Reading Wednesday

[sabotabby]

Just finished: A Jade's Trick by Michelle Patricia Browne. This was really good, and concluded with quite a lovely depiction of how change often works and diversity of tactics. Kinder than I would have been, but sometimes you want that kind of thing. It's a great series and you should check it out.

Medicines To Help Us: Traditional Métis Plant Use by Christie Belcourt. This is a short little book that goes over each plant in Belcourt's masterpiece of the same title, its names and associated phrases in Michif, Cree, and Anishinaabowen (where known), and various medicinal uses. It's not a how-to guide (and in fact is extremely clear that you should consult experts about these things!) but it tells you what they can be used for, which is a good starting point, especially if you're writing post-apocalyptic fiction set in so-called Canada. It's also a very pretty book, though honestly they should have done a full-page spread of the painting without any text on it.

Currently reading: Crow Winter by Karen McBride. 3/4 of the way into the book comes a shocking twist: The ostensible villain is actually attending sweats and getting to know the community whose mine he wants to develop. Did I mention that this book is very strangely structured? It's definitely not predictable and at this point that feels like a strength, as its narrative follows life rhythms and not plot structure rhythms.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville. "Applied to any other creature than the Leviathan—to an ant or a flea—such portly terms might justly be deemed unwarrantably grandiloquent." If you're wondering whether Melville intends you to take his viewpoint character seriously or whether he's taking the piss, this sentence should settle the question forever. I keep saying it but he does not get nearly enough credit for being funny.

Anyway, this is a chapter about whale fossils, and Ishmael feels the same way about whale fossils as I do, and probably if you ever took me to a temple made out of a whale skeleton I would convert to whatever religion that was (metal).

Comments

[frandroid]

Is the MPB collection from the library? I couldn't find it and there's one story I was interested in.

[sabotabby]

No, she's self-pub. I can ask her if it's okay to send it your way.

[ioplokon]

You should play the game Sunless Seas. No Reason.

[sabotabby]

I'm on their mailing list. The problem is that it's a game and I don't play games.

[ioplokon]

Well... it is like... maybe 10% playing a game and the rest is just reading w/ a soundtrack. When I'm in Toronto, I can set you up with cheats that basically eliminate the 10% work...

(Or just watch a let's play lol)

[frandroid]

"Eat Your Own Crew"!!

[frandroid]

You're not kidding, it is mostly reading... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lezcp_x4tyo

[greylock]

The ostensible villain is actually attending sweats and getting to know the community whose mine he wants to develop

A mine? Oh no! :P
Usually there's some (corrupt) group willing to take bribes to allow it. Sometimes actual traditional owners, sometimes rival groups... sometimes faux groups.
They always make the right noises.

[sabotabby]

The plot hinges on the complexities of land ownership and historical documents, which I actually think is pretty interesting. But imo it resolves too easily.

[greylock]

I've sat through enough High Court native title hearings here, which I assume have some similarities to there. I can see how you'd not want to get into the legal weeds for a plot, I guess if hangs together.