Exit Strategy, or Murderbot #4

 Read the fourth Murderbot, thanks again to the local library's digital holdings. So glad I can find these gems that way. The next one is on Kindle Unlimited, so I'll get #5 there in a few days.

As for Exit Strategy, the story concerns finding several exit strategies, and the reader is brought down one in particular that turns out not to be Murderbot's usual way out. And I was glad. Characters from the first story are back, and for that I'm also glad. Murderbot may, also, be glad. Or so it seems.

Not sure what it is about these books, but they keep pulling me in. They are short, each about 170-odd pages long. Very action packed. Quick moving. Murderbot, itself, is an attractive protagonist. The author, Martha Wells, appears to mostly write fantasy. Not sure how those books are or if I'll ever try them. But she's hooked me with this artificial construct* and its hacked governor. Thank you ma'am!

*In searching for the words to describe Murderbot, I found that Ms. Wells has written a short story between Exit Strategy and #5 (Network Effect). This reminds me of James SA Corey's Expanse short stories. Here's hoping Ms. Wells writes more Murderbot stories, short or otherwise.

2022 Books in Translation Challenge

 Found a great challenge for the new year: Books in Translation! I already do that, so why not count it in a challenge? 

Introverted Reader is hosting the challenge. There are four different levels, depending upon how many books you plan on reading. Might as well aim for the top, right? So I'll go for the Linguist level, 10 or more books. 

I can say right off that some Japanese translations will be part of this. Loved Memory Police and Six Four. Might also be some Esperanto translations in there, too. We'll see.

Slaughterhouse 5

 So it goes...

Embarrassingly, this is the first and only Vonnegut I've ever read. I know, I know. But I always thought he was stuffy, or pretentious. No idea why. Then my wife told me, "He pretty much writes sci-fi," and I got intrigued. 

So when it was my turn in the family book club to choose, I decided to choose his most famous. Or at least most known. And wow, was it ever good.

And certainly could be considered sci-fi. Or at least speculative fiction. And not just because of Tramalfadore. 

Probably everyone reading this, all two or three of you, already know this book. I'm glad to include myself in your group. And I can't wait to read another of his. (Sirens of Titan, perhaps?)

I love WWII books, memoirs, and SF. How did I never read this book before? Or any Vonnegut. 

80 Books!

 I managed 80 books for 2021, thanks to some short ones here at the end. 

So many good reads (get it?!) in that list there. Both Kate Atkinsons were incredible. Are her other books as good? China Mieville's The City & the City was simply wow. The Japanese detective book Six Four, was excellent, and is making me yearn for another Japanese mystery. And Bright Lights, Big City...what an awakening: a book entirely in second person can be good. Not just good, but great!

In among those 80 are only six books in a language other than English, which is surprising. But those six books represent three different languages: Russian (Harry Potter), German (Mozart and a different Harry Potter), and Esperanto (Kromosomoj, Medalionoj and Atenco).

Challenges-wise, I failed miserably on the Dewey Decimal Challenge. In fact, I didn't read many non-fiction this year, compared to 2020. Looking above, only 22 were non-fiction. The Classics Challenge, which I just joined, required me to read 50 classics over a 5-year period. I've read three so far, Wuthering Heights, Empire of the Sun, and The Penguin Book of Modern British Short Stories. 

Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells

 Yep, another Murderbot story, #2 in the series. And it was a pretty good story! 

Spoilers begin:

Like All Systems Red, Artificial Condition again featured lots of computer systems, with emotions, and our friend, the main character, Murderbot, now named Eden. We learn more about him or her or ter? (Ugh, the one thing that brought my review down a star was the author's inclusion of a character with a pronoun other than he, she or it. Thankfully, te (how stupid) wasn't a major character.)

Eden gets himself (?) on a planet where he believes he killed, or helped kill, all the human clients. He learns some of what needs to know, but more questions remain. He's getting really good at rescuing humans from their stupid mistakes.

Spoilers done.

Eden, or as I think of him, Murderbot, is growing on me. His love of bingeing media. His introverted self. I will be reading more of the Murderbot diaries, the next time I go to the library I'll get #3: Rogue Protocol. Unfortunately, not available on Kindle Unlimited.

All Systems Red, by Martha Wells

 All Systems Red is the first Murderbot story by Wells. I'd never heard of her before, probably because (checks her bibliography) she mostly writes fantasy. 

Seeing how it is part of "The Murderbot Diaries" I shouldn't have been surprised that it was first person POV, but I was. So much modern fiction is 1POV these days. What's up with that? It was so nice reading the last Expanse novel, 3POV. Awesome. 

This book is very creative. From the Murderbot's perspective (of course). I like the world building too. (I'm being purposefully vague because I'd like you, dear reader(s), to grab this book.) 

The true test of a good book, in my eyes is: Do I want to read more stories of this character? Whether or not the author has written the book as a stand alone story or part of a greater story, if I want to read more, then the book is good. (Oh how I would have loved to read more "cases" for Eco's William of Baskerville to solve!) Alas, il signore Umberto did not write another medieval monk mystery. But I have read The Name of the Rose three times. 

