kitewithfish

What I've Read

Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir by Jeremy Barlow - A comic book that covers some plot that didn't make it into the end of the Clone Wars cartoon. I'm glad to have read this stuff, I think it would have been nice to see in the Solo movies that got killed by virtue of not being very good, I found the comic books heavy on plot and low on character moments.

Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell - A queer sci-fi romance between a very messy and charismatic aristocrat and a deeply intelligent solider with actual morals (something this military system tries to discourage). They fight crime! Aka, stop a military coup, discover the propaganda behind their understanding of a past war, work for the good of some second-class citizens, and also fall in love a bit. I really enjoyed this - it's got a lot of plot and lots of chances to see both main characters reveal their core character traits in high tension situations. Many many chances for the main couple to be wildly into how competent their partner is. (I personally read one of the main couple as potentially autistic, but it's not explicit on the page bc scifi.) I kind of adore how they play with the soulbond/psychic link element, dealing with all the ways it could be awful while allowing the characters to avoid it and form a connection on their own terms. I think this would actually be a great book for someone who does not like pyschic bonds at all in their fiction, weirdly enough! Maxwell does great books for couples who are stuck together through circumstances and come out triumphant on the other side with a deep appreciation for their partner's qualities as a person.

What I'm Reading

2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson - "Hard" sci-fi in the sense that we're paying a lot of attention to quantum computers and their potential for murder! Book club book that I think is actually interesting - I think now that I find the exploration of what sex and gender might be like in the future to be a bit cis-centric. (A large number of space-based people have longevity treatments that involve sex organ modification such that many, many of the characters can both inseminate someone else and become pregnant -the author does not seem to be interested in what that would mean for gender in space or on Earth?) I suspect there is a romance in here building but it's hard to pin down. Definitely one of those books where some readers will bounce off the main character "making stupid/bad choices."

To Seek and Find- Tamryn Eradani - This used to be Destiel fanfic and I cannot tell you how well it reads as a non-fandom book, because I'm definitely reading it as a fandom book. Kinky and cozy! Might technically be a novella and I will probably opt to purchase the next few books in the series.

What I'll Read Next

Library books in the house:

Maul: Lockdown - Joe Schreiber

The Whale Rider -Witi Ihimaera

Tiger's Daughter - K Arsenault Rivera

Riot Baby - Rochi Onyeuchi

The Silence of the Wilting Skin - Tlotlo Tsamaase

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

Ebook: The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

Recently purchased and need to read: NK Jemisin's The World We Make, Frey Marske's A Restless Truth, California Bones, the Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison, Raven Song by IA Ashcroft, Kraken's Sacrifice by Katee Robert, Even Though I Know the End by CL Polk

Own but reminding myself - Penric's Demon! Get on that! Fansplaining podcast just described it as Venom-the-movie but in the middle ages, good god, ride that like you stole it.