Welcome to Litsy!

#fallintitle
#springskies

…okay, might have found a new favourite sci-fi series. Planetfall wasn‘t what I expected, but I loved its focus on mental health and the ways we trick ourselves and our community into thinking things are okay. Stir in a fascinating story of faith and science in a human colony built on a fragile web of deceit and there was so much going on here to keep me absorbed. Probably won‘t suit lovers of hard SF, but I loved it.

A large batch of sci-fi was my reward for sifting through the shelves this weekend at our local bookstore. I have good lists on Goodreads due to all my watching of Booktube. Thank you SFF180, Steve Donaghue and Shades of Orange channels.

This took a bit to get into but once I found my rhythm I couldn't put it down. Ren is very relatable as she struggles with mental illness and the lie the colony was founded on. I felt there was a bit of a disconnect from the main story and where the book ended but I enjoyed my time reading it.
#BuriedAliveChallenge
#CalibreRoulette

Sierra and a book. Always a good day.
#CatsOfLitsy

#BookReport
This week I managed to finish off the last of my November books as well as finish the Chrestomanci series.
#WeeklyForecast
My goal for the week is to finish Planetfall and Suicide Collectors. If there's still time after that I'm moving on to The Terror.

🎧 Has anyone read this book because I swear I have no idea what I just read. 🤨 I‘m intrigued but if I have to go through multiple chapters of annoying Hoarders in space again then nope. That was a quick (rushed?) ending and wow what was that all about. Now I feel I have to get book two & I have no idea how to rate this one as I had a love/hate relationship with it through the entire thing ... maybe it‘s just been a long week ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I finished book #2 for the #EasterExtravaganza readathon hosted by @Andrew65. This is the first book in the series nominated for this year's Hugo Best Series award and it's terrific. It's the best kind of science fiction -- big ideas, characters with depth, and a page-turning plot. The themes made me think of The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, another book I loved. #hugo2020

This coming week will be busy, but I‘m still hoping to have lots of time to devote to the #EasterExtravaganza #readathon hosted by @Andrew65 . My goal is to finish as many of these books as I can in the next 8 days!

#weekendreads

1 - Steelheart (audio) and Planetfall
2 - The Labyrinth of Scions and Sorcery
3 - The Healer

A group flees the dystopia that Earth has become and founds a religious cult colony on a distant planet. Then a stranger comes to town. That part isn‘t unusual in science fiction. What makes this novel stand out is the fascinating #bisexual central character, Renata Ghali, a scientific genius who happens to be a compulsive hoarder. #Audiobook is narrated by the author, who happens to be a professional audiobook narrator. #LGBTQ #BlameitonLitsy :

…the printer makes a pair of knitting needles for me. I call up knitting tutorials on the cloud and am filled with the thrill of potential. … I practice in a gaming platform built to teach newbies.
(#knittinglivesoninspace)

When a podcast guest recommended another book in this series, she said I didn't have to start at the beginning but I did anyway. It's about a colony on an alien planet, a engineer/builder named Ren who specializes in 3D printing and has fashioned most of the colony herself, and secrets that she's kept for years. ⤵️

I enjoyed most of this book. Appreciated that the protagonist was a 70-year-old biracial, bisexual woman - so rare to see older women as the lead in stories! I also think the author did a really nice job of bringing anxiety to life. Wasn‘t a huge fan of the ending, but looking forward to reading more by Newman.

Renata Ghali is a brilliant engineer, responsible for keeping the small colony at the base of God's city running smoothly. No one seems to notice how damaged Ren actually is, how haunted by the secrets she's kept since the first shuttle touched down on this alien planet. When a newcomer arrives, Ren's facade develops cracks she can't hide. This was a tense and psychologically complex novel. Heartbreaking, but I'm glad I read it.

68 pages (8 chapters) in and 'Planetfall' is proving to be an enjoyable read. An ideal book to kick off the new year.

First read of 2020. Technically I started it in 2019, but only read the first chapter before our New Year's Eve guests arrived.

I wont say much because this is a #LMPBC book. I started confused but by chapter 5, I couldnt put it down. It was a good one to me. Also does ger the white cover and trying to escape bingo.

#TBRread #LMPBC #Round007
@whippoorwill815 @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Dragonfairykats @LibrarianRyan @Clwojick @StayCurious

Look what I got today!! It was in a parcel locker that I could have fit in without much work, I was confused what I got that needed such a big locker!!
@Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Dragonfairykats @whippoorwill815

I have some mixed feelings about this one, I definitely kept turning the pages to see what would happen... but that ending took quite an unexpected turn. I can‘t wait to see what everyone else in my #LMPBC group think when they read it, and therefore no spoilers here.

If I‘m reading the directions correctly, we mail to the one below us on the list, so this is off to @jessinikkip next. I‘ll mail it this evening.

4/5⭐ The last 20 mins of the audiobook took a MASSIVE turn. I really hope the other books in the series provide an explanation, because otherwise it's a cop-out from actually handling all the plotlines & character arcs.

