Monday Minis – February 25th

It’s been a few weeks since our last minis post, since we have both been pretty busy with life and etc! But now we’re back! Hope you enjoy these minis 🙂

Mackenzie’s Minis

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Published by Vintage on February 28, 2017
Genres: Non-fiction
Pages: 290
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 1101873728
Goodreads

National BestsellerWinner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography

A New York Times Notable Book

Winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Film Prize for Excellence in Science Books

Finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award

One of the Best Books of the Year: The Washington Post, TIME.com, NPR, Slate, Entertainment Weekly, Newsday, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Kirkus ReviewsGeobiologist Hope Jahren has spent her life studying trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Lab Girl is her revelatory treatise on plant life--but it is also a celebration of the lifelong curiosity, humility, and passion that drive every scientist. In these pages, Hope takes us back to her Minnesota childhood, where she spent hours in unfettered play in her father's college laboratory. She tells us how she found a sanctuary in science, learning to perform lab work "with both the heart and the hands." She introduces us to Bill, her brilliant, eccentric lab manager. And she extends the mantle of scientist to each one of her readers, inviting us to join her in observing and protecting our environment. Warm, luminous, compulsively readable, Lab Girl vividly demonstrates the mountains that we can move when love and work come together.

I’m not used to reading nonfiction so this took me quite a lot longer to read than usual. But I really enjoyed it! I’m a scientist but I don’t often like reading about my own field since I’m already surrounded by it for 40+ hours a week. I really loved reading about a different field (botany) that actually doesn’t get a lot of attention. It was also lovely to read about the life of a female scientist as I am one. I was surprised at how much I loved her writing style and the structure of the chapters. I really loved the shorter in between chapters that talked about a specific plant trait or environment that related somehow to the life experience/lesson/etc that followed in the next chapter. There is a lot of science, so I’m not sure how accessible non-scientists would find this.

Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab
Published by Greenwillow Books on June 13, 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 510
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0062380885
Goodreads

THE WORLD IS BREAKING. AND SO ARE THEY.

KATE HARKER isn't afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she's good at it.

AUGUST FLYNN once yearned to be human. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

THE WAR HAS BEGUN.

THE MONSTERS ARE WINNING.

Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting—one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims' inner demons.

Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within?

how dare u miss schwab.

UGH. This book (and duology) is all about what it is to be human vs. to be monstrous, about pain, and choices, and how we each come to terms with all of that. I loved every minute of it, and it was a magnificent end to the duology. I literally read it in one day in one sitting, that’s how engrossed I was. The idea of literal monsters being create from acts of violence/sin/evil is so compelling and I just wanna know how V.E. Schwab comes up with this stuff?? I loved reading about the interactions between the characters, since they each have their own ways of dealing with the world and everything they’ve seen. I’m really sad it’s over.

This next paragraph is possibly a spoiler???

The only thing I wanted more of was more information behind the new monster that brought Kate back to Verity. The Corsai, Malachai, and Sunai were so well fleshed out, and to me it was a little disappointing to have this new monster be so nebulous. I’m conflicted though, because it’s nice to have mystery and have the world not be this tidy little thing, but grr I just want to know.

Isola, Vol. 1 by Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl, Msassyk
Published by Image Comics on October 30, 2018
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 144
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 1534309225
Goodreads

An evil spell has been cast on the Queen of Maar and her Captain of the Guard will do anything to reverse it. Their only hope lies on an island half a world away--a place known in myth as Isola, land of the dead.

Gotham Academy creators Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl reunite with series colorist MSASSYK and letterer Aditya Bidikar for a breathtaking fantasy adventure two decades in the making.

Recommended for fans of Studio Ghibli and the work of Hayao Miyazaki.

Collects issues 1 through 5.

(Just FYI this is a graphic novel, in case that wasn’t clear!) I really loved the art style and world. The animals/etc reminded me a lot of Nausicaa and Princess Monoke. I think it was kinda weak in the story, it felt jumpy and it was pretty confusing. I like it enough to want to get the next volume though! There were enough little plot pieces that I think could make a really interesting story as it gets fleshed out.

