Mt TBR Report: April 2020
May. 6th, 2020 10:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calissaMost of this month's reading was geared towards completing the Ordinary Wizarding Levels as part of the Magical Readathon. It proved excellent motivation.
I'd hoped this might be the month I get back below 400 books, but picked up a few too many new acquisitions to succeed. Perhaps next month.
Mt TBR @ 1 January 2020: 427
Mt TBR @ 31 March 2020: 412
Mt TBR @ 30 April 2020: 408
49. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Science fantasy novella. Two opposing agents in a time war find they have more in common with each other than with their own side. A lovely story, but very much style over substance.
50. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. Fantasy. First book in the Discworld Series. Reread.
51. The Tallow-Wife by Angela Slatter. Ostensibly a fantasy novelette, but has very few fantasy elements. I think this probably would have held more resonance for me if I'd read any of the related stories. Still, wonderfully atmospheric and leans towards the Gothic.
52. Any Old Diamonds by KJ Charles. Historical m/m romance. The youngest son of a duke hires a pair of jewel thieves to rob his father in vengeance for his sister's death and finds his heart stolen along the way. KJ Charles shows once again why she's a favourite of mine. There are some great twists in the story and the relationship between the characters is anchored with some touching moments of vulnerability.
53. The Lascar's Dagger by Glenda Larke. Epic fantasy. A young priest and spy is sent to court to serve as the spiritual advisor to the prince and princess--a precarious role that places him in the middle of a variety of machinations from all quarters. The worldbuilding is intriguing, based in part off the colonial trade in spices from southeast Asia in the 1700s with some added nature religion. However, the main character isn't the brightest of sparks and on the whole I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.
54. A Right Honorable Gentleman by Courtney Milan. Historical f/m romance, short story. A lord and the governess of his son are entirely too upright to act on their attraction to each other. However, things change when Edward's son leaves for school and Cat must find a new employer. Short, sweet and perfect.
55. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Contemporary romance. A rich young woman with Asperger's hires a male escort to teach her about sex and dating. Rather more steamy than I was anticipating, but I'm definitely fine with that. The elements relating to Asperger's seemed well-handled (though I'm far from an expert and not the best person to judge). The characters were utterly adorable. I'll definitely be hunting down the rest in this series.
56. Understory by Inga Simpson. Nonfiction, nature writing, memoir. Two writers move to the country and start a writers retreat. Deeply personal and poignant. I enjoyed the way the narrative of the author's life was woven in with her observations of the trees and wildlife, interspersed with snippets of Tolkein geekery. I especially appreciated the portrayal of a landscape not quite my own, but so much closer than I usually get. This was reinforced by listening to this on audio, in the author's own Australian twang. It taught me a few bits and pieces and spoke to me of grief, especially towards the end. I found it slow going, but worth it.
57. Heart-Beast by Tanith Lee. Fantasy horror. On acquiring a diamond in a foreign land, a young man finds himself undergoing a violent change under the full moon. This turned out not to be my cup of tea and suffered a bit from orientalism, but did an amazing job of leaning into its Gothic vibe and symbolism.
58. Burning Skies by Becca Lusher. Fourth book in the Dragonlands series. The Rift Riders delegation take Khennik home to heal, but while there one of the Riders is murdered. It does have a bit of a feel of a murder mystery to it and also illustrates how dire things are becoming for the dragons.
59. Moontangled by Stephanie Burgis. Alternate history, f/f romance, novella. #2.5 in the Harwood Spellbook series. Juliana is the rising star of the newly established Thornfell College of Magic and intended to take centre stage at the outdoor ball the college is hosting. In doing so, she hopes to show her secret (and increasingly distant) fiancee just what she's missing. The entire Harwood Spellbook series has been utterly charming and I enjoyed seeing Juliana and Caroline finally get their turn in the spotlight. Beware meddling fae!
60. The Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, translated by Andrew Bromfield. Second in The Watch series. After being injured in a clash with the Night Watch, witch and Dark One Alisa is sent away to recuperate. Much like the first book in the series, this comprises of three related stories. It focuses a bit more on the Day Watch this time, but increasingly incorporates characters from the previous book. The author obviously has a soft spot for his original protagonist. Lots of weighty conversations on ethics. The women in this series don't fare well.
