10 January 2021 21:42
Oh boy, oh boy
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nonesensedI'm pretty sure I'm not the only one whose brain sounds like a broken TV signal off and on these days. Reality is continuing to be rough in all manner of ways and I hope everyone is as okay as is possible under the circumstances!
I've been close to re-burnout several times in 2020, so I'm doing my best to slow things down. Work is back on tomorrow and I will do my best to not work so darn hard this year, because it helps no one if I end up on long-term sick leave (like 50% of my colleagues are on right now :/). Still hoping to get some stuff done this year, but I'll have to snail-pace it.
Hopefully, I'll get A Werewolf in October done before the year is out. I've managed to get the latest drafts of chapter 1-3 updated on my writing blog, and will do my best to get through the other chapters...sometime *deep sigh*
I got two lovely fics for Yuletide! Will post about them later, once my post-vacation-brain has rebuilt itself into work-brain alertness...
And now, a word on some books I read in 2020~
Amatka by Karin Tidbeck: THIS BOOK IS SO CREEPY AND WEIRD I LOVE IT!!! If you like Weird Fiction, READ THIS BOOK! Also, if you love language! Also also, I'm so happy to have found a Swedish author whose writing I enjoy - I have odd tastes and Sweden is a small country, so the odds are never in my favor.
Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis: What if the Transformer movies weren't directed by Michael Bay, basically. Interesting, though I feel the sequels will be more engaging, as is common with the first part in longer series. This book is all about establishing the world and the main characters + How These Aliens Work. Will be reading the sequel!
A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland: I love Rowland's world building and characters! I feel I did the right thing reading this as the second book in the duology, even if there is no "official order". Poor poor Ylfing ;_; Really looking forward to more books in this universe and books by Rowland in general!
The Codex of Desire by Lauren Alder: Okay. So. Human scientists accidentally mentally transports himself to Dinosaur Time and watches dinosaurs controlled by aliens murder each other, but also, there is a long I Have You Now My Pretty gender-swapped plot. Alien-controlled-patriarch!Dinosaurs VS Songloving-Klingonviolent-matriach!Dinosaurs fighting to the literal death of their civilizations. Super tragic, but also, I kinda want to roleplay in that dino-world, because the world building is *chef's kiss*
The Company of Death by Elisa Hansen: Another book where I feel the "trying to establish the world building"-curse of the first book in a series. Also, it's Very Bleak at times, which isn't "wrong" but usually isn't my thing. Will be checking out book two, because, yanno, Vampires VS Zombies VS The Personification Of Death, I just gotta find out where this goes.
The Corset by Laura Purcell: Love it when a book can pull off the "is it mundane, is it supernatural?" trope! Subtle horror mystery with some gore - if that sounds like your thing, go for it!
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: Wow. N. K. Jemisin has once more blown me away with a book. Once I'd read this book, I went out and bought the other books in the Broken Earth series because I NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS ENDS!
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù: Read a fantranslation of this novel after already having seen the live action adaptation. This was not a wise choice. I knew all the plot twists. I got hung-up on literal translations. I did not take the wise course with this story. Would love for this to have an official release one day.
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: The author's interest in Homestuck is clear in this series, but not in a "rip-off" sense, more in the "picking the Good Tropes" kind of way. The memes in this book give me life ("JAIL FOR MOTHER!") and how it's both very creepy and very funny all in one. It being written in 2nd POV did take me aback a bit at first, but it makes a lot of sense, AND THAT ENDING!!!! I NEED BOOK THREE!
His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale: I happen to be a woman who's always had a hard time getting into m/f erotica because what I enjoy in a m/f sex scene isn't what's "mainstream" (aka, I'm very into femdom or vanilla and in a lot of erotica the m/f ships have a very D/s-dynamic even when it claims to be vanilla because ~heteronormativity~). So imagine my joy when I get to read a femdom fantasy romance story! I got recced this book through this post on tumblr, so if that summary sounds like a good time to you, give it a read! I LONG FOR THE SEQUEL!
Homsestuck: Okay, this isn't a book, it's a webcomic + animation, but IT IS SO LONG AND FINIHSING FELT LIKE SUCH AN ACHIEVEMENT! I read it with my sister, which I think might be the best way to enjoy it, because Homestuck is a rewarding read (so many callbacks and plot-twists!) but it is a challenging read and I never got past half of it before my sister suggested a team-up. That, and also the cool voice acted parts that are available on Youtube. I know I'm beyond late to the Homestuck party, as I usually am to big fandoms, but I'm still happy I read it and had a good time :)
The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin: Finished this trilogy during 2020 and OH MY. My emotions ;_; So good. Love this world. Jemisin is a magician with words and characters <3
The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards: A bit of a sausage fest, but that's the one thing that rubbed me the wrong way with this book - the rest is 100% My Trash and I will be continuing this Super Pretty Fantasy Youth On Adventures With Friends series.
