confuzzledsheep's reviews
7 reviews

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An excellent follow-up to the first novel. Exciting and interesting, the suspicions and mysterys are rewarding to spit and follow. Just enough seemingly-improbable action to keep you engaged. This will definitely warrant a rereading upon my completion of the third book. 

System Collapse by Martha Wells

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

In my mind, few things will hold a candle to Network Effect. However, this is an incredible sequel to it. It took me far too long to actually finish it, having been turned off by the first few chapters and their fast divergence from the previous novel. I do promise it goes right back to everything I loved about the previous books. 

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is seeped in a sort of specific melancholy that I cannot describe yet adore. Perhaps I personally just enjoy the specific anguish and meditations that can only be done by centering a supercomputer AI as the main character. I think that it's not a book for everyone- but if this book is for you, you're gonna get a lot out of it and have a great, great time. 

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

funny informative relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I read this in the midst of a power outage during a snowstorm, illuminated by candlesticks and accompanied by a large bottle of barleywine. This is, of course, the immersive way to read this novel, which, having not read the original version, I can declare quite engaging and fascinating. I do not know how much Machado edited of the original text, for I have not read it, but what I can say is that this version is immensely readable, incredibly fast, gorgeously illustrated, and very well foot-noted. Any person who has a passive interest in monsters or queer literature is certain to enjoy it. Even someone who likes werewolves more than vampires like me. 

Network Effect by Martha Wells

adventurous funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Reread this book to prepare for reading the newest release. This is The Best Murderbot book by far. Some of the best writings of sentient AI/Organic Bots ever done. Touches on issues of relation and connection without ever overdoing it. 

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller

reflective medium-paced

2.0

If you are not a biologist, or even yet a Taxonomist, and want to reflect deeply on one's own sadness in the story of the author and David Starr Jordan, then this may be helpful for you. As a depressed biologist who's been long disillusioned with the myth of a Sole Genius Scientist and has already had many of the discussions within this book, I will rate it as passing. I found this book lacking in detail on David Starr Jordans life that I expected it to have- furter discussion of the problems with the Holotype model of taxonomy, the sheer brutality of scientific discovery during the time period. This book touches on those, but never gets as deep as it could. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Colonisation, Infidelity, Ableism, Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Child death