Very belated reading roundup

[hamsterwoman]

I am so behind on reading, you guys... Partly it's work being crazy, but mostly it's the phone, quite honestly. Well, that, and feeling sort of adrift, fannishly -- nothing I've read recently has really grabbed me, and I haven't even managed to finish watching a movie since Moana, like 2 months ago. But I finally managed to scrape up a couple of

Comments

[_profiterole_]

Not Your Sidekick is super adorable. <3 It feels very YA, but I don't mind when it's that cute.

YA which takes great pains to be diverse in all ways, and that's really, really transparent, and a little on the nose
Should it be more white? Should it be more straight? The author is Asian and bisexual, so the diversity is definitely not tokenism.

[hamsterwoman]

Should it be more white? Should it be more straight? Not at all! I really liked the mix of main characters in terms of ethnicity and non-straightness, and appreciated also that Jess and her family weren't the only Asian characters -- there was a real sense of nicely non-monolithic community

[_profiterole_]

I don't remember finding these scenes too PSA-ish. I remember thinking that in Malinda Lo's Adaptation/Inheritance, so I see what you mean, but I think it's important that some books, especially YA novels, do the PSA aspect. Not everybody has access to spaces like Tumblr (and Tumblr sometimes does it aggressively anyway). It's super important for queer kids especially, who wouldn't yet have a network of queer people. It's also important for other minority kids, but at least most immigrant kids have their family network. And it's important for kids who are not minorities, because a lot of them probably have never been taught anything like that.

Also, where else do you see scenes about preferred pronouns? I've seen it recently in the Black-ish backdoor pilot for the Zoey show, and it was awesome for 5 seconds, until it turned out the character was the butt of the joke. I'm so pissed, they can be sure I won't be watching it.

[hamsterwoman]

I do tend to have kind of a hair-trigger for PSAs in books (even on subjects I wholeheartedly agree with) -- IDK, maybe it's a result of a diet of Soviet fiction which was meant to be Educational and hold Moral Positions? I know you and I have talked about this before in other books, where something felt too didactic/PSA-y for me but didn't bother you.

but I think it's important that some books, especially YA novels, do the PSA aspect. Not everybody has access to spaces like Tumblr (and Tumblr sometimes does it aggressively anyway)I definitely agree that it's important for people, and younger readers especially, to have those kinds of things shown and role-modeled for them, for all the reasons you say. I do think it is theoretically possible (although really hard!) to do this well without it being PSA-y. There probably needs to be a critical mass of books doing just that to have a nice range, and we are (unfortunately) not there yet, and books like this are getting us there. Would I rather have books doing it a bit clunkily (like

[aravishermione]

The first few months of the year, despite school, I was actually doing really well with reading...and since I've graduated my reading went down the drain, despite having more free time...? Although in hindsight my reading time actually went down because I wasn't getting to class early to beat traffic and then waiting in the classroom for an hour and a half, and also I took a couple weeks off from my treadmill regime. Trying to get back on the treadmill wagon, however, and I am finally getting to Moon Over SoHo. Enjoying it so far, except I feel really awful for Leslie since she was not primarily involved in all the magic and yet came away with a horribly disfigured (and looks like not fixable) face while Peter has mostly forgotten her and is off shagging a murder victim's mistress. As a huge Minor Character Fan I really liked Leslie, poor girl...

[hamsterwoman]

Lesley was one of my favorite characters in book 1, and I loved her relationship with Peter. If you don't mind vague spoilers, I can say that she returns as a significant character in the series before too long.

while Peter has mostly forgotten her and is off shagging a murder victim's mistress

:P Soho is an interesting book. I still like it a lot, but it's my least favorite in the series, although it features some really great scenes closer to the end.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to your thoughts on it!

I find that I read less when I have time off, too, because most of my reading is done during my commute, so, no commute = no reading time.

[cyanshadow]

I think I liked Victor better than you, but I agree completely re: not being invested in either Eli or the Victor/Eli relationship. (Towards the beginning I had a Carry On-like "I find it hilarious how transparently ~GAY~ this character is being" investment in Victor/Eli, but after it never really went anywhere (and especially after Eli turned out to be ... Eli), I lost interest pretty quickly.

Similarly, once cyanshadow suggested it, I really liked the idea that Victor had drawn the wrong conclusion from his little experiment with Dane and Serena's power actually was broken by death

I think that was A actually. :D But I agree both that it was a cool idea and that it's a shame nothing came of it.

I did enjoy the writing enough that I started A Darker Shade of Magic, which has now become one of the books I'm stuck in the middle of. Because I needed more.

