FF: Who Would Have Figured?

Mei-Ling Thinks This Book Makes a Great Fashion Accent

This week I pulled out an old favorite in honor of Halloween… And, as promised, I’m letting you know that a book I read as an advanced review copy, This Broken World by Charles E. Gannon is now available! I’ve posted the cover at the end for your enjoyment. Although book one in a series, it does have a complete story arc.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading. 

Completed:

The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher.  Sequel to The Clockwork Boys.  Not steampunk.  Sword and sorcery.

Old Nathan by David Drake.  Re-read.  A series of short stories that weaves into a very satisfying novel.  Appalachian folklore vibe on the spooky side, so a good Halloween read!

In Progress:

Quartered Safe Out Here by George MacDonald Fraser.  Audiobook.  Non-fiction.  Re-read.  Rambling memoir of the Burma campaign in WWII, British POV.  Read by David Case, who does accents amazingly.

Finder by Emma Bull. A Bordertown novel.

Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison.  Nordic mythic underpinnings to a story that’s part fairytale, more magical realism.  Main character is more acted upon than acting, about which I have mixed feelings.  It adds to the fairytale feeling, but I prefer stories where magical gifts are somehow earned, not just bestowed.

Also:

I’ve caught up on Archeology and Smithsonian, for once, dipping into Vogue, which has some interesting articles not just about fashion, but about the creative process.  Who would have figured?

Now Available!