#The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher

[elizmanderson]

annotated hardcover giveaway

it's The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher's first birthday, so I'm celebrating with games and giveaways on social media all week! for my own sanity, the full schedule of events will happen only on Instagram, but this giveaway and select other events are happening across platforms.

if you're interested in reading the silly comments I left on this hardcover - including roasting my own characters, letting you know where I was doing my annotating that day, and occasional insights into the writing of Remarkable Retirement - here's how to enter:

rb this post

follow me

for a bonus, tag a friend in your rb or the replies

this giveaway is open internationally to anywhere that can accept shipments from USPS. while it is taking place across platforms, there will only be one winner because it took me months to annotate a single copy.

the giveaway will run until 9a.m. EST this Friday, 26 April 2024.

in the meantime, you can take a quiz to find out which character from The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher you are: click here to take quiz on UQuiz

[traeumenvonbuechern]

Which books would the Hallowoods characters read?

Happy HFTH season 4 day! I'm so excited for the new episodes, and I want to celebrate by recommending some books I think some of the main characters would love.

Diggory Graves - Unwieldy Creatures

I have a feeling that Diggory might be interested in a nonbinary Frankenstein retelling...

Percy Reed - The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

A transmasc protagonist, ghosts, a t4t love story - Percy would relate to this book so much.

Nikignik - This Is How You Lose the Time War

Even aside from the whole Bigolas Dickolas thing, I think Nikignik would really love this book. It's an epic, complicated, super emotional love story, written in a way that almost feels like poetry - I have a feeling that Nikignik would like that.

Lady Ethel Mallory - Lady Susan

It's short, it's funny, it's a classic, it's from the perspective of the villain and said villain uses the title "lady"? Lady Ethel would love this book.

Riot Maidstone - Gideon the Ninth

It's about a butch lesbian with a sword. That alone would probably convince Riot to read it, but I think she would love the story, too.

Olivier Song - Infinity Alchemist

This book is about an alchemist who is rejected by the magic school he tried so hard to get into, and one of the love interests is genderfluid - Olivier might relate to it a little too much.

Clara Martin - The Grimoire of Grave Fates

It's a murder mystery set at a magic school that moves around the world, and it's told from 18 (!) different perspectives. I think Clara would love reading about all these different types of magic and trying to solve the mystery.

Polly - Good Omens

Polly reminds me so much of Crowley sometimes - to quote this post, they're both "demons sent on a celestial audit of earth and catching more feelings than they signed up for" - so Polly would probably either love or hate Good Omens, no in-between.

Yaretzi - The Salt Grows Heavy

I can't really explain why I think Yaretzi would like this book, but she would. Something about the main character being a murderous mermaid, probably.

Mort - All Systems Red

Mort would definitely want to be friends with Murderbot.

Hector Mendoza and Jonah Duckworth - Silver in the Wood

This is my go-to "Read this if you like Our Flag Means Death" book because the main characters remind me a lot of Stede and Ed, but the book also reminds me so much of Hector and Jonah, especially with the magical sentient forest setting.

Zelda Duckworth - The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher

This book is about a 83-year-old Chosen One who has to save the world armed with nothing but gumption and knitting needles - I think Zelda would enjoy that.

Mx. Morrell - What Moves the Dead

I think a fungal horror book with a nonbinary protagonist would be perfect for Mx. Morrell.

Danielle O'Hara - Pet

Pet is about a trans girl who has to reconsider everything she's been taught and save her friend with the help of a terrifying creature - everyone should read this book, but I think Danielle would especially like it.

Book titles:

Diggory Graves: Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Tsai

Percy Reed: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Nikignik: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Lady Ethel Mallory: Lady Susan by Jane Austen

Riot Maidstone: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Olivier Song: Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

Clara Martin: The Grimoire of Grave Fates, edited by Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen

Polly: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Yaretzi: The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Mort: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Hector Mendoza and Jonah Duckworth: Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Zelda Duckworth: The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson

Mx. Morrell: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Danielle O'Hara: Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

[hauntleep]

Noodle helping his Keeper with their Edna Fisher cosplay from "The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher" by @elizmanderson at WorldCon 2024 in Glasgow.

He was parted from the oversized knitting needles after several poking complaints.

[moonstarsbooksflowers]

Okay, I just finished The Remarkable Rwtirement of Edna Fisher in 2 days. You know those books you read that just scratch the right part of your brain when you read them? I didn't even know I wanted this book until I had it.

