Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

The Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: They thought this was just another salvage job. They thought wrong.

An AI overseer and a human crew arrive on a distant planet to salvage an ancient UN starship. The overseer is unhappy. The crew, well, they're certainly no A-team. Not even a C-team on the best of days.

And worse? Urmahon Beta, the planet, is at the ass-end of nowhere. Everybody expects this to be a long, ugly, and thankless job.

Then it all goes disastrously wrong. What they thought was an uninhabited backwater turns out to be anything but empty. Megafauna roam the land, a rival crew with some terrifyingly high-powered gear haunts the dig site, and a secret that will change humanity forever is waiting in the darkness.

Stuck on this unmapped, hostile planet, lacking resources, and with tech built by the cheapest bidder, the salvage crew must engineer their way to payday...and beat Urmahon Beta before it kills them all.

Experience this space exploration adventure told from the perspective of a snarky artificial intelligence you won't soon forget.

Read for November 2021 book group. Read as an audio book and regular book.

Touching on the audio - loved Nathan Fillion as narrator, but unfortunately, however it was recorded, I couldn't understand what he was saying. His voice ended up being muddled and mumbled. I did read and listen for a while, then just abandoned the narration and read as normal. Which was a major bummer. Consensus was the same with others in book group.

I greatly enjoyed this. Loved the premise, interesting characters, interesting world building, a bit of an unconventional plot where it's not all rainbows at the end. AMBER ROSE's sarcasm was fantastic, I loved SHIP even tho she had such a minor role, the human characters were interesting and behaved like, well, realistic humans. The Buddhist concepts were a delightful change from the usual Jesuit's in Space that show up more frequently in SF.

I did hit a stumbling block about two-thirds of the way through after a major reveal. The overall plot became more narrative and a bit blah blah blah and I found myself skipping pages. One book group member concurred, and three others said that was one of the best parts of the book. Interesting interpretations.

I'm trying very hard not to drop any major spoilers, so going to end here and say, well worth reading, but skip the audio.

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Vicarious by Rhett C Bruno

Vicarious by Rhett C. Bruno
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The real world is only where you breathe…

In High Earth, entertainment is everything. Virtual Worlds. Games. Steaming shows. Simulations—there’s something for everybody. You don't ever even have to leave your home.

For Asher Reinhart, nothing compares to Ignis: Live, a reality show that pushes human beings to their very extremes. As a volunteer director, he closely monitors the lives of those living on an Interstellar Ark, believing they're the last of humanity.

Mission is the show's brightest young star. Born in hiding, her intelligence and near-perfect genetics have allowed her to rise up the ranks faster than any before her. But now that it's her turn to provide for the Ark, everything changes...

With Mission's life placed in danger, Asher is forced to choose: between the show he loves, or the woman whose existence has been the focus of his attention since the day he was born.

The 100 meets The Truman Show in this science fiction story about the power of human connection, from USA Today Bestselling and Nebula Award-Nominated author Rhett C. Bruno. It’s perfect for fans of Hugh Howey, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Michael Crichton.

Read for Oct 2021 book group. Read on audio.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book.

What I enjoyed:
The over all concept - interesting world building, interesting future speculation, interesting characters especially with the protagonist Asher and a very interesting conclusion.

The depths to which human society has sunk as relates to virtual reality and reality TV is cause for despair. Which is part of the overall point - just look at reality shows on TV today. Where will society stop when it comes to entertainment and human depravity? Interesting question...

Where I struggled:
Some of the nuances or details of the book didn't mesh with the future society and this may be hard to describe if you haven't read the book. The main item being conditions on Ignis - shared birth control? ICK and not entirely realistic beyond a handful of generations (hormonal life span). Expecting the entire population of Ignis to abstain from sex till their appointed "breeding time"? Unrealistic and implausible. If this is such an advanced society (despite being stuck on a fake ship), use artificial insemination to achieve population and birthing objectives, not "hey, you're 20 and never had sex, here's your 50 year old partner! Enjoy!". WTHeck. Massively ick. So, some issues with the execution of Ignis.

The extremes between High Earth and the Outcasts was almost too extreme? I still waffle on this one.

The antagonist (Asher's boss and the creator of Ignis live) was almost laughable in his evil villain role.

