Robotswithpersonality

Robotswithpersonality

Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing | Abigail Thomas

The sound of blue. 💙😌

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Robotswithpersonality

Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 2: Volume 2 | Sumiko Arai

“....Ho-kay“ 🥴 GIRL! She's got it bad. 😆

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Robotswithpersonality

Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 2: Volume 2 | Sumiko Arai

The guy friend ships it. 😁

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Robotswithpersonality

Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing | Abigail Thomas

Yes. Good. Relatable. 🎂🙃

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Robotswithpersonality

Nonsense Novels | Stephen Leacock

My new (old?) definition of a comfort read: a book which “may bring some passing amusement...or some brief respite when the sadness of the heart or the sufferings of the body forbid the perusal of worthier things.“

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Robotswithpersonality

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore | Evan Friss

so-so

Meh, this one is mostly my fault, but it did help me figure out the kind of bookstore book I would be more interested in reading in the future.
Understandably, the early chapters of the book, talking about the early history of American bookstores are also tied in with early American history, and maybe it's that next-door-neighbour Canadian thing, but I've kind of had my fill of American history. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? I did love when the book started focusing in on later bookshops and the personalities and movements involved such as:
Gotham Book Mart - freedom of expression, contesting censors, supporting writers
Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop - gay pride, community support
Drum & Spear - activism and education against racism, segregation 1d

Robotswithpersonality 3/? Didn't feel much like reading about Nazis, but the chapter titled The Aryan Bookstore did also discuss co-evolving socialist and communist, radical bookstores, supporting movements for various people's rights.
Unavoidably, the book covers the role in American bookstore history played by Barnes and Noble and Amazon Books, but not being American, not loving chain or mall or supersized bookstores or what Amazon has done, I was less interested 1d

Robotswithpersonality 4/4 in these chapters.

Going forward, I think I need to look for individual independent book shop histories, those with character, and/or focused on quirky niche topics, or a history of revolution and activism or social/community support.
Happy to receive recommendations! 😁

⚠️Suicide attempt, homophobia, antisemitism, racism 1d

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Robotswithpersonality

Caves of Steel | Isaac Asimov

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Okay, I fucking LOVED this. WHY has it taken me so long to read Asimov?! Why do I have to go through interlibrary loan to get these? Are they really so far from popularity that my library system can't justify shelf space, or is it that everyone else is more clued in than I and has already read it/bought it and doesn't need to borrow it from the library? 🤦🏼‍♂️ 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? In any case, sign me up for more top tier sci-fi murder mystery where I'm not sure if I had more fun with the debates around the pros and cons of robots in relation to human progression, the nature and perception of humanity, the bandied possible relative superiorities between robots and humanity, the possible sensible futures for a resource-strapped earth, or the twisty whodunit. 2d

Robotswithpersonality 3/? We've discussed how gullible I am, I can't vouch for any other reader having the same last minute discovery of the reveal, but from just the sci-fi side, the discussion of a future earth with the hot button topic of robots is endlessly fascinating.
Also, the mindsets. 2d

Robotswithpersonality 4/? The gradual progression of the protagonist, who very obviously has a somewhat understandable, if not wholly sympathetic or logical prejudice against his robot partner and others of his ilk, as well as against the community of spacers. The interaction with people even further bent along 'medievalist' mindsets acting as contrast. I'm sure people have drawn parallels from this viewpoint in the text to conservatives, traditionalists, even racists 2d

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? Not that I condoned all the steps involved, but it certainly was captivating to see a character I had trouble identifying with at the start, be confronted with alternatives he'd never considered, and work through, without totally surrendering his personality, his deductive reasoning, to come to new conclusions.
It's what we always hope for.❤️ (edited) 2d

Robotswithpersonality 6/? ⚠️The falling down point of this text is definitely the only female character with more than a couple lines. The wife is frequently emotional to the point of hysterics, incapable of getting to the point, worried about her makeup in the face of impending interrogation and susceptible to joining fringe hate groups masquerading as revolutionary movements in a fit of peak when the only thing she considers spicy about her life story 2d

Robotswithpersonality 7/? (read: perhaps the last rare individual thing she was clinging onto when pressed into a life of restrictions and respectability) was challenged by her husband, oh and guilt-tripping her teenage son into going out to find her husband when suspected violent subversives are after him. What that actually translates to is Asimov taking numerous pauses in the text to do the figurative version of 'women? 🙄 Amirite?!' (edited) 2d

Robotswithpersonality 8/8 Jessie/Jezebel is an irritating plot device and justification for misogyny, not a fully fledged human being, and she deserved better. 2d

