FF: Upon Reflection

Mei-Ling Considers

A few weeks ago, I asked whether Bujold’s The Sharing Knife was more romance or fantasy, since the publisher’s description called it both.  Upon reflection, my take thus far is that the book is heavier on the romance than the fantasy.  However, since the romance is the portal through which two cultures that exist side by side without really understanding each other are explored, it’s a very anthropological romance.  It helps that both Fawn and Dag are appealing characters.  I’m trying the second one.

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.  I love seeing the tapestry of what people choose.

Completed:

Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold.  Sharing Knife series, Book One.  Audiobook. 

The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers.  Book Four in her loosely connected “Wayfarers” not really series as much as shared setting.  I enjoyed, especially for the aliens and their interaction.

In Progress:

Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold.  Sharing Knife series, Book Two.  Audiobook.

The Lefthanded Booksellers of London by Garth Nix.  Book One in his Lefthanded Booksellers series.  I read this when it came out from a library copy and liked it enough to buy my own copy.  I’m re-reading mostly because I want to, but also because one of my next reads will be the newer release, The Sinister Bookseller of Bath.

Also:

The most recent Smithsonian.