"This is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (BR)

[Mareike]

This is the thread for the buddy read of This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar that starts on October 3.

Please use chapter numbers and spoiler tags in your posts!

I look forward to diving into this with y'all!

[DivaDiane]

I read this about 6 months ago, so it’s still relatively fresh in my mind. I won’t reread it at this time, but I may skim it based on people’s comments here and chime in, if that’s ok!

[Mareike]

Absolutely!

[George]

Looks good. I will start in a couple of days time. Looking forward to it

[Mareike]

Cool!

I read the first two chapters this morning (view spoiler)[and so far I enjoy the way language is used and the references that have been worked in. And also the way the characters' perspectives alternate with letters. (hide spoiler)]

[Raucous]

I read the first three chapters this morning. (view spoiler)[I'm amazed at all of the obscure ways that they're leaving letters to each other. I'm also enjoying the language. And I know that there are tragedies unfolding here in someone's past but wow is this fun to read. (hide spoiler)]

[John]

Interesting timing, just finished this. Will check in periodically to see what others think about the book.

[Mareike]

Cool! would love to hear your thoughts, John!

@Raluca: I was having very similar thoughts.

[Kristin B.]

I've been having a really hectic week, but I'm about a third of the way in and I am enjoying it on the second read even more than the first because I understand certain things better.

[Mareike]

Same on the hectic week!
I really enjoy all the playing with language and I understand why a friend said that this is not a book you "read for the plot".

How is everyone else liking it?

[Amanda]

Thirding the hectic week but I am falling in love with this all over again.

[Raucous]

I've had that kind of week too. Part of it was sitting for hours late one night in the parking lot at the emergency vet (memo to dog: "If it's not food don't eat it!"). I took that opportunity to finish the book.

I appreciated the language and the situations quite a lot. I did make the mistake of trying to read for the plot too. I agree with your friend there. Some specific comments:

Chapter 7: (view spoiler)[ "... it's customary to send letters that can be opened without ruining the seal..." is the worst pun (in many ways) that I've seen in a long time. I couldn't decide if I should laugh, cringe, or both. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 24: (view spoiler)[I've had the experience of trying to learn about a new friend through letters and later being surprised so this introduction to Garden really resonated. "How could she think she knew this place from letters, from the memories of a friend?" (hide spoiler)]

Overall: (view spoiler)[This is the weirdest romance that I've read in quite a long time. I initially found it quite confusing to follow. That may have been partly because I was picking it up, reading a few pages at a time, and trying to follow the plot. The combination of the letter format, the time travel elements, multiple realities, and the surreal elements made that hard. It went down better when I read the second half in one sitting. Even then I had some difficulty with the transition from taunting opponents to romantic involvement. Overall though I really enjoyed both the writing and the story and am glad that I finally got to it (buddy read for the win! - thanks). I downrated it a bit because of the difficulty that I had following it but I suspect that I'll have to rethink that when I reread it. It's really a story that calls for that. (hide spoiler)]

[Mareike]

Oh Gosh! I hope your dog is okay!

And I agree with your comment on Ch. 7.

[John]

Mareike wrote: "Cool! would love to hear your thoughts, John!

@Raluca: I was having very similar thoughts."

Saw comments like "not a book you read for plot" and "not sure if I should laugh, cringe or both" and am thinking yep. Linking to my review. Don't think there are any spoilers but just in case: review

[Kristin B.]

Raucous wrote: "I've had that kind of week too. Part of it was sitting for hours late one night in the parking lot at the emergency vet (memo to dog: "If it's not food don't eat it!"). I took that opportunity to f..."

Poor precocious pup!

And yeah, that pun in chapter seven is the best/worst. :)

This is my second read and I have a feeling it will end up getting at least a third at some point. This book really does beg to be rediscovered.

[Raucous]

Mareike wrote: "Oh Gosh! I hope your dog is okay! "

Thanks. He's slowly improving. I think that he's trying to send us a message about how much food he gets. There are some tips about subtlety in this book that he might benefit from learning.

[aika]

I read the first two chapters on day 1, then did not touch the book again until today, when I made it to chapter 7 - for now, although I might return to it at some point after dinner. Fifthing(?) That Kind Of Week, for sure.

The language is fascinating and beautiful, and the way that details about the world and the characters are introduced gradually and in an indirect way keeps it intriguing. Can't wait to find out more about it all.
Curious that both of the books I am currently reading (both buddy reads here) are doing this in a similar way. (The other one is A Night in the Lonesome October.)

[Kristin B.]

Finished this afternoon and I am so glad that I got to read it on my Kindle this time! I highlighted many different passages that I loved.

41% (view spoiler)[Red wrote too much too fast. Her pen had a heart inside, and the nib was a wound in a vein. She stained the page with herself.

This line feels like a summary of the whole book. Red and Blue pouring themselves out in words. (hide spoiler)]

Final thoughts (view spoiler)[ I don't typically enjoy this kind of book. I usually need some semblance of a plot to follow, and I generally prefer things be explained fully. Neither of which really happen here. But the language is so lovely and the emotions so genuine and raw that I wasn't bothered. (hide spoiler)]

This was my second read and it very likely won't be my last.

[Meredith]

Finally started my re-read of this, about 20% in. Enjoying it again. I forgot some elements and I'm appreciating some subtle things I didn't notice the first time as well. (view spoiler)[I love the back and forth between Red and Blue in the letters, the creative ways they communicate, and the different worlds/times they visit. (hide spoiler)]

[aika]

I finally picked this book up again after another pause and just finished chapter 10. Oh, wow! Really, really loving this.

[Bonnie]

My IRL group read this a year ago, paired with The Psychology of Time Travel.

Through Chapter 7.
Thought I was going to love it. It had buckets of noms and awards.
So far I am just, Eh, it's clever I guess.
I can not summon any feelings for Blue or Red so far.

[Bonnie]

Question,
Are Red and Blue just relating to each other for having similar jobs/experiences, and their superiors would not approve of them fraternizing? Like in the trenches in World War I, the "brass" didn't want the "grunts" to start relating to each other because then they would see the opposing soldiers as fellow humans not as enemies and be less willing to kill them. Or, are they exchanging actual intel, in a way their bosses would see as treasonous?

[Infosifter]

I loved the word play, found the world building fascinating, and the romance was just completely meh!

[Bonnie]

Travel Light

The same in all strands and dimensions!