Ahaha, the struggle is real. XD I'm planning to check that out too, once I pare down my library list a bit more - I've got another good friend who really likes that series.

[hamsterwoman]

(and especially after Eli turned out to be ... Eli)

*snerk* I do suspect Victor's fixation on him and the relationship could've been salvaged for me if Eli had been different. Not just in his POV, from the start, probably, but it could've worked for me.

Also, ooops, that's what I get for relying on memory and not going back into the multi-tentacled actual discussion to check who'd said which part.

YES I loved that scene.

It was so much stronger than the "set pieces", and such a good and subtle reminder of both Bells situation and the two characters -- that Jess would think of the implications and check in, that Bells would be willing to do it for the greater good. (And it also made me think about Bells voluntarily assuming the form of the red-haired woman to walk Jess -- it had to be a woman presumably so that Jess wouldn't freak out. Such a good friend!)

"I see what you did there and I approve of your attitudes" That was true for me too, but with the adder of "but I really wish you'd stick to the more nuanced ways of showing

[cyanshadow]

(And it also made me think about Bells voluntarily assuming the form of the red-haired woman to walk Jess -- it had to be a woman presumably so that Jess wouldn't freak out. Such a good friend!)

Ahh, I'd forgotten that one, too. Yes. <333

but Abby continues to go to school (I think? she certainly takes Jess to the school gym for a volleyball demo and pep talk on the importance of hard work over talent)

Right, I think it was that + Jess that really bothered me. I get that Jess' parents have a bunch of protections on their house, but like ... there's a lot of distance between the house and school (and wherever else Jess might want to go) that ... would be pretty easy to use if anyone in the government was serious about coming after her. And her talent is useful, but not really combat-oriented, so it's not like she'd probably be able to put up enough of a fight against someone trained ...

The Bells explanation I didn't have any problems with - I also saw it as another sign that he / his parents are quite sensible. :D

(you might

[hamsterwoman]

I get that Jess' parents have a bunch of protections on their house, but like ... there's a lot of distance between the house and school (and wherever else Jess might want to go) that ... would be pretty easy to use if anyone in the government was serious about coming after her. And her talent is useful, but not really combat-oriented

Yeah, that doesn't make much sense to me, unless the idea is that the government would dismiss Jess as useless/not a threat because she has non-combat-oriented powers, and they would focus on the flashier threats of Abby and Bells. But that seems like kind of a big chance to take!

Hahaha, it does seem oddly specific. :DRight? :D But I'm not complaining! (I think the first time I encountered it was in Kushiel's Scion, but I keep wracking my brains for what #2 might have been. I feel like it was something other than a book -- maybe a show episode

[aome]

I didn't realize Dave Barry had a new book out. I'll have to keep my eye out for that.

Btw, any further ideas for L's imminent 16th bday?

[hamsterwoman]

re: L's birthday -- did I already tell you she wants to read The Midnight Circus? (which I've also heard good things about) She didn't come up with any other ideas, and the one I had (Riverdale, which she's been watching) it sounds like she's not sufficiently into to want to own, and the first season isn't out yet on DVD anyway.

So, IDK, Midnight Circus and cute mint-green accessories?

Oh, and there were actually two Dave Barry books I had missed -- this one, and an earlier one that I haven't read yet.

[aome]

There's several things named "Midnight Circus" - something that looks like a serial (graphic novel, maybe), a book that's out of print, a book called "The Night Circus" that has good reviews and looks more recent ... what am I after?

Any particular mint-green accessories? Jewelry? Nail polish? Pencil cases?

Btw, have you guys read the "Apollo is punished and turned into a human" ("The Trials of Apollo") series by Rick Riordan? The second book just came out, didn't know if anyone over there (maybe O?) might like it. Also, the second Viking myth one (Chase Magnus - "The Hammer of Thor") was out last fall - did you guys read that already, too?

[hamsterwoman]

Oh, oops, you're right, it's The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Sorry about that!

Jewelry? Nail polish? Pencil cases?

There's nothing in particular that she desperately needs, but those are all things she's draw to in mint green. (She does have a mint green purse already, so no need for that.) She has started wearing necklaces more (simple pendants, fairly small/preppy), so that might be something. And she still really enjoys jewelry with animal/nature elements, so if you find something cute along thoe lines (octopus, cacti, and snakes are still a favorite). That's not necessarily mint green, of course!

We are current on Magnus Chase (though I haven't read the second book) and have both at home. But Apollo I don't think they've read, and we definitely don't own, so that might be a good one! (probably for O more than for L, though I expect she'll still read it, too)

And I just remembered the thing I had thought could be a possibility but had forgotten! Study on Charlotte.