Rachel Manija Brown's Blog, page 113
May 23, 2019
Innovation and Stagnation in Dragaera
Sholio and I have been reading the Dragaera books up to date, and she has a great post pulling together strands from a long conversation we had about worldbuilding, plot, and foreshadowing in the entire series. Spoilers for the entire series, especially Vallista.
More thoughts on that, also extremely spoilery. Read her post first, then mine - mine won't make sense without hers. ( Read more... )
comments
More thoughts on that, also extremely spoilery. Read her post first, then mine - mine won't make sense without hers. ( Read more... )
comments
May 22, 2019
The Mysterious Mr. Ross, by Vivien Alcock
Felicity is the twelve-year-old daughter of an amiable father who drinks too much and a critical mother who runs a bed-and-breakfast in a small British seaside town. After yet another fight with her mother, she goes to the forbidden Gull Rocks, where there's a dangerous undertow... and rescues a young man in a suit from the current.
The man, who calls himself Albert Ross, is installed (or installs himself) in their hotel, first as an invalid and then as a semi-permanent and non-paying guest. It's clear from the get-go that he's lying about at least some things and possibly everything, but why is much less clear. He's deliberately and very skillfully manipulating everyone, but his effect seems to go beyond that; people see him as they want to see him, and he functions as a catalyst for people's relationships and emotions. Whether he's a force for evil or good or simply for change is one of the many mysteries of the book.
I really loved this. It's ambiguous and mysterious in a way that's thought-provoking rather than infuriating. Felicity and the other characters are real and compelling, and it's beautifully written.
( Read more... )
The Publishers Weekly review writes, in an amazing example of statements which are factually correct but miss the larger picture by a country mile, But through their encounter with him, Felicity, Bony and readers come to a greater understanding of themselves and a new awareness of the potentially destructive power of gossip.
Mysterious Mr Ross[image error]
[image error] [image error]
comments
The man, who calls himself Albert Ross, is installed (or installs himself) in their hotel, first as an invalid and then as a semi-permanent and non-paying guest. It's clear from the get-go that he's lying about at least some things and possibly everything, but why is much less clear. He's deliberately and very skillfully manipulating everyone, but his effect seems to go beyond that; people see him as they want to see him, and he functions as a catalyst for people's relationships and emotions. Whether he's a force for evil or good or simply for change is one of the many mysteries of the book.
I really loved this. It's ambiguous and mysterious in a way that's thought-provoking rather than infuriating. Felicity and the other characters are real and compelling, and it's beautifully written.
( Read more... )
The Publishers Weekly review writes, in an amazing example of statements which are factually correct but miss the larger picture by a country mile, But through their encounter with him, Felicity, Bony and readers come to a greater understanding of themselves and a new awareness of the potentially destructive power of gossip.
Mysterious Mr Ross[image error]
[image error] [image error]
comments
May 21, 2019
Great discussion of recent Dragaera books
I loaned Sholio Jhereg, she fell for the series, and I re-read them and then read all the new-to-me ones, as I'd drifted off from the series after Jhegaala. WOW did it pick up again! So glad I caught up.
She has spoilery thoughts on Iorich, Hawk, and Vallista here.
Comments here may have massive spoilers for anything in the series.
comments
She has spoilery thoughts on Iorich, Hawk, and Vallista here.
Comments here may have massive spoilers for anything in the series.
comments
Hurt-Comfort Exchange Recs
You may recall the Hurt-Comfort Exchange from the Hurt-Comfort Plot Generator based on its tags.
(Telophase, creator of that and other generators, has a Patreon for generators if you'd like to chip in. Her next one will be a Newborn Award plot generator. I've seen the draft version and it is HILARIOUS.)
The Hurt Comfort Exchange Archive is open now! Enjoy!
I wrote an assignment and a pinch hit. And I got two absolutely fantastic stories! Here they are, along with some other recs. I'm still reading the archive, so I'm sure there's many great stories I just haven't gotten to yet.
Chalion Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
under this stainless arch of azure sky. Beautiful imagery, great character interactions, very Bujoldian. When Iselle and Cazaril board Chalion's first war frigate for its maiden voyage, they don't expect the mortal danger the two of them will soon find themselves in.
Iron Fist (TV)
A pair of Danny & Ward stories, both funny and sweet and full of satisfying brotherly bonding.
Head for Heights. God only knew how many cases of the flu, how many colds and every other goddamn kind of thing Ward had pushed himself through, because the only kind of sympathy he ever got from Harold was one of those pitying/scornful looks: You can't even keep from catching a cold? Really? Oh, stop complaining, Ward. Be a man. I got a full day's work done while I was dying of cancer. There are things I need you to do; you can get them done with a little case of the sniffles.
