Elizabeth Fitzgerald's Blog: Earl Grey Editing, page 12

Loose-leaf Links #66

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I’ve come across and share them with you over tea. Today’s tea is Royal Chai from Adore Tea. This is a sweeter chai that tastes faintly of coconut to me, despite having none present.

Follow Up

A couple of months ago, I reviewed Sam Hawke’s City of Lies. I really enjoyed the book, so I was delighted to be able to attend its Australian launch. I tweeted a little about the event while I was there.

Awards News

A heap of award have been announced over the last few weeks. The Hugo Awards were announced yesterday (with bonus stats for those interested). Also recently announced were the winners of the 2018 Arthur C. Clarke Award and the 2018 Mythopoeic Awards (where particular congratulations go to Garth Nix, who won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature with Frogkisser!).

Additionally, the Romance Writers of America announced the 2018 RITA and Golden Heart Awards. Sarah Nicolas has a good round-up of the night on Book Riot, including some reactions to Suzanne Brockmann’s controversial acceptance speech on being given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award.

There was some additional controversy with several accusations of biased judging towards interracial romances.The RWA responded with policy changes.

And the finalists for the 2018 World Fantasy Awards have been released.

Community and Conventions

WorldCon 76 has been plagued with difficulties over the last few weeks. Complaints were raised about the institution of a dress code for the Hugo Awards, the misgendering of panel members and a general discrimination against including diverse panel members and Hugo nominees in particular. Foz Meadows has a very thoughtful and comprehensive round-up. The WorldCon committee issued several apologies and accepted an offer from Mary Robinette Kowal to assist with reworking the program.

The convention also had to contend with rival protests outside the convention centre. File 770 gives an overview of the situation in the lead up, but ultimately it didn’t seem to amount to much. Relatedly, Jon del Arroz attempted to attend the convention, despite being previously banned by the committee.

Alex Acks has a series of blog posts reporting on the World Science Fiction Society’s business meetings, which took place at WorldCon.

Wellington has officially been confirmed as the host for WorldCon in 2020. New Zealand, here I come!

Trisha Brown takes a look at romance conventions in America.

Jason Sizemore, owner and manager of Apex Magazine, has written a book about his experiences as a small publisher.

Uncanny Magazine are crowdfunding their fifth year of publication, with the Kickstarter closing soon.

On Equity

Fireside Magazine have issued their annual report on Black Speculative Fiction.

Along similar lines, a UK report found the percentage of young adult books written by black and minority ethnic authors is declining. Found via Lady Business, where Jodi had some interesting reflections on the article.

Over on Book Riot, Feliza Casano has a list of 20 books that put the f/f back in SFF.

The Mary Sue have an article on women who stream Dungeons and Dragons online.

For Writers

Fireside Magazine are opening for poetry submissions, with the first submissions period beginning 24 October.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have released their market report for August.

Joanne Harris issues a warning about Woman’s Weekly and their new contract policy.

Over at Tor.com, Fran Wilde hosts a roundtable on world-building for SFF.

Peter M. Ball takes aim at the myth that we all have the same 24 hours in which to write.

For Readers

Local readers may be interested in a few events from Felicity Banks this weekend. First off, she’s having an art exhibition and book launch for her epistolary serial Murder by Mail on Saturday 25. The following day is the launch of Iron Lights, the final book in her Australian steampunk series Antipodean Queen.

Tor have announced they will be placing a four-month embargo on new ebooks for libraries, claiming an adverse impact on sales. The American Library Association quickly condemned the move.

Twelfth Planet Press have announced the first book in their children’s imprint, Titania, will be released in May 2019. Winter’s Tale is written by Nike Sulway and will be illustrated by Shauna O’Meara.

TPP have also released the cover for Icefall, a forthcoming novella by Stephanie Gunn. It will feature space, women in sport and a portrayal of chronic illness.

Back at Book Riot, Laura Sackton shares this interesting approach to managing the size of her Goodreads To Read pile. I believe Alis Franklin has a similar approach, but it’s not one I could bear to bring myself to try.

 

Lastly, Green Ronin Publishing have teamed up with the duo behind James S.A. Corey to bring forth a roleplaying game based on the popular series The Expanse. The Kickstarter is in its last stages, so get in quick!

