#the ladies of grace adieu and other stories

[pristina-nomine]

Last witchy read of the month

[prometheus-ghost]

Dammit I want this power! I would only use it for good, I swear!! 😏

[fauna-a]

Things I've read in 2023: The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories by Susanna Clarke (a selection: The Ladies of Grace Adieu, The Duke of Wellington misplaces his horse, Tom Brightwind or How the Fairy Bridge was built at Thoresby, John Uskglass and the Cumbrian charcoal) -> Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Now toasted cheese is a temptation few men can resist, be they charcoal burners or kings. John Uskglass reasoned thus: all of Cumbria belonged to him – therefore this wood belonged to him – therefore this toasted cheese belonged to him.

[juddgeeksout]

Dolmenwood: Bloody Morning in the Jaunty Horn

tl;dr: Tamrin’s Outlaw Friends arrived at the Jaunty Horn and got into a tussle with a trio of shape-shifting fairies who had been in the form of a Breggle Longhorn Knight and a pair of Thieves. On the first night of spring the Jaunty Horn, a well known road-side inn on the Ditchway, was full of human and Breggle shepherds ready to run their herds to market. There was a Longhorn Breggle Knight…

[19burstraat]

I don't really care for a 'soc 3' as a full novel (I consider the duology a very finished narrative, and I'm doubtful it'll ever happen anyway) but I would go fucking crazy for a short story collection, both pre-and-post canon. susanna clarke's the ladies of grace adieu which accompanies jonathan strange and mr norrell, and tamsyn muir's short stories for each of the locked tomb paperbacks are so great, and I'd kill for something like that for soc... I know this is a niche that fanfiction can and does fill, but there's so much stuff that's only alluded to in canon that could make a killer short story. tell me about kaz's heist on the diplomat's wife who loved emeralds. tell me about jesper's time on the novyi zem front with colm. tell me about imogen; what happened to her? what about the other barrel gangs? this could even be a chance for leigh to tell us what kaz's full name actually is lmao

[redgoldsparks]

I've never won National Novel Writing Month, but I am participating for my 7th time (not consecutively) this year. In the past I've always enjoyed receiving the Pep Talks from published authors, which are essentially like letters of encouragement to all of the writers trying to pour out the first draft of a novel in a month. A few of the ones I read, especially in my first year of doing NaNo, really stuck with me so I was very delighted to be asked to contribute one this year. You can read my Pep Talk here on the NaNo site but I will also post the full text below the cut. And to anyone doing NaNo this year-- good luck and keep writing!

instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble

I wanted to be a writer long before I knew I had anything to say. 

I had a childhood immersed in stories. My parents took me to the local library every week, where I checked out stacks of fantasy novels. I would pick up any book with a dragon, elf, sword, castle, wizard, or spaceship on the cover and my heroes were the authors and illustrators of these magical worlds. 

At some point I started to wonder about these writers. Who were they? What were their lives like? I began to pay more attention to author’s notes and was astonished to discover that many authors I loved mentioned each other in their acknowledgements. In The Ladies of Grace Adieu, Susanna Clarke thanked Neil Gaimen, Terri Windling, Ellen Datlow, and Charles Vess. In Stardust, Gaimen thanked Clarke in return, and also Diana Wynne Jones. Ursula K Le Guin and Robin Hobb wrote blurbs for Patrick Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind. In Finder, Emma Bull thanked Terri Windling, Steven Brust, and her husband, Will Shetterly. Tamora Pierce, George RR Martin, Peter S Beagle and Kelly Link all blurbed books by Ellen Kushner, who thanked more people than I have space to name. 

Holy shit, I realized. All of these authors know each other! They’re friends! This was followed by a second thought: If I want to meet them, and especially if I want to be friends with them, maybe I should publish a fantasy novel myself. 