61. The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson. Science fiction novella. A demigod healer travelling as a mercenary protecting a caravan must reckon with a monster from his homeland. This had a very unique voice, which took a little getting used to, but was well worth it. The worldbuilding was also fascinating, leaning heavily on the principle of sufficiently advanced science seeming like magic to the uninitiated. The relationship between the healer and the captain of the guard was moving. I had a few small quibbles about the ending, but found it well worth the read. I think I'll track down the companion novella.
62. Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire. Contemporary fantasy. Ninth book in the InCryptid series. Sarah might look human, but she's not. She's one of a parasitic race not from this dimension. After losing her parents, she's adopted into the one (mostly) human family who can truly understand her. But she finds herself caught in the middle when her family of origin starts coming after her adopted family. Sarah and Artie's relationship has been foreshadowed throughout the previous books in the series, so I was delighted to see them finally get some time in the spotlight. The Aeslin mice also made me tear up. However, I found the conclusion of the story very reminiscent of that of the previous book -- especially the flaws. And what a cliffhanger to end on!
63. Changeling's Time by Lynn O'Connacht. Fantasy short story. Reread.
64. Invisible Women: exposing data bias in a world designed for men by Caroline Criado Perez. Nonfiction. Takes an accessible look at the gender bias in design and data collection, and the ways this ripples outward to affect every part of society. Well worth reading.
DNF
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. I finally accepted that I'm just never going to get around to reading this (and I don't really want to read about awful people right now, anyway).
Heartless by Marissa Meyer. YA fantasy, fairytale retelling. Honestly, I have no idea why I picked up this book in the first place, given I'm not very fond of Alice in Wonderland.
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett.
Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire
Poison and Light by Gillian Polack
Burn for Me Ilona Andrews
White Hot Ilona Andrews
The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper by A.J. Fitzwater
Hunted by Meagan Spooner
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
Broken Ground by Becca Lusher
Wicked Bite by Jeaniene Frost
The Halfmen of O by Maurice Gee
I'd hoped this might be the month I get back below 400 books, but picked up a few too many new acquisitions to succeed. Perhaps next month.
Mt TBR Status
Mt TBR @ 1 January 2020: 427
Mt TBR @ 31 March 2020: 412
Mt TBR @ 30 April 2020: 408
Books Read
49. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Science fantasy novella. Two opposing agents in a time war find they have more in common with each other than with their own side. A lovely story, but very much style over substance.
50. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. Fantasy. First book in the Discworld Series. Reread.
51. The Tallow-Wife by Angela Slatter. Ostensibly a fantasy novelette, but has very few fantasy elements. I think this probably would have held more resonance for me if I'd read any of the related stories. Still, wonderfully atmospheric and leans towards the Gothic.
52. Any Old Diamonds by KJ Charles. Historical m/m romance. The youngest son of a duke hires a pair of jewel thieves to rob his father in vengeance for his sister's death and finds his heart stolen along the way. KJ Charles shows once again why she's a favourite of mine. There are some great twists in the story and the relationship between the characters is anchored with some touching moments of vulnerability.
53. The Lascar's Dagger by Glenda Larke. Epic fantasy. A young priest and spy is sent to court to serve as the spiritual advisor to the prince and princess--a precarious role that places him in the middle of a variety of machinations from all quarters. The worldbuilding is intriguing, based in part off the colonial trade in spices from southeast Asia in the 1700s with some added nature religion. However, the main character isn't the brightest of sparks and on the whole I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.
54. A Right Honorable Gentleman by Courtney Milan. Historical f/m romance, short story. A lord and the governess of his son are entirely too upright to act on their attraction to each other. However, things change when Edward's son leaves for school and Cat must find a new employer. Short, sweet and perfect.
55. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Contemporary romance. A rich young woman with Asperger's hires a male escort to teach her about sex and dating. Rather more steamy than I was anticipating, but I'm definitely fine with that. The elements relating to Asperger's seemed well-handled (though I'm far from an expert and not the best person to judge). The characters were utterly adorable. I'll definitely be hunting down the rest in this series.
56. Understory by Inga Simpson. Nonfiction, nature writing, memoir. Two writers move to the country and start a writers retreat. Deeply personal and poignant. I enjoyed the way the narrative of the author's life was woven in with her observations of the trees and wildlife, interspersed with snippets of Tolkein geekery. I especially appreciated the portrayal of a landscape not quite my own, but so much closer than I usually get. This was reinforced by listening to this on audio, in the author's own Australian twang. It taught me a few bits and pieces and spoke to me of grief, especially towards the end. I found it slow going, but worth it.