So. I quite enjoyed this book, with aspects that at times kicked me out of the story and made me so frustrated. Kudo's to the author for eliciting such a response. This is a book you need to read and decide for yourself. Recommended with some significant reservations.



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A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green (The Carls #2)

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: April May and the Carls are back in the much-anticipated sequel to Hank Green's #1 New York Times bestselling debut novel, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.

The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While they were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction without ever lifting a finger. Well, that’s not exactly true. Part of their maelstrom was the sudden viral fame and untimely death of April May: a young woman who stumbled into Carl’s path, giving them their name, becoming their advocate, and putting herself in the middle of an avalanche of conspiracy theories.

Months later, the world is as confused as ever. Andy has picked up April’s mantle of fame, speaking at conferences and online about the world post-Carl; Maya, ravaged by grief, begins to follow a string of mysteries that she is convinced will lead her to April; and Miranda infiltrates a new scientific operation . . . one that might have repercussions beyond anyone’s comprehension.

As they each get further down their own paths, a series of clues arrive—mysterious books that seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers; unexplained internet outages; and more—which seem to suggest April may be very much alive. In the midst of the gang's possible reunion is a growing force, something that wants to capture our consciousness and even control our reality.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is the bold and brilliant follow-up to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It’s a fast-paced adventure that is also a biting social commentary, asking hard, urgent questions. How will we live online? What powers over our lives are we giving away for free? Who has the right to change the world forever? And how do we find comfort in an increasingly isolated world?

Read for September book group.

Book two in the Carls, or, really book two in the April May Saga. Because this is ultimately all about April May. I noted in my review of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing that there I had enough interest in the supporting characters to read this book. And I enjoyed reading Maya, Miranda, and Andy's perspective. I was disappointed there wasn't more Robin, and after a few chapters with Carl, I completely skipped those.

I continued to agree with the author's observations on what can happen - is happening - with social media. Scary shit when you stop to think about it and yet, we keep using it anyway and then wonder why things aren't getting better. Miranda's thread was perhaps the most interesting with a wonderful twist I should have seen coming and totally missed. I found the ending anti climatic. April May was made into a Very Special Snowflake, kicked some ass, apologized to her girl friend, and everyone lives mostly happily ever after. Meh.

My opinion is still middle of the road - I enjoyed everyone but April May, the authors message about social media and the media is definitely notable, the overall plot was a bit slow (I admit to skipping bits). I'm glad this was a book group selection because we had some differing opinions and that always makes for interesting discussion.

Again - this is one you'll have to read and decide for yourself.

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that's been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it's up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian--while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

Read for August 2021 book group.

If you read The Martian, you will probably enjoy this. Book group feedback: well enjoyed by one and all. Nearly everyone had at least one quirk they came away with, but hands down, outstanding read. Audio book version comes highly recommended. Same narrator who did the Bobiverse series.

Yes, this was a fun and engaging read that ran the gambit from simple entertaining, speculative scifi, first contact, pre-apocalypitc catastrophe, with some good emotional context and "Survivor" situation thrown in. As I mentioned in my opening paragraph, everyone in book group had a quirk that popped them out of the story. I'm not going to say what mine was because it would be a major spoiler. Not going to do that to ya'll.

Not sure what else I can say that hasn't been said in the plethora of reviews for this one. There is great emotional connection between Ryland and Rocky, Rocky has to be one of the best aliens invented to date (seriously), and while the plot is reminiscent of the Martian (sole survivor has to figure out how to survive and he *might* get h0me) it's very different too. The science seems well thought out and proofed, I honestly wouldn't know, but it seems pretty solid.

In short, this checked all my happy scifi boxes. There are plenty of gushing, more elaborate reviews you can certainly read, but bottom line, GREAT book. Go read it.

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Recursion by Blake Couch

Recursion by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: Memory makes reality.

That's what NYC cop Barry Sutton is learning, as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.

That's what neuroscientist Helena Smith believes. It's why she's dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious memories. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.

As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face to face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds, but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.

But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?

At once a relentless pageturner and an intricate science-fiction puzzlebox about time, identity, and memory, Recursion is a thriller as only Blake Crouch could imagine it—and his most ambitious, mind-boggling, irresistible work to date.

Read for July 2021 book group.