The Mind is a Monkey. “Okay,” Ward said. “Great. You have a telepathic fever.”
The Punisher (TV)
Out of the Wastelands. One of my two gifts, and it's GREAT. Wonderful h/c, terrific characterization, and worldbuilding that combines tropeyness with plausibility - it's the sort of apocalypse where there are both mutant monsters in trees and families creating cozy homesteads.
Seafort Saga - David Feintuch.
Haven. I think there's at least one fan of this reading my DW, so enjoy this very iddy helping of whipping and loyalty kink with the comfort canon didn't provide. Tolliver needs just one thing from Nick.
Stranger Things
Better Than Aspic. Karen gives Joyce a cooking lesson, and Joyce reciprocates with some much-needed reassurance about the weirdness in Hawkins. Okay so the cooking lesson involves eldritch horrors, I mean 70s/80s gelatin molds, and THERE ARE LINKS. Hilarious, with very satisfying emotional h/c.
The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Dreaming of Yesterday. One of my two gifts, and it's GREAT - sensitive, touching, and a wonderful look at the whole ensemble and their relationships. Vanya wakes up in her thirteen-year-old body after Five has time-traveled them as the world was ending. None of the others seem to have their adult memories, and being the only adult in a group of teenagers will give Vanya a new perspective on her siblings.
Tailspin. 30K, long and satisfying Five-centric fic but with lots of good stuff for the whole ensemble. Heed the warnings (in tags) though. Five is sure that he's being followed. He knows there's a possibility that the Commission isn't done with the Hargreeves siblings - but he'll protect his family, no matter what.
comments
(Telophase, creator of that and other generators, has a Patreon for generators if you'd like to chip in. Her next one will be a Newborn Award plot generator. I've seen the draft version and it is HILARIOUS.)
The Hurt Comfort Exchange Archive is open now! Enjoy!
I wrote an assignment and a pinch hit. And I got two absolutely fantastic stories! Here they are, along with some other recs. I'm still reading the archive, so I'm sure there's many great stories I just haven't gotten to yet.
Chalion Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
under this stainless arch of azure sky. Beautiful imagery, great character interactions, very Bujoldian. When Iselle and Cazaril board Chalion's first war frigate for its maiden voyage, they don't expect the mortal danger the two of them will soon find themselves in.
Iron Fist (TV)
A pair of Danny & Ward stories, both funny and sweet and full of satisfying brotherly bonding.
Head for Heights. God only knew how many cases of the flu, how many colds and every other goddamn kind of thing Ward had pushed himself through, because the only kind of sympathy he ever got from Harold was one of those pitying/scornful looks: You can't even keep from catching a cold? Really? Oh, stop complaining, Ward. Be a man. I got a full day's work done while I was dying of cancer. There are things I need you to do; you can get them done with a little case of the sniffles.
The Mind is a Monkey. “Okay,” Ward said. “Great. You have a telepathic fever.”
The Punisher (TV)
Out of the Wastelands. One of my two gifts, and it's GREAT. Wonderful h/c, terrific characterization, and worldbuilding that combines tropeyness with plausibility - it's the sort of apocalypse where there are both mutant monsters in trees and families creating cozy homesteads.
Seafort Saga - David Feintuch.
Haven. I think there's at least one fan of this reading my DW, so enjoy this very iddy helping of whipping and loyalty kink with the comfort canon didn't provide. Tolliver needs just one thing from Nick.
Stranger Things
Better Than Aspic. Karen gives Joyce a cooking lesson, and Joyce reciprocates with some much-needed reassurance about the weirdness in Hawkins. Okay so the cooking lesson involves eldritch horrors, I mean 70s/80s gelatin molds, and THERE ARE LINKS. Hilarious, with very satisfying emotional h/c.
The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Dreaming of Yesterday. One of my two gifts, and it's GREAT - sensitive, touching, and a wonderful look at the whole ensemble and their relationships. Vanya wakes up in her thirteen-year-old body after Five has time-traveled them as the world was ending. None of the others seem to have their adult memories, and being the only adult in a group of teenagers will give Vanya a new perspective on her siblings.
Tailspin. 30K, long and satisfying Five-centric fic but with lots of good stuff for the whole ensemble. Heed the warnings (in tags) though. Five is sure that he's being followed. He knows there's a possibility that the Commission isn't done with the Hargreeves siblings - but he'll protect his family, no matter what.
comments
May 19, 2019
Herb bread and some bread inquiries
Yesterday I made herb buns with assorted fresh herbs (or fresh-frozen flat in olive oil, thanks for the suggestion) and this recipe.
