And occasionally I read stuff too…

Book #1 – Dust by Elizabeth Bear

I read this on suggestion of the Women of Science Fiction book club. I would not have read it otherwise.

I did not finish this book.

I tried. Honestly, I did. But at page 250, I just kept thinking to myself, "There are other books you could be reading. Why aren’t you reading those?"

Part of the reason I kept at this book as long as I did is that I can’t quite put my finger on what I dislike about it. Many of the problems I had earlier in the book (see post at Reading Notes) are pretty much answered as the world is revealed. And I have to give Bear props for that. I don’t expect that everything be utterly clear about a world that I’m being dropped into. Playing with medieval tropes in a science fiction setting is interesting as well, but kind of leaves me feeling like it tries too hard.   I guess my problem is that I’m not really interested in the world or the characters at all. I just haven’t figured out why I’m not interested.

Rather fond of Gavin the basilisk, though.

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Short stories:
"A Private Experience" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You In Reno” by Vylar Kaftan (Lightspeed, June 2010)
“Hope” by Michael A. Burstein (Destination:Future)

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While there’s been quite a bit of writing goodness this year, I haven’t done much reading.

Lined fields this morning (basically, walking with a paint sprayer and adding lines to soccer fields). Now I’m beat. Is this what getting old is? I don’t like it. I need a nap.