Rachel Manija Brown's Blog, page 30
April 26, 2023
A Murder is Announced, by Agatha Christie
A murder is announced in the local paper of a small village, to take place at Little Paddocks, the large home of Miss Leticia Blackwood. Locals assume it's a murder game and show up; Letitia is baffled but knows people will show up, and prepares for an unexpected party. The lights go out, everyone screams happily, there's a gunshot, and the lights come up on the very real corpse of a man nobody knows...
This is set after WWII, when rationing and black market food trading is still going on, and one of the consequences of increased social and literal mobility is that there's a lot more new people and being able to know people from birth to death is no longer such a thing. As a result, it becomes much harder to tell if people really are who they say they are.
This is one of my favorite Christies. It has a clever but solvable mystery, a fun cast of characters including a sympathetic lesbian couple, some heartbreaking tragedy, an interesting setting, and a fun premise.
( Read more... )
Christie Scale: MEDIUM levels of stuff about refugees, but the refugee character, while caricatured, is heroic (in a way that involves taking advantage of stereotypes about refugees) and gets a happy ending.
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This is set after WWII, when rationing and black market food trading is still going on, and one of the consequences of increased social and literal mobility is that there's a lot more new people and being able to know people from birth to death is no longer such a thing. As a result, it becomes much harder to tell if people really are who they say they are.
This is one of my favorite Christies. It has a clever but solvable mystery, a fun cast of characters including a sympathetic lesbian couple, some heartbreaking tragedy, an interesting setting, and a fun premise.
( Read more... )
Christie Scale: MEDIUM levels of stuff about refugees, but the refugee character, while caricatured, is heroic (in a way that involves taking advantage of stereotypes about refugees) and gets a happy ending.
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Person who sent me money for Defender Chimera...
Can the person with the initials CG please send me their email address so I can send them the book? Thanks!
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April 25, 2023
My latest book, Defender Chimera
This book survived a pandemic, three moves, a snowpocalypse in which my house was uninhabitable for a month, and, much like the hero's tendency for electronic and mechanical things to explode around him, almost every mechanical and electronic thing I owned breaking as I tried to finish it. But I survived and so did he.
Apart from what's mentioned in the official blurb, the book features magical pets, pawpaws, and the return of Norris the Dunkleosteus shifter, who was last seen in Defender Hellhound determinedly turning into a giant prehistoric fish at the slightest provocation and often without one.
If you'd like to order a copy directly from me, send $5 to Rphoenix2@hotmail (NOT gmail!) via PayPal. If you're broke at the moment, email me at the same address but gmail and I'll send you a freebie.
When your worst enemy turns out to be your fated mate...
Carter doesn't want a mate, thank you very much. He's got no time for love--he's too busy trying to hide the monstrous shift form he was cursed with. Not to mention trying to stop his annoyingly hot business rival Fenella Kim from doing a hostile takeover of his company. She's the thorn in his side, the Lego under his bare foot, and absolutely, definitely, positively not his one true love.
Fen doesn't need a man, thank you very much. It's hard enough running her own business when she's struggling with undiagnosed ADHD. Not to mention constantly being compared to her obnoxiously hot business rival, the arrogant and brilliant Carter Howe. The very thought of him makes her tingle all over. With rage. Definitely rage.
But it's hard to stay angry when you're kidnapped together, dumped in the wilderness, and pursued by deadly attackers. And it's even harder to keep your terrible secret from the enemy you just might be falling for...
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Apart from what's mentioned in the official blurb, the book features magical pets, pawpaws, and the return of Norris the Dunkleosteus shifter, who was last seen in Defender Hellhound determinedly turning into a giant prehistoric fish at the slightest provocation and often without one.
If you'd like to order a copy directly from me, send $5 to Rphoenix2@hotmail (NOT gmail!) via PayPal. If you're broke at the moment, email me at the same address but gmail and I'll send you a freebie.
