Ready To WorldCon

This was a very pleasant weeks. I planned and ate nice dinners, actually went on a run, met my friend for a hike, and in general was on top of things. This is good because I was also preparing for the Seattle WorldCon, a five day convention celebrating SF fandom and creators. This convention is held yearly but moves around each time, and I’ve started attending the past few years because I like books and authors and other nerdy things. This year it was in my hometown, and a bunch of us from one of my book clubs planned to go.

Since I had been to some I was the local expert, and also I was somehow also placed on several panels, discussing kids books and book clubs, and moderating a librarian, a kidlit author, and a SF legend on how to get kids to read more SF. So I spent some time collecting some thought on this stuff, and hopefully managed to pull off my imposter syndrome on the two Thursday panels.

Oh, also my iPad died.

Goodreads thinks I am down to 63 books. Almost to three pages! The library thinks I have 77 physical books checked out, because I had to go to 4 libraries to get picture books for my book club and I had no shelf control. 

Books Completed  Aug 7 - Aug 13

Lawless, Leah Litman. All Supreme Court justices are political. They decide what the decision should be based on what they like, and then look for laws to justify that. But the current court is distinctive in not even pretending to be consistent either with the law or with prior decisions. They are also openly corrupt, and think the problem is with people pointing it out. Why shouldn’t they accept large sums from the people in front of them? That doesn’t create even an appearance of bias, according to their greedy framing. It’s rather discouraging in terms of making our country deplorable.

When the Moon Met the Sun, Alaina Hope. I bought it because it was written by a relative of a friend. But I read it because the writing was good and the worldbuilding was fun. It had a young vibe but I’m here for that. I’ll look out for the next one.

Castle, David Macaulay. This was a quality recommendation from my elementary book club. The illustrations were the driver, showing how the construction worked, with the text explaining the pieces. I may have read the earlier edition ages ago with my kids, but this color version is redone enough that I’m counting it as new.

Not That Kind of Good Guy, John Ringo. A big disappointment. The competence porn was unbelievable and usually buried beneath a pile of alt-right misunderstandings, which kind of diminished the sense of competence. Like, our your teen hero was super smart and had won early admittance to places like Stanford and a random assortment of Ivies, but he couldn’t go because he was white. Apparently those schools never admit white males, and definitely never give them scholarships. I had a long paragraph complaining about a fraction of the problems, but when you read John Ringo you expect some “OH JOHN RINGO NO” moments (rape is genetically essential for human survival, etc). But in this book the ratio of OH NO to story is way too high; it should be no higher than 1:4 and this felt like 4:1. Even if some of the NOs were softer (Bill Clinton was on watch for 9/11) they still weren’t story.

Karen’s Roller Skates (Babysitter’s Little Sister book), Ann M. Martin. I enjoyed watching Karen’s explanation for the fall that broke her arm get better and more elaborate. It was a pity when mean people kept pushing it back towards reality.

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Yay, I’m done! Now I’ll read the appropriate one for the day and if I need more music maybe I’ll just spin the wheel.

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan. I paused while reading this because I didn’t want the thing that had to happen to happen. But I had to see and it happened. Brennan does this sort of thing very well. 

Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch. wut? Ikr! Words, she knows them.

Books Started

Castle, David Macaulay. Talbot Hill rec. 

The Color of Ice, Barbara Lynn Probst. I got this ages ago for the Vacation Romance book, but it’s not a romance so good thing it wasn’t my pick for that.

Not That Kind of Good Guy, John Ringo. Sometimes Ringo writes good competence porn.

Karen’s Roller Skates (Babysitter’s Little Sister book), Ann M. Martin. Talbot Hill rec.

Ascendance of a Bookworm Fanbook 5, Miya Kazuki. I need all the bookworm content.

I Survived the Joplin Tornado 2011, Lauren Tarshis. Hey, a new state!

Miss Pollifax, Accidental Tourist, Dorothy Gilman. Reread.

Death in the Spires, K.J. Charles. Reliable author.

Bookmarks Moved

Tribute, Sherwood Smith

Devils, Joe Ambercrombie

Sheine Lende, Darcy Little Badger

The Unravelling, Benjamin Rosenbaum

Bourne Supremacy, Robert Ludlum

Endling: The First, Katherine Applegate

The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Robinson Jeffers

The Honey Witch, Sydney J. Shields

The Wild Girls, Pat Murphy

Hearts Still Beating, Brooke Archer

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

                                                                                                

                                                                                    Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                                                Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann       

                                                                    True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                                              South Riding, Winifred Holtby     

                      The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell         

                  A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delany

         An Exchange of Hostages, Susan R. Matthews

      I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

      Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel

      Calypso, Oliver K Langmead

      Monstress Vol. 9, Marjorie M. Liu

      The Hunger and the Dusk, G. Willow Wilson

      Speculative Whiteness, Jordan S. Carroll

      Track Changes, Abigail Nussbaum

   Heavenly Tyrants, Xiran Jay Zhao

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

Picture Books, Poems, and Short Stories

 None. 

