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annamatopoetry

annamatopoetry

Joined September 2016

lots of nonfiction (history, linguistics, anthro), but I also like historical and speculative fiction.
review
annamatopoetry
The Night of Wishes | Michael Ende
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Mehso-so

Yes, I realize I'm not the target audience 😅. But I was OBSESSED with Momo and with The Neverending Story when I was a kid, so when I realized there was a famous Ende book I had missed, I wanted to read it. Honestly, I don't think I would have liked it as a kid either; I didn't like books without child characters, and the heroes in this one are animals. Also too much verse. Meh.

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annamatopoetry
The Library: A Fragile History | Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen
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Mehso-so

I can't say there was anything wrong with this book, but it still felt a bit laborious to get through. No stories were bad, it was just never brilliant.

blurb
annamatopoetry
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Sometimes literally the only place you can find a book is a shitty libgen pdf and that's okay

batsy Libgen is such a lifesaver for expensive academic books, especially. 3w
4 likes1 comment
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annamatopoetry
Untitled | Unknown
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Excited about both reading this one and giving it to people I like. Out in April.

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annamatopoetry
The Library: A Fragile History | Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen
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Alma mater mention! Well, for less than a year of grad school I don't think it counts if you don't have a degree from there? Anyway, fun fact: Lund University was founded in an effort for "swedishify" Skåne, an area that had until very recently been Danish since Lund's founding. I had philosophy lectures in Kungshuset, "the kings' house", the oldest building on campus.
(let's pretend I didn't hate Lund)

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annamatopoetry
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Present from friends in Sweden!!

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annamatopoetry
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34 pages in, I determined that this isn't a book I can read without underlining. Fortunately it was available affordable used, so it's been ordered and this copy will go back to the library. I'll continue reading the history of libraries next, and hopefully be able to pick up Curye on Inglysch after that.

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annamatopoetry
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I have zero recollection of where I heard about this book or when I ordered it at the library, but it showed up today so I'll read it. Sounds super interesting and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Dilara It does sound super interesting! Stacked... 2mo
annamatopoetry @Dilara i read a similar, more geographically specific book, in swedish on the same topic a few years ago, but it's always nice to be able to recommend English language books so I hope I like it! 2mo
Dilara @annamatopoetry 🙂The Swedish book does indeed sound interesting. If only there was an English translation... 2mo
5 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
annamatopoetry
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Mehso-so

I remember liking the first one, but unfortunately, no matter how funny Munroe is (which is VERY), there's just too much math and physics for me to fully enjoy this one. That said, it's absolutely not a bad book for the more math inclined of the population.

still. Soupiter.

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annamatopoetry
Winter's Gifts | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

So for some unfathomable reason (like maybe having the LITERAL NAME of the main character in the title) I thoughts this novella was going to be about the German magical police officer, but no. It was about Kimberly Reynolds, the American character. Mostly read in a state of panic at jfk airport and more calmly with my cellphone flashlight on a six hour flight home. It's decent. Not revelatory, and Kim just isn't interesting enough.

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annamatopoetry
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The problem here is that Munroe is so consistently funny that I get distracted from the content.

Soupiter.

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annamatopoetry
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Rivers or London: I liked the entire series, but the first one does a lot of heavy lifting for the worldbuilding, while less polished I like that it's a standalone.
The Dawn of Everything is such a deep dive in anthropology and history of power, makes my head spin.
Black: The History of a Color is my favourite in the series because of black's status as both within and outside the color world, which lends more breadth to the narrative.

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annamatopoetry
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I read 27 books in 2023, and while I enjoyed most (no dnfs), these... challenges my patience:

The Real Valkyrie: you can't call a book factual and then have 70% of it be made up, fictional, story with the barest support in archeology.

Girly Drinks: often ignorant author who seemed more interested in going "yay, booze!" than in having any kind of in-depth analysis of how at times, alcohol has actively made the lives of women worse.

review
annamatopoetry
Black: the history of a color | Michel Pastoureau
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Pickpick

Last read of the year because I only have two more hours and the library history is way longer than that. I REALLY liked it, possibly most in Pastoureau's entire series on the colors. Due to black's on-and-off history as counting as a color, this goes a little bit more in depth in historical color ideas. Also some truly bonkers looks into medieval worldviews. Love it.

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annamatopoetry
Black: the history of a color | Michel Pastoureau
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Pastoureau agrees with me! Two people in the "the 17th century was the WORST century" club!

review
annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

I mean. This didn't really provide me with any groundbreaking news about user interface design but it had some interesting resources for different types of color blindness.
Formatting for ebooks was awful though, do better abookapart.

quote
annamatopoetry
Black: the history of a color | Michel Pastoureau
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"I confess that I have never believed in a universal system of colors independent of time and place and shared by all civilizations. On the contrary, I have always stressed that the problems and stakes related to color are cultural, strictly cultural, and prohibited the historian from disregarding eras and geographical areas."