But! I actually read this back in May of 2021 because I got it mixed up with Paradox, which was the May book group selection. In my defense, on my e-reader, the covers were quite similar, what with each having a mobius loop and a little do-dad.

There are enough reviews recapping the plot and premise that I'm going to jump straight to my opinion on this one.

I enjoyed this quite a bit and read it over the course of a weekend. I found it to be a somewhat gripping emotional roller-coaster ride. Recursion has an interesting premise - time-change rather than time-travel - a vendetta that crosses time, and world-wide ramifications when time is altered, but those ramifications aren't always apparent right away. I liked there were significant consequences to the actions of a handful of individuals.

It was, simply, fascinating.

I will also admit, I did briefly lose interest about 2/3 of the way through. I felt the plot hit a "rinse and repeat" lull that was more repetitive than informative. Thankfully, as things neared the climatic conclusion, the pacing picked up again.

I should add, book group was mixed on this one: two of us thought it was better than Paradox, one thought Paradox was better, and two folks had't started it yet.

Overall, I'd recommend this one as an unconventional scifi, strong emotional, time-change read.

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An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The Carls just appeared.

Roaming through New York City at three AM, twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her best friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.

Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.

June 2021 book group selection.

I have very mixed thoughts on this book. On one hand, I quite enjoyed the cast of characters, the premise was interesting, and Carl was intriguing. The sub-text or sub-message of what social media can do to a person/society is both facinating and terrifying.

On the other hand, I did not enjoy April May and I somewhat bored with her plot line and found the pacing...slow. I thought more than once of setting the book aside but, (see first hand) there were a handful of items that kept me turning the page.

Mostly, I wanted to know more about Carl. And Andy. And Robin. And all the rest.

April, not so much.

Which I hear is the case in book two.

So I'll be reading book two because there is just enough curiosity to find out more.

This is one book you'll have to read and decide if it's worthwhile.

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Paradox Bound by Peter Clines

Paradox Bound by Peter Clines
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Eli’s willing to admit it: he’s a little obsessed with the mysterious woman he met years ago. Okay, maybe a lot obsessed. But come on, how often do you meet someone who’s driving a hundred-year-old car, clad in Revolutionary-War era clothes, wielding an oddly modified flintlock rifle—someone who pauses just long enough to reveal strange things about you and your world before disappearing in a cloud of gunfire and a squeal of tires?

So when the traveler finally reappears in his life, Eli is determined that this time he’s not going to let her go without getting some answers. But his determination soon leads him into a strange, dangerous world and a chase not just across the country but through a hundred years of history—with nothing less than America’s past, present, and future at stake.

Read for May 2021 book group.

I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started this, but was pleasantly surprised and found myself enjoying it overall. As was discussed in book group, this isn't so much "time-travel" as "history-travel". I thought the book had interesting concepts, good characters, and even better cars and trains. There were a couple of plot hiccups, but nothing that pulled me completely out of the book.

My one tiny complaint with the over reaching plot was the faceless men. It felt like something missing, an aspect or component that would have helped to more fully conceptualize them beyond "the bad guys". I also found their method of recruitment a bit...unsettling, perhaps more so disturbing.

This made for a light, engaging read that was a perfect way to unwind at the end of the day. Recommended.

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Columbus Day by Craig Alanson (Expeditionary Force #1)

Columbus Day by Craig Alanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: We were fighting on the wrong side, of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news.

The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.

When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are.

I'd better start at the beginning....

Read as an audio book.

This book totally rocked it. A tich military scifi, a tich space opera, interesting aliens, conflict, noble cause, interesting characters and great humor - this hit all my happy buttons. Oh, and an outstanding narration. Loved all his voices.

I actually don't have anything more to say. I loved it and I'm going to read the next one as soon as I can.

Shortest review yet. Go read the book!

Recommended!

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The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: The last book from beloved Hollywood icon Carrie Fisher, The Princess Diarist is an intimate, hilarious, and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie.
When Carrie Fisher discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved--plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Before her passing, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon was indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford.

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher's intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time--and what developed behind the scenes. Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into one of Hollywood's most beloved stars.

Read for March 2021 book group. Read as an audio book. Book is narrated by Carrie Fisher.

I'll admit, I had some doubts about this one, nothing that I could put my finger on now, but...there it is. I went in with some trepidation. And much to my delight, I enjoyed this a lot.