No, I am not saying the Murderbot Diaries book 1 is akin to Eco's masterpiece. But it does fit my description of a good book. Onward to Artificial Condition!

Red Dust, by Yoss

 We read Red Dust in our family book club. My first Cuban scifi book, it was okay. Reminded me a bit of Redshirts for its broken fourth wall-esque forays. Don't think I'll read anymore of him, though.

Spoilers follow:

Kind of a play on Asimov's detective duo Baley and Olivaw, combining criminal/law enforcement like 48 Hours. In fact, that movie and books/movies like it are mentioned. Which reminds one of Ready Player One. 

Spoilers done.

Really not to my liking. Not enough that I'll seek Yoss out again. Story was too simple, conflict too simply solved, and not unique enough to hold my interest. It was short, though, blessedly!

Point Omega, by Delillo

 Point Omega is my third Don Delillo read and I gotta say: What the hell? First two dealing with death (Zero K which was great, and White Noise, which was depressing) and now this one dealing with...death. Of a more horrible version. 

Not sure why I keep going back to Delillo. Maybe because his writing is excellent? I mean, he knows the craft of writing. This one I read through Audible, the only reason I could read both Point Omega and my family book club read Red Dust. Two very different genres and writing styles.

First off, WTF is point omega? I didn't want to look it up in case it gave anything away. According to Wikipedia, omega point is a supposed future where everything in the universe comes to a point. Delillo reversed the order of the words, so is he maybe saying everything in the narrator's universe is coming apart? Possibly. But that's me attempting to analyze something when I hate analyzing literature. 

Still, I'll probably read more of him in the future. Why not? The world is lacking in good modern literature. 

Fat City

 Fat City, by Leonard Gardner, a boxing book. Apparently The boxing book of all boxing books. I know nothing about boxing, and you don't have to know anything to enjoy this book. 

Spoilers follow:

Boxing doesn't care what your race is, the important thing being your reach, your dedication to training, your current sitch with regards to women. But the boxing public does care, some fans wanting to watch "a white boy" fight. The main character of Fat City is such a white boy, divorced, alcoholic, in love with a woman whom he loses to a black guy out of prison, and trained by a Hispanic. Race is peppered through the book, but doesn't get in the way, if you understand what I mean. (It was written in the late '60s after all.)

I was particularly moved by chapter 10, when one of Ruben's (the trainer) young, athletic new boxers (Ernie) is knocked out and won't respond to efforts to wake. The knockout was incredible, and concussive in the writing.

When he reached out with both gloves to block a left, Ruben's hand went into his sweater pocket for the ammonia vial and a right swing landed with an awesome slam on the lean point of Ernie's chin. He went down sideways along the ropes, toppling stiffly in the roar, and hit the canvas on his back, his head striking the floor, followed by his feet. His eyes stared momentarily, then closed as his body went rigid (64).

I was tense reading that chapter, and I hoped for Ernie's success for the rest of the book. 

Spoilers end.

I was happy I picked this short contemporary classic; I enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised to see there is a movie, directed by John Huston, so I might watch that after the holidays. 

Fat City is book #75 for 2021. I'll try another one of these short ones before the year ends. But which one?

Leviathan Falls, the last Expanse novel...

 ...or is it?

Spoilers follow:

The Epilogue itself makes me wonder if those wonder authors who make up James SA Corey are thinking of another series. 

I loved The Expanse. I read Leviathan Rises years ago, and then one insomniac night in Kyrgyzstan I found something called The Expanse to watch. The first few minutes, character Julie Mao stuck in a closet, a few drops of water keeping her alive, I thought: Holy shit, this seems familiar. Why? Well, I had read it years before. 

And I kept reading. I read all the books as they came out (even #5, which wasn't the best). And here is #9, the last. It certainly ended The Expanse that everyone knows. Granted, for some of us, the series ended when Bobbie Draper was killed. She was my favorite. The Expanse book #2 beginning, when Bobbie is introduced, is one of the best intros of any book I've ever read. 

Spoilers done.

If you want a solid, well thought out, epic sci-fi series, read The Expanse. Same if you want a great tv series. This is a case of the TV and book both being as good. 

13 more days!

 Til the 31st, and my deadline for my 2021 reading. I challenged myself to reading 75 books this year and I'm at 73 now. I'm about 65% in the final Expanse book, about 33% in the Nick Hornby book. I went to the library today after finding two great lists at Lithub.

50 Classics under 200 pages and 50 Contemporary Classics under 200 pages. I came out of the Alexandria library today with: Fat City, by L. Gardner; A Single Man, by C. Isherwood; The Postman Always Rings Twice, by J. Cain; and Point Omega, by D. DeLillo. All are short, and look great. I've read DeLillo and Isherwood before, but not the others. Which should I read? 

I've read DeLillo's White Noise (depressing) and Zero K (creative), Liked them both. And Isherwood's Mr. Norris Changes Trains. So good. Waugh, but gay. Never read Cain. Maybe he'll be good? And Fat City? I'm constantly being asked questions about boxing (the name, apparently, is enough for others to presume I know about the sport), so why not read The boxing book? I've learned a lot about cricket reading Wodehouse, so why not read Gardner? 

We'll see what I pick after Leviathan Falls.