Good to know that I'm agreeing with an expert.

review
annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

Not the strongest in the series (and a standalone that deals with Tobias Winter of the German magical police) about a murder in the German wine making town of Trier. Not bad either though, I just prefer Peter Grant. Winter is convincingly written, he's just not my kind of character. Aaronovitch is obviously a little into Roman Stuff, which, okay. Not by cup of tea either. But interesting case and I liked Vanessa.

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annamatopoetry
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1) at home with gastric distress instead of at the coffee shop 😡
2) the library had this book in book format! Kinda weird as they don't have most of the rest of the series, but I'll take the win, especially as I don't want to buy the not-Peter books
3) WHAT is up with the style in this one. Aaronovitch is using the sentence structure of someone with a German accent and it's weird so far, but at least Tobias isn't using Peter's voice?

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annamatopoetry
The Library: A Fragile History | Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen
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"Personalized illustrations were a key component of any luxury Book Of Hours; ranging from the ubiquitous coat of arms to full-page portraits of the owner and their family /... /These delicate and sumptuous miniatures ensured that such books were prized possessions, passed down to children or other members within the ruling dynasty."

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annamatopoetry
The Library: A Fragile History | Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen
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Decent start. Not pictured: the most absurd pistachio croissant

review
annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

It's starting to stretch the limits of what I can believe Aaronowitch, a middle aged white man, can write, but for a novella I still think he sells Abigail's voice, although it's suspiciously like Peter's. I like Abigail, but I like the talking foxes with spy delusions more, and overall this is still a hit. Now I'm really really out of Rivers of London books until the next one comes out.

review
annamatopoetry
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Mehso-so

What a fucking book! On the one hand, 95% of it is valuable historical research on the effects of colonialism removing swimming skills from colonized people in the name of civilisation, and, once swimming became a valuable skill, keeping marginalized people from developing swimming skills.
On the other hand, the remaining 5% is an absolute batshit insane hatred of the breast stroke and some truly unhinged word choices.

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annamatopoetry
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Real fucking tired of this fucking attitude in this otherwise excellent fucking book. Breast stroke is not a less good way of swimming? It's certainly slower, but makes up for it in using less energy = allows the swimmer to stay afloat for longer. Each swim stroke has its pros and cons?
Cunty fucking attitude.

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annamatopoetry
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More a "sure, why not?" than an enthused yes, but still a pick, because I would like more rivers of london content right now please. Some thoughts: I don't feel like wossname from the west mercia village felt genuine as a queer character in first person, Abigail's foxes are quickly becoming my favorite characters after Peter, I still don't care about Germany.

BookmarkTavern If you like audiobooks, I cannot recommend them enough for this whole series! They are an absolute delight. 5mo
annamatopoetry @BookmarkTavern so I've been told! Maybe if I take a long road trip, I'm super not an audio book person other than on road trips (I don't mind reading on those either, but it's nice if the driver and passenger can enjoy the same media. ) 5mo
5 likes2 comments
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annamatopoetry
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"It's not easy, being a bookseller" , said Warrick Anderson -- bookseller. "
Caved and bought the short story collection and one of the other novellas, but the novella hasn't made it here yet.

Some days make for less nice photos than others.

review
annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

I had some expectations for this book, and they were ALL delivered on. Probably my favourite other than the first of the series, and I'm genuinely sad there aren't more for me to read right now. I bought the second novella and a short story collection, but those aren't full novels. May start the series over from the beginning.

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annamatopoetry
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I was gonna be very upset if there weren't any inquisition in this book, but I don't have to.

review
annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

Weak pick; the setup and middle were, due to elements in the plot (I deal with tech bros in real life let's not make me deal with them in fiction) , slow and not super interesting. Picked up at the 75% mark and did a bait-and-switch only topped by the first novel of the series (Rivers of London). So the average is still a passing grade, but I would only assign 3 stars if I did assign stars.

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annamatopoetry
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1) I laughed 2) FINALLY got number eight after a completely unreasonable duration of it being in the mail

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annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

I picked up the delightful B. Dylan Hollis' recipe book the week it came out, and then forgot about it. I was honestly never planning on making anything from it, I just wanted to read the blurbs, on account of Hollis being hilarious. And it was; the blurbs are just as innuendo-filled and sarcastic as his videos, great investment. I also love that the last section is horrible things that should never be made.

MatchlessMarie I love him. I use “moo juice” for milk on my grocery list now because of him lol 6mo
6 likes1 stack add1 comment
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annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

Good, but I'm confused - does that mean book 8 and 9 will start a new arch? It resolved a lot of things, and I really enjoyed how the gallery of characters have grown to reluctantly accept the main character. Obviously still copaganda (a Met where everyone just want what's best for the public? Please.) but so delightfully orchestrated. Plus points for lots of archeology.

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annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

Been having a Shit Time (ankle acting up, hip/back muscles acting up) but at least the rivers of london books are delightful. I almost preferred this novella (kind of a villain of the week story) to the main arch.

