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It’s been a while since I made a public post, so: books first…
Robin LaFevers’ Igniting Darkness was pretty much perfect as the final story in a five-book series about assassin nuns in Brittany, France. Fictionalized and magic-fied history with a young princess Anne of Brittany trying her best to keep her country from being consumed! The daughters of the old Celtic god of death trying to find a new faith! Swordfights and true love! So many women! I only wish there had been older women whose narratives were invested with the same sympathy as the young protagonists.
Helene Wecker’s The Golem and the Jinni is one of those sticky kinds of books: a story that stays with you for a long time after reading it. It’s an immigrant narrative with a twist; I enjoyed it, but at the same time my brain wants to take all of the pieces and pull them apart to investigate each little cog, because it was just that interesting.
Skinwalker by Faith Hunter feels like the female-driven equivalent of a Dresden book by Jim Butcher. I don’t remember the vast majority of the story, even though it’s only been a couple of weeks since I finished reading it. But it was enjoyable enough in the moment. The lead, Jane Yellowrock, is a shape-shifter, and a lot revolves around her own forgotten past—and that includes unanswered questions that, presumably, will get answers later in the series. I’m not in a rush to find out more, though. Much like the Dresden books, I didn’t find this one compelling enough to continue for the moment. Maybe as a library book during a slow week…
Alas for this specific founding father, John Adams was given a snoozy story beginning by biographer David McCullough. I didn’t make it very far before abandoning the book.
Another for the didn’t finish pile: Nobody’s Slave by Tim Vicary. It’s either YA or a children’s book, and the immediate sense of impending doom had me feeling too leery to continue. Let me get to know the character before imperiling him! Also, the prose felt a bit stilted.
Streaming media:
So far season two of The Umbrella Academy is enjoyable enough. Not without flaws, but I’m having fun anyway.
I subscribed to Disney+ this month, mostly for Hamilton. Worth the price, although stage plays don’t always translate well to the intimacy and close-ups of the screen. King George III in particular was JUST TOO MUCH for me. Roommate R loved his performance, though, so my feelings are obviously not universal.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s composing chops are real. The whole musical is an amazing accomplishment. I’m less impressed by his singing, but it would be hard to compete with Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr.
(By the way, yes, I've seen a stage production of the musical when it came to a nearby big city.)
Next up is The Mandalorian, I suppose. If I’m going to watch season one before cancelling the Disney+ subscription, I’d better get to it.
Robin LaFevers’ Igniting Darkness was pretty much perfect as the final story in a five-book series about assassin nuns in Brittany, France. Fictionalized and magic-fied history with a young princess Anne of Brittany trying her best to keep her country from being consumed! The daughters of the old Celtic god of death trying to find a new faith! Swordfights and true love! So many women! I only wish there had been older women whose narratives were invested with the same sympathy as the young protagonists.
Helene Wecker’s The Golem and the Jinni is one of those sticky kinds of books: a story that stays with you for a long time after reading it. It’s an immigrant narrative with a twist; I enjoyed it, but at the same time my brain wants to take all of the pieces and pull them apart to investigate each little cog, because it was just that interesting.
Skinwalker by Faith Hunter feels like the female-driven equivalent of a Dresden book by Jim Butcher. I don’t remember the vast majority of the story, even though it’s only been a couple of weeks since I finished reading it. But it was enjoyable enough in the moment. The lead, Jane Yellowrock, is a shape-shifter, and a lot revolves around her own forgotten past—and that includes unanswered questions that, presumably, will get answers later in the series. I’m not in a rush to find out more, though. Much like the Dresden books, I didn’t find this one compelling enough to continue for the moment. Maybe as a library book during a slow week…
Alas for this specific founding father, John Adams was given a snoozy story beginning by biographer David McCullough. I didn’t make it very far before abandoning the book.
Another for the didn’t finish pile: Nobody’s Slave by Tim Vicary. It’s either YA or a children’s book, and the immediate sense of impending doom had me feeling too leery to continue. Let me get to know the character before imperiling him! Also, the prose felt a bit stilted.
Streaming media:
So far season two of The Umbrella Academy is enjoyable enough. Not without flaws, but I’m having fun anyway.
I subscribed to Disney+ this month, mostly for Hamilton. Worth the price, although stage plays don’t always translate well to the intimacy and close-ups of the screen. King George III in particular was JUST TOO MUCH for me. Roommate R loved his performance, though, so my feelings are obviously not universal.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s composing chops are real. The whole musical is an amazing accomplishment. I’m less impressed by his singing, but it would be hard to compete with Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr.
(By the way, yes, I've seen a stage production of the musical when it came to a nearby big city.)
Next up is The Mandalorian, I suppose. If I’m going to watch season one before cancelling the Disney+ subscription, I’d better get to it.
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