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Robotswithpersonality

Robotswithpersonality

Joined June 2022

Funny fantasy, sci-fi for speculating, meta horror, final girls, Greek myth, pleasant mysteries, ace/agender rep
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Robotswithpersonality
Floating Hotel | Grace Curtis
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Today's 'scratched my brain just right' phrase. 🌌

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Robotswithpersonality
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Beautiful response, awesome brother - and brother-in-law!

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Robotswithpersonality
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Degree is nice, job is better. 🫤🎓💵

7 likes1 stack add
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Robotswithpersonality
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🧲♥️

review
Robotswithpersonality
Gnomon: A novel | Nick Harkaway
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Pickpick

Very weird to go back in the history of this book to look over my first review and realize I highlighted a couple of the same quotes almost a year later. 😅 Upon reread of book and review, I honestly don't think I can say it better than I did, or have much to add. I think I can acknowledge some pacing issues in the second half, balancing mystery with an increasingly gripping pace against multiple dense story lines, but overall still impressive.

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Robotswithpersonality
Gnomon: A novel | Nick Harkaway
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“...as we all should be,“

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Robotswithpersonality
Gnomon: A novel | Nick Harkaway
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Most excellent bookstore proprietor spiel.

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Robotswithpersonality
Gnomon: A novel | Nick Harkaway
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Value-added grandfather-ing. ☺️ Excellent philosophy for nightmares.

9 likes1 stack add
review
Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

A lovely experience that makes me so, SO glad not to be in my twenties anymore! 😅 Well-known term or not (don't forget the Afterword), an Age of License is probably something that could happen at different times in your life as long as the confluence of factors, (feeling untethered from family and routine, having the resources and opportunity for travel, uncertain of long term plans), exist, but I think that more often happens 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? in your twenties. Lucy has very relatable see-sawing concerns as she thinks about the potential of her present and what she wants her future to be.
I also think it's pretty often that young women especially find themselves on the rebound and swept up in the heteronormative romanticism of a brief love affair dictated by specific circumstances; I appreciate that Lucy's narration makes it clear she recognized the moments of incompatibility and
2d
Robotswithpersonality 3/? and came to a clear conclusion about the feasibility of the relationship. I think that's still a useful thing to see in print/images for the many young people who might get carried away in something not ultimately the best for them long term. 2d
Robotswithpersonality 4/4 As with my favourite travelogues, there's a simple joy shown in the beauty of places, the food, moments taken to enjoy history, art, culture, and the occasional anecdote related to people journeyed with or met along the way. I really appreciated the full colour watercolour(?) interstitials and introductory images breaking up the black and white comic sequences.
I will continue to seek out Knisley's work.
⚠️mention of stalking
(edited) 2d
Chelsea.Poole I LOVE her work! She‘s a favorite. 1d
14 likes4 comments
blurb
Robotswithpersonality
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MOOD.

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Robotswithpersonality
Gnomon: A novel | Nick Harkaway
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Okay, that DOES sound like a good time. Support artists, enjoy a new experience! 😉🤭

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Robotswithpersonality
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Un croissant. 😂🥐😋

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Robotswithpersonality
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😏

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Robotswithpersonality
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Hee hee...all coats of arms should have a creature. ☺️

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Robotswithpersonality
Gnomon: A novel | Nick Harkaway
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Today's 'scratched my brain just right' sentence.

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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

Yeah. Reread confirms, this is a book that's going to stay with me. I'm glad it's one I own, so I can revisit, probably annually. I think having experienced Tigerman by Nick Harkaway this past year, I have a new scale for 'heart-ripped out' books that affected me emotionally, but even knowing what was coming, this one still got to me. Grief, unshakeable, self-annihilating grief, is the undercurrent throughout the story, 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? if you want to investigate the other nifty things you've heard about this book, just please be aware of this too. I love the premise, the world-building, the concepts that Hall has explored here, the fun with formatting! There's a good chunk of sci-fi speculation and a liberal sprinkle of horror, but there's also Ian the cat in all his disdainful glory and a fractured love story that hurts all the more for how briefly we see glimpses of it. 3d
Robotswithpersonality 3/3 As much as there's a great deal of ambiguity in the text, I think I should probably tack on a mental health concerns/suicidal ideation warning here just to be thorough. I can't guarantee you'll get out of this book what I did, but I can hope you find the experience worthwhile. Read with caution. 3d
10 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
Robotswithpersonality
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Yep, pretty sure that's the face I make when I see DOG, too. 😍