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. On to laundry and linens.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Reintegration.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). 

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. Student essays are not as polished as professional work. On to social sciences!

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. Teen romance is hard.

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. Onto book 2!

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Devils
• Library Book: The Bright and Breaking Sea
• Hugo Finalist: Sheine Lende
• Ebook I own: The Demonic Ox
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  Every Heart a Doorway
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  She Who became the Sun
• Scintillation Book Club: Accident of Stars
• Cloudy Book Club:  The Bright and Breaking Sea
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Who Fears Death
• River Runs Under It Book Club: This Tender Land
• Talbot Hill Book:  Recommendations: Babysitter’s Little Sister, Pokémon 
• Friday Book Club: Dune
• Romance Book Club: Amnesia

The Plays The Thing

This was a fun week. I had a second trip to the zoo, this time including a scavenger hunt with friends. My washing machine broke (it had a long and respectable run) and we replaced it. I saw a move: She Rides Shotgun. I had lunch with one friend and a walk with another. Summertime is good.

Oh, and we met up with my brother and family to see Much Ado About Nothing which is an importance summer milestone. 

Goodreads still thinks I am reading 65 books. At least it’s not going up? The library thinks I have 69 physical books checked out, which seems maybe a wee bit high. Maybe if I finished a few book I could turn them in and work on both statistics at the same time. 

Books Completed  Aug 1 - Aug 6

Rosalie Lightning, Tom Hart. Wow. This was a moving and powerful chronicle of a family dealing with the sudden, unexplained death of their toddler. The graphics manage to echo the drowning, formless grief that encompassed them, as well as the gifts and support of their friends and the meaningless rhythms of life that continue on in heartless disregard of their loss. 

I Survived the Black Death, 1348, Lauren Tarshis. Most of these are based in America, but this one j7mps to England a the distant past. I appreciated how Tarshis worked to capture the flavor of the times while keeping to the style of the series.

Of Solids And Surds, Samuel R. Delany. These essays on why he writes were fun to read. The length varied from a sentence to a full chapter and the tone varied from witty to deeply analytical to almost nostalgic. The occasional discussion in the footnotes with the editor were an unexpectedly charming note.

I Survived The Attacks of September 11, 2001, Lauren Tarshis. I vividly remember this day, although I was on the west coast getting my kids ready for preschool. My best friend called because she knew my husband was flying back from the east coast and she wanted to check his flight number before I turned on the TV. I also liked the football concussion side plot, and I appreciated the essay about the writing process and the uncle.

Mary-Anne’s Bad Luck Mystery, Ann M Martin. This had a definite jump the shark feel to it. At least when I read the graphic novel they had fun illustrating the graveyard scenes; this just had the club passing the idiot ball around a lot, sometimes squabbling so they could all hold it at once.

Books Started

I Survived the Black Death, 1348, Lauren Tarshis. Not American!

The Unravelling, Benjamin Rosenbaum. Scintillation book club. I will miss the meeting.

Hearts Still Beating, Brooke Archer. Cybils finalist.

Bookmarks Moved

When the Moon Met the Sun, Alaina Hope. 

Tribute, Sherwood Smith

Devils, Joe Ambercrombie. Sword and Laser pick. 

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

Lawless, Leah Litman. 

Sheine Lende, Darcy Little Badger. Hugo finalist.

The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Robinson Jeffers

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan

The Honey Witch, Sydney J. Shields

Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch

Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

Bourne Supremacy, Robert Ludlum

Endling: The First, Katherine Applegate

The Wild Girls, Pat Murphy

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

                                                                                                

                                                                                 Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                                             Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann       

                                                                 True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                                           South Riding, Winifred Holtby     

                   The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell         

               A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delany

      An Exchange of Hostages, Susan R. Matthews

   I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

   Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel

   Calypso, Oliver K Langmead

   Monstress Vol. 9, Marjorie M. Liu

   The Hunger and the Dusk, G. Willow Wilson

   Speculative Whiteness, Jordan S. Carroll

   Track Changes, Abigail Nussbaum

Heavenly Tyrants, Xiran Jay Zhao

Picture Books, Poems, and Short Stories

 None. 

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. On to laundry and linens.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Reintegration.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). 

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe. Moving back to personal stuff. 

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. Teen romance is hard.

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. To the Market.

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. I’m past Christmas!

