What Sabine Is Doing: Reading
Mar. 14th, 2020 07:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sabinetzinAnd now, things to read!
Updated 4/23/20
This is literally just a scrape of what's finished on my Kobo, because I haven't been reading a lot lately. The last thing I actually finished was the Taskmaster companion book, which is, for reasons that would be obvious if you read it, not available as an ebook; the thing I am actually reading right now is the NPS Technical Preservation Services Preservation Briefs. They're actually really interesting if you're a fuckin nerd, and I have compiled them into an epub that you can get here on Google Drive (but you'll have to use the link above if you want a version with images).
In the category of fanfic, I refer you to my AO3 bookmarks. But be advised that since I have a bookmark collection for all the podfic of my works, the majority of it is in fact those works. But why wouldn't you want to listen to them?
Romance
The Brothers Sinister - Courtney Milan
This is always the first romance series I rec people when I am asked to rec romance. Historicals are my shit, and these feature characters that are fleshed out, fully realized people with strengths and flaws. They're plugged into the history of the time period in a more complete way than your average "to win a duke" story.
Be My Fantasy/Stay My Fantasy - Alisha Rai
WOO LORD. This is some horny stuff. There are seekrit identities and sex clubs and idiots pining. What's not to love?
Nonfiction
Hacker Crackdown - Bruce Sterling
This is nonfiction, but it reads like a cyberpunk novel, which is not surprising given who wrote it. It's about hacking in the age of phone phreaking and beyond, and the botched response the FBI made to it. It'll keep you turning pages, and also it's public domain.
You Don't Know Me But You Don't Like Me - Nathan Rabin
This book made me feel sympathetic for Juggalos?????
Bourbon Empire - Reid Mitenbuler
A history of bourbon and its origins, which don't stretch back nearly as far as you'd think. Really well researched and historically situated, also had nice things to say about my fave, Maker's Mark.
Books about Scientology
Going Clear - Lawrence Wright (your basic primer on what it is)
Ruthless - Ron Miscavige (David Miscavige's dad)
Beyond Belief - Jenna Miscavige Hill (David Miscavige's… niece? It's been a minute since I read that one)
Books about paganism
The Witch's Tools series (Llewellyn)
A series of non fiction books about altar tools in modern paganism. Levelheaded advice and suggestions for rituals, but also made me feel very connected to my craft. The only one I didn't like was the one on wands, because even for something like this, that guy was full of the woo.
Weave the Liminal - Laura Tempest Zakroff
I just really love this book and the look she takes at modern paganism, particularly what she calls modern traditional witchcraft. She really has a knack for breaking concepts down but also conveying emotion.
Sigil Witchery - Laura Tempest Zakroff
I haven't experimented with this as much as I'd like, but sigil witchery is the idea of doing witchcraft by using hand-drawn designs that incorporate symbols representing concepts. It's really interesting, though others of my coveners could tell you more.
Fiction
Discovering Scarfolk - Richard Littler
I'm not even sure what to say about this book. It has a vibe like Night Vale or Beef and Dairy, and it's presented a lot like the Navidson Record from House of Leaves; it's supposedly an academic book about a collection of papers from the protagonist. The reviews call it funny but like... I wouldn't call it that? Perhaps droll black comedy is as far as I would go? Like it has a surreal sensibility, but the book has, for me, almost a jump scare kind of quality; it is like House of Leaves in that you're afraid to see what's on the next page. Idk. I kind of want to read it again (over half the book is illustrations and most of the pages are not full, so it's really not very long) because it was so intriguing; maybe I'll find the humor on the second go. Content warning: There is a LOT of child harm. Like a l o t. Skip it if that's not on your list.
It also made me really want to finish House of Leaves, so fuckin, stay tuned for that shit.
Update: I have been informed bycoffeesuperhero that I am not allowed to read House of Leaves during a pandemic.
The Scarfolk Annual - Richard Littler
So I think this does a better job of what Discovering Scarfolk was trying to do and didn't quite get there for me. I read Discovering Scarfolk a second time, and I had about the same reaction. The Scarfolk Annual, on the other hand, was really funny in a deeply morbid way. It's the same kind of material but turned up to the max; having it unfiltered instead of in the context of an academic work was both funnier and creepier to me. It leans into the images over the text, and that's where Scarfolk shines. Together the two books really develop a world that I enjoyed.
It Devours! - Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor
This is the second Night Vale novel, which I bought when it came out and never read; I wanted to read it before The Faceless Old Woman, because they have nothing to do with each other but it would bother me to read them out of order (I read Welcome to Night Vale when it came out and loved it). I'm not sure what I think about it, honestly. It was a good book that I enjoyed reading. The church felt like a real church. What didn't quite land for me is that it's a book about the tension between science and religion, but those debates felt a little heavy-handed. This isn't out of character for the main characters, a scientist and a devotee of the Smiling God, and this is how people do talk about it, but I want more subtlety in a book. My other complaint was that Carlos just... didn't do it for me. There's something that Dylan brings to the role that they didn't capture here, which is weird since they write all of Dylan's lines. I needed him to be more finely integrated in the story because of how the book ends. But, speaking of the ending, I really like how Nilanjana and Darryl's storyline resolved. Overall, I'd recommend it, but Welcome to Night Vale (the novel, but also the show) is better. I have yet to read The Faceless Old Woman, but I will report back.