The Machineries of Empire series by Yoon Ha Lee: I took me a long while to get how this world works, because my senior high math didn't go above E-level, but once I got to book nr 2 it was super clear and I was Very Engaged! Also, so many Mothman jokes I need to make forever, sooooo many XD
Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn: Sirens who couldn't care less about gender! Asexual pirate captains! Found family! I WANT THE SEQUEL!
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: As a fan of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, I was looking forward to this book. While I'm not usually bothered by spoilers, this one I went into knowing nothing about the plot (I didn't even read the summary) and I think that was the best way for me to experience this, since it is a mystery story of a sort. A quick read, in a good way :)
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: Got this book recced by a number of podcasts, writers and Best Books lists. If I hadn't had that hype going in to this book, maybe I wouldn't have been so disappointed. It's not a poorly written book, it's just a very traditional Must Fight The Evil fantasy story, with the bonus of having m/m and f/f ships. I would have been overjoyed to read this as a teenager, when I hadn't gorged myself on classic fantasy save-the-world-stories. This said, halfway through the book (which is on page 415) I got really into it the story and binged the rest of it. So, again, not a bad book, but if you're looking to read it I'd recommend going into it with the knowledge that it'll be a pretty standard "the evil is coming!" fantasy story written by someone who knows that sort of story can be improved by more variation when it comes to the people involved in said story.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: Read the Swedish translation of this on recommendation from a friend. Cute! Didn't blow my mind or anything, but it was a nice popcorn-read and a well-needed dose of hopefulness.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone: I loved this story so much <3 I don't agree that the two characters "sound the same" when you read them and I love Blue & Red both <3<3<3 Just, so much love, so much weird letter writing <3<3<3
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers: MY HEART! If you're looking to a book about the ethical issues of space exploration, this is the book for you! Just...;_; <3
The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: It's been a long time since I last read this, but it's still wonderfully creepy and has so many possible interpretations. A lovely quick dose of horror~
I've been close to re-burnout several times in 2020, so I'm doing my best to slow things down. Work is back on tomorrow and I will do my best to not work so darn hard this year, because it helps no one if I end up on long-term sick leave (like 50% of my colleagues are on right now :/). Still hoping to get some stuff done this year, but I'll have to snail-pace it.
Hopefully, I'll get A Werewolf in October done before the year is out. I've managed to get the latest drafts of chapter 1-3 updated on my writing blog, and will do my best to get through the other chapters...sometime *deep sigh*
I got two lovely fics for Yuletide! Will post about them later, once my post-vacation-brain has rebuilt itself into work-brain alertness...
And now, a word on some books I read in 2020~
Amatka by Karin Tidbeck: THIS BOOK IS SO CREEPY AND WEIRD I LOVE IT!!! If you like Weird Fiction, READ THIS BOOK! Also, if you love language! Also also, I'm so happy to have found a Swedish author whose writing I enjoy - I have odd tastes and Sweden is a small country, so the odds are never in my favor.
Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis: What if the Transformer movies weren't directed by Michael Bay, basically. Interesting, though I feel the sequels will be more engaging, as is common with the first part in longer series. This book is all about establishing the world and the main characters + How These Aliens Work. Will be reading the sequel!
A Choir of Lies by Alexandra Rowland: I love Rowland's world building and characters! I feel I did the right thing reading this as the second book in the duology, even if there is no "official order". Poor poor Ylfing ;_; Really looking forward to more books in this universe and books by Rowland in general!
The Codex of Desire by Lauren Alder: Okay. So. Human scientists accidentally mentally transports himself to Dinosaur Time and watches dinosaurs controlled by aliens murder each other, but also, there is a long I Have You Now My Pretty gender-swapped plot. Alien-controlled-patriarch!Dinosaurs VS Songloving-Klingonviolent-matriach!Dinosaurs fighting to the literal death of their civilizations. Super tragic, but also, I kinda want to roleplay in that dino-world, because the world building is *chef's kiss*
The Company of Death by Elisa Hansen: Another book where I feel the "trying to establish the world building"-curse of the first book in a series. Also, it's Very Bleak at times, which isn't "wrong" but usually isn't my thing. Will be checking out book two, because, yanno, Vampires VS Zombies VS The Personification Of Death, I just gotta find out where this goes.
