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Gideon the Ninth
Gideon the Ninth
Tamsyn Muir | 2019 | Horror, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Descriptions (2 more)
characters
Kept me guessing
a bit predictable at places and gruesome (0 more)
Necromancers in Space
Before reading Gideon the Ninth all I knew about it was: Necromancers in space and lesbians. Everyone who recommended it to me said it was "Amazing" and I "had to read it." Why the lesbian thing was a thing, I'm not sure? representation? Yeah, I'll go with that.
Anyway,
They were right. It is amazing, interesting read. I admit I had some difficulty getting into the first couple of chapters, however I think that was a me problem not from the narrative. Which is gothic and dark, everything that you'd expect from wizards who raise the dead and fight with skeletons would be, and so much more.
It is an interesting concept, although it read more of a mystery to me than a horror, (horror isn't really my genre, I don't have much to base it on. but most of the critics agree that it is in that genre.) and you're in space for maybe 15 pages of the book, if that much. I think there will be more space in the sequel.

The characters interacted with each other well, the tension between them all are great and I had a clear picture of each. Tamsyn kept me guessing on who was or wasn't trustworthy, and the palace that they explore was beautifully described.
Highly recommend if you want something different. This adventure isn't something you'd forget.
  
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Kevin Morby recommended track Goodbye Sadness by Yoko Ono in Season of Glass by Yoko Ono in Music (curated)

 
Season of Glass by Yoko Ono
Season of Glass by Yoko Ono
1981 | Pop
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

Goodbye Sadness by Yoko Ono

(0 Ratings)

Track

"This was another sonic influence on the record - the saxophone, the guitar. If you’re painting a picture it’s like 'What colours do you want?' Every instrument is a colour and with this we’re only using a few different colours. It's in how it sounds and how it feels to listen to, it's not necessarily about the actual instruments, it's about what it visually feels like. “Yoko’s record was produced by Phil Spector and on Oh My God the subject matter is a little absurd and it's fun to be sort of playful with it. Back to the cinematic thing, it exists in this big, bombastic universe and mimics the Phil Spector sound. “I just read the Jeff Tweedy book and I really related to him saying that basically his whole life and everything he does is essentially influenced by two different records. One's a record of just train sounds like cabooses, it's not music, it's just train sounds. The other one, I forgot, I think it's Johnny Cash or something. ""Yoko used the heartbeat of her unborn baby on a song she made with John Lennon and I really relate to that; I'm really into the atmosphere of songs and how everything in the world can be its own music. I saw a quote from Neko Case recently where she said 'When you're an artist and work for yourself, your job never ends!"

Source
  
Phoenix Everlasting (The Cascade #2)
Phoenix Everlasting (The Cascade #2)
Rebecca Royce | 2018 | Paranormal, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
209
Kindle
Phoenix Everlasting (Cascade book 2)
By Rebecca Royce

Review will be written after read and link posted via Smashbomb in comments

Maybe it was better when she couldn't remember who she was supposed to be...

Single-mom, Kendall Madison has a lot on her plate. Her ex-husband wants back in the picture, her three children have all developed super-natural powers, and the love of her many lives wants to have another go at their forever.

She has a team to lead and homework to manage. The shadows are growing in strength and the battle she was brought back to life to fight has begun. How is a woman supposed to manage all of that and not fall apart? Kendall needs to figure out how to cope or the entire world will fall apart. Or maybe it already has and was always meant to. If she can find the missing phoenix there will be a chance... the only problem is no one has seen it twenty years...



I absolutely adore Rebecca Royce and this is one of my favourites of hers! I love how she uses a “normal” female lead, a wife and a mother who not only battles the supernatural but also day to day problems too. She's not perfect and doesn't always get it right. This series has a great storyline with strong characters I’m loving it!
  
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Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Becoming in Books

Aug 20, 2019  
Becoming
Becoming
Michelle Obama | 2019 | Biography, History & Politics
8
8.9 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
I listened to the audio of this memoir from the former First Lady of the USA and it was beautifully narrated by the author. There is something special about listening to a memoir as read by the person who experienced it, it makes it a very personal experience. I was sucked into the life of Michelle and was moved by her highs and lows.

Taking us from her humble beginnings right through to the last days at the White House we get a very big picture of the life of Michelle. On the whole I found it interesting and at some points very moving (Ok I admit it I cried.) It was great to get an insight into worlds I know little about and she comes across as a very motivated and determined lady.

I loved they way she told various anecdotes from throughout her life but especially of her experiences in the White House. Considering some of the level of detail in her earlier life I was a little disappointed not to get more on the White House years we seemed to go through several with little coverage, which considering it wasn’t a short book seemed a little lopsided.

I did find myself losing focus sometimes but I have little interest in experiences around raising children and a few other areas that just didn’t come to life for me. All in all a worthwhile if lengthy listen that Michelle makes memorable.