Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3) by Heather Fawcett

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales
Series: Emily Wilde, #3
Author: Heather Fawcett
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication date: February 11, 2025
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

The 3rd book in the Emily Wilde series picks up right where the 2nd book leaves off, but lacks the forward momentum and much of the charm that infuses the earlier books.

In the 2nd book, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, dryadologist Emily Wilde locates the door to her fiancé Wendell’s kingdom (he’s actually a King of Fairie), so that he can return from exile; thanks to Emily outwitting (and poisoning) his wicked stepmother who’d stolen the throne, the kingdom is Wendell’s once again. As Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales opens, Emily and Wendell have reentered his kingdom and are making their way to his castle.

And they seem to spend a very long time making their way… we spend an awfully long time just hearing about them walking through the forest, picking up assorted companions as they march along.

Eventually, the action picks up, and the narrative focuses both on Emily’s adjustment to life in the Faerie world, where she’s quite out of place as a mortal Queen despite Wendell’s best efforts to make her happy, and their investigation of a curse that’s infecting the kingdom. The previous queen is still somewhere in the kingdom, and she’s poured her poison into the land itself. It will take a dramatic, dire action to save the kingdom, and Emily wants to make sure that the cure for the infection won’t end up dooming Wendell.

Emily is a scholar and lives for research, so when action is called for, she heads for the books. One of the lovely aspects of the Emily Wilde books is how Emily relies on her academic research into folklore to provide clues to how to actually survive and solve puzzles while amongst the fae. In this case, she finds an obscure tale of a forgotten fae king that provides clues as to how to beat the old queen — but she is dismayed to realize that there may be no saving Wendell himself. Of course, Emily isn’t someone who gives up in the face of a challenge, and dives deeper into the research and also undertakes a highly risky quest in order to find a solution that saves the kingdom and the man she loves.

As in the previous books, Emily interacts with fae and mortals, and we’re treated to her scholarly tangents about the history, mythology, and sources related to all the various types of fae she meets. While some fae are absolutely terrifying, Emily’s scholarly curiosity sees her through, despite her fear and the dangers of her quest.

The book is told via Emily’s journal entries, which is effective to an extent… and yet, also removes any question about whether Emily herself survives any given situation. She’s writing a record of what she’s experienced, so we also know that she made it through any given danger before we even read about it. Something about the writing style puts the reader at a distance: We’re hearing about events after the fact, and even when the narrative describes an action sequence, it’s action that’s happened to the character already, thus depriving the narrative of a true sense of suspense.

I do really enjoy the world of Emily Wilde, but this third book feels oddly flat. By the end, the stakes and the plot pick up quite a bit, but as a reader, it’s hard to feel the sense of investment or emotion provided by the other two. Obviously, this isn’t meant to be a standalone, but it’s still disconcerting to pick up the book and feel like we’ve started in the middle of something. There’s an assumption that we already know the characters… and yet, the lack of character development is striking. We don’t learn anything further about them, and while we see them in action as the plotlines move forward, they don’t particular feel like living, breathing characters the way they did in the previous books.

I loved the previous two Emily Wilde books, but sadly, this one was only… okay. The 3rd book does a nice job of wrapping up the story and provides a very good outcome for Emily and Wendell. The slow start was discouraging, and it really takes quite a while before it feels as thought there’s any sort of story momentum. Eventually, I felt more involved and enjoyed the last half of the book much more than the beginning.

Readers who’ve read the first two Emily Wilde books will certainly want to read Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. As the trilogy’s conclusion, this book provides a satisfyingly happy ending, even though the slow pacing means it takes a while for the story to really gain traction and feel likes it’s actually moving.

Taken as a whole, I enjoyed the Emily Wilde trilogy very much and recommend them for anyone who enjoys a good fantasy foray into the world of Faerie… especially when narrated by a grumpy scholar. There’s a lot to love here, and I suspect I might not have felt the slow pace of the third book if I’d read the trilogy straight through… so that’s my reading advice to anyone new to the world of Emily Wilde: Start with the first book, and if it captures your imagination (and I think it will), keep going right away with books two and three!