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annamatopoetry
The Hanging Tree | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

(Nelly wanted to be in the picture)
If I hadn't started this at eleven at night, I would have finished it in one day. Really enjoying the wit and history tidbits as before, appreciate that the themes are finally connecting up from earlier books. This just overall reads really smooth and I can see myself coming back to comfort read. Did see the twist a while before the mc though, and wasn't sure this one properly resolved the main case?

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annamatopoetry
Foxglove Summer | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

One nice feature of the Rivers of London series is that little bits or history is unsubtly dropped in, and not as non sequitors but as drivers of plot. This one sees Peter Grant in the west mercia countryside, and talks quite a bit about the deforestation (and reforestation) of Britain, which I've been interested in lately. Also: faith that ongoing series themes will not be lost has been established.

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annamatopoetry
Broken Homes | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

I feel like maybe the books in this series are getting less complex? This is what, 4? Only a few surprises, but I'm enjoying the quick reading and it's not like they're bad.

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annamatopoetry
Whispers Underground | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

More appropriately named than the last one in the series. SO many pop culture name drops compared to the other ones? But pretty good and fast, I finished it in three sittings. Now I have to wait at least a week for the next one to arrive.
A lot of threads left dangling though, I really hope Aaronowitch gets back some of them before the end of the series.

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annamatopoetry
Whispers Underground | Ben Aaronovitch
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Lol

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annamatopoetry
Moon Over Soho | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

Again: apparently the way to make me care about crime is making it magical. I still like how much extremely situated this series is, but unlike in the first one, I solved part of the mystery before the main character, which was somewhat annoying. I'm really assuming part of the plot will be returned to in later books, it's not the kind of shit you drop and abandon.

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annamatopoetry
Moon Over Soho | Ben Aaronovitch
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Ben Aaronowitch telling it like it is (I cackled)

annamatopoetry Also what I said about the main character being stupid and horny for a reason? This plot's the reason. 7mo
7 likes1 comment
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annamatopoetry
Moon Over Soho | Ben Aaronovitch
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"The yap would be an SI unit, of course, and thus the standard background ambience of a central London pub was 0.2 of a yap (0.2Y), or 200 milliyaps (200mY). Having established that to my satisfaction, I finished my half-pint and headed downstairs to the basement, where they kept the jazz."

review
annamatopoetry
White: The History of a Color | Michel Pastoureau
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Pickpick

I have enjoyed the entire series on the history of colors, and this is no exception. It felt a little shorter than red or green, but that could be due to the special position that white holds culturally. Also found me my new favourite painting (the duel after the masquerade by Jean-Léon Gérôme)

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annamatopoetry
White: The History of a Color | Michel Pastoureau
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The library had another of Pastereau's color books and I'm waiting for other books in the mail so let's do it this one I guess. Photo from Wednesday which was also the last time I read, it's been a Week this week.

Dilara Sorry you had A Week! Hopefully, next week will be easier 🌻 7mo
7 likes1 comment
review
annamatopoetry
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Pickpick

I really liked this one! The humor is my kind, apparently the way to make me care about crime is making it magical, and the pacing was enjoyable enough that I ended up finishing it at home; I rarely read at home. An acquaintance complained that the protagonist is too horny, but I felt like it was an intentional flaw for a series where there's a bildungsroman element but the mc is an adult. He's gotta mature more. Sad spl doesn't have the series.

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annamatopoetry
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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Haven't been reading much but still enjoying this despite progressing at a snail's pace

review
annamatopoetry
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Mehso-so

I think I like the specific topic more than Goodman's standard strategy of summarizing a whole period. But I've also read reputable researchers contradict some of the stuff she's saying here, and some of THAT could accounted for by writing about such a long time period (it says elizabethan but it's about the whole Tudor and Stuart eras). But not actively bad I guess.

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annamatopoetry
Rivers of London | Ben Aaronovitch
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"... it's like you're seeing stuff that isn't there."
"Like what?"
"I don't know," said Lesley. "I can't see stuff that isn't there."
Liking this one so far, despite it being unreasonably difficult to find due to not being sold by the original title in the US. blegh.

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annamatopoetry
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Today: massage and then coffee and pastry. Enjoying this book about the history of swimming so far.

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annamatopoetry
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Mehso-so

My friend recommended this a while after I first learned of the newly female-reidentified remains on Birka, & I was expecting something better tbh. I don't know how much I like Brown's strategy of creating fiction around who she could have been (and the fact that the sagas did the same thing, well, they're 800 years old) and the translations of both personal and place names made me want to chew my arm off. But the facts presented are interesting.

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annamatopoetry
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1) a king is a giver of rings.
2) not sure about the decision to keep the older translation of Kolmården, Mirkwood
Yes, it's where Papa Tolkien got it, but it has other associations now. I'm usually 100% pro exonyms but like. They're both equally impenetrable.
3) a lil too much emphasis on the pop in pop archeology, again. I need to start reading PhD theses..