Blogging Birthday: Four Years

Yesterday was the fourth anniversary of Earl Grey Editing’s blog. I was a bit more prepared this year and ordered some special chocolates from Mornington Peninsular Chocolates to celebrate. Pictured above (starting from the top and moving clockwise) are the raspberry ganache, French Earl Grey ganache, caramel swirl and chai ganache. Unsurprisingly, my favourite was the French Earl Grey ganache.

After four years, I’m starting to feel like I’m properly established. Even like I’m part of the establishment. It feels kind of weird, since I’m used to thinking of myself as just starting out. I suppose it’s a kind of Impostor Syndrome.

This year has certainly had its challenges. I had some issues with burnout back in March and subsequently scaled back to one post a week instead of two. This has been frustrating in some ways because there are so many awesome books I want to share with you all. However, the change eased some of the pressure on me and made blogging feel sustainable once again.

There have also been things to celebrate. I was delighted to be nominated for the Ditmar Awards for the second year, and this time in two categories: Best Fan Writer and Best Fan Publication in Any Medium. Thank you so much to those that nominated and voted for me. On a slightly more personal note, I was thrilled to have a story accepted for publication in Mother of Invention, edited by Rivqa Rafael and Tansy Rayner Roberts. Although it wasn’t my first publication, it was my first that paid professional rates… and I get to share a table of contents with some of my favourite writers.

This year I also started reviewing for The Skiffy and Fanty Show. It has been amazing to be part of such a talented team. Not only has it stretched me as a reviewer, but it has taught me a lot about podcasting and introduced me to some truly wonderful people.

Thank you so much to everyone who reads regularly and those who have expressed support. I’m looking forward to continuing for another year.

Mt TBR Report: July 2018

Any good progress I made on shrinking Mt TBR last month has been undone and then some. Books for Aurealis judging started arriving in earnest and I discovered a few more Hugo nominees I hadn’t properly added to my list. Then my sweetheart took me on a date to a second-hand bookstore. How’s a girl meant to resist?

To compound matters, I had a mini reading slump brought about by a touch of Hugo burnout and exhaustion from working to meet editing deadlines.

Mt TBR Status

Mt TBR @ 1 January 2018: 351

Mt TBR @ 30 June 2018: 361

Mt TBR @ 31 July 2018: 387

Books Read

79. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Reviewed here.

80. Extracurricular Activities by Yoon Ha Lee. Shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. A sci-fi novelette set in the past of Ninefox Gambit‘s General Jedao. He must cross into enemy territory to discover the fate of an old classmate and his crew. The spy shenanigans are a bit of fun, but the story wasn’t anything super impressive.

81. Children of Thorns, Children of Water by Aliette de Bodard. Shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. A fantasy novelette about a pair of dragons seeking to infiltrate one of Paris’s decaying Houses. Of course, it doesn’t quite go to plan. Some fascinating worldbuilding that makes me think I need to finally get around to reading de Bodard’s Dominion of the Fallen series.

82. The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer. Shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. A sci-fi novelette about an outdated bot who is called on to rid the ship it serves of a pest. However, the bot soon gets caught up in bigger issues. A wonderful story about not giving up in the face of overwhelming odds and resisting others’ views of one’s obsolescence.

83. Saga, Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. Hazel and her family land on a comet to refuel and end up staying for longer than anticipated. This issue simply confirmed for me that Saga is not my jam.

84. Wind Will Rove by Sarah Pinsker. Shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. A sci-fi novelette in which a generation ship loses access to its databases on art and culture. This leads to a schism between the generations over the need to preserve their art forms as they existed when they left Earth verses the need to create new art. It particularly focuses on folk music. I found it a compelling and engaging story, one that reflects current dynamics in SFF fandom.

85. Monstress, Volume 2 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. Shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. Still on the run, Maika teams up with a pirate from her past to take a trip out to the mysterious Isle of Bones. An interesting story, but I’m not convinced the complexity of the plot makes it a good candidate for serialisation. Admittedly, it has been about a year since I read the first one, so it was hard to remember who everyone was and what their motivations were. However, it is absolutely worth it for the spectacular artwork.

