My July reads are a mixed bag – Australian literary dystopian, middle grade imaginative (I’m pushing the envelope on calling it fantasy, the girl has fantastical ideas), and American kinda apocalyptic and space-ish sci fi.
As always, if you read a great sci fi fantasy book, especially by a non-blockbuster author, let me know!
Dyschronia by Jennifer Mills
Beautifully written literary prose. Take a girl with migraines and a polluted town in a dystopian future and what do you get? That’s the problem – nobody knows if Sam’s visions are due to chemical poisoning, embellished truth, prophetic gifting or even a bit of all three. And nobody can really work out who’s exploiting who. You have to like literary books for this one (it’s not fast-paced, action-packed sci fi) but it’s worth it. I thought it was amazing – it was longlisted for the Miles Franklin and shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards.
Author’s website |Goodreads reviews
Juno Jones Word Ninja by Kate Gordon
A fun book about a child who has to read books to help save her school from being closed down. Only trouble is… she hates reading and does everything she can to get out of it. Then she discovers that reading is not so bad after all… maybe. A humorous not-very-long chapter book for reluctant readers with charming illustrations.
Author’s website |Goodreads reviews
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Koval
A great book that highlights sexism and racism in the workplace – this time, at no less than NASA in the 1950s. Honestly, I felt like killing the sexist male character. In fact, my feelings about him overshadowed the rest of the book about the meteor disaster which sets off a chain of events that will make the earth uninhabitable and begins a new push to colonise other planets. Hence Elma York’s desire to become Lady Astronaut. It’s an entertaining book for those who like their science fiction to have actual science in it.
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