19Feb2025

Audiobook Review: Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6) by Terry Pratchett

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Wyrd Sisters
Series: Discworld, #6; Witches, #2
Author: Terry Pratchett
Narrator: Indira Varma, Bill Nighy, Peter Serafinowicz
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication date: Original print edition published 1988; audio production date 2022
Print length: 265 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 53 minutes
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Library
Rating:

Over 1 million Discworld audiobooks sold – discover the extraordinary universe of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld like never before

The audiobook of Wyrd Sisters is narrated by Indira Varma (Game of Thrones; Luther; This Way Up). BAFTA and Golden Globe award-winning actor Bill Nighy (Love Actually; Pirates of the Caribbean; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) reads the footnotes, and Peter Serafinowicz (Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace; Shaun of the Dead) stars as the voice of Death. Featuring a new theme tune composed by James Hannigan.

‘Destiny is important, see, but people go wrong when they think it controls them. It’s the other way around.‘

Three witches gathered on a lonely heath. A king cruelly murdered, his throne usurped by his ambitious cousin. A child heir and the royal crown, both missing.

Witches don’t have these kinds of leadership problems themselves – in fact, they don’t have leaders.

Granny Weatherwax is the most highly regarded of the leaders they don’t have. But even she finds that meddling in royal politics is a lot more complicated than certain playwrights would have you believe. Particularly when the blood on your hands just won’t wash off…

With an afterword by Joanne Harris.

In 2020, I challenged myself to read the Discworld series. The idea was to read one book per month, going in chronological order by publication date (which, by the way, is not the way people usually recommend experiencing Discworld). After only four books and four months, I threw in the towel. Terry Pratchett’s writing is always a treat, but the (self-imposed) pressure to read one book per month was sucking the joy out of it for me. Plus, too much of a good thing can be… a lot. Pratchett’s humor is great, but I think it works best for me in small doses.

Which brings me to 2025, and the witches. For as long as I’ve been talking to people about Discworld, I’ve been hearing that the witch books are the way to go. Word to the wise: This is great advice! After also hearing about how terrific the audiobooks are (narrated mainly by the amazing Indira Varma), I decided to give the series (and the witches) another try.

Although I’d read the 2nd Discworld book, Equal Rites, back when I started my challenge, I revisited the book via audio before starting the next witch book, Wyrd Sisters. Wyrd Sisters is #6 in the Discworld series, and #2 in the Witches sub-series.

In Wyrd Sisters, we once again spend time with Granny Weatherwax, who we met in Equal Rites. Here, she’s joined by two other witches, Nanny Ogg — a woman with a huge family and the ability to drink just about everyone under the table — and Magrat Garlick, a younger witch who loves to dress up in occult garb and who has a remarkably wise head on her shoulders.

The story opens on a dark and stormy night:

As the cauldron bubbled an eldritch voice shrieked: “When shall we three meet again?”

There was a pause.

Finally another voice said, in far more ordinary tones: “Well, I can do next Tuesday.”

The witches almost immediately become involved in a very Macbeth-like plot, as an evil Duke and his wife kill a king and seize the throne. But a missing heir adds complications to their scheming, and the plot stretches to include a theatrical troupe, the kingdom’s fool, a haunted castle, forests and standing stones with minds of their own, and all sorts of magical spells and powers.

The delight, of course, is in how Terry Pratchett tells this tale. The humor is sly and clever, woven neatly into scenes of action, adding a slapsticky feel at times, or just plain silliness. The wordplay soars, and manages to constantly surprise throughout the book. The Shakespearean references are hilarious, twisted to fit the story and yet recognizable and amazingly woven into random scenes and dialogues.

As for the audiobook itself, it’s a blast. As I mentioned, Indira Varma is an excellent narrator. Bill Nighy provides the book’s footnotes interspersed throughout the main narrative, and Peter Serafinowicz provides the voice of Death.

I’ll most likely take a break from Discworld for now — I find that for me, a little goes a long way. But, at some point I will want to continue, and when I do, it’ll be with more witches!

*The next Witch book: Witches Abroad (Discworld, #12)*

18Feb2025

Top 5 Tuesday: Top 5 books I want to reread in 2025

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Meeghan Reads — check out the next batch of upcoming topics here.

