Books Completed February 2023

 

 

 

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow - A Christmas present from my wife. I read this novella in one evening. It's an adaptation of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale rooted in the present day, peppered with allusions to the many versions of the story through cultures and time, and flecked with adaptations of Arthur Rackham's classic illustrations of the same, so, yeah. A lovely little tongue-twister of a book whose Superman-tattoo-sporting supporting character's description made my wife go "oooh". I read another book by Harrow in my first book post, and this one touched on a lot of the same themes.

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers - Another Christmas present! From my wife! It's been a few years since I read the first book of this series, but I got about a third of the way through before I started doubting my memory. After checking a summary online, I was back in, assured I wasn't spoiling anything and we were off on another branch of the story with some different characters. This is has some deep, relatable considerations of what non-human consciousnesses interacting with humans might experience. I have the next two on my shelf and am looking forward to them.

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki - Same origin story as the two above. The story here centers heavily on violinists and makers of violins, furiously passionate about their crafts each. I enjoyed reading it and Aoki makes it relatable, but it's a thing I've never been able to connect to that deeply. The idea of giving up your life for a single perfect performance. This all intertwines with an intergalactic war (again, possibly resolved through music?), the difficulties of owning a donut shop, and the challenges of transsexual existence in modern America. A ride and a parable I wish I was better equipped to comment on.

Token by Gabriel Robinson - Hey, another Christmas present, but from my brother this time. This is so cool because I was part of getting him into RPGs a few years ago and now he's recommending them back. This is a two-person, GM-less, one shot game about a human exile and a humanistic beast circling each other in a threatening wilderness. It's heavy on evocative tables and suggestive illustrations. I don't know if I could ever play this, but I love the craft of it and the potential of the tables and sample scenarios.

Soul Food Love by Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams - This was my selection for Black History Month. It's a cookbook focused on a Black family's history through four generations of kitchens. Some of the recipes are really function as anchors for stories, like the tequila ice: Pour an ounce of tequila over a couple ice cubes isn't much of a recipe, but at the end of a tale of a mother did this to regain control over some threads of her life, it hits differently. The recipes I would most like to try are the sweet potato broth and the Chocolate Communion, which is a brilliant way to serve dessert for a crowd.

Odious Uplands by Jason Sholtis - The sequel to Operation Unfathomable, whose reading a few years back had me backing this Kickstarter. A strange and lethal RPG sandbox. For me the most believable aspect was also the part I couldn't imagine working at my table: The land is swarming with imperial agents thirsty for bribes and officially charged to confiscate any magical items or relics they encounter. I love an RPG book where the author is also the artist, it gives such a clarity of vision. Could have used another proofread, though.