Weekend Reading Roundup (12 June 2017)

[nanila]

How did your weekend reading go? If you planned on anything specifically, did you read it?

Comments

[nanila]

I got about a quarter of the way into The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet after my post-work-conference sleepathon. Am enjoying it very much.

[nou]

I love that book so much! (As previously documented, I don’t get on with the sequel, but I have hopes for future ones in the series.) I really need to get around to inventing a recipe for the smoky buns.

[nanila]

The smoky buns made me homesick and left me with a craving for manapua.

[nou]

Manapua — yes! I wonder if, for the filling, something as simple as roasted mushrooms with smoked salt would work.

[alexseanchai]

Excerpts from In Praise of Olympus and Devotion by Hearthstone, Laureate and Glories by Mari Shahrizai, Hymns from the Temple by Lykeia, Seasons of Grace from Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and The Homeric Hymns tr. Apostolos Athanassakis.

[nanila]

Wow, go you! I hope at least some of it was interesting and useful.

[alexseanchai]

Very much so :)

[berryandthorn]

About halfway through a book of ghost stories, plus a couple (really good!) fanfics.

[nanila]

Excellent, that sounds like good fun!

[nou]

Since last report, I have read:

• Count Zero by William Gibson. Like when I re-read Neuromancer a few months ago, I was curious to see how well this would have aged. Again, the answer is: pretty well!
• The Proper Place and The Day of Small Things by O Douglas (Anna Masterton Buchan). If it wasn’t for the occasional random racism, classism, and sexism, these would have been really good relaxing reads.
• Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. Really good. I was going to take my time over this, but couldn’t put it down.
• An Accident of Stars and A Tyranny of Queens by Foz Meadows. A “more realistic” take on the real-world implications of portal fantasy. The first was a re-read in preparation for the second (its sequel). Pretty good all the way through, though I did find in the second one I sometimes had to backtrack a bit because I’d misinterpreted which character was the current viewpoint character (it switches around a lot).
• Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire. Another interesting take on the portal fantasy theme. The next one in the series is out this month and I may well get it.
• Summer in Orcus by T Kingfisher. Yet another portal fantasy. I swear this wasn’t on purpose — I just remembered that I like this author and went to see if they had anything out that I’d not already read. I still like this author.
• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I’d never read this before, and felt it was time to remedy this.

[nanila]

Huh, it hadn't occurred to me to re-read Count Zero. I re-read Neuromancer last year and was pleasantly surprised to find I still loved it.

Well done on all the other reading, and thank you for the reviews.

[fairytalewitch]

I read The Baba Yaga's Assistant, a graphic novel by Marika McCool and fell totally, wildly, unabashedly in love.

[berryandthorn]

Oh, I really liked that one! Super cute, and the artwork is beautiful.

[nanila]

Oh, wonderful! And thank you for the enthusiastic recommendation.

[singloom]

I'm currently going through a phase of re-reading childhood favourites of mine, so I just finished Warriors: Rising Storm about clans of cats protecting their territory and all in the in-clan rivalry and fighting that goes with it. This is the third book in the series.

[nanila]

I love the sound of this series. I'm glad it's stood the test of time for you!

[singloom]

Thanks. I grew up reading and watching lots of material about animals surviving against humans and often themselves, like The Animals of Farthing Wood, Watership Down and the sort. They're all good books to go back to and enjoy.

[nou]

What do you think of the Duncton Wood books?

[singloom]

Actually, I've never read those ones, but I just did a bit of reading about it and it sounds very interesting. Might see if the local libraries have them. Thanks. :)

[nou]

I look forward to hearing what you think :)