Welcome to Litsy!

I'll rate it a pick for the scare value (the consequences of trading privacy and freedom for convenience under surveillance capitalism) and for daring to have a not especially sympathetic MC. But, oh, did it drag... right up until it got wind of the finish line, towards which it fairly galloped!

Maybe I've got the peri-menopausal rage-tinted spectacles on again, but isn't it also about how this economic culture depends on unpaid female labour?

May reads: 7 tense reads this month. Usually this month is my highest of the year, but due to my focus on my physical and mental health and a very busy time at work, it‘s a little low. Don‘t think I will make my yearly reading goals.
My favorite read has to be The Dream Hotel.

Lalami's writing is sometimes a little obvious in its intentions, but this one plays with nuance a little better than The Other Americans, which I appreciate. It's definitely paranoia-inducing, so if you're reading fiction to avoid doomscrolling or if you don't want to look at your smart devices with suspicion, this might not be your best option. But aside from those caveats, I quite enjoyed this one.

I had a lovely time at the orchid exhibition at the botanic garden yesterday. It was a nice break from national news, unlike the tagged, which I started on audio. It seems pretty good, but I don't know if I'm in the right headspace to cope with the paranoia. (I also played at a piano recital and was so nervous that I pretty much blacked out during my performance, so I might need something lighter to read to help me even out.)

Would you get an implant that would help you sleep? What if it tracked your dreams and rated you on your actions? What if your rating landed you in jail?

I saw somewhere that this is for fans of Minority Report, which I‘d never read, so I decided to do my homework and check out some Philip K. Dick before I read this. Now that that‘s completed, I‘m excited to dive in!

This feels like a story that could happen soon if the tech bros and the government want it to happen. Technology is used to determine if they can stop crime from occurring by tapping into your dreams & thoughts. If you are determined to be a threat, off you go to a facility and at that point you best hope you can get out of there. This book was freaky, unsettling, frustrating and had me hurrying through chores in order to pick it up to finish it.

A well-written book, but a bit too close to home with so much gaslighting.

#DynamicDs Day 28: It is #Difficult to dream differently in this dystopian universe lest you be perceived as dangerous and subsequently detained by an all-knowing government. Looking forward to reading it.