When your worst enemy turns out to be your fated mate...
Carter doesn't want a mate, thank you very much. He's got no time for love--he's too busy trying to hide the monstrous shift form he was cursed with. Not to mention trying to stop his annoyingly hot business rival Fenella Kim from doing a hostile takeover of his company. She's the thorn in his side, the Lego under his bare foot, and absolutely, definitely, positively not his one true love.
Fen doesn't need a man, thank you very much. It's hard enough running her own business when she's struggling with undiagnosed ADHD. Not to mention constantly being compared to her obnoxiously hot business rival, the arrogant and brilliant Carter Howe. The very thought of him makes her tingle all over. With rage. Definitely rage.
But it's hard to stay angry when you're kidnapped together, dumped in the wilderness, and pursued by deadly attackers. And it's even harder to keep your terrible secret from the enemy you just might be falling for...
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April 23, 2023
A small primal scream
I have spent most of my time since the snowpocalypse dealing with the fallout of the snowpocalypse, and have made minimal progress other than getting running water restored to my house. Every single repair and insurance issue involves extremely time-consuming errands which inevitably conclude in being told that I need one more thing involving another extremely time-consuming errand which concludes in being told I need to do another extremely time-consuming errand...
On the plus side, only two of my saplings (the pear and a cherry) were destroyed. One was severely damaged (the plum) but will probably survive. The others were all damaged to more minor degrees and I think will be fine. The bulbs I planted pre-snowpocalypse are starting to come up.
My phone is still broken. I spent ages being sent around trying to prove my warranty, but when I finally did that, I was informed that the warranty does not cover damage to the physical structure of the phone. So now I need to take it to a regular repair shop.
I got three different diagnoses on my non-destroyed car by three different mechanics, which does not inspire confidence. (This is for the engine issue, not the cracked windshield (etc) which is also still not repaired.) I finally took it to the dealership in the hope that the warranty would cover it. After the inevitable ages spent dealing with that, I was told that they warranty did not cover it as there is nothing wrong with the catalytic converter itself. Apparently (God I hope this is correct) the actual problem is that some of the essential hardware around the catalytic converter is missing. Their theory is that someone tried to steal the catalytic converter, but was interrupted!
Needless to say, attempted theft is not covered by the warranty. But at least it's an easier and comparatively cheaper repair than replacing the catalytic converter itself.
But! On the plus side, while all that was going on, I FINALLY finished Defender Chimera!
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On the plus side, only two of my saplings (the pear and a cherry) were destroyed. One was severely damaged (the plum) but will probably survive. The others were all damaged to more minor degrees and I think will be fine. The bulbs I planted pre-snowpocalypse are starting to come up.
My phone is still broken. I spent ages being sent around trying to prove my warranty, but when I finally did that, I was informed that the warranty does not cover damage to the physical structure of the phone. So now I need to take it to a regular repair shop.
I got three different diagnoses on my non-destroyed car by three different mechanics, which does not inspire confidence. (This is for the engine issue, not the cracked windshield (etc) which is also still not repaired.) I finally took it to the dealership in the hope that the warranty would cover it. After the inevitable ages spent dealing with that, I was told that they warranty did not cover it as there is nothing wrong with the catalytic converter itself. Apparently (God I hope this is correct) the actual problem is that some of the essential hardware around the catalytic converter is missing. Their theory is that someone tried to steal the catalytic converter, but was interrupted!
Needless to say, attempted theft is not covered by the warranty. But at least it's an easier and comparatively cheaper repair than replacing the catalytic converter itself.
But! On the plus side, while all that was going on, I FINALLY finished Defender Chimera!
[image error] [image error]
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April 16, 2023
Level Up (and up, and up...)
Yesterday I really leveled up on the beach. There were difficult wind conditions - strong and gusting, and cross-wind going in different directions minute-to-minutes, so a tendency to get blown off-course.