RamsFan1963 @Robotswithpersonality Sadly, most of the men of Asimov's era weren't good at writing female characters, so they were either cut out completely, they acted like men, or they were caricatures of female characteristics. It's one of the burdens you have to bear when reading "classic" sf 1d

Robotswithpersonality @RamsFan1963 Tragically gaining that period-accurate impression, yes. 🤦🏼‍♂️Honestly my Heinlein rereads should have clued me in. 🤷🏼‍♂️ 1d

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Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives | Stephen Graham Jones

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Well thank goodness I loved ONE of the two stories! Think it's pretty clear by the cover I chose which one it is...😏 This is a long review full of spoilers for what is actually two short novels in one book, so be prepared! 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? I started with Killer on the Road, and loved it, as will most likely be the case for most final girl-focused horror stories by this author. I really thought The Babysitter Lives was going to fall under that same ending, but, and maybe that title should have read more as a clue than a reassurance, it doesn't feel so much like a final girl story because it's not clear at the end if Charlotte survives the neverending nightmare she's caught up in. (edited) 3d

Robotswithpersonality 3/? Back to Killer on the Road:
I love that though we start with a straight-up yucky scene with a serial killer making a name for himself, we spend most of our time with Harper and her dwindling group, and it's left to the reader to try and figure out on this wild night who actually had the higher body count. Certainly, long term and removing accidents that went worse, Bucketmouth is the serial killer, but it was jaw-dropping to witness the chain 3d

Robotswithpersonality 4/? of events Harper &co got caught up in. Harper started the book trying to escape in one way and finds herself running from several something elses soon after.
I appreciate Harper's struggle, with younger sister in tow, to try and find the right action even as attempted evasion of responsibility morphs into the commission of criminal acts. Add to that the recurring recognition of her Indigenous status as likely to garner less aid, belief, or 3d

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? sympathy from law enforcement, how that plays out in a horror setting, amping the stakes. The shattered, grotesque road trip the perfect background to both a seemingly endless pursuit and to her and Dillon's casting memories back to absent trucker fathers, what they loved about them and their trucks, how they retain knowledge of that trade, those vehicles, wishing them home. 3d

Robotswithpersonality 6/? Bucketmouth with his cannibalism-based shape shifting and its particular rules is formidable and disgusting and relentless but not insurmountable, exactly what is needed to drive the pacing, to allow for just a bit of repartee, and a feeling of matched foes in amidst the gut-wrenching gore and horror.
The emotional impact of the ending, the meet up but not detailed explanation or reconciliation with the mom, being Harper's last moments with 3d

Robotswithpersonality 7/? her, the closure with her 'father', finding out who actually survived the night, without a clue where they'll go next, it's just the right stopping point.
Now, The Babysitter Lives...
It seems odd to say after reading the first story, but I think it was just too ever-expandingly horrific for me to want to stay involved. Towards the end I could feel myself getting less invested, a little exhausted, even if the author's creativity wasn't. (edited) 3d

Robotswithpersonality 8/? This one gets pretty surreal. And there's some quality, tragic reveals.
It's inventive, but even if Harper's crew is getting devastated, she spends so little relative time alone, while Charlotte in her story spends most of that time either locked in a shadow world or trying to look after two young kids without anyone to turn to, which no doubt adds to the feeling of loneliness, on top of which, the replacement of the lover's face, 3d

Robotswithpersonality 9/? while threatened in Killer on the Road, actually happens (in a believable figment way) in The Babysitter Lives. A lot of despair, a lot of body horror, a lot of scurrying around without progress. As much as I can skim a gory scene in a horror novel, it's really not possible to 'skip the stressful part' when it's basically the whole plot.
And yeah, I think the author mentions in acknowledgements the thin sliver of hope, but it's really, really 3d

Robotswithpersonality 10/? thin, and in no way resolved, by the end of the story.
This story also had some icky stuff that rides the line of sexual assault (guy records video of touching himself which gay teen girl finds, and connects that he touched the same teen babysitter in greeting right after, possible bodily fluids involved; evil ghost taking over gay teen girl has sex in one reality with same guy - using her body without consent - though it's unclear if she'll (edited) 3d

Robotswithpersonality 11/? ever get back in it🤢).
I appreciate that the Indigenous identity of the young female protagonist is not just mentioned but a strong point in both stories, not just Harper's concern in Killer on the Road, shared by her friends, that any consequences will be harsher, any help less likely due to this, but also that Bucketmouth's lore/weakness features it as well. 3d

