It felt like a memoir 2/3 about transitioning and 1/3 about falling in love. There's not a lot of strife detailed; by the end Ms. Allen has transitioned and she and her paramour have married.
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aka @kingrat@sfba.social. I'm following a lot of bookwyrm accounts, since that seems to be the only way to get reviews from larger servers to this small server. I make a lot of Bookwyrm lists. I will like & boost a lot of reviews that come across my feed. I will follow most bookwyrm accounts back if they review & comment. Social reading should be social.
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Phil in SF's books
2025 Reading Goal
Success! Phil in SF has read 69 of 28 books.
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Phil in SF started reading White Queen by Gwyneth Jones (Aleutian Trilogy, #1)

White Queen by Gwyneth Jones (Aleutian Trilogy, #1)
In the year 2038, the earth has been ravaged by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Retroviruses run rampant through humanity. Economic …
Phil in SF started reading Moscow Noir by Julia Goumen (Akashic Noir)

Moscow Noir by Julia Goumen, Natalia Smirnova (Akashic Noir)
Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each story is set …
Phil in SF reviewed Love & Estrogen by Samantha Allen (The Real Thing Collection, #4)
Phil in SF finished reading Love & Estrogen by Samantha Allen (The Real Thing Collection, #4)

Love & Estrogen by Samantha Allen (The Real Thing Collection, #4)
In this unforgettable meet-cute, Samantha Allen traces her story of self-discovery during gender transition and the life-altering partnership that began …
Phil in SF quoted Love & Estrogen by Samantha Allen (The Real Thing Collection, #4)
I walked through Indiana University's campus that Monday morning to the sprawling Gothic building that the Kinsey Institute calls home, prepared for yet another day of hibernation in the library.
— Love & Estrogen by Samantha Allen (The Real Thing Collection, #4) (2% - 4%)
It now occurs to me that the Kinsey Institute is located on the campus of a public university in a very red state. I really hope it isn't fighting for survival...
... and it is: Indiana University officials ditch plan to split off Kinsey Institute, known for its sex research
Goddammit. At least the university isn't rolling over.
Sally Strange reviewed Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
I love genre confusion, especially when I wasn't expecting it
5 stars
I went into this book knowing nothing about it except that Sarah Gailey is the author, and I've liked a couple of her other books. I recommend this approach, it is so much fun.
Similar to M. A. Carey's approach to "The Book of Koli" that way.
Phil in SF started reading Love & Estrogen by Samantha Allen (The Real Thing Collection, #4)

Love & Estrogen by Samantha Allen (The Real Thing Collection, #4)
In this unforgettable meet-cute, Samantha Allen traces her story of self-discovery during gender transition and the life-altering partnership that began …
Phil in SF reviewed Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke (Ellie Hatcher, #2)
Convoluted & stale
2 stars
Content warning mild spoilers that you could probably figure out anyway
I should probably nope out of crime fiction that involves sexually motivated serial killers. They feel so samey same. Not only motivated by some weird fetish, but they all just have to play games with the detective investigating them. Authors of these books also frequently use a device where they alternate between the detective's point of view and the killer's point of view, and it's obvious they are doing it to let you know the detective is on the wrong track.
Phil in SF wants to read White Queen by Gwyneth Jones (Aleutian Trilogy, #1)
KnitAFett reviewed Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Sing, Unburied, Sing
4 stars
I was not expecting the emotional roller coaster going into this book. The turn that the book takes about half way through that suddenly throws some magical realism into the plot threw me off a little. I would recommend this, but just make sure that you're up for a pretty bleak book.
Phil in SF finished reading Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke (Ellie Hatcher, #2)

Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke (Ellie Hatcher, #2)
Thrilled to spend the final hours of her spring break in the VIP room of an elite Manhattan club, fresh-faced …
Phil in SF quoted Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke (Ellie Hatcher, #2)
She tucked her card in the front pocket of her jeans and handed Gina her glass, then took a big sip from her own to bring the meniscus to a safer level.
— Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke (Ellie Hatcher, #2) (68%)
new vocabulary: meniscus
- The curved upper surface of a liquid in a tube
- A lens that is convex on one side and concave on the other
- A thin fibrous cartilage between the surfaces of some joints, e.g., the knee
I've only heard meniscus used as a cartilage thing before now.
Marek reviewed Odyssey by Stephen Fry (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #4)
A fine finish to Fry's tetrology of Greek Myth
4 stars
Because he draws as much from the Aeneid and other sources as from Homer, this takes a long time to properly get to the telling of the Odyssey itself. I could perhaps have done with less of the context, though given it's those aspects of the story I had little if any knowledge of, it's certainly those I've learned most from!
The books rounds out the telling of the ancient Greek myths, and gently, lovingly explores the transitions of humanity from awe and fear of the world to hard work and negotiation both with the world and with other people. The grand canvas of the myth woven of very personal, often selfish, individual stories. I guess like the titular hero, it takes its time, but it does get there in the end.
73pctGeek reviewed Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
Unnecessary, but fans should like it
3 stars
In honour of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes to compete in the fiftieth annual Hunger Games.
While I quite enjoyed the Hunger Games trilogy back in 2012, “Sunrise on the Reaping” feels like a somewhat unnecessary addition. I found the romance annoying, the arena a dreary slog to get through, and the ending dismal but not enjoyably so. Also, too much song lyrics and poetry for my tastes. Not for me. However, all that is a “me problem”, and Hunger Games fans should thoroughly enjoy this latest entry in the series.