And yet! I flew better than I ever had before. You have to make four straight flights in a row to a target as one of the conditions to get to the H-1 (beginner) level, and if you miss one you start over. I got three in a row twice out of nine or so flights, which was a huge improvement from before.
Right now my big issue is landings. My flights tend to go off the rails, if they do, right at the end. A couple times I got pulled off-course by strong winds as soon as I landed, and ended up running way off-target to not get yanked off my feet (and I did get yanked off my feet once. You can stop this by landing with the wings level, and if necessary letting go of the glider and running strongly in the direction you want to go in.
Noelle, a non-instructor pilot, demonstrated hovering. You do this by matching your flight speed to the wind speed, so you float still in mid-air without stalling. It looked absolutely magical.
It was a beautiful day. The beach is lovely. Pelicans fly low, occasionally in huge flocks, and the water glitters like liquid diamonds.
At the end I was surprised by the instructors agreeing that I can attempt to get H-1 (Hang 1) status next week. To get this, I need to do the four straight flights, land correctly consistently, and pass a written test.
Here's some of my flights on Facebook.
Flight 1
Flight 2
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And yet! I flew better than I ever had before. You have to make four straight flights in a row to a target as one of the conditions to get to the H-1 (beginner) level, and if you miss one you start over. I got three in a row twice out of nine or so flights, which was a huge improvement from before.
Right now my big issue is landings. My flights tend to go off the rails, if they do, right at the end. A couple times I got pulled off-course by strong winds as soon as I landed, and ended up running way off-target to not get yanked off my feet (and I did get yanked off my feet once. You can stop this by landing with the wings level, and if necessary letting go of the glider and running strongly in the direction you want to go in.
Noelle, a non-instructor pilot, demonstrated hovering. You do this by matching your flight speed to the wind speed, so you float still in mid-air without stalling. It looked absolutely magical.
It was a beautiful day. The beach is lovely. Pelicans fly low, occasionally in huge flocks, and the water glitters like liquid diamonds.
At the end I was surprised by the instructors agreeing that I can attempt to get H-1 (Hang 1) status next week. To get this, I need to do the four straight flights, land correctly consistently, and pass a written test.
Here's some of my flights on Facebook.
Flight 1
Flight 2
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April 10, 2023
So I got back home...
...and the water works! Yay!
But the crew completely trashed the area they worked in and threw dirt all over the place, blocked paths with giant heaps of dirt, etc. I was gritting my teeth to have to fix it all myself, but the guy who owns the business showed up, was very pissed off, and has promised that he's going to chew out the crew and send them back to fix everything tomorrow, supervised.
The car has something significant wrong but I forget what it was called. The shop I took it to said it needed to be fixed ASAP but it was okay to drive for a few more hours like that.
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But the crew completely trashed the area they worked in and threw dirt all over the place, blocked paths with giant heaps of dirt, etc. I was gritting my teeth to have to fix it all myself, but the guy who owns the business showed up, was very pissed off, and has promised that he's going to chew out the crew and send them back to fix everything tomorrow, supervised.
The car has something significant wrong but I forget what it was called. The shop I took it to said it needed to be fixed ASAP but it was okay to drive for a few more hours like that.
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OH WAIT
Started my car to leave. Engine made a very unsettling sound. Car is now in the shop to be checked. If I don't get it back either fixed or okayed to make the drive within two hours max, I will have to cancel the plumber who was going to meet me today to turn my water back on, and when I get to go back home will depend on his schedule.
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I'm going home!
After more than a month in a friend's guest bedroom, I have regained running water, internet, and phone service at my house. I'm taking the cats and chickens today, and I'm going home!
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April 3, 2023
The Album of Doctor Moreau, by Daryl Gregory
It's 2001 and the WyldBoyZ are the world's hottest boy band, beloved of tween girls everywhere. When boy band member Bobby-O wakes up covered in blood beside the corpse of their much-hated manager, Dr. M, on the last day of their Las Vegas tour, the band finds itself in another genre entirely: the locked-room mystery.