86. Twice Dead by Caitlin Seal. Review forthcoming.

87. Moon-Bright Tides by RoAnna Sylver. A reluctant sea witch with a fear of drowning meets an exiled mermaid. This is a very sweet short story but I found it a touch clumsy in places.

88. Mira’s Last Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold. Another fantasy novella in the Penric and Desdemona series, this one follows directly on from Penric’s Mission. Still on the run from enemies, Penric disguises himself as a courtesan, helped by Mira, former courtesan and one of the aspects of the demon Desdemona. I felt this one didn’t quite live up to some of the previous novellas. I found it a bit predictable in places and the conclusion of the romance arc wasn’t quite as strong as I felt it needed to be. However, it remained a delight to read and the Shakespeare references made me smile.

89. Three-Man Advantage by Ariel Bishop. Second in the Tripping series. A sports m/m/m romance. When the stress of the ice hockey season starts to get to captain of the team David, his two vice captains and best friends step in to help. It’s refreshing to see a healthy polyamorous relationship. Although David is joining an established relationship, there’s no jealousy and a delightful lack of toxic masculinity. My one quibble is that it was edging into a few too many sex scenes for my taste.

90. The Soldier’s Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian. First in the Turner series, historical m/m romance. Jack Turner has no time for nobility and uses his criminal talents to fix problems the law simply compounds. So, he resists when he finds himself drawn to a law-abiding gentleman Oliver Rivington, as the pair investigate a packet of stolen letters. A lovely and well-written read, but not particularly memorable.

91. Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher. Shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. Her mother’s depression and anxiety has meant a sheltered life for Summer. Then, one day Baba Yaga moves into the neighbourhood. This YA portal fantasy was such a delight; gentle and poignant.

92. Uncanny Magazine, Volume 16 edited by Lynne and Michael Thomas. A good mix of stories, but their non-fiction was disappointingly US-centric.

DNF A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge. Shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. A young girl with the ability to host ghosts goes to live with some estranged but wealthy relatives after her mother dies. Beautifully written historical fantasy with a bent towards the Gothic. It wasn’t for me, but I suspect it was a question of timing; I’ll probably come back to it.

 

Books Acquired

Peace Force by Simon Haynes

Alpha Minor by Simon Haynes

Sierra Bravo by Simon Haynes

Palace of Fires by Bill Bennett

Neverland by Margo McGovern

Mother of Invention edited by Rivqa Rafael and Tansy Rayner Roberts

The Shadow by Marianne Curley

Extracurricular Activities by Yoon Ha Lee

Children of Thorns, Children of Water by Aliette de Bodard

The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer

A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad

Wind Will Rove by Sarah Pinsker

Luminescent Threads edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondel

No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters by Ursula K. Le Guin

Saga, Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Monstress, Volume 2 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

Shadows Wake by Aiki Flintheart

Shadows Bane by Aiki Flintheart

Mira’s Last Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold

Rocket Fuel edited by Bridget McGovern and Chris Lough

Death Most Definite by Trent Jamieson

The Stone Mage and the Sea by Sean Williams

Heart-Beast by Tanith Lee

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

Fleshers by Alison Croggan and Daniel Keene

Mercy Point by Anna Snoekstra

His Name Was Walter by Emily Rodda

The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

The Fray by Emily Dale

Emergence by Marita Smith

Stratification by Isla Evans

The Cycle of Harm by M.H. Snowy

One Hell of A Ride by Seanan McGuire

No Place Like Home by Seanan McGuire

Married in Green by Seanan McGuire

Sweet Poison Wine by Seanan McGuire

Online Reading

None.

Dewey’s Readathon, July 2018

Dewey’s 24-hour Readathon took place last weekend. For those who have somehow managed to miss my incessant posting about it, the event is basically a chance for book geeks across the world to get together and read as much as possible. It is also held in honour of its founder, a book blogger who went by the name Dewey, who passed away several years ago. I participated in my very first readathon in April 2011 and haven’t looked back since.

This readathon was a little different to previous ones. The event typically starts at 10PM AEST. The organisers flipped things around so that the starting time was 10AM instead. It felt a bit odd not to dive straight into reading, but it was nice to have the luxury of a slow start to the morning. It was also very cool to be there for the start of the event and to be part of all the excitement.

