Not what I was expecting. A bit darker, but light at the end. I love the theme though of trying to connect to people, even after things have been broken. And traveling! Ah, who doesn't love traveling? Clarke doesn't get into the detail of the scenery too much, I wish she did that more, but enough to feel places. And she certainly got into characters. They're so fascinating to read about, with revelations coming along and just the right. Best hostel swap ever.

I should start with that I've never read nor watched King Lear. This was my first introduction to the story, but I'm not sure it was the best.

The thing is, I found this funny. Which was strange, because it's crude and I don't typically go for that, but I did like it here. I attribute that a lot to the audiobook narration. But I also frequently left like I missed plot elements because I sometimes zoned out when Pocket, Lear's Fool, dived into memory. Honestly, I can't even remember what castle was stormed at the end (Dover?) but I do remember double taking in my car, debating about going back a whole track, and then deciding not to and playing mental catch up.

Pocket's emotional story, his relationship with the else sisters, Lear, and the women who raised him, overshadow things a lot. Don't get me wrong, they're good arcs, but I often felt like the plot was pushed to the side. Probably because most people who read this already know it, having exposure to King Lear previously. Alas, this book gave me little desire to seek that out.

So, good book, but not one I'd recommend.

Um...yeah. I loved this so much, I paused all the other books I'm actively reading.

This anthology is full of stories about humans from the alien perspective and I loved them all. Non-tonal aliens confused by a lesbian couple's sarcasm. A captain feed up by his union's requirements to have a human crew, who encourages bonding to decrease his premium. A botanist launching devising a game show/reality challenge to encourage humans to help him finish a project. An elderly alien accepting the death culture of her human caregiver.

There's just so many stories here and I loved every single one of them. I'm pushing this book on at least three other people.

The further along I got in this book, the more I loved it.

From the very beginning, where Ellie is dealing with her own thoughts of being a Holocaust descendant while staring at remnants of the Berlin Wall, to the end where she takes a moral and physical stand against someone just wanting to help her people, I was enthralled.

Ellie's a great girl, lost quite literally in time, but she makes do and has an amazing stand. Kai, with his devotion to his sister and others under his care, is hard not to fall in love with. And Mitzi really is the best friend anyone can ask for.

There's magic here, both in the red balloons that whisk people away to safety and in Ellie's view of the world. Her ability to pick apart East Berlin and see the cyclic, interconnected threads of history in a way I wish those around me would see too.

Needless to say, I have at least two people I'm pushing this book at. Maybe more.

I listened to this on audiobook, and that's what saved this. Gaiman's voice. Not that the book was bad, simply that I'm already familiar with these myths and felt that this was similar to other renditions. I guess I was hoping for an extra bit of flare, but didn't get it. :/

I love this series, so shame on me for getting around to this too late. But I loved it. A little different than what I expected - sporadic adventures - because all the novellas fit seamlessly into a prequel, one story flowing into another. It was nice to see the adventures only hinted at before fleshed out.

I picked this up because a friend said David Tennant narrated the audiobook, and he's awesome!

The book was good too, of course. Half of the MG books I pick up I can tell feel young to me, but I didn't have that impression with this. It was short, but cute and funny. The book equivalent of a half hour feel-good TV show that is just the thing you need to pick up your mood. This was funnier than I expected it to be, full of situations you can't quite believe are real and so ridiculous you have to love them. At the same time, this book isn't all giggles and rolled eyes - the consequences were more dramatic than I expected.

And why yes, I requested the next two from my library.