That realization gave me a new goal, but no specific pointers on how to pursue it. I started out as many young authors do: I began writing long fantasy narratives with orphaned protagonists, extremely derivative of the fantasy I’d read as a teen. During multiple successive NaNoWriMos I chipped away at a YA novel about a boy and a dragon. I started drawing a webcomic about a thief who tried to rob a monastery only to be foiled by a witch with the same plan. These stories had characters, settings, and some plot but what they didn’t have was themes. They didn’t ask any questions about what it means to be human, and they didn’t touch on any of the big concerns I was wrestling with in my personal life: gender, sexuality, and identity. 

It took the rather painful experience of a literary agent telling me my fantasy work was unpublishable before I set my early stories aside, stepped back, and changed the direction of my writing towards exploring the big, vulnerable themes I had been shying away from. 

What I discovered is that instead of making writing harder, facing these themes head-on made writing easier. In my earlier work I had frequently hit writing blocks, places in my outlining process where I felt like I was wading through mud. When I didn’t know what I was trying to say on a meta level with my story it was often hard to decide what should happen next at the plot level. I would send my characters from location to location, but I’d be unsure of what they should do there, because I was unclear on how their actions added up to a larger picture. That feeling of being stuck and uncertain over what should come next fell away when I started focusing more clearly on expressing my bigger themes. Suddenly the path forward felt smooth. All it took to follow it was bravery and persistence. 

I also achieved my initial goal in wanting to be a writer. I have now met and befriended many other authors, not the same set that I idolized as a teen, but different writers who are exploring many of the same themes and questions in their work as I do in mine. I have friends, colleagues, co-authors, and writing partners to thank in my acknowledgements– often more than I have space to name. 

During this month, I know many of you are focused solely on pouring out the words. That is very important, but I recommend you take some time to think about the larger themes of your story as well. What message, hope, fear, question, or truth are you trying to communicate to the world through your writing? I promise that clearly articulating your themes will help you tell your story and find the friends and writers who will become your community. 

Good luck, and know that I am writing alongside you, and rooting for you! 

Maia Kobabe, Fall 2023

[rosetintedkaleidoscope]

best books i read in 2023:

- comfort me with apples by catherynne valente. fantasy/horror. this is a creepy, dystopian, fairy tale kind of story. some biblical references. the creepiness builds up slowly through strange little details.

- quest for a maid by frances mary hendry. children's historical fiction / fantasy. 13th century scotland & norway. read as a child, completely forgot, then found in a used bookstore this year. it absolutely lives up to my memories: rich with details, from the foods to the clothes to the activities to all the little things you don't really notice that create a sense of another time & place. the loving attention to detail is a big part of why i like this book so much. also excellent characterization.

- nisa: the life and words of a !kung woman by marjorie shostak. nonfiction. okay, if you're following me you've probably heard of this because of @etirabys, whose posts inspired me to read it, but i had to include it anyway. based on interviews with a hunter-gatherer woman, it tells about her life and worldview. moving and immensely fascinating

- making babies: the science of pregnancy by david bainbridge. nonfiction. also immensely fascinating. my ideal kind of science book: readable yet detailed and in-depth, and full of strange facts. strong contender for the coolest nonfiction book i've ever read

- the ladies of grace adieu and other stories by susanna clarke. fantasy. wonderful eerie fairy stories

- we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson. classic, horror. sinister and evocative. one thing i really like is that the characters are likeable and often happy despite the weirdness and the horror. it's optimistic and tragic at the same time, and gives you things to think about even after you're done reading

- murderbot series by martha wells. science fiction. it has an interesting plot and setting and all that, but the main appeal is the character and charm of the protagonist, a robot who hacks itself to gain freedom. all it wants to do with that freedom is watch tv, but dangerous stuff keeps getting in the way

[uskglass-mirror-house]

The Wood at Midwinter: theories

I am yet again thinking about the new Susanna Clarke book and I have some theories about the plot.

A girl encounters John Uskglass and it's all downhill from there: ok this one is pretty straightforward. The dark figure from the woods is Uskglass and what follows is a fairy tale similar in tone to that of The Ladies of Grace-Adieu. I'm kinda hoping for this one because of course I am!