This week’s topic is Top 5 books I want to reread in 2025, with the prompt: Are you planning to reread some favourites in 2025? Maybe that classic you read back in school. Or maybe there’s a new book coming out in a series, and you want to remind yourself what happened in the last book. Whatever it is, let’s share all of our reread plans!!

I have at least two rereads that I’m firmly committed to, and while there are a bunch that are maybes for me, I’ll share a few that seem most likely.

My five are:

1: Dracula by Bram Stoker: This is my most recent Classics Club spin book, and I’m committed to reading it by April. I originally read this book back in my school days, but that was eons ago!

2: The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien: My book group will be reading this book in April, prior to launching into a lengthy group read of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’m excited to read The Hobbit again! I’ve read it several times, most recently with one of my kids, and I’m looking forward to experiencing it all over again.

3: Wolfsong by TJ Klune: It’s no secret that I adored the Green Creek series when I read it recently, and I’ve been wanting to do an audiobook reread. I’m not sure that I’ll get through the whole series right away, but I’d like to at least listen to the first book.

4 & 5: Two October Daye books: Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire: Books 17 and 18 in this phenomenal series — telling the same story from two different perspectives — were released one month apart in 2023. Now, finally, the next book is on the way! Book #19, Silver and Lead, will be released in September 2025. It’s been my habit to reread the previous books before each new release in the series, and especially with two years in between installments, I think it will be absolutely essential this time around!

Read in 2024:

Do you plan to reread any books in 2025?

17Feb2025

The Monday Check-In ~ 2/17/2025

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

It’s so nice to have a long weekend!

Blogging.

I feel like I manage to come up with a new WordPress complaint each week. Here’s my latest: I found a bunch of comments sitting in spam that are from real people who’ve actually interacted with my blog before! Why, WordPress, why? I never would have thought to check, but now that I have, I’ll keep an eye on my spam folder going forward.

(And if you happen to have left a comment at some point in the past that went unanswered, I apologize.. and also, that could be why!)

Other bookish thoughts.

I’ve started two different versions of a post about Neil Gaiman… and both times, I found the subject too depressing to finish. There’s already a ton written about him out there on the internet, and I don’t think I have anything particularly different to add.

What really started me thinking about the subject, though, was seeing his books on my shelves and realizing I don’t want to see them there any longer… and there really are quite a few. For now, I’m listing a bunch on my Pango seller page, putting a couple of the rattier editions in my Little Free Library (in fact, one got snatched up within an hour of my leaving it there), and may just stick the rest (I can’t quite bring myself to part with Stardust… ) in a closet for now.

Anyone else struggling with what to do with their Neil Gaiman books?

What did I read during the last week?

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer: Fascinating, fast read — and finished in time for my book group chat later this week. My review is here.

Equal Rites (Discworld, #3) by Terry Prachett: Really enjoyable audiobook! I’d read this book previously a few years ago; my original review is here.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: This was such a fun read. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I don’t always keep up with Oscar-nominated movies, but I’ve been curious about certain movies getting a lot of buzz. This week, I checked out Anora — and I’ve gotta say, I was impressed! So far, of the best picture nominees, I’ve seen Anora, Wicked, and The Substance. I’m still planning to watch Dune: Part 2 — but beyond that, none are especially calling to me right now. Any recommendations?

Fresh Catch:

One new book this week, and I’m already enjoying it!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3) by Heather Fawcett: I’m about halfway through, and after a bit of a slow start, it’s really good!

Next up:

I’m trying to stay on top of all of my pending ARCs for upcoming new releases. My next read will probably be one of these:

Now playing via audiobook:

Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6) by Terry Pratchett: I’m continuing with the audiobooks for the Witches books within the Discworld series. It’s a blast! Great narration, lots of fun.

Ongoing reads:

My book group’s classic read is Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 38%. Up next: Chapters 20 and 21.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

16Feb2025

My Classics Club Spin book for winter 2025 will be…

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Earlier in the week, I shared a post with my list of books for the newest Classics Club Spin challenge (see it here), and a few days ago, this spin’s number was announced. (For those keeping track, it’s CCSpin #40, and for me personally, #12!)