Dark Run by Mike Brooks
Published by Saga Press on June 7, 2016
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 339
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 1481459546
Goodreads

In this debut space epic, a crew of thieves and con artists take on a job that could pay off a lot of debts in a corrupt galaxy where life is cheap and criminals are the best people in it.

The Keiko is a ship of smugglers, soldiers of fortune, and adventurers travelling Earth’s colony planets searching for the next job. And they never talk about their past—until now.

Captain Ichabod Drift is being blackmailed. He has to deliver a special cargo to Earth, and no one can know they’re there. It’s what they call a dark run…And it may be their last.

I’m definitely getting the next two books as soon as I can. This I think would be great for fans of Firefly (the show) and Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers books (though I admit I have only read the first book) in the sense that it is a space adventure novel about a crew of misfits/outlaws/runaways who live and work together on a space ship. It’s more plot driven than the Wayfarers books but still has great characters. One of my favorite things about this book was that at first, the rule on the ship is that no one is allowed to ask anyone else about their background. But of course, secrets come out and I loved seeing how everyone dealt with finding out about the pasts of the others. Many of the characters have been together on the ship for years, so it was interesting to see how the close relationships evolved with finding out about people’s history. Briefly, the novel is about the crew being basically forced to take a job that is called a ‘dark run’ because they must avoid all government checkpoints and make the cargo drop secretly. Obviously things go wrong! I really enjoyed the whole adventure and am excited to see what hijinks the crew gets up to in the next books.

Circe by Madeline Miller
on April 10, 2018
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 393
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 0316556343
Goodreads

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

I went in to this with pretty high expectations since everyone and their mom has been raving about both Circe and Madeline Miller since forever. In terms of the writing, I was not disappointed. Her writing is beautiful, and though the plot is slow the writing drew me in and kept me reading. I don’t really know how to describe it, but it works perfectly for mythology retellings. It has that sense of both beauty and not terror, but something like that. Like healthy fear I guess haha, fear that you should have of the gods because they’re honestly terrifying. I love Greek myths, so I loved reading about Circe’s life and her interactions with so many different people from different myths. The plot came together in the end, but while reading it felt just very loose and barely there. It’s only a small complaint because of fact that this novel is about Circe’s journey through her life/existence, so obviously the overall plot is just her journey. It’s just much different than other fantasy which usually has extremely clear cut plot lines, so it took me a bit to get used to it. But I really loved it! I’m definitely going to read The Song of Achilles soon.

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Shari’s Minis

The Test by Sylvain Neuvel
Published by Tor.com on March 1, 2019
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 112
Format: ARC, Paperback
ISBN: 1250312833
Source: Publisher
Goodreads

Britain, the not-too-distant future. Idir is sitting the British Citizenship Test. He wants his family to belong.

Twenty-five questions to determine their fate. Twenty-five chances to impress.

When the test takes an unexpected and tragic turn, Idir is handed the power of life and death. How do you value a life when all you have is multiple choice?

Sylvain Neuvel does it again. I was so impressed by how much this book accomplished in such a short amount of pages and I could not recommend it enough. The Test asks the hard questions about humanity, morality, racism, sexism, and what we value as a society. It explores the difficult choices people are forced to make and shows the ramifications of those choices. As someone whose parents had to take the test to gain their citizenship, this felt closer to home. What does it mean to be a citizen? A good person? The Test is a compelling social commentary that will leave much to feel and think about. It is best to go in blindly and best to do it soon.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Published by Random House Audio on November 20, 2018
Genres: Thriller
Format: Audiobook
Length: 4h 15m
ISBN: 052564329X
Source: Library
Goodreads

Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.

"Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer."

Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola's third boyfriend in a row is dead. Korede's practicality is the sisters' saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood, the trunk of her car is big enough for a body, and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures of her dinner to Instagram when she should be mourning her "missing" boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit. A kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works, is the bright spot in her life. She dreams of the day when he will realize they're perfect for each other. But one day Ayoola shows up to the hospital uninvited and he takes notice. When he asks Korede for Ayoola's phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and what she will do about it. Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite has written a deliciously deadly debut that's as fun as it is frightening.

I didn’t realize how much I needed a satirical slasher book in my life until this one and oh was it GOOD. I don’t usually read thrillers but this was so much more than that. My Sister, the Serial Killer is about two sisters who couldn’t be more different from each other. There’s Korede, the older sister who is bitter about everything her younger sister, Ayoola, has. Ayoola has beauty, charm, and their mother’s favour while Korede is often considered subpar in everything she does. My Sister, the Serial Killer is dark, witty, and funny all at once. Braithwaite masterfully includes a social commentary on women’s roles in society, social media, and abuse to name a few. It’s a story of sisterhood, moral dilemmas, and dysfunctional relationships. It’s fascinating and highly addictive, and Braithwaite is a writer to watch out for.

The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
Published by Orbit on January 17, 2019
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 512
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0356511529
Source: Publisher
Goodreads

A group of three young thieves are pulled into a centuries old magical war between ancient beings, mages, and humanity in this wildly original debut epic fantasy.

The city has always been. The city must finally end.

When three thieves - an orphan, a ghoul, and a cursed man - are betrayed by the master of the thieves guild, their quest for revenge uncovers dark truths about their city and exposes a dangerous conspiracy, the seeds of which were sown long before they were born.

Cari is a drifter whose past and future are darker than she can know.

Rat is a Ghoul, whose people haunt the city's underworld.

Spar is a Stone Man, subject to a terrible disease that is slowly petrifying his flesh.

Chance has brought them together, but their friendship could be all that stands in the way of total armageddon.

The hype surrounding this book before it was even released was unreal. I wasn’t sure how I’d like it but a fantasy book with thieves is a pretty easy sell for me. Hanrahan writing style fits the grimdark genre like a glove with atmospheric descriptions that leave you with the best possible imagery:

“Rain drums on the warehouse roof like fingers on a coffin lid. The world’s buried alive by clouds.”

Pipes hiss and gurgle like the intestines of a flayed man. The air is hot and thick with fumes. Through portholes lined with green-tinted glass, she can spy on the things growing inside the vats – embryonic Gullheads, raptequines, disembodied organs. A thing that might be the heart and circulatory system of a man swims past one viewport, like a ghastly jellyfish that squirts blood with every spasm of its artery limbs.

See what I mean?! Add a cast of interesting creatures and characters to the mix and you have The Gutter Prayer. There are ghouls, stone men, tallow men, gods, and other monsters. The worldbuilding is fantastic and one of the most original I’ve seen. It’s the perfect setting for a nightmarish story and Hanrahan delivers. BUT it took me a loooong while to get into The Gutter Prayer, so long I even considered DNFing it. I think the format made it a bit difficult to connect with the characters. While I didn’t mind the switch in POVs with each chapter, having many characters made it a little challenging to care about all of them. That being said, I grew attached to a few and their stories hit me harder the more they developed. The Gutter Prayer may be an acquired taste for some readers but it’s definitely a must-read debut for fans of grimdark fantasy.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Martin Jarvis
Published by HarperAudio on November 10, 2009
Genres: Fantasy, Humor
Format: Audiobook
Length: 12h 32m
ISBN: 0061967076
Source: Library
Goodreads

The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.

Good Omens is exactly the kind of crazy story the synopsis makes it sound. It’s hilarious, witty, and thought provoking with little bits of insights to appreciate. Crowley and Aziraphale are my absolute favourite and I had the most fun reading chapters with them in it. The other characters, such as the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, definitely come second and I loved their interactions. Unfortunately, there were many other characters that I just couldn’t follow and care about which made the book less enjoyable in parts. It’s still fun and I’m eager to watch the show starring David Tennant as Crowley, but the book just fell short for me.