Michelle

Not good

Revisado: 08-11-22

I'm honestly baffled by all of the positive reviews - maybe it's because this is free? Despite that it was honestly hard for me to get through even at only 2hrs.

Part of my issue is how little of it is biography - I thought that is what this was, going in - but it seemed to make up about a third. The rest is his descendants barely (and badly) describing items that used to belong to him and people reading long excerpts from his books. And not even parts that prove a point of some sort or form an overall narrative - no, just reading random bits. I don't know why they did it, you don't need to quote from an author's works in their biography to prove they are an author, but that seems the only reason.

And really, even the biographical parts are barely engaging - the historians they speak with don't seem like they prepared well ahead of time and don't present, even interesting information, in a manner to make you care about it.

Lastly, I hated that they kept having music under everything every few minutes.

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lovely and engrossing

Revisado: 07-25-22

I loved this book.

All through the first section on whales I kept pausing it and telling people all about their culture and families - something about the knowledge felt exciting and I wanted to share it. The book as a whole was lovely and engrossing. The author reads the book and is very able with conveying emotion when appropriate. There were some things in this book I already knew and alot I didn't, but it was structured very well and I highly recommend it.

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great writing, depressing world

Revisado: 07-25-22

This is a very odd book - or well novella, I suppose. The sci-fi parts - all the bits about the nanos (biological nanotechnology) and what they do to Harmony's body are extremely well thought out. North does an excellent job of thinking about how this technology would effect society. From health care, to job prospects, to finding partners. It's depressing, sure, but it's well done. (Her use of advertisements was especially eerie at times.)

Honestly, it's the main character Harmony who bothers me. It sounds terrible to say, since horrible things happen to her, but I didn't find her a sympathetic protagonist. I don't think she is meant to be - North has a habit of flawed main characters, but there is something somehow simultaneously self-centered and passive about Harmony that I found off-putting.

Overall the changes to the world you see the edges of in these nearly four hours is both dreadful and fascinating. Claire North is an excellent story teller and has a way with words. Even if Harmony is not the best conduit, in my opinion, I would still recommend this to anyone who isn't squeamish about body horror (bad things happen when nanos are turned off, to say more would be spoilers).

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Fascinating and depressing

Revisado: 07-25-22

I'm pretty sure the only story I have ever read of Shirley Jackson's is The Lottery. And that was in a public high school - a rather terrible setting to discuss it's meaning. And I never really knew anything anything about her life. I found this book both depressing and fascinating the whole way through - which given the author it is about, I guess that is fitting. I really felt for Shirley and hated how some of the people in her life hurt her self esteem so terribly. Overall I am glad I read this but it was not a happy experience.

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Great for people who have never been sports fans

Revisado: 07-24-22

I am not a sports person. I never played soccer as a kid, never watched the game on TV, have only vague memories of that famous photo of Brandi Chastain ripping her shirt in celebration after her World Cup goal, and only heard about the women's teams fight for fair treatment and equal pay through news articles I noticed - but didn't give alot of attention to - when they popped up over the years.

And I still loved this book.

If you follow the team religiously or you're like me and have never seen them play a single match I would recommend this book either way. It was frustrating, enthralling, and uplifting at various times. You empathize with the team's struggle to be treated fairly and feel oddly vindicated when win (on the field and off).

Or that's how I felt. It has been one of the best non-fiction books I have read this year.

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Fascinating concept, well executed

Revisado: 01-02-18

To be perfectly honest, when the audiobook first started I wasn't sure I was going to like it. The way the beginning sets up the main character' life is slightly clunky and I didn't know if I would end up finding his POV endearing or annoying.

I am so so sooooo glad that I stuck with it. Once the sci-fi elements of the plot really start to kick in, it becomes fascinating. And then enthralling and kinda heartbreaking at times too.

I 100% recommend this short story (/novella?). It's stuck with me for days now after I have finished it - and probably will for quite some time.

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Series continues to be a great deal of fun

Revisado: 10-26-17

I have loved the fun of these books so far - the dynamic between Cal and Danni, and what they discover through curiosity and growth (figurative and literal) is what really drives the story along.

The character who has been much more disappointing to me, is our main POV for the outside world, Dale. It was interesting to experience some of these things through his eyes in the first book; but it seems that he has gotten progressively worse in attitude, at the same time as he has been given multiple opportunities (chances to cut down the time it would normally take to get skills, trainers, mentors, the best possible team, etc.). And whenever anyone points out that the general populace see him as a jerk, he acts all hurt.

For some reason, it seems that the author thinks that because he is kind to a few very specific people, we should see that as a defining trait. But honestly, the most reoccurring trait for Dale - from the beginning - has been greed.

That was much more of a rant than I meant to type when I began. I just was extremely annoyed by Dale many times. I enjoyed the other members of his new team immensely though - and was glad that we still got to see some of the old team members on occasion too.

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Loved the stories, hated the music

Revisado: 09-19-17

Neil Gaiman has a way with words - that is almost universally acknowledged. And these short stories and poems were wonderful but the joy of listening to them was almost ruined for me by the music interludes (and occasionally music/sound effects under his words).

This might just be a problem for me - I get really bad frequent migraines and so am very sensitive to sharper tones - but it was a bit upsetting for me to have a story collection I would have otherwise utterly loved be made physically painful at times.

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A book to savor

Revisado: 09-14-17

Some audiobooks I listen to all in one go - barely pausing to sleep it seems - and others I parse out over weeks only letting myself hear one chapter a day. (I enjoy both experiences immensely.)

"Braiding Sweetgrass" was definitely the type of book I felt happy to let sit within me a chapter at a time. Robin Wall Kimmerer connects a lot of cultural and ecological ideas (interspersed with stories of her own life) in ways that resonated with me.

I know that sometimes having the author read their own work is a bad idea, but Kimmerer has a great voice that really brings life to already wonderful material.

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Great AU

Revisado: 08-07-17

This audiobook was sitting in my library for a while and I am so glad I finally listened to it. I was really impressed with the way Mary Robinette Kowal played out this concept - of medium's working with the military during war.

The circles especially are amazing - the way they use injured and veteran soldiers along with volunteer civilians to anchor the mediums. I was very touched by this entire process/concept.

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