Reading Wednesday
Feb. 9th, 2022 11:10 pmIt's been about three months since my last reading update post. Which reminds me I still need to do write-ups for the comics I've been reading. But not today! Today we talk about prose.
What did you finish reading
Truth of the Divine, by Lindsay Ellis: This got A LOT darker than both the first one and what I expected. The main PoV character is actively depressed and suicidal for most of the book. I'm still really enjoying the aliens and how aliens they are, though.
The Year of Less, by Cait Flanders: It's a memoir/autobio about one year in the author's life, starting when she decided to stop buying things. As that's something I'm currently doing, I thought it'd be interesting. It was, for the most part, but it did suffer a bit from what I'm going to call "Were you not already doing that?!" Syndrome.
"Were you not already doing that?!" Syndrome is when an author presents as a! groundbreaking! idea! something that I've been doing all along and never even considered doing otherwise. For example, in an article about capsule wardrobes,
the author: considerhow each new clothing can be used to create multiple outfits before buying it.
Me: Were you not already doing that?!
I realise this is probably just a flaw in my brain, that I don't think the way other people do. (Apparently it's weird that I carry a collapsible cup in my coat pocket? Good thing I didn't bring up the knife on my keychain, then.)
The Descent of Inanna (Wolfstein-Kramer translation): I'm not sure if "fun" is the right word to describe a katabasis, but it was an enjoyable. Unfortunately, my pdf copy cut out arund the confrontation with Dumuzi. I've now found a French translation, hopefully that one gets me the end of the story. NO SPOILERS.
What are you currently reading
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Mari Kondo: Ebook. Interesting but has a lot of instances of restating things that were already said. I'm about 1/5 through, but if the ratio keeps up, that book could have been at least 50% shorter than it is.This repetition does not spark joy! Also, Kondo's insistence that everything has to be done 100% her way and in one go is a bit... Not everyone has that kind of energy or time, Mari! Also has a touch of "Were you not already doing that?!" Syndrome in places. Kondo also has said a few things that makes me think she used to toss her siblings' stuff without asking as a kid and let's just say I have Issues about people getting rid of my things and leave it at that.
Men who hate women by Laura Bates: It's about the ways in which misogyny shapes society. Super interesting! Also super depressing and doing a real number on my trust issues, so I read a chapter each time I finish a book.
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers: An anthology of horror short stories. Very good! Reading this one short at a time as a palate cleanser for the Bates' book. "The King in Yellow had opened his tattered mantle and there was only God to cry to now" is a RAW AS FUCK line.
Joan of Arc : A Military Leader, by Kelly Devries: I've had this book for a while, but finally got the impetus to read it after reading Napoleon was the Best General Ever, and the Math Proves it[1] and looking at the data. The data for Joan of Arc includes neither the Siege of Orléans or the Battle of Patay, which is bananapants ridiculous. Patay turned the course of the Hundred Years War! Anyway, only a little ways into this book, is good so far.
The Divine Comedy: Hell, by Dante Alighieri (Longfellow's Translation): I'm using this as a reference text for some fanfic I'm writing (Post-Endgame Natasha awakens in Hell, goes on a roadtrip out with Gamora -- who is not in Hell but in Kur and will get her own companion fic). Yes, this fic will have an audience of me and two other people (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sovay and kore , correct me if I'm wrong). No, I do not care. I write fic for fun, not for fame.
What are you reading next
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
[1] I have three main comments about this article (my concerns about methodology, sourcing, etc are mostly addressed at the end):
What did you finish reading
Truth of the Divine, by Lindsay Ellis: This got A LOT darker than both the first one and what I expected. The main PoV character is actively depressed and suicidal for most of the book. I'm still really enjoying the aliens and how aliens they are, though.
The Year of Less, by Cait Flanders: It's a memoir/autobio about one year in the author's life, starting when she decided to stop buying things. As that's something I'm currently doing, I thought it'd be interesting. It was, for the most part, but it did suffer a bit from what I'm going to call "Were you not already doing that?!" Syndrome.
"Were you not already doing that?!" Syndrome is when an author presents as a! groundbreaking! idea! something that I've been doing all along and never even considered doing otherwise. For example, in an article about capsule wardrobes,
the author: considerhow each new clothing can be used to create multiple outfits before buying it.
Me: Were you not already doing that?!
I realise this is probably just a flaw in my brain, that I don't think the way other people do. (Apparently it's weird that I carry a collapsible cup in my coat pocket? Good thing I didn't bring up the knife on my keychain, then.)
The Descent of Inanna (Wolfstein-Kramer translation): I'm not sure if "fun" is the right word to describe a katabasis, but it was an enjoyable. Unfortunately, my pdf copy cut out arund the confrontation with Dumuzi. I've now found a French translation, hopefully that one gets me the end of the story. NO SPOILERS.
What are you currently reading
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Mari Kondo: Ebook. Interesting but has a lot of instances of restating things that were already said. I'm about 1/5 through, but if the ratio keeps up, that book could have been at least 50% shorter than it is.
Men who hate women by Laura Bates: It's about the ways in which misogyny shapes society. Super interesting! Also super depressing and doing a real number on my trust issues, so I read a chapter each time I finish a book.
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers: An anthology of horror short stories. Very good! Reading this one short at a time as a palate cleanser for the Bates' book. "The King in Yellow had opened his tattered mantle and there was only God to cry to now" is a RAW AS FUCK line.
Joan of Arc : A Military Leader, by Kelly Devries: I've had this book for a while, but finally got the impetus to read it after reading Napoleon was the Best General Ever, and the Math Proves it[1] and looking at the data. The data for Joan of Arc includes neither the Siege of Orléans or the Battle of Patay, which is bananapants ridiculous. Patay turned the course of the Hundred Years War! Anyway, only a little ways into this book, is good so far.
The Divine Comedy: Hell, by Dante Alighieri (Longfellow's Translation): I'm using this as a reference text for some fanfic I'm writing (Post-Endgame Natasha awakens in Hell, goes on a roadtrip out with Gamora -- who is not in Hell but in Kur and will get her own companion fic). Yes, this fic will have an audience of me and two other people (
sovay and kore , correct me if I'm wrong). No, I do not care. I write fic for fun, not for fame.What are you reading next
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
[1] I have three main comments about this article (my concerns about methodology, sourcing, etc are mostly addressed at the end):
- The only battle schematic included in the article is the Battle of Cannae, ie a victory by Hannibal, not Napoleon (ergo: I was right and Hannibal MVP)
- Comparing people on either side(s) of the three divides of firearms, machine guns and nuclear weapons is not possible, imo.
- Why did the author go to the trouble of quoting Livy's The History of Rome, Book 35 Ch 14
Africanus asked who, in Hannibal's opinion, was the greatest general, Hannibal named Alexander, [...] whom he would rank second, Hannibal selected Pyrrhus [...] asking whom Hannibal considered third, he named himself without hesitation. Then Scipio broke into a laugh and said, “What would you say if you had defeated me?”
WITHOUTH THE PUNCH LINE?! The punch line is the best part!“Then, beyond doubt,” he replied, “I should place myself both before Alexander and before Pyrrhus and before all other generals.”