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Meh. The mystery was good but some of the writing style pulled me out of the book.

China Mieville is one of my favourite authors, but I never really dared reading him in English. Too complex are his worlds and ideas. But since I've read all translated ones that are still available, I just had to try it.

This one seemed fit and it was. I think it's a good book to start with Mieville, because it sure is a true Mieville, but not as abstruse as other books. A mixture between Blade Runner and The Short End of the Sonnenallee.

🎧 Missed one. I‘m SO sorry about the huge review dump. Work has been crazy busy.

This one … the setting still haunts me & I read it nearly 3 weeks ago. The murder mystery was conventional and pretty mid BUT the setting. Read this book for the unusual setting!!

In thirds …. Starts strong and slowly descends. Still. The setting. It makes up for what the story lacks. Might make ya think.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Until a few months ago I wasn't even aware of Mieville, which seems impossible. This was recommended as a good place to start, and I really enjoyed it, a Chandler-esque detective story set in a pair of cities that occupy the same geographical space, but which are "split" psychically in the minds of their residents, a pretty neat metaphor for the way selective seeing and beliefs have shaped politics and societies over generations.

Very good book, picked up pace dramatically near the end. I enjoyed all of the characters and their interactions, and thought it was a very fun and unique setting. I was a little sad for the ending for spoiler reasons, and I thought perhaps it was a little bit rushed/could have dwelled more on points in the end, but I still really liked it and would 100% recommend it to others.

This was on a list of SFF titles of Action & Adventure; but it seems to be more of a police procedural set in a rather dismal future city/state in the Balkans— def not the “Indiana Jones in Space or Fairyland” vibe I was hoping for! Unfortunately, I‘m just not in the right mindset for it right now. The fact that I lost it for five days and I wasn‘t terribly bothered tells me that it‘s time to re-stack it for another time.

"She drove my computer, pulling the information she had into various spreadsheets. She translated my muttered, vague ideas into charts. "This is called data mining." She said the last words in English.
”Which of us is the canary?” I said. She did not answer."

I like China Miéville a lot and the main idea of the locale in this book, the two cities coexisting together (no more details so I don't spoil it) didn't disappoint. The crime plot is OK but for me it didn't matter much, I just enjoyed a lot the way common actions are made to work in this mind bending backdrop. A definite pick for me.

I love the world building and intricacies of the two cities, and how they‘re intertwined. The twists about 2/3s of the way through had me intrigued and I was with the characters on all their turns and revelations. My only critique would be there were a few bits that felt repetitive, with the constant reestablishment of Ul Qoma/Bèzel and Breach politics, but it also saved me from potential confusion of actions so it gets a pass for that just about.

Latest #libraryhaul

Not like I have time to read them or anything but I‘m sure I can squeak them into my Wheel of Time read before the late fees get too outrageous.

TNG 6.22 #Suspicions Another one I love. Dr. Crusher violates Starfleet
regulations and medical ethics when she investigates the death of a Ferengi
scientist. It has a Klingon scientist and a Vulcan version of Hatchepsut (look up). A smart murder mystery with a clever foil. Introducing metaphasic shielding, which will be used in season 7.

Any good murder mystery would do, so I chose tagged because also SF.
#startreksummermay @day29 @Megabooks

Great book. Squidapus would probably have enjoyed it even more if he didn't pick it up due to loving Kraken's over the top prose since this is quite different than Mieville's usual style. Still, it played to the trappings of the noir genre and still executed a fascinating look at two cities existing coterminously. The mystery resolves in a great way considering The Breach constantly makes you wonder how fantastical the world of the book is.

With how much Squidapus loved Mieville's Kraken he's really excited to read another Mieville book we picked up.

Just finished this book and I loved it. Murder mystery meets urban fantasy meets political intrigue. It definitely doesn‘t do a lot of exposition upfront, so be patient as you figure out the universe. In fact, I still have questions. There were things I wanted explained further, but I‘m also thinking of re-reading it (or reading it instead of listening next time). I just want to talk to someone about it!

Starting this for some #urbanfantasy. Still getting acquainted with the universe. This might be one of those times when a visual book is better for keeping up with names of places and people. We‘ll see.

Loved this. It's a standard police procedural, but is a very strange setting where two cities occupy the same space at the same time. I can now go finish watching the TV show, on Britbox, based on this book.

#WeirdFiction

Tonight's dinner and a book: bourbon pork loin, purple rice, peas, and fresh bread from Wegmans.

#BookNDinner

Started this one over the weekend. I chose this as my next read since season one of the TV show is now available on the Britbox streaming service.

A speculative fiction novel that takes a police procedural and sets it in an extraordinary world where two cities exist side by side but are separated by a deep culture of unseeing. The mystery is so-so but the world building is beautifully handled.

This was okay - I liked it more than other China Mieville books I‘ve tried, it was less icky, but still I felt like I NEARLY enjoyed it and it was NEARLY compelling and fascinating. Not quite tho. Other people like China Mieville so much and I keep feeling like I‘m nearly getting it but not quite

Giving China Mieville another try! I didn‘t love Perdido Street Station or Embassytown that much - I find him a bit disgusting but some of the ideas were good and this was on sale. It‘s been sitting on my audible for weeks and I‘m very broke so listening through the things I‘ve been putting off means doing books I‘m not as excited for. Three cheers for me saving money tho

Miéville is practically unparalleled in modern speculative fiction at not only bringing his cities alive, but creating them as intricately imagined & indispensable narrative spaces.
#CityOfDreams #SeptemberDanes
@Cinfhen @Kalalalatja

This was SO close to being a 5⭐️ book for me. I‘m a poli sci & history geek, so found the creation of a structure of overlapping city states impressive. (Read the book‘s blurb for a summary.)