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Devils
• Library Book: A, B, C: Three Short Novels
• Hugo Finalist: Sheine Lende
• Ebook I own: The Demonic Ox
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  Arabella of Mars
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  She Who became the Sun
• Scintillation Book Club: Accident of Stars
• Cloudy Book Club:  The Bright and Breaking Sea
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Who Fears Death
• River Runs Under It Book Club: This Tender Land
• Talbot Hill Book:  Recommendations: Babysitter’s Little Sister, Pokémon 
• Friday Book Club: Dune
• Romance Book Club: Amnesia

Going to the Zoo, Zoo

I was invited to a Zoo Event where we met a lynx and discussed his favorite colognes and then had pizza and then I rushed home to an online book club. Lynxes have big puffy feet and invisible tails and never make mistakes, just like a cat. 

And I’m returning to the zoo next week for a company party. 

I hung out with my niblings and sometimes my son so they wouldn’t miss my sister and BiL too much. And I hung out with my friend because we’ve been missing our walks for reasons (travel, bad weather, desire to sleep late, I’ve got REASONS ok) and had delicious food and reaffirmed our walking goals. 

Goodreads thinks I am reading 65 books. I swear I’m trying to bring that down. The library thinks I have 67 physical books checked out, which seems maybe a wee bit high. Maybe if I finished a few book I could turn them in and work on both statistics at the same time. 

Books Completed  July 25 - July 31

Pokémon Sun and Moon 1, Hidenori Kusaka. Recommended by Talbot Hill kids. I think this book assumes you have seen the anime; there were several bits that seemed more a reference that a description of what was happening. But I’m a Pokémon expert and I kept up. 

Prince and Assassin, Tania Lark. Lightweight but fun romance. I liked how pretty the prince found the assassin. If I see this author again I’ll read more. 

Kristy and the Mothers Day Surprise, Ann M. Martin. I’m always happy when the club gathers together a legion of children. Even Stacey came back!

Poverty By America, Matthew Desmond. Torches and Pitchforks selection. Well documented and grim, showing how much America is willing to do and pay to be racist. It also reinforced my distrust of zoning rules.  

Books Started

Kristy and the Mothers Day Surprise, Ann M. Martin. This is number 22. Big numbers are hard to find. Of course technically there are hundreds. . 

Poverty By America, Matthew Desmond. Torches and Pitchforks selection. 

Rosalie Lightning, Tom Hart. Graphic novel. I think I need to read something with Lightning in the title. 

Devils, Joe Ambercrombie. Sword and Laser pick. 

Lawless, Leah Litman. I liked the podcast. 

I Survived The Attacks of September 11, 2001, Lauren Tarshis. Working my way along. 

Mary-Anne’s Bad Luck Mystery, Ann M Martin. My other list. 

Bookmarks Moved

When the Moon Met the Sun, Alaina Hope. 

Tribute, Sherwood Smith

Of Solids And Surds, Samuel R. Delany

The Honey Witch, Sydney J. Shields

Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch

The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Robinson Jeffers

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan

Bourne Supremacy, Robert Ludlum

Endling: The First, Katherine Applegate

Heavenly Tyrants, Xiran Jay Zhao

The Wild Girls, Pat Murphy

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

                                                                                                

                                                                              Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                                          Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann       

                                                              True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                                        South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

                                 Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

                The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell         

            A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delany

       One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

   An Exchange of Hostages, Susan R. Matthews

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel

Calypso, Oliver K Langmead

Monstress Vol. 9, Marjorie M. Liu

The Hunger and the Dusk, G. Willow Wilson

Speculative Whiteness, Jordan S. Carroll

Track Changes, Abigail Nussbaum

Picture Books, Poems, and Short Stories

 None. 

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. What can kill you if you eat food is the current topic. 

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. BFFs for ever!

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). 

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe. Lots of violence.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. 

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Last days of the year! Then I’ll declare victory and just do the song of the day.

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Devils
• Library Book: Ordinary Time
• Hugo Finalist: Sheine Lende
• Ebook I own: The Demonic Ox
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  Arabella of Mars
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  She Who became the Sun
• Scintillation Book Club: Unravelling
• Cloudy Book Club:  The Bright and Breaking Sea
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Who Fears Death
• River Runs Under It Book Club: This Tender Land
• Talbot Hill Book:  Recommendations: Babysitter’s Little Sister, Pokémon 
• Friday Book Club: Dune
• Romance Book Club: Jane Austin!

Reading Vacation

This is the weekend I drove down to catsit for friends on the Oregon coast, always a lovely vacation. I brought the nearly due library books as well as all the Hugo reading I wanted to get to before the vote. And it was a lovely time. Lots of reading, nice walks on the beach, reading on the balcony, friendly cats to feed and play with, birds to admire, and I only forgot one sweatshirt and one book when I left, which is about average for me.

