lizabethstucker
My Tiny Corner of the Universe
85% Reading & Books. 10% Fandom. 5% Other things of interest.
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Fans' attitudes toward AI-generated works
Irina Cisternino, a PhD candidate of Stony Brooke University, is writing their research on topics related to technology, art and fandom. You can participate by filling out a survey and additionally, signing up for an interview. The survey is expected to last until at least the end of April, those, who signed up for the interview, will be contacted later. You need to be at least 18 years old to participate in either, be able to understand and speak English and identify as a fan.
After the completion of the research, it will be accessible as the dissertation of the researcher. If you have further questions, you can contact Irina Cisternino at [email protected] or Lu-Ann Kozlowsky at [email protected].
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The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
2 stars out of 5.
Couldn't get into this one at all despite it having all the elements I tend to like, particularly the Nick and Nora Charles vibe the main characters were giving me. It was very wooden, not engrossing at all. Barely kept my attention. I've enjoyed other books by this author, finding her writing to be strongly character driven, which I love. Frankly if I didn't know better, I would've guessed that this was a debut novel. Probably would've given Kowal a slightly higher rating if it had been.
Then there was Tesla. Unlike Nora Charles who was kind to everyone, no matter their place in life, Tesla had a bit of underlying entitlement that annoyed me every time it came up. Okay, you have more money and accompanying power than anyone else, but that's no excuse. That may also be an issue that dragged my enjoyment down. shrugs
As to the mystery itself, it was okay. Could've had tighter plotting, but I've read worse. I didn't find it that hard to guess what was going on pretty early on, but that doesn't necessarily hurt my opinion of a mystery, even one held in space. So I'll give that a pass.
My end thoughts? This really didn't need to be in space. Might've even worked better if it was on a ocean liner set in the 1920s, after the Great War, but before the buildup of things leading to World War II. Would I recommend it? Well, I wouldn't go out of my way to discourage anyone opting to read it, but this particular book wouldn't be one I would immediately think of to mention to friends.
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The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C. J. Archer
2.5 out of 5.
The Glass Library 1
Set in the London of 1920. Sylvia Ashe is an assistant librarian at the London Philosophical Society, reluctantly hired by Mr. Parmiter who would prefer a man in the position, but only men without scars, physical or mental, from the Great War. She is alone in the world, having lost her brother in the War and her mother a short time later to the Spanish flu. Daisy, an artist, is her only friend.
An article discovered by Daisy about the heroic attempt to rescue a fisherman and his son by veteran Gabriel Glass has Sylvia flipping through her late brother's diary and remembering how James believed he has silver magic and mentioning Garbriel's mother, India Glass, the Baroness of Rycroft. James had wanted to ask her Ladyship some questions. Sylvia decides to speak with India in his stead.
A wonderful setup of a historical romantic mystery with magic elements that I was so looking forward to reading. sigh The first chapter was a wonderful start, but it seemed to just slow down immediately after that, getting slower and slower. Now I honestly don't mind the mix of a virgin and a rake, but I prefer the rakes to, at the very least, respect the women they become involved with. And to not cheat on their fiancées.
This was supposed to be a mix of romance and mystery, a combination that I love. But here I felt that both genres were poorly handled. The promise of the start betrayed me. So much so that I have deleted the other works by this author that I picked up for free over at Amazon. Maybe I'm being unduly harsh, but I was just too bored with this to give her another shot. Too many authors are out there waiting to be read to take the chance.
#book review#The Librarian of Crooked Lane#C. J. Archer#historical romance#romance#mystery#fantasy#The Glass Library series
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Head canons that I might or might not explore in stories ... someday.
MCU. Peter Parker said "fuck it" and picked up Tony Stark, demanding that one of the sorcerers open a portal to a hospital that deals with radiation exposures. Shuri directs them to Wakanda, the two teens walking through a portal opened by Wong to her lab. Tony is ultimately saved.
Harry Potter. When a mandatory screening is done of all DMLE and Ministry employees after one is found affected by compulsions, it is discovered that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger Weasley were repeatedly dosed with love potions since Hogwarts. [I'm sorta working my way through this story, but ever so slowly.]
NCIS. Tony DiNozzo's resignation from NCIS was a feint. He's actually on assignment to discover just how badly Ziva David has screwed the Agency and the United States with her years of espionage. It is a joint operation with Interpol, British Intelligence, and certain high-ranking officials in the Israeli government who want to know exactly what Eli David was doing during his tenure at Mossad.
These story ideas are open to anyone who might also be interested in exploring them. I only ask that you send the link to the story to me and give me credit for the basic idea, if you would.
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Random in Death by J. D. Robb
In Death 58
4.5 out of 5.