As you can see, they came out kind of flat. If that happens, was the problem likely that I over kneaded the dough, under kneaded the dough, under proofed, or over proofed?
The dough never took on the resilient, smooth character I was looking for, even after very lengthy kneading, and stayed sticky rather than velvety after proving. I kneaded and proved longer than the recipe says, as I was waiting for it to take on the texture the recipe called for, but it never did. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.
That being said, they are still extremely tasty. I had intended them to be an experiment in herbs - I used different herbs or herb combinations for each one - but the result was that all herbs I tried are delicious in bread, but I should have chopped the sage finer.
Other baking question: if you bake bread that contains smoked/preserved meat (bacon, ham, hard sausage, etc) how do you store it and how long can you keep it?
comments
As you can see, they came out kind of flat. If that happens, was the problem likely that I over kneaded the dough, under kneaded the dough, under proofed, or over proofed?
The dough never took on the resilient, smooth character I was looking for, even after very lengthy kneading, and stayed sticky rather than velvety after proving. I kneaded and proved longer than the recipe says, as I was waiting for it to take on the texture the recipe called for, but it never did. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly.
That being said, they are still extremely tasty. I had intended them to be an experiment in herbs - I used different herbs or herb combinations for each one - but the result was that all herbs I tried are delicious in bread, but I should have chopped the sage finer.
Other baking question: if you bake bread that contains smoked/preserved meat (bacon, ham, hard sausage, etc) how do you store it and how long can you keep it?
comments
May 15, 2019
For Your Next Reading Wednesday...
A column in Publishers Weekly by a bookseller objects to YA books depicting girl warriors. To bolster her case that this is TERRIBLE, she includes a graphic showing a bunch of book covers showing badass girls, many of whom are people of color in books written by writers of color, and two of whom are not holding a weapon at all but does have a super cool prosthetic arm or is riding a phoenix. (Girls! Just say no to prosthetic limbs and the dangerous sport of phoenix riding!)
Anyway, those books look great! I would like to read some of them, and I bet you would too. Anyone want to join me in buying or getting a couple from the library, then reviewing them (good, bad, or indifferent) to give them more visibility?
(Also, it took me fricking forever to put this post together, so please make me feel like my time wasn't unwisely spent.)
It's still very hard for writers of color to break into YA publishing, and it's still unusual for girls of color to be featured on book covers at all, let alone genre book covers showing them as totally awesome rather than pregnant and in a gang. So thanks, column author, for bringing these books to our attention given that many of them are unlikely to have a big marketing budget and booksellers like you won't sell them, thus contributing to publishers' beliefs that those kinds of books don't sell.
I haven't read any of them, so please let me know if you have and what you thought. I promise to buy and review whichever books get the most votes in comments. You can vote for more than one. If a series book other than # 1 wins, I will start with # 1 of that series.
Rage: A Stormheart Novel[image error], by Cora Carmack. Princess or adventurer. Duty or freedom. Her Kingdom or the Stormhunter she loves.
Beasts of the Frozen Sun (The Frozen Sun Saga Book 1)[image error], by Jill Criswell. Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.
Deathcaster (Shattered Realms Book 4)[image error], by Cinda Williams Chima. Warrior Alyssa ana’Raisa would do anything to protect her home, the Fells, and her legacy, the Gray Wolf line.
Princess Ninjas[image error], by Dave Francini (author) and Eduardo Garcia (artist). When the kingdom is under attack who do we turn to? The king and his guards? A knight of myth and legend? Or the prophesized, chosen Princess Ninjas who battle evil and will save the day? I think we all know who! [They have an adorably fierce turtle-bear sidekick!]
The Afterward[image error], by E. K. Johnston. Romantic high fantasy from the bestselling author of Star Wars: Ahsoka and Exit, Pursued by a Bear.
A River of Royal Blood[image error], by Amanda Joy. Set in a North African-inspired fantasy world where two sisters must fight to the death to win the crown.
The Triumphant (Valiant Book 3)[image error], by Leslie Livingston. The final book in the Valiant series takes Fallon and her warrior sisters on an epic journey from the corrupt Roman Republic to the wonder of the ancient world: Alexandria, Egypt.
War Girls[image error], by Tochi Onyebuchi. Two sisters are torn apart by war and must fight their way back to each other in a futuristic, Black Panther-inspired Nigeria. [This is the one with no weapons, but a cool prosthetic arm.]
Crown of Feathers[image error], by Nicki Pau Preto. A debut fantasy novel about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to join a secret group of warriors that ride phoenixes into battle.
