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Entry tags:
resolutions & books
Belated Wednesday reading meme…
(Those of you who are new should know upfront that I'm perpetually behind in everything that does not result in a financial hit, and that's only because I can automate that kind of stuff.)
Before I get started, I did a reading resolution post on the parenting blog where I laid out a few (boring, sorry) goals that I'm going to try to track this year:
Read from my pile of books that I already own
Read from the library
Manage my Hold list so I'm not paying stupid fines when I *do* read from the library.
All of which is related to my overall resolution for the year, which is FOCUS. (Also, as always: be less of a bitch this year than I was last year.)
finished
Burn For Me, Ilona Andrews, which is the first of a slow-burn, paranormal, romantic suspense series. I tore through this in about a day and liked the world-building (magical abilities bred into the general population at about the Victorian era shifted the power structures of the world and led to the rise of magically enhanced Families who now, in the modern day, basically control everything) and the main couple (he's a scary mage, she's a no-nonsense PI who might or might not have some scary magic of her own) enough to go for the next book from the library. (Book #1 of my TBR Read-Down Resolution)
Circe, Madeleine Miller, the second of her re-working of Ancient Greece / mythology. I loved her Song of Achilles and was actually pretty impressed at how satisfying I found her resolution of Achilles/Patroclus, which is where I think this book fell a little short. I'm fine with her take on Odysseus and how he couldn't ever stand down even after he got back home—I found that worked well with his death as set forth in the myths/Homer. Also good with Penelope taking Circe's place on the island. I'm even good with her and Telemachus and her decision to renounce her immortality. I just feel like that whole arc was really, seriously underplayed and super-rushed. We spent a fair chunk of time with Hermes and what's-his-face, the mortal she shifted who fell for the other nymph, and Odysseus himself… but then Telemachus shows up and …. It's like, whoosh, Fated Mates and she's off to live a mortal life. I did (of course) hear Sean Bean's voice in my head the entire time Odysseus and his crew were resident upon the island, but I suppose that was inevitable. (Book #1 of Read From the Library Resolution; no credit toward managing my holds resolution as this one was waaaaaaaay overdue by the time I got to it)
reading now
The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal, which sucked me in like whoa with the opening set up of the meteorite, but then lost me a little with the more mundane details setting up the AU Space Program. I like that the heroine's nemesis has some layers, but he's still a dick. Also, I'm old enough to kinda feel a little PTSD at how thoroughly the casual patriarchal attitudes are ingrained in so many of the characters. (I think that's a plus for her writing, but still, I'm not entirely comfortable at times.) (Book #2 of Read From The Library Resolution, possibly a credit toward Managing the Hold List)
next
I have automatic library downloads for Crazy Rich Asians and the sequel to Burn For Me. Also, my dear friend J sent me her copy of My Sister the Serial Killer, which she (and several other friends) loved. That should probably take care of the rest of January and well into February.
Running totals: 1 TBR, 1 LIB, 0 HOLD
(Those of you who are new should know upfront that I'm perpetually behind in everything that does not result in a financial hit, and that's only because I can automate that kind of stuff.)
Before I get started, I did a reading resolution post on the parenting blog where I laid out a few (boring, sorry) goals that I'm going to try to track this year:
All of which is related to my overall resolution for the year, which is FOCUS. (Also, as always: be less of a bitch this year than I was last year.)
finished
Burn For Me, Ilona Andrews, which is the first of a slow-burn, paranormal, romantic suspense series. I tore through this in about a day and liked the world-building (magical abilities bred into the general population at about the Victorian era shifted the power structures of the world and led to the rise of magically enhanced Families who now, in the modern day, basically control everything) and the main couple (he's a scary mage, she's a no-nonsense PI who might or might not have some scary magic of her own) enough to go for the next book from the library. (Book #1 of my TBR Read-Down Resolution)
Circe, Madeleine Miller, the second of her re-working of Ancient Greece / mythology. I loved her Song of Achilles and was actually pretty impressed at how satisfying I found her resolution of Achilles/Patroclus, which is where I think this book fell a little short. I'm fine with her take on Odysseus and how he couldn't ever stand down even after he got back home—I found that worked well with his death as set forth in the myths/Homer. Also good with Penelope taking Circe's place on the island. I'm even good with her and Telemachus and her decision to renounce her immortality. I just feel like that whole arc was really, seriously underplayed and super-rushed. We spent a fair chunk of time with Hermes and what's-his-face, the mortal she shifted who fell for the other nymph, and Odysseus himself… but then Telemachus shows up and …. It's like, whoosh, Fated Mates and she's off to live a mortal life. I did (of course) hear Sean Bean's voice in my head the entire time Odysseus and his crew were resident upon the island, but I suppose that was inevitable. (Book #1 of Read From the Library Resolution; no credit toward managing my holds resolution as this one was waaaaaaaay overdue by the time I got to it)
reading now
The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal, which sucked me in like whoa with the opening set up of the meteorite, but then lost me a little with the more mundane details setting up the AU Space Program. I like that the heroine's nemesis has some layers, but he's still a dick. Also, I'm old enough to kinda feel a little PTSD at how thoroughly the casual patriarchal attitudes are ingrained in so many of the characters. (I think that's a plus for her writing, but still, I'm not entirely comfortable at times.) (Book #2 of Read From The Library Resolution, possibly a credit toward Managing the Hold List)
next
I have automatic library downloads for Crazy Rich Asians and the sequel to Burn For Me. Also, my dear friend J sent me her copy of My Sister the Serial Killer, which she (and several other friends) loved. That should probably take care of the rest of January and well into February.
Running totals: 1 TBR, 1 LIB, 0 HOLD
no subject
. I like that the heroine's nemesis has some layers, but he's still a dick.
Agreed on both counts here.
I was kind of braced for it feeling harder to get through the patriarchal attitudes in the book, but except for one or two scenes, actually found it not too bad. I mean, it was obviously and consciously present, but I thought MRK made some choices that made the impact easier to stomach, like giving Elma a solid support system in her husband (who actually had a fair bit of power). In all, I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading the sequel.
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no subject
I think the stuff that was getting to me in Calculating Stars was Elma's beating herself down for not keeping a perfect house or forgetting to pay the bills, just the way she (and her otherwise supportive husband) automatically took that as her responsibility. Like, yes, he was super-proud of her accomplishments and he never said it was her job to run the house but they both just assumed it was. It all felt very real and true.
no subject