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What Are You Reading Weekend
Jan. 13th, 2018 01:22 pmCurrently Reading: Decided to pick up the #unreadshelfproject2018 from instagram - which means I'm currently wallowing in envy of people who have actual talents for creating still life photography of books. But I have two shelves of unread hard copies that I either need to read, or get rid of, or both, by July this year. So shiny internet incentive is as good an incentive as any.
On that note, currently reading: Charles Wilkins, 'Little Ship of Fools'; Rita Felski, 'Uses of Literature', David Lodge, 'Therapy', and, desultorily, Faderman's 'Surpassing the Love of Men'. Wilkins and Faderman I have been working on since November; the other two have been on my shelf for a couple of months.
Recently Finished:
Catch-up reviews from Xmas/New Year:
Anne of Green Gables and Anne of the Island - both re-reads, both delightful. I have a kobo e-book of the whole series, including the ones that aren't available on gutenberg, so that's nice.
The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was both completely engrossing, and weirdly unfinished. What ABOUT the mysterious basement, huh? Huh?
I enjoyed seeing more of Sgt Kumar, he's a good egg.
Shakespeare's Pericles, Folger edition: well that was a WILD RIDE. I'm teaching it (by choice!) this coming semester, should be hilarious.
More recent:
Overland Issue 228 by Jacinda Woodhead
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The fiction was what really stood out in this issue - the prize winners and runners-up especially. I was a bit meh about most of the poetry. The re-run of Peter Carey's first short story was fascinating. Not, I would hope, something that would get published now (hello, casual racism AND sexism, what fun) but I was struck immediately by its obvious influence on Mad Max in general and I think on Fury Road in particular. I might be imagining things but suddenly the Capable/Nux plotline looks like a clever 'fuck you' to this particular story.
As for the essays, I don't even. There's a lot of rosy-spectacled rhapsodising about the Russian Revolution, which, fair enough for october 2017. However, not one but /multiple/ articles made the case that the investigation in to Russian interference in the 2016 US election is a cold-war era rehashed scare, drummed up by neoliberals to soothe their egos because Hilary was a bad candidate.
I found this just a wee bit INFURIATING.
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Much like last time, slow going for the first half as all the asynchronous narrative threads build; then super engaging; then BAM at the end. A bit less of the 'completely unexpected twists' thing, but I think that's because I'm learning how Lynch's plots work (serious points for the twist I saw coming from the first page, but by the time it came, I was seriously wondering if maybe the twist would be and-there-no-twist-here).
I am really looking forward to reading more, but not right now - I'm trying to reduce my numbers of hard copy unread books (#unreadshelfproject2018, thanks instagram), and buying more dense e-books won't help there!
View all my reviews
Up next: Having set myself a January reading list for #unreadshelfproject2018 I'm already itching to finish enough of them that I can justify adding more. I don't think I'm very good at narrowing my reading attention anymore! I am pretty much incapable of having fewer than five books on the go at once.
Likely prospects in the near future: the summer 2017 Meanjin; a book on the philosophy of love that I ILL'd through work and which should turn up soon. Once I've finished Wilkins I think I'll start a heavier fiction book - maybe At Swim, Two Boys. I also need to read Mrs Dalloway for work.
On that note, currently reading: Charles Wilkins, 'Little Ship of Fools'; Rita Felski, 'Uses of Literature', David Lodge, 'Therapy', and, desultorily, Faderman's 'Surpassing the Love of Men'. Wilkins and Faderman I have been working on since November; the other two have been on my shelf for a couple of months.
Recently Finished:
Catch-up reviews from Xmas/New Year:
Anne of Green Gables and Anne of the Island - both re-reads, both delightful. I have a kobo e-book of the whole series, including the ones that aren't available on gutenberg, so that's nice.
The Furthest Station by Ben AaronovitchMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was both completely engrossing, and weirdly unfinished. What ABOUT the mysterious basement, huh? Huh?
I enjoyed seeing more of Sgt Kumar, he's a good egg.
Shakespeare's Pericles, Folger edition: well that was a WILD RIDE. I'm teaching it (by choice!) this coming semester, should be hilarious.
More recent:
Overland Issue 228 by Jacinda WoodheadMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The fiction was what really stood out in this issue - the prize winners and runners-up especially. I was a bit meh about most of the poetry. The re-run of Peter Carey's first short story was fascinating. Not, I would hope, something that would get published now (hello, casual racism AND sexism, what fun) but I was struck immediately by its obvious influence on Mad Max in general and I think on Fury Road in particular. I might be imagining things but suddenly the Capable/Nux plotline looks like a clever 'fuck you' to this particular story.
As for the essays, I don't even. There's a lot of rosy-spectacled rhapsodising about the Russian Revolution, which, fair enough for october 2017. However, not one but /multiple/ articles made the case that the investigation in to Russian interference in the 2016 US election is a cold-war era rehashed scare, drummed up by neoliberals to soothe their egos because Hilary was a bad candidate.
I found this just a wee bit INFURIATING.
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott LynchMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Much like last time, slow going for the first half as all the asynchronous narrative threads build; then super engaging; then BAM at the end. A bit less of the 'completely unexpected twists' thing, but I think that's because I'm learning how Lynch's plots work (serious points for the twist I saw coming from the first page, but by the time it came, I was seriously wondering if maybe the twist would be and-there-no-twist-here).
I am really looking forward to reading more, but not right now - I'm trying to reduce my numbers of hard copy unread books (#unreadshelfproject2018, thanks instagram), and buying more dense e-books won't help there!
View all my reviews
Up next: Having set myself a January reading list for #unreadshelfproject2018 I'm already itching to finish enough of them that I can justify adding more. I don't think I'm very good at narrowing my reading attention anymore! I am pretty much incapable of having fewer than five books on the go at once.
Likely prospects in the near future: the summer 2017 Meanjin; a book on the philosophy of love that I ILL'd through work and which should turn up soon. Once I've finished Wilkins I think I'll start a heavier fiction book - maybe At Swim, Two Boys. I also need to read Mrs Dalloway for work.