57. Heart-Beast by Tanith Lee. Fantasy horror. On acquiring a diamond in a foreign land, a young man finds himself undergoing a violent change under the full moon. This turned out not to be my cup of tea and suffered a bit from orientalism, but did an amazing job of leaning into its Gothic vibe and symbolism.
58. Burning Skies by Becca Lusher. Fourth book in the Dragonlands series. The Rift Riders delegation take Khennik home to heal, but while there one of the Riders is murdered. It does have a bit of a feel of a murder mystery to it and also illustrates how dire things are becoming for the dragons.
59. Moontangled by Stephanie Burgis. Alternate history, f/f romance, novella. #2.5 in the Harwood Spellbook series. Juliana is the rising star of the newly established Thornfell College of Magic and intended to take centre stage at the outdoor ball the college is hosting. In doing so, she hopes to show her secret (and increasingly distant) fiancee just what she's missing. The entire Harwood Spellbook series has been utterly charming and I enjoyed seeing Juliana and Caroline finally get their turn in the spotlight. Beware meddling fae!
60. The Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, translated by Andrew Bromfield. Second in The Watch series. After being injured in a clash with the Night Watch, witch and Dark One Alisa is sent away to recuperate. Much like the first book in the series, this comprises of three related stories. It focuses a bit more on the Day Watch this time, but increasingly incorporates characters from the previous book. The author obviously has a soft spot for his original protagonist. Lots of weighty conversations on ethics. The women in this series don't fare well.
61. The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson. Science fiction novella. A demigod healer travelling as a mercenary protecting a caravan must reckon with a monster from his homeland. This had a very unique voice, which took a little getting used to, but was well worth it. The worldbuilding was also fascinating, leaning heavily on the principle of sufficiently advanced science seeming like magic to the uninitiated. The relationship between the healer and the captain of the guard was moving. I had a few small quibbles about the ending, but found it well worth the read. I think I'll track down the companion novella.
62. Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire. Contemporary fantasy. Ninth book in the InCryptid series. Sarah might look human, but she's not. She's one of a parasitic race not from this dimension. After losing her parents, she's adopted into the one (mostly) human family who can truly understand her. But she finds herself caught in the middle when her family of origin starts coming after her adopted family. Sarah and Artie's relationship has been foreshadowed throughout the previous books in the series, so I was delighted to see them finally get some time in the spotlight. The Aeslin mice also made me tear up. However, I found the conclusion of the story very reminiscent of that of the previous book -- especially the flaws. And what a cliffhanger to end on!
63. Changeling's Time by Lynn O'Connacht. Fantasy short story. Reread.
64. Invisible Women: exposing data bias in a world designed for men by Caroline Criado Perez. Nonfiction. Takes an accessible look at the gender bias in design and data collection, and the ways this ripples outward to affect every part of society. Well worth reading.
DNF
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. I finally accepted that I'm just never going to get around to reading this (and I don't really want to read about awful people right now, anyway).
Heartless by Marissa Meyer. YA fantasy, fairytale retelling. Honestly, I have no idea why I picked up this book in the first place, given I'm not very fond of Alice in Wonderland.
Books Acquired
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett.
Poison and Light by Gillian Polack
Burn for Me Ilona Andrews
White Hot Ilona Andrews
The Voyages of Cinrak the Dapper by A.J. Fitzwater
Hunted by Meagan Spooner
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
Broken Ground by Becca Lusher
Wicked Bite by Jeaniene Frost
The Halfmen of O by Maurice Gee
no subject
Date: 2020-05-06 10:12 am (UTC)I notice several KJ Charles books on there. I keep meaning to ask you -- the Magpie series. Does it have BDSM?
no subject
Date: 2020-05-11 09:52 pm (UTC)It does. Much of her work has BDSM elements.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-12 08:41 am (UTC)God-fricking-damnit. It has magpies and historicity and M/M relationships and I can't read it. *sadface*
Is there any of hers that doesn't?
no subject
Date: 2020-05-14 09:54 pm (UTC)Not that I've read and recall. However, I shall keep my eyes open for you.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-15 12:38 pm (UTC)