On Such a Full Sea: A Novel | 
pickI really enjoyed this novel. The first-person plural perspective gives the sense of a people trying to deserve their heroes. The thing that strikes me most is the tension between what people believe they ought to do and what they choose to do to benefit themselves. As friends and enemies change places around her, Fan is able to maintain her integrity while also looking out for herself, inspiring shame and sometimes action in those around her.
pickLee's steady, unflinching, soothing narration of this otherwise typical post-apocalyptic absorbs the reader in its fascinatingly calm yet violent world. A great read especially for the present where complacency, protest, disease, class division shape our persons.
“Isn‘t it better that we send them off once and for all beneath the glow of #carnival lights, with the taste of treats on our tongues, rather than invite the acrid tang of doubt, and undue longing, and the heart-stab of a freshly sundered bond?” #QuotsySep21
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thought this dystopian/apocalyptic book was excellent! It is so different from other dystopian novels I‘ve read. It‘s definitely more on the literary sci-fi side of the genre. The story is told like a legend or folk tale but many many years in the future. And I absolutely love the ending of this book. Definitely didn‘t see it coming. This was my July #doublespin No. 15 book for #bookspinbingo
so-soI started off being really intrigued by the plot and world the author had created, but by the end I felt a little flat. I just kept expecting something more. It was strange how you were always kept at an arm's length from the protagonist... I didn't really mind it at first, the author was trying to create a myth-like sense of her, but there needed to be something more in her actions to fill that void. She was too passive in many ways.
bailedYeah ... no. I can‘t with this book. The third-person plural narration is just weird and seems to intentionally keep the reader at arm‘s length. I don‘t like how it conveniently jumps from a lofty overview to being with Fan. I don‘t care about the characters because the style renders them totally flat. And the basic world here is unexplained and, I‘m sorry, derivative as hell. Going on the donate pile! DNF 😞
A tale, like the universe, they tell us, expands ceaselessly each time you examine it, until there‘s finally no telling exactly where it begins, or ends, or where it places you now.
I‘ve read two of his books, and this sounds quite different from both of them. I loved The Surrendered and liked Native Speaker ... wonder where this will fall! #nowreading
pickWritten in the unusual first person plural and set in a believable possible future USA where resources are scarce & society is divided into strict classes. The story of protagonist Fan, a legend in the making, is full of hope & betrayal. Not a book I'd recommend for people who like tidy endings. Lee's minute observations on life make the mundane significant & beautiful. I loved this book!
My brain is awake, but my body doesn't want to leave bed, so I'm starting this one on my Kindle. It's been on my TBR too long.
Last look at Alaska as we pull out of Ketchikan. Bye forever, cold grey rainforest! Next stop: Prince Rupert, British Columbia. #ak2al
pickThis was so good! I've always loved dystopia, but recently they've often felt either completely ridiculous or way too realistic and current. This one strikes a nice balance--it feels possible without remotely feeling like we're already there. I loved Fan's hope, the questionable nature of the narration, the steady and calm pace, never knowing whom to trust...it all just worked together. I definitely look forward to reading more by this author!
#weneeddiversebooks but also diverse books written in #ownvoices. Here are the dead tree books I have with me written by #diverseauthors
#seasonsreadings2016
"For sometimes you can't help but crave some ruin in what you love."
bailedI rarely do this but I think I might bail on this one. I loved the description of it-- a dystopian future where climate change has reshaped America-- but I can't get invested in the characters and I find the writing style a little too heightened and florid. Should I stick with it? I always find it hard to get into both utopian and dystopian literature. I bailed on Herland too. 😔
Just one of my #bookstacks for today's Day 13 #augustphotochallenge. This is in my home office so it becomes part storage, part books.