9 likes1 stack add
review
Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

Resilient, defiant, joyful, gentle. The tone of this work really surprised me. As much as Graham is clear about her and others' negative experiences of racism and misogyny in academia and scientific field research, it's clear that in pursuing her own path she has provided a place of hope and curiousity undaunted by biased, apathetic and oppressive forces, not just for herself but for other Black people and other minority groups, 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? and in doing so improves the future of marine science and marine ecology.
There are hints of How Far the Light Reaches (parallel in relating personal and broader moments of minority struggles with those of sea life) and Owls of the Eastern Ice (focus on how study could change policy for the better for protection of species).
6d
Robotswithpersonality 3/? While there are scientific reflections and descriptions of research including shark details provided, this is primarily an activist memoir. There are moments in the current timeline recounting fulfilling work in the field and efforts to bring change to the scientific/academic community, contrasted with moments from the past; both proud and fond remembrances of family, and necessary identification of historical racist initiatives and how 6d
Robotswithpersonality 4/? they affected generations of Grahams; moments of discovery over a childhood and young adulthood making the decision to pursue marine science in academia and the pitfalls encountered therein facilitated by intolerant and unethical behaviour. 6d
See All 6 Comments
Robotswithpersonality 5/? I am so happy for and proud of Graham for what she's accomplished, for how she broke away to do what was best for her, how clear she makes it that the institutions made it impossible to stay, and join her in looking forward to a time when the initiatives she's worked hard to put in place are no longer required, when the scientific community and the community at large is a more equitable and open place. 6d
Robotswithpersonality 6/? I will say from a reading flow perspective, there were a few passages that felt like the same material reintroduced, rather than just referenced, multiple times. If the work was set up to dip in and out of, I could see ensuring any one chapter with portions of the same material carried all the explanatory information, but this is very much a linear narrative, so it felt a bit odd to go over the same ground again. 6d
Robotswithpersonality 7/7 My hunch is that between writing grants and scientific papers, Graham is very accustomed to explaining things thoroughly, and the benign side effect is that certain information is made very clear by being reviewed on multiple occasions.
⚠️racism, misogyny, mental health concerns, mention of sexual harrassment, SA
(edited) 6d
14 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
Robotswithpersonality
Nightwing Vol. 6: Standing at the Edge | Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman
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Pickpick

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOVE. I maintain that I would happily read this Tom Taylor Nightwing run as long as he cares to continue. There's such light and humour and warmth in it, even while the battle against all and sundry villains continues. You get Batfam moments, and you get satisfying story arcs, and you get actual optimism, and while I definitely have favourite artists, you get consistently great art 1/2

Robotswithpersonality 2/2 alongside the plot and the quips and heartfelt moments. Yes, more please. 🥰♥️ 6d
12 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
Nightwing Vol. 6: Standing at the Edge | Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman
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👀🤭

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Robotswithpersonality
Nightwing Vol. 6: Standing at the Edge | Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman
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Good Robin/Bad Robin 😈 Is it a reductive characterization of Tim and Damian? Perhaps. But I can also see it working really, really well.

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Robotswithpersonality
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Post THIS up in every high school guidance counselor's office:

TheKidUpstairs Yes! 💯🎯 6d
11 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

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Robotswithpersonality
Nightwing Vol. 6: Standing at the Edge | Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman
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Oh, sure, it's all fun and games until Batgirl finds out. 🤨

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Robotswithpersonality
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Okay, but I LIKE it. Look at that chill little fishie!

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Robotswithpersonality
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Relatable.