Jenna Harbough was sixteen, determined to break into music, when she and two friends attended a non-alcoholic night at Club Rock It. She ever brought a demo to pass to Jake Kincade of Avenue A. Unfortunately she died in his arms instead, a victim of a lethal injection. Jake's lover Nadine immediately calls her friend for help.
NYPSD Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas is worried that the murder of Jenna could be random, making the search for a suspect vastly more difficult. Then there is a second murder. Despite the lack of connections between the two teens, Dallas and Mira have managed to narrow down the suspect profile.
With a killer who doesn't hesitate between victims, the clock is ticking, the pressure mounting on Dallas and her people. She knows him, recognizing exactly who and what he is, all she still needs is a name and a face. I absolutely love these type of mysteries! Makes readers dig down to read even faster.
There's so much going on here that engaged my attention from the start. As to the star rating, it came damn close to five. Maybe think 4.75. I can't exactly say why it didn't make it to five stars, although I think it might have been the lack of interaction between Eve and the killer before the takedown. This one was almost completely a standard cop crime story which I enjoyed. Yes, there was a sexual component to the murders, but in a typical way. If that makes sense. Still a fantastic read!
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Murder on the Mind by L. L. Bartlett
3.5 out of 5
Jeff Resnick Mystery 1
Jeff Resnick is mugged and badly beaten while walking home from a night out at his local watering hole. He definitely wouldn't be making it to his first day at his new job. His injuries are serious enough, fractured skull among others, to force him to return to Buffalo with his half-brother, Dr. Richard Alpert, and live-in lover Brenda Stanley. Things between Richard and Jeff are strained from past issues.
When a dead man's horrific murder seems to correlate with Jeff's visions and nightmares, he tries to ignore it. When there is a second murder that also matches his allegorical visions, Jeff realizes that he may be psychic and determines to find the murderer before there are more bodies. His psychic abilities have the potential to break up his tentative relationship with Richard, but not if Brenda has anything to say about it.
I personally tip my hat to authors trying to portray psychics and their visions in a way that can show the confusion and otherworldliness of them, yet place enough clues to make sense once the events of the vision come about. Bartlett handles it as well as any reader could expect and hope for.
The family dynamic adds to the story, even if I want to smack both men on the back of their heads and tell them to "grow the f**k up!" at times. My favorite character is without a doubt Brenda who practically steals the book despite Jeff being the first person narrator.
This is a mystery with thriller aspects. It isn't, to my mind, a cozy mystery despite what I've seen in some reviews. The actual mystery is intriguing. I enjoyed the read, but unlike many of this type of style of book, I wasn't so engrossed that I found it difficult to break away.
A decent read, the first I've read of Bartlett's writing since her fanfiction days. She was a powerhouse author back then and has only gotten better during the following years. I look forward to reading some of her other series.
#book review#Murder on the Mind#L L Bartlett#Lorraine Bartlett#murder#murder thriller#Jeff Resnick Mystery series#Free at Amazon at this time
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The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
3.5 out of 5 stars.
The Invisible Library 1
Irene is a Librarian, working undercover across alternate worlds to steal unique books of fiction. All the books and artifacts collected are placed into the Library which is out of time and space. She's barely returned from her latest solo mission when she's assigned a new mission and a recruit to mentor and train. Kai is more than ready to leave the Library after five years of study. The two couldn't be more different. Irene was born to two Librarians and essentially raised in the Library. Kai was a book thief whose curiosity about a mysterious client ended with a "work for us or else" situation.
While Irene is suspicious about the urgency of the situation, she has a job to do. Her suspicions appear to be true when they discover that the book they're after has already been stolen by someone else and the alternate world they are sent to is quarantined due to chaos infection. Irene and Kai, who has his own secrets, are running blind in their quest for a previously unknown collection of Grimm fairytales.
Starts off with a bang and continues the adventure/quest/heist vibe throughout. The worldbuilding is well layered, only occasionally confusing or overwhelming. The characters are relatively fleshed out despite there appearing to be a bit removed from the reader, or at least this reader. Irene, our POV, has a lot of potential, but I connected with her more in the first chapter than I did again in the book. Kai is probably my favorite character, although he could use some more fleshing out, so to speak.
I'm not a huge fan of the multiverse concept (thanks a lot, Marvel!), but Cogman has done her best to overcome that dislike for me. Frankly, in my personal opinion, it wasn't actually needed in this story. Yes, it can make for a greater scope in future installments, but still could've had one world and the Library is a spatial otherworld.
As to the plot itself? It was interesting, weak in some aspects, intriguing in others. Because this is the start of a series, I'm inclined to give it the "pilot" exception. I've watched few pilots in television series that didn't have weaknesses that weren't smoothed over or made more sense in later episodes.
