Monday, June 25, 2018

Summer is Here!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
Well, the heat came along, the sun shone, school let out, the planet spun around on its path, and now summer has arrived in all senses!

My mom came out for a week and we manage to have a great time; another friend was also in town so we all met up on Bainbridge and I finally poked around a bit in their downtown. My brother gave us his VIP tickets to the Seattle ferris wheel, and my mom and I had a great time rolling around in the elite BLACK GONDOLA and pushing all the extra buttons in our special car. It was also fun to see my sons and nephews being so caring around their grandmother -- I'm not sure my mom opened a single door for herself while they were around.

We also spent a fun day checking out my brother's new house and some of his favorite spots in his new neighborhood, including a walk along a beach where my SIL helped me watch one crab eat a smaller one. Nature is grim in tooth and claw! And then my poor mother made the mistake of noticing the painting I made in a class a few years back and mentioning that she had always wanted to do that. ZING! I found a local Paint Nite session at a bar nearby and my sister and BIL joined us in an artistic endeavor. Three beers in and my art production has doubled!

Somehow my currently reading is STILL at 32, and I keep picking up new books as fast as I finish old ones, so I clearly am comfortable here. Especially the rereads. Finishing some things is made harder by the library wanting their books back.

The Book Date does a weekly roundup of what people are reading, want to read, or have read each week called It's Monday! What Are You Reading so I'll sign up there. There's also a version that is kidlit focussed at either Teach Mentor Text or UnLeashing Readers.

This Fortnight I started:

When You Reach MeA Call to Vengeance (Honorverse: Manticore Ascendant, #3)All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)The Good, the Bad, and the Emus (Meg Langslow, #17)
My Brigadista YearThe Lawrence Browne Affair (The Turner Series, #2)Murder on a Bad Hair Day (Southern Sisters, #2)
For We Are Many (Bobiverse, #2)DeciderThe Ruin of a Rake (The Turner Series, #3)

When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead. Family book club pick.

A Call to Vengeance, David Weber, Timothy Zahn, Thomas Pope. Continuing a series.

All Systems Red, Martha Wells. Tuesday book club.

The Good, The Bad, and the Emus, Donna Andrews. For my book team.

My Brigadista Year, Katherine Paterson. A gift!

The Lawrence Browne Affair, Cat Sebastian. Left book team that I didn't need but wanted to read.

Murder On a Bad Hair Day, Anne George. For my book team.

For We Are Many, Dennis Taylor. Continuing a series.

Decider, Dick Francis. For my Friday book club.

Ruin of a Rake, Cat Sebastian. Finishing a series.

I finished:

Though Hell Should Bar the Way (Lt. Leary, #12)Giant Pumpkin SuiteNew York 2140When You Reach Me
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)Night's Master  (Tales from the Flat Earth #1)The Good, the Bad, and the Emus (Meg Langslow, #17)My Brigadista Year
The Lawrence Browne Affair (The Turner Series, #2)Murder on a Bad Hair Day (Southern Sisters, #2)The Ruin of a Rake (The Turner Series, #3)

Though Hell Should Bar the Way, David Drake.  This was a lot of fun. It's been a while since I caught up with Leary and Mundy, so when I heard on Baen's podcast that Drake had written this one from the viewpoint of a young man rather haplessly caught in their orbit I thought it was a great chance to reconnect. And knowing that it's all (very loosely) based on an actual historical event makes me feel sweetly intellectual. The kid was fun, the girl only slightly annoying, and the derring-do and devotion to competence just what the cover promised.

The Giant Pumpkin Suite, Melanie Heuiser Hill. After panicking at the tough emotional parts of this book, involving lost dreams and identity and disappointment, I suddenly realized I had promised to give it away at the final book club for my elementary school. So I forced myself to finish this highly engaging book about gardening, the cello, twins, and the state fair. Recommended.

