I usually try to get a re-watch of 1776 in on July 4th weekend as a reminder that, yes, this country has always been a mess and we've found stuff worth saving from that trashfire each and every time. Didn't happen this weekend bc I had folks over - actually a lot of folks! We actually celebrated the holiday (unusual for us!) as an excuse to throw a party for personal reasons: The dear spouse got citizenship this last year!  In what felt like more of whimper than a bang since the immigration offices are still doing small-scale citizenship oaths on the day of the exam rather than, as was traditional, having hundred of people congregate at a local historical site with all their family and friends. Spouse just went in, did the exam, passed, hung out for a couple of hours, and got sworn in as a citizen! (Missing the opportunity to change their name easily, which is apparently a one-time freebie you get with your naturalization.)


What I’ve Read

This is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar – Just excellent. It’s like a poem with a plot, and the plot is about how the act of loving someone and choosing them changes the world and changes you. If you liked Good Omens, you will probably like this. Does not pull its punches.

Arcana by blackkat - Ongoing Star Wars fic just hit the 50K mark so I am logging it as Read, even tho it is ongoing. I'm not putting it in my reading journal yet bc it's ongoing but I wanted some record of this fic because it's gorgeous and I'm adoring the war kat's writing is developing Granta Omega and his weird force null powers to work with overthrowing Palpatine.  Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47838349

What I’m Reading:
The last unicorn by Peter S. Beagle -51% - Continues devastating.
A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter – Alice Coldbreath – 64% - Working class Victorians? Communication issues solved by communicating? Rather hot (het) sex? So far so good!
City of Stairs – 4% Xing Book Club – I had previously not finished this book, despite the excellent plot and good characters, because I was annoyed at it for petty reasons, but starting it up again, I think I will enjoy it this time around!
Dracula – Keeping up with Dracula Daily and sometimes via the Podcast, so this is hard to pin down where I am, but it’s very fun.
The Count of Monte Cristo – 46% - Static
Kristeva Powers of Horror – 24% This book makes no sense but we soldier on.
The King in Yellow 25% -static


What I’ll Read Next

Library Books
The way home : Peter Beagle.
Fun home : a family tragicomic Alison Bechdel.
Beasts of burden : occupied territory Evan Dorkin
Neighborhood watch Evan Dorkin
The spear cuts through water Simon Jimenez.
Horror: a very short introduction Darryl Jones.
The artist's reality : philosophies of art Mark Rothko
Helpmeet Naben Ruthnum.
Into the riverlands Nghi Vo.
Unnatural magic C.M. Waggoner.

Libby Books
Neon Gods
The Bromance Book Club

Owned and need to read: California Bones, Raven Song by IA Ashcroft, Kraken's Sacrifice by Katee Robert, Even Though I Know the End by CL Polk, 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, Tom Stoppard, Invention of love, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty, "You Just Need to Lose Weight" and Other Myths about Fatness by Aubrey Gordon, Alisha Rai Partners in Crime, the Right Swipe