LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS BY RYKA AOKI
The blurb I read touted this as "Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in a defiantly joyful adventure", which is not how I'd describe it. Though I quite liked the prose itself, I was either annoyed or irritated by every single character, I hated the Faustian/sci-fi crossover, found the endless descriptions of music and food tedious after a time, and thought the ending was obvious and then silly. If this is your type of thing, you'll like it. I'm not overly sentimental and found it mawkish. Not for me. ★★☆☆☆
INVERSIONS BY IAIN M. BANKS
A reread of an old favourite. I still really enjoy it and though it's not my absolute favourite Banks book, it's in the running for a spot at the top. I love the writing, the characters, their stories, the layers. The puzzling out what's actually going on and lack of a true, definitive, answer is delicious. Do not read as a first Culture novel. If you appreciate sci-fi, absolutely do read it (ignoring the fact that at first glance it doesn't look like sci-fi) and the rest of the Culture series. ★★★★☆
SCALES AND SENSIBILITY BY STEPHANIE BURGIS
I was hoping for "Austen meets Pratchettian swamp dragons" in this novel set in fantasy Regency England. I did not get that. All the characters felt one-dimensional, the obstacles contrived, and the dearth of shoulder dragon world-building inexcusable disappointing. How do you breed them, train them, show them? Nothing! Romance fans who like fantasy may enjoy this, but it's becoming apparent that I don't appreciate some (many?) of the standard romance tropes and it might not be the genre for me. ★★★☆☆
LOLLY WILLOWES, OR, THE LOVING HUNTSMAN BY SYLVIA TOWNSEND WARNER
I didn't care for this almost 100-year-old novel at all. It's a slow, tedious meander through Lolly's life until she, around age 50, decides to go live in a village and then suddenly witches. I thought the book would be more enjoyable once the devil showed up but Warner sure showed me how to suck the fun out of a surprise Satan. Not a book for me, but at least it wasn't very long. ★★☆☆☆
MY DARK VANESSA BY KATE ELIZABETH RUSSELL
An uncomfortable but engrossing read and a mirror of sorts to the novel Lolita, which Russell clearly admires as much as I do. Though the prose is not as sublime as Nabokov's, it's well-written and engaging. Set before and after #MeToo Vanessa's story, what happens to her, and how she struggles with her experiences all feel extremely true and real. Though the subject matter is horrible, this is an important and compelling read, potentially at its best as a chaser to Lolita by Nabokov. ★★★★☆
THE LIBRARY AT MOUNT CHAR BY SCOTT HAWKINS
A strange and interesting fantasy novel set in a warped version of our world where magic, of a sort, is real. Featuring multiple interesting characters, some more unpleasant than others, and a good dose of weirdness, it was quite an enjoyable, though not pleasant, read. I liked being unable to predict where the story was going to end up, and had the ending been slightly more satisfactory it would have garnered 4 stars from me. Worth the read. ★★★☆☆
