Ron > Recent Status Updates

Through the second story, “Nevermind”. A little more down to earth, about a women’s commune outside the State’s control. It still highlights the challenge with a book like this where memory is so important: we don’t always know when we’ve slipped into the past, or when that past is fragmented and nonsensical because their mind has been altered. Times like those you just have to read for the vibes.

Done with the title story. Like most SF&F it’s a bit disorienting at first, you just have to have faith that the world and its technology or magic will eventually make sense. But this was really well done and has some interesting discussion points like freedom vs. security, or the gift that is the ability to forget. And while it makes its own leanings clear it doesn’t claim to have The Answer.

I like Bahni Turpin as a narrator, but the florid prose here gives me the impression that Turpin’s reading it blind. That’s probably true of most audiobooks, but it *shows* here.

When you know how a sentence will end you might read the beginning differently. When you can feel how a scene is developing before the shift is stated outright, you might read a line differently. That’s not really happening here.

About 1/3 of the way through the title story. The Panopticon has progressed beyond surveillance cameras and drones to a stage where it skims citizens’ memories, storing them in a central library. From there the memories can be preserved, but also modified or destroyed depending on what the Standards bureau deems appropriate for society.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tanaya Winder

Jeremy Lin, America Ferrera. This second essay by Ferrera is more about what was lost when her family left Honduras. As great as her life in the US has been and everything it’s allowed her to do, the move also distanced her from her heritage. She tells this through a work trip to Honduras where for the first time she learns about her extended family, who they were and what they stood for.

Michele Kwan, Geena Rocero, Frank Waln, Auli’i Cravalho

Diane Guerrero, Joy Cho, Liza Koshi, Kumail Nanjiani

Carmen Perez’s essay came off a little too polished and humble-braggy, like she was doing a job interview. Issa Rae’s was much more personal, embracing her own flaws and shortcomings.

Finished The Silmarillion per se, next up are the Akallabeth and a chapter about the Rings of Power.

Turin Turambar

Through Beren and Luthien

I don’t particularly like this book yet, but it’s scandalous enough to be entertaining.

Restarting

This book’s definitely taking a different path from what i was expecting. Kaikeyi’s not leading a rebellion, though she is leading change in her kingdom and others nearby. It’s a bit like “A Spell for Chameleon” where the protag’s lack of magic (or in this case, the gods’ indifference to her) is itself a power. As I’m writing this I also realize that Kaikeyi hasn’t used her power in quite some time.

One thing I wasn’t expecting to find in this story is possible aro-ace representation. About the only mention of romance, physical intimacy, or even attraction is Kaikeyi pondering her disinterest in those topics. There’s even a half-demon nobleman who pops into her life at key moments, and no mention of a spark.

For the last couple of months I’ve had trouble sitting down and reading, so I thought I’d get back to a genre that’s served me well in the past: young woman develops magical powers and smashes the patriarchy.

You know things are rough when she agrees to hang out with an ex-boyfriend.

There it is, the old “my character pins your character up against a wall and kisses the breath out of her.” Smooth.

While the mains have been Out to each other for a while, there’s a scene here where they finally acknowledge out loud that if Harper hadn’t moved away they could have had a relationship. Which naturally prompts a round of “what ifs” in Ollie, who’s still In except to her closest friends. How might that affirmation of her feelings and identity at age 12 have altered the rest of her teens?

“Here in Clintville, embracing what I want is so much easier.” I have a hunch we’re not just talking about trade school anymore.

It’s been a while since I’ve played D&D; is it common to implement a safe word?

The book’s progressing into the main action. Our protagonist has met the rest of their D&D group and they’re starting session one. (Aside from character introductions, session zero was either skipped or handled off-page; the first words of chapter 6 are “session one”.)

Two chapters in and we already have wlw pining and “a baby bi” (her words) wondering if it would be better to stick to guys until she moves out of her small town.

Anyway, I found this on a Libro.fm sale and it sounded good. The author’s written Firefly tie-in novels and a story in the “From Another Point of View” series, so the nerd representation should at least be well-informed.

Seven minutes in and there’s already a reference to Arthur Fonzarelli. The Fonz.

Morgoth’s on a bit of a losing streak. His orcs keep getting routed, and even his shiny new dragon couldn’t hang.

This bit was disorienting at first because I didn’t realize it was concurrent with Morgoth’s imprisonment and before the destruction of the Trees. Also, did the light of the Trees not reach Beleriand? Seems like the Sindar were in the dark the whole time and didn’t register the end of the Trees. Anyway, we’re stopping here with humans entering the picture and the Valar finally about to mobilize.

Feanor reeeally wants his gems back.

This is great stuff, and I’ve listened to enough “Nerd of the Rings” to know there’s more coming, but it takes so long.