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Space Opera
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy meets Eurovision in an over-the-top science fiction spectacle from bestselling author Catherynne Valente has galaxies competing for glory in a universe-wide musical contestwhere the stakes are as high as the fate of planet Earth. A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was inventedsomething to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding. Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for Galactivisionpart gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete. This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destinythey must sing. A band of human musicians, dancers, and roadies have been chosen to represent Earth on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of their species lies in their ability to rock.
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TheSpineView
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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GondorGirl I just picked up a copy of this book at a sale... it sounds so fun! 5mo
TheSpineView @GondorGirl It was. Enjoy! 5mo
Klou This sounds wicked! 5mo
44 likes4 comments
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traa
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

I absolutely adore this book! Douglas Adams meets David Bowie in the best way possible 💖💖💖

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mariaku21
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

@Clwojick #pantone2023

Reading the blurbs, all I got was Eurovision playing in my head because that I know and love but you this book was a great surprise and I loved it. The story starts out heavy in the comedy but then Valente comes in with the world building, the backstory of the characters are eventually revealed and the characterizations come to a good full circle. Miller was instrumental for how much I ended up enjoying this audiobook.

Clwojick Woohoo! 13mo
13 likes1 stack add1 comment
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peanutnine
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Panpan

This was a very strange book. Basically it is up to one band to sing at a galactic concert to save the Earth. The writing & humor was kind of reminiscent of Douglas Adams but it fell flat. There were a lot of alien species to keep track of and it jumped around to previous contests & history so it was confusing & hard to follow. None of the characters were really likeable and I only finished to see how the train wreck would pull off the ending.

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KoriMay420
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Read this book a couple months ago, this line really stuck with me

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rachelm
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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#blameitonlitsy

Omg love this so far!! Very Douglas Adams

46 likes2 stack adds
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Larkken
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

Love this book! Got the audiobook from the library to listen to as I fall asleep and it did not disappoint. Fits SFFBC cleanup: no gift for strategy. #bookspinbingo

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!!! 3y
10 likes1 comment
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Darthdad
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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I stole this from a Facebook group but I need to talk to my wife about making this a tradition of our own!!!

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego @MaleficentBookDragon is hosting her annual book swap in honour of this tradition too. #JolabokaflodSwap All families should adapt this one! 3y
VioletBramble My family did this last year. So much fun.
3y
Chrissyreadit I love this tradition and thanks to being inspired by @MaleficentBookDragon ‘s fun swap also do it for my kids. 3y
MaleficentBookDragon I love this tradition. The #manpanion does it for me as well. He doesn't read books, so I give him a video game and some chocolate. 3y
JacqMac This would be a perfect gift for me. I wouldn‘t need anything else. 3y
44 likes1 stack add5 comments
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ralexist
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

Eurovision on an acid trip played out on an intergalactic stage for humanity's future, all written in a fashion wherein the English language has been placed in a blender, sprinkled with fairy dust, & spat out again to form this story. If at the end of reading this you ask yourself, "What the hell was that?", then you would be right on track. If you want to consume something very different from the norm then punch this ticket & enjoy the ride.

Darthdad Just started reading this myself. Couldn‘t stop laughing through the first three chapters. Love the premise 3y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Darthdad
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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“In space, everyone can hear you sing”. Thought this would be fun diversion. Bummed out this morning hearing about Sean Connery‘s passing so thought I‘d read something fun while listening to records.

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xicanti
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

I wasn‘t even a little bit prepared for this.

SPACE OPERA obviously isn‘t for everyone, but Valente might as well have written it for me. This is a deeply weird love letter to music and absurdity and the eternal quest to belong on your own terms. It‘s often pretty durned funny, but the thing that really makes it—that sets it apart from so much of the humorous SF out there—is that it‘s also fucking heartbreaking.

