' This character is a bad person and also a Christian' = realistic! Well done! Humans are deeply entrenched in evil, aren't we?
'this character is evil specifically because of the way they understand and practice Christianity' = also realistic! Man, we really do have to make sure we're not twisting God's words.
'Christianity is bad, and I made a character to prove it. Also I don't understand the religion or the various different ways of practicing it, so I made them an insular nondenominational protestant who talks like a modern baptist, and who also carries around a rosary and decorates the house with crucifixes for some reason' = please stop.
1K notes
·
View notes
Only one month today until the release of Dark Heir by C. S. Pacat, book 2 in the Dark Rise triology!
I will listen to the audiobook read by Christian Coulson. I think he did a great job with Dark Rise, really bringing the characters to life even though they had to be a bit mysterious for plot reason! Also it felt like a deliciously queer reading.
35 notes
·
View notes
The he looks like an old man Christian Grey on this gif is ridiculous....
Imagine Hank Voight in a 50 shades of grey universe...
And since I mention that what about áudiobooks red by this men, his unique voice is perfect for that...
His deep, gravely voice.... OMG
11 notes
·
View notes
ahhh i'm so euphoric... and very impressed by how fast you've devoured these books! i'm still at the beginning of braiding sweetgrass and only halfway through metropolis (after spending, like, a year reading it on and off... ah well we slow readers deserve representation too...)
when i finally finish these books, i plan to try paper houses by dominique fortier (tr. rhonda mullins), a semi-nonfiction (?) novel about emily dickinson that reconstructs her life through her letters and writing, and we are bellingcat, which is an autobiography about the eponymous internet detectives.
previous nonfictions i really liked are crying in h mart by michelle zauner (korean food, trauma, grief, love, more korean food), and beyond words by carl safina (elephants, wolves, orcas <3)
9 notes
·
View notes
My favorite books (and audiobooks) 2022
ID: “Lancelot” by Giles Christian
An epic retelling of the story of Lancelot - the most tragic figure of the King Arthur saga. The first half of the book focuses on his youth and upbringing as a warrior on a remote island where he meets Guinevere when they’re still both kids. In the second half, we get to see him as a fully grown knight, his friendship with Arthur and his fatal love for Guinevere.
It’s a beautiful, patient, sometimes gritty and sometimes poetic novel that culminates in a heroic and tragic showdown. Its only flaw is a rushed last quarter, as if the author needed to squeeze too much story into the last 200 pages. Maybe this should’ve been a two-parter instead?
ID: “Die Diplomatin” by Lucy Fricke
A wry, cynical novel on the privileges, grey areas and limits of diplomacy. We follow a German consul from her peaceful post in Uruguay to a much less serene post in Istanbul where politics are in a fragile, incendiary state. And managing a crisis turns out to be the most disillusioning affair our protagonist has ever faced.
A very contemporary, very apropos little novel that’s written with a glimmering scalpel.
ID: “The Darkness Outside Us” by Eliot Schrefer
I almost dnf’ed this one after eye rolling my way through the first hour of teenager-y gays-in-space. But then my jaw began to drop as this YA sci-fi took a very dark turn.
Two young astronauts from enemy countries, stuck on a spaceship together, band together against insurmountable odds, and if you read this you won’t see coming what’s gonna hit you. The most surprising, wrecking read I’ve raced through in a long time. And the audiobook narrator is really, really good.
ID: “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers
A tea-monk and a robot become BFFs on an ecotopian moon. That’s it. That’s the plot. An uplifting, touching and heartwarming read that both brought me to tears and gave me so much comfort.
“What do humans need?” That is the big question this quietly philosophical little Solarpunk story revolves around. And there are no simple answers.
Becky Chambers single-handedly invented “cozy sci-fi”, and I am so grateful she did! Part two, “A Prayer for the Crown-Shy”, is just as good, btw.
ID: “Anna” by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Full immersion into Russian history, culture and geography in the early 1800s is what you’ll get from this underestimated historical romance novel.
We follow English governess Anna from Paris to Russia where she’s in the employment of the very attractive (and very married) Count Kirov.
Surprisingly, their love story isn’t what’s so beautiful about this book - it’s Russia herself, her landscape, culture and many different people. Anna spends time in glittering St. Petersburg, in majestic Moscow, but also in the wild Caucasian mountains. We meet Tartars, Kosaks and Mongols; counts, peasants, horsemen and warriors. We learn about Russian folklore and superstition, about traditions and rituals.
It was an eerie experience to read this book while Putin invaded the Ukraine, but what happened IRL also made “Anna” an even more valuable read. Parts of the story take place in what’s now the Ukraine, in Kiew. Back then, it was the other way around from what we’re seeing today: Napoleon invaded Russia, and Moscow became a victim of fire and flame. “Anna” taught me quite a bit of history I’d never learned in school.
In the end, “Anna” is a beautiful, sweeping saga from which I emerged reluctantly and wistfully, wanting more.
(Fair warning: the edition I read was obviously a reprint and riddled with printing errors to a degree that sometimes made it hard to read. Such negligence puts a really good novel to shame which it really doesn’t deserve. So please check which copy/edition you’re getting if you want to read this!)
Special shout-out to @hobbeshalftail3469 who recommended this book to @vgriffindor who then gave it to me as a gift!)
Your turn, bookish people! What were your favorites of 2022?!
20 notes
·
View notes
New Carnegie Androids book series
I wanted to take a moment to post a favorite book series I've been enjoying since finding them on Audible a while back. They are by the newer author Roxie McClaine and can be found easily on Amazon whether you are looking for a Kindle copy, Audible or, a physical copy.
Each story follows a different android or gynoid and their experiences navigating a futuristic world where, much like now, humans are divided between those who treat androids and gynoids with respect and those who want nothing more than to destroy them. These characters, good, bad and, neutral are as memorable as their stories. Each story ties into the last one, there's definitely some HOT scenes in them as well so, I'd keep these away from underage individuals.
If you're into scifi, romance, real love between humans and super intelligent androids with a helping of witty humor mixed in, you might like these. Each story is so well done, so relatable and realistic in a way. The scenarios make sense as well as the characters reasoning for feeling how they do toward another character or group of people.
These are listed in order:
The one I am currently loving at the time of my drafting this post...
(and, it's perfectly fine to read Victor last as it still makes sense in relation to the other stories.)
As of right now, while writing this, Atticus is not available on Audible yet so, I grabbed Victor which is set BEFORE book 1. Victor is the first and honestly...he reminds me of my Adam A LOT. 💓
I chose Audible as my first go-to for books because I work a lot and though I work at several library branches in my area, I don't have the time I want to actually read like I love to do. Instead, I listen with a single bluetooth in one ear so I can also hear if someone addresses me or asks a question and yes...it's allowed as long as you don't have both ears plugged up. If you go the Audible route, rest assured the narrator is a really, really good one by the name of Christian Leatherman. He is amazingly talented and really does a fabulous job narrating these stories aaand yeah, sometimes his voice could make a fire sweat 🥵 wooh!
I hope there are a lot more to come with this series, maybe even a story about an android named Adam who meets a human woman named Jade who's been put through some of the worst things with other humans...wink-wink, nudge-nudge, Roxie! 😅
I truly do love this series and how ethics are argued and discussed among the characters, I could see these arguments happening in our times, hell, we already have AI ethics boards and committees plus an abundance of people already set on hating AI no matter what. I don't care to get into a rant about ignorance, rather, I want those who really enjoy these types of stories to give this series a try.
6 notes
·
View notes