The first 9 hrs 40 mins, however, were WONDERFUL. Newman hooked the reader by dripping clues in a perfect pace. Her voice narration is marvelous. The world she created feels so full, all balanced & shared without infodumping.

He knew just what to say to make me feel safe, not only from the external but also my internal world. That scared me more than anything, sometimes; the noise of my thoughts, the sense that even the space inside myself wasn't safe.

I think “majority” is one of my least favorite words. It‘s so often used to justify bad decisions.

WOW! @slightlyfoxed #staycationintimeswap #sits Thank you for everything SPACE !!!! I'm planning a SciFi September reading and these are all going on the TBR. The little bag filled with pins, notebooks and skincare (Space is tough on you skin 😁) I'm intimidated by the coloring book but the pencils are so neat and I'm looking forward to trying the tea in the mug. Loved that you went hard on the sci fi, everything's awesome. ❤
@Chrissyreadit

I LOVED this. Not at all what I was expecting. Melancholy, tragic, hopefull, and intimate. I wish I could find more scifi like this. #scifi

Am I allowed to listen to a book about space travel while participating in air travel? #scifi

My reaction to this book was inarticulate flailing. WHOA. THIS BOOK.

Panda would like to know why I woke him up for this. #catsoflitsy

I started this tonight. And Aral is annoyed I'm not petting him. #catsoflitsy

I'm finding I want to hold physical books. Too many distractions with reading on my tablet. Maybe I need to dig my old Sony Reader out...

I couldn‘t put this book down, I was walking around while reading it! I loved the way the mystery of the colony and the personal struggles of the protagonist intertwined.

I love library book sales! Who cares if my bookshelves are already overflowing?

🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸 This book was fantastic. I wasn't really sure what to expect but it wasn't this. It was interesting in how it dealt with mental illness in a science fiction setting. The ending wasn't amazing but I forgave it because the rest of it was so good.

I really enjoyed this - great character development (although I didn‘t find ANY of the characters particularly nice people, to be honest) and I loved the idea of God‘s City and the search for it. The end was too rushed though. I would‘ve liked more!

2017 #158 sci fi audio this is so weirdly like the TV series The 100 but not really but that's I could think of. It was weird and I couldn't get my mind wrapped around the construct. Book 1. Will probably wiki the others because I'm not sure I really really want to continue the series.

Really enjoyed this. Apparently, it's the first in a series...after the way it ended, I'm not sure where else it could possibly go, but we shall see.

A nice variety of genres and fonts from my #TBR shelf. Font choice says so much about a book--when it's done well! #forfontssake #anditsaugust

Started this a while ago. Unsurprisingly, it's taking me forever to finish.

Emma Newman is one of my favourite authors. I love her Urban fantasy series The Spilt Worlds and her science fiction novels.

This book is brilliant. A great story about mental Illness, memory, grief and false stories. A wonderful standalone

"I think that interpreting events as signs from God is a slippery slope," I begin... [Chapter 7, 21%]

Y'all need to read this book. I just said y'all, that's how much you need to read this book. A group travels to a distant planet to search for God or a higher power. Part of the group survives and lives in a utopia of sorts, the other group...? It reminded me a lot of the movie Prometheus. It is a bit slow in the beginning but it's so worth it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one from my #TBR was #boughtonvacation last summer at Powell's in Portland, OR. One of my best friends lives in Portland, and when I visit her, Powell's is always one of our required stops! #feistyfeb

This took a few tries but I think I got it? Just bough this with some of my birthday money - I can't believe none of the libraries I'm near have it, in any form! (But they are getting the sequel...wha?). #bookface #readjanuary

I'm not sure what to say! Definitely kept my attention and some interesting things happened towards the end. If you like science fiction give it a try! There is a sequel though it's not a continuation of this book. It follows the people who were left on Earth. I will be reading that one too.

This book reminds me a lot of the movie The Village. Still a bit of a mystery around what's going on but it's obvious that the truth is only known by a few.

"One should never break a sacred law when under the influence of psychoactive substances." Pretty sound advice.

3.5/5 stars - not a disappointment, but not a book I anticipate rereading. I really enjoyed the setting, the world-building, and the narrative pacing, but the characterization, the overall treatment of faith, and the ending all left me cold. Still, an original sci fi written by a woman with an LGBT WoC protagonist gets a thumbs up from me.

Ordering books for work always means adding to my TBR pile. Put these two on hold because book 2 sounded good and comes out soon. Hoping to read them this week/weekend.

Normally I don't like it when books withhold critical plot information from the reader, but the way Newman weaves that into the main character's psyche - as well as the questions the book makes you ask - work really well. I had a writing professor who said there are only 2 stories: somebody comes to town, or somebody leaves. Planetfall explores both.

Listened to the audiobook narrated by the author and it was amazing. I loved Ren so much.