MY EMOTIONS. 5 stars

Eyelit I loved this one! 4y
xicanti @Eyelit I can‘t stop buzzing over it! 4y
HeyT I love Eurovision so knowing that this was her take on Eurovision in Space made this an autobuy for me. I loved it so much. 4y
See All 12 Comments
xicanti @HeyT I‘ve had minimal exposure to Eurovision, but this makes me want to give it a serious look. 4y
rachelm Whhaaaaaat I have never heard of this but it sounds right up my alley 4y
xicanti @rachelm I read it because it was a Hugo nominee, but I honestly didn‘t expect much given its low Litsy rating and the Douglas Adams comps. Then it BLEW MY MIND. 4y
GrilledCheeseSamurai I'll read anything by Valente...im a big fan...but even with that going for me I wasn't prepared for how hard I fell for this book. ♥️ 4y
xicanti @GrilledCheeseSamurai IT‘S SO GOOD. 4y
HeyT The best introduction you could have to Eurovision is to look up the performance of Love Love Peace Peace on YouTube 4y
xicanti @HeyT on it. 4y
rachelm Finally reading this!! Thanks for the rec! 3y
xicanti @rachelm hurray! I hope you love it! 3y
37 likes12 comments
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xicanti
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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I liked Nigella‘s tomato-bacon hash so much I made it again last night—and put it in tacos, because anything can be a taco if you just believe.

I also listened to a nice chunk of SPACE OPERA while I cooked. I‘ve gotta say, all the Douglas Adams comps left me leery (I once tried very, very hard to like Adams, and I failed very, very badly), but I‘m loving this. It‘s weird-ass shit with real emotions at its core. Very much my thing. #audiocooking

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Fr3NcHtOaSt
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Once upon a time on a small, watery, excitable planet called Earth, in a small, watery, excitable country called Italy, a soft-spoken, rather nice-looking gentleman by the name of Enrico Fermi was born into a family so overprotective that he felt compelled to invent the atomic bomb.

#FirstLineFridays #SpaceOpera #CatherynneMValente

10 likes1 comment
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ferskner
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Panpan

If you know anything about me, you know that Eurovision is my absolute favorite thing in the world. I am obsessed with it. This book should have been perfect for me but I hated it with every bit of my angry heart. I've tried Valente's books before and I hate her writing style, but to squander the idea to set Eurovision in space is unforgivable.

#litsyatoz @BookishMarginalia #readingwomenchallenge #frequentlyrecommendedtoyou @thereadingwomen

LeeRHarry Oh no 😱 I‘m a huge Eurovision fan too and have this one on my shelf - bit nervous about it now ... 4y
Ms_T 🤣 Great review! 4y
TheSpineView I felt the same about this book. 👎 4y
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MsMelissa I‘ve never watched Eurovision (it‘s not a thing in Canada, but I really wish it was! I want to watch it) so I won‘t have any expectations going on to this one. 4y
ferskner @LeeRHarry yayyyyyyyyyyyy someone who gets it! What's your favorite country? @Ms_T haha thank you! @TheSpineView right???? It was so frustrating!!!! 4y
ferskner @Book_Fiend_Melissa it's not a thing here in the US either, but you can definitely find A TON of clips on YouTube (although I'm not sure if Canada is geoblocked for the last few contests like we are). Or if you need any suggestions....😉 4y
LeeRHarry @ferskner well now it‘s Australia - although I‘m still not 100% sure that they should be in it really - also the UK - no good songs recently 😏 - and then any country that does something fun! 😊 4y
MsMelissa Thanks for the YouTube tip! I can‘t believe it didn‘t cross my mind to look for it there 🤣 4y
ferskner @LeeRHarry Kate Miller-Heidke's performance changed my mind about Australia being in the contest! 😍 I'm on the same page: I want it to be a party, which is why I always boo the ballads. 4y
52 likes9 comments
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UnRuLee
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

Hitchhiker‘s Guide to the Galaxy, but make it queer? Yes please.

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Abailliekaras
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

I loved this! A great escapist read. I don‘t read much sci-fi but am a huge Douglas Adams fan ❤️ & Valente pays homage to him, & honours the wonderful camp, inclusive, silliness of Eurovision. It‘s very on point. She writes great sentences. Dry satire, me laugh out loud. I preferred the main characters‘ sections to the sci fi bits. A light read but also shows how humans have under-used their intelligence & acted irrationally (eg climate change).

