Status Updates From Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga, #7)

Freeing myself to enjoy books that are not necessarily technically good and have lots of problems but have the exact kind of character and theme work I want

I've realized that I don't necessarily enjoy LMB's prose/style - very direct and abrupt - and the way she writes inner voices grates on me. And yet. And YET. The character work. It compels me. It must outweigh the bad significantly because despite it all I'm so invested I went out and got a bunch of secondhand copies for the other books in the series. I'm enraptured. I haven't read a book in less than a day in eons.

I keep hitting moments that make me wince. That are cringe or clunky or ham fisted or full of 1991 attitudes around gender roles and maternal instincts and bioessentialism etc etc. And yet. The next page will immediately hit me with something so gut wrenching and transcendent, I'm deeply invested regardless of its obvious flaws

how is literally every single chapter throwing something agonizing at me amidst terrible space opera tropes and questionable discussions of eugenics and consent. im dying. the emotional trenches. ive almost cried multiple times. the book reminding me why i like to read.