Reading Wednesday
Jul. 1st, 2020 09:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sabotabbyJust finished: The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss. This is one where I liked the characters, liked the writing style, and generally found the concept fun, but didn't fall in love with the book enough for a strong desire to read the sequels. I found the ending pretty much unsatisfying—yes, it was a sequel hook, but it led to some weird pacing where the characters solve the mystery, kill off the disappointing bad guy in a disappointing way, and then just sit around talking until the sequel hook happens. It just felt very structurally off. But on the plus side, the characters were really fun, especially the feral teenager Diana Hyde and the puma woman Catherine Moreau, and in particular the passages where Catherine attempts to write from Diana's POV. So I liked it, it's fun, but I probably won't go further in the series because my time is limited.
Currently reading: DreadfulWater by Thomas King. Yo, it'sCanada Day All Countries Matter. Seriously, fuck Canada Day; the RCMP has been sighted recently in Wet'sowet'en territory prowling around a shack with assault rifles in case some Indigenous people might illegally be smoking fish in the shack. I'm not even kidding that happened, like, yesterday. What better time to read some Indigenous literature?
Well, okay, Indigenous beach reads, because while I'm not lying on a beach, this is exactly perfect for doing that. I'm familiar with King's nonfiction (The Inconvenient Indian needs to be compulsory reading in every school), but not his fiction, which is...surprisingly fun? He wrote a bunch of murder mysteries about Thumps DreadfulWater, a former cop turned photographer. The first one is about a murder in a brand new luxury condo development on Indigenous land that has attracted protests on the reserve, dividing the chief and her teenaged son as well as the community as a whole.
I'm into it so far, though the past is another country, given that the main character has a darkroom??? in his house??? because the crime scene photos are not digital, and one of the condos costs $250,000 and the really good ones cost $450,000. It was written in 2002, which doesn't seem that long ago. Hah. Anyway, the cat is the best character. I love her.
Currently reading: DreadfulWater by Thomas King. Yo, it's
Well, okay, Indigenous beach reads, because while I'm not lying on a beach, this is exactly perfect for doing that. I'm familiar with King's nonfiction (The Inconvenient Indian needs to be compulsory reading in every school), but not his fiction, which is...surprisingly fun? He wrote a bunch of murder mysteries about Thumps DreadfulWater, a former cop turned photographer. The first one is about a murder in a brand new luxury condo development on Indigenous land that has attracted protests on the reserve, dividing the chief and her teenaged son as well as the community as a whole.
I'm into it so far, though the past is another country, given that the main character has a darkroom??? in his house??? because the crime scene photos are not digital, and one of the condos costs $250,000 and the really good ones cost $450,000. It was written in 2002, which doesn't seem that long ago. Hah. Anyway, the cat is the best character. I love her.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-01 02:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-07-01 02:42 pm (UTC)*
Date: 2020-07-01 03:35 pm (UTC)Re: *
Date: 2020-07-01 04:23 pm (UTC)"Here is a long political rant about something tangentially related."
"Oh yeah I liked the book."
Re: *
Date: 2020-07-04 11:41 pm (UTC)I love your book reviews. :)
Re: *
Date: 2020-07-04 11:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-07-01 06:55 pm (UTC)I am actually ordering an Indigenous SF/F anthology today because I am hoping to teach some of the short fiction in it. What is it called? I will have to look it up. Amazon is being a poop (surprise. I should not order from them.)
no subject
Date: 2020-07-01 11:35 pm (UTC)Yeah, I was into it, but not into it enough? I also wanted to edit it severely.
I am actually ordering an Indigenous SF/F anthology today because I am hoping to teach some of the short fiction in it. What is it called? I will have to look it up. Amazon is being a poop (surprise. I should not order from them.)
Oooh, lemme know what it is and whether it's good!
no subject
Date: 2020-07-02 01:31 pm (UTC)I'm down with that, but first let's fuck July 4th (Independence day) all to hell.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-02 01:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-07-02 02:28 pm (UTC)