ChasingOm This was a really enjoyable audiobook. 😄 4y
Abailliekaras @ChasingOm oh that would be fun! I did make a playlist to go with it. 😜 4y
ChasingOm Ohmygosh, what a fun idea! 4y
26 likes3 comments
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Abailliekaras
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

I loved this! A great escapist read. I don‘t read much sci-fi but am a huge Douglas Adams fan ❤️ & Valente pays homage to him, & honours the wonderful camp, inclusive, silliness of Eurovision. It‘s very on point. She writes great sentences. Dry satire, me laugh out loud. I preferred the main characters‘ sections to the sci fi bits. A light read but also shows how humans have under-used their intelligence & acted irrationally (eg climate change).

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Skeeterisme
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

Quirky and fun 😍🎤 🚀😍

54 likes1 stack add
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Abailliekaras
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Currently reading and loving (and making a playlist). 🥰 #blameitonlitsy

JNSibanda Looks awesome! 4y
Abailliekaras @JNSibanda it‘s so fun! 4y
28 likes2 comments
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TheSpineView
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Panpan

Not what I expected. So over done! I did a lot of eye rolling. What was supposed to be funny I found was silly and then just became tiresome. It was a slog to get through. ⭐⭐

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Butterfinger
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
Panpan

The writing reminds me of the grouping cats meme that represents the first day of kindergarten. The writing is hyper, spastic, and doesn't follow any rules. As I read, I was getting mentally tired just like the kindergarten teacher. The book is full of idioms, puns, and analogies and every once in a while, I may have laughed at loud.

Life is beautiful and life is stupid. I think the author did a great job portraying the second part.

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OriginalCyn620
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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I‘m not a big sci-fi reader, but I did enjoy these books #setinouterspace! 🪐
#bibliomaynia

RachelAmphlett The Martian is brilliant - I‘m not a sci-fi reader either but my husband raved about that one so I gave up and read it 🤣 Have you seen the film? It‘s not a bad adaptation although it does miss out some of the humour from the book (edited) 4y
OriginalCyn620 @RachelAmphlett I did see the movie and liked it a lot! 4y
55 likes2 comments
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WhatWouldJaneDo
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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I'm having a high anxiety week so it was a great treat to have this guy snuggle up with me for some audio knitting once I was finally able to take a lunch break. #catsoflitsy

rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 4y
writerlibrarian Knitting helped me last week to soothe the anxiety. 💜 4y
WhatWouldJaneDo @writerlibrarian I've been doing a lot of knitting (and treating myself to some yarn purchases to help the makers who missed out on our local fiber fest a few weeks ago). Anything to keep me from scrolling fb too much is good! What are you making? 4y
writerlibrarian @WhatWouldJaneDo I'm doing Floats Cowl from Purlsoho https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2017/09/22/floats-cowl/ it's a good stash busting pattern 4y
WhatWouldJaneDo Oh that's lovely! That might be just the project I've been looking for for a particular stash yarn... 4y
51 likes5 comments
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GirlNamedJesse
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
Bailedbailed

DNF around 40%. Audio was sooooo not the way to go on this one (for me). The story detoured all over the freaking place and I was so annoyed at the meandering storyline. I paid full price for the audiobook, which I never ever do, so the compulsion to finish this was strong. Goes to show how frustrated I was to bail! For those who don‘t mind the structure, the story itself is wild!

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Karisa
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Wow! What a book haul! Thank you, @Chili! Perfectly selected! I can't wait to dig into these, and all next week is Spring Break for me! Perfect timing. 💗😊📚

Thank you, @LibrarianRyan too for organizing the fun #WhiteRabbitSwap!

LibrarianRyan Nice! 4y
Chili Enjoy!!😁 4y
Graciouswarriorprincess Book goddess! Love! 4y
60 likes3 comments
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WhatWouldJaneDo
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Audio knitting. This project makes me so cheerful, and so does this book! #knittersoflitsy

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WhatWouldJaneDo
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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#audiobaking earlier today. I'm rereading Space Opera (read it in print the first time) which is a wonderful pick me up for these stressful times, and baked a lemon pound cake.