Robotswithpersonality 12/? Charlotte is put in an uncomfortable but no doubt relatable position of navigating an offensive, appropriative Halloween costume while interacting with a young, white child who is parroting everything their parents, who have an economic influence over how Charlotte might respond, have said or implied. And Tia is very obvious in her opening salvo of mocking Charlotte while taking over her body in the real world that she is aware of the 3d

Robotswithpersonality 13/? appropriation as it echoes back to the costume.
For all that the supernatural plays heavy in these stories, the real world intrudes with its own ugliness.
Indigenous single mothers also feature in both stories, and while they are strong and reliable role models in both, neither seems to have a happy ending in store. 😕 3d

Robotswithpersonality 14/? Perhaps that has more to do with the imminent maturation of the teenage girls in question. Both are about-to-head-off-to-college/move-out age, could it be so psychologically, brutally simplistic as cutting the last tie to home from a narrative perspective? 🤷🏼‍♂️ It's almost nicer to think it was for the further development of the main character's independence than just to add to the body count and associated trauma, though those come as a 3d

Robotswithpersonality 15/15 package deal. 🫣
⚠️cannibalism, gore, body horror, racism, SA 3d

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Robotswithpersonality

Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives | Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones: I love his writing, I love his blend of creepy and gory and occasionally supernatural and/or meta, his emotional handling of trauma and family and identity, his pacing, his foes and final girls, I love the way he writes horror, but I especially love the way he writes acknowledgements. 🥰

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Robotswithpersonality

Worn: A People's History of Clothing | Sofi Thanhauser

Love the imagery, Thanhauser's way with words.

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Robotswithpersonality

Worn: A People's History of Clothing | Sofi Thanhauser

“dazzled by the beauty“ 😍

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The LEGO Architect | Tom Alphin

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A good place to start. Considering the ratio of educational descriptions of architectural styles to depicting examples made in real life and models in Lego, to actual instructions on how to build some of those examples in Lego, with a short builder's guide with model builder profiles in the back, I see this more as a source of inspiration than a how-to manual, but I do enjoy how it was presented as a whole. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Turns out:
I'm not too fussed on Neoclassical (maybe as a Greek and Roman studies aka Classics major I'm biased to the original?).
I can take or leave Prairie, though there is something nostalgic about a sprawling ranch house amidst the green that just appeals to someone living in an urban setting, raised in a rural setting. 1w

Robotswithpersonality 3/? I LOVE the ornamentation of Art Deco, but I already knew I loved Art Deco in art/jewelry, so that's no surprise.
Similar to Prairie, Modernism only works for me when it's wedged into a deeply natural setting, i.e. Fallingwater
I only dig Brutalism when it's pushing the envelope into Deconstructivism. 1w

Robotswithpersonality 4/4 I think Postmodernism is pretty ugly across the board. 🤷🏼‍♂️
High-Tech Deconstructivism: my beloved. 🤩 I definitely need to find works, not Lego focused, that go into more visual examples about this architectural style. 1w

Cuilin Would you say this is a good introduction to architecture? For like a classrooms library? not that I teach anymore but I find this interesting. I‘m curious about architecture. 1w

Robotswithpersonality @Cuilin Wish I had enough knowledge to gauge knowledge receptivity/reading age, they're fairly brief descriptions of each architectural style, 3-5 pages plus photos and instructions, but they don't shy away from the big words, so I don't know if they'd be of enough benefit/a good match for a particular classroom library - maybe if teacher introduces the concept and then the kids all build using the instructions? 🤷🏼‍♂️ 1w

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Robotswithpersonality

The LEGO Architect | Tom Alphin

Today I learned...

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Robotswithpersonality

The LEGO Architect | Tom Alphin

Call me a philistine for not previously recognizing the “creative potential of reinforced concrete“, but I'm pretty sure it's the Wabi Sabi that's getting me more more than the Brutalism. Aka, I think I love the depicted Palace of Assembly because it's contrasting the warm, creamy, clean, smooth base colour where the light hits directly with the parts that are weathered/dirty?!