Arabella Strange and Emma Pole help a girl escape a fairy: I know they were not mentioned anywhere in the small amount of plot available on GoodReads, but both of them are related to winter in jsamn and have had grim experiences with fairies. It would be cool to have them team up with another girl who is about to be kidnapped. Also, magical girl squad yay!

Stephen Black is our king: the dark figure turns out to be newbie king Stephen desperate to find a worthy human ally to help him restore Lost Hope. It would be pretty cool to see Stephen acting more like a fae king and then having to come to terms with his detachment from his fellow humans. It would also be cool to have a comedic story about his struggles as a king as seen by a random girl he convinced to help him.

Fake it 'till you make it: similar to the first one, but a fairy/random magician pretends to be Uskglass and the protagonist has to discover the charade and beat them in a battle of magic and wits. This would be great both in the dark fairy tale vibe and comedic folk tale one (although, real Uskglass is still the best Uskglass).

Surprise Childermass cameo: ok, this one has nothing to do with the whole plot, I think it would be really funny if the only reason this was set in the jsamn universe was like Childermass and Vinculus arguing in a tavern in the background while Segundus takes notes at some point in the story. Even funnier if the protagonist never even speaks to them and just passes by.

The unexpected return of the magicians (which is totally expected): I don't think this needs further explanation. However, I do wanna say that I would not like this one as much as the others because something so crucial to jsamn should not be addressed in a short story. If this is played as a fairy impersonating Strange though...10/10

A wood of its own: the story is linked to jsamn through references only while it does its own thing. I think this is the most probable one given the precedent set by The Ladies and I won't mind it... but please, if it's a fae loves a human story, please let it be queer! I'm just... there are so many normie het romances like that already, they are growing stale.

This is all I have for now. I think I will reblog with more ideas as they come. Meanwhile, if a fic writer comes by and wants to take a crack at one of these, by all means, be my guest (pretty sure some of these were already done, but still)!

[my-deer-friend]

Ohhohohohoho THE GAYS. Okay so Morton meets Rabenmark in the first chapter of the Germany section, at Auerbach's Celler in Leipzig. (If that name sounds familiar, its from Goethe's Faust. Morton was a massive Faust nerd and ripped off a bunch of stuff from it). There's 2 interesting parts of Morton/Motley's description of Rabenmark. (This is the kind of book where the main character is writing it within the story so the descriptions double as Morton's thoughts). The first one is "In precocity of character, in every respect, [Rabenmark] went immeasurably beyond any person I have ever known" This is interesting as well because it shows that even as a teen, people knew Bismarck was special. When describing his appearence, Morton says "I certainly have seldom seen a more unprepossesing [average] person at first sight, though on better acquaintance, after I had become warmly attacked to him, I began to think him rather well-looking" this is interesting when you consider the timeline. Rabenmark was "an intimate friend of a days growth" and in that time period, he went from average to attractive and Morton became warmly attached. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

The next gay moment comes when Morton is at a nobleman's party and notices a familiar partygoer. "It was, indeed, fox Rabenmark, but instead of the savage, uncouth student, I saw an elegantly dressed young nobleman, of peculiarly graceful manner and distinguished address. His hair was curled and arranged in a becoming manner and his graceful and very handsome figure was displayed to the greatest advantage in a rich and well fashioned suit" Also I should mention that handsome is also used as a descriptor for a beautiful lady so HMMMMMMMM.

And lastly, the beauty that is the Adieu Forever scene. Rabenmark is in jail after killing 2 people (LONG STORY) and Morton finds out about this. He rushes to the jail and joins some of Rabenmark's other friends as Rabenmark explains what he did to get him in prison. After the explanation, Morton and his friends go to leave but Rabenmark calls Morton back. Rabenmark then throws his arms around Morton and kisses him, then says "we shall never meet again, except for a moment in the judgment-hall [courtroom] to-morrow" to which Morton says "I shall visit you afterwards, I can obtain permission easily" NOT KNOWING THAT RABENMARK IS PLANNING ON KILLING HIMSELF DURING THE TRIAL. Then Rabenmark says "Well, well-perhaps" BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO BREAK MORTON'S HEART YET, HE LETS HIM LIVE IF FANTASY FOR A BIT LONGER and then says "Adieu! - Morton, adieu for ever!" I am not, and will never be okay about that scene. Its the one good scene that Motley wrote. Its the scene that made me ship them in the first place. Its a thing of beauty.

