Gleanings (Arc of a Scythe) by Neal Shusterman/Jarrod Shusterman/Sofia Lapuente.

"A collection of stories, all set in the world of the Arc of a Scythe series by Shusterman. A Martian Minute and Anastasia's Shadow were real standouts but after awhile they storie began to get repetitive and the lack of a singular narrator, iring. This was an interesting addition to the series but not as good as the series itself."

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pros: Some interesting stories that add a bit more history to characters and the timeline of the series, such as the Cirrus expedition/What happens when you become Unsavory/A Martian Minute and Anastasia’s Shadow were really well done.

Cons: Though this focused more on the world of Arc of a Scythe, I did miss Rowan/Citra/Short stories are tough for me because they lack a linear storyline but that's just a pet peeve.

Full Review:

This was a collection of short stories that were all based in the world of rhe Arc of a Scythe series by Shusterman. Some stories were co-authored while others were written by his children and of coure, Shusterman himself. We learned some backstories of certain Scythes. What happened to Citra's family after the events of Thunderhead and also a few stories about the Cirri expeditions, the consequences of being marked Unsavory and tales about random, unkonwn Scythes.

A few standouts were Never Work With Animals, A Martian Minute and Anastasia's Shadow. Some that were just mediocre were The Mortal Canvas and The Persistence of Memory.

Near the end I began to lose interest as the stories became repetetive and the lack of a singular narrator grew old. I'd say this was a solid, middle of the road book that gave an interesting view into the world of the Arc a of Scythe series but it wasn't as good as the series itself.

Comments

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

“Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter who's on the trail of six "Andys" (Androids) who have come to Earth illegally. His job is to track them down and "retire" them. Something he found easy to do until he met her, Rachael Rosen. The Android that does the impossible, passes the "Voight-Kampff" test. The story quickly devolves into a slow, drawn out and frankly boring mystery that was putting me to sleep by the end." ⭐⭐ Pros: I was more interested in comparing it to the film, "Bladerunner."/At first I kind of liked the drab, dreary atmostphere but it soon became soporific. Cons: I had no real idea what was going on with Mercerism/The end there had me blinking in bewilderment, like with Herbert's 29th Dune Book/There was a lot of idle chit-chat while they were in murderous/intense situations, it just seemed odd. Full Review: Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter, contracted with the San Francisco Police Department hunts down and retires rogue ...

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

"Obviously targeted to writers but honestly, anyone could benefit from Bradbury's practical yet poetic advice, this was a collection of esasys by Bradbury about his writing process and reflections on some of his greatest works." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pros: Bradbury, duh, though I'm biased, to me, the man's prose is pure poetry, every word beautiful/Since writing is not my career, it was an interesting way to view Bradbury's life. Writing was his job and he was the only income. If he did not produce material, he would not get paid. It help put things into perspective. Cons: The man can go on for a bit 😂/Bradbury's insane work ethic and endless endurance to just produce story after story seems insane and overwhelming but then again, this was his livelihood, so I'm sure it was insane and overwhelming. If he didn't write and get paid, they'd starve, so, it was a life or death situation. Full Review: This was essentially a collection of essays written by Bra...

The Glutton by A. K. Blakemore

"Though dark, disturbing and at times, truly disgusting, Blakemore has created an unforgettable character in Tarare and his sad, sordid tale. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time for many different reasons and to me, that's a sign of a great read." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ Pros: Tarare wasn't a monster, it just seemed that the world was against him/I liked Lozeau and his strange band of misfits/Dr. Dupuis seemed like a genuinely good person, or at least, he had his moments. Cons: Some of the timeline/people of the French Revolution were just white noise to me/Courville was a despicable man. Full Review: The Bottomless man, the Glutton of Lyon, Tarare the Terrible. The man who has many titles but who's name is simply, Tarare, is dying in a hospital in Versailles. Citizen Doctor Tissier has written to his friend, Dupuis, in hopes that he'll be able to cure this mysterious illness that plagues Tarare. For now though, he lays, chained to his bed and waits for...

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