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Sunny, Vol. 1 | Taiyo Matsumoto

so-so

I dunno... it's hard to judge where the series might go considering it's six volumes and this is only the first, but if it's similar to Tokyo These Days by the same author, it could mean the majority of moments spent on what is essentially the same theme, and while manga publishing, artists and editors lives and artistic crises was a place I was happy to dwell in, this series is focused on a group home and I find it eminently more stressful. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Haruo seems to be the protagonist, and those first moments, where it's evident that he spends a fair amount of time in a stationary wreck of an old car (Sunny) fantasizing different lives a driver might have, were captivating, but the book soon expanded out to all that other kids at the home, as well as those who live and visit there to help out. There is also Taro living at the home, who appears to be a large, fully grown adult with a 1w

Robotswithpersonality 3/? developmental disability, who spends his time singing row your boat and is, when able to focus, gentle with kids in the home, and able to bring home a temporarily strayed toddler.
Any place with a number of young children will end up chaotic, add on top of this the admittedly stereotypical actions of 'troubled kids': clamouring for attention, difficulty sharing, skipping class, stealing, attitude towards authority figures, fighting. 1w

Robotswithpersonality 4/? The literally snotty kid keeps pushing my ick threshold - I recognize that's a personal issue.
It appears from the narrative that a number of the kids are not truly orphans, but have parents that they visit or come visit them, perhaps they are too sick or for other reasons cannot have full custody of the kids, and that adds to the frustration and loneliness of the kids involved. To know their parents are out there, and they can't go home/ 1w

Robotswithpersonality 5/? /can't be with them all the time.
It appears a number of the children have crushes on older kids or even caretakers in the home, which makes me nervous even though no wrong action on the part of any older individual has been indicated.
I could see threads that lead to a more cohesive demonstration of this ragged bunch thrown together becoming a found family, but it's not truly evident yet. 1w

Robotswithpersonality 6/6 Key to the other manga I've read by Matsumoto, the work continues to demonstrate a strong blend of pathos-producing reality and flights of fancy/escapism, but I think this volume spent so much time in this anxious reality that I'm not yet eager to pick up the next volume. 🤷🏼‍♂️
⚠️ Animal death (edited) 1w

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Cat + Gamer Volume 2 | Wataru Nadatani

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The sweetness continues. 😍 Gamer navigates life with a cat, cat continues to find ways of making gamer's life interesting. 😉 The motif of leveling up remains fun, as do the over the top reactions from all involved, except for Musubi. The furball is very chill for an agent of chaos. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Glad to see cat care discussed as part of the leveling up considerations, one always worries that if an adorable series gets ultra-popular that it may influence a spree of animals spontaneously adopted/purchased - at least the series indicates some of the effort, cost and appropriate measures inherent in being a cat caretaker. 1w

Robotswithpersonality 3/3 Also appreciate the mild commentary about the effects of getting too far down the rabbit hole of social media and 'likes', and perhaps the need for gamer girl to get out a little more. 1w

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Cat + Gamer Volume 2 | Wataru Nadatani

I ship it. 🥰

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The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore | Evan Friss

Yummy! 😋

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Schrader's Chord: A Novel | Scott Leeds

This post contains spoilers

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so-so

Insofar as I appreciate horror more when there is resolution and survivors, this is the kind of horror I look for. I can certainly see picking up what this author comes up with next because I like his writing, the way he fleshes out characters, the way he found quiet, warm moments amidst the horror.
1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? I love the focus on relationships, how powerful a tool communication can be. While the book could have amped the angst, it had a lot of plot to cover, (I really loved the pacing) and I appreciate that instead of twisting the knife, the story got on with recognizing the past that cannot be undone, the value of truth, forgiveness, recognizing the moments you have, (the whole scene with Charlie recounting the memorizing moment with his mom ❤️‍🩹 1w

Robotswithpersonality 3/? ) with the proviso that if your parents acted in a shitty way, they take responsibility for that behaviour.
Because I had such a memorable problem with the father-son dynamic in another horror (paranormal?) novel, Our Share of Night, I want to make clear that there's no action or revelation in the present that would ever justify an abusive relationship in the past, but in my view that's not what's described in the Remicks' turbulent history. (edited) 1w

Robotswithpersonality 4/? The family friction is the result of poor choices and ego as well as misunderstandings, things that could be cleared up and forgiven or at least acknowledged and moved past. Considering all the truly wild shit going on in the ending, the fact that Raymond's last words to Charlie really affected me is a testament to the development of their relationship through the rocky start to a new equilibrium. 1w

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? If there are those reading it who have a poor relationship with their parents, I would understand if Raymond's selfish choices were triggering, if perhaps they made it so you couldn't enjoy the book.
I do wish Dale had made it through, I do wish Ana's role in the story had not downshifted from her own chapters to a love interest and ride-along, as much as she remains part of the action throughout. 1w

Robotswithpersonality 6/? I do question whether releasing an album which didn't succeed the first time around, after Raymond both died, and seemingly made peace with the fact that he was not a great songwriter, that he valued his relationship with his son more than his ego, but as with so many actions taken after the death of a loved one, if it brings the survivors peace, go for it. Just a little surprised newly deaf Charlie felt that was the action that needed to be (edited) 1w