After reading over this and cackling in delight, I went to poke around in the book a bit and... boy, I think there's some more here to unpack 👀

However, I am in the midst of moving house, so give me a few more days! <3

[uovoc]

2023 Media consumption

God tier: media that invoked blorbo-induced euphoria, mini-obsession, or just haunt me

White Cat Legend (大理寺日志, Dali Court Journal) - donghua, seasons 1 and 2. The new vice minister of the imperial court of criminal justice is, unfortunately, a cat demon. Tang Dynasty workplace comedy/political intrigue. Lovely animation, sick fight scenes, and catboys.

Scissor Seven (刺客伍六七) - donghua, seasons 2-3. Netflix summary: "Seeking to recover his memory, a scissor-wielding, hairdressing, bungling quasi-assassin stumbles into a struggle for power among feuding factions." Season 1 was just ok at best, season 2 was great, season 3 was phenomenal, season 4 was meh.

Derkholm duology by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

God Troubles Me / Hanhua Riji (汉化日记) - donghua. Cringefail loser girl Su Moting, her cringefail smartphone god, and her cringefail cat (demon) have to save the world. But first she has to go to work. And get takeout. And watch dramas. The premise sounds SO cringe but it's well-executed and hilarious. And actually a pretty sharp but good-humored window into the delights and horrors of modern everyday life in china.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt (reread). At the peak of the California gold rush, hitmen Charlie and Eli Sisters are hired for a job that Eli is liking less and less. 1st-person perspective of a stone-cold killer, where it turns out the killer is just Some Guy. Who is kind of awkward. And pathetic. And maybe not very bright.

Gobelins graduation animated shorts: "Chroniques de l'Eau Salée" (2021), "Last Summer" (2022), and "Go Fishboy" (2022). Available to watch on YouTube. Got caught up on 2021 and 2022 and these are the ones that will haunt me.

Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi - manga (reread). Teenage martial artist is cursed to transform into a hot girl whenever he's splashed with cold water. Still some of the funniest and most deranged comedy I've ever read.

"Golden Age" - short story by Naomi Novik set in the Temeraire universe. Hilarious and delightful Feral Temeraire AU.

Just ok: media that I didn't hate, and maybe even enjoyed

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore

Glass Onion (2022) dir. Rian Johnson

Puss in Boots: the Last Wish (2022) dir. Joel Crawford

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Witch's Business by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones (reread) - Charmed Life, The Lives of Christopher Chant, Mixed Magics, The Pinhoe Egg

Firebirds: An Anthology of Original Fantasy and Science Fiction, ed. Sharyn November. Faves: "Beauty" by Sherwood Smith, "Little Dot" by Diana Wynne Jones, and "Remember Me" by Nancy Farmer.

All Systems Red (异星危机) by Martha Wells, Simplified tr. by 黎思敏

All Saints Street (万圣街) - donghua, seasons 1-3

Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

The Game by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

Selected Discworlds: Thief of Time, Unseen Academicals (reread)

The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer (reread)

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer

"Louise", Gobelins 2021 graduation animated short. Pretty good, but not god tier.

The Time of the Ghost by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

Less by Andrew Sean Greer. Most of it was a slog, but the ending was wonderfully tender.

The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke

Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Spinning by Tillie Walden

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (reread)

The Mermaid (美人鱼) - movie (2016)

Exhalation by Ted Chiang. Fave: Exhalation

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

Motorcity - cartoon (rewatch)

Sing 2 - movie

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - movie

White Cat Legend (大理寺日志) manhua through chapter 186

A Monster in Paris - movie (rewatch)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - movie

Lionboy trilogy by Zizou Corder: Lionboy, The Chase, and The Truth (reread)

The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw

Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (封神第一部：朝歌风云) - movie

Our Flag Means Death - season 2

Skellig by David Almond (reread). Even more unsettling and magical than I remembered.