Then I came home in time to provide transport for my nephew, who was batching it at home while his parents cruised the Mediterranean.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 63 books. I started a lot of Hugo books to sample them, so this is expected.. The library thinks I have 72 physical books checked out, which seems maybe a tad high… oops.

Books Completed  July 18 - July 24

Graceling Graphic Novel, Kristen Cashore, Gareth Hinds. Hinds did a great job of capturing much of the spirit and strength of the original. Now I want to rereads the whole thing.

We Called Them Giants, Kieran Gilles. Hugo graphic novel finalist. I am very proud I could mostly tell the two main characters apart. And the giants! 

Deep Dark, Molly Knox Ostertag. Hugo graphic novel finalist. A bit too romance heavy for me, although I always love Ostertag’s drawings. I liked the metaphor but the story ended up a bit metaphorical forward.

The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, Robert Heinlein. Foolscap book club. I grabbed the audio from the library, and the Russian accent really worked for Manny. I liked seeing what American Revolution parallels Heinlein managed to drag even, even as America itself was now a decadent empire lover. Some club members thought Prof was a Ben Franklin stand-in but I was not convinced. Women remain strange alien creatures to Heinlein who remains convinced that they and men share very little. No common humanity for this author!

Kristy and the Walking Disaster, Ann M. Martin. This one was better as a graphic novel, since the little kids playing their best baseball makes for great visuals. But I liked seeing the nuance in Kristy’s relationship with her stepfather.

Play Like a Girl, Misty Wilson. This was a fun story of a girl finding her place in middle school by joining the football team. It’s a lot of work, and some boys are prejudiced, but it also gives her confidence in herself as she accomplishes stuff, which helps her make friends and set boundaries with shifting relationships among her old peers.

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, Lauren Tarshis. We get up and down stairs with this kid and his sister, and the two families combine to save as many as they can. A good installment,

Liar’s Test, Ambelin Kwaymullina. Interesting worldbuilding made for a good kidlit adventure, with sentient plants and bad policies and strong kids.

Good-bye Stacey Good-bye Graphic Novel, Gabriela Epstein and Ann M Martin. This one was better as text, ad it’s all about their internal feelings and the big event is a garage sale, which isn’t as fun as a baseball game or something.

Warp Your Own Way, Ryan North. Hugo graphic novel finalist. It was clear early on the the book was doing something twisty and new, but it also became clear that I didn’t care enough to figure it out. I just read it straight through. I don’t think I ever noticed how to get on a productive track. I haven’t gotten to Lower Decks yet on my Star Trek watching; that definitely didn’t help.

Books Started

Prince and Assassin, Tania Lark. I think I got this for Romance book club, but I’m reading it late.

Kristy and the Walking Disaster, Ann M. Martin. The original version so I can compare with the graphic novel.

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel. Scintillation Book Club, but I won’t finish in time.

Liar’s Test, Ambelin Kwaymullina. Cloudy book club pick.

Graceling Graphic Novel, Kristen Cashore, Gareth Hinds. I loved the original so I grabbed this when I saw it.

Calypso, Oliver K Langmead. Hugo poetry finalist.

Play Like a Girl, Misty Wilson. Graphic novel I saw at a library.

We Called Them Giants, Kieran Gilles. Hugo graphic novel finalist.

Monstress Vol. 9, Marjorie M. Liu. Hugo graphic novel finalist.

The Hunger and the Dusk, G. Willow Wilson. Hugo graphic novel finalist.

Deep Dark, Molly Knox Ostertag. Hugo graphic novel finalist.

Warp Your Own Way, Ryan North. Hugo graphic novel finalist.

Speculative Whiteness, Jordan S. Carroll. Hugo related works finalist.

Track Changes, Abigail Nussbaum. Hugo related works finalist.

Of Solids And Surds, Samuel R. Delany. Having been reminded how well Delany writes I wanted to try his nonfiction essays.

Good-bye Stacey Good-bye Graphic Novel, Gabriela Epstein and Ann M Martin. Gotta read them all!

Pokémon Sun and Moon 1, Hidenori Kusaka. Recommended by Talbot Hill kids.

I also started a bunch of other Hugo finalists as I tried to sample everything. I’ll try to note them when I get back to them.

Bookmarks Moved

When the Moon Met the Sun, Alaina Hope. 

Tribute, Sherwood Smith

 I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

The Honey Witch, Sydney J. Shields

Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch

The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Robinson Jeffers

Endling: The First, Katherine Applegate

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan

Heavenly Tyrants, Xiran Jay Zhao

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                                                

                                                                         Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                                       Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann       

                                                           True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                                     South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

                              Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

             The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell         

         A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delany

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

An Exchange of Hostages, Susan R. Matthews

The Wild Girls, Pat Murphy

Picture Books, Poems, and Short Stories

 “Ever Noir” by Mari Ness. Fine.

