Reading meme
Have finished:
Amulet volumes 3, 4, & 5, too sleepy to look up the proper titles: continues to be charming of character and gorgeous of art. Has "And then the fire nation attacked!" level of worldbuilding that, like The Last Airbender, then builds on it to say pleasing things about loyalty and character and power (and who gets that power and why and how). Volume five made me gasp a "wow" out loud, and then an "oh fuck" at the end. I'm really impressed with all of it.
DNF (did not start?): Ghost talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal. I'd been so delighted by her short fiction a while back, and had been stoked to read a book of hers, but when I read the Amazon sample, I was startled and sadened by how clunky and wooden it was. Maybe it's the difference between first and third person, but sadface!
Just finished a minute ago: I'd been planning to Much Hugo short fiction reading from Abigail Nussbaum's short fiction post, but I only read a few, and nomination deadline is hard approaching.
I did read Gracia by Susana Vallejo, translated by Lawrence Schimel) which I haven't nominated. It was really good! But I find the 'genuine no-hope' stories, even (or maybe especially) the quiet ones, where no more children are being born and things are just drifting to a stop a-la Children of men really unsettling. It's not the story's fault, and I give it kudos for its effectiveness, even but still. I hope others can love it like it deserves.
Brushwork by Aliya Whiteley. This I did nominate. One of the complaints I have about Old man's war by John Scalzi (which I adored, btw) was that it never felt like the POV character was actually old. In Brushwork, they are that old, and they're feeling it, and feeling the eyes of the young people who come to raid the compound the characters are living/being held in and I'm too tired for a porper review but I really liked it, for all that it needed a final edit.
Up next: Now that the first part of the Hugos are essentially done, I can curl up with other reads. I'm looking foward to starting The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers which is on my bedside table right now even.
Amulet volumes 3, 4, & 5, too sleepy to look up the proper titles: continues to be charming of character and gorgeous of art. Has "And then the fire nation attacked!" level of worldbuilding that, like The Last Airbender, then builds on it to say pleasing things about loyalty and character and power (and who gets that power and why and how). Volume five made me gasp a "wow" out loud, and then an "oh fuck" at the end. I'm really impressed with all of it.
DNF (did not start?): Ghost talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal. I'd been so delighted by her short fiction a while back, and had been stoked to read a book of hers, but when I read the Amazon sample, I was startled and sadened by how clunky and wooden it was. Maybe it's the difference between first and third person, but sadface!
Just finished a minute ago: I'd been planning to Much Hugo short fiction reading from Abigail Nussbaum's short fiction post, but I only read a few, and nomination deadline is hard approaching.
I did read Gracia by Susana Vallejo, translated by Lawrence Schimel) which I haven't nominated. It was really good! But I find the 'genuine no-hope' stories, even (or maybe especially) the quiet ones, where no more children are being born and things are just drifting to a stop a-la Children of men really unsettling. It's not the story's fault, and I give it kudos for its effectiveness, even but still. I hope others can love it like it deserves.
Brushwork by Aliya Whiteley. This I did nominate. One of the complaints I have about Old man's war by John Scalzi (which I adored, btw) was that it never felt like the POV character was actually old. In Brushwork, they are that old, and they're feeling it, and feeling the eyes of the young people who come to raid the compound the characters are living/being held in and I'm too tired for a porper review but I really liked it, for all that it needed a final edit.
Up next: Now that the first part of the Hugos are essentially done, I can curl up with other reads. I'm looking foward to starting The long way to a small angry planet by Becky Chambers which is on my bedside table right now even.