Input and Output
I can't believe summer's over already; it's been a much pleasanter one than the last few years, other than some severe weather at the beginning. I didn't even regret the lack of air conditioning.
Every few years I remember libraries exist, check out far too many books at once, and end up with overdue fines. This time around I also remembered I can borrow ebooks, which was a joy and a revelation in part because they just disappear off your device after a week. I've been reading a lot recently, especially to and from work; it's about half an hour either way if I drive, about fifteen minutes' walk followed by forty minutes on the bus if I don't, and I much prefer having to get up earlier if it means I get a nice walk and some reading in rather than having to deal with the traffic myself.
What I've read recently:
The Lions of Al-Rassan and The Last Light of the Sun, by Guy Gavriel Kay
I haven't read much Kay since college, and these were both new to me, though they've been out for quite a while. I loved Lions of Al-Rassan, which is set in the equivalent of Al-Andalus during the reconquest. Last Light of the Sun was good but not nearly as compelling, which I think came down to the characters. I did enjoy Kay's take on the Viking and Welsh cultures.
A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan
I can't for the life of me remember if I read a recommendation of this by someone on LJ or DW, but it seems probable--I think a lot of you would enjoy it. I certainly did! I started writing more about it, but I think I have enough to say that it's worth its own post.
What I'm reading now:
Lord of the Silent, by Elizabeth Peters
I was introduced to Amelia Peabody by a cousin back in middle or high school, I think, and read the first dozen or so all out of order, then became increasingly less interested in the later ones. I know I read He Shall Thunder in the Sky, the one immediately previous this one, and I think I may have read this as well but can't quite remember. Anyway, I found myself in the mood for a quick comfort read a few weeks ago and picked up the very first of the series and enjoyed it so much that I kept rereading. (I even got through The Last Camel Died at Noon this time around, which was less of a struggle than I thought.)
It's always an odd experience, returning to well-loved books you last read years and years ago. I was surprised at how affectionately I still feel toward these characters and by how much patience I had for the younger generation on the reread, because I had very little the first time around. Nefret is less irritating to me now (and I'll put some of her less palatable faults down to the author rather than the character) and Ramses rather more interesting in the later books, but David's definitely my favorite of the three. It's a pity Lia's such a nonentity. But Amelia is still far and away the heart of these as far as I'm concerned.
The mysteries aren't much to write home about, but I was entertained by trying to spot Sethos, as I couldn't remember every time he showed up.
If you haven't read these, I don't know if I can recommend them out of hand--the first one's light and entertaining with a great voice, so probably worth picking up, but they do get a bit repetitive.
What I've written lately:
Singularities (6109 words)
Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dr. Riva, Rebecca Galen, Anna Toscane, Miles Vorkosigan
Additional Tags: Backstory, Komarr, Physics, Citizenship, Canon-Typical Violence, Original Character Death(s), POV Second Person
One of those things you leave sitting half written on the hard drive for years and can't ever quite get out of your head.
Riva is, hands down, my favorite one-off character in the Vorkosiverse, and wish we'd gotten more of her. This is set in the same headcanon as Uncharted and a few other stories I'll get around to writing eventually. It is also, my apologies, kind of ridiculously pretentious--there are not one but two footnotes from Dante (and not even the Inferno), plus all the scattered mathematical references I could dredge out of my brain. It's 6,000 words of character study and some world building, and it's written in second person present--you know if that's your thing or not.
What I'm writing now:
The Natasha fic I've been working on since May, oh dear. Really need to get cracking on this one. I've signed up for Marvel Big Bang with
orockthro, meaning I do have an actual deadline and should probably get my first draft in decent shape this week!
comments at http://pendrecarc.dreamwidth.org/177271.html. Feel free to comment wherever you prefer.
Every few years I remember libraries exist, check out far too many books at once, and end up with overdue fines. This time around I also remembered I can borrow ebooks, which was a joy and a revelation in part because they just disappear off your device after a week. I've been reading a lot recently, especially to and from work; it's about half an hour either way if I drive, about fifteen minutes' walk followed by forty minutes on the bus if I don't, and I much prefer having to get up earlier if it means I get a nice walk and some reading in rather than having to deal with the traffic myself.
What I've read recently:
The Lions of Al-Rassan and The Last Light of the Sun, by Guy Gavriel Kay
I haven't read much Kay since college, and these were both new to me, though they've been out for quite a while. I loved Lions of Al-Rassan, which is set in the equivalent of Al-Andalus during the reconquest. Last Light of the Sun was good but not nearly as compelling, which I think came down to the characters. I did enjoy Kay's take on the Viking and Welsh cultures.
A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan
I can't for the life of me remember if I read a recommendation of this by someone on LJ or DW, but it seems probable--I think a lot of you would enjoy it. I certainly did! I started writing more about it, but I think I have enough to say that it's worth its own post.
What I'm reading now:
Lord of the Silent, by Elizabeth Peters
I was introduced to Amelia Peabody by a cousin back in middle or high school, I think, and read the first dozen or so all out of order, then became increasingly less interested in the later ones. I know I read He Shall Thunder in the Sky, the one immediately previous this one, and I think I may have read this as well but can't quite remember. Anyway, I found myself in the mood for a quick comfort read a few weeks ago and picked up the very first of the series and enjoyed it so much that I kept rereading. (I even got through The Last Camel Died at Noon this time around, which was less of a struggle than I thought.)
It's always an odd experience, returning to well-loved books you last read years and years ago. I was surprised at how affectionately I still feel toward these characters and by how much patience I had for the younger generation on the reread, because I had very little the first time around. Nefret is less irritating to me now (and I'll put some of her less palatable faults down to the author rather than the character) and Ramses rather more interesting in the later books, but David's definitely my favorite of the three. It's a pity Lia's such a nonentity. But Amelia is still far and away the heart of these as far as I'm concerned.
The mysteries aren't much to write home about, but I was entertained by trying to spot Sethos, as I couldn't remember every time he showed up.
If you haven't read these, I don't know if I can recommend them out of hand--the first one's light and entertaining with a great voice, so probably worth picking up, but they do get a bit repetitive.
What I've written lately:
Singularities (6109 words)
Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dr. Riva, Rebecca Galen, Anna Toscane, Miles Vorkosigan
Additional Tags: Backstory, Komarr, Physics, Citizenship, Canon-Typical Violence, Original Character Death(s), POV Second Person
One of those things you leave sitting half written on the hard drive for years and can't ever quite get out of your head.
Riva is, hands down, my favorite one-off character in the Vorkosiverse, and wish we'd gotten more of her. This is set in the same headcanon as Uncharted and a few other stories I'll get around to writing eventually. It is also, my apologies, kind of ridiculously pretentious--there are not one but two footnotes from Dante (and not even the Inferno), plus all the scattered mathematical references I could dredge out of my brain. It's 6,000 words of character study and some world building, and it's written in second person present--you know if that's your thing or not.
What I'm writing now:
The Natasha fic I've been working on since May, oh dear. Really need to get cracking on this one. I've signed up for Marvel Big Bang with
orockthro, meaning I do have an actual deadline and should probably get my first draft in decent shape this week!
comments at http://pendrecarc.dreamwidth.org/177271.html. Feel free to comment wherever you prefer.