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Jiayi (they/them)
carabinerr@proton.me
to neocities

I used to read a lot more when I was younger, but kind of fell off as I started univeristy. But recently I've been reading again. I usually stick to fantasy, but I'm trying to expand my variety.

Here is what I have read recently:

2026

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

I picked this up because I've been hearing a lot about Octavia E. Butler. That every sci-fi lover (every reader really) should read her at one point, so I browsed through her catalogue of books to start on one. Lots of people recommended her series 'Earthseed', but I didn't want to immediately delve into another series as I am also in themiddle of reading Robin Hobb; so 'Kindred' seemed like a good introductionary book to her and I do not regret picking this up at all. It's a take on time-travel I have not seen before, with a blending genre of historical-fiction with sci-fi, which in hindsight makes so much sense. Dana, a black woman in the 70s America time travels back to the 19th century Maryland in the South and we follow her as her life intertwines with the people on the plantation she ends up in and the gruesome violence happening there and elsewhere in this time. Lots of dynamics between Dana and the other characters in this book that were explored to the tiniest of detail. Some things are left sort of vague, mainly the time-travel thing, but I didn't have an issue with that as the focus was more so on the consequences of that rather than the hows. I don't think I can point out any major issues I had with this book, hence why it didn't take me long to finish. It's definitely not an enjoyable read in terms of the horrible physical and sexual violence going on, but it is still a book I can recommend.