As I mentioned previously, my goal for the readathon was to get through more of the reading for the Hugo Awards. I spent most of the time making my way through Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon). I’d not previously read any of Vernon’s work (other than her short story also nominated this year for the relevant category). I found it to be an amazing portal fantasy novel–sweet and poignant. Perfect reading for the event.

Obligatory photo of my reading buddy.

The afternoon weather was also perfect. It might be winter here, but it was warm and sunny enough to spend an hour out in the hammock in my backyard. I only ended up coming inside because I had to host the readathon Twitter account for a couple of hours. Which was its own delight. It was right at the point where most of North America was asleep (or should have been) while Europe and Africa were waking up–a good mix of the most stubbornly determined and the well-rested eager to get started.

After finishing Summer in Orcus, I ended up veering away from my goal to read Hugo-nominated work. Instead, I polished off just under a hundred pages of Splashdance Silver by Tansy Rayner Roberts (which I had been partway through reading for entirely too long). And, with only an hour left before bed, I chose to focus on some short stories via Uncanny Magazine, Issue 16. I finished the issue on Sunday morning in the few hours left of the readathon.

All up, I read a little over 450 pages. Not my finest effort, but I care less and less about breaking records and tracking stats during the readathon. As far as I’m concerned, any progress on shrinking Mt TBR is good! Plus, I had a blast chatting with the community.

Speaking of which, a big thank you to Andi at Estella’s Revenge and Heather of Capricious Reader for the tireless effort they put into organising the read-a-thon. It is my favourite reading event of the year and they work so hard to make it happen.

The next read-a-thon will be taking place on 20-21 October 2018. Don’t forget to mark it on your calendar. It has a great sense of community that keeps me coming back. I do hope you’ll join us next October.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

This week I’m over at the Skiffy and Fanty Show with a review of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Originally appearing as a novella in The Starlit Wood edited by Dominik Parisien and Navah Wolfe, it has been expanded into a novel that will delight lovers of fairytale retellings.

Loose-leaf Links #65

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I’ve come across and share them with you over tea. Today’s tea is Elder Flower Blend from the Tea Centre. It’s a bit more subtle than some flavoured blacks with a taste reminiscent of berries. I’m not usually a big fan of berry-flavoured tea, but I’m enjoying this one a whole lot.

Awards News

File 770 reports on the inaugural Leo Awards. The goal of the awards is to promote exceptional literature in furry fandom and they were presented at Anthrocon on 7 July.

The British Fantasy Society have released the shortlists for the 2018 British Fantasy Awards.

The nominees for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Association’s 2018 Grand Master Award have also been announced.

Community and Conventions

The Canberra Writers Festival recently did itself no favours with the local community. On receiving pushback when it was announced the festival would be headlined by disgraced politician Barnaby Joyce, unprofessional comments were to made both by associate Steve Lewis and the official Twitter account of the event. Award-winning fantasy author Russell Kirkpatrick bore the brunt of this. A somewhat lacklustre apology from Lewis has done little to restore the good will of the Canberra spec fic community.

In more positive news for locals, Sam Hawke will be hosting a launch for her debut novel City of Lies. Join us at Harry Hartog’s on 9 August at 6PM. While the event is free, RSVPs are necessary for catering purposes.

On Equity

Marie Brennan has an ongoing fundraiser for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services in Texas.

Lady Business looks at some of the stats around non-US bids to host WorldCon.

Speaking of Lady Business, founder Renay expressed frustration when the WorldCon 76 committee emailed Hugo nominees to request they wear semi-formal attire for the awards ceremony. She and several other nominees discussed the issues this brings up around class, gender and body shape. Master of Ceremonies and Guest of Honour John Picacio committed his support in making sure all nominees feel comfortable attending, regardless of dress.

For Writers

SFWA have released their market report for July.

On the SFWA blog, Kevin L. O’Brien discusses the technology and process involved in iron smelting.

And KJ Charles shares how she got moving again on a stalled story.

For Readers

Tor.com has announced there will be a full-length novel in Martha Wells’ Murderbot series.

They’re also publishing a new solarpunk series by Becky Chambers (though we’re going to be waiting on that one a while).

