Review: Making Money (Discworld, #36; Moist Von Lipwig, #2)

Making Money by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lots of fun! This is the second Discworld novel featuring Moist Von Lipwig, a former con-man turned "hero of the city". And in fact, it reads a lot like the previous novel (Going Postal), which is good because I liked the first one a lot! This story has the same elements of adventure and of "how is he going to solve that?" to it. The novel also features the Patrician, who is great as always, very Machiavellian.

The one bad thing is a jarring switch of the plot in the second half, when a subplot about golems takes front stage. Suddenly, Moist is the hero at the center of the golem crisis - but there is no reason for this, no set up. With all the heroes in Discworld, and a big crisis happening in Ankh-Morpork, why is he the hero? Why isn't anyone else doing anything? Eventually the novel connects this subplot to the main plot, but still feels forced. Also, at that point the main plot starts getting more and more convoluted, and the mysteries are multiplied and dragged out as much as possible. It's a bit frustrating, really. The reveal of Mr. Bent's secret was absolutely ridiculous, which is perfect for Discworld. But I have to say that I was disappointed, I was expecting something more serious, grander, because of the tone of the narrative around this.

In the end, it was still a good adventure, with some good challenges and solutions, quick thinking to get out of sticky situations, and a good ending.

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Review: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good book, but challenging to review - it feels like anything I say about it, it will be a spoiler! So be warned!

The story is non-linear, and somewhat convoluted. The book blends historical fiction and sci-fi to tell a mystery unravelling across centuries. It also blends both classic sci-fi (e.g. time-travel), with the more recent themes, such as living in a simulation. But it's also a book about the pandemic, or actually, different pandemics in the past and in the future, talking about our current pandemic, complete with discussions about safety, isolation, homeschooling, and zoom meetings (holographic, of course). It's just missing the crazy anti-vax/anti-mask element and rise of fascism, which is unfortunate, since to me those are the most striking elements of our pandemic.

It has a weird start, going all the back to the start of the 20th century, where it touches on themes of colonization and manifest destiny (although it takes place in Canada, not the US). It is well told, with elements that did not feel like cliches. It then unspools slowly into an intriguing mystery, telling the stories of several people in different centuries, until it reveals their connection. The main strength of the book is definitely the story-telling, not the sci-fi nor the world-building. The end is semi-satisfying - the solution to the mystery is satisfying, but not the end of the story, I actually would like to know more about what happened to some of the supporting characters.

I liked the story of one of the main characters, Olive, an author who wrote about a fictional pandemic right before a real-life pandemic struck. The book tells about her experience in the book circuit (before the pandemic) and the life as an "expert" (but not really) during the pandemic, going on virtual interviews and lectures - I wondered how much of it was autobiographical! (a lot of it mirrors Emily St. John Mandel, this book's author)


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Review: What the Hex by Alexis Daria

What the Hex by Alexis Daria
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this audiobook up for Hispanic Heritage Month, it seemed appropriate to listen to something that read like a "telenovela". But I was pleasantly surprised that the story had more depth than just the romance: it's a full-blown fantasy story, with witches fighting demons! The romance is there too, but it's contrived and exaggerated, with some very forced lines - the banter and flirting doesn't seem very natural, but it is fun nonetheless. It has a couple of racy scenes, but it's not the most explicit book I have seen. I like the latinx/hispanic connection, with an okay (if superficial) depiction of modern hispanic-american family life.


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Review: Driving the Deep (Finder Chronicles, #2)

Driving the Deep by Suzanne Palmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun sci-fi adventure! The second book in the Finder series by Suzanne Palmer (and I think this is her second novel, too), it actually feels less finished than the first book. The sci-fi aspect is less solid and detailed, and the plot relies too much on lots of coincidences. Also, I am not a big fan of the "wild west" feel of Finders universe. But once you get past that, with a little bit of suspension of disbelief and a willingness to just go with it, the story is entertaining and the near-future sci-fi is good enough. There are some funny moments, and the protagonist is usually joking (although the other characters only *try* to be funny). The action is fast-paced and well done, and the "detective mystery" aspect of the book is very engaging. I like that the It had an "adventure game" component to it - the protagonist goes around, finds weird items, collects them, then uses them to solve a puzzle. Broken equipment? Collect it. Maps? Collect it. Frozen meatball?? Collect it. Then use each item for some specific contrived action, to get to the next part - it feels a lot like an adventure game :D

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Review: Tales of the Alhambra

Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A surprisingly good read. I picked this up to read as I was traveling to Granada, Spain, and wanted to read something sited in the city. It was perfect!

The Alhambra is a huge palace complex atop a hill next to the city of Granada, with many gardens, small palaces, a fort, towers, a huge wall encircling everything. Supposedly, there are many legends surrounding the place, and I wanted to learn about them. The book narrates a some of these legends, and some of the history behind them, but it's actually mostly talking about the people and the place as a whole, about what it looks like and what it feels to be there. It talks about the trip of the author to Granada and his stay at the Alhambra in 1828, and about the people he met there. It's very straightforward, without much dramatization. It reads as a product of the time, with conservative views on the roles of nobles, the working classes, and of women, but taken as a historical product, it's understandable. Some of the stories were interesting, and at least one of them (about Philip V and his hypochondria) was very funny.

I am not sure I would recommend it normally, but if you are traveling to Spain, this is a must-read!


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