Book round-up: January 2019

[sixthlight]

I am definitely going to get to importing my tumblr meta to DW one of these days, but in the meantime apparently I want to use it for discussing Things I Have Been Reading. Seems legit.

 

Non-fiction

Double-Entry (Jane Gleeson-White): a history of double-entry accounting from its origins in thirteenth-century Italy (and environs) to Enron and climate change. I know this sounds boring as fuck but it was well-paced and, although clearly somewhat aimed at accountants, explained the key concepts very fluidly. 

Medieval Women (Henrietta Landry): a Christmas gift from my sister, who has apparently known me too long. Definitely a textbook at heart (there's fifty pages of primary sources at the back) but a solid examination of what we knew, as of 1995, about medieval English women's lives. Because it's from 1995 it doesn't address queerness at all, which I missed a bit (and some of the stuff about archaeological evidence assumes you can reliably gender skeletons which is...not so much true) but this would be a fantastic go-to if you ever need a Serious Source for debunking some of the usual bullshit about women in the ~Middle Ages~.


Fiction

The Tiger's Daughter (K Arsenault Rivera): epic fantasy following two young noblewomen from Fantasy Japan and Fantasy Mongolia as they grow up and begin to confront a demonic invasion which is crippling both their nations. Pluses: extremely gay, definitely not your standard European fantasy setting but still lots of the good tropes. Minuses: largely written in second person as a very extended 'as you know, Bob', which worked unevenly for me. I was pretty meh right up until the last fifty pages, at which point Shefali and Shizuka were Cruelly Separated and I suddenly got invested, because I'm contrary like that. Will probably chase up the sequel(s). 

The House of Binding Thorns (Aliette de Bodard): Gothic steampunk urban fantasy in post-apocalyptic Paris ruled by fallen angels. The first in this series, The House of Shattered Wings, was alright but it's a borderline grimdark setting for me and I didn't particularly like any of the characters. I gave the second a go because I was promised an overly-earnest bisexual dragon prince, which sounded right up my alley, and indeed it was and I will absolutely read the third one when it comes out for Thuan. (also I ship Thuan/Asmodeus but I'm not sure I WANT to.) 

The Order of the Air (series, Melissa Scott & Jo Graham): re-read; I stopped before the series leaves the continental US (for a whole book) because that's the point at which the Eurocentric depiction of magic really starts to grate, but otherwise the found family feelings and Depression-era working-class leads, and the - I can't judge accuracy, but certainly believably technical - depictions of early aircraft make these good comfort reads. I'm always here for technobabble. 

Brothers of the Wild North Sea (Harper Fox): Viking-era M/M romance. I picked this up because I was waiting for the next K J Charles (below) to come out, I liked another book by the author, and K J Charles had recommended it on her twitter. I can't really give a verdict on it as a book because I ran up hard against the choice to use a ~wildly ahistorical and anachronistic~ depiction of the early English Church as the bad guys, because the Church Authorities sure do hate Science (Heliocentrism, Catholicism's mortal weakness!) and The Gays no matter what century it is, right? 

Look there's a telescope eight hundred years before they were invented, I try not to be too much of a pedant but sometimes I Cannot Even. DNF. 

Any Old Diamonds (K J Charles): The book I was actually waiting for! A disinherited nobleman hires a jewel thief to help get revenge on his father, SHENANIGANS ENSUE. Great mix of romance and heist, in her usual excellent style, AND it's a follow-up to her Sins of the Cities trilogy which will give readers of those books all sorts of warm fuzzy found-family feelings as we run into various supporting characters two decades on. Plus the theme is basically 'fuck the rich' and that's a very 2019 Mood. 

Comments

[eight_of_cups]

There's not a Like button on this site, so I'm just saying: I have nothing substantive to add at this time, but I enjoy these book posts. :)

[sixthlight]

Thank you, that is great motivation to keep doing them!

[christycorr]

Hahaha omg I was wondering which book was making you rage about the telescope thing on twitter. Noted, will skip :D

I'm really curious about The Order of the Air! I've read a couple others by Melissa Scott and enjoyed them. Eurocentrism is something that does make me twitchy after a while, so it's very good to know in advance, ty!

[sixthlight]

I do really recommend the first three but it becomes really evident in the fourth that the authors just Don't Get some things in a way that profoundly irritates me. It's like...it's mentioned several times that the female lead speaks Navajo (she grew up on Army bases in the West) but in five books you never meet a Native American of *any* nation? That sort of thing. But they are extremely readable.

[falena]

Too bad about Brothers of the North Sea, I'd tentatively added it to my to-read list because it sounded interesting...thanks for the anti-rec, I guess. :)

[sixthlight]

I honestly don't know if it would read better to someone who's less of a historical pedant than I am - Harper Fox can certainly write.

[falena]

Since I had it already on my Kindle I decided to give it a go and I must say I am impressed because most historical romance I've found so far is... A bit pants to be honest, while Fox's writing is definitely a cut above. The depiction of church attitudes though is so jarring. I think I'll probably finish it. I'm very good at reading with my brain turned off.

[the_high_meggas]

Definitely adding some of these to my (ever-growing) want to read list!

I think I might have Medieval Women in my currently reading pile. I was enjoying it, so it’s only not been finished because other books more relevant to work took priority. Hopefully I have time to get back to it soon.

[jottingprosaist]

I do love a good book post! Added a few of these to my list. :)