Robotswithpersonality 7/? taken. And yeah, it does feel a bit off-kilter, as much as I love the 'family business' angle, that the previously magic-ear-ed now deaf man is heading a record store and a vanity record label.
I love the description of his new tactile sense of music, the whole sequence of him remembering and yearning for sound is beautiful, 1w

Robotswithpersonality 8/? and I guess it's good that however misguided Schrader was that, his folly now fully punished and eliminated, he's exactly here he wants to be in a restored state, but it feels odd that Ana urged the playing of those records and Charlie was the one to sacrifice as a result. Yes, Dale's dead, and Eliie really just was temporarily caught up in things, but again, it feels like Leeds had to make a choice about where the focus of the story would (edited) 1w

Robotswithpersonality 9/? land and as a result Ana got a bit side-lined. I do love that we got Louis Goodwin and Susan Remick for a period of time, they added to the story and exited where appropriate. The narrative feels more whole for having had their characters and contributions, even if they weren't required for the denouement. And I especially appreciate that I didn't have to worry about Susan's kids being involved/in peril for much of the book. 1w

Robotswithpersonality 10/10 So yeah, I think overall there was more about this book I liked than I didn't, wording and moments that got to me, but the book jacket noting this as Leeds' first novel, really makes me curious what a few more years of work could produce.

⚠️gore, body horror, animal death
1w

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A Caribbean Mystery | Agatha Christie

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This one grew on me. I should know by now that if things seem particularly pat, and predictable at the start it's because the author is setting you up for further twists and reveals. But I'm grateful that my continuing credulousness allows me to enjoy murder mysteries written more than 60 years ago. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? On that note, despite getting into the later publication years of this series, there are still a bunch of horribly dated opinions ventured, not the least of which is the characterization, or lack thereof, of the few West Indies/St Honoré people featured in the story. 2w

Robotswithpersonality 3/? I should add, though this edges into spoiler territory, while a mental health crisis does not end up being the motive or a part of the identity of the killer, it is talked about at length and used as a misdirect. Heads up for those who do not want to read about it used this way. Similarly, someone having a glass eye and having a resultant 'cross-eyed' gaze is key to the plot, so again, if you'd rather not read about that, best to skip it. 2w

Robotswithpersonality 4/? This book, more than others in the series, feels like it's appealing specifically to a demographic reflective of the protagonist, an underestimated British little old lady, who laments a lack of certain traditional values and practices in the then 'modern' 1960s, doesn't appreciate much the tropics have to offer in comparison to her mother country, recognizes the frequency of physical ailments that age brings, and is quite aware of and 2w

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? willing to use, to her advantage, the reality that many perceive elderly people as harmless, tiresome, possibly less capable of organized thought, and even liable to drop dead at any moment.
Palgrave and Rafiel are great fodder for further discussion on perceptions and tropes about the elderly. Those liable to carry on talking about the good old days to anyone who appears to be even half listening, 2w

Robotswithpersonality 6/? in robust health despite a lifetime of bad habits, those who require mobility aids, who have diminished physical strength but who are cognitively sharp and cantankerous about it.
Rafiel's character is a commentary on privilege, but only for the blink of an eye.
If I was elderly in the mid-20th century, I'd probably relate to this book more. 🤷🏼‍♂️ 2w

Robotswithpersonality 7/? Nevertheless, I am glad this is one where Marple plays a more active role, I get that it suits her character to take a back seat and get the debrief, then shock everyone with her keen observations, but it is more fun when she pokes about and is there for the capture and unmasking of the villain. 😏 2w

Robotswithpersonality 8/? I do wish Christie didn't feel the need to emphasize how the womenfolk 'got around' the various men in the book - what they deemed necessary to soothe them, to not puncture their perception of how things should be while getting what they wanted done/communicated, as opposed to a more frank assertion of their opinions/intentions not resulting in undue opposition, (though the later conversations with Rafiel are evidence that this is possible) 2w

Robotswithpersonality 9/9 but I recognize this as a product of the time it was written, what Christie likely had to deal with on a daily basis throughout her life. 😑

⚠️Racism, ableism, sexism, mental health crisis, discussion of suicide 2w

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A Caribbean Mystery | Agatha Christie

Conversations with Miss Marple are often hazardous to a suspect...😏

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The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore | Evan Friss

How have I never seen this word before?!