Hosted by The Classics Club blog, the Classics Club Spin is a reading adventure where participants come up with a list of classics they’d like to read, number them 1 to 20, and then read the book that corresponds to the “spin” number that comes up.

For CCSpin #40, the lucky number is:

And that means I’ll be reading:

Dracula by Bram Stoker (published 1897)

Synopsis:

‘Young lawyer Jonathan Harker journeys to Transylvania to meet with the mysterious Count Dracula only to discover that his nobleman client is a vampire who is thirsty for new blood. After imprisoning Harker in his castle, Dracula travels to England to seduce Jonathan’s fiancée, Mina, and the battle against an ineffable evil begins.

Led by philosopher and metaphysician Professor Van Helsing – Dracula’s most indomitable adversary – Harker, Mina, and a band of allies unite, determined to confront and destroy the Count before he can escape.

Bram Stoker ingeniously modernized gothic folklore by moving his vampire from traditional castle ruins to modern England. With Dracula, which has been interpreted and dissected by scholars for generations, Stoker changed the vampire novel forever.

Okay! This is a good result! What’s funny is that I replaced all but two of the books on my spin list this time around with 20th century classics related to a reading challenge I’ve committed to, and Dracula was one of the only two exceptions. But that’s fine!

I actually have read Dracula before, but it’s been decades, and I’ve been meaning to do a reread for ages now — it’s been on every one of my spin lists since I started participating, and I guess it was time for its number to come up.

I’m excited to dive in. I’m also super tempted to treat myself to a gorgeous hardcover edition with illustrations by Edward Gorey as a little motiviating gift to myself… should I give in to temptation?

I haven’t quite decided on my reading format. There’s a full cast Audible edition of the unabridged text that looks like it would be an amazing listen.

What do you think, read the physical book or listen to the audiobook?

And most importantly: What do you think of my spin result this time around?

The deadline to finish this spin is April 11th. I’ll be back with my reaction to Dracula before then!

Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #40:

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
A Damsel in Distress by P. G. Wodehouse
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
White Fang by Jack London
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Porter
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

My previous Classics Club Spin books:

Are you participating in this Classics Club Spin? If so, what book will you be reading?

15Feb2025

Book Review: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Crazy Rich Asians
Series: Crazy Rich Asians, #1
Author: Kevin Kwan
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication date: June 11, 2013
Length: 546 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn’t know is that Nick’s family home happens to look like a palace, that she’ll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back.

Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick’s formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should—and should not—marry.

Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider’s look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

Having seen the movie version of Crazy Rich Asians back when it was released in 2018, I wasn’t sure that I ever needed to read the book. The movie was a blast, but I assumed the book would just cover the same ground — and there are always so many other books to read. This year, Crazy Rich Asians came up as an option for a reading challenge I’ve committed to, so I thought, why not finally give it a try?

I’m so glad I did. While yes, the book does cover much of the same plot points as the movie, it’s just so much fun to see it unfold on the page — and the ending goes off in very different directions, leaving the door open for whatever comes next in the book trilogy.

In Crazy Rich Asians, New York college professor Rachel Chu is in for the shock of her life when her boyfriend (and fellow professor) Nick Young invites her to come with him to Singapore for his cousin’s wedding and to spend their summer vacation. Rachel agrees, and is thrilled at this next step in their relationship. From the moment they book their flights and Rachel sees the level of luxury she’ll be traveling in, she starts to realize that there’s a lot about Nick that she just doesn’t know.

Meanwhile, the gossip instantly spreads among the billionaire class of Singapore: Nick Young is bringing home a girlfriend! But who is she? Is she perhaps related to the Taiwan Plastics Chu family? (She’s not.) Before Nick and Rachel even board their flight, Singapore society — and especially, Nick’s family — are in a tizzy of worry and speculation.

Rachel is not at all prepared for what life amidst true wealth looks like, and she’s bombarded by opulence and designer clothing from the moment she arrives. Meanwhile, she starts to meet Nick’s vast family as well as others in the social circle, and it’s overwhelming. Plus, she’s given the mean girls treatment by an assortment of cruel and catty women, and it’s clear that Nick’s mother has no intention of giving her a chance.

