Record of a Spaceborn Few (by Becky Chambers)

The penultimate category in the Read Harder Challenge was a hard one. "A book based solely on its setting." I really wanted to read a book set on a generational starship and I downloaded a bunch of them.  None of them really hit right. I think I made it like 30% into Ark and they still hadn't gotten on any sort of ship and I was bored. 

Finally I chose this one, a Wayfarers book set on a generational ship, following 5 different point of view characters who live as part of the Exodus Fleet.  And, well, it was a bit boring. The point of view keeps switching and I kept forgetting who was who, and there was really no plot. Like each of the point of view characters has a very paper-thin plot, I suppose, most of them.  But everything worked out mostly great in the end because this is the coziest of cozy sci fi.

I really want Andy Weir to write a book set on a generational ship.  Can someone give him a call for me? Thanks. 

Life & Death (by Stephenie Meyer)

Yes, I finally read the gender-swapped version of Twilight - starring Beau and Edythe, instead of Bella and Edward.

I think I've tried it once before, but it's a very weird experience at first - just trying to remember which characters are the equivalent of which other characters, and feeling like the characters are cut-and-paste copies of each other with weird names. But then as the book goes on, the characters start to feel different - especially Edythe - and then a new ending reaffirms that experience. I ended up really enjoying it. 

Honestly I loved Edythe way more than Edward, although I found Beau way more of a nonentity than Bella and really didn't see what Edythe saw in him. So I guess my ideal experience would be a lesbian novel about Edythe and Bella. Maybe Meyer can do that one next! And Kristin Stewart can star in it. No I don't care how old she is. Thank you for your consideration. 

Canada Books

Yep, another vacation! This time, to Eastern Canada, to visit Prince Edward Island and Lunenberg. Here are the four books I finished on the trip:

We’ll Prescribe You a Cat (by Syou Ishida) 

Read Harder Challenge category: a “cozy” book by a BIPOC author. This is about a mysterious clinic where people go to get prescribed a cat - that somehow ends up solving their problems.  Originally a bestseller in Japan, it is absolutely cozy and charming. The sequel is already on my holds list!

Nobody in Particular (by Sophie Gonzales)

A queer YA romance about a commoner going to boarding school school and meeting a princess in Genovia Henland (I never managed to get used to the name "Henland" which just sounded like "Chickenville" to me.)  Definitely frothy and fluffy, with good chemistry between the leads and an overall cute vibe. 

Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings (by Mary Henley Rubio)

I had to get this one on the trip, where I was learning so much about Montgomery's life. I knew she experienced depression and died by suicide but had no idea about 90% of her life story.  (Personally, I blame her son Chester, sex pest and thief, for much of her misery.) This was a long book but I couldn't put it down, and highly recommend it for fans of the author.

The Glass Girl (by Kathleen Glasgow) 

Another YA, very different from the other one, as it is about a 15-year-old dealing with alcohol addiction and some fairly fucked up family dynamics.  She hits rock bottom and goes to rehab, experiencing the peaks and valleys of recovery. The author is clearly writing from experience, and this is unflinching about alcoholism.  The main character is one you can't help but root for with your whole soul.  Really impactful read and very well done.