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System (人渣反派自救系统) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Savvy by Ingrid Law (reread)

The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry

Golden Age and Other Stories by Naomi Novik. "Golden Age" alone was amazing. Every thing else: meh.

Wonder by RJ Palacio except that the ending sucked

蓝溪镇 (Lanxi Zhen/Blue Creek Town) - manhua (reread), through chapter 112

Translation State by Ann Leckie

Disliked and often DNF'd

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds

A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley

Phoenix Rising by Karen Hesse

Palimpsest by Catherine Valente

Knives Out (2019) dir. Rian Johnson

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nhi Vgo

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots. Genuinely creative concept, enjoyable characters, and horrifying (affectionate) ending! Writing was just very, very bad.

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore

Stowaway by Karen Hesse

Nirvana in Fire (狼牙榜) - ok objectively it was fine. It was just SO long that I started losing patience at multiple points.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on (2021) dir. Dean Fleischer Camp

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

Suzume - anime movie

Fairies Albums (百妖谱) - donghua

Link Click （时光代理人）- donghua

The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn by Tri Vuong - webcomic

Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo

Journey to the West: Demons Strike Back (西游伏妖篇) - movie

Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Others Writings by Jorge Luis Borges

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

Frozen 2 - movie

Logan - movie

The Three Sisters of Tenmasou - movie

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Nothing new.

Bewilderment by Richard Powers

Nimona (2023) - movie

Prophet by Helen MacDonald and Sin Blache

One Piece - the live action Netflix series

Good Omens season 2

Birdwing by Rafe Martin

Blue Eye Samurai - netflix cartoon

Haven't You Heard I'm Sakamoto - anime

System Collapse by Martha Wells

The Cay by Theodore Taylor (reread)

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Bottoms (2023) - movie

Daily Life of the Immortal King (仙王的日常生活) - donghua

Witch King by Martha Wells. Actually I enjoyed the Kai/Bashasa storyline a lot. The present-day storyline I found extremely boring. Which was unfortunate because it was more than half the book.

The King's Avatar (全职高手) - donghua

The Apothecary Diaries - anime

Assorted nonfiction

The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May. Bored. DNF

Alone in the Wilderness (2004) - dir. Dick Proenneke. Documentary of Proenneke's year spent living alone in the Alaskan wilderness. Neat look at one dude building a cabin, furniture, and all his accompanying household implements by hand.

A River Lost: The Life and Death of the Columbia by Blaine Harden. The human and environmental significance of the Columbia dam system.

Gifted Earth: The Ethnobotany of the Quinault and Neighboring Tribes by Douglas Deur. Guide to key native species and their traditional uses.

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders. Four classic Russian short stories with accompanying technical analysis of their narrative construction. Great look at the process of writing and analyzing stories.

Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin - animal behavioral psychology

Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin - more animal behavioral psychology

Crying in HMart by Michelle Zauner. DNF. Felt like the book could have been 1/4 of its length. Mostly nothing new.

Wood in American Life: 1776-2076 by WG Youngquist and HO Fleischer. Wood use in America. Really makes you realize just how many things are now made out of plastic but used to be wood. And how much more difficult and expensive it was to make and replace objects.

Authentic Diversity: How to change the workplace for good by Michelle Silverthorn. Concise and nicely concrete. Would be a good starting place for an executive.

Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil - how some big data algorithms reinforce preexisting inequality, and how to improve them.

The Relationship Cure by Joan Declaire and John M. Gottman. The classic originator of the "bids for attention" approach. Pretty good, most helpful was the part where it identifies the styles of responses.

Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults by Sara Zeff Geber

A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs

the excellent hyperlocal nature guidebook I bought after encountering the author at the mall

Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence, by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. 2018 ed.