One final observation. The Library gives me the creeps, especially how the Librarians are acquired and treated. Branding? Forcing unattached people who get know too much about it to work with them? No, nope, not a chance, no way.
My experience was good, although I'm not entirely certain that I will pick up future books in the series as this worked just as well as a standalone read. Would I recommend this book? Yes, to those readers who like the adventure/quest/heist idea, I would. Not to those who prefer a bit more connection with the main and secondary characters.
#book review#The Invisible Library#Genevieve Cogman#The Invisible Library series#fantasy#young adult#fantasy mystery
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The Obsession by Nora Roberts
DNF
Naomi Bowes' life changed the night she discovered a woman tied up in an old bunker in the woods, one of many women her father had kidnapped, raped, and would ultimately murder. After helping the latest victim make her way to the police, twelve year old Naomi must deal with a mother who desperately urges her to say she lied, despite all the evidence and a confession. Then her Uncle Seth arrives to take them to safety in the North.
Naomi and her younger brother have their last names changed, but the actions of her father still haunt her life. Even when she finds a place that calls to her, that could be her home, the local residents are determined to pull her out of her solitude, especially Xander Keaton.
I felt some strong déjà vu vibes when I started reading this book, yet could find no indication that I had ever read it before. I soon came to understand a possible reason why just as I struggled to read 75 pages in.
The first chapter really grabbed my attention and interest. Sadly that soon went away. I became so bored that I was desperately looking for distractions to give me an excuse as to why I wasn't making any headway. Considering it usually takes me three days or less to finish a Nora Roberts' book, I realized that my attempts since January 2nd were a strong indication that it was never gonna happen, to give up.
I'm definitely a fan of the author and would say that 98% everything I want in a romance or romantic suspense. Unfortunately on rare occasions, one of her books just won't deliver for me. I cannot always explain why, such as here. Although I will say that there was more "tell" than "show", something that really can drive me away. In addition, the secondary characters just weren't developed as much as Roberts usually delivers.
This won't put me off her books, but this particular 2016 publication just will be an exception to the usual delight I find.
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Tumblr Live Shutting Down
Personally pleased as I'm tired of the "Fans Only" style vids showing up when i first pull this site up.
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David Soul
While I had written some fanfiction (a name I wasn't familiar with at the time) before Starsky & Hutch first began airing, this was the first fandom since Star Trek that I really got into, not only reading S&H fanzines but writing stories and bad poetry that were posted in zines.
And then there was Zebra Con, a small convention that focused on this particular series. There was just something about this series that worked for me. Primarily due to the actors involved. And the willingness to show two men who truly loved each other, whether platonically or romantically, it was the viewers' call. They even delved into much deeper storylines in a time that would rarely have even considered having a main character addicted to drugs and having to go cold turkey.
I was already acquainted with Paul Michael Glaser's work, both in film and television. I even had the absolute pleasure to see him in a stage play, Luther, in Atlanta. I was equally acquainted with David Soul's previous work, although I wouldn't say that I was as big a fan. What I did admire most, I think, was the friendship between the characters AND the actors.
Aware of the health issues Soul had been fighting through the last decade or so, I wasn't surprised by the news of his passing, but it still caused a pang in my heart to hear.
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The Empress of Salt & Fortune by Nghi Vo
3 out of 5
The Singing Hills Cycle 1
Now that the Scarlet Lake has been declassified, Cleric Chih from the abbey in the Singing Hills decides to divert there from his travels to see the new Empress. He discovers an old woman called Rabbit in the former Empress' compound. When Chih discovers that Rabbit was Empress In-yo's handmaid, he begs for stories in exchange for any work the old woman wants done. In the process, Chih learns about a woman determined to gather back power she had lost in her marriage and a friendship beyond the common.
Despite the novella not even reaching 200 pages, it is a dense tale packing weight into each word and scene. It is also quite flowery as would befit a tale from China's antiquity. I knew, based on previous experience with SIREN QUEEN, that it would take me a bit to get into Vo's writing, but I didn't expect that it would be a failure. As much as I was looking forward to this read, I didn't manage to enjoy myself much at all.
The story felt disjointed. The bones are there, but they are too twisted and broken to connect. Yes, this might be a cultural thing, yet I've rarely had this issue when reading books by and/or about other cultures in the past. I also found the storytelling aspect distanced me from the characters and the situations that Rabbit was relating. A sad disappointment.
While there is an audience for this novella, just look at the previous reviews, I am not one of them. My star rating actually hovered just below 3, but I can recognize the potential enough to give it a slight nudge. However, I've decided this isn't for me and will not be continuing the series.
