Monday Minis

Welcome to our first Monday Minis! We’ve decided to create this little blog meme to create space for mini reviews — the reviews that don’t quite warrant a full post but are just as important. 💛 You’re welcome to join us! All you have to do is post your mini reviews on Mondays and that’s it!

So without further ado, here are the first Minis!

Shari’s minis!

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
Published by Tor.com on January 9, 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: Audiobook
Length: 4h 15m
Source: Scribd
Goodreads

Beneath the Sugar Sky returns to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. At this magical boarding school, children who have experienced fantasy adventures are reintroduced to the "real" world.

Sumi died years before her prophesied daughter Rini could be born. Rini was born anyway, and now she’s trying to bring her mother back from a world without magic.

The worldbuilding in this book was tailor-made for me. As a lover of all things Alice in Wonderland, I couldn’t be happier to explore the Nonsense world of Confection with its lollipop trees, gumdrop bushes, and rock candy floors. Similar to the other two books in the Wayward Children series, BtSS is also diverse, and this book in particular highlighted fat representation. While I still enjoyed the book, I didn’t love it as much as I expected. I struggled with connecting to the new characters and felt the plot could be stronger.

Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett
Published by Transworld on January 4, 2007
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Audiobook
Length: 8h 35m
Source: Library
Goodreads

'Death has to happen. That's what bein' alive is all about. You're alive, and then you're dead. It can't just stop happening.'

But it can. And it has. So what happens after death is now less of a philosophical question than a question of actual reality. On the Disc, as here, they need Death. If Death doesn't come for you, then what are you supposed to do in the meantime? You can't have the undead wandering about like lost souls. There's no telling what might happen, particularly when they discover that life really is only for the living...

I think my rating is mainly from the fact that I was confused 80% of the time I was listening to this book. There were too many characters to keep up with and I can’t even tell you when each of them were first introduced and why. I’ll have to reread a physical copy some time because I’m pretty sure I missed a lot. In this book, Death retires and becomes a mortal and sees what life is all about. It’s funny, entertaining, and continues to be silly while being profound in true Discworld fashion.

The More of Less by Joshua Becker
Published by Tantor Audio on May 3, 2016
Genres: Non-fiction
Format: Audiobook
Length: 6h 43m
ISBN: 1494512432
Source: Library
Goodreads

Most of us know we own too much stuff. We feel the weight and burden of our clutter, and we tire of cleaning and managing and organizing. While excess consumption leads to bigger houses, faster cars, fancier technology, and cluttered homes, it never brings happiness. Rather, it results in a desire for more. It redirects our God-given passions to things that can never fulfill, and it distracts us from the very life we wish we were living. But it doesn't have to be this way. In The More of Less, Joshua Becker helps you: recognize the life-giving benefits of owning lessrealize how all the stuff you own is keeping you from pursuing your dreamscraft a personal, practical approach to decluttering your home and lifeexperience the joys of generositylearn why the best part of minimalism isn't a clean house; it's a full life The beauty of minimalism isn't in what it takes away. It's in what it gives.

I was browsing through my library’s available audiobooks when I discovered The More of Less. I’ve been in a bit of an organizing kick since the new year, so it seemed the right time to listen to it. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of minimalism but found it too intimidating to actually follow. Instead looking at minimalism as something that takes away, Becker defines it as:

“…the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from them.”

I love the change in perspective this provided for me. I also like that Becker emphasizes that there is no right away to do minimalism. He encourages readers to find what works for them and go from there. Becker sometimes goes off tangents but overall this book is full of useful tips I’m planning to use for reference.

Mackenzie’s minis!

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
Published by Simon Pulse on November 7, 2017
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 425
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 1481496336
Goodreads

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

THIS IS EVERYTHING GOD WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?? You guys. My little scientist heart. This book is about coding! Gene coding! Agh what a cool concept. Genehacking!!! Ugh. So COOL. I love Cat (the main character). She’s smart and resilient and I love her. Obvious setup for romance if you read the synopsis, and I’ll just say that I was wary at first even though I love a good enemies to lovers trope, but I was still into it. Some of the twists at the end made me less sure of how I feel but I think I’m still into it. Also yeah the TWISTS?!?! I guessed vaguely about some things but some things I really didn’t see coming and like, dang. I think mostly I love this because it’s action packed but also pretty science heavy (not that you really have to know anything to understand it) which is awesome. And can we talk about how the author studied math and ASTROPHYSICS (which is what I study!!!!) and worked as a data scientist?? I’m screaming!!

The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo
on May 8, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0374304084
Goodreads

From the author of I Believe in a Thing Called Love, a laugh-out-loud story of love, new friendships, and one unique food truck.

Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn't so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind?

With Maurene Goo's signature warmth and humor, The Way You Make Me Feel is a relatable story of falling in love and finding yourself in the places you’d never thought to look.

Aahhhh so fluffy and cute. All Clara’s relationships were well done – with Hamlet, her father, Rose, and Patrick and Felix. I like that this book emphasized how important non romantic relationships are, and how those can affect your life in meaningful/important ways. It was so fun to read about food trucks in LA, since that’s where I grew up! And my absolute favorite food truck is actually a Korean/Mexican fusion cuisine (not the same, but I love the Korean influence) so it was so fun to read about Clara’s dad’s food. Not a particularly deep read but really really heartwarming and fun.

Company Town by Madeline Ashby
Published by Tor on May 17, 2016
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 285
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0857665367
Goodreads

Meet Hwa. One of the few in her community to forego bio-engineered enhancements, she’s the last truly organic person left on the rig. But she’s an expert in the arts of self-defence, and she’s been charged with training the Family’s youngest, who has been receiving death threats – seemingly from another timeline.

Meanwhile, a series of interconnected murders threatens the city’s stability – serial killer? Or something much, much worse...?

Wow this was SO GOOD. If you’re looking for a great diverse scifi novel with super interesting plot and kickass characters, look no further. The main character Hwa is half-Korean, with a large physical birthmark and seizure disorder, and KICK ASS and TAKES NAMES. She’s so badass I love her. She becomes the bodyguard of Joel, who is a sweet little cinnamon roll!! I love how they become friends as time goes on. and Daniel (Hwa’s boss) is so sweet but also super kickass. also! Hwa’s first job is a bodyguard for sex workers! and lots of side characters are very not straight – they are just side characters, and most of them mentioned just in passing though. But yeah the plot is super cool – crime/mystery with elements of potentially something from the future sending death threats about Joel to his father?? Yeah pretty cool. I’m only not giving this 5 stars because it was a little confusing and hard to keep track of sometimes. Also I just want moreeee I wish it was longer.

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Do you think you’ll pick up any of these books?