“there are no taxis for the dead” by Angela Liu. Fine.

“A War of Words” by Marie Brennan. Fine.

 “We Drink Lava” by Ai Jiang. Good. I kept rereading it.

“Your Visiting Dragon” by Devan Barlow. Curled up in my brain and smoked.

"The Brotherhood of Montague St. Video” by Thomas Ha. Fine.

“By Salt, By Sea, By Light of Stars” by Premee Mohamed. 

“The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea” by Naomi Kritzer. I like how Kritzer’s protagonists tend to be very practical and handy.

“Lake of Souls” by Ann Leckie. 

“Loneliness Universe” by Eugenia Triantafyllou.

“Signs of Life” by Sarah Pinsker. 

“Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K. Jones. Ouch.

“Marginalia” by Mary Robinette Kowal . Witty.

 “Stitched to Skin Like Family Is” by Nghi Vo. Ouch again. 

“Three Faces of a Beheading” by Arkady Martine. Witty.

 “We Will Teach You How to Read | We Will Teach You How to Read” by Caroline M. Yoachim. I loved this. 

“Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” by Isabel J. Kim. I felt this was dodging a tough question by answering a simpler one.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. What can kill you if you eat food.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Out of the sky and into the sea. 

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). 

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe. Lots of violence.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. 

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Last days of the year! Then I’ll declare victory and just do the song of the day.

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Devils
• Library Book: Not That Kind of Good Guy
• Hugo Finalist: Sheine Lende
• Ebook I own: Ascendance of a Bookworm:Fanbook 6
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  Arabella of Mars
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  She Who became the Sun
• Scintillation Book Club: Unravelling
• Cloudy Book Club:  The Bright and Breaking Sea
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Who Fears Death
• River Runs Under It Book Club: This Tender Land
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: Dune
• Romance Book Club: Jane Austin!

Vacations For Everybody!

This was time for everyone to go on vacation! My niece went to Europe, my sister and brother-in-law went to Europe (30th Anniversary trip!), and I went to Oregon. Also I had a nice book club. Failed to give blood and skipped a book club because my arm was sore from all the attempts to get blood out of it, and my mother’s birthing chair came back from the restorer and looks great!

Goodreads thinks I am reading 67 books. But I know I finished a bunch of them. The library thinks I have 54 physical books checked out, which seems maybe a tad high..

Books Completed  July 11 - July 17

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki. I’m still enjoying going back to this world. Hannelore seems to have as much confusion about what is going on as Rosemyne, and she’s not living an isekai.

I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005, Lauren Tarshis. Great balance of realistic danger but also comforting notes such as saving the dog. My older son remembers when Katrina was in the news, so this is his first time seeing an historical book about his own life.

Karen’s Grandmothers Graphic Novel, DK Yingst & Ann M Martin. Finally working on my summer reading list! Karen is a bit selfish, and I wish someone would talk to her about happiness is not a zero-sum game.

Karen’s Haircut (Baby-sitters Little Sister) Graphic Novel, Katy Farina. Wow, this tiny book had a lot of hidden stuff about the pressure on girls to be beautiful. Also, I can kinda buy little kids pretending to get married, but planning it for weeks and having adults attend the ceremony? That’s weird, right? And with the corrupt idiots on the American Supreme Court clutching their pearls over the existence of gay people in books for children, it makes you think about how embedded much more explicit stuff for straight people  is in kidlit. Literacy is dangerous, y’all. 

Lyorn, Steven Brust. This leaned a lot on the delightful lyrics, but also made me think Brust might manage a giant conclusion. I believed he might make it to the end of the cycle, but assumed it would be more picaresque. I guess I’d better plan on a complete reread in a few years.

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulou. Cybils YA SF finalist. This had some cool worldbuilding based on an alternative world with some people have powers, making them feared by the majority. And in it our heroine has a complicated family, a possible boyfriend/soulmate, and a prophecy about bringing about a disaster. All the strands work together well. 

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor). This gave me a lot of insights into the different ways autism can present itself and how that will impact people differently. 

Wooing the Witch Queen, Stephanie Burgis. A fun, somewhat frothy fantasy romance. Lots of misunderstandings, but not based on assumptions about the other’s opinions, so it was fun rather than frustrating. And Burgis have a light hand in making both people deal with their own selves and save themselves while also providing each other support. There are some background villains, some annoying exes, and some fun worldbuilding.

