archerygirl scales Mount TBR in 2016

I'm returning again for my fourth (or is it fifth?) year of the 75 books group, with renewed purpose and vigor and an embarrassingly tall stack of TBR books.

Last year, I read 75 books and acquired 75 books. That wouldn't be so bad, if some of those reads hadn't been library books, leading to a net gain in unread books on my shelves. Oops!

So my goal this year is to acquire fewer books than I read. Should be simple enough, right?

I primarily read SFF (more fantasy than SF) with a fair bit of romance thrown in. I try to read a reasonable smattering of short SFF fiction, too, and I always count novellas in my tally (but not the shorter stuff). I'm a Hugo voter, so there tends to be a mad dash to read as much as possible from the nominations lists, and I try to keep up with current fiction as well as reading older things.

My tastes in romance tend towards either historical romance or m/m romance. And sometimes I manage to find books that combine both!

My smaller goals this year are to read at least one new-to-me classic (reading Austen is cheating for me), and at least two non-fiction books. Otherwise, I try to keep my reading as unplanned as possible.

When I get quiet on LT, I can be found on my blog, where I always try to put up a Reading Wednesdays post even if I have no finished books to report here.

Books read list:

January

1. Ms Marvel, Vol 2: Generation Why - G. Willow Wilson
2. Once Upon a Marquess - Courtney Milan
3. A Midnight Clear - Emma Barry
4. The Aeronaut's Windlass - Jim Butcher
5. Devil's Kiss - Sarwat Chadda
6. Broken Homes - Ben Aaronovitch
7. Black Widow, Vol 3: Last Days - Nathan Edmondon and Phil Noto
8. The Magicians - Lev Grossman

February

9. The Martian - Andy Weir
10. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen - Lois McMaster Bujold
11. Shards of Honour - Lois McMaster Bujold
12. Rat Queens Vol 1: Sass and Sorcery
13. Interim Errantry - Diane Duane
14. A Queer Trade - KJ Charles
15. Taking the Heat - Victoria Dahl

March

16. Waters of Versailles - Kelly Robson
17. Simply Magic - Mary Balogh
18. Rag and Bone - KJ Charles
19. Rat Queens Volume 2 - Kurtis J. Wiebe
20. Updraft - Fran Wilde
21. Karen Memory - Elizabeth Bear

April

22. Nimona - Noelle Stevenson
23. Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy - Noelle Stevenson
24. A Seditious Affair - KJ Charles
25. A Gentleman's Position - KJ Charles
26. Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire
27. A Gathering of Shadows - V.E. Schwab

May

28. Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin
29. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
30. Her Every Wish - Courtney Milan
31. Uncanny Magazine Issue 10: May/June 2016
32. Vicious - V. E. Schwab
33. The 13th Hex - Jordan L. Hawk
34. Cold-Hearted Rake - Lisa Kleypas
35. Sutphin Boulevard - Sanito Hassell
36. The Fifth Season - N. K. Jemisin
37. Captain Marvel, Vol. 2: Stay Fly - Kelly Sue DeConnick
38. Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis - Kelly Sue DeConnick
39. Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps - Kelly Sue DeConnick
40. Lumberjanes, Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max - Noelle Stevenson

June

41. Libriomancer - Jim C. Hines
42. A-Force Vol. 1: Hypertime - G. Willow Wilson
43. Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Rise of Alpha Flight - Tara Butters
44. An Incomplete Revenge - Jaqueline Winspear
45. The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer - Sydney Padua
46. The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan
47. Perfect State - Brandon Sanderson
48. Out on Good Behaviour - Dahlia Adler

July

49. Poison or Protect - Gail Carriger
50. Binti - Nnedi Okorafor
51. Folding Beijing - Hao Jingfan (trans. Ken Liu)
52. Space Raptor Butt Invasion - Chuck Tingle
53. And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead - Brooke Bolander
54. Trade Me - Courtney Milan
55. Hounded - Kevin Hearne
56. Justice Calling - Annie Bellet
57. Rise: A Newsflesh Collection - Mira Grant

August

58. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - JK Rowling
59. Sweetshop of Dreams - Jenny Colgan
60. Class - Jenny Colgan
61. The Tropic of Serpents - Marie Brennan
62. Bitten - Kelley Armstrong
63. Style - Chelsea M. Cameron

September

64. League of Dragons - Naomi Novik
65. American Gods - Neil Gaiman
66. Imprudence - Gail Carriger
67. Ghost Talkers - Mary Robinette Kowal
68. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume 1 (audio)

October

69. Rules - Jenny Colgan
70. True Love - Jude Deveraux
71. A-Force, Vol. 2: Rage Against the Dying of the Light - Kelly Thompson
72. Silk, Volume 1: Sinister - Robbie Thompson
73. Spider-Woman, Volume 2: New Duds - Dennis Hopeless
74. Ashes of Honour - Seanan McGuire
75. The Obelisk Gate - N K Jemisin

November

76. Uncanny Magazine Issue 11
77. Crosstalk - Connie Willis
78. Marian - Ellan Lyons
79. Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan
80. Perilous Question: The Drama of the Great Reform Bill, 1832 - Antonia Fraser
81. Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit - Jaye Robin Brown

December

82. The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got that Way - Bill Bryson
83. Romancing the Inventor - Gail Carriger
84. Hangman Blind - Cassandra Clark
85. Russian History: A Very Short Introduction - Geoffrey Hoskins
86. The Cake Shop in the Garden - Carol Matthews
87. Little Beach Street Bakery - Jenny Colgan
88. The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris - Jenny Colgan
89. Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan
90. Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop - Jenny Colgan

Books acquired list:

January

1. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Natasha Pulley
2. * Ink and Bone - Rachel Caine
3. Interim Errantry: Three Tales of the Young Wizards - Diane Duane

February

4. A Queer Trade - K J Charles
5. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen - Lois McMaster Bujold
6. * Hunter of Demons - Jordan L. Hawk
7. * Dancer of Death - Jordan L Hawk
8. Games Wizards Play - Diane Duane
9. * Between Two Thorns - Emma Newman
10. A Gathering of Shadows - V. E. Schwab
11. Rag and Bone - KJ Charles

March
12. * Justice Calling - Annie Bellet
13. * Mnevermind 1: The Persistence of Memory - Jordan Castillo Price
14. Stormbringer - Alis Franklyn
15. Her Every Wish - Courney Milan

April
16. The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith
17. A Gentleman's Position - KJ Charles
18. Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire
19. Broken - Susan Bigelow
20. The Escapement of Blackledge - Mary Robinette Kowal
21. The 13th Hex - Jordan L. Hawk
22. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
23. Sutphin Boulevard - Sanito Hassel
24. Sunset Park - Sanito Hassel
25. * The Hidden Blade - Sherry Thomas
26. * How to Catch a Wild Viscount - Tessa Dare
27. * The Lawyer's Luck - Piper Huguley

May

28. Because of Miss Bridgerton - Julia Quinn
29. The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan

June

30. Liberator - Shelley B. Mcpherson
31. A Study in Sable - Mercedes Lackey
32. League of Dragons - Naomi Novik
33. Style - Chelsea M. Cameron
34. Out on Good Behavious - Dahlia Adler
35. Poison or Protect - Gail Carriger
36. Rise - Mira Grant

July

37. * Timebound - Rysa Walker
38. Imprudence - Gail Carriger
39. Class - Jenny Colgan

August

40. Mr and Mr Smith - HelenKay Dimon
41. Bitten - Kelley Armstrong
42. The Plus One - Natasha West
43. Playing for Keeps - Avery Cockburn
44. The Gravity Between Us - Kristen Zimmer
45. Slightly Tempted - Mary Balogh
46. Ashes of Honour - Seanan McGuire
47. Rules - Jenny Colgan/Jane Beaton
48. The Masked City - Genvieve Cogman
49. * The Black Guard - A J Smith
50. Heresy - J. S. Parris
51. The House at Baker Street - Michelle Birkby
52. Matilda - Tracy Borman
53. The Obelisk Gate - N. K. Jemisin
54. Ghost Talkers - Mary Robinette Kowal

September

55. Love Burns Bright: A Lifetime of Lesbian Romance - Radcylffe
56. Once Broken Faith - Seanan McGuire
57. The Year of the Crocodile - Courtney Milan

October

58. Cross Talk - Connie Willis
59. Feedback - Mira Grant
60. Leviathan Awakes - James S. A. Corey
61. The Earl Next Door - Charis Michaels
62. The Lie Tree - Francis Hardinge
63. Status Update - Annabeth Albert
64. Indexing: Reflections - Seanan McGuire

November

65. The Mother Tongue - Bill Bryson
66. Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop - Jenny Colgan
67. Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan
68. The Solider's Scoundrel - Cat Sebastian
69. Oz Reimagines - edited by John Joseph Adams
71. Marian - Ella Lyons
72. Clean Sweep - Ilona Andrews
73. After Alice - Gregory McGuire
74. Beauty - Robin McKinley
75. Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan
76. The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris - Jenny Colgan
77. The Cosy Teashop in the Castle - Caroline Roberts
78. The Cosy Christmas Teashop - Caroline Roberts
79. * Manners and Mutiny - Gail Carriger
80. * Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone (Illustrated)
81. * Rebellion: The History of England from James I to the Glorious Revolution - Peter Ackroyd

December

82. An Ember in Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
83. The Christmas Surprise - Jenny Colgan
84. The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea - Jane Linfoot
85. Christmas at the Little Wedding Shopy by the Sea - Jane Linfoot
86. Divergent - Veronica Roth
87. The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't: (to say nothing of the Mummy That Was, and the Cat in the Jar) - Gail Carriger
88. The Demon's Brood: A History of the Plantagenet Dynasty - Desmond Seaward
89. * Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire
90. * Sparrow Hill Road - Seanan McGuire
91. * Crumb: a baking book - Roby Tandoh
92. * Brilliant Bread - James Morton
93. * The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer - Sydney Padua
94. * Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors - 95. Peter Ackroyd
96. * Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook
97. * Zeros and Ones: Digital Women and the New Technoculture - Sadie Plant

italics denotes dead tree books
* denotes books that were gifts or free sales

Totals:

67 Kindle books
30 dead tree books
22 free/gift books

Welcome back!

Happy New Year! (dropping a star)

Happy new year and welcome back!

>1 archerygirl: 'Last year, I read 75 books and acquired 75 books. That wouldn't be so bad, if some of those reads hadn't been library books, leading to a net gain in unread books on my shelves. Oops!'

Different numbers for me but same result. I've also been enjoying reading some SFF novellas recently and hoping to continue that in 2016. I really like the recent Tor novellas publications - so many of those sound interesting.

Have a wonderful bookfilled 2016, Kathy.

>6 souloftherose: The new Tor project is great - novellas can be a terrific length for SFF and it's good to have a publisher really promoting them. I've got a couple of them earmarked to buy as soon as I stop feeling guilty for the volume of unread stuff in this house.

>4 drneutron: Thank you!

>5 ronincats: Pretty star!

>7 PaulCranswick: Thank you! Pretty sure it's going to be a very bookfilled 2016.

The whole reading stuff from my shelves thing so the TBR mountain will shrink? Two library holds just came in. Oops :-)

My first finished read of the year! Was a tiny bit of a cheat, because it's a graphic novel, but it gets me out of the blocks so I don't care :-)

1. Ms Marvel, Vol 2: Generation Why - G. Willow Wilson

Ms Marvel is a terrific series, highly recommended.

Hello! I'm looking forward to seeing what you end up reading this year.

Ooh, I've meant to get into the Ms.Marvel series but haven't managed it yet. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for sure!

>10 Kassilem: Hello! I'm looking forward to seeing what I get up to this year, too :-)

>11 dk_phoenix: You should get into it! Ms Marvel is, in my opinion, one of the best things happening in comics right now.

I seem to be off to a good start this year - another finished book and it was a good one.

2. Once Upon a Marquess - Courtney Milan

I'm a big fan of Courtney Milan's work. She writes smart, fun romances that appeal to the feminist in me. I wasn't wild about her Turner Brothers books (written for Harlequin), but she's made going indy work for her, allowing her to write romances that don't fit the usual script. Her Brothers Sinister books are fantastic and I throw them at anyone who wants to read good historicals.

While Once Upon a Marquess isn't in quite the same league as The Countess Conspiracy, it's going to be a rereadable and much loved book. Judith is a great character, and I ended up rooting for her immediately. She's learned to be self-sufficient, she's a clockwork designer, and she finds ways to rise above her problems that made me cheer for her. Christian isn't your typical romance hero, either. He has a complicated background, is trying to manage his OCD, and charmed me completely.

What I enjoy about Milan's books is that her characters have plots beyond the getting together storyline, they have issues that feel real and never leave me wanting to shake them, and she writes with such wit that I frequently laugh out loud. She also slides in some lovely digs at current issues - there's a section in there that's clearly about mansplaining was utterly fantastic.

If you're looking for witty, intelligent historical romance with atypical protagonists, I'd recommend any of Milan's books and this was no exception. Recommended.

Current physical book:

The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher

Still contemplating what to start on my Kindle.

It's too short to put into my 75 books list, but this little novelette by Sarah Rees Brennan is delightful:

The Spy Who Never Grew Up

It's Peter Pan as a spy. Weird and fun and slightly horrific. I loved it.

>13 archerygirl: Sounds like Milan's work might appeal to a Heyer fangirl? And The Aeronaut's Windlass was my top book last year for entertainment value--hope you are enjoying it.

>15 ronincats: I've only read one Heyer, but as I recall, it pushed a lot of the same buttons that Milan's work does. Historical romance that doesn't follow the standard tropes, or if it does, subverts them in some way. I'm about halfway through The Aeronaut's Windlass and loving it more with each chapter.

My plan to buy fewer books this year is teetering on the edge of disaster. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is a Kindle Daily Deal today for $1.49. At least it's not going to break the bank?

>17 archerygirl: I succumbed to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street too, on UK daily deal a few days ago.

I'm not sure I dare track books acquired compared to books read. Or if I did I think I would have to add all sorts of additional rules:
- gifts and freebies obviously don't count,
- neither do e-books perhaps since they don't take up shelf space,
- Christian books are virtuous so they don't count either,
- actually pretty much anything non-fiction for that matter since it's educational,
- oh, and the classics, they're good for me.
Of course they all count in the reading tally...

>18 eclecticdodo: I started tracking books acquired to get some kind of understanding of how my TBR stack keeps getting taller despite reading a lot. If I put any rules on, I'd end up counting almost nothing, because I'm sure I could come up with reasons why every book I acquire is vital and virtuous!

Hi, Kathy. Just stopping by to drop a star.

Welcome back. I really enjoyed The Aeronaut's Windlass last year. I gave it sn honorable mention on my best fantasy read last year. I enjoy his works so much.

>20 rretzler: Hello, Robin!

>21 xymon81: I'm getting near the end now and it's getting so hard to put it down at the end of the evening! I've been slowly working through the Dresden books, so I knew that I liked his writing, but this may be the most enjoyable Butcher I've read. It'll probably be a highlight book for me this year.

Dear LT:

I have a small new book confession, but it's not my fault! I didn't buy it with my own money!

Ink and Bone - Rachel Caine

It was a late breaking Christmas present, so although it's a new acquisition, it's not the bad kind, right? It goes onto the list with an asterix :-)

Connie Willis fans! It looks like we're getting a new book this year!

40 SFF books that will rock your world in 2016

I knew about most of these releases, although I'd forgotten that Mary Robinette Kowal's new one drops in July (must watch for the preorder links to arrive), but the Connie Willis is a total surprise for me.

Why is October so far away?

I'm beginning to see why I got overwhelmed trying to keep up with threads last year --- I can't stop dropping stars!

>24 kgriffith: It does get hard to stop when you find people who are reading and talking about things you love!

>23 archerygirl: Thanks for that link! I had heard about the Willis book from someone else in the group-hairballsrus. Hard to wait, right?

>26 ronincats: So hard! I'm comforting myself by remembering all the other books that I'm excited about that arrive before that, but now that I know it's happening, I just want to read it. I got to see her speak at a convention a couple of years ago and she's such a delight.

Hi found you! Have a *.

>28 BBGirl55: Hello! :-)

Third book of the year was a novella, but it totally counts:

3. A Midnight Clear - Emma Barry

I don't know what to say about this one. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a great book, either. My overall reaction to it was very meh. Maybe it was because it isn't my usual preference for historicals - I'm more of a Regency romance girl and this was 1940s - or maybe it was because I just wasn't in the right mood. I probably wouldn't pick up anything else in this series and at least it was only a novella, so it wasn't like I had to slog through three hundred pages. It was almost a three star, but some typos lost it half a star for me.

I'm almost done with The Aeronaut's Windlass, so I should finish that today or tomorrow. Then I have to decide which library hold gets my attention first.

Note to self: no more library holds until you've read Karen Memory, because Hugo nominations open soon and you need to have read as much 2015 fiction as possible by then.

>23 archerygirl: Thanks for the link. Totally cannot wait for the Connie Willis. I became a fan last year and need to put more of her books on my TBR.

>31 rretzler: I became a fan of her's when someone told me that Doomsday Book would be something I'd like and they were right. Her Oxford Time Traveller's series has become one of my favourites out there, so I'm very excited to have new things to read.

>9 archerygirl: I loved the Ms. Marvel comics and they convinced me to try some other Marvel comics - just finished Hawkeye, Vol 2: Little Hits.

>23 archerygirl: Ooh, there are a lot of interesting books on the list - hadn't heard there was a new Connie Willis coming out so thanks for that.

>33 souloftherose: Marvel has been bringing out some great books over the last couple of years. I loved Hawkeye. Have you tried the She-Hulk run they did last year? I think the new Connie Willis sneaked up on a lot of people, so I'm glad to spread the unexpected joy!

I've finished a book! And it's not one that I'm feeling 'meh' about!

4. The Aeronaut's Windlass - Jim Butcher

I love a good steampunk novel, and this one is definitely good. The characters were all vivid and fun to read, particularly Grimm, Bridget, and Rowl (the cat). I'm a sucker for a book with a good cat character. Even Gwendolyn, who starts out as someone I could cheerfully strangle, has growth and turns into a character that I worried over and wanted to succeed. And Folly is an odd character, but she makes sense by the end. A strange sort of sense, but there's logic to her strangeness. I think that's one of the things I really liked - so much of it makes sense, even when it's weird sense. The plot is compelling and by the end, it was hard to put the book down. The world-building is great, and Butcher leaves enough unexplained to have me itching for the next book and more information on the world and how it ended up the way it is.

If you hadn't guessed, I liked this a lot.

Current reads:

Broken Homes - Ben Aaronovitch
Devil's Kiss - Sarwat Chadda

I woke up on Saturday with my lower back in full spasm and it's being very slow at loosening up and behaving properly. I spent most of the weekend dozing through stuff on Netflix and reading on my Kindle when my brain was functioning sufficiently. Which is how I've eaten half the Aaronovitch in two days.

I suspect that I should probably see a doctor today to make sure I didn't do anything even sillier than usual to my back. Ugh.

Feel better soon. I can not wait for volume 2. That and a new Dresden.

Ha! Told you Gwen would grow on you! I also had difficulty putting the book down. Can't find any info on when the next book is due out.

ETA hope your back relaxes soonest!

>34 archerygirl: After Hawkeye I have mentally lined up Black Widow and Kelly Sue DeConnick's Captain Marvel but I will add She-Hulk to the list.

>35 archerygirl: I struggled with Butcher's Harry Dresden series but The Aeronaut's Windlass sounds fun.

Sorry to hear about your back. I hope you feel better soon.

>36 xymon81: I'm definitely eager for a volume 2!

>37 ronincats: You were right about Gwen! She's so irritating at first, but she gets all that character growth and becomes kick-ass in a way that I didn't expect. Darn it, that's good character development. I'm going to have to keep my ears peeled for news the next book. Hopefully it won't be a GRRM type gap. At least Butcher is a fairly prolific writer!

>38 souloftherose: Ooh, yes, Black Widow and Captain Marvel are both fantastic so you should definitely read them! I like Butcher's Dresden series, but I've stalled out at around book eight and I don't feel the mad itch to hunt down more. The Aeronaut's Windlass is quite different, which may be why it hooked me so much.

My back is...not good. The poor doctor who saw me has done his best, but I have ulcerative colitis so all the first-line drugs (NSAIDs) are ruled out for me. That makes it very hard for people to prescribe when my back flares up. He's concluded that I've got inflammation (no surprise - I have spondylitis) that's set off muscle spasms and irritated the nerves. Unfortunately, all he can do is prescribe muscle relaxants and mild painkillers and cross his fingers. If it doesn't ease off in a few days, I'll go back, but for now I'm just trying to get the right balance between rest and moving/stretching. I can work from home, thankfully, but that does mean I can't take anything stronger than tylenol during the day if I want to have enough brain to function.

2016 is getting off to a great start :-(

Still, I have new Agent Carter to look forward to, so this week isn't all bad!

YAAAAY! NEW AGENT CARTER!!! ...sorry, I just needed to squeal and flail a little bit because I AM SO EXCITED!!!

...and I'm sorry your back in terrible. That sounds horribly detrimental to your quality of life, and I hope your doctor (or maybe a specialist?!) is able to figure out the best way to help you soon. Ugh. :(

>39 archerygirl: Have you thought of trying osteopathy for your back? It's a combination of massage and manipulation which I find enormously helpful when my neck seizes up. My experience is that doctors tend to look first to medication when perhaps there are other options.

I am enjoying the Marvel discussion. It's interesting to see how mainstream the comics have become, and how Marvel is rebooting for all it's worth to capture the popular imagination all over again. I got The Avengers, the Complete Emma Peel Mega-Set for Christmas from my sister-in-law, and she was explaining how confused she was at the store and had to ask for help because she didn't even know there was an original Avengers that was completely different.

>35 archerygirl: I appreciate how steampunk has really captured the imagination too, as I have a lot of friends who have jumped from SCA to steampunk (though some work at both), but I've never gotten around to reading any of the books. Butcher's entree into the field sounds interesting.

>39 archerygirl: I have found cupping to be really helpful at times in loosening up spasming back muscles. The cupping mostly helps me manage my lymphedema symptoms, but it is a helpful technique for other things too.

I'm so behind, I still have half of season one to get through.

>40 dk_phoenix: NEW AGENT CARTER IS SO EXCITING! It feels like forever since we had any. Wait, it is forever! It's been almost a year! I probably won't stay away to watch it tonight, because it starts at 10pm for me, but I'll enjoy it tomorrow :-)

If I'm not getting any improvement by tomorrow, I'll get an appointment with my regular GP. It might be time to go back to the specialist and see what can be recommended. Grr. I'd planned that 2016 would be my no steroids, no procedures year.

>41 eclecticdodo: I've looked into osteopathy, but I have a connective tissue disorder so manipulation is not recommended for me. My experience is that doctors usually send me to alternatives before they'll discuss medication, so I've done countless rounds of physio, hydrotherapy, and acupuncture. When I'm more mobile, I find that my regular yoga practice does more good than most of the physio I've had.

>42 justchris: When I first started getting into Marvel stuff, I was completely confused in the other direction - The Avengers had always been John Steed and Emma Peel for me, but now there was this group with the same name that's filled with American superheroes? So confusing! :-)

Butcher's book may be a good entrance to the field, although there was more of a magic-fantasy angle to it than a lot of steampunk that I've read. Not that this is a bad thing! I rather like a bit of magic in my steampunk.

Cupping looks interesting. It looks like the inflammation in my spine is what's setting off the spasms, so if that can settle down then everything else should, but it looks like a new avenue to think about. Thanks!

>44 archerygirl: Oh dear. That's the beginning and end of my suggestions I'm afraid. I know what it's like to live with chronic pain. You have my sympathy!

>45 eclecticdodo: Chronic pain sucks big time. You have my sympathy if you're in the same boat!

>46 archerygirl: It's not nearly so bad these days. 10 years ago I was needing a wheelchair to get out. These days I just need painkillers.

Sorry to here that your back is not good. Hope thry can find a way to relive it.

>47 eclecticdodo: That's good! I vary between being very fit and mobile, and stumbling around with a walking cane and needing painkillers to get out of bed. It's good to hear you've made progress :-)

>48 BBGirl55: Thank you! So far, I feel better today than I have done for a couple of days :-) I'm hoping that means I'm getting a handle on this flare of it and it will continue to improve.

I have Agent Carter on my PVR. It's waiting for me. But I'm being a good girl and actually working while working from home - AC will be my reward for getting through the day.

>44 archerygirl: Thanks for the positive reception to unsolicited medical advice, which can be so annoying, even though I am guilty of doing just that.

Inflammation is something I think about quite a bit because of the lymphedema and other health stuff. Not fun. I'm planning another round of GI specialist/integral medicine practitioner/dietician to try to get a handle on dietary factors (chronic IBS is a real misery, let me tell you). Just track your diet and it'll all be figured out! Been tracking for a few years now (current logbook is at week 101). Can't say it's led me to any epiphanies, beyond the possibility that poor sleep is a contributing factor. And every dietician I've consulted has been supremely uninterested in looking at my documentation or helping me figure out a customized diet. They just hand me some basic info on Mediterranean/cardiohealthy/latest healthy eating trend and some platitudes and push me out the door.

Sigh. I would love to get back to archery. The chronic medical conditions make it inadvisable.

Anyway, glad this flare is getting better for you.

>47 eclecticdodo: Glad that your chronic pain situation has improved over time! Disability is no fun.

>50 justchris: I've had a lot of unsolicited medical advice over the years, but yours was something new and phrased in a way that didn't raise my hackles :-)

I have inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, specifically), so I know all about gut-based misery. It makes dealing with inflammation in my spine tricky because I can't take a lot of the standard treatments. The first-line for spondylitis flares is NSAIDs, but I can't have them due to the risk of setting off a UC flare. I make doctors look so defeated!

I'm hoping that today is a sign that the flare is easing off and I can start getting back to my normal again soon. Good luck with the GI specialist and so on.

Another very 'meh' book for me:

5. Devil's Kiss - Sarwat Chadda
I really wanted to like this one. It was recommended to me for being that rare beast: an urban fantasy with a young non-white protagonist, so I was trying very hard to like it.

It's a young adult book, which shouldn't have been a problem. I read a lot of YA. But the it was too YA for me, if that makes any sense. The protagonist was too caught up in her teenaged angst over her relationship with her father, so caught up that there were things happening that had been clearly signalled that she didn't see. That always frustrates me. There were elements of the plot that were rushed past and glossed over that felt jarring, because they were some of the important parts, and other elements were lingered on for no good reason. The book was so uneven in tone.

If I'd read it as a teenager, maybe some of the elements that irritated me would have struck a cord instead. Like I said, it's not bad, and it's probably pitched well for the early to mid-teen crowed, but it did nothing for me. Not one I'll be going back to, I think.

------

Today is a better day than yesterday. I am tentatively cautious that I might be up to driving into the office tomorrow, if I continue to improve like this. Phew! My cats are lovely company, but sometimes a girl needs to talk to people without whiskers for a while, you know?

If you want to read a very good - but fairly disturbing - short story about a global pandemic in the format of a food blog, you should read "So Much Cooking" by Naomi Kritzer.

http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_11_15/

I read it days ago and it's still haunting me.

>53 archerygirl: That was a great story! I sent the link to a friend who is a cooking buff. Waiting for her reaction.

>53 archerygirl: oh wow. That's a great story. I'm hooked. But it's gone 11 and I'll be up by 6 so I MUST go to bed.

Just time to say....
>49 archerygirl: >50 justchris: yes, disability sucks. On the other hand, I got quite involved in the National Union of Students Disabled Students campaign at that time and made great friends. I learnt a lot about improving disabled access which I later used in paid work and I'm now hoping to use volunteering.

>54 justchris: I'll be interested to hear her reaction! It was one of those stories that keeps popping into my mind when I'm not doing anything.

>55 eclecticdodo: Accessibility is so important and it's done so badly a lot of the time. I'm glad you're finding a way to use your experience to improve it.

Another book finished! At least I'm starting well :-)

6. Broken Homes - Ben Aaronovitch
I really like the Peter Grant books, so although this book wasn't quite up to the standard of preceding books, I still enjoyed it a lot. The main problem with the book was that it felt bitty and disjointed, so I kept forgetting what the main thrust of the plot was supposed to be. It should be noted that I've been on a lot of painkillers this week, so that may not have helped, but I've heard other people say the same thing. There were still some great things about it. Peter's growth as a character has been fantastic to watch. I love the snarky asides in his narration about everything from police procedure to architectural oddities. In fact, one of the real joys of these books has been the running commentary on architecture - I keep wanting to revist parts of London with Peter's notes available. All the secondary characters - Nightingale, Lesley, Molly, even Toby - are showing growth and I'm itching to know more about Nightingale.

And the last couple of chapters...well, I can now understand why everyone was so impatient to get their hands on Foxglove Summer. It's probably going to be something I have to treat myself to very soon.

---

My current read is The Magicians, which took me a around forty pages to really get into and now I'm hooked. I have no idea why I put off reading it for so long. It was the prospect of a TV adaptation that finally got me to read it, and I have a feeling that I'll be grabbing the others in the trilogy fast.

I'm dithering a bit about what I read on my Kindle next. I've got a lot of historical romances saved up, but I'm trying to take a break for a couple of weeks, so that I don't burn out on them. I guess I'll see what takes my fancy when I climb on my exercise bike later.

>53 archerygirl: So Much Cooking was brilliant. I can see why it's been going round your head. In fact, I'm going to list it as one of my books read. I know, I know, it's cheating, it's not a book but a short story, but I've reread it a couple of times (very unusual for me) so that sort of makes it long enough, right? I'll post a short review on my thread.

>57 archerygirl: I love Ben Aaronovitch. I thought Broken Homes was a little below his other books only in that it feels like half of a two-parter. I guess he was trying to avoid the Harry Potter trap of starting a series with short books and moving on to ridiculously long.

>56 archerygirl: I think you can count whatever you want as a book read :-) And if you reread it a couple of times, you've put in a fair number of pages! I was surprised by how much it haunted me. I think the format had a lot to do with it - if it had been a third person recounting of events, there would have been distance. Instead it's all first person so you're deeply immersed, and there is so much she doesn't say but you can read between the lines to feel it. I think it's going to be on my Hugo nomination list.

Broken Homes did feel incomplete, that was definitely part of my problem with it. Incomplete and disjointed, which isn't something I've felt about his other books. It's not a bad book by any standards, just not quite up to what I expect from Aaronovitch. I've head a lot of people saying that Foxglove Summer was much better, though, so I haven't been put off reading more :-)

I caught up a little on comics over the weekend, so I have a new book to add to my tally:

7. Black Widow, Vol 3: Last Days - Nathan Edmondon and Phil Noto

I've loved the Black Widow books, and this one tied everything up in a heartbreaking and beautiful way. It delved into who Natasha is and how she fits into the wider Marvel world. I was slightly less in love with the last two issues in this collection, which were really only there to tie into all the other Last Days issues that culminated in the Secret Wars event, but I got to look at more of Phil Noto's illustrations so it wasn't too bad. It's Noto's artwork that really make this book stand out from the rest. I've read other Black Widow books and she's appeared in a lot of team books, but Not's illustration style picks out elements of Natasha's character that aren't as apparent elsewhere. You need to see it to understand. I'd highly recommend this run of Black Widow books and I'm going to miss them now that it's finished.

---

Current reads:

The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Martian by Andy Weir

Yes, having two "The M--" books on the go is not confusing AT ALL.

Boo to chronic pain, yay to feeling a bit better! I am glad to see so many positive comments about Agent Carter which I would really like to watch (haven't even seen Series 1 yet) - I binge watched the first two seasons of Agents of SHIELD over Christmas/New Year which was clunky to start but ended up being quite a lot of fun.

>53 archerygirl: & >58 eclecticdodo: So Much Cooking sounds good. I've bookmarked the link to read on my tablet (very bad at detailed reading on a computer screen for some reason).

>57 archerygirl: I loved Foxglove Summer but it doesn't really move any of the Leslie plot along further or any of the other plots. It was a really funny read though (and lots of rural countryside jokes) but more of an aside in the series than a key book.

>60 archerygirl: Ok, Black Widow is the next Marvel comic series after I've finished Hawkeye.

>61 souloftherose: Agents of SHIELD took a while to find its feet, but when it did, it became really great. Agent Carter didn't need any time to find its feet - I loved it from the first episode of season one. Season two may actually be making me even happier!

I always either download to my Kindle or read on my tablet rather than reading on a computer screen. I used to read a lot on my computer. Guess my eyes are getting older :-) It's definitely a story worth reading when you're comfortable.

You got me with the rural countryside jokes. I really need to see Peter being snarky about the countryside :-)

You won't regret making Black Widow your next comic series. It's a great book for a complex character, and the artwork blew me away.

>61 souloftherose: >62 archerygirl: Hmm...did the second half of season 2 of SHIELD get any better? I checked out after the big "revelation" (about the device) which seemed to actually negate everything they'd been telling us about Skye being "special" up to that point. I felt like the whole Big Reveal hinged on a plot point that caused the intrigue the series had hinged on to disappear and suddenly I found I didn't care anymore (I was not happy about this as I was enjoying it up to that point).

Agent Carter has been spectacular from the start, I agree! I have high hopes that season 2 will continue the trend as the episodes play out.

>63 dk_phoenix: I like the second half of season 2. It opened up a new part of the SHIELD world and the story line that Skye had, learning about her abilities and her background, ended up being really interesting in ways that I wouldn't have predicted.

I'm pretty sure that it would be hard to make Agent Carter bad when you've got Peggy being such a fantastic character. Based on the first episode, season 2 is shaping up really well.

>62 archerygirl:, >63 dk_phoenix: Ok, must watch Agent Carter. Faith, I really liked the end of season 2 of SHIELD but I don't remember being bothered by the big revelation.

>65 souloftherose: You won't regret watching Agent Carter. Peggy is the best :-)

I have a very small confession. Minuscule. Tiny.

A new book. My third for the year.

3. Interim Errantry: Three Tales of the Young Wizards - Diane Duane

It's the bridging collection of two short stories and a novel between the last main Young Wizards book and the new one coming out next week. I've had a preorder in for the Games Wizards Play for ages, so I really should make sure I'm ready for it when it gets here by reading those intermediate stories.

Next week also sees Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen being released. The preorder avalanche is beginning.

I rounded out January with my eighth book, finished on Saturday but it's taken me a couple of days to put thoughts together:

8. The Magicians - Lev Grossman

For the first hundred pages or so, I really enjoyed this book. Quentin was a little annoying, but I thought there was going to be some depth to his unhappiness and tendency to be an utter arse, so I was happy to continue. After all, I like complex characters and I enjoy it when authors present me with a character I shouldn't like and find ways to make the character sympathetic. I was ready for that. And...Quentin never became a character I felt sympathy for. If anything, I became angrier with him as the book continued. It took until the final few chapters, when he recognised that he couldn't run from his depression and he'd messed up his best chances through his own actions, before I felt even a flicker of lessening dislike. I think the problem is that I've read this character archetype too many times, and I find it significantly less interesting now than I did the first dozen reads.

There were so many things about this book that I would have liked if the characters had been less unpleasant, which is what got me to slog through to the end. The deconstruction of Narnia-like tropes that Fillory represents was fascinating. It was the part of the book that I really appreciated. The problem was that the only character I really felt anything positive for was Eliot, and he wasn't on the page enough to redeem the book for me.

I've got the next book in the series on hold at the library. The hint in the final chapter about what might come next intrigued me enough to try, but I probably won't push myself to finish if it's still all focused on Quentin's manpain. I'd like to see more from Eliot and learn more about Julia, I'd like to know what Grossman will do with the Fillory concept, but only if I don't have to read four hundred pages of Quentin holding a pity party.

---

For anyone who had a membership (supporting or attending) for Worldcon in 2015, 2016, or 2017 as of January 31st, the Hugo nominations are open!

http://midamericon2.org/the-hugo-awards/hugo-nominations/

I know, for some of us in SFF fandom this is a mixed thing after last year's mess, but I'd encourage anyone who can nominate to do it. Nominate all the wonderful things you read, watched, or listened to last year. Pay no attention to any slates that might be floating around and nominate based on what you loved.

---

The February preorder season is upon me. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen is due to arrive on my doorstop tomorrow, according to the parcel tracker. Games Wizards Play is being released tomorrow, too, but Amazon appears to be confused about this and hasn't dispatched it yet. I may be displeased if it fails to send me my book. This wouldn't be the first time that Amazon Canada has forgotten to flick whatever buttons it has to press to set a book to available - I had to order a book from the States a couple of years ago because two months after the release date, Amazon CA was still insisting that it was only available for preorder, while listing the preorder date from two months ago.

*sigh*

I'm almost done with my current Kindle read, The Martian, so I plan to read Interim Errantry after that in preparation for the new Wizards book. And I'm holding off starting a new dead tree book so that I can dig straight into Gentleman Jole tomorrow night :-)

>68 archerygirl: These are very interesting thoughts on The Magicians! I watched the premiere for the new TV show yesterday, based on the book, and I almost pulled the book off my shelf to read it before going on with the show. But now I'm not sure? Sometimes I can handle manpain stories, but if it gets too whiny, definitely not. Like you, I think I've read too many of those types of stories and now it just gets annoying. Hmm. Well, I'll probably read it eventually.

>69 dk_phoenix: I've been DVR-ing the show and I'm hopeful that it will suit me better than the book did. It's not a terrible book, but I think you need to be in a mood and place where manpain isn't going to bug you badly. There are some really interesting ideas being explored, which is why I finished it rather than snarling and giving up.

Ah, yes, the manpain got to me as well and I haven't moved to the second book even though I think there isn't as much pointless drug and alcoholic numbness there.

Hope you are enjoying The Martian. I also should receive the hardback of Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen tomorrow, although I have read the eARC in the fall.

>71 ronincats: I enjoyed The Martian so much! Apparently my copy of Gentleman Jole is out for delivery, so it should be waiting for me when I get home from work. Phew! It's a big improvement on my copy of Games Wizards Play, which is now...out of stock. On release day. I am not a happy customer today. And I feel badly for the author, because that will affect first week sales. Only Canada, but still. Grr.

---

First book of February!

9. The Martian - Andy Weir

I. Loved. This. Book.

I watched the movie when it was in theatres last year and loved it. Problem solving! Sciencing the shit out of everything! Tension and urgency and mourning potatoes! It delighted me. And the great thing is that the book is every bit as good. Even though I knew the plot from watching the film, the writing still kept me on tenterhooks throughout. The format of Mark's log entries (first person) gave it the immediacy it needed, and mixing it with third person accounts of what's happening on Earth and on Hermes added extra layers that really sold it. It's a book that manages to make science and problem solving the solution, rather than pure daring-do, and it keeps the reader guessing and tense throughout. Highly recommended.

---

I also have a tiny book confession to make. It actually is tiny because it's only 57 pages! But it's still a new book, that I bought, on my Kindle this morning because it's release day.

4. A Queer Trade - K J Charles

She's become one of my immediate buy writers and the premise of this has had me squeeing for ages.

I'll save the other new book confession for when I have it in my hands :-)

>72 archerygirl: I loved the way every other chapter in The Martian seemed to start with "I might just make this work" or "oh f*** I'm gonna die". The ups and downs were great. And, as you say, wonderfully full of science and engineering.

>73 eclecticdodo: Every time he said something like that, I knew something was going wrong! It was the way he kept his hopes up despite every set back. You wanted him to succeed because he was so determined and resourceful. And you knew, each time something started to go well, that it would somehow get snatched away. It meant that you could never quite relax, which kept the tension up. I like an action adventure romp as much as anyone, but it's wonderful to have a story where it's science, knowledge, and invention that save the day.

Chiming in on The Martian, which I loved so so much, too: I agree that a big part of the appeal is that he keeps his sense of humor and optimism throughout - he's such a likable guy and you just really want him to succeed!

>75 scaifea: Mark is the reason you want everything they try to succeed - if he hadn't been so likeable and constantly optimistic, I'm not sure that I would have cared as much about what happened.

---

I have Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen in my sticky little paws. And despite getting home late from my first writing critique meeting (!!!), I stayed up to read the first chapter because I had to. And I flailed and flapped my hands with sheer glee. Obviously, Cordelia is magnificent. I adore her. But somehow I've also immediately fallen for Oliver in the course of only a few pages. And the glimpse at how her marriage to Aral worked made me happy in ways that I cannot express.

Hey, it's been a while! You should have finished GJ&tRQ several DAYS ago!

>77 ronincats: I know! The slight problem is that everything got ridiculously busy and I've been reading in snatched 20 minute bursts, so I'm still not even half finished. Grrr. I need an afternoon of just reading pronto because I'm adoring this book so much and I just want to wallow properly.

I have a tiny new book confession, but it was free on the Kindle! So, it's not all that bad, right? And my acquisitions haven't outpaced my books read...yet.

6. Hunter of Demons - Jordan L. Hawk

I'm doing a Vorkosigan reread before I read Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. I'm glad for the excuse to spend some time with the Vorkisigans, but it's really hard to wait.

>80 kgodey: I'm thinking that I need to fill in the gaps in my collection (I read a lot from the libraries) and do a complete reread. Gentleman Jole references a lot of events from the earlier books, and I want to read them with that knowledge in fresh in my head. it's probably been ten years since I read Shards of Honour and Barrayar!

That's actually what I'd recommend. I always devour the new book at top speed the first time, so then I go back for the reread and then reread the new book at a slower pace to catch all the stuff I was going too fast for the first time.

>82 ronincats: If it's been a really, really long time, I'll reread a series before reading the new book, but most of the time, I like the reread after. I'm too impatient to wait on reading the new book, and a lot of the time, a new book in a series will make me view previous books in a new way. That's particularly true of Gentleman Jole, so I'm quite looking forward to the idea of a reread.

After I finish reading Hugo-eligible things for this year's nomination cycle, of course.

Let me know what you think are the best Hugo-eligible things as you find them, please! I can never read everything, but would like to catch some of the best.

>72 archerygirl: Oh I did enjoy The Martian - such a fun read and so nice to have a happy ending.

>84 ronincats: What Roni said!

>84 ronincats: and >85 souloftherose: I'll post a full list of everything I put on my long list when I've finished compiling it :-) So far, I've got nine novels that I'm considering (plus a load of shorter works) and I've still got a couple of books that I want to read! Good thing the deadline isn't until March 31st - it may take me that long just to get some of the categories down to five items.

Last year really was an amazing year for fiction.

And my dilemma has been made worse by not knowing whether Gentleman Jole is eligible for this year's award or next year. The eARC was on public sale last year, so the SFWA ruled that it was eligible for this year's Nebulas. I'm hoping someone on the Hugo awards committee is going to make a ruling before the nomination deadline. I don't want to miss my chance to nominate it, but I also don't want miss out on nominating one of the other great books I've read if it isn't eligible, you know?

So many tough decisions to make!

I finished it a few days ago, but it's taken me a while to get my thoughts together. But here it is! Book ten already.

10. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen - Lois McMaster Bujold

I had so many feelings about it that the only way to excise them properly was to write a long, spoilerific blog post about all the things I loved.

https://stompydragons.wordpress.com/2016/02/17/gentleman-jole-and-the-red-queen-...

It's really, really spoilerific, so don't read unless you've already read the book.

In the non-spoiler version, I adored this book. It's not the face-paced action Bujold usually writes in a Vorkosigan book, but I loved the change of pace. This is a slower, thoughtful character study that is still completely absorbing despite the lack of explosions and daring escapades. I suspect it's going to be one of my top reads of the year.

Current reads:

Shards of Honour - Lois McMaster Bujold
Interim Errantry - Diane Duane

Someone remind me that I can't just go on a full Bujold reread yet? I've still got potential Hugo reading to do!

And I just one my very first book giveaway, the newest Spectr book by Jordan L. Hawk.

Great blog! Can you tell I'm in full agreement?

>88 ronincats: I would never have guessed ;-)

How is it that the number of things I leave the library with is inversely proportional to the number I return?

Last night, I went to return one DVD. And walked out with three books. Huh? And this is particularly unhelpful when I've got so much already in the house that I need to read! That's it, I need to win the lottery and quit working so that I can read everything :-D

Two small confessions today, but they're not totally awful. One was even free!

New books in:

7. Dancer of Death - Jordan L Hawk
8. Games Wizards Play - Diane Duane

The first one was a giveaway win - my very very first ever. I am rather delighted. I never win things!

And the second one was the preorder that didn't come a couple of weeks ago, due to a Canada-wide shortages of the book. But I finally have it and I'm almost finished with Interim Errantry, so the timing is pretty good :-)

Current reads:

Interim Errantry - Diane Duane
Taking the Heat - Victoria Dahl

And I forgot to mention the finished book from the weekend!

11. Shards of Honour - Lois McMaster Bujold

It was a re-read for me, inspired by reading Gentleman Jole, and I discovered that I'd forgotten or misinterpreted so many details from my first read. Re-reading now, with ten years more maturity and a better understanding of both characters, has been wonderful.

I need to make time to fit in a re-read of Barrayar soon, too. I got distracted by library books instead. Oops.

The Nebula Award nominees were announced at the weekend. You can read the full text of the announcement here: https://www.sfwa.org/2016/02/2015-nebula-awards-nominees-announced/

I've asterisked the works I've read/watched, which was far fewer than I'd expected! Some of the shorter works are on my Hugo pre-reading list and I highly recommend everything I have read from the nominees. A lot of new things have been added to my wishlist, though...

Novel

Raising Caine, Charles E. Gannon (Baen)
The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
* Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
The Grace of Kings, Ken Liu (Saga)
* Uprooted, Naomi Novik (Del Rey)
Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard, Lawrence M. Schoen (Tor)
Updraft, Fran Wilde (Tor)

Novella

Wings of Sorrow and Bone, Beth Cato (Harper Voyager Impulse)
“The Bone Swans of Amandale,” C.S.E. Cooney (Bone Swans)
“The New Mother,” Eugene Fischer (Asimov’s 4-5/15)
“The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn,” Usman T. Malik (Tor.com 4/22/15)
Binti, Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)
“Waters of Versailles,” Kelly Robson (Tor.com 6/10/15)

Novelette

“Rattlesnakes and Men,” Michael Bishop (Asimov’s 2/15)
“And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead,” Brooke Bolander (Lightspeed 2/15)
“Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds,” Rose Lemberg (Beneath Ceaseless Skies 6/11/15)
“The Ladies’ Aquatic Gardening Society,” Henry Lien (Asimov’s 6/15)
“The Deepwater Bride,” Tamsyn Muir (F&SF 7-8/15)
“Our Lady of the Open Road,” Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s 6/15)

Short Story

“Madeleine,” Amal El-Mohtar (Lightspeed 6/15)
* “Cat Pictures Please,” Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld 1/15)
“Damage,” David D. Levine (Tor.com 1/21/15)
“When Your Child Strays From God,” Sam J. Miller (Clarkesworld 7/15)
“Today I Am Paul,” Martin L. Shoemaker (Clarkesworld 8/15)
“Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers,” Alyssa Wong (Nightmare 10/15)

•••

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation

Ex Machina, Written by Alex Garland
Inside Out, Screenplay by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; Original Story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen
Jessica Jones: AKA Smile, Teleplay by Scott Reynolds & Melissa Rosenberg; Story by Jamie King & Scott Reynolds
* Mad Max: Fury Road, Written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
* The Martian, Screenplay by Drew Goddard
* Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Written by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt

•••

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy

Seriously Wicked, Tina Connolly (Tor Teen)
Court of Fives, Kate Elliott (Little, Brown)
Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge (Macmillan UK 5/14; Amulet)
Archivist Wasp, Nicole Kornher-Stace (Big Mouth House)
Zeroboxer, Fonda Lee (Flux)
Shadowshaper, Daniel José Older (Levine)
Bone Gap, Laura Ruby (Balzer + Bray)
Nimona, Noelle Stevenson (HarperTeen)
Updraft, Fran Wilde (Tor)

I've read Uprooted and Archivist Wasp. I have Ancillary Mercy and The Fifth Season in my tbr pile. Not too impressive a start, I fear.

Thanks for posting this, btw.

>93 ronincats: I have The Grace of Kings on my Kindle, but I haven't got to it yet. Oops. I read a short story set in the Updraft world and loved it, so that may be my priority read for Nebulas. Of course, I need to get my Hugo nomination ballot finalised yet, and I've got a fair chunk of reading to do for that, first!

>87 archerygirl: I really liked your blog post on Gentleman Jole.

>92 archerygirl: We've read the same selection from the nominated novels. I've heard really, really good things about Jemisin's The Fifth Season and may buy that to read soon. Hadn't heard of Raising Caine or Barsk before seeing them on the nominees list.

From the Andre Norton shortlist, I can recommend Cuckoo Song which was released in the UK a couple of years ago and I thought was excellent.

>95 souloftherose: Aw, thank you for the kind words about the blog post!

I've heard so many good things about the Jemisin. If I have time before the end of March, I'd like to get that read as part of my Hugo nomination prep. I'd vaguely heard about Raising Caine, but only enough to recognise the name, not to have heard any buzz around it. And Barsk is completely new to me.

I'll add Cuckoo Song to my higher priority TBR list :-) I've had Nimona on hold at the library for ages and I'm slowly crawling up the list - I might get it by the summer at this rate! I'm starting to think it might have to just fall into my basket the next time I'm at my comic shop - I've heard so many good things about it.

I always find it interesting how different the short lists for different awards are - there is very little overlap between the Nebs and the BFSA awards.

I'm both intrigued and slightly nervous about seeing this year's Hugo ballot.

Another book to add to my read list:

12. Rat Queens Vol 1: Sass and Sorcery - Kurtis J Wiebe

I knew going in that this was kind of vulgar and a bit gory, so I wasn't entirely sure how much I'd like it. But I wanted to read volume two for my Hugos prep and that means reading volume one first! I can honestly say that I really liked it. Yup, these are not delicate ladies and it's pretty earthy in places. There's definitely gore, although less than I'd expected after some reviews. What sold me was the characters - they're charming and funny, and I finished the book itching to go back and learn more about them. The plot is definitely an intro to the world kind of plot, but entertaining, and it is clearly setting things up for future books. A big part of what sold me was the artwork: it conveyed the characters and their nuances so well. If you're okay with Saga's level of adult language and violence, Rat Queens should be up your alley.

>96 archerygirl: 'I always find it interesting how different the short lists for different awards are - there is very little overlap between the Nebs and the BFSA awards.'

I especially notice a big difference between the US and UK awards - often a lot of the books nominated for the Hugo and Nebula have not been published in the UK (Barsk, Archivist Wasp and Updraft from this year's Nebula nominations haven't been published in the UK) meaning I can't get any of them from the library and although the US editions are now often available from Amazon UK they are a lot more expensive and I'm less likely to try an unfamiliar author at that price.

The UK awards may have the same problem in the other direction - as far as I know all the books on the BSFA shortlist this year have been published in the US but they don't seem to be as well known there so don't tend to make it to the final nominations list.

>98 souloftherose: There's definitely a huge gap between the US and UK awards! I've always suspected it's due to a combination of different release dates and different levels of promotion in each country. For the BSFA Awards, the only book on the shortlist that I saw much buzz about in online (US dominated) SFF fandom was House of Shattered Wings. The rest were fairly new to me. The short stories were a bit more familiar, but I think that's because three of the nominees have a fairly big presence in the SFF fandom as a whole, so their works get talked about more.

One of the things that frustrates me about this is that the Hugos are really supposed to be an international award, but it's usually dominated by US-centric voters. I'm hoping that all the extra promotion around the nomination process this year might counter some of that.

#96 You read rat queens oe happy.

>100 BBGirl55: I did! And I just picked up volume 2 at the library yesterday :-)

Two completed books! Although one is a short read, so it's not as impressive as it sounds :-)

13. Interim Errantry - Diane Duane

This is a collection of two novellas and a novel, filling in the time gap between A Wizard of Mars and Games Wizards Play, all on holiday themes The novellas are easy reads, a lot of fun. 'Not on My Patch' was the Halloween story, a short piece with a focus on Nita and her changing powers. 'How Lovely Are They Branches' was the Christmas themed short, and it was like being swept up in a warm fluffy hug. "Lifeboats" was the novel, and it was a more serious piece of work, about Kit, Nita, and friends being a part of a massive intervention to safe the people of a dying planet. The more serious tone made some of the Valentine's references jar a little--too light for the theme--but maybe it needed the bits of humour to balance out the darker ideas. I'd say it's definitely a collection that fans of Young Wizards will enjoy and want to have, although it's definitely not a good jumping on point for new readers.

14. A Queer Trade - KJ Charles

KJ Charles has become one of my favourite m/m romance writers out there, and this was another excellent short from her. It's set in the universe of some of her other books, but there's no need to read them to understand this one. The novella is fast-paced, fun, and it had a good blend of romance and adventure for such a short work. I really liked the central characters, particularly Ned, and Charles makes Victorian London come alive through her descriptions and research. It sets up the relationship and backstory for a new book coming out on March 1st, Rag and Bone, and I can't wait to get the a full-length novel about Ned and Crispin.

>92 archerygirl: I've read none of the novel nominees, but I do have Ancillary Mercy in the Tower of Due, and Updraft is on its way to me via ILL.

Among the novelettes I'm happy to see "The Ladies' Aquatic Gardening Society," which is definitely making my nomination ballot.

Brought Updraft home from the library yesterday!

>103 swynn: I haven't read "The Ladies' Aquatic Gardening Society" and it looks like it's only available in Asimov's, so I'll have to hope it's nominated for a Hugo and in the voters' packet! Ancillary Mercy is so great and I should have Updraft in my stick paws soon :-)

>104 ronincats: Yaaay! I should get my hold from the library very soon :-)

Um, I have another confession to add to my books acquired list.

10. A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

This whole reading more than I acquire thing is starting to go a bit pear-shaped...

Finished Updraft today. What does that tell you?

>106 archerygirl: So many good books, so little time...

>107 ronincats: It tells me that I really need to read it pronto :-)

>108 eclecticdodo: It's definitely a problem...

And on that theme...another confession. A new book, but it's on my Kindle so it's not filling up my house. It's just adding to the too many new book issue!

11. Rag and Bone by KJ Charles

Must read faster. Can anyone figure out how to add an extra two hours to each day?

To make up for this morning's little confession, I have finished a book!

15. Taking the Heat - Victoria Dahl

I'm usually more of a historical romance reader, but I've heard Dahl recommended by a lot of people, so I gave this one a go and surprised myself by enjoying it a lot. It was fun and lighthearted for the most part, but there were some nice explorations of themes around the face we present to the world versus the truthful self. I think that I still prefer my historicals, but I wouldn't reject more contemporary romances in this vein.

Currently reading:

Waters of Versailles - Kelly Robson
Simply Magic - Mary Balogh

One more book to add to my tally. Only a short one, but it's a novella so I'm counting it!

16. Waters of Versailles - Kelly Robson

This has been floating around on a lot of Hugo reading lists over the last couple of months. I've read a couple of other stories by Robson and enjoyed them, so I wanted to give it a try before the nomination deadline. While it probably wasn't my favourite read of the year, I did like this a lot. It's an unusual setting - Versailles under Louis XV - and there was some gorgeous imagery. I think the reason it didn't make me fall in love was that I didn't really feel invested in any of the characters. There were lots of lovely thoughts and ideas, I understood the story the author was trying to tell by the end, but I didn't feel attached to Sylvain (the MC) or his little fish in a way that would have made me stand up and cheer for the ending. Worth a read, definitely, but probably not going on my ballot list.

Finished another book!

17. Simply Magic - Mary Balogh

I always enjoy Balogh's books, so this was a bit of a happy indulgence for me. The Simply series is loosely connected to her Bedwyn series (which I'm trying to eek out slowly, because I enjoy the books so much), but the lovely thing about the series is that the heroines are all school teachers, rather than wealthy aristocrats. Susanna Osbourne, the heroine of this one, has a complicated history that makes her relationship with the hero understandably difficult, and therefore the pay-off at the end is rather lovely. What I liked most about this one is that there's such a strong friendship developing between the MCs. It's not all simmering passion and wild declarations of eternal love. Even at the end, they acknowledge that it's not going to be a perfect, easy relationship, but it's founded on a strong bedrock and they're going to work at it.

I just really like romances where the protags have more together than a ton of sexual tension :-)

Current reads:

Updraft - Fran Wilde (!!!)
Rag and Bone - KJ Charles

And another book :-)

18. Rag and Bone - KJ Charles

This is set in the same world as Charles's Magpie Lord books, but the protagonists here are quite different: a practitioner with a form of magic that most of his peers consider to be one step away from warlockry--graphomancy--and a non-magical waste (old paper) seller. The short story, A Queer Trade, is the tale of how they met, became involved, and how Crispin's came under the eye of the magical justiciary. I'd been excited about this book ever since reading that short. It's a story about the problems inherent in forming a relationship across boundaries--class, magician/non-magician--and learning to be what you are rather than trying to fit yourself into other people's boxes. There's an intriguing plot, some fantastic characters, and I couldn't put it down.

---

I'm almost halfway through Updraft and it's another book that I'm having trouble putting down. I suspect that it's going to be one of my top reads of the year.

I had a small oopsie this morning, but in my defence, it was on sale for $0.99 on my Kindle, so it's not totally terrible, right?

14: Stormbringer - Alis Franklin

I also finished a book! A library book, so it's not helping my too many books issue, but it was good.

19. Rat Queens Volume 2 - Kurtis J. Wiebe

Now that the world has been set up, this volume went into the backstories for some of the characters, which added so much depth to them. Seeing where Hannah and Violet came from, what shaped them, was fascinating. I feel like we haven't learned everything about them yet, but that only makes me more excited about future volumes. Hopefully they'll dig into Betty's backstory, too, because she intrigues me. The star of this volume, though, was Dee. The big monster they were fighting was connected to her past, and the resolution to that plot-line gives some big hints about where her story might go next. This is definitely a series for the grown-ups, but I'm loving it.

>113 archerygirl: Well it sounds like you are going to hit me with a book bullet for Updraft even though you haven't finished it yet!

>114 archerygirl: Rat Queens also sounds like a series I should check out.

>115 souloftherose: If I don't hit you with a book bullet for Updraft, it'll be down to the book not sticking the landing. I'm pretty confident about it, though. And yes, you should definitely check out Rat Queens. I love it.

Finished Updraft yet?

>117 ronincats: Finished it last night! I adored it. I need more. I'm relieved to see that we'll get more :-)

20. Updraft - Fran Wilde

I'm not sure what I can say apart from squeeing, flailing, and advising that everyone should read it if they haven't already. Fantastic world-building, a compelling plot that kept me hooked, and characters that I cared about from the moment they walked onto the page. Read it.

And don't be like me. Book two days off and just read. I read it in four big gulps, but I had to spread them out because I kept staying up too late to read just one more chapter. I ended up just blocking out two evenings to read it without being massively sleep deprived.

(Or possibly don't me be like me and be constantly over-scheduled.)

>118 archerygirl: Okay, then - wishlisted! How could I not after that review! *grins*

>119 scaifea: My incoherent review of joy got it wishlisted! :-D

>120 archerygirl: *snork!*

#114 I am looking forward to Rat Queens Volume 3 when it comes out! Glad you enjoyed volume 2! Happy Reading!

>122 BBGirl55: I'm going to be impatient waiting for Volume 3 :-) I loved it!

---

Nimona arrived from the library today. I'm four chapters in and having so many feelings about the characters already. Darn it.

I've also got the first volume of Lumberjanes to read when I finish Nimona.

And I started Karen Memory at last and it's wonderful. I adore Karen's voice and the tiny hints at the steampunk world. Apparently, I'm on a run of really great reads right now.

This is not going to make my decisions about Hugo nominations easier. Drat.

I am impatient for my turn with Nimona 45th in que!

>124 BBGirl55: Yikes! Suddenly my wait (of two months) doesn't look so bad! It's just lovely. I hope your queue moves fast.

Have a wonderful Easter.

>126 PaulCranswick: Thank you! I had a lovely Easter. The weather cooperated for getting to church and I got to do lots of baking, making my best batch of hot cross buns yet and, finally released from no chocolate Lent, I made yummy brownies on Monday :-D

And reading! There was reading.

21. Karen Memory - Elizabeth Bear

I loved this. So very, very much. It's steampunk, which is an immediate win for me. There's a gorgeous and sweet F/F romance as one of the major plots, which made it even better. And it's by Elizabeth Bear, so it's smart and thoughtful plotting, too. It probably sounds unlikely, because many of of the main characters (including Karen, the POV character) are prostitutes in a parlour house, but somehow it's lovely? And fun? And feminist? Reading about the parlour house kept reminding me of Long Susan's house in Ripper Street, only better. Karen's girlfriend, Priya, is an utter delight, as are all the characters. Really, I just want to flail and whimper and tell people to read this because it's so fabulous.

(Note: Trigger warning under the spoiler cut. The story centres around some prostitutes. Although there is no on-page rape and the protagonist hasn't been raped, there are references to things that have happened to some of the characters. Please, practice self-care if you think that might be problematic for you.)

>127 archerygirl: SOLD!

>128 kgriffith: Woo hoo! I adored it, so I'm hoping to sell many people on it :-) I kept putting off reading it because I didn't think it could be enjoyable due to the subject matter, but then I read the first three pages and it dragged me in and didn't let go!

I really enjoy Bear's writing, and in this book, Karen's voice is so distinctive--it really makes it enjoyable!

>130 ronincats: That's exactly what made this book shine - Karen's voice. She gets into your head (in the best way possible) and you can hear here speaking. All those lovely little asides about 'sewing' - and all the times when she clarifies whether she's talking about sewing or 'sewing'. She's so vivid. Bear writes so well, but she did something special with Karen.

Yay for Karen Memory love!

Short story rec!

I am Graalnak of the Vroon Empire, Destroyer of Galaxies, Supreme Overlord of the Planet Earth. Ask Me Anything. by Laura Pearlman.

I'm not even sure it's needs a description with that title :-)

Two tiny confessions today. One of them is actually tiny, because it's a novella. And the other one was on sale :-)

15. Her Every Wish - Courtney Milan
16. The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith

I'd be pleased that the books acquired list is still shorter than the books read list, if so many of my books read weren't library books. Must do better at the incoming books!

And I know that I'll have two new preorders coming in this week...

Karen Memory looks like a read right up my alley. Elizabeth Bear does a good job writing steampunk-themed stories... have you read New Amsterdam? It is an interesting blending of steampunk with vampires and other stuff. I did enjoy that one!

>135 lkernagh: I haven't read New Amsterdam, but it's been on my TBR list for a while :-) She does interesting things with steampunk, that's for sure! She just generally does interesting things with any settings she gets her hands on, which is a big part of why I enjoy her work so much.

A little confession today, but it was a preorder, so I knew that it was coming in.

17. A Gentleman's Position - KJ Charles

If Canada Post gets off their arses and actually delivers it, I should have another confession this week. New Seanan McGuire! So exciting!

Hopefully I'll have a couple of finished books to report this week. I'd say they'll make up for the new acquisitions...but they're library books, so they're not really helping to trim Mount TBR!

Quietly sliding three new books into the stacks...

18. Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire
19. Broken - Susan Bigelow
20. The Escapement of Blackledge - Mary Robinette Kowal

Um, at least only one of those (the McGuire) is a physical book?

I shall recap the books that I've read shortly. Because I have. I don't think the acquisitions lists outstrips the books read yet.

Three books read since the beginning of the month!

22. Nimona - Noelle Stevenson

I feel like I'm the last person to read this, but it's brilliant and I loved it. Lots of lovely nods to the tropes of genre, told in a delightful style, with an ending I couldn't predict. Highly recommended.

23. Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy - Noelle Stevenson

I'm not sure whether I'm going to be a Lumberjanes person, but this was fun and I've got the next volume on hold at the library

24. A Seditious Affair - KJ Charles

I had been going to say that this may be the best historical romance I've read, except I'm nearly finished with the last book in this trilogy, and that one is probably going to edge this out very slightly. But only slightly. Charles uses the events that were happening in 1819/1820 as more than just window-dressing - they're integral to the plot in this book. They heighten the problems of a Tory civil servant falling for a radical seditionist, which would be more than enough even if they weren't both men, and I ended up learning a heck of a lot more about English history than I expected. It's the two characters at the centre that make this book, though. Their personalities, their fears and insecurities, make this intense and difficult to read at times, but in exactly the right way. I can't praise it or recommend it highly enough and it's definitely going to be on my top reads of the year list.

Notes about why this book is so great that may be a bit spoilery, but may be worth it for anyone wary about the relationship themes: The relationship between Dominic and Silas begins as anonymous meetings in an assignation house. The book starts a year after they begin seeing each other, so that doesn't seem like a big spoiler, but the type of relationship they have may be. It's BDSM-based--made clear in the first pages--and that forms a major thread in the story between them: why Dom needs it, why they don't know each other's names at first, and why their feelings get so complicated and tangled. I had this book on my Kindle for a while and finally started it when the next book in the series came out, so that I could get caught up, and I'll admit it was the kink theme that was making me wary to start reading it. Now I wish that I hadn't taken so long to read it, because I genuinely loved it, and Charles did such a great job of tying together all the themes--kink, conflict, sedition, choices--that I can't imagine the story working without one of them. I'm not rushing out to buy every kink-themed book out there, but I'm glad that I trusted Charles would make this book work for me sooner.

Two books finished, and both of them hugely enjoyed:

25. A Gentleman's Position - KJ Charles

I adored this to pieces, but rather than reproduce everything I said about it on my blog, my squee-flail is here: https://stompydragons.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/wednesday-books-13-april-2016/

26. Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire

I was predisposed to like this one, because I'm a huge fan of McGuire's work, so it was never going to be a disappointment. I agree with a couple of people who have noted that the pacing towards the end was a little rushed, but I suspect that had a lot to do with the format: McGuire was commissioned to write something for Tor's new novella range, so she had to stay within the word-limit. It's pretty clear to me that she had a lot more developed than could ever have fitted into a novella-length work, which may explain the pacing. If only she'd been commissioned to write a novel! She has made a deal for two more books in this world, which has made me very happy. I really just want to know more about everyone, but specifically Jack and Jill (she's confirmed one of the books is about them) and Kade.

Other than the pacing at the end, this was an incredible book. The consequences of all those portal stories had really been thought through, and in some of the worst ways possible. The division between the different types of worlds people went to was handled in a fascinating way. I loved the world building. And I had so much sympathy for the characters, particularly for Nancy and Kade. How often do you get works where two of the central characters are an ace woman and a trans man? And the work isn't actually about those issues? It feels like a book that's going to benefit from rereading, and it's probably going onto my favourites of the year list.

Agh, book bullets for Updraft and Karen Memory.

>139 archerygirl: Happily, I've read Nimona and Lumberjanes. I think Nimona is the stronger GN but The Lumberjanes are certainly fun although I don't think I could take large doses of them.

>140 archerygirl: And I really liked Every Heart a Doorway and am really happy to hear she's writing more in that world. Realised that I still haven't read any of McGuire's novels (just a short story and this novella) and obviously need to fix that soon.

>141 souloftherose: Oops, sorry about those book bullets :-D You won't regret reading them!

I agree that Nimona was the stronger GN. Lumberjanes was fun, but like you said: best in small doses. In terms of books about groups of women having adventures, I far preferred Rat Queens.

You should definitely read more McGuire! Her Toby Daye books are brilliant (start with Rosemary and Rue) and I loved the first Indexing book - I must get the second one. I also love her Velveteen books. One of the things I love, that she does so well in Every Heart and in Velveteen and Indexing, is the exploration of stories and tropes. A lot of her books can be read on multiple levels: as both a great story with fun characters, and an analysis of the mythology underlying them.

I had my first DNF of the year. I was trying to read the novelization of the latest Star Wars movie, and I just couldn't do it. The prose was too florid, the complex epithets were too over the top, and the combination made the pacing rather...turgid.

I'm proud of myself for putting the book aside at page 70 and giving up rather than slogging through, though. Life is too short to be angry at a bad book.

Remember I said that I'd post my Hugo nominations after the deadline passed?

I finally did it: https://stompydragons.wordpress.com/2016/04/21/presenting-my-hugo-nominations/

And I included the list of novels that I was considering at the end. It was a looong list and they were all brilliant.

Also, for historical romance fans, free books! Grab them before April 25th :-)

https://alyssacole.com/sassy-sexy-smart-free-historical-romance/

I can highly recommend the Courtney Milan and I grabbed several of the others, including a couple that had been on my wishlist for a while.

>144 archerygirl: Amazing! I've actually read 4 out of 5 of your nominees. Often, I've only read one of the books that actually make the ballot, which always amazes me.

>146 ronincats: I think I was reading a lot of things people were talking about :-) Usually I've read, at most, two of the books on the ballot, so I'm going to be interested to see how it shakes out. Apparently they had 4,000 ballots this year, which is a record by a long way. It looks like the effort to get the vote out worked, at least!

>139 archerygirl: I picked Nimona up for my readathon this weekend, I'm so looking forward to it!

>144 archerygirl: I've read Uprooted and House of Shattered Wings so still have 3 to read from your novels list.

>148 kgriffith: I hope you enjoy it! I loved it :-)

>149 souloftherose: Yay! The other three are every bit as good as Uprooted and House of Shattered Wings. Highly recommend them :-) (Which shouldn't be surprising because I nominated them, but I always feel it needs saying anyway.)

For my Doctor Who friends, if any of you have managed to miss seeing this today, new companion announcement!

https://twitter.com/bbcdoctorwho/status/723922300098076673

I'm cautiously quite pleased. Rather like her, and I liked that they showed us a video to give us a bit of a hint about her character rather than just releasing a name and biography for the actress.

Do I detect a bit of 80s styling in her clothes? Is it possible that we're getting a companion who isn't from this year?

Well, you have one of the Hugo nominees for best novel, and two more in your auxiliary list! The Jemisin and Seveneves round out the category. I haven't checked the other categories yet.

>152 ronincats: Uh, yes. The Hugo nominees. That happened. The novel category looks very good and I'm pleased. I got a couple of things in other categories. You, er, may want to have a large drink before checking out things like short fiction and related works.

I'm still formulating my thoughts.

For anyone who wants to look, the list is here: http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2016-hugo-awards/

It should be noted that Thomas A. Mays has already withdrawn The Commuter from consideration. The admins will probably be updating the list in the next day or so, going by what happened last year. Don't be surprised if there are one or two other withdrawals.

It took me a while, but I finally had thoughts on the Hugos that were too long to post here: https://stompydragons.wordpress.com/2016/04/27/thoughts-on-this-years-hugo-final...

I also included a whole bunch of links, for anyone who wants to get some other viewpoints and some history to this mess.

Thanks for all the links--that made for some interesting reading.

>155 ronincats: Glad they were useful to you!

#151 Hi! I like you liked the way the new companion was annouced.
I hope she is from the past (though this is very unlikely), 2017 is a long way away :(

>157 BBGirl55: I'm going to keep my hopes going for a companion out of time until we get her episodes! 2017 is way too far away. Suspect I'm going to be doing a lot of rewatching to keep myself sabe during the break :-)

For the Seanan McGuire fans, she has a new short story out!

http://uncannymagazine.com/article/ye-highlands-ye-lowlands/

I haven't read it yet, but it's Seanan. It'll be great :-)

The story is in the latest issue of Uncanny Magazine. They're awesome people and put up the fiction free on their website after a few days of exclusivity in the magazine, but if you're looking for a good source of short fiction and essays, I can highly recommend a subscription to Uncanny. The quality of what they produce is amazing, and they're currently running a subscription drive, so there is a discount on a yearly subscription and the possibility of swag!

Supporting magazines like Uncanny is important, because it's our money that enables them to pay their writers at professional rates.

So, I just updated my books acquired list in post >3 archerygirl:. Oh, wow, April was bad for new books. So very, very bad. Thankfully they're pretty much all Kindle books, so they haven't added to my books on the physical shelf. But they have made a significant hole in my plan to read more than I buy this year!

It's also been a while since I updated the books read tally and...uh...look, some of these books are reeeeally long. Okay?

27. A Gathering of Shadows - V.E. Schwab

This was a sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic, which I enjoyed a lot. It didn't grab me as fast as ADSoM did--it seemed to take a long time for the story to really get going--but when it did get there, it got there with a bang. So it's definitely worth a read if you enjoyed ADSoM. However, it ends on a huge cliff-hanger, so be prepared!

28. Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin

This was a surprisingly good historical mystery, with the added bonus that it's not set in Tudor times. Woo hoo, a different period! And one that I find particularly fascinating, too. It's set in Henry II's reign, a couple of years after the murder of Thomas a Becket, and there is a running theme underneath around the impact of that moment throughout the book. The author has done her research, and when I did a bit of research, I found that her central character--a woman doctor from Salerno--is entirely plausible, which made me very happy. I found that the ending felt slightly rushed, but when the rest of the book is great and the storyline for the central character went to a place that I'd hoped for but didn't expect, I'm willing to forgive the pacing. I'd definitely read more in this series.

29. The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan

A reread for me, but it stands up really well to rereading. There are all sorts of threads begun here that become crucial later, and it's fun to spot them and have my memory jogged. I'm planning to do a full Wheel of Time reread over the next few months, because it's been at least ten years and I want to be reminded of everything before I read the final four books for the first time.

See? Looooong books.

Currently reading:

Her Every Wish - Courtney Milan
Vicious - V. E. Schwab

>143 archerygirl: Good to know about the new Star Wars novelization. I had thought that I might give it a try as I think there are probably a lot of things in the book that I did not get from the movie. I was actually one of the few that was disappointed in the movie - I thought it was way too much like the first (fourth?) one in plot, and I was also a little disappointed that they totally ignored all the previous canon. Oh, well! Maybe the next one will be better...

>161 rretzler: As I hadn't read any of the extended universe, its loss hasn't really affected me much. I was really happy with the movie, but I can see that if you were invested in the EU, it wouldn't be good for you. One of the aspects I enjoyed was the call-backs to previous movies--particularly the original--and the way they used those call-backs to contrast with the new directions they were going with it. It felt like they were honouring that history while also pushing forward to somewhere new, which I loved.

I'm really looking forward to Rogue One at Christmas :-)

Catching up ...

You weren't the last to read Nimona because I only just did. Loved it.

Thanks for posting your thoughts on the Hugos, which are pretty much mine although our nomination ballots had little overlap.

Last year I read everything on the ballot, including John C. Wright's every tortured word. Not this year. There are too many good things to read to waste more time on stuff that isn't. So Short Story and Related Works will probably go quickly this year. And yeah, I've seen enough of the "Safe Space" rant to think I've already done due diligence.

In the Good News department, I note that Wright's Somewhither isn't on the ballot. I have to think his lugubrious magnificence declined the nomination, in which case "No thank you" is the first line he's authored for which I'm grateful.

>163 swynn: I made it through around a page of one of Wright's pieces last year, but I couldn't make myself go any further. His blog rants have convinced me that I'm the last person he would ever think worthy enough to read his opuses, so I don't see why I should try. I was relieved to see that none of his works are on the ballot, although whether that's because he declined or because enough people voted in the novel category to knock him out won't be clear until the long list is published.

There is way too much good stuff out there to waste time on the crap. So although I've committed to trying everything on the ballot, I see no point in going past the first page of anything I really dislike or find offensive.

I feel like I need to try the "Safe Space" rant again, but I don't promise to finish it. Or try to make sense of the arguments. I'll pick an evening when I don't mind having my brain explode. The "SJWs Always Lie" piece is the one I'm least looking forward to sampling :-(

Frankly, some of those works make Chuck Tingle's effort look good!

Note for any people with Hugo interests!

There are two changes to the ballot:

In the short story category, Thomas Mays withdrew "The Commuter" and it has been replaced with "Cat Pictures Please" by Naomi Kritzer, which can be read here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/kritzer_01_15/

And in the fanzines, Black Gate withdrew and have been replaced with Lady Business, which is here: http://ladybusiness.dreamwidth.org/

I nominated the Kritzer piece, so I'm happy to see that on the short story ballot. I totally forgot that Lady Business is awesome, so I didn't nominate it, but it's made my choice in that category far more difficult because I nominated File 770. So that's *two* excellent choices in the fanzines!

A Wheel of Time reread! That's exciting.

>166 kgodey: Could take me a very long time, but I'm having fun :-)

I read a book novella!

30. Her Every Wish - Courtney Milan

She’s become one of my favourite historical romances, so the likelihood of me not liking this was pretty low. This is a novella side-story in her Worth Saga series, so it’s not a long read. It also relies on the reader having read the first book in that series. Although Milan does a brief recap of who Daisy and Judith are, I don’t think someone coming to this cold would have the same affection for the characters that a reader familiar with them would, and that makes a difference with a book this short. There isn’t as much time to establish the characters and engage the reader with them as there would be in a full novel. I liked Daisy a lot already and was delighted to spend some extra time with her and learn about Crash through her. I might have found it more difficult to warm to her without that experience.

That said, it’s a fun novella and it made me smile a lot. Milan isn’t afraid to go into some deep ideas in her fun romances, and in this story, the most important plot isn’t the romance: it’s Daisy’s journey towards accepting and revelling in her own wishes and ambitions, rather than constantly thinking she shouldn’t have them. Most of that comes through her relationship with Crash, and that’s where the story’s heart is: Crash is a delight (with a velocipede!) and you want both of them to succeed in their ambitions long before the end.

This is also a historical romance about working class people, which is rare in the genre. Daisy and Crash will never discover they’re secret nobility or marry into money. Life doesn’t work that way for them, and Milan doesn’t shy away from that. It’s a refreshing difference from a lot of the books in the genre.

The Nebula Awards were announced this weekend. The full list is here:

http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/

For the first time, the winners of the literary categories were all women. And they are some seriously amazing women! Updraft by Fran Wilde won the Andre Norton (for YA SFF) and Uprooted by Naomi Novik won the adult novel award. I adored both of those to pieces so it's great to see them win. I haven't read Binti yet, although it's a Hugo nominee so I'll be getting to it soon. I've read other works by Sarah Pinsker and Alyssa Wong and they're both fantastic writers.

>153 archerygirl: & >154 archerygirl: Enjoyed your thoughts on the Hugo nominations this year. I will use the shortlists for best novel and best novella as reading recommendations not sure about the other categories. Hopefully the proposed amendments to the voting rules will prevent this happening in future years.

>160 archerygirl: Mistress of the Art of Death has been in my TBR pile for years so glad you enjoyed it. I really should get round to reading it but mysteries aren't calling to me at the moment.

>165 archerygirl: Thanks for the update on the hugo shortlist - I've seen a number of recommendations for Cat Pictures Please so will try to read that.

>169 archerygirl: I saw the award announcements but hadn't noticed it was an all female winners list! I'm glad Uprooted won - it was one of my favourites last year - and I enjoyed Binti a lot too.

>170 souloftherose: I'd approach the novelette and short story categories with a certain amount of caution, and not even touch the related works unless you're actually voting :-(

There's been a lot of discussion recently, particularly in threads on the File 770 website, about the proposed amendments to the voting rules. To wit, they will help a little, but not as much as everyone had hoped. Hopefully EPH will be ratified this year so that next year's ballot is a little less problematic, but there is very likely to be another amendment proposed at this year's WSFS business meeting for the 2018 Hugo season. The question is, what that amendment will be.

Cat Pictures Please was a great short story, so you should definitely check it out :-) I've enjoyed all the stories I've read by Naomi Kritzer - So Much Cooking was actually my favourite of hers last year.

I'm really looking forward to Binti and Uprooted was one of my tops reads last year. It was great to see so many excellent works win. Have you read Updraft yet? Because that's brilliant.

>170 souloftherose: & >171 archerygirl: "Binti" means "daughter of" in Malay. Just sayin.

Have a great weekend.

>172 PaulCranswick: Interesting! I'll keep that in mind when reading - it might be relevant to the story.

I had a week off in May and read rather a lot, but I never quite got around to updating them here. Woops! So be prepared for a rather long list:

31. Uncanny Magazine Issue 10: May/June 2016
32. Vicious - V. E. Schwab
33. The 13th Hex - Jordan L. Hawk
34. Cold-Hearted Rake - Lisa Kleypas
35. Sutphin Boulevard - Sanito Hassell
36. The Fifth Season - N. K. Jemisin
37. Captain Marvel, Vol. 2: Stay Fly - Kelly Sue DeConnick
38. Captain Marvel, Vol. 3: Alis Volat Propriis - Kelly Sue DeConnick
39. Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps - Kelly Sue DeConnick
40. Lumberjanes, Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max - Noelle Stevenson
41. Libriomancer - Jim C. Hines
42. A-Force Vol. 1: Hypertime - G. Willow Wilson
43. Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Rise of Alpha Flight - Tara Butters

I won't go into them all, but I do need to note a couple them:

Uncanny Magazine Issue 10

There are some amazing stories in this issue and I heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to expand their short fiction range. There's a novelette by one of this year's Campbell nominees, Alyssa Wong, that I loved. Kat Howard has a beautiful fairy tale short, and Seanan McGuire wrote a brilliant, thoughtful apocalyptic short.

Vicious - V. E. Schwab

It's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. A fantastically different (and slightly dark and twisted) way of viewing superheroes, with characters you end up caring about even when they're not doing the right thing. They're complicated and difficult, operating in the grey areas of morality, and I loved every bit of this book. Schwab even stuck the ending in a way that I didn't expect, but that fitted the tone of the book. The title is apt in more ways than one, and I highly recommend it.

The Fifth Season - N. K. Jemisin

I bounced off the first book of her Inheritance trilogy and never felt the need to go back and finish it, which is why I didn't read this one until it was Hugo nominated. And I really only read it because it was on the ballot and I need to read everything to feel prepared for voting. Which is why I was so shocked when I ended up utterly loving this, so much that I preordered the sequel as soon as I finished. That's how much I loved it. It's as though she took all the ideas I love - epic stories, complicated characters, natural disasters, fascinating world building and history - and crafted a book perfectly designed to push all my buttons. Even the structural elements that I thought wouldn't work for me - a number of chapters are written in second person POV - turned out to be exactly right for the book and I can't imagine those passages working in any other way. As the various threads and ideas came together and light bulbs started going off in my head, I just became more delighted. And then she wrote the most fantastic final few pages and left me wishing for August already so I can find out what happens next.

Highly recommended, if you hadn't already guessed that. Also, it's made my decision on the Hugo vote so difficult because I'll spend the next two months flip-flopping between this and the work I nominated (Uprooted). Yes, it's that good.

Frankly, Seveneves is going to have to do something amazing to steal my vote from these two, and I'm not sure that it can.

I don't think it can either, from what I've heard! Good to know, as the Jemisin is in my tbr pile as well.

>175 ronincats: What I've heard about it doesn't leave me expecting to be thrilled beyond measure with it, which is what it would take to unseat Jemisin and Novik from my top two slots. It sounds more like run-of-the-mill SF, with more emphasis on tech and science than characters, which isn't really my thing. You should probably bump the Jemisin up your TBR pile. It's fantastic.

It's been chosen as my book group read for the 21st, so coming up shortly.

>177 ronincats: Excellent choice for a book group! I might be biased, though :-)

I've just begun reading The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage and I may love it just a bit too much. It's also going to be a terrible for pre-bed reading, because I couldn't put it down!

44. An Incomplete Revenge - Jaqueline Winspear

I love the Maisie Dobbs books, but this entry in the series just didn't do much for me. There were elements that made me uncomfortable, even though I knew that the terminology and thinking were period-appropriate, and the plot didn't quite gel for me. I'll probably still pick up the next in the series, hoping this was just a low point, but it's not one I can see myself going back to or recommending.

I have a few confessions to admit today:

31. A Study in Sable - Mercedes Lackey
32. League of Dragons - Naomi Novik
33. Style - Chelsea M. Cameron
34. Out on Good Behavious - Dahlia Adler

The first two were physical books, preorders that I've been looking forward to, and I really need to get some books off my shelves read. Darn it. The other two are Kindle books, so that's not as bad as it could be. And I needed a bit of fluffy f/f romance in my life after all the awfulness in the news this week.

I'm inclined to believe it's never a bad time for a fluffy f/f romance in life. :)

>181 Ape: That is a very fair point!

>171 archerygirl: & >174 archerygirl: Nope, I still haven't got to Updraft (or The Fifth Season) but they're both on the list!

>178 archerygirl: So pleased you enjoyed Lovelace and Babbage - such a fun read and so much detailed research.

Also, as you are my Marvel comics guru, I'm really enjoying the Captain Marvel comics - love Carol but would also love to read more about Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew). Are there any Marvel comics about her?

#184 Yes yes there are!

>184 souloftherose: Yes, there are! There's even a current on-going book :-D I adore Jessica so much. Spider-Woman Vol 1: Spider-verse might be the best place to start for Jessica's modern adventures. I think the last solo book for her before that was back in the late 2000s. She also pops up a fair bit in Kelly Sue's Avengers: Assemble books.

Uh, I have read some stuff. And forgot to update a whole bunch of them...

45. The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer - Sydney Padua
46. The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan
47. Perfect State - Brandon Sanderson
48. Out on Good Behavior - Dahlia Adler
49. Poison or Protect - Gail Carriger
50. Binti - Nnedi Okorafor
51. Folding Beijing - Hao Jingfan (trans. Ken Liu)
52. Space Raptor Butt Invasion - Chuck Tingle
53. And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead - Brooke Bolander

47 and 50 to 53 were Hugo reading, ranging from novellas to a short story (Tingle). I feel a little bad about including them in my count, but as some of them were a bit of a slog despite the length, I'm including them, damn it. Binti was wonderful and I liked Folding Beijing a lot, too. As for Chuck Tingle...uh, fewer typos than expected?

Out of the rest, obviously I loved the Lovelace and Babbage book. The only problem is that now i need my own copy (it was a library borrow) and I need to read more about both of them. For book research reasons :-)

Poison or Protect was wonderful, light and fun with a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of both characters.

And I cannot recommend Out on Good Behavior enough. It was everything I wanted from an F/F romance - fun, sweet, and hot, all at once. Wonderful protagonists and a plot that never went too far into angst, but wasn't 100% sweetness and light all the time. I couldn't put it down and I'll be watching for more F/F romance from that author.

Current reads:

Rise: The Complete Newsflesh Collection - Mira Grant
Trade Me - Courtney Milan

Yup, zombies and NA romance. I like to demonstrate my eclectic side in my book choices :-)

ETA: I also had two DNFs in that group. Slow Bullets by Alastair Reynolds was...just not my thing. And I ranted about Seveneves here: https://stompydragons.wordpress.com/2016/06/23/weekly-reading-23-june-2016/ Both were Hugo reads, and will be at the bottom of my ballot.

A couple of finished books!

54. Trade Me - Courtney Milan

I've been reading Milan's historical romances for a while. This is her first foray into contemporary romance and, while it's not quite the heights of The Countess Conspiracy, it's still a stand-out piece of fiction. The hero and heroine are both carrying damage that's understandable and believable, and its this damage that keeps them hesitating on the edge of love. No ridiculous miscommunications screwing things up here, which is my biggest pet peeve in romance: through the course of the book, the theme is both characters recognising their issues and learning how to heal from them, but not in a "we only need each other" way. I loved that the hero gets a storyline we don't often see, that Tina Chen's story is rooted in her culture (Courtney Milan is half Chinese, so this is an own voices story), and that their happy ending feels so earned at the end. A solidly recommended romance.

55. Hounded - Kevin Hearne

I liked, but didn't love, this book. It's fun, a good afternoon's entertainment, but it's not a book with a ton of layers and insights. On the other hand, I can see that the series has the potential to do a lot more and I had a lot of fun reading it, so it's not a wasted book. I'll probably pick up the next one soonish.

I also have a very small number of confessions:

37. Timebound - Rysa Walker
38. Imprudence - Gail Carriger
39. Class - Jenny Colgan

Only Imprudence is a new book on my shelf, so it's not bad. And that's incredibly restrained after the deluge of April and June!

Current reads:

Rise: The Complete Newsflesh Collection - Mira Grant
Justice Calling - Annie Bellet

I'm prepping to go on holiday (leaving on a jet plane...tonight!), so there was a tiny bit of a book buying spree for my Kindle:

40. Mr and Mr Smith - HelenKay Dimon
41. Bitten - Kelley Armstrong
42. The Plus One - Natasha West
43. Playing for Keeps - Avery Cockburn
44. The Gravity Between Us - Kristen Zimmer
45. Slightly Tempted - Mary Balogh
46. Ashes of Honour - Seanan McGuire

But I finished some books, so I'm still ahead of my buying! Go me!

56. Justice Calling - Annie Bellet
57. Rise: A Newsflesh Collection - Mira Grant
58. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - JK Rowling
59. Sweetshop of Dreams - Jenny Colgan
60. Class: Welcome to the Little School by the Sea - Jenny Colgan

Out of those, the two Colgans were pure comfort reading and I highly recommend them when you need something absorbing, light, and really comforting. They're the big fluffy sweater and a cup of tea of books.

Justice Calling was entertaining, but not brilliant, while Rise really was brilliant. Although not good bedtime reading if zombies might give you nightmares! I loved The Cursed Child, but I admit to being biased :-)

Current read:

The Tropic of Serpents - Marie Brennan

>185 BBGirl55: & >186 archerygirl: That's good to know - thank you!

>187 archerygirl: I also read a library copy of the Lovelace and Babbage book and was left wanting my own copy.

So, it turns out, I went on holiday and then got so busy that I never came back to report on my reading. Woops?

::waves hello at all the surprised people seeing my thread reawake::

But I have read stuff! Lookie!

61. The Tropic of Serpents - Marie Brennan
62. Bitten - Kelley Armstrong
63. Style - Chelsea M. Cameron
64. League of Dragons - Naomi Novik
65. American Gods - Neil Gaiman
66. Imprudence - Gail Carriger
67. Ghost Talkers - Mary Robinette Kowal
68. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Adventures Volume 1 (audio)
69. Rules - Jenny Colgan
70. True Love - Jude Deveraux
71. A-Force, Vol. 2: Rage Against the Dying of the Light - Kelly Thompson
72. Silk, Volume 1: Sinister - Robbie Thompson
73. Spider-Woman, Volume 2: New Duds - Dennis Hopeless
74. Ashes of Honour - Seanan McGuire

I'm even ahead of my books acquired numbers by enough of a margin to balance out the library books this year! I think that I'm keeping on top of the stacks. Ish.

Maybe.

There were only a couple of books I wasn't wild about in that group (Style and True Love), the rest were great and I'd happily recommend any of them. The ones that stood out, though, were:

League of Dragons by Naomi Novik
It's the final book in the Temeraire series and she ended on a great note. I loved the book, I loved the way she resolved various storylines, I loved the promise the ending held...I don't think I could have asked for a more fitting finale. If you haven't read any of the Temeraire books, this series is terrific. Napoleonic Wars with dragons!

Imprudence by Gail Carriger
It's the second in her Custard Protocol series, and I think it's my favourite so far. This is such a delightful series of books! It's a little sad to see Alexia and Maccon aging, but I liked the way Carriger dealt with that, and it felt like this was the book where the mantle of adventure was passed on completely. Er, I also adore Prim and Tasherit and would happily read chapters and chapters of them, so this probably boosted the book in my eyes.

Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal
Kowal always does her research well, and it shows in the atmosphere and details this book holds. It was a fascinating book that never quite went where I expected, in the best way. Even the resolution to the romance plotline was not at all what I expected, and despite the subject matter, I came away feeling satisfied and hopeful.

Current reads:

The Obelisk Gate - N. K. Jemisin
Uncanny Magazine Issue 11

>191 archerygirl: Welcome back :-)

I started reading the Temeraire series some time ago and paused half way through and never picked it up again. Now it's finished I might do a reread of the first books. I heard the quality dipped a bit in the middle but it sounds like it picked up again at the end?

Hello! nice to see you back!

>192 souloftherose: There is a bit of a messy middle with the Temeraire books, but they picked up in the final couple of books and I really loved the way she ended the series. It felt really satisfying.

>193 BBGirl55: Thank you! I am trying to remember to be less of a hermit :-)

I finished my 75th book! Woo hoo!

And what a great one to do it on:

75. The Obelisk Gate by N K Jemisin

I loved this. Absolutely loved it. I mean, I adored The Fifth Season and was overjoyed when it won a (much-deserved) Hugo. Technically, it's probably the better book, because the interesting structural stuff paid off so incredibly at the end and I hadn't read anything like it before. But somehow this one stole my heart. I suspect part of it is that I know these characters and I've become so invested in the world and their stories. It was great to get to know Nessun, who had previously been just a name to me and not a fully-fleshed person. The contrast of her story with Essun was really nicely done and made me look at certain events and characters quite differently.

One of the things that really stood out for me, again, was the use of point of view. I've always found second person hard to engage with, and one of the reasons The Fifth Season impressed me was that the way Jemisin used second person. She convinced me that, done well, it could add a type of depth that was critical to the way the story worked. I thought I understood why she'd used it in that book, but with this one, she changed my entire view of what was happening and why second person was the right choice for Essun's chapters. And she did it in such a subtle way that there wasn't a sudden epiphany, the way there was in The Fifth Season. It was more of a dawning realisation and then a sudden confirmation. You'll know what I mean when you read it.

Really, if you haven't read this series yet, you should get on this. It's brilliant, definitely one of the best things I've read this year, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Current reads:

Uncanny Magazine #11
Crosstalk - Connie Willis

Congrats on 75!

>196 drneutron: Thank you!

Congratz on 75!

>198 BBGirl55: Thank you! I'm not used to hitting 75 this year in the year :-)

Congratulations on reading 75 books and with such a great read for #75! I'm about to start reading Obelisk Gate again - tried it a few weeks ago but my brain was too busy to cope with the narrative structure. I'm looking forward to it again now that I have a bit more head space. And your comments have excited me more :-)

On an unrelated note I caught up with Class (the new Dr Who spinoff) today and thought it was really good. Does Canada have it yet?

>200 souloftherose: I hope you're in a better mindspace for The Obelisk Gate now. It's absolutely terrific :-)

Canada does have Class! Those Americans south of the border won't get it until April, but for once, Canada has something the USA doesn't :-D I watched the third episode last night and I'm really enjoying it. Such wonderful characters and the way they're exploring grief and acceptance and so many themes is just brilliant.

>195 archerygirl: It is great when 75 gets brought up with a book that really hits the spot. Well done.

Have a wonderful weekend, Kathy.

>202 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! It looks like I'll actually be *not working* over the weekend, so I can go to my local sci-fi con (which I bought a weekend pass for months ago and I planned to be very irritated if I couldn't go), so the weekend should be good :-)

Er, there was a teeny tiny (quite large) accident in the Kindle sales area for me this morning. My acquisitions are starting to look dangerously close to my read total...

65. The Mother Tongue - Bill Bryson
66. Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop - Jenny Colgan
67. Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan
68. The Solider's Scoundrel - Cat Sebastian
69. Oz Reimagines - edited by John Joseph Adams

Three of those are total comfort reading fiction, which probably says a great deal about my state of mind right now. I have this dream of a life after my current project goes live. It's a life where I fall into a pile of books for several days, and only emerge when my eyes are burning in order to catch up on some TV.

It's a really, really alluring dream right now.

Finished something! Woo hoo!

76. Uncanny Magazine #11

There were some interesting stories here, but nothing that really caught my attention the way some of the stories in #10 did. It was the essays that stuck with me this time, particularly the one from Sarah Kuhn about searching for Asian representation in SFF.

I grabbed the sample for an f/f retelling of Robin Hood and I have a feeling I'll need to buy it because just these pages are really rather good.

Current read:

Crosstalk by Connie Willis

I updated my books acquired list and I think the important thing to note is how few of those books are physical books added to my overburdened bookshelf.

Yes, okay, 85 books this year is pretty bad. And November was basically an exercise in total disregard for my plans to not buy crazy numbers of books this year. But it was my birthday (okay, that only accounts for three) and many of those books were Kindle daily deals. Er.

I should probably unsubscribe from the daily deal email, right?

Also, if it looks like I've nose-dived into comfort fiction...that's because I have. Stress got to me. I'm currently trying to read a Serious Business Mystery and it's just not holding me because I'm more in a fluff and nonsense mood.

I have also read some books! So it's not all bad:

79. Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan
80. Perilous Question: The Drama of the Great Reform Bill, 1832 - Antonia Fraser
81. Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit - Jaye Robin Brown
82. The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got that Way - Bill Bryson

I adored the Colgan, and it's responsible for at least part of my nose-dive into comfort and fluff, because I need more now.

The Fraser was fascinating and felt surprisingly relevant, even though it was about voting reform 180 years ago. The Bill didn't, in the end, make a huge number of differences apart from redrawing constituency lines and slightly increasing the vote, but it paved the way for much bigger, more important changes like secret ballots and universal suffrage. I found it fascinating to read how turbulent the time was and how much other events around the world, particularly in France, influenced the process.

The Bryson book was great. Very Ameri-centric in its outlook, so some chapters were a bit frustrating at times, but the chapters on the development of the English language were fascinating. It explained a lot of the oddities I've always wondered about and a lot that I'd never thought about before. Even more usefully, having a better understanding of how English evolved and absorbed other languages actually helped me to understand why learning other languages has always been so difficult for me. I've always struggled with the three thousand different tenses other languages have and the concept of masculine and feminine words, and understanding what English dropped over the years has given me a better appreciation for why I can't match other languages onto the way English works (if that makes any sense).

I don't think I'll get any better at learning languages, but at least I know why I'm bad at it? I picked up a lot of interesting titbits, including an explanation for why American English still uses "gotten" while British English looks on it with disdain! :-)

Georgia Peaches was a terrific book that I wish I'd had when I was a teenager. It's the first time I've found an f/f romance that thinks about faith and religion, too, without getting preachy or resolving the dilemma by having the protagonist abandon her faith. It does rely pretty heavily on the old romance trope of "if they'd just talked, so much would have been resolved!", but I can forgive it when the characters are so vivid and the story kept pulling me along despite having an overused trope!

The Bill Bryson book looks interesting! I also struggle immensely with langues. Although I think a lot of that is just that I am a visual learner. Thanks for the abbreviated review! I hope you're doing well.

>208 Kassilem: It's very interesting! I thoroughly enjoyed it - I'd never really looked at the English language in that way before.

I read books! Many! It's amazing what a week of vacation will do for reading stats :-)

83. Romancing the Inventor - Gail Carriger
84. Hangman Blind - Cassandra Clark
85. Russian History: A Very Short Introduction - Geoffrey Hoskins
86. The Cake Shop in the Garden - Carol Matthews
87. Little Beach Street Bakery - Jenny Colgan
88. The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris - Jenny Colgan
89. Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan

Of those, I think Romancing the Inventor was the stand-out book for me. It brought back one of my favourite characters, Genevieve, and gave her a perfect foil. Best of all, that foil was a rounded character in her own right, and the book explored both of their backgrounds and issues in a way that made the resolution to their story feel earned and perfect.

If it looks like I have done a deep nose-dive into comfort reading by Jenny Colgan...yeah. Apparently my brain really needed that. I can't say Chocolate Shop was one I hugely enjoyed, although I don't regret reading, but the other two were just delightful fluffy joyful things.

My fried brain is slowly recovering, so although I'm still reading some major fluff right now, I've got my eye on some other books to read over Christmas. After I've indulged in every Christmas-themed book I own, obviously.

I really need to start trying to pick out my top five reads of the year...

Wouldn't it be nice if 2017 was a year of peace and goodwill.
A year where people set aside their religious and racial differences.
A year where intolerance is given short shrift.
A year where hatred is replaced by, at the very least, respect.
A year where those in need are not looked upon as a burden but as a blessing.
A year where the commonality of man and woman rises up against those who would seek to subvert and divide.
A year without bombs, or shootings, or beheadings, or rape, or abuse, or spite.

2017.

Festive Greetings and a few wishes from Malaysia!

wishing you a merry Christmas

This is the Christmas tree at the end of the Pacific Beach Pier here in San Diego, a Christmas tradition.

To all my friends here at Library Thing, I want you to know how much I value you and how much I wish you a very happy holiday, whatever one you celebrate, and the very best of New Years!

>211 PaulCranswick:, >212 eclecticdodo:. >213 ronincats:, >214 Kassilem:

Thank you all for the Christmas wishes! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that Santa brought some bookish goodness for you :-)

I had a great time and received some wonderful books. Plus, I read one!

Acquisitions:

Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire
Sparrow Hill Road - Seanan McGuire
Crumb: a baking book - Roby Tandoh
Brilliant Bread - James Morton
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer - Sydney Padua
Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors - Peter Ackroyd
Mildreds: The Vegetarian Cookbook
Zeros and Ones: Digital Women and the New Technoculture - Sadie Plant

Rosemary and Rue is a book I read on Kindle, but now I'm trying to collect the series in paperback. And the Lovelace and Babbage book was something I borrowed from the library and loved so much I needed my own copy :-)

And in read books, I have:

90. Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop - Jenny Colgan

Currently reading:

The Christmas Surprise - Jenny Colgan
Sparrow Hill Road - Seanan McGuire
Henry VIII by Lucy Wooding

I got my 2017 thread set up! Go me! https://www.librarything.com/topic/244661

The 2016 top reads list will hopefully be coming soon (as soon as I've narrowed it down to five) and possibly another finished book, so this thread isn't dead yet :-)

Okay, after much thought (and maybe a little cheating) I present my top five reads of 2016!

In no particular order, they are:

Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen - Lois McMaster Bujold
Karen Memory - Elizabeth Bear
A Gentleman's Position - KJ Charles
Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire
The Obelisk Gate - N K Jemisin

And the cheating? It's the other five reads that are my "almost top five, honourable mention" list :-)

A Seditious Affair - KJ Charles
Out on Good Behavior - Dahlia Adler
Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit - Jaye Robin Brown
Imprudence - Gail Carriger
The Martian - Andy Weir

Looking forward to your continued company in 2017.
Happy New Year, Kathy

>218 PaulCranswick: Happy New Year, Paul!

The final tally for the year was 90 books, which seems like a pretty decent number :-)

Everything should now be moving over to my 2017 thread, so I'll say thanks for following along and I look forward to another year with everyone!