Dealing in Dreams[image error], by Lilliam Rivera. The Outsiders meets Mad Max: Fury Road in this fast-paced dystopian novel about sisterhood and the cruel choices people are forced to make in order to survive.
Sorcery of Thorns[image error], by Margaret Rogerson. An imaginative fantasy about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.
Trinity of Bones[image error], by Caitlin Seal. The much-anticipated second title of the Necromancer's Song trilogy. Naya Garth will do whatever it takes to bring Corten back from the shores of death.
Bright Star[image error], by Erin Swan. The girl who was once an outcast must somehow become the leader Paerolia needs. But she is stronger than she believes—and with the help of a fiercely loyal dragon, she may just be the one to lead them all to victory.
Red Mantle: The Red Abbey Chronicles Book 3[image error], by Maria Turtschaninoff. An epistolary novel told through the letters Maresi writes back to her friends and mentors at the Abbey. Turtschanino has been awarded the Finlandia Junior Prize, the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, and the Society of Swedish Literature Prize
Shatter the Sky[image error], by Rebecca Kim Wells. A determined young woman sets out to rescue her kidnapped girlfriend by stealing a dragon from the corrupt emperor. [KIDNAPPED GIRLFRIEND. STEALING A DRAGON.]
Ship of Smoke and Steel (The Wells of Sorcery Trilogy Book 1)[image error], by Django Wexler. In the lower wards of Kahnzoka, the great port city of the Blessed Empire, eighteen-year-old ward boss Isoka enforces the will of her criminal masters with the power of Melos, the Well of Combat. [That is a whole lot of capitals, I have to say. But it also says "She doesn't expect to have to contend with feelings for a charismatic fighter who shares her combat magic, or for a fearless princess who wields an even darker power" so maybe there's FF?]
The Girl the Sea Gave Back[image error], by Adrienne Young. For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue.
The Girl King[image error], by Mimi Yu. Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this richly imagined, Asian-inspired fantasy. [Hey! This is only $1.99. BOUGHT.]
comments
Anyway, those books look great! I would like to read some of them, and I bet you would too. Anyone want to join me in buying or getting a couple from the library, then reviewing them (good, bad, or indifferent) to give them more visibility?
(Also, it took me fricking forever to put this post together, so please make me feel like my time wasn't unwisely spent.)
It's still very hard for writers of color to break into YA publishing, and it's still unusual for girls of color to be featured on book covers at all, let alone genre book covers showing them as totally awesome rather than pregnant and in a gang. So thanks, column author, for bringing these books to our attention given that many of them are unlikely to have a big marketing budget and booksellers like you won't sell them, thus contributing to publishers' beliefs that those kinds of books don't sell.
I haven't read any of them, so please let me know if you have and what you thought. I promise to buy and review whichever books get the most votes in comments. You can vote for more than one. If a series book other than # 1 wins, I will start with # 1 of that series.
Rage: A Stormheart Novel[image error], by Cora Carmack. Princess or adventurer. Duty or freedom. Her Kingdom or the Stormhunter she loves.
Beasts of the Frozen Sun (The Frozen Sun Saga Book 1)[image error], by Jill Criswell. Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.
Deathcaster (Shattered Realms Book 4)[image error], by Cinda Williams Chima. Warrior Alyssa ana’Raisa would do anything to protect her home, the Fells, and her legacy, the Gray Wolf line.
Princess Ninjas[image error], by Dave Francini (author) and Eduardo Garcia (artist). When the kingdom is under attack who do we turn to? The king and his guards? A knight of myth and legend? Or the prophesized, chosen Princess Ninjas who battle evil and will save the day? I think we all know who! [They have an adorably fierce turtle-bear sidekick!]
The Afterward[image error], by E. K. Johnston. Romantic high fantasy from the bestselling author of Star Wars: Ahsoka and Exit, Pursued by a Bear.
A River of Royal Blood[image error], by Amanda Joy. Set in a North African-inspired fantasy world where two sisters must fight to the death to win the crown.
The Triumphant (Valiant Book 3)[image error], by Leslie Livingston. The final book in the Valiant series takes Fallon and her warrior sisters on an epic journey from the corrupt Roman Republic to the wonder of the ancient world: Alexandria, Egypt.
War Girls[image error], by Tochi Onyebuchi. Two sisters are torn apart by war and must fight their way back to each other in a futuristic, Black Panther-inspired Nigeria. [This is the one with no weapons, but a cool prosthetic arm.]
Crown of Feathers[image error], by Nicki Pau Preto. A debut fantasy novel about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to join a secret group of warriors that ride phoenixes into battle.
Dealing in Dreams[image error], by Lilliam Rivera. The Outsiders meets Mad Max: Fury Road in this fast-paced dystopian novel about sisterhood and the cruel choices people are forced to make in order to survive.
