genius… punched me out of my reading slump with astonishing vigor. maybe the first time i can remember screaming out loud while reading a book. we’re genius… punched me out of my reading slump with astonishing vigor. maybe the first time i can remember screaming out loud while reading a book. we’re all so fucked....more
exceptional!!! no one is doing fantasy murder mystery better. the world, the writing, the pacing, the structure - it feels so real and so alien at oncexceptional!!! no one is doing fantasy murder mystery better. the world, the writing, the pacing, the structure - it feels so real and so alien at once. 10/10 no notes there better be 1000 more entries in this series...more
the perfect cathartic read for the moment… sarah wynn-williams is a wonderful guide into this den of callous, thoughtless greed. there’s so many gasp-the perfect cathartic read for the moment… sarah wynn-williams is a wonderful guide into this den of callous, thoughtless greed. there’s so many gasp-inducing revelations about the depths of complicity Facebook employees gleefully delved to throughout her time there that I won’t bother to list them here - the book functions most incisively as a brutally clear warning of the dangers of unfettered shareholder capitalism and techno-libertarian ideology. the market has no morals. and those who hide behind the mantras of perpetual growth and individual autonomy are choosing, again and again, to actively deprioritize care, empathy, and respect for those subjects their product relies on. time and time again we see that the free market does not self-regulate, that these companies are too large, too coordinated, and too capable of circumnavigating any regulation designed to rein them in. nothing is free and fair about what they are doing, and governments across the world are ill-equipped to stop them.
as we plunge deeper and deeper into a deregulated hellscape here in the States, it’s worth reading books like these to remember just how intentional these decisions are. the people at the top of these companies are aware of the harm they’re perpetuating. there are people like sarah wynn-williams at tesla, at twitter, maybe even at truth social. the concerns you have are being raised. they are being shot down.
to fix this particular status quo will require an amount of concentrated effort that currently feels impossible. any meaningful change will by necessity be enacted by a government that currently has no interest in fulfilling its basest obligations to its constituents.
i can’t sit here and say that our voices are being heard, because it doesn’t feel that way. but it remains important to stay informed. to read accounts like this, to track down good investigative journalism, to attempt to understand the myriad ways in which we are being manipulated by private corporations and governments across the globe.
perhaps it is a bit naive to be saying all of this about a memoir. sarah does not cite her sources. the book is full of he-said she-said anecdotes. but listen to your heart. look at the world around you. you know it to be true.
yes!!!!! you don’t need answers!!!! the story is the answer!!! what makes us human?? how do we define ourselves?? why do we write, why do we wonder??
ayes!!!!! you don’t need answers!!!! the story is the answer!!! what makes us human?? how do we define ourselves?? why do we write, why do we wonder??
and what gorgeously simple prose… a lovely work of translation. read it and weep!! (and then, if you like it, read the wall by marlen haushofer for more 20th century existential musings on solitude by female authors from central europe…)...more
i felt more for these lovely folk than i have for any characters in a long time… what a brilliant, brilliant accomplishment this series is. so many tri felt more for these lovely folk than i have for any characters in a long time… what a brilliant, brilliant accomplishment this series is. so many tropes that have been used to death in the years since, but rarely with as much richness and skill as seen here. a classic, a masterwork, a true high-water-mark for the genre. kindness wins, y’all!!!...more
a slightly begrudging 5 stars as there really is a lot of set up but i do think he gets away with it… tad does not pull his punches, and there are plea slightly begrudging 5 stars as there really is a lot of set up but i do think he gets away with it… tad does not pull his punches, and there are plenty of surprising moments sprinkled throughout that had me completely rapt by the end. on to the next!...more
reading this book in the mountains of new zealand i have felt the magic in it seeping into the world around me… it’s long and takes its time to get goreading this book in the mountains of new zealand i have felt the magic in it seeping into the world around me… it’s long and takes its time to get going, most certainly, but what a worthy ode to Tolkien it becomes once it’s up and running! a perfect antidote to the cynicism of Malazan, a tale as familiar as a childhood blanket, peopled with strong, memorable characters (including children WHO ACT LIKE CHILDREN… such a joy).
and the songs! the missing ingredient in the books of most imitators, they give such life to the world when done properly. and here they are brilliant. it took me a while to sink into it, but i now move ravenously to the next… to dream, then, of icy towers, lost cities, and the creaking of ancient wheels…...more
reminded me so much of the black company… mysterious beings meddling in human affairs, plots within plots within plots, epic scope often viewed througreminded me so much of the black company… mysterious beings meddling in human affairs, plots within plots within plots, epic scope often viewed through the eyes of lower-level soldiers/civilians. it’s really the kind of fantasy book i adore and i am excited for it to continue!...more
the most underrated fantasy series out there… find me an author working in genre today writing characters this beautifully flawed and kind and caring.the most underrated fantasy series out there… find me an author working in genre today writing characters this beautifully flawed and kind and caring. and with such a well-crafted mystery at its heart each time. the threads, the twists, the red herrings - the impact of each revelation is amplified tenfold by how much you care for these characters and the world they populate. but it’s not just the good guys - the central villain here is one of the most menacing threats i’ve ever read.
there are elements of this book that feel a bit repetitive from the first, and i would have liked a bit more to happen regarding the overarching plot by the time this wrapped up. sure.
but the ingenuity of her world and its magic, the casual representation of all kinds of folks throughout both books, a fantasy murder-mystery that executes all elements to perfection… it is a spectacular achievement, this series, and I am BEGGING you all to pick it up. you. will. not. be. disappointed....more
I have yet to read a novelist who captures the essence of the natural world as beautifully as Richard Powers. Like The Overstory, this book came to meI have yet to read a novelist who captures the essence of the natural world as beautifully as Richard Powers. Like The Overstory, this book came to me at a good time in my life - a time when I was thinking about the natural world often, and my relationship with it Like The Overstory, it’s an imperfect novel - some characters worked better for me than others. The narrative took turns that I don’t quite understand. But I read books to feel, and, like The Overstory, I left this book feeling awe and a crushing sadness in equal measure. We know the world is dying, and that it’s our fault, and we are (mainly) desensitized to it all - books like this one are vibrant reminders of what we should be fighting for, open windows into what remains the wildest, most chaotically beautiful region of our planet, even after decades of concentrated destruction. Oh, and there’s several great stories about friendship, and passions, and what motivates us, but come on, we’re just here for the manta rays, right?...more
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