Dawn and the Impossible Three, Ann M Martin. This was very nostalgic in how divorced worked back then (possibly still). A kid reader would probably appreciate how much more capable Dawn is than the flailing parents. I appreciated it too, but I also know about the collateral damage.

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. Gut punching but also lovely. I’m very squicked by drug addiction so it took me a few extra months to read his after The River Runs Under It bookclub, but I’m glad I persevered. And I thought the David Copperfield association really helped me deal.

Banned Together, Ashley Hope Perez. Essays by authors who faced having their writings censored. There was a variety of responses; poems, stories, bits of memoir, all showing how much they longed for books about people like them as children, and how cruel it is to actively work to make kids today miserable by blocking access to texts that could be lifelines.

Float Plan, Trish Doller. This was supposed to be for Vacation Month in the romance book club. Good thing I read it late, because there are no vacations in it. Instead it’s a romance that leans into women’s fiction, spending as much time on the protagonist’s work on grieving her ex, and learning to let go and start living again. He gets a wee bit of character growth as well, but the dude is mostly there to support her. I also liked the sailing details, and if I see another book by Doller I’ll probably pick it up.

Wow No Thank You, Samantha Irby. Some amusing essays, some baffling as our lives are very different, but a fun read.

Books Started

When the Moon Met the Sun, Alaina Hope. Author is a niece of a friend. Hope I like it!

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, Lauren Tarshis. More history.

Because Internet, Gretchen McCulloch. Looks interesting and I’ve met her.

Karen’s Haircut (Baby-sitters Little Sister) Graphic Novel, Katy Farina. I’m of course reading all things babysitter, and this is on my Talbot Summer Reading List.

Dawn and the Impossible Three, Ann M Martin. Babysitters raising your children.

The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, Robert Heinlein. Foolscap book club. I grabbed the audio from the library.

Banned Together, Ashley Hope Perez. Essays by authors who faced having their writings censored.

Float Plan, Trish Doller. This was supposed to be for Vacation Month in the romance book club.

Bookmarks Moved

Heavenly Tyrants, Xiran Jay Zhao

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Tribute, Sherwood Smith

An Exchange of Hostages, Susan R. Matthews. I put it down when they guy learns something about himself but I’ve picked it up again.

The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Robinson Jeffers

The Wild Girls, Pat Murphy

Endling: The First, Katherine Applegate

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan

The Honey Witch, Sydney J. Shields

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                                                

                                                                      Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                                    Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann       

                                                        True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                                  South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

                           Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

          The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell  

         I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

      A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delaney. The A novel is the Foolscap pick.

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

Picture Books and Short Stories

I’ve been requesting the books the bigots got the Supreme Court to protect their kids from, and it’s clear that now any parent can object to any book for pretty much any reason, so have fun with that, teachers!

Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope, Jodie Patterson. A OK picture book, the Supreme Court remains crazed and bigoted, but I have no idea why anyone would pick this book if they were intending to help people accept trans kids. It reads like it was written by someone who has never met a trans kid or a parent of one, despite being written by an obviously compassionate parent of a trans kid. The first page has the kid declaring “I’m a ninja.” This is swiftly followed by “I’m a boy.” The argument is weakened by the list of boy things the kid enjoys, like skateboarding. 

Look, if your very young daughter tells you that she likes doing boy things and she is a boy, the first assumption is that they think girls can’t do boy things, a misapprehension of zillions of young kids. You don’t immediately move to being trans. I don’t think the author did that, but this is how she simplified it for a picture book, and it really does a disservice. But would make for some good discussions for early elementary grades, so maybe this was intentional? It’s above the intellectual level of the US Supreme Court, but they seem mostly concerned with who pays their bribes.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. I am learning about kitchen cleaning.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Friendship is the best magic.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). 

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. 

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December. Lots of Christmas stuff, but obscure and foreign so it doesn’t seem out of place in Jusy.

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Wolf Hall
• Library Book: Lawless
• Hugo Finalist: Heavenly Tyrant
• Ebook I own: When the Moon Met the Sun
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  Arabella of Mars
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  She Who became the Sun
• Scintillation Book Club: Unravelling
• Cloudy Book Club:  The Bright and Breaking Sea
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Poverty, By America 
• River Runs Under It Book Club: This Tender Land
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: Dune
• Romance Book Club: Jane Austin!

OK It Does Get a Bit Warm Here

We had a quiet 4th of July. A little too quiet, as I was hoping some illegal fireworks would convince Susiecat that the outdoors was a terrible place. Oh well, she’s wearing her new collar with an AirTag so if she sneaks out again we’ll track her down. Or at least track her collar down. Otherwise just a regular simmer week of farmer's markets, libraries, and heat.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 67 books. But I know I finished a bunch of them. The library thinks I have 62 physical books checked out, so I should work harder on reducing that.