The Corset by Laura Purcell: Love it when a book can pull off the "is it mundane, is it supernatural?" trope! Subtle horror mystery with some gore - if that sounds like your thing, go for it!
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: Wow. N. K. Jemisin has once more blown me away with a book. Once I'd read this book, I went out and bought the other books in the Broken Earth series because I NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS ENDS!
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù: Read a fantranslation of this novel after already having seen the live action adaptation. This was not a wise choice. I knew all the plot twists. I got hung-up on literal translations. I did not take the wise course with this story. Would love for this to have an official release one day.
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: The author's interest in Homestuck is clear in this series, but not in a "rip-off" sense, more in the "picking the Good Tropes" kind of way. The memes in this book give me life ("JAIL FOR MOTHER!") and how it's both very creepy and very funny all in one. It being written in 2nd POV did take me aback a bit at first, but it makes a lot of sense, AND THAT ENDING!!!! I NEED BOOK THREE!
His Secret Illuminations by Scarlett Gale: I happen to be a woman who's always had a hard time getting into m/f erotica because what I enjoy in a m/f sex scene isn't what's "mainstream" (aka, I'm very into femdom or vanilla and in a lot of erotica the m/f ships have a very D/s-dynamic even when it claims to be vanilla because ~heteronormativity~). So imagine my joy when I get to read a femdom fantasy romance story! I got recced this book through this post on tumblr, so if that summary sounds like a good time to you, give it a read! I LONG FOR THE SEQUEL!
Homsestuck: Okay, this isn't a book, it's a webcomic + animation, but IT IS SO LONG AND FINIHSING FELT LIKE SUCH AN ACHIEVEMENT! I read it with my sister, which I think might be the best way to enjoy it, because Homestuck is a rewarding read (so many callbacks and plot-twists!) but it is a challenging read and I never got past half of it before my sister suggested a team-up. That, and also the cool voice acted parts that are available on Youtube. I know I'm beyond late to the Homestuck party, as I usually am to big fandoms, but I'm still happy I read it and had a good time :)
The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin: Finished this trilogy during 2020 and OH MY. My emotions ;_; So good. Love this world. Jemisin is a magician with words and characters <3
The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards: A bit of a sausage fest, but that's the one thing that rubbed me the wrong way with this book - the rest is 100% My Trash and I will be continuing this Super Pretty Fantasy Youth On Adventures With Friends series.
The Machineries of Empire series by Yoon Ha Lee: I took me a long while to get how this world works, because my senior high math didn't go above E-level, but once I got to book nr 2 it was super clear and I was Very Engaged! Also, so many Mothman jokes I need to make forever, sooooo many XD
Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn: Sirens who couldn't care less about gender! Asexual pirate captains! Found family! I WANT THE SEQUEL!
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: As a fan of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, I was looking forward to this book. While I'm not usually bothered by spoilers, this one I went into knowing nothing about the plot (I didn't even read the summary) and I think that was the best way for me to experience this, since it is a mystery story of a sort. A quick read, in a good way :)
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon: Got this book recced by a number of podcasts, writers and Best Books lists. If I hadn't had that hype going in to this book, maybe I wouldn't have been so disappointed. It's not a poorly written book, it's just a very traditional Must Fight The Evil fantasy story, with the bonus of having m/m and f/f ships. I would have been overjoyed to read this as a teenager, when I hadn't gorged myself on classic fantasy save-the-world-stories. This said, halfway through the book (which is on page 415) I got really into it the story and binged the rest of it. So, again, not a bad book, but if you're looking to read it I'd recommend going into it with the knowledge that it'll be a pretty standard "the evil is coming!" fantasy story written by someone who knows that sort of story can be improved by more variation when it comes to the people involved in said story.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: Read the Swedish translation of this on recommendation from a friend. Cute! Didn't blow my mind or anything, but it was a nice popcorn-read and a well-needed dose of hopefulness.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone: I loved this story so much <3 I don't agree that the two characters "sound the same" when you read them and I love Blue & Red both <3<3<3 Just, so much love, so much weird letter writing <3<3<3
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers: MY HEART! If you're looking to a book about the ethical issues of space exploration, this is the book for you! Just...;_; <3
The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: It's been a long time since I last read this, but it's still wonderfully creepy and has so many possible interpretations. A lovely quick dose of horror~