John Joseph Adams and Victor La Valle are editing an anthology called A People’s Future of the United States. The Table of Contents includes some impressive names, with the book to be released in February 2019.

N.K. Jemisin’s first short story collection will be coming out on 27 November and is called How Long ‘Til Black Future Month?

Donna Maree Hanson has published Skyfire, the fifth book in her Dragon Wine series. The sixth book, Moonfall, will be out at the end of August.

Over at Reading the End, Gin Jenny has a fantastic interview on fanfic with Lara Elena Donnelly, author of Amberlough.

Dewey’s Read-a-thon sign-up, July 2018

Dewey’s read-a-thon is my favourite reading challenge and it usually runs twice a year–in April and October. This year Andi and Heather have decided to surprise us all with a third round. Although it will still run for the full 24 hours, the starting time has been shifted 12 hours. This means the challenge begins at 10 AM on Saturday, 28 July 2018 for the east coast of Australia. It’s going to feel a little weird starting during daylight hours, but I’m looking forward to it!

In a happy coincidence, voting for the Hugo Awards closes on 1 August. This means I’ll be using the read-a-thon to make one last push through the voting material. Books still on the list to tackle include The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller, Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher and The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan.

As with last time, my goal is simply to get through as many as I can… which will probably be two at the most.

If you need to tame your own Mt TBR or are looking to connect with a great community of book bloggers, I do hope you’ll join me. It’s not too late! You can sign up, follow on Twitter, join the Goodreads group or any combination of the three. If you’ve already signed up, I’d love to hear about what you’ll be reading.

The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen

Published: June 2018 by Tachyon Publications

Format reviewed: E-book (mobi)

Genres: Fantasy, middle grade

Source: NetGalley

Available: Publisher (electronic only) ~ Amazon (AU,US) ~ Barnes & Noble~ Booktopia ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heather and Richard have little in common. A voracious reader growing up in a large house filled with books, Richard is a sickly child who prefers to be solitary. Heather is comfortable in a crowd, but nonetheless sneaks away on her appaloosa pony for lone adventures in woods.

One evening after dinner, Richard spies a strange, white deer in the fading light of the woods. It leaps away into the thick brush, but Richard is certain of what he’s seen: a unicorn. And Heather–out for a ride–has also spotted the unusual stag.

Heather and Richard cannot agree on what they’ve seen. They definitely do not want to share their secret. But they will soon discover that their assistance is much-needed indeed.

First published in 1975, The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen is getting a new edition thanks to Tachyon Publications. It remains an enchanting tale about the power of belief and the importance of trust.

The novella sits squarely in mythopoeic tradition, in that liminal space where it’s never quite clear what’s fantasy and what’s reality. The two children have very different ideas about the creature they spied in the woods: for Richard it’s a unicorn, whereas Heather is certain it’s an albino stag. And even though some of the story is told from the perspective of the creature, this doesn’t settle the issue. Nor is it supposed to; it’s the sort of story that allows space for the reader’s interpretation.

Told in third person, it alternates between the focusing on the creature, Richard and Heather. Although nominally a middle-grade novel, it makes no effort to dumb down the language–rather to the contrary, in fact. Having been a precocious reader, I really appreciated this. The sentence structures were somewhat simplistic to begin with, but this is less about talking down to the audience than it is about invoking a fairytale atmosphere.

Having been written more than 40 years ago, one might expect the story to be a bit dated. And in one or two places it is. For example, Heather is required by her parents to leave a note on the fridge whenever she goes out. These days, she’d be more likely to have a mobile phone and send a text message. However, much of the action takes place in the forest, which gives it that fairytale sense of timelessness.

The story should come with a content warning for animal death… although probably not the one you’d expect. And, as with many unicorn stories, there’s also a subtextual theme of sexual awakening. However, this is very underplayed (being mostly down to the symbolism) and is likely to bypass most young readers (and probably more than a few adults).

All in all, The Transfigured Hart is a delightful read that shows why Jane Yolen is a master of fantasy.

Loose-leaf Links #64

Loose-leaf Links is a feature where I gather together the interesting bits and pieces on sci-fi, fantasy and romance I’ve come across and share them with you over tea. Today’s tea is Lapsang Souchong by Lupicia. I bought this while in Melbourne for Continuum and I’ve been drinking it non-stop ever since. The tea itself isn’t strong, but has a powerful smoky flavour that’s perfect for winter.

