sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLXIII

The latest batch, comprising his'n'hers reciprocal birthday presents.

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLXII

The latest batch. (I'm trying to do these posts before the batches get too big, which means they are more frequent.)

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLXI

The latest batch:

The photography book is in response to the recent attempts to capture images of insects in the garden.  My other half wants to learn how to do it better.  Which will probably include a new fancy lens or two.

It was 30 years ago today...

 … that my first fully dated item appeared on my website: a review of Clannad’s 1996 tour at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, attended a week earlier.

I blogged about this piece of history 10 years ago.  What's changed since then?

Back in 2016 I was working at the University of York.  I have since retired, although I still have Emerita status there.

To date, on my website I have 623 non-fiction book reviews, 1094 science fiction reviews, and 82 other fiction reviews.  That's about 5 reviews a month averaged over the 30 years, although it had been decreasing, and was particularly low in 2016.  Over the last 10 years, that's a further 189 non-fiction, 250 science fiction, and 7 other fiction reviews, so a reading rate of about 3-4 book per month over that time period.  I hadn't decreased my reading, just my reading of books, as reading research papers took up a lot of my time at York.  There's a visible spike in number of book reviews last year as retirement kicked in, back to the previous rate of 5-6 a month.

There haven't been any major changes in the design of the website, just more material, mostly in terms of reviews, research publications, and solar power statistics.  So, maybe just more of the same in 2036, too?  Let's see!

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLX

 The latest batch:

A friend was having a clearout, so we got a few old classic computer books.  And the ZWO SeeStar User Guide should help us make better use of that telescope.

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLIX

The latest batch:

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLVIII

 The latest batch:

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLVII

The latest batch, including a few belated Christmas presents that were ordered well in advance, but delivered less so.

sequestering carbon, one Christmas at a time XIII

His'n'hers Christmas presents (including a DVD, for a change)

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLVI

The latest batch, before the Christmas batch arrives.

book review: Gideon the Ninth

Tamsyn Muir.
Gideon the Ninth.
Tor. 2019

---

Gideon Nav, bonded servant, and Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Daughter of the House, are the only members of their generation in the Ninth House, and have hated each other since birth. Which is a pity, as the Emperor has summoned representatives from each House, and they must go as Necromancer and Cavalier, and work together, or die.

This is difficult to classify. After a few grim chapters in the fantastical Ninth House, the pair travel off-world to a 10,000 year old decaying palace, where they meet the representatives of the other Houses, and are set a task. The old palace is extraordinarily atmospheric, and the tale changes to exploration of a decayed technological civilisation, then becomes a murder mystery, then a monster fight, then… Well, there’s a lot going on.

I was bored to start, then swept up in the old palace, then confused, then struggling to follow the mystery, then excited by the monsters, then… Well, it twists and turns a lot.

When I finished it, I thought “that was interesting, I think I enjoyed that, and I never want to read anything in that universe ever again”, and then went and bought the sequel immediately. Yes, it’s confusing.

---

For all my book reviews, see my main website

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLV

The latest batch

book review: How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

Django Wexler.
How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying.
Orbit. 2024

---

Davi has been stuck in a time loop for centuries. Every time she dies, she wakes in a pond, and told she must save the kingdom from the Dark Lord. She has been getting better and better at doing so, but eventually the Dark Lord prevails, and Davi dies. This time, she wakes after a particularly painful death, and snaps. Rather than save the kingdom, she decides to become the Dark Lord herself! And with the power to learn that the time loop gives her, she sets out on her new quest.

Davi is a gloriously sarcastic, competent, and (mostly) moral character. Even while pursuing the goal of becoming Dark Lord, she has clearly read and follows the sensible rules in Peter Anspach’s list of The Top 100 Things I’d Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord, or, possibly more relevantly, Things I will do when I become Evil Empress, particularly in her (mostly) civilised behaviour to her minions and enemies.

After many thrilling adventures, some involving her death, Davi does finally achieve her goal (no spoiler: it’s in the title!), but what to do then? That’s for the sequel, which I am eagerly awaiting.

---

For all my book reviews, see my main website

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLIV

The latest batch:

Some of these are due to recommendations at the Belfast Eastercon; some from the Seattle Worldcon (which we attended virtually).

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLIII

The latest batch, comprising his'n'hers birthday presents.

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLII

The latest batch:

book review : Some Desperate Glory

Emily Tesh.
Some Desperate Glory.
Orbit. 2023

---

Kyr is a dedicated and loyal soldier on Gaea Station, pushing herself and her team hard, so that one day they can help avenge the destroyed Earth. But then she meets a captured alien, leaves Gaea Station, and experiences the strangeness of the larger universe. And then something totally unexpected happens.

This is a great space opera, as Kyr, not a very pleasant protagonist at all, keeps getting her world-view changed. And the plot keeps making right-angled turns just when you think you know where it might be going. It’s a great page-turner.

It’s a fascinating tale of fanaticism, second chances, growing up, what decisions to make, who has the right to make them, and whether choosing some appalling action is justified if you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that making any other choice would result in even worse outcomes.

Recommended.

---

For all my book reviews, see my main website.

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CLI

The latest batch:

Some of these are recommendations, or acquisitions, from the recent Eastercon.

for the title alone

Near the registration desk was a table piled with a load of free second hand books.  We looked through them, but had most of the ones we might want (and, anyway, flying back puts a crimp on book acquisition).  However, there was one I couldn't resist, for the title alone.

Okay, so it turns out this is two separate stories, but even so...

sequestering carbon, several books at a time CL

The latest batch:

 

The company who I have been with for over 40 years for insuring house contents is no longer insuring house contents.  So we are looking for a new insurer.  

We have a lot of books (no!)  This causes issues: everyone who is quoting wants to insure them as "antiques", in danger of being stolen.  No, there are a lot of individually not very valuable books (some are indeed old, but not that old, and not rare).  No-one is going to steal these: it would take forever, and they have very little resale value.  We can't be the only ones in this situation, surely?