Well, June went by very quickly, and now July is zooming along. So I'm pushing out this description of last month so I have time to look at what I am reading this month.
At the beginning of June I went to a small literary conference in Montreal, Scintillation, where Jo Walton does the programming at everyone there loves to talk about books, life, and how these things intersect. They are also interested in good food, and Montreal is a great place for that, and also reluctant to share COVID with each other, so everyone was vaccinated and masked and we ate together outside and then went back inside with our masks on to talk about books. It was lovely.
At the end they read a play that Jo wrote called "Three Shouts" and I got to be Queen Mother of the Incas and it was great fun. Also I won a lot of raffle prizes, which I am very pleased with. And I traveled in Canada, where people still kept their masks on, and then I kept my mask on through the home airport and so I still haven't had COVID. Knock wood.
June was also a month of binging television -- Netflix yanked Deep Space 9 on the first of July, so I had to power through about three episodes a day for most of my time at home. ZOOM! I'm quite fond of the theme song now. Now I have nothing left to watch. Well, I'm still poking along in The Untamed, and also Heartstoppers and I can always rewatch Old Enough. So I'm still getting the laundry done.
There's a study of Long Covid going on in Seattle (I assume through the University of Washington) and they needed some people who haven't had it yet as a control or something, so I signed up. I went in and they tested all the parts of me -- blood, exercise, spit, you name it. (I got sent home with the equipment for the last sample. Let us say no more about it.) I go in again in three months and I guess they do it all again. I'll do my bit to keep not getting COVID so I can continue being a control.
On the last weekend of the month I marched in the Seattle Pride Parade, as an ally with my sister and her family. Her company has a float, so we marched behind that and helped toss swag to the crowd. Lots of great posters and beautiful people there. It was hot, so afterward I was reading to rush home. Also, Foolscap had a zoom bookclub, so I dialed in from my car so I could shout in my comments.
I am still second on my list of all the Cybils finalists. But I'm still working on the categories (as you see, middle grade nonfiction is showing up), so I have hopes of regaining the top spot. Look out, Shaye! I only need like thirty thirty-five forty more books to catch up! (Shaye continues to read the rest faster than me. I'm doomed but happy about it.) Ha! Shaye has read 100% of the books -- she's come to a complete halt!
I'm also working my way through the Hugo finalists for this year.
OK, here's how the reading went in June:
Started
The Jasmine Throne, Tasha Suri. For the next Cloudy book club.
Cast in Shadow, Michelle Sagara. For Seattle's Cloudy book club, although I'll miss the meeting.
The Dark Fantastic, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas. A book about books.
The Thin Man, Dashiell Hammett. For my Tuesday night book & Minecraft club.
The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel, Diana Gabaldon. For my Romance series club.
Ethan of Athos, Lois McMaster Bujold. Car audio to share with my commuting son.
Gokushufudo: The Way of the Househusband, Kousuke Oono. Cool premise.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, Mariana Zapata. Recommended by a friend.
A Psalm For the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers. Hugo novella finalist.
Provenance, Ann Leckie. For Foolscap book club -- Heist theme.
Violets Are Blue, Barbara Dee. Cybils finalist.
Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part 1 Vol 3, Miya Kazuki. Continuing the story.
The Past Is Red, Catherynne Valente. Hugo novella finalist.
She Who Became the Sun, Shelley Parker-Chan. Hugo novel finalist.
A Spindle Splintered, Alex E. Harrow. Hugo novella finalist.
Liaden Constellation 4, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. I thought I had skipped this one.
Longshot, Dick Francis. Friday night book club pick.
Freedom Walkers, Russell Freedman. Cybils finalist.
Completed
Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part 1 Vol 2, Miya Kazuki. The light novel. The novels move much faster than the graphic novels, so in parts I'm moving ahead, and it's still easier for me to get nuance from text rather than pictures. I'm having fun with this little kid with the soul of a book-obsessed young woman from our universe. I'm also enjoying the bumps from the translation -- I'm often a bit off balance in terms of what the author thinks I need to know -- I'm either ahead or behind. On to the next!
Shirley and Jamila's Big Fall, Gillian Goerz. Two Canadian kids navigate social dilemmas with only a little burglary. I was annoyed by how nobody really advanced the idea of just not giving in to blackmail; stealing the goods from the blackmailer is a less strong response. But the graphics were nice and I liked how the characters had several things going on but were still good friends.
Machinehood, S.B. Divya. Sword & Laser's June pick. Really interesting. The near future dystopia stuff was disconcerting -- the complete loss of privacy, the personal drones sported by everyone, the abortion approval needed by a main character -- oh wait, that's already better than what many Americans have right now. God, America is a disaster of a country. Anyway, I thought the characters were sometimes a bit hard to see through the prose, but I liked how they reacted and managed to deal with problems. The women especially were committed and willing to fight for what they thought was needed. The ending was a bit muddled but it mostly worked. Good pick -- I was sad to miss the in-person discussion.
Cast in Shadow, Michelle Sagara. This was a good travel book -- I could pick it up and read a bit and then catch a bus, read a bit, find my gate, etc. It was interesting enough to keep my attention even when I was in a crowded area, but not so engrossing that I missed connections or so complex that I got lost by reading in random chunks. The character was a bit young and passionate, and the older guy was kinda on the creepy line for me, but overall I enjoyed this fantasy adventure, seeing the different setting with different kinds of people and magic, some that they understood and some that they didn't. Of course I missed the meeting on this one too.
The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel, Diana Gabaldon. For my Romance series club. Except -- this wasn't a romance! I mean, it covered the romance but in a very unsatisfying way in terms of romance, and was interested in other things. However, it didn't do those things well. I found the graphics unsatisfying -- it was often hard to tell who in a frame was speaking (even when there was only one person in the picture) because the body language rarely indicated a desire to communicate -- they would even have closed mouths. I never saw any sign that the woman (Clare?) liked Jamie, other then they apparently had good sex on their wedding night? But then it's been a long time since I read the book, and it did seem that the comic assumed you remembered everything from the book. Not recommended except to Outlander completists.
Gokushufudo: The Way of the Househusband, Kousuke Oono. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this as much as I hoped. There was a lot of physical action and I am terrible at following that in a graphic novel, and manga is even more difficult for me. Also, I wanted more backstory on the wife -- where did their relationship come from? Apparently this is addressed in later volumes but I don't think I have the patience. Maybe I will try the anime though.
The Thin Man, Dashiell Hammett. Wow does Nick drink a lot! I mean, Nora is no slouch but that Nick can really pack 'em away. Oh, and he's also a shrewd businessman, ace detective, and all round smart guy. I enjoyed this book and even figured some stuff out, which is fun for me but not required in a mystery, but I don't think I'll consume a lot from this author at once. The characters feel rather dated and also I'm not sure my liver can handle it. But I was glad to hear that Mary Robinette Kowal is doing a take on this story and it's coming out in a few months. We considered building a lab with a buried chest with the thin man's clothes in it, and maybe then drinking a lot of suspicious stew, but then decided the thought would do for the idea.
Escape!, Sid Fleischman. 2006 Cybils Middle Grade and YA Nonfiction finalist. What makes this biography of Houdini shine is that it's also the story of Fleischman's love of magic and magicians. There's a clear history of the path Houdini took to stardom, set in the context of the entertainment industry and wider society, but there is also the fannish enthusiasm and anecdotes from the author's involvement with the people he describes -- he met Houdini's wife and he pursued some of the historical records. It makes everything seem more relevant and immediate.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, Mariana Zapata. Very fun romance! I enjoyed the made-up football league and teams (Go The 300 Hundred!) and had fun watching the heroine juggle practicality and common sense with the immense load of student debt she acquired on her way out of a difficult childhood. The hero was not as well described, which was probably just as well because she has to forgive him a lot and honestly if you look too closely he doesn't always come out well. But the ride was fun, if really a bit too long for the story it told.
Terra Nullius, Clare G. Coleman. Sword and Laser pick from last year. (Spoilers) I had put this book down so long ago that I stop listing it in my Bookmarks section. That's because it's rather grim -- it's obvious that not everyone is going to make it and that grisly endings is in sight for most of the people I had come to appreciate. It's a story of aliens subjugating Earth, and the first half reads so that it passes as a history of the colonization of Australia, until you realize that the Settlers aren't English, they are aliens, and the natives are just all the remnants of humanity. It's well done and interesting and doesn't hold out false hope but just shows people living in impossible situations, both human people and alien people.
A Psalm For the Wild-Built, Becky Chambers. Hugo novella finalist. Chambers is really good at stories about good people trying to live their lives; society puts some obstacles in their way but a lot of the conflict is internal management of altruism and self-interest. Here we see a lovely society; humanity has opted to pursue prosperity but also prioritize individuals and it all worked out, but our monk protagonist is unhappy. So he goes off and meets a wild-built robot, who also has some big goals, and the two of them become friends to the benefit of both. I found the emotional stakes very relatable and engrossing, and the cosy world building was a huge comfort, especially as my country has declared me a non-person.
Provenance, Ann Leckie. Foolscap BookClub pick. A last minute substitution to accommodate library hold issues -- we swapped in a heist story theme for Arthurian. And we all had a great time. Much lower stakes than Leckie's other books in this universe allowed me to relax and appreciate the different schemes and secrets and revolving plans that crashed into other plans and had to be reassembled on the fly. I laughed when the character who made the most thoughtful schemes was explaining the current one to someone: "and then Ingray will freeze for five minutes and then do something crazy and I'll work with whatever the heck that is to do the next thing" which shows the different types of characters and how they appreciate each other. The world building was also fascinating but never felt intrusive -- Leckie didn't lecture me on the world but just had her characters living in it.
Linked, Gordon Korman. 2021 Cybils Middle Grade Fiction finalist. This is the story of a boy's redemption -- how he brings himself back after doing something terrible, something he didn't really understand until it was too late. And he has to confront the damage he's done, both to his friendships and his opportunities (both of which he manages to repair) but also to other students -- one of whom never looks back. Did what he do change things irrevocably? Korman produces four viewpoint characters who all seem authentic junior high kids, all with a different perspective and different enthusiasm.
The Past Is Red, Catherynne Valente. Hugo novella finalist. Apparently the first half was published before, but barely felt the seams. This follows a brave and determined girl who lives on a trash island with the remnants of humanity after climate change has sunk all the land. She is confident enough to refuse self-delusion, and since she firmly refused it on behalf of her entire society, they all hate her. Like performatively hate her. There's gentle wit and obvious jokes (the past society that caused the climate disaster is known as the fuckwits) but it's an interesting look at the causes and emotional needs that lead to societies choosing obviously terrible outcomes. Warning -- this is a fantasy/fairy tale, and don't look hard at the science. Really.
Ascendance of a Bookworm, Part 1 Vol 3, Miya Kazuki. OK, I'm now far ahead in the light novels, so I need to find some of the graphic novels before they get too far ahead. I like how the other characters expect Myne to run a business, navigate the politics of the religious post she's just acquired, and develop new inventions in a timely manner, but the only reason she has a hope of doing this is that she's not really a seven year old; she's a reality-swapping young adult. But apparently the kids in this world are so awesome that she's a believable prodigy.
Ancestral Night, Elizabeth Bear. I liked how Bear balanced the characters and the world building -- even as the plot had spaceships and unknown biological alien tech, the characters were also worried about their careers and their pasts and if they were going to be able to live with themselves in the morning. I think if I were a friend of the protagonist I'd find her a bit navel-gazey, but since I listened to most of this while doing kitchen work I liked it. Now I want to read the other book in the universe.
A Spindle Splintered, Alex E. Harrow. Hugo novella finalist. A story about the multiverse of stories of Sleeping Beauty. I liked the story, but the main character felt like a bit of a jerk. She was carefully modern, and had a gay best friend with tattoos, but she also had the strong feeling that her way was right and other ways were wrong, which when she was jumping dimensions made her look like a bit of a jerk.
Liaden Constellation 4, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. Rereading these stories was quite fun. (When I finished the fifth volume, Goodreads told me I had skipped number four. Closer examination showed that I had read a paper copy and Goodreads was talking about the kindle edition.) And then I hit the last two, which I thought didn't work at all, and looking at my review I apparently agree with myself. I think I'm behind on the latest Liaden book; I should go get that.
-----------------Book From Blogging Hiatus -----------------
This is long enough already. It's really another blogging hiatus!
Bookmarks Moved (Or Languished) In:
Ok, I'm only going to put a book in here when I actually try to read it. Or at least actually pick it up and think about reading it. This month I made some progress in:
Many Points of Me, Caroline Gertler. Cybils finalist. The protagonist is having trouble differentiating between unkindness and setting boundaries.
Phoenix Extravagant, Yoon Ha Lee. I like how Jebu instantly sees the dragon as a person.
Vampire Trinity, Joey Hill. OK, they've moved from doing strange sex things as part of the political plot to doing sex things as part of an action plot.
Cobra, Timothy Zahn. The Baen Free Radio Podcast serial. Still in the training montage.
Sweep of the Heart, Ilona Andrews. More political intrigue!
Chernobyl, Serhii Plokhy. Finished another chapter. This one I have to sit still to read.
Forging a Nightmare, Patricia A. Jackson. I like the parts on Earth best.
A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine. Hugo finalist.
Ship Without Sails, Sherwood Smith. Definitely caught up to May now.
Picture Books / Short Stories:
Snow Birds, Kirsten Hall. 2021 Cybils Poetry finalist. Lovely evocative details about birds who overwinter rather than migrate, and the short poems bring out the environment as well as the birds. It makes me want to go do more birdwatching, although really I'm never going to do that in the actual snow; on the rare occasions it snows out here I hide under my blankets rather than go explore the frigid outdoors. But this book is so beautiful it makes me think about it.
Dinosaur vs. the Library, Bob Shea. This was from the DINOSAUR section of my library, so it's part of my Reading-My-Library quest, not a banned example. It's pretty much what it says on the tin -- a dinosaur goes to the library and wants to ROAR. Of course, librarians are awesome the dinosaur cannot withstand the soothing magic of STORY TIME. It would be fun to read with kids, especially if they volunteer to do the roaring bits.
What Sound Is Morning, Grant Snider. I'm into CONCEPTS in my library now. Gentle illustrations and subtle verses evoke the gradual start of the day, with quiet and dimness giving way to soft and loud awakenings and increasing brightness. It didn't blow my mind but would be a fun read with children.
The Olphabet, Jess M. Brallier. This was a fun CONCEPT but suffered from a failure to commit. I really enjoyed O's loud arguments for being promoted to the front of the alphabet, but then the force of narrative forced the letter to renounce all ambitions. That's a hard sell for me -- I want the letter to want what it wants. Also, I personally backed away from the disparagement of B for obvious reasons (my name is Beth).
Egg Drop, Mini Grey. My Torches and Pitchforks book group looked at banned picture books this month. I had already read most of them, so I read a selection from other banned lists. This was a great tragedy -- the egg is warned not to try to fly yet, egg ignores advice, TRAGEDY, but not really because egg goes great with bacon. This would be a delight to read with preschoolers or young kids. Apparently it got banned because people were afraid it would teach kids to ignore advice? Or jump off tall buildings? But the whole lesson of the book is that this turns out badly! I'm baffled.
Donovan's Big Day, Leslea Newman. This was a charming story that has Donovan working really hard (don't get messy, behave in the car) to make everything work, and of course the pay off is he's the ring bearer for his moms' marriage. So why it got banned is obvious (because Republicans hate it when other people are happy), but it's a really sweet book. And it's by the author of Heather's Two Mommies which while important was also actually an incredibly dull book. So I liked to see Newman making a much better book to read to kids!
It's a Book, Lane Smith. This was on my club's list, and I think I've read it before. The book is banned because one of the animals is a donkey, aka a JACKASS. So from a kid's perspective the whole point is to say a naughty word at the end. From the adult's perspective it's a get-off-my-lawn screen against electronic screens. From a children's librarian perspective, it seems like a waste of money since most of the book appeal is for adults. So I can see a community library getting it, but a school librarian should probably save their money. Does that count as banning?
Sex Is a Funny Word, Cory Silverberg. This was on my club's list. Informational book for young readers or young kids with their adults, not about reproduction but about the different uses of the word "sex" -- it's a verb but also a noun, and it's used for everything from deodorant ads to gender reveal parties. The text works hard at inclusion and making sure kids feel secure, emphasizing that the are many ways to feel and no one way is normal. I guess it's banned because some people think that anyone different than themselves should suffer, and their kids wouldn't never dare be different or if they were then suffering is fine? Because the whole point of this book is to reassure kids that they are okay, except for the few warning about when something is going wrong -- that's what the consent stuff is. My copy's colors were fairly muted, so my main complaint is that it was visually not that interesting.
Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President, Charlotte Pence. I couldn't get the actual book club book, and I'm astonished that my library doesn't have the probably much better one from John Oliver's team (I saw the first part of it read on YouTube). This one is a typical dull celebrity book, with rather insipid illustrations and an incredibly dull story line.
I Am I, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick. I think this was a banned book, although it's hard to see why. It's the kind of picture book that goes over kids' heads and lectures to adults about not being blindly prejudiced and angry -- two odd boys scream at each other from stylized rocks and managed to destroy everything and then by reconciling bring back beauty. I have no idea why it would be banned.
Palate Cleansers
These books I'm barely reading; lately I use them as bribes to get me to deal with the mail. I've been ignoring my mail.
Dates From Hell, Kim Harrison & others.
50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). The print is soooo tiny in this book. I should have read it in my youth.
Stinger, Nancy Kress.
Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. I'm doing better at listening to the day's song, and occasionally I'm catching up from back in January.
Reading Challenges
- Cybils 2021: Finished Linked and Snow Birds. Hmm, that's not very much.
- Early Cybils: Finished Escape. Started Freedom Walkers.
- Reading My Library. Have the next one waiting. Continued with the picture books from Renton Highlands.
- Where Am I Reading 2022. Picked up Australia and Ohio. 25/51 states and 13 countries.
- Libraries: 42/55 for the Tacoma Extreme Challenge.
Finished Ancestral Night for KCLS 10 to Try.
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Yay you!
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