Awards News

The winners of the 2018 Locus Awards were announced last month.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry Society has released the winners of the 2018 Rhysling Awards.

The winners of Mark Lawrence’s third annual Self Published Fantasy Blog-off and have been announced and a new round is already underway.

The nominees of the 2018 ENnie Awards have been released. The awards recognise excellence in RPGs and related items.

Kate Forsyth was awarded the AFTS Annual Award for Inspiration and Contribution to Australian Fairy Tale Culture by the Australian Fairy Tale Society.

There was some discussion (rounded up by File 770) of the need for a Best Translated Work category for the Hugos. This could potentially be a good way of adding more World back into Worldcon.

On a related note, Paul Weimer points out the US government’s new travel ban may have a chilling effect on Worldcons hosted in that country.

Community and Conventions

Donna Maree Hanson’s GUFF report on Worldcon 75 is now for sale.

Shimmer Magazine has announced it will be publishing its last issue in November.

Conflux are looking for volunteers and programming suggestions for their convention in September.

Kate Bullock discusses tabletop RPGs, trauma, and why your GM is not your therapist.

On Equity

Kate Aidley writes the truth about sexual harassment and board gaming.

Mary Robinette Kowal discusses the power of narrative and the responsibilities that come with creating narratives.

Sam Hawke writes about using SFF to break the through cultural norms.

Over on her YouTube channel, Claire Rousseau explains how not to do a SFF recommendation list.

Jen takes a look at how many romance novels by authors of colour or featuring LGBTQIA characters are reviewed by professional romance outlets.

Rebecca Roanhorse recommends five indigenous speculative fiction authors.

Sarah Gailey discusses how a sensitivity read changed her life.

For Writers

Submissions are open for an Ursula K. Le Guin tribute poetry anthology. Published by Aqueduct Press and edited by Rose Lemberg, submissions close 15 October.

Tor.com are opening for novella submissions from 30 July. Max word count 40K.

Twelfth Planet Press are also opening for novella submissions from 1 August. Submissions should be festive-themed.

Fireside Magazine are looking for novels and novellas. They’ll be open to manuscripts up to 120K beginning 1 August.

Over at Tor.com Leah Schnelback looks at how Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice avoids infodumping.

Brenda W. Clough lists some things to deal with after you’ve written your first draft.

Peter Ball has a short rant about submission guidelines.

Rachel Thompson at BadRedhead Media discusses the importance of author branding.

For Readers

Amanda Bridgeman has a new sci-fi thriller out with Angry Robot Books. The Subjugate will be out 6 November.

Readers looking for cosy stories exploring demisexual/allosexual romantic relationships may be interested in checking out Among the Glimmering Flowers just released by Lynn O’Connacht.

Twelfth Planet Press have unveiled the cover for Mother of Invention edited by Rivqa Rafael and Tansy Rayner Roberts. The artwork is by Likhain and is a thing of beauty.

The cover for S.A. Chakraborty’s The Kingdom of Copper, sequel to The City of Brass, has been revealed over on Tor.com.

And if you’re looking for help with shrinking your Mt TBR, Dewey’s Read-a-thon are having a surprise bout. It will begin on 28 July, 10 AM (AEST).

Mt TBR Report: June 2018

June was a surprisingly good month for my Mt TBR, despite the fact I attended Continuum. A judicious cull and a last-minute binge read meant I actually managed to shrink the pile a little. However, there’s still a way to go if I hope to break even this year.

Mt TBR Status

Mt TBR @ 1 January 2018: 351

Mt TBR @ 31 May 2018: 366

Mt TBR @ 30 June 2018: 361

Books Read

66. Tricks for Free by Seanan McGuire. Sixth book in the InCryptid series. On the run from the Covenant of Saint George, Antimony Price seeks refuge working in an amusement park. But a rash of disasters makes it hard for Annie to keep her head down, especially once the body count starts to rise. I’m generally a fan of Seanan’s work and this was no exception. I particularly enjoyed the way it dug into what it’s like to be poor and marginalised.

67. Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn. Shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. First in the Heroine Complex series. A long-suffering assistant to a superhero is convinced to pose as her boss for one night. This superhero chick-lit was a fun adventure. The romance was handled well, but I wasn’t entirely satisfied by the resolution of key toxic relationships.

68. Born to the Blade, Ep. 1: Arrivals by Michael Underwood. The first part in an eleven-part series from Serial Box. In a world of floating sky islands ruled by magic and duels, a fragile peace is coming to an end. The characters were diverse and seemed interesting but I found the writing style bland and unengaging.

69. A Dream to Build A Kiss On by Narrelle M. Harris. Set in the modern day, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson learn to live with then love each other while they match wits with Professor Moriarty. Told in short vignettes, it was perfect reading for the flight home from Continuum. Sure to appeal to fans of Sherlock fanfic.

70. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. First in the Broken Earth trilogy. As the world comes to an end once again, a woman pursues her husband to enact vengeance for killing their son. A brutal story that involves an oppressed class of earth benders. I bounced off this the first time I tried to read it, shortly after the murder of Eric Garner. However, I’m glad I came back to it. Its anger and its social commentary are important and I loved the way magic and geology intersect. I was also really impressed with the perspective twists.

71. Black Bolt: Hard Time by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward. Shortlisted for the Hugo Award. Black Bolt is falsely imprisoned and must form some unlikely alliances in the hope of escaping. I was extremely underwhelmed by the story. It particularly suffers in comparison to its Hugo rival Bitch Planet, which uses its prison narrative to make some sharp social commentary.

72. City of Lies by Sam Hawke. Reviewed here.

73. Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty. Shortlisted for the Hugo Award. A locked-room murder mystery set on a space ship. I loved the worldbuilding, the combination of genres and the diversity of the cast. However, the ultimate villain was perhaps a bit too heavily foreshadowed.

74. The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata. Shortlisted for the Hugo Award. A science fiction short story about an artist commissioned to create a monument on Mars. A quiet, understated story about futile gestures and doing what is right. It kind of crept up on me.

75. The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen. Review forthcoming.

76. Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee. Shortlisted for the Hugo Award. Second in the Machineries of Empire series. A psychotic general hijacks a fleet to pursue an enemy of the very empire that just tried to kill him (again). A compelling instalment to the series. I really enjoyed the way it was told from perspectives other than Jedao’s and to see more of the servitors. I’m really looking forward to the next book.

77. Fucking Apostrophes by Simon Griffen. A non-fiction book about the appropriate use of apostrophes. Wonderfully short and to the point, but the swearing was an unnecessary affectation that became tiresome quickly.

78. The Alchemy of Fine by Tansy Rayner Roberts. A prequel novelette to the Belladonna University series, it probably won’t make a whole lot of sense to those who haven’t read the series. Moving backward in time, it tells the story of how Hebe and Sage started dating and then broke up, as well as how the band Fake Geek Girl formed. A delightful read, but one that doesn’t really bring anything new to the series.

 

Books Acquired

Black Bolt: Hard Time by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward

A Dream to Build a Kiss On by Narrelle M Harris

The Lascar’s Dagger by Glenda Larke

Mountains of the Mind by Gillian Polack

The Butterfly Stone by Laurie Bell

Graevale by Lynette Noni

Whisper by Lynette Noni

The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen

80,ooo Totally Secure Passwords by Simon Petrie

The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata

Cabaret of Monsters by Tansy Rayner Roberts

Messenger by K.S. Nikakis

Uncanny Magazine, Issue 23 edited by Lynne and Michael Thomas

City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett

Online Reading

Worth Her Weight in Gold by Sarah Gailey. Set in the River of Teeth‘s alternate history world. Houndstooth finds his getaway difficult when Ruby, his hippo, decides she’s not moving any further. A fun story that stands fine on its own.

Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail by owlet. This series is close to 260K of Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes fanfic. After the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky is no longer James Buchanan Barnes nor even just the Winter Soldier but some combination of both. As he attempts to reconcile his shattered psyche, he must also deal with a compulsion to protect Steve Rogers. While this is technically slash, there’s no sexual content until the final story. Instead, it’s a series of delightful stories about looking after one’s mental health and making friends.