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Because I haven't been posting enough about books lately. Books!
What I've Been Reading
The last thing I finished was Ghost Circles, volume #7 of Jeff Smith's Bone fantasy graphic novel series. I actually read it a few months ago, but I somehow had succeeded in skipping volume #6. So I went back and read that, and thought I'd reread #7 in its proper place before going on to #8. It's so gorgeous and amazing it can do with many rereads, anyway.
Other things I've read recently: The last novel I finished was Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire (Book #3 of InCryptid - enjoyed it a lot, though I maybe enjoyed the two previous ones a bit more). In the non-fiction front, I recently finished Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman, which is a popular science book about the intelligence of birds. It was very interesting, though the style was typical of modern American pop science books (but at least it wasn't about the writer's personal journey of discovery!). But birds are awesome. I read it in Finnish, and it was rather interesting sometimes because she'd often refer to American birds which are totally unknown here though probably common enough in North America. The translator had somehow dug up the names for all of them, some of which were quite complicated in Finnish because the birds aren't native here so some biologists have just put together a name, I guess.
I've also recently read Alice Payne Arrives by Kate Heartfield, and Creatures of Will and Temper by Molly Tanzer, both of which were fabulous and both of which I should write little reviews of for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fffriday. Also, surprisingly many Finnish things, from a 1930s detective story to a lovely lesbian YA graphic novel.
What I'm Reading Now
A bit too many things, as always. But most actively, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (a delightful 18th century historical gay Grand Tour romp) and The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (for the Hugos, or rather the not-a-Hugo Lodestar ie. YA award). Also rather many history books for novel research purposes and such. And Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine, a smart and sharp rebuttal of the bad neuroscience people use to justify the claims about the supposedly very different brains of men and women. (Essentially, from what I can tell about the book, the science tends to be so bad and flawed that we can't say anything about whether the differences in skills and interests are innate and learned, or whether the observed structural differences have any practical influence. But Cordelia Fine explains it all much better, in detail, with exquisitely sassy commentary, and lots of sources.)
What I'm Reading Next
As always, I've got ever so many books that I really want to read as soon as I get some of the current ones finished. More history, many Hugo nominees, some Finnish historical novels I'd like to get to eventually, and several comic books / graphic novels that I inadvertently picked up the other day in the library. I swear it was an accident, I meant to look at the LGBTQ+ shelf, but it was occupied so I had to go somewhere else for a while, and the next thing I knew, I had all these graphic novels in my hands.
Also, I've got several Hugo (and not-a-Hugo) nominees waiting for me, as my library reservations on them have been going through. I think when I'm finished with The Belles, I'll go for Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver or one of the series category starters, depending on which one the library wants back the soonest. But we'll see! My reading plans rarely are very solid, and I'm a creature of whims and moods when it comes to reading books.
Have any of you been reading anything interesting you'd like to share?
What I've Been Reading
The last thing I finished was Ghost Circles, volume #7 of Jeff Smith's Bone fantasy graphic novel series. I actually read it a few months ago, but I somehow had succeeded in skipping volume #6. So I went back and read that, and thought I'd reread #7 in its proper place before going on to #8. It's so gorgeous and amazing it can do with many rereads, anyway.
Other things I've read recently: The last novel I finished was Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire (Book #3 of InCryptid - enjoyed it a lot, though I maybe enjoyed the two previous ones a bit more). In the non-fiction front, I recently finished Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman, which is a popular science book about the intelligence of birds. It was very interesting, though the style was typical of modern American pop science books (but at least it wasn't about the writer's personal journey of discovery!). But birds are awesome. I read it in Finnish, and it was rather interesting sometimes because she'd often refer to American birds which are totally unknown here though probably common enough in North America. The translator had somehow dug up the names for all of them, some of which were quite complicated in Finnish because the birds aren't native here so some biologists have just put together a name, I guess.
I've also recently read Alice Payne Arrives by Kate Heartfield, and Creatures of Will and Temper by Molly Tanzer, both of which were fabulous and both of which I should write little reviews of for
fffriday. Also, surprisingly many Finnish things, from a 1930s detective story to a lovely lesbian YA graphic novel.What I'm Reading Now
A bit too many things, as always. But most actively, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (a delightful 18th century historical gay Grand Tour romp) and The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (for the Hugos, or rather the not-a-Hugo Lodestar ie. YA award). Also rather many history books for novel research purposes and such. And Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine, a smart and sharp rebuttal of the bad neuroscience people use to justify the claims about the supposedly very different brains of men and women. (Essentially, from what I can tell about the book, the science tends to be so bad and flawed that we can't say anything about whether the differences in skills and interests are innate and learned, or whether the observed structural differences have any practical influence. But Cordelia Fine explains it all much better, in detail, with exquisitely sassy commentary, and lots of sources.)
What I'm Reading Next
As always, I've got ever so many books that I really want to read as soon as I get some of the current ones finished. More history, many Hugo nominees, some Finnish historical novels I'd like to get to eventually, and several comic books / graphic novels that I inadvertently picked up the other day in the library. I swear it was an accident, I meant to look at the LGBTQ+ shelf, but it was occupied so I had to go somewhere else for a while, and the next thing I knew, I had all these graphic novels in my hands.
Also, I've got several Hugo (and not-a-Hugo) nominees waiting for me, as my library reservations on them have been going through. I think when I'm finished with The Belles, I'll go for Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver or one of the series category starters, depending on which one the library wants back the soonest. But we'll see! My reading plans rarely are very solid, and I'm a creature of whims and moods when it comes to reading books.
Have any of you been reading anything interesting you'd like to share?
