jan_coco_day's reviews
135 reviews

Coffee Moon, Vol. 1 by Mochito Bota

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

4.25

A fresh take on the "Groundhog Day" setting about a perky girl who has an inexplicable positive attitude towards living the same day over and over again. 

Translation State by Ann Leckie

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Leckie writes political space opera like no one else in the business. Translation State, at first glance, is another space opera that is heavy on the political intrigue, one that surrounds a diplomatic incident requiring the interpretation of a treaty. But what unfolds is a beautiful story about individual identity, dignity, and the rights of children. While children have played various roles in science fiction, I haven't seen too many stories that assert children's rights to exist as themselves and come into their own age as a political act.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

The Thing Itself by Adam Roberts

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love John Carpenter's The Thing as a launching pad for this book about Kant's philosophical concept "the thing in itself," i.e. reality outside of human perception, because Carpenter's film is so visceral in its special effects. He really strove for a physical horror story while at the same time causing his characters and the audience to question their own perceptions and what they perceive as real. 

A few things pulled me out of the story, like the unresolved Fermi's Paradox and pulling Kant in as a character influenced by the AI Peta.

One of my top 20 books of 2023

Memoirs of a Space Traveler: Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy by Stanisław Lem

adventurous funny mysterious reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Lem is a philosopher in disguise as a science fiction writer, and one of the pioneers to use science fiction to discuss philosophical issues. This collection of short stories Lem's popular space traveler Ijon Tichy as the ultimate outsider, examining questions around organic life vs machine life, "creators" of life, the cost of knowledge, immortality, and time travel.

I'm particularly a fan of "The Eighteenth Voyage," Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy--II," and "IV,." "Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy--III" and "Professor A. Donda" are problematic.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, and Racism

The True Love Bookshop by Annie Rains

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

3.75

A wholesome, contemporary, small-town romance. A perfect read if you love bookshops and second chances. 

Spicy level: mild

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Infidelity

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 10 by Takuto Kashiki

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Another wholesome volume about tiny woodland domestic life of a housekeeper and a carpenter's apprentice. In this volume, Hakumei's past--plus! hats and hot tubs!

The Demon Sword Asperides by Sarah Jean Horwitz

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

3.75

A low-stakes, straight sword-and-sorcery story about a wannabe knight in search of a quest. A good book for reluctant readers or for kids who like adventure but don't like to be scared. And who doesn't love a sentient sword with its own agenda?

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Sex as bonding, sex as abuse, sex as violence, sex as self-destruction, sex as self-indulgence, sex as something to do when bored. Sex both beautiful and vulgar.

The Peking Express: The Bandits Who Stole a Train, Stunned the West, and Broke the Republic of China by James M. Zimmerman

adventurous fast-paced

4.75

A highly readable narrative nonfiction book about a train robbery and hostage situation in warlord China at the start of the 20th century. Colorful characters (my favorite is a man who used a bra as portable pockets to transport treasure) relayed in a cinematic style, Peking Express is a great read for fans of Westerns. 

One of my top 20 books of 2023.

You've Lost a Lot of Blood by Eric LaRocca

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

How do you get to the point where you stop fighting in the face of extraordinary violence? For people who love Tetsuo the Iron Man.