Books Read in April
May. 5th, 2024 05:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valoiseMy list for April includes a wide variety of sources. Vintage cookbooks, a biographies, a graphic novel, and several works on this year's Hugo finalist list.
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
An enjoyable sf mystery novel. The character development/romance was nice, but certain aspects of the world-building didn't totally work for me.
Rose/House by Arkady Martine
A sf murder mystery where a police detective tries to untangle the truth about a dead body among the illusions generated by an abandoned AI-protected house. Very, very good.
David Whitaker In an Exciting Adventure With Television by Simon Guerrier
At Gallifrey One last February I went to a talk by Guerrier on the history of British television leading up to 1963 and the beginning of Doctor Who. That kind of well-documented historical research is totally my thing. Only one dealer in the dealers room had this book and I snagged the last one. A really detailed look at Whitaker's life and his forgotten importance to DW.
The Witches of World War II by Paul Cornell, Valerie Burzo (art), and Jordie Bellaire (color artist)
A great alternate universe in which British witches are employed in covert ops during the war. I initially bought it thinking my oldest granddaughter might like it, but she might not have the context regarding the war and leading 20th century occult figures to really get it.
Home Canning and Drying of Fruits and Vegetables by National War Garden Commission
One of my current research interests is in how American households approached the food restrictions during the First World War. This guide was interesting. It embraces those new to food preservation without being condescending. Very well illustrated. The section on drying was great and included some vegetables I'd never considered dehydrating before. Might try out some of these this summer.
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
A fantastic sf novel with alternate universes that touches on so many themes: cults & authoritarian societies, family, compassion & empathy, xenophobia, etc. But mainly its a novel about characters who grow and discover their own strengths and weaknesses. This went to the top of my Hugo ballot.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
Another wonderful twist on a classic fairy tale. This time she turns the tables on Snow White.
Mammoths at the Gate by Nigh Vo
The fourth book in The Singing Hills Cycle, this one focused on character, grief and community, commenting on how history should not be amended for the comfort of the living.
A Chef on Ice: Living and Working as a Chef in Antarctica by Sebastian JM Kuhn
I received a copy as part of LibraryThing's monthly Early Reviewer giveaway, it's an interesting story about creatively feeding people in extreme conditions.
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
An enjoyable sf mystery novel. The character development/romance was nice, but certain aspects of the world-building didn't totally work for me.
Rose/House by Arkady Martine
A sf murder mystery where a police detective tries to untangle the truth about a dead body among the illusions generated by an abandoned AI-protected house. Very, very good.
David Whitaker In an Exciting Adventure With Television by Simon Guerrier
At Gallifrey One last February I went to a talk by Guerrier on the history of British television leading up to 1963 and the beginning of Doctor Who. That kind of well-documented historical research is totally my thing. Only one dealer in the dealers room had this book and I snagged the last one. A really detailed look at Whitaker's life and his forgotten importance to DW.
The Witches of World War II by Paul Cornell, Valerie Burzo (art), and Jordie Bellaire (color artist)
A great alternate universe in which British witches are employed in covert ops during the war. I initially bought it thinking my oldest granddaughter might like it, but she might not have the context regarding the war and leading 20th century occult figures to really get it.
Home Canning and Drying of Fruits and Vegetables by National War Garden Commission
One of my current research interests is in how American households approached the food restrictions during the First World War. This guide was interesting. It embraces those new to food preservation without being condescending. Very well illustrated. The section on drying was great and included some vegetables I'd never considered dehydrating before. Might try out some of these this summer.
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
A fantastic sf novel with alternate universes that touches on so many themes: cults & authoritarian societies, family, compassion & empathy, xenophobia, etc. But mainly its a novel about characters who grow and discover their own strengths and weaknesses. This went to the top of my Hugo ballot.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
Another wonderful twist on a classic fairy tale. This time she turns the tables on Snow White.
Mammoths at the Gate by Nigh Vo
The fourth book in The Singing Hills Cycle, this one focused on character, grief and community, commenting on how history should not be amended for the comfort of the living.
A Chef on Ice: Living and Working as a Chef in Antarctica by Sebastian JM Kuhn
I received a copy as part of LibraryThing's monthly Early Reviewer giveaway, it's an interesting story about creatively feeding people in extreme conditions.