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My Year in Books
It's been a sad year for reading, filled with moments of absolute pleasure and long stretches of nothingness. No, that's not true. It is actually more that I was diving deep into some fandoms and the majority of my reading was fanfiction.
Sixteen books read and 5569 pages total. January and November/December were the most read months.
Mysteries led the way with seven books. Also making appearances were fantasy and romance, followed by science fiction.
The overall rating for the year was 3.61, meaning most of my reads were okay, nothing great. Only three books hit the 5 star rating:
All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris
Payback in Death by J. D. Robb
Starter Villain by John Scalzi (also my favorite book of the year)
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Merry/Happy Christmas & Belated Yule Blessings to you All!
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Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
A Song of Ice & Fire 1
4 out of 5.
All the Houses of the Seven Kingdoms are plotting as the winds of change and chaos being to sweep the Realm. Winter is coming, but as enemies gather ever closer to war, will they recognize the threat gathering north of the Wall in time?
It's taken me a long time to consider diving into this mammoth book and series. While I haven't seen the filmed series, I have seen enough clips on YouTube to be curious. Starting with a sample from Amazon and approving of the reasonable price, I finally gave in. Frankly I wasn't expecting much. I burned out on chunky fantasy novels back in the 1990s and haven't regained much interest in them since.
The introduction of characters and the world itself in digestible chapters, slowly building the story without overwhelming the reader was a welcomed and delightful discovery. I'm so tired of data dumps, particularly in fantasy. To my surprise, I was enjoying myself. I did began to falter a bit about 80% into the book, but persevered.
I will state, however, that this book is a CONTENT WARNING nightmare. Whatever type of violence you can imagine will be found within these pages, incest, rape, child abuse, animal abuse, domestic abuse, ableism, bigotry, corruption, misogyny, and so much more. I did recognize that, as a story set in an alternative Middle Ages, it was period accurate.
Now the big questions.
Would I recommend this book to others? Yes, with some caveats as mentioned above. And not to people looking for elves and noble quests and the like. If it wasn't for the more magical aspects, this book could've easily been categorized as Historical Fiction. In fact, I think Middle Age history buffs will recognize some of Martin's inspirations while reading.
Will I continue reading the series? Um, at this time, no. As much as I enjoyed the majority of this book and recognize the loose threads throughout that remain to be snipped off, I'm strangely satisfied with what I've read.
And, finally, does this make me want to watch the series? Honestly, no. I've always preferred the book over the film in 99% of cases.
Favorite quotes:
"If they want to give you a name take it, make it your own. Then they can't hurt you with it anymore." ~ Tyrion Lannister
"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground." ~ Cersei Lannister
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Reading Update
After hemming and hawing for quite some time, I've decided to try Game of Thrones. Not wanting to lay out money for the book until I'm certain I want to read it, knowing that the size would make it difficult at best to read the library version (over 800 pages!), I've opted for the Kindle sample.
I have never seen the series either, although I've seen enough clips to have an idea of how the filmed version was handled. I also have been made aware that, in certain circumstances, there are vast differences between the two, so I'm not planning to get the DVDs from the library at this time. (I like to read the book before watching the movie/television series.)
I'm still in the prologue, but so far I'm intrigued.
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The Mammoth Book of the End of the World edited by Mike Ashley
3.5 out of 5
A collection of twenty-four short stories and novellas exploring the destruction of civilization and/or the planet. The authors range from Golden Age giants to more modern ones. While the majority of the stories are reprints, there are a few original to this collection.
I've taken my time reading this chunky book which is reflected in the time taken from start to finish. I find collections like this work better for me when I dip in when I want something different from what else that I've been reading. However the stories are different enough to read through with no interruptions.
One of the better collections of this trope that I've read in many years. Only one story came in rated at less than 3 stars, an unusual situations with such a narrow focus and large number of stories. A few of my favorites include "When Sysadmins Ruled the World" by Cory Doctorow; "The Last Sunset" by Geoffrey A. Landis, particularly heart wrenching; and "And the Deep Blue Sea" by Elizabeth Bear.
If you love well written stories, consider picking this up. It is well worth your time.
#book review#The Mammoth Book of the End of the World#Mike Ashley#science fiction#collection#science fiction collection#Robert Silverberg#Sushma Joshi#Dominic Green#Kate Wilhelm#Cory Doctorow#Dale Bailey#Linda Nagata#David Barnett#Frederik Pohl#Alastair Reynolds#Geoffrey A. Landis#William Barton#Kage Baker#Robert Reed#Elizabeth Bear#Damien Broderick#James Tiptree Jr.#Fritz Leiber#Eric Brown#Paul Di Filippo#Jack Williamson#F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre#Stephen Baxter#Elizabeth Cuonihan
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