Sorcery of Thorns[image error], by Margaret Rogerson. An imaginative fantasy about an apprentice at a magical library who must battle a powerful sorcerer to save her kingdom.
Trinity of Bones[image error], by Caitlin Seal. The much-anticipated second title of the Necromancer's Song trilogy. Naya Garth will do whatever it takes to bring Corten back from the shores of death.
Bright Star[image error], by Erin Swan. The girl who was once an outcast must somehow become the leader Paerolia needs. But she is stronger than she believes—and with the help of a fiercely loyal dragon, she may just be the one to lead them all to victory.
Red Mantle: The Red Abbey Chronicles Book 3[image error], by Maria Turtschaninoff. An epistolary novel told through the letters Maresi writes back to her friends and mentors at the Abbey. Turtschanino has been awarded the Finlandia Junior Prize, the Swedish YLE Literature Prize, and the Society of Swedish Literature Prize
Shatter the Sky[image error], by Rebecca Kim Wells. A determined young woman sets out to rescue her kidnapped girlfriend by stealing a dragon from the corrupt emperor. [KIDNAPPED GIRLFRIEND. STEALING A DRAGON.]
Ship of Smoke and Steel (The Wells of Sorcery Trilogy Book 1)[image error], by Django Wexler. In the lower wards of Kahnzoka, the great port city of the Blessed Empire, eighteen-year-old ward boss Isoka enforces the will of her criminal masters with the power of Melos, the Well of Combat. [That is a whole lot of capitals, I have to say. But it also says "She doesn't expect to have to contend with feelings for a charismatic fighter who shares her combat magic, or for a fearless princess who wields an even darker power" so maybe there's FF?]
The Girl the Sea Gave Back[image error], by Adrienne Young. For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue.
The Girl King[image error], by Mimi Yu. Two sisters become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor in this richly imagined, Asian-inspired fantasy. [Hey! This is only $1.99. BOUGHT.]
comments
May 13, 2019
Things to do with Herbs
I obtained a bunch of bunches of fresh herbs to make herb bread. However, I have lots of herbs left over and would like to use them before they go bad.
(Or should I just freeze them or dry them? Or compose a song about them?)
Herbs: Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme.
Other ingredients I have and could use: All-purpose flour, bread flour, beets (golden), blueberries, cod, eggs from parents' chickens, kale, lamb chops, lentils (brown), oranges (mandarin and navel), peas (English), rice, squid steak, steak, wheat (kamut). Also regular staples like olive oil, olives, soy sauce, etc.
Ingredients I hate, do not suggest a recipe that requires them: bananas, cilantro, eggplant, big chunks of raw tomato.
comments
(Or should I just freeze them or dry them? Or compose a song about them?)
Herbs: Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme.
Other ingredients I have and could use: All-purpose flour, bread flour, beets (golden), blueberries, cod, eggs from parents' chickens, kale, lamb chops, lentils (brown), oranges (mandarin and navel), peas (English), rice, squid steak, steak, wheat (kamut). Also regular staples like olive oil, olives, soy sauce, etc.
Ingredients I hate, do not suggest a recipe that requires them: bananas, cilantro, eggplant, big chunks of raw tomato.
comments
For those of you who answered my poll the day before yesterday...
Thing which burst into flame FIRST after answering poll:
The salmon I was broiling for dinner.
Thing which burst into flame SECOND after answering poll:
Game of Thrones fandom.
comments
The salmon I was broiling for dinner.
Thing which burst into flame SECOND after answering poll:
Game of Thrones fandom.
comments
May 12, 2019
For those of you who answered my poll yesterday...
...the winner, by which I mean the next thing that burst into flames in my vicinity, was "the salmon I plan to have for dinner."
I think maybe next I'll do a poll on "What is the next wonderful thing that will happen to me?"
comments
I think maybe next I'll do a poll on "What is the next wonderful thing that will happen to me?"
comments
May 11, 2019
This is just to inform you...
...that my brand new laptop charger and my toaster oven burst into flames in the same day.
The charger was especially aggravating as it kept getting not delivered as the delivery people kept trying to deliver to Washington Boulevard rather than Washington Place, even after phone calls explaining the difference.
What do you think will burst into flames next?
ETA: See last comment. Salmon it is!
View Poll: #22009
comments
The charger was especially aggravating as it kept getting not delivered as the delivery people kept trying to deliver to Washington Boulevard rather than Washington Place, even after phone calls explaining the difference.
What do you think will burst into flames next?
ETA: See last comment. Salmon it is!
View Poll: #22009
comments