Updated 4/23/20
This is literally just a scrape of what's finished on my Kobo, because I haven't been reading a lot lately. The last thing I actually finished was the Taskmaster companion book, which is, for reasons that would be obvious if you read it, not available as an ebook; the thing I am actually reading right now is the NPS Technical Preservation Services Preservation Briefs. They're actually really interesting if you're a fuckin nerd, and I have compiled them into an epub that you can get here on Google Drive (but you'll have to use the link above if you want a version with images).
In the category of fanfic, I refer you to my AO3 bookmarks. But be advised that since I have a bookmark collection for all the podfic of my works, the majority of it is in fact those works. But why wouldn't you want to listen to them?
Romance
The Brothers Sinister - Courtney Milan
This is always the first romance series I rec people when I am asked to rec romance. Historicals are my shit, and these feature characters that are fleshed out, fully realized people with strengths and flaws. They're plugged into the history of the time period in a more complete way than your average "to win a duke" story.
Be My Fantasy/Stay My Fantasy - Alisha Rai
WOO LORD. This is some horny stuff. There are seekrit identities and sex clubs and idiots pining. What's not to love?
Nonfiction
Hacker Crackdown - Bruce Sterling
This is nonfiction, but it reads like a cyberpunk novel, which is not surprising given who wrote it. It's about hacking in the age of phone phreaking and beyond, and the botched response the FBI made to it. It'll keep you turning pages, and also it's public domain.
You Don't Know Me But You Don't Like Me - Nathan Rabin
This book made me feel sympathetic for Juggalos?????
Bourbon Empire - Reid Mitenbuler
A history of bourbon and its origins, which don't stretch back nearly as far as you'd think. Really well researched and historically situated, also had nice things to say about my fave, Maker's Mark.
Books about Scientology
Going Clear - Lawrence Wright (your basic primer on what it is)
Ruthless - Ron Miscavige (David Miscavige's dad)
Beyond Belief - Jenna Miscavige Hill (David Miscavige's… niece? It's been a minute since I read that one)
Books about paganism
The Witch's Tools series (Llewellyn)
A series of non fiction books about altar tools in modern paganism. Levelheaded advice and suggestions for rituals, but also made me feel very connected to my craft. The only one I didn't like was the one on wands, because even for something like this, that guy was full of the woo.
Weave the Liminal - Laura Tempest Zakroff
I just really love this book and the look she takes at modern paganism, particularly what she calls modern traditional witchcraft. She really has a knack for breaking concepts down but also conveying emotion.
Sigil Witchery - Laura Tempest Zakroff
I haven't experimented with this as much as I'd like, but sigil witchery is the idea of doing witchcraft by using hand-drawn designs that incorporate symbols representing concepts. It's really interesting, though others of my coveners could tell you more.
Fiction
Discovering Scarfolk - Richard Littler
I'm not even sure what to say about this book. It has a vibe like Night Vale or Beef and Dairy, and it's presented a lot like the Navidson Record from House of Leaves; it's supposedly an academic book about a collection of papers from the protagonist. The reviews call it funny but like... I wouldn't call it that? Perhaps droll black comedy is as far as I would go? Like it has a surreal sensibility, but the book has, for me, almost a jump scare kind of quality; it is like House of Leaves in that you're afraid to see what's on the next page. Idk. I kind of want to read it again (over half the book is illustrations and most of the pages are not full, so it's really not very long) because it was so intriguing; maybe I'll find the humor on the second go. Content warning: There is a LOT of child harm. Like a l o t. Skip it if that's not on your list.
It also made me really want to finish House of Leaves, so fuckin, stay tuned for that shit.
Update: I have been informed by
coffeesuperhero that I am not allowed to read House of Leaves during a pandemic.The Scarfolk Annual - Richard Littler
So I think this does a better job of what Discovering Scarfolk was trying to do and didn't quite get there for me. I read Discovering Scarfolk a second time, and I had about the same reaction. The Scarfolk Annual, on the other hand, was really funny in a deeply morbid way. It's the same kind of material but turned up to the max; having it unfiltered instead of in the context of an academic work was both funnier and creepier to me. It leans into the images over the text, and that's where Scarfolk shines. Together the two books really develop a world that I enjoyed.
It Devours! - Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor
This is the second Night Vale novel, which I bought when it came out and never read; I wanted to read it before The Faceless Old Woman, because they have nothing to do with each other but it would bother me to read them out of order (I read Welcome to Night Vale when it came out and loved it). I'm not sure what I think about it, honestly. It was a good book that I enjoyed reading. The church felt like a real church. What didn't quite land for me is that it's a book about the tension between science and religion, but those debates felt a little heavy-handed. This isn't out of character for the main characters, a scientist and a devotee of the Smiling God, and this is how people do talk about it, but I want more subtlety in a book. My other complaint was that Carlos just... didn't do it for me. There's something that Dylan brings to the role that they didn't capture here, which is weird since they write all of Dylan's lines. I needed him to be more finely integrated in the story because of how the book ends. But, speaking of the ending, I really like how Nilanjana and Darryl's storyline resolved. Overall, I'd recommend it, but Welcome to Night Vale (the novel, but also the show) is better. I have yet to read The Faceless Old Woman, but I will report back.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-15 12:31 am (UTC)Oh and! I bought like, 3 books at the witchy store and have yet to read any in their entirety but I'll let you know how they hold up! I got Pam Grossman's "Waking the Witch," I really like her podcast so I'm looking forward to that one for sure. I need to finish the backwoods Appalachian witchcraft book, and the "Becoming Dangerous" queerish book also.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-15 03:28 pm (UTC)