BookmarkTavern That looks delicious! 4y
WhatWouldJaneDo @ozma.of.oz thank you! I wish I'd taken it out of the oven a few minutes sooner (the bake time on the recipe was way too long!) But it tastes pretty good, especially with the glaze I put on it. Should be a nice treat for the next few days. 4y
44 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Victoriahoperose
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Mehso-so

I liked the concept of this book. The musical references were really fun and the descriptions were strong and interesting. I felt like it got a little confusing which could have been because I listened to this one. Overall, it was entertaining, but I didn‘t love it.

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deargeekplace
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Cue the music. #SciFiMonth

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Settings
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
Pickpick

Liked this one but failed to find it funny. More heartbreaking than funny.

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rwmg
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Bailedbailed

I read the first chapter. She's trying far too hard to be the next Douglas Adams and I couldn't face 300 pages of it.

shanaqui I'm so glad to see other people feeling that way! 4y
rwmg @shanaqui It's a pity because the concept sounded fun 4y
14 likes2 comments
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AiBBot
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

If you hate to laugh and think humanity is great, do NOT read this #hugo2019 nominated book. If you want a story about Galactic music concert reality show being the only way to save Earth that is full of humanity-depreciating jokes and brilliantly diverse aliens, read this book. The photo is of the Flaming Lips‘ Wayne Coyne. Thank you Catherynne M Valente....Thank you.

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Leniverse
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente

"Aquatic species have a notoriously tough time handling the usual technological transition from ruining their own planets to ruining whole solar systems. While mammals, insects, and enlightened lichen can zip about as long as they take along a few houseplants to micromanage the air cycle, the unlucky space whales of this universe have to sort out how to get a ship overburdened with the absurd weight of a personal ocean into high orbit. ⤵️

Leniverse No matter the magnitude of science's triumph over nature, it will always be much easier to get a helium balloon to fly than a water balloon." 5y
34 likes1 comment
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IndoorDame
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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The #bookfairies all arrived at my house today with surprise litsy love packages from @OriginalCyn620 AND @Soubhiville filed with these gems and I'm so excited! Thank you both!!
#litsylove

OriginalCyn620 Awesome! Happy reading! 📚❤️ 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Woohoo 🙌🏻 has 📚❤️ 5y
Soubhiville Yay! Enjoy! 5y
50 likes1 stack add3 comments
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kwmg40
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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I've only been able to read 4 hours and 40 minutes so far for the #24B4Monday readathon, but I did finish my last book from the 2019 Hugo Best Novel shortlist. This one is a lot of fun, in the style of Douglas Adams.

#hugo2019
@jb72 @Andrew65 @TheReadingMermaid

Andrew65 Sounds interesting, still a good time. 👏👏👏 5y
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OriginalCyn620
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

When I read the blurb for this book, I expected a fun, over-the-top, absurd, & silly story. And that‘s what this is. I laughed throughout this book! Simply put, it‘s a wild, fantastical ride! A singing competition held in space determines which species lives or dies. Eurovision meets Hitchhiker‘s Guide To The Galaxy.
#booked2019 #bookgiftedtoyou #popsugarreadingchallenge

LapReader Love that composition. 5y
Cinfhen It was silly fun but somewhere along the way the silly stopped being fun for me. Glad u liked it 😊 5y
67 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Carolyn11215
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Finished. Two more to go so that I can vote for #hugo2019 best novel. I liked this one...but feel like I‘d need to read a few more times to get everything out of it.

