November 2019 Wrap-Up: My Camera Battery Was Running Out, Can You Tell?

Books mentioned and mini-reviews:

Pyramids, by Terry Pratchett

Sadly this is my least favourite Discworld book so far, its central joke got old by a quarter of the way through and I found it difficult to drag myself through the rest. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the witches!

The One Who Wrote Destiny, by Nikesh Shukla

This the story of a family told from changing perspectives, starting with the father and moving on to his daughter and son. I read this for my work book club and there was much to discuss. I didn’t enjoy it as much as Run, Riot, his YA thriller, but that’s probably just because I prefer YA to literary fiction seven times out of ten!

Friendo, by Alex Paknadel and Martin Simmonds (artist)

A very dark comic about a guy who gets a new virtual assistant AI via a pair of special glasses, his Friendo. He quickly finds himself addicted to the Friendo’s company, but to keep him around, he needs to keep shopping. I enjoyed it but it’s not really my sort of thing so I wouldn’t read more.

Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein

You know when a book is exactly as good as people say it is? That. Code Name Verity is absolutely incredible. It tells the story of two young women in active service during World War II, one of whom is a prisoner of the Nazis, and how their friendship developed alongside their careers. The ending made me cry.

Wed Wabbit, by Lissa Evans

This is an extremely fun kids book about a nearly-eleven year old who finds herself and her cousin transported to a dark version of her little sister’s favourite book, where the land is ruled by Wed Wabbit, favourite toy and evil dictator. I adored it.

Lady Oracle, by Margaret Atwood

I was considering giving up on Margaret Atwood’s ouvre, having not particularly enjoyed the last three or four of her books that I’ve read, but I really enjoyed this. The narrator, Lorelei King, really brought the story and all its mysteries to life. It’s about a woman who has faked her own death to get away from her husband, telling the story of her life and how she decided to take such drastic action.

Deeplight, by Frances Hardinge (review copy via NetGalley)

This is an absolute dream of a book! Set in a world where the gods, strange monstrous creatures that lived in the ocean, fought each other to the death only a few generations ago, it follows a young thief with misplaced loyalties who has to choose between saving his best friend or saving the world. If you like steampunk I think you’ll like this, it involves weird and wonderful inventions made from the remains of gods!

My Summer of Love, by Helen Cross

This is a Heavenly Creatures-esque story about Mona, a fifteen year old girl in 1980s Yorkshire who lives in a pub, drinks during the day, and fantasises about becoming a criminal. She befriends the local posh girl, Tamsin, whose sister has recently died, and their relationship becomes obsessive, but at far too slow a pace for it to hold my attention easily. I didn’t get on with Mona’s voice and ultimately had to make myself finish it. This book has been critically acclaimed so I would say it’s just not to my personal taste!