tl;dr: A fantastically unreliable narrator; a twisty and intricate plot containing many machinations; a short but intensely KJ Parkery introduction to political fantasy author KJ Parker. The subtitle for every KJ Parker novel, including this Tor novella The Last Witness might be, The Death of All Hope. Be warned of this before you go in. A lot of things will happen, you will experience feelings of suspense, and at the end, nobody you care about will get anything they want. Or if they do, they will find it is a cold and hollow victory. Anyway, if you’re unsure about KJ Parker…
26 CommentsReading the End Posts
Having ironically missed out yesterday’s BBAW topic, which was “how do you stay connected to other bloggers?”, in favor of dedication to my Alexander Hamilton readalong (so close to done!!), I now return to talk about burn-out! Day 5 One of the unfortunate side effects of reading and blogging like rockstars seems to be a tendency toward burnout. How do you keep things fresh on your blog and in your reading? I cleverly avoid this whole thing by not being a blogging rockstar. I AM SMALL BEANS AND THAT IS HOW I LIKE IT. You’re welcome for that sage advice!…
58 CommentsAt least, dear friends, the worst has happened. The #HamAlong has reached the second-saddest bit of the musical:1 Philip Hamilton dies in a duel which he fought to defend his father and in which his father urged him to delope. Anyway, not quite yet. We’ll get to that. The first thing that happens is that Hamilton supports the Alien and Sedition Acts, which Chernow tries to pretend is semi-okay even though it is blatantly not. And like — honestly? This section makes me feel rather patriotic. Like, the ways that America turned out well were very far from inevitable, if…
18 CommentsToday is the hardest topic of all the topics for Book Blogger Appreciation Week (hosted, again, by me and Ana and Andi and Heather, over at the Estella Society); or I should say rather, the very easiest. To wit: Day 3 What have you read and loved because of a fellow blogger? What haven’t I read and loved because of a fellow blogger? Before blogging, my reading life was on its way to becoming a tragic wasteland. I had exhausted the recommendations of my friends and relations and was reduced to — this is not a joke — examining college syllabi for various…
42 CommentsWhen I was a young blogger (yes, cast your minds back through the mists of time to that faraway day), I would always see other book bloggers talking about their friend Amy, always with such affection that it took me ages and ages to realize that “My Friend Amy” was the actual name of her blog. If you’ve ever seen old-lady-bloggers like me on Twitter talking about how cozy and close-knit the blogosphere used to be, it’s partly a function of its having been smaller, and partly a function of My Friend Amy. She was one of those bloggers who…
16 CommentsThe time has come! The time is now! After a few years of lying fallow, Book Blogger Appreciation Week has returned! Huge, huge thanks to my co-hosts Heather, Andi, and Ana, and thanks to everyone who’s participating. Day 1: Introduce yourself by telling us about five books that represent you as a person or your interests/lifestyle. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte I’m starting with an unoriginal one, I know! But Jane Eyre was the first book where I ever read the end before I read the middle. It gave me a taste for romance, for gothic novels, for crazypants plots where…
55 CommentsHappy Friday, everyone! I have had a stupid week and am psyched for it to be over! So here are some links, as ever, for your delectation and delight. First and most importantly, Book Blogger Appreciation Week is NEXT WEEK. I’ll be hosting a Twitter chat on Tuesday at 9 PM EST, and the blogosphere at large will be squeeing about our love for each other all week long. Don’t miss it. I admit this has nothing to do with anything, but Caity Weaver’s GQ profile of Justin Bieber is magic. It’s unsettling to share a personal story, or ask…
14 CommentsPoor old George Washington! With his strongest and cleverest ally gone from the cabinet, this section of the readalong finds him struggling to find competent people to fill political posts, while the southern motherfucking democratic republicans roundly abuse him all over the press. He keeps writing pitiful letters to Hamilton to be like And in actually the nicest gesture I have so far encountered in this readalong, Washington sends Eliza and Alexander a supportive gift during the Reynolds Pamphlet hullabaloo, with a note that says this: I pray you to present my best wishes, in which Mrs. Washington joins me,…
19 CommentsAnd now, a conundrum. AKA I’ve Got the Blues is an episode that focuses on Jessica and Trish’s relationship but also features a whole lot of Evil Simpson (a plotline that, as I mentioned in my last recap, really bugs me) and doesn’t move the Kilgrave needle forward hardly at all. So what wins out: The “I heart female friendship” Jenny or the “get a damn move on with the plot already” Jenny? Let me tell you what tipped the balance. Patricia. Come on. Jessica just got hit by a truck. When someone is in great pain and sadness, you…
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