The entire premise of the book revolves around the Chosen One not being a teenager but an 83 year old woman. It's got dragons, found family, elves.

[crow-with-too-many-books]

May Month in Review

Here's May! (A week late as always even though I had it saved before oops)

8 books this month! Read quite a bit. (Only 4 fanfic this month: only a third of a book total so none there.)

Finished of the Life As We Knew It series before I had to fly out of state for family matters so I brought other books for that week. I had gotten Deeplight not too long ago and been wanting to read it but kept putting it off for some reason (there wasn't a reason I had the too many books to read paralysis) Finished that in 2 days and realized I was happy I had downloaded extra books on my phone lol. I did enjoy the story of Deeplight a lot and realized it was by the same author of another book I've read: A Face Like Glass (Frances Hardinge - my header is actually a quote from that book) And thinking back, I feel like the writing is a lot different too.

The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher has been on my tbh for a bit and I finally had time to read that. Definitely enjoyed it had some fun moments. (83 year old chosen one)

What Waits In the Water I picked up before Addie LaRue because I had too much time to read (not a socialite so sitting with a book was my alone time lol) and didn’t want to finish the other physical book I had on me then. The book I went over is What Waits In the Woods by the same author (Kieran Scott) which I had read a while back and enjoyed. I had remembered about that and chose it as a quick read before I read the longest book while I was away from one. I enjoyed the twists in the Woods one and thought this one would be good as well. It was.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Read this book a few years back and loved it. Had thought about it again before family matters cropped up and wanted to read it. I read it after the other three though, because I told myself I needed to stop rereading old books and read the new ones on my shelf XD. I still wanted to read it again so I had it as a backup book in case I ran out. Which I did lol.

A Darker Shade of Magic. Same author as Addie LaRue and I enjoyed her writing (and this series was during a B&N splurge like 3 years ago and I NEVER READ THEM. These pretty books have been just sitting on my shelf for that long ;-; so I decided it was time to read. I am quite enjoying the series to be honest, halfway through the last book as of this post and still am enjoying it. (I also read around 140 pages of the 2nd book of the series but decided not to show it here because I wasn't that far in)

So that's May's Review! See you next month!

[atomatowriter]

Merry Christmas to me, three highly anticipated indie fantasy books that all accidentally happen to have red covers. (I've already read the ARC of Bleeding Heart but the other two will be completely fresh reads.)

[canyouhearthelight]

If you are in a server with me on Discord, I'm not sorry.

The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher was released today. And I refuse to shut up about it.

Remember the meme about "Why are Chosen Ones always teenagers? Why not someone more stable, like a grandma?"

@elizmanderson wrote that book. Published that book. And gave us the story we not only wanted but deserve. I was impatient and got an e copy, but the physical hardcover is on the way.

I still need 6 sequels, a series, and a movie. I said this in my review and I say it now.

[the-remarkable-redway-simp]

1000 words of simping over Redway? I am all ears. (Please spend some of those words on his hair? Pretty Please?)

First off: anon, ILY

Secondly: I DM'd the author to find out their preferred method of citation and they said APA so, behold, my masterpiece:

Simping for Redway: an essay of slightly less than 1000 words

E.M. Anderson, the writer of THE REMARKABLE RETIREMENT OF EDNA FISHER alleges that Redway, the villain of said novel, is not meant to be simped for. I dispute that and allege that while it may not have been the author's intention, the text supports that he is simpable. In this essay I will provide cited sources from the text of the book that will prove he is indeed simpable.

(Goes without saying, now, but SPOILERS FOR THE REMARKABLE RETIREMENT OF EDNA FISHER BELOW, PROCEED WITH CAUTION)