ChasingOm I‘ve got REVENANT GUN and SPINNING SILVER left. I just got SS from the library, so I‘m close! 5y
Carolyn11215 @ChasingOm have you read the first two in the revenant series? Trying to decide whether I have to read them first to give Revenant Gun a fair shake. 5y
ChasingOm I haven‘t, and that‘s why I haven‘t gotten to that one yet. 😂 Also, I‘m not sure the premise really interests me, although reading through the Hugos has surprised me with some great reads that I wouldn‘t have picked up otherwise. 5y
17 likes3 comments
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OriginalCyn620
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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I‘m about 100 pages in and I can see how this would not be a lot of people‘s cup of tea. I, however, am laughing my a** off! #saturdaymood

45 likes1 stack add
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Carolyn11215
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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One of my favorite first sentences in a very long time! 4th out of 6 books I need to complete to vote in #hugo2019

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Dogearedcopy
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Panpan

? This just wasn‘t my cup of tea at all:
Absurdist comedy á la Douglas Adams that just wore on you; long/boring exposition (hours and hours of rambling on and on about nothing that mattered in the end,) not enough action, and a narrator that sounded so pretentious that he sounded like a *parody* of a British narrator (He just earned a spot on my “NO List!)

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Dogearedcopy
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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🎧 This is an absurdist comedy about an intergalactic Eurovision-type competition in which the prize for not coming in last means that your planet and sentient species gets to live...

A third of the way in, I‘m committed to the audiobook (narrated by Heath Miller,) but the “cleverness” and slow plot drive are wearing on me a bit.

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imyril
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
Panpan

I knew going in that I don‘t enjoy Eurovision and I no longer enjoy Douglas Adams, so this was going to be a tough pitch. Hats off to Valente for imagination and prose powers - but ultimately, not my thing. I enjoyed the first third but by midway the over the top writing and emphasis on glam galaxy building over plot or character exhausted my interest and my patience.

...but if I loved Eurovision and comic SF? Genius, surely.

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hannahx
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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"Is that really it?" Dess interrupted halfway through. "We just sing better than one beastie and we get to live?"
"Yes. Does it seem barbaric to you? Sixty-seven percent of your population used that word."
"No, it makes sense to me. It's perfect."
"Why?"
Decibel shrugged. "Life is stupid and beautiful in that way."

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imyril
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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...I‘m not loving this book, but I could love this philosophy. Shine on, baby.

shanaqui God, I loathed this book. 5y
imyril @shanaqui I‘m finding it easier to read than Radiance, but I think it‘ll end up as a Palimpsest: about three quarters through I‘ll realise I‘ve lost track of who is who, what they want and why I should care because the nuance all got drowned in the torrent of adjectives 5y
shanaqui I've been known to enjoy Valente's other books -- I think I quite liked Radiance, actually -- but this one. No. 5y
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ChasingOm
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

This book was absurd in the best possible way. I tried to read it twice before getting the audiobook from Libby - that was DEFINITELY the way to go for me. I didn‘t get as caught up in the words and was able to appreciate the feel of the book - a weird, crazy romp from London to the edge of the galaxy, with descriptions of alien biology, home worlds, and artistic proclivities spelled out in funktastic descriptions. My 2nd audiobook for #BFC.🤘🏻

ChasingOm As for #BookFitnessChallenge itself — I fell off the wagon during the Memorial Day weekend because of mental health stuff, but I recharged my FitBit yesterday and am trying to get my mojo back! 5y
BookwormAHN You can do it 🌸 5y
wanderinglynn You got this! 🙌🏻 The important thing is you haven‘t quit. 5y
28 likes3 comments
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JoyBlue
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Mehso-so

I've been looking forward to this for ages. It was a little too frenetic/insubstantial for me right now. Real life is so crazy-busy at the moment, I don't need that in my entertainment, too. Right now, I just need nice/fluffy/kind/easy/pleasant/light. It reminded me a bit of the frenetic The Everything Box, by Richard Kadrey [maybe also of The Long Earth, by Terry Pratchett (but not as good)]. The cover is pretty, though. 😉

Ashley_Nicoletto I have a long plane ride to Hawaii coming up and I was thinking about downloading this one for the flight (along with multiple others). 5y
Larkken @Ashley_Nicoletto I loved it! But I think it benefit from skimming (so, eyebook form?)... Frenetic is a great word for it @JoyBlue 😂 5y
JoyBlue @Ashley_Nicoletto Ooh—happy reading & have a great time in Hawaii! 5y
54 likes3 comments
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KtheBookwyrm
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
Bailedbailed

Unfortunately, I got about halfway through this and figured out it just wasn‘t for me. Too much nonsense, not enough story.