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Finished reading:
The house in the cerulean sea by TJ Klune This was such a whiplashy read. The humour was sharp, but it was interspersed with really clunky sentences. There were sections that I inhaled, and covered the opposite page so I wasn't spoiled, and then there were parts where I stalled out so hard I stopped reading mid-scene. Once I realised there wasn't going to be a romance subplot, I was able to appreciate it a bit better for what it was, but there was still places where it could have sung better than it did. The fat positivity wavered a little, and didn't go anywhere near as hard as I wanted, but I think it mostly held. Actually, now that I'm thinking about that part, we're only told in retrospect that Linus enjoys his body now, and dammit, I wanted that to be far more forefront and shown than it was. I wanted more intimacy and warmth and actually settling into the relationship that we get so told about in the last 10 or so pages. Argh.
ETA: I realise now what I wanted was an oh moment (that moment when one character looks over at another character and realises in their bones that they loved this enemy/friend/other character). Which…possibly wouldn't have fit in with the narrative the author was constructing, where we're supposed to in theory wonder if he wants to go back right until he does. (In practice, of course we know). But, still. I missed my oh.
I'm glad I bought it, and I'm going to keep it in part for the analyzing of my own writing, and figuring out where things falter and why. This was SO CLOSE to being a wonderful, perfect novel For Me, and now that urge to write the book that will in fact be the Perfect Novel For Me is starting to itch…
Currently reading:
Defying Doomsday, anthology of apocalypse short stories featuring disabled protagonists. I like the idea of short stories very much, and I'm always super impressed by people who can deftly pull them off. I don’t tend to seek out anthologies though, so I'm grateful for the Rebuilding Tomorrow kickstarter for making it so each for me to both get that ebook, and for waving the ebook of Defying Doomsday at me so temptingly.
The first story I read was indeed pleasing in its deftness, and I'm part of the way into the second story (not quite as deft, but still good), and oh god actually I cannot deal with apocalypses right now. My reading persnicketies means I won't read Rebuilding (which has several sequels of Defying's stories) until I've read the first, so I'm going to leave both on my ebook shelf until later. Maybe vaccine-later, should we make it to such heady times.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I've picked it back up now that I've finished Cerulean. Still very charmed. Have ordered my own copy so I can have it as bedtime reading.
Mooncakes by Wendy Lu and
FINALLY arrived on order at my LBS. Only a few pages in and loving the art style.
Up next:
Nnggh, so many things. Mostly for my own reference, but in case anyone else is on the hunt:
The invisible life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab Deeply into the promise of that premise, and goodreads says it is at least partly queer, so I'm in. Probably going to read the excerpt, and then go the buy route if I like it.
Anxious people by Fredrik Backman Freaking SOLD by that blurb, and really liked the My Grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry I'd read of the author previously. On reserve at the library.
Written in the stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. Tale of modern queer women, inspired by Pride and Prejudice, right down to one of the women being called Darcy <3 <3 I'm real wary of the astrology angle, honestly—I like astrology as a frivolous thing, but this bit where some people seem to be taking it seriously enough to sincerely pigeonhole people on entirely arbitrary grounds makes me extremely uneasy. I'm going to give…
Frostbite by her a go first if I can find a non-Amazon copy (m/m retelling of Beauty and the Beast novella) and see how I feel about her style.
The house in the cerulean sea by TJ Klune This was such a whiplashy read. The humour was sharp, but it was interspersed with really clunky sentences. There were sections that I inhaled, and covered the opposite page so I wasn't spoiled, and then there were parts where I stalled out so hard I stopped reading mid-scene. Once I realised there wasn't going to be a romance subplot, I was able to appreciate it a bit better for what it was, but there was still places where it could have sung better than it did. The fat positivity wavered a little, and didn't go anywhere near as hard as I wanted, but I think it mostly held. Actually, now that I'm thinking about that part, we're only told in retrospect that Linus enjoys his body now, and dammit, I wanted that to be far more forefront and shown than it was. I wanted more intimacy and warmth and actually settling into the relationship that we get so told about in the last 10 or so pages. Argh.
ETA: I realise now what I wanted was an oh moment (that moment when one character looks over at another character and realises in their bones that they loved this enemy/friend/other character). Which…possibly wouldn't have fit in with the narrative the author was constructing, where we're supposed to in theory wonder if he wants to go back right until he does. (In practice, of course we know). But, still. I missed my oh.
I'm glad I bought it, and I'm going to keep it in part for the analyzing of my own writing, and figuring out where things falter and why. This was SO CLOSE to being a wonderful, perfect novel For Me, and now that urge to write the book that will in fact be the Perfect Novel For Me is starting to itch…
Currently reading:
Defying Doomsday, anthology of apocalypse short stories featuring disabled protagonists. I like the idea of short stories very much, and I'm always super impressed by people who can deftly pull them off. I don’t tend to seek out anthologies though, so I'm grateful for the Rebuilding Tomorrow kickstarter for making it so each for me to both get that ebook, and for waving the ebook of Defying Doomsday at me so temptingly.
The first story I read was indeed pleasing in its deftness, and I'm part of the way into the second story (not quite as deft, but still good), and oh god actually I cannot deal with apocalypses right now. My reading persnicketies means I won't read Rebuilding (which has several sequels of Defying's stories) until I've read the first, so I'm going to leave both on my ebook shelf until later. Maybe vaccine-later, should we make it to such heady times.
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I've picked it back up now that I've finished Cerulean. Still very charmed. Have ordered my own copy so I can have it as bedtime reading.
Mooncakes by Wendy Lu and
FINALLY arrived on order at my LBS. Only a few pages in and loving the art style.
Up next:
Nnggh, so many things. Mostly for my own reference, but in case anyone else is on the hunt:
The invisible life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab Deeply into the promise of that premise, and goodreads says it is at least partly queer, so I'm in. Probably going to read the excerpt, and then go the buy route if I like it.
Anxious people by Fredrik Backman Freaking SOLD by that blurb, and really liked the My Grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry I'd read of the author previously. On reserve at the library.
Written in the stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. Tale of modern queer women, inspired by Pride and Prejudice, right down to one of the women being called Darcy <3 <3 I'm real wary of the astrology angle, honestly—I like astrology as a frivolous thing, but this bit where some people seem to be taking it seriously enough to sincerely pigeonhole people on entirely arbitrary grounds makes me extremely uneasy. I'm going to give…
Frostbite by her a go first if I can find a non-Amazon copy (m/m retelling of Beauty and the Beast novella) and see how I feel about her style.