13 likes1 stack add
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Robotswithpersonality
Nightwing Vol. 6: Standing at the Edge | Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman
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Pfft. Aye aye captain! 🫡

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Robotswithpersonality
Nightwing Vol. 6: Standing at the Edge | Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman
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The computer cables! 😆 Puppy is HELPING with the research! 😁

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Robotswithpersonality
Nightwing Vol. 6: Standing at the Edge | Tom Taylor, Marv Wolfman
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Did not know I needed pirate vibes Nightwing until I got pirate vibes Nightwing. 😁

10 likes1 stack add
review
Robotswithpersonality
Soul Music | Terry Pratchett
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Pickpick

Best case scenario: I'm glad to have re-read it, and I feel better about it than I did the first time. My hunch that I'm more invested in Susan Sto Helit as a character, than Death, proved true. If I think of this as one of the Discworld Death books, it feels like there's barely enough of him in it, AND I run into the same problem I've regularly had with Death's books, 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? that no humourous circumstances outweigh the very effective basic sadness that Pratchett has imbued the character's existence with. It's not particularly that he writes him as an Eeyore character or makes things that happen around him more tragic than necessary, (edited) 6d
Robotswithpersonality 3/? it's that the framework of the stories is always how he cannot relate to, or participate in the world of humanity beyond a certain degree, and from a human reader perspective, that barrier to inclusion feels sad! Death embodies some marvelous fantastical elements, and can add a touch of menace or humour or pathos depending on the scene, but I find when he's carrying the book, I cannot shake the basic sadness, 6d
Robotswithpersonality 4/? and while Pratchett doesn't shy away from heavier themes, in most of his books, I get a defiant, angry, hopeful vibe from how the story plays out. But you can't fundamentally change the nature of Death as an anthropomorphized figure or as an event that happens to all beings. Upon reread what worked for me was that the story also doesn't truly rely on the magical power of music/commentary on the music industry narrative either, 6d
Robotswithpersonality 5/? it feels like shenanigans and interstitials in Susan's story and how her story here can only be the focus of this particular plot if Death is mostly absent. She has an inheritance that affects her perception of reality, but there is a reality she needs to face, there is grieving she needs to do, and that came through much clearer upon reread. 6d
Robotswithpersonality 6/6 The intersection of fame as immortality, of choosing a LIFE over being immortal, of choosing a mostly human existence over the alternative, that's where the storylines really came together at the last moment. Yeah, I loved it, it hurt in a very human way. I can't see rereading it as often as certain City Watch books, but I could definitely see reading through the Susan Sto Helit books again, more than the Death books. 6d
12 likes5 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
Soul Music | Terry Pratchett
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Reason..😑🤨

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Robotswithpersonality
Soul Music | Terry Pratchett
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A dangerous trick...😉

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Robotswithpersonality
Soul Music | Terry Pratchett
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😏🤘🏻🎸🔮🪄✨

11 likes1 stack add
review
Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

What a wonderful time. ☺️ While the 'choose your own adventure' format is somewhat modified for the audiobook, I love how it was done, and I would not want to pass up the chance to listen to Neil Patrick Harris narrating the majority of the book. The little missives from friends and acquaintances peppered throughout are in a different narrators voice, but they're almost more hilarious for being read in a deadpan 'straight-man' style 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? by a generic sounding old British guy voice. In keeping with a man who's gone from Doogie to Harold and Kumar to Dr. Horrible, there are moments of broad and even raunchy humour, but the overall tone is one of sincerity and gratitude. Harris obviously enjoys the work he does, from television and film to award show hosting and Broadway, finding it engaging and challenging and fulfilling, 1w
Robotswithpersonality 3/? but it's clear how much his happiness is due to the family he's made with the love of his life, David, and their kids. It's honestly just lovely to hear from someone who manages a life in show business without meteoric rises and pitfalls, which is not to say the book doesn't acknowledge the work projects that didn't go well, the journey to coming out publicly as gay. 1w
Robotswithpersonality 4/4 Maybe wholesome is in unwanted, saccharine attribute, but it comes pretty close to the overall vibe. If you need a boost, and enjoy bursting into laughter at the bus stop, I highly recommend. 1w
13 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
Floating Hotel | Grace Curtis
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Current reads colourway. A little purple, a little blue, a little sci-fi, a little fantasy(reread). 🥰💜💙

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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

