FF: Over the Next Few Weeks

Mei-Ling Admires

Over the next few weeks, those of you attuned to such things may notice works from the Nebula ballot being listed.  A few notes for would-be detectives.

A work not being listed does not mean I did not look at it.  I might have done so and not chosen to complete.  (The reading time is ridiculously short for such a long ballot).  I might not have been able to obtain a copy, since the days when publishers were able to routinely send out works under consideration are long gone. 

And my general guideline (listed below) for short fiction remains the same.  I usually only mention my reading of shorter works if something blows me out of the water.

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:

Prospero’s Children by Jan Siegel.  Lush description, different worldbuilding.  Second part has a dreamlike element that will work for some, not for others.  Overall, I’d read more by this author.

A Storm of Horses: The Story of Artist Rosa Bonheur by Ruth Sanderson.  This lushly illustrated biography (written for a younger audience, but perfectly enjoyable by this adult) takes the saying “a picture speaks a thousand words” very seriously.  Each illustration is packed with detail that augments the grammar school level text.  “More About Rosa” adds to the initial material, and is written for a somewhat more advanced reader.  The final pages include additional resources.  This is the sort of book that grows with the reader.

In Progress:

Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark.  Audiobook.  Over half-way done.  Haven’t had as much audio time as I’d like, but so far, I’m definitely enjoying.

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins.  Recommended by a friend.  Just started. 

Also:

American Archeology magazine.  Some very interesting articles in this one, although I really did quibble with the statement that the reason an older mare would have been kept was as breeding stock.  I wonder what the writer would have said if the remains in question had been of a male horse?  Might they have included a gentler animal for beginning or older riders?  A pack animal?  Maybe even a pet?