Other storylines focus on Nick’s cousin Astrid and her troubled marriage, as well as assorted other friends and relatives. The cast of characters is huge, and it’s a challenge to keep track of them all. (A family tree is provided at the beginning of the book… but even that is only marginally helpful).

The story itself is lots of fun. Rachel and Nick’s relationship, their turbulent ups and downs as they navigate the hostility of an exclusive world that doesn’t allow outsiders, Rachel’s close friend from college who provides a safe haven for her — all add depth to the characters and the “crazy rich” world they inhabit.

Of course, seeing the world of billionaire-level wealth is entertaining all on its own. From the sightseeing aspect of Nick and Rachel’s time in Singapore to Rachel’s shopping outings to make sure she’s properly outfitted for the social whirl of the wedding, it’s nonstop luxury and casual spending of outrageous amounts of money. I did get a little weary of the constant designer names, which really mean next to nothing to me. At some point, it feels like overkill: We get it. These people are richer than the gods. But hey, let’s see what else their money can buy!

Having seen the movie, I was surprised by the final 20% or so of the book, which goes in a different direction, presents unexpected complications and revelations, and sets the stage for new storylines in the next book. I appreciated the fresh dose of conflict, although certain revelations come in one big info-dump crammed into the final chapters, and it might have been nice to have a few hints earlier in the book.

All in all, Crazy Rich Asians is a very entertaining, escapist bit of reading. Based just on page count, it would appear to be a very long book — but as I discovered, there are a lot of footnotes, and those explain the length. The story actually goes very quickly, and the pages just fly by.

Crazy Rich Asians is the first in a trilogy. While I’ll don’t intend to continue immediately, I do want to read the other two books this year.

And now that I’ve read the book, I’m dying to rewatch the movie and see how it holds up!

14Feb2025

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I had a somewhat serious post on tap for today… and then decided it was too gloomy for a day that’s all about love!

Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day! Whether your day is romantic or focused on friendship or spent treating yourself to something special… or just another Friday — I hope you’re spending time doing at least one thing that makes you smile. (When in doubt, there are always books!)

Valentine’s Day… a perfect time to get cozy with a good book!

13Feb2025

Book Review: Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Annie Bot
Author: Sierra Greer
Publisher: Viking
Publication date: March 19, 2024
Length: 298 pages
Genre: Science fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the cute outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying hard.

She’s learning, too.

Doug says he loves that Annie’s artificial intelligence makes her seem more like a real woman, but the more human Annie becomes, the less perfectly she behaves. As Annie’s relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder whether Doug truly desires what he says he does. In such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?

Annie is a Stella — that is, an AI-powered artificial person created by the Stella-Handy corporation, programmed in Cuddle Bunny mode to be the perfect girlfriend for someone who can afford the luxury-level pricetag. Annie’s owner Doug has enable the autodidact option for Annie, wanting a more authentic experience. Annie is self-aware and able to learn and grow from her experiences, and what Annie wants more than anything — in fact, the only thing Annie is meant to want — is to please Doug.

And yet, she can’t quite be perfect. He chose a Cuddle Bunny Stella, rather than an Abigail (whose function is housework), yet he’s angry when Annie fails to keep his apartment clean to his standards. Annie’s internal sensors rate every interaction on a scale of 1 to 10, and when Doug’s displeasure level gets to 3 or higher, Annie becomes highly anxious and strives to fix things immediately.

But she doesn’t always know the right thing to say, and she makes mistakes… sometimes, big ones. While Annie has the ability to think and feel, she’s still programmed to obey Doug’s commands, including orders to shut down, change her libido settings, or go into another room and stay there until he says she can come out — which can take days.

Doug’s wants dictate everything, even Annie’s physical attributes. When she goes for her regular tune-ups, Doug can submit requests to have her weight reduced and her breast size enlarged, and Annie doesn’t get a say. When the technician notes that some of Annie’s functions seem a little sluggish and questions whether she’s exhibiting signs of moodiness, the suggested fix is to set her up with phone pals — an AI-generated best friend and a cousin, who call her regularly and give Annie a sense of fun and engagement when she’s not busy with Doug. Doug agrees to add this option (for an additional fee, of course), but only for as long as it produces better results — meaning a more pleasant companion — for him.

