Scan barcode
archytas's reviews
1674 reviews
Once a Stranger by Zoya Patel
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I'm a little surprised this book didn't get more buzz, given how strongly it is constructed. There are moments where the writing can be a little too close to cliched phrasing, but Patel draws us steadily into the world of the characters and their navigation around sense of self and family, and how those tug with each other. I suspect it is because this is a book dealing firmly with interpersonal relationships, which, while dealing with weighty issues, does not carry the particular flavour of angst that marks so much current Australian literary fiction.
Of course, that is a very Melbourne angst and this is a book with a distinctly Canberra flair. I used to love reading books set where I live, and thought I'd be really keen on the trend for more Canberran books, but it just feels uncomfortably far from escapist.
But other than that problem, this is a thoughtful novel about a group of women navigating their relationships, which gives space for each perspective and room to breathe.
Of course, that is a very Melbourne angst and this is a book with a distinctly Canberra flair. I used to love reading books set where I live, and thought I'd be really keen on the trend for more Canberran books, but it just feels uncomfortably far from escapist.
But other than that problem, this is a thoughtful novel about a group of women navigating their relationships, which gives space for each perspective and room to breathe.
The Ottoman Empire: 1300-1600 by Halil İnalcık
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Inalcik wrote this in the 1970s, but it holds up as a primer on the Ottoman Empire. The four sections read very differently to each other - the first is by far the most tedious, outlining the who, what, when of history at a brisk, unleavened pace. There are better alternatives for this, and it could be skipped for those. The book comes to life in the middle two sections, where Inalcik examines the cultural organisation and features of the Empire, looking at how Janissaries, the royal court, the economy and tributes work. This was the most comprehensive account I have yet read of these aspects, making it worth the read.
The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher by Ahn Do-Hyun
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
I expected to hate this, and I didn't. I mean, I didn't love it, but I found it amusing and I'll call that a win. I expected some quasi-philosophical/quaint read when really this is, actually, a book about salmon and the lives they lead. Somewhat angsty salmon with a tendency to philosophise, yes, but still - this is about Salmon. And it is better for it. But it is not so good. I'm going to go about recommending this for anyone not already interested - there are better books about salmon (although none so gorgeously illustrated, maybe).
The Jade Setter of Janloon by Fonda Lee
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I hadn't realised how much I had enjoyed this series until I had the chance to return to it. This is a lovely, well in a violent and occasionally gruesome way, quick take back into the martial arts fantasy island world Lee has created. I like the sharpness of the rules by which both the fantasy and the caste-driven world itself works, and Lee creates these slightly-larger-than-human characters you can root for even as you wish they would make better choices (and know, of course, that better choices would make for a more boring novella).
Unlimited Futures: speculative, visionary blak+black fiction by Rafeif Ismail, Ellen van Neerven
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
There are some outstanding stories in this volume, especially the contributions from Amberlin Kwamullina and Alison Whittaker and the poem from Tuesday Atzinger. The recently revived story from SJ Minniecon is a bit of a standout as world. Unsurprisingly, not every story works, but when it is strong, it is very strong indeed.
Anaximander and the Birth of Science by Carlo Rovelli
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.25
Carlo Rovelli books have become a real pleasure in my reading pile, a lovely mix of poetic and intellectually engaging. So it was an unpleasant surprise that I really disliked this one, his first book which has just been translated into English for the first time.
It is less physics, and more Rovelli's take on what science is and where it comes from. Turns out, that take is largely that science is what religion is not, and where it comes from is largely the Western* canon. It is, ultimately, a somewhat rigid view of how thought evolves, and while I applaud Rovelli's passion for open debate, I think he has too narrow a conception of who gets invited to it.
*Rovelli is at pains to credit Arabic thinkers and to condemn Christian thinkers - but ultimately, this is a very Enlightenment narrative about science.
It is less physics, and more Rovelli's take on what science is and where it comes from. Turns out, that take is largely that science is what religion is not, and where it comes from is largely the Western* canon. It is, ultimately, a somewhat rigid view of how thought evolves, and while I applaud Rovelli's passion for open debate, I think he has too narrow a conception of who gets invited to it.
*Rovelli is at pains to credit Arabic thinkers and to condemn Christian thinkers - but ultimately, this is a very Enlightenment narrative about science.
Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities by Bettany Hughes
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
A great history book, centered around Istanbul, which jumps from there to tell the story of Eurasian empires. Hughes has the world rotate slowly around this city of cities, deftly mixing narration of events with chapters about the evolving culture of the city. Smartly, she often focuses on places, noting what they were like at her time of writing, making this an excellent - if lengthy - primer for a trip.
All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
This is one part coming of age saga, one part imagining of a better world and all parts a celebration of friendship, especially the power of your early adult friendships, and how they simultaneously create and reflect who you are becoming.
Some of this is tinged with bleakness, Mathews captures all too sharply the depression of poverty, unstable housing and vulnerable employment. But ultimately, it pulls into the warmth of a supportive friendship group and the depth of what this is worth.
Some of this is tinged with bleakness, Mathews captures all too sharply the depression of poverty, unstable housing and vulnerable employment. But ultimately, it pulls into the warmth of a supportive friendship group and the depth of what this is worth.
Adventures in Volcanoland: What Volcanoes Tell Us About the World and Ourselves by Tamsin Mather
informative
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
This book is a mix of volcano science, in the field anecdotes of volcano research in exciting places, and musings on the scary thought that humanity is now exerting more destructive collective force than all the world's volcanoes combined. I'm not sure if it was the mix, or my distracted mood, or just that I'm not that into volcanoes, but I did struggle to concentrate on this one. Even the bits about volcanoes on Mars.
The Municipalists by Seth Fried
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is a comedic, cozy sci fi adventure based around city planning. It is a very chaotic-neutral endorsed moral, if that is your thing. I find it entertaining enough.