A slightly shorter links round-up this week, team, sorry about that! Things have been happening; I just haven’t been remembering to save the links about them. The wonderful Linda Holmes lists five shows that TV execs will never stop making. My favorite is “The Adventures Of Mr. Superabilities And Detective Ladyskeptic.” Beyond “diversity in SF”: Some ideas for (awesome-sounding) panels on diverse topics, for SFF conventions to take under advisement. The latest issue of Open Letters Monthly carried a report from the Romance Writers Association convention. The more I think about romance novels and their place in society, the more…
23 CommentsAuthor: Jenny Hamilton
Note: I received an e-galley of Sorcerer to the Crown from the publisher for review consideration. Some brilliant person described this book on Twitter a while ago as a postcolonial Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and I have been all about it ever since. Zen Cho’s debut novel tells the story of Zacharias Wythe, the first ever black Sorcerer to the Crown. Suspected of involvement in the death of his predecessor, Zacharias becomes enmeshed in a political conflict among magical parties in (what is not yet) Malaysia, fights for his position against an interloper magician recently returned from the realm…
29 CommentsI do not. Do. Serial killers. I bring this up to explain the multi-year gap between reading the first volume of Locke and Key (like 2011ish I want to say?) and now, finishing the series. The first volume gets kinda serial-killer-y, is my recollection, and I did not care for that. I will not abide with stories about serial killers, except I guess that one time I made an exception for Lauren Beukes because everyone said “definitely definitely make an exception for Lauren Beukes” okay but apart from that, NO EXCEPTIONS. Locke and Key, incidentally, is not about serial killers. It’s about…
19 CommentsReading the End Bookcast, Ep.47: Separating Books from Authors and M. J. Carter’s The Strangler Vine
Happy Wednesday! This week the Jennys go deep on separating the authors from the work and why we can’t take Jonathan Franzen seriously. Then we review M. J. Carter’s historical mystery novel, The Strangler Vine. You can listen to the podcast in the embedded player below or download the file directly to take with you on the go. Episode 47 And as promised, the cover of our next read, Patrick DeWitt’s The Sisters Brothers. See how cool? Get at me on Twitter, email the podcast, and friend me (Gin Jenny) and Whiskey Jenny on Goodreads. Or if you wish, you can…
4 CommentsConspicuous consumption. That could actually be my full post about Crazy Rich Asians, a book I read because Roxane Gay told me to. It is a book that depicts conspicuous consumption. If you like Jackie Collins and preferred Veronica to Betty because Veronica had all the cool stuff, Crazy Rich Asians might be for you. One of the characters literally has an outfit-picking computer program like in Clueless. Nick Young, scion of a derangedly wealthy Singaporean family, is bringing his girlfriend, Rachel Chu, home to meet his family, while his cousin Astrid Yeong faces the possible collapse of her marriage.…
28 CommentsThis week, we welcome Ashley back to the podcast to discuss what makes a library good (or bad). Then Ashley administers a game entitled: Real Lurlene McDaniel Book, or Nah?, in which you may witness the Jennys gradually losing track of reality and descending into madness. Finally, the Jennys review Lisa Lutz’s book How to Start a Fire. You can listen to the podcast in the embedded player below or download the file directly to take with you on the go. Episode 46 Get at me on Twitter, email the podcast, and friend me (Gin Jenny) and Whiskey Jenny on…
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