Reviews and Comments

briellebouquet

briellebouquet@books.theunseen.city

Joined 1 year, 11 months ago

prairie trans girl trying to read her way, however slowly, out of oblivion

on the wider fediverse using mastodon at: queer.party/@briellebouquet

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started reading Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (Imperial Radch, #2)

Ann Leckie: Ancillary Sword (Paperback, 2014, Orbit)

Seeking atonement for past crimes, Breq takes on a mission as captain of a troublesome …

i'm almost half through it as of posting this, and i'm so excited to finish the trilogy, there's so much depth, so much going on, in this series!

William Gibson: Neuromancer (2016, Penguin Classics)

The first of William Gibson's 'Sprawl' trilogy, Neuromancer is the classic cyberpunk novel.

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i got really hung up for i think ADHD reasons. i found myself having trouble placing settings in the story. i kept having to flip back to internalize where things were happening. i just couldn't keep track of details. i'd finished neuromancer in the past and this was an attempted re-read, so i decided to let it go and move on to more Ancillary series stuff!

William Gibson: Neuromancer (2016, Penguin Classics)

The first of William Gibson's 'Sprawl' trilogy, Neuromancer is the classic cyberpunk novel.

More …

i've read this before, but it was a long time ago and i don't really remember of it. my perspective these days is also very different. i'm excited to start!

reviewed Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (Imperial Radch, #1)

Ann Leckie: Ancillary Justice (Paperback, 2013, Orbit Books)

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing …

neat exercise in perspective and cool worldbuilding

writing a protagonist who is several different people wrapped into one consciousness, and is for some part of the story, not necessarily reliable as a storyteller, feels like it would've been a challenge, but ann leckie made it seem natural

the worldbuilding is, typically for good sci fi, brilliant. i felt absorbed into it. the constant surveillance within the radch is disturbing and feels connected to the real-life present. the colour and the characters are lovely.

i also noted that this is ann leckie's first full length novel and i'm super impressed.

i'm eager to read the next 2 in the series, though i'm going to read something else in between so i don't get series burnout!

Leslie Feinberg: Stone Butch Blues (Paperback, 2004, Alyson Publications)

Stone Butch Blues is a historical fiction novel written by Leslie Feinberg about life as …

love, community, and the terrors of queer hatred

i knew long before i read this that it would be important to me.

from a historical perspective, it shines a light on the realities of being a lesbian in the 60s and 70s. of being transmasculine and searching for terminology and self-understanding in a culture that didn't even marginally recognize gender outside the binary. or sexuality outside the hetero. it shines a light on surviving abusive parents. on finding community without the internet. of navigating complex queer subcultures. and hatred in its many forms, up to and including bar raids, arrests, and unspeakable abuses by cops.

it also illuminates and speaks to the beauty of love and friendship and comradeship within those queer communities. the intricacies in how butches and femmes and transfemmes interacted. i was able to see myself in the warmth and emotionality and fierce bravery in the face of fear and violence expressed by …

Ryka Aoki: Light From Uncommon Stars (2021, Tor Books)

Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in this defiantly joyful …

passionate, tense, wonderful

aoki weaves passion for music together with a sci-fi subplot and a devil's bargain, in what feels like a very strange combination when you read the synopsis, but in fact works perfectly. aoki discusses trans issues, redemption, music, race, and technology with nuance and wit. her characters are vibrant and lively, flawed but lovable. i can't imagine anyone reading this without caring about aoki's characters to the point of tears in both its darker, and more uplifting moments.

i can't recommend this book strongly enough.