[pristina-nomine]

The curtains in Fanny's parlour were drawn back, but in the grey light of early dawn they had lost all their primrose colour. And everything outside the window - Fanny's vegetable-garden, Robin Tolliday's barn, John Harker's field, God's sky, England's clouds - all could be seen with perfect clarity but all had lost their colour as if all were made of grey water.

- Susanna Clarke, Mrs Mabb in The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories

[mirillel]

People you'd like to know better!

Tagged by @meadowlarkx - thank youuu 🫶🏻💕

1. Three ships: Silvergifting (the gift that keeps on giving), Oromë/Celegorm (it's about the devotion and fall from grace), Celebrían/Elrond/Gil-Galad

2. First ship: well my first ever ship was Buffy/Angel in elementary school haha. First ship of the 3 years and ongoing Tolkien phase was Gigolas and later Russingon when I got into the Silm

3. Last song: The Frost by Mitski - new album let's goooo! I think my fave might be The Deal

4. Last movie: Castle in the Sky comfort watch

5. Currently reading: just finished The Thief of Always by Clive Barker this evening! Gonna start reading Susanna Clarke's The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories tomorrow <3

6. Currently watching: got stuck on my X-Files rewatch rip. Finally started watching The Terror and I have a friend coming over on Sunday to start watching Pushing Daisies :)

7. Last thing you wrote: I don't write fic so it's just what I'm working on for uni rip. If I reinterpret this as fandom stuff I'm working on then I'm reaaalllllly trying to draw stuff for silm smut weeks. Fingers crossed i get that done and actually post ✌🏻 Really been wanting to get back into art but with how long I haven't really done anything it's kind of intimidating

Low pressure tags for @zealouswerewolfcollector @jockbots @armenelols :)

[gaslightgallows]

2024 TBR Pile of Good Intentions

(crossposted to Patreon)

This year’s TBR pile looks very much like last year’s (hence the reused banner image) but last year was also a shitshow so I’m giving myself a do-over. Although looking back, I did actually manage to read two (2) of the books on last year’s list! I even wrote about How to Live Like a Monk for my patrons! The other one was Mexican Gothic… Y’know, I should really write about Mexican Gothic…

Lion’s Paw Reads: (aka books I’m planning to do patron content about)

Orlando, by Virginia Woolf

A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America’s Ghosts, by Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes

The Haunting of Alma Fielding, by Kate Summerscale

The Octagon House: A Home for All, by Orson Squire Fowler

Other Reads (Fiction):

Our Wives Under the Sea, by Julia Armfield

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, by Susana Clarke

Radiance, by Catherynne M. Valente

Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsin Muir

Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke

The City We Became, by N.K. Jemison

Nothing but Blackened Teeth, by Cassandra Khaw

The Story of Silence, Alex Myers

A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers

Viriconium, by M. John Harrison

Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry, Edited by David Ly & Daniel Zomparelli

What Moves the Dead, by T. Kingfisher *I actually finished this last week!

Phantastes: A Faerie Romance, by George MacDonald

Other Reads (Non-Fiction):

City of Sin, by Catherine Arnold

The Mutual Admiration Society, by Mo Moulton

Monster, She Wrote, by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson

The Gilded Edge, by Catherine Prendergast

Dickensland, by Lee Jackson

I might also do posts on some of these other books, provided I get to/through them. If you’re at all interested in my thoughts on this assemblage of horror, fantasy, scifi, and very niche historical non-fiction, I hope you’ll consider subscribing and telling me what else I should be reading!

[magpiefngrl]

May + June Books

Photo Credit (original): Ed Robertson

May + June 2023

I read 17 books in the past two months and filled 8 categories of my Reading Challenge. I managed 6 books from my piles of unread physical books and I completed a few series I'd started ages ago. Overall, I'm plodding along OK as regards my 2023 reading goals.

3 books that stood out were:

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell (sci-fi with romantic subplot)

I didn't love Maxwell's debut novel but this one!! I couldn't put it down! Loved the characters, how different to each other but also complementary they were; their telepathic powers and the worldbuilding; the excellent pacing; the complicated space politics. Keep in mind that it's not heavy on the romance; things between the pairing develop very, very gradually.

Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by MXTX (danmei/ BL)

Are these books perfect? No. Do I care? Also no. 5 stars and 10000 satisfaction points.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke (short stories, historical fantasy)

Really charming and engaging stories set in the world of Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell novel.

What's next?

I'm finally on summer hols and officially unemployed so more time to read. I'll focus on romance novels as I'd like to write one myself. I expect a lot of rereads of my fave KJ Charles and, hopefully, a book or two from my piles of physical unread novels.

What about you? What is everyone reading?

you can follow me on GoodReads

[redheadgleek]

Books read October-December

My goal was to read 120 books this year. I just finished number 129. (Some of these I reviewed as part of my WWW posts).

October:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. I had high expectations for this book, as it had been so praised, and I felt let down by it. Still enjoyable, but needed more octopus. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. Read as part of Banned Books week. The Romance Rx by Kathryn Riya. I wanted more medicine and medicine-related residency drama. Unraveling: What I Learned about Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater by Peggy Orenstein. Just a really lovely memoir about life changing and feeling present in the world. The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall. Such a disappointing book. Deerskin by Robin Mckinley. Reread. Not my favorite book of hers, but it’s still a great retelling.

November:

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel. A retelling of an old Hindu religious myth, a story I was only passingly familiar with. I enjoyed the world building, I had trouble with some of the motivations of the characters. And I think it’s hard to write a retelling of a story that a major religion is based on. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. This is such a wonderful book, with the mystery and characters slowly being revealed. The Halcyon Fairy Book by T. Kingfisher. Just witty retellings of fairy tales with a lot of humor and grim. The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green. I really loved this collection of essays on our world. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Audiobook. A beautiful exploration of our connection with the world and how we can heal that relationship. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abby Waxman. Library find. Cute light book, (although if I had a boss who didn’t pay the rent for 6 months straight and I was threatened with losing my job because of it, I wouldn’t be all “oh she’s just that way”) but one that I probably won’t remember in a year or two. The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher. The atmosphere in this book is almost its own character. I loved the secondary characters, but the middle sagged a lot. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. I struggled so much with the beginning, because the set up was so ridiculous. It picked up after that and ended strongly. I don’t know how she’s going to write a 5 book series though. The Magical Language of Others by E.J. Koh. NPR did a write up on her debut novel, but it wasn’t available at the library. It was a quick read but I found the writing to be confusing in places and lacking in emotional growth. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood. Charming, nerdy, engaging. Just a fun new adult book. Sweet Like Jasmine: Finding Identity in a Culture of Loneliness by Bonnie Gray. This book was not for me. Ugh. The Ladies of Grace Adieu, and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke. Audiobook. Just a lot of fun going back into the world of Jonathan Strange. I really want her to write a prequel with The Raven King. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I loved Rocky and the ending. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. Still on the lookout for the perfect doctor romance. This one was enjoyable and mostly accurate.

December:

Mister Magic by Kiersten White. Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper. Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher. Paladin’s Grace, Paladin’s Strength, Paladin’s Hope by T. Kingfisher. Reread these in anticipation of the release of her latest Saints of Steel’s book. Just excellent world building and romance and humor. Know My Name by Chanel Miller. Book club book. Harrowing memoir, but what I really appreciated was the description of how the justice system is so awful for victims. Paladin’s Faith by T. Kingfisher. I cannot wait for the other 3 books. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez, the sequel to Part of Your World. I liked this one better and it was almost the doctor romance that I’ve been craving. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan. I’d read it if you like dystopian novels, but I’m still grousing about how the villains were single, childless women. A Restless Truth by Freya Marske. Reread. I liked it better than the first time, maybe because I skipped over a lot of the romance (it’s a trope that I just don’t like). Carry on by Rainbow Rowell. Reread, audiobook. The audiobook was a lot of fun and I’ve forgotten a lot of details in the last 5+ years. A Power Unbound by Freya Marske. A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, but the first book was definitely the best of them all. Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree. The prequel to Legends & Lattes, which I adored last year, and I think I liked this one even better.