I loved it. The chance to be alone for a few hours and accountable only to myself To have lunch on the beach and watch the waves come in without anyone needing me. It was a respite I did not realize until I married a second time and Ahmad was born. I love my children with my whole heart, but..." She met my gaze, understanding there. "Part of you must be overjoyed to be a nakhudha again."

The story was good, and actually it was nice to read something that whilst it had heavy moments, (mild spoilers) you don't have to worry about beloved characters suddenly dying in the same way that I've had in some other books this year (cough She Who Became...). It's a great blend of history, religious elements, fantastical elements, magic, and reality. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series, and I hope we also get more time with characters like Raksh.

Following on from the first book, this dives straight into a light crime mystery, which initially felt a bit at odds with the rest of the tone for me. Despite the seriousness, it also isn't the main focus in itself, and most of the focus is on the twists and turns of a feud. There's similar themes to the first book, some higher levels of fantasy and quirkiness than other more gritty bits, but it's all good fun and plays out in an overall satisfying way. The character development didn't feel as strong in this one and a few people got a bit sidelined, but I did really enjoy the additional content in the world.

At work we have a book exchange, and on finishing Nimona at lunch I decided to flick through and grab something to tide me over on the train ride home. Snowglobe stood out as an interesting dystopian concept: the planet is totally screwed, everyone lives in -50°, apart from the 'lucky' actors and directors who live in Snowglobe. There, they enjoy what we'd consider normal temperatures and a generally luxurious lifestyle, apart from the fact that to live there they have to make or star in the reality shows that the rest of the world watch obsessively. The plot does get rather fantastical in parts, so it's definitely not entirely a gritty take on climate and societal themes, and I think some people like it less for the silly bits. However for me it was fun, was pretty well paced, had decent characters, and kept my interest.

On finishing I saw that it was part of a duology, and as luck would have it the second book was released two days after I finished this one. I immediately ordered it and am looking forward to wrapping everything up.

A lend from a colleague that I flew through in a train ride and lunch break. I'd already seen the Netflix adaptation so was familiar with the concepts, and the source is the same but also different in terms of sone of the plot specifics. A fun little read.

Another book that I can't remember why I added it to my list, but I didn't know anything about it beyond the blurb on the back. Be warned, this is a book which is basically entirely about an abusive relationship, in which one party happens to be non-human. The guy was a complete dick, and the book contains numerous scenes of emotional and physical sexual abuse and coercive control. Because of that, whilst I read it at a decent pace and was invested, I also wouldn't say that I fully enjoyed it.

I was fortunate to get this book from work, and even more so as it was part of an event where the author held a session to speak to us about applying the concepts. As I've mentioned before, I usually struggle to prioritise non-fiction, but I was going away to a conference and shockingly realised I didn't have anything else lined up, so it was a good push to pick this up. I'm glad I did, as I do really enjoy stories about restaurants, stories about people doing things differently to the norm, and practical takeaways that I can apply to work. The book itself is a mix of personal memoir, history of the restaurant, and business advice book. Because of that, it never fully leans into any genre. For the latter, I felt it could have done with a clear summary of the takeaways, and overall once you got the idea there is a bit of repetition to hit home the points. So an enjoyable and easy read, and one that has left a lasting impression and inspiration, but I'm now back to the sci-fi 😉

Going in with the 5 for this one. I finished it in a very late night binge when I was staying away, and despite really needing to go to sleep at that point, I stayed up even later looking up real information around the people the book was inspired by. I love the characters, I wasn't happy about a couple of deaths, but that was just in keeping with the way the first book had started out. Everything wrapped up neatly and for me it was a very satisfying arc. This series will definitely be a recommendation, and a potential reread in the future.

I'd picked this up on the back of a review from someone (thank you whoever it was although I can't remember!). It's historical fantasy, following Zhu as the main character, and covers their journey from starving peasant girl through to... you'll have to find out. The book is drenched in gender identity, sexuality, and queer romance themes, as well as a ton of general identity, morality, and other big topics. Both Zhu and the other big character (who I won't name as it's not immediately apparent) are so well written and have so many arcs and development points. The ending was also not apparent for me. I got to the point where I knew I needed to get the follow-on book but avoided anything as I genuinely wasn't sure how it was all going to end. Some trigger warnings: there's brutality in varying forms, and a lot of other heavy themes right from the start. But it's well worth a read and is one of my favourites from the year so far.

I've been absolutely terrible with updating this recently, so I will admit that I have no idea about the day I finished this book, and also I'm only semi confident on the rating. Oops.