Books Completed  July 4 - July 11

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Hugo finalist. This had some cool ideas; the dictatorship whose ideology dictated scientific results, the biology of the alien planet, the relationship among the people trapped on the planet with their different statuses. But the characterization was the weakest part, as I found it hard to care about the narrator and through him the other people as they didn’t seem real enough to worry about. 

Hell Followed With Us, Andrew Joseph White. The apocalypse book for our Torches and Pitchforks book club was very interesting although it worked better as trans magic realism than as an apocalypse. Benji’s experiences as a trans boy who is literally turning into a monster brings the feelings to a new level, so that the reader mostly ignores the pseudo-science and even the unbelievable character arc of the boyfriend. But as an emotional foil for Benji he worked well. The club found a lot to talk about.

Navigational Entanglements, Aliette de Bodard. Hugo Novella finalist. The worldbuilding and aliens were really cool, and I liked the different novices dispatched to fail to deal with a situation. The love story dragged things down for me but I am old and curmudgeonly and hard to please.

Claudia and the New Friend, Ann M Martin. I’m comparing this to the graphic novel, and while there’s more nuance, the babysitters don’t come out looking good. They are very cliquish and unwelcoming to Claudia’s new friends and keep demanding that she choose between them. Of course, the new girl out does them in drama, so Claudia has an excuse to go back to her friends, but at the end of it she basically just picks the bullies she knows.

The Brides of High Hill, Nghi Vho. Hugo finalist novella. This was spooky and creepy, but I don’t th8nk it works without the previous ones. Also, the foxes aren’t as cool as mammoths or tiger.

Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler. This was a Cybils nominee from last year that didn’t make it onto the short list so I didn’t read it fully. I’ve now read the whole thing and I agree that it’s not great but it’s interesting. The worldbuilding is shallow but has good imagery and the language is a bit old fashioned (“naughty” is not a very common word used on kids this age) but the writing is strong and Poppy does some real emotional growing.

Emma Jean Lazarus Fell In Love, Lauren Tarshis. Tarshis writes some fun books! I’ve been reading her “I Survived” series but I was interested 8n what she did before and I found the kids engaging and fun to read about.

Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter, Ann M Martin. It’s fun to see Martin playing with her structure. Here the pet job kicks off the drama subplot of Kristy being too bossy, but although Jessi spends most of her time with the dogs, cats, birds, rodents and snakes for this job, the other kids bring their charges over to say high so we still get to see the usual stuff.

Soul Taken, Patricia Briggs. Mercy and her friendship group can beat anything!

Books Started

I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005, Lauren Tarshis.

Emma Jean Lazarus Fell In Love, Lauren Tarshis. I wanted to see her pre-survival books.

Navigational Entanglements, Aliette de Bodard. Hugo Novella finalist.

Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter, Ann M Martin. Another babysitter book! Number 22.

Tribute, Sherwood Smith. For Scintillation book club.

The Brides of High Hill, Nghi Vho. Hugo finalist novella.

Wooing the Witch Queen, Stephanie Burgis. I’ve liked her kidlit so I grabbed this adult romance. 

The Honey Witch, Sydney J. Shields. Cloudy pick.

Karen’s Grandmothers Graphic Novel, DK Yingst & Ann M Martin. Babysitter spin-offs about Kristy’s stepsister, which are recommended to me by the Talbot Hill Bookclub.

Heavenly Tyrants, Xiran Jay Zhao. Not-a-Hugo Lodestar YA finalist. 

Bookmarks Moved

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Endling: The First, Katherine Applegate

The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Robinson Jeffers

Lyorn, Steven Brust

Wow No Thank You, Samantha Irby

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulou

The Wild Girls, Pat Murphy. Old Cybils finalist.

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                                                

                                                                   Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                                 Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                            Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                                     True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                              South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

                        Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

       The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell  

      I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

   A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delaney. The A novel is the Foolscap pick.

Picture Books and Short Stories

I’ve been requesting the books the bigots got the Supreme Court to protect their kids from, and it’s clear that now any parent can object to any book for pretty much any reason, so have fun with that, teachers!

Love, Violet, Charlotte Sullivan Wild. Violet is a socially awkward child who wants to be friends with another kid, but is so shy about that she misses all the other girl’s signals, which are on the level of “Want to be friends?” They end up being friends after Violet’s latest dumb scheme goes awry. This apparently is objectionable because Violet has a cool haircut. Or maybe because girl-on-girl friendships are bad? But I’m pretty sure it’s the haircut, and the idea that maybe Violet’s liking is sorta a crush? If you are the kind of person who pushes that kind of thing on your kids.