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 13 | Kousuke Oono

pick

An excellent amount of silly.
Highlights for this volume:
Complete random of the boar and its nonchalant take down with reassuring epilogue of new companion found
The entire skating incident
Floofy tracking dog
Gangsters crafting moments
Camping with the ever wholesome father-in-law

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 13 | Kousuke Oono

Cat is in awe at the level of floof! 🙀😆

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The Writer's Library: he Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives | Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager

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Loved this. I could listen/read this style of interview for different authors for the rest of my life.
This book becomes a reading list in two ways, the books the authors talk about, and, as this is my first introduction to many of them, the interviews often become a recommendation to look into the author's own work, as I hear about what they write, how they speak. 1/?!

Robotswithpersonality 2/?.It's fascinating to see the variance in processes, experience, perspective, opinion in the authors selected.
A great book to listen to on audio, but have the text close by so you can grab the great quotes as they come!
I will say, as one of the two interviewers, Nancy Pearl is a little strident in her tone and volume, it sounds a bit like she's constantly worried the mic isn't picking her up, but the handful of other narrators are a delight, 2w

Robotswithpersonality 3/3 some of which are the authors interviewed themselves.
Just a marvelous time.

⚠️ discussion of racism, sexism, loved one with dementia 2w

willaful The book Shelf Discovery made me really interested in trying Laura Lippman. I loved how she wrote about books.

Shelf Discovery

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 13 | Kousuke Oono

Witness the POUF!

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Cat + Gamer Volume 1 | Wataru Nadatani

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Wholesome fun. The motif of the gamer girl approaching cat caretaking as a challenge with levels, echoing levels in her fantasy game is, like all the interactions with the kitten and the bonus moments from his perspective, adorable. The intentional hilarity of basically everyone in her office having over dramatic reactions, including Riko, is a welcome goofy break from the sweetness. Happy to keep reading in the series.

Texreader Great review! 2w

Robotswithpersonality @Texreader Thanks! ☺️ 2w

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Cat + Gamer Volume 1 | Wataru Nadatani

Nothing beats box! 🎁😸

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The Writer's Library: he Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives | Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager

I love the framing, the imagery: “we should come out not as clean as we went in...“ 🪏

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The Writer's Library: he Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives | Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager

Just found my new response for nosey people who want to know why I don't want kids. 😏

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The Writer's Library: he Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives | Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager

The only viable stance...

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The Writer's Library: he Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives | Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager

🤔

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 13 | Kousuke Oono

Is- is the wild boar - smoking?! 🚭 🐗

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The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 1 | Sumiko Arai

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The. DRAMA! I can usually be relied upon to roll my eyes at incipient teen angst, but the balance of humour, the emerging queer relationship, the inclusion of wacky, caring family, the music talk, and the lime green as a punchy background contrasting with the usually only black/white/grey of manga made for a quick, absorbing read. Onto the next volume! ☺️

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The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 1 | Sumiko Arai

Awwww, stuff sad niece with comfort food: it's the thought that counts, Uncle. 🥹🥞🧋

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The Writer's Library: he Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives | Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager

Warmed by fiery poems. 🔥☺️

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The Writer's Library: he Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives | Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager

Harsh but fair: shedding the mediocre through the engine of history.

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The Writer's Library: he Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives | Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager

New way to choose next read unlocked. 😋

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The Writer's Library: he Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives | Nancy Pearl, Jeff Schwager

👀🍄

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Robotswithpersonality

What Is Queer Food?: How We Served a Revolution | John Birdsall

so-so

There are some books, usually memoirs, that I come to the conclusion were of more benefit to the writer than the reader. This is obviously a subjective opinion, and Birdsall's shared personal moments make up only a small proportion of this book, but his personal voice, while it enlivens the text, often feels stronger than the connections made on the page. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? I can see the premise and the reasoning for the formatting, divided into chronological sections, moving from a time when queer lives had to be hidden, subtextual, to a time when being queer was/is still a matter of fighting for recognition and respect, underlined by the AIDS epidemic, and within those sections in order to create a more dynaicm reading, dashing back and forth between interconnected people, 2w

Robotswithpersonality 3/? following the thread of a few individuals from their beginnings to their strongest connection between queer identity and food.
It's perhaps unfair to see this text as fragmented and tangential, because the tragedy of queer history is how much was hidden or destroyed. But it's an easier read to go along with when you consider it one person's journey through recounting figures in queer history and nothing moments when they connected to food. 2w

Robotswithpersonality 4/? It's perhaps unfair to see this text as fragmented and tangential, because the tragedy of queer history is how much was hidden or destroyed. But it's an easier read to go along with when you consider it one person's journey through recounting figures in queer history and nothing moments when they connected to food. There are times, featuring cooks, bakers, restaurateurs, cookbook makers, when the connections become more salient, 2w

Robotswithpersonality 5/? but overall my impression is that the book's title has a question mark for a reason, that the epilogue leaves it up to the reader to determine what in particular queer food is as : “any dish that has sustained queer connection; that has nourished, comforted, or charmed us; has supported the old ongoing battle to define ourselves- those foods have been a part of a process of collective recognition.“ 2w

Robotswithpersonality 6/6 If you want a book bursting with both queer joy and pathos, and with a love of food and sharing that love, it's worth a read.

