Dune might have been one of my favorite books as a snot-nosed adolescent, but this is the first time I've re-read it in a good 18-20 years. Combining Machiavellian power politics, futuristic-psychedelic Bedouin mysticism, psychedelia, colonialism, & eugenics into one sci-fi narrative, Dune is kind of hard to classify, and must have been even more so back when it was published. It's no wonder it's inspired such divergent takeaways from different people; just look at the difference between Jodorowsky's attempted adaptation, which would have played up the psychedelic aspects (casting Salvador Dali as the Emperor, for instance), and David Lynch's movie adaptation, which was more of a sci-fi biblical-adventure. My personal take is that Dune is a sci-fi politico-military adventure, falling somewhere between the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings (Kings, wizards, & legendary journeys) & the Moon is a Harsh Mistress (space, barren planets, & anti-colonialism).

Not as good as the 1st book, but way better than I was expecting. Even though I first read Dune over 20 years ago, I rarely felt an urge to pick up the Dune sequels, because the ending of the 1st book was such a definitive ending. I maintain that Dune Messiah is pretty unnecessary, but it is pretty good, none the less. Dune Messiah replaces most of the adventure of Dune with intrigue. It's kind of like a LeCarre Smiley novel with mystical prophetic visions added into the mix. The ending is pretty satisfying and has a finality that would have discouraged my younger self from reading Children of Dune.

Children of Dune exceeded expectations in that it's not the worst 3rd sequel I've ever read. With such stupid plot points as Alia becoming evil, Baron Harkonnen coming back, the Corrinos becoming good, & lil Leto becoming a superhero, Children of Dune still gets pretty stupid. The ending of Dune Messiah is very conclusive, so it was hard for me to get into the book because I kept wondering "why is there another sequel"? I would probably feel the same way about God-Emperor of Dune if I ever do get to read it. The philosophy & in-universe historical quotes become more tiresome & superficial with each sequel, making reading the Dune sequels a pastime of diminishing returns. I will say there's some cool scenes, and interesting descriptions in Children of Dune, so reading it is by no means an absolute hate-read.

This book really makes me want to have a cup of tea, but it will probably affect my feelings about drinking tea for a while: whether drinking bagged or loose leaf black & green teas (white, sloppy, sheepish), or loose or brick-fashioned pu'er teas (discerning, cultured, smug). Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane seemed very researched, as evidenced by the long acknowledgements section. The middle part depicting the heroine's work and education in the new urbanizing china of the late 90s reminded me of Factory Girls, but the later section reminded me of the Crazy Rich Asians. A great read!

Another book I probably should have read a long time ago. A picture of life in late 19th c Canada, & a good read. Also a reminder that even idyllic recollections of the old days can be pretty bleak. I'll definitely be looking at wikipedia for info about Prince Edward Island, which was probably the Canadian province I thought least about before reading this, & about the many fabrics referenced. After that, I'm starting on whichever sequel comes next!

Similar in premise to Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play, but more novelistic. Station Eleven could be the basis for a good graphic novel; but maybe I'm just thinking this because of the graphic novel within the novel, which makes me think of Watchmen, which had a great comic within the comic. It is kind of a weird experience to be reading about a pandemic that sweeps away the world we know during a time when a pandemic is accelerating almost all the pain & injustice of the world we live in. In a way, it's easier for the imagination to imagine a world that's catastrophically transformed than it is to imagine the way forward in our real world. At the end of the book I was left with 2 questions: where are the bicycles (subquestion: did they run through their stock of tires in 20 years)? & Why is no one wearing armor or at least a helmet?

Book about a solitary worker bee who belatedly starts building a life. The importance of both deep & superficial social connections is a major theme. Not a rom-com. I felt it could have been just as affecting if Eleanor hadn't had a newspaper-worthy childhood trauma, and was "just" a depressed misfit loner who has a bad relationship with her mom & with alcohol. I was glad the book only dabbled slightly in cringey rom-com territory, before rejecting it. I liked how the main character was the biggest jerk (in the beginning, at least), but was still written sympathetically. I was constantly struck by how much less bleak life in Scotland is than in the United States: e.g. former foster kid Eleanor was never homeless, multiple characters are able to leave their jobs to care for or just be with sick loved ones (most severely sick people I know wouldn't be able to get the time off for themselves!), it being notable that there's a place not served by a bus, office worker is able to afford therapy, etc. Is Eleanor's preference for Vodka (over whisky, which is never mentioned) in Glasgow meant to be an indicator of how much of a detached weirdo she is?

Rereading the YA fantasy novel that first made me look up the term "chthonic" ("chthonic railway", specifically). Golden compass has the most compelling steampunk setting that I'd yet encountered when I first read it back in 2007, & it still holds up well reading the 2nd time around. The story also has a lot of heart. I feel like I should have read the Dark Materials series earlier. Looking forward to reading the Subtle Knife, as soon as I can find it in the pile of books it's buried under.

Re-reading this splendid specimen of 1970s hard SF. Neutron star is probably my favorite Larry Niven short story collection. I wanted to pick this up to re-read "the Soft Weapon" and "the Handicapped", which I guess means that I'm partial to the stories with the Thint (I also really liked World of Ptaavs). I really enjoyed the Beowulf Shaeffer stories, even though "Neutron Star" & "Flatlander" are clearly intended as vehicles for thought experiments about how a human would experience exotic space phenomena such as neutron stars. "Ethics of Madness" is probably the darkest of the stories in this collection. This collection, along with many of Niven's known space stories, are more space western than space opera (with the accompanying libertarian & colonialist world view of westerns); e.g. Beowulf S. wanders from world to world, sometimes reluctantly cleaning up the town, sometimes just escaping by the skin of his teeth; a lone prospector is beset by (space) bandits; space stage coach is held up by space desperadoes, etc, etc. Niven's depiction of life extension technology is used to speculate on the cultural and psychological effects of having lots of very long-lived people, rather than just being a plot device to have the same characters around for all of the events in a narrative. Niven can in many ways be compared to a more serious Harry Harrison & a less serious Heinlein (& without the militarism).

Pretty good mystery, but not as good as the previous 3 books. Robin's & Matthew's relationship stuff & Strike's & his gf's relationship stuff got pretty tiresome, and took up way too much space that could have been told us about Strike's office being gentrified out of its building. The mystery was pretty fun, and I liked all of the ridiculous and seedy aristocrats. I felt like the impacts of the London Olympics on the neighborhoods they were sited in could have been explored more. The next book will almost certainly have lots of dancing around Strike & Robin's relationship, but at least it won't have Matthew, so I'll be reading it.