Also, I just read Divinity 36 and the two previous novels that are in the same universe but not the same characters/story. Reminded me of Space Opera except maybe American Idol instead of Eurovision? Sort of? I guess it is the start of a series and I will probably read the next one, but I don't yet love these as much as the Parasol Protectorate etc. I like the characters and the world building is interesting so I expect they will grow on me.

So, I’ve been listening to all of Radch novels, since Translation State had references to things I could not remember at all, or only vaguely remembered, and the reread is very worthwhile. I just had an aha moment that Justice of Toren being ordered to kill Lt Awn is like the mentat Duncan Idaho having to kill Paul and I had to tell someone.

If this was very obvious to everyone go ahead and tell me so, I can take it.

Also that Breq and Thing from the Addams Family could relate

Guess what appeared on my Kindle today! The Book of Gems by Fran Wilde. Woot! I am indeed looking forward to this.

Showed up on my phone overnight! Very excited

excellent!

This last week, I read The Time of Man by Elizabeth Madox Roberts, which was published in 1926. It was remarkably good: a domestic novel about the life of a white share-cropper woman in (possibly?) Appalachia in the early 1900s. It almost read like an SF novel: it's such an insular community, confined by poverty and ignorance, but still experiencing all the variety of human experience. I thought it was excellent, if more than a bit over-written.

And I'd never heard of it, or Roberts, before, because patriarchy, I assume.

I was just reading a book from the library and had the strongest deja vu for one random paragraph. Maybe it was a pull quote from something? (Odd choice if so). But getting to the end I’m more annoyed it’s book one of a series rather than a stand alone (“The Atlas Six” by Olivie Blake).

I have SO many books that have come off hold but I am trying to not read them until I’m on a 14 hour flight and need them!

I’m at Te Papa, the museum in New Zealand that has a ton of Māori stuff, and wow, some of the navigation stuff is very Kip Mdang. I’m assuming she did a ton of research (for the less fantastical parts of it at least!)

Oh, cool! That's always fun, and makes me feel better about the books (which I already felt pretty good about, but now even better)

Te Papa is amazing! I still want to go back to Wellington and spend at least a week there.

Yeah we went to Te Papa on Wednesday when we got to town and didn’t see it all, so when our morning ferry was canceled/rescheduled to afternoon, we went back to see the rest! Which is when I saw the navigation info that made me think of the Emperor series.