Sheltopia

A dry account of George Eliot's life

Reviewed: 09-20-23

Reviewing here because I made the mistake of listening to this book a second time after rereading Middlemarch hoping for a charming account of a person's relationship with the wonderful book. Instead, this is a dry account of some details of Eliot's life which lacks lyricism and insight. Alas. Not what I had hoped for (again!) and not an engaging listen.

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Alas, A Dark Dive Into Speculative Biology

Reviewed: 03-17-23

This was my first encounter with speculative biology. The book imagines how dogs would survive in a world without humans. I appreciated the authors focus on dogs as individuals and dogs as independent beings. I'm a fan of these author's other works. However, I found a lot of this particular imagining horrific: My dogs cast out on the streets struggling to survive. And then there was the doomsday prepping chapter: preparing my dogs to survive without me. Although, again, I appreciate the authors' points about getting rid of maladaptive breeding practices and letting dogs be dogs (chew, dig, forage, explore, sniff). I would also add that many dogs survive cases of severe neglect for longer than one would expect, proving their toughness and ingenuity. Dogs without us are remarkable. Still, this was the stuff of nightmares. Not my beloveds struggling to survive. Please give them a solarpunk future with freedom and care. The narration of this book was robotic (same cadence over and over again like a newscaster). It was distracting and unpleasant.

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Fabulous dark humor, fun narration

Reviewed: 04-03-22

A fantastic story which draws you in and immediately asks for another listen. Fabulous craft. Excellent narration. I just love it when Atwood leans into her humorous side. If you like this, you may also enjoy The Heart Goes Last.

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Fun setting and characters, excellent narration

Reviewed: 12-12-21

I love Mr. Fogg the dog and how everyone is trapped in a mansion in the snow reading books and having brandy by the fire and how much the protagonist enjoys his meals (even though they are very meaty) and tromping through the snow with his dog. Oh, sure, murders there are murders too, but it's the cozy Downtown Abbey scenes that made this for me. The narrator does an excellent job distinguishing characters and I love the touch of occasionally adding some barks and sounds for Mr. Fogg.

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Fun setting and characters, excellent narration

Reviewed: 12-12-21

I love Mr. Fogg the dog and how everyone is trapped in a mansion in the snow reading books and having brandy by the fire and how much the protagonist enjoys his meals (even though they are very meaty) and tromping through the snow with his dog. Oh, sure, murders there are murders too, but it's the cozy Downtown Abbey scenes that made this for me. The narrator does an excellent job distinguishing characters and I love the touch of occasionally adding some barks and sounds for Mr. Fogg.

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Beautiful story, excellent narration

Reviewed: 02-22-21

Excellent. Some similar themes to vampire novels, the role of death in life, what it would mean to be immortal, but without the blood and feeding. Strong characters. Loved the portrayal of the dog protagonist: wise, loyal, doggy, but not silly or a caricature. Loved the 16th century setting.

Fantastic distinction of the different character's voices by the narrator.

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3 people found this helpful

Spy intrigue on the moon with strong characters

Reviewed: 09-27-20

This is a sci-fi political and spy thriller set on a moonbase in an alternate timeline with lots of grounding in setting and personable characters.

It helps to know going in that this book does not follow the beloved protagonist, Elma York, from first two books in the series. And it is not a progression in time. In The Relentless Moon our protagonist is another astronaut, Nicole Wargin, on a parallel timeline to The Fated Sky.

As a character Nicole Wargin is extremely competent, but not as charming as Elma York so it took me awhile to warm up to this book even though everything else that I loved about the first two books was here.

The completely satisfying ending won me over and "competent" became heroic and endearing.

Bonus: There are cat characters in this book.

I absolutely love The Lady Astronaut series (including the novelette The Lady Astronaut of Mars).

The author is a fantastic performer. Recommended for all: and especially women in science and aspiring young women in science.

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Fantastic tips for dog guardians!

Reviewed: 10-14-19

Many practical tips for caring for and connecting with your canine friend from socializing a young one to helping a rescue dog settle in including everything from grooming to vet visits. Thoughtfully done. Recommended for anyone who works with or shares a home with dogs.

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3 people found this helpful

Packs a punch. Even better on second read.

Reviewed: 06-10-19

This is the prequel to the novella "Lady Astronaut of Mars," which I adore. It reads like a fictionalized "Hidden Figures". Other than the alternate history opening and timeline, it's realistic. The author has done her research and she also does fantastic, theatrical narration of her audiobook.

There's a lot to appreciate in this story which melds science and social fiction. My favorite part, as with the novella, is the love story. Our protagonist "Lady Astronaut" Elma York has a delightfully emotionally mature, loving, egalitarian, and supportive relationship with her husband Nathaniel. It's wonderful to read.

I loved this even more on second read and quickly added the next book in the series "The Fated Sky" to my TBR list. I don't read many series, but I will definitely read this one. So much thought and story packed in tightly here!

I've recommended this to friends and also recommended it to my mom, who doesn't read much "sci-fi," but who will definitely be able to follow and appreciate this hard science fiction. Many tense and tearful moments.

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Great story, great listen

Reviewed: 05-05-19

A fun, engaging listen from beginning to end. A sci-fi detective story with a unique premise and a beautiful, heart-catching ending.

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