And by "other genre," I meant "other than science fiction:" the band consists of Bobby-O the ocelot hybrid (the cute one), Matt the bat hybrid (the funny one), Tim the pangolin hybrid (the shy one), Devin the bonobo hybrid (the romantic one), and Tusk the elephant hybrid (the smart one).
Detective Luce Delgado is assigned to the mystery because she's supposedly good with celebrities. Too bad for her that her nine-year-old daughter is the WyldBoyZ's biggest fan...
This short novel starts out as a hilarious takeoff on the music industry with a side of terrible animal puns crossed with a classic murder mystery that's also science fiction, deftly handles all those elements, and about two-thirds of the way in unexpectedly walloped me with genuine feeling. I ended up incredibly emotionally invested in the characters.
This goofy-looking novel is extremely technically accomplished, integrating at least three distinct genres with panache and skill. The epigraph it begins with, T. S. Eliot's rules for detective novels, is well worth taking a second look at once you finish to see what Gregory actually did with those rules. The characters are great, and the climax is amazing. I really like Gregory and I was still impressed with how good this was.
Content notes: drugs, music industry-typical creepy sexual and financial dynamics, off-page (backstory) abusive human experimentation and child death.
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And by "other genre," I meant "other than science fiction:" the band consists of Bobby-O the ocelot hybrid (the cute one), Matt the bat hybrid (the funny one), Tim the pangolin hybrid (the shy one), Devin the bonobo hybrid (the romantic one), and Tusk the elephant hybrid (the smart one).
Detective Luce Delgado is assigned to the mystery because she's supposedly good with celebrities. Too bad for her that her nine-year-old daughter is the WyldBoyZ's biggest fan...
This short novel starts out as a hilarious takeoff on the music industry with a side of terrible animal puns crossed with a classic murder mystery that's also science fiction, deftly handles all those elements, and about two-thirds of the way in unexpectedly walloped me with genuine feeling. I ended up incredibly emotionally invested in the characters.
This goofy-looking novel is extremely technically accomplished, integrating at least three distinct genres with panache and skill. The epigraph it begins with, T. S. Eliot's rules for detective novels, is well worth taking a second look at once you finish to see what Gregory actually did with those rules. The characters are great, and the climax is amazing. I really like Gregory and I was still impressed with how good this was.
Content notes: drugs, music industry-typical creepy sexual and financial dynamics, off-page (backstory) abusive human experimentation and child death.
[image error] [image error]
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April 1, 2023
Hang Gliding: Lesson Four on the Beach
Here is a spectacular fail landing, immortalized on Instagram. And here (smaller video) on Facebook. It was going so well until until the very end...
Today I feel like I really leveled up. There was much better wind than last time, so it was very easy to launch. There was also light turbulence and cross winds, so it was a challenge to stay on-course. However, I was in the air long enough that I had time to do a lot more and also make decisions.
There was one scary moment where I felt like I was swerving fast into the ground and I decided to land on the wheels rather than trying to land on my feet. (That's not the landing in the video.) Also several where I did not intend to land on the wheels but did anyway. But I had a bunch of flights that were great up to the landing, and even a couple decent landings.
I'm going again tomorrow to try to consolidate what I learned into muscle memory.
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Today I feel like I really leveled up. There was much better wind than last time, so it was very easy to launch. There was also light turbulence and cross winds, so it was a challenge to stay on-course. However, I was in the air long enough that I had time to do a lot more and also make decisions.
There was one scary moment where I felt like I was swerving fast into the ground and I decided to land on the wheels rather than trying to land on my feet. (That's not the landing in the video.) Also several where I did not intend to land on the wheels but did anyway. But I had a bunch of flights that were great up to the landing, and even a couple decent landings.
I'm going again tomorrow to try to consolidate what I learned into muscle memory.
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