Well, January certainly happened, didn't it? I think I'm quite ready to move on to February, which I think I shall consider the start of the new year, since I haven't really been on the ball yet for the past month.
February will be the Virtual Incarnation of my local Foolscap convention, a small genre convention with a theme for 2021 of We Can Make It! We're celebrating all the things we've done, created, and maintained during this crazy year, and of course, we are doing it virtually this year because we're still in a pandemic. Come join us for some talks about books, about art, about writing, and about reading and making all the things while we've been at home. It's the weekend of February 12-13th if anyone wants to check us out!
I'm still caught up with WandaVision; things are starting to get interesting as they break up a bit. I don't trust SWORD any more than I did SHIELD. Probably all Hydra anyway.
Folding towels and clothes takes longer, so I made it through episodes 2.20 and 2.21 of Star Trek Voyager and then 2.20 of Deep Space Nine. Although Parrish and Neelix are not my favorite crew members I enjoyed "Investigations" because I like the idea of Tom being asked to screw up for the good of the ship, and how easily he managed that. Neelix was also really easy to manipulate. And the implications of "Dead Lock" are fascinating; I'm not sure I would have been as content if my dead baby were replaced with an exact duplicate from a parallel universe. Or my best friend. And then I went to see the introduction to the Maquis terrorist/freedom group in Deep Space Nine, with the mix of idealists (like Chaquote) and thugs (like a lot of his crew).
Cooking was fun -- I made an easy soup with store ravioli, and then a more complicated crockpot enchilada thing, which I thought was going to be an instapot thing but I guess I copied down the wrong recipe. And then I made two dips for the superbowl (an artichoke spinach one and a corn/cheese one) and I was happy. Especially because they were good for nachos the next day.
I keep picking up books but I'm slow to finish them. My currently reading is still 26, since I didn't start that many books this week. Or at least I made sure they were short.
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. Ditto for the children's lit version at either Teach Mentor Texts or Unleashing Readers.
Started
A Case of Possession, K.J. Charles. Reread.
Penric and the Shaman, Lois McMaster Bujold. Because I can't listen to just one. Also, it turns out there's a new one and no one told me, so clearly I have to reread up to it.
A Case of Possession, K.J. Charles,
How Oliver Olson Changed the World, Claudia Mills. Cybils finalist.
The Chai Factor, Farah Heron. For my Torches and Pitchforks book club.
Penric's Fox, Lois McMaster Bujold. Yum. Also, this one is fun because it was written out of order.
Completed
Penric's Demon, Lois McMaster Bujold. (audio) I found enough places to go to finish this. I really like young Penric -- he's unformed, but his core of decency and curiosity is strong. And Desdemona's surprise at being treated politely and compassionately (she gets a name) makes it easy to believe how quickly she becomes loyal to her accidental guardian. The audio is voiced by the guy who did the Vorkosigan books, so he sounds like an old friend.
Penric and the Shaman, Lois McMaster Bujold. We come back to Penric but spend a lot of time looking at him from the dubious eyes of those around him, who are baffled by this young ink-stained man in clerical robes. I like how solidly Bujold builds the world around him with the religious traditions and customs, and she does it while developing strong characters. Both the shaman and the man hunting him spend a lot of time underestimating Penric in many ways, but especially in his partnership with Desdemonia. Bujold mixes in sly humor as well as poignant observations, so that I'm sad when my 40 mile trip to a distant library is concluded. Maybe I should find another book that only that branch has...
The Marrow Thieves, Cherie Dimaline. January Sword & Laser pick. I really liked this post-apocalyptic story and I think a lot of that was how it convinced me to let it set the agenda. It was an interesting mix of realism and ignored science, but it worked as itself. It was asking questions about how to define community, how to reclaim a heritage when you've lost most connections to it, how to survive when the larger society is determined to consume you (literally). It also had some teen angst stuff, which dragged a bit -- yes, young men often have trouble accepting that women have agency if that interferes with their fantasy life, and they also think that if they are in competition for a girl they should be concentrating on each other, blah blah blah. The ending was happy, but there's room for a lot more story.
How Oliver Olson Changed the World, Claudia Mills. 2009 Cybils Early Chapter book finalist. This was a great small story about a boy with an overprotective family who manages to gently but realistically push the boundaries out a bit. I liked the small details, like how Pluto was doomed, and how his friends understood his family situation but accepted it as a fact of nature, not Oliver's fault. I was a bit shocked at the teacher giving a history of space flight that managed to forget about the Russians. Um, hello? The dog?
A Case of Possession, K.J. Charles. Reread. I liked that the relationship conflict was about how much to commit when it seems circumstances make a long term thing unlikely -- they want to live on different continents. And of course, being gay is illegal in this London, so that complicates things even more. The outer conflict of some magical villain summoning hordes of giant rats to devour certain people and those nearby doesn't seem to have much of a link, except that the motives go back to love and trust and revenge.
The Chai Factor, Farah Heron. A fun story with a fun protagonist. Amira was in the final stages of her engineering masters, which is a great place to be. So she's stressed over watching her thesis, and has to negotiate the surprise barbershop quartet rooming in what she thought would be her grandmother's quiet basement. I enjoyed watching her negotiate her lovelife, her professional career, and her studies while keeping up with her mom, friends, and sister. The singers and their problems were fun, and Amira's complex relationship with her Muslim community added a lot of texture. Whatshisname was not as interesting; I mostly noticed his insistence on calling her "Princess" for Princess Jasmine even after she and everyone else begged him to stop. But I guess she liked him, and I want her to be happy.
La Perdida, Jessica Abel. 2006 Cybils Graphic Novel finalist. OK, this is an intense look at the year an immature and selfish girl spent living in Mexico and dabbling in authenticism. She's always up for a drink or some drugs but is too lazy to be a good friend, roommate, or girlfriend. Or worker, really. It was hard to read about someone so good at being useless, and when she accidentally passsed along information that got her ex-boyfriend kidnapped for ransom by her friends and their drug dealer connections things spiraled some more. But the end was gripping and powerful, if not enjoyable. So, well written but I didn't enjoy the experience, although I don't regret it at all. A book I'm glad to have read rather than liked reading.
Bookmarks Moved (Or Languished) In:
My wall of currently-reading books continues to have a pleasing shape!
Uncompromising Honor 50/??, David Weber. Baen Free Radio Hour's serial. I kept forgetting to actually pull the data down.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James. Sword and Laser pick. Didn't touch it.
A Long Time Until Now, Michael Z Williamson. Winter is cold.
Children of Time, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Didn't touch it.
The Pleasant Profession of Robert A Heinlein, Farah Mendelson. Hugo finalist. Ha! I put it on my ipad and got back to it.
The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton. Made some progress.
Someplace To Be Flying, Charles de Lint. Didn't touch it.
The Bourne Supremacy, Robert Ludlum. Didn't touch it.
Return of the Thief, Megan Whalen Turner. Still stressed. I care about these people and they are getting hurt!
The Wine-Dark Sea, Patrick O'Brien. My previous Tuesday book club book. Didn't touch it.
An Extraordinary Union, Alyssa Cole. Didn't touch it.
Sucker Punch, Laurell K. Hamilton. I renewed it so now I'm concentrating on my other dim hero book.
One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission that Flew Us to the Moon, Charles Fishman. I should make more progress on this real soon.
Seven Sisters, Lucinda Riley. Because my mom and aunt recommended it. And now the library wants it back just as I got into it! I've requested it again.
Midnight Sun, Stephanie Meyer. Edward and Anita should meet and discuss relationships sometime.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, Ursula Vernon. I want something to read on my ipad. And I like how iBooks praises me when I read -- I seem to have set a goal somewhere.
Punching the Air, Ibi Zoboi. 2020 Cybils finalist. I'm still not a huge fan of verse novels, but the hopelessness of his situation is gut-wrenching.
Picture Books / Short Stories:
Yasmin the Gardener, Saadia Faruqi. 2020 Cybils Easy Reader Finalist. Yasmin is a fun girl to read about, with her cosy family and can-do spirit. The book felt a bit didactic as Yasmin figures out how to care for her plants but hey, that's life for young school kids.
Watch Me Throw the Ball, Mo Williams. 2009 Cybils Easy Reader Finalist. I almost certainly read this back in the day, but I never mind a chance to hang out with Elephant and Piggie again. This one wasn't my favorite; I felt like it threw shade on Elephant's love of learning and glorified Piggie's way of living in the moment. Hey, it's also fun to work hard at things and get good at them!
How the Heal a Broken Wing, Bob Graham. 2008 Cybils Picture Book Finalist. Another reread -- I remember enjoying the warm kindness of the boy's family as they help their son care for the injured pigeon. Which is a flying rat, but a bird one so of course I adore it. It's a lovely meditation on a connection to nature in the city, and how individuals can notice and bring peace to the world. It also worked well with the next day's book.
The Curious Garden, Peter Brown. 2009 Cybils Picture Book Finalist. A city without nature -- until a boy finds plants he can nurture on the abandoned elevated metro line. From there the picture show the plants creeping out to encompass the world, and the people eagerly responding and growing with them.
Palate Cleansers
These books I'm barely reading; I use them as palate cleansers between books I'm actually reading.
The Educated Child, William Bennett. What do do if you have a Gifted Child. And how to check yourself because we all think we do, don't we.
Wool, Hugh Howey.
Sorcerer to the Crown, Zen Cho.
Under the Eye of the Storm, John Hersey.
Dates From Hell, Kim Harrison & others.
Reading and Learning to Read, Jo Anne Vaca.
Reading Challenges
- Cybils 2020. Read another early reader and worked on Punching the Air which is very depressing.
- Cybils 2019. Starting Sal and Gabi Break the World today. Probably.
- Cybils 2018. None.
- Cybils 2017. None. I just need 3 YA books to be done. But YA is hard.
- Early Cybils: Finished the graphic novel, read a short chapter book and some picture books.
- KCLS 10 To Try: 0/10
- Reading My Library. Nothing.
- Where Am I Reading: 33/51 states. Wow, I don't think I've finished checking all the 2020 books. I should get on that.
I'm putting this at the end because I suspect it's complete fiction, but I feel I should attempt some structure.
I am reading:
- Book I own: Return of the Thief. Next: A Deadly Education
- Library Book: Midnight Sun. Next: Sucker Punch
- Ebook I own: Baker's Guide to Defensive Magic. Up Next: Extraordinary Union.
- Library Ebook: Luminaries. Next: Bourne Factor
- Book Club Book: Who Would Win books Next:
- Tuesday Book Club Book: One Giant Leap. Next/also: Somewhere To Be Flying. Still haven't finished Wine Dark Sea.
- Review Book: None. Up Next: Not sure.
- Hugo Book: The Pleasant Profession of Robert A Heinlein. Next: Joanna Russ.
- Rereading: Well, there's two more Magpie books...
- Audio: The library seems to have all the Penrics on audio.
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