New York 2140, Kim Stanley Robinson.  The consensus of the book club was that it was too big for what it did -- several people didn't finish. Those of us who did think the author should have picked a few of the characters and concentrated on them -- we would have plumped for the kids or the building super. Keeping the whole dozen made the thing annoyingly long and unwieldy and also diluted most of the tension in any individual plot line. None of us thought the final love story made any sense for anyone either.

When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead. This worked really well for a family book club (ages from 11-79). It's short enough that it was possible for fast readers to read it in a day or so (good job, Mom!) and for laggards to at least skim the beginning, end, and important scenes (I name no names). It had lots of fun stuff to discuss, such as differing philosophies of time travel, the understanding of such expected of sixth graders, the nature of memory, and the sophistication expected of New York children (the narrator was lacking in this). And then delicious food and fun conversation with friends.

All Systems Red, Martha Wells. This was was short and fairly well liked by the Tuesday crew. A bit too short -- we were just supposed to acquire it and everyone finished the whole thing, so I hope we get the next book rolling in time. Some wanted a bit more of a look at the ethics of enslaving cyborgs; maybe the next few books will give us that. I enjoyed rereading this so soon after my first read, as it gave me a chance to see how the ending was set up and also to have a better sense of which name went with which crew member.

Night's Master, Tanith Lee. This was an interesting read that I was glad Sword and Laser nudged me to pick up. The archaic gender roles and baroque language isn't really my cup of tea, but I enjoyed seeing Lee's visions and the sense of myth and legend that she created. I should go check out last month's discussions to see what everyone else made of it; I liked hearing Tom and Veronica's take.

The Good, The Bad, and the Emus, Donna Andrews. It was fun to pick up another Andrews after reading one for a book club a few weeks ago. This one has jumped forward; Meg has a husband and annoyingly perky toddlers, but her father and newish grandfather provide plenty of comedy as well as an excuse to hunt emus through the mountains of Virginia. Fast uncomplicated fun.

My Brigadista Year, Katherine Paterson.  I received this early and promised to share it with my book club, and then kept putting it off. Finally it was time to give it away so I gulped it down in a day. It has all Paterson's talent for conveying a vivid, flawed girl through a first person narrative that described a history I had no idea about -- the Cuban revolution's giant literacy push in the early '60s. Fascinating on many levels -- history, literacy, and a coming of age as a shy bookish girl leaves home for a year.

The Lawrence Browne Affair, Cat Sebastian. Fun historical romance with two very different men who make a great team together. I liked the secrets they kept from each other, and how they had inaccurate understandings of which secrets were known. It's also a good look at the society around them, the benefits of wealth and position and the expectations at different levels of status.

Murder On a Bad Hair Day, Anne George. I chose this book for the word "bad" in the title, but I enjoyed it as a cozy mystery starting two sisters a decade or so older than me. It's fun to have retired folks in books. The mystery wasn't much, and the sisters' didn't really solve it, but I enjoyed seeing the slice of life in Birmingham Alabama, with the full moon of a naked Vulcan statue gracing the city. It was also fun to see how much cell phones have changed our lives -- I was honestly confused at one point when the main character tries to sketch something she sees on the wall instead of taking a picture with her phone. But in 2001 she didn't have a phone.

Ruin of a Rake, Cat Sebastian. Sometimes it's fun to read all the books about a family in one go, so you can appreciate the intersections. Other times you need to get a short break from the author. This was definitely more of the former -- I picked it up because I couldn't see how Sebastian would make me care about the titular rake, but she managed it. Both men were making a hash of their lives in very different ways, and I liked how their differences made them appropriate for each other despite appearances. And I liked seeing Lawrence Browne and the other characters again.

Bookmarks moved in:

Alliance of Equals (Liaden Universe, #19)Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at WarMarry in Scandal (Marriage of Convenience, #2)Cold Welcome (Vatta's Peace, #1)
Song of the Current (Song of the Current #1)Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota, #1)Wolf Who Rules (Elfhome, #2)Ancestral Machines (Humanity's Fire, #4)

Alliance of Equals, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. Episode 55-6. It's all up to Shan's daughter now.