This was a Christmas present, and so I didn't know anything about it beyond the back cover blurb. It follows two main characters; one is a time traveller, the other is their handler in the modern era. One of the elements I really liked is that the time travelling person is based on an actual person in history, there's a photo of him and scarce details, but the author has taken his situation and coloured in the missing areas. Despite being a work of fiction, it somehow added a lot for me. Overall it was an easy an enjoyable read, but I would say that I saw a big reveal coming a mile off, and the oft-hinted at (not a spoiler) "things don't stay rosy" point was incredibly anti-climactic and felt like a very weak reason, and some of the worldbuilding of the present day could have been stronger. But I liked it, and it was an interesting concept.

This was lent to me by a colleague, and was a fun but fluffy read. Coming off the back of Artemis, it actually reminded me of a similar kind of writing style with wise-cracking, snipey banter and spelled out explanations. It was a very easy read, had some nicely thought out rules for the world, and the premise was interesting. That said, on getting to the end I wasn't grabbed to read more in the series. It's the kind of thing I may pick up again for a long plane journey in the future.

This is Weir's second book, but the third to me, and it's just too much. I actually really enjoyed Project Hail Mary, but this felt like just another book which reads exactly the same, which explains every detail and adds commentary even when not strictly necessary, and generally feels cut and paste with a different plot in space.

The characters are all unremarkable, a bit one dimensional, and actually pretty unlikeable (although some of that is the dialogue rather than the design). It's all bants bants bants smart ass snarky exchanges, which gets tiring. That said, I knew what I was getting into, and I wasn't surprised to be proved right about it being more of the same. It's an extremely easy read, not in the least bit mentally challenging, and easy to pick up and put down. I probably would have enjoyed it much more as a fluffy book on a plane, and I expect at some point I'll end up watching the film adaptation in that way.

First things first, this is not a 0 star book! I've decided to record my reading for completion's sake, but not to do a review. I'll soon have the pleasure of working with Patricia, was fascinated to read her story, and enjoyed this book, but it feels weird to put a score on something for someone I'll be managing. So it's my site, and I'll abstain :)

At 723 pages of pretty small text this was a massive chonk of a book. My plan to immediately follow on from the previous book worked, and everything was indeed a lot easier to follow and more familiar than before. However, as you'd expect from a book of this length, there were even more new people in the mix, new concepts to understand, and a hell of a lot of threads of the story going on to keep track of. I really enjoyed this book, by the end I loved many of the characters, and I'm fully invested. But it was a lot. I couldn't tell you everything that happened in the book. There are quite a few chapters labelled as an interlude, and whilst they're interesting and give a different perspective and change of pace, some of them probably could have been cut. Some bits were clunky, some things just weren't explained, and at one point there was an off-screen murder that I only actually clocked right at the end because it was so glossed over. Did I enjoy it all? Yes. Would it have been a bit more effective and possibly a bit easier to follow at points if it'd been edited down or split up into two? Also probably yes.

As I got towards the last quarter, I turned to the back cover where there's a picture of book 1 and book 3. I went to buy book 3, intending to carry on with my binge, again partly so I don't forget so many of the complex worldbuilding details and plot nuances. However it doesn't come out until 2026. I'll definitely plan to read it, but I'm certain that the gap in time will have an impact and I hope there's enough reminders!

This again follows Sun and her companions, across an even wider amount of time and space. There's some big, headline events that fundamentally change the setting, but otherwise it's the same setting of Phene vs Chaonia. You find out a lot more about some of the companions and their family dynamics, including more about the Phene ways of life, Riders, banner soldiers, and others. Tied to what I said above though, there's still some characters that were added (new companions and Cee-Cees who I still have no idea about really; they're just dropped in kind of by name only). Big battles (so many), friendships, love and romance, betrayals and politics. Some mysteries are solved, others will hopefully be built on in the future (mild spoilers: looking forward to seeing Kas come more into play, finding out more about the Campaspe influence, Vogue Academy, and seeing what happens to Apama and TeeGee).

This book contains a lot of world building. It starts with some maps, which were actually helpful as a visual aid later on, but it immediately chucks you into a world of extensive back story, different planets, races, and characters, along with some quite formal and fancy pants words being thrown around the courts that made it a little bit hard to connect with. In hindsight it made me think of the Ninefox Gambit series, which I ended up loving, and to this book's credit it became a lot more understandable a lot faster. I've just finished the book, and will be starting the second one immediately, partly because I really enjoyed it all, but also partly because I'm scared of leaving it too long between reads as I know I'll start forgetting who people are or the detail of what's gone on again.

In short, this centres around Princess Sun and her Companions, who are wrapped up in some political shenanigans with the different core Houses, as well as bigger picture complications between different races/factions in the wider planetary systems. Everyone seems to have complex parent issues, there's a load of spying and assassination attempts, and lots of action. Good fun, good action, lots to like.