YES. More of this PLEASE. By which I do not mean that this book needed to be anything more than it was, I just want more works like it. I knew that I loved sci-fi stories that drift about in that space of humans/humanoid/android/clone/cyborg examining identity, the nature of life and existence, of being, and one's right to do so; that I love stories where the horror has the idea of employment, being a worker, a cog, as a central theme, 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? and honestly Defekt by Nino Cipri should have indicated how much I love when such themes are combined, but this was at another level. (Citing Defekt also makes me wonder whether this kind of theme is best expressed in novella format, where you don't have too many pages; you're left not unsatisfied by unanswered questions but rather with things to think about, as long as the writer did it well, and yes the writing is superb). 1w
Robotswithpersonality 3/? Add in the interview format, and that ache for connection, the distinguishing feature of civilization that is finding meaning in art, blended with a more sinister suggestion about what the ultimate purpose of the 'objects', and their placement are, and a well-crafted gradual reveal of what spare world-building is necessary to explain why these people find themselves where they are...I just loved all of it. 1w
Robotswithpersonality 4/4 Worth noting whenever it happens: this is a translated work wherein at no time did I feel there was an awkwardness in the text that could be explained by the shift in language. Well done, Martin Aitken.
⚠️mild body horror
1w
willaful I really liked Defekt too. 1w
13 likes4 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
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Would just like to point out the cover indicated in the digital listing in my library catalogue vs the version that showed up on the hold shelf. They did us both dirty Olga, glad you got another cover. [I think there's a third one with black gunk in a water cooler, might be more on theme, but it's a little basic for my taste.]

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Robotswithpersonality
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Mehso-so

Well, shucks. A lot of promise at the start: unique premise, irreverent and humourous writing style; sex positive pansexual, not simply bad ass but appreciatively skilled and canny (without necessarily being manic pixie dream warrior trope) female main character; gradual world-building that hints at the past and makes intriguing suppositions about certain unknowns; engaging supporting cast; nods to one developing relationship, BUT

Robotswithpersonality 2/? adventure/quest formula started to bog down the pacing, character development fell by the wayside, became a lot more about the next bit of action or strategy, and then the ending cliffhanger-ed for the sake of a duology (you know I hate that shit, and no, I will not be debating whether that ending counts as a cliffhanger, to me it did. 🙎🏼‍♂️) At which point, the fact that the book was light on answers and dragging a little in the middle 1w
Robotswithpersonality 3/3 makes a lot more sense. Do I care enough to read the next book when it comes out? Not sure.
⚠️Author kindly provides a content warning in the front of the book. Heed the warning!
1w
19 likes2 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

Zoomed through that like candy, though I didn't mean to!
The brief introduction gave an interesting frame to view the comics from, and just like when I've encountered the artist's work in Tumblr, I just found myself quietly swept away for a single moment each time. I'm struggling not to over or under sell the collection, I think the subtitle is a perfect description. 1/2

Robotswithpersonality 2/2 If you'd like to be somewhere else, but somewhere else relatable, for a series of moments, give it a try. 2w
10 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

And so ends the first five star of the year. 🥹😂😭
Hilarious and tender, Linney is given such life, a strong character with a specific voice, yet anyone who's had any remotely friendly feelings toward a particular cat will have the joy of recognizing the spectrum of feline behaviour from the fondly tolerated to the widely enjoyed. Her people provide entertainment and heart as well. Love the art style, 1/2

Robotswithpersonality 2/2 I've also read Relish by Lucy Knisley, but I will now make it a point to seek out her other work.
⚠️Animal death
2w
13 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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Poetry. 😁

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Robotswithpersonality
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The cat's face! Impotent rage and loathing in this group hug. 😆

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Cuddly cryptid, mysterious mouser. ☺️😺

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Robotswithpersonality
The Good Egg | Jory John
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Mehso-so

Okay, I'm most definitely projecting but, the part where the lesson of the book seems to be that you don't have to be perfect and giving all the time, you should take time for yourself, great, and okay, yes, you can't take on the responsibility of changing other people or cleaning up all their chaos, but...not a single hint of a recognition of the need for a change from the rest of Egg's roommates? 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Who appear to be inconsiderate and destructive, not just a product of quirky personality differences. The Good Egg decides not to worry so much about their behaviour and be good to the other eggs and themself. But will the other eggs be good to the Good Egg beyond the 'welcome home' sign? Is there no expectation that the roommates/coworkers/friends/family in your life might recognize that your sudden need for space and time out 2w
Robotswithpersonality 3/3 is a sign that there needs to be a change in behaviour that is not one-sided? Kinda seems like the Good Egg is still the only one making an effort. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Coping with exposure to difficult personalities in daily life is a good skill to have, but it really shouldn't have to be your default setting.
The book's got beautiful art, but I'm not totally on board for the message as I see it. 🤨
2w
14 likes2 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

