What I read -- July 2019

LHC #44: “The Fifth Season” by N.K.Jemisin. It was on my list, so when I ran out of books and saw this at the library, I took it out. Wow, the voice was so good. I took it on a transit ride with me and kept missing my stop! Highly recommended. I forced book 1 on Ed, and he’s not complaining about it. It’s really hard to not give spoilers when he wonders about how the timelines are going to work out…

LHC#45: “Spells of Blood and Kin: a Dark Fantasy” by Claire Humphrey. Another Toronto writer, and the story takes place in Toronto! I love books that reference things like the Dundas streetcar. I assume that’s why I put it on my list 18 months ago. It was truly fun. I hope she writes more.

“The Obelisk Gate” by N.K.Jemisin. I kind of had to read this, after the previous volume went so well. I think I liked the first one better, but saying that is like comparing my two favorite kinds of ice cream, you know? I mean, they’re both awesome.

LHC #46: “The Witches: Salem, 1692” by Stacy Schiff. Research for WWS. I had a hard time keeping track of all the characters in here (because it’s all true, there are a lot of people whose roles overlap, and the book isn’t really well organized) but then I realized it didn’t matter because I’m reading this more for background and to make WWS a little more grounded in its place and time. I learned lots of useful things! What did New Englanders eat back then? How close did they live together? Where did they get their firewood? Did they do exorcisms? Fortunately/unfortunately, this book was so boring that I finished a sewing project.

What I read: September 2025

LHC #295: "The Last to Leave the Room" by Caitlin Starling. Audiobook. Workplace horror? Loved it. "Careless People" by Sarah Wynn-Williams. Hard copy, for office Data Ethics book club. The stories about Sheryl Sandberg really made me like my boss better. LHC #296: "The Fated Sky" by Mary Robinette Kowal. Hard copy. This got moved up the list because Ed had read book 1 in the series and got the rest out of the library. Loved it. He's got the next one in the series upstairs, I suppose I'll read it when he's done. LHC #297: "Bluegrass: A History" by Neil V. Rosenberg. Hard copy. No idea why it was on my list, I don't care that much about bluegrass. Nevertheless, the second half was interesting. I guess the first half was necessary, as it described in great length the way people came and went in Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys band, and also how technology and social pressures affect how music is made and performed. LHC #298: ...

What I read -- October 2025

"The Moomins and the Great Flood" by Tove Jansson. eBook. I read this because Marissa Lingen loves them. It was fine? This was the first one in the series and the only one available online; maybe the later ones are better. Maybe they're better if you read them as a child. "The Relentless Moon" by Mary Robinette Kowal. Hard copy. Read it because Ed had the whole series out of the library. It took a long time to get going, and sometimes I find MRK exhausting. Her white main characters all seem oddly aware of the Black experience. "The Martian Contingency" by Mary Robinette Kowal. Hard copy. Read it because Ed had the whole series out of the library. I don't often read subsequent books in a series in quick succession, and my reaction to this one is a lot of why: I found Alma's voice too similar to Nicole's -- sure, Nicole obsessed about food much more, but they both went on and on about "must support black guy in management" an...

In progress - January 2026

Wind/Water/Salt Chapters 39-51: Nothing Persephone (probably not its real name): NOthing Vinterlys: Worked on Chapter 2 some more. Critted 4 Got back 1 Submissions 0 Out there 0 Rejects 0 Knitting Georgia (Norah Gaughan). Started the month with one sleeve and half a front to go. Finished. Love this sweater. Aberlady (AS Celtic Collection). Did a few rows while listening to podcasts. Summer in Tokyo (Isager): Started. I was looking at the pictures and the charts, and the pattern as written is not what is in the pictures! So odd. I am going to finish up two cones of yarn with this project! Pretty exciting. I hope I don't run out of light blue. I was working along on it, and if you go and look at the sweater, it's knit bottom-up, and I was at the part where I only had two colors, about 5" maybe. And I was thinking, "wow, this is pretty ugly! Maybe I should stop...

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