Review: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

Title: All Systems Red

Series: The Murderbot Diaries #1

Author: Martha Wells

Genre: Adult, sci-fi

Publication date: May 2017

Published by: Tordotcom

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: "As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.

My rating: ★★★★☆

This book has been on my radar for quite some time, but I decided to finally read it because of the TV adaptation it just got. And I really enjoyed this book, which is unsurprising. Lol.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #464: Quick Read Sort of Month

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #500: Murderbot Weekend

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

The Flower Market Reading Challenge

Another Spring reading challenge! 😍 You guys know I'm a sucker for a reading challenge. Lol. This one was created by one of my favorite bloggers, Jane at All She Wrote. Guys, she is so talented! She drew all of the flowers and images herself! 😭 I could never. Lol. Anyway, the challenge is centered around flowers. Each flower corresponds to a specific prompt, and the best part is that there are only 6! The challenge runs until the end of Spring, June 21st, so it's totally doable! Thank you, Jane! 😆

Review: The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe (Vol. 1) by Shinobumaru

Title: The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe (Light Novel Vol. 1)

Series: The Haunted Bookstore - Gateway to a Parallel Universe Light Novel #1

Author: Shinobumaru

Genre: YA, light novel, fantasy

Publication date: June 2019

Published by: Seven Seas

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: An atmospheric fantasy series for bibliophiles and fans of Japanese ghost stories! (And don’t miss the manga adaptation, also from Seven Seas.)

Kaori lives in an otherworldly bookstore with her adoptive father. Together, they provide books to the strange denizens of the spirit realm. But Kaori's peaceful days come to an end when she rescues an injured boy from the streets--a human, like her, from the mortal realm. The boy's name is Suimei, and he's an exorcist, the natural enemy of all spirits. Can Kaori convince Suimei that the line between human and spirit is far hazier than he thinks? A touching supernatural tale where humanity and Japanese folklore intertwine!

My rating: ★★★⯪☆

“Welcome to the haunted bookstore!" I declared. "It's old, run-down, and a bit cramped, but please make yourself at home.”

This was my first light novel, and tbh, I didn’t really know what to expect. There was something about the writing that I found strange, but I can’t quite place my finger on what exactly it was. It didn’t read like a normal novel, which I guess it shouldn’t because it’s not. Lol. But I did like this! I liked the premise and I could definitely imagine an anime playing in my head as I read.