An amusing bit of strange. Part way seems to want to point out how we take for granted treating 'man's best friend' a particular way, in the certain belief that they enjoy it, and part way a standard tale of alien experiencing what we see as familiar, and part way a commentary on the revelations available when we interact with a new being and recognize when we're expecting them to react as others have (especially those who look similar) 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/2 in previous interactions, and should leave room for different beings acting uniquely, with a smattering of heart-warming awkward 'making new friends'. I think there's a tried and tested message or two in here, though the premise of green alien seemingly of canine -like persuasion is a new one for me.
Gotta wonder how much of that whole dog park situation was a bit uncanny valley/existential horror at first for the Dalmartian....🫤
(edited) 2w
12 likes1 comment
review
Robotswithpersonality
Little Weirds | Jenny Slate
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Pickpick

While I have encountered personal reflections told in essay format and stream of consciousness snippets style before, it's the mind behind the format that makes all the difference. There is something warmly unique about Slate's writing. You get flights of fancy woven through the realities of looking for connection and intimacy, love and support, acknowledging the harms of the patriarchy, trying to find a sense of inner contentment and 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? self-acceptance. I feel like certain vulnerable, youthful themes might be most relatable to people in their 20s, though Slate was in her late 30s when she wrote it. What I can say is I look forward to following her writing into the future, because with a heart and imagination like this, I think it can only get better as she grows older. 2w
12 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
Little Weirds | Jenny Slate
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Good morning. 💙

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Robotswithpersonality
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Me too! Me too! ☺️

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Robotswithpersonality
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Pickpick

A marvelous mindset, a beautiful writer. Not having picked up The Book of Delights, or, tragically, any other works by this author, I was a little leery of how fluffy this might turn out to be, but there's very much a balance shown in observing the world as it is, and taking delight both because of and despite this. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? The author doesn't shy away from difficult subject matter, but there is a rebellious resilience in confronting ugly truths, prejudice. It's not putting on a happy face/toxic positivity, it's understanding how the world currently works and what can be done that might allow for healing, an outlook that continues the fight, but overall, the many places where joy can be found, which might make dealing with everything else that bit easier. 2w
Robotswithpersonality 3/3 Definitely need to pick up The Book of Delights, and more from this author, preferably in print so I can nab quotes. 2w
underground_bks Ross Gay is a national treasure!!! 2w
19 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Robotswithpersonality
Judgement Dave | SI CLARKE
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Mehso-so

Damn, damn, damn. Well, I said I'd try the next in the series, and I did. Just too stressful a situation to sign myself up for in the future. There are some fun and creative aspects to this series, and I continue to love how passionate and well-formed the discussion about important issues is presented, but I also continue to loathe how many characters are shining examples of strength for their friends for five seconds 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? and completely falling to pieces most of the time/whenever the plot allows. Sorry, Lem, but at some point the 'gag' of you repeatedly saying “what“ had me flashing back to that Samuel L. Jackson scene from Pulp Fiction. I get that those with anxiety deserve patience and compassion, that it's not something they can control, and those with a more effusive speech style are simply part of the marvelously diverse tapestry of communication 2w
Robotswithpersonality 3/? types out there in the world, but this narrative is seriously hampered by introducing serious and emotionally taxing subject matter and then pausing to have various characters always, always engage in the same pattern of not-lightening-things-up hand-wringing before the story can continue. I can't claim a diagnosis of anxiety but I can say conclusively that I don't want my fiction to make me feel the way these books do. 2w
Robotswithpersonality 4/? At some point the good argument gets lost because I'm too distressed to listen any further. Per my review for the second book in the series, I'm happy to gird myself for this type of material in a non-fiction setting but it's exhausting when the fun space romp is a thin veneer for a reflection of the poor outcomes experienced by a number of minority groups attempting to be recognized as equals with rights in our current hellscape/modern times. 2w
Robotswithpersonality 5/? I wish the author all the success in the world with this series, but I won't be continuing to read it.

[And yes, I realize this is the listing for Judgement Dave. Anytime Litsy wants to update their listings to include Consider Pegasus, I'll reassign my review accordingly.]

⚠️ableism, transphobia
2w
13 likes4 comments