Reviews and Comments

I've put off reviewing this as I can't really give a good reason, but I didn't like this book as much. I think it doesn't help is there's a lot of gaps in the story, and the story itself is two sides guessing about the other, and the UK guessing what its agents are doing while they're guessing what the others are doing, and then the author guessing about the gaps in the record. Lots of guessing.

And it's just a bit less cheerful, didn't end super well for the spies.

There's some interesting history here but it's buried by not really telling any chronological story, presumably assuming the reader already knows how the Klondike Highway was built by the US Army. Instead there is some theming around the stories but they didn't quite keep my interest.

This is based on someone else's short story, about which I know nothing. Maybe this is better with more context? Anyway, on its own merits, it's a reasonable story. Funny, some obvious twists. Unlike Starter Villain, the protagonist feels more consistent in character. The end just starts to feel a little patchy or thin or something. Can't quite explain it.

I found this one less cozy than the first book. I think there's more explicit threat hanging over it. But still very enjoyable if bittersweet throughout. Goes well with cake.

I always feel bad for giving a rating a book by how I enjoyed it rather than its quality. But after suspecting I wouldn't like Kingfisher's teen horror books, I bought one in a sale. And I don't like it. But it's just as well written as her other books, just creepier and more dreamlike.

This is a love story, but quite a messy one. I'm a bit sad the protagonist didn't get to eat more people! Also quite funny, despite touching on a number of quite sad themes.

This is alright, I preferred Kaiju Preservation Society. As I read more Scalzi (and I enjoy his work so I will continue to do so) I haven't quite worked out why I like some books more than others. This one I felt I was missing some American references as it felt like there were more than usual.

I think one thing for me is the story is both a "fish out of water" story as the protagonist is introduced to this new world of villainy, and also a "quiet competence" one of he just makes all the right decisions. But his character is that he's also ruined his life, so why is he suddenly much better at all this stuff? Yeah that's it, I didn't really get the main character, unless it's an unreliable narrator and he's just taking credit for everything.

Entertaining though.

Really enjoyed this, very easy to read, very relaxing. Although the of-the-time racism (that she explicitly regrets) and misogyny is sometimes a surprise! Oh, she got married, so she's not allowed to keep working. The irony of trying to work out whether she uses farenheit or celsius is also entertaining, as -40 degrees is the same in both.

Went to Dawson City this year, and it's very easy to see it through her eyes.

A lot of this is "why I hate short-term politicking, and the politics I am most familiar with is Canadian". Some of the 20th century social history is interesting. The "rah rah rah, I hate Canadians, well not really" does spoil it.

In some ways, this one roasts more than "Why I hate Canadians" but Ian perhaps removes some of the misanthropy, so it's a bit more cheerful. By this book I learned to just browse through the chapters that didn't immediately grab me. You can read in whatever order, any actual references between chapters are referenced.

My favourites are the discussions of the provinces and their driving styles. Bloody Canadian drivers.

The thing I enjoyed most about this is that I've read a few different humanx books before but never specifically noticed so much crossover of planets, factions and characters. This one doesn't get as creepy as Bloodhype but does have some lazy writing in it along the lines of "there's no time to explain, let's get on this month-long cruise, where apparently no further character development happens at all".

It's fine, clearly not supposed to be too serious.

Second attempt at this. Maybe I get the references now?

I would add a caution up front that a 300 page book about canoeing for several months does get pretty samey. However it's not really much of a surprise. The author has some lovely descriptions of the landscape and the absolutely terrible time he puts himself through willingly to cross it.

He's clearly not one for the busy modern world, although I think he's hamming it up a bit for some humour in the dry bits. It works.

I found the first third of this book a real struggle and only finished it because I wanted to read it ahead of seeing the TV series. The remainder of the book is more enjoyable, but it does shamelessly set a cliffhanger every 5 pages or so, through misinterpret-able references or missing information.

The idea of the far right rising I will grant is pretty prescient from 2010, mind. There's some great ideas, but I don't really like description such as "looked like Timothy Spall, gone to seed". Yes, I can imagine it, but I find it jarring.

It took me a while to get into this book, as I didn't read the synopsis and therefore had no idea where it was going. In 2024, the way computers, AI, and hacking is represented seems almost quaint now. In that sense there's some real Bladerunner vibes about the book. Scalzi's humour here also references fads from the early 2000s which also date it, not well.

But it's perfectly fine, and made me smile quite a few times. If it tried less hard to be funny, I think it would have been better. Preferred Kaiju Preservation Society, although the COVID references in that will probably age it just as well!