First, anon asked for me to go on about his hair, so I will. I’ll dedicate this paragraph to appearance in general, actually, since E.M. also stubbornly insists they didn’t intend for him to be attractive. However, I would contend that anyone who is described as having “reddish hair, shot through with silver… pulled into a short ponytail.” (Anderson, p. 294) is, objectively speaking, at least a little bit attractive. Now, I have to admit I have a liking for red hair, to the point where I spent an inadvisable amount of money on dyeing my hair red between the years of 2015 and 2017, to the point where my nickname those years was, in fact, Red. Because apparently the most defining aspect of my personality was my hair. Now the most defining aspect of my personality might be my simping for Redway, to the point where I’m spending my Sunday night writing an essay about simping for Redway. Maybe I should’ve just dyed my hair again, might’ve been a smarter choice, but anyway, to carry on: while I will admit that having a weakness for red hair prejudices me toward simping for him, which is why I will carry on with further evidence of why Redway is lowkey hot. In the very first scene he’s seen in, he is described as having “blue eyes that were unfairly piercing” (Anderson, p. 37). The author even goes as far as to say “humans weren’t supposed to have such eyes” (Anderson, p. 37). It is therefore my contention that it is entirely understandable that Redway is objectively good-looking.

However, lest I be accused of being shallow, I will move into my real reason for simping: this man is incredibly secretly soft. I would allege that E.M. Anderson is incapable of writing a character who isn’t, on some level, incredibly secretly soft, but since I don’t have time for a rundown of every character in every published and unpublished work they’ve written, I’ll focus on Redway. For example, he raised his favourite dragon, Copernicus, from an egg, and no matter how cranky he gets he has a soft spot for that dragon, even allowing him to lay with “his massive head in Red's lap” (Anderson, p. 143). What’s cuter and more simpable than someone who loves animals? I, for one, am a cat person, and dragons in this book are basically massive cats. Who hasn’t had their cat lay on their lap and refuse to move regardless of what you want, truly.

Now, you may be asking, what else is so cute about this guy besides the dragon thing? Maybe you hate animals and feel like he’d be more simpable if he did too (in which case, are you okay?). Well, he’s also an anxious babygirl who needs snuggles to sleep; after a nightmare, while sharing a bed with another character (Shira, who is honestly worthy of her own essay), he “curled around her athletic form, burying his face in her curls” (Anderson, p. 140). I mean, come on, he’s so sad and anxious! And that’s not even going into the deep spoiler territory of why he’s so anxious, although I will say that ties back into how he loves dragons, and honestly if E.M. didn’t intend for people to simp for him they really shouldn’t have given him such a sad backstory, so that’s on them, really.

He's also useful! How many men do you know who help with chores, but Red can not only carve “rooms and hallways into (the mountain) by magic” (Anderson, p. 40), he also peels potatoes with magic. He might be a villain, but hey, at least he doesn’t do the whole weaponized incompetence thing to make women do all the work for him. 

There is a lot more I could say, but I already spoiler-warning-ed once, and anything more I can say would go into ruining-the-ending territory, which I don’t feel comfortable doing until the book is out for at least a year because that ending really hits you right in the feels if you don’t see it coming. 

To conclude, I allege based on both appearance and pathetic anxiety levels, Redway is objectively simpable and that should be accepted by more people.

Works Cited

Anderson, E.M. (2023). The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher. Hansen House. Kindle Edition.

[usedgingertwinkhole]

The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher Summary:

Where in the chosen one is an 80 year old lady, who’s helped along by her retirement home aid, the teen girl who THOUGHT she was the chosen one, and an elf whose definitely NOT going to switch sides over a cute boy and a sweet old lady. Definitely not.

Guardian Summary:

Zhao Yunlan is Chief of the Special Investigations Department: a secret group of uniquely skilled individuals who investigate strange happenings in modern-day Dragon City. Although laid-back and cheeky to those who don't know him, this tenacious and cunning man fits well into his role of the Guardian. While investigating a mysterious death at a local university, Zhao Yunlan meets Shen Wei, a calm and cold professor who proves as intriguing as the case itself. Something about this reserved man feels strangely familiar. Zhao Yunlan can't help but notice the intensity of the professor's gaze, and wonders why their lives begin to intertwine―as if by fate.

[newpathwrites]

I posted recently about I can’t seem to finish a single book since I read multiple simultaneously to avoid obsessively reading one thing at the expense of real life… not that I’ve ever done that 🫣👀

Well… I just reached the pivotal moment of The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher… So needless to say, I won’t be partaking in normal life activities until I’ve finished this book.

@dindjarin-mandalorian recommended this book like at least 6 months ago - holding off the hyperfixation this long was a feat because it’s been absolutely amazing from chapter 1.

