Wow.

I don’t know what to say.

The novel is set in a dystopian future in which some children are genetically-engineered (“lifted”) for enhanced academic ability.

As schooling is provided entirely at home by on-screen tutors, opportunities for socialization are limited and parents who can afford it often buy their children androids as companions.

The book is narrated by one such Artificial Friend (AF) called Klara. Although exceptionally intelligent and observant, Klara’s knowledge of the world is limited. …

This is his 8th novel. But my first Ishiguro.

Very skillful.

Publishers Weekly praised the “rich inner reflections” of Ishiguro’s protagonist, writing, “Klara’s quiet but astute observations of human nature land with profound gravity.” ^[6]

In her review for The New York Times, Radhika Jones notes that Klara and the Sun returns to the theme of The Remains of the Day as “Ishiguro gives voice to: not the human, but the clone; not the lord, but the servant. 

In a positive review, Cherwell described Ishiguro’s novel as characterised by “elegance and poise”, praising the narrator Klara as “a memorable first-person narrative voice, simultaneously robotic and infantile, scrupulous yet naïve.”  ^[8]

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

This is the first book to feature Will Robie, a highly skilled U.S. government assassin.  (2012)

Non-stop action.

Silly plot.

But I actually enjoyed it.

Two wildly different women—one a grifter, the other an heiress—are brought together by the scam of a lifetime.

janellebrown.com

Good book. Fascinating plot.

2020 technologies like Instagram, GPS and digital video cameras critical to the story.

Recommended — though it is too long. Rather than telling the same incident from two different perspectives, more skillful would have been to briefly REACT from the other person’s point of view.

FREE from your public library is best for sure.

I use the IOS Libby app, though there are others that are similar.

I’m with Calgary Public Library quite happy with the selection. I can get almost any book I want — though sometimes I’m on the waiting list for a couple of months.

I gave my library a big donation in 2020 as I was using the service more than ever.

Audible.com by Amazon is the market leader.

I’ve bought hundreds of books over the years. They have a better selection than my library and there’s no waiting.

That said — I’m thinking of cancelling Audible next time round. Prices have never gone down and they’ve not innovated much in all the years I’ve been paying my subscription.

IF dying to get an audiobook right away in future, I’ll simply buy it.

I tried Scribd. Didn’t like it enough.

MIGHT try Audiobooks.com, another Audible competitor. But it’s the same price, same benefits, so I’ll probably cancel after my free trial. AND I hear unused credits expire in only three months. No go.

A beginner’s guide to listening to audiobooks

2nd in the series featuring Kala Stonechild, an intriguing First Nations woman and police detective.

One hot week in late September, university student Leah Sampson is murdered in her apartment. In another corner of the city, Della Munroe is raped by her husband.

At first the crimes appear unrelated, but as Sergeant Rouleau and his new team of officers dig into the women’s pasts, they discover unsettling coincidences. …

brendachapman.ca

Quite good. An interesting plot.

I’ll continue with book #3.