⚠️Homophobia, racism, xenophobia 2w

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Robotswithpersonality

What Is Queer Food?: How We Served a Revolution | John Birdsall

“Food is...a way of keeping..everyone you care about...alive...Food is an act of figuring out where you live...intention that queers it.“

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Robotswithpersonality

What Is Queer Food?: How We Served a Revolution | John Birdsall

Queer history: history of subversion for self-preservation vs. history of erasure. 😔

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Patriot | Alexei Navalny

pick

Unforgettable. A remarkable document of Navalny's work, his resilience, courage, and optimism.
Far from wallowing in depression or denial, he appears naturally upbeat even years into the prison sentence that will end in his death. While it is hard for me to follow his discussions on faith, his unflagging efforts to fight corruption, to call out lies, to acknowledge the cruel absurdities of a self-serving and censorious government 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? and prison system with humour, with practical, well-argued, well-informed insights, with gratitude to those who joined and supported his team's accomplishments, with love and admiration for his wife, are truly an inspiration, human and legendary, all at once. 2w

Robotswithpersonality 3 To know that this man, who fought so untiringly is gone, while Putin is still in power does make me want to simultaneously scream and weep, Navalny's example is such that it makes it impossible to ignore the much more fitting tribute to his memory, which is to support the cause. To stay informed, to push for a democratic, honest leadership of Russia, which can lead to economic recovery, freedom of speech, to a better future for all Navalny's 2w

Robotswithpersonality 4/? fellow countrymen, who also know that Russians are a good people, with a bad state.
Regarding the format of the book, while there is some attention paid to Navalny's formative years, how he met his wife, where he started in his career, understandably, the bulk of this memoir focuses on the years actively involved in politics, in efforts leading up to the development of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, 2w

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? in the cases the government brought against him, the poisoning, recovery and his subsequent prison sentence.
If I had to single out passages that will stay with me most from the three years of writing from prison that make up the majority of the second half of the book, it is Navalny's eloquent revisiting of the image of himself as a traveler in space, surviving in confinement with meager possessions seen as similar to someone in a long deep 2w

Robotswithpersonality 6/? space journey.
While he often deals with yet more charges bring brought, more disciplinary hearings based on nitpicky rules within the prison, the rare long form visit from family, and the semi-regular visits by lawyers before the final year, there is still much time spent in solitary, and his creative reframing, without losing touch with reality or evincing toxic positivity hits all the harder, for the strength demonstrated by 2w

Robotswithpersonality 7/7 such an ability to find whimsy for the audience he knows is reading whatever can be communicated, for the wish to continue to encourage all who can to act, for demonstrating that he retains his convictions and urges action and hope, for remaining unbroken, right until the end. ❤️‍🩹

⚠️Discussion of invasion of Ukraine, description of poisoning, discussion of Chernobyl crisis, animal death, mention of incarceration conditions, SA 2w

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Witches Abroad (Discworld, #12; Witches #3) | Terry Pratchett

pick

I'm not sure how to phrase this so bear with me, but I feel this book really EARNED its ending. I've read books where the ending makes the book - that usually involves a somewhat muddled middle redeemed by an impactful ending.
That's not what this was. The book has dramatic and comedic moments throughout, and steadily builds the important parallel discussions: 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? talk of stories and happy endings, alongside talk of agency, of attempting to control people to design a society as an individual sees fit, totalitarianism with good PR, abuse of power, shades of gray, right/wrong, good/evil and where you're standing vs which way you're facing. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 3/? Having Granny Weatherwax in particular, but Nanny Ogg to a lesser extent, understood as people expecting a base level of respect, of free food, lodging and favours as needed, with the tacit understanding that they could be fearsome, even if for the most part they do nothing to be feared, but at the same time have earned the gratitude of their homeland through their service to their community. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 4/? Having Esme Weatherwax so clearly a powerful force that works to not practice magic beyond headology, to be good while also being ignorant to the point of xenophobia, intractable, regularly rude to Magrat, the idea that she is deeply flawed in certain aspects and yet still clearly, resolutely the force for good, the voice of reason against oppression, that she draws a line at which she meddles no further, makes for a simultaneously 3w