What Are Your Words?, Katherine Locke. This is an earnestly tedious book about a kid who wakes up each morning and picks out what pronouns to use that day, with the kind of decisiveness you’d see in a toddler running late to preschool. The story is the kid walking to a park or something and saying hello to people who use different pronouns. It’s dull writing, the pictures are fine, the kid is vague, and I have no idea of what age it’s aimed at since the story is very basic but the concept of gender fluidity seems at least elementary aged.

Jacob’s Room To Choose, Jodie Patterson. This book strikes right at a topic crucial to young elementary school kids: what do you do if you can’t go to the bathroom? Jacob likes to wear dresses but this makes the other boys try to shoo him to the other bathroom. Very implausibly, his friend has the same problem in the girls’ room because of her pants and shirt (????!!??). Their teacher, clearly not wanting to deal with kids this age refusing to go potty, leads the class in starting a school culture of just letting people pee where they want, complete with cute slogans and posters.

The first pages had me thinking it was going to be an expose of why “gender at birth” rules are dumb if your aim is to keep beards out of the ladies’ and skirts out of the gents’, but then the girl wearing jeans also had a bathroom rejection and the teacher needed a solution.

Oops, I didn’t mean to read these next two yet, they are for next month’s book club where we judge the Cybils finalists. So I read them but I’ll report on them after the book club.

My Daddy Is A Cowboy, Stephanie Seales.

The Little Red Chair, Cathy Stefanec Algren. 

“Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy,” by Martha Wells. Ooooooh, Peri has a crush!

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. I am learning about kitchen cleaning.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Friendship is the best magic.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Walt Whitman rolls on.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. Examples of how to go from reading a fun book like On Market Street to being a smart kid.

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Wolf Hall
• Library Book: Prince and Assassin
• Hugo Finalist: Heavenly Tyrant
• Ebook I own: When the Moon Met the Sun
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (completed)
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Liar’s Text
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Poverty, By America 
• River Runs Under It Book Club: This Tender Land
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: Dune
• Romance Book Club: Jane Austin!

Susie Came Home

My cat disappeared! But one week after her disappearance a vet called and said she was found and her microchip led to our phone number. So whew! Thank goodness. She’s lost a lot of weight, especially after I got all the burrs out, but we are hoping to feed her up.

In other news, the Pride March was a lot of fun.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 66 books. But I know I finished about five of them. The library thinks I have 64 physical books checked out, so I should work on that reducing that.

Books Completed  June 28 - July 3

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison. Ok, now I want to go reread the whole series, because a lot of things I thought were just background details pushed to the front and things went in unexpected directions. I’m still deeply invested in the viewpoint character and he’s made great emotional leaps, but he’s moving away from some other people and I’m not any happier about that than he is. And he once again fell through some giant political collisions and I need to reread to see that in perspective.

I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79, Lauren Tarshis. We got Roman science, Roman marketplaces, Roman slavers and gladiators, and then Vesuvius happens. I liked the tight timeline and the sense of history that is older than me.

Dawn on the Coast Ann M. Martin. The excerpts from the babysitting diary are fun structurally because we know Dawn isn’t reading them in real time. Divorce is hard on kids because the things they lose are still in sight; they just can’t have them.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Ernest J. Gaines. This is probably a reread but it’s been decades. I like the voice and the reminder that history happens to people. And that people can think themselves good when doing things I find objectively deplorable.

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Chen (editor). Most of these short stories and essays were enjoyable, and I’m sorry that I clearly cannot add another book club to my rotation. I would have enjoyed discussing these with other people and getting a better sense of their context.

Books Started

Dawn on the Coast Ann M. Martin. On my Babysitter’s roll. 

The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Robinson Jeffers. Next book on library poetry shelf.

The Wild Girls, Pat Murphy. Old Cybils finalist.

Endling: The First, Katherine Applegate. Book from Renton Highlands’ next shelf, for my Quest.

Claudia and the New Friend, Ann M Martin. Babysitting away.

Bookmarks Moved

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky

Soul Taken, Patricia Briggs 

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler

Lyorn, Steven Brust

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

Hell Followed With Us, Andrew Joseph White

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                                                

                                                                Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                              Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                         Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                                  True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                           South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

                     Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

    The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

   One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

   I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delaney. The A novel is the Foolscap pick.

Picture Books and Short Stories

None.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. I am learning about food safety.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Friendship is the best magic.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Walt Whitman rolls on.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. 

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Wolf Hall
• Library Book: Wooing the Witch King
• Hugo Finalist: Heavenly Tyrant
• Ebook I own: When the Moon Met the Sun
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Liar’s Text
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Poverty, By America 
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: Dune
• Romance Book Club: A month off