This was a fascinating look back at a series that *I* grew up with - Star Wars has been with me my entire life. So this little snippet from Carrie Fisher, this look at being part of the beginning when it was no more than a fantasy-scifi film with a bunch of unknown actors and directors to the Disney franchise it is today, is rather fascinating.

Ms. Fisher thankfully starts before Star Wars, touching on her mother, growing up "in the business", and then, as many teens do, trying their best to get as far away from "home" as possible. She goes into auditioning for the film, being offered the role, and aspects of filming. Ms. Fisher goes rather in-depth (I thought) with her affair with Harrison Ford before wrapping up the fervor that came after the film and the cross-country promotions that followed.

For the bit regarding the affair, I have mixed thoughts: on one hand I thought this part when on much too long. It seemed like half the book was focused on her (non)relationship during filming. On the other hand, the excerpts from the Diary were probably some of the best stream of consciousness writing I have ever read. For a young nineteen year old, thrust into the world of film on a male dominated set, "poetic" doesn't quite capture her words, thoughts eloquently enough.

Mostly, I would have preferred a bit less of Mr. Ford, and a bit more of what it was like to work with everyone else.

But it is what it is, and alas, Ms. Fisher has moved on. The bit she did leave though? Witty, laugh out loud, reflective, moving, fascinating, historical, and well worth reading.

Recommended if you grew up with or enjoyed the original Star Wars (now dubbed 4, 5 and 6).


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14 by Peter Clines (Threshhold Series #1)

14 by Peter Clines
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Book Blurb: Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.

There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment.

Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much.

At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbour across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s. Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends.

Or the end of everything...


Read as an audio book. Narrator was same performer who does the Bobiverse books by Dennis E Taylor.

Read for February 2021 book group.

Book blurb summarizes the basic plot so I won't rehash. I have rather mixed thoughts on this selection. I was engaged for about the first 2/3 of the book, and annoyed in the last 1/3. Annoyance factor came from one bad thing after another happening to our main characters and they just couldn't catch a break. A bit of a drawn out climatic conclusion where I seriously thought about skipping a bit. But I didn't. I thought about it though.

What I liked was the diversity of the characters (narrator was great with voices). The Lovecraftian homage was interesting (noting here - I really didn't care for the voice of the nasties, nor how the nasties "spoke". It was too, simple? childish?). There were some strong similarities with another classic SF book whose name and author eludes me at them moment...argh.

Overall...Hm. Just...hm.


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Fuzzy Sapiens by H. Beam Piper (Fuzzy Sapiens #2)

Fuzzy Sapiens by H. Beam Piper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jacket Blurb: Are Fuzzies People? Pendarvis' Decision had finally declared the Fuzzies to be intelligent beings, and that meant some drastic changes for the Earthmen who had colonized their planet, changes that a lot of people weren't going to accept easily. But why worry? said others. The Fuzzies seemed lovable, fun-loving creatures, only two feet high, and covered with soft, golden fur. Give them plenty of extee-three and they'd do anything you asked. What ruling race of invaders could ask for a more ideal native population? Read for January 2021 book group.

Fuzzy Sapiens picks up right where Fuzzy Nation left off. A Zarathrustra Corporation no longer has control of the planet, the planet is trying to establish a new government, and Jack Holloway is in charge of the Department of Native Liaisons. Zarathrustra Corporation has had a complete change of heart with its CEO finds a Fuzzy in his own apartment and realizes there are four missing Fuzzies. Enemies become allies as everyone discovers there's a larger problem at stake.

Loosely summarizing...

Written in 1964, this has all the makings of a classic science fiction book - planetary drama, futuristic society, newly discovered alien species, Good Guys vs Bad Guys and triumph over evil. The plot is still engaging, the story moves smartly along, and its an interesting look back at how authors were looking forward.

From a modern perspective I found it to be a bit cringe-worthy: patronizing, androcentric, and socially unbelievable. From a modern perspective. It amazes me how authors could create a space faring future with interstellar travel, float cars, and more, but keep people in a 1960's mindset of women as secretaries and fuzzy sitters and where everyone smokes. Scientifically looking forward, socially stuck. Rather fascinating and I wonder why that was.

I do believe it's worth reading when viewed with a historical eye. It an easy and entertaining read if that is kept in mind. Recommended.

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