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? exasperating and absorbing character, and developing that sense of her character is what allows the ending, facing off against certain foes to feel so strong. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 6/? On a separate note, it's tricky to determine, as an atheist, how the alternate history suggested for a figure from a practicing religion might be received by its followers. If I can consider it a separate interpretation rather than an appropriation of cultural icons, than Mrs Gogol and her companion are a delight, and again, the process to discover the identity and connections are a fascinating journey. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 7/? Knowing Magrat's path in other books in this series makes it a little easier to stand how much she gets sidelined, dismissed, I realize she's got some unhelpful notions and has much to learn, but her traveling companions are pretty blunt in their disregard, and it felt like this book was working hard to add interpersonal strife at her expense. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 8/? I feel like Greebo is 30% responsible for making me love this book - aside from a casual reference to SA 😬 - Greebo vs. the Vampire Bat, Greebo in The Thing with the Bulls, Greebo's adventures at the end of the story, he plays a much larger role than I remember and it is spectacular! 3w

Robotswithpersonality 9/? On the heavy-hearted side of things, the scene with the 'big bad wolf' *HURTS*. It's incredibly impactful writing, but I'm not really sure I'm ready to forgive Pratchett for making me cry about a situation I'd never considered before. 😭
Oh, and be prepared for the mirror magic throughout to genuinely give you the creeps, even after you figure out why Esme's getting twitchy about them. Another example of Pratchett's writing getting to me. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 10/10 Yep, would not have guessed a third of the way in that I would enjoy this particular witch book this much upon re-read, but as testament, I could actually see re-reading it again, and I've no higher praise from a book, really. 💁🏼‍♂️ 3w

julesG It's one of my favourite DW books. Especially because of the things you wrote about above. I'm looking forward to my next reread of it. 3w

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Robotswithpersonality

Patriot | Alexei Navalny

🔎Did you mean: “party of crooks and thieves“? 💅🏼😏

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Witches Abroad (Discworld, #12; Witches #3) | Terry Pratchett

Just the one...😏🧟‍♂️

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Remarkable Diaries: The World's Greatest Diaries, Journals, Notebooks, & Letters | DK

pick

The coffee table book format may suggest a shallow read, but there's an awful lot of information packed in here! Although it acts more like an appetizer for any one life story you might want to read more about, so many of the original journals, diaries, featured here have been published in book or excerpt form that it simultaneously acts as an introduction and a reading list. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Perhaps reflecting the changing technology, moving from handwriting to typing and online, three quarters of the book focuses on accounts from before 1900. Even given that much space, of course, it's no doubt just a sample of a fraction of what is out there in the world, though it tries to feature a number of nations, cultures, languages, even if it seems to me there were more white, western faces. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 3/? The accounts are careful to indicate the wrongdoings of a number of historical figures, even if their place in history still secured them a spot for discussion. 😑
The formatting is interesting because you'll see in images a sample of the diary, perhaps other examples of that person's work or things from their life, and a bit of in context imagery and wording besides the basic bio and what's significant about the diary and their life. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 4/? Some diaries get two two-page spreads, the second set 'in detail', with more aspects of the journal and their life.
The 'directory' at the end of each section of time covered felt a bit odd, because all of a sudden you'd get a two-page spread of columns of text covering a handful of extra diaries from the same time period without any further visuals or details. I mean, if you're going to include them, give them the page spread too! 3w

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? It wouldn't have made the book that much longer. 🤷🏼‍♂️
It makes sense that a good number of the entries are about writers, though I guess from the cover, I was surprised there were not more artists, or people who had made their diaries into art objects. It's really more of a who's who beyond the very first journals which are significant just for their place in the timeline of the medium's existence. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 6/? No surprise, unfortunately, that a number of diaries center on those who experienced or commented on conflicts, wars and revolutions, considering how often they feature in humanity's history.
The collection does include a fair amount of female contributors, the percentages feel as though they represent the timeline, the historical disparity in women having the ability to be recognized for literary achievement or work outside the home. 3w

Robotswithpersonality 7/7 It's a pleasing item to flip through, but if you're planning to read it cover to cover, I recommend taking it slow, it's an awful lot of disparate historical snippets to cram into your brain in a short period *cough* library loan period *cough*, though many figures and events will be familiar.
An interesting read, but I think I like focusing more on the life of one individual at a time. More memoirs to come! 3w

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Remarkable Diaries: The World's Greatest Diaries, Journals, Notebooks, & Letters | DK