Mt TBR Report July 2020

[calissa]

I did a terrible job of keeping notes about my thoughts on what I read in July. Catching up would put me behind on August, so I plead amnesty. However, if you want to hear my thoughts on anything in particular, feel free to ask.

Mt TBR Status

Mt TBR @ 1 January 2020: 427
Mt TBR @ 30 June 2020: 428
Mt TBR @ 31 July: 424

Books Read

93. Castle Charming by Tansy Rayner Roberts. A collection of fairy tale fantasy novellas.

94. Gilded Cage by KJ Charles. Historical f/m romance.

95. Girl Underground by Lauren McManamon and Jesse Row. Tabletop RPG based on portal fantasies.

96. Fence, Vol. 2 by C.S. Pacat. Sports graphic novel.

97. The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker. Non-fiction. An excellent read.

98. A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark. Alternate history fantasy, short story.

99. The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P.Djeli Clark. Hugo nominee. Alternate history fantasy novella, set in the same world as above.

100. Improv for Gamers by Karen Twelves. Non-fiction.

101. Tea and Sympathetic Magic by Tansy Rayner Roberts. Regency-inspired fantasy.

102. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. Science fiction. Hugo winner (and well-deserved).

103. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune. Book club pick. Fantasy. It's unclear who the intended audience is. I would swear it started life as Good Omens fic.

104. The Lady Always Wins by Courtney Milan. Historical romance novella.

105-7 Skip Beat, Vols 41-43 by Yoshiki Nakamura. Manga.

108. Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction edited by Dominik Parisen and Elsa Sjunneson-Henry. Collection of short stories, poetry and essays.

109. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. Fantasy. (And an absolute delight).

110. Broken Ground by Becca Lusher. Fantasy.

111. The Frost Fair Affair by Tansy Rayner Roberts. Regency-inspired fantasy. Sequel to Tea and Sympathetic Magic (with added spies).

112. Kissing Basilisks by Tansy Rayner Roberts. Contemporary Australian fantasy. Listened to on audio.

113. Truel1f3 by Jay Kristoff. Science fiction YA.

Books Acquired

Scum and Villainy by Stras Acimovic and John Leboeuf-Little
Consolations Songs edited by Iona Datt Sharma
Fence, Vol. 2 by C.S. Pacat.
Improv for Gamers by Karen Twelves
The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker
Skip Beat, Vol 43 by Yoshiki Nakamura
Tea and Sympathetic Magic by Tansy Rayner Roberts
The Frost Fair Affair by Tansy Rayner Roberts.
Truel1f3 by Jay Kristoff
Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri
Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer
Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha

Comments

[pantha]

Oooh, you have been busy with the reading, though. If you have a moment, could you tell me a bit more about these ones:
- Tea and Sympathetic Magic
- The Lady Always Wins
- A Memory Called Empire

[calissa]

Tea and Sympathetic Magic
Miss Mnemosyne Seabourne's mother is determined to marry her off to her cousin, the Duke of Storm. Mneme just wants to find a husband who will let her quietly potter around her library at home. Instead, she finds herself teaming up with Mr Thornbury, a spellcracker whose job is protecting the Duke from the love charms of eligible ladies. It's nice and short, probably qualifying as a novella. Fun and fluffy, with many cups of tea.

The Lady Always Wins
Ginny and Simon were childhood sweethearts. Simon planned to elope, but Ginny refused when Simon's wealthy parents threatened to cut him off without a penny. Having been desperately poor, Ginny refused to live that way ever again. In the years since, Simon has become a wealthy man. In three days, he's set to lose his fortune, but is determined to marry the widowed Ginny before that. Honestly, it's not one of Milan's best--perhaps one of her early works? Simon does not come across as a good person. This probably qualifies as a short story.

A Memory Called Empire
Mahit's people record their memories on devices that are implanted in the brains of their successors. When she is selected as ambassador to the Teixcalaani Empire, she is given a device that is 15 years out of date, since her predecessor hasn't returned home with a fresh recording in that time. Then she arrives at her posting to discover the previous ambassador was murdered. With her implant malfunctioning, she must investigate the murder on her own in an environment where she's very much an outsider, while also keeping the secret of her people's implants. Lots of intrigue and juicy stuff about colonialism and belonging.

[pantha]

Ooooh, Tea and Sympathetic Magic sounds delightful. I can also see why A Memory Called Empire might have won the Hugos, though suspect that the mix of sci fi and intrigue might not be great for my interests + headspace.

I shall probably skip The Lady Always Wins.

[calissa]

I can also see why A Memory Called Empire might have won the Hugos

It really was excellent and entirely deserved the win. But it can be a little rough in places, so I entirely understand steering clear.

I shall probably skip The Lady Always Wins.

Probably best. It's the only one of Milan's works I haven't loved.

[winterbird]

I love reading your TBR posts! :D

[calissa]

Thank you! <3