The Singularity Trap [June 25, 2025]

[Nirkatze]

Yay! Glad to see you jumping back into a few BRs Emily!

[Ann-Marie]

I picked this back up, thru ch 20 (view spoiler)[and he is mostly metal now, like his chest and head is human. He just sent a letter to his wife and was like yeah, I am likely toast however you are rich....I read a stinker for my IRL book club so while I will make every effort to finish, no promises though because my patience is limited :) (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

I finished. I liked it. (view spoiler)[Everything was tied up neatly and quickly at the end.

It's open ended should the author want to write more some day. I felt bad about Ivan but he can be brought back out of storage in some distant future. (hide spoiler)]

[Tonari no Emily]

Nirkatze wrote: "Yay! Glad to see you jumping back into a few BRs Emily!"

I've had a bit more reading time lately :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

We just gotta make sure all your books are BRs, where possible :D

Anything you're not behind on, or we want to start from scratch... I think we have a fair amount of new series BRs starting in the coming months, as alot of things from the start of the year wind down...

[Tonari no Emily]

Finished as well. Agree that Taylor's writing is very accessible. These are like popcorn reads for me! I gobble them up lol
Am also a big fan of Ray Porter's narration... Almost bought the preview that came up next because he's narrating, but I resisted. Too much on the TBR to cut the line

I was surprised (view spoiler)[ everything was pretty tied up. I would like a followup to humanity's time to upload. Definitely see The Expanse vibes. Also reminded me a little of A Desolation Called Peace due to the prologue (hide spoiler)]

[Tonari no Emily]

Timelord Iain wrote: "We just gotta make sure all your books are BRs, where possible :D

Anything you're not behind on, or we want to start from scratch... I think we have a fair amount of new series BRs starting in the..."

Yeah I've been trying to prioritize the BRs I think I can keep up with and have the most interest in

[Ann-Marie]

Through ch 55 and I put it aside again. So to review (view spoiler)[he has had his arm amputated THREE TIMES and now his entire body is metal/machine/nanotech/whatever, he is likely going to be permanently estranged from his family, his very presence is causing riots and civil unrest, and you guys considered this COZY????? I still have 2 hours left, what is still to come? Is the tech waiting to spread to other people until after perfecting taking his body over? Is he going to get stuck outside in the rain and rust like the Tin Man? Does the book end with him looking at his children playing in the school playground, hiding in the back of a creeper van since he cannot acknowledge them so they do not get harassed? (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Finished as well. Agree that Taylor's writing is very accessible. These are like popcorn reads for me! I gobble them up lol
Am also a big fan of Ray Porter's narration... Almost bought the preview ..."

Ah! (view spoiler)[Desolation Called Peace! I was trying to think of other translation books and totally forgot about that one. Good comparison. (hide spoiler)]

Also totally laughing at Ann-Marie's blow-up there... You know I find things cozy when comeuppance is involved... or when people are working together/found family...

[Narilka]

It was almost "cozy" to me because I never really thought that Ivan was in true jeopardy. The tension the author tried for just didn't hit me at all. Not truly cozy though since things do happen but it never gets that bad IMO.

I also find Anne Bishop's The Others series cozy but more for Nirkatze's reason - I love the comeuppance in Meg's story. My "cozy" definition can be quite broad :D

[Ann-Marie]

Just got to the part when the (view spoiler)[nuclear bomb was used. Nuclear weapons are top on my list when looking for cozy stories..... (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Just got to the part when the [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yet did anything bad actually happen?? No. It blew up an empty station. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Narilka wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Just got to the part when the [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

No one got murdered, the victim happened to leave before the attack happened!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

People get murdered all the time in cozy mysteries

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "People get murdered all the time in cozy mysteries"

So not the same thing lol

[Nirkatze]

Just roast a marshmallow over it. Makes it cozy!

Then feed the marshmallow to your worst enemy.

[Ann-Marie]

You people are absolute psychos lol

I have about an hour left but I was so disappointed in how The Great Troll War ended there was no way I was finishing this shit show tonight so I am watching S13 of Survivor lol I need to update the google doc, I am so far behind it is depressing but I miss not having that because while I read a decent amount in June I feel like I overall had a bunch of stinkers in June.

[Nirkatze]

Gotta find you some stuff that actually passes your Cozy test...

[Narilka]

Nirkatze wrote: "Just roast a marshmallow over it. Makes it cozy!

Then feed the marshmallow to your worst enemy."

OMG This is hilarious LOL

[Ann-Marie]

I finished this morning and I stand by my assertion that you are a bunch of psychos! Cozy has to have a happy ending! HAPPY! This was not a happy ending, it was a dark, depressing ending for poor Ivan. So to recap:(view spoiler)[

multiple amputations
turned into a machine/no longer human
presumed dead and permanently estranged from his immediate family (although he MAY get to interact with several generations from now, super awesome for him!)
attempted murder via nuclear bomb
potential death of the human race
put into some sort of hibernation for an unspecified time

Nope, just nope lol (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Perhaps our upcoming BR for The Teller of Small Fortunes will be more cozy. Some of the reviews called it "too cozy" so you never know.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished this morning and I stand by my assertion that you are a bunch of psychos! Cozy has to have a happy ending! HAPPY! This was not a happy ending, it was a dark, depressing ending for poor I..."

no blood/gore, it's cozy ;)

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "I finished this morning and I stand by my assertion that you are a bunch of psychos! Cozy has to have a happy ending! HAPPY! This was not a happy ending, it was a dark, depressing..."

Definitely not lol

[Ann-Marie]

Nirkatze wrote: "Gotta find you some stuff that actually passes your Cozy test..."

I actually had a solid Cozy November last year, I just stopped updating because I suck lol

[Ann-Marie]

Narilka wrote: "Perhaps our upcoming BR for The Teller of Small Fortunes will be more cozy. Some of the reviews called it "too cozy" so you never know."

I know I bought that but I forget which site, looking forward to it :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

You know... I didn't really consider this cozy... I just enjoy needling Ann-Marie XD

[Nirkatze]

I found the ending, where (view spoiler)[the nanites helped Earth combat its pollution problems, and when the asshole military guy actually learned and started helping--those moments were cozy to me. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "You know... I didn't really consider this cozy... I just enjoy needling Ann-Marie XD"

.....

[Tonari no Emily]

LOL I didn't think this was cozy, more like an actiony popcorn read, but that kind of made it cozy for me, if that makes sense?

[Ann-Marie]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "LOL I didn't think this was cozy, more like an actiony popcorn read, but that kind of made it cozy for me, if that makes sense?"

It does not make sense to me lol This book is anti-cozy, tragic, sad, depressing? Yes.....

[Nirkatze]

Popcorny! That's a good description. And I love popcorn.