I found the author‘s writing style unnecessarily complex, which made the engine of the story repeatedly choke & stall for me. Maybe this was intentional in a book about a divided place?
The cities have been compared with Belfast, which drew me in.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The concept of this book is amazing but overly, needlessly complex.

I can forgive the author for its unnecessary complexity and lack of clarity.

I can‘t, however, forgive such poor sentence structure.

#UseProperEnglishPlease
#NoEndingSentencesWithAPreposition
#GrammarGeeksUnite

Hated the BBC TV adaptation. Everything that I loved in the book was missing or misjudged and additional characters and elements added nothing of value. All of the complexity and nuance and grey areas were removed and it was barely comprehensible. China Miéville was named as a consultant and I just wonder why he let them do this because this was not the book that I've read.

I‘d never read Miéville before (how??) and I LOVED this. It took me a moment to get used to the premise of two cities that happen to exist in the same “grosstopical” location, but it‘s fantastically done.

Just watched the first episode. The cast are excellent, the visuals are clever but there's a couple of changes already that I'm not too keen on. Also nothing is pronounced the way I say it in my head and it's driving me crazy!

Taking a break from reading to watch The City and the City. I haven't read the book and it's Mieville, so it's rather weird and hard to follow!

I've just discovered that the BBC adaptation of China Mieville's The City and the City is on this week. This is one of my favourite books of all time so I hope they have done a good job.

On one hand I could not be more excited about this, on the other it's a shame that the relationship between the cities is made so explicit in the trailer when it's more of a puzzle in the book. If you haven't read it I seriously advise you to avoid ALL exposure to the TV show until you have. It's fantastic and one of my all-time most successful recommendations. I think a re-read is in order! #recommendsday trailer link under the spoiler tag!

This looks like good news..... http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/david-morrissey-the-city-and-th...

I enjoy a good murder-mystery every now and then and this one had a great setting. Definitely wanna read more by China Mieville

Listening to this one at the gym. Interesting concept!

#FierceFeb Day 23: Ok, ok, I know I am cheating with #NightInTheCity here but hey it‘s Mieville, should absolve me, right, right?? :)

Audible 2 for 1 sale on mysteries & thrillers, and my boyfriend sent me the China Mieville one 😊
#bookhaul #audiblesale

A superb book. Weird in a good way. It has memorable characters and memorable setting/s. Once I started reading it I just can't stop reading. I would have loved to see it in the big screen. It's hard to visualize the crosshatchings and how to be in neither city. I do hope they make it into a movie.

There's something strange going on between the #two cities of Besźel and Ul Qoma... I love this mind-bending genre-busting police procedural cum sci-fi cum political thriller. Miéville at his audacious, original, pugnacious best #NovemberByTheNumbers

Here's my four choices for you.
1) An ancient evil lurks in this smalltown- horror
2) Gerald is a Witcher, a sorcerer, and a merciless assassin- fantasy
3)adult returns home to revisit demons of his past-psychological horror
4) Inspector of extreme crime squad finds deadly conspiracies beneath a seemingly routine murder- urban fantasy/ crime procedural
@aroc @MrsGreen #LMPBC @Wife

1. 😊(boring but useful), 👍(I loved the Fonz), and 😉 (good for letting people know you're teasing)
2. China Mieville, Colin Cotterill, Robin Hobb, Megan Abbott
3. No real plans for Saturday, other than trying to get in some reading; working Sunday 😠
4. Raised as an only child but I have a half-brother 9 years younger
5. On it!!
#friyayintro @jess.how

This is a kind of crime/fantasy hybrid, set in two imaginary cities which share much of the same physical space but whose respective citizens have trained themselves to ignore (unsee) the people and landmarks of the other. Much of the book is devoted to playing around with this idea. As a story it races along quite nicely though I got a bit lost towards the end trying to keep the various sides straight. But very inventive.

If I think of something amazing that takes me beyond my #wildestdreams I instantly think of this book. If you haven't read it, you should. I want to tell you that you must but I don't control your life. The premise is singular (two cities exist in the same space and must un-see the others' existence) with compelling writing and plot and lots to think about. @Cinfhen #AugustGrrrl

It finally came in! I've been waiting weeks for this hold to come in. I started this on audio, which was good, but I thought I'd engage better with the print. My current read isn't catching my attention, so I think I'm going to dig in to this one tonight! #hopefullyworththewait

#junebookbugs #urbanfantasy

I adore this book and recommend it often. It's one of those books that I wish I could Eternal Sunshine myself and go back and read again for the first time.

My favorite of his so far. A mystery, though it is less about the crime than life in the divided cities. Worldbuilding is one of his strengths, and this one is not as wildly imaginative (okay, weird) as other books I've read by him. Great one to start with.

Loved the concept of the book, but the ending left me a bit confused. Still a pick, though! (maybe someone smarter can explain things to me?)

This book is kind of a crime noir and urban fantasy mashup. It's unlike anything I've ever read and I can't figure out how to explain it in 451 characters. The audiobook is great and I listened to it in only 3 sittings! It's so great and highly recommend for fans of Neil Gaiman (for the weird factor not necessarily the humor part) and crime mysteries ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#aprilbookshowers day 3: #muscles
Hellooo China Miéville and his muscles! ??

Made a nice dent on this during my boring drive to my parents! Thanks @Lindy for the recommendation! I'm really enjoying it so far.

The concept of this genre bending noir-fantasy-crime novel shouldn't have worked, but with the aid of Miéville's capable pen, it totally did. I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging story, the impossible premise, and the author's spare stylistic writing choice. I want to know more about the MC, Detective Borlú. Like the history of the cities themselves, there is so much under the surface of this book, just waiting to be unearthed.