It’s fascinating to see Annie’s inner life, and her dawning realization that the inability to make her own choices is making her unhappy. She initially becomes distressed in response to Doug’s moods, but as she continues to develop, she’s able to question her lack of agency and purpose. It’s no longer enough to please Doug; she can’t help noticing how his control seeps into every interaction, even when things seem to be going better than ever.

Doug and Annie’s relationships can be seen as a stand-in for many types of toxic relationships. He’s controlling to an extreme, withholds approval in order to dictate Annie’s movements and moods, demands or withholds sex as reinforcement, and chooses every aspect of Annie’s life, from her clothes to her activities to her social life and her whereabouts. When he decides to train her on “wandering”, she’s allowed outdoors on her own for walks and errands — but all still under Doug’s surveillance, and of course, with her tracking features enabled.

Grooming and even trafficking seem to key elements of owning a Stella, and the fact that the Stella industry is so popular and accepted within society is a sign of just how wrong things truly are.

Annie Bot is an immersive, thought-provoking read. While some scenes have humor, it’s impossible to forget Annie’s status. Doug enjoys having a seemingly real girlfriend, but there’s never any chance of forgetting that at the end of the day, he owns her. Readers suffer alongside Annie as she is forced to respond to his whims by changing her behavior and her body. Her constant monitoring of his happiness and displeasure would set off loud alarm bells in a relationship between two humans.

Annie Bot might have slipped right past my notice if not for my book group. I’m so glad someone from the group urged us to read it, and look forward to our discussion later this month. It’s a fast-paced book and a quick read that held my attention from start to finish. I felt completely drawn in by Annie’s world and her experiences. This may be science fiction, but many aspects of the relationship feel all too real and possible.

Highly recommended.

12Feb2025

Getting ready for the Winter 2025 Classics Club Spin!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

It’s time for another Classics Club Spin!

Here are the dates and guidelines from the host blog:

On Sunday 16th February 2025 we’ll post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List by the 11th April, 2025.

We’ll check in on the 11th April to see who made it the whole way and finished their spin book!

What’s Next?

Go to your blog.

Pick twenty books that you’ve got left to read from your Classics Club List.

Post that list, numbered 1-20, on your blog before Sunday 16th February 2025.

We’ll announce a number from 1-20.

Read that book by 11th April.

Usually, when a new spin is announced, I simply replace the book chosen on the last spin, and otherwise keep the rest of my list intact. This time, though, I’m making several substitutions: I’m participating in a 20th Century Decades reading challenge in 2025, aiming to read one book published per decade. To support that, I’m swapping out almost* all of the books on my list published prior to 1900, and replacing them** with books that fit my challenge.

*Exceptions: Dracula and Frankenstein have both been on my lists since I started participating in these spins, and I’m still waiting for their numbers to come up.

**Have no fear! I’m making note of which books I’m (temporarily) removing from my spin list, and will add them back for future spins, once I make progress on my reading challenge!

All that intro out of the way…

Here we go!

Here’s my list of 20 classics for the next Classics Club Spin:

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
A Damsel in Distress by P. G. Wodehouse
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
White Fang by Jack London
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Porter
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

Wish me luck! I’ll be back on February 16th to reveal my spin result!

My previous Classics Club spins:

Spring 2022 (CCSpin29): The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer
Summer 2022 (CCSpin30): Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Fall 2022 (CCSpin31): A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Winter 2022/2023 (CCSpin32): O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
Spring 2023 (CCSpin33): Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
Summer 2023 (CCSpin34): Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Fall 2023 (CCSpin35): Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Winter 2024 (CCSpin36): A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
Spring 2024 (CCSpin37): Howards End by E. M. Forster
Summer 2024 (CCSpin38): The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
Fall 2025 (CCSpin39): An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

11Feb2025

Top Ten Tuesday: It’s all about LOVE… My ten favorite love stories from this past year of reading (new & improved for 2025)

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Love Freebie, which means we all put our own spin on the topic of LOVE.

Focusing on my favorite love stories from the books I’ve read recently has become my go-to topic for the “love freebie” TTT topic — I’ve been keeping it going since 2020! Here are my ~~ten~~ twelve favorite love stories that I read in the past year: