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kitewithfishI owe this Wednesday Reading Meme a debt of considerable weight!
Back in January of this year, I bought myself a Reading Journal because I felt like books flowed thru my hands and my memory like water, and I wanted to stem the tide a little bit by writing down what I was reading, and to pick out my next reading choice with a little thought.
It's been a great success, honestly!
I built in redundancies, like using Storygraph to track traditionally published books as I started and finished them, while also making notes in my Reading Journal about what books and fic I had started when and writing out short reviews of books, and using the venerable Reading Meme to stop each week and look at what I had actually read in terms of books and fic. I felt accomplished! Like I could actually remember what I'd enjoyed and find things I had wanted to line up to read in the future.
(I even branched out a little and started to read more broadly as a goal- the Hugos Reading Project got me to read a bunch of things outside of my wheelhouse, and I'm considering doing something similar with the nominated works from the World Fantasy Awards, and I'm keeping an eye out for other awards that would point me in the path of great books I might otherwise not try, like the Nommos nominees)
But, alas, all systems have their flaws!
On vacation, I misplaced my physical Reading Journal, and relied on Storygraph to mark down which books I was reading, and the thing about Storygraph - can't log fic! As I fell off the wagon for finishing the Hugo nominated works before the awards, I also fell out of the useful habit of checking my weekly fic reading to record it in my book. And since I maintain the physical Reading Journal as the Log of Record for my reading (because of the shortcomings with Storygraph in terms of fic), I felt like I had completely stopped reading anything substantial. I had a lot going on, and I was trying to be kind to myself, but honestly, looking back at my Storygraph and seeing only one novel in the month of August was really getting me depressed about my reading.
So when I unearthed my Reading Journal two days ago, and went to update the reviews of completed works, I felt sheepish and a bit hangdog - what on earth had I been doing in the past month, that I didn't have time to read! Like I hadn't done my homework, even tho I was the one who'd assigned it, and no one else was ever going to check!
But I had this journal, with its backup options, and the weekly accountability of seeing other people post what they are reading! It was only by looking over this journal and the Reading Meme tag that I realized, oh, god, I have actually been reading massive stacks of fic! Multiple series over 500k long! A Simple Thing by Iridan, which I honestly thing I read in about 5 days, at 750+K! Good god, what little credit I had been giving myself, for a massive reading streak that simply could not be logged with the traditional publishing books I was using.
So I have to thank this meme and the other people writing their weekly reading to share - it has kept me from disparaging myself and let me realize that I have indeed not been ideal, even when I was tired and a bit overwhelmed by life.
With no further ado and leaving the lily entirely ungilded!
What I've Read
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland - I had pre-ordered this book because I like everything this author writes, and I was not disappointed! Our main character is a prince with an anxiety disorder who has to figure out a plot against his sister's kingdom, while also proving to himself ( and his deliciously upright and decent bodyguard) that he's not actually a villain or a coward. It's very gay, it will make you feel things about the debasement of currency, there's a little bit of magic and there's a lot of focus on fealty as romance. I adored it. And the author wrote a (spoilers! full of spoilers!) coda on AO3 - what spring does with the cherry trees by Ariaste
The Idiot's Array by Ashcroft_Writes (160K) - Star Wars Clone Wars Era - Cad Bane/Obi-Wan Kenobi - After the Rako Hardeen arc, Cad Bane escapes prison and takes Obi-Wan with him in a bid to fight Dooku and prove to Obi-Wan (and perhaps himself) that he's not wrong when he sees the Jedi's dissatisfaction with his life. This has some exceptional poetry in it , and a card game as a recurring motif in their relationship, and fic is really interested in Cad Bane as a character with an interior life and morals that, while really not normal, are still viable. Also, good sex! I enjoyed the hell out of it. I'm going to read the sequel, Homeworld Elegy.
Like a Hinge, Like a Wing by Ultrageekatlarge -(56K) Batman, focused on Tim Drake - "The problem is that Tim’s spent the past month or so slowly getting murdered." This fic loves watching characters deal with trauma with compassion and realism, I'm here for it!
What I'm Reading
What I'll Read Next
Homeworld Elegy by Ashcroft_Writes
Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival by Velma Wallis
I feel like I owe myself a more comprehensive write up about the Hugos, so I might do that once I get a breather on it. I liked most of what I read but my goals were lofty and I am reasonably pleased with what I did accomplish.
Back in January of this year, I bought myself a Reading Journal because I felt like books flowed thru my hands and my memory like water, and I wanted to stem the tide a little bit by writing down what I was reading, and to pick out my next reading choice with a little thought.
It's been a great success, honestly!
I built in redundancies, like using Storygraph to track traditionally published books as I started and finished them, while also making notes in my Reading Journal about what books and fic I had started when and writing out short reviews of books, and using the venerable Reading Meme to stop each week and look at what I had actually read in terms of books and fic. I felt accomplished! Like I could actually remember what I'd enjoyed and find things I had wanted to line up to read in the future.
(I even branched out a little and started to read more broadly as a goal- the Hugos Reading Project got me to read a bunch of things outside of my wheelhouse, and I'm considering doing something similar with the nominated works from the World Fantasy Awards, and I'm keeping an eye out for other awards that would point me in the path of great books I might otherwise not try, like the Nommos nominees)
But, alas, all systems have their flaws!
On vacation, I misplaced my physical Reading Journal, and relied on Storygraph to mark down which books I was reading, and the thing about Storygraph - can't log fic! As I fell off the wagon for finishing the Hugo nominated works before the awards, I also fell out of the useful habit of checking my weekly fic reading to record it in my book. And since I maintain the physical Reading Journal as the Log of Record for my reading (because of the shortcomings with Storygraph in terms of fic), I felt like I had completely stopped reading anything substantial. I had a lot going on, and I was trying to be kind to myself, but honestly, looking back at my Storygraph and seeing only one novel in the month of August was really getting me depressed about my reading.
So when I unearthed my Reading Journal two days ago, and went to update the reviews of completed works, I felt sheepish and a bit hangdog - what on earth had I been doing in the past month, that I didn't have time to read! Like I hadn't done my homework, even tho I was the one who'd assigned it, and no one else was ever going to check!
But I had this journal, with its backup options, and the weekly accountability of seeing other people post what they are reading! It was only by looking over this journal and the Reading Meme tag that I realized, oh, god, I have actually been reading massive stacks of fic! Multiple series over 500k long! A Simple Thing by Iridan, which I honestly thing I read in about 5 days, at 750+K! Good god, what little credit I had been giving myself, for a massive reading streak that simply could not be logged with the traditional publishing books I was using.
So I have to thank this meme and the other people writing their weekly reading to share - it has kept me from disparaging myself and let me realize that I have indeed not been ideal, even when I was tired and a bit overwhelmed by life.
With no further ado and leaving the lily entirely ungilded!
What I've Read
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland - I had pre-ordered this book because I like everything this author writes, and I was not disappointed! Our main character is a prince with an anxiety disorder who has to figure out a plot against his sister's kingdom, while also proving to himself ( and his deliciously upright and decent bodyguard) that he's not actually a villain or a coward. It's very gay, it will make you feel things about the debasement of currency, there's a little bit of magic and there's a lot of focus on fealty as romance. I adored it. And the author wrote a (spoilers! full of spoilers!) coda on AO3 - what spring does with the cherry trees by Ariaste
The Idiot's Array by Ashcroft_Writes (160K) - Star Wars Clone Wars Era - Cad Bane/Obi-Wan Kenobi - After the Rako Hardeen arc, Cad Bane escapes prison and takes Obi-Wan with him in a bid to fight Dooku and prove to Obi-Wan (and perhaps himself) that he's not wrong when he sees the Jedi's dissatisfaction with his life. This has some exceptional poetry in it , and a card game as a recurring motif in their relationship, and fic is really interested in Cad Bane as a character with an interior life and morals that, while really not normal, are still viable. Also, good sex! I enjoyed the hell out of it. I'm going to read the sequel, Homeworld Elegy.
Like a Hinge, Like a Wing by Ultrageekatlarge -(56K) Batman, focused on Tim Drake - "The problem is that Tim’s spent the past month or so slowly getting murdered." This fic loves watching characters deal with trauma with compassion and realism, I'm here for it!
What I'm Reading
Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto Moore - Reading club book!
Untamed Vol 2
Untamed Vol 2
What I'll Read Next
Homeworld Elegy by Ashcroft_Writes
Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival by Velma Wallis
I feel like I owe myself a more comprehensive write up about the Hugos, so I might do that once I get a breather on it. I liked most of what I read but my goals were lofty and I am reasonably pleased with what I did accomplish.
