Books read in October 2018

[nou]

As per usual, by default I’m just stating whether I’d recommend the book (yes/maybe/no), whether I decided not to finish it (DNF), whether it’s a re-read, and whether I can remember there being any content that needs to be warned for (cw). I’m happy to expand on the reasons for my opinions if anyone is interested though — just comment and ask. This month’s selection was a bit more diverse than last month’s!

Definitely recommend:

• Ammonite, Nicola Griffith

Maybe recommend:

• Surrey Killing Fields, Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society (cw: animal death)
• Pulchritude, Ana Mardoll (DNF) (cw: mild body horror)
• The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson (DNF) (cw: slavery, rape, murder)
• Deluxe, Dana Thomas (cw: racism, classism, child abuse, violence)
• Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach, Kelly Robson (cw: extreme body modification, murder) (extra warning: if you buy this on Kindle, when you get to the end it shows you an author page which includes a disturbing cover image from one of the author's other books)
• The Wrong Stars, Tim Pratt (re-read)

Wouldn’t recommend:

• Watchmaker of Filigree Street (cw: internalised misogyny, casual racism)
• Empress of a Thousand Skies, Rhoda Belleza (DNF)
• The Dreaming Stars, Tim Pratt (DNF)

What have you recently read and enjoyed? (Feel free to point towards posts on your own journal.) Do you have any opinions (good or bad) on the books above?

Comments

[selki]

Other possible age-appropriateness concerns: British contemporary anti-homosexuality attitudes, classist attitudes.

My book club read it and had a good discussion about it. We liked the cool clockwork octopus and timey-wimey stuff (though we're not sure it all held together), but didn't like the main female character.

[ludy]

Thank you, that's useful. Nieceling actually lives in another country where overt homophobia is less frowned on than here so that won't be anything new to her but is prolly more for us to discuss. And she just finds the UK class system confusing!