Here's mini reviews for some of the books I read during Feb 2022. Give them a shot if they sound interesting.

The links lead to the book page on goodreads, from where I've also copied a portion of the blurbs for this post.

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett

Blurb

Once upon a time there was a fairy godmother named Desiderata who had a good heart, a wise head, and poor planning skills—which unfortunately left the Princess Emberella in the care of her other (not quite so good and wise) godmother when DEATH came for Desiderata. So now it's up to Magrat Garlick, Granny Weatherwax, and Nanny Ogg to hop on broomsticks and make for far-distant Genua to ensure the servant girl doesn't marry the Prince.

Review

A fun read as usual. I wasn't able to relate to some of the fairy tale references (either haven't read them or forgot about them), but liked that they added a nice touch to the plot.

I particularly enjoyed Esme's headology scenes.

The Siren Depths by Martha Wells

Blurb

All his life, Moon roamed the Three Worlds, a solitary wanderer forced to hide his true nature--until he was reunited with his own kind, the Raksura, and found a new life as consort to Jade, sister queen of the Indigo Cloud court. But now a rival court has laid claim to Moon, and Jade may or may not be willing to fight for him. Beset by doubts, Moon must travel in the company of strangers to a distant realm where he will finally face the forgotten secrets of his past, even as an old enemy returns with a vengeance.

Review

I was enjoying this third book in the series as well, especially Moon's interactions with the younger Raksuras. Until the Fell showed up again, they just make me very uncomfortable. Still, I loved the worldbuilding for the scenes at the end and overall it was another good entry.

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

Blurb

Lovelace was once merely a ship's artificial intelligence. When she wakes up in an new body, following a total system shut-down and reboot, she has no memory of what came before. As Lovelace learns to negotiate the universe and discover who she is, she makes friends with Pepper, an excitable engineer, who's determined to help her learn and grow.

Review

A lot of uncomfortable questions in this volume. I liked Pepper's story but couldn't really get behind the struggles faced by Lovelace, especially the seemingly sudden outbursts. Perhaps that was part of author's intention. I did enjoy the ending.

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino, Sam Bett (Translator)

Blurb

When three delinquents hole up in an abandoned general store after their most recent robbery, to their great surprise, a letter drops through the mail slot in the store's shutter. This seemingly simple request for advice sets the trio on a journey of discovery as, over the course of a single night, they step into the role of the kindhearted former shopkeeper who devoted his waning years to offering thoughtful counsel to his correspondents. Through the lens of time, they share insight with those seeking guidance, and by morning, none of their lives will ever be the same.

Review

This was a pleasant surprise. I don't usually read short story collections, but I had seen good reviews and thought this would make for a good change from the fantasy filled books I read.

All the five stories left an emotional impact. Characters were the biggest draw for me and I'd say the plot and pacing were good as well.

I found out that I had already read a book by this author before (The Devotion of Suspect X) after finishing this one. No wonder that the overarching plot was intricate and well constructed. I'll have to try to read more books by this author.