[teenslib]

@elizmanderson Look what arrived at the library today! 😃

[elizmanderson]

free shipping with BookShop.Org this Prime Day

on July 11 & 12, 2023, BookShop.Org will offer free shipping to entice book buyers to buy from them rather than Amazon. BookShop is an independent seller owned by a small group of investors, the American Booksellers Association, and employees, and they donate to and partner with independent bookstores around the U.S. to benefit brick-and-mortar indies.

(you can read their "about" here.)

unfortunately, BookShop only ships within the U.S., although they do have a UK branch. (I'm not sure whether the UK branch is offering free shipping for Prime Day, but if you're UK-based it's worth checking!) but if you're U.S.-based and would like to buy The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher (or any other books) with free shipping and WITHOUT supporting Amazon this Prime Day, you can order through BookShop!

additionally, Edna's fantastical journey canonically begins on July 11 - the same day the free shipping starts. what better time to buy the book than the very day it begins?

orders over $100 will also receive a BookShop branded tote bag, which according to the email I received about this whole thing is their first-ever merch.

(I am not associated with BookShop. although I did sign up as an affiliate and do get a small commission when people buy through my affiliate links, which the buy links in this post are. but they didn't ask me to advertise. I'm just an author whose book starts on July 11, just like the free shipping.)

anyway, this Prime Day please consider buying The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher through not-Amazon. the book is an adult contemporary fantasy about an 83-year-old who leaves the nursing home for fantastical adventure and gets oodles of found family.

hardcover | paperback

[victoriacbooks]

Do you remember that post about a Granny who’s the Chosen One? My friend @elizmanderson wrote that book! It comes out next month, and now you, yes you, can know what your life would be like if you were in the world of THE REMARKABLE RETIREMENT OF EDNA FISHER! Feel free to share your results! 

And if you want to know what Edna’s life is like, consider preordering an ebook, hardcover, or paperback! Preorders and info about in-person and virtual launch events can be found right here! 

If you like audiobooks, consider donating to the Kickstarter to fund an audiobook version of EDNA.

Image ID: an orange graphic featuring the cover of THE REMARKABLE RETIREMENT OF EDNA FISHER by E.M. Anderson. The text reads:

What Would Your Life Be like in the World of THE REMARKABLE RETIREMENT OF EDNA FISHER

SHIRT COLOR

RED PLAYED BINGO

ORANGE ENCHANTED FLYING CARPETS

YELLOW PRACTICED SWORDFIGHTING

GREEN SEARCHED FOR MAGICAL OBJECTS

BLUE BECAME A KNIGHT

PURPLE STUDIED MAGIC

BLACK TAMED DRAGON

WHITE TOURED A SCHOOL OF GALLANTRY

GREY LEARNED TO KNIT

BROWN VISITED A MAGICAL MARKET

MULTI BAKED ENCHANTED COOKIES

WITH

BIRTH MONTH

JANUARY KIERNAN

FEBRUARY THEOBALD

MARCH AMIR

APRIL METHODIUS

MAY REDWAY

JUNE SHIRA

JULY CLEM

AUGUST BENJAMIN

SEPTEMBER JEANINE

OCTOBER MONICA

NOVEMBER EDNA

DECEMBER JADA

BECAUSE

SUN SIGN

ARIES SOMEONE SAID YOU COULDN'T

TAURUS BINGO IS BORING

GEMINI YOU WERE ANGRY

CANCER THERE WAS A DRAGON ATTACK

LEO JEANINE SAID YOU HAD TO

VIRGO YOU DEFINITELY DIDN'T START A FIRE

LIBRA YOU WANTED REVENGE

SCORPIO YOU WERE BORED

SAGITTARIUS SOMEONE TURNED YOUR SWORD INTO A RING

CAPRICORN YOU WERE HIDING FROM JEANINE

AQUARIUS SOMEONE STOLE THE SWORD OF DESTINY

PISCES YOU'RE THE CHEERY ONE

[oca-rinn-a]

y'all i am so psyched about this

[unabletowatchmits]

A lovely story, and a near spit-take at a certain nickname on page 154. There’s more of course, but just going to enjoy the read.

Libraries are awesome too. If they don’t have something in the catalog right away, they may take requests into consideration~

[yourpalzero]

@elizmanderson I just finished reading The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher and I loved every minute of it! I am not great at writing reviews, but the characters touched my heart and it's going to be a permanent part of my library. Thank you so much for bringing this into the world.

All my followers, check out this story!!