Kitewithfish

Wednesday Reading Meme - Nov 30 2022

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 22:24:47 GMT

Bit of a milestone: I was trying to record what I've been reading this year and see how many books I actually read without putting much effort into it. I just went in and totted up all the books so far, and we're nearing a nice round number!
(For the purposes of this accounting, fanfic over 50K count as novels.)

What I've Read:
walk by faith/tell no one what you've seen by Killbothtwins
Fandom: Star Wars prequels and novels
My thoughts: The ending on this first part was a bit of a woo-woo magic solution, but it was *very* emotionally satisfying. I really enjoyed the slow building of Obi-Wan's network of people to include almost all of the Jedi who Fall in canon - he's not just fighting the existing dark siders, he's actively seeking ways to support people so they don't fall in the first place.
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31805044

Winter's Crown by Astolat
Fandom: Game of Thrones
Author's Summary: “When the Night’s King rides,” the giant said, each word slow as cold honey pouring, “the King in the North must answer. The King in the North…whose name is Stark.”
My thoughts: This fic is divided between Robb's and Jaime's POV pretty equally and that works really well. It feels like an extension of Astolat's published work, Spinning Silver, in its focus on a darker folklore element and the idea of promises made to inhuman powers and what those will cost you to keep or to break. I loved Robb's determination and slow descent into not being a being not entirely human, and the way Jaime kept pulling him back from that.
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42924834

What I'm Reading:
A soul that's born in cold and Rain knows sunlight by KillBothTwins
Fandom: Star Wars
Author Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi, time traveler, finds trouble once again when he and Qui-Gon are called to Mandalore— but not THAT Mandalore mission. This one involves still pretending to see the future, babies, a slavery ring, and bothering even more people into becoming his friend. As usual, Obi-Wan drags everyone else along for the ride, including some interesting allies.
My thoughts: This is FUN. I really enjoy the way that the ripples of the first fic are helping save the galaxy, including making Jango Fett just a better dad.
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33144037

Carry On by Tamryn Eradani
Fandom: Supernatural
Author Summary: When Sam gets into Stanford, Dean needs a bigger paycheck than Bobby's garage can give him. Luckily, he knows a guy.
My thoughts: This is Supernatural version of Needs Must by thatotherperv, which is a wildly perfect Suits fic. This variation, which was removed from AO3 when the author went pro, is delightful and indulgent in similar ways. I'm savoring.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey - Post-apocalyptic queer women using their position of trust to circumvent the controlling powers of patriarchy and patriotism? A Western that focuses on a baby bookbinder? Adorable. I pulled this out of my metaphorical stack of ebooks that I got for free from Tor because I read this author's discussion of how this book helped her tease out why she kept calling herself "straight" and giving her queer characters tragic endings. https://www.thebooksmugglers.com/2018/06/between-the-coats-a-sensitivity-read-changed-my-life-an-essay-by-sarah-gailey.html

Still Reading - Holdovers from last week:
Westerns: Making the Man in Fiction and Film by Lee Clark Mitchell
Moby Dick by Herman Melville - Whale Weekly

2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson - Book Club - I'm technically not actually finishing this in time for book club and I'm okay with that. I think it's probably better to just bask in it -plot is very much secondary. Honestly, I feel like the summaries and discussions I have read of this book undersell just how much of it is about the messiness of human relationships - there's a great deal of hard scifi awesomeness, but also a great deal about the main two characters and their slow romance.

What I'll Read Next:
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance by Dorothy Johnson - I watched this movie for the Westerns portion of the Great Queer Supernatural Re-Watch, and I was curious. The movie stars John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart, and it is so perfectly apt for their types that I wanted to see if the story had been greatly altered to fit. I find Jimmy Stewart excellent in comedies and tragedies, but his style of acting is pre-Stanislovsky and it seems like it would work better for me in a theatrical setting. It felt a bit odd here. John Wayne is a piece of shit who supported the House Un-American Activitoes Committee and was ardently racist. As an actor, he's usually boring and uninspired, tho I will admit his role in Stagecoach was charming.

Library books in the house:
Maul: Lockdown - Joe Schreiber
Tiger's Daughter - K Arsenault Rivera
Riot Baby - Rochi Onyeuchi
The Silence of the Wilting Skin - Tlotlo Tsamaase
Whispers Underground - Ben Aaronovitch
Penric's Demon - LM Bujold
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife - Med Elison
The Uncle's Story - Witi Ihimaera

Newly purchased: Man, this is just an ongoing backlog

Owned 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, True Colors by Karen Traviss, At The Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard, Tamryn Eradani's Enchanting Encounters Books 2 and 3, Like Real People Do by EL Massey, Rescued by the Married Monster Hunters Ennis Rook Bashe

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Reading Wednesday! and some stuff

Wed, 29 May 2019 19:38:32 GMT

Currently Reading:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, which I sought out after finding some pages posted on Tumblr talking about the linguistics. So far, I'm about 25 pages in and I'm intrigued!

Recently Finished:

Litfic - A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine, which I cannot recommend highly enough! It was a fantastic, well paced story, with a thoughtful and engaging main character, full of court intrigue and the absolute disorientation of being a stranger in a strange land. Mahit has an observant and careful mind, and watching thru her eyes as she both gloried in the culture of the place she's wanted to visit for her entire life, and began to saw all the flaws and compromises of the place firsthand? A bliss. I ended up buying it just to keep a copy for myself - a great book, and the first in a series, I see! Also, her first book, which is just amazing.

Fanfic - Graduate Vulcan for Fun and Profit by lazulisong - Reread - Star Trek Reboot - Gen - This came up in conversation with a friend when we returned to our (delayed for The Magicians obsession) slow traipse thru Star Trek TOS. It's a wonderful, language-y kind of story, that shows a side of reboot!Kirk we don't see in the film. He's smart, hardworking, and absolutely shuns the spotlight for his academic work. There's also a wonderful slow worldbuilding for the surviving passengers and crew of the Kelvin, the ship that Jim's father captained for a eight awful, shining moments in the first reboot film - Jim's got a vast array of aunties and uncles and quasi-parents who all take notice and wish the best for him, and godDAMMIT, he can't get away from them. Gen!

Fanfic - Competition by astolat - Game of Thrones - Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth - Happily, not even slightly canon compliant now! Jaime Lannister can't get himself to actually tell Brienne he likes her. He is absolutely the only one with that problem. I'm just going to leave this bit here: “'The Dothraki have a saying, Lady Brienne,' Missandei said, smiling at her. 'Better a tall wife than a fast horse. And they love fast horses very much.'”

Life stuff:
I talked to my doc about my knee pain, which is anterior to the patella and seems to be a stress injury related to biking a lot in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. I'm going to my first PT visit Friday.

I have been moved, finally, at last, to a office where I can control the lights, so no more headaches for me! I'm already feeling massively better. And I have it to myself until the end of June, when our new hire starts.

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What You Should Be Watching (With Me).

Thu, 12 May 2011 23:50:12 GMT

( Under the Cute: Borgias, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, The Crimson Petal and The White, and Life on Mars )

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