I’ve just finished reading Floating Worlds, by Cecilia Holland. The novel follows an anarchist, Paula Mendoza, negotiating a peace treaty with what are basically “space orcs”.
There were a few things that really impressed me about this book.
Tag: mini-review
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Last week, I set myself four goals for the rest of the year.
Here’s how I’ve gone so far:
- Score 19 Mary Sue comics (estimated 1 a week). I scored about one-and-a-half comics; but it turns out I only have 11 weeks left of the year, so I need to pick up the pace.
- Work on my programing project: no progress.
- Write a couple of things a week: I wrote one.
- Check in each Monday: check!
Rather than the programming I’d planned, I spent the weekend reading The Rook. It’s a book with a slightly different take on the amnesiac protagonist, but what I really liked about it was the way O’Malley uses little side-stories to fill out the details of the world.
Good luck and happy writing!
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This week saw house progress, fencing, roleplaying, a work event — and a little bit of writing.
The pre-purchase checks for the house have begun: solicitor, inspections, and final loan application. Results should arrive some time this week.
At fencing, the regular coach is away, so I and another newbie are trying to lead the group. That’s a challenge, but it should become easier with time.
I definitely worry too much about roleplaying. I tried to have everything prepared, failed, and had a great time making it up on the spot.
And work had a movie night, watching The Dressmaker (IMDb). I was surprised how much I liked the film — it’s not fantasy, but it uses fashion like fantasy would use magic.
My writing is still varied: 1,500 words spread across roleplaying notes, sonnets, and a draft reviving some old ideas.
This week will probably see a similar mix.
Good luck and happy writing!
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I’ve just read The School for Good and Evil, by Soman Chainani.
I wasn’t expecting much from this book, mainly because I found it in the bargain bin at the newsagents’. The concept got me to buy it anyway — I’ve always been a sucker for symmetry between good and evil.
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This week I read Part 1 (“Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy”) of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott.
I mistakenly thought I’d read it before (it might have been the second part), so the seriousness and preachiness of the opening surprised me. Once I got past that, the book was quite engaging.
The moral points were actually a big part of that. A few of them felt very relevant to my situation, which I hadn’t expected. Others reminded me just how much has changed in the past 146 years.
Even those were interesting, though, especially the way Jo conforms to a culture she personally disagrees with.
I’m a bit ashamed that that surprised me, but it will definitely inform how I handle things in Conkers.
— Isikyus
Jenkins Rising 