SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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An Unkindness of Ghosts
Group Reads Discussions 2019
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"An Unkindness of Ghosts" First Impressions *No Spoilers*
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I WILL read this with you as soon as I finish a short YA novel I’m reading. My copy came from a book loot crate. I do t remember what it was called though and it has all sorts of sticky notes in it with interesting tidbits by the author. If you would like I can post some of them in the spoiler thread as I read it.
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I'm about halfway in. My initial impression is that it's a praemeditatio futurorum malorum transferring a rural, Jim Crow south onto (view spoiler) in ways that don't make a lot of sense. I also found the brief FP narration an unnecessary distraction. There are, however, many interesting concepts.
Solid start. Prose is good. Unsure about premise.
I enjoyed this, though it was also a challenging read. I'm looking forward to the discussion and hearing people's thoughts about it.Thinking back, my first impressions were that the reader is really thrown into things and has to work to figure out what is going on, but you catch on fairly quick to a lot of it.
Love this book :-)
I just started it, no idea what's going on, but it's interesting!
Would like to join, but my library doesn't have it and it's quite expensive for an e-book. So, I'm thinking of using my Audio credits. Because I'm not a very experienced listener, I'd appreciate it if somebody could give me a hint if the narrator was okay and if this book was easy to follow? Thanks!
Sabrina wrote: "Would like to join, but my library doesn't have it and it's quite expensive for an e-book. So, I'm thinking of using my Audio credits. Because I'm not a very experienced listener, I'd appreciate it..."I listened to it and I could follow it (it was one of my first audiobooks and I'm no English speaker) If I remember correctly the narrator spoke with an accent that felt fitting for the characters and didn't throw me off the understanding.
You can listen to the audio sample to get a bit of an impression.
Gabi wrote: "I listened to it and I could follow it ..."Thank you Gabi, that is indeed helpful (especially as we have the same mother language). I already listened to the sample and it sounded okay, but I wasn't sure about the flow of the story or complicated names.
Looking forward to this one, especially since it's a stand alone! Is it a good vacation read?
I've just started it, so far it's an interesting read. I'm very excited about the premise - and I'm enjoying the protagonist a lot.
I don't recall all of the plot as well as I remember the individuals and their interactions being incredibly sweet and affable. And so genuine - even at their sourest. A worthy read for the characters alone.
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@Silvana If you mean a cosy, feel good book then no. Can’t really say anything else or it would be spoilery.
Thanks, all. Actually I don't mind having some heavy stuff during my vacation. I reckon at least the fun activities could balance it out.Reading it in the middle of a working week with deadlines would feel more awful, in my case.
Alright, I've been warned but will brave myself up for this one. See you all next week!
It's a great book, a little strange but worth the time you put on it : )
Maryam wrote: "It's a great book, a little strange but worth the time you put on it : )"I read it awhile ago and also really, really enjoyed it.
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I read this last year, and I did not enjoy it. The writing was excellent, but the narrator was so unpleasant that I just couldn't enjoy the book. There are a few sections that are told from the POV of other characters that felt like fresh air. The thing that I have to remind myself is that the unpleasantness is intentional. It doesn't mean I enjoyed the book though.
Please remember that this thread is for first impressions only. If you've finished the book, do wait for the spoiler thread to open before posting your thoughts. I'd especially like to remind that posting "Finished, hated it" is not only not a first impression, but may ruin the experience for someone.I know how tempting it is to jump in and tell what you thought of the book, but this really isn't the right place for that. You only have to wait one week for the spoiler thread to open. Thanks for understanding!
I'm a few chapters in and enjoying it. An intriguing premise, and a challenging-but-engaging protagonist.
Started it today. So far interesting but not too enthralling.
Did anyone else find the beginning a bit slow and uninteresting? Don't get me wrong I'm about 150 pages in and enjoying it now! I just couldn't follow what was happening at first.
Very much enjoying (is that the right word?) this book from the first two chapters. I'm feeling very tense about the whole setup. Can't quite get my head around the physical location of this yet but that should become clearer the further in.
I didn't like the start, but it picked up around chp. 3 and I am loving Aster's POV. Admittedly this is a really heavy book (imo) so I am finding some scenes hard, but it's hitting its stride & the characters, cast, and setting are v. memorable!
Lauren wrote: "Did anyone else find the beginning a bit slow and uninteresting?"For me: Slow but interesting. Some things were unclear, but that made me want to know more.
Andy wrote: For me: Slow but interesting. Some things were unclear, but that made me want to know more."
The first few chapters do throw a lot of terms and info about the world and characters at you without explanation, but I like how I just had to infer for myself through more info in later chapters instead of everything being explained through dialogue.
I really enjoyed the first 2 chapters and am not at all bothered being thrown in the deep end. I think she does it well and it’s more like a slow realization where the story is taking place and each bit of information lets your awareness slowly expand outwards from the dwelling to the whole ship.
Three chapters in and I think Rivers Solomon is a VERY good writer and that Aster is a wonderfully compelling character. I also wanted to highlight that Rivers Solomon uses they/them pronouns, so I encourage all of us to use those pronouns when speaking about the author in this discussion.
Ah, good point, Anthony. Oops.
It’s all good, Diane. We all have to train ourselves to be mindful of such things after centuries of programming.
I listened to the first four chapters of this tonight and am very intrigued by this world and by Aster. As others have said, there's a lot going on in these first few chapters but I like learning the ropes for this world as I go.
It is unpleasantly choppy to read.
I was immediately pulled into this book. I don't want to put it down.
Very intense so far
Sabrina wrote: "Would like to join, but my library doesn't have it and it's quite expensive for an e-book. So, I'm thinking of using my Audio credits. Because I'm not a very experienced listener, I'd appreciate it..."The audio is actually pretty good.
To be honest, I had expected this to be bad and preachy. But so far (13% in), it's brilliant - great prose, fascinating characters, and an intriguing mystery. Loving it, such a nice surprise!
I am so late! Only 6% but I already enjoy the narration and the main POV. Looks like it's gonna be darker and darker, though.
I’m loving all the love this book is getting!
Finally started listening and finished the first chapter. A very strong start to the story which already has me on my edge.
Three chapters in and I guess it still counts as first impression, but I am amazed at the medical accuracy. Does anybody know if the author has a medical background?
Read the free sample. Reminded me of the movie I saw of "Snowpiercer" last year - a vehicle where people are trapped in deplorable conditions, and sounds like others onboard are much better off. I think there is a TV show now too; adapted from a French graphic novel if I recall correctly. Should be grim and intense.
Remember, this is our "temperature taking" entirely spoiler-free post, so please avoid specifics regarding plot, dialogue, character growth etc. If in doubt, it's likely best to be cagey about it--the full spoiler thread goes up by the 7th!
Some content warnings, for those who would like them: (view spoiler)[ slavery, racism, sexual assault/rape, pschychological trauma, loss of child, loss of parent, body horror, extreme homophobia, abuse in all its forms. (hide spoiler)]