Summer Shorts: Heart Gear by Tsuyoshi Takake, Golden Hills by Jennifer Weiner, The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman

It's summertime and reader attention spans are low. Who am I kidding? My reader attention span has been low for a few years now 🤣 But I'm going to just roll with it as an excuse to review a group of shorter length stories I've recently read. 

Heart Gear (Heart Gear #1) by Tsuyoshi Takaki ~ Goodreads  

Source: received an ARC fromt he publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been a sucker for the unfeeling robot/being that begins to feel human. Think...Data, Spock from Star Trek, Bishop from Aliens, Murderbot by Martha Wells.

Takaki has written a new manga series to challenge the reader as to what we perceive as being human and finding our purpose when given free will.

In this postapocalyptic future, a young human girl, 11 year old Roue, lives with her robot "uncle", Zett. His purpose is to take care of raise Roue. Their happy little bubble is burst when, not so friendly, robots find them but a robot named Chrome comes to the rescue. Only Chrome has no base program, no purpose, and isn't sure what to do or how to act. Zett and Roue take him on and, later, he becomes Roue's caretaker. But is he hero or villain? Soulless or becoming human? 

I honestly can't tell if this is meant to be an eventual romance or not because Chrome was just a metal can and became, inexplicably, hot when moved to a new host body lol And that cover really gives off romantic vibes to me even though Roue seems to young for that. The female characters (there are 2 - Roue and another robot) are occasionally overly sexualized, which is common with the genre.

I am not an avid graphic novel/manga reader so I feel sort of awkward weighing in on that aspect but I found some panels jumpy - story wise - and had to backtrack to get my bearings again. The art work was sometimes messy to the point of confusion. My arc was a black and white ebook though, so that could be totally different in the finished copy.

I think this issue did a great job of laying out the characters and story. I was totally invested and like I said, I love a good - what it means to be human story.

These next two books are Amazon exclusive stories and are included with a Prime or KU membership.

Golden Hills by Jennifer Weiner ~ Goodreads

This is a very short story - 58 pages print, just under 2 hours audio, which is how I read it.

Senatorial candidate, Ida Berkowitz, is headed for a win in her reelection bid. That is until a ghost from her past, Marissa Schuyler, announces a press conference that will bring up feelings and deeds long forgotten from their summer at Camp Golden Hills while they were just young girls. 

By Ida's reaction I was expecting some serious, I Know What You Did Last Summer level shenanigans but it felt more like nothing burger to me. But who knows? Maybe it could take her out - what do I know? lol

What I did like about this one was the look back at the perceptions we have about others and their circumstances and the weight of our past that we carry with us. There are also themes of forgiveness and growth, which I also enjoyed. 

Ida does discuss politics and political issues quite a bit so steer clear if that's not your jam. 

The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman ~ Goodreads

This one is an even leaner 36 pages. For such a short story, I think Hoffman did a great job unfolding the background of two estranged sisters, the reason why, New Yorker, Isabel Gibson goes back to her small Maine island childhood home, reconnects with family, saves a bookstore and finds love.

Ok, I didn't really love the romance aspect. Gasp! But it's a really short story and the way the love interest was crammed in there and rushed wasn't my favorite. But I did love the two sisters, Isabel's niece, the bookstore and the embracing of old recipes with new meanings. 

Very sweet! 

Currently reading!

I started this last year and set it aside. I just wasn't in the mood then. I picked it up again and I love it! I felt this way about a romance in a while so fingers crossed the second half is just as good. ~ Goodreads