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Through Vegetal Being is a gorgeous philosophy book that manages to explore topics deeply using very different methodologies and schools. Luce Irigaray and Michael Marder collaborate. They wrote to one another with the same chapter titles, then later combined the book into two perspectives on the same thoughts.

I took joy in jumping from one half to another. Irigaray writes from her experiential perspective, taking embodiment and personal relationships with plants as core to her writing. Marder is more historical and western-academic, yet retains a thoughtful and artistic writing. Both are beautiful at different moments, presenting personal perspectives on how we engage with the world of plants. The result is a book that I loved every moment of, and will read again I am sure.

It's hard to call this scifi since it's written so well. It is more of a literary achievement.

That said, as I am from the US, much of the UK vernacular was lost on me. But more than that, although I consider myself at least somewhat worldly, the character's motivations and emotions came a bit too quickly and deeply for me to keep up. (I only had one critical literature course in university.) It was quite interesting to experience though.

I might have to reread to see if I can catch more.

@BrambleBearGrrrauwling@mastodon.social I am so drawn to cozy stories. In these times indeed. Hard to find good ones.

What if Sherlock Holmes was a bad bitch who was also gay and a sorceress? And Watson was a prudish gay man? Then they'd be Shaharazade Haas and John Wyndham in this book. Their housekeeper is a sentient swarm of insects. Wyndham's war injury is from a time traveling bullet that sometimes manifests as the memory of feeling the pain during a time in his life long before he ever went to war.

This was a really fun story of greenhouse exploration and magical spell investigation. It's different than the first story (only a couple hints of connection), yet similar in tone. Enjoyable.

This isn't a plot driven novel; not much happens. But what does is written with so much care yet so casually. The characters so vibrant. The dialog so present and funny.

Yes.

This book was a pure stream of consciousness outpouring. I usually can't handle a stream for long, but this one was intriguing. You get to know the character very well and are taken through many different emotions with her.

It's an interesting concept: the main character is trying to compose a speech on economics, on John Maynard Keynes in particular. So the philosophy and history are interesting.

I didn't get what the ending was trying to say though.

Robots want to set up a noodle restaurant.

It takes a top notch writer to turn that premise into a story that's both sweet and exciting.

Annalee Newitz is that author.