Grunt, Mary Roach. My audio RML book. I'm enjoying the chapters on the science of supporting a troops and it's usually fairly interesting for any passengers. Somehow my sons' didn't find the section on the treatment of exploded penises easy listening. Strange.

Marry in Scandal, Anne Gracie. This continues to move along at a slow pace. They are now married and having misunderstandings about sex.

Cold Welcome, Elizabeth Moon. I can't help hoping the rescue attempts don't work, because I like seeing the protagonist figure stuff out.

Song of the Current, Sarah Tolcser. Fun but not exceptional yet.

Too Like the Lightning, Ada Palmer. There are many interesting pieces in this story. I keep getting distracted.

Wolf Who Rules, Wen Spencer. It's fun watching Tinker solve things.

Ancestral Machines, Michael Cobley. RML book. Fun world, but I'm hoping the various viewpoints come together soon.


These I'm barely reading; I use them as palate cleansers between books I'm actually reading.

KenilworthA Traitor to Memory (Inspector Lynley, #11)The Quantum Universe: Everything That Can Happen Does Happen
Sammy Keyes and the Art of DeceptionChange of Heart (Robyn Hunter, #7)Reading and Learning to Read

Kenilworth, Sir Walter Scott. Kenilworth's faith in Amy dies as soon as it is politically convenient.

A Traitor to Memory, Elizabeth George.

The Quantum Universe, Brian Cox.

Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception, Wendelin Van Draanen.
Change of Heart, Norah McClintock.

Reading and Learning to Read, Jo Anne Vaca.

2018 Challenge Progress:
  1. Cybils 2017! 11/104-ish. Still reading Song of the Current.
  2. Reading My Library: Working on Grunt and Ancestral Machines.
  3. Where Am I Reading 2018?: 35/51. More than half-way! But it gets harder on the back half.

Monday, June 11, 2018

Not Really Summer Yet

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
With the start of June the weather reverted to norm -- chilly, wet, and dreary. I guess officially it's still spring, so go flowers? At least it makes for better sleep.

It's been fun having Alexander around for fun and movies. He's gotten some nibbles on his summer job search, so his leisure time may be limited soon. Paulos is ready for any remaining exams (most of his classes wrap up around AP time last month, in an example of hideously designed school schedules).

I made Alexander's favorite lasagna for Wednesday dinner and it turned out well. It involves pesto and about a year ago the store changed where the keep the fresh stuff so I'd been substituting canned. But now I've tracked down my favorite supplier. Occasionally I make pesto from scratch but I'm really too lazy for that.

Somehow my currently reading is still at 32, so I guess I should finish some of them. Especially the rereads. Finishing some things is made harder by the library wanting their books back.

The Book Date does a weekly roundup of what people are reading, want to read, or have read each week called It's Monday! What Are You Reading so I'll sign up there. There's also a version that is kidlit focussed at either Teach Mentor Text or UnLeashing Readers. My Cybils reading keeps me eligible for that (at least for a few pages) so I'll sign in there as well...

This Week I started:

Night's Master  (Tales from the Flat Earth #1)Prince Joe (Tall, Dark & Dangerous, #1)Ancestral Machines (Humanity's Fire, #4)Yanked! (David Brin's Out of Time)
King and JokerGrunt: The Curious Science of Humans at WarThough Hell Should Bar the Way (Lt. Leary, #12)

Night's Master, Tanith Lee. The May Sword and Laser pick, which I forgot to pick up last month so am reading late.

Prince Joe, Suzanne Brockmann. Leftover that I didn't need for a book team.

Ancestral Machines, Michael Cobley. My next RML book, from the Co- shelf.

Yanked!, Nancy Kress. Kress will be the next Foolscap GoH!

King and Joker, Peter Dickinson. For my book team.

Grunt, Mary Roach. My next audio RML book.

Though Hell Should Bar the Way, David Drake. A new Leary/Mundy, and from a fresh perspective!


I finished:

Prince Joe (Tall, Dark & Dangerous, #1)I'll Be Your Blue Sky
How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It HappensKing and JokerYanked! (David Brin's Out of Time)

Prince Joe, Suzanne Brockmann. Fun with super-fit military guys and royal impersonations, and I only had to wade through slightly tedious misunderstandings.

I'll Be Your Blue Sky, Marisa de los Santos. I found the characters a bit hollow. Dev is spun of pure sugar and I'm not sure he's really a good idea as a partner; living with perfection must be exhausting. And Edith also recedes faster than she can be approached.

How We Learn, Benedict Carey. Finished the first shelf of nonfiction in my Reading My Library quest, audio edition. It was a lightweight discussion of learning techniques and what works, perfect for listening to while driving.

King and Joker, Peter Dickinson. Dickinson is always good for nuanced characters, who sometimes mean well but succumb to temptations towards meanness or gluttony or other vices. They can also rise to greatness when necessary. Louise learns this truth about both herself and her family in the fun setting of being the daughter of the King of England.

Yanked!, Nancy Kress. Somehow I missed this YA series put out by David Brin (?) that started with this story of two teenagers pulled forward in time to save the world through grit and determination. What they learn helps them confront their lives back home, of course. But within the tropes and set pieces are real characters that have individual ways of using their talents. I still can't figure out the cover -- maybe that's one of the mysterious aliens?

Bookmarks moved in:

Alliance of Equals (Liaden Universe, #19)Marry in Scandal (Marriage of Convenience, #2)Cold Welcome (Vatta's Peace, #1)
Song of the Current (Song of the Current #1)Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota, #1)New York 2140Wolf Who Rules (Elfhome, #2)

Alliance of Equals, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. Episode 54. Magical torture!

Marry in Scandal, Anne Gracie. OK, they are engaged now. This is not a fast moving, witty romance.

Cold Welcome, Elizabeth Moon. I really like seeing competent people deal methodically with extreme problems, which is a Moon specialty.

Song of the Current, Sarah Tolcser. Ha! I called the first plot twist. I am smarter than a 9th grader.

Too Like the Lightning, Ada Palmer. There are many interesting pieces in this story. I keep getting distracted.

New York 2140, Kim Stanley Robinson. For my Tuesday bookclub. I thought something exciting happened but maybe not.

Wolf Who Rules, Wen Spencer. Tinker watching The Wizard of Oz is a wonderful scene.


These I'm barely reading; I use them as palate cleansers between books I'm actually reading.

KenilworthA Traitor to Memory (Inspector Lynley, #11)The Quantum Universe: Everything That Can Happen Does Happen
Sammy Keyes and the Art of DeceptionChange of Heart (Robyn Hunter, #7)Reading and Learning to Read

Kenilworth, Sir Walter Scott. Kenilworth is losing his honor through his hesitating fingers.

A Traitor to Memory, Elizabeth George.

The Quantum Universe, Brian Cox. I find myself resisting acquiring any of this knowledge, since I went to such effort to forget it years ago.

Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception, Wendelin Van Draanen. I like Sammy's willingness to take the artists seriously. And a fight with a nemesis is always pleasant.

Change of Heart
, Norah McClintock.

Reading and Learning to Read, Jo Anne Vaca.

2018 Challenge Progress:
  1. Cybils 2017! 11/104-ish. Still reading Song of the Current.
  2. Reading My Library: Finished How to Learn and picked up Grunt. Started Ancestral Machines.
  3. Where Am I Reading 2018?: 32/51.  I'll Be Your Blue